Auction of the Brewers Arms occurred at the Bulls Head in the Market Place, 25th October 1879. It was advertised with having eight beds, bar, tap, smoke, kitchen, pantry, two cellars, ‘capital brew house’, outbuildings, private yard with back entrance from Garden St, ‘an abundant supply of hard water, coppers, brewery plant with barrels etc.’
A beer house from c1840 (JR)
Licensees included,
1854 Thomas Bailey (d.1871) Dec transferred to Ann O’Brien 20 years old Dublin born.
1871 Ann O’Brien August 1872 Micheal O’Connell fined 21/- or sentenced to 14 days for assaulting by striking Ann’O Brien with a tumbler. Ann was to marry John Dalrymple in 1873, he was to assume the role of landlord. He transferred the licence to 1877 Henry Sketchley. From there John Dalrymple moved to the Bishops Blaze.
1887 John Dale.
1895 Samuel Gask.
1899 Samuel Henry Bramley.
1901 Walter Lambe
1902 George Wilson
1902 John Smith.
The Brewers was to close on 5th April 1906 when the license was surrendered for a beer office in Henton Road.
The building itself survived until the 1990s, most of the time as a butchers shop. (Another Brewers Arms was to open in nearby Upper Parliament St, in the 1980s that will be dealt with under the relevant street heading.)
An amusing case in 1848 occurred in December of that year when three prostitutes were charged by a youth John Roberts, eighteen, of robbery.
The press headlined it as ‘A Simple Soul’ It transpired that John was staying at the Brewers Arms whilst looking for a situation in Leicester having come in from a village near Oakham, with over £4 in his pocket. During the afternoon he partook of some ale and was approached by three ladies, together according to the landlord they spent the afternoon drinking before the ladies took John Roberts to a nearby brothel in Orchard St to be entertained, there they consumed ‘9 ½ pints of gin’ when John returned to the Brewers the lad was very drunk, the landlord realising he had been robbed called the police, the three prostitutes were charged.
The Mayor summing up the case advised the lad ‘ Next time you’re in Leicester bring your mother’ and dismissed the case due to the lads inebriation.
On leaving court young John Roberts was confronted with a crowd much to his embarrassment, who were shouting ‘Does your mother know you’re out?’
The last rites of the ex Brewers, (EP sale sign) the first two thirds of the building ready for demolition.
A better photo showing surrounding area ready for demo, this photo by Paul Smith (mainlymono) taken May 2022 and below from two further angles
This showing the rear of ex Brewers in Belgrave Gate plus the old slum in Garden St, my great grandfather Charles Lount was born there 1850, the ex Red Cow can be seen far left, another excellent photo by Paul Smith. The slum the only one of its kind in Leicester caused controversy with its threatened demolition