Person:John King (280)

John King was baptised on 27th December 1818 at Arlesey in Bedfordshire, son of John and Mary King.

In 1839, aged 20, John married an Elizabeth Moles, who was 17. They were married at Letchworth, then a very small village, which lies a couple of miles south-east of Arlesey. After their marriage, they moved to Elizabeth's native Willian, immediately adjoining Letchworth. They do not appear to have had any children. For a little while after their marriage, John tried his hand at being a publican, running the Dimsdale Arms in Willian between about 1839 and 1841. He was later involved in a dispute with the brewery over possible unpaid rent for that period.^[12] The 1841 census finds John and Elizabeth living in Willian, with him described as a labourer.

John and Elizabeth were still in Willian in 1851, and had his parents living with them. He described himself as a victualler in the 1851 census, whilst the 1851 Post Office Directory lists him as the landlord of the Three Horseshoes public house in Willian. Newspaper reports from 1852 also describe him as "John King of the Three Horseshoes".^[13]

By 1861 John and Elizabeth had returned to Letchworth, living with John's parents at a lodge house, presumably on the Letchworth Hall estate.

The 1871 and 1881 censuses each find John and Elizabeth living at 34 Terrace Cottages back in Willian. John's widowed mother was living with them in 1871.

Elizabeth died in 1884, aged 63. John outlived her by nearly 17 years. Towards the end of his life he lived in the in Hitchin Union Workhouse, appearing there in the 1901 census. He appears to have died there, but was buried back at Willian on 28th Augsut 1901. He was 82 years old.

1. ↑ England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).

   ch. 27 Dec 1818, Arlesey, Bedfordshire: John son of John & Mary King

   Needs to be confirmed at Bedfordshire Archives

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 437; Book 11; Folio 6; Page 7, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Willian, Hertfordshire
   John King, male, 20 [1816-21], Lab[oure]r, not born in county
   Elizabeth King, female, 20 [1816-21], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1709; Folio 139; Page 12, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Village, Willian, Hertfordshire
   John King, head, married, male, 32 [1818/19], Victualler, b. Arlsey, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth King, wife, married, female, 30 [1820/1], Domestic duties, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   John King, father, married, male, 53 [1797/8], Ag[ricultural] Lab[oure]r, b. Arlsey, Bedfordshire
   Mary King, mother, married, female, 52 [1798/9], Domestic duties, b. Great Paxton, Huntingdonshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 816; Folio 88; Page 16, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Lodg [sic], Letchworth, Hertfordshire
   John King, head, married, male, 68 [1792/3], Laborer, b. Beds Arlsey
   Mary King, wife, married, female, 67 [1793/4], Wife of Laborer, b. St Neots Great Paxton
   John King, son, married, male, 41 [1819/20], Laborer, b. Beds Arlsey
   Elizabeth King, daughter, married, female, 39 [1821/2], Wife of Laborer, b. Herts Willian

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1365; Folio 20; Page 13, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: No. 34 Terrace, Willian, Hertfordshire
   John King, head, married, male, 50 [1820/1], Lab[ourer], b. Arlsey, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth King, wife, married, female, 48 [1822/3], Plaiter, b. Willian, Hertfordshire
   Mary King, mother, widow, female, 77 [1793/4], b. Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1416; Folio 119; Page 14, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 34 Terrace Cottage, Willian, Hertfordshire
   James [sic] King, head, married, male, 61 [1819/20], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Arlsey, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth King, wife, married, female, 59 [1821/2], b. Willian, Hertfordshire

7. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1302; Folio 97; Page 6, 31 Mar 1901.

   [many inmates, including:]
   John King, pauper, widower, male, 82 [1818/9], Ret[ired] Agricultural Labourer, b. Arlsey, Bedfordshire

8.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. John KING, September Quarter 1901, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 351, aged 82 [1818/19]

9. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Willian Parish Registers.

   No. 432
   When buried: 28 Aug 1901
   Name: John King
   Age: 82 [1818/9]
   Abode: Hitchin Workhouse

10.   Hertford Mercury and Reformer, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 4, 22 Jul 1843.

    MARSHALL v. KING
    This was an action brought to recover the sum of 15l being an amount of rent alleged to be due by the defendant, a tenant of the Dimsdale Arms, Willian, to the plaintiff, a partner in the late firm of Marshall and Pierson, brewers, of Hitchin.
    Mr. M. Chambers appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Platt for the defendant.
    Mr. CHAMBERS briefly opened the case, stating that Mr. Pierson died in May, 1842. That he was in partnership with the plaintiff who now claimed 15l, being the amount of his partnership share of two years' rent due to the firm from the defendant. The learned Counsel then called
    W[illia]m Sugars, who deposed - I was clerk to Messrs. Pierson and Marshall in 1841. At that time Mr. John King occupied the Dimsdale Arms, at Willian. I received rent from Mr. King. I received it for Mr. Pierson. At the end of November, 1841, I received 11l. 4s. in cash on account of one year's rent. King had gone out of possession then. I put the amount into the cash drawer of the brewery.
    Cross-examined by Mr. Platt - The partnership was dissolved then. Never saw Mr. John Marshall in the brewery. Never had anything to do with him. I believe he went to Belgium. I made an allowance of 1l. 16s. for returned beer. The rent was 15l. a year. Mr. King said he should only pay 13l, and would see Mr. Pierson, and have an agreement.
    W[illia]m Etheridge, brewer's cooper, deposed that he was in the employ of Messrs. Pierson, while the partnership between Mr. Pierson and Mr. Marshall was in operation in 1839 and 1840, and that during that time the defendant occupied the Dimsdale Arms and had beer from the brewery.
    Daniel Joiner, builder, of Hitchin, deposed that on Thursday afternoon he examined the Dimsdale Arms, for the purpose of estimating its annual value, and that the opinion he had arrived at was that 15l, was a moderate rent.
    Cross-examined - There are 69 poles of good garden ground. It does not make any difference in my calculation whether the brewer supplies the beer or not; I have been to the brew-house and demanded to see the account of beer supplied. At the time defendant was in the house, a barrel per week was consumed.
    Chief Justice TINDAL - Don't you think, when the house is free, and the tenant can buy his beer where he pleases, the house is worth more than when he is compelled to have it from a particular brewer. He may buy his beer cheaper, if he is free to go where he pleases? - Witness did not think there was much difference, and was of opinion that the house was worth 12l. a-year without any business attached.
    Mr. John Willding, of Hitchin, deposed that he had examined the premises, and had that morning seen the accounts of the brewery in Hertford; he was of opinion that the premises were well worth 15l. a year; he put 8l. on the house and offices, 4l. 10s. on the tenement adjoining which was let off, and 2l. 10s. on the garden.
    Cross-examined - He treated the house as a house of business in valuing it at 8l.; thought it was worth 8l., if not used as a beer-house; it had changed tenants three times in five years; did not think it had changed tenants five times in that period. Knows every house in Willian; knows Stevens', but had not examined it; never occupied Stevens' house, but did occupy Baron Dimsdale's house at Willian; the house he occupied was a much better house than the beer-shop; paid 8l. a-year for it.
    Re-examined - Took the house at 8l. in 1837, but much improved it himself.
    John Day examined - Is clerk to plaintiff's agents.
    Mr. M. CHAMBERS - Do you know whether the beer-shop, occupied by the defendant, was part of the partnership property of Messrs. Pierson and Marshall?
    Mr. PLATT - I object to this mode of examining the witness.
    Mr. M. CHAMBERS (addressing the witness) - Have you got the lease of the premises?
    The witness here produced the lease, which he stated he had obtained from Mr. Pierson's deeds from the brewery.
    Mr. PLATT submitted that, under these circumstances, there was no case.
    Chief Justice TINDAL thought that the evidence, as far as it was gone into, only went to prove the private debt. It was not shewn whether the house was partnership property, and they must not jump at conclusions; the plaintiff had better amend his case, by getting evidence as to partnership.
    Mr. M. CHAMBERS expressed his readiness to comply with the suggestion of his Lordship.

11.   Post Office Directory of Hertfordshire, 1851 (UK, City and County Directories, 1766-1946 collection at Ancestry).

    WILLIAN
    King, John, 'Three Horse Shoes'

12. ↑ The Dimsdale Arms appears from the 1839 Tithe Map for Willian to have been on the site which would be rebuilt in the early 1870s as the Willian Arms, which itself was later renamed as The Fox.
13. ↑ See 1852 newspaper article transcribed on Elizabeth's page.