In 1927 the historic Cowherds Inn was owned and run by the ‘People’s Refreshment House Association Ltd (PRHA)
Posted by Highfield Residents' Association on Aug 9, 2021 in Local History | 0 comments“In 1927 the historic Cowherds Inn was owned and run by the ‘People’s Refreshment House Association ltd’ (PRHA)”
Get to know more about the historic Cowherds Inn in the 1900s from William Burns of Southampton Sotonians and Friends 
The Cowherds c1927
“it didn’t catch on”
What better, than on a lovely 1920’s summer day than to take your automobile up to the Common to partake of a Shandy or two… or could you?
In 1927 the historic Cowherds Inn was owned and run by the ‘People’s Refreshment House Association ltd’ (PRHA)
The PRHA was founded in 1896 by Francis John Jayne (1845-1921) Francis was the Bishop of Chester. One of the aims of the PRHA was to encourage temperance at Inns and pubs by serving non alcoholic beverages, the problem with the PRHA’s aims was that most of our pubs were tied to the breweries that owned/operated them, however ‘Free Houses’ with no ties were good targets for the PRHA to progress their philosophy of abstinence. Francis even wrote a book entitled ‘Successful Public House Reform’, sadly all of Francis’s hard work was to play havoc with his health.
Are Alcohol Free pubs really pubs as we all know them ?
“it didn’t catch on” in Southampton that’s for sure, as there had already been plenty of temperance hotels in the town which catered for those adverse to alcohol.
Sotonians and friends continue to enjoy a Shandy on the Common 
