27 Arthur St, corner of Burton St. Lancastrian Castle (photo above), far left, brewed its own ale in Victorian era; by 1900 it was to be owned by Phipps Brewery, and then N.B.C. Closed in the early 1960s. (Dennis Calow)
Full licence granted 1860.
Licensees:
1866 Samuel Flewitt passed to William Ellis, who was censored for open illegal hours.
April 1870 Ann Nott to Louisa Flewitt
July 1870 Louisa Flewitt to Thos Denman.
1874 Thomas Denman to James Addison who was listed as owner of the Lancastrian Castle
As can be seen on map there were workshops in the yard where it was easy to use for gambling. On one occasion Frank Franklin was charged with stealing £13.10/-, which was in the ‘kitty’ from Jacob Goldberg and his brother Lazarus. With others they were playing ‘faro’ card game, when after a while Jacob Goldberg was accused of dodgy dealing. A new set of cards was requested for which Lazarus and Maurice Grant went for. Abraham Jacobs went for a replenishment of liquor from the bar, and in the confusion Franklin scooped up the money on the table and left. Jacob Goldberg then called the police, Franklin was tracked down to his lodgings, and although he didn’t have the money on him as he had deposited £10 at the Fountain Inn, the other £3 at The Anchor, Franklin claimed he had won the money fair and square and the Goldbergs and others were conspiring against him. In court the jury was told that Goldberg has lost considerable money before to Franklin, this was a ‘vile’ way of trying to retrieve some of his loses. The Jury agreed and found Franklin not guilty.
July 1877, the Lancastrian Castle passed from James Addison to William Cotton. During Cotton’s tenure, on retiring to bed at 3am one morning he found one Thomas Field under the bed !! Field was charged with attempted burglary.
1881 William Bates.
In 1884, the Lancastrian Castle granted a smoke room licence, also one for singing and dancing.
1887 Edward Hughes to 1887 Frank Stapleton.
1888 Wm Anstee. 1892 James Anstee
1897 George Wickes.
In 1899, a mysterious occurrence when a stranger walked through the pub into the workshop, pulled out a pistol fired at a Mr. Kinsky and disappeared as quickly as he came.
1900 William Linney. During this year George Wicks, thirty six, was sat in the Lancastrian Castle, took a quantity of chlordane in an attempt at suicide, to make sure he took out a revolver and shot himself. Unfortunately or fortunately, which ever way you look at it the bullet only glanced off his skull, George was removed to the Infirmary where he recovered.
1901 John Hart
1903 James Applebee
1907 Walter Brown
1911 George Sturgess
1934 Lawrence Webb
1945 Leslie Webb
1947 Harold Hall
1954 Edward Densley.
There were only about 5 Phipps pubs in Leicester, when I worked at Pollard’s in Leicester c 1958 we used to deliver and pick up, unfortunately I can’t remember visiting Lancastrian Castle. We used to go to the brewery – it certainly didn’t look like this.
– Barry Lount