Waltham Abbey pub history index
My Grandparents were the licencees of The Crown in Romeland, Waltham Abbey, they were Alice Kate and William Slade, when my Grandfather died it was taken over by my Mothers twin sister and her husband Joyce and Frederick Hammatt.
My Grandparents had The Crown all through WW2 from about 1937 to about 1952. I have spent many many happy times there during and after the war with the cattle market on the doorstep and the Fire brigade HQ across the square, also days spent fishing for tiddlers in the New River just up the track. Fairs in the square outside the Abbey annually. To me it was and always will be a magic place, although it is unfortunately just in my memories now , a visit several years ago revealed it, including the old Pub had all changed and in my opinion not for the better.
Incidentally my same Grandparents had The Jolly Farmers in Enfield, the old one which was pulled down around 1936-7, one of my Aunts had the White Swan in Ware and the Aunt that took on the Crown moved on to the Three Horseshoes in Sawbridgeworth. *
Kindly provided by Lawrence Greenall
The top photo is looking out towards the
main street, I think the house mentioned in the info below, is the big house
opposite the Crown, it is or was on the other corner from the 'cafe'
mentioned earlier. It was the only one left on that side of the road when I
used to go there, on towards the bottom right corner is where the
Firebrigade HQ was built. All the buildings on the left were still there
except for the one next to the 'cafe' of course. The flat roofed building
left was the Cattlemens office. I think the Fountain/cattle trough mid
picture is a Memorial of some kind and I think it is still there.
The 2nd picture looking towards the Fountain has me a bit puzzled as there
appears to be a Church Tower behind the houses, it is not the Abbey because
that is further round off behind the Crown. I can only assume there was
another church and it went at the same time as all those houses too, way
before my time. Off left of the Fountain you can just make out the old
scales that the cattlemen used to weigh the animals, great fun to play on
when there was no market, they wobbled about, spring loaded or something I
suppose. *
The crown appears to be a mid-Victorian building, though I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was built around or on top of a much older structure - many of its neighbours are half-timbered and anything up to 400 years old. William Winters, writing c.1891, say that the Crown (this pub?) was kept by one John Evans in 1740.
This pub was one of very few buildings in the Romeland to escape destruction from a direct hit by a V2 about 60 years ago. One of the destroyed buildings was Reformation House, supposedly where 'Harry' often conducted unofficial liaisons, and also where he first listened to Cranmer's solution to certain marital problems. This connection could have some bearing on the pub's name. **
This photo has my 2 Grandfathers in it,
my Father and some of my Uncles.
Man extreme left (nearly out of photo) is my Dad, Charles Sheppard.
3rd from the left in the front is my Grandfather, William Slade.
Tall man in light coloured jacket 2nd from right middle row is my
Grandfather, James Sheppard
Next to him peeping over the top of the man in front is my Uncle Frederick
Sheppard.
Peeping between my Grandfather and Uncle is another Uncle Frederick Hammatt,
(Husband of my Mothers twin sister who took over the Pub when my Grandfather
died).
Standing presumably on the step of the bus is another Uncle Alfred Sheppard.
The white? building is or was a cafe on the corner of Romeland and the main
street, that is a bomb site between the cafe and Pub.At one time I would
have known the names of all these people but not now I am afraid, only one
name I can remember was Watercress Fred, he had watercress beds just up the
track by the river. *
From the North West - in 2005
From the South West - in 2005
Kindly provided by Lawrence Greenall
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
April 1882/Mrs Eleanor Reed/Outgoing Licensee/../../Essex Newsman
April 1882/Alfred Long/Incoming Licensee/../../Essex Newsman
1891/Alfred Long/Carpenter & Beer Retailer/38/Ware, Hertfordshire/Census
1891/Sarah Long/Wife/30/Harlow, Essex/Census
1891/Rosie Long/Daughter/21/Ware, Hertfordshire/Census
1901/Alfred Long/Carpenter/50/Ware, Hertfordshire/Census
1901/Sarah A Long/Wife, Beer House Keeper/42/Harlow, Essex/Census
1911/Alfred Long/Beer House Keeper/60/Ware, Hertfordshire/Census
1911/Sarah Ann Long/Wife, Assistant/49/Burnt Mill, Essex/Census
1911/Alice Brown/Niece, Assistant/21/Fulham, London/Census
1937/Bert Garner/../../../Kelly's
2018, The Crown, Romeland, Broxbourne, Waltham Abbey EN9 1QZ
* Provided by Wendy Hall
** Provided by Lawrence Greenall
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