Colchester pub history index
The Cross Keys was first mentioned in the alehouse
recognisances of 1764 but would have dated from before then. A book
covering Essex Brewers refers to the Cross Keys Brewery in Culver Street, which
was previously the White Horse and Wine Stores. It states that brewing ceased in
1880 after Bridges, Cuthbert and Co Ltd had commenced brewing in 1866. It passed
to the Norfolk and Suffolk Brewery Company and then to the Colchester Brewery
Company.
Memories of this house are given in a book by George Pluckwell who recalled it
as, 'being an ancient house of Tudor atmosphere, with its steep tiled and
cobbled roof and heavy timbered interior beams. When I worked for the Co-op
which was very strong around this section of town, I often had a dinner-time
pint there and a snack. It was later pulled down and the town lost another
delightful pub.'
It stood on the south east corner of Culver Street East and Long Wyre Street and
was closed and demolished in 1970, to make way for the building of Caters
supermarket, now another name from the past. ***
Residents at this address
1822/John Hooper/../../../Pigot's*
1823-4/John Hooper/../../../Pigot's
1828-9/William Baggs/../../../Pigot's
1832-3/John Hooper/../../../Pigot's
1839/William Begg/../../../Pigot's
1845/Mrs. Hooper/../../../Post Office
1848/William Begg/../../../White's
1851/William Bagg/wine and spirit merchant/64/Leigh, Dorset/Census **
1851/Deborah Bagg/wife/47/Hoo, Suffolk/Census
1851/Julia Bagg/daughter/17/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Emily Bagg/daughter, scholar/15/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Frances Bagg/daughter, scholar/10/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Henry Bagg/son, scholar/08/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Maria Bagg/daughter, scholar/07/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Georgiana Bagg/daughter, scholar/06/Colchester, Essex/Census
1851/Sarah Chaplin/general servant/19/Ardleigh, Essex/Census
1855/William Begg/../../../Kelly's*
1867/Thomas Wade/../../../Post Office
1870/George Allen/../../../Kelly's
1871/George Allen/../../../Post Office
1871/George Allen/Licensed Victualler/52/Hackney, Middx/Census
1871/Mary Allen/wife/41/Fordham, Essex/Census
1871/George Allen/Son/15/Stanway, Essex/Census
1871/Frank Allen/Son/12/Colchester, Essex/Census
1871/Fanny Allen/Daughter/11/Colchester, Essex/Census
1871/Charles Allen/Son/7/Colchester, Essex/Census
1871/Percy Allen/Son/5/Colchester, Essex/Census
1871/Kate Allen/Daughter/3/Langenhoe, Essex/Census
1871/Amy Allen/Daughter/1/Langenhoe, Essex/Census
1871/Arthur Allen/Son/4 months/Colchester, Essex/Census
1871/Victoria Newhouse/Barmaid/27/Wetherden, Suffolk/Census
1871/John Fenning/Barman/26/Layer de le Haye, Essex/Census
1871/Annie Howes/Barmaid/22/Layer de le Haye, Essex/Census
1871/Rosina Green/General Servant/18/Chapple, Essex/Census
1871/Mary A Gentry/Nurse Maid/17/Colchester, Essex/Census
1874/George Allen/../../../Kelly's
1878/George Allen/../../../Kelly's
1882/George Allen/../../../Kelly's
1886/George Henry Candler/../../../Kelly's
1891/Rosamond Candler/Publican/36/Holborn, London/Census ***
1891/Troughton Candler/son/10/Abberton, Essex/Census
1891/Amy Norfolk/General Servant/16/Marks Tey, Essex/Census
1894/Alfred John Aldous/../../../Kelly's
1895/Alfred John Aldous/../../../Kelly's
1898/Edward Warren McNay/../../../Kelly's
1899/Edward Warren McNay/../../../Kelly's
1901/Edward W McNay/Licensed Victualler/45/Ireland/Census
1901/Amelia McNay/Wife/43/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1901/Hetty Bonner/Barmaid/20/Chelmsford, Essex/Census
1902/Edward Warren McNay/../../../Kelly's
1908/William Adams/../../../Kelly's
1912/William Adams/../../../Kelly's
1914/Wm. Adams/../../../Kelly’s Directory **+
1917/James E. Chelley/../../../Kelly's
1925/Robert A. Wham/../../../Kelly's
1933/Mrs. Elizabeth Wham/../../../Kelly's
1937/Mrs. Eliz Wham/../../../Kelly's
* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
** Provided by John Mead
**+ Provided by Stephen Harris
*** Information kindly provided by Jess Jephcott at http://www.camulos.com