Photo above: Circa 1920s, shows the Britannia on the corner of Belgrave Gate & Britannia St. The old pub is now or has been occupied by Pochin & Son.
The first licensee in JR records is in 1815 – William Hipwell. He was to be insolvent a year later.
Avery Craythorne was victualler in the 1820s through to1838. That year PC Hughes was called to a disturbance at the Britannia when some boatman were causing trouble, and after a severe struggle the PC managed to capture the ringleader, John Withers. During the mêlée landlord Avery Craythorne died of a heart attack.
In 1844, Robert Tyars held the licence. A year later six men were charged with robbing and assaulting William Field, who had called in the Britannia for a drink, only for six men who extinguished the gas lights, then pulled Mr. Field to the floor before beating and robbing him of £2/7/6. At court Field, said he called for assistance but landlord Tyars stood and watched, even letting some of the man out of the back before the police came. Tyars claimed he was too frightened to assist Mr. Field and couldn’t find any matches to relight the gas mantles. All men were remanded in custody.
In March 1847, a jury assembled at the beer house to inquire on the death of the infant daughter of landlord, Edward Porter. Elizabeth Porter, Edwards’s wife was sat by the fire with baby Sarah in her lap, a pan of hot water to wash the glasses was placed on a table nearby. Several drinkers were in the room including a young man who on suddenly being woken from a drunken sleep, caught the table with his foot tipping the boiling water over the poor child, causing its death. A verdict of accidental death was returned with a warning to Mrs. Porter not to allow drunken men in future to stay late as it encourages them to stay away from their wives (little sympathy for the poor infant there then).
William Orton transferred to Thomas Hallam in 1848. A year later the licence went to William Taylor, followed by John Flude in 1850.
John Flude fell foul of the law in 1858. PC Newell called in the Britannia one Sunday morning and finding no one there, he turned to go out again. As he did so he heard noises from upstairs and there found Flude and five others sitting on the landing around a table with beer and spirits.
April 1860, John Flude passed on the licence to Richard Cousins.
In 1868, William Kenny took over. In November of that year, John Hill ,an elderly man who was living at the Britannia wrote a letter to Lord Howe threatening to kill him. Hill had previously been imprisoned for the same offence some years earlier, he wrote to Lord Howe: ‘If you come to the Hustings I will redden it with your blood, you are not fit to make laws, I don’t care if they hang me on the nearest lamppost.’ He signed the letter ‘John Hill, Britannia Inn, 247 Belgrave Rd Leicester.’
The magistrates concluded no one in their right mind would sign such a letter with their name and address. He was sent to the assizes, where he was found insane and detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure.
In January 1869, the licence passed back to John Flude from William Kenny. This was not before Kenny had fallen foul of the law by having eighteen people drinking and singing in the beerhouse on Christmas day. Mrs. Kenny claimed they were a Christmas Choir on their rounds but that didn’t wash. Kenny was fined £2 or fourteen days.
John Flude was badly beaten by a customer, Richard Sabin. Flude was bedridden for days, and Sabin was fined 2 guineas By now the pub seemed to be a Cock & Langmore house (Leicester brewery).
1874, John Flude again gave up the license, this time to John Goadby.
In 1878 Goadby employed a customer to paint the tap room of the Britannia. Henry Bull, the painter, who was working in nearby Foundry lane completed the job at nights. Bull’s boss, on calling in the Britannia, soon cottoned on that the tap room was the same colour of the job in Foundry Lane. Bull was sent to trial for stealing the paint.
In October 1872, William Procter, a ‘cripple’ lodging at the Britannia, was fined 2/6 for being drunk and incapable.
The Britannia was up for sale in 1880, described with large vaults, tap room, kitchen, scullery, six beds, cellar and three stables. The auction took place at the Craven Arms.
John Goadby was at the helm until c1894. Other licensees included: 1894, Thomas Duddle; 1896, Abigail Duddle; 1899, George Lewin; 1906, Joseph Lewin; 1912, Thomas Booth; 1916, Charles Sewards (all magistrates minute book)
The Britannia closed its doors on 31st of December 1919. Compensation of £3108 paid to the owners and £230 to tenant.
Owned by Cock & Langmore-All Saints Brewery
