Joseph Reffell (1786-1862), Landlord of the Beaumont Arms, Shepherd's Bush

There is obviously a fair degree of conjecture surrounding the events of over 200 years ago, but it appears that Joseph Reffell was born in 1786 at Shere in Surrey. He was baptised at the church of St James Shere on 30 June of that year to parents John Reffell & Ann Burchatt.

It is known that Joseph married Elizabeth Hatch on 4 April 1810 at the church of St Mary Totnes. However, at present it is still unknown why, at a time that pre-dates railways in Devon, someone who was born in Shere in Surrey, traveled to Totnes to get married, and then brought his new wife to London to live out the rest of their lives.

Their only child, Henry Hatch Reffell was born in 1811 and baptised at St Marylebone, but nothing is known then until Joseph became the licensed landlord of the Beaumont Arms public house in the Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush on 23 August 1828.

In 1829 John Saltier of Versailles Nursery, produced a map of Hammersmith (part of which is shown on the left) which shows the Beaumont Arms in 'Gaggle Goose Green'. This area of London is now more familiarly known as Shepherd's Bush Green. The present Beaumont Arms dates from Victorian times.

Joseph was still there in 1831, being shown in both the Hammersmith Survey of 1829 and the 1831 census. The survey of 1829 shows a rateable value of £30 on the public house, offices, stable, yard and coach house. The 30 May 1831 census shows surnames of the head of household only with no addresses, but a Mr Reffell is shown as having an occupation of victualler, one dwelling, and a family of one male and one female. This was probably only Joseph and Elizabeth, as Henry Hatch would have been 18 years of age and presumably off earning a living somewhere.

However, it was not to last. It was reported in the London Gazette dated 16 April 1833 that he had conveyed all his assets into a trust for the benefit of all his creditors; he was bankrupt. Joseph and Elizabeth then spent the rest of their working lives in service, in 1841 at old Oak Common and in 1851 at West Mousley in Surrey. Sadly, by 1861 they were both in the Fulham Union Workhouse, dying there on 12 March 1862 and 2 April 1864 respectively.