THE CROWN HOTEL

Market Place, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5JG

In 1823-4 the license for 'The Crown' was held by Mr Charles Sprigg but by 1839 it was known as 'The Crown and Commercial Inn' and the landlord was Mr Thomas Bailey. In 1850 it was also the Inland Revenue Office and about this time was owned by the local brewers, Mainprice, Mr John Mainprice being a farmer, tilling land at Soham Fen and running other licensed premises, and Mr George Mainprice who was then a brewer in Churchgate Street.
In those days Mainprice were the "sole purveyors of wine and spirits in the town" and in 1853 the pub was kept by Mr George Sore. The Post Office Directory of 1879 shows the aforementioned George Mainprice to have been a "Brewer / Maltster / Wine and Spirt Merchant / Auctioneer and Estate Agent" and in that year the landlord of 'The Crown' was Mr John Robert Warren".
In 1883, Mr William Cutlack Junior was a brewer in Paddock Street and he also owned 'The Crown', which was managed on his behalf by Mr Frank Pittman.
Many local people are far more likely to recall Mr Tom Hammond, who was landlord for some years and who also ran a fishmongery business in Market Place. He was a most popular landlord and will be recalled for his helpfulness in taking people and goods to and from Soham station. Both Mr Hammond and the pub were very popular indeed.
At the time of the photograph on the left, in 1910, 'The Crown' was kept by Mr Herbert Robert Hook and as befitted Soham's leading hotel as the sign above the door said: 'Bus Meets All trains'.
William Sharpe was the licensee when the photograph on the right was taken sometime in the 1930's. In the 'good old days, when people made their own fun, there were often fights in the Market Place on a Saturday evening. Someone would stand at the top of 'The Crown' steps, throw his hat in the air, and shout 'Let's see who's the best man here!' A fight would start and blood would be flying all over the place. 
Moving on a number of years one can recall Mr and Mrs Charles Bullen, who kept the pub for several years. It was also used by many of the Crazy Gang who would gather there on Carnival days to quench their thirsts after performing their crazy, sometimes dangerous and always surprising antics. Those were the days when no-one was safe as rich and poor alike were liable to come under fire of some of their jokes and tricks.
The Bullens were at the pub until its closure in about 1967, when they moved on to other premises in Soham and 'The Crown' was purchased and developed and is now a private house and flats.