Little Baddow pub history index
The Rodney had been opened as a Pleasure Garden about 1885 and the Danbury Griffin was responding with stabling and garages for cars. First the bicycle, then the bus and ultimately the motorcar were to help change the two parishes between 1900 and 1930. The low population figures for 1901 were dramatically transformed by 1931.
This eighteenth century building was described as a cottage with garden in 1840. It was owned by Thomas Hodge and occupied by James Edwards. By the late 1840s Charles Smith was a baker, grocer and beer seller here, so it was only natural that he took over about 1867 the discarded Rodney sign from up the hill. Charles Smith continued with his trade and even after his death his widow, Mrs. Lois Smith, continued as a baker and publican, but was assisted in 1881 by her brother, Jacob Barnard. Before 1900 her son, Herbert Smith, had taken over the bakery and beer trade which did not cease until the arrival of a new landlord, Sidney Wager, about 1905. Down to 1929 there was a succession of landlords here, including George Collins, Edward Russell and Edward Bickmore. *
July 2002
Taken by Stephen Parker
Residents at this address
1828-9/John Pullen/../../../Pigots
1839/Mary Pullen/../../../Pigots
1845/Mrs. Mary Pullen/../../../Post Office
1848/Mary Pullen/Victualler/../../Whites
1851/Mrs. Mary Pullen/../../../Post Office
1851/Mary Pullen/widow, victualler/89/Widford, Essex/Census **
1851/Mary White/stepdaughter, assistant publican/48/Maldon, Essex/Census
1851/James White/son in law, ag lab/33/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1871/Charles Smith/baker and publican/60/Isle of Whight, Hampshire/Census **
1871/Herbert Smith/son/10/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1871/Emma Box/daughter, married, carver and gilder’s wife/../Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1871/James Box/grandson/01/Westminster, London/Census
1871/William Rumsey/boarder, widower, ag lab/60/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1871/John Argent/boarder, cordwainer/[20]/Sudbury, Suffolk Census
1874/Mrs. Lois Smith/Baker/../../Kellys
1878/Mrs. Lois Smith/Baker/../../Kellys
1881/Lois Smith/Publican/65/Great Bursted, Essex/Census
1881/Jacob Barnard/Brother, Assistant/70/Great Bursted, Essex/Census
1881/Herbert Smith/Son, Baker/27/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1881/Hyram Sorrell/Lodger, Jobbing Gardener/50/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1882/Mrs. Lois Smith/../../../Kellys
1886/Mrs. Lois Smith/Shopkeeper/../../Kellys
1890/Mrs. Lois Smith/Shopkeeper/../../Kellys
1891/Herbert Smith/Baker/39/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1891/Mary L. Smith/Wife/30/South Wales/Census
1891/Lavinia L. Smith/Daughter/7/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1891/Ada M. Smith/Daughter/3/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1891/Pryce C. Smith/Son/1/Little Baddow, Essex/Census
1891/? Amy Russell/18/Housemaid/Terling, Essex/Census
1891/Lois Smith/Innkeeper/76/Great Burstead, Essex/Census
1894/Mrs. Lois Smith/Shopkeeper/../../Kellys
1895/Mrs. Lois Smith/Shopkeeper/../../Kellys
1899/Herbert Smith/Baker & Beer Retailer/../../Kellys
1902/Herbert Smith/Baker/../../Kellys
1906/Sidney Wager/../../../Kellys
1908/Sidney Wager/../../../Kellys
1910/George Praed Collins/../../../Kellys
1912/George Praed Collins/../../../Kellys
1914/Edward Russell/../../../Kellys
1917/Edward Bickmore/../../../Kellys
1922/Edward Bickmore/../../../Kellys
1925/Edward Bickmore/../../../Kellys
1929/Edward Bickmore/../../../Kellys
1933/Edward Bickmore/../../../Kellys
1937/John Vincent Goldsworthy/../../../Kellys
1943/John Vincent Goldsworthy/../../../Kellys
* Chris Day, The Little Baddow History Centre
** Provided by John Mead