Photo above shows the Lord Rancliffe, circa 1960 with landlord Walter Lenton in doorway.
A map of Redcross Street (see below), with the Lord Rancliffe building east of a pub called the Fox & Crown in 1796. As seen on the map it backs on to the White Bear in Thornton Lane, causing some confusion as the Rancliffe was called the White Bear up to circa 1846 in both the LC & LJ. 1791 Richard Poole victular. 1818 run by Thomas Bruce and 1826 John Peel. Samuel Turner 1832. 1835 Nathaniel Tapscott was victular. Wm Withers by 1840. 1845 George Toon then later that to John Day who sold off most of the F&F. 1946 listed as empty. By 1848 it was then recorded as the Lord Rancliffe.
In 1832, Samuel Turner auctioned off furniture brewing utensils and f & f of the pub. Many auctions were held here. Victualler, Mr Withers, conducted sales from here late 1830s. In 1845, in January, George Toone transferred the licence to John Day. In December that year John Day held a large auction of brewing equipment, vessels and effects. It included a bagatelle booth & 12’x3’ board with the booth 42’x27ft long, covered in canvas with a 10ft bar, private parlour and a stand 24ft long, fitted with seating and tables.
1835 John Senior was charged with robbing the hen roost at the White Bear, he was drinking in the pub, left to go to the ‘closet’ he was caught in the act of of retreating from the hen house with two recently killed hens by his side, his defense was that he went into the yard with the intention of visiting a certain office, situated next door to the hen roost but somehow had found himself in the wrong place (which caused much laughter in the courtroom) Senior was remanded.
Whites’ directory of 1846 lists the White Bear as ‘empty’ and the following year M. Payne held an auction held here. 1850 Wm Payne was landlord. James Varnham for a period, by 1855 Mrs Mary Bailey.
In 1854, the pub was auctioned as the Lord Rancliffe and again in 1880, the licence being held by Thomas Nuttall of the Beeby Brewery. Later North Leicestershire Breweries c1894. One of six in Leicester.
Mary Bailey still there 1864 before maybe Thomas Allen for a time. John Collins fishmonger and game merchant would keep the Lord Rancliffe from 1869, before moving to the Salmon then the White Swan in the Market Place where his family were well known in the fish market for over 100 years. William Neale was now listed as owner.
1882 Henry Headly came after John Collinsm the same year Augustine Styles for a few months before Thomas Nuthall of the Brewery held the licence. He would hold the licence between tenants being appointed. John Palmerson?? 1884. Charles Bates also that year, John Allsopp 1887.
1890 Fred Derbyshire was tenant. The pub was rebuilt in 1902 – further back from the road to enable street widening. Hannah Derbyshire purchased the freehold, with a mortgage from Brunt & Bucknall Brewery who were now listed as the owners..
Hannah Derbyshire was there until her death in 1951, aged ninety-three, when it was passed on to Harry Derbyshire and eventually to Walter Lenton, circa 1954.
The pub was sold to Mann Crossman & Paulin Ltd in 1952 and in June 1956 the pub was sold to the council, under a compulsory purchase order, for £9,000 and subsequently demolished.
An 1842 advert for the White Bear read:
A Private apartment for extracting teeth and blooding, as usual home brewed ale and spirits.
Today’s dentist could learn a thing or two from that – it would cut the apprehension out of going (‘two fillings and a pint of bass please!’).
Some of the reports are from the local papers which often had the details wrong, so there could be a mix up with the two White Bears, one in Redcross and one in Thornton Lane. They are listed side by side in 1822 directory.
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Is there any Information on Red Cross Street Barbican area bof London around 1840