It's always nice to look back in time and particularly when what you are looking at a building that dates back hundreds of years.
Kitty and Robert hope you enjoy wandering down memory lane...
The Bugg Family
It may be seen from the registers that the family had arrived in Chadlington around 1680.
The first mention of the Bugg family is in 1688 when Thomas Bugg², the son of Thomas¹, a labourer, and Sarah¹ was baptised. This was followed in 1692 by the baptism of daughter Sarah².
Thomas¹ was the first of the Bugg family to be buried in Chadlington in 1729, followed by his wife Sarah in 1740. He did not leave a will, but there is an administration bond written in Latin. There was only one sentence which recorded that his son Thomas² was to take over 'everthing' - whatever that may have been.
Thomas² became a weaver by trade and married Elizabeth. They had two children baptised in Chadlington; Thomas³ in 1736 and Elizabethin 1740.
Thomas³ had married Ann Robbins in 1761 and Elizabeth married William Huchings in 1769.
The second Thomas² died in 1778. His will had been written in 1765 and in it he left his freehold property and appurtenances to his wife Elizabeth for her use during her life. After her death it would transfer to Thomas³.
All the leasehold property with the term of years not expired was bequeathed to Thomas³ outright. His looms and implements of his trade as a weaver were also to remain for Thomas' use if he wished, with any profits from the same; with the use of the edifice - called the shop - for his mother without paying any rent.
All moneys together with the crop of corn growing on his land at the time of his decease were to go to Elizabeth¹.
Matters became somewhat complicated, as Elizabeth¹ died before her husband and he did not change his will. Presumably every thing then went directly to Thomas³.
Thomas³, after inheriting, died in 1802 and somehow his and his fathers estate were not properly executed or proved. Letters of administration were granted to Ann, Thomas' widow, to sort everything out. Both of their children died before Ann; Thomas had died aged two and John, who was baptised in 1764 died in 1806.
Before his death John was living with his mother; no wife or children recorded. John was also a weaver and at the time of writing his will was 'sick and weak in body'. He left everything he had to his mother except for small legacies to his cousin Ann Huchings. Also John Carter, another relative. Ann was left to sort out the family property and after her death it was discovered that she had left the bulk of the estate to her friend Thomas Holloway.
The Holloway Family
There were so many Holloway's recorded in registers etc. for Chadlington - possibly more than two different families in the early years, that they have not been subjected to research for the purpose of this document.
The 'Holloway mentioned in Ann Buggs' will is Thomas, who was renting Mill Close from the Manorial Estate in 1805. Other Holloways had rented it: Samuel at around 1804, Christopher, a widow Holloway in 1788 and Thomas in 1785. The various branches of the family had lived an Chadlington for centuries; the first Holloway baptism in Chadlington was recorded in 1581.
Thomas Holloway was left the 'Bugg' property by his friend Ann and calculations concerning the Land Tax assessments reveal that he moved into what was their home. After John Buggs' death, the lifehold property reverted to the Lord of the Manor, who at that time was Sir Edwin Bayntun Sandys. The Land Tax records for 1808 show that Thomas Holloway was leasing the Mill Close from Sir Edwin, he was himself occupying the Bugg property and the once lifehold Bugg property was occupied by Henry Cross.
By 1831, Charles Stought had taken over from Thomas Holloway, who may have been living with relatives by then. It is always well to remember that occupiers of properties frequently sub-let them without keeping records; which makes it nearly impossible to know with certainty who was the 'actual' occupier.
At the time of the enclosure of the open fields of Chadlington, around 1812, Thomas Holloway was allotted certain parcels of land as follows:
In lieu of and satisfaction for the open field lands and grounds of his estate called 'Buggs' consisting of divers odd lands, the two allottnients herein described:
"One part or parcel of land or ground being the site of a messuage or tenement and buildings with the yard thereunto belonging called late William Meers homestead. Also all that old inclosure called Meers Close containing with the previous land, 3 acres 2 roods 17 perches including the fences thereof. Bounded by a homestead and old inclosure of Thomas Holloway, by an old inclosure called Overcourt Coppice, by the 21st allottment to Sir E.B.Sandys and by the 2nd allottment to Thomas Holloway.
"To Thomas Holloway for satisfaction of his estate late Mary Meers consisting of a ¼yard land, the allottment next described:One plot at Great Bandlands 1 acre 3 roods 32 perches, bounded by Ashcroft
Road by an ancient homestead of Sir E.B.Sandys by the homestead of Thomas Holloway, by 7thallottment to A.T.Rawlinson and by the 12th allottment to Sir E.B.Sandys."
"To Thomas Holloway in lieu of his estate held by lease determinable on lives under Sir E.B.Sandys consisting of 1 yardland:
One plot at Great Greenslade Common containing 2 acres 2 roods 33 perches, bounded by an old inclosure of Thomas Holloway by the Mill Brook by the 7th allottment to Jonah Smith and by the 36th allottment to Sir E.B.Sandys. One plot in the Slade near the upper mill 2 acres 19 perches bounded by the upper mill dam and brook by an old inclosurte of Thomas Holloway and by the 7th allottment to Jonah Smith."
The properties then changed hands, with a few minor transactions for mortgages etc. to end up in the ownership of Thomas Hands.
The Hands Family
In 1804, Joseph Hands, a butcher of Cheringlon Warwickshire, married Rachel Burden of Chadlington. They lived in Chadlinglon rather than Cherington, having their children baptised here: Charles in 1805, Thomas in 1807, George in 1818 and Rosina in 1820.
Of those children, Charles also a butcher married Elizabeth Ward of Chadlington and they had three children baptised: George in 1833, Marion also in 1833 and Stephen in 1830.
In 1848 Josephs wife Rachel was buried aged 66. In 1850 Joseph married again in Chipping Norton- Peggy Smith a widow. In 1851 Peggy was buried aged 62. Having seen off two wives Joseph, was buried aged 83. Joseph was not the only Hands whose second wife lived only one year!
Thomas, born in 1807, did not marry a Chadlington girl but apparently went back to Cherington where his father was born and married Sarah Wale in 1838. His brother Charles and sister Rosina were witnesses at the wedding. Thomas and Sarah must have lived in Chipping Norton for a time as Thomas was described as "of Chipping Norton in an official document.
In 1852 Sarah, Thomas' wife died. The death was thought suspicious or the cause of death unsatisfactory in some way because her body was disinterred for a post mortem by order of Coroners Warrant. Unfortunately there are no records surviving where details of the post mortem could be found.
In 1864 Thomas married for the second time; a Mary Lvnall of Birmingham. She was buried the following year.
ln 1852 George died aged 19.
There was more than one branch of the Hands family in Chadlington in the mid 19th century. Thomas' family were butchers and William Hands was a mason, who first appeared in the Chadlington records in 1856. William and his wife Fanny had their son Thomas baptised in Chadlington when he was 12 ½ years old. Then in 1858 son Stephen was baptised and buried aged six months. In 1859 William and Fanny had another son baptised whom they named Stephen William.
It is interesting to note that Joseph Hands came from Cherington to marry a Chadlington girl and that his son Thomas returned to Cherington to marry. This appears to be regular occurrence in this area where links are maintained between families in villages in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
After Thomas married in 1838 we may assume that he lived in Chipping Norton prior to returning to Chadlington. (records have not been searched for the purpose of this document). He does not appear in the census returns for Chadlington until 1861; although he purchased property in Mill End in 1849 from Charles Stought Davies, an Innkeeper of Chipping Norton.
At around 1860 Thomas was living in Chadlington; he was a butcher by trade, but was living in a beerhouse. By 1871 he was sixty four years old and a beerhouse keeper. Living with him was his nephew Thomas, a mason. Thomas, the elder, died in 1878 aged seventy two.
From various documents it was found that Thomas had appointed his nephew Edwin Hands as a trustee and executor of his will. Edwin was a carpenter and wheelwright of Chipping Norton. The Tite Inn, together with the butchers shop, barn, hovel, buildings and garden, all late in the occupation of Thomas Hands, were sold to Henry, William Sheridan and Henry Charles Lardner for £920.00. There were also some cottages convened out of a barn belonging to Thomas Hands, by Thomas, which he purchased from Charles Stought Davies. These cottages, now called Sycamore Farm, were sold to a Sophie Thomett for £155.00.
So, in 1878 ownership of The Tite Inn was in the hands of the Lardners, brewers and wine merchants of Little Compton. A publican, Charles Ions or Ivins was living in The Tite in 1881. He was from Broad Campden and lived here with his wife Annie and children Sarah, Frederick and Dora. The family had moved around this area frequently and had left the village by 1890 at which time a family called Betteridge are running The Tite Inn. Ann Betteridge was a widow and her eighteen year old son Walter was her assistant.
In 1898 one of the Lardners died and the others sold many public houses including The Tite Inn to Hitchmans Brewery.
Hitchmans Brewery
The records of the Brewery were difficult to access; they have not been examined for nearly thirty years and are not catalogued, which means they cannot generally be accessed by the public. Very little information regarding The Tite was gained. From the records there is a suggestion that it was rather a poor run-down place not making much profit and having no repairs or alterations to the building recorded, as there were for some of the Inns. It is probable that Hitchmans gave The Tite Inn its name, although there was no record of this and information has not been pursued elsewhere. Most of the records are in note form written in pencil in odd books, some of it scribbled and very untidy. A Minute Book records the first meeting of the Directors on 21st March 1890. In June 1892 Mr. Wilkins from Hitchmans was directed to attend the sale of The Sandys Arms in Chadlington but nothing further was mentioned. In fact the Sandys Arms was purchased by Messrs Foreshew and Somerville, a brewing partnership trading as, Clinch and Co., for £1,320. 00. In 1892.
In a letter book there is a note to J. M. Blair in respect of a payment of ten shillings for water rental at The Tite Inn from Hitchman & Co.
Blair was land agent for the Sarsden Estate who owned the water rights. Other records show entries which read:
13th August 1931 Holloway. Tite. £23.ls.9d. pd.£18.
10th Sept. 1931 Holl.Tite.Chad. £22.5s.od.
13th Sept. 1931 Chad.Wall.Tite. P.O.lorry
We may assume from the last entry that the wall and lorry met!
A strange entry for that year reads:
Quiet Woman.
Another go? Perhaps they were intending to purchase the inn of that name?
From a surviving rent ledger it was learned that Walter Betteridge was landlord between 1905 and 1910 and the rent paid during that period was £20 per annum. From a document at another source it was found that Walter and his family moved to London.
From 1910-14 A. Kerry was landlord with a reduction in the rental in 1911 to £12. For comparison, rental at the Red Horse at Shipton under Wychwood was £28.00.
Philip Cooper was landlord between 1914-16. There exits in the records, a certificate of Incorporation on the change of name of Hitchman and Co. to Hunt Edmunds Hotels Ltd, in 1966. The Hunt Edmunds Company paid £597,588 7s. lid, for properties including The Tite Inn.
In a District Valuation Book dated 1910, an entry reads as follows:
Occupier Walter Betteridge
Owner Hitchman and Co. Chipping Norton.
Tite Inn and land 2 acres 1 rood.
Gross ann. Value £20.00
Rateable value £18.00
District Valuation Form date stamped 1914:
The Tite Inn and land
Occupier AJ.Kerry 2 acres 0 roods 36 perches.
Original gross value £600.00
Value of agricultural land for agricultural purposes where different from assessable site
value £325.00
Owner : document is signed J.Barlow. (secretary for Hitchmans Brewery).
After Philip Cooper, John Holloway was landlord at The Tite Inn from 1920s - ?. There were other landlords including White and Michael Flint. Any information for the History page would be very much appreciated.
September 18th 1986 - The Willis family, Michael, Susan, Genevieve and Nicola, bought The Tite Inn. They closed The Tite for several months while they completely renovated the property. The Tite Inn was reopened for business on May 30th 1987.
December 28th 2007 The Tite Inn sold by the Willis Family and closed for refurbishment
February 25th 2008 The Tite Inn re-opened under the new ownership of Robert and Kitty-Anne John.
