Chestnut Inn, Toppesfield
Toppesfield pub history index
Latterly known as the Crawley Arms, but now closed. It appears to be directly next to the Green Man in the 1901 and 1911 census. It is named the Chestnut Brewery in the 1881 census.
Taken by John Law
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
April 1864/George Barker, beerhouse keeper, Toppesfield was charged with
unlawfully permitting drunkeness on his house/Chelmsford Chronicle
January 1873/Ed Argent, labourer, Toppesfield, pleaded guilty to refusing to
leave the house of George Barker, beerseller, Toppesfield on December
9th/Chelmsford Chronicle
1881/George Barker/Wheelwright etc/66/Finchingfield, Essex/Census
1881/Louisa Barker/Wife/62/Bardfield, Essex/Census
1881/Louisa Barker/Daughter/34/Toppesfield, Essex/Census
1881/Charles R Barker/Son, Brewer/32/Toppesfield, Essex/Census
1881/Julia K Barker/Grand Daughter/14/Finchingfield, Essex/Census
4th August 1883/Toppesfield - Sudden death. A sad case of sudden death
occurred in this parish on Friday, the 20th instance. Mrs Yeulett widow of
the late Mr C Yeulett, of Finchingfield, who resided with her son in law, Mr
C R Barker, of the Chestnut Brewers, was seized with a fit while in the
garden on Wednesday, the 18th, about noon. She was carried into the house in
an insensible condition, and continued so up to her death, which occurred on
Friday morning at eight o'clock. Her age was 71 years./Essex News *
August 1895/Charles Ryder Barker, innkeeper, blacksmith etc, of Toppesfield
was charged with laying a quantity of timber on the highway - a green space
opposite his smithy, and causing obstruction/Essex Newsman
1901/Charles R Barker/Wheelwright, Blacksmith & Beerhouse Keeper/49/Toppesfield,
Essex/Census *
1901/Jane Barker/Wife/49/Haverhill, Suffolk/Census
16th March 1906/C R Barker lost his license, and was to leave the beerhouse
within two months. His father had owned the beerhouse for several years as
well/Chelmsford Chronicle *
March 1906/Mr H W Jones, of Colchester, appeared on behalf of Mr C R Barker,
owner and licensee of the Chestnut beerhouse, Toppesfield. The police
objected to the renewal, PC Day said he visited the house on the 1st of
January this year, and in the tap room were 44 men and youths, while on a
tble was a bushel of beer (64 pints). The house had been licensed for over
50 years. Mr Barker to leave the house within two months./Chelmsford
Chronicle
February 1907/Supt Terry reported proceedings against two licence holders
during the year. In one case a conviction was recorded, and the house has
since changed hands. The other case was dismissed. The houses generally had
been well conducted. Referring to the Chestnut Tree on-beerhouse at
Toppesfield, the on trade of that house had been discontinued for some
months. Thirteen persons had been convicted of drunkeness as against 20 last
year. There was in the division 27 fully licensed houses, 30 on-beerhpuses,
16 off-beerhouses and four wine and spirit licenses - giving an average of
139 people to each licence. The Chairman informed Mr C R Barker, occupier
and owner of the Chestnuts, Toppesfield, that the Justices could not grant
the licence today. The house, they ascertained had been shut up. Mr Bright
(for Mr Barker) said there appeared to be some misunderstanding with regard
to the licence of the house. Mr Barker sold under the old excise licence
last year, and then he thought it policy to stop the trade for a short time,
and he did not open the house until January. Since then the house had been
open for the sale of beer. Referred to March 12th proceedings./Chelmsford
Chronicle
1911/William Barber/Beer House Keeper/38/Toppesfield, Essex/Census
1911/Edna Eliza Barber/Wife/48/Wickmere, Norfolk/Census
February 1913/Death inquest of George
Ruggles, drowned after being at the Chestnuts Inn, the landlord was a Mr
William Barber/Chelmsford Chronicle
* Provided by Ray Haw
Provided by Kevan