As with most of the ancient inns of Stowmarket the first mention of an Inn in the town named The Kings Head is in the Mompesson Accounts of 1618 when Thomas Mason is listed at the Inn, he was still there in the accounts of 1620. There is then a long gap in our knowledge until 1681 when Robert Rush paid the poor rate as shown in the Overseers accounts for that year and then another long gap before Sarah Pearl is named as the occupant in the records of the Royal Exchange Insurance Company in 1784, she had inherited the inn in 1781 from her husband Thomas for her life time and on her death or remarriage it was to pass to their son Thomas.

The records of fire insurance policies of the Sun and Royal Exchange Insurance companies are available at The Guildhall Library in London, but only some periods are indexed, Inns and Mills are well represented amongst the policies as they were thought to be the buildings most in danger from fire.

From 1784 onwards the record of the inn is almost continuous. A few years later John Boby, owner of a maltings attached to the inn insured the utensils in the maltings, once more with Royal Exchange Insurance.

In 1792 the Bury and Norwich Post mentions a meeting of Protestant Dissenters indicating that the inn would have had a large room for such meetings. In the will of Edward Simpson senior of 1794 his son Edward Junior is described as the innholder, Edward junior or possibly his father had previously been landlord at the Dukes Head in the town. Edward Simpson was declared bankrupt in 1800 and was at that time described as an Innkeeper, Vintner, Dealer and Chapman, he died at Bath in 1805. He may have retained an interest in the inn but in 1798 a William Jackson formerly of an inn at Barton Mills took over the running of the Kings Head and in 1800 was advertising “neat post chaises and able horses”. Thomas and Sarah Pearle had a son in law named William Jackson named in Thomas's will in 1781 and described as a victualler.

Another change of landlord occurred in 1805 when Samuel Waters previously of the Swan at Woolpit took over, he was to stay for over twenty years. Post chaises and horses were still available at the inn and this side of the business was run by Richard Bartrum of Ipswich. A set meal known as an “ordinary” was served on market days. The Inn continued to be one of the main venues for auctions, meetings and performances, as in 1808 when John Crosse in his diary notes that "The young ladies went to a Conjuring performance at the Kings Head"

When the old White Hart, which had been situated a short distance along Ipswich Street in the Market Place closed in 1808 Samuel Waters was not slow in advertising that “In consequence of the White Hart being discontinued Samuel Waters is fitting up his house in a commodious manner”. Samuel had married an Ann Ellis and in 1823 there daughter Ann married a George Hammond and the same year, Hammond took over the White Lion in Eye.

An auction of shares in 1825 shows that William Stutter, gentleman of Stowmarket had a three elevenths share in the business. Samuel Waters finally departed in 1827 when a notice appears in the Ipswich Journal. “S. Waters returns his most grateful acknowledgements to his friends and public in general for support during 21 years, he has declined business in favour of N. T. Codd.” and in the same edition of the paper we read, “N. Thurston Codd from the Angel Inn, Bramford takes the Kings Head. Well aired beds, neat post chaises with able horses & careful drivers.”

There was much competition between Inns at this time for coaching business, in 1830 the coach between Ipswich and Bury called at the Kings Head every day at 11.30.

On the death of Samuel Waters, who had retained a financial interest in the inn, the following appeared in the Ipswich Journal. “Old established posting inn to be sold by auction, on 28th Aug. by direction of executors of Mr. Samuel Waters deceased. Three 11th parts of the above Inn in occupation of N. T. Codd, lease expires 11 Oct 1839, yearly rent £110. Also beneficial interest in lease granted to Sam. Waters by Mr. Wm Stutter also piece of freehold ground at back of Inn yard 105 ft by 38 1/2 ft. with stables & other buildings. executors J.G. Hart & Thomas Sheldrake. Mr. Ransom, solicitor”

John Cobbold, the Ipswich Brewer who already owned several Inns and public houses in the town must have purchased an interest in the inn at this time as in the rate book of 1836 he and other unnamed share holders are shown as owners, and a few years later he is the sole owner. Nathaniel Thurston Codd is last mentioned as landlord in 1839. He was landlord at the Rose in Stowmarket around 1855 and died in 1867.

There were then two landlords mentioned in directories before Henry Shuckforth Downing, who was also an auctioneer came in about 1842 and stayed until his death in 1861. An omnibus service ran from the inn to meet the trains at Colchester Station until the Railway arrived at Stowmarket in 1846, This event had a great effect on the inns of the town that had previously depended for much of their trade on the coaches that passed through the town, and from this time we see more Inns and Public houses being opened in Station Road to take advantage of the custom that the railway brought. John Cobbold closed the Kings Arms at this time which he also owned and which stood only a few yards away from The Kings Head.

Some damage was done in 1871 due to the Explosion at the Gun Cotton Factory which shook the town damaging many buildings. The next tenant was Joseph Bull Emery who stayed until 1874 and died in 1881 at the age of 82. The subsequent landlords at the Kings head are as follows,

1879 Henry Knights

1885 Alexander Dalgety & John Willoughby

1890-1899 Thomas George Tweed

1900-1903 Charles Henry Whittell

1903 Edward James Houghton           

1908-1916 James Clement Gray

1917 Mrs. Gladys Constance Gray

1935-1940 James William Gray

1941 Constance Juliana Gray

1946-1963 James William Gray

1963 Mrs. Gladys Quirke

Closed 16th March 1964

The coming of the motor car revived the fortunes of the inns, pubs and beerhouses in the centre of the town and the Kings Head remained a going concern, and may well have still been a cherished part of Stowmarket's heritage today if it had not been demolished in the 1960s along with many of the buildings on that side of Ipswich Street to make way for a new shopping development, much to the subsequent regret of many in the town.

STOWMARKET HISTORY AND HERITAGE
 2007
email neil@stowman.plus.com