The Red Lion has a fragment of a fifteenth century house according to the Royal Commission on historic monuments. The eraliest mention is in the Aggas Survey of 1593, and before that it was a private house known as Merchants, possibly connected with Flemish merchants who lived in Billericay.
The Red Lion was the venue of the Court Leet held annually in Whitsun week, where the business of the Manor was dealt with. The Court Leet continued until 1912 when it was responsible for considerable merrymaking and banqueting in the town.
Up until the 19th century, what is now Nix's formed part of the Red Lion. The Midland Bank site was also owned by the innholder, and may have been staff accommodation.
In the early 18th Century, the Red Lion was the property of the Thresher family, a great family of innholders. In 1706, the owner of the Red Lion, Samuel Thresher, also owned the White Lyon and the Royal Oak, at South Green, as well as other property in the High street, at South Green and Great Burstead. Abraham Thresher owned the Hoe Inn.
During the 18th Century, the Red Lion was no doubt the premier Inn in Billericay, and the main Coaching Inn from which Coached departed every morning at 7am (except Sundays).
During the 19th century, the Crown and the Sun took a lot of this Coaching trade. The Red Lion was acquired by a firm of brewers in 1804, who were more interested in selling their product rather than accommodation for coach travellers. In 1814, the property was acquired by the Baddow Brewery, and divided into two, with the portion which is later Nix's being a private house. This portion also included three stables, a coach house and several bedrooms.
Later in the 19th century after the closure of the original Crown, the Red Lion became known as a Commercial Hotel. The Red LIon still stands today, and it is its concrete facia, which sadly conceals the original brickwork and timber.
Shown on the 1831 Greenwoods Billericay map .
Billericay pub history index
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Essex.
Red Lion, High Street, Billericay - in 1932
11th August 2002
Taken by Stephen Parker
Red Lion, Billericay
Kindly provided by Terry
Residents at this address
1822/Mary Thompson/../../../Pigots**
1823-4/Mary Thompson/../../../Pigots
1828/James Thompson/Licensee/../../Alehouse Recognizances*
1828-9/Susan Thompson/../../../Pigots
1832-3/James Thompson/../../../Pigots
1839/John Cross/Horse & Gig Owner/../../Pigots
1841/Richard Mumford/30/builder/Essex/Census ***
1841/Mary Mumford/wife/25/Essex/Census
1841/Betsy Alexander/female servant/20/Essex/Census
1841/Mary Cox/female servant/15/Essex/Census
1841/John Savill/male servant/15/Essex/Census
1841/Amaziah Abraham/tailor/20/not Essex/Census
1841/Enoch Boswell/carpenter/25/not Essex/Census
1841/Thomas Beal/soldier/25/not Essex/Census
1841/George Everett/gardener/20/Essex/Census
1845/Richard Mumford/../../../Post Office
1848/Richard Mumford/../../../Whites
1851/Richard Mumford/Builder/../../Post Office
1861/Richard Mumford/innkeeper and builder/49/Dunmow, Essex/Census ***
1861/Mary Ann Mumford/wife/47/Thaxted, Essex/Census
1861/Betsy Silversides/general servant/43/Mountnessing, Essex/Census
1861/Solomon Young/servant/15/Billericay, Essex/Census
1862/Richard Mumford/../../../Kellys
1867/Thomas Hunt/../../../Post Office
1870/Thomas Sides/../../../Kellys
1871/Thomas Sides/../../../Post Office
1871/Thomas Sides/innkeeper and land steward/50/Shropshire/Census ***
1871/Elizabeth A Sides/wife/41/Billericay, Essex/Census
1871/Mary Parker/stepdaughter/20/Wandsworth, Surrey/Census
1871/Mary Sides/daughter/15/Rochester, Kent/Census
1871/Ellen M Sides/daughter/10/Corringham, Essex/Census
1871/Ellen Hawkes/domestic servant/21/Springfield, Essex/Census
1871/Frederick J Davis/inn servant/16/Brentwood, Essex/Census
1874/Thomas Sides/../../../Kellys
1878/Thomas Sides/../../../Kellys
1881/Thomas Sides/Licensed Victualler/60/Alderbury, Shropshire/Census
1881/Elizabeth Ann Sides/Wife/50/Billericay, Essex/Census
1881/Elizabeth Barton/Daughter/30/Wandsworth, London/Census
1881/Mary Sides/Daughter/25/Rochester, Kent/Census
1881/Ellen Maria Sides/Daughter/20/Corringham, Essex/Census
1881/Montague Sides/Nephew/6/Bow, London/Census
1881/William Oakley/Domestic Servant/20/Great Burstead, Essex/Census
1881/Elizabeth Chapman/Servant/20/Norwich, Norfolk/Census
Note: Premises not named in 1881
1882/Thomas Sides/../../../Kellys
1886/Thomas Sides/../../../Kellys
1891/Elizabeth A Sides/widow, hotel keeper/60/Billericay, Essex/Census
***
1891/Mary Sides/daughter/35/Rochester, Kent/Census
1891/Hannah Barnes Peachey/visitor, dressmaker/45/Bermondsey, London/Census
1891/Harry Allen/visitor, traveller/23/Althorne, Essex/Census
1891/Emma Whistler/servant/34/Ingatestone, Essex/Census
1891/Alice Hicks/domestic servant/15/Great Burstead, Essex/Census
1891/John Nunn/inn servant/17/Peckham, London/Census
1894/Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Sides/../../../Kellys
1895/Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Sides/../../../Kellys
1898/Alfred Henry Hedgelong/Manager/../../Kellys
1899/Mrs. Alison Saltonstall/../../../Kellys
1901/William F Butcher/Hotel Proprietor/57/Colne Engaine, Essex/Census
1901/Lucy H Butcher/Wife/54/Gilsborough, Northamptonshire/Census
1901/Francis W Butcher/Son, Office Clerk/17/North Benfleet, Essex/Census
1901/William G Butcher/Son, Office Clerk/16/North Benfleet, Essex/Census
1901/Geo M Butcher/Son/13/North Benfleet, Essex/Census
1901/Alice Payne/Companion/40/Sheepreth, Cambridgeshire/Census
1901/Florence E Dockred/Barmaid/20/Hendon, London/Census
1901/Alice M Challis/General Servant/15/Roxwell, Essex/Census
1901/James Mortimer/General Labourer/53/Writtle, Essex/Census
1901/Herbert Bartlett/Ostler Groom/25/Wickford, Essex/Census
1901/Frederick M Baker/Boarder, General Workman/38/Hockley, Essex/Census
1902/William Francis Butcher/../../../Kellys
1908/Francis Henry Buckenham/../../../Kellys
1911/Francis Henry Buckenham/Farmer/30/Hadleigh, Essex/Census
1911/Florence Kate Buckenham/Wife/31/Courtenhill, Northamptonshire/Census
1911/Henry James Buckenham/Son/7/Crays Hill, Essex/Census
1911/Ethel Mary Buckenham/Daughter/6/Crays Hill, Essex/Census
1911/Victor Buckenham/Son/5/Billericay, Essex/Census
1911/Margaret Buckenham/Daughter/15 months/Billericay, Essex/Census
1911/Hugh Bramston Buckenham/Brother, Assistant/25/Hadleigh, Essex/Census
1911/Hilda Edith Buckenham/sister, Assistant/23/Hadleigh, Essex/Census
1911/Ethel Agnes Bridge/General Servant/23/Galleywood, Essex/Census
1912/Francis Henry Buckenham/../../../Kellys
1917/Leo Charles Ayling/Manager/../../Kellys
1925/Victor Fuller/../../../Kellys
1929 - 1932/Fripp/../../../Freehold
1933/Frederick Francis Fripp/../../../Kellys
1933 - 1934/Channer/../../../Freehold
1935 - 1961/Fletcher/../../../Freehold
1937/Tom Fletcher/../../../Kellys
In 1939 at the Red Lion, are
Tom Fletcher, Hotel Proprietor, born 8th December 1894
Lilian G Fletcher, born 19th March 1897
Doris A Bradley, later Puffett, born 25th March 1924
1962/A J Bevis/../../../Freehold
* Provided by Mike Smith
** Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
*** Provided by John Mead