The Free Press, Prospect Row

7 – 8 Prospect Row, The Free Press, Cambridge

History of 7-8 Prospect Row

The name Free Press may be ironic. In the early 19th century there was a temperance newspaper launched called the Free Press, at the same time as Sarah Horn opened at this location as a beer retailer.

See p.92 of 111 Place in Cambridge That You Shouldn’t Miss for further details.

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1851 Sarah Horn, beer retailer, Gardner’s

1852 Sarah Horn, beer retailer, Slater’s

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1861

Sarah Horn, victualler, widow, 68, b Charlbury Oxon
Jane Horn, granddaughter, 9, b Albany Piccadilly

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1871

Henry J Horn, publican, 35, b Cambridge
Ann Horn, 33, b Cambridge
Thomas Horn, 13, b Cambridge
Charlotte Horn, 10, b Cambridge
John Horn, 8, b Cambridge
Henry Horn, 4, b Cambridge
William Horn, 2, b Cambridge
Jane Horn, 1m, born Cambridge

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1879 Henry John Horn, Kelly’s

1881 John Osborne, publican, Spalding’s

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1881

John Osbourn, publican, 28, b Bottisham
Elizabeth, 32, b Brynt, Devon
Arthur J Osbourn, 5 mos, b Cambridge
John Cornell, lodger, tailor, 32, b Bottisham Lode

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1883 John Osbourn, Kelly’s

1888 John Osbourn, Kelly’s

1892 Mrs Ann Cornwell, Kelly’s

1896 Mrs Ann Cornwell, Kelly’s

1904 Alfred Cooper, Kelly’s

1913 James Asher, Spalding’s

1916 James Asher, Spaldings

James Asher was fined 10s in 1916 for showing lights at night.

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1916 Leonard Davidson‘s military service record notes residence 8 Prospect Row, Cambridge

28/6/1918 Cambridge Daily News Transfer of license of Nag’s Head [?] in Prospect Row to Leonard Davidson

23/10/1920 Cambridge Daily News Leonard Davidson of Prospect Row fined 30s for speeding

24/4/1923 8 Prospect Row, Leonard Davidson licensed victualler

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Leonard Davidson had lived at 50 Eden Street in 1911. He was then 23 and a bar man. on 15/11/1915 he married Hilda Annie Asher at Christ Church, Cambridge.

In November 1916 he enlisted. By then he was describing himself as a motor driver. His teeth were in poor shape but he was categorised as ‘A’ for fitness and by the end of December assigned to the Machine Gun Corps.

He was officially transferred to the Tank Corps in December 1917 but had already been wounded on 20th November 1917 at the Battle of Cambrai.

His injury was to the head and he was treated in early 1918 at the Kitchener Hospital in Brighton. The medical report describes how shrapnel bullets were removed from the right side of his head. The location healed over but he was suffering from bad headaches and other pains to the top of his head and back of neck. His was discharged 20/4/1918 and rated 50% disabled.

His discharge documents state that Leonard wanted to be a clerk in an office but he seems to have returned to work that he had before the war and took over the license of the public house in Prospect Row.

In 1939 he is living at 14 Ramsden Square and is described as a cellar man at an hotel. He died at this address in 1952.

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1939 Geoffrey Nichols, Free Press

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2026