1841 Census
Wallingford Registration District (HO107/023/23: Folio 9/10: Wallingford St Mary)
Address: St Martins St
Surname Forenames Age Occupation Born in County
LOVELOCK William 53 Butcher Y
LOVELOCK Hannah 40 Y
LOVELOCK George 20 Butcher Y
LOVELOCK Henry 12 Y
LOVELOCK Charles 10 Y
LOVELOCK Frederick 50 Ind. Y
LOVELOCK Francis 7 Y
MILLS Hannah 19 FS N
In 1842 Pigot & Co's Directory for Berkshire: Wallingford, William is listed under Taverns & Public Houses as Mermaid, Market place
In 1847 PO Directory for Berks and Oxon: Wallingford: Traders: Mrs Hannah & George Lovelock, 'Butchers & Mermaid', Market Place and in Billings Directory & Gazetteer of Berks & Oxon 1854 Hannah and George Lovelock, victuallers & butchers, The Mermaid, Market pl.
1851 Census
Registration District (Folio 268: Wallingford, St Mary Le More)
Address: Mermaid
LOVELOCK Hannah Head Married 59 Innkeeper Barton(?), WAR
LOVELOCK Henry G Son Unmarried 21 Butcher Wallingford, BRK
LOVELOCK Charles G Son Unmarried 19 Clothier's Asst Wallingford, BRK
LOVELOCK Thomas Nephew Unmarried 16 Lawyer's Clerk Wallingford, BRK
PAYNE Dinah Servant Unmarried 14 House Servant Woodcot, OXF
THE MERMAID
According to the Register, John Lovelock was the licensee in 1784, and various members of the family continued as licensees until 1875. The Licence was not renewed in 1876.
Riches White was the innkeeper when the Mermaid was relicensed in 1650/51, and the Museum has a trade token issued by him in 1669.
The Charity Commissioners Reports of 1819 ? 1837 reveal that the Mermaid Inn had been lands belonging to St. Mary's Church "from time immemorial." At the time of the Report, the Inn was let to Edward Wells for 21 years from Lady Day 1821. The Churchwardens were paying a Quit Rent of 1/- in 1849.
Banbury given Thomas Lovelock as the occupier, who also ran a butcher's shop, but by the following year (Kelly) he had been succeeded by Hannah & G. Lovelock, who was George Lovelock . At the 1851 Census, Hannah was head of the household, and her eldest son, Henry G., was only 21.
Peter Davies (WM 26.10.79) says that on market days, William Lovelock (1812-1818+) provided a pen in the yard where buying and selling of pigs was carried out, until the authorities made him stop it in 1821. For a time, it was called "Butchers and Mermaid".
Both Davies and Hutchinson say that it was sometimes called "The Mere Maid".
Hutchinson also says there was a slaughterhouse on the premises.
The G.P.O. stands on the site, and Mr. Hutchinson says that in 1927 the premises "were occupied by Mr. A. H. Wilkins, florist and fruiterer. The same business belonged to Mrs. M. Harding till 1919." I'm told by someone in Croft Road that before the Post Office, it was Horrabins the greengrocers.
In the Charities Report above mentioned:-
"There has been paid for a great number of years, by the Wells family, a sum of £2, which is distributed by the Churchwardens annually on Good Friday to poor widows. This charge is stated in the Parliamentary Reports of 1786 to be then vested in the Minister and Churchwardens, but the donor is returned as unknown. There is a tradition in the Parish that it originated in a small portion of land forming part of the Mermaid premises in St. Mary's Lane (belonging to the Churchwardens) being railed out as a garden opposite the mansion of Mr. Wells' family for which they were to pay a perpetual rent of £2 but there is no documentation."
