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hollands inn

Mudford Road

 

This area between Ilchester Road and Mudford Road, now mostly occupied by the Yeovil College campus, has been named Hollands at least since 1590 after the de Hollande family, Earls of Kent, who held Kingston Manor to the end of the reign of Richard II (1377-1399).

Similarly, the name of the public house was therefore nothing to do with imported Dutch gin as has been suggested more than once.

In the 1901 census it was referred to as the Hollands Farm Inn.

The Hollands Inn is now a private house off a small private drive, itself off Mudford Road immediately past the bus stop next to the exit of Yeovil College.

 

Yeovilians remember.... Thanks to Mike Bolton for the following - "When I was still at school (Yeovil School 1956-1962) and later I used to play for a local cricket team called the Druids whose home pitch was at Mudford rec where the running track is now, and we used to meet at the Hollands. Later we used to meet at the Black Horse." And thanks to Mike Hine for the following recollections "In the early/mid-60s this was incredibly rudimentary. The impression I got was that the doors were opened during licensed hours and that if someone came in to spend some money then that was a bonus to supplement whatever the owners really did to get by financially. We used to run across the road from the grammar school and have a half of bitter and a smoke in the lunch hour. I seem to remember an old landlady who probably couldn’t tell (or care) whether we were 15 or 35 but you'd imagine the blazers would have given her a clue. "

 

 

 

  
Thomas Lukings was the first licensee recorded at the Hollands Inn - not to be confused with the Thomas Lukins who was the licensee at the Pall Tavern at the same time! The Thomas Lukings at Hollands was born in Yeovil around 1813 and was listed as the inn keeper in the 1851 census with his Yetminster-born wife, Sophie, and daughter Catherine, although I lost track of them in the records after this date.

Thomas Smith was born in Yeovil around 1801. He married Mary Ann Clothier and in the 1841 census Thomas, Mary and three of their children were living in Hendford. Thomas' occupation was listed as a glover and Mary's as a glove sewer. By 1851 they had moved around the corner and were living in Brunswick Street. Thomas, Mary and their three eldest children were all glovers while the two younger children were listed as scholars. In the 1861 census Thomas was listed as the innkeeper of the Hollands Inn, although the inn wasn't mentioned by name. The two remaining daughters living at home were listed as glovers. Thomas died in June 1861, aged 60, and Mary Ann took on the license. She was listed as the innkeeper at the Hollands Inn in 1871 with her daughter Selina. In the 1881 census, at the age of 80, she was listed with Selina, now aged 35, and daughter Alice, aged 43. Mary Ann died in June 1889, having lived in the Hollands Inn for some 40 years.

Albury, Albery or Aubrey, Frampton was born around 1836 in Yeovil. He was the son of agricultural labourer George Frampton and in the 1841 census was listed living at Vagg with his Weymouth-born father and older brother, Nathaniel. His mother Ann and younger brother Archelaus were not at home on the night of the census. In 1851, however, the whole family - George and Ann and their children Nathaniel, Aubrey, Archelaus, Harriet, Elizabeth and Abigail - were all living in Thorn (sic) Lane. George and his three sons were all listed as agricultural labourers. In January 1858 Albery married Sarah of Preston Plucknett, Yeovil, and in the 1861 census they were listed living in Preston Road with baby daughter Mary Ann. Albery's occupation was given as labourer and Sarah's as leather glover. By 1871 the family had moved to Lyde Lane where Albery was employed as a carter. The family now included three daughters; Mary Ann, Cecilia and Eliza. By 1881 the daughters had left home and Albery and Sarah were living in a cottage in Preston Plucknett where Albery was employed as a wool sorter. By the time of the 1891 census Albury and Sarah had moved again and were living in the Hollands Inn with Albury listed as the inn keeper. Sarah died in December 1894 and on 18 November 1896 Albury married nurse Jane Osmond, formerly Coombs. Both the bride and groom were aged 61 and Albury was still listed as an innkeeper and made his mark on the marriage certificate whereas Jane signed her name. Albury was still listed as the Holland Inn's licensee in the 1897 edition of Kelly's Directory but he died in June 1899.

The next licensee, Isaac Gosney, was born about 1862 in Purse Caundle, Dorset, ten miles east of Yeovil, the son of agricultural labourer Alfred Gosney and his wife Sarah, née Crocker. In the spring of 1889 he married Laura and by the time of the 1891 census they were living in Wellington Street, Yeovil, with baby John. Isaac gave his occupation as general labourer. In the 1901 census Isaac, aged 39, was listed as publican and general labourer at the Hollands Inn where he lived with Laura, sons John and Thomas and daughters Mabel and Annie. Isaac died in December 1909 aged 47.

The final licensee about whom I could find any information was Henry George Foot who was born in Bradpole, Bridport, Dorset in 1880 and was baptised there on 25 December 1880. He was the son of Bradpole stonemason George Foot and his wife, Jane née Marsh. In 1891 the family were living in Bridport where Henry's two younger brothers, Albert and Walter, were born. He married Florence Lilly Rogers on 30 March 1907 at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, but other than that I lost track of him after that but Henry served in the army at some period because in the 1911 census he is listed at the Hollands Inn as an innkeeper and army pensioner at the age of 30. He had been married to Florence for four years and had two children, Ena and Gladys. Kelly's directory of 1914 still listed him as licensee of the Hollands Inn.  

 

 

This is a sketch based on plans held at the Heritage Centre, Taunton. The original plans are undated but are probably from the 1940s when Brutton, Mitchell Toms Ltd were the owners. The lobby / J&B / porch, the toilets and the scullery / coals / pantry were all single-storey lean-to buildings. 'J&B' are the 'jug & bottle' off sales. On the first floor were three bedrooms and a small bathroom.

 

 

Details of the sale of Holcote House in the 10 October 1919 edition of the Western Gazette. The sale included the Hollands Inn (Lot 4).

 

Courtesy of Margaret O'Shea

Part of the obituary of Mrs Mary Davis who, together with her husband Cecil, (Margaret O'Shea's grandparents) ran the Hollands Inn from 1926 to 1934. From the 6 April 1972 edition of the Western Gazette.

 

Photographed in 1960 by Charrington & Co Ltd's surveyors as part of a 'stocktaking' exercise of photographing Brutton's pubs prior to the brewery takeover.

 

Many thanks to Alan Tower who sent me this photo (now colourised), taken by his mum probably during the 1960's.

 

Courtesy of Simon Noble

An aerial view of Holcote House, probably taken during the 1960s. The Hollands Inn is behind it to the left while Mudford Road is seen at bottom right.

 

A late 1970's photograph of the Hollands Inn, by this time reverted to a private house.

 

Now a private house, photographed in 2013.

 

 

1851 – Thomas Lukings – Inn Keeper (1851 census)
1861 – Thomas Smith – Innkeeper (1861 census) pub not named
1861 – Mrs Mary Ann Smith – Beer Retailer (Kelly's 1861 Directory)
1871 – Maryann Smith (widow aged 71) – Inn Keeper (1871 census)
1872 – Mrs Mary Ann Smith – Beer Retailer (Kelly's 1872 Directory)
1875 – Mrs Mary Ann Smith – Beer Retailer (Kelly's 1875 Directory)
1881 – Mary Smith (widow aged 80) – no occupation listed (1881 census) listed as Holland Inn
1889 – Albury Frampton – Beer Retailer (Kelly’s 1889 Directory)
1891 – Albury Frampton – Innkeeper (1891 census) pub not named
1895 – Albery Frampton – Beer Retailer (Kelly’s 1895 Directory) pub not named
1897 – Albury Frampton – Beer Retailer (Kelly’s 1897 Directory)
1901 – Isaac Gosney – Publican & General Labourer (1901 census) listed as Hollands Inn
1911 – Henry George Foot – Innkeeper & Army Pensioner (1911 census) listed as Hollands Inn
1914 – Henry Foot – Beer Retailer (Kelly’s 1914 Directory) pub not named
1923 – Angus Cameron – Beer Retailer (Kelly’s 1923 Directory) pub not named
1926 – Cecil & Mary Davis (until 1934 - newspaper clipping above)
1936 – EC Huish (1936 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1939 – Ernest Huish (Kelly’s 1939 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1947 – J Budden (1947 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1949 – JJL Budden (Kelly’s 1949 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1951 – JJL Budden (1951 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1957 – JGL Budden (1957 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1960 – M Budden (1960 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1960 – Mrs PI Budden
1965 – Licensee not named (1965 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1968 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1968 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1969 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1969 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1970 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1970 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1971 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1971 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1972 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1972 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1973 – Licensee not named (Kelly’s 1973 Directory) listed as Hollands Inn
1974 – Licensee not named (1974 Yeovil Directory) listed as Hollands Inn