Tracing its history during the 17th century
The Saracen’s Head Inn below the Stonebow was positioned out of view in the bottom left corner of this woodcut showing the church of St Peter at Arches (demolished in 1933) just above the Stonebow and buildings in Silver Street. This woodcut was published by The Lincoln Gazette newspaper in 1728 and reproduced in Lincoln, Tracts and Miscellanies, Lincoln, Brookes and Vibert, 1863.
Although the above woodcut dates from 30 years or more later than the period covered in this article, I suggest that the pre-industrial Lincoln landscape would not have changed greatly from the previous century. John Speed’s map of Lincoln, surveyed in 1607 and published in 1611 is not detailed enough to show buildings other than churches.
By the 17th century, we are finding more detail in the archives about the inn’s fabric and the people connected to it.
1600. The arrest of two Catholic priests
In July 1600, two Catholic priests, Thomas Sprott from Westmorland, and Thomas Hunt from Norfolk were discovered in the Saracen’s Head in Lincoln during an unconnected search for wanted robbers. As part of the ongoing suppression of Roman Catholicism, their oils and breviaries are seized and they are arrested, interrogated and summarily tried for treason. Found guilty, they are then executed in Lincoln in the same month.
They were both beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987 with their saint’s day being 11 July.
(Challoner, Richard, Memoirs of missionary priests, and other Catholics of both sexes, that have suffered death in England on religious accounts from the year 1577 to 1684, (Challoner, Richard, Memoirs of missionary priests, and other Catholics of both sexes, that have suffered death in England on religious accounts from the year 1577 to 1684, Manchester 1803)
1604-1606. Abraham Metcalfe and his wife, Alice Metcalfe
There is a gap in our knowledge about the ownership and running of the Saracen’s Head from the time of the Fawkeners, John Hall and the Suttons (Saracen’s Head, Pt 2) until we discover that Abraham Metcalfe, alderman and mayor (1599) of Lincoln, and then his wife Alice owned the lease. Unfortunately, this is only on their deaths in 1604 and 1606, so Abraham Metcalfe may have been the owner later in the 16th century.
When Abraham Metcalfe made his will on 22 March 1603/04, he left all his goods and chattels not otherwise bequeathed to his wife, Alice. He did not specify the Saracen’s Head and the lease is not listed in his probate inventory, although the bottom half is missing. (The National Archives, PROB 11/103/493 probate inventory: LA, INV/98/59). When his widow, Alice Metcalfe, makes her own will on 30 July 1606, she likewise does not mention the Saracen’s Head. However, when her moveable goods are listed for probate, the lease of the “Sarisons heade”, valued at £6. 8s. 4d., is included (LA, INV/101/416). The description of her house matches the probate inventory made for the moveable goods of her husband, Abraham Metcalfe.
Parish registers, wills and other documents confirm that Henry Metcalfe was the son of Abraham and Alice Metcalfe. Henry was baptised on 8 April 1582 in the parish church of Lincoln St Peter at Arches which once stood on the north side of the Stonebow in Silver Street and, being so close to the Guildhall within the Stonebow, was used as the parish church for civic occasions. The burial of Abraham Metcalfe is recorded in the parish register of St Peter at Arches in March 1604 (New Style dating).
The inventory of the “Serzans Heade” drawn up when their son, Henry Metcalfe, defaults on his debts a few years later also lists the same rooms. as the probate inventories of his parents. This undated 3-page valuation of the contents of Mr Metcalf’s house in Lincoln, named the “Serzans Heade” or the “Sarzins Head”, is bound with a group of miscellaneous documents in the archive of the City of Lincoln Council at Lincolnshire Archives. There are enough clues in the document to establish, therefore, an approximate date and to establish the function and location of the building as well as the key players (Lincolnshire Archives, L1/6/8).
| Abraham Metcalfe, 1604 Lower part of inventory is missing | Alice Metcalfe, 1606 | Henry Metcalfe, c 1607-14 |
| In the Hall | In the hall | In the hall |
| In the great parlor over the streete | in the greate parlor | In the great parlor |
| In the lytle parlor next the streete | In the little parlor | In the little parlor to the streete |
| In the Crosse Chamber | In the Crosse Chamber | In the Crosse Chamber |
| In the Far chamber in the gallerye | In the farre Chamber in the gallerie | In the farr chamber in the gallerie |
| In the mydle Chamber in the gallrye | In the middle Chamber | In the middle chamber |
| In the styre head chamber | In the greecing Chamber | In the greecing chamber |
| In the Greene Chamber | In the greene Chamber | In the green Chamber |
| In the low Parlor | In the lowe parlor | In the low parlor |
| In the Fagot howse | In the Faggott Chamber | In the Faggot Chamber |
| Second part missing | In the servantes Chamber | In the servant chamber |
| In the kytchinge | In the Kitching | |
| In the buttrie | In the butterie | |
| In the yarde | In the yard | |
| In the brewry | In brew house | |
| In the haye Chamber In the stables | hay chamber | |
| In the Corne Chamber | ||
| In the wyne sellars | ||
| £601.2. 3 | £200.16.6 |
c. 1607-1617. A bailiff’s order is made on Henry Metcalf.
The heading of this document describes it as an “inventory of the lease of Mr Metcalf’s house” and the goods inside, which are to be sold to Stephen Mason to enable him to discharge a debt owed to Mr Robert Chapman of Hull and Mr Thomas Enderbie, gentleman. However, Stephen Mason is ordered not to seize or sell the goods before Candlemas [2 February] “except the said Henry, his wife, servant or assigns do in the meane time make or purloygne the same or any part therof a way”. This clause presumably means that if Henry Metcalf or his agents should attempt to take the items away first, then Stephen Mason can go ahead and remove them for sale.
Parish registers and deeds at the Hull History Centre refer to a Mr Robert Chapman, a merchant in Hull, who died in September 1620. He appears to have had a wife named, Alice, and a daughter named Ann. (East Riding Archives & Local Studies Service, PE 158/1, Hull History Centre, C. WT/2/121-122).
The will of Thomas Enderby of St Benedict’s parish, Lincoln, gentleman was proved on 4 August 1617. Stephen Mason was one of the witnesses. In his will he referred to his wife, but he did not name her. His children who were young enough to need bringing up. Perhaps he was the Thomas Enderby, son of John Enderby, who was baptised at Lincoln St Peter at Gowts on 13 May 1578.
The date of Thomas Enderby’s death in 1617 provides, therefore, the latest date for the inventory of Mr Metcalf’s house. (LA, LCC WILL/1617/ii/5)
The connection with the Common Council of Lincoln continues with Stephen Mason since he was appointed the Town Clerk on 18 April 1613. (LA, LI/1/1/4, f.85, Minutes of the Common Council of Lincoln City). He was also sheriff of Lincoln.
Extract (selected items) from the inventory of Mr Metcalf’s house
| In the litle parlor to the street | |
| It[em] one table and a frame a greene darnisk carpett 5 turkis warke | xls |
| quishons one long forme one hie | |
| buffet stoole a paire of tables | |
| a fire Iron a litle liv[er]ey table and | |
| other ymplem[en]ts there | |
| In the hall | |
| It[em] two long tables and a square table with frames | xls |
| two long formes and fire Irons with other Imple[me]nts | |
| In the great parlor | |
| It[em] a long table with a frame | [not given] |
| In the kitching | vijli |
| It[em] nyne score and iij pieces of pewter great and smalle with all other ymple[me]nts in the kitching | |
| There were also ten rooms of various descriptions which housed bedsteads, trundle beds and truss beds and other furniture. | |
| It[em] the lease of Sarstins head | vjli xiijs iiijd |
1661 Election expenses & the 1662 Hearth Tax assessment.
Extract taken from the Lincoln City Quarter Sessions Hearth Tax Return (LA, BROG/1/1/1)
This section throws light on the hospitality sector in Lincoln just after the Restoration of Charles II.
Two buildings in the parish of St Peter at Arches stand out for their huge size in the hearth tax assessment of 1662, indicating that they may be inns in this central part of Lincoln. One has 17 hearths which is chargeable to Edmund Knight; the other has 13 hearths which is chargeable to John Fisher. The next largest house has 7 hearths, but the majority of houses have between one and 4 hearths. (LA, BROG/1/1/1). Luckily other records confirm who owned these large properties.
An account of hospitality expenses in Lincoln in the week prior the election of the knights of the shire which took place on 8 April 1661 includes payments made for accommodation, refreshments and horses. Mr Pell at the Black spread Eagle was paid £13:00:06 for “horsemeate & dyet”. Next in the list, Mr Knight (inn not named) was paid £4:18:06 “for the like”. 5 shillings were paid to a servant and ostlers at “the sarazin head” where Mr Lofte’s horses stood. Considering the Black Spread Eagle (later the Spread Eagle) and the Saracen’s Head were next door to each other in the High Street, it is reasonable to assume that Mr Knight was at the Saracen’s Head. (LA, 1-ANC/13/B/1A). The owner of the Reindeer is not reimbursed which may indicate that he or she supported the opposing candidates. Mr Pell is probably John Pell who was assessed at having 5 hearths in 1662. No other records have been found relating to Edmund Knight.
RESEARCH WELL Lincolnshire 