The Plough, The Corner House, 1 Ashwell Road, Steeple Morden

History of The Plough

1841 built by John Cooper and with his wife Elizabeth, opened a beerhouse.

c.1850: Thomas Gentle became tenant. He and his wife Eliza came from Ashwell. There seems to have been a lodging house here as well.

1865 The widow Eliza Gentle took over the tenancy.

1895 death of Catherine Jane Izzard. This story was reported in local newspapers and involved a middle aged woman accidentally setting her clothes on fire. She died but following the inquest Eliza Gentle was charged with unlawfully selling three and a half pints of beer to a drunken person, Catherine Izzard. The case was dismissed but the justices stated that they thought Eliza was no longer fit to run a beerhouse and using her 12 year old granddaughter to help her was not appropriate.

Herts & Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow 29 November 1895: THE RECENT DRINK FATALITY, Eliza Gentle, beerhouse keeper, of Steeple Morden, was charged with unlawfully selling three pints and a half of beer to a drunken person to wit, to Catherine Jane Izzard, on the 26th October last. Mr. Fassingham, solicitor, Hitchin, appeared (or the defendant, an old lady, who was allowed to be seated. This case arose out of tbs death of Catherine Jane Izzard, Steeple Morden, the result of a lamp accident while under influence of drink; the allegation being that she was drunk when the beer was supplied to her at defendant’s beerhouse. Mary Gentle, a girl twelve years of age, said she lived with her grandmother, Mrs. Gentle. On 26th October Mrs. Izzard came in about eight o’clock and asked for half-pint of beer. Witness asked her grandmother and then drew it for her. She stayed in the house and drank the beer and then asked for another half-pint. Witness asked her grandmother and then drew the half-pint, and Mrs. Izzard drank that. She then asked for two pints and a half in a jug. Witness asked her grandmother first and then drew it. Mrs. Izzard took that away in a jug. When she went out witness went out to the corner with her. Mrs. Gentle told her to do so. The Chairman : When she came into the house was she sober ? Witness: Yes. Was she sober when you drew the second half pint—how was she then?—She was about as usual. When you drew the two and a half pints was she drunk or sober?—Sober. Why did you go out with her?—My grandmother told me to. She often did tell me to do that with others. Haven’t you said somewhere else that she was tight”?—No, sir. Didn’t you say at the inquest that you went with her because she was tight?—No, sir. By Mr. Passingham: I have been with my grandmother two years. I drew the beer by the direction of my grandmother. I only went a dozen yards with her. It was night, about halfpast nine when she left, and it was dark. She had often gone with other people to show them to the corner. Mr. Wilkins, who lodged there, was in the room when Mrs. Izzard came in. By the Chairman : Your grandmother refused to sell beer on Sundays did not she?—Yes. sir. She is very deaf is not she ?—Yes, sir ; but she gets about. No one else but me and grandmother and the lodger live in the house and he is only at night. There is no one to draw the beer but you and your grandmother?—No, sir. Kate Pateman, single woman, living al Steeple Morden, said she went to Mrs. Gentle’s beerhouse between nine and half-past on Oct. 26th. She saw Mrs. Izzard there. She took her be drunk, but no beer was drawn while witness was there. Mrs. Gentle asked her to go down the road with witness, and asked witness to take her jug, but Mrs. Izzard would not let her. Afterwards witness heard Mrs. Izzard come shouting down the road, and she staggered very much as she came by. This was very soon after witness had seen her in the beerhouse. Witness was not at the coroner’s inquest. By Supt. Wilderspin: I had seen her drunk before, more than once. By Mr. Passingham: I went to fetch supper beer. Charles Bunn went with me. Witness was only a minute or two, and she saw man named Wilkins there. By Supt. Wilderspin : She was not above five yards from when she passed bouse. Susannah Clark, a widow, of Steeple Morden, said on 26th October she was in Mrs. Izzard’s house. She saw her go out and saw her come back. She had then a jug and some beer. She seemed as she bad had plenty when she went out and was worse when she came back. The jug was nearly full when she came back. By Mr. Passingham : It is about quarter of mile from the public-house to where Mrs. Izzard lived. She was in the habit of taking drink. Sergt. Ding said he was present at the inquest on the body of Mrs. Izzard on November 4th, and heard the child Mary Gentle give her evidence and describe Mrs. Izzard. She said that Mrs. Izzard was tipsy when she came in and that she was drunk when she went away. By Mr. Passingham: I have a note I took at the inquest. She said that she was in drink when she came in. Mr. Passingham pressed for particulars of what was said, witness said that she said she appeared in drink when she came in. The child told him about it when she left. The Chairman said that Sergt. Ding knew that he was called to speak of what was actually said at the inquest and he suggested whether the word tight was not used. Witness said he had taken down that she was drunk. Mr. Passingham. for the defence, said he did not complain of the police bringing this case ; be thought it right do so. But called their attention to the fact that the defendant, woman now 78 years of age, had kept this house for 45 years with no complaint against her, and no one could have a better character than that. Then at her own instigation the licence was altered from seven to a six days’ licence. As to the girl telling two stories, at the inquest and now, the Magistrates had had the girl before them and could judge of the way in which she gave her evidence. The Chairman said he thought, legally, they must take the story that was before them. Mr. Passingham, continuing his speech, said then there was no evidence to show that Mrs. Izzard did not go into another house alter leaving Mrs. Gentle’s, and while one witness said that she staggered along the road, Mrs. Clark said she carried a jug of beer home which was nearly full, and which it would have been impossible for her to have done if she staggered. No one regretted what happened to this woman more than his client, but she and also her lodger. Mr. Wilkins would tell them that Mrs. Izzard was not drunk when she was at Mrs. Gentle’s. Mrs. Gentle was then sworn ; and almost before she had kissed the book, she shouted out that she did not see the woman drunk any more than at any other time. She did her duty as well as she could. She had had the licence for forty-five years, and had never had complaint to her knowledge. She knew Mrs. Izzard and did not see that she was any worse for drink that Saturday night than usual. She was reading her book at the time and did not hear Mrs. Izzard speak to anyone. It was a general rule for her to send her daughter out to show persons to the corner. John Wilkins, who lodged at Mrs. Gentle’s, said he did not see anything wrong with Mrs. Izzard ; she made no disturbance and went out all right with her beer. The Chairman : To the best of your belief she was sober when she left ? Witness: I say I did not see her the worse for beer. Mr. Passingham said he had evidence as to her character. The Chairman said after conducting the house for 45 years without complaints that spoke for itself. Supt. Wilderspin said there were no complaints against her. The Chairman said the Bench had found this case of some difficulty, but they had very carefully considered it from every point of view, and they had come to the conclusion that the case was not proved against the defendant, and therefore the summons would be dismissed. They were not satisfied that Mrs. Gentle, looking at what kind of person she was, could have seen to satisfy herself that this woman was intoxicated, and they believed she drew this beer for her under the impression that she was a sober woman at the time. The Bench wished him to say that they did not think Mrs. Gentle, with the assistance of a little girl twelve years of age, was at all a fit and proper person to conduct a licensed house for the sale of intoxicating liquors, and they hoped the owners of the house would take that into consideration ; at the same time they felt that her having conducted the house without a single complaint for 45 years, was worthy of every consideration, and they thought that perhaps if some relative—not necessarily a male relative – some full grown person would live with her and look after the conduct of the house, they might continue the licence to her. They felt considerable regret that the police had not called the attention of the licensing authority to the age and deafness of the holder of the licence; for the Magistrates could not know, as the licence was applied for from year to year, it was impossible for them to know that Mrs. Gentle had become deaf and practically incapable of carrying on a licensed house. They regretted that it was not reported to them that Mrs. Gentle wat very deaf and infirm and of very considerable age. As it was the summons would be dismissed, and they hoped that it would possible for Mrs. Gentle to obtain the assistance of some one competent to carry on and manage the house, for they were quite satisfied that Mrs. Gentle, assisted by a child twelve years of age, was unfit to do to. Mr. Passingbam said he would call the attention of the owners to the Magistrates’ recommendation. Mr. D. B. Balding (the coroner who held the inquest on Mrt. Izzard) did not adjudicate in the above cate. Case Dismssed.

1896 Eliza Gentle retired

Was a beerhouse until 1956.

c.1920: Alf and Sally Robinson

1957 private house