Originally the Freemasons Arms, circa 1860, being adjacent to the Freemasons Hall. By around 1870, it had changed its name and street number (was no.14), to the Coventry Arms.
Owned by Brunt Brewery prior to Bass.
John Reynolds was licensee of the beer house, circa 1870. He was held in high esteem in the town, being active in the Volunteer Band. One day in March 1878, he was frying some bacon over the fire for his breakfast when he slumped back in his chair and expired. He was sixty one. John’s wife, Maria, had been confined to her bed for years and within the year she too has passed away.
The licence passed on briefly to William Tanser, then John Hill, who had an uncomfortable relationship with his wife, which resulted in disturbances between the two in the beer house.
Joseph Morgan ran the house 1892-93. He also carried on his shoe business in neighbouring workshop, but found himself immersed with money problems, being declared bankrupt in June 1894.
A classic city centre beer house, one of the last beer only houses in Leicester. This unique establishment remained a beer only house until its closure circa 1967 and stood next door to Warner Sheppard & Wade, later William H. Brown Auctioneers. The Coventry Arms was used by the auctioneers and porters, together with shoppers and regulars, making this the epitome of what town centre pubs were like.
Harry Blackburn ran the beer house from 1937 until his death in 1954. In a later newspaper interview, his daughter recalled that during the World War Two (when beer was in short supply), Harry had a blackboard which displayed times he was able to be open. One bulletin simply read ‘NO BEER, NO STOUT, FED UP, GONE OUT.’
Perhaps though the Coventry Arms was most famous for the brasses that adorned the walls of the one bar – over a thousand of them. In the late 1950s,early 60s when I delivered beer there with Pollards Brewery, it always struck me that there was hardly any room in between them to hang anything else. By then this tiny gem was run by Harry’s widow Doris.
This 1960 photo below shows beer delivery to the Coventry Arms, looks like a Pollards lorry, I may be inside after the delivery having a drink on Mrs Blackburn.
Barry Lount
Harry Blackburn outside the Coventry Arms.
Doris Blackburn standing outside the Coventry Arms.
Demolition starts outside the Coventry Arms, a sad loss.
Mrs. Blackburn behind the bar in August1963, according to Leicester Mercury.
