History Of The Black Horse

The Black Horse, Standlake, Oxfordshire
Standlake & the Black Horse (81 High Street, Standlake, Oxfordshire).

Documentary evidence shows that the "Black Horse has been in its present site since at least 1672, but there is a possibility that an earlier "Black Horse" may have been on the opposite side of the main road, in front of the present Mulberry Bush School. The School's deeds of 1796 describe their land as "The Old Black Horse Estate", while a Tithe Map drawn in 1839 names an adjacent strip in the common fields as "Black Horse furlong". To this day, old villagers call the bridle track to Shifford "Black Horse Lane", but no land in this in this area is covered by the present Black Horse deeds, which date from 1555.

The present buildings were part of the portion of the Standlake Manor Estate bought by Robert Radbourne from the Crown about 1555 and sold by his son to Lincoln College in 1567. The block nearer and parallel to the village street was known as "James", let at 6s 8d per annum and there were two other premises then occupied by John Dickyns and Robert Davys. One of these, leased by the College to John Rawlyns in 1628, was rented at 6s 2d per annum and was probably incorporated later with the main building as a south wing.

Radbourne had leased "James" in 1567 to one Guys Dickynes, husbandman at 6s 8d per annum for 21 years, six months before his sale in December 1567 to Lincoln College, with several other properties. By 1591 the College was free to lease direct to John Hilman and his wife Grace, next in 1641 to Joan Pettiver, widow. Two years later the tenancy passed to the Strange family of Yelford, Clanfield and Abingdon, into which a Pettiver daughter had married and the lease remained with them until 1672.

Tenancy was then given to William Baston, soldier and his wife Susannah and some rebuilding took place. "W B M 1673" is carved on a beam over the present lounge fireplace (William Baston Miles), with a crude letter "S" added. "W B S" 1673 (William Baston Susannah) is cut on a stone in the outer street wall (now (2007) incorporated in the chimney) - the lady did not intend to be omitted from the history (see footnote for additional information). An Edward Shipway seems to have followed and from 1753 Quarter Sessions Recognisance’s begin to record names of licensees, the first being John Carter, 1753 to 1769. During his time the "Standlake Friendly Society" was founded here in 1761 - a very early foundation which carries Number 13 on the County roll of such bodies.

William Hopkins took the licence from 1770 and his initials, with his wife's are cut into a stone in the street wall - "W = E1771" (William & Elizabeth). This probably marks some rebuilding activity, perhaps the incorporation of John Rawling's old cottage, in the roof of which there is a very interesting architectural feature - a three pronged still clamp holding beams together. The Hopkins seem however to have been sub tenants of one Thomas Day, shoemaker who held the College lease together with that of "Bodens" (now Cheswell Cottage). Elizabeth Hopkins succeeded to the licence when she was widowed in 1780 and then married a William West who took over until 1791.

The College lease passed to Robert Townsend, yeoman in 1791 with other properties, the rent was increased to 12s 10d, ie including that of the old cottage, now butted on. Townsend also took the licence until his death in 1808 and his widow married one Robert Hanks to whom both lease and licence were transferred. Robert Hanks had, however, to pay £350 compensation to Thomas Townsend, Druggist of Witney, son and heir of Robert Townsend, who had inherited the property on his mother's remarriage. The acreage seems only to have been about 1¼ as the land Tax Repayment rate 1789- to 1831 at £4 per acre was only 5s 10d. The Tithe Award of 1843 listed the Black Horse as 0-2-26 but the 1847 Poor Rate was levied on a gross holding of 2-3-7 with an annual value of £14 2s 2d.

When Robert Hanks renewed his lease in 1851, the property was described for the first time as "James, now the Black Horse" and included the two old holdings, plus a grove adjacent to "Blodens" which carried 1½ acre in the open fields. The Black Horse had its garden and was entitled to one cow common and Hanks had to pay a premium of £15.10s 0d while his rent was modified to 7s 0¼d cash, plus three gallons wheat and 47 gallons, one and a third pecks malt - compounded to 17s 1¼d per annum. The Enclosure of 1853 awarded 1-1-3 near Heyford Close in lieu of common land and the "Cow Common".

On Hank's death in 1855, his property was auctioned and the remainder of his lease was bought by H St J Medley, who also bought for £100 the freehold of adjacent land, about one acre, called "Nicholls". This included a tenement used as Club Room together with stable, barn, etc. In addition he bought an adjacent piece of 15 poles called "Morgens" with barn and rickyard, as well as some garden. These had been acquired by Robert Townsend (Licensee 1791-1818 and had been let to successive tenants of the pub. By 1861 Medley was in liquidation and the balance of his lease was acquired for £125 by Daniel Hanley, brewer of Oxford who obtained the tenancy from the College in 1864 at £30 per annum. The two pieces of land with clubhouse and garden had been bought in 1861 by Thomas Bond and Hanley acquired these for £155 in 1877 from Bond's residual heirs.

In 1888 the College Lease passed to Charles A Hanley of the City of Oxford Brewery at £26 per annum. This was taken over in 1890 by Hanley & Co who were absorbed by Halls Brewery in 1898. The "Star of Standlake" Court of Ancient Order of Forester was formed in the Black Horse in 1892 by which time the old wooden clubhouse had been rebuilt. Halls Brewery lease of 1901 was at £36 per annum and in 1918 Lincoln College sold the inn to the Brewery for £800. They already owned the clubhouse etc that was used from 1914 to 1918 for storing household furniture.

Halls brewery linked with Allsopps in 1926 and were merged with Ind Coope in 1934 - "Ind Coope Hall" in 1958. The latter bought 0.8 acres from the owner of "The Limes" in 1964 to square off the car park. The clubroom was again used for storage during the 1939/45 war and was then hired for meeting by various bodies and individuals until 1970 when it was converted into residential accommodation.

The Black Horse has been a licensed house for over 300 years and under the same Oxford Brewers for 117 years.

This narrative has been compiled (July 1980) from Lincoln College archives, deeds of Halls Brewery (in the Bodleian Library) and those of Messrs Ind Coope. Reference has also been to Quarter Sessions Recognisance’s, to County Directories, to Land Tax, Tithe, Census and Enclosure Returns and to the Parish Registers. Much of the documentary survey was undertaken by Brigadier R R L Goadby of Gaunt Mill and co-ordinated by Mrs Louise Armstrong.

A list of know tenants are as follows:-

1673 William Baston, soldier
? Edward Shipway
1753-1769 John Carter
1770 William Hopkins
1780 Elizabeth Hopkins
1782-1786 William West (who had married widow Hopkins)
1791-1807 Robert Townsend - licence to widow Elizabeth
1808-1857 Robert Hanks (who had married widow Townsend)
1857-1864 Thomas Cantwell (moved to The Bell by 1867)
1867 James Lambeth (also a stonemason)
1877 John Pinnock
1882 Thomas Trinder
1883-1887 John Pinnock
1895 Edgar J Palmer
1896-1909 Henry Dyer
1909-1914 Frederick Bint
1915-1917 Charles Bint
1917-1927 Henry Dyer
1927-1959 Frederick Douglas (son in law of Henry Dyer)
1959 John Collins
1970 Ian Burt

2000 Andrew Jones

2009 Adam Morris

Source: - Ms Top Oxon C768/1 No 20 (Bodleian Library) & P2/2/MS5/30 (Oxford Record Office).