Photo above: Devonshire Street, the Vine. A sale of 1860 for the Vine lists two adjoining houses plus five cottages all with access to Watling Street, which can be seen on the map.
Prior to being numbered as 41, was no. 33 and also no. 17 before various street changes. It also had access from Watling Street.
The area was developed circa 1840s.
Thomas Swingler may have been the first licensee. He was listed in 1841 as landlord, and unfortunately for him he was knocked down and robbed in Burleys lane by unknown assailants. Not until some years later was one Henry Glover tried for receiving, as he was in possession of a monogrammed watch of Swinglers.
Thomas Swingler charged with serving after 11pm on August 1844. He was fined £1.
In 1854, the beer house was advertised as To Let in the Leicester Mercury:
‘The Vine 17 Devonshire Street, copper vessels and fixtures at a valuation, about a hundred gallons of prime ale, coming in about £40.’
James Welton became licensee in 1854. Hiram Richards was recorded in 1861 with wife Sara.
The Vine became “to let” again in 1863: Ingoing £120. The landlord was “going to the county”. Hiram Richards was victualler. He had recently been fined for illegal hours drinking. If it was Hiram Richards “going up the county”, he didn’t seem to go far, as he was running a pub in Russell Square.
According to JR, Sarah was still running the Vine until 1874, that though doesn’t fit as John Wildbore was fined £3 or two months for having 17 people in the bar at the Vine during unlawful hours on a Sunday, Aril 1869. Wildbore shortly moved on to a pub in Northgate, so it was not clear whether Hiram and Sarah Richards left the Vine together or not.
1884, George Flude is listed. 1881, William Towers. 1885, John Collis, as a court case of that year charges Wm Court of throwing his boot through a window before retrieving it and running away, after being turned out by Collis for being drunk.
1887, Thomas Withers. 1888, Wm Storer. 1900 Jeremiah Lester. From then on, it was ran by the Spencer family and owned by John A. Bindley, brewers of Burton.
The Vine’s licence was refused in 1912 and compensation was paid off £726 to the owner, £220 to the tenant and £175 to the lessee.