The Ancient Ram Inn
Wotton~Under~Edge
Gloucestershire
Hauntings
Succubus ~ In medieval folklore this is a female demon or who some might refer to as an Evil Spirit who attack men while they sleep ~ John the owner of The Ram has been attacked by a Succubus on a number of occasions.
Incubus ~ The Incubus is a male demon or evil spirit who visits women in their sleep.
A number of visitors to The Ram has reported to John that they were attacked by the above.
Cat ~ There have been a number of reports by visitors that they have seen a cat about the building. On an investigation myself with some friends we saw the shape of a cat run across directly in front of us in The Witches Room.
Dogs ~ John once owned a Rottweiler called Hagar who he believes to be one of the dogs that visit the Ram. Another dog is a much smaller one and again on an investigation myself with some friends one of them felt a small dog run past him on the stairs.
Children ~ A number of children are said to haunt the Ram. I do have a child's voice on a video clip. I personally don't think it is anything to do with child sacrifices or pagan burial grounds as I have not found any historical evidence to back up those theories.
A Cavalier ~ This ghost has been spotted a few times by guests staying at the Inn in the Bishops Room which was originally name The Berkeley Room. One guest got out of bed and walked towards the basin in the room when a Cavalier came through the wall turned round and returned back through the wall again ~ needless to say the guest quickly returned to bed and remained under the covers all night!
Monks and Priests ~ Not surprising at all as the building was originally owned by the Church. In medieval times it was appropriated to St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol and possibly housed a small order called The Crutched Friars ( also known as the Crossed Friars) who followed The Rule of St Augustin. These Friars a white tunic, a black pendant sash, a tabard with a red-and-white Maltese Cross over the heart, and a black mozetta or elbow-length cape, which remains unbuttoned and open to reveal the cross.
Previous Landlord ~ Rufus Morley is believed to visit the Ram. He was one of the last Landlords there and by an account I have was a very jovial fella and well liked. I will be writing about him in more depth latter.
History:
The Ancient Ram Inn is a Grade 2 listed building. The Ram was originally owned by the local church St. Marys the Virgin and is thought to have housed the craftsmen that built the present church in 1283 which was consecrated on 19th August 1283 by Bishop Gifford of Worcester. St Marys is built on the foundations of a Saxon Church that dates back to the tenth century.
In 1311 St Marys Church was appropriated to St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol. Around about the same time there was housed in Wotton a community of Crutched Friars who also followed the Augustin Rule and as the Church was attached to the Abbey in Bristol, it might well be that they occupied the Ram for the short time there were in Wotton.
Ancient maps show the original building to have been three times as large as today's building. Indeed, on a survey taken in 1763 there was a Tan Yard adjoining the Ram ~ hence the previous name of Tan House. Next door to this was the local Workhouse which later became an infants school, then a mortuary and car park. In the survey the whole of this land id referred to as 'Hospitall Lands' church property 'from time immemorial'! On a map of 1889 it also shows a smithy to the other side of the Ram.
For hundreds of years past owners and tenants were mostly involved in the woolen trade which was what the town of Wotton-Under-Edge was famous for.
There is reputed to be a tunnel from the fireplace in the bar to the Church and another tunnel somewhere else in the building to Lacock Abbey. Originally there were cellars which have been filled in.
From 1820 onwards the Ram was Brewery Property with various Brewers and Landlords.
This fabulous ancient building is owned and home to John Humphries.
Owners and Tenants from approx 1145 to present day:
I have found quite a lot of interesting information on some of the previous owners and tenants and will continue to search records as time permits!! I hope you enjoy reading this and don't get bored! Lol!!
1145 ~ 1350 Church Property
1350 ~ 1521 Owner ~ Maurice de Bathe (Tenant ~ Peter le Couk
1521 ~ 1532 Owner ~ Richard Robyns of Wotton-Under-Edge and Wythestyr
Gloucestershire. Who was a Weaver and Clothmaker.
I can only find one son called John who was a merchant, mercer
merchant of the Staple of Calais. Executor for his father.
1532 ~ 1532 Owner ~ Thomas Hickys ~ Cloth Maker.
1532 ~ 1538 Owner ~ John Hickys ~ son of Thomas Hickys.
1538 ~ 1539 Owner ~ Joanna Jones of the Vyese ~ Card Maker. A card maker was a
person who made the combs and implements for combing wool.
1539 ~ 1572 Owners ~ John Gower, Thomas Byshup (Bishop), John Hewys, Geoffrey
Bruton, William Coldwell, Henry Berry, Richard Hale, Thomas
Coleman, Robert Hopkins, Thomas Gower and his wife Joan,
Stephen Hopkins, Robert Brown and James Coldwell.
(Tenant ~ Hugh Wallington)
Information so far on some of the above:
Geoffrey Bruton died 1547.
Stephen Hopkins sailed on The Mayflower in 1608.
Thomas Gower was a very famous Elizabethan Clothier. He died in
1570 and this is his will.
By his will he left £300 to his son Thomas, £250 to his son John,
£100 each to three daughters and £30 to a fourth. He owned Haw
Park in Wotton, and land at Synwell and Uley which he bequeathed
to his children, and then had enough to provide for his wife Joan.
There were also legacies to the poor of Wotton, Berkeley, Dursley,
Tetbury, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury and Wickwas, all of them
'clothing towns' where his spinners and weavers lived. Nor were
his friends forgotten in his will, and finally he left £20 to bring
a supply of water to the market cross of Wotton. 'Gowers Charity'
still survives in the town.
1572 ~ 1575 Owner ~ Thomas Collman and Thomas Gower son of the the above.
1575 ~ 1575 Owner ~ Thomas Collman.
1575 ~ 1616 Owner ~ William Osbourne and wife Agnes (died 1605) ~ Clothier
They had six children. John, Walter 1553~1628 married Judith
(died 1606), Deanice, Edith married Hugh Venne, Margaret
married Henry Toms, Katherine maried Geffrey Michael.
Information so far on William Osborne
In 1563 a petition was submitted by the churchwardens of Wotton
backed by three citizens headed by William Osborne. So he was
quite an important person in Wotton. His will and that of his wife
Agnes show him to have been a very prosperous Burgess in good
standing with the local gentry. He farmed sheep on a large scale.
His Will:
William Osborne died in 1584. Burnell's Place in Leighterton and
land in Boxwell, held of George Huntley, to eldest son John and
heirs for ever: first remainder to son Walter and heirs male:
second remainder to grandson Willian Venne and heirs male: in
default, his own legal heirs for ever.
To same John, 300 of his best sheep, all growing corn and goods
on the estate, 'my rudder beasts' (horned cattle) and corn in the
barns excepted. Also his bedstead with one feather bed and one
flock bed, two coverlets with curtains of saye ( a delicate serge),
red and green, two pairs of holland sheets, one bolster and two
pillows and one pair of blankets: and his second best salt of silver:
all subject to use of his wife during widowhood.
To Margery Aprichard a kinswoman 40/- and the 30/- which her
mother owes him: to Robert Cocke his servant 40/-: to John
Vaughan his servant 'my best frize coat my medle hoses my best
hatt and 10/-.'
His brother Humfrey is forgiven a £13 debt under deed, but to pay
another £5 debt.
To son Walter, three of his best gowns, 'my satten dublett and my
best puke coat': also all the wainscott in the house and the portals
and glass, subject to the use of his wife Agnes during widowhood.
To Walter and each of the three son-in-laws a silver goblet, subject
to Agnes's use. To writer of will 20/-.
Residue of estate to wife Agnes, sole executor: overseer, his 'deare
friende' Thomas Throkmorton of Tortworth Esq., to whom he leaves
'my best silver salt with the cover double guilt'.
Will Of Agnes Osborne, died 1605
To son Walter, the house furniture.
To daughter Edith, a dozen of the best silver spoons, her biggest
cauldron ( wonder if she was a witch LOL!), and a 'bannet tree
cofer' (walnut chest): to daughter Dennys three 'oredge cushins':
to Katherine, one 'folding boarde'.
To granddaughters, to one stone cruze covered with silver and guilt,
to two, two silver spoons each, to one 'a little oridge healing'
(coverlet): to Walter's daughter Agnes 'my great crock and two
pannes standing in the oyle house': to a god-daughter, 20 nobles
when she is twenty one or married, one healing of red and green,
and 'three platters three pottingers and three sawcers'.
To her three daughters, all her apparel woolen and lynnen and half
all her pewter, equally divided.
To Margery Prichard the bed she lyeth on and all appurtenances
thereof: to Walter Myll two sheep.
Residue to eldest son John.
The property remained in the family for two centuries.
1616 ~ 1657 Owner ~ William Wallington (Tanner).
1657 ~ 1691 Owner ~ William Wallington (Tanner) possibly son of the above!!
1691 ~ 1756 Owner ~ Thomas Waight (Tanner).
1756 ~ 1793 Owner ~ William Smythe. (first mention of the house being called Tan House)
1793 ~ 1820 Owner ~ William Smythe. Later deceased and widow Betty Smythe gives up
lease to Wotton-under-Edge General Charities.
1820 ~ 1905 Owner ~ Wotton-under-Edge General Charities.
Tenant ~ Joseph Pinnell ~ at this time the house becomes an Inn or
Public House known by the sign of the ram, according to the deeds.
1905 ~ 1912 Owner ~ Coombe Valley Brewery Co Ltd.,
1912 ~ 1968 Owner ~ West Country Breweries.
1968 ~ Present Owner ~ John Humphries.
Landlords from 1820 ~ 1967
1820 ~ 1823 Landlord ~ Joseph Pinnell. His brother Edward was a local builder.
1830 ~ Leased to George Playne ~ Wotton Brewery. According to Pigotts
Directory he was still there in 1842.
The following Landlords, family, lodgers and servants that lived in the building are from the 1841 - 1901 Census Reports as the dates of their being in recidence at The Ram differ from other information on the Internet supposedly taken from The Ram's Deeds. I trust the Census details as from experiance Deeds can be tricky to desiver at times! lol!!
1841 ~ Landlord ~ Henry Dauncey (1806 ~ 1875)
His wife Mary Ann (1804 ~ 1873)
1851 ~ Landlord ~ Henry Dauncey
His wife Mary Ann
Maria Pinnell his Sister in Law (1816 ~ 1893)
Maria died in Gloucester Lunatic Asylum.
Henry went into farming after leaving The Ram.
1861 ~ Landlord ~ James Goscombe ( b 1832) Haulier as well as Innkeeper.
His wife Hester (b 1832 at Charfield Glo)
Son William Thomas ( b 1860)
Son William James ( b 1861)
A Servant Jemima Organ ( b 1847 at North Nibley).
On the 1851 Census James is living with his parents in Brick Lane
Wotton-underEdge.
1871 ~ Landlord ~ Thomas Mizen ( 1827 ~ 1884 ) born at Tetbury Glo.
His wife Elizabeth ( b 1832 ) born at Kingswood Glo.
Neice Emily Jame Munday ( b 1862 )
Niece Helen Warren ( b 1865 )
Lodger Thomas Dyce ( b 1843 )
1881 ~ Landlord ~ Thomas Mizen
His wife Elizabeth
Neice Emily Jane Munday
Lodger Henry Smart ( b 1827 )
1891 ~ Landlord ~ Elizabeth Mizen ( widow of Thomas)
Nephew ~ Alfred Millman ( b 1867 ) Elastic Weaver.
Nephew ~ John Munday ( b 1870 ) Elastic Maker.
Nephew ~ Willie Munday ( b 1871 ) Labourer.
Neice ~ Bessy Millman ( b 1883 )
1891 ~ The property is now leased to Arnold Perret and Co Ltd.,
Owners ~ Trustees of Wotton-under-Edge Charities
Rateable Value in 1891: £11. 5s. 0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse.
Owners in 1903 still Trustees of Wotton-under-Edge Charities
and leased to Arnold Perret. Rateable value and Licence details
remain the same and Closing Time is 11pm.
1901 ~ Landlord ~ William Frederick Vooght ( b 1846 ) at Budley Saltirton, Devon.
His wife Kezia ( b 1848 )
Son Frederick W B Vooght ( b 1874 ) Soldier in The Royal
Garrison Artillary.
Daughter Daisy ( b 1887 ) at Bristol
Daughter Hilda ( b 1890 ) at Bristol
Daughter Norah ( b 1892 ) at Bristol
1916 ~ 1927 Landlord ~ Rufus Morley
According to reports of local people of Wotton Rufus Morley was
a very jovial man with time and a smile for evryone he met so not
surprising that his spirit is reported to linger.
He was know for his smart dress always wearing a pin striped
shirt without a collar, navy blue pin stripe trousers with matching
waistcoat.
On Sundays he was known to wear a collar and tie, brown pin stripe
suit, brown boots and a bowler hat.
As you would expect of that day and age he carried a silver pocket
watch that hung from a silver chain and was known for checking his
watch profusly and and always folowed by a sigh and tut!! lol
After leaving the Ram Mr Morley lived in his house opposite and sold
furniture and household equipment very reasonable to anyone who
needed it.
1927 ~ 1939 No Information found to date.
1939 ~ 1967 Landlord ~ Lewis Raymond Allen.
Link to Ram Inn Photographs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUICCRJH-o0
Link to Ram Inn Videos
Childs Voice in Attic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdzepxEBduw
Moving Orb in The Barn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxpjlETJPL4&NR=1
