The Duke of Northumberland stood on Old Mill Lane at top of Northumberland St, just off Sanvey Gate, (Northgate Street end).
Often referred to as in Old Mill Lane.
Charles Smart was granted a licence on the 28th of Augusts 1840. The next licensee was William Henson, circa 1843 (JR) in July that year Henson accused Solomon Sutton of stealing 2/6 from the beerhouse, Hensons evidence at court was so conflicting that the magistrates decided to dismiss the case and discharge Sutton. Henson was followed by Thomas Hall, who left in 1849 to take over the Shakespeare’s Head.
John Moore took over next and was soon in trouble (October 1849), for keeping his house open early on Sunday morning. John’s wife Matilda, died in November 1856 aged thirty-seven. Her death was reported in the Leicester Journal as due to ‘over intoxication.’
The Old Mill-Northumberland area was in a very unsatisfactory sanitary state. Deaths from the ‘fever’ reached sixty one in 1861- a rise of fifty on the previous year. The Board of Health ordered sewers to be installed to combat the deplorable conditions.
In February 1857, John Moore to Alf Weston, followed by Joseph Cant shortly after. Joseph and his wife Sarah ran the Duke of Northumberland until Joseph died in 1871. Sarah took on the licence: at this time her son Joseph, nineteen, was listed as brewer. Sarah was to relinquish the licence in 1872 to Henry Jackson.
Joseph Lawton followed April 1880 Lawton was found drunk and on his own premises. Two policemen entered the pub at 7pm where they found five men well in drink, one being landlord Lawton. On returning at 9.40pm, the same men were still there all drunk. The court found Lawton guilty of allowing drunkenness in his own premises – fined three guineas.
1881 Joseph was charged with supplying ale to a female during prohibited hours, due to his unblemished record of being a licensee for 20 years and the doubtful nature of the offence, Joseph’s case was dismissed
Joseph who was almost seventy when he took on the licence and transferred it to Tom Hastings in March 1883.
Being sold at auction that year the pub passed on (October), to Job Clarke. Job was involved 1896 as a defendant in a strange case when he and friend collided on their horse and trap with another, wreaking both and causing injury to the plaintiff who claimed damages from Job Clarke. It was suggested that Job was drunk and blinded by a cyclists lamp, but the case became convoluted as to who was to blame. The court decided both responsible for their own repairs.
George Pinsent was licensee in 1900. By now the pub was owned by H. H. Parry, the forerunner to Ruddles Brewery. A list of licensees that followed Pinsent were: Thomas Boswoth, Arthur Slawson, WilliamBaily,Thomas Ball and William Sutton (JR).
H. H. Parry’s Langham Brewery. All the cases have the name H. H. Parry on them.
The Duke of Northumberland closed in Christmas 1916 under the compensation act.