On Thursday, January 27, 1887, Robert Green, aged 58, became a resident of the churchyard of Holy Trinity.

It was said that 'no man living within the radius of the parish (was) more widely known or more genuinely esteemed and beloved for uprightness of character and geniality of disposition: By this time the churchyard was almost full. In 1876 it was decided that interments would soon need to end, but that it 'should not be peremptorily closed but that the closing of the ground should be done quietly and gradually.’ No headstone for Green survives; in fact most of the memorials were cleared in the early 1950s.

So who was the much-admired man? He was the son of William Green, who owned saw mills in Birmingham. Robert became a publican. He held the licence to sell beer (but not spirits or wine) at the Red Lion in Lancaster Street. He was married to Elizabeth, who helped run the beer house. In January 1865 Green gave up the licence of the Red Lion. He was moving - to the Emmanuel College Arms at the top of Mill Street in Sutton Coldfield. The Emmanuel College Arms was so known because the site (and much other land in Sutton) was owned by Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The tavern was built in the 18th century and was known at that time as the Sun.

For many years the landlord was Robert Betts who, after his death, was succeeded by his widow Martha: she died in April 1865. Between them Robert and Elizabeth Green were to run the College Arms for 33 years. This was to be the heyday of the tavern. Elizabeth Green had an excellent reputation as a caterer, and many clubs held their annual dinners there, enjoying meals 'of a substantial character ... being very well cooked: It was also the meeting place of a club devoted to killing sparrows on the grounds that they damaged crops.

Green had to be prepared to eject men who were drunk - otherwise he would have lost his licence. If they re-fused to leave he summoned a police constable. After Elizabeth Green left, the College Arms went into decline. Built in the 18th century, its rooms were deemed too small. By 1909 it was dilapidated and was demolished. A dental practice now standson the site.

• Glimpses into Sutton's Past Parts I-Ill by Stephen Roberts are available from Amazon, £4.99-£5.49.

Associate Professor
Stephen Roberts