Fire, 1898, at the Jolly Millers, Cottenham (Cambs Collection)

73 High Street, Jolly Millers, Cottenham

History of the Jolly Miller

1842

Whitehead Smith summonsed for serving beer after 10pm. His thatched cottage had opened as a public house in 1840.

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1850s White Smith jnr, miller of the Lambs Lane mill, became licensee.

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1851

Whitehead Smith, 58, inn keeper and victualler, b Cottenham

Elizabeth, 59, b Cottenham

Joseph, 27, b Cottenham

Mary, 23, b Cottenham

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1861 Jolly Millers

Whitehead Smith, 41, miller and publican, b Cottenham

Sarah Ann, 38, b Cottenham

Harriet, 17, b Cottenham

Henry, 13, b Cottenham

Emily, 7, b Cottenham

Sarah Ann, 4, b Cottenham

James, 2, b Cottenham

Caroline, 7 mos, b Cottenham

 

Norman’s Yard:

Whitehead Smith, 68, ag.lab., b Cottenham

Elizabeth, 69, b Cottenham

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1871 Jolly Millers

Whitehead Smith, 51, journeyman miller, b Cottenham

Sarah Ann

Henry

Elizabeth

Sarah Ann, 14, b Cottenham

James

Caroline

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1881 Jolly Miller

Whitehead Smith, 61, corn miller and publican, b Cottenham

Sarah Ann, 58, b Cottenham

Henry, 32, miller, b Cottenham

Elizabeth, 30, b Cottenham

James, 22, miller, b Cottenham

Caroline, 20, b Cottenham

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1891 Jolly Miller

Whitehead Smith, 71, miller and publican, b Cottenham

Sarah Ann, 68, b Cottenham

Elizabeth, 40, b Cottenham

James, 32, miller, b Cottenham

John Peirson, 49, gardener, b Cottenham

Whitehead Smith died in 1891 and his son James took over.

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1898

See Francis Garrett, Cottenham Ablaze:

15.9.1898: two houses on the site of the Jolly Millers and 71 High Street were destroyed together with farm buildings of 69 High Street.

At 3.15 pm a boy of three and a half knocked on the door of Thomas Smith and said ‘Your stack is on fire.’ The little boy had been playing with matches. Thomas Smith’s property, and then that of Mr Graves, burned down.

The fire spread to the back of ten cottages and then the wind changed direction and moved to the yard of the Jolly Miller where a cottage and other buildings were burnt out.

For many years it was the location of meetings of the Cottenham, Willingham and Rampton drainage board.

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1901

James Smith, publican and gardener

Elizabeth, sister

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1911

James Smith, 52, publican, b Cottenham

Elizabeth, sister, 60, assisting in business, b Cottenham

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1926

James Smith retires. It was the last public house in Cottenham in private ownership. Sold to Dales, the Cambridge brewers for £1,200. Edgar Cooper was licensee.

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1930 Thomas Lee Burke

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1931 William August

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1932 George Rose

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1933 Harry Hersey

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1938 Cecil Severn, licensee

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1939

Jane Lee, b 1853 [resident]

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1951 Albert Green, licensee

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1954 William Musson

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1956 Violet Musson

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1961 Sidney Bishop

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1963 George Anderson

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1967 Fred Ward. House sold to Greene King.

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1981 Terry Bond

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1984 David Parson

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1985 John Marshall

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1986 Robert Mabbitt

 

Information from Francis Garrett, A History of Cottenham’s Inns and Hostelries, 1989