John and Mary Salmon
About
John Salmon (1830 - 1851) and Mary Salmon (1851–1861) were owners of The Bull Inn for more than three decades in the mid-19th century. Together, they oversaw the inn through the reign of King William IV and the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838.
John was born in Timberhill, Norwich, and Mary near Framlingham, Suffolk. They married in 1827 at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge, and went on to have two children: George Pearl Salmon (born 1829) and Mary Pearl Salmon (born 1831).
During their tenure, The Bull Inn became known for its formal dinners and lively community presence. Dignitaries such as Lord Rendlesham and Archdeacon Ormerod were among its guests, enjoying fine food and wines — usually served by the pint!
The era also brought national change. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, passed during William IV's reign, was a landmark moment. A key figure in this movement, John Clarkson, Royal Navy officer and abolitionist, lived in Woodbridge and is buried at St Mary’s. He was Governor of Sierra Leone and co-founder of Freetown — a haven for freed African-Americans. A blue plaque now commemorates him on the former Barclays Bank building at the bottom of Church Street.
The coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 was celebrated with great ceremony in Woodbridge, with over 5,000 people gathering on Market Hill for a street party — an event supported by local businesses, including The Bull.
John Salmon was deeply involved in local civic and spiritual life. He became a Churchwarden at St Mary’s, actively supported church fundraising, and was a member of both the Doric Freemasons Lodge and the Loyal Deben Lodge of Odd Fellows, becoming Worshipful Master in 1837.
John Salmon died of a stroke in 1858 at the age of 56. His funeral was a significant occasion, attended by around 600 mourners, with shops around Market Hill closing as a mark of respect. At the time of his death, he owned both The Bull Inn and The Crown Hotel.
A trusted presence at The Bull for decades was John Grout, who joined the inn as a teenage ‘boots’ and is recorded in the 1841 census. By 1851, he was a hostler, and by 1861, a horse dealer — still at The Bull. He clearly took on increasing responsibility, particularly after John Salmon’s death.
Mary Salmon, by then widowed, continued to run The Bull until 1859, increasingly relying on Grout. By 1861, she had arranged a lease for him to take over as landlord. A public announcement that May marked the transition after her 34 years of residence at The Bull. Grout would later purchase the inn outright in 1877, after Mary’s passing, for £3,000.
Their son, George Pearl Salmon, moved to London by the age of 21, becoming a successful distiller and wine & spirit merchant. He married another Mary from Woodbridge, twelve years his junior, and died at the age of 54.
In 1884, perhaps out of loyalty and affection for the family he had served for decades, John Grout married the widowed Mary Salmon (née Wade) — George’s widow — further cementing his long-standing connection to the Salmon legacy and The Bull Inn.
John was born in Timberhill, Norwich, and Mary near Framlingham, Suffolk. They married in 1827 at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge, and went on to have two children: George Pearl Salmon (born 1829) and Mary Pearl Salmon (born 1831).
During their tenure, The Bull Inn became known for its formal dinners and lively community presence. Dignitaries such as Lord Rendlesham and Archdeacon Ormerod were among its guests, enjoying fine food and wines — usually served by the pint!
The era also brought national change. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, passed during William IV's reign, was a landmark moment. A key figure in this movement, John Clarkson, Royal Navy officer and abolitionist, lived in Woodbridge and is buried at St Mary’s. He was Governor of Sierra Leone and co-founder of Freetown — a haven for freed African-Americans. A blue plaque now commemorates him on the former Barclays Bank building at the bottom of Church Street.
The coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 was celebrated with great ceremony in Woodbridge, with over 5,000 people gathering on Market Hill for a street party — an event supported by local businesses, including The Bull.
John Salmon was deeply involved in local civic and spiritual life. He became a Churchwarden at St Mary’s, actively supported church fundraising, and was a member of both the Doric Freemasons Lodge and the Loyal Deben Lodge of Odd Fellows, becoming Worshipful Master in 1837.
John Salmon died of a stroke in 1858 at the age of 56. His funeral was a significant occasion, attended by around 600 mourners, with shops around Market Hill closing as a mark of respect. At the time of his death, he owned both The Bull Inn and The Crown Hotel.
A trusted presence at The Bull for decades was John Grout, who joined the inn as a teenage ‘boots’ and is recorded in the 1841 census. By 1851, he was a hostler, and by 1861, a horse dealer — still at The Bull. He clearly took on increasing responsibility, particularly after John Salmon’s death.
Mary Salmon, by then widowed, continued to run The Bull until 1859, increasingly relying on Grout. By 1861, she had arranged a lease for him to take over as landlord. A public announcement that May marked the transition after her 34 years of residence at The Bull. Grout would later purchase the inn outright in 1877, after Mary’s passing, for £3,000.
Their son, George Pearl Salmon, moved to London by the age of 21, becoming a successful distiller and wine & spirit merchant. He married another Mary from Woodbridge, twelve years his junior, and died at the age of 54.
In 1884, perhaps out of loyalty and affection for the family he had served for decades, John Grout married the widowed Mary Salmon (née Wade) — George’s widow — further cementing his long-standing connection to the Salmon legacy and The Bull Inn.
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