Robin Hood Hotel

Name: The Robin Hood Hotel

Address: 116, Main Street, Barton-under-Needwood

The Robin Hood is the first building from the left with
a grey frontage and gable end facing onto Main Street

The Robin Hood was located on the westerly edge of the village on what was originally known as "Wood End" or "Wood Lane" in the mid 1800's, now Main Street. It was built alongside Wood End Cottage, which dates back to the 1760's and whilst the cottage still survives today, the Robin Hood is no more (see pictures below).

2016 view down Main Street

Listed landlords at the pub were George Moore (1841), Mary Hudson (1859-61), Francis Finney (1862), William Hackett (1868-88) and his son, Alfred Reeves Hackett (1888-1908).

1841 Census George Moore

The census shows George's occupation as a bricklayer but the location on the enumerator's route suggests this was the Robin Hood and the directory below confirms his sideline a year later...

1842 Pigot's Directory of Staffordshire

By the time of the 1851 census George Moore and his family were no longer living on Main Street having moved to Efflinch Lane.

1851 William Hackett & Mary Moore

The 1851 census does not formally record the existence of the Robin Hood Inn, but living on Main Street in the correct location are William Hackett and his wife Mary.  The record also shows an Ann Moore living with them who is the daughter of Mary from her previous marriage and may provide a link to the previous landlord George Moore. Baptismal records from St James church shows the following record: -

Name: Anne Moore

Gender: Female

Baptism Date: 13 Apr 1838

Baptism Place: Barton Under Needwood, Stafford, England

Father: Charles Moore

Mother: Mary

At the time of the 1841 census Ann was living with her maternal grandparents Joseph and Ann Reeves on Wood Lane, Barton-under-Needwood and this is supported by the marriage record below: -

Name: Charles Moore

Spouse's Name: Mary Reeves

Event Date: 31 Dec 1836

Event Place: Saint Michael,Tatenhill,Stafford,England

Charles died in 1840 as confirmed by burial records at St James and in 1842 his widow Mary married William Hackett. 

It is unclear at this time how George Moore who ran the Robin Hood up to 1842 and Charles Moore were related, if at all, but it does seem likely to be the case with William Hackett eventually taking the business on in 1860.

Wood End Cottage - the Robin Hood was on the drive to the left

The below tenancy document from 11th August 1860 records the transfer of copyhold tenancy for the Robin Hood from a William Barnett to William Hackett and confirms that the property had previously been in the hands of George Moore and more recently, Mary Hudson.  

 

William Hackett was originally a labourer and then baker by trade but after taking over the Robin Hood became the beer house keeper sometime in the 1860's after Francis Finney had departed. 

It isn't entirely surprising that William didn't run the Robin Hood himself after becoming the tenant, as William Barnett before him, a fellmonger by occupation appears not to have lived there at all.

1861 Census - Mary Hudson

Looking West along Main Street (2016)

1871 Census

1881 Census

In the late 1880's both Alfred Hackett and his older brother Charles went into the beerhouse trade, Alfred continuing the family business at the Robin Hood after his father's death around the start of 1888 and Charles going on to run the Red Lion Inn, further down Main Street in the village centre. The below press cutting confirms the license was transferred to their mother Mary following William's death.

Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal 07 September 1888

1891 Census

Derby Daily Telegraph 27 September 1895

As the census records confirm, the Hackett family were farmers, as well as keeping the Robin Hood and had a keen interest in horses. In June 1898 the copyhold for the Robin Hood was still in the name of Alfred and Charles' mother, Annie Florence Hackett but in June that year her Power of Attourney was given to Charles, the eldest son.

Power of Attourney Annie to Charles Hackett 16th June 1898

By August of that year the Robin Hood appears to have been partly taken over by the Thomas Salt & Company Ltd, brewers from Burton-on-Trent but Alfred Hackett continued running the business. 

Mortgage Deeds 11th August 1898

1901 Census

Staffordshire Advertiser 22 August 1908

The Licensing Act of 1904 appears to have been the reason the Robin Hood went out of business, as the article above confirms. From 1904 to around the start of WW1 a great many beer houses were closed under this legislation, some because they were not up to standard and with very poor trade.  But there was a view that the closure of pubs by a process that purported to be rational and fair was in fact an arbitrary and biased system. Pubs were chosen to be closed by licensing Magistrates who would never have been seen in such premises.  Having chosen a pub for closure, evidence was prepared that supported the closure.  But even then, some evidence clearly showed that successful and profitable pubs were chosen for closure for no apparent reason....maybe the Robin Hood was one such premises.  

Rear of Wood End Cottage

The 1911 census below shows Alfred Hackett still residing on Main Street but his occupation is recorded as a "carting contractor and horse breeder and dealer". He is also recorded on the 1912 Kelly's Directory working as a "higgler", a pedlar.

1911 Census

Alfred Hackett Probate 1913

Following Alfred's death, Mary remained living at the property, known as the Old Robin Hood until her death in 1928 when her probate went to sons Percy and Alfred Jnr.

Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal 19 August 1916

Mary Jane Hackett Probate 1928

Conveyance Plans 1932

Whilst the pub was closed in 1908 the Lost Pubs website confirms it wasn't demolished until 1966 shortly after the sale of the property by Percy Hackett to William Hubert Windebank in 1962.

Percy Hackett was the son of Alfred and Mary Jane Hackett who ran the business until its closure in 1908. Percy, his brother Leslie and family later ran Bell Farm, which was located across the road from the Robin Hood, to the right of the entrance to Park Road. 

Map of the area from 1920

The old barns of Bell Farm still stand next to the Christadelphian Church to the left and the farm cottages, now known as Barton Park Cottages to the right of Park Road.

The Robin Hood Hotel was to the left of the red brick building, Wood End Cottage  
pictured above on Main Street