CROWN & CUSHION, 32 CHURCH GATE

JR has a recording in 1802, with John Wright the landlord.  The next recording is in 1822, when W. Coltman was victualler.  The Crown and Cushion brewed its own beer.

1838 Charles Hawkins was landlord, he fell victim of a robbery when he had a large sum of money stolen

On the 5th of March 1842, the pub was auctioned. Charles Hawking was still landlord. Oct that year Christopher Carnall a Tory runner on coming out of the Crown & Cushion when he claimed attacked by a dozen men who stole his top hat, approaching a constable Carnall demanded that an arrest was made, the constable refused, instead arrested Carnall for being disorderly where he spent the night in the calls-maybe Tory associates weren’t approved of in Church Gate

Garden of Paradise Lodge of The Nottingham Oddfellows held their meetings here in 1843, but by 1853 the lodge meetings were transferred to the Cap & Stoking in East Gates.

By 1855, J. Pickens had taken over. In 1861, saw George King as incumbent 1862 the pub, brewery, stables and adjoining properties were up for auction George Letts was here circa 1865. 

In 1880, Fred Thorpe was licensee, followed by Henry Martin, 1890. (Henry was living with his wife, 6 children and two servants).- (Linda Elson)

By now Beeston Brewery had the pub conveyed to them after the James Eadie Brewery had taken on the lease for a period.

Alfred Brown took over circa 1895.  This was to be a turning point in the pub’s history. Over the next two years, he was hauled before the courts four times for permitting drunkenness and three times for harbouring prostitutes.

The Crown & Cushion’s fate was sealed when on the 26th of May 1897, when Alfred Brown had his licence taken away for permitting his house to be used as a brothel.

A couple of other reports on the Crown & Cushion in 1819 The LJ reported that the Crown & Cushion Church Gate had lately been pulled down.

John Throsby in his History of Leicester c1791, claims the Crown & Cushion was the oldest dwelling in the town, purported to be 400 years old.

If either of these are correct it could indicate the the original PH was rebuilt early 1800s.

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