Photo above: Corner of Highcross Street and St Peters Lane (shown here with hanging sign).
Built circa 1815, known originally as Crown & Sceptre, then the Chequer before becoming the Jolly Bacchus. G Bradley victular 1818, George Hitchcock 1828,
1829: sale of brewing equipment etc. from the Jolly Bacchus.
Thomas Peberdy 44, a notorious informer and Ann Bradley of the ‘Rookery’ Blue Boar Lane, were charged with robbing a butcher named Judd of £11 in silver and notes, by following him into the Jolly Bacchus and picking his pocket.
Perberdy’s defence was that he out drinking with Judd in the Rodney when a somewhat fascinating lady took Judd’s eye. She possessed some charms and Judd wanted to become more intimately acquainted. The three of them went to the Jolly Bacchus for more drink and got on well together, he claimed.
The court did not believe Peberdy. After hearing evidence from the Jolly Bacchus landlord, who corroborated Judd’s evidence, they found Ann Bradley not guilty of any offence but Peberdy guilty of theft, sentencing him to fourteen years transportation. Satisfaction was felt in the court as Peberdy was known as a public informer and an encourager of juvenile thieves – Leicester’s ‘Fagin.’
Leicester’s tradesmen were glad to see the back of Thomas Peberdy, but in his place stepped Moses Pegg who for the following decade made licensees lives a misery, his modus operandi was to spy on pubs who broke any licensing laws, if he couldn’t effect a charge he would make one up, often he would have an accomplice to verify his charge, paying the accomplice out of the expenses he received from the court, Pegg would travel throughout Leicestershire to find a charge on tradesmen, the courts eventually took wind of his shenanigans and he was eventually run out of town.
1829 the Jolly Bacchus landlord was fined £5 and 14/- costs for allowing individuals to be drunk and dancing at improper hours.
1855 Mr W Chester licensee, 1864 Thomas Bakewell, Frederick Bates Brewer was the owner (later to become Bates Son & Bishell.)
1864 Joseph Foreman licensee, Edwin Parsons Leyland? 1875, Joseph William Cope 1876, Samuel Pole 1877, Edwin Halmshaw? May 1879, Benjamin Malbrook June 1879, William Henry Fox 1893, William Gardiner 1899. The Justice licensing records show that Everards & Co were now owners or lessees of the pub.
In the early 1900s the name changed to the Railway. (There is some confusion re the date as some records still record the Jolly Bacchus) William Henry Brown is now shown as licensee and owner. Walter Breward Warden 1911, Florence Warden 1917 Walter Breward Warden 1919 (!st WW transfers) Ind Coope & Co (1912) are now the owners.
Charles Mortimer licensee 1920, Enoch Pemberton 1926, Ernest Pemberton 1932. N Hudson c1938, Jas Muir c1950
The Railway closed in September 1959.
