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The building has been extensively remodelled over time, so it is difficult to trace its history. Its appearance has changed considerably over the years.
Waggon & Horses, North Hill, Colchester - circa 1880
Kindly provided by abduRashid
The earliest photo (1880) shows an early to mid-Victorian facade reproducing the Jacobean style found in Colchester. The original building of course might be much older.
Waggon & Horses, North Hill - in 1907
Kindly donated by Colleen
This is how it would have looked when it was run by the Adamsons. By 1907 the facade had an Arts and Crafts sort of makeover, much plainer. The timber framing has been stuccoed over, and the elaborately carved casement windows have been replaced with up and down sashes. Note the trams and street lighting.
Waggon and Horses, Colchester 1960
By the 1960’s you can see the whole facade has been altered; doors have been repositioned and one of the dormers in the roof has disappeared. This more radical remodelling was probably done in the 1940’s by the Luftwaffe.
27th August 1999
Waggon & Horses, North Hill, Colchester - Pat Molloys in 2013
Kindly provided by abduRashid
The Wagon as it is today. This looks like the most serious damage. While the exterior has been somewhat restored to its original style, it has had its interior gutted and replaced with the ubiquitous cliché of the fake Irish Theme Pub. The poor old Wagon and Horses has suffered the indignity of being reinvented as ‘Pat Molloy’s’, where you are invited in for the craic, a challenge if ever there was one. Well, it’s good that it’s still trading whatever the name, but it’s lucky the staunchly protestant and loyalist Thomas and Cecilia Adamson aren’t alive to see it!
Residents at this address
1822/William Bond/../../../Pigots*
1823-4/William Bond/../../../Pigots
1828-9/George Knight/../../../Pigots
1832-3/Thomas Ward/../../../Pigots
1839/Jemima Godden/../../../Pigots*
1845/James Jarman/../../../Post Office
1848/James Jarman/../../../Whites
1851/Thomas Mansfield/../../../Post Office
1851/Edward Dubbins/innkeeper/28/Brighton, Suffolk/Census **
1851/Lydia Dubbins/wife/28/Lenham, Kent/Census **
1851/Edward Dubbins/son/03/London, Middlesex/Census **
1851/Mary Ann Williams/house servant/21/Bradwell, Essex/Census **
1851/Sarah Sawyer/nurse girl/19/Hatfield, Essex/Census **
1851/Daniel Parkes/ostler/34/Earls Colne, Essex/Census **
1851/John Miller/pot boy/16/Offton, Suffolk/Census **
1851/John King/visitor, mail contractor/31/Great Bentley, Essex/Census **
1851/George Barnes/visitor, mail contractor/29/London, Middlesex/Census **
(Note ‘visitor’ should be ‘lodger’ but the enumerator used the former!)
1852/T. Mansfield/../../../Kellys*
1855/T. W. Watson/../../../Kellys*
1862/Thomas Ward Watson/Coach Builder/../../Kellys
1867/Thomas Ward Watson/Coach Builder/../../Post Office
1870/Thomas Ward Watson/../../../Kellys
1871/Thomas Ward Watson/../../../Post Office
1874/Thomas Ward Watson/../../../Kellys
1878/James Hobbs/../../../Kellys
1881/Alfred J. Norman/Licensed Victualler/28/Blandford/Census
1881/Ellen Norman/Wife/24/Braintree, Essex/Census
1881/Ellen Edwards/Mother in Law/50/West Bergholt, Essex/Census
1881/Agnes Bates/Barmaid/19/Birmingham/Census
1881/Elizabeth Gear/Cook/23/Somerset/Census
1881/Harriet Gear/Housemaid/17/Boxted, Essex/Census
1881/Charles W. Fowler/Boots/16/Colchester, Essex/Census
1882/Alfred James Norman/../../../Kellys
1886/Alfred James Norman/../../../Kellys
1894/David Joseph Sheppard/../../../Kellys
1895/E. K. Chamberlain/../../../Kellys
1898/William Walsh/../../../Kellys
1899/William Walsh/../../../Kellys
Henry Parrott was manager of the George Hotel, Colchester in 1901 (census).
1902/Henry Parrott/../../../Kellys
Thomas Adamson was a Sergeant Major in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was stationed in Colchester Garrison at the time of the1901 census. He was discharged from the Army, probably in 1902 after 30 years service, and took over the licence at the Wagon and Horses from Henry Parrott. He died in 1910.
Sergeant Major Thomas Adamson about 1900 and again in 1903
Kindly provided by abduRashid
His widow Cecilia took over the management of the Wagon, which was styled a ‘Hotel’and was considered (according to family tradition) a very respectable establishment. It was a regular watering hole for the senior NCO’s from the Garrison, so I imagine the ‘other ranks’
steered clear. Three out of four of Tom and Cecilia’s surviving daughters married serving Sergeant Majors. All of their sons in law were commissioned by 1914 and served in France and Belgium with distinction for the duration of 14-18 war. All survived.
Cecilia Adamson about 1903
Cecilia Adamson in 1905 at the back of the Waggon & Horses
Edith Lilian Adamson at Christmas 1907
Kindly provided by abduRashid
Their youngest son, Charles John, was actually born on the premises in 1905. Lilian, who had assisted in running the establishment for a time, travelled to India where her fiancé was stationed, and they were married in Lucknow in 1912. Her mother sold the business shortly afterwards. ***
1907/T. Adamson/../../../Benhams
1908/Thomas Adamson/../../../Kellys
1911/Cecilia Adamson/Hotel Manageress, widow/46/Dublin/Census
1911/Edith Lilian/Daughter, Assistant/22/Armagh, Co Tyrone/Census
1911/Aileen Blanche/Daughter/18/Dover, Kent/Census
1911/Albert Hugh/Son/10/Colchester, Essex/Census
1911/Charls John/Son/5/Colchester, Essex/Census
1911/Elizabeth Alice/Servant/23/Dublin Town/Census
1911/Marjery Panter/Barmaid/20/Leicester/Census
1911/Frank Parry Dale/Boarder, Fishmonger/37/Christchurch, Hampshire/Census
1911/Arthur Clannon McGuirk/Boarder/24/New Orleans, America/Census
1911/James Frederick Goby/Boarder, Cab Driver/23/Harwich, Essex/Census
1912/Mrs. Cecilia Adamson/../../../Kellys
1917/Arthur Reeve/../../../Kellys
In 1921 census at 66 North Hill, Colchester, Essex, England
Edwin Hill, Licensed Victualler, aged 45 years 3 months and born in Mortlock, Bath, Derbyshire, Own Account
L E Hill, Wife, aged 34 years 1 month and born in Reedham, Norfolk
Joseph King, Visitor, School Janitor,Leyton District Council, aged 60 years and born in Torrington, Essex
D G Lillistone, General Servant, E Hill, Licensed Victualler, aged 20 years 8 months and born in Stowmarket, Suffolk
F A Parker, General Servant, E Hill, Licensed Victualler, aged 23 years 1 month and born in Mistley, Essex
Hilda Hyder, Waitress, E Hill, Licensed Victualler, aged 18 years 9 months and born in Colchester, Essex
1925/Edwin Hill/../../../Kellys
1933/Edwin Hill/../../../Kellys
1937, Frank Murphy, Waggon & Horses, 66 North Hill
A considerable history of the Amey family exists at the Drury Hotel
1937/Charles Amey/../../../Black Eagle Journal ***
1939/Charles Thomas Amey/Licensee/../../Petty Sessions***
* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
** Provided by John Mead
*** Provided by Jill & Brian Fleming
Provided by abduRashid
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