Photo above: The Holly Bush, corner of George St and Belgrave Gate, the NBC star can be seen hanging at the front, one of only 3 NBC pubs in Leicester. Rebuilt twice, once in 1888 when NBC auctioned off the old fittings, and again in 1931.
Earliest suggestion of origin of the Holly Bush is circa 1835, although a Holly Bush is recorded in 1747, with Elizabeth Grove as victualler any link between the two is conjecture. Licensees are listed from 1837, James Gunton being the first.
After the Guntons during the 1830s-50s various licensees were to follow: Elizabeth Dorman, circa 1854 for a year. Followed by John Read, Thomas Facer and George Bolesworth by 1856. George was cautioned for allowing drunkenness, and he passed the licence on to John Johnson March 1858.
Johnson was there until 1870, and he too was fined for opening unlawful hours in 1861. In March 1867, Abraham Stevens came into the Holly Bush around 12.30 am, asking for some brandy for his wife who had been taken ill. John Johnson was suspicious as he thought Stevens was drunk but nevertheless he poured some brandy, which Stevens sat down to drink himself. He started fighting with another customer who was sat in the room, and was sometime before Johnson could throw Stevens out. In 1870, Johnson transferred the licence to James Fletcher.
In January 1877, window cleaner Jonathan Doore was cleaning the upper windows of the Holly Bush on a ladder when Robert Peacock, a blind man, was passing by in the street. As Peacock had no guide with him he ran against the ladder, knocking Doore off, throwing him to the ground severely gashing his head from which he died. At the inquest it was recommended that a watchman was to be there when a ladder was erected in the street, around this time Mr & Mrs Shelton were victuallers. In September 1879, Mrs Shelton took out a large ad in the local paper offering ‘A Reward for notifying of anyone slandering Mrs Joseph Shelton by her conduct on the Isle of Man.’
In 1882, the licence passed from Joseph Shelton to Henry Whitworth.
By 1892, William Thurrell Hunns was licensee. He was charged with being drunk in charge of a pony & trap in Belgrave Gate, and when fined he protested, ‘I’m not guilty I shall not let the matter rest here. I shall take the matter to the public press and Home Secretary.’ The chairman of the court replied, ‘Don’t talk such rubbish’, and as well as his fine, the police were to take notice at the next Brewster Sessions, which they did and objected to his licence renewal. Hunns had to leave.
Holly Bush 1964 Skittles team (posted facebook Gary York, his dad Brian centre)
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