This page covers the publicans who ran the Anchor at Morton from about 1922 onwards.
Click here to read about the earlier history of the Anchor and the owners
The above photo was taken in the Anchor in the 1990s when it was run by Jacqui and Russell Phillips. Jacqui was presented with an orb as a present. It had a magnetic clown fish in it and it was kept it behind the bar. One day an RSPCA officer came to the pub and said that they had been reported for keeping a tropical fish in a bowl. The Phillips eventually got away with their ‘offence’ and the story was reported on the local HTV news and Radio Bristol as well as in the newspapers.
George Rugman
George was the licensee at the Anchor from 1923 to 1931. He was born in Itchington in 1872, the son of Cornelius Rugman and his wife Ann (White). On 14th October 1893 he married Jane Always in Tytherington. Jane was baptised on 9th February 1873 in Olveston the daughter of William and Sarah Always.
George joined the Gloucestershire Constabulary and consequently over the next 25 years he and Jane moved with the Police Force around the county. In 1901 they were living at Cowley in Tewkesbury. In 1911 they were in Cirencester with their son Cornelius Henry who was three and a half and born in Olveston.
George died aged 62 and was buried on 20th October 1934. Jane moved to live in Lower Lodge. She died aged 86 and was buried on 18th March 1949. They were both buried in Thornbury Cemetery.
The Hutchins
Betty & Eva Hutchins
James Bradick Hutchins was the licensee from 1931 to 1947. He was born in Bristol on 20th March 1886, the son of James Bradick Hutchins and his wife Elizabeth Eastman. In 1909 he married Eva Annie Eastman. Eva was born on 15th March 1887. In 1911 James and Eva were living in 41 Alfred Hill Bristol. He was a tailor and she was a tailoress (shirt maker). They had a daughter Elizabeth Joan ( always known as Betty) who was born on 8th October 1912 and another daughter Peggy Bradick Hutchins born on 15th October 1926. Peggy started at the National School in Thornbury in 1937 and in 1937 she gained a free place at the Grammar School. Peggy married William Robson in the Sodbury area in 1947.
James died in Berkeley Hospital on 4th October 1947. The 1950 electoral register lists Eva Hutchins and Elizabeth J. at the Anchor Inn.
The certificate for transfer of licence shows that Mrs E A Hutchins transferred the licence to Edgar Abrahams on 3rd February 1953.
By 1954 they had moved to Anchor Cottage, the small house in the lane behind and the pub was taken over by Edgar Abrahams. Betty and Eva Hutchins carried on living in the cottage until Eva died on January 18th 1958 and Elizabeth died in 1962.
Edgar ‘Pat’ Abrahams
Charlie Say, George Riddiford, Tom Hurkett and Pat Abrahams on right
Edgar was known by the name of ‘Pat’. He took over as landlord of the pub around 1953. He had been living in Anchor Cottage, the house located on the lane running behind the pub. The cottage was demolished in the 1960s and its site is now used by the present petanque court.
Edgar Maurice Abrahams was born in the Dursley area on 5th June 1914. He was the son of Maurice Ernest Abrahams and his wife Ellen E. (nee Smith). We know from the Roll of Honour of Thornbury that Maurice served in the Navy during the First World War. In 1915 he was serving on the HMS Jupiter and in 1916 he was on the HMS Noble. At that time his home address was Crossways.
Frances Reeves with brother Charlie at Anchor Cottage
On 22 September 1937 Edgar married Francis Mary Reeves at Woodford. Edgar was a cafe proprietor at Woodford at that time. He was then aged 23 and she was aged 19. The marriage certificate shows that Frances was living in Anchor Cottage which was the home of her parents at the time of the marriage. Frances was born on 10th August 1918, the daughter of Charles Reeves and his wife, Frances Ann (nee Walker) who were married in 1890. Click on the thumbnail on the left to see a larger image.
The 1939 register shows Edgar and Frances were running a transport cafe near the Fox Inn at Woodford. During the Second World War Frances took over the cafe whilst Edgar went away to serve with the Motor Cycle Section of the Royal Army Service Corps.
Edgar and Frances had one son, Edgar Ian Sydney Abrahams born on 8th February 1941. We know that the Abrahams moved from Woodford to live in Thornbury in May 1947 when their son, ‘Ian’, transferred to St Mary’s School. Their address as shown in the school record was ‘Gas House Lane’ but we have been told they moved into Anchor Cottage with Frances’ father and her brother Reginald Charles (who had been a transport driver in 1939). This is confirmed by the 1950 electoral register. Ian was admitted to the Grammar School in 1952.
We note that Frances’ mother died in early 1947 aged 73. This might have triggered the Abrahams to move to Thornbury. Her father, Charles Reeves, died in 1951 aged 83.
We know that Edgar Abrahams took over the licence in February 1953. The electoral registers show Edgar was in the Anchor from 1953. Interestingly they exchanged homes with Eva Hutchins and her daughter who had been running the Anchor beforehand. We note that Frances’s brother Reginald Charles also moved into the pub from the cottage.
Ian’s shop at Anchor
Edgar and Frances were to remain at the Anchor until about 1968. When their son Ian was aged about 14 or 15 he used a shed in the garden of the pub as a small shop to sell sweets to the children playing in the garden whilst awaiting parents. Click on the thumbnail on the right to see a larger image. Frances was very active in Thornbury Hospital’s League of Friends.
When Frances’s health deteriorated Edgar chose to retire and the couple moved to 14 Gloucester Road. She died a few months later in May 1968 aged 49. Edgar carried on living there until he died aged 68 and he was buried on 4th June 1983.
Their son Ian married Anita Clark in 1964. They lived for a short time in 29 Gloucester Road before moving to Woodleigh. Click here to read more
OTHER PUBLICANS
Lionel J. & Gwendoline L. Clifford – the Cliffords took over the pub from Pat Abrahams. They are listed there in the 1970 Electoral Register. Before taking over the pub they had been listed in the electoral registers as living in 4 Eastland Avenue since the mid 1950’s.
Leon and Mollie Andrews
Mike and Joy Jobbins – we are not sure when they took over the pub but they ran it until 1979 when the Lydens took over.
Denis and Christine Lyden – the Lydens ran the pub for a couple of years from 1979 to 1981. Denis died in 2016 aged 69.
Jacqui and Russell Phillips – they ran the pub for about 15 years from about 1985 to 2000. See photo and story at the top of the page.
Sally Benham – ran the Anchor from about 2001 to 2007. We believe that she had previously run the Barrel in St Mary Street from around 2000 to 2001.
Dave Cox and Heather Ash – took over the pub about 2007.