BRITISH ARMS, 83 Asylum St.

Photo above, c1967 (Jack Graves)

1860-1967

Full licence granted 1860.

James Smith kept the British Arms during the early 1860s , George Paul during the latter and early 1870s, followed by John Snow until c.1894; Henry and William Earp respectively until c.1906.

The British Arms brewing plant was sold off at auction on 10 December 1900.

Thomas Bird was licensee c1906-8. Thomas found himself on the wrong side of the law, when he was found guilty of being drunk in charge of a pony and trap in Duns Lane, £1 fine or 14 days imprisonment was the outcome.
Prior, during and after World War One, Frank Spencer was in charge followed by Alfred Kendrick.

During the early 1930s Albert Hawker, son of James Hawker the ‘Victorian Poacher’, kept the British Arms. Albert had been a crack cyclist in his time.

poster

Poster above recorded some of Albert Hawkers cycling successes.

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Albert Hawker, on the Penny Farthing, at the start of the 50 mile championship in Leicester.

After Albert Hawker, the  British Arms was taken on by John Heath,  copy of the inventory is seen below.

Invetory 2.png

Invetory.png

An interesting item on the inventory is the last line of 6 iron spittoons (?).

British Arms, 1967

All boarded up, awaiting demolition c1967

Owners of the British Arms included George Smith in the 1860s; William Woodcock 1870; Marstons Brewery, J. N. Taylor, Maltster of Leicester, Salts Brewery and finally Bass Ratcliff and Gretton.  Steve Scotney remembers living there with his grandparents Charlie & Elsie Hague who  ran it during its later years in the 1960’s George Minney possibly being the last keeper of the British Arms.

6 Comments

  1. My old “watering hole” in the early 1960’s if I remember correctly the landlady was called Florence can’t recall her last name unfortunately Davixhsberwin

  2. David I believe there was a landlady Olive who was at British Arms pre War up to late 1950’s, maybe Florence came after. Happy Days

      1. Hi Steve. John here from Canada. Just doing some browsing when came across this post of the British Arms. Actually looking up information on Nina’s parents who owned the confectioners shop just a few doors up from the British Arms.

    1. This was my dad’s local and I used to call this lady Auntie Olive as you did then. I left the area when I married in 1963

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