FREEBORN ENGLISHMAN – SALMON, BUTT CLOSE LANE

Photo above of the Salmon taken pre 1981 (information from Chris Pyrah) – a shame the pictorial sign was taken down.

There is evidence to suggest that the Freeborn Englishman and the Salmon are one and the same. An advertisement in the Leicester Chronicle on the 27th of July 1839, reports of a pub to let in Butt Close Lane, known as the Free Born Englishman, including its own brew house with a soft water pump. A Victorian detailed map of the area shows the site of the only pump in Butt Close Lane as being in the yard of the Salmon. The Salmon also brewed its own beer up to circa 1890 when the City Brewery, Lichfield purchased the pub.

In February 1999, the pub was in the news when a customer found a mortar bomb in a car park near the Salmon, and took it in the pub for safe keeping.  The army disposal team were called and the area cordoned off. The regulars conveniently locked themselves inside whilst it was dealt with in the pub car park.

THE FRUITS OF AN EARLY & IMPROVIDENT MARRIAGE

An incident reported in the Leicester Chronicle in 1837, occurred in the Freeborn Englishmen.  This was an assault and counter claim by husband and wife Frances and John Millward which occurred when Frances found her husband in the beerhouse with another woman. According to the report Frances couldn’t live with John any more as she was fearful of him, but when she found him in another women’s company in the Freeborn Englishmen, Frances attacked the women like a tigress.  In the insuring melee she sustained a black eye from her husband. He countered that he was fed up with his wife as she was often drunk and fell off her chair, causing laughter in the court. The Mayor dismissed the case with the warning that it was a consequence of their own imprudence of an early marriage when Frances was only sixteen. 

Licensees from the 1850s were: 1855, George Dewick – whose family owned the pub. It seems that George was a bit of an entrepreneur, a lace manufacturer in Brook St 1850 George would soon move to the Salmon as we can see as 1855 George Dewick was charged with being open during illegal hours on a Sunday. PC Lee corroborated by PC Hart saw 6 men drinking in the Salmon. George defended himself by claiming they were ex Militia friends visiting, never the less George was find 10/-. A year later he was again before the bench on a similar charge, this time claiming he had given a free drink of ale to the man who delivered his paper, again find 10/-

1860 George Dewick was assaulted by a James Oldershaw went trying to evict him as he and others were causing a disturbance, Oldershaw wae find 10/- or one month.

George Dewick was involved with the Foundation Stone Lodge of Oddfellows also sat on Jury service in fact by 1871 he described himself as a Gentleman on the census, George still owned and resided at the Salmon whilst different licensees held the reigns eg 1868, Francis Braithwaite Lewin , 1870 George Burdett. George Dewick died 1872, This is where the story gets for the researcher a little murky, 1874, Lydia Rhoda Lewin was victular passing on the licence to another George Dewick (what relation not yet sure) he is listed as brewer at the Salmon, George then sold the brewing equipment in May 1875 together with 1/2 cwt finest Kent hops and 1 1/2 cwt Bavarian hops.

By 1883 John Collins was licensee, founder of the John Collins fish and game stall that stood in Leicester Market for about 100 years, John Collins moved from the Lord Rancliffe then from the Salmon he would move to the White Swan in the Market Place c1888, the Dewick family still owned the pub

An inquest held at the Salmon in May 1879, on Mrs. Warrens twins, aged only four months.  Both died of suffocation when their mother placed a blanket over them to keep them warm –  unfortunately she covered their faces.

After John Collins. 1888, Thomas Foxon. 1889, Thomas Dexter. during Dexters time the executors of George Dewicks will were to sell the property, not only the Salmon but the whole of Butt Close Lane from East Bond St nos 47,49 to The Salmon nos 17-25 all owned by George Dewick the lot fetched over £6000

1898, William Mawby. 1907, Harry Trotter. 1926, Eliza Trotter. 1928, James Alf Stanhope and 1930, John Sharman.

City Brewery Lichfield was to own the Salmon until fire destroyed the brewery 1916 completely gutting it, over £30 thousand pounds of damage Wolverhampton & Dudley (Banks Brewery) bought out all the shareholding, acquiring around 200 pubs in the process.

There is just another possibility that the Freeborn Englishman is this shop on the corner of Butt Close Lane and East Bond St, but doubtful,  Owned by George Dewick the Salmon is a better bet.  A lovely picture though, worth including, from Dennis Callow Collection, circa 1950s.