Wokingham pub history index
The timber-framed 15th and 16th century buildings that make up much of present-day Bush Walk were previously part of the Bush Inn. After being a stagecoach in for 100 years, by 1901 it had become a hotel. The Bush Hotel closed in 1986 and has now transmuted into the Bush Walk shopping arcade. The pub-like sign is clear to see, although the design is very modern. *
Bush Hotel, Market Place - circa 1901 (landlord James Herring)
Bush, 37 Market Place, Wokingham - in 2011
Both kindly provided by Chris French
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Berkshire. The Berkshire listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
In 1752 John Chaplin took over the lease of the original Rose for 20 years
from Molly Mogg and her sister Sarah who had run the Rose since the
bankruptcy of their brother in 1734. By then the the Rose had already been
in existence for over a hundred years.
William Wheatley had become landlord of the Bush which was next door in
1756.
In 1772 the Rose was owned by John Griffin the son in law of Molly Mogg but
asked too much for the renewal of the lease and John Chaplin bought a house
in Peach Street which he opened as a pub which he called the New Rose
(situated where Marks and Spencers is now located).
In 1776 William Wheatley took the lease of the Old Rose which he combined
with the Bush. His widow Mary became landlord upon his death in 1778 which
she continued to run until the lease expired in 1782. In 1783 John Watkins
who was previously landlord of the Bell Inn at Swindon took over the lease.
He only lasted for two years and for the next four it was run by Thomas
Lampard previously landlord of the Upper Shipat Reading. He was made
bankrupt in 1788 and the Old Rose was put up for sale.
Meanwhile in 1787 John Chaplin had died and his wife Hannah had taken over
the licence of the New Rose. She bought the Old Rose and closed down the New
Rose and ran the former until she retired in 1797 changing the name to the
Rose. **
When the Rose moved across the Market Square to its current site, being
called the New Rose initially, the original Inn was called the Bull and Bush
but later reverted to its original name of The Bush. The Rose was not
renamed the Olde Rose until the latter half of the 20th century. **
This story is intertwined with that of the Inns used by Wokingham Stages. **
1830/Mary Holton/../../../Pigots Directory ***
1840/Jas Lane/../../../Robsons Directory ***
1841/James Lane/Publican/44/Berkshire/Census
1841/Susanna Lane/../39/Berkshire/Census
1841/Susanna Lane/../13/Berkshire/Census
1841/William Lane/../12/Berkshire/Census
1841/Sarah Lane/../11/Berkshire/Census
1841/Henry Lane/../8/Berkshire/Census
1841/Edward Lane/../5/Berkshire/Census
1841/Elizth Lane/../3/Berkshire/Census
1841/John Lane/../9 months/Berkshire/Census
1842/James Lane/../../../Pigots Directory ***
1844/James Lane/../../../Pigots Directory ***
1847/James Lane/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1850/James Lane/../../../Slaters Directory ***
1852/James Lane/../../../Slaters Directory ***
1851/James Lane/Innkeeper/54/Wokingham, Berks/Census ***
1851/Susanah Lane/Wife/48/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1851/Sarah Lane/Daughter/20/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1851/Henry John Lane/Son, Solicitors Clerk/17/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1851/Edward Lane/Son, Scholar/14/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1851/Elizabeth Lane/Daughter, Scholar/13/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1851/Eliza Miles/Servant, House Servant/22/Ash, Surrey/Census
1851/William Messenger/Servant, Ostler/41/Bentan, Oxon/Census
1851/Edward A Tomline/Visitor, Gentleman/26/Nottingham/Census
1854/Susannah Lane/../../../Billings Directory ***
1863/Mrs Susannah Lane/../../../Duttons Directory ***
1864/Mrs S Lane/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1868/Susannah Lane/../../../Casseys Directory ***
1871/Susanna Lane/Hotel Keeper, Widow/70/Wokingham, Berks/Census ***
1871/Mary Lane/Daughter/33/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1871/Elizabeth Lane/Daughter/27/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1871/Patimer Englefield/Servant, General Servant (Domestic)/17/Pamber,
Berks/Census
1871/Martin K Angels/Lodger/33/India (British Subject)/Census
1877/Mrs Susannah Lane/../../../Harrods Directory ***
1881/James Herring/Hotel Keeper/33/Althorne, Essex/Census ***
1881/Eliza Herring/Mother/66/Winkfield, Berks/Census
1881/Kate Herring/Sister, Hotel Keepers Assistant/30/Lambeth, Surrey/Census
1881/Ellen Alexander/Servant, General Domestic Servant/17/Basildon,
Berks/Census
1883/James Herring/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1884/James Herring/../../../Stevens Directory ***
1891/James Herring/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1891/James Herring/Hotel Proprietor/43/Alton, Essex/Census ***
1891/Sarah Herring/Wife/39/Brighton, Sussex/Census
1891/Eliza Herring/Mother/77/Binfield, Berks/Census
1891/Louisa Manktelow/Visitor/87/Binfield, Berks/Census
1891/Elizabeth Roberts/Visitor/43/Bracknell, Berks/Census
1891/Ada Fry/Servant/19/Hurst, Berks/Census
1893/James Herring/../../../Stevens Directory ***
1901/Sarah Herring/Hotel Proprietress, Widow/49/Brighton, Sussex/Census ***
1901/Sarah Trollope/Visitor, Living on own means/53/Frome, Somerset/Census
1901/James Bosher/Visitor, Drapers Porter/42/Wokingham, Berks/Census
1901/Elizabeth Langley/Servant, General Servant Domestic/19/Wokingham,
Berks/Census
1901/William Claridge/Servant, Ostler/16/Reading, Berks/Census
1903/Mrs Sarah Herring/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1907/Mrs S Herring/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1911/James Harper/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1915/Charles Morris/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1920/C W Ricks/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1928/Jn Herbt Ganson/propr/../../Kellys Directory ***
1931/Jsph B Crawley/propr/../../Kellys Directory ***
1939/_/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1956/R E Thompson/../../../Times Directory ***
1957-8/R E Thompson/Manager/../../Times Directory ***
* Provided By Chris French
** Provided By David (behindthefrogs)
*** Provided By Colin Ager