32/33 Cornmarket Street (former NatWest/George/Three Goats)
The former NatWest building on the north-west corner of Cornmarket (and stretching back as far as 1 George Street) was built in 1912, replacing the George Hotel.
This site eventually took the number 33 Cornmarket Street, but earlier on it was 32 or 32A (a number lost from the top of the other side of Cornmarket). It was in the parish of St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church, as is the present building.
The former inns on this site
There was an inn on this site from at least 1602 to 1911: it was rebuilt at least twice (in the 1770s and in 1853). For all the leases granted by the City Council for this property from 1606 to 1832, see H. E. Salter, Oxford City Properties, pp. 236–7.
The Falcon, by 1602 to 1621
On 29 April 1602 the joiner Thomas Maddox of Maddocks, who was probably already the occupant, received permission to hang out the sign of the Falcon on the former building on this corner.
The name of The Falcon lasted until 1621
Three Goats' Heads/George & Dragon Inn, 1621–1852
On 4 June 1621 Robert Woolley changed the name of the inn to the Three Goats' Heads (the sign of the cordwainers of which he was a member), and it kept this name for over two centuries until it was demolished in 1853. It was often abbreviated to the Three Goats Inn.
In 1748 the innholder was Thomas Payne, and in 1762 William White.
On 17 March 1764 William Sherfield announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that he had moved his post chaises from the King's Arms to “the Three Goats Inn, near North-Gate, Oxford, which he will still continue to drive Himself, in order that such Ladies and Gentlemen as honour him with the Custom, may meet with civil Treatment, and the utmost Care”.
On 20 February 1773 William Knowles, late servant to the Duke of Marlborough, announced that he had taken and would enter upon the Three Goats Inn at the next Lady Day (25 March) and that he had stabling for 25 horses as well as postchaises with able horses and careful drivers available. He died just three years later.
The 1772 Survey of Oxford lists a Mrs White here, with two frontages: the first of 4yds must be on the Cornmarket side of the building, and the second of 12yds 1ft 4in on the George Street side.
The inn must have been rebuilt in the mid-1770s, as it was described as a new building in 1776.
The next landlord was Thomas Morris.
On 26 October 1782 Samuel White announced that he had taken over from Morris, and that “The House and Premisses will be immediately put in good Repair, and made as convenient as possible.”
On 19 July 1788 Jackson's Oxford Journal reported that a 14-year-old boy who was born blind was brought to sight by the healer Dr Raynes at this inn.
Samuel White died at the age of 44 in October 1791 and his widow Sarah took over the inn. On 30 May 1793 she married Henry Tash, and he became the new landlord, and remained so until his death in 1821 at the age of 77. During his occupancy, on 1 May 1804, a 40-year lease was granted to the brewers Mark & James Morrell, with the buidings to be repaired and certified by the city corporation.
James Jackman, who had been a waiter at the Angel Hotel for over 23 years, announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal of 26 January 1822 that he was taking over the Three Goats Inn, and he remained here to at least 1832. He appears to have retired to Brackley, as he died there in 1837.
Thomas Bishop held the wine licence here from at least 1835 to 1850. The two-gallon flagon (top right) is inscribed:
“T. BISHOP / 3 GOATS / OXFORD”.
The second flagon shown is inscribed “T. BISHOP, / OXFORD / 041”. The number was to help the travelling pottery salesman remember the person who had ordered the flagon.
At the time of the 1841 census Thomas Bishop, described as an innkeeper, lived here with his wife Ann, a girl surnamed Alchin, and five servants. Two commercial travellers were staying at the inn.
In 1847 during Bishop's tenancy Alderman Sadler reported to the City Council, who owned the Three Goats, that he had spoken to Mr Morrell about widening the entrance to George Lane, which was much busier because of traffic caused by the railway. This would have necessitated Morrell pulling down and rebuilding the inn with a reduction in the renewal fine to represent the decrease in size of the building. This negotiation had been unsuccessful, but on 23 October 1852 it was reported that considerable alterations to the inn were in progress, and that James Morrell had assented to the further alteration needed to make the entrance to George Street wider.
For a very short period in the late 1840s, this pub was known as the George & Dragon. On 20 January 1849 its lease was advertised for sale:
GEOGE AND DRAGON INN, GEORGE-STREET, CORN MARKET-STREET, OXFORD. FREE PUBLIC HOUSE.
To be LET, and entered upon immediately,—This old-established BUSINESS, AND GOOD PREMISES; COMPRISING 2 parlours, tap room, and kitchens on the ground floor; club room, and 2 bed rooms on the first floor; 4 bed rooms on the second floor, and loft; excellent cellars, stabling, and coach-house.... N.B, These premises are situate conveniently to the proposed new line of railway.
Thomas Bishop appears to have continued as landlord, as he died at The Three Goats on 20 January 1852 at the age of 58.
The former inn building was taken over by George Drinkwater for a very short period. On 18 December 1852 he announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal that during the pulling down and rebuilding of the Three Goats Inn he would carry on the business in a commodious house opposite (No. 30), but with the use of the yard and stables of the Three Goats as before. Ten months later he moved into the new building.
The new George Hotel, 1853–1911
The former pub was rebuilt on a grander scale in 1853 to designs by Homes & Lucas and renamed the George Hotel.
George Drinkwater announced in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 24 December 1853 that he now had an entirely new house at the George Commercial Hotel, built on the site of the Three Goats, and he was granted a wine licence here for 1854/5. The flagon on the right bears his name and that of the George Hotel.
His son was the well-known Oxford architect Harry George Walter Drinkwater: born in 1841, he lived with his parents here at the George from 1854 to 1865. In the 1890s he was to design the new Elliston & Cavell shop that faced his father's old pub.
On 14 November 1854 George Drinkwater appeared in the City Court to answer a complaint under the New Beer Act by the inspector of the University Police for having his house open after 10pm on Sunday 5 November 1854, and the summons was dismissed.
George Drinkwater died at the George Hotel at the age of 64 on 1 February 1873, and on 6 June 1874 William Barrett (hitherto landlord of the Bell Inn in Cornmarket) announced that he was taking over the George Commercial & Family Hotel.
There were then some short-term landlords: Andrew H. Milloy in 1885; A. B. B. Baker in 1887, and G. F. Snook in 1890. Frank Gillard took over in 1901 and was the last landlord.
The George Hotel was demolished in 1911.
The present building since 1911
The present building by Homes & Lucas on the corner of George Street and Cornmarket was so much higher than other contemporary commercial buildings in Oxford that when a photograph of the architect's drawing was published in the Oxford Journal Illustrated on 13 July 1910 it was described as “ the George Street sky-scraper”.
On 7 October 1911 the National Provincial Bank of England, which had opened in 1909 in 14 Magdalen Street, moved into the ground floor of the new building. The George Café opened upstairs and on 19 February 1913 the Oxford Journal Illustrated published a photograph of its first-floor dining and tea room.
- Photograph of 1936 showing the National Provincial Bank with the sign for the George Café upstairs
In 1957 the National Provincial Bank took over the part of the premises occupied by the George Café.
The bank was renamed the National Westminster after the merge of the National Provincial with the Westminster Bank in 1970. This branch of NatWest along with the branch in the High Street closed in November 2017 and reopened in smaller premises at 43 Cornmarket.
Occupants of the pub/hotel/bank on the NW corner with George Street |
|
To 1851 |
The Three Goats (latterly the George & Dragon) Some innkeepers (subject to nineteenth-century university wine licences): |
Rebuilt in 1853 |
|
1853–c.1910 |
The George Some hotel keepers (subject to nineteenth-century university wine licences): |
Rebuilt again in 1911 |
|
1911–2017 |
NatWest Bank (named National Provincial & Union Bank of England Ltd until 1968) |
2017–present |
Vacant |
Former houses at 32/33 Cornmarket Street in the censuses
1841
The inn keeper at the “3 Goats’ Inn”was Thomas Bishop (50), who lived here with Ann Bishop (45) and Jane Alchin (15). They had five servants (four female and one male), and two commercial travellers were staying on census night.
1851
Thomas Bishop (54), now described as a wine merchant, was still at the “Goat’s Inn”, and was now a widower. Living with him was a temporary housekeeper and three female servants.
Rebuilt in 1853
1861
Now renamed the “George Inn”. George Drinkwater (52), hotel keeper, lived here with his wife Eliza (46) and children Caroline (18), Harry George Walter (17), an architect’s articled clerk, Mary Ann (15), and Albert (9). The staff comprised a barmaid, cook, waitress, chambermaid, ostler, and boots. Three commercial travellers were staying at the inn on census night.
1871
George Drinkwater (62), licensed victualler, still lived here at the George Hotel with his wife Eliza (58) and their daughter Mary Ann (24). Also living with them was an assistant, a boots, and three servant. There was only one guest (a commercial traveller) staying at the hotel.
1881
George Hotel: William Barrett (49), hotel keeper, lived here with his wife Sarah and children Charlotte (1) and Samuel (14), both of whom were born in Torquay, and his Oxford-born niece Alice Summers (19). There were five live-in servants: an ostler, cook, chambermaid, waitress, and boots. Staying at the inn were two commercial travellers.
1891
George Hotel: Arthur Stedman (31), licensed victualler, lived here with his wife Emily (32) and their son Harold (1). Seven members of staff (described as servants) also lived on the premises: two barmaids, a cook, waitress, nurse, boots and billiard marker. The hotel had three guests on census night.
1901
George Hotel: Frank Gillard (62), hotel proprietor, lived here with his wife Annie (63) and their unmarried children Agnes (36), Robert (27), who was a veterinary surgeon, and Emily (22) and Florence (20), who were draper's assistants. Two barmaids and two domestic servants also lived on the premises. There were no guests on census night.
Rebuilt again in 1911
1911
No listing: building work not complete until October that year.