The Robin Hood Hotel

THE ROBIN HOOD HOTEL—Rouge Bouillion, St. Helier

By Philip Ahier

This hostelry at the corner of Val Plaisant and Trinity Hill was a sort of prison during the Bread Riots on May 17th, 1847.

These riots arose as the result of the workers making La Haule Road complaining at the high price of provisions, especially that of bread, compared with the terribly low wages they were receiving at the time, namely 2s. 0d. per day!

These workpeople gathered others from the Ship-building Yards at La Collette and those from the stores on Commercial Buildings and those working on the Pier; they arrived in the Royal Square shouting for cheap bread. The Riot Act was read outside the Royal Court House but this did not prevent the rioters from proceeding to the Town Mill in Grand Vaux which they attacked, grabbing bags of flour and loading two waggons with the commodity.

At this stage, the Constable of St. Helier (Peter Le Sueur) once again read the Riot Act outside the Robin Hood Tavern, 'as it was then known. One of the ringleaders of the rioters was arrested and lodged in the inn, but in the confusion that ensued he escaped by the back door, while the mob was trying to force open the front!

The Military was summoned from Fort Regent and closed the road leading to the Robin Hood Tavern. The carts laden with wheat and flour were 'captured', re-harnessed by horses and taken back to the Mill under military escort.

The Police arrested more rioters and lodged them in the Tavern taking precautions they did not escape!

The prisoners were later transferred to the prison in Gloucester Street and presented before the Royal Court.

A military guard was left outside the Town Mill, the Robin Hood Inn and the general vicinity for a fortnight after the riots.

On Thursday, June 3rd, 1847 fire broke out at the tavern, and before the first engine could reach it, the entire building was ablaze. It was eventually demolished, and replaced by the present building.

The accompanying crayon sketch of the Town Mill Bread Riots was made on the spot by an eye-witness, Mr. Mellish de la Taste then a young man of 24, the brother of Colonel John James de la Taste.

The sketch has an interesting history. After the death of Mr. M. de la Taste, some of his effects found their way into a second-hand shop in the early eighties of the last century.

Colonel de la Taste saw it lying between the window and some `junk' and suspected that it was his brother's drawing. He called in and asked "how much?", he was told and said he would think about it. The shop-keeper replied "better be quick about it as the Societe Jersiaise is after it". Whereupon, the Colonel put a golden sovereign and six shillings upon the counter and thus secured his brother's sketch!

While visiting Mr. M. de la Taste, Jnr., one evening some years ago, the writer noticed the drawing hanging on a wall and asked whether he could get a photographic reproduction thereof, to which Mr. de la Taste readily assented.

During the 1870's, The Robin Hood was the penny omnibus terminus. These were horse-drawn buses which travelled the town area.

The Inn has had a series of owners since it was rebuilt, until 1969, when it was purchased by the Ann Street Brewery Co. Ltd., in whose ownership it has since remained.