WHITE SWAN, YE OLD WHITE SWAN – MARKET PLACE

LRO has ‘Leicester notes and queries’ written in 1889, where it mentions:

“White Swan in the Market Place, a very old & characteristic building of a remote passed age, c 1500 now alas being improved from the face of the earth, our old historical landmarks will soon be obliterated and the old historic town of Leicester will hardly know itself ”If whoever wrote this knew only the half of it, they would despair.

Early licensees 1747 Ann Bent, 1794 Mary Wood, 1818 Wm Richardson, 1828 Chas or James Thorpe, 1835 Thomas Sharpeless, 1840 Edward Sharpeless (not known if same as in 1828 or relation) 1848 Thomas Watson (see ad below)

1854 Elizabeth Watson, 1855 Thomas Hall, 1868 Thomas Foxon until 1888 when John Collins was victular, John Collins was also a fish monger and game dealer, he was one of the first dealers in the new covered fish market that opened in 1877.

John Collins had moved from the Salmon in Butt Close Lane, his family through his children and grandchildren carried on the business in Leicester Market ( Graham Barker, Trading Stories, Working Lives). I well remember John Collins Fish Stall in the old Victorian Fish Market, a most popular name with old Leicester folk. (for more info on John Collins fishmonger see www.auntiemabel.org)

Through out John Collins time at the Swan many events and meetings would take place as an ad in LDP ran DONT FORGET the GRAND ALL ENGLAND CAGE BIRD EXHIBITION Sat 15-17th Nov 1890 admission 6d and 3d and Dont Forget. Also RABBIT and CAVY SHOW including All England winners May 1891. The Theatre Royal working staff would hold their after performance annual dinner here at the White Swan.

By 1893 William Thomas Wright was licensee, 1898 Wm Hall was licensee, followed John Bedson. Alf Henry Robins was there c1900, Frederick Parsons c1902, John Benjamin Stone who died, the years on the register are blurred but the following names are Frank Pennant, Tyler Sheesby, Lilian Tyler Sheesby, Malcom Frank Tyler Sheesby, it seems Malcom would do two stints as licensee as he left for a period in the Army. c1920 William Hodge, c1924 Alexander Jacobi, c1927 Leonard Buckler, c1931 Joseph Chetwynd Joseph was there until the 1950s. He had retired from the Army as Quartermaster after 21 years service in the Hussars, his wife Lucy died suddenly in August 1937.

From the 1950s landlords included Walter Herbert, Anthony Dobson, John French, David Pacey, Daniel Barnstead.

Pre 19th cent info. 1677, Recorded kept by William Savage with a rent of £2 per year.

1698 a fascinating story was reported, a man was indicted and tried for impersonating the Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son (James Scott) of King Charles 11, he was imprisoned, treated like a prince, the goaler charging 2 pence a piece to visit him, At his trial he admitted to be the son of the landlord of the White Swan in the Market place Leicester, he pleaded that he never intended to deceive but people just mistook him for the Kings son.

1799, put up for auction – Widow Mary Wood the landlady. The White Swans address was given as St James Square.

Brewed its own beer, but by end of 19^th century Ind Coope were supplying the beer, eventually purchasing the free hold circa 1924.

Ind Coope would own it until its demise.

Some time after the turn of the centaury, as many old inns did, prefixed YE OLDE to its name.

During the 1830s, whilst Mr Sharpless was landlord, Wm Lewin was engaged to paint the windows of the White Swan, whilst up on the third floor the two uprights of the ladder he was working on snapped through, precipitating Wm from the top window of the third story to the ground, fortunately for him his fall was broken by an iron railing that passed over the adjoining house, such was the force in which Wm’s body crashed over the thick iron bar that the bar was bent to an extent that it rendered the fall to be broken before his further descent to the ground, Wm was lucky to be alive, shocked and dazed but suffering from no broken bones. Wm Lewin was seen in the White Swan the same evening. (They bred them hard in those days)

Later in that decade landlord Mr Sharpless’s wife Mary, died unexpectedly aged only 33 leaving four young children.

 White Swan

The White Swan was throughout Georgian and Victorian Leicester one of the most popular inns. Whilst the great and good dined mainly at the Three Crown or Three Cranes, the middle classes seemed to congregate toward the White Swan, so many clubs and associations met and had their suppers here, too many to mention a whole volume could be written.

Auctions, FWK’s associations, Football Association, Political parties, Oddfellows lodges, Leicester Bicycle Club, Leicester Swimming Club, even The Fancy Rabbit and Coney Society was launched here in 1891 and held its subsequent Rabbit shows here.

The White Swan was a real gem in Leicester’s pubs sometime missed by the media as it’s position, somewhat tucked away from the main thoroughfares, as this pic shows, the closeness of the stalls, this fabric stall, popular in the 1960’s -70’s, Liz and I were fortunate to stand market selling fabric when making clothes from lengths of cloth was very popular throughout this period.

The local ‘Teddy boys’ used the White Swan, being close to the Corn Exchange where the Yanks who were stationed here would go to the dances there. It was a good excuse for the local lads to engage in a ‘ruck’ or two with the ‘Yanks’ who were not liked by the townies, because of their money which often turned a girls head.

After the Americans had gone the ‘Teds’ still used the ‘Swan’ up until the mid-late 60’s when the so called smarter Italian suits and look had taken over.

During this time a barman ‘camp’ Cyril was in charge behind the bar, never underestimate Cyril, although he was very effeminate in his ways, he was held in high regard and respect, the thing was, Cyril could handle himself, didn’t seemed frightened of anyone, although I never witnessed it he allegedly kept a ‘weapon’ under the bar in case of trouble, stories are legion of him and perhaps have gained myth status, I called in one Saturday morning to meet a mate ‘Prof’ proudly decked out in his new uniform, home on his first leave from the Navy, on entering much to Profs embarrassment Cyril serenaded him with “All the nice boys love a sailor” .

Some years after the pubs demise Liz and I was sat in the Bowlturners when Cyril came in dapper looking his grey hair still perfectly coiffed.

Barry Lount

This colour photo from Rob Hubble (Made in Leicester)

The White Swan closed briefly in the 1960s to re open as a ‘Bernie’ steak bar, wrong pub wrong position for that. The writing was on the wall.

The end circa 1973, I can’t remember an outcry over its demise. The White Swan seemed to slip under radar as regards to redevelopment, the Haymarket was taking the attention. I think maybe the thoughts of a new improved indoor market for the fish etc took the mind off what it was replacing, we soon realised that the new exciting indoor market proved to be a disappointment, architecturally a dull uninteresting block, dark and unfriendly. By 2015 this 70s abortion was to fall to the demolitions hammer itself, few tears were shed, but to build it Leicester had lost a jewel in its pub crown, I’m not sure it would happen today, the Mayor (2015) I’m sure would have deep reservations about losing this gem. No one who cared for our historical buildings seemed to have influence with the planners, but we were only the hoi polloi to gaze at the planners patting their own backs. Smegelski’s destruction of Leicester was at its height, we could only look on to what was to become of our historic city. So the introductory 1889 notes had come a full circle

Barry Lount