Red Lion, Stretham

History of the Red Lion

Description and research by Mike Petty on Facebook:

A family named Easy kept this pub for many years, and later, came the Quinceys. Keeping a village pub seems to be the ambition of many townspeople, and a London couple, Harry Gates and his wife lived at the Red Lion for a number of years, with their son Charlie and pretty daughter, Ethel. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Blayney followed them, more Londoners, and Albert brought with him some of the treasures which he had collected during his lifetime, including an engraved cigarette box, presented to him by Princess Mary during the 1914-1918 war. The next landlord is the third of his generation to keep a pub in the village, and records show that a Francis Langford was at the Red Lion for 70 years in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries [Stevens. Feast of Memories]
Ted Langford became landlord in January 1967, succeeding Albert Blayney. Ted retired in 1988 and in 1992 it was bought by David Jenkins who modernised the pub, adding a conservatory.
In 1839 at a sale it was described as “well situated and old established” Red Lion pub in extensive trade for 100 years, containing dining and sitting rooms, tap room, bar, kitchen, airy bedroom, arched ale cellar holding 20 barrels, liquor cellar, good dairy, backhouse and cottage, large stables, blacksmiths shop, barn and outbuildings, yard and bowling green. Has good frontage next to the street through which the Lynn to London mails and coaches pass and repass daily; a good water supply with springs 10 feet from the surface; proprietor for the last 70 years was Francis Langford. It was damaged during an incendiary fire in September 1850 and in 1857. An inquest was held at the pub in October 1927 on the bodies of two men whose motor cycle crashed into an unlit stationery lorry on Wilburton Road. During the Second World War a demonstration on how to deal with incendiary bombs was held in the inn yard. An upper room became home to evacuated teachers

Publicans:
1847-51 Langford, William
1858-69 Bultitaft, Rhoda
1873-75 Charles, Mrs
1879 Parish, Fred
1883 Parish, Harriet
1888 Fitch, Joseph
1896-1908 Easy, Philip
1912 Jackson, John William
1916 Quincey,
1926 Oates, Henry J

Chronology

1810 11 30
Journeyman miller: Francis Langford, Red Lion, advertised for a journeyman miller to take charge of a post windmill 30 Nov. p2

1812 01 31
Apprentice: Francis Langford, Red Lion, wanted to put a youth as apprentice carpenter, joiner or coachmaker 31 Jan. p3

1834 12 12 Red Lion pub to let, p3

1835 08 07
Enclosure: a notice of meeting on 18th August at the Red Lion, to appoint a Banker and receive claims 7 Aug. p3

1839 06 29
Red Lion; sale of “well situated and old established” Red Lion pub in extensive trade for 100 years, con¬taining dining and sitting rooms, tap room, bar, kitchen, airy bedroom, arched ale cellar holding 20 barrels, liquor cellar, good dairy, backhouse and cottage, large stables, blacksmiths shop, barn and outbuildings, yard and bowling green. Has good front¬age next to the street through which the Lynn to London mails and coaches pass and repass daily; a good water supply with springs 10 feet from the surface; proprietor for the last 70 years was Francis Langford 29 Jun p3

1839 07 13
sale Red Lion Inn

1839 10 05
sale furniture effects Francis Langford, Red Lion, retiring p3

1846 01 24
Red Lion theft: whilst Mr, Langford of the Red Lion was killing a pig a customer walked into his back room and stole £35 from a cupboard 24 Jan.p3

1846 11 21
Ploughing match attracted contestants from neighbour¬ing villages for each of the three classes; afterwards the competitors dined at the Red Lion, and the gentlemen at the Chequers 21 Nov p2

1848 04 08
Red Lion theft: a lodger at the Red Lion stole money from a cupboard 8 Apr p2

1850 09 28
The quietude of this village was again disturbed by the cries of fire on Friday evening, about half past nine o’clock, which began in a bean stack belonging to the Rev, H. H. Baber and soon extended to a large barn, which was boarded and thatched, and having been recently newly dressed, the flames raged most alarmingly, and appeared to threaten destruction in all that part of the village. The property consumed is the bean stack where it began, …part of the house occupied by Mr Parish butcher; also the old Red Lion Inn, and barn containing nearly a last of thrashed oats; also the cart sheds, piggeries, and firing lodges, the property of J. Hall esq., Ely, which are insured in the Sun fire office.

1851 11 29 & 12 06
Ploughing match: the 10th anniversary match was held, 30 ploughs took part and there followed a dinner at the Red Lion for the ploughmen and one at the Chequers for committee and friends.

1857 02 14
Red Lion: a lecture was held at the Red Lion 14 Feb p6

1857 06 20
Ancient shepherds lodge: at the county court at Ely on Tuesday the trustees of this lodge brought an action against John Clarke for the balance of £15 which they allege is due to them. Mr Garret appeared for the Trustees & Mr Naylor was council for the defendant. For the plaintiff it appeared that the defendant was president & treasurer for the last year and that when he gave up there appeared by the defendant’s own accounts to be a balance due to the club of £15. In cross-examination by the defendants council it came out that the president had only the key of a little cash box which was placed inside another which had two locks and keys, the latter being kept by the stewards. It also appeared that the big box was kept by the landlord of the Red Lion in his bedroom & that the key was kept by his wife. Mr Naylor contended that there was no admission here that the defendant had committed a breach of trust, all that he admitted was that the money had been put into the box from which it was no doubt stolen by someone. Defendant swore positively that he had never been to the box but three times when the landlady was present who saw him take £1 on two occasions and 30/- on the other. The Judge strongly commented on the folly of having three locks & trusting all the keys to one man – he ought to have further evidence before he found for the plaintiff & deferred the case to the next court. 20 Jun 1857

1862 01 11
sale land occ Francis Langford of Red Lion p3

1891 01 22
Over-60’s dinner – 100 old people from S. & Lt Thetford were treated to dinner in the school¬room at the expense of Carbery Evans. Mrs Bultitaft of the Red Lion did the catering, Canon Cockshott made a speech 22 Jan.p6

1895 11 08
licence Royal Standard transferred from executors of M. Clarke to R. Savidge; the Red Lion from I. Sawyer to A. Rowell CIP

1900 05 11
Red Lion meeting Waterbeach Level p8

1906
there was stabling for 14 horses and 8 vehicles.

1923 08 23
Mr. Lowe as a boy can remember the stage coaches which used to stop at the Red Lion Hotel. He has had many interesting experiences during his carrying career, and some amusing ones as well. In the days when cricketers wore top hats, Mr. Lowe’s Saturday afternoon occupation was to drive the Stretham scorer and a bell tent to the various cricket grounds in the district. Whether he conveyed the top hats also is not recorded.

1927 10 11
The Ely coroner sat for four hours at the Red Lion, Stretham to inquire into the death of two men who met with a tragic end whilst motor cycling to their homes. The constable at Wilburton said he had received complaints respecting a motor lorry stationary on the Wilburton Road. He made an examination of the rear lamp, which was not alight so he obtained some oil and lit the lamp. Mr Warren later asked for permission to go and put some lights on it. Dr Charles Howe of Haddenham said he received a telephone message that two men had run into a stationary lorry and found the bodies lying on the grass beside the road. CDN 11th October 1927

1936
Red Lion licence to Albert Blayney [SN133]

1940 06 07 ARP pas exam; shown how to deal with incendiary bomb in Red Lion inn yard & gas in cloakroom Infants school

1944 Homecoming funds – squabble between Red Lion & Chequers [SN119]

1945 01 05
Red Lion services home-coming fund prize-winners

1967 01 21

Red Lion : Albert Blayney leaves [ES 28.6.1984] Ted Langford succeeds [ES 21.1.1988]

1984 06 28
death Albert Blayney, moved Red Lion end 1930s & stayed till 1967; during war large upper room became home to evacuated teachers & course First Aid, subsequently Royal Observer
Corps [ES 28.6.1984]

1988 01 21
Ted Langford retires red Lion after 21 years; his grandfather kept Sun; mother and father kept Sun & White Lion where Ted born, was drainage engineer

1992 06 08
Red Lion bought by David Jenkins.

The photo dates from 1967:

Red Lion, Stretham, 1867