History of the Black Boy, Headington, Oxford

History of the Black Boy

The Old Black Boy

The original, seventeenth-century Black Boy stood nearer the corner of Barton Lane and Old High Street than the present one (see above postcard dating from the 1930s). It had a large backyard (now occupied by the present pub) and also a large garden (now owned by the Priory) where fêtes were held. The board above the door showed a black boy-servant, a sign commonly hung outside coffee houses in the seventeenth century. The famous elm tree that used to stand on this corner had already been removed at the time this photograph was taken.

The present Black Boy at 91 Old High Street (below) was built in 1937.

The Black Boy

Former pub

The old pub was already on this site in 1667 and may well be the inn known as "Old Mother Gurden’s" that was frequented by Anthony Wood in the late seventeenth century. It may also be the inn kept by Mother Shepherd that is depicted in the play about Joan of Heddington as being a rival to the White Hart in 1712.

It is specifically named as the Black Boy in the Headington Enclosure Award of 1805. Its gross estimated rental was then £13, and its rateable value £18.

In 1847 Charles Jeffcoat was reprimanded at the Court of the Manor of Heddington for lopping the elm tree that stood next to the old stocks outside the Black Boy, and the Headington Rate-Book of December 1850 shows that he was then the owner of the pub, but that it was occupied by Mark Powell.

The landlords in the nineteenth century were only part-time beer retailers: for instance in directories William Powell is described as " 'Black Boy', & brickburner" in 1847; James Honey as "coal merchant and victualler 'Black Boy' " in 1876; and William Somerville as "Black Boy P.H. & wheelwright" in 1898.

In 1907 Headington Baptist Church held a mission with many special meetings both inside and outside the church. It was so successful that Mrs Carter, then the landlady of the Black Boy, complained to the Sergeant of Police that it was affecting her livelihood.

These two OS maps show how far the Black Boy has moved back from the road

Left: The old Black Boy in 1921

Right: The present Black Boy in 1939

Present pub

In 1937 the present pub was built in the backyard of the old pub, and then the seventeenth-century building in front was demolished in order to widen Old High Street. The new pub was given the same number as the old one (55 High Street, Old Headington; the address has now been changed to 91 Old High Street).

The rebuilt pub used to have a sculpted figure of a black servant in the niche above the entrance, but this was smashed in 1990 and was replaced by the painting of a chimney-sweep’s boy shown below, which is (arguably) more politically correct. Even so, in 1997 there was an unsuccessful attempt by Oxford students to get the pub’s name changed on the grounds that it was offensive.

The chimney sweep sign

In 2007 the pub was refurbished as a Greene King "Mustard" pub mainly catering for people wanting food.

Some landlords of the Black Boy

Old Black Boy	1810	Mr Moore Jackson's Oxford Journal of 10 March 1810 reports an auction of land to be held "at Mr Moore's, at the Black Boy, Headington"
	1817–1826	William Jeffcoat (described as a publican in St Andrew’s baptismal registers during this period). Jackson's Oxford Journal of 18 January 1823 announces that the sale of Headington Windmill will take place "at Mr Jeffcoat's, the Sign of the Black Boy, in Headington"
	After 1826	Charles Jeffcoat, son of William.
	By 1836–1866	William Powell (by 1836–1848) Jackson's Oxford Journal for 13 February 1836 announces the auction of two cottages and five plots of building ground "at Mr Powell's, the sign of the Black Boy, in Headington". At the time of the 1841 census William Powell is living in Old High Street (almost certainly at the Black Boy), but is described as a Brick Merchant. With him are his wife Anne, and his children John, Emily, and Mark. They have a 15-year-old servant girl. Powell died at the age of 45 and was buried at St Andrew's Churchyard on 15 December 1848 Mrs Ann Powell (1848–1851) The 1851 census shows Mrs Powell (54) running the Black Boy. Her sons Thomas and Mark and daughters Emily and Mary Ann are living with her, and are all engaged in other employment. Mrs Powell died at the age of 58 and was buried at St Andrew's churchyard on 26 May 1856 Matthew/Mark Powell (1852–1854) John Powell (By 1861–1866) The 1861 census shows John Powell (36), described as a " Mason & Victualler" living at the Black Boy with his wife Jane and children Ann (4), Mary (2), and William (4 months)
	1867–1869	George Taylor
	1870–1881	James Honey (1870–1876) The 1871 census shows James Honey (aged 30 and born in Drayton) described as a licensed victualler and living at the Black Boy with his wife Ann (32) Mrs Ann Honey (1877–1881) (wrongly called Kate in one directory?) The 1881 census shows Mrs Honey (42) living in the Black Boy as a widow with her two whilcren Emily Adams (22) and Richard Adams (21). She is described as the publican
	1883–1901	William Dawson Somerville Somerville (59) was living with his wife Ann (53) and his widowed daughter Mrs Emily Cooper at the Black Boy in 1891. They were still there in 1901.
	1902–1907	William Carter (1902–1904) Mrs A. Carter (1906–1907)
	1909–1912	George Thomas Edney
	1913	J.H. Kirk
	1915–1916	Joseph Lindley Bond
	1921	William Grimsley
	1922–1930	Reginald Dickenson (1922–1927) Thomas R. Dickenson (1927–1930)
	1932–1936	Henry Badcock
Present Black Boy	1937–1964	Archibald J. Bolt (Mrs E.I. Bolt from 1962)
Present Black Boy	1967–1976	Reginald A. Newman

The Black Boy was a Morrell’s pub; it was taken over by Greene King;
and it now part of the Mustard Group

Black Boy from church tower

Above: The Black Boy, viewed from the tower of St Andrew’s Church

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