History Of The Crown Inn

Many Village pubs are located near Churches as they tended to be built at the same time, housing the labourers, and later quenching the thirst of the congregation. St Martin's Church was built in the 13th century, and it is claimed there has been a building on the site of the pub from that time.

The history of The Crown as seen today can be traced back almost 450 years. In their report from 2005, the Somerset Vernacular Building Research Group (SVBRG) dates the pub from approximately 1600 based on the evidence of the beams and roof structure. The inglenook fireplace has a small salt hole and would have had a curing chamber. There would have been a kitchen, cross-passage, hall, and inner room with chambers (bedrooms) over. It is constructed from blue lias stone (now rendered) with flagstone floors. In 2003 an extension was added for a skittle alley and dining room. The original skittle alley was in an outbuilding, which was demolished, and the land sold for 3 new houses.

Unfortunately, detailed records of commercial businesses weren't widely kept until the 1830's, so we don't know if The Crown was a pub throughout its existence. There was another pub on the Langport Turnpike Road (A378) called the Foxhounds Inn. This closed in xxxx and is now a private dwelling.

The earliest available record showing The Crown as a hostelry is the 1851 census, when it is referred to as 'Scott's Beer House', being run by the Scott Family. The first time it is referred to as The Crown Inn is in 1891.

The difference between a beer house (or cider house, but always referred to as a 'beer house') and a conventional Hotel, Inn, Pub or Tavern, was that it only had a licence to sell beer (or cider), and not wines or spirits. The idea of a Beer house goes back to the reaction against the serious effects of widespread gin drinking in the early 19th century, when Parliament made it legal for any householder to open his house for the sale (and consumption) of beer on payment of a modest fee to the licensing magistrate, subject to good conduct. The new Act had its effect, and thousands of beer houses were opened in the 1830s, regardless of the suitability of the premises.

In 1835, Joseph Scott (born in Seavington in 1799) moved from Curry Mallet, where he was a blacksmith, to Fivehead with his wife, Jane, and children; Jonah 10yrs, Melenia 5yrs, and Robert 2yrs. They had another girl, Mary Ann in 1838. Unfortunately, Robert died in 1842 at the age of 9.

The 1846 electoral roll register shows them living in a freehold house, paying rent to Glass, Brooks, and Gatteridges (Kelly's Directory), but it does not say which property they lived in.

In the 1851 census the family are shown living at Scott's Beer House, with Joseph's occupation as a 'Beer House Keeper'. He lives with his wife Jane, and daughters Melenia and Mary Ann. They have 2 lodgers, so could now class themselves as an Inn. Joseph's surviving son Jonah had married and started a blacksmith's in the Village.

In 1854 Jane died, and Joseph remarries in 1858 to Caroline Mitchum from Curry Rivel. The 1861 census has Joseph and Caroline living alone, with Joseph described as an 'Inn Keeper' but no address is given, it is presumed they are still living at site of The Crown. The Beer House appears in Kelly's Directory of Somerset from 1861 until 1875, with Joseph running 'Scott's Beer House'. The 1871 census shows they still had 2 lodgers.

In 1862, daughter Mary Ann married Henry Pippen, a publican from Curry Rivel. In 1871, Henry was running the Queen Victoria's Inn, Curry Rivel.

By 1881 Joseph and Caroline had moved next door to son Jonah, and Joseph is described as a retired smith. Presumably sometime after 1875, they had left the pub for Mary Ann and husband Henry to run, and Joseph helped with Jonah's blacksmith's business.

The 1881 census describes the hostelry as a 'public house', owned by Henry Pippen, now fully licensed. Mary Ann and Henry had two children before they took on the pub in Fivehead, Melina Elizabeth who worked as a barmaid and Charles Henry, who sadly died when just 5 months old.

Henry only ran the pub for a short period as he died in 1883. Their daughter, Melina Elizabeth married in 1885 and moved to a farm in Ashill, and it's thought Henry's wife, Mary Ann died in Cardiff in 1888.

By 1891 the pub was known as 'The Crown Inn', run by Alfred Dinham pig dealer and publican -1889 - 1894 Kelly's Directory Beer retailer

1897 - 1927 - Samuel Hutchings Beer Retailer

1901 and 1911 census Crown Inn - Samuel Hutchings Beer retailer

1931 - 1935 Thomas Fox Jnr - Beer retailer Kelly's Directory