An Historical Guide to the Pubs and Licensees of Oxford City

In 1883 a map was published, entitled 'Drink Map of Oxford' which showed the locations of all licensed premises in Victorian Oxford. This was not a map intended to guide drinkers to places to sample or buy alcohol however - this was produced by the Temperance Movement and its purpose was to show that licensed premises were most densely located in the poorer areas of the city. The accompanying text on the reverse of the map begins by stating: "The Drink Map of Oxford makes bare the fact that few, if any, other towns in the kingdom are so liberally supplied with houses for the sale of intoxicants as this ancient city." On seeing the second edition of the map (published by the Bodleian Library in 2019), author Douglas Rudlin was inspired to write this guide in an attempt to give a name and address (both old and current) to each licensed premises as none of the locations marked on the map are identified. Out of 268 'Full Licensed Houses' and 'Beer Houses' Douglas has identified 246 and many entries include the first historic reference to the premises, changes in name, details of their sale/purchase, and a list of many of the recorded licensees up to around 1939 (often including other profession, with spouse and family information if known). Details on whether the premises was demolished, redeveloped (and what stands on that location today) or if it still exists as a pub also appears.