Castle, North Street/North Station Road, Colchester
Also known as the North Castle Inn.
Ceased being a pub in 1956. Now a restaurant.
Provided by Daniel & Margaret Tracey
May 2001
Taken by Daniel & Margaret Tracey
"The Name of this pub would probably have come from the view from its windows of Colchester's famous Norman castle, with its keep being the largest in Europe and on whose design the later built Tower of London was based. It was also known as the North Castle, to distinguish it from the other house of the same name in the High Street. The timber framed building is said to be of the 16th century. In a deed dated 1691, it seems that the inn was formerly known as the 'Soape House', probably because of the trade of its owners Abraham Fromenteel, a baymaker and Samuel Daniell, a linen draper. The premises passed to nephew Samuel Daniell and was then let on lease to Samuel Hedgethorne, victualler. He in turn, conveyed it to John Selley, a wealthy brewer, in 1734, who left it to his mother Elizabeth, who in 1765 bequeathed it to her son-in-law, the Reverend John Halls, the broad minded rector of Easthorpe for 50 years, and his wife.
For many years in the mid 18th century, the inn was a favoured resort of horticulturalists.
An advertisement in 1747 announced 'a shew [sic] of carnations and French whole blowers' atthe house of Samuel Winnock, at the sign of the Castle, over North Bridge, a kinsman of John Winnock, the founder of the alms houses in Military Road.
In April 1754, the Castle was included amongst the seven inns at which 'The Free Burgesses of Colchester in the Interest of John Olmius Esq. are desired to meet on Monday next, being the Day appointed for the Election, in order to proceed from there to the Hustings.' On the strength of the generous entertainment provided, Mr Olmius of New Hall, Boreham (created Lord Waltham in 1762) was returned to Parliament at the top of the poll.
There was a great consumption of hot purl and other strong drinks during the hard winter of 1788/9, when in January, a sheep was roasted whole on the ice near North Bridge.
An entry in the St Peter's parish registers in 1831 mentioned the suicide of a male stranger at the Castle Inn. In 1847, it was recorded that the ostler, John Brown, hung himself on his own bed post.
Much excitement prevailed in 1843, soon after the opening of the Eastern Counties Railway, when the horses of the Retaliator coach from Woodbridge, bolted by Mile End Rectory and came to grief upside down outside the inn. Several passengers were injured. Again, in 1843, William Wire recorded that, 'some years since there was a wilderness near the Castle Inn, North, which belonged to the original Lexden Park, where was a maze or labyrinth and from this the Fair held annually at Easter and Whitsuntide takes the name of Wilderness Fair.'"**
Known Residents
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
1822/William Clark/../../../Pigot's*
1823-4/William Clark/../../../Pigot's
1832-3/William Minter/../../../Pigot's
1839/William Minter/../../../Pigot's
1848/John Minter/../../../White's
1851/William Minter/../../../Post Office
1851/William
Minter/widow,
innkeeper/58/Boxted, Essex/Census
***
1851/Maria Minter/daughter, housekeeper/25/Colchester, Essex/Census
***
1851/Emma Spurgeon/house servant/21/Great Clacton, Essex/Census
***
1852/W. Minter/../../../Kelly's*
1855/W. Toppin/../../../Kelly's*
1861/James
Ely/Publican/40/Mistley/Census
****
1861/Hannah Ely/Wife/41/Ardleigh, Essex/Census
1861/Hannah Hyde/Neice/20/Chelsea, Middx/Census
1862/James Ely/../../../Kelly's
1867/William Whitmore Cole/../../../Post Office
1874/Joseph Smith/../../../Kelly's
1878/John London/../../../Kelly's
1881/John Lindon/Publican/53/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1881/Alethea Lindon/Wife/51/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1881/Clara Lindon/Daughter/23/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1881/Catherine Lindon/Daughter/21/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1881/Joseph Durrell/Visitor, Retired Ships Captain/58/Ipswich, Suffolk/Census
1881/Elizabeth Edwards/Domestic Servant/20/West Mersea, Essex/Census
1881/George Moore/Ostler/26/Colchester, Essex/Census
1881/John Robinson/Lodger, Book Traveller/24/Romania/Census
1881/Benjamin Hodgson(?)/Lodger, Traveller (Kid Restorer)/50/Huddersfield, York/Census
1882/John London/../../../Kelly's
1886/John London/../../../Kelly's
1894/George Seager Cowles/../../../Kelly's
1895/George Seager Cowles/../../../Kelly's
1898/George Seager Cowles/../../../Kelly's
1899/George S. Cowles/../../../Kelly's
1902/Albert Colman/../../../Kelly's
1907/W. H. Hollis/../../../Benham's
1908/Edward William Hoskins/../../../Kelly's
1912/Alfred Longmore/../../../Kelly's
1917/Alfred Longmore/../../../Kelly's
1925/Alfred Longmore/../../../Kelly's
1933/Arthur Catchpole/../../../Kelly's
* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
** Provided by Daniel & Margaret Tracey
*** Provided by John Mead
**** Provided by Kevan
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