John Wyberd is the first owner of the coaching inn built by his family and called The Swan. He was a merchant haberdasher from Essex with business premises in London. There were probably brew-houses on the site, which is opposite the church and on the important London to Boston road, throughout previous centuries.
John’s son, William Wyberd, Master Haberdasher and judge in The High Court of Justice, inherits The Swan which, on his death in 1665, passes to his son, another John. With Charles ll on the throne, the name ‘King’s Head’ may have been in use for a period after the Civil War.
The plaque on the front elevation relates to a major re-modelling in locally sourced brick to create the main elevations visible today. The Fen Artisan Mannerist Style used (c. 1615 – 1675) was the product of a mason rather than an architect’s design. The roof was originally thatched.
The first of many lady owners and innkeepers, Jane Wyberd, inherits from her father, John, marrying Robert Tomlinson in 1705.
After an earlier purchase from a Robert Smith, local widow and owner, Susanna Read, bequeaths the King’s Head to her kinsman, William North.
The King’s Head Inn, previously called The Swan and still owned by North family members, is leased to John Atkinson and comprises 4 shops, 3 barns, 3 stables 1 brew-house, 8 acres of land, 8 acres of meadow, and 8 acres of pasture.
The inn, recorded as The King’s Head (formerly The Swan) is acquired by Samuel Barnard of Mansion House, Boston for £1,100. At some point a John Baldock becomes Innkeeper for the Barnard Family.
The King’s Head is purchased from Barnards of Boston by the trustees of John Baldock and passes to Elizabeth Baldock, his widow, who was listed as Innkeeper following John’s death in 1818. Elizabeth’s daughter inherits the property until her death in 1849 when her husband takes over.
The inn is bought by John Cade. In June John Benton, a brewer who lives and works at The King’s Head, is found drowned in a brewing copper on the premises, having been missing since the previous evening. The coroner records a verdict of suicide due to ‘temporary insanity’.
Annie Smithbone takes over as Innkeeper from her husband Fred who is on active duty throughout the war years and returns to become Innkeeper himself in 1946.
Johnny Cuthbert, originally from Sheffield and an internationally known boxer from 1920 to his retirement in 1934, takes over as tenant and remains at The King’s Head until 1956. He won the British Featherweight Championship in 1920 and was awarded the Lonsdale Belt, the oldest championship belt in British boxing, following three successive wins. During his time at The King’s Head Johnny acts as chief coach and trainer to the Boston Amateur Boxing Club.
Watney Mann Brewery sells The King’s Head to Frederick Peck, ending its use as a coaching inn and public house and turning it into a residential property for the first time in its long history.
The property is bought by Geoffrey and Mary Duff and it remains in their joint ownership until it is sold to Reuben and Jacqueline Gill in 1987 and then to Robert and Maureen Schofield in 1999, who were the last residents of the former King’s Head.
Heritage Lincolnshire purchases the property and starts a fund-raising campaign to ensure that the building is saved.
Following major restoration and conversion the ‘Old King’s Head’ re-opens as a B&B and café with a meeting room for both local residents and future tourists from the UK and abroad.
The history of The Old King's Head and its custodians reflects the cultural heritage of the local area, prosperous landlords and vigorous rivalries between the church, barmen and even their own clientele.
Since reopening The Old King's Head welcomes families and visitors from far and wide to this fascinating and beautiful part of the country.