Douglas Allen Watts & Margery Watts (née Goode)
About
Douglas and Margery Watts were at the helm of The Bull Inn for over thirty years, from 1937 to 1968, guiding it through some of the most challenging decades in modern history, including World War II and the difficult post-war years of austerity and rebuilding. Their story, much like the times they lived through, is one marked by service, resilience, and personal sacrifice.
Douglas was born in Sussex in 1888. When the call to arms came in 1914, he enlisted in the Sussex Yeomanry Regiment and later served with the Royal Sussex Regiment. His military journey took him into the skies with the Royal Flying Corps, earning his wings and serving until the close of World War I. During his time, Douglas was awarded the 1914–15 Star, the Victory Medal, and the British War Medal, testament to the hardship and bravery he endured — including action at Gallipoli, where he landed in late 1915 as part of the reinforcement efforts.
Margery Goode, too, was shaped by the Great War. Born in Sussex in 1900, she was one of seven children. Tragically, one sibling died in infancy, and the war took a heavy toll on her brothers.
Her brother Archibald Goode had emigrated to Canada but returned to serve in the 13th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. After being wounded on the Western Front, he returned home hoping for a new start — only to be claimed by the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.
Another brother, Lynton Goode, had emigrated to Australia and answered the call from Brisbane, joining the Australian Imperial Force. He was among the many who perished during the doomed Gallipoli campaign, dying in August 1915 just months after the initial ANZAC landings.
It was almost exactly two months after Lynton's death that a young Douglas Watts would arrive at Gallipoli himself — another son from Sussex stepping onto the same fatal shores.
Margery had not been entirely without her own quiet manoeuvres, having eventually gained Douglas’s attentions amid a little sibling rivalry.
Douglas and Margery married in 1922, and in 1937 they took over the running of The Bull. Though the public face of the inn was one of cheerful stability, behind the scenes the couple had already weathered immense loss and upheaval.
Their years at The Bull would bring their own challenges — rationing, blackouts, bomb threats — yet Douglas and Margery provided a warm and welcoming haven for the people of Woodbridge throughout. After Douglas’s death in 1956, Margery continued to run The Bull alone until 1968, ensuring that the old inn remained at the heart of the community through thick and thin.
Their lives, spanning two world wars and a global pandemic, reflect the quiet heroism of an era now slipping into history — a reminder of the courage that was required on a day-to-day basis.
With thanks to Jerry Murland and Departed Warriors.
Douglas was born in Sussex in 1888. When the call to arms came in 1914, he enlisted in the Sussex Yeomanry Regiment and later served with the Royal Sussex Regiment. His military journey took him into the skies with the Royal Flying Corps, earning his wings and serving until the close of World War I. During his time, Douglas was awarded the 1914–15 Star, the Victory Medal, and the British War Medal, testament to the hardship and bravery he endured — including action at Gallipoli, where he landed in late 1915 as part of the reinforcement efforts.
Margery Goode, too, was shaped by the Great War. Born in Sussex in 1900, she was one of seven children. Tragically, one sibling died in infancy, and the war took a heavy toll on her brothers.
Her brother Archibald Goode had emigrated to Canada but returned to serve in the 13th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. After being wounded on the Western Front, he returned home hoping for a new start — only to be claimed by the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.
Another brother, Lynton Goode, had emigrated to Australia and answered the call from Brisbane, joining the Australian Imperial Force. He was among the many who perished during the doomed Gallipoli campaign, dying in August 1915 just months after the initial ANZAC landings.
It was almost exactly two months after Lynton's death that a young Douglas Watts would arrive at Gallipoli himself — another son from Sussex stepping onto the same fatal shores.
Margery had not been entirely without her own quiet manoeuvres, having eventually gained Douglas’s attentions amid a little sibling rivalry.
Douglas and Margery married in 1922, and in 1937 they took over the running of The Bull. Though the public face of the inn was one of cheerful stability, behind the scenes the couple had already weathered immense loss and upheaval.
Their years at The Bull would bring their own challenges — rationing, blackouts, bomb threats — yet Douglas and Margery provided a warm and welcoming haven for the people of Woodbridge throughout. After Douglas’s death in 1956, Margery continued to run The Bull alone until 1968, ensuring that the old inn remained at the heart of the community through thick and thin.
Their lives, spanning two world wars and a global pandemic, reflect the quiet heroism of an era now slipping into history — a reminder of the courage that was required on a day-to-day basis.
With thanks to Jerry Murland and Departed Warriors.
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