OLD CHEESE, 42 ABBEY STREET

The earliest record is from an 1850 directory.

Confusion often arises when tracing records of the Old Cheese, as another pub by that name was to be found around the corner in Belgrave Gate.  The Belgrave Gate Old Cheese became the Prince of Wales in 1863 run by Mr Paul.

Old Cheese c1920s landlord Ernie Gunton (photo credit Barry Gunton)

Records show that early publicans included the following:

c 1868 Edward Griffin

Owner of the Old Cheese c1870 Elizabeth Taylor, in March that year Brewing Plant and F&F were for sale at auction. John Taylor listed as Maltster 84 Syston St seemed to be the owner of the premises until 1922 when LBM bought the Old Cheese at auction for £3,000.

c.1873, John Abram

June 1873 Nathaniel Moore who was only there 3 months; July 1873 Joe Hawley. Joe had his licence renewed in Septemberember of that year on condition he didn’t sell milk on Sundays.

1875 Tom Dorman

1876 John Rainbow

February 1879 Tom Barber

December 1879 Joe Brown

1883 William Storer,

1887 George Wilson

1891 William Fisher

1892 John Bushell

The Leicester Chronicle reported a case in June 1897of William Scott 65, a drover who was well known to ‘like a drink’.  A customer at the Old Cheese, he also helped John Bushell with odd jobs, one of his duties being to clean out the coppers after brewing.  There were two coppers with a wooden step in between where Scott would stand and one of these that was being used to clean out the brewing utensils, having a fire underneath with water in the bottom.  The landlord left Scott I order to return to the pub but on his way through the yard he heard an almighty crash and scream.  Returning to the brew house he found Scott sitting at the bottom of the copper in the hot water.  Bushell pulled Scott out, and two doctors arrived on the scene to find Scott with a badly scalded bottom.  After applying linseed to his bum he was taken to the infirmary where he was found suffering severe burns to his lower body.  Tragically, Scott died five days later resulting from the scalds.

The following year John Bushell applied for a licence for a house on the corner of Loughborough Road and Birstall St, being prepared to give up the licence of the Old Cheese in exchange.  This was turned down by the magistrates.

1900 Albert Beadaworth.  Beadaworth was convicted of allowing drunkenness on the premises in 1903, being fined £1 or one month imprisonment.  He was replaced later that year by David Richards, who moved from the Vine Elbow Lane, Thomas Richards following in 1905. Alf Richards 1920.

Ernie Gunton (photo credit Barry Gunton)

By 1925 Ernie Gunton was landlord, whose Airedale bitch almost landed him in court. A local bookmaker’s pet monkey, Jako, who terrorised the neighbourhood ventured into the pub yard and messed about with the Airedales puppies, upon which Peggy the Airedale terrier killed the monkey stone dead.

(Photo’s reproduced with kind permission from Barry Gunton)