Publican, Gunmaker, Champion Sparrow Shot of England
When I am researching the pubs of Cambridge and am looking at a data set of pub landlords from 1841 (for instance), my eye is always drawn to the interesting names. This is due in no small part to the fact that on this list, and this is no exaggeration, 50% of all landlords – indeed probably 50% of all Victorian males – were called William. What’s more, because it’s Cambridge, another large chunk of landlords share the surnames Tarrant, Low and Apthorpe. So, when you see names like Israel Haggis, Reuben Creamer, and Remington Pratt – they leap out at you. In my mind Reuben Creamer and his oddly named friends start shouting from the middle of the 19th century, “Pick me! Pick me!” much as the donkey does in the Dreamwork’s ‘Shrek’. I guess, the responsible way to go about this research is to start at the beginning of the alphabet and work through the list methodically – but for me the temptation is always too great. Sometimes, midst the drudgery of determining which William Low is the William Low I am looking for among the fifteen William Lows that all live in the same street I am researching, I need to allow myself some quick fixes – research lollipops – that make the work come quickly alive. Of course, the reason is because having an unusual name makes individuals much easier to research. So it was with Sheriff Warrell.
The first thing I found out about him was that he had run a Cambridge pub ‘The Hope and Anchor” in, what became, Fitzroy Street and what was, in 1850, called Blucher Row. He was clearly a colourful character as a search for him in newspaper archives revealed numerous references.
Sheriff Warrell was born 21 Nov 1819 in Gedney, Lincolnshire to farmer, grazier and publican John Warrell (1769–1832) and his wife Hannah Blades (1799–1879). He got the name Sheriff from his mother, whose surname it was. We can assume that Sheriff grew up in and around pubs. His father sold one pub in 1828 (The New Inn in Gedney, Lincs) and took over another in 1830 (the Golden Fleece in Boston, Lincs). However the latter move was not a profitable one as he was bankrupt by 1831.
In 1838 Sheriff married Anne Shelton in 1838 in Nottingham and the pair of them were still living there in 1841. We don’t know much about Anne or indeed about Sheriff’s time in Nottingham.
By 1849 we find him in Cambridge and attracting the attention – not for the last time – of the courts. He is up before the court for taking on Mr. Cole the famous pawnbroker of Bridge Street. Unsatisfied with Mr. Cole’s service, Sheriff leapt over the pawnshop counter ready to assault the shop owner – only to get peremptorily bopped on the head by said wily proprietor. Sheriff won the case. In the following year he was accused and acquitted of larceny. He was not so lucky however with the magistrates responsible for the licensing of pubs. It is not clear why, but the licensing authorities felt unable to renew his inn license in 1850. Perhaps because of this, he moved out of Cambridgeto Portsmouth sometime around 1852. One of the first things he did there was apply for a license to drive a cab.
In 1857 he married Jane Elizabeth BRACHER (1837–1873) and they straightway set about having at least 10 children together. More or less at the same time he took over the pub the ‘Ship Kent’ a pub in St. Mary Street, Portsmouth and clearly had some issues with some sort of scandal that he felt he needed to nip in the bud.
Mr. WARRELL, of the SHIP KENT, St. Mary-street, Portsmouth is given to understand that two or three people in this island appear to know his business better than he knows it himself; and the same parties are likewise using his name rather too free, in a manner that is not altogether palatable. He cautions them to be careful what they say, or else, if he fair hold of them, he will put them where they will not have the free use of their tongues, Advert in
Hampshire Telegraph 24 Jul 1858
Sheriff was a keen ‘sporting’ gambler and seemed prepared to bet on almost anything. Here is a short list of just some of his ‘sporting’ endeavours
- Sparrow Shooting – claiming to be “the Champion Sparrow Shot of England” he took on challengers from around the country. In one such case, with stakes of £30 he took turns shooting sparrows – 50 birds at 25 yards with 1½oz of shot. He killed 28 birds and his challenger shot 19.
- Pony Trotting – Sheriff took on or proposed trotting matches on a variety of courses – often with his pony “Crazy Jane” – in circuits round a field or from “Horndean to Waterloo”
- Rat Killings – when still at the pub in Portsmouth he organised competitive rat killing by dogs. 50 live rats would be given to the dogs in an enclosed space to see which of them would kill the rats in the fastest time. This was a weekly attraction.
- Pony vs. Bicycle – later in his life, presumably unable to take on personal challenges due to his increasing age, he continued to indulge his love of betting on sport by organising eye-catching and publicity-attractive stunts – in this case by pitting one of his ponies in a race against the famous champion French cyclist Camille Thuillet. The pony won.
In 1870 Blondin, famous for crossing the Niagra Falls on a tightrope, undertook a one-week residence at a music hall in Portsmouth. Who should appear in the adverts for the event – as someone who would be carried across the tightrope on Blondin’s back, emulating the stunt (in the picture above) when Blondin’s manager was taken across the Niagra Falls? None other than ‘respected townsman’ Sheriff Warrell.
In 1882 at Windsor railway station Roderick Maclean attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria with a pistol. Maclean’s motive was purportedly a curt reply to some poetry that he had mailed to the Queen.
Roderick Maclean was arrested and at his trial it emerged that a Portsmouth pawnbroker had sold him the gun and that Sheriff Warrell had sold him the cartridges (19 of them for one shilling).
As we have seen already, whether as witness, plaintiff or defendant, Sheriff was no stranger in the law courts. He was constantly in and out – stealing turf from the common, having dangerous dogs in public without muzzles, or, on more than one occasion, being drunk in charge of a pony and trap.
One such occasion, in 1888, he brought a case against a company who were undertaking road improvements near his house, and it is particularly revealing – about his drinking habits and his general swagger. Returning from Hambledon races in his pony and trap he ran into the excavations made in the road. His trap was overturned, and both he and his pony both received injuries. He maintained he had in consequence incurred £50 of expenses. The court case hung on whether there was negligence on the part of the company for not properly lighting the road hazard – or whether the accident was due to Mr Warrell’s inebriation. The reports on the case demonstrate Sheriff’s love of liquor as well as his not inconsiderable charm. Under cross examination he stated the following:
- He prided himself on the speed of his pony, and could go when he liked as fast as anyone in England. He met a good many friends at the races and had something to drink when he was thirsty. He did not get thirsty very often. (Laughter) He had his dinner and bottle of ale with it; a glass of ale at Waterloo, and one or two after dinner ; did not have three.
- He had nothing but beer on the racecourse but had something else on the road home. He arrived at Waterloo at about half-past six. He remained there till about eight to give his pony a little hay and water, and he was a little thirsty there he had something to drink. At Waterloo he had some split soda and brandy. He might have had two or three, but not more. They did not give much brandy at Waterloo for threepence. (Laughter.)
- He knocked a man down at Waterloo for using bad language, calling him (witness) “chuckle head.” He did not knock anybody else down as no one else required it. He got to before he was thirsty again.
- Seeing some traps on the road made him thirsty again. He stopped at the George, Cosham, till closing time. He had some more sodas and brandies there. He could drink one hundred sodas and brandy and not get tight. If he wanted to get tight he should have drunk hot brandy or hot whiskey.
- Back on the road he did not hear any one shout to him before the accident, or he should have heard them. He could not be deaf as well as blind. He was perfectly sober after four or five glasses of beer and six sodas and brandy. If Mr. Burbidge could make any one believe that would make a man drunk he ought to be ashamed of himself. He could have got £100 for the pony, trap, and harness before the accident, but any man could have it that day for £40. The pony walked home, but it was very lame.
Amazingly, the jury found for the plaintiff and awarded him £50 damages without costs. Source: Portsmouth Evening News Friday 08 July 1881.
Sheriff continued in the pub trade running The Royal Naval Club – a club was formed by four Royal Naval Lieutenants serving on board HMS Bellerophon anchored off Spithead in September 1867. From those humble beginnings grew a Club of international prestige and importance graced by kings and princes which at one stage could claim to have one hundred and sixty Admirals on the books. Over the years no fewer than 19 members of the club have been recipients of the Victoria Cross.
Sheriff Warrell died on Portsea Island in 1896. Hampshire,
POSTSCRIPT: Spotted in 2019 on the internet:
S. Warrell English. A rare 4 bore single barrel breech loading back action hammer wildfowling shotgun by English maker, S. Warrell, Circa 1880. Built on a Jones Patent underlever opening system with hammer action. The 44-inch round barrel with fine Damascus twist engraved pattern retaining much of its brown finish, the scroll engraved lock and action also retains much of the original color. Well figured stock chequered at wrist and forearm and insert with silver oval. Good quality, back side lock. A fine example of late 19th Century English gun making. Price: $8,800.00