137: Esquires of Oxford
No. 137 is a timber-framed building and may look medieval, but it was rebuilt in this style in 1884. It was in the parish of All Saints until that church closed in 1971. It is now in the parish of St Michael-at-the-Northgate Church.
This building became a public house, known as the Fox Inn, in 1764. The Survey of Oxford shows that in 1772 the occupant of the former building, which had a frontage of 4 yds 2 ft 11 in, was Mrs Freeman.
At the time of the 1841 census, John Jelfs, the landlord, was living here at the Fox Inn with his wife Elizabeth and their servant girl, and the situation was the same in the 1851 census. He died near the end of 1857 and at the time of the 1861 census his widow Elizabeth Jelfs (61) was the publican, living here with one servant. Mrs Jelfs was still here with a servant at the time of the 1871 census, and died in 1876.
The 1881 census shows the pub's last landlord, Henry Thomas Ham (who was a compositor as well as a publican) living over the pub with his wife and two children. The Fox Inn closed in 1882.
The Oxford Chronicle of 11 October 1884 (p. 7e) reported that a new oak front, designed by H. J. Tollit and with the work carried out by J. Ward, had been fitted, and that the building had become the central brewery office of Messrs Hall & Co.
No one lived here at the time of the 1891, 1901, or 1911 censuses, although in 1891 the enumerator noted that the premises were occupied by a brewery office and a house agent's office.
Bell's Travel Service (originally Bell & Park shipping agents) was here at 137 High Street from 1909 to 1934, and one of their address labels is shown on the left.
Bell's Travel Service then moved to 16 Cornmarket Street.
By 1943 they were at 117a High Street and by 1947 they had moved to 1 & 2 St Michael's Mansions in Ship Street.
Occupiers
of 137 High Street | |
By 1839–1882 | Fox Inn |
1884–1906 | Swan Brewery Office (A. W. Hall & Co.), Brewers & wine merchants |
1907–1908 |
The Candy Store Co., Confectioners |
1909–1934 | Bell & Park
(later W. W. Bell & Co. Ltd and then Bell’s Travel Service) |
1935 |
Oxford Official Information Bureau |
1936–1993+ |
H. L. Savory & Co. Ltd., Tobacconists |
By 1996–2019 |
Fellows (Oxford) Ltd, Gift shop |
2019 |
Sir, Barber |
2022–present |
Esquires of Oxford, Barber |
