Photo above: Circa 1930. Nick Miller Collection.
Listed at different times under both names. Stood on corner of Carley Street.
Believed to have dated from circa 1825. Joseph Kilbourne its first licensee. One of Wharf Streets earlier pubs. A home brew pub prior to John Bell Brewery, then in 1902 Salt of Burton, eventually taken over by Bass.
March 1836 ad in LJ:
‘Valuable Old Established Public House for sale:
George IV Wharf St & brewhouse in occupation Of Thomas Kilbourne.’
The pub underwent alterations 1930.
In March 1931, Thomas Coleman, an ex-prisoner of war who was unable to find work and often under the influence of drink, was given one month’s hard labour for attacking Sydney Smith in the George IV. Landlord Leonard Rodwell had to eject both men after an argument between the two escalated ending up with Smith being cut with a knife and badly beaten by Coleman.
William Warren, licensee, was fined in 1942 for transferring a ration book, contravening the ‘Article Rationing Oder’.
George IV closed 1956, with compensation paid.
List of Licensees 1828 Robert Sewell, 1831 Wm Weeks, 1840 Charles Palmer, 1846 Thomas Wright, 1854 Thomas Broughton, 1862 Hannah Richards, 1864 Joshua Tailby, 1867 James Veasy, 1869 Alfred Read (owner and Licensee) 1887 Jacob Clitheroe 1887,(Jacob died the same year aged 52) Sarah Clitheroe, 1888 John Tracey, 1889 Joseph Lewin, 1889 John Thomas Farndon. 1890 Thomas Gilbert, 1890 James Barrett, 1892 Thomas Baker, 1903 Wm Jones, 1905 Wm Lumley, 1906 George Voss (looks like) 1911 John Wilkinson, 1911 Ann Wilkinson, 1912 George Dexter,1918 Edmund Cunnington (looks like) 1918 Arthur Harriman, 1927 George ____ 1927 Frank Kirk, 1929 Leonard Rodwell. 1933 Joseph Marriott, 1945 Wm Warren, 1950 Harold Pickard. 1952 Owen Ellis.
Earlier licensees taken from official Licensing lists, later from Joseph Regans lists.
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