The Plough Inn History

The history of the Plough Inn

Often pubs will change their names for one reason or another. With the Plough the pub kept it's original name whilst the street it is in has changed three times. Originally built in New Street, which changed it's name to Pickering Street sometime around 1880 then finally changing again to it's current Ford Street.

New Street was built between 1851 & 1861, as Stapenhill grew to accomodate the workforces of the Burton breweries. No pub existed in New St in 1861 the road consisted mainly of brewery labourers, who must have used the ferry to cross the Trent to get to work as the only bridge across the Trent at the time was a good walk along the river.

Frederick Lakin, an implement maker, lived in what is thought to be the correct property on New Street in 1861 with his wife Ann and two children, Sarah & Harrington John. They took in lodgers, a blacksmith and his apprentice were living there at the time. But there is no mention of it being licensed premises or a beer house in the 1861 census.

Frederick died in 1862, and Ann moved away sometime after, but by 1871 Ann's father, John Ratcliffe was living in The Plough with his wife Elizabeth and their grandson, Frederick & Ann's son, Harrington John Lakin together with Sarah Ratcliffe, presumably John's sister. John had moved frrom Newton Solney where he was set up as a master blacksmith. Now not only did he continue his smithying work but also ran the pub, not an unusual combination of occupations in the 1870's. By 1881 John had retired to Hunter Street in Burton.

As the breweries grew and more industry came to Burton, Stapenhill increased in size dramatically between 1871 & 1881

By 1881 The Plough, now in Pickering Street, was occupied by Edward Ellis and his wife Mary 45, they had previously lived at Hope Cottage next to the Crown Inn in Stapenhill, before turning to the pub trade Edward had been a coachman. It would seem that Edward died in 1883 aged 44 and Mary in 1886 aged 51.

The pub changed hands and by 1891 belonged to James Kendal and his Essex born wife Harriet, They had a young daughter Alice, so perhaps they though it not the right environment to bring up a small child, for by 1901 James had left the pub to become a joiner in his home town of Ashby de la Zouch.

1901 Alfred Smith from Burford Worcestershire aged 35. with Mary aged 38 from Hathern Leicestershire, children John 9 Chelsea, Mary 8 Burton, Annie 6 Stapenhill, Edward 5 Stapenhill

Research is continuing