Photo above: The Earl Leicester, pre-Wold War I. An Everards house at the time.
The sign on the wall is for the Palace Theatre staring George Roby, one of the greats of the Music Hall, known as the ‘Prime minister of Mirth’.
Everards had the pub since 1901, but it dates from much earlier as George Burden was charged with keeping his house open at 12 o’ clock at night in 1840. He was let off as all present claimed they were all his family or relations. The building may be older still. The nearby Infirmary was built in 1771 and this building is of a similar date, although as yet there is no reference as a pub pre-1840.
One of its most colourful licensees was Arnold (Bobby) Rylott, who ran the pub in the 1890s . Rylott was a well known Leicestershire and England cricketer who, as a left arm fast bowler he took 456 first class wickets at average of 11.69. This incredible feat puts in the top twenty all time world averages. He scored over 5,000 runs for the county and 10,000 in all first-class cricket. He was also an accomplished footballer.
On the ground staff at Lords in his younger day, Rylott also found time to umpire whilst running the Earl of Leicester, worked as a game keeper in the cricket off-season although was not averse to a spot of poaching himself. Rylott published a book of verse and apparently made a potent variety of snuff, which he distributed amongst his fellow players.
In 1896, Rylott applied for a wine on and off licence to supplement his beer house, but was refused by the magistrates. When Everards took over the Earl of Leicester, Arnold moved into the Royal Standard in Charles Street with his brother. Like the Swan and Rushes, the Earl of Leicester saw many inquests held there.
Earl of Leicester, circa 1966, waiting for demolition. It had ceased to have been a pub since August 1938, when Everards moved the licence to the new Blackbird on Blackbird Road.