JOSEPH – OLD JOSEPH – NOTTINGHAM ARMS, ROYAL OAK, Belgrave Gate

Photo above of the Royal Oak: The adjoining building, an ex mortuary, became part of the Pub.

Joseph

First referred to in 1580 as an Elizabethan Inn (3). Recorded again in the recognisance orders of 1726 onwards.

1792 receipts book records 12/- rental “’or a house in Belgrave Gate known by the sign of the Joseph, in the occupation of John Highton in fee farm per annum.’

Old Joseph – Nottingham Arms

By 1813, the same receipt book- still a rental of 12/- – states: ‘A house in Belgrave Gate late known by the sign of the Joseph but now of the Nottingham Arms late in the occupation of John Highton and now of Benjamin Johnson’s widow in fee farm per annum.’  Although now the Nottingham Arms the pub was still sometimes recorded as the Old Joseph up to 1820.

A ‘sport’ held at the Old Joseph was one of badger baiting. A box containing a badger would be brought forth to an assembly of dogs and their owners. Onlookers were charged sixpence, a door on the box would be open and one by one the dogs would be let in to attack the poor creature, some dogs wouldn’t dare enter, the badgers claws could cut the dogs badly, when it was thought a dog had a good hold on the badger, the dog’s owner would pull the dog out by its tail, if the badger was still attached, the dog was deemed a first class baiter. Shrove Tuesday seemed to be held as the main date.

I write this in 2016, unfortunately, his barbaric act although highly illegal still prevails in some parts. I remember well in the 1960s, when I was a teenager, two men from my district in Oadby, Leicester who indulged. They thought it highly amusing when one of their dogs lost an ear in a badger bait.  Luckily now I have these beautiful creatures visit my garden at night – Barry Lount.

Royal Oak

Landlord Jim Flynn, behind the bar, 1998.

Barry Lount, together with wife, Liz, and daughter, Charlotte in the back room of the Royal Oak.

Ive always known the Royal Oak as a Shipstones House, the Brewers History society lists Cock & Langmore Brewery as owners when it was the Nottingham Arms c1880, later All Saints Brewery. When it became Shipstones not sure.

(For All Saints should read Beeston Brewery) Listed as Nottingham Arms in Directories 1900 but by 1905 now listed as Royal Oak

Many, many licensees would pass through the Nottingham Arms doors from c1850s-1864 J Cromwell, 1863 William Slack was fined for exposing his person in the pub and further assaulting a PC. 1864 Edward Wilford, 1868 Jane Ludlam she fined 1872 for illegal trading on a Sunday. PC Biggings said he was in Belgrave Gate and saw 10 women go into the shop adjoining the Nottingham Arms but only one came out, on going around the back and entering the pub he saw some women at the bar drinking before opening time. landlady Ludlam was fined 2 guineas or 1 month in prison. in 1873 Mr Sketchley was appointed licensee regardless of objections from the police due to Mrs Ludlams previous. 1876 Joseph Foreman, he would have dog shows -terriers-in a marquee at the rear of the pub, many auctions were held in the large yard’ Later an asphalt manufacture would occupy some of the rear sheds, as well as stables. A Butchers shop and slaughter house adjoining the pub, numerous fines were imposed on the slaughterhouse and butchers for selling meat unfit for human consumption through the 1870s.property of

The above map of 1880 shows the Nottingham Arms ground and outbuildings running alongside New Parliament St right through to Garden St

1878 William Perberdy, died aged 54 at the pub, March 1879 Williams widow Bettsy Peberdy. Wms executors held A sale of 4 horses 10 waggonetts, traps and other vehicles from the yard of the Nottingham Arms were sold off. Bettsy transferred the licence in Aug 1879 to Thomas James Flint, 1882 Henry Booth, 1883 Charles Newton, 1884 Joseph Richard Towsley, He was charged with licence irregularities, March 1886 Samuel Beadsmore, June 1886 Maria Tebbs, 1887 Thomas Wright, March 1890 Fergus Derick, Aug 1890 Albert Wilson, July 1891 George Smith, Dec 1891 Tom Boot, (who later was to have bankruptcy proceedings against him) in Sept 1892 Boot sold his f&f to Arthur George Eagle who’s licence was objected to by the police. They alleged ‘rioters behavior’ when over a dozen loose women were found drunk, singing and shouting Eagle being behind the bar seemingly oblivious to the goings on, Eventually Eagle was granted his licence but not for long as in March 1893 the pub had been closed for a week with Eagle trying to transfer the licence to Jas Buckingham an ex drayman of Beeston Brewery, again the Police objected on the grounds that the licence had changed five times in the past three years and thieves and prostitutes were using the house, the representative of the brewery conversely argued that prostitutes were entitled to a drink as much as anyone else. Beckingham had his licence endorsed for allowing drunkenness on the premises. The mayor concluded that the licence would be granted until the Brewster Sessions when perhaps a more suitable licencee was found. The Leicester Daily Post newspaper ran the headlines ‘NOTTINGHAM ARMS AGAIN SERIOUS CHARGES’ The Leicester Temperance Society also objected to the licence at the ‘Notorious Nottingham Arms’ and complained of a regrettable blunder by the authorities to allow the continuation of the licence.

1893 Gilbert George Leigh, 1893 James B Haim? 1898 John Davenport Robinson, March 1906 Now listed as ROYAL OAK Frank Prosser, Dec 1906 Walter Ambrose Judkins, 1907 Albert Edward Haycock, 1917 Annie Haycock, 1919 Albert Edward Haycock, 1924 Ernest Smith, 1929 Harry Foster, 1932 Arthur Edward Johnson.

Glad to see The Royal Oak surviving 2023 (photo Jeremy Corbett collection) one off my old haunts, even back to the 1960s when we knew it as ‘Finnegans’ where Mrs Finnegan would let us in the back room to play to some rock ‘n roll. One of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of pubs Braziers, Bowltunners and Royal Oak