Recorded as in Friar Lane, the Bear & Swan is mentioned in Billson’s Medieval Leicester, when he writes ‘revolutionary and dissenting spirits used to assemble at the Bear & Swan.
1760 At Mr Thomas Lawtons Bear & Swan was to be sold at auction a collection of valuable books. Thomas Lawton was to die at the Bear & Swan 1773.
It must have been of a considerable size, as on the 11th of October 1766, the Leicester Journal reported that the Quarter sessions normally held at the Castle were adjourned to the Bear & Swan.
In 1788, the Revolutionary Club held a Jubilee dinner to celebrate the 100th anniversary William of Orange’s landing of 1688. Over 250 attended with many dignitaries sitting down to dinner and to toast, ‘King William – who presented the liberties of this country.’
1790, Ann Potter is recorded as Innkeeper
Also known as a coffee house, being recorded as the Bear & Swan Coffee House in 1750 which became a popular trend in the 18th cent. Leicester having quite a number long before the major purpose built coffee house’s of the late 19th century that still adorn our city today ; East Gates (corner Church Gate) and Highcross (now Wetherspoons) The Bear & Swan seemed to have dropped the coffee house part of its name in later years, although there is one further reference to the Bear & Swan coffee house in 1795 (ref lib L547-94) other records of that period just refer to the Bear& Swan.