Landlords and Families at The Flag Inn from 1769

 

The Flag Inn circa 1905

These notes were compiled from local records during the research into the history of The Flag Inn

Abraham Abbott

Records show that Abraham William Abbott was landlord of The Flag in 1839, but had left by 1845. Abraham was born 30 July 1812, died 15 August 1895 aged 83 and was buried at St Mary’s Church, Wivenhoe. His wife Caroline Blyth Abbott was born 9 November 1811, died 17 May 1884 aged 72 and buried in Wivenhoe. The 1841 census lists Abraham, Caroline as 25 years old and 3 children: Jane Abbott (5) Emma Abbott (3), and N.K. (8 months). Later records list N.K. as Henrietta Abbott.

George Philbrick

George was landlord for 10 years between 1841 and 1851. He was born about 1802, died aged 68 in 1870 and was buried in Ardleigh. His wife, Martha Philbrick was born in Ardleigh in 1801 and their shoe maker son, George Philbrick Jr, died at West Ham in 1910 aged 82. At The Flag their lodger was Joseph Head, a farm labourer.

Sarah Wenden

Sarah was born about 1821 and was landlord and brewer at The Flag for 17 years from 1857 to 1874. Golding Wenden (also spelt Goulden and Golden) the son of James and Anne, was born 4 March 1818. Sarah married Golding at St Mary Magdalen Church, Colchester on 4 Sept 1838. The wedding certificate gives her date of birth as 1819 and her age as 19, although most records, say she was born in 1821 and was 17. As a minor, she required parental consent to marry. Sarah and Golding had 4 children, Sarah Anne Wenden, born 1838, Mahala born 1840, Goulden Jr born 1845 and Alice born about 1847. Only two of her children reached adulthood as Mahala died in 1844, aged 4 and Goulden Jr died in 1852, aged 7. Her husband, Golding probably died aged 29 in 1847. When Sarah became landlord in 1857 two of her children and her husband had died. In the 1861 census Sarah’s surviving daughters, Sarah Anne and Alice both lived at The Flag, as did 35 year old lodger James Cole. The Post Office directories 1867 and 1874 list Sarah as the landlord of The Union Flag Inn, Wivenhoe Cross. In 1871 she was ‘Inn Keeper’ living at The Flag solely with Alice (aged 23). Eldest daughter Sarah Anne left home after her 25 December 1861 marriage at St Mary’s Church, Wivenhoe to William John Hendwood. She was buried at Lewisham on 19 July 1917. Census records aren’t always reliable. Youngest daughter Alice is also listed as Avice and Aves and with two different birth dates. In the 1861 census she was 15 years old, but ten years later she only 8 years older. On 24 October 1892 Alice married Jacob Maskel at St Mark, Deptford, Lewisham. She died in 1913, aged 66. Sarah died aged 73, in 1893 and was buried at Brightlingsea.

William Goldsmith

William was born at Hedenham, Norfolk in 1835 and married Esther Batchelder (born 1833) on 24 Nov 1856 at Hichingham. He was landlord for 19 years, from 1876 to 1895. The 1881 census described him as a gardener living at Lower Heath Flag. He died in Wivenhoe on 17 April 1899. No other significant family records have been found.

Arthur Cottee

Arthur Robert Cottee born 22 Dec 1877 Bermondsey, London, England was publican of The Flag for 6 years from 1933-39. He married Ada Harriet Cottee at St. Philip, Camberwell, Surrey, England on 15 Nov 1897.

Links to other pages on this website:

• The History of The Flag Inn from the 1700s