2019 - The White Hart Inn, Oare.
The White Hart Inn, Oare.
(formerly The Green Man Inn pre 1803 to 1826;The Mompesson Arms 1826 to 1888; The White Hart Inn or The Peoples Refreshment House Association Ltd 1889 to 2014.
History item 754/1/2 at Wiltshire and Swindon Family History Centre are the Rainscombe Estate deeds for the sale of The Green Man Inn Oare, (subsequently the White Hart Inn noted on the Sale Packet), dated 10th and 11th October 1823. The plots relate to the 1803 Oare Tithe and Enclosure map item 2027/2/1/841, but also the sale/lease of the Green Man Inn to Augustus Frederick Von Dachenhausen by the previous occupier/Licensee George Benger. Further investigation of all the documents presents an interesting history of this “Inn”.
Pre 1795
The earliest document in the packet relates to August 1795 where the property which includes the Green Man Inn and its outbuilding’s is part of an “indenture” between James Slade, Grace Trickey, Augustus Frederick Von Dachenhausen, and John Eyles for the property previously occupied by Roger Gale and refers to a 19 years lease. The indenture of August 1795 records Rainscombe and Oare properties including the “Inn” with Roger Gale and tenants were John Eyles and sons for 19 year lease.
So this infers that the “Inn” was a going concern and had been for some years. The reference to stables and barns implies an Inn of some standing on the main route directly north/south from Salisbury to the “Kings Road” or as we know it the A4.
1811
There is a record of George Benger leasing the Green Man and its outbuildings including stables, barns, backsides and garden etc. from Augustus Frederick Von Dachenhausen of Rainscombe House on 21/11/1811. From 1822 -26 The Green Man was run by George Benger who in other documents rents farmland, a dwelling and other outbuildings related to Rainscombe House from Jane Ann Fredericks 21 Nov 1811.
1822 -1827
The list of Alehouses and licensees (the earliest date available is 1822) shows the Green Man Inn at Oare with George Benger as Occupier/Licensee 1822-26 and then Nathaniel Springford in 1827.
10-11 October 1823
One document listed the venders of the sale principally Augustus Frederick Von Dachenhausen (Captain of 25th regiment of Light Dragoons in the reign of George 3rd) and his wife Jane Ann (Frederick) formerly Jane Ann Trickey a spinster. They were selling the Green Man Inn subsequently called the Mompessan Arms to the purchaser Revd James Rogers (newly of Rainscombe House). This and many other parcels of land related to Rainscombe House and the Von Dachenhausens “in addition as well as Barns, bartons, backsides, garden, orchard paddock that appends to the same (The Inn) adjoining and belonging. Also the parcels known as upper Hatfield, lower Hatfield, sand leave, mead ground and mead as well as more besides such as Rainscombe drove, down land” and so on for 8 pages. It would appear that Augustus Frederick Von Dachenhausen was selling most of his holdings in Oare to Revd James Rogers who took over at Rainscombe House and the Rogers family remained there well until after the Great War, around 1927. Why it was renamed the Mompesson Arms, who can say. For a clergyman The Green Man may have seemed a touch too “pagan” a name, whilst the Mompesson could relate to or celebrate the 18th Century Wiltshire MP of that name or to the 17th Century Clergyman of that name. In the 1823 sale documents in the same pack Nathaniel Springford is mentioned as “leasing the public house and surrounding buildings of 2 acres” from James Rogers in July 1826 and is described as a Timber merchant of Wilcot This document also details the installation of “a new cellar to the rear of the public house with the old cellar being converted into a lounge bar”. (Copies made)
So our current pub was a thriving inn called the Green Man before 1795, then the Mompessan Arms after 1823 until it was bought by Alfred William Reynolds (who was already the licensee) in 1893 for £209 at auction and renamed The White Hart Inn. It was listed in the Kellys Trade Directory as the Peoples Refreshment House Association Ltd – The White Hart Inn from 1903 to 1939 where the listing changes to The White Hart Inn- Peoples Refreshment House Association Ltd. It appears the Inn was operating prior to 1790 and was possibly later supplied by John Edmund who was the local Maltier in 1848 (Kelly’s Trade Dictionary for Oare tradesmen).
Kellys Trade Directory listings for Oare
1848 The Mompesson Arms John Norris also listed as a shopkeeper
1875 The Mompesson Arms James Hancock
1880 The Mompesson Arms James Hancock
1889 The White Hart Inn Alfred W Reynolds (Greyhound Trainer)
1895 The White Hart Inn Alfred W Reynolds (brewer, Greyhound Trainer and castrator)
1899 The White Hart Inn Alfred W Reynolds (Greyhound Trainer & castrator)
1903 The Peoples Refreshment House Association Ltd (PRHAL) – The White Hart Inn: Alfred W Reynolds (Greyhound Trainer & castrator)
1907 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Alfred W Reynolds (Greyhound Trainer & castrator)
1911 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager David Hiscock
1915 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager David Hiscock
1920 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager David Hiscock
1923 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager David Hiscock
1927 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager William Alfred Kightley
1931 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager Edwin R Hancock
1935 PRHAL – The White Hart Inn Manager Samuel Thomas Jordan
1939 The White Hart Inn – PRHAL No manager listed
Beyond this we know that at some point the pub was owned by the Waterlow family who sold it (believed to be sold with a covenant to remain a public house or Inn with access to their property behind the Inn in Oare) to Wadworths Breweries of Devizes who then sold it to Mr John Jones. It closed as a Public House or Inn in 2014 having had very little in the way of refurbishment for decades and has since fallen into a state of disrepair. Such an inauspicious end for a fine establishment that survived for at least 220 years.
Dawn Wilson May 2019