Leeds Tavern once stood on the corner of Willow and Brierley Street.
Benjamin Whitehead kept an unnamed beerhouse in 1863 in Willow Street. In 1868, the Leeds Tavern was to let with an ingoing of £18. John Geary took on the licence but in September 1869, it lost its beerhouse licence due to not having complied with the new Beerhouse Act. He had to appeal to regain it.
Thomas Jones acquired the licence from John Geary in 1874. April 1876, Samuel Brierley briefly to Daniel Underwood, who a year later was convicted of allowing gaming. He was fined with his licence endorsed.
In the late 1870s, the licensee was William Bates, who was once fined 5/- for leaving his coal cart in Princess Rd for six hours. William Bates died in 1883, and his widow, Emma, took on the licence.
A newspaper story from September 1881:
Death from taking Laudanum.
Thomas Champion who was lodging at the Leeds was found unconscious by Emma Bates, a surgeon was called who found Champion in a stupor for which he did not recover, a bottle of laudanum was by his body, it couldn’t be confirmed that he had committed suicide so a verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Robert Bennett was licensee for a while. He put an advert in the LJ: ‘Found white dog with brown ears, not owned in 3 days will be sold. R Bennett Leeds Tavern.’
Thomas Read, 1898. William Carter circa 1902-1906. Mary Ann Wright applied for a licence for a beer off at Omaston Road, in exchange for the licence of the Leeds Tavern and Noah’s Ark, Belgrave Gate. The Leeds Tavern owned by Leicester brewers Cock & Langmore, later known as All Saints Brewery.
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