Photo above: Circa 1912. Everards copyright.
The Willow Tree once stood at the corner of Willow Street and Brunswick Street.
A pub purchased by Everards in 1898 for £3,950. James Frederick Wheeler with his wife and young son. Wheeler had previously kept the Royal Arms in Welford Road.
Earliest known record is of Thomas Pougher, victualler and owner from mid 1860s when he was fined 30/- for being open after hours. Thomas was there until circa 1879 when he died. His wife, Sarah, ran for a while but under the terms of Thomas’s will the Willow Tree was auctioned. Charles Coe from Northampton bought it for £1,650. 1883 saw James Bindley become licensee, James had been running the off licence at 133 Willow St, 1886 Charles H Burrows, 1893 George White, 1901 Joseph Freer, 1909 James Wheeler, 1920 Thomas Herbert Atkinson, Dec 1933 saw the headlines FLYING SQUAD SURROUND INN, CUSTOMERS DRINKING BEER FROM BUCKETS The landlord Thomas Atkinson was given police protection, Wild scenes occurred after a sick club meeting when it was found the funds had gone missing, the landlord as treasurer accused of keeping the money. Jan 1934 saw Thomas Atkinson before the court on a serious charge of embezzlement, he was in charge of the Willow Tree Sick benefit and funeral society with having spent the £113 collected over the past year, its 127 members had been paying 6d per week. in mitigation Atkinson told of his wife’s illness, but the magistrates took a dim view sentencing Atkinson to 4 months hard labour. Atkinsons wife Daisy failed to be in court and went missing, a warrant was issued, later after surrendering herself up saying she had been ill and staying with family she herself was in court in June 1934 accused of stealing the women’s section of the sick club money. Daisy was fined £5 for embezzlement. (Maybe Thomas Atkinson can feel hard done by today’s standards 4 months hard labour after a dozen years licensee with unblemished record until then) apart from a driving incidents, in Feb 1928, Frank Barnes a one armed ex serviceman a passenger Atkinson was giving a lift back from a Leicester City match in Nottingham was killed when Atkinsons blinded by oncoming vehicle his car skidded on a patch of ice , the car overturned and Barnes broke his neck. Atkinson was cleared of any blame. Atkinson was to sell his 1927 Chevrolet a year later.
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