Susan Yates continues her occasional series of articles about the borough's history - this time focusing on a local pub

IN Thurrock we have three public houses connected with local families.

The Lennard of course relates to the Barrett-Lennards of Belhus. Orsett has the Whitmore Arms taking its name from the Whitmore family of Orsett Hall.

I wonder how many people know of the family who are connected to the Theobald Arms in Argent Street, Grays?

The Theobalds of course is the pub which still retains its stagecoach entrance. It took its name in 1817 from the Theobald family who were one of the largest landowners in Thurrock.

Prior to that date it was known as The Hoy. The Hoy dates back to at least 1769 when George Dandridge was the licensee. He remained there until 1779 when he was succeeded by George Richardson who was licensee until 1781. 1782 saw Mary Richardson as licensee and she was followed in 1783 by the wonderfully named Cornelius Jekyll until 1787.

Inside the Theobalds today.

There is a gap in the records until 1823 when Richard Rygate is shown as resident at the Theobalds in Piggots directory. By 1825 John Wells Carter is licensee until 1828/29 although in1828 William Thompson is listed also as licensee. The next mention is Henry Barnes from 1832-3. Various directories show the Theobalds Arms from 1962 – 1983 as F. Everett.

Who were the Theobalds?

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James Theobald became Lord of the Manor in 1754 purchasing the Manor of Grays Thurrock from Ashley Palmer (no relation to William Palmer). James left it to his wife, Jane, for her lifetime in his will of 1802, then to Thomas Poole, born 1776 who married Charity Smith and died on 12^th March 1859. By 1817 he was holding the manor and had taken the surname of Theobald. He was the son of John Poole born 1740 and Thomasia Theobald born 19^th June 1745. They married in 1772.

She passed away in 1777 and he survived until 1795. In 1843 he owned 800 acres in Thurrock including Grays Hall and Lodge Farms as well as chalk quarries. He then passed the estate on to his son James Theobald born 1800 and died 1871. He in turn left it to his son James who died on 10^th March 1894 after falling under a train.

On the 9^th March 1894 James Theobald, MP for Romford, (1886 to 1894), he was rushing to catch the 2.16p.m. London train from Romford Station.

The train was already in motion when he attempted to board. He fell between the train and the platform. Staff immediately stopped the train and pulled the injured M.P. from underneath. At Theobald's request he was placed on a stretcher and carried to the Golden Lion Hotel.

He was attended by two local doctors and a surgeon from Guys Hospital. He was found to have four fractured ribs, wounds to his head and torso as well as other internal injuries. He rallied briefly but died at 6.02a.m. the next day, 10^th March 1894.

It was of course the Theobalds who leased, what we now know as The Dell to Alfred Russell Wallace in 1871/2.

The drawn-out negotiations frustrated Wallace so much he described the owner James Theobald of Hyde Abbey, Winchester (father of the M.P. James Theobald) as "a horrible old-man-of-the-sea …. who will not answer letters, will not sign an agreement, and keeps me week after week in anxiety". Wallace had to visit him personally in order to complete his purchase.