Also known as the New Inn
The Dolphin Inn or New Inn, hence the name of New Inn Court, was located at 28 Fore Street and is now Fudges Haberdashery.
In 1903 it had a yard with stabling for 15 or 16 horses and plenty of bedroom accommodation. Its licence was transferred to the new Cullompton Hotel in 1931.
It was subsequently empty for several years until becoming the Dolphin Fish and Chip shop in about 1936 selling very good fish and chips. By the 1950s it was Tancock’s Ironmongers and later became Bolhams Dry Cleaners and then the Co-op, Cullompton General Stores and Gone Bananas (closed in 2006)
Timeline for The Dolphin Inn
| Date | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| 1678 | Deeds dated 24 October 1678 and 3 May 1683 held at the Devon Heritage Centre | 74B/MT/596/7 |
| 1739 | Alice Jonslin apprenticed for Thomas Panill the elder for the New Inn | 2404A/PO/91/14 |
| 1766 | Sarah Needs apprenticed to Robert Ellicott for the New Inn late Mr Sheres | 2404A/PO/133/6 |
| 1770 | Title Deeds – Dolphin Inn or New Inn, near the shambles | 74B/MT/596 |
| 1773 | William Osmond apprenticed to Robert Ellicott for the New Inn | 2404A/PO/145/17 |
| 1785 | Title Deeds – Dolphin Inn or New Inn, near the shambles | 74B/MT/597 |
| 1787 | Jane Hill apprenticed to Robert Ellicott senior for the New Inn | 2404A/PO/133/14 |
| 1799 | Sarah Shiles apprenticed to Robert Ellicott for the New Inn | 2404A/PO/145/17 |
| 1823 & 1830 | Ann Woolland | Pigots Trade Directory |
| 1839 Tithe Map | Plot 2273 Owned and occupied by Thomas Wolland | |
| 1841 Census | Thomas Wolland Victualler 45 Devon Charlotte Wolland 45 Thomas Wolland 15 Carpenter’s apprentice John Wolland 6 William Wolland 5 James Wolland 5 Elizabeth Byle 12 Servant Sarah Hyatt 55 Servant John Brooks 20 Servant | |
| 1844 | Thomas Wooland | Pigots |
| 1850 | Thomas Wooland | Whites |
| 1851 Census | Thomas Wolland, 56, maltster and victualler, born Cullompton Charlotte, wife 57 born Cullompton Thomas son 25 Carpenter born Cullompton John son 16 linen draper’s assistant born Cullompton William son 14 scholar born Cullompton Thomas Hannibal? 28? Maltster and Brewer born Halberton Charles Budd house servant 14, born Cullompton | |
| 1852-3 | Thomas Woolland | Slaters |
| 1871 Census | Thomas Wolland 45 licensed victualler and Carpenter born Cullompton Maria wife 30 born Cullompton Tom 16 assistant in inn born Cullompton John 14 Carpenter born Cullompton Bessie 10 scholar Annie 7 scholar born Cullompton Charles 3 born Cullompton William, 2 born Cullompton Sarah, one month, born Cullompton | |
| 1878-79 | Thos Wolland builder and victualler Dolphin Inn | Slaters |
| 1881 Census | Thomas Wolland married 55, Carpenter employing four men born Cullompton Maria wife 48 born Cullompton John son 2 Carpenter born Cullompton Charles son 14 scholar born Cullompton Sarah Wolland daughter 10 scholar born Cullompton Alfred son 8 scholar born Cullompton | |
| 8 Jan 1889 | Sale of Freehold premises Dolphin Inn (see below) | Tiverton Gazette |
| 1891 Census | Edwin Upham 48, innkeeper born Stogumber in Somerset Elizabeth Anne, wife, 45, born Caldicott in Monmouthshire Montague Edwin, son, 12, born Williton in Somerset Mary Jane daughter 10 born Williton Lillian 6 Harold Seymour son 5 Clement John 3 Edward Colston Franks boarder 51 living on own means born Bristol | |
| 1893 | Edwin Upham | Kelly’s Trade Directory |
| 1901 Census | Elizabeth A Upham 54,innkeeper running own business from home, born Caldecot in Monmouthshire; Harold S son 15, cabinet maker’s apprentice born Williton in Somerset; Clement J 13, born in Somerset Stogumber Lillian 16 draper’s apprentice Richard Murch 50, ostler groom servant, born Broadclyst in Devon Elizabeth Matthews Widow 53 Emily H Perry niece Assistant 34 George Wright 20 Ostler,Groom | |
| 1902 | Edwin Upham | Kellys |
| 1910 | John Nex | Kellys |
| 1911 Census | John Nex innkeeper born Cullompton Elizabeth wife 41 sitting in the business born Cullompton Sidney son 20 house painter born Cullompton John son 12 at school born Cullompton; George Biss lodger 68 married Carpenter born Cullompton | |
| 1914 | John Nex | Kellys |
| 1919 | James William Buckingham | Kellys |
| 1923 | James Buckingham | Kellys |
| 19 Feb 1926 | Police Application Against the Dolphin Fails Cullompton licensing Bench on Monday, at the adjourned Licensing Sessions did not uphold he Police objection to the renewal of the licence of the Dolphin Inn. Mr. J. Clist presided. P.S. Wilde said the house was fully licensed and situate in the Fore Street. The population of the parish was 2,737, and there were ten fully licensed houses and one with a six days licence. The Dolphin possessed a bar, kitchen and a small room at the back of the bar on the ground floor, a large yard with stabling for eight horses and five bedrooms. The back of the house was in a very poor condition. The rent was £20 per annum, and the rateable value £19 net and £27 gross. Cross-examined, witness said there was no complaint as to the conduct of the houses. Mr M J McGahey, appearing for Messrs Starkey, Knight and Ford, the owners of the house, pointed out that the ratio of population to licences in the county of Somerset was 272 to each licence and that the average in large industrial centres one in 306. This ratio ought not to be applied to a country district. In 1918, when the licence of the Dolphin was objected to, the magistrates refused to close the house. Mr John Marshall, the licensee of the Dolphin, said he took the house five weeks ago in succession to Mr Buckingham, who was tenant for seven or eight years. Witness had sunk all his capital in the business, and the objection was a bombshell to him. He was quite satisfied with the trade he did and he could see his way to make a living there. There was a great demand for accommodation in his yard, especially on Wednesdays. On the last monthly market day he had 14 horses and traps and two carts put up. Mr E Crease, local manager, for the owners of the house, said there was quite a good trade at the Dolphin and a very big cider trade, which they did not supply. He estimated the beer trade was a barrel and a half a week, and Mr Buckingham had told him he sold a hogshead of cider a week. The Bench, as stated above, decided to renew the licence. | Western Times |
| 22 Jan 1929 | To all whom it may concern I William Marshall, now residing at the Dolphin Inn, Cullompton, in the County of Devon, Innkeeper, Do Hereby Give Notice, that it is my intention to apply at the General Annual Licensing Meeting for the said Division, to be holden at Cullompton on Monday the Eleventh day of February, 1929, for an order sanctioning the provisional removal of a Justices Licence, authorising me to apply for and hold an Excise Licence to sell by retail any intoxicating liquor which may be sold under a Publican’s Licence for the consumption either on or off the premises known as the “Dolphin Inn” aforesaid from such premises to certain premises proposed to be erected on part of the Close of Land adjoining the Exeter Road in Cullompton aforesaid, numbered 962 on the Ordnance Survey Map, and of which premises Messrs Ham Brothers of Whorridge, Cullompton, are the Lessees. | Exeter & Plymouth Gazette |
| 10 Feb 1931 | Brewers Sessions “Four out of the five persons proceeded against for drunkenness in 1930 were strangers” stated Supt. Gill in his report to the annual Licensing Sessions at Cullompton yesterday. The Superintendent said there were in the district 42 fully-licensed houses, five beer houses, and one off-licence, the total of 48 being the same as in 1929. During the year the license of the Dolphin Inn, Cullompton was removed to the Cullompton Hotel, and, therefore, the Dolphin Hotel ceased to exist as a licensed house. |
