The Duke of Rutland was recorded in the 1815 directory, James Bonner was victualler, followed by Mary Bonner. Thomas Pilkington took over circa 1840, and that year William Reynolds, aged nineteen, stole a shoulder of mutton from the pub. Reynolds received six months hard labour.
In May 1841, Mrs Hextall of the Duke of Rutland, charged Frances Moore of stealing a remnant of cotton dress. Moore, described as of weak intellect, was remanded in custody. A couple of months previously, someone had thrown some combustible material through a window of the pub causing considerable damage. The culprit was never caught. In June 1842, eight men were charged with beating a policeman Cook, seriously injuring him in the Duke of Rutland.
William Spriggs, landlord circa 1842-62, was also at the time Assistant Relieving Officer for Leicester Poor Law Union. In 1856, he was assaulted by Joseph Swingler, a notorious offender who had served many hard labour sentences for violence. Once, in 1846, he was part of a riot at the workhouse where 500 panes of glass were smashed. Nothing seemed to deter him. Swingler attacked Spriggs for being refused relief when told to get a job.
William Spriggs had objections to his dual role as a publican as many thought it unwise to double up as a relieving officer.
Spriggs certainly knew how to network his way, as in the same year he gave a dinner (described as a feast), to the workers of the Leicester Journal in ‘commemoration of the enlargement of their paper.’ Just to show no favouritism in invited the Leicester Mercury alongtoo.
Henry Millard was victualler circa 1862-66, John Spencer circa 1866-68. In May 1866, Spencer under the name Israel Spencer, was charged with having his house open at 11 am on a Sunday.
Clara Ludlum was victualler from1868-76. Clara – or Mary as named in the court record – was fined for allowing drunkenness to take place at 2.30 am in August 1868.
Alf Sherwin 1876-85, who was also registered as a tripe boiler and dresser at the Duke of Rutland (Barry Lount adding: ‘just cant imagine having a beer surrounded by the smell of tripe boiling – it made me ‘heave’ as a child when my mam boiled tripe.’)
In March 1880, Alf was assaulted by one John Higgiman (as spelt by the LJ) when trying to evict him after Higgiman broke a pane of glass. As it was Higgiman’s forty eighth offence he was given six weeks hard labour.
In August 1880 the Duke of Rutland was one of eight public houses up for sale at one auction. Two others in Oxford St – the Old Bowling Green and Princess Charlotte – were amongst them. LBM were eventually to own most of these.
In 1885, Thomas Nuthall transferred the licence to Fred Wood. George Palmer was in charge, 1887-1888 and Rueben Waterfield followed in 1889. The latter was warned by the magistrates that his licence was in danger of being refused renewal and he was being carefully monitored.
In September 1891, LBM applied for a licence to erect a new pub on the site of present Duke of Rutland. The bench disagreed, saying the site would be better serviced as a free library.
In April 1892, LBM put the pub up for auction – Edward Howard being in occupation. In September of the same year, the licence was opposed to on the grounds that the premises were uninhabitable and in a dilapidated state.
LBM didn’t get their request of a new pub, neither did the bench of a free library: an industrial unit was built on the site, now rebuilt as student flats.