Adam & Eve

17 May 1856

THURSDAY, MAY 15.-[Before J. T. Bedborough and W. Hanson, Esquires.]
Augusta Macarthy was charged with creating a disturbance and wilfully breaking windows at the “Adam and Eve,” Thames Street. Mr Smith, the landlord of the house, stated that the prisoner had been a servant in the employment of Miss Sharratt, the former occupier of the house. On Monday night, the prisoner called at his house and claimed some fire-irons, which were included in the inventory of goods which he had paid for on taking the house. She had previously claimed some mustard pots, and on being ordered to leave the house, she broke the windows and created a great disturbance, while her sister turned off the gas in the taproom. It was not his wish to press the charge, provided the prisoner gave an undertaking not again to molest him and interrupt his business. He knew of no cause of offence, unless it was that he declined to retain her in his service at the time that he became the tenant of the house. The prisoner, having given the required promise, was liberated.

9 Mar 1878 Charge of Attempting to Commit Suicide

Charles Cunningham, an actor, was charged with attempting to commit suicide on Monday night last. -Sergeant Smith said that on Monday night, at half-past 1 o’clock, he was called to the Adam and Eve, Thames-street, and in the bar-parlour he saw the defendant bleeding from a wound in his throat. He said it was all through women. He took the defendant to the Infirmary, and the wound was strapped up. On the way to the police station, the defendant stated that, if he got over this, he would go into the water next. The wound was not a deep one, and he did not think that the defendant had lost much blood. James Park, bandsman in the 1st Life Guards, said he was in the parlour at the Adam and Eve, and while there, the defendant came in. He did not appear much the worse for drink then. He asked for a knife to cut his nails. Someone lent him one, but it was not sharp enough, and a witness lent him his. He then made a motion with it across his throat and fell down. A policeman was sent for, and someone picked him up. Defendant lay on the floor for two minutes before any blood was visible, and until then, no one thought that the defendant had done anything to himself. He mentioned the name of a female, who he said was the cause of it. When the defendant fell on the floor, the knife dropped, and a witness picked it up. The defendant said he had been drinking very hard, and that he had no remembrance of anything taking place until he found himself under the care of Mr Hayes. It was not likely that anyone in their senses would do such a thing. Mr Long said that drunkenness was no excuse for a person who attempted to commit suicide. He had rendered himself liable to penal servitude. The defendant was asked if he had been performing with the company at present at the Theatre, and he said he had not. The magistrates remanded the defendant for a week.

14 Jun 1902 Important Sale of Windsor Properties

At the Castle Hotel, Windsor, on Thursday last an important sale of Windsor properties was held … It soon become evident that the large audience in the sale rooms included a nuumer of brewers, who came with the object of purchasing the “Adam and Eve” public-house in Thames-street, which, after very keen competition, was sold to the present lessees, Messrs. Nevile Reid & Co, at £3,050.

2 Oct 1925, Windsor Petty Sessions, Case Withdrawn

In the case of Frederick Grovers, licensee of “The Adam and Eve”, Thames-street, who had, the previous week, been remanded on charges of unlawfully committing a breach of the peace by threatening to shoot Leslie Thomas Rye, and for being found in unlawful possession of a revolver, having no licence to hold the same.

The Chief Constable intimated to the Justices that the police surgeon had made a certain report. In the circumstances, he (the CC) did not intend to offer any evidence and asked for the case to be withdrawn.

The Justices agreed to this course being taken.

17 Nov 1952, Gertrude Groves

WINDSOR’S oldest licensee, Mrs Gertrude Groves, who says she is “only 80″, is to retire early in the New Year. She is to be succeeded at the Adam and Eve, in Thames Street, by her son-in-law and daughter, Mr and Mrs Stan Cornford.

It is not for nothing that Mrs Groves, or “Auntie”, as she is affectionately known to her customers. was once dubbed “the angel of Thames Street”. Since the early part of the century, she has been one of Windsor’s most active workers for any charitable object.

For thousands of Servicemen during the war, Mrs Groves was a kind of fairy godmother. Hundreds of men in the Services received welcome parcels from her, each containing a cake baked by her. Since the war, she has had many a visit from one of the recipients to say “Thanks, Auntie”.

Active at 80

Mrs Groves is remarkably active for her age. Though she is seldom in bed much before midnight, she is up and about by 8 a.m., thinking anothing about going down and doing a stint in the cellar. The chief factor in her decisions to take it easy is increasing deafness.

For 45 years, she has been at the Adam and Eve, taking over the licence in 1929 on the death of her husband. Few have done more in Windsor for the trade charities, and hanging in her premises is an illuminated address congratulating her on raising £1788 in 1947-48, when she was chairman of the Windsor, Slough and District L.V.A.

Mrs Groves will carry with her into retirement the best wishes of countless friends, but she is not to disappear from view. Asked this week what she was going to do, she replied: “I have much more time now for public work“.

… Extract from Windsor & Eton Express, 14 Nov 1952.

.17 Nov 1961, Cyril and Olive Martin

Together in the bar of the Adam and Eve public house in Thames Street, Windsor are the new licensee, Mr Cyril Martin, and his wife, Olive, who took over tlast week.

Mr Martin, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy during the war, lived at Hampton Wick, Middlesex.

Father of two sons and a daughter, Mr Martin told me: ” I have always liked Windsor and am happy to be living here now.

Windsor and Eton Express, 17th November 1961

John Cornford on The Lost Pubs Project website

I was brought up here as a boy during and after WW2. My mother was born here in 1911, when my grandmother Gertrude Groves was the publican. They and I had many stories of clientele from the Theatre Royal next door – especially during the war when the West End theatres decamped to Windsor during the blitz. The rear of the building was very old, dating back to at least Tudor Times and excavations were carried out when rebuilt as Thai Square.

Drunk & Disorderly

Unfortunately, the Windsor & Eton Express is loaded with reports of drunk, disorderly and assaults at the Adam & Eve. In the 1850s to 80s, Caroline Smith must have run the pub due to the number of times her husband, William Smith, appeared at the Windsor Petty Sessions.