The Boot Inn, Histon

History of The Boot Histon

Listed building:

Inn. C17 and C18. Timber framed and plastered, painted brick.

The Boot, High Street, Histon (MoC46/57)

The Boot, Histon (RGL2025)

The Boot, Histon (RGL2025)

The Boot, Histon (RGL2025)

1686 War Office record mentions two inns in Histon

1728 copyhold of property in hands of Pateman Sumpter, farmer

1729 Banks family took over. Licensee probably John Turkell/Turtl

1753 – 1773 lecensee James Charles

1776 purchased by Thomas Johnson, brewer of Cambridge.Licensee Henry Fletcher

1797 copyhold surrendered to Edward Ind

1804 Hannah Fletcher licensee

1805 – 1839 licensee Robert Wade

1808 Thomas Ind inherited copyhold.

1819 Ind family surrendered copyhold to Messrs grain and Smith, auctioneers of Cambridge.

1840

‘Cottenham High Flyer’ stage coach started operating between Dolphin Inn in Cambridge and Lord Nelson in Cottenham with a staging post at The Boot.

See History of the Inns and Public Houses of Histon and Impington, H & I Village Society (1990)

1841 – 1882 Richard Papworth publican

1853 Richard Papworth buys copyhold. Brewery now functioning at the site.

1861 Richard Papworth bought freehold. Sold to Star Brewery. Licensee John Rook.

1869 John Rook died.

1880 Sold to James Barton. Licensee Joseph Crane until 1909.

1886 freehold sold to Harry Papworth

1898 freehold sold to Mrs A E Jones whose husband R Brassey Jones owned the Alma Brewery.

The Boot was used by the Friendly Society and the Cricket Club. There was also a yard with a pitch for playing quoits.

1909 sold to Star Brewery. Licensee N W Vialls.

1913 Vialls was drowned in a water butt at the Boot.

1914 – 1918 H J Lowe, F C Hopkins, A Ranson, W Pimill.

1921 George Ranson, Recruiting Sergeant major for Cambridge during WWI, resigned from the army and became landlord.

1934 George Ranson. retired and his son in law, George Muncey  succeeded.

Lucy Muncey, daughter of George Ranson, recalled the house in the 1920s to ‘History of the Inns and Public Houses of Histon and Impington’: She remembers the time when all the beer was kept in barrels in the cellar, and every time a pint was ordered it meant a journey through a long passage, down the cellar steps and back again. Victims of accidental death were often brought to the Boot for an inquest to be held and were laid out on a table in one of the bars. She recalls when, on one occasion, the body was inspected in the morning and was found to have moved. Suspicion eventually fell on the pub cat, rather than anything supernatural.

1939 The Boot Inn, High Street

William G Muncey, b 1905, overseer sawmill,

Lucy R, b 1906,

?

Patricia Ranson, b 1924, P O assistant

George A Ranson, b 1871, publican retired

Mary A Ranson, b 1963