Stood on the corner of Mill Lane and Cardigan Street, only a couple of doors down from Newark Tavern.
Lord Clifden, circa 1900. On the far right can be seen end of Newark Tavern – ‘LBM’ just visible.
John Read, who had been running the nearby Newark Tavern until 1862, applied for a new licence for the Lord Clifden in August 1864. Read was also listed as owner.
The state of Mill Lane was very poor as it often flooded from the nearby meadows, and John Read wrote to the Leicester Journal in February 1866 complaining about the state of the corporation meadows and the floods which occurred after each heavy rainfall rain. Read remarked that the Lord Clifden had already been flooded three times already that year. Read handed over to Samuel Hunt in March 1870. In August 1872, Hunt swapped pubs with James Cave, with the Cave family coming from the Wheatsheaf in Gallowtree Gate to the Lord Clifden in Mill Lane. James Bates licensee 1875, Feb 1877 Robert Allen was landlord but by Dec that year John Green had taken over.
In 1880, the Lord Clifden beerhouse was to let at an incoming cost of £200.
As with many of the inns and beerhouses inquests were often held there.
From Illustrated Police News Dec 1882
One in 1882, was of a tragic case of Beatrice Peabody, aged only one. The mother had put some water in a pancheon in the middle of the living room to rinse out her apron: she then went to peg it out in the yard, on returning Beatrice was head down in the pancheon, drowned.
1882 also saw Wm Flude as licensee who died at the Lord Clifden to be followed by Anne Flude 1891.
In 1896, Thomas Dagley, a surveyor from Birmingham, was found dead under the canal bridge in Mill Lane. His brain protruding from the top of his head, a revolver still in his right hand.
George Abbott, the victualler of the Lord Clifden at the time, said the deceased had been in and out of his pub for the past couple of days, acting strangely. At one time Abbott supplied Dagley with some paper and stamp, witnessing the deceased writing a letter. The letter he wrote was produced at the inquest:
‘My dear Wife
I am broken heated to leave you all, God bless and protect you all…’ The letter then went on to say that he was distraught and worried over problems with work: ‘…you will find 70 shillings in the toilet glass box, also I send you a pawn ticket for 3 shillings as I have pawned my watch and chain.
From your loving broken hearted, Thomas.’
The inquest jury found that Dagley had committed suicide whilst of unsound mind, the bullet going through his mouth out through the top of his head.
By now Everards had purchased the pub.
George Abbott himself past away at the pub c1907 passing on the license to his wife Vernitta (spelt various ways in different listings) Abbott, followed by their son Herbert Abbott 1920, the Abbott family residing at the Lord Clifden over 25 years until Gilbert Chapman 1926.
The Clifden closed circa 1958, when the council bought the pub for demolition to house extensions to the Arts and tech college. The Council paid Everards £2500 and the licence was to be transferred to the newly built Abberdale Pub
