1849 Directory reports a Kings Dragoon Guards at 22 Hill Street, stating ‘next to Boys School.’
Map shows Hill Street or Upper Hill Street as sometime known, with school on the left and the Fountain on the right. Although this particular school wasn’t built until later. At the top of the map 194.4 where another school stood The exact position of the Kings Dragoon Guards should be on that corner.;
I have information on Jonathan Wilson who kept a beerhouse called The Bold Dragoon listed on the east of Belgrave Gate but was unaware of exact location, March 1832 during a court case Jonathan Wilson was described as a ‘portly’ landlord of the Bold Dragoon Belgrave Gate, he was hauled before the court for allowing bad people to dance and make music in his house, Wilson who himself had been a Bold Dragoon had an erect military bearing, he had been with the Duke of York at the siege of Valenciennes in 1793 he was also at Waterloo. Wilson said he didn’t know which people were good or bad and would not knowingly breach the law, the summons was allowed to stand on Wilsons promise to avoid a repetition.
September 1834 at the Borough Assizes James Kemp was charged with offering counterfeit sovereigns in Jonathan Wilsons Bold Dragoon, the case was long and contradictory, Wilson testified that he couldn’t be sure of who exactly offered the coins, The recorder summed up citing Kemps good reputation, but the jury couldn’t agree for sometime, a constable was ordered to keep the jury without food, drink or fire until they agreed, finally after 5 hours the exhausted jury returned a verdict of guilty with a recommendation of mercy. Kemp was the sent to jail for three months.
Later that month 1834, an ad appeared in the LC “Auction a house east side of Belgrave Gate in Leicester called the Bold Dragoon or Kings Dragoon Guards with two newly erected tenements at the rear fronting Barkby Lane (Bedford Street)”.
Patricia Morris informed us that her 4x great grandfather Johnathan Morris (ex sergeant in the Kings Dragoon Guards) who served at Waterloo had a beer house in Hill Street 1847. He is also listed there in 1851. Undoubtedly the same man who either moved from Belgrave Gate taking the name with him or as Hill St is close by could be the same building.
Johnathan Wilsons discharge papers (copied by kind permission of Patricia Morris). Patricia tells us as well as fighting at Valenciennes he was also at Cattillon, Beaumont-en-Cambress and Tourney 1794, together with the Duke of York as well as the bloody battle of Waterloo. Patricia rightly points out his long experience in the Dragoons would contrast greatly with the folk of Leicester at that time, no doubt a hero and someone to look up to, his previous hauling of the courts for allowing singing and dancing in his beerhouse would indeed be judged as petty.
Confusingly Thomas Livesley of Hill Street, is listed as a school master in 1841, then as a beerhouse keeper in Hill St 1846. we could the assume that Jonathan Wilson followed Livesley at the pub but that would rule out East of Belgrave Gate and Hill St being the same pub indicating Wilson moved and took the name with him.
Livesley is listed still living Hill St in 1848 as he was named as one taking bribes for votes by supplying free breakfasts. Although some reports of the time or out of date,
A map of 1830’s would surely help define the whereabouts.