The Crown
From Lacey Green History
click Amenities for more of these.
click Public Houses for list of pubs
Research by Joan West (Put 'public house' in search for other public houses)
PRINCES RISBOROUGH PARISH
Lacey Green was originally part of the Parish of Princes Risborough, known as one of the Upper Hamlets. Animals were brought from the town to graze on a common that took up a large area of Lacey Green and the higher part of Loosley Row
A site with a house and garden is shown on the map of the 1823 Enclosures of Princes Risborough. It was very near to the west side of Princes Risborough Common.
At that time there were no roads in the village. Tracks were beginning to develop where people walked or rode and one of these was part of what became Church Lane. It did not go as far as this house and garden.
THE ENCLOSURES
In 1823 a great deal changed.
1. The Princes Risborough Common went into private ownership.
2. A major change was that a Chapel of Ease, linked to the Risborough church, was built. This became the fully fledged Church of St. John the Baptist in 1851. click Lacey Green Church
3. The roads were firmly established for the first time, their routes and widths.
4. With the chapel of Ease now in the way, the Church Lane track track changed route, curving now passing the front garden of the Crown, and the track became “Church Lane.”
5. A new road (Main Road) was made straight through the village. The southern end of Church Lane entered onto this.
6. The northern end of the track was lengthened and then also entered the new (“Main”) Road.
PLOTS, OWNERS & OCCUPIERS
Also in 1823 a schedule was written, every plot of land being numbered and stating who occupied it and whether there was a building on it. Plot no. 702 was owned, freehold by Joshua Dell, born 1757. There was a house and garden on it. It was old, established before 1823.
In 1823 Joshua was 66 years old. He had married for the second time in 1795. He had no children. He also owned a farm, later known as Floyds Farm. the tenancy from the Manor having been passed to him by his 2nd wife in 1795. He and his wife, at some point, moved to Parsonage Farm, Saunderton. He let the farm to his brother Thomas Dell snr & Ann Dell. Presumably the property on plot 702, was also let. Whether or not there was beer selling there at that time is not known.
Laurence Rostron in his research booklet of 2018 ‘The origins and History of Church Lane Lacey Green’, states, “It was purchased by Weller & Co, Brewers of Amersham in 1831”. Whether this was when the Crown Inn started selling beer, is yet to be researched. One thing is known and that is that it only ever sold beer and was never licensed for spirits."
1841 CENSUS Thomas Hawes 35 publican, Caroline 35, Benjamin 12, Sarah 9, Mary 5, Susannah 10 mths
1851 CENSUS No record. About 1855 William West 30 publican, Eliza 28, Dan 4, George 1
1861 CENSUS William West 35 publican inn keeper, Eliza 33 waiter, Dan 9, George 6, Sarah Jane 1 month
1871 CENSUS Henry Parslow became the licensee before 1871, he also did farm work. The Parslow family ran the pub until at least 1911. In 1881 Henry aged 40, is butcher & publican. In 1891 His widow, Sarah West, 50, is the licensee, also in 1901 and 1911 until 1915
25th May 1900 INQUEST held at The Crown. c 1900 Tragedy by Drowning
1915—1972
Mr and Mrs Lawrence Brown, took over the license in 1915 and after she became a widow, in 1924, Emily 'Sarah', with the help of her mother, Mrs. Ellen Janes, carried on the business and brought up her family of five children. She remained at the Crown for 57 years. click George & Ellen Janes for more abut Ellen Janes.
Articles published in 'Hallmark' by Kathleen Church in which she remembers the garden, the draymen delivering the beer and the social life at the Inn.
“St. John’s Church, with its Scots pine trees, the old Church Cottage in Church Lane and the belt of larch and fir trees opposite, the Crown Inn standing back from the road, the lovely old cherry tree – in which red squirrels and green woodpeckers nested – fragrant with blossoms in the Spring, laden with juicy, black fruit in summer (those luscious cherry pies!) and by the front door, the glossy dark green bay tree, which provided leaves for countless decoration and flavourings.
As I was born at the Crown Inn so I obviously knew it well. It had a good reputation
Before 1934, before piped water came to the village, if there was no drinking water in the school rainwater tank, it was the custom for the boys and girls to run round to Mrs. Brown’s for a “drink of water”, which she always cheerfully supplied Those were the days when children could play in safety on the road in front of the school.
The Crown was well known locally, as for many years, Mrs. Brown and her family provided teas for the visiting cricket and football teams every saturday. The day usually ending with a “sing – song” around the piano. During the 1940s it was not easy to maintain the Crown’s reputation for the best teas in the league”, when flour, bread, tea, sugar, butter and other fats were rationed and slices of bread, cakes and lumps of sugar had to be counted.
Many Cricket Cup celebrations were held at the Crown and in Summer, the garden, with its old – fashioned scented roses, was a favourite rendezvous for family parties.
In the early days the Inn belonged to Wellers of Amersham. The beer, in 36 gallon wooden casks, was brought on a brewers dray, drawn by sleek brown horses, with gleaming harness and brasses. The two draymen, after trundling the barrels up the cobbled path, would carefully slide them down into the cool cellar. They would drink their customary free pint of beer, stow away the money for the supplies into pockets under their aprons and continue on their way to the Pink and Lily and return to Amersham.
Kathleens parents, Mr and Mrs Lawrence Brown, took over the licence in 1915 and after she became a widow, in 1924, Mrs. Brown, with the help of her mother, Mrs. Ellen Janes, carried on the business and brought up her family of five children. She remained at the Crown 57 years.
1972. THE SALE OF THE CROWN
The Crown, Church Lane Lacey Green was sold by auction, 10th August 1972 for £17,950
PUB or PRIVATE HOUSE?
It was a freehold property and sold by Benskin’s Watford Brewery/Allied Breweries Ltd, either as a public house, or with planning permission for a de-licensed premises. The Auction details gave the following description:--
GROUND FLOOR
Snug Bar 10ft 6 ins x 10ft 4ins with Inglenook fireplace
Pantry 13ft 6ins x 8ft 5ins with stainless steel sink with cupboards under, built in cupboard under stairs, doors to cellar and stairs.
Living Room 14ft 9ins x 13ft 9ins. Quarry tiled floor, tiled fire place, built in cupboards.
Cellar 12ft 5 ins x 9ft 5ins
FIRST FLOOR
Staircase Landing
Bedroom 1 18ft 1ins x 14ft 7ins Hatch to roof space
Bedroom 2 11ft 2ins x 10ft 9ins
Bedroom 3 13ft 7ins x 9ft 6ins
OUTSIDE
Timber outbuilding with tiled roof. WC and urinal. Store 11ft 9ins x 9ft. Woodshed 12ft 4ins x 10ft.
GARDENS are of useful size and laid to lawns with holly hedges.
DEVELOPERS
It was purchased by Joyce & Co. Builders, of High Wycombe for £17,950 and subsequently demolished.
Editor’s note. This building was at least 150 years old and much to the regret of many who hated change, it was demolished and a terrace of three houses, 1, 2, and 3, Crown Cottages, built in what was the front garden. Part of the vegetable garden is now part of the property “Black Firs” on the back side of Church Lane. The old cottage next door, called Crown Cottage, still stands beside the new Crown Cottages!