Swan, Long Melford

Once a brew-pub; & former posting house. Known to date from before 1760, when it was advertised for sale in the Ipswich Journal**** as follows: October 11th 1760. To be sold at Long Melford, Suffolk---The Swan Inn, a convenient good accustomed house, the greater part newly built. In the tenure of George Linnel, containing three parlours-kitchen-pantry-large cellar-5 chambers with convenient closets-garret-good brewhouse-barn-stable-outhouses-large garden of nearly an acre also four tenements adjoining, for further details enquire of Francis Beales, tallow chandler who has likewise to dispose of his own house & utensils of a compleat hard soap office & answerable to a boil of 12 cwt. A report in the Ipswich Journal*** on 24 Jan in 1801 states that : The Swan Inn, Long Melford…to be let or sold, enquire of John STRIBING at the above inn. A report in the Bury & Norwich Post*** on 04 March in 1801 states that : Auction of the Household Furniture, Brewing Utensils & Beer Casks of Mr John STRIBLING, at the Swan Inn, Melford, for the benefit of his creditors, consisting a very complete set of brewing utensils for 7 coombs & a suitable copper, good as new, suitable thereto - The Trustees - recommend him to the humanity of his creditors as an honest man, in prison for debt, with a wife & 9 children. A report in the Ipswich Journal*** on 23 Sep in 1840 states a Reference to Mr Charles POULTER, a Bankrupt, late of the Swan, Long Melford. A report in the Bury & Norwich Post** on Aug-05 in 1879 when Thomas Lummes was the landlord states that : "Two men stood accussed of stealing a swan from the Bury St Edmunds Botanical Gardens. In court Whiting, landlord of the Ten Bells, stated that the 2 men entered his house one carrying a sack. Whiting soon became suspicious & asked them to leave. A little later, one of the men admitted to Thomas Lummes, landlord of the Melford Swan, that he had indeed was involved with the theft of the Swan. Both men received 4 months hard labour." A report in the Bury & Norfolk Post & Suffolk Herald*** on 31 Mar in 1885 states that : On 24th March, 1885, The Swan Inn, Melford, with beer-house, outbuilding, having a depth of 222 feet, copyhold, quit rent 1s 6d, with fine certain, fixtures £35 16s was sold for £680 to Mr Frederick WICKHAM. Photographs of this pub and more historical information about it can be found at suffolkcamra.co.uk/pubs/pub/642