Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire

Upshire pub history index

Demolished in the 1980's

Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire 1891

This photo was printed in the Essex Countryside magazine in July 1966 with the a letter stating that it was taken in 1891 and shows a meeting of a local naturalist society who roamed Epping Forest. The meeting is taking place in a pub which the letter writer, Mrs TH Turner believed to be the Wake Arms. Mrs Turner's father, William Alder is the back row, and his son, a keen photographer may have taken the picture. 

Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire

Wake Arms, Epping Forest - A B Davis Ltd, Epping & Loughton

Wake Arms, Epping Forest - A B Davis Ltd, Epping & Loughton

Kindly provided by Colleen

Interesting letters in the Essex Countryside magazine state that the pub name is believed to have derived from the Wake family which claims descent from Hereward Leofricson, Lord of Bourne, commonly known as Hereward the Wake - the Wake meaning last of the Saxons. The Wakes were a well known Essex landowning family and ownership of this manor descended to Sire William Wake in 1755.

The pub was rebuilt in about 1932, until then, a massive sign on the opposite side of the Epping Road bore on both sides a heraldic representation of the Wake family Arms. One account tells how the Wake family used to block up he natural springs used to by picnickers at High Beech in order to 'encourage' the use of their pub until the authorities stepped in and banned the practice.  Writing in 1887, Miller Christy the pub sign historian stated that the Wake Arms was over 40 years old in 1887.

Wake Arms, Epping Road, Upshire 1960's

It was one of a number of pubs in and around Epping Forest with associations with Dick Turpin, the Highwayman. The pub had items of Turpin's clothing on display for some years - presumably because Turpin stayed there prior to being caught and left them there?

1960's

Kindly donated by Colleen

The following entries are in this format:

Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.

1832-3/William Heatherill/../../../Pigot's

1839/Thomas Billings/../../../Pigot's

1840/Thomas Billings/../../../Pigot's*

1841/John Billings/Publican/45/Essex/Census
1841/Harriet Billings/../35/../Census
1841/Samuel Billings/../4/../Census
1841/Emma Billings/../2/Essex/Census
1841/Charles Eve/Male Servant/20/Essex/Census
1841/Eliza Hannon/Female Servant/15/../Census
1841/Charlotte Collop/Female Servant/14/Essex/Census
1841/James Barlow/Labourer/20/../Census

1845/James Billings/../../../Post Office

1848/George Rand/../../../Post Office

1851/William Glasscock/../../../White's

1852/W. Glasscock/../../../Kelly's*

14 March 1853/Henry Smith/Publican/../../Baptismal Records**
14 March 1853/Sarah Smith/Wife/../../Baptismal Records
14 March 1853/Henry Smith/Son/../../Baptismal Records

1855/H. Smith/../../../Kelly's*

1 April 1857/Henry James Smith/Publican/../../Baptismal Records**
1 April 1857/Sarah Smith/Wife/../../Baptismal Records
1 April 1857/George Smith/Son/../../Baptismal Records

1861/Henry James Smith/Inn Keeper/35/Aldgate, Middlesex/Census
1861/Sarah Smith/Wife/28/Braintree, Essex/Census
1861/William Smith/Son/6/Waltham Abbey, Essex/Census
1861/Susannah Smith/Daughter/2/Waltham Abbey, Essex/Census
1861/Thomas Grinsdick/Visitor, Baker/34/Epping, Essex/Census
1861/Elizabeth Gunnett/House Servant/18/Hatfield Heath, Essex/Census
1861/Sarah Bently/Nursemaid/11/London, Middlesex/Census
1861/Abraham Redington/Ostler/39/Theydon Garnon, Essex/Census
1861/John Spinks/Traveller, Hawker/40/London, Middlesex/Census
1861/Mary Spinks/Traveller, Hawkers Wife/36/London, Middlesex/Census

1862/Henry Smith/../../../Kelly's

1863/William Dawkins/../../../Kelly's

1867/James Wright/../../../Post Office

1870/Richard Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1871/Richard Gearing/Inn Keeper/44/Kilmiston, Hampshire/Census
1871/Emily Gearing/Wife/50/Ropley, Hampshire/Census
1871/Percy Gearing/Son/18/Wield, Hampshire/Census
1871/Francis Gearing/Son/13/North Stoneham, Hampshire/Census
1871/Elizabeth Ritson/General Servant/16/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/William Hayden/Ostler/28/Debden, Essex/Census
+ Boarders

1874/Richard Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1876/Richard Gearing/../../../Kelly's*

1878/Mrs. Emily Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1880/Mrs. Emily Gearing/../../../Kelly's*

1881/Emily Gearing/Licensed Victualler/55/Ropley, Hampshire/Census
1881/Percy Gearing/Son, Barman/27/Wield, Hampshire/Census
1881/Frank Gearing/Son, Barman/23/Stoneham Park, Hampshire/Census
1881/George Ellis/Ostler/27/Epping, Essex/Census
1881/Abraham Reddington/Gardener/60/Theydon, Essex/Census

1882/Mrs. Emily Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1885/Mrs. E. Gearing/../../../Kelly's*

1886/Mrs. Emily Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1891/Richard Gearing/Licensed Victualler/37/Wield, Hants/Census
1891/Francis Gearing/Brother, Licensed Victualler/33/Stoneham, Hants/Census
1891/William Hayden/Boarder, General Labourer/52/Debden, Essex/Census

1894/Percy Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1895/Percy Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1898/Percy Gearing/../../../Census

1899/Percy Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1901/Richard P S Gearing/Licensed Victualler/48/Wield, Hants/Census
1901/Georgina E Gearing/Wife/42/Nazeing, Essex/Census
1901/Lucy A Clayden/Visitor/40/Nazeing, Essex/Census

1902/Percy Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1908/Percy Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1911/R P C Gearing/Publican/58/Wield, Hampshire/Census
1911/G G Gearing/Wife/50/Nazing, Essex/Census
1911/William Cousens/Barman/30/North Weald, Essex/Census
1911/Annie Yeldham/General Servant/46/St Georges East, London/Census

1912/Mrs. Georgina E. Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1917/Mrs. Georgina E. Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1925/Mrs. Georgina E. Gearing/../../../Kelly's

1933/Harold Sharp/../../../Kelly's

1937/Harold Sharp/../../../Kelly's


* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900s

** Provided by Mike Smiths

Provided by Kevan

  • Email
  • TFL stations
  • And Last updated on: Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 16:03:19 GMT