William Miles and Harriet Miles
About
Landlord of The Bull (1887–1899), with Harriet Miles (1899–1919)
The Miles family ran The Bull Inn for nearly fifty years, continuing the successful legacy established by John Grout.
William Miles was born around 1846 in Shottisham, a village about five miles south of Woodbridge. Like Grout, he came from humble beginnings—a family of agricultural labourers at a time when the countryside was saturated with workers and opportunities were few. After a stint in domestic service, William found employment as a coachman at Boulge Hall, famously associated with the poet Edward FitzGerald.
William married Harriet Windmill at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge, on May 29th, 1872. At this stage, Harriet was a Housekeeper at The Bull and William was more involved in the horse dealing side of the business. They went on to have three sons: Willie, Ernest, and Mark. It appears that Willie, the eldest, was born at Boulge, while Ernest and Mark were born in Woodbridge.
By the time of the 1881 census, William is listed as a hostler, with Harriet described as the manageress—a clear sign the couple were already deeply involved in running The Bull. At this point, John Grout was still the proprietor, likely focusing on his horse-trading empire while entrusting day-to-day operations of the horse dealing business to William whilst Harriet managed The Bull.
After Grout’s death in 1886, William became landlord in 1887, followed by Harriet, who officially took on the title of landlady from 1899 to 1919. It’s believed that William was a beneficiary of the Grout estate, which helped the family purchase the business.
William also maintained ties with the Italian royal household, and in April 1896, King Umberto I granted The Bull a royal warrant. This recognized 25 years of supplying horses to the royal stables and granted The Bull the right to display the coat of arms of the House of Savoy. Once Umberto ascended the throne, equine dealings were handled via his Masters of the Horse—first the Marquis of Origo, then the Marquis of Corsini who both visited The Bull.
From agricultural labourer to horse dealer and hotel owner, William’s remarkable social ascent is perhaps best captured in a 1897 photograph, where he appears as Worshipful Master of the Woodbridge Doric Lodge (Freemasons).
The Miles family ran The Bull Inn for nearly fifty years, continuing the successful legacy established by John Grout.
William Miles was born around 1846 in Shottisham, a village about five miles south of Woodbridge. Like Grout, he came from humble beginnings—a family of agricultural labourers at a time when the countryside was saturated with workers and opportunities were few. After a stint in domestic service, William found employment as a coachman at Boulge Hall, famously associated with the poet Edward FitzGerald.
William married Harriet Windmill at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge, on May 29th, 1872. At this stage, Harriet was a Housekeeper at The Bull and William was more involved in the horse dealing side of the business. They went on to have three sons: Willie, Ernest, and Mark. It appears that Willie, the eldest, was born at Boulge, while Ernest and Mark were born in Woodbridge.
By the time of the 1881 census, William is listed as a hostler, with Harriet described as the manageress—a clear sign the couple were already deeply involved in running The Bull. At this point, John Grout was still the proprietor, likely focusing on his horse-trading empire while entrusting day-to-day operations of the horse dealing business to William whilst Harriet managed The Bull.
After Grout’s death in 1886, William became landlord in 1887, followed by Harriet, who officially took on the title of landlady from 1899 to 1919. It’s believed that William was a beneficiary of the Grout estate, which helped the family purchase the business.
William also maintained ties with the Italian royal household, and in April 1896, King Umberto I granted The Bull a royal warrant. This recognized 25 years of supplying horses to the royal stables and granted The Bull the right to display the coat of arms of the House of Savoy. Once Umberto ascended the throne, equine dealings were handled via his Masters of the Horse—first the Marquis of Origo, then the Marquis of Corsini who both visited The Bull.
From agricultural labourer to horse dealer and hotel owner, William’s remarkable social ascent is perhaps best captured in a 1897 photograph, where he appears as Worshipful Master of the Woodbridge Doric Lodge (Freemasons).
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