the history of yeovil's pubs
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king's arms (1)
Back Kingston
Not to be
confused with
the later
King's Arms 2
in
South Street
or the even
later
King's Arms 3
in
Silver Street,
this was one of
the earliest of
the Yeovil
beerhouses and
was run by
William Baker.
It was probably
a very
short-lived
establishment as
it only appears
in the records
for some four
years.
From its relative position in the 1841 census the King's Arms 1 was located in Higher Kingston very close, within two or three cottages, to Fiveways crossroads (there was no roundabout then) but it is not possible to tell which side of the road.
William Baker
was born in 1802
at Broadclyst, Exeter
and in the 1841
census he is
listed as an inn
keeper with his
wife, Elizabeth,
and their three
children living
in Higher
Kingston. By the
time of the 1851
census Elizabeth
had died and
William, still
with his
children in Back
Kingston,
described his
occupation as
'contractor of
roads, etc.' but
he was affluent
enough to be
employing a
live-in
housekeeper. It
seems likely
that Elizabeth
had run the
beerhouse during
the day and
William, after
spending the day
at his 'normal'
job, took over
during the
evenings which
was a very
common practice
in beerhouses.
After Elizabeth
died it is
likely that
William had to
give up the
beerhouse.
I have given
this King's Arms
its own page
because it was
named.
licensees
1835 – (Robson’s
1835 Directory -
Beer Houses)
listed as King's
Arms, Back
Kingston
1839 – William
Baker – Beer
Retailer
(Robson’s 1839
Directory) in
Back Kingston
1840 – William
Baker (Somerset
Gazette 1840
Directory)
listed as King's
Arms, Back
Kingston
1841 – William
Baker – Inn
Keeper (1841
census) pub not
named, listed in
Higher Kingston
1842 – William
Baker – Retailer
of Beer (Pigot’s
1842-4
Directory)
listed in
Kingston
