5 Cornmarket (former Golden Cross Inn)
Above: the former Golden Cross Inn in February 2009
Above: The east range
(which dates from the nineteenth century) in 1907
Above: The west entrance to the Golden Cross in the 1930s
Above: The south range (which was rebuilt in the late 17th century) in the early 1930s
The Golden Cross was also known as the Cross Inn. Numbered 5 Cornmarket, it was well set back from the street with its own courtyard. It survived as the Golden Cross Hotel/Restaurant until the 1980s.
In 1986/7 this area was rebuilt, creating Golden Cross Way, with 13 new shops and a restaurant and a bar. The old inn itself is now a pizza restaurant, and is Grade I listed
In the censuses
1841
The innkeeper at the Golden Cross is William Holland (25), and living with him is Anne Holland (15), who is probably his sister. There are nine resident servants (three male and six female). Staying at the hotel are three commercial travellers, a seedsman, and three other guests.
1851
William Holland (35) is still here, this time with his brother George (34): each is described as “Innkeeper & wine merchant”. Both were born in Oxford, which makes it likely that they are the sons of the William Holland who was innkeeper until at least 1830. They have ten servants (a housekeeper, two upper chambermaids, a waitress, a kitchen maid, and ostler, a cook, and upper and under porter, and an errand boy). Staying at the inn are five commercial travellers and two wine and spirit merchants.
1861
William J. Holland (45) and his brother George (44) are still at the inn, and they are described respectively as Innkeeper and Assistant Innkeeper. They have nine resident servants, but on census night there were only two guests: a wine merchant and a wine merchant’s traveller.
1881
The inn is now described as the “Golden Cross Hotel”, and the hotel keeper is Mrs Emma Franklin, a widow of 54, who lived here with her 19-year-old son Henry, an ironmonger’s apprentice, and nine servants (a barmaid, a waiter, a waitress, a head chambermaid, an under chambermaid, a housemaid, a kitchenmaid, and a head and under boots). There were four guests on census night, all commercial travellers.
| Occupants of 5 Cornmarket in censuses and directories |
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To 1986 |
Golden Cross Inn Innkeepers (subject to 19C university wine licence): Thomas Greenwood (1794) |
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By 1995– |
Pizza Express |
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