Category: White Swan, The (at East Street)

Sunday 1st November 1987

The White Swan, Warminster ~ 
Some Notes By Reg Cundick And Danny Howell.

The White Swan public house was situated on the north side of East Street, Warminster. It was recorded by both John Daniell and Edmund Halliday as existing in the early 1700s.

A Chinese takeaway restaurant called The Hong Kong House occupies the ground floor of this three-storey property today.

The White Swan suffered a bad reputation before it was closed by the Licensing Authorities on 5th April 1907. At the local Brewster Sessions held in Warminster during February 1907, the magistrates examined a statement made by the Police. Sergeant Perry said that there had been two convictions against the previous landlord and one against the present one, C.W.E. Montalvin. The latter was quite a new tenant. Perry had examined the house since the last conviction and found that young girls and men, of seventeen to eighteen years of age, were in the habit of visiting the premises, where they spent their time dancing, remaining there until 11 p.m. Sometimes, after being turned out, some of the girls went to private houses, staying until between one and two o’clock in the morning. Afterwards they went home with the young men. He said that he had seen as many as nine or ten young couples dancing in the bar parlour when the licence holder was present.The case was referred to the County Licensing Authority in Trowbridge. The licence was refused, on the grounds that the house was ill-conducted and because there had been two convictions in the last three years against the last two licence holders.

The previous landlord was Tom Bellew. He was also in partnership with a Mr. Hutton, manufacturing and selling cycle stands at 41 George Street, Warminster. He was the licensee of the White Swan until 1903, after which time he traded as a cycle repairer at 13 George Street. Before 1911 he returned to East Street to run a barber’s shop. This was opposite the inn, on the south side of the street, and the premises were also used for the repair and sale of cycles. Older Warminster folk will remember Tom Bellew as a very colourful character.

The Wiltshire And Swindon History Centre, at Cocklebury Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3QN, holds the following document(s):

Deeds of the White Swan Inn, East Street, Warminster, so named from 1875. Earlier deeds relate to 10 houses in Back alley converted to 2 by 1811, 2 of 4 newly built from 1818. The address changes from Back alley to East Street by 1824. Parties: Halliday, Down, Pullen, Blake. 1795-1879. Reference 2102/22.

Advertisement in the Warminster Miscellany And Local Advertiser, issue dated 1st May 1862:

To Innkeepers. To be let, with immediate possession – “The White Swan” in East Street, Warminster. The Stock-in-Trade to be taken at valuation. For particulars apply to Mr. Prangley, Solicitor, Heytesbury.