Circa 1830, landlord was Thomas Woodcock. He was soon in trouble for serving ale during divine service. 1840 Wm Bailey became licensee until 1843, Wm Sneath and Sarah Sneath would follow until c1862. but c 1862 the most notorious was Edward Everitt, who in 1866, he beat his wife Lydia so badly she died.
Great excitement prevailed in the neighbourhood of Wharf Street, and the house was surrounded by crowds of people. Reported the L C & Mercury. Everitt’s licence was forfeited and John Greenwood took on the licence within a month of Everitt’s arrest.
The Greenwood connection ran through various members of the family as landlords and brewers until circa 1887. Thomas Henry Mayes held the licence,
The Manchester Brewery would supply the Jolly Angler, one of only a few in Leicester. When they were forced into money problems, the Frank Myatts brewery of Wolverhampton took over the Jolly Angler, together with the Black Horse on Belgrave Gate.
1888 John Linforth ( he was a manager for the Manchester Brewery) was landlord until after the first world war, he died 1917, John Linford a single man must have been very astute as he left just short of £3,000 including many properties, quite a sum for those days.
Walter Nicholson c1919 although a couple more may have preceded him. Charles Smith is also listed in 1919 George Frederick Gray 1921, he was at the Jolly Angler until c 1935, Sidney Cart from 1935, Sidney Roseveare in the 1950s followed by Thomas Poulton, John Dunkley and Charles Bonsor.
The Jolly Angler was altered in the 1930s, the façade has a definite deco look to it. The ex-Rising Sun can be seen next door to TV Clearance shop (see photo above).
In 1943, during the Second World War, Gladys Cort was cautioned for selling beer to a thirteen-year-old.
Most Leicester folk of a certain age remember the Jolly Angler for its boxing gym upstairs, used by local boxers such as Pop Newman (the family had a great café coffee shop in Market Street Leicester – Newman’s, adorned with boxing memorabilia of Pops’ time – now sadly closed 2020, a real loss and part of Leicester’s social history).
Reggie Meen was another Leicestershire boxer who became British heavyweight champion in the 1930s. In his later fighting days he lived in Oadby where I lived. As a boy, I would see him on the Harborough Road talking with my dad (a boxing fan who was brought up in a boxer’s pub). Reggie seemed a large bulky man with a centre hair parting. I remember asking my dad who he was talking to, as he was a stranger, not family. “That’s Reggie Meen, a boxing champion’, my dad replied. I was impressesd.
Barry Lount
Reggie Mean wasn’t the only famous boxer to train at the Jolly Angler. Larry Gains, British and Empire Champion, a black Canadian. He boxed many fights in Leicester. According to Cynthia Brown’s book on Wharf Street. Larry Gains was fondly remembered as he slipped many a few quid without any publicity – a true gent. His life story is well worth a read.
Churchman cigarette cards circa 1938.
Larry Gains boxed out of Leicester first in 1930 at the Granby Halls, settling in Leicester, based at the Jolly Angler.
One of the finest heavyweights in the world, Gains was not allowed to box for the full title because of the colour of his skin, only the ‘coloured heavyweight championship’. Not since Jess Willard defeated Jack Johnson in 1915, was a black man allowed to fight for the crown. Larry Gains won the ‘Coloured Heavyweight Championship’ in 1928 beating fellow black George Godfrey. Gains won it again in 1935 being the last to hold the title before Joe Louis won the World Heavyweight title in 1937. Popular in and around Leicester Larry Gaines returned to his native Canada after the war.
Larry Gains beat the giant Primo Carnera although giving over 60ibs in weight and 4” in height. He also beat Max Schemllng by KO.
A whole book could and should be written on boxers who trained at the Jolly Angler: a veritable Who’s Who of boxing. Together with the Antelope & Friar Tuck seemed to be the main training Gyms of the 1930s through the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
It would be a great project to write on Leicester’s boxers of that era and there must be some old time promoters about who could tell a story or two. Hopefully someone will come forward so we can link it to this site.
A word though of Len Wickwar, Leicester fighter who trained regularly at the Jolly Angler. He had more professional fights than anyone totalling 470 fights.
Len Wickwar with a young fan, whilst training at the Jolly Angler.
Bert Ison was another prolific fighter notching up over 300 bouts.
An advert from Leicester Mercury in December 1911 read:
YOUNG GENTLEMAN WISHES TO MEET YOUNG LADY WHO WAS GOING DOWN WHARF ST LAST SATURDAY MORNING, LOOKED AROUND AND SMILED AT ME, THEN STOPPED AGAINST THE JOLLY ANGLER TO FASTEN HER BOOT UP.
We’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
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