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 Hotel - Crown and Anchor, Lambton
Quay
The Crown and Anchor Hotel located centrally was an
important place in Wellington for entertainment and
 meetings, both social and political. The licensee
in March 1843 was John Eades
Bannister. "Well attended meetings
were held in the Crown and Anchor at Lambton Quay to
promote the cause of "village
settlements." In Dec. 1853 at the Crown and Anchor, a special
crowded meeting gave excited subscribers the opportunity to ballot
for their choice of land in the townships and by early 1854, the
settlers were preparing to take the journey across the Rimutaka Range to
their holdings in the yet unnamed Small Farm townships of the
Wairarapa plains. Two on the committee, Charles Carter and Joseph Master
were honoured by having a town named after
them. Featherston was
first known as Burlings, after Henry Burling, who opened an accommodation
house but in 1856 the provincial government surveyed the spot for a town,
they named it after its superintendent, Isaac
Featherston.  The Prosser
brothers purchased the Crown and Anchor from licensee Charles
Meritt July 1868 and John and James jointly held the license
until James became sole licensee from Apr
1870 until March 1875 when Samuel Prosser took over
until Jun 1876 when the hotel was on-sold to H Bennett
and a
public sale of
contents was
held. During the 8 years of
ownership, all the Prosser family members were involved in various ways
with both the hotel operation and running the various
livery operations - the White Horse Repository across from the Crown
and Anchor on Lambton Quay owned by John and James -which later was
expanded and in Mar. 1870, it's name was again changed - it became
the American Horse Repository plus running the New Zealander
Stables. A network of routes for passengers soon
covered the Wellington area.
 Publicity - Regular
advertisements advertising the hotel and horses were inserted to keep
their name in the public eye and to have a bit of fun,
staged several stunts! James, a brilliant horseman, was appointed
clerk of Course for the Wellington race Club in
1867.30 May 1869; A trotting match between
Prosser's black horse Flatcatcher and Fawn's brown horse Railroad
held from Petoni (sic) Beach to the Thistle Inn, Mulgrave St., Wellington
resulted in a victory for Flatcatcher. Stakes were £10 a side.
2 Jun 1868
There followed a pony race,
£15 a side, between Hickling's Chizzler ridden by Sandy and James
Prosser's Flatcatcher ridden by the owner from the Hutt Bridge
to Kaiwarra - Flatcatcher was an easy
winner. 12 Dec 1869: A evening raffle - the prize a champion trotting
pony "Little Wonder" with a new buggy at 8 o'clock sharp at Prosser's
Crown and Anchor Hotel
Problems - these
come with any business dealing
 with the public - July 1868 a hotel thief already convicted prior for hotel
theft, entered the bedroom of William Prosser, a
billiard-marker at the Crown and Anchor Hotel, and extracted from his
waistcoat his gold watch, chain, two bits of greenstone, one gold coin,
and a golden trinket - property
valued abt £15. Sentenced to 2 years imprisonment
with hard labor.
Aug 1869: While having tea, James heard a crash and running to
the bar found all the glasses and decanters being pushed off the by
drunken sailor, singing loudly
Accidents they
happened:
Jul 1868: Last Tuesday, Mr Prosser, landlord of the
Crown and Anchor hotel, met with, what might have proved a serious
accident. He was driving back from the Hutt with several friends in a
buggy, when one of the shaft bolts gave way, and was thrown violently to
the ground. Fortunately no serious injury was sustained, although the
vehicle passed over him - he was considerably bruised and shaken.
May 1869: James Prosser was
charged with allowing a chimnery of the Crown and Anchor Hotel to take
fire explained that the chimney was kept clean enough, and that the fire
was the result of accident. A boarder in the house had incautiously poured
some kerosene on the fire, thereby causing the flare. The Bench said it
was necessary to take some notice of these things, but would only impose a
mitigated fine of 5s.
Apr 1870: Mr James Prosser, the landlord of the Crown and
Anchor Hotel while driving in Manners street met with an unfortunate
accident. He and a lady were in a buggy and the horse being slightly
restive, the lady jumped out. The horse then bolted, and Mr Prosser was
kicked in the leg. We are glad to say he is rapidly recovering.  Public Service - Maori Wars: Nov
1868 - Commander Captain Handley, late of the Scots Greys. "We the
undersigned are desirous of offering our services to the Government as a
Mounted Troop, under certain rules and regulations to be determined at a
preliminary meeting." Among those volunteer names were John Prosser,
Samuel Prosser and James
Prosser.
Fire Service: Up to
1865 when Wellington had its own volunteer fire brigade an act stated each houshold had
to keep 2 buckets of water ready to use if a fire broke
out.
The first
manual fire engine was under the control of the police and the
brigade were supplied with manual pumps. Came the acquisition
of steam fire engine and Prosser horses were close on hand to pull
them.
 11 Sep 1869: C.V.F. Brigade.— At the meeting at
the Odd Fellows' Hall before the chairman Capt. Moss proceeded
with the evening's business, he made a presentation of a whip to Mr
Samuel Prosser, on behalf of the officers and members of the Central
Volunteer Fire Brigade as a token of their esteem, to show how highly they
appreciated the energy and untiring efforts that he
always displayed by having horses always in readiness in cases of
fires so enabling members to carry out the speedy arrival of
the engine at the scene of conflagration. We deeply deplore the loss that
you recently sustained by the death of a valuable horse in conveying the
Wellington Brigade's engine to the last fire, and earnestly hope that this
misfortune will not deprive us of your valuable services for the future.
Mr S. Prosser made a suitable reply, thanking the members for theer
present. The whip was handsomely silver mountod, bearing this inscription
"Presented to Mr S. Prosser by the members of the C.V.F. Brigade in
recognition of valuable services rendered by himself and horses on all
occasions of fires in Wellington."
Samuel Prosser was unanimously elected Volunteer
Fire Brigade driver: 8 Nov 1871
Celebrations:
Mar 1869: Wellington was gearing up to organise a welcome the Duke of
Edinburgh, Prince Alfred and preparations for his reception were being
made including dinner, ball etc. Noted among the decorations "We are
glad to see that some of our enterprising citizens intend to welcome the
Royal Duke and show their loyalty by decorating their windows and the
exterior of their houses with flags and transparencies. We observed
amongst others a transparency for Mr Prosser of the Crown and Anchor Hotel
- it measures 14ft by 10ft, and represents a state galley with the Prince
in the front." Carriages from Prosser stables were used by the Duke
of Edinburgh and suite during their visit, and Mr. Samuel Prosser several
times drove the royal party. The Duke's crest was placed on their
advertising - much to the annoyance of their former partner whose
ad. responded Transport: 19 Jun 1869: The Velocipede. "We were somewhat amused yesterday to observe this machine at work in Willis street. This city owner and maker Mr Fitchett, has designed this machine less for actual speed, than for ease and comfort, and he himself trotted along in the vehicle in a capital way but some amateurs came to grief, inasmuch as one of them could not manage tho steering apparatus and got into tho gutter, while a long lad was capsized through the eccentricities of this late mechanical achievement. Mr Fitchett intends to introduce the velocipede more generally here. If the opposition coaches do start woe to the livery establishments of Messrs Sommerville and Prosser." 
This print, depicting an early
bicycle outrunning a trotting horse, was published in 1869. At bottom, it
bears the couplet "We can beat the swiftest steed, With our new
velocipede."
Prize - a Velocipede: By
the Rangitoto we have a new and superior addition to our present novel
mode of locomotion in the shape of a velocipede, imported from Melbourne
by Mr Patterson. The whole of the work is of the finest and lightest
material, weighing about 50lb. The wheels are three feet in diameter, and
the vehicle is capable of being driven at the rate of 15 miles an hour
with the greatest ease. We witnessed its speed yesterday, when the owner
on our street got it up to a speed of about twelve miles an hour. An
advertisement in another column informs it is to be raffled on
Monday next and is now on view at Prosser's Crown and Anchor
Hotel.
 Change of
Emphasis: Nov 1870: The Prosser brothers decided to concentrate on the
passenger and transport side of their business and
so the decision was made to sell the chattels and stock of
the stables
SATURDAY, 24th JUNE - Sale
of the household furniture and effects of the Crown and
Anchor Hotel after failure to let the aged hotel and refusal of
license due to the building's condition. 
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