Photo above: Rutland Arms on left, top of Gladstone Vaults, can be seen far right.
Eli Kitchen seemed to be the first landlord circa 1863. Although John Freer is listed as owner. Eli Kitchen was born and raised in Whissendine, Rutland – hence the Rutland Arms.
Eli was something of a character – vociferous in his defence of the public house system which had been targeted by some teetotallers. He would write rambling letters to the press, for example:
Man from the country – some young, others of middle age life passing by the name of gentlemen with plenty of money in their pockets and little wisdom in their heads, no virtue in their hearts with some seeking pleasure and taken with them the most terrible scourge and curse that has ever been inflicted on the human race, the pest that has made such havoc is not the beer house nor the old licensed victuallar house nor the splendid gin palace.
This rant would go on for pages in letters to the local papers attacking the teetotallers that seemed hell bent on bringing down the beerhouse.
Eli Kitchen was right in thinking that the burgeoning temperance movement would take hold and be responsible for closing down many establishments. His defence of the publican was uncompromising.
Eli had his moments on the wrong side of the law for allowing drinking out of hours – as in October 1866 when he was fined for such an offence. He claimed as they were drinking out of copper vessels the police couldn’t prove it was ale, asserting it was ginger pop. That didn’t wash with the bench.
Eli passed on the licence to Valentine Harris in 1877, in turn it went to John Ridgeway. Eli Kitchen seemed to be back in charge circa 1885 until the next year when Fred Bloxham in Jan 1886 Ed Hacker followed in the April. .
This throws up a bit of a conundrum. Eli, who was born in Whissendine, Rutland, may have had a connection with Whissendine brewery. He surely knew it as the population was only around 200.
Charles Ash Hacker or Ed who was originally a brewer from Saffron Walden then at Whissendine Brewery, was still licensee of the Rutland Arms circa 1890.
The Whissendine Brewery would eventually fall into Hacker’s hands under the name Green & Hacker Whissendine Brewery in the late 1880s.
They owned a dozen pubs, including two in Leicester – the Craven Arms and Rutland Arms – although this is sometime listed as in Belgrave Gate. A it would be unusual to have two Rutland Arms in Leicester, so due to the Eli Kitchen connection it is more than likely to be the Wharf St Rutland Arms. As yet there is no proof, which one or even both. By 1893, the company seemed to have been wound up and the pubs sold. Charles Ash Hacker retired shortly after.
In 1877, Eli Kitchen was charged at the Petty Sessions to obtain an order for the support of his parents who were chargeable to the Parish in Oakham, Rutland. That could be the reason he left the Rutland Arms in October that year to return some time later. Eli did eventually return to live in Oakham sometime in the late 1880s.
1890 Alexander McLead ? was landlord, 1892 Joseph Hillier. 1893 Wm Jorden. Bell & Co Brewery then owned the pub.
William or John Laxton was licensee circa 1896-1899 Sarah Smith followed. Sam Smith was listed as beer retailer in 1920.
The Whissedine Brewery ceased trading circa 1892.
One report suggests that the Rutland Arms closed in 1921 by then supplied by Thomas Salt Brewery. This should be treated with caution as the Brewery History Society lists the Rutland Arms owned by Stettons Brewery at that time. The Licensing records show the Pub had been purchased from Bell & Co by Thomas Salt, the licence was refused and closed 26th Jan 1921 compensation of £1844 going to the brewery and £310 to the tenant. Everards being the owners (which is perhaps a mistake)
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