1815 At the house of Mr James Kirk Fleur-de-lis Belgrave Gate, on 4th Oct, Upwards of 30 valuable two=needle stocking frames of the most useful gvages LC
April 1832 John Wright was sentenced to 12 months hard labour for stealing a watch from Joseph Harley at the Fleur de lis at between two and three o clock in the morning.
Owners were Chaplain of Poor Trinity Hospital, Leicester, who leased the pub to Ansells then Hardy Hansons.
Early Pewter 1/2 pint tankard at the Fleur de Leys
In the first half of the 19th century inquests, auctions, corporation business, Framework Knitters grievance meetings and other political gatherings would be hosted in the Fleur de Lis.
For example, in1843 Freemen of the Parish would meet here, and on 23 August 1851, it hosted a meeting of the Leicester Victorian Protection Society.
28 October 1854, auction of Pub.
On September 2nd 1861 Stevens’ son, a boy of 14, whilst playing the part of a monkey, went rather too high on a rope, so that his “cotton hair” caught fire from the gas lights, he was burned so badly he died the next day.’ The building was later transformed into a Music Hall. Dan Cooke advertised the events at the rear of the Fleur-de-lis, as The Alhambra Music Hall, (the first in Leicester) ‘tastefully decorated, fitted at enormous expense and fully waterproof in all parts. Private Box’s 1/-, Stalls 6d, Pit 4d and Gallery 2d. (The Theatre in Leicester, Helen and Richard Leacroft)
1880 advert read:
John Burley, Ale and Cigar Merchant, Sole Agent for Bindley and Co’s Gold Medal Burton Ales.
Ind Coope acquired Bindley’s in 1914. The Fleur-de-Lis became a Kimberley (Hardy Hansons) house
JRs list of licensees for the Fleur-De-Lis, although the 1851 census names Henry Simmons as landlord. He at the time was living there with his wife Elizabeth, widowed daughter Sarah and two visitors, Thomas Wilkins (hosier) and John T (cabinet maker).
1747, John Whatton. 1815. James Kirk. 1831, John Neale. 1854, George Benner.
From here we go to the more reliable court records: 1855, Samuel Ginns. 1864, Henry Turner. 1873, John Leary. 1876, Thomas Slawton. 1884, Cornelius Kelly. 1885, Luke Worthington. 1887, Edward Leary. 1888, John Hurley. December 1919, William Smith. 1920, Arthur Harrison. 1927, George Hewes.
The Fleur-de-lis was compulsory purchased in 1969, and demolished for the new Haymarket scheme.
Photo: Denis Callow collection
