The longest serving landlord of the Angel Hotel was Henry Bott who presided as mine host for 50 years during the middle years of the 19th century although his family was associated with the business for almost 100 years, from 1807 until 1899.

In October 1899, the licence was transferred to Charles Thomas Andrews who remained there for two years. Then in October 1901, a retired army officer, Veterinary-Major William Walls Townson, became the licensee but he died suddenly on 20th July 1902, at the age of 57, under somewhat painful and sudden circumstances. He had gone to Liverpool, his home town, the previous Friday to attend to some business matters, when he was taken ill and died. His body was brought back to Bourne the following Wednesday and the funeral cortege accompanying the coffin proceeded direct from the railway station to the town cemetery where he was buried.

His wife, Mrs Annie Townson, took over and ran the hotel until 1916. She died on 29th December 1934 and was buried in the town cemetery alongside her husband. The hotel under her ownership became a central point for the social life of the town and a guidebook entry of 1910 describes it thus:

"The Angel at Bourne is a very ancient hostelry. As a hotel for guests it can claim to be the oldest in the town. It has been added to as occasion has required. In by-gone times, it was a famous posting house, and livery stables are now an important part of the hotel business. Throughout the hotel there will be found fine specimens of old oak, and several pictures of note, including landscapes by Crome, Herring etc. The accommodation consists of fifteen bedrooms, smoke-room, commercial, coffee, and private sitting-rooms, and a large banqueting-room, where 150 persons can sit down, and which is well adapted for balls. The Hereward Masonic Lodge holds its meetings in this room. Various rent audit dinners and other functions are held at the Angel. Every attention is paid to the comfort of guests, and the cuisine leaves nothing to be desired. At 1.30 on Thursdays a very popular market dinner is served. Head-quarters of the Royal Automobile Club, the Motor Union, the AA and the CTC. The proprietress is Mrs Townson, who has conducted the Angel for the past seven years. She is the widow of the late Vet-Major W W Townson of Liverpool. Tel No 25."

During the last century, the hotel was owned by Trust Houses and the company used it as a proving ground for new managers, enabling them to gain experience of the trade, among them were Saul and Amy Adcock (1937-42), and in recent years there has been a rapidly changing ownership.

REVISED NOVEMBER 2011

See also

Landlady who put the Angel on the map
 

Henry Bott - landlord from 1838 to 1888

Frederick Nash - landlord from 1916 to 1926

David Owen - landlord from 1970 to 1976

 Nick Frankgate - landlord from 2005 to 2006

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