Welcome to the home of the Best Pub in South SHropshire
History ofThe Fighting Cocks Inn
Our History
The Blacksmith
Our History
Originally the Cock Inn - was the first recorded licence in Stottesdon. Serving Magistrate's annual visiting records, 8th July 1896, put the opening date at 1830
An Indenture dated 1795 refers to cottages, pastureland and premises leased by brothers Thomas & Samuel Jones. They both had sons who also shared their christian names.
1841 Census
The Blacksmith
Our History
Details were recorded in the 1841 census, when the Cock Innkeeper, Thomas Jones was 47 and married. His wife was Ann aged 40. They employed two servants, Mary Ann Leake, 20, and Thomas Price, 14.
The Blacksmith
The Blacksmith
The Blacksmith
By 1850 Samuel Jones held the license of the Cock Inn, doubling as blacksmith and Innkeeper, helped by his Yorkshire wife Dorothy, 24. They had a son, Martin aged 2. They employed Harry Leake, 15, brother of Mary Ann, as an apprentice.
The Alehouse
The Alehouse
The Blacksmith
As an Alehouse, the Cock was permitted to retail wines and spirits, in addition to homebrewed ale, stout and porter. A 'full' alehouse licence became very difficult to aquire after the Duke Of Wellington's Beer House Act of 1830.
Hours
The Alehouse
Homebrew
Both Georgian and Victorian licencing hours were very long. 18 hours a day - 4am to 10pm - seven days a week, closed only during Divine Service, Christmas Day and Good Friday. In addition to the above, Inns were allowed to remain open as long as a bed was empty, offering basic accomodation, simple victuals, homebrewed ale and stabling for the lawful traveller.
Homebrew
The Alehouse
Homebrew
Of necessity, a homebrew house, the Cock Inn brewed its own range of ales and had a 'cyder' press on the premises. The popular local beer was a form of malty mild: heavy, dark, sweet and strong - that usually varied considerably from brew to brew. The gravity however was high, the average in the country was 1060, the second highest in England.
St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church
The Cock Inn brewed for St Mary's Church with the help of ecclesiastical malt. Commonly, Church Ales, Wedding, Clerk, Brides and Whitsun Ales to mention a few.
Our Sign
St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church
Thomas Jones choice of sign would indicate a 'cock-pit' at the inn. A popular sport until it was finally prohibited in 1849. 'Cock-ale' would have been a house speciality - this was ale mixed with jelly of mince meat of boiled cock.
'Nipper' COOk
St Mary's Church
'Nipper' COOk
Stottesdon resident 'Nipper' Cook found fame in the Field Magazine in 1933, when it was reported that he once drank 40 pints of cider before a jury of locals. Nipper was once told by a baylif to stop fishing in the river. Sometime later the baylif returned to find Nipper still fishing. When questioned, he replied, "well the piece of river you told me not to fish in is now down in the River Severn-this is a new bit of water"!
The Fighting Cocks Licensees
Record of The Licensees
- 1830 Thomas Jones 1850
- 1850 Samuel Jones 1854
- 1854 Dorothy Jones 1860
- 1860 Dorothy Taylor 1884
- 1884 Emma Jones 1896
- 1896 Thomas Milman 1929
- 1929 James Owen 1934
- 1934 John C Ritchie 1953
- 1953 William James Court 1956
- 1956 Edna Corbett 1957
- 1957 Doris May Edmonds 1966
- 1966 Gladys Turner 1967
- 1967 Donald Ashton Hayes 1976
- 1976 Kenneth Frank Rowse 1984
- 1984 Belinda Gwendolyn Paston-Cooper 1986
- 1986 Colin Housey 1998
- 1998 Sandra Jean Jeffries 20xx
- 20xx Breta Hill 20xx
- 20xx Darren Hannah 2023
- 2023 Anne
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