TURKS HEAD, 107 WELFORD ROAD

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Photo above: Circa 1971.

Recorded 1828 – John Williamson victualler. Williamson died 1830.

There are references to a Turks Head in 1764, and the LJ also reported that it had vaults 40ft long in 1787. 

Welford Rd. prison walls on left, Turks Head opposite far centre.
William ‘Peppermint Billy’Brown, the last man hung at a public hanging in Leicester, 1856, a crowd of 25,000 watched the proceedings on a scaffold outside the prison, many from the Turks Head windows.
If you would like to know more on ‘Peppermint Billy’ a book by Jo Mungoin (2022) is worth a read.
Johnny Duncan, Leicester City and Scottish international, who kept the Turks Head circa 1930-1966. He was Leicester City manager 1946-49, and took the city to their first ever Cup Final 1949.

Johnny’s niece, Elsie, married Don Revie, who was famously ‘dropped’ from the 1949 cup final team, (touch of the Ken Leeks 1961), but went on to better things managing  Leeds and England.

Other licensees included 1855 James Wright, 1863 Thomas Andrews, 1863 Richard Smith Dennis, 1884 Annie Dennis, 1894 John Dale, 1902 John Arnold, 1915 Harry Johnson, 1920 Elizabeth Johnson, 1925 Charlie Cubley, he was a former president and 21 years secretary of the License Victulars Association, prior to the Turks Head he kept the Westcoates in Latimer also had worked as a young man at Warwick & Richardsons Brewery, founder member of the Leicester Bohemians and Freemason to boot! he transfered the license in 1930 to Johnny Duncan. Johnny Duncan would run the Turks Head Golfing Cup during the 1950s, many football and sporting stars would get involved including Ex Heavy Weight Champion Johnny Williams.

Turks Head and adjoining properties circa 1966.

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6 Comments

  2. Hi David, correct, I chose to write dropped as there is some difference of opinions on what happened, I was told by an ex city player that Revie sustained his injury when another player punched him on the nose on the city bus coming back from a match, I don’t know the truth of this story, so I opted for ‘dropped’ but many thanks for your comments and interest. cheers

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  3. My grandad was Johny Duncan. Don Revie didn’t marry his daughter. Elsie was his niece.

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  4. Great to see a photo of this pub which we used as students, living in Lower Hastings St around the corner in the late 1960s.

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