Inside Salisbury: The Ship Inn, the public flogging and the dead body in the basket

Explore a former notorious Winchester Street Inn.

by Annette J Beveridge

The Ship Inn

The Ship Inn had a dubious reputation from the 1700s with many of the landlords falling foul of the law.

Located on Winchester Street close to the corner of Pennyfarthing Street, it later became known as The Plasterer’s Arms.

The history of the Ship Inn first starts with a transfer from an R Beavis to a Samuel Lovell in 1788, so we know the inn was established before that date. The inn was also on a list with known allegiances towards a forthcoming election. Lovell’s brush with the law was recorded when he had 12 gallons of rum confiscated in 1791. The implication was that the rum had been smuggled in. However, the authorities of the day could not prove this.

Public flogging

Joseph Smith, a soldier, was convicted of stealing a dish containing a half-penny from the pub in 1808. He received a sentence of two months in prison for his crime which was a usual sentence for this type of crime at that time.

But that wasn’t all. Smith was publicly flogged in the Market Place.

The bad reputation of the inn continued.

In 1816, the landlord James Sims, was fined £25. His crime? Selling wine without a licence.

From this, we could ascertain that the Ship Inn was really more of an ale house than a pub or inn. James Sims was the landlord for about 30 years and eventually, he recommended a successor, Owen Oliver, but told customers that the inn would continue to trade the ‘best home-brewed ales, wines and spirits’ which may have been a surprise to the authorities since he did not have a full licence to do so.

Oliver only stayed at the Ship Inn for two years and Sims returned, he died shortly afterwards but his niece, Mary Sandell, stepped in to run the Inn for about six months until a new landlord - Samuel Ricketts, took over.

Unlawful behaviour

The Ship Inn continued to change hands a few times with records held at the Magistrates Court from 1850 showing the law was not being followed.

Caleb Newman became the new landlord but also fell foul of the law - this time for having the inn open on a Sunday morning. It is recorded that six people were in there but as three of the people were unknown i.e. bona fide strangers, they were able to drink in the bar but this was not the same for the others as they were known locals.

They tried to hide their drinks but this did not go to plan.