Does anyone have any history of this pub? What family owned it etc.

Hi Jill, welcome to the forum & website.

You may know that the pub has closed and is owned by the Salvation Army. Its a shame that yet another local pub has been forced to close, but I do find this twist of ownership rather amusing.

Hopefully you've already searched this site and forum for relevant posts and so found;
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/coleford/pages/page_35.html

This old thread relates to the same road and includes the 1901 Census for the pub when George Niblett was landlord.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=5355

As Mike's posted, probably the best online source for local pub histories is Geoff Sandles' excellent GlosPubs site, luckily it includes a fair amount of history and photos for the "Bird in Hand", the landlady in 1891 was a Mary Marling;
Unusually this particular pub’s page can be accessed direct from a link,
http://www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk/AllGlosPubsDatabase/RAIGConnection.php?pubid1=1230

Heather Hurley’s reference book on FoD pubs adds nothing to the above, except describing Mary’s 1890s establisment as “a modest beer-house” which probably originated as one of the “beerhouses” listed in the 1841 Broadwell census.
This “official” history for Broadwell doesn’t clearly mention the pub by name,
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol17/pp20-59

The Morris & Co. Commercial Directory & Gazetteer of West Dean 1876 includes this entry under "Broadwell",
"MARLIN Mrs. Mary, beer retailer"
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/westdean1876.htm

The 1870 Kelly's Directory includes the pub's name in her entry, under Lane End.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/westdean1870.htm

I cannot find Mary Marling in the 1891 Census using Ancestry's search engine, so instead I've searched out the Niblett family, then browsed the Census images to eventually find her. Ancestry clearly has technical issues with the Broadwell Lane End area, their transcripts are not correctly synchronised with the images, and finding Mary on the 1881 Census was even harder !!??. This isn't helped by the various websites struggling to consider Marling and Marlin as "soundalikes" !

Ah well, here they are;

1871 Census, Bird in Hand, Broadwell Lane End.
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
Mary Marlin Head 55 1816 Female Beerhouse keeper Croydon Surrey England
Mary Ann Williams Daughter 16 1855 Female Beerhouse keeper. West Dean Gloucestershire England

1881 Census, Bird In Hand, Lane End, West Dean
Given Name Surname Relationship to Head Marital Status Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Occupation Birth City Birth County Birth Country
Mary Martin Head Widow 65 1816 Female Inn Keeper Croydon
William Blanch Son Widower 41 1840 Male Assistant Inn Keeper Newland Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Blanch Granddaughter 14 1867 Female Scholar Newland Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Aston Servant 25 1856 Female Servant Dom West Dean

1891 Census, Broadwell Lane End, West Dean.
Given Name Surname Relationship Gender Age Estimated Birth Year Birth City or District Birth County Birth Country
Mary Marlin Head Female Widow 75 Innkeeper 1816 Clerkenwell Middlesex England
Maria Rann Sister Female 65 1826 Ret Housekeeper Clerkenwell Middlesex England
Elizabeth Blanche Granddaughter Female 24 1867 Barmaid Coleford Gloucestershire England
William J Blanche Grandson Male 25 1866 Roadman Coleford Gloucestershire England
Emma Smith Granddaughter Female 11 1880 Coleford Scholar Gloucestershire England
Emma Roberts Servant Female 20 1871 Ruardean General Domestic servant Gloucestershire England

And from GlosBMD, just prior to Geo Niblett taking charge;

Death Details
Surname Given Names Age Year Died District Register Entry
MARLIN Mary 82 1898 Monmouth, Coleford 28 377

Some information here for 1891. Go into the Pubs Database and search Bird in Hand.

http://www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk/FeatureFiller/index.php

1881 Census, Bird In Hand, Lane End, West Dean
Given Name Surname Relationship to Head Marital Status Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Occupation Birth City Birth County Birth Country
Mary Martin Head Widow 65 1816 Female Inn Keeper Croydon
William Blanch Son Widower 41 1840 Male Assistant Inn Keeper Newland Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Blanch Granddaughter 14 1867 Female Scholar Newland Gloucestershire England
Elizabeth Aston Servant 25 1856 Female Servant Dom West Dean

1891 Census, Broadwell Lane End, West Dean.
Given Name Surname Relationship Gender Age Estimated Birth Year Birth City or District Birth County Birth Country
Mary Marlin Head Female Widow 75 Innkeeper 1816 Clerkenwell Middlesex England
Maria Rann Sister Female 65 1826 Ret Housekeeper Clerkenwell Middlesex England
Elizabeth Blanche Granddaughter Female 24 1867 Barmaid Coleford Gloucestershire England
William J Blanche Grandson Male 25 1866 Roadman Coleford Gloucestershire England
Emma Smith Granddaughter Female 11 1880 Coleford Scholar Gloucestershire England
Emma Roberts Servant Female 20 1871 Ruardean General Domestic servant Gloucestershire England

This site's PRs include some of the afore-mentioned family members,

Record_ID: 103463
Entry_Number:
Year: 1867
Month: Feb
Day: 21
Parents_Surname: BLANCH
Child_Forenames: Elizabeth
Fathers_Forenames: W[illia]m
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born 7 Dec 1866
Notes:
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 88
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

Record_ID: 27370
Entry_Number:
Year: 1864
Month: Aug
Day: 21
Grooms_Surname: BLANCH
Grooms_Forenames: William
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition:
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: 5 Acres
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: TYLER
Brides_Forenames: Emma
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition:
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Berry Hill
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns:
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark:
Witness_1:
Witness_2:
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: Any abbreviated forenames have been expanded to the full name
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 97
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex_Groom: B452
Soundex_Bride: T460

Record_ID: 103409
Entry_Number:
Year: 1865
Month: Jul
Day: 27
Parents_Surname: BLANCH
Child_Forenames: William Richard
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born 11 Jun 1865
Notes: Any abbreviated forenames have been expanded to the full name
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 85
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

Record_ID: 103463
Entry_Number:
Year: 1867
Month: Feb
Day: 21
Parents_Surname: BLANCH
Child_Forenames: Elizabeth
Fathers_Forenames: W[illia]m
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born 7 Dec 1866
Notes:
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 88
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

Record_ID: 103509
Entry_Number:
Year: 1868
Month: Oct
Day: 15
Parents_Surname: BLANCH
Child_Forenames: Emma
Fathers_Forenames: W[illia]m
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 90
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

I think this William is the correct fit for our widower in the 1881 Census above.

Record_ID: 61841
Entry_Number: 644
Year: 1881
Month: Apr
Day: 6
Surname: BLANCH
Forenames: William
Residence: Labourer
Age_at_death: 41
Officiating_Minister: Robert Stevens
Event: Interment
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: (1) Broadwell Lane End (2) South Div'n Adults Gr (3) Q 17 (4) Unconsecrated (5) West Dean
Notes:
Register_Reference: DA25/204/2
Page_No: 33
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Cemetery
Soundex: B452

The poor man didn't enjoy the happiest of a short life !

Record_ID: 78338
Entry_Number:
Year: 1866
Month: Feb
Day: 2
Surname: BLANCH
Forenames: William Richard
Residence:
Age_at_death: infant
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: died 30 Jan son of W[illia]m and Emma
Notes: Any abbreviated forenames have been expanded to the full name
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_No: 113
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

I wonder if the following deaths were accidental and reported in the newspapers ?

Record_ID: 61352
Entry_Number: 159
Year: 1871
Month: Nov
Day: 16
Surname: Blanch
Forenames: Emma
Residence: Wife of Wm Blanch
Age_at_death: 35
Officiating_Minister: R Stevens
Event: Interment
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: (1) Poolway near Coleford (2) South Div'n Adults Gr (3) Q 18 (4) Unconsecrated (5)
Notes:
Register_Reference: DA25/204/2
Page_No: 8
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Cemetery
Soundex: B452

Record_ID: 61354
Entry_Number: 161
Year: 1871
Month: Nov
Day: 25
Surname: Blanch
Forenames: Emma
Residence: Dau[ghte]r of Wm Blanch
Age_at_death: 3
Officiating_Minister: Rob[er]t Stevens
Event: Interment
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: (1) Poolway near Coleford (2) South Div'n Adults Gr (3) Q 19 west (4) Unconsecrated (5)
Notes:
Register_Reference: DA25/204/2
Page_No: 8
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Cemetery
Soundex: B452

Thus far I'm struggling to connect the BLANCH family with Mary Marlin wrt the Census claims of mother & son etc.

Also in the 1891 household was William J Blanch b1865, of different parents again ? ;

Record_ID: 103395
Entry_Number:
Year: 1865
Month: May
Day: 18
Parents_Surname: BLANCH
Child_Forenames: William John
Fathers_Forenames: Elijah
Mothers_Forenames: Harriet
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Born 24 Apr 1865
Notes: Any abbreviated forenames have been expanded to the full name
Register_Reference: D5533 1/1
Page_Number: 84
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Congregational
Soundex: B452

??

Record_ID: 3960
Entry_Number: 271
Year: 1896
Month: Sep
Day: 24
Grooms_Surname: BLANCH
Grooms_Forenames: William John
Grooms_Age: 30
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Sanitary Inspector
Grooms_Residence: Coleford
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Blanch
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Elijah (deceased)
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Roadman
Brides_Surname: ROACH
Brides_Forenames: Frances Mary
Brides_Age: 27
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Coleford
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Roach
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Joseph
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Quarryman
Licence_or_Banns: [not stated]
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Joseph Roach
Witness_2: Elizabeth Maria Blanch
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: A W Cornwall
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/11
Page_Number: 136
Parish_Chapel: Coleford
Soundex_Groom: B452
Soundex_Bride: R200

Is Elijah the brother to the William who married Emma Tyler, and are witnesses at Elijah's marriage ?

Record_ID: 14749
Entry_Number: 38
Year: 1863
Month: Oct
Day: 31
Grooms_Surname: BLANCH
Grooms_Forenames: Elijah
Grooms_Age: 26
Groom_Condition: Batchelor
Grooms_Occupation: Labourer
Grooms_Residence: Lane End
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Blanch
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: William
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Quarryman
Brides_Surname: COOK
Brides_Forenames: Harriett
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Pillowell
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Cook
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: John
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Labourer
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: William Blanch
Witness_2: Emma Tyler
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Jo[hn] Jo[seph] Elsworth incumbent
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P245 IN 1/21
Page_Number: 19
Parish_Chapel: Parkend
Soundex_Groom: B452
Soundex_Bride: C200

Searching Elijah in the Census also finds William, the form doesn't list William as a son-in-law specifically, but... ??
(Here John and in 1871 Elijah are both roadmen, a trend in this family)

1851 Census, Five Acres, West Dean.
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth Place
John Williams Head 45 1806 Male Road labourer. Newland, Gloucestershire, England
Mary Williams Wife 37 1814 Female London, England
Elizah Blanch Son-in-law 14 1837 Male Newland, Gloucestershire, England
William Blanch 11 1840 Male Newland, Gloucestershire, England
Wilson Williams 4 1847 Male Newland, Gloucestershire, England
Maria Williams 8 Mo 1850 Female Newland, Gloucestershire, England

Note that by 1861 John is an Innkeeper, and his wife Mary is born in London c1815, so clearly this is Mary Marlin, and William is her son.

1861 Census, Five Acres, West Dean
Given Name Surname Relationship Age Estimated Birth Year Gender Birth City Birth County Birth Country
John Williams Head 60 1801 Male Innkeeper Newland Gloucestershire England
Mary Williams Wife 45 1816 Female Lambeth Surrey England
William Blanch Son-in-law 21 1840 Male Labourer Newland Gloucestershire England
Maria Williams Daughter 10 1851 Female West Dean Gloucestershire England
Mary Ann Williams Daughter 6 1855 Female West Dean Gloucestershire England

Record_ID: 28057
Entry_Number: 52
Year: 1842
Month: Dec
Day: 11
Grooms_Surname: WILLIAMS
Grooms_Forenames: John
Grooms_Age: Full
Groom_Condition: Widower
Grooms_Occupation: Labourer
Grooms_Residence: Berry Hill
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Williams
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: W[illia]m.
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Farmer
Brides_Surname: BLANCH
Brides_Forenames: Mary
Brides_Age: Full
Brides_Condition: Widow
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Berry Hill
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Rann[?]
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: W[illia]m.
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Whip Maker
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: He marks she signs
Witness_1: Peter Darby
Witness_2: Margaret Darby
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Frederick Stonhouse Curate
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P175 IN 1/7
Page_Number: 26
Parish_Chapel: Hewelsfield
Soundex_Groom: W452
Soundex_Bride: B452

Note that Mary Blanch is a widow, her father is shown here as "Rann ?", as per her sister Maria's surname in the 1891 Census.

Searching Mary's marriage to a Marlin;

Record_ID: 2399
Entry_Number: 174
Year: 1865
Month: Jul
Day: 23
Grooms_Surname: MARLIN
Grooms_Forenames: James
Grooms_Age: full
Groom_Condition: Widower
Grooms_Occupation: Publican
Grooms_Residence: Lane End
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Marlin
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Quarryman
Brides_Surname: WILLIAMS
Brides_Forenames: Mary
Brides_Age: full
Brides_Condition: Widow
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Five Acres
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Rann ?
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: William
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Whipmaker
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: William Blanch
Witness_2: Mark of John Jones
Other_Witnesses: None
Officiating_Minister: W. H. Taylor
Event: Marriage
Memoranda: -
Notes: -
Register_Reference: PFC82 IN 1/7
Page_Number: 87
Parish_Chapel: Christchurch
Soundex_Groom: M645
Soundex_Bride: W452

Mary would be widowed again before the 1871 Census;

Record_ID: 88974
Entry_Number: 800
Year: 1868
Month: May
Day: 23
Surname: MARLIN
Forenames: James
Residence: Lane End
Age_at_death: 57
Officiating_Minister: W.H.Taylor
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P82 IN 1/13
Page_No: 100
Parish_Chapel: Christchurch
Soundex: M645