Known by locals as the ‘Chicks’ right up to its closure.
Earliest known record is an 1828 auction of household F&F: ‘high seasoned brewing vessels, 200 gal copper, 60 gal boiler, mash tub, cooler and every sort of utensils for brewing. In occupation of David Burdett.’
3 September 1830, there was an auction of six newly built tenements with a stoking maker’s shop ‘at the house of Mrs Bland the Hen & Chickens.’ (LC).
In 1830, the landlord was charged by the ward constable of harbouring disorderly people at unreasonable hours. The bench ordered an eye to be kept on the pub.
In 1838, the Hen & Chickens was to let, complete with stabling, piggeries, gardens and brewhouse. James Hyde became the landlord but he was soon up for licensing offences. He later transferred to William Barrett.
In 1839, and intoxicated Thomas Sones tried to pick fights in the pub. He fell and broke his leg, the newspaper reported him now ‘resting’ in the Infirmary.
The proliferation of housing in this district caused a claustrophobic warren of terracing with poor sanitation. It became one of Leicester’s largest ‘slum’ areas and a notorious no go area for much of the pub’s existence. The landlords were often fined for illegal hours drinking. In 1843, a man had his bottom lip bitten off in a fight, it being swallowed by the assailant, Russell Copson, who was fined 40/- or 2 months.
In 1845, Samuel King who was charged with stealing 3lbs of mutton from a nearby butchers owned by Mr & Mrs Whitwell (was this the same Mr & Mrs Whitwell that ran the 1830’s Fox & Goose nearby in Wharf St ?) He was traced to the Hen & Chickens where the mutton was already frying in the pan on the fire. King was sentenced to seven years transportation. William Barrett and his wife were cautioned for trying to lie in their part in the theft.
A name change at some point in the early 1850s was advertised July 1856:
For Sale old established Public House known by the name of the Stag & Hounds (late Hen & Chickens) in occupation of Mrs Millicent Preston.
It was advertised again in 1862, this time with adjoining land.
Again in April 1876, “Advertised as in occupation of owner Wm Greatorex, well arranged fitted bar, large tap, house place, 3 beds, 2 wc’s, large club room, store room, 3 good cellars, brewhouse, stable with loft, large yard, sheddings, piggeries, outbuildings, gateway entrance, good frontage to Providence Place and Lead St, also piece of land 195sq yds, fronting Lead and Brook St, suitable for erection of factory of houses. An opportunity to acquire a free public house, the premises have recently been enlarged and thorough repair fitted in a superior manner.”
Owned by the Cardington Brewery Bedfordshire during the 1880s-90s, with Nottingham Brewery taking over circa 1897. They in turn were acquired by Tennant Bros. in 1944.
March 1948 saw a near riot in the Stag & Hounds that was still talked about 50 years later. Dubbed the ‘Battle of Providence Place’, the Leicester Police Flying squad were sent to the scene to quell the fighting.
Battle lines were still drawn when the perpetrators were summoned to court when some refused to pay fines imposed upon them.
I did meet some of the family involved in the fracases later in the 1990s, who regaled me with the details as though it was yesterday, when mentioning the pub always referred to it as the ‘Chicks”.
This was at a time when the surrounding areas were at their most run down. Ned Newitt’s book on slums of Leicester sums up the area perfectly. The police were always in twos when they bothered to patrol the area. I would say most residents were ‘street wise’ – they had to be. Today, many who lived in the Wharf Street area are what you might say proud of their heritage, considering themselves part of a ‘family. I worked on the Wharf Street area clearance in the last 1950s and believe me some of the living conditions were intolerable by today’s standard.
Barry Lount
Off licence corner Providence Place and Eaton Street. Stag & Hounds sign can be seen top right. Mrs. Halford from the office gave evidence at the trial. See newspaper clipping below.
The Stag & Hounds much altered by the 1950s, taken from opposite corner to the picture above (LRO).
The fact that Providence Place was one of the first areas to be demolished the following year in the main slum clearance tells its own story.
