Photo above: This Dennis Calow picture is listed as 36-38 Welford Road, which would make it the Marlborough’s Head, but due to the flash the names are obscured – although a for sale sign is visible.
The pub was on the corner of Marlborough Street, and at the moment this is the only known photo (see above). This is surprising as it was one of the more prominent pubs on the southern entrance to the town.
Recorded 1818-20 Piggott’s Directory with John Roberts victualler.
Thomas Hunt was victualler in the 1820s, advertising in May 1827 ‘a one guinea reward for the return of his brown retriever named Duncan described as having four white feet ¾ tail and four scars where holes having been bored through its nose, he also was wearing a steel curb collar’.
Two years later Thomas Hunt left to take on the King William in Upper Brown Street. The Marlborough’s Head was then re-let complete with stabling, possibly to a Mr Stephenson who held stocking frame auctions here. He was followed by T. Winnington, and Charles Morris. It was during this time that the Marlborough’s Head was described as: ‘Scenes for Depravity and wretchedness to be placed under the surveillance of the magistrates.’
The Leicester Mercury recorded ‘Great excitement and rumour with ten thousand tongues busying itself in insinuation’. This all was due to a woman, Ann Castle, who was found drowned in the canal after confrontations in the Marlborough’s Head. The rumour was that she died the consequence of violence. The magistrates verdict was that Castle was ‘found drowned – there being no evidence to show how she came to be in the water.’
John Neal became landlord, circa 1840. He died at the pub in August 1845. During his time he would rent a booth at Leicester Races to entertain and provide refreshments, but in September 1843 a dispute arose between Neal and Daniel Conington of the Cross Keys over a stake which marked the ground for the erection of the booth. Conington accused Neale of kicking him, so he returned the ‘favour’ by using a whip on Neale. For this Conington was fined 7/6 as the main aggressor.
Later that year a dinner was held at the Marlborough’s Head for the Mayor, and to which the Leicester Mercury was not invited out of what the newspaper called ‘petty revenge for their reporting on Municipal conduct.’ The article in the Mercury read ‘as we did not attend we have nothing to report.’
Another incident occurred in September 1844 at the races when John Neal’s platform at his booth gave way with an almighty crash, tipping around forty people to the ground.
After Neal’s death, the grocery shop adjoining the pub – together with dwelling house, two storey warehouse, soft water tank and other apportionments situated on Marlborough Street and Welford Road – was put up for sale at the Marlborough’s Head. It is not known whether this was all part of the pub’s business at the time, but it certainly became as one later. Samuel Lewin was to take over the running.
John Cox booked a room at the pub. On his first night there he was found by the ostler, suspended by a black silk kerchief with the end greased so as to make the noose run tighter. ‘Suicide whilst temporarily insane.’
In the 1850s, Edward Pywell and George Allen were licensees. In July 1858, an extraordinary fatal accident occurred. Joe Lester – no older than eight-years-old, was sent by his uncle to fetch some beer in a bottle that he provided. Poor Joe slipped on the granite sets outside the Marlborough’s Head, the bottle broke and sliced through his throat in a frightful manner. Brandy was reportedly administered, but Joe was unable to swallow and died within a few minutes.
1860, George Allen to Robert Peberdy. July 1862, Peberdy to John Massey. In May 1864, John Massey passed to back Robert Peberdy, who died in 1871. The whole block – including pub, brewery, shop, warehouse being used for soda water manufacturing, plus numbers 16 and 18 houses in Marlborough Street – was to be sold as one.
The executors of Robert Peberdy sold to John Orton in 1871. Orton was an enterprising man: not only did he continue to take booths at the races, he rented the pavilion at Leicester Cattle Market and the Masonic Hall for meetings. He would entertain with grand dinners at the pub upwards of one hundred people to the Grand Order of Oddfellows (of which he was a ‘brother’). The Marlborbough Cricket Club was amongst many other associations.
John Orton was fined a couple of times for allowing illegal drinking. Once, his wife, Mary May, 1875 was charged with allowing their servant Elizabeth Myers to expose herself in the street whilst suffering scarlet fever. This was deemed a serious offence at the time, carrying a prison sentence. The magistrates were lenient on this occasion, however, fining Mary £2.2/-. In 1877, John Orton put the whole lot up for sale. some time after Thomas Toone had taken on the licence.
By October 1878, Thomas Paget had bought the properties, selling off the brewery plant and titling the pub as he Marlborough’s Head Hotel.
His first appearance at court was as a witness in the case against John Higgington, who was drunk and Disorderly in the Marlborough and refused to leave. This was Higgington’s fifty fourth time in front of the magistrates for similar offences, fined 21/- or fourteen days.
In 1888, Fred Phillips (aged nineteen), a deserter from the army, was transferred from Leicester Gaol to an army escort to take him back to his barracks. Phillips claimed he was ‘rather dry’ and would appreciate a drink, so they called in the Marlborough’s Head to partake of refreshment. The inevitable happened: Phillips, on seeing a back entrance to Marlborough Street open, made a bold dash for freedom. The escort and local police scoured the town but Fred Phillips was never seen or heard of again.
Samuel Allsop & Sons became the owners.
John Ingram Coltman became licensee at the end of the 19th cent, Coltman had previously in 1897 turned down for a provisional license at 32 Church Gate (Crown & Cushion)
Many landlords crossed the doors of the Marlborough’s Head. Perhaps the longest serving was William Foreman, from circa 1902 -1938 (JR).
‘Billy’ Foreman played over 350 games for the Tigers Rugby Club, scoring over eighty tries. He was licensee of the Marlborough whilst still turning out for the Tigers aged forty.
‘Billy’ Foreman lived with his wife Lydia, children Dorothy, William George and Reginald, a servant and barmaid at the premises prior to World War I. During that conflict son, William George, was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry on the Somme.
William J. Foreman died on the golf course at Oadby aged seventy-nine.
1938 Ernest Mountenay, 1944 Arthur Taylor, 1949 Grace Whitaker, 1952 Arthur Grimsey, 1955 Cyril Adcock, 1958 Renard Hill, 1959 John Charter, 1960 Horace Ormerod make up the licensees in (JRs) list.
The pub became an Ind Coope & Allsopp brewery house. The Marlborough’s Head closed circa 1961.
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