Recent archaeological finds in Leicester convey to us that brewing was taking place during the Roman occupation, that is prior to the year 340, the Roman sign of the bush was to survive as the vintners symbol. Little is known of the dark ages, Batesons records of the Borough of Leicester 1103-1327, although sketchy give us some insight into the vintners (wine and ale merchants) and brewers.
CHAPTER ONE: EARLY RECORDINGS FROM 1220.
1220, sees the first mention, when a fine of one vat full of beer was imposed over a debt, the same records names Roger the vintner in charge of the Bell in 1232.
1258, three men charged with selling wool against the liberty of the guild-by weight and scale- a forfeit of a cask of ale each was the outcome, one man who objected had his fine increased to 16 gallons of wine.
The Guild paid out the same year to Richard the taverner for wine provided for the Earl, the same to Wm the Welshman. Four years later other payments were made to Wm the Welshman- by the hand of his taverners.
1260, the said William made a complaint against Roger, son of Roger of Glen, that he owed £5 as Roger of Glen was also a taverner one can only assume it was for goods.
Roger became the town bailiff by 1296, and Parliament representative in 1302, a position of great influence. As bailiff part of Rogers’s duties was to witness and take charge of prisoners after sentence, penalties could be severe as in the case of Margery Drake who stole a quantity of wool, as she had already been in the pillory she was adjudged to have her ear cut off.
A typical scene of the day.
Some times whilst in the bailiff’s custody prisoners would escape and take refuge in a church. 1297, Will Daniel held out sanctuary in St Margaret’s in Leicester for 12 days before giving himself up. He was tried by jury for robbery, found guilty and hung. His chattels left one horse, a sword and a knife, as bailiff Roger of the Glen was given charge of the horse.
Other functions of the bailiff was as witness in grant documents, as in a transfer of property in Dead lane (Freeshool Lane), also witness on this grant is William of the brew house, who is also cited in further documents for supplying wine to the Guild.
Tradesmen came under strict Guild Guidelines, especially in the production, dying and weighing of wool and cloth (the main trade), which was bought to an Inn for inspection. Weighing was by a stone balancing the scales, anyone found guilty of breaking the code was ultimately fined, often in ale.
Most of the activity in the simple alehouse would take place outside, with the alewife or and brewer, serving.
Brewers were also under taxation on measurements of beer produced, as in 1289 when one Jakemin of Leige was charged with buying ingredients and selling beer without a licence.
Other records of expenses and toll accounts: 1270 payments made to Matilda of Naseby for beer, and Roger of the brewery paying 6d tollage.
1288-9, an assessment of taxation from the brewers of Leicester was made. The first indication of the proliferation of brewing alehouses and taverns. The East quarter of Leicester 77 was recorded, South 47, West 45, and 33 without the east gate listed. Many of these taverners held high office as Roger of the Glen did as bailiff. Mayors feasts were held if not at the Guildhall then at one of the taverns such as Henry the Mercers or Simon of the Butterys tavern in Eastgates where goose, mutton, chicken and capons were consumed. Stephen Giffords tavern entertained the Mayor and guests on many occasions. Walter of Bushby, another innkeeper also became Mayor and Town bailiff so we can see a picture emerging with Leicester littered with brew houses and taverns in the 13th century. Many Innkeepers were men of power and influence.
A death certificate dated 1311 relates to Thomas of the Brewery found drowned in the horse pool near the marsh of the mill of Leicester Castle (near Millstone Lane). Surnames had not yet fully materialised in common usage as you can see just the forenames were used, then followed by his trade or birthplace.
14th century saw more names emerge as taverners: Matt the Taverner 1309, Walter the tailor, Robert the Porter, William of Grantham, John Cook, William of Newark, and Hugh de Lyles. All taverners identified by name only, later addresses started to creep in such as William Tabbes tavern in the swines market (High Street).
CHAPTER TWO: THE SIGN ACT 1393
1393, saw a law passed under Richard II, compelling alehouse keepers to display a sign outside their premises, as to be easily recognisable to the appointed ale inspectors. The sign act of 1393 followed local attempts to regulate the price of ale, many subsequent national and local acts followed, often unsuccessfully trying to regulate not only the price but also the number of alehouses and quality of brew.
Sometimes the alewife would offer sexual favours to the customer. The alehouse itself contained no particular drinking area, customers usually accommodated in the kitchen or weather permitting, outside. Equipped bars as we know them today were unheard of, the ale would almost always be brewed on the premises.
JUSTICES TAKE CONTROL, 1495.
Leicester was divided into ten wards; each ward employed two ale tasters to ensure adulteration had not taken place. Not until 1495 were alehouses brought under the control of the justices, with sureties to be paid and confiscated on any default. The common brewer was not yet a force in any brewing industry, so a vast range of quality and taste was available.
As more laws and acts were passed, controls on ale were tightened to the detriment of the publican brewer. For the authorities it was easier to control production under one roof than the hit and miss surveillance of individual alehouses. From a nationally estimated 44,000 pub-brewers the figure fell to only 4 in the 1970s.
The following names are recorded in the 15th century:
1458. The Bell, Swinesmarket. (High Street)
The George, Swinesmarket.
Antelope, Swinesmarket.
George and Dragon, Swinesmarket.
Lambe,
Saracens Head,
1480 Angel, High Street,(Highcross Street).
1485 Blue Boar,
Green Dragon,
Maiden Head Inn, Guildhall Lane.
Angel, Swinesmarket.
1493 Peacock, Redcross Street.
Antelope, St Martins.
Photo credit of last 3: Conant Collection L.R.O DE730/9/10
Much drunkenness occurred, often due to the necessity of drinking ale as opposed to water, which was often contaminated.
Local returns to the Privy Council as to the number of alehouses were forwarded in 1557. Leicester including the borough was returned as 31 inns, 2 taverns, 392 alehouses; one estimate suggested an alehouse for every 22 people in Leicester.
In 1570, over 70 innkeepers were counted as lawfully retailing in the borough, with an unknown quantity of unlicensed. In an attempt to stem the flood of alehouses that were opening, the corporation under the licensing act, attempted to outlaw anyone brewing on their own premises, only brewers appointed by the Mayor were allowed. This bid to regulate and tighten the controls on alehouses depended on a fair administration, of which Leicester’s non-elected aldermen, was not always true.
THE MAYORS AND CONSTABLES ROLE.
The constable of each ward was to be responsible for the behaviour and general overseeing of alehouses, also the price structure. As some constables were victulars themselves, this was open to corruption. The law was enforced diligently in some wards, with a certain amount of lawlessness in others. The following report at the time confirms many constables often turned a blind eye to the goings on in their ward.
Many obscure and unlicensed alehouses, where great disorders are daily committed, especially in the night and on the Sabbath, many notorious thieves, cut purses and rouges there harboured, and so escape, often the due course of justice, the constables themselves being many of them alehouses keepers and principle entertainers of such malefactors.
In 1604, the aldermen and constables of every ward were ordered to be diligent once or twice every week, to look for disorderly tippling and drinking, and punish those that were in their power, informing the mayor and justices, so the offenders may receive punishment.
Every one was answerable to the mayor, differing mayors had contrasting attitudes, whilst some were vigilant, others were lax, corruption was rife, Rowland Pusey the mayor in1618 was threatened by the circuit judge, if he did not bring many alehouses under license.
The Inns that are recorded in this mediaeval plan of Leicester, can be seen as no. 36 The Blue Boar, no. 48 Green Dragon, no. 49 Angel, no. 50, Maiden Head, and The Gainsborough no. 46 housed quarters for drinking.
The sizes of Leicester’s Inns and alehouses varied greatly, from the vastly rated George in Swinesmarket, to an alehouse kept by a poor women named Jane Griffin who reportedly only sold 6-8 gallons per week.
Unlicensed alehouses continued to flourish, like the tiny tenement of Mary Taylor who it was recorded as “altogether unable and unfit to keep a common inn in respect of the poor estate and smallness of house”. Contrast this with the principal and major inns that afforded the clientele of the gentry and travelling salesmen.
The mayor and aldermen certainly didn’t go short, as the chamberlains accounts show, listed are some of the items on expenses for entertaining at one binge when Lord Grey was received.
2 gallons of claret, 2 gallons of white, 2 gallons of sacke. This was a spar ten affair compared to an account for an earlier dinner which included: 40 gallons of beer, 10 gallons of wine, 1 heron, 1 swan, 12 partridges, 5 chickens, 8 geese, 24 pigeons, a boars head, brawn woodcocks, fieldfares and snipe.
These gluttonous binges would be held at the main inns in the town, protests were recorded in 1636 when complaints were voiced at the monopoly, privilege, power and coercion of the mayor and brewers (themselves freemen) as no elections were yet to be held, this closed shop of privilege and of family held positions prevailed. One such occasion some years later the town clerk claimed £10,800 for three years expenses, including 12 guineas for posting 3 letters. Not until 1835 was Leicester to hold proper elections for corporation positions.
Tokens were used when the coin system became debased, through a great want of small change, various proclamations were issued outlawing their use, the tokens survived for many years.
Towards the end of the 17th century in certain areas, an extreme laxness appeared on the part of some justices in controlling alehouses, with an accusation by one writer with the following caustic comment, “an application is frequently made on the behalf of some broken, half starved merchant or idle fellow who rather than beg or steal, and be hanged, or at least become chargeable to the parish, hope to get a subsistence by the cheatings and degenerate shifts of selling ale”.
Through out the history of alehouses and taverns the pendulum has swung from stringent measures taken on licensing laws to a laxity and negligence on the part of the legislators. The rise and fall in the number of pubs opening and closing over the years verify this.
RECORDED LIST OF ALEHOUSES, TAVERNS AND INNS 1500-1600.
1500.The Bell, Swinesmarket. (3) 1580. White Lion. Swinesmarket.(9)
The George, Swinesmarket.(3) Crown. Swinesmarket. (9)
Antelope, St Martins.(3) Kings Head. Swinesmarket. (9)
George and Dragon, Swinesmarket. (J.R) Red Cow. Loseby Lane (9)
Angel, High St, (5) (Highcross St) Grey Hound. Market Place.(9)
Angel, Swinesmarket.(3) Bull. Market Place. (9)
Blue Boar, (8) Sun. Northgate. (9)
Lamb, Haymarket. (J.R) Taylors. Northgate, (9)
Saracens Head, Market (J.R) Mitre and Keys. Westbridge (9)
Green Dragon, Saturday Market. (8) Parrot. Westbridge. (9)
Maiden Head Inn. St Martins. (8) Black Lion. Gallowtree Gate.(9)
Talbot, Applegate,. (2) Bucks Head. Gallowtree Gate (9)
Peacock, Redcross St, (3) Cinnque Foil. Gallowtree Gate.(9)
Bell, (9) Queens Head. Gallowtree Gate. (9)
1509. Lion, Sheepmarket, . (8) Blue Lion. Southfields. (9)
1518. Bulls Head, High St. (9) 1587. White Horse. Gallowtree Gate(8)
Crown, High St. (3) !592. Lion. St Martins. (3)
1519. Talbot. Belgrave Rd.(3) Horseshoe. Adjoining Star, Belgrave gate
1533. Gainsborough. (3) (L.R.O. 132/81)
1534. George. Redcross. (J.R) Maiden Head Inn, East of St Martins Church
1546 White Hart. Haymarket. (8) (19)
1550 Cross Keys. High St. (J8)
1559 Red Lion. Southgate. (19)
1560 Swan. Southgate.(8)
White Swan. Market Place. (8)
Cardinals Hat. Southgate. (8)
Cock. Belgrave Gate. (8)
Hare and Pheasant. Swinesmarket. (8)
Mitre and Keys. Applegate. (8)
Porters Lodge. Parchment Lane. (New Bond St.)(8)
Bird in Hand. Redcross St, (8)
White Lion. West Bridge St. (8)
Crown. Southgate. (JR)
Fox. Northgate. (JR)
Star. Belgrave Gate. (8)
1580 Unicorn. Belgrave Gate. (3)
Lamb. Belgrave gate. (3)
Josheph. Belgrave Gate. (3)
George. Belgrave Gate. (3)
Crane. Belgrave Gate (3)
Bell. Eastgates Without. (3)
Flying Horse. Swinesmarket. (9)
Nags Head. Swinesmarket (9)
Peacock. Swinesmarket (9)
From 1600-1700 additions.
1600. George and Dragon. Greyfriars. (JR)
Horse and Trumpet. High St. (JR)
Magpie. Gallows Lane. (JR)
1602. Bull. Southgate St (6)
1605. Bull and Boar, Town Pastures, (6)
1633 Three Cranes. Bishops Fee, L.R.O. 1D/32/303
1636. Crown and Thistle. Loseby Lane.(previously Red Cow in 1580. B.R.11/80/1005.LRO)
1640 Jolly Miller Gallowtree Gate. (JR)
1650 Roundhead tavern (later in 1667 named as Roundhead Inn (6)
1659 Three Black Swans. St Marys Parish. (14) In 1695 address given as in the Swinesmarket.(misc763LRO)
1666 Antelope. Humberstone Gate.(8)
George. Hotel St. (19)
1669.Kings Arms. Swinesmarket. (19) Previously The Lion (4)
Nags Head and Star, (10)
1670 Wheatsheaf. (19)
Bulls Head. Market Place (9)
1675. Unicorn, north side Belgrave Gate (.42D31/196LRO)
Dolphin, Belgrave Gate. (42D31/199LRO)
Angel. Bishops Fee. 4628/540
Crane Inn. Bishops Fee. 10/32/304LRO)
Bulls Head. High St (DE3560/28LRO)
The number of alehouses fell during the second half of the 17th century, this time the administrators were not to blame, as two major events contributed to the decline in numbers and left the town being described as “ragged and stinking”.
The Plague which affected most towns, alehouses were closed because of the death of whole families, sometimes by law, as the borough records indicate when Danyell Morris a victualler was committed to jail and his sign taken down for concealing the sickness (plague).
The other major event, the “sacking” or siege of Leicester by the Parliamentary forces some short time after the plague precipitated the town to be in an impoverished state.
The Chamberlains accounts of that period record expenses for wine, beer and tobacco consumed at the Crane, by the mayor and alderman, with a presentation of wine to General Cromwell, sequenced this time by the mayor holding a dinner of thanksgiving for the regaining of Leicester. (Incidentally the Crane was owned by the mayor’s family).
The mayor and aldermen would adapt their feasting ways to any cause or occasion, as dinners were held in honour and rejoicing for the coming of the throne of King James II, again at the birth of his son, these feastings were now being held at the Angel, Leicester’s most prodigious inn.
CHAPTER THREE: POLITICS AND THE CORN LAWS-GIN ACT
Oliver Cromwell, who was received at both the Crane and Angel, was one of many who were entertained in Leicester, the mayor and alderman, were all things to all men, swapping sides was easy. Banqueting and entertaining whoever was in power, the norm.
The political complexities were demonstrated in court cases, differing allegiances were visible in actions of Leicester citizens and the subsequent reaction of the mayor. One such occasion cites William Stretton of Willoughby Waterless, who was arrested in the Saracens Head for drinking a toast proclaiming his loyalty to the pretender, (the would be James III). Again in the Nags Head and Star an alehouse in the occupation of Joan Wood, two men were indicted for toasting the pretender’s health in their own blood topped up with ale. A few years later the same Joan Wood was charged with keeping a disorderly house at the Nags Head and Star.
GIN DRINKING
A piece of legislation in 1690 was to precipitate one of the most alarming and for some, degrading situations over the next century. General permission was given to all persons to distil and retail spirits made from English corn. Gin houses and gin drinking became the norm for much of the populous, inebriation was rife everywhere, especially in towns. A writer of the time reported:
A trader has a large empty room, where, as his wretched guests get intoxicated, they are laid together in heaps, promiscuously, men, women and children, till they recover their senses, when they proceed to drink on. (15).
This legislation was to continue in operation for another century, when attempts were made, with some success to reduce the number of gin houses, unfortunately for many it came too late.
On fair days, anyone had the right to brew and sell their own ale without a licence, which drew the comment:
Abandoned females are entertained in temporary beer houses and suffered to molest every person who passes them and seduce the unwary in the face of day” (16).
Many continued selling ale other than fair days, some were prosecuted as in 1689, when Francis Cracroft was charged with selling ale without a licence, the following year Joseph Cozens befell the same fate. The same year Edward Jones was charged with keeping a common alehouse for thee months or more. A year earlier, Jones had been charged with the same thing, so any penalty he might have received certainly did not deter him, some learnt the error of their ways, as the aforementioned Francis Cracroft had by 1690 become an inn holder.
Many alehouses were to emerge during the 18th century, it was not uncommon for licensees to take with them their signs and names on moving, sometimes marrying their old with their new. This practice was done to take with them their old trade, as often the move would only be a few streets. By using both sign names, custom from both alehouses would hope to be gained. As with today fashion dictated name changes. The most common usage was by trade or profession, or an association, apart from Kings and Queens, names of popular heroes did not emerge until later the century.
An early signboard from a Leicestershire Inn, depicting The Red Lion. (Reproduced by kind permission of the owner Alec Wilson).
Coach travel was becoming very popular, with many new inns for that purpose emerging, as Leicester’s town gates were very narrow coaches could not enter, causing the main inns to remain on the outside of the gates. The hay waggon was also unable to get through, hence the hay market remained on the outside of the then town proper. Circa 1774, it was decided to pull down the gates and sell them at auction, this was conducted at the Three Crowns in Gallowtree Gate, but the uprights remained for years further, still causing restricted access.
For the first time a complete list is available in1716, unfortunately only the keeper’s names are recorded, not until 1726 are both names and signs listed.
Most of these will be identified later in the individual names section; some are worth listing here, if only for there unusual names, (LRO BRIV 1/1/212).
Black Morse Head, Bishops Spinning, Billet and Quart, Brick Mould, Board Roast and Boiled Meat, Cross Keys and Three Logs, Cooks Bath. Cat Spinning Time, Cannon and Ball, Gold Laced Hat, Goat and Three Horseshoes, Lanthorne, (Lantern), Millflower, Shoe and Crown, Spinning Wheel, Labour in Vain, Worlds End, Axe and Pattern, Falcon Last, Post Boy, Leather Bottle, Main Spring and Cleaver, Ring O Bells, Crooked Billet and Black Eagle.
The Town Goal was also given a licence to sell ale in 1726. Later in the century names like the Admirals Vernon and Haddock started to appear.
Two contrasting signs, The Roast and Boiled Meat. The Whie Hart, a familier site in most towns including Leicester.
The White Hart
Sureties were stood as a bond, also a licence fee was payable, records were kept of these by the authorities and yearly checks completed, These are part of the document for 1735, an interesting feature emerges, as at the start of his journey around the alehouses the hand writing of the recording clerk starts off beautifully written, only to fall to a hardly decipherable scrawl, by the time he had visited a dozen or so alehouses, the last licence on the page (The Bath Coffee House), it looks as if he was in need of one, far be it for me to suggest any imbibing on the job.
Coffee Houses
The introduction of coffee into the country c1650, saw the launch of the fashionable coffee house, based on the tavern with a higher standard, rooms for smoking and drinking tea or coffee as well as wine and beer. Coffee houses were bound by the same licensing principals and flourished until the first world war.
Covering the whole spectrum of life in the 18th century, although the concept changed somewhat over the years. Some took on the whole mode of coffee house, whereas others were no more than alehouses adapting to a new vogue, as can be seen when the Bear and Swan became the Bear and Swan Coffee House.
Eventually coffee shops became more refined, less of drinking dens, dropping the alcohol completely, but not before the whole idea was bought into question. Police and magistrates were informed of the disorderly nature of some coffee houses. There are places in Leicester called Temperance coffee houses which are regular dens of infamy. On Sunday morning, there were 13 fighting dogs during daytime service, children of both sexes enticed to the place, and allowed to smoke, drink and game.
Coffee Houses finally succumbed to the temperance ideal, by the end of the 19th century they were to occupy major sites.
The Smoking Room.
Perhaps the two most eminent buildings that still stand as a reminder of the grander coffee houses are the Eastgate Coffee House on the corner of Church Gate, and the Highcross Coffee House, a listed building on the corner of High Street and Highcross Steet, now reverted to a pub – The Highcross, both were owned by the aptly named Leicester Coffee and Cocoa company.
Such had been the national addiction to gin, as immortalised in Hogarths prints. One press report is worth relating:
1736, one Fossett, a cobbler, and a person by the name of Joss, the glazier, Summers a bricklayer, Roy a carman and one or two others, meet accidentally at a gin shop, where they drank gin in half pint glasses without intermission. To so great an excess that Joss the glazier fell backwards with the eleventh half pint in his hand and died on the spot. About 8 o’clock at night, Summers died in the same shop and about 3 o’clock in the morning, the others by advice of Mr. Lee a surgeon, had oil and warm water poured down their throats, which set them vomiting, though one is said to be dead since, Roy was sent to the Parish nurse and remained there speechless for ten days.
Hogarths Gin Lane C1750
CHAPTER FOUR: ANIMAL SPORTS
Cock fighting, a favourite “sport” of the period, one of the main venues was The Saracens Head. As with other animal “sports” such as Bear, Badger, Bull baiting and latterly ratting, that Leicester folk indulged upon, cock fighting was a favourite pastime. The welfare of the animal was never considered, Leicestershire being classed as the most bloodthirsty county in its pursuit of pleasure.
Leicester had its own “cockinge” or cockpit, a building with a domed roof especially constructed at the rear of Gallowtree Gate between where Rutland Street and Halford Steet now stands (sited on Speeds map 1600). Although prohibited by Oliver Cromwell in 1654, cockfighting had once more become fashionable, with a later cockpit erected at the Saracens Head, indeed an advert in the Leicester Journal invites spectators to the following.
16th and 17th Feb 1774, Annual cocking will be fought at the Saracens Head Leicester. A main of cocks between the gentlemen of the town and the gentlemen of the county, Mee and Glover feeders. N.B. There is now selling, wholesale at the Saracens Head Inn, a quantity of old Jamaica rum, and some exceedingly good brandies”.
The brutality of cock fighting alone was insufficient, and the damage done to each other was heightened by the addition of steel spurs. Corporation accounts show the aristocratic patronage at “cockinge” by entertaining gentry out of the public purse. Account for June 20th, 18s 6d paid for 4 galls of wine and 3 dozen cakes given to Sir George Hastings and other gentlemen at the cockinge in Leicester. A later cock pit stood close to the Saracens Head, where up to 100 cocks could be slaughtered in one day. Cock fighting was officially made illegal 1849.
Leicestershire was the first county in the country to allow the repugnant spectacle of “bear baiting “ to take place. Indeed King John was reported to be delighted at attending a bait in Leicestershire. Queen Elizabeth I also encouraged the “sport” and James I recounted its princely pleasures.
Leicester had its own bear garden, some suggest that Bere Hill, (the present day Haymarket) was in fact Bear Hill close to a pair of stocks, outside the White Hart. (39). Many entries, which appear in the accounts of the corporation, refer to payments to the Master of Ceremonies or “Bearwards” for the provision of bears for the use of baiting with mastiff dogs. The entertainment occurred during the mayor’s banquet, often between courses, so as to help digest the first, before embarking on the next round of gluttony. Corporation accounts for 1611, lists the rent received for the bear garden.
1842, saw the practice of bear baiting thankfully outlawed by Parliament, although bears themselves would still be regarded as creatures of fun over the next 100 years.
Leicester Journal: Aug 16th 1787, relates of a fine young bear by the name of Harry, kept at a Leicester Inn. Harry acted as waiter and did his business with “wonderful docility”, the publisher of the Journal claims to have dined at the inn when Harry was waiting on, but being a favourite with the people the bear was plied with ale, addicted, his antics became more boisterous, so that the landlord was obliged to part with him.
A later report by Robert Read (40), recounts of “a frolicsome bruno has lately been seen playing “Old Harry” round the Full Moon in Russell Square, even a mild performing bear is now a great curiosity”.
Bull baiting by dogs, equally popular, was not accounted for in corporation accounts, as regulations stipulated that provisions were made for a regular supply of bulls for baiting, without any expense to the town funds.
A gruesome proclamation of 1467, “The Mayor commandeth on the Kings behalf that no butcher kill no bull within this town, without it being baited before.”
Records of a Bull ring in Leicester have yet to be unearthed, but mentioned reports of bull-baiting just outside the Town walls, close to the bear garden. (40).
Legislation against these so called sports left a void for those who not prepaid to participate illegally. A 19th century pass time enjoyed by the gentry and working man alike was Ratting.
A rat pit existed in Soar Lane, where dogs would be thrown into the pit with a number of rats, timed to see how many they could kill in a given time. Another version was to put the dog in a sack together with the rats, for the same end. A fine poster exists in the Ship in Soar lane, of Jerry a terrier who registered a record number of kills, Jerry could kill five rats in ten seconds, he once killed 50 rats in a little over four minutes, so quick and brave was Jerry that he was eventually barred from all contests in the country. Such was his reputation that he had to go to America, even there, Jerry proved too good, beating all comers, until he was barred there as well. Such was Jerry’s fame that when he died he was stuffed, mounted and displayed in a glass case in a pub of the Humberstone Rd.
Other amusements including dancing bears, horses and monkeys, in fact many animals were subjected to degradation. Not all pastimes were so cruel, as accounts bare witness in 1590, when a company of “tumblers” performed upon ropes at the Cross Keys in Highcross Street.
Soar Lane Rat Pit.
As taverns, alehouses and inns were the main assembly points for most, during election time it was easy for parliamentary candidates or their agents to visit the locals and bribe the voters with free drinks, meals and money in return for their votes.
A fascinating document exists for the expenses of two candidates, George Wright and John Wigley in 1754, when a total of £3,104 was spent in pursuit of being elected, (laws limiting expenses and preventing bribery were some hundred years away). Here in these election expenses lists is itemised money spent at 90 pubs in the borough of Leicester. As many had not yet the franchise, they were encouraged to “show the colours” by the wearing of rosettes or the candidates colour in exchange for a bribe, even if they did not have the vote. These expenses vary from one shilling and one penny spent on drink at the Tailors Arms to £323,13 at the Three Cranes, what today seems as blatant corruption, was perfectly normal during the 18th century. Although this catalogues money spent at 90 pubs, only 70 are named, including the Bag and Man, Grey of Warwick, Lions Den and Old Oxford Arms. (LRO 12).
Leicesters Highcross Street, the timbered building is the Town Seal, later to become the Golden Lion. Much of Leicester would be timbered, as we have destroyed Victorian architecture, they replaced most of Tudor Leicester.
After the recognisance orders the next major referrals are the directories, 1794 saw the printing of Richard Westons directory. The lists are in street form, in many cases only the number e.g. For Northgate the directory reads, “9 unnamed alehouses”. Many are listed under the licensee’s main trade or profession, this gives an incomplete picture.
By 1820, the periodic fluctuation in the numbers was again on the increase. The government, keen on free trade, were to promote the idea of each and every person given the right to invest. Large brewers were now beginning to get a hold in various areas, forming the tied house system. Generally this for Leicester, would not happen until the end of the century.
CHAPTER FIVE: 1830 BEER ACT AND COACH TRAVE
The next 60 years saw the most phenomenal growth in the number of alehouses. The Beer act of 1830, certainly made it easier to gain a licence, allowing any one the right to open a beer house for the payment of two guineas, (£2.20p). This also again accelerated another period of drunkenness, perhaps not as great as the previous gin era, nevertheless was seen against the past 30 years of relative sobriety. Sidney Smith who campaigned for the introduction of the beer act, afterwards wrote:
EVERYBODY IS DRUNK, THOSE WHO ARE NOT SINGING ARE SPRAWLING” (15).
The immense increase in numbers was obviously helped by the prolongation of the town’s boundaries.
The number of beer houses in Leicester was to increase from 160 odd in1822 to almost 800 by 1880.
The last coach leaves the Three Crowns.
It was also early on in this period that coach travel was at its height. Leicester with its central position had its fair proportion of coaching inns, many prospering from the trade. Amongst the main inns were the Three Crowns, George, Stag and Pheasant and Three Cranes.
Competition was keen and unscrupulous, two of the leading rivals were Charles Pettifor of the Stag and Pheasant, who boasted 44 coaches calling daily at the hotel, and Briggs of the George with 21, so tight was manoeuvring at the George, that a turn table was erected under the arch. John Neal, who had in 1825 moved from the Angel to the Three Cranes tried to break into the coach trade. Unfortunately for him, Pettifor at the Stag and Pheasant had many destinations sown up. John Neal was to became bankrupt soon after, with the result that the ancient Three Cranes was converted into a chemical and drug warehouse, (Boots). Neal accused Pettifor of masterminding his undoing, also of monopolising all exits from Leicester. One Pettifor did not monopolise, was the Leicester to Harborough road. This was run by Mr Biggs of the George. When Pettifor tried to muscle in on the Harborough run, his coach was met at Bowden toll gate by a band of “twenty rough characters, including a well known pugilist known as white haired Bob” who re-horsed the coach, driving it triumphantly back to Leicester. Pettifor sued, was awarded damages, but Briggs had restored the status quo, the two rivals resumed as before, but their coaching days were numbered. The railways were on the way.
With the advent of the railways, scenes of destruction and chaos resulted from the demolition, especially the Great Central Railway where 10 pubs were lost in the ensuing work. Included in these were The York Castle, Fortune Of War, Sycamore Tree, Sir John Barlycorn and Crispen Arms.
This was small fry compared to the turn again in the tide of public opinion on the morality of too many dens of iniquity selling alcohol.
Entitled the Free and Boozy, this cartoon was one of many depicting the current way of life in beer houses. Voices were again being raised against alcohol and its abuses. The temperance society was making inroads into popular sentiment. Again as we have seen previously, pressure was mounting against many publicans.
CHAPTER SIX: THE INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
Music was entering beer houses, a natural progression some might say, but this was all too much for the temperance lobby. Pubs like the Rainbow and Dove, pioneers in diversifying with music a lot of it classical, perhaps was acceptable, the more bawdy type that took place in the Champion in Humberstone Gate was not.
The Champion became a main target of the temperance movement, depicting as our hero Mr Booth about to slay the inebriated giant, in the form of the Champion.
The growth in the number of alehouses reached its climax during the 1880s, after which laws again tightened up in the handing out of licences, many of the smaller houses were to close. The peak in numbers was curtailed by a new attitude and together with government acts the temperance message was headed. Gladstone’s anti drink measures in 1880 including rate and beer price rises, meant demand fell. The liberal Government was not the friend of the landlord or drinker.
With falling consumption, brewers tried to tie as many landlords to maintain their share of sales, by loan agreements and takeovers the number of breweries fell, especially the home brew pubs, which all but disappeared in urban areas.
Magistrates were now closing pubs for being substandard, so to gain a new licence new ones were built on a grand scale, often in the guise of a hotel. The authorities enforced new acts rigidly, many occasions, magistrates seemingly overstepped their directives.
From 1900 until the Great War, closures accelerated at an alarming rate, bankruptcies grew, together with the temperance movement and dictatorial attitude of some benches saw the decline of the alehouse.
Further eroding of the pubs standing came with acts passed during the First War, supposedly to help the war effort, restrictions on time, the reduction of strengths and the raising of price all further nails in the coffin. Perhaps the most significant act was one not imposed by magistrates or the temperance movement, the loss of a whole drinking generation, slaughtered on the battlefield.
Reporting of the closure, at one licensing sessions: The Crown and Cushion, Belgrave Gate, The Brunswick Arms, Brunswick St. The Star and Garter, Wharf Street, The Elephant and Castle, York Street, together with a couple of beer offs on Elm and Jarrom Street. The grounds were that they were unable to meet the reasonable requirements of their neighbourhoods.
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE AGE OF THE BEER HOUSE IS OVER
Lloyd George attacked the drinking culture with the words:
Drink is doing more damage in the war than all the German submarines.
From then on until the 1990s, very few new pubs appeared in the city centre, most, either built on the outskirts or where major planning occurred, a hand full has replaced dozens demolished. The Second World War saw further restrictions with the lowering of gravity and increased duty, a shortage of beer meant loss of profits. The drinker had to be a detective to know when a delivery was due.
Following the Second War, there was little change until the mid to late 1950s, together with an attempt to rid Leicester of its slums, wholesale clearance was embarked upon. In an effort to improve housing, many inner city streets were demolished. The emergence and disappearance of back-to-back terraced housing, together with 150 years of alehouse history in Leicester had passed.
Together with its close knit communities, the last of Leicester’s beer houses were to disappear.
Whole communities together with the corner street local became a rareiety.
Property development was not confined to housing, perhaps the largest act of official vandalism came when the new Haymarket in Humberstone Gate altered the face of the city centre. Gone in one fell swoop, The Bell, The Plough, The Nelson, The Stag and Pheasant, The Tower Vaults, The George, The White Hart, The Star, The White Horse, The Horse Repository and Fleur dis leis. Some magnificent Georgian and Victorian buildings, all for a shopping centre that had seen its day after twenty years.
Simple pleasures of the bar.
The large brewers were buying up smaller local ones, only to close them down, diminishing choice, transferring licenses from the more unprofitable, to newer larger houses, often surrendering two or three licenses to gain one.
An important piece of legislation was passed in1964, when the allowing of a full licence which previously having two bars, was now reduced to one. (18). The consequence of this meant many pubs being altered internally to one large bar, often losing the atmosphere and ambience of smaller rooms.
The few big brewers that were now left, always answerable to the shareholders and a fear of takeovers themselves, were, together to some extent with the planners mainly to blame for the demise of the small pub, perhaps it was inevitable, few now remain. Then again pubs have always adapted to fashion throughout the ages, and will again, a good example of this is the vogue for changing names.
In 1989, the government of the day, commissioned a “supply of beer” inquiry hoping to stem the brewers monopoly on supply and tie. Lord Young, the trade secretary failed to implement the recommendations the commission, resulting in the brewers surfacing blooded but intact with their monopoly, the only gain was the allowing of guest beers in major tied houses, resulting in more small brewers emerging.
The 1990s saw the relaxing of granting licenses in Leicester, the emergence of the café bar, Resulting once again in the opening of many outlets. The pendulum was swinging once more.
DEMOGRAPHICS
As in most cities, the demographic shifts play a part in pub history, the industrial revolution played a major part in the proliferation of beer houses. One mustn’t forget immigration that brought with it enclaves of different cultures, the UK pub culture seems to be unique. The early 19th cent saw many Irish emigrate over the water, not just to find work, but escape the various potato famines that blighted their country, as with many immigrants low level housing, lodging houses in poorer areas was the outcome, beer houses sprung up in these area, supported by the Irish communities, together with the poorer white working class.
Beer houses with their unruliness were to become a problem to the authorities. The temperance movement curbed the number of outlets towards the end of the 19th cent.
The First World War as we have already suggested played its part in further reducing the numbers. The Depression of the 1930’s again saw the numbers fall slightly, with very few new builds. The Second World War saw a few further loses, a shortage of beer as ingredients were rationed.
The Polish community who stayed after the war were like the Irish to integrate, find work and generally support the pubs.
Maybe the Golden years for pubs came in the 1950s-60s, full employment, the end of austerity meant a boost for the brewing trade.
West Indies immigrants arrived in Leicester around the early 1950s occupying mainly the Highfields area where enclaves were formed. Pubs in the area became culturally different but didn’t suffer over duly and were generally supported by the community.
The next influx came from the Indian subcontinent, with many from Uganda where violent dictator Idi Amin had expelled the Ugandan Asian population of up to 70,000, most cases their livelihoods lost.
Leicester became a home for many practically in the Belgrave road area and the city became very multicultural, the effect on the pub trade again showed a cultural change. pubs in these areas were eventually to be ran by the immigrant community offering their traditional food, gradually turning some of the back street pubs to excellent curry houses. In this instance we Leicester folks were lucky. Again Hindus & Sikhs in the main drank and supported the trade, offering diversity in the city that was soon to expand out of the city to more affluent areas, but we are concerned with the city itself. Muslims were soon to gain in numbers occupying the St. Matthews area mainly. This is where pubs suffered in numbers for the simple reason Muslims are against alcohol. Some pubs were turned into Mosques.
Many Europeans were to come to Leicester after the millennium, the eastern Europeans drinking culture surrounded their own houses & café bars, street drinking out side also seemed a feature that took trade away.
These are all facts and certainly not an anti-immigration rant. Certainly many other factors would change pub culture as we knew it, the smoking ban would have an effect, heavy industrial work meant less volume, as we became more affluent we became more discerning, survival of the fittest.
Early 18th century Inns & Alehouses
1716 is the first time complete lists of alehouses is available. Unfortunately, only the licensees name is given, not until 1726 is the sign name recorded in this list, then again very often no address is given, in 1726, 96 signs are recorded.
Many of these will be recognised in the Alphabetical lists to follow. Also many have been recorded in earlier chapters, some with more information than those that follow. I record them as they appear in the recognisance orders of 1726.
Anchor
Angel Southgates
Angel Eastgates
Antelope
Ball, Causeway Lane
Bell
Bishops Blaze
Black Boy
Black Horse Head
Black Horse
Blue Boar
Boot & Shoe
Bull & Dragon
Bulls Head
Cannon, Barkby Lane
Crooked Billet
Cross Keys
Cross Keys & Stock
Crown & Cushion, Barkby Lane
Crown & Scepture
Dolphin
Feathers
Full Quart
George
Globe
Goat
Goat & Three Horseshoes
Green Dragon
Harp
Hare
Harrow
Hatchet & ——–
Holly Bush, Applegate
Holly Bush, St Nicholas Church Yd
Holly Bush, Northgate
Holly Bush, Redcross St
Holly Bush & Piggin
18th CENTURY INN CONTINUED
Hoope
Horse & Panniers
Joseph
Kings Arms
Kings Head
Lamb
Lanthorne (Lantern)
Lord Sharnford Arms
Lyon & Lamb, Gallowtree Gate
Lyon & Crown
Millflower
Mitre & Keys
Nags Head
Nags Head & Star
Old Mitre
Pelican, Gallowtree Gate
Peacock
Pied Bull
Porters Lodge
Post Boy (Church Gate)
Press Spinning
Royal Oak West Bridge
Queens Head
Queens Head, Silver St
Ram, West Bridge
Ram, Horsepool
Red Lyon
Red Cow, Loseby Lane
Rose & Crown
Royal Oak
Saracens Head
Spinning Wheel
Shoe & Crown
Smiths Arms
Smiths Arms Thornton Lane
Star
Star & Pincers
Swan
Swan & Rushes
Swan & Stork
Taylors Arms
Three Black Pots
Three Crowns
Town Arms
Turqs Head
18th CENTURY INNS CONTINUED
Wheatsheaf, Gallowtree Gate
White Hart
White Lyons (Loseby Lane)
Worlds End
1727 Additions
Bay Horse
Black Bull
Golden Ball
Greyhound
Horseshoe
Horse & Trumpet
Labour in Vain
Millstone
Old Star
Seven Stars
Three Pots
White Lyon & Dolphin
1728
Bishop Spinning
Blacksmiths Arms
Boar & Swan
Bucks Head (Gallowtree Gate)(16)
Cross Keys & Three Logs
Eagle
Gardeners Arms
Lyon & Star
1729
Axe & Pattern
Baue Knife
Billet & Quart
Falcon Last
Fox & Crown
Milk Maid
Unicorn & Star
1730
Full Quart (Applegate)
Full Quart (Belgrave Gate)
Three Cranes
1731
Grey Horse
Maremaid
1732
Spinning Wheel (Near Cank Well) 5035/1
18th CENTURY INNS CONTINUED
1733
Bowling Green
Plume of Feathers
1734
Bull & Clover
Dog & Gun
Fountain
Lanthorne & Crown
Lamp
New Tavern
Oxford Arms
Two Bells
1739
Brick Mould.
Cap & Stocking
Crown (West Bridge)
Coffee House
Leather Bottle
White Lyon (Belgrave Gate)
1740
Cooks Bath (Kept by John Cooks)
Fish & Swan
Grapes
Green Man
Griffin
Kings Head (Highcross St)
Red Lyon & Star
Swan (Belgrave Gate)
White Swan (Market Place)
Wheel (Northgate)
1741
Blue Bell (Northgate)
Cat Spinning time
House of Frame
Old Crown
Three Half Moon & Stars
White Boar
Woolcomb
1742
Admiral Vernon
Ball (Meeting House Lane)
Billet & Quart (by St Nicholas Church)
Black Swan (Church Gate)
Carpenters Arms
Gold Laced Hat
Star & Crown
18th CENTURY INNS CONTINUED
1742
Unicorn ( Sanvey Gate)
Unicorn (Southgate)
1743
Admirals Vernon & Haddock
Bell (Belgrave Gate)
Black Eagle
Board Roast & Boiled Meat
Cap (Bond St)
Horseshoe (Northgate) DE 2213/3 LRO
Kings Head (Belgrave Gate)
Lamb (Sanvey Gate) 10D57/168 LRO
Main Spring & Cleaver
North Coffee House
Queens Head & Bell (Friar Lane)
Ring Of Bells
Swan (Market Place)
Swan & Fish
Three Fleur-de-Luces
Turqs Head (Highcross St) 14 D57/92/27 LRO
Two Beetles
1744
Blue Bell (Gallowtree Gate)
Cannon & Ball
Cat
Kings Head (Redcross St)
Ring O Bells
Swan (Belgrave Gate)
Two Bottles
1745
Barley Mow
Black Boy (Swinsmarket)
Crooked Billet (Freeschool)
Holly Bush (Bond St)
Horse & Tram
Kings Head (Market Place)
New Kings Arms
Norris Coffee House
Valient Trooper
Star (South Gate)
1746
Golden Plough
Holly Bush (Highcross St) renamed Duke of Cumberland
New Inn
18th CENTURY INNS CONTINUED
1747
Shoe Makers Arms
Six Bells
1747 Saw the last surviving list of recognisence orders for the Borough of Leicester. Many names are repeated, where some have their address and some haven’t I have included both in case they are not at the same location. Some as in Swan & Ball may mean that the licensee of say the Ball, could have moved to the Swan, took his former Inns name in the hope of getting his old customers to follow, this was a common ploy. I have spelt as recorded ie: Lanthorne is as we spell Lantern.
From the 1747 list no regular recordings are made and little information is known, but the following can be added having been traced from adverts ect. C1750.
Bear & Swan Coffee House (11)
Golden Lion Highcross St (11)
Queens Head Townhall Lne (11)
Bear & Swan Townhall Lne (11)
Lamb & Lion Horsefair St (9)
Jolly Miller Gin Shop (11)
Laced Hat Coffee House Highcross St (11)
Town Seal Highcross St (Golden Lion Deeds)
C1754
Bag & Man
Black Lyon Belgrave Gate (11)
Boar & Swan
Boot
Crown & Plough Humberstone Gate
Fox & Goose
Grey Of Warwick
Horse & Hounds
Horse & Jockey
Lions Den
Old Oxford Arms
Shakespears Head
White Bear
White Horse (all above ref 12 LRO)
The Gate Millstone Lane ( Nags Head Deeds LRO)
C1760
Fish & Quart Churchgate
1760
Vauxhall Bath Lane
1763
Dial & Sun, Highcross St (11)
1765
Lion & Dolphin Market Place
18th CENTURY INNS CONTINUED
1769
Green Gate Thornton Lane
1772
Blazing Star, (11)
Black Moors Head (11)
Turks Head Southgate St (11)
1773
King Of Prussia (11)
1774
Blue Bell Humberstone Gate (11)
Swan with Two Necks Granby St (11)
1780
Red Lion Nortgate
Flower Pot Church Gate
1790
Bear & Swan Friar Lane
Musicians Arms Millstone Lane (Ex Gate-Deeds LRO)
Ball (Highcross St (13)
Duke of York Southgate St
Full Quart Abbey Gate
Golden Fleece Woodgate
Golden Lion Humberstone Gate
Holly Tree Gallowtree Gate
Hare & Hounds Woodgate
Horse & Groom Highcross St
Mitre & Keys AppleGate
Peacock High St.
Crown & Anchor Millstone Lane ex Musicians Arms
Fox & Crown Redcross St (next door White Bear-Lord Ranclife.
From here on in the alehouses, Inns, Taverns etc will be covered under Street Names, as we have more information, one or two are already in that category. Some have changed names when victualars move.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 The History of Leicester, J Thompson. 2 The English Alehouse, Peter Clarke. 3 Records of the Borough of Leicester, Mary Bateson. Medieval Leicester, C.J.Billson. 5 Nichols. 6 Records of the Borough of Leicester, Stocks. 7 History of the Saracens Head, Everards 1934. 8 Pamphlet, Leicester Ref Library, L647-94. 9 List of Leicester Pubs, George Lapworth (unpublished). 10 Records the Borough of Leicester 1689-1835, Chinnery. 11 B. A. R. Bone, Leicester Ref Library (unpublished). 12 L.R.O.Election expences of 1754. 13 Richard Westons Directory 1794. 14 L.R.O. misc index, 763. 15 Histoy of Liquor and Licensing of England, S & B Webb. 16 L.R.O. DE 2114. 17 ABC to Drinking in Leicester, Joe Regan (unpublished). 18 Alehouses in Leicester, Chris Pyrah. 19 Tradesmans Tokens, paper in 1857 by Thomas North. 20 The Story of the Publican Brewer, H.A. Moncton. 21 Pigotts Directory 1822. 22 Kellys Directorys 1835-1950 23 Radical Leicester, A Temple Patterson, 24 Town Crier 1882. 25 Research by Chris Pyrah. 26 1851 census. 27 City Police Reports. 28 Inns of Leicester, Eric Swift. 29 Everards Brewery. 30 Highways and Byways of Leicester, JB Firth. 31 History of Leicester, Colin Ellis. 32 Leicestershire, Guy Padget & L Irvine. 33,CAMRA publication, Real Ale in Leicester. 34 Reliquary vol 7 Thompson. 35 Literary remains of John Stockdale Hardy. 36 Plain mans History of Leicester, F E Skillington. 37 Richard 111, Anthony Chethan. 38 Leicester Chronical 1851. 39 Thomas Salt Brewery list of tied houses. 40 Robert Reads Modern Leicester. 41 Kellys notes.
Further acknowledgments and thanks must go to, Leicester Records Office. Leicester City Council Planning Office. Newark Houses. Everards. Leicester Mercury. Leicester Reference Library. Individual information and photos, thanks to; Anne Marie Suitor, Jane Leggatt, Harry Cragg, Shelia Tomlinson, Steve England, Aubrey Stevenson, Tim Vines, Les Pateman, Roy Almey, George and Vera Rudkin, Tom Hargrave, Colin Hargrave, Ken Woodcock, Geoff Blackburn. Phil Fox, Tony Booker, Ray Turner, Bill Willbond, Paddy McCraken, John Manners, John Zientek, M, Follows, Jeff Evans, Rob Spur, Bas Deacon and Karen Hobson who ferried Liz and I around many many outlets also provided photos. Lastly Gentleman Sid Savage drayman who started my fascination with Leicester Pubs in the late 1950’s.