Category Archives: Clubs

Burnett Bullock

The King’s Head pub was renamed the Burn Bullock in 1975 by the owners Ind Coope. ‘Burn’ was the shortened name of its licensee, Burnett Bullock, who died in 1954. His widow carried on the pub business until she retired in 1975. The brewery renamed the pub in their honour.

The Burn Bullock pub sign, photo taken July 2017

He and his wife Lilian became licensees of the King’s Head on 20th January, 1941. They had previously been joint licensees of the Regent’s Arms in London’s West End. Her parents, Mr & Mrs Card, owned the baker’s shop across the road from the King’s Head. Burnett’s father was surveyor in the Mitcham Urban District Council.
(Source: EN Montague, pages 38-39 of Mitcham Histories: 1 The Cricket Green.)

From 300 Years of Mitcham Cricket, a historical record by Tom Higgs, published in 1985:

The former Secretary, Burn Bullock Snr. had produced a worthy son and Burn Bullock Jnr was to score his first century on the Green when only fifteen years of age. Two years later he was a regular member of Mitcham’s 1st XI. The War interrupted Burn Bullock’s cricket career but when he returned to Mitcham in 1919 he lopped the Club’s averages and played occasionally for Surrey 11s. Burn joined the Oval staff as a professional in 1921 but those were the vintage days of Surrey batsmen with the likes of Jack Hobbs, Andrew Sandham, Andy Ducat and Tom Shepherd available. Burn Bullock had few opportunities with the County side and had to content himself with Minor Counties cricket. He left the Oval in 1926 to become cricket coach on a Norfolk estate and in his first season there made 1500 runs and took 50 wickets before bringing the Norfolk side down to see his beloved Mitcham Green.

Three years later Burn Bullock returned south, became a licensed victualler, and in due course took over the King’s Head, next door to Mitcham’s pavilion. In addition to playing for Mitcham, Burn also skippered the powerful North and South of the Thames Licensed Victuallers XI and score some fifteen centuries with them. But excellent as was his playing ability it was for his outstanding service off the field that Burn Bullock is remembered in Mitcham. He served as player, committee member, Hon. Secretary and Match Secretary. Each year he brought the county side sown to the Green to play a charity match for the local hospital and raised substantial sums by this means. At the time of his death in 1954 Burn Bullock was one of the Club’s most distinguished Vice-Presidents.


From the Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser, 21st April 1954

Mr B. Bullock leaves £2,591

Mr Burnett Wedlake BULLOCK, licensee of the King’s Head, Mitcham, former Surrey cricketer, who died on 21st December last, left £2,591 gross, £2,134 net value. Probate has been granted to his widow Lilian J. Bullock, of the same address.

Lilian Bullock’s obituary was published in the Mitcham Cricket Club Yearbook for 1977.

1950 : Mitcham Boxing Club’s best bill of the season

From the Mitcham News and Mercury, 27th January, 1950, page 5

Men In Khaki Up From Aldershot

Men in khaki from the Aldershot area came to Mitcham Baths on Wednesday of last week to provide Mitcham Boxing Club’s best bill of the season. Programme ended at 11 p.m. after 16 bouts, and there were still more lined up.

Ironically, pride of place for the evening must go to a loser. Thirty-five-years-old Pte. DOWDLEISH (A.C.C.) made his first appearance in the ring for five years, and found himself opposite the heavy-shouldered, hard-punching Ron KENCHINGTON (Earlsfield). Using a foxy cleverness born of experience, and snatching a breather whenever possible, he stayed out of trouble, but could not completely hold a determined Kenchington. Dowdleish, in defence, gave glimpses of an attractive boxing past.

Harry DUFFIN (Earlsfield) smashed his way to a points victory over Pte. GIBSON (R.A.S.C.). as the last bell sounded he pulled the limp soldier off the ropes and led him to his corner.

L-Cpl. W. BOWDERY (Mitcham and 14-20th Hussars) dominated the last two rounds of his bout with Cpl. SLOANE (R.A.O.C.), and it was stopped in the last round, with the Ordnance man reeling around the ring.

Mitcham’s Alf BLACKIE launched a series of right-hand punches to the head in an attempt to swing the decision in his bout with A. HUNT (Caius), but failed narrowly.

Bouncing Stan WARD (Earlsfield), with his piston-like left hand, out-pointed a tearway Cpl. WOOD (R.A.O.C.). Despite going down in the first round, Ward weathered a stormy two-fisted attack to win convincingly.

The crossed-arm defence of L-Cpl. Peter HARRIS (Earlsfield and K.R.R.C.) was not sufficient to prevent him losing on points to L-Cpl. CLARKE (R.E.). Clarke was guilty of a little accidental low punching, but both men finished on the best of terms.

Results on points: Sgt. WOOD (1st Para. Bn.) bt J. HICKS (Mitcham); A.C. R. PATCHING (Mitcham and R.A.F.) bt. Sapper HERBERT (R.E.); D. TAFFURELLI (canterbury and Lilleshall) bt Rfn. MORGAN (K.R.R.C.); Pte. BARTON (R.A.O.C.) bt W.T. BOWDERY (Mitcham); Pte. HUNTER (A.C.C.) bt W. SEALE (Mitcham); Pte. EVANS (S.L.I.) bt R. MOORE (Coulsdon and Purley); G. COUSINS (Earlsfield) bt Pte. TERENCE (R.A.O.C.); H. LEWIS (Earlsfield) bt Pte. DAGLEISH (A.C.C.); Pte. MURRAY (R.A.O.C.) bt E. RANDALL (Mitcham).

L-Col. CLARKE (R.E.) bt P. McCARTHY (Coulsdon), with McCarthy disqualified in the last round for lying on his man.