Tithe Plot 31 – The Plough Inn

The Plough Inn is Plot 31 on the tithe map and highlighted orange on the extract below.

The transcript below tells us the land belonging to The Plough Inn was 0 acres, 1 rood & 9 perches (40 perches = 1 rood & 4 roods = 1 acre). The landowner was Thomas Heath but it was occupied by Mrs Bridger.

The inn was built in c. 17/18th century is now referred to as The Old Plough as it is now a private residence and can be found on the Historic England website under listing number 1092404. The earliest reference I have found to it in the newspapers is from 2nd March 1801 when it is mentioned in the Hampshire Chronicle as the site of a property auction to be held on 24th March 1801.

The earliest mention of The Plough I have found is from 20th December 1773 when the Reading Mercury advertised a sale to take place at the “Sign of the Plough”. Presumably all the carts & equipment mentioned in the notice was taken to the village square near The Plough Inn for people to view before bidding.

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List of known Occupiers

• 1840 – Mrs Bridger
• 1841 – Mary Bridger
• 1851 – Henry K Baker
• 1855 – Henry Baker
• 1859 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1861 – Henry K Baker
• 1865 – Henry Baker
• 1867 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1871 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1875 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1881 – Henry K Baker
• 1885 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1889 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1891 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1895 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1898 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1899 – Henry Kempsford Baker
• 1901 – William Johnson
• 1911 – James Willshire
• 1915 – James Willshire
• 1920 – James Edward Tomalin
• 1923 – Mrs Frances Marion Waters
• 1927 – Hursey Hillier
• 1931 – Hursey Hillier
• 1934 – Hursey Hillier
• 1935 – Hursey Hillier
• 1936 – Hursey Hillier
• 1939 – Fred Hillier
• 1950 – F. Hillier

The Plough Inn closed as a Public House in 1951, and the Plough House & Club Room was purchased by the Village Centre committee. In 1952 the Plough House was sold and the Club Room improved with lavatories, kitchen & store room added, this was to be part of the Village Hall.

In 1952 the old Billiards Room in The Plough was used as a local museum.

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Other known uses

Before the 20th Century public houses were often used for other purposes, many auctions are found in the the newspapers to have been held in the Plough, plus at times the Plough is mentioned as the location for an inquest and also the occasional meeting.

• Auctions
• Inquests
• Meetings

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Resources

• Tithe Apportionments, 1836-1929 [database online]. TheGenealogist.co.uk 2024 Original data: “IR29 Tithe Commission and successors: Tithe Apportionments” The National Archives
• Historical Directories of England & Wales collection at https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4
• Commercial and Trade Directories collection at https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/directories/
• U.K., City and County Directories, 1600s-1900s collection at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/1547/
• Trade Directories held in Andover Library
• Census records at Ancestry.co.uk
• Innes, K. E. (n.d.). Village Story, St. Mary Bourne, Hampshire. Andover: Kathleen E. Innes
• British Newspaper Library collection accessed via Findmypast at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers