Photo above: C1957, photo Tom Bassett – from Laura Evans Collection.
c1820 In 1822, T. Woodcock was licensee.
In December 1828 for what the local paper called ‘Tippling During Divine Service’, Thomas Woodcock was fined £4 plus 12/6 costs as it wasn’t his first offence. In November 1830, Woodcock was again fined for the same offence, this time plus gambling on the premises.
In August 1839, the Leicester Political Union – with delegates from every branch – met at the Generous Briton. 1840 John Bushnell was licensee. 1843 Edward Kenny is listed as landlord.
23 November 1846, was the St Clements Day Anniversary for journeymen blacksmiths and chandlers (candle makers). Host, George Kenny, provided a banquet. The LJ reported ‘the table was groaning under the weight of luxuries, song and jest went merrily round till night had passed into morning.’
In 1851, the pub hosted a meeting of Framework Knitters, protesting about hands accepting lower wages in order to get work.
FWK had for years undergone poor working conditions and wages over the previous fifty years. Many in employment were even forced to claim relief from the Parish. Above is a list of men and women claimants. No. 5 on the list is one of my ancestors, Thomas Lount.
The trend of meetings for the working man continued, showing that the Generous Briton seemed to be a hot bed of social reform.
During the 1850s the licensed victualers would meet here, now ran by Mr John Turville Olphin c1854 The Olphins were well connected, builders, property and land owners. They were also listed as brewing here. Mary Parker Olphin 1865 after Johns death, and Charles Henry Olphin 1881 would also hold the licence until 1890.
The Olphin family would own the pub together with four adjacent houses until 1889, when the family’s trustees put the properties up for sale. It seems Alf Bland was there 1890- 1894, followed by Edward Craythorne – who was fined for selling adulterated brandy.
The Generous Briton was a tied house of Brunt and Bucknall Brewery after 1895, one of a dozen in Leicester. They were taken over by Thomas Salt in 1919, then Bass in 1927.
1894 John Holt held the licence and 1898 Wm Dixon, Henry Worley 1905, Edward Cooper 1913, Frank Kirk 1917, John Worley 1925, Thomas Hutt 1929. Joseph Bishop 1951 and finally Owen Ellis 1956.
The pub was altered in 1950, and during this year Thomas Hutt – who had been licensee for twenty three years – died aged sixty-seven. Thomas was also a proficient cricketer who had turned out for Leicestershire in the Minor Counties.
The Generous Briton closed 1957 with licence being transferred to the Two Triangles.
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