14 minute read
The Waterton Arms
- the heartbeat of Deeping St James
When Church Street, Deeping St James, was Town Street and there were fields as far as the eye could see, The Waterton Arms was known as The Wheatsheaf and then as now it was the hub of village life in the elbow of the Welland.
The first recorded landlords were John Wray and his wife until his death aged 50 in 1818. Carpenter William Kelham (b.1781) and wife Ann then took over, moving to Paradise Lane, Northborough by 1841. Charles Wyche (b.1788), farmer and landowner from Postland near Crowland, was the first recorded owner of The Wheatsheaf.
Edmund Waterton of the Manor House, Deeping St James, was known for his love of a bit of razzamatazz and when he purchased The Wheatsheaf from Charles Wyche in 1885 he not only changed the name and installed George Tipping as the licensee, he also introduced the Waterton Park Sports Day which included all types of horse and pony races, athletic sports, bicycle and tricycle races. William Hardy at the violin, and much jollity ensued! A Quoits Club was also set up with as many as 80 members attending in the new club room. The Mulligan brothers were all really good at the game and when in 1911 none of them could play, the team unusually lost to rivals Thorney. Mary Mulligan was very successful as an inn-keeper, her son Lawrence lived with her and she employed Elizabeth Crich from Boston as an assistant. There were auctions and sports competitions and committee meetings for various organisations – all thirsty work. In January 1919 Mary was able to purchase, at auction at the Bell, three freehold cottages with yards and gardens known as Loretto Cottages, and the adjoining land near the Roman Catholic Church, for £320.
In August 1923 Mary herself was up before the Beak for allowing gambling by bagatelle and table skittles and was fined £10 and costs, even though she claimed she was just raising money for the Quoits Club. In 1926 Mary called time for the last time.
When John Stubley and his wife Maud from Bourne arrived, the corrugated club house on the lawn was pressed into action as a venue for sports and fetes. John’s horsedrawn brake brought parties from Peterborough to the pub and in 1927 he was granted a licence to sell at the sports in aid of the local effort for Peterborough Memorial Hospital. Eventually John moved to the Half Moon in Stamford and for a brief period Charles Simpson took over, introducing a horse shoe game on the bar.
Arriving from Kent, where he had been a gardener and in charge of unloading Thames barges at Erith, Arthur and his wife Mary Seabrook took the pub by storm when they arrived in 1932. They were to stay for over 25 years, hosting a wedding reception for their second daughter, Dorothy when she married George Thorington from Plumstead at the Priory Church in 1933. In December of that year patrons were pleased to hear that the kerbing of that dangerous corner near the pub was receiving attention and the danger of being knocked down was reduced, especially when on their way home if they were not too steady or careful.
It seemed that Edmund merely continued the tradition of the Waterton being something of a pleasure palace for locals. Alfred and Caroline Castor Elliott were the most eccentric in that regard. They came to the pub in 1884, Alfred having been a tobacconist and taxidermist in Stamford. He was very interested in ancient objects as this article in the Peterborough Advertiser suggests: ‘An extraordinary relic of a bygone age is being exhibited in the museum room by Mr Elliott, antiquarian. Amongst the large number of objects of local general interest is part of a gibbet iron on which the body of Weldon was hung after being executed on Hambleton Heath for the murder and robbery of Mr Freeman of Edith Weston, the booty being only four shillings and sixpence. Weldon was arrested in a dancing room at Helpston.’
Fun and games continued when the Mulligan era at the Waterton began in 1911 when widow Mary Mulligan took the reins, having moved from running a general stores in Granville Street, Peterborough (issue 054).
There are records of dances being arranged and in February 1911; Joseph Mulligan had assembled a nice company, the room was neatly decorated and Joseph was assisted by Mr Neal as MC. Mr Kay presided at the piano,
During Mary and Arthur’s time more entertainment was provided, bowling greens reinstalled, the corrugated club house was given a coat of green paint and afterwards known as ‘the green hut’, popular for whist drives, dances and concerts. The bowls team flourished and although they suffered a resounding defeat in July 1935, they often triumphed over the Plough Inn, Deeping St Nicholas. In 1939 at the age of 59 Arthur was a nurseryman an as well as a publican. Also living at the pub was son Arthur, a general labourer, daughter Marjorie a head stock-keeper in a department store, and Winifred, a cinema attendant.
The green hut was pressed into more worthy action during the War when the local branch of the WRVS held regular meetings and members would knit scarves, gloves, mittens and balaclavas for the armed forces. This was interrupted for tap and ballet classes held on a Saturday.
From 1946 the right-hand corner of the green hut was occupied by Ludwik Majciehowski with wife Maisie (née Orton) son Brian and daughter Janet. In 1949 Maisie’s father bought 19 Bridge Street and the family rented it–- adding a further daughter, Patricia, to the family in 1950. In 1955 they eventually qualified for a council house and moved into 73 Godsey Crescent. It was the first time they had had hot and cold running water, an inside WC, a bath and even a radiator in the dining room. Similarly Maisie’s older brother Reginald and his wife Freda shared the green hut until they were allocated a council house in Park Crescent.
In 1956 the licensees again changed and Eric and Anne Hancock moved in with the aim to make the pub popular for wedding receptions. In September 1957 they catered for the wedding of Josephine Clare to Richard Harris, both of whom were in the Priory Players. Josephine worked for Marks & Spencer’s and Richard was a corporal in the RAF Police stationed at Langtoft. They made their home in Church St., Deeping St James.
Ted and Agnes Prescott took over the Pub in 1964. They entered the competition for the best inn sign where no pictorial sign existed; the organisers, the Lincolnshire Assoc of the Visual and Heritage Arts Panel being concerned about the disappearance of individual pub signs. Sadly the Waterton did not win but the Prescotts’ appetite for competition was undeterred and in 1972 they held an indoor sports competition. Mrs Fields, wife of Jack, a retired Thurlby publican, presented trophies to the winners in the Bourne LVA darts (John Cornwall), billiards (Ron Gilbert) and cribbage (Nigel Sainsbury) leagues. Landlord Ted also received trophies for winning the Watney Mann Midlands Darts League singles. The skippers of the teams were presented with cufflinks and ladies who had assisted throughout the season, Winnie Hare, Lilli Swiffen and Bridget Childs, were given gold compacts.
In the same year Ted held a bonfire party for over 100 children and their parents, customers providing jacket potatoes. In December that year a Christmas party for 59 older residents was held, where they enjoyed a buffet supplied by the customers. After tea they were entertained by Len Lake on the organ, Jim on the drums and then carol singing and old favourite tunes were led by the Priory Players. Fifty-three prizes had been given for the tombola and each guest received a parcel of Christmas goodies. The Christmas cake was cut by the oldest person present, Mr Curtis (84). But by June 1978 the Prescotts had moved on and Ron and Beryl Webb moved in. The pub was extended by incorporating a pair of adjoining cottages; the old bar was extended to become the lounge and the former lounge became the bar. Bar food was offered at lunchtime but in the evening the lounge was saved for quiet conversation with no piped music. The juke box and gaming machines were found in the bar. Beers included Webster’s Yorkshire Bitter and cask conditioned Wilson’s.
When the pub was mentioned in Brett Collier’s ‘Pub Walks in Lincolnshire’ in 1994 it was Billie Stevens and Barry Cassidy behind the bar.
In 1995 the new landlords were Gary and Nicola Randall, who also ran the White Horse at Market Deeping, and then in October 1999 Colin Chapman and his wife Jenny were the landlords, who made an application for the premises to be suitable for the solemnisation of marriage. Geoff Brown and his family then took over at the helm at the beginning of the new century with Kevin and Sue Laughton and business partner Steve Reynolds taking over in 2010. During this time Ian Tate, affectionately known as Spud, has been the landlord and with the resident DJ The Funky Fossil (aka Mike Newell) there has been a kaleidoscope of musical events, some associated with the annual Beer Festival and others with the Raft Race – the pub used as storage for the increasing number of rafts. Charity afternoon teas, a popular bake off, regular quiz nights and carols at Christmas – truly the heartbeat of the village.
Looking back over the landlords at this prestigious site it seems that they changed pubs frequently – John and Mary Bains, having come from Cold Hanworth, had five children, John combining his role as a publican with being a carrier. At the Wheatsheaf in 1851, by 1861 they moved further along Town Street to number 84 to take The Railway Tavern.
William Charity and his wife Elizabeth were at the Prince of Wales, Market Deeping (issue 21) before coming to the Wheatsheaf in 1855. It was here that he had a serious accident in the brew house, slipping on a plank near the copper and scalding both his legs to knee height. Undeterred he remained at the Wheatsheaf until just after the 1861 census when he moved next door.
William Morgan Gee had taken over from his father William Gee as the licensee of the India Queen (just down from the Bell) but sadly had not been able to make a go of the pub and was made bankrupt in 1866 after just five years. In 1872 he became the licensee at The Wheatsheaf, taking over from Joseph and Martha Sewell who had been at the pub for a decade. William had also run The Plough at Deeping St Nicholas. In 1874 he left Deeping with his wife Mary (née Atkin) to set up his own saddlery business in Hackney, following the family trade.
John and Maria Smith came from the Queen’s Head at Helpston and enjoyed a successful period at the Wheatsheaf in 1881 recording a farm of 16 acres in Horsegate in their own name, employing a man and a boy.
The auction for Waterton Hall and the pub, by then known as the Waterton Arms, took place in May 1891 at The Bell. The mansion was described as ‘most pleasantly situated near the banks of the river Welland containing all the accommodation essential to a moderate establishment surrounded by lawns and pleasure grounds, overlooking a well timbered parkland with stables and carriage houses.’ The Waterton Arms had ‘outbuildings and paddock, farm houses, buildings, numerous enclosures of accommodation land, gardens and cottages’.
At this time the licensee was ex-Royal Artillery gunner, Edward Dexter and his wife Harriett, née Tyers, from Stamford. He combined his new career with being an agricultural labourer, having three children to support, son Edward having been baptised in Deeping St James in 1891. He was followed into the role by Maria Healey who took up the position in 1898 after her husband Harry had died the previous December at just 40 years of age. He had worked his way up at Waterton Hall, starting as a groom and becoming a butler and steward. The couple had four children all born at Waterton Hall; Austin, Margaret, Henry and Monica. In 1891 Maria had been joined by her sister Eliza and brother-in-law Frederick, a colour sergeant in the 5th Middlesex Regiment stationed at Great Yarmouth. Phoebe and D.S. James were employed as general servants. But by 1911 they had left the area for Romford and the Mulligan era at the Waterton had begun.
DEEPING ST JAMES PHARMACY DEEPING ST JAMES PHARMACY
We are an independent pharmacy giving patients a one-to-one service. We like to model ourselves on the old community pharmacy where patients get to know us and you will always see a familiar face. Here at Deeping St James Pharmacy, we are proud to be part of the community and are always striving to give the community the best service open to them.
We are an independent pharmacy
giving patients a one-to-one service. We like to model ourselves on the old community pharmacy where patients get to know us and and you will always see a familiar face. Here at Deeping St James Pharmacy, we are proud to be part of the community and are always striving to give the community the best service available to them.
We understand how important it is to speak faceto-face with a pharmacist about your medicines and prescriptions. Our services give you the chance to chat to a pharmacist about your concerns, while getting expert advice on how to improve your health in our private consultation room. We stock a wide range of prescription medications
fast and efficient wholesaler service to enable us to We are an independent pharmacy giving patients a one-to-one service. We like to model ourselves on the old community fulfil all the prescriptions promptly. We also keep a pharmacy where patients get to know us and wide range of over-the-counter medicines and also and you will always see a familiar face. Here vitamins and mineral supplements at Deeping St James Pharmacy, we are proud
Our other services includeto be part of the community and are always striving to give the community the best service
available to them. ● We offer blister pack medication to patients who meet the criteria.We understand how important it is to speak face● Flu vaccinations will be available this to-face with a pharmacist about your medicines winter as a pre-book or drop-in service.and prescriptions. Our services give you the chance ● NHS unwanted medicine service, where you can return all unwanted medicines to the to chat to a pharmacist about your concerns, while getting expert advice on how to improve your health in our private consultation room. pharmacy where we will dispose of them safely. ● Emergency supplies: if you need one of your We stock a wide range of prescription medications and dressings from all the main brands. We keep regular medicines in an emergency and you a comprehensive stock of all medicines and use a are unable to contact your doctor, we may be able to help.
We understand how important it is to speak face-to-face with a pharmacist about your medicines and prescriptions. Our fast and efficient wholesaler service to enable us to fulfil all the prescriptions promptly. We also keep a services give you the chance to chat to a pharmacist about wide range of over-the-counter medicines and also your concerns, while getting expert advice on how to impove vitamins and mineral supplements your health in our private consultation room. Our other services include ● We offer blister pack medication to We stock a wide range of prescription medications and patients who meet the criteria. dressings from all the main brands. We keep a comprehensive ● Flu vaccinations will be available this stock of all medicines and use a fast and efficient wholesaler winter as a pre-book or drop-in service. service to enable us to fulfill all the prescriptions promptly. We ● NHS unwanted medicine service, where you also keep a whole range of over the counter medicines and also vitamins and other mineral supplements. ● can return all unwanted medicines to the pharmacy where we will dispose of them safely. Emergency supplies: if you need one of your regular medicines in an emergency and you are unable to contact your doctor, we may be able to help. Come in and say hello, we’d be very glad to see you and assist you with anything you need.
Our other services include
• We offer blister pack medication to patients who meet the criteria. • Flu vaccinations will be available this winter as a pre-book or drop in service. • NHS unwanted medicine service, where you can return all unwanted medicines to the pharmacy where we will dispose of them safely. • Emergency supplies. If you need one of your regular medicines in an emergency and you are unable to contact your doctor, we may be able to help.
