A Beerhouse from 1830s William Burnett landlord full licence granted 1841, Burnett was followed by Thomas Laxton c1850 , Henry Wood, Robert Cooper 1867, Wm Leonard 1865, Edward Chamberlain 1895, Frederick Smith Wright 1897,Thomas Lawrence Burdett 1901,Arthur Watts 1902, Wm Burrows 1907, (died 1909) Elizabeth Burrows took the licence, remarried Thomas Able 19/9/10, so Elizabeth Able now held the licence. 1927 Henry James Jackson was installed as licensee. 1855,
Registered name of owner is listed as Thomas Fox of the Fish & Quart-Churchgate, Fox had sold all the Fish & Quarts Brewing vessels in 1875. Although the Fox family continued to run the Fish & Quart for many years. He was also listed as Thomas Fox Ale Stores Church Gate.. where he sold Thompson & Sons Ales and Sharpes of Silbey’s stout (More research needed on Thomas Fox who seems an enterprising man) This ad from 1890 Wrights directory, he is still running Fish & Quart at this time.
The Woolcombers a home brew pub up until c1906, when All Saints Brewery first leased and supplied the pub. Ind Coope Brewery of Station St Burton on Trent are then listed as purchasing the Woolcombers c1929.
Billy Banister who was landlord of the pub from the mid 1930s until he died circa 1942. Billy played for Leicester Fosse in the early 1900s, being transferred from Arsenal for a then record fee of £300. He played 149 times for Leicester. As a centre half he captained the Fosse and also represented England.
April 2003
It would seem Ernest Voce became landlord sometime after Billy Bannister. and George Checkland in the late 1950s. The Woolcombers closed c late 1960s
Many Inquests were heard at the Woolcombers, Being close to the canal, numerous suicides and drowning were to take place in Victorian Leicester. Most bodies that were found were taken to the nearby Woolcombers for identification and examination. The inquests would follow here.
Some sad cases were reported. For example, in 1864 the body of sixteen year old William Upton was found in the canal. Suicide was first suspected, but on examination severe wounds were found on his body and head. Witnesses reported that the boy was malnourished, often found pleading for a slice of bread from his mother and father.
His father was arrested for William’s murder and the inquest at the Woolcombers was adjourned to the Hat & Beaver near the Goal. The short distance to take the prisoner was accompanied by a hostile crowd outside in Church Gate.
The father commented that the boy was ‘hard work’ and he had thought sending him to the workhouse as they couldn’t afford to keep him. Eventually the father was found Not Guilty as there was insufficient evidence to prove otherwise.
Another tragic case occurred in 1881, when a mother and child were found drowned in the canal. They too were taken to the Woolcombers. The inquest heard the mother was destitute, having being turned out of her lodgings after her husband had vanished some weeks previous. Poor Mary Grundy, thirty-four, with her eight-month old daughter had apparently walked into the canal distressed and drowned.
The inquest was told a letter was found on Mary from her husband, in which he said he had gone away to look for work to get money, concluding with his love for her.
The coroner directed the jury by telling them nothing could be gained by giving a ‘verdict of murder and suicide as the memory of the women was entitled to be benefit of it.’ The jury duly returned a verdict of ‘FOUND DROWNED’
In September 1864, a body of a new born female child was found in the canal, wrapped in a sack cloth with a brick tied to her to weight her down.
The verdict at inquest in the Woolcombers was ‘unknown child found drowned’.
There were many others cases of drowning near the Woolcombers, but two non-drowning cases from the 1870s are notable.
In 1875, Fred Shaw, a bobbin turner who was addicted to drink was found in the Woolcombers brew house by landlord, Mr. Cooper. He appeared to be seriously ill so Mr. Cooper assisted him to his room in the yard where he expired.
In June 1877, James Twigg, framework knitter, aged fifty-eight, drank himself to death in the Woolcombers.