Duke of Edinburgh

The landlords are detailed on the Exploring Clewer website.

The first landlord was William Spaul in 1868, although he had been living there beforehand.

In 1909, the then landlord, Thomas Smith, invited others for a full peal of Grandshire Doubles at St Andrew. This was recorded by the Windsor & Eton Express and also by a memorial board in the Bell Tower of the Church.

The Duke has been in the paper a lot during its life. It was used regularly by the Cricket Club, for Coroners’ Inquests in the early 20th century and as a hotel by horse racing fans and owners alike.

28 Aug 1869

The Annual Licensing Meetings – Application for a New License

Mr Brummel Smith applied on behalf of Mr William Spaul for a license for the Duke of Edinburgh, situate in the parish of Clewer. Mr Smith said that Mr Squal was no unknown to the magistrates, as for many years he had been in the habit of waiting upon gentlemen; for two years, he was manager at the Wheatsheaf at Virginia Water, and for the last eighteen months he had occupied the house for which he now asked for a licence. The house has been built by a gentleman well known to them, by reputation at least, namely, Sir Daniel Gooch; and it had been designed expressly for a licensed house, the accommodation being sufficient to entitle it to receive a licence. The house possessed a large bar, a tap room, a kitchen, two sitting rooms, five large bedrooms, a coach house, and stabling for four horses. [contd…]

28 Jul 1877

Endorsement of License

The licence of The Duke of Edinburgh, Clewer Village, was endorsed from Mr Joseph Jackson to Mr Duncan Robertson.

24 May 1905

The Sad Death of a Lad in the Cricket Field – Coroner’s Inquest

Recommendation by the Jury.

An inquest was held at the “Duke of Edinburgh,” Clewer, on Friday last, before Mr W. Weedon (Coroner for East Berks) and a jury, of which Mr G. Carter was chosen foreman, on the body of the little boy, Alfred Robert Pike, aged 6, who was killed by a cricket ball on the previous Wednesday evening. The jury was summoned for four o’clock, but it was nearly twenty minutes to five before the Coroner arrived. He then said: I am sorry I have made a stupid mistake, and came by the wrong train. However, I don’t think I shall detain you long. The patient jury was then sworn, and proceeded to view the body, which lay at the lad’s house ….

… The jury gave their fees to the widow.

2 Nov 1902

Berks Petty Sessions – The Duke of Edinburgh

The license of “The Duke of Edinburgh” was temporarily transferred from Harold Algernon Bottler to Gerald Chas. Sampson.

From “Recollections of Clewer” by Harry Hammond

“Before the Boys’ School was built on the main road, the land was owned by a coal merchant, Mr Duley, and he used to let it for Lord John Sanger’s Circus. We used to watch the animals being trained, for a charge of 2d, and we followed the elephant to the Mill Stream for their wash and brush-up. On their way back, they would drink water from a trough outside the pub.“

From Exploring Clewer

For a period (at least 1897 – 1911), the pub was used by the Conservative Cricket Club, who had their pitch to the east (this is thought to precede the Race Course stables and is now Stephenson Drive). They had tea and other refreshments at the pub.