THE Crown & Thistle pub at Headington, Oxford, owed its success largely to the Lee family, who ran it for a total of 82 years.

As we reported, the pub in Old Road shut its doors on New Year’s Eve after the Greene King brewery decided it was no longer viable, ending 400 years of history.

The pub was originally called Titup Hall, taking its name from the little known Headington hamlet of Titup, in which it was situated.

It gained importance as a hostelry and coaching inn as it was on the main route between Oxford and London, crossing Shotover.

According to historian Derek Honey’s book, An Encyclopaedia of Oxford Pubs, Inns and Taverns, it had strong Royal connections.

Queen Elizabeth I was greeted there when she visited Oxford, as was King Charles I in 1624.

On April 26, 1669, a Stagecoach called the ‘Flying Coach’ left the pub and became the first to reach London the same day.

Two of the six passengers on board were Oxford diarist Anthony Wood and Richard Holloway, who later became a judge.

Stagecoaches had to run the risk of being held up by highwaymen, who were notorious in and around Shotover in the 17th century.

The pub changed its name to the Crown & Thistle in 1854, and few hostelries could have had such a long connection with one family.

Graham Lee, of Garsington, tells me: “My great great great grandfather, William Lee, was the landlord from 1892 and it remained in his family for 84 years.

“William Lee was previously the parish clerk in Cowley, before he took his family to Old Road.”

William died in 1917 and was succeeded by his son, Frank. When he died in 1927, his wife Elizabeth took over. On her death in 1934, her son, another Frank, took charge and carried on the family tradition for a further 42 years.

When he retired in 1976, he recalled that he had been born in the pub and started serving behind the bar at the age of 10.

He told the Oxford Mail he was sorry that the family’s long link with the pub was being broken.

He said: “I am badly crippled with arthritis, so I suppose this was inevitable.”

Any memories of the Crown & Thistle to share with readers? Write and let me know.