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Summary:

Earliest information: 1725
Date of current building:
Listed? No

Thumbnail History:

The Sun Inn, c.1780.

Photo Gallery:

img_4971
img_4971

The Sun Inn, Jun 2012

095-charnham st c1906
095-charnham st c1906

The Sun Inn, c1906

charnham st 103
charnham st 103

The Sun, Charnham Street, c1910 (A Parsons)

charnham st 105
charnham st 105

The Red Lion and Charnham Street, c1906

- The Sun Inn, June 2012.

- The Sun Inn, c.1906

- The Sun, Charnham Street, c.1910 (A Parsons).

Timeline:

The Sun Inn, c.1780-present:

1780 Land Tax of 4s 0d was paid by Mrs Elizabeth Fox for the Sun alehouse - she herself was occupier. This was repeated in 1781.
1781 (NH) Sun Fire Insurance (Vol. 294): Elizabeth Fox of Charnham Street, victualler, almost certainly the Sun, insured. [William Fox buried 1780. Elizabeth Fox, widow, buried 1800]
1801 (NH) Will (D.C.Windsor) of Elizabeth Fox: messuage etc to sons William and Thomas Fox and to Mary wife of Henry Eyles. [Dec. 1802: Henry Eyles married Elizabeth Fulbrook]

c.1810 (NH - Berks RO DP71/18/12) John Piper, occupier, himself; and the house adjoining.

1815 Land Tax (now 4s 7d) was paid by John Fox for the "Sun Inn" - John Piper now being the occupier.
1819 Enclosure Award Map: John Piper

1822-3 (NH) Victuallers Recognisances (Wilts R.O. A1/ 326/ 3): The Sun, Charnham Street: tenant, Caleb Fowle. Surety, John Rushley of Little Bedwyn.
1823 Pigot: Caleb Fowle
1824-5 (NH) Victuallers Recognisances (Wilts R.O. A1/ 326/ 3): Caleb Fowle. Surety, Stephen Tomlins.
1826 (NH) Ditto: Caleb Fowle. Surety, William Milles of Hungerford, victualler.
1830 Pigot: Caleb Fowle

1841 Census: Richard Hobbs (42), publican, wife Ann (41), 2 others.

1844 Pigot: Ann Hobbs - tavern & public house

1844 Snare: Charles Gray - innkeeper
1847 Kelly: Charles Gray
1847 Snare: Charles Gray - innkeeper
1850 Slater: Charles Gray - tavern & public house


Julia Langton kindly sent (Feb 2023) a copy of a letter dated 14th June 1843, as follows:

Hungerford June 14th 1843

Send my father tomorrow

Messrs Westall ( & Gray ) Hungerford

1/2 Gall best - 11/  }
                               } in jars
1/2 Gall best 32p - }

The sooner leader is up here packing, the better, he had better bring up some empty hampers, there are so many empty bottles to move.

The letter was addressed to Messrs Cunnington in Devizes and sent by a Mr Westall of Hungerford. (I am unable at present to determine which Mr Westall this was - HLP). Julia helpfully added that William Cunnington started a wine business in Devizes in 1836, so could this be a wine order - bought in jars and then decanted into bottles? If so, maybe the Mr Gray was Charles Gray of The Sun?

18430614 Westall letter c400


1851 Census: #82: John Fowler (see Stag's Head) (40), Innkeeper, 1 sister-in-law Elizabeth (24), barmaid; Servant Sarah Garter (20), House servant.
1854 Billing: John Fowler

1861 Census: Mrs Philadelphia Fowler (46), innkeeper, 1 son, 1 daughter, 6 lodgers.
1863 Dutton & Allen: Mrs Philadelphia Fowler
1864 Billing: John Fowler - victualler
1869 Post Office Dir: Mrs Philadelphia Fowler, Sun, Charnham Street.
1871 Census: Mrs Philadelphia Fowler (59), innkeeper, 1 son, 1 nephew and 3 lodgers.
1877 Kelly: Mrs Philadelphia Fowler
1881 Census: #66: Philadelphia Fowler (60), innkeeper, 1 son, 1 daughter-in-law, 4 lodgers.

1891 Census: Walter Fowler (35), Inn keeper and brick worker, wife Jane (36), 3 daughters, 1 mother (Philladelphia, (79)), 1 servant, 4 lodgers.
1891 Kelly: Walter George Fowler - public house

1895 Kelly: Mrs Jane Fowler, Sun PH, Charnham Street.

1900 Census: Francis William Jessett
1900 (Cosburn's Dir): F W Jessett, "Sun Inn"
1901 (Census) "Sun Inn", Francis Jessett (55), Innkeeper, 1 daughter.
1903 Kelly: Francis William Jessett - public house
1906 Cosburn's Dir: F W Jessett, 'Sun' inn, Charnham Street.
1911 Census: #144: "The Sun Inn": Francis William Jessett (63), widower, licensed victualler, 1 son (Francis - assistant in public house), 1 daughter, 12 rooms.
1911 Kelly: Francis William Jessett - public house
1915 Kelly: Francis William Jessett - Sun PH
1916 Cosburn's Dir: F W Jessett, Sun Inn, Charnham Street.
1920 Kelly Dir: Francis William Jessett, Sun PH, Charnham Street

Robert James: was owned by Ushers Brewery, Trowbridge.

1936 Kelly: Arthur Bravery - Sun PH
1939 Kelly: Arthur Bravery
1939 Blacket's Dir: Sun Inn (A Bravery). Miss O E Bravery, music teacher.
1940 Blacket's Dir: Sun Inn, A Bravery; Miss O E Bravery, Music Teacher.
Robert James: "Arthur Bravery ran the pub with his wife and daughter, who taught piano. Alf Middleton was an electrician by trade and he lived in the pub and married. They had no children. Alf was also the local comedian, and played the accordion and piano as well as other instruments. When James & Co took a day off to go to the coast (no holidays in the 1920s and 30s) my father and uncle always took Alf to entertain the men with songs in the "charabanc". Arthur Bravery always had good beer. He kept the barrels in the kitchen and served the beer through a hatch into the saloon or the "Jug and Bottle". There was a row of three petrol pumps along the pavement which were closed down during the war as they could not get petrol."

c1975-c1985 Morland Brewery

c1980-2018 Green King Brewery

2015 Landlords: Don & Sue Law.

Aug 2018: Pub closed. (Allegedly the whole site bought by the adjacent Dick Lovett BMW/Mini garage. Perhaps for future redevelopment?

See also:

- The Sun's closing party - NWN, 23 Aug 2018