The Barge Inn: When it wasn't just pints that were dished out... justice was too

The South Essex Islamic Trust has bought the old pub and is looking to build its first culture centre in Basildon on the site.

Whatever its future, the pub, which closed in 2015, looks as though it will be demolished. But the building has a fascinating history that’s worth toasting one more time, writes EMMA PALMER.

THE Barge Inn has a wealth of history to its name, but it’s not only pints that were served there during its lengthy existence – at times justice was served too.

The pub, in High Road, Vange, was once the venue for civil court proceedings and coroner’s inquests.

This was not uncommon during the 18th and 19th centuries, when towns and villages were lacking in space and buildings capable of holding important ceremonies and meetings.

Often, the local pub was the only large, indoor space where public events could take place.

As a result, auctions were frequently held in pubs as were petty sessions (before police courts) and judicial inquiries such as inquests. Normally, these formal gatherings would take place upstairs in the pub or in the back room, away from the punters swigging their beer and smoking their pipes.

In Rochford, the Old Ship Inn was once used to hold court sessions and at the Barge, many an inquest was held, presided over by the coroner for Essex, Mr Charles Edgar Lewis. Records show dead bodies were also taken to the pub to await the official inquest.

This was the case in April 1903 after William Parker, a bootmaker from Pitsea, died suddenly by the roadside. Records show: ‘PC Gates took the body to the Barge Inn to await an inquest’.

In December 1896 the death of a worker at Pitsea Dynamite Factory led to an inquest being held at the pub which attracted great interest from the community. James Jiggens, a labourer from Pitsea was only 28 when he died from the effects of inhaling nitric acid fumes.

A jury was assembled at the Barge Inn which returned a verdict of accidental death. The jury members made a point of requesting that the widow and young child of Mr Jiggens should be taken care of financially by bosses of the factory. In a time when neighbours genuinely looked out for one another, the local community also held a collection to pay for the funeral expenses.

In 1899, the death of a brutish drunk named George Burrell, of Great Burstead, was the subject of an inquest at the watering hole. The 55-year-old had threatened to kill his children following a night on the tiles – (coincidently which included drinks at the Barge Inn). The following day his lifeless body was found on a railway line.

In September 1904 the sad inquest of a teenage errand boy was held at the pub. Henry Mills, 14, died after getting off his messenger bike near Pitsea. He was only 14 but due to his past health problems a verdict of ‘death due to heart failure’ was recorded.

The demise of the Barge Inn means yet another south Essex pub has been consigned to the history books.

A pub has existed at the corner of High Road and Clayhill Road in some form or another since 1840.

Before the Barge, it is said a pub at the site was named ‘The Man with Seven Wives’.

The first landlord of the Barge Inn was called John Adey who shared the pub lodgings with his family. But records show Mr Adey had trouble getting the pub off the ground. He began the business as a ‘beer shop’ but when he applied for a licence to turn it into a pub in 1845, he was turned down.

Billericay magistrates’ refused to grant Mr Adey a licence initially due to previous issues where he had kept his beer shop open at ‘improper hours’.

He persisted, however, and eventually won his licence. In February 1869, the landlord was a licensed victualler named James Emmons, but he fell on hard times with trade at the pub and had to file for bankruptcy in the courts.

Of course, better times were ahead and the Barge Inn would go on to become a commercial success and a beloved part of the Vange community. Now it appears time has been called on the venue forever.