137: Fellow’s of Oxford
No. 137 is a timber-framed building and may look medieval, but it was rebuilt in this style in 1884.
This building became a public house, known as the Fox Inn, in 1764.
At the time of the 1851 census, John Jelfs, the landlord, was living here at the Fox Inn with his wife and a servant; by 1861 he had died, and his widow Elizabeth Jelfs war the publican.
In 1881 the last landlord, Henry Thomas Ham (who was a compositor as well as a publican). lived over the pub with his wife and two children. The Fox Inn closed in 1882.
The Oxford Chronicle of 11 October 1884 (p. 7e) reported that a new oak front, designed by H. J. Tollit and with the work carried out by J. Ward, had been fitted, and that the building had become the central brewery office of Messrs Hall & Co.
| Occupiers of 137 High Street | |
| By 1839–1882 | Fox Inn John Jelfs (1839–1853), Mrs Jelfs (1861–1876), Noel Baddeley (1880) H. T. Ham (1881–1882) |
| 1884–1906 | Swan Brewery
Office (A. W. Hall & Co.) Brewers & wine merchants |
| 1907–1908 | The
Candy Store Co. Confectioners |
| 1909–1934 | Bell & Park
(later W. W. Bell & Co. Ltd and then Bell’s Travel Service) Shipping agents, money exchange & insurance brokers |
| 1935 | Oxford Official Information Bureau |
| 1936–1993+ | H. L. Savory
& Co. Ltd. Tobacconists |
| By 1996–present | Fellows (Oxford)
Ltd Gift shop |