SHIP INN, SOAR LANE

Edward Ward was victualler in 1835 and also brewed his own ale. Listed in 1840 directory with E. W. Spawton as victualler.  He lost two of his children – Charles aged twenty-three in 1840 and Sarah, aged twenty, a year later – both after lingering illnesses. Edward Ward Spawton was at the Ship with his wfe Ann running it after Edwards death until c 1871, she was 81 when she passed.

Joseph Catlow 1872 with his wife Elizabeth ran the Ship. A year later Joseph Stanyon was victular. Edward King in 1880 and Rebecca Ward 1883 followed. Joseph Wilson took the license from Rebecca at the end of that year. William Potter 1888. Alfred Payne 1891, around this time Beeston Brewery bought the pub from a Mr Adrian.

In 1905, just prior to the demolition of these dilapidated properties in Soar Lane.  The Ship had been sold, together with its brewhouse, in preparation of the proposed new railway station a decade earlier.

In 1871, a temporary smallpox hospital was set up opposite the Ship in Jarvis’ building, regardless of the potential transmission of this highly infectious disease in this densely populated area.

A government inspector visited the premises, finding it in a dilapidated condition, with totally inadequate sanitary provisions. He advised smallpox tents be erected in not so populated area until new provisions could be made.

The rat catching  pit, usually associated with the Ship Inn.  It was described as an elevated pit, with iron bars to keep the public away.  Hundreds supported this ‘sport’, including gentry and clergy.

1895 Robert Collins ran the Ship, he had previously ran the Queen Viv, Crown St, Warden Arms Richard St, and Barkby Arms Bedford St in 1908 a robbery occurred at the Ship, Robert locked up the pub leaving his dog in the yard for safety. On getting up at six he found doors open, and the dog missing, on checking, money, stock and valuables were missing, the cellar flap was open, on going down he found his dog lying dead on the cellar floor. A vet was called, he pronounced the dog had been poisoned with strychnine. A Draper John Frederick Spencer 28 was later caught and found guilty of the robbery, he was sentence to 12 years penal servitude. Robert Collins was landlord of the Ship for 25 years 1895-1920, he eventually died in his 90th year in 1940.

Walter Manship, who lived next door to the Ship, ran this barbaric sport from the late 1860s when it attracted hundreds of paying customers. 

The demise of the sport began in 1912, when RSPCA inspectors visited a ‘performance.’ A charge of 6d admittance to an audience of around 200′.

The first show was several dogs who were placed in the pit followed by a number of rats.  One of the rats was thrown out into the crowd by one dog and escaped.

‘Repugnant to all right thinking people’ , claimed the RSPCA inspector.  Two rats were killed instantly, a third in great pain started to gnaw off its own leg.  The most sickening exhibition I have ever seen,’ the inspector concluded.  One man entered the pit and smashed the remaining rats heads’ with a pole.  The dogs were disqualified for their poor efforts although some had been severely injured. 

Then other ‘matches’ followed, where some of the dogs were badly bitten.  One dog dispatched five rats in twenty five seconds, at which point the inspector called the police for assistance.

The magistrates fined Manship £10, Cox (the man with the pole), £5 and the police were told to keep an eye on them.

All bets were off when local dog Jerry entered the Ship Inn rat pit, so good was he.  This poster ( see above), was on the wall behind the bar at the Ship right until its closure.

 In 1912-1913, Manship and Cox were again up before the magistrates on cruelty charges.  Inspectors had again visited the rat pit in Soar Lane, where they described a dog dispatching eight out of nine rats in under a minute, another killing five in twenty five seconds.  A further dog was bleeding profusely with two rats hanging from its jaws.

In Manship’s defence he claimed  he had this pit for forty-five years, that rats were costing the country millions a year, dogs were becoming softer, and this was a fair way of training the dogs to keep the rat numbers down.  The magistrate replied this practice was wholly out of date and he should immediately stop. and Manship & Cox were fined again and warned that they would be breaking the law if found participating in this cruelty again: the law would come down heavily on them.  Manship agreed to close down the pit and cease the ‘sport.’ This was the last known reported incident of rat baiting in a pit in the country.

During this time the pub was rum by Robert Collins 1895-1920 (info from Steve Collins) the younger brother of John Collins the fishmonger and licensee of the White Swan Market Place, the John Collins fish and game stall was prominent in the Market for around 100 years.

Incidentally, my great-uncle James ‘Ratty’ Norman was the Oadby village rat catcher. He would take the rats in a sack down to the Ship rat pit to be paid 3/6 per dozen by Walter Manship.– Barry Lount

After Robert Collins Joseph Gamble was installed 1920, with Alfred Lees 1922, he was here into the c1950 where he died aged 74. Joseph Lenn the became victular.

The road running next to the Ship in above photo is Warrington St.  In 1952 the Leicester Chronicle ran a report on the slum housing and plight of the occupants of the area, including Warrington Street.

Warrington St in 1990, practically non-existent in the picture with factory units in place of the previous slums.  The Ship Inn was still a busy pub, but over the following twenty years, ( the ship at one time had 13 dart teams Guinness book of records) as the adjoining businesses became vacant and the area more derelict, plans were made for the regeneration of the area close to the Soar (long overdue)..

The Ship finally closed its doors on the 13th of May 2013.

Looking down Jarvis St towards the Ship now boarded up awaiting demolition (photo Jeremy Corbett collection)

Leicester City Council later purchased the pub for the regeneration scheme but held off demolition, as it might have been included within the scheme.

The above two photographs that have been kindly supplied by Mark Shirley, however, hopes that the Ship might re-open have not come to pass. Another one bites the dust.

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