The Plumbers Arms stood in Syston Street corner Wanlip Street.
It seems Robert Everett was first landlord in 1866, Everett was find £1 for out of hours drinking September 1866, the same month he took a wager for £10 with a landlord from Loughborough to match his man over a mile. Everetts man was William ‘Shippy’ Chapman. Shippy proved the winner by 180 yds.
June 1867, Everett had a doubled barrelled gun stolen from the Plumbers. By August Chas Chapman had the licence.
THE WORST CONDUCTED PUBLIC HOUSE IN THE TOWN
These were the words of the police when they were called to a fight outside the Plumbers, when the police arrived the pugilists had retreated to inside the pub, there the police found around 30 men drinking, four men totally drunk on a settle, another in the alley, the police said the Plumbers was a nuisance to the neighbourhood with many complaints, the landlord was fined 40/- or one month in prison.
1870 was in the hands of George Tarry who was the owner and the pub was up for sale:
Freehold new licensed Public House The Plumbers Arms Syston St, complete with brewhouse, carpenters shop, stables, bowling alley, large paved yd and boarded gate.
The licence passed to Robert Wooler and his wife Annie Nicols Wooler. March 1872, Robert Wooler died aged 27. Annie Nicols took the license. Annie married Hiram Richards in 1875, to become Annie Nichols Richards.
1876 Hiram Richards was involved in a fatal accident whilst driving his horse and trap down Nicholas St, a little girl Louise Crane ran out in front of the cart and was ran over, she died almost instantly, A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Hiram was to himself to die a year later aged 45, Annie again took over, she had lost both husbands within four years.
Annie herself died at the Plumbers circa 1882 aged 45.
Richard Watts then became landlord. 1891 John Waring, it seems the Waring family held the licence first by John then wife Isobel followed by daughter Lizzie and Joseph Waring 1894, During this time 1897, the Plumbers was up for sale again, finally sold for over £2,700. Hiram Waring is listed as licensee 1899.
Arthur Dawson circa 1901.
A strange court case in 1905, involving a fisherman by the name of George Thompson, stole a couple of pairs of servant girl Beatrice’s stockings off the line. The landlord’s son John Dawson kept an eye on Thompson as he had been doing rope tricks in the bar, being tied up and trying to get loose, John followed Thompson in to the yard where he saw him steal the stockings. John continued to follow him down as far as Foundry Square where he saw a policeman, informed him of what happened. The PC searched Thompson, found the stockings in his pocket, so Thompson was arrested. His defence was strange as Thompson claimed it could not have been him as he was tied up with 12 yds of rope at the time, another man came in and gave him the stockings. To much amusement he was fined 10/- or seven days.
Licensees. 1910 Alf Boyall, 1924 Benjamin Strawson, 1928 Ernest Osborne, 1930 Arthur Marshall. 1931 Alf Bates.
The skittle team were champions many times right through to the 1950s.
The Plumbers closed circa 1959.
The Pub History Project has a podcast. Please subscribe and have a listen with a pint of your favourite ale.