Lord Nelson, 17 Mora street, St Luke EC1

The road is later renamed to Mora Street from Nelson street; It closed in 2002 and is now in residential use. ** In 1934, the address is at 17 Nelson Street, which is at the junction with Nelson Street. The same landlord on 1938 and 1944 changes the address to 148 Lever Street; and Nelson Street becomes renamed to Mora Street. Later on the address reverts to 17 Mora Street. Incidentally, the address of 148 Nelson Street is a chandlers shop in 1921, so it is possible that the pub has been extended sometime around this era.

St Luke pub history index

Lord Nelson, 17 Mora Street - in December 2006

Lord Nelson, 17 Mora Street - in December 2006

Kindly provided by Stephen Harris

Residents at this address.

1822/Mr Walker, Lord Nelson, Nelson street, City road/../../Licensed Victuallers Association

1825/Mr. William Walker, Lord Nelson, Nelson street, City road/../../Licensed Victuallers Association

1836/Edward Dewry / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records held at Guildhall Library **

1837/Edward Drewry / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records held at Guildhall Library **

1839/William Wilson/../../../Pigots Directory

1841/William Wilson/../../../Post Office Directory **

1848/William Wilson/../../../Post Office Directory

1851/William Wilson/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions

1851/William Wilson/Wine & Spirit Merchant/40/Lincolnshire/Census *
1851/Rebecca Wilson/Wife/35/Lincolnshire/Census
1851/Martha Andig/Cousin, Shopwoman/18/Lincolnshire/Census
1851/Ann Clarke/Visitor, Assistant/65/Lincolnshire/Census
1851/Charles Henry Amos/Assistant, Cellarman/22/Norfolk/Census
1851/John Robert Ford/Assistant, Shop Youth/14/Dorchester, Dorset/Census
1851/Catherine Gambles/Visitor/10/Kennington, Surrey/Census
1851/Gatella Smith/Housemaid/21/Oxford, Huntingdonshire/Census
1851/James Buseas/General Servant/21/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census

1856/Thomas Browning Hockley/../../../Post Office Directory

1861/Thomas B Hockley/Licensed Victualler/48/Greenwich, Kent/Census
1861/Mary Ann Hockley/Wife/26/Standon, Herts/Census
1861/Edgar Hockley/Son/1/St Lukes, Middlesex/Census
1861/Sarah Wells/Housekeeper/23/Parndon, Essex/Census
1861/William Pratt/Barman/24/Great Dunmow, Essex/Census
1861/Rebecca Hacker/Barmaid/23/Cambridge Heath, Middlesex/Census
1861/William Underwoods/Potman/17/East Buryhall, Suffolk/Census

March 1866/John Benjamin Edwards/License renewal/../Clerkenwell News

1869/Henry James Edwards & Son/../../../Post Office Directory

1871/H J Edwards/Victualler/60/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1871/E Edwards/Wife/44/Lambeth, Surrey/Census
1871/E H Edwards/Daughter/28/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1871/T A Agnialle/Male Servant/../Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1871/W E Martin/Male Servant/20/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1871/E M Stones/Female Servant/21/Walthamstow, Essex/Census

August 1872/Henry James Edwards/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era

August 1872/John Benjamin Edwards/Incoming Licensee/../../Era

This is from memory. If anyone is interested please contact me. ***

My ancestor, Marguerite Rayson, was born in Haltwhistle, Northumberland in the 1840s. Unlike most of her large family, she moved to the south and married Thomas George Lewis. I believe his father, Thomas John Lewis, was a grocer, and there's a slim chance he had a pub at some time. Thomas George Lewis became a licensed victualler and raised his family on the premises of his pub, the Lord Nelson, at 17 Nelson Street. They were living there in several censuses - between 1881 & 1901, and possibly 1871.

Marguerite (aka Margaret) died when her children were fairly young, but the family stayed on at the Lord Nelson. The daughter that I am descended from was also called Marguerite. She was born and lived at the Lord Nelson until the day she married. Shortly thereafter she and her husband emigrated to Canada, never to see her father alive again. ***

I had found a report of a fatal accident at the pub, related to some building work, probably before the First World War. It involved substantial rebuilding of the place, to the extent where I concluded that the present bricks and mortar are unlikely to be the same that my ancestors lived in, although they stand in the same place. That's my interpretation, from some hasty reading of a book on Islington found at the Family History Centre.

Fast forward to nearly present day. I believe this pub had a small role in the movie 'Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels'. At the beginning when the two inept thieves are interviewed for the position of thieves, the interview / meeting takes place in a pub which looks very much like the Lord Nelson.

I was only inside once. My friend and I (neither of us in the first stages of adulthood) stopped in just before noon one day, having gone round to take pictures of the outside. As I live in Canada, this was a rare opportunity. The pub was actually open, but we didn't fancy a beer, so asked if it would be possible to have coffee instead. The bar man was very nice and said we could, but then said, "But you might not want to. There's a stripper comin' on in five minutes". We declined to stay for the performance.

When I went back again in 2003 (?) things were changing again. The conversion to luxury flats was almost complete. It was the end of an era, as it was the Lord Nelson that put bread on my family's table so long ago. Knowing that I could have a pint in the same rooms as my ancestors had lived and served, was a unique thing. ***

I have had little luck linking up with anyone from the Lewis family. I often wondered what happened to Marguerite's brothers and sisters, the ones who didn't emigrate. Thomas George Lewis died in approximately the late 1930s.

I would love to hear more stories about the pub and its neighbourhood. I hope that at least some of the people living in the new flats will take an interest in the history of the building and the area. ***

Thomas George Lewis was the son of Thomas J Lewis, who previously held the license for the Telegraph, in Hawkins Street ***

1878/Thomas George Lewis / Proprietor /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey **

1881/Thomas G Lewis/Publican/30/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Margaret Lewis/Wife/32/Northumberland/Census
1881/Thomas Lewis/Son/5/Paddington/Census
1881/Margurite Lewis/Daughter/1/St Lukes/Census
1881/Lilien M Lewis/Daughter/3/St Lukes/Census
1881/George Levett/Barman/21/Suffolk/Census
1881/Alber A Bredd/Barman/18/Norwich/Census
1881/Ellen Quirck/Cook/28/Devon/Census
1881/Jane Baymeah/Nurse Maid/33/London, Middlesex/Census

1882/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

1884/Thomas G Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

2 January 1887/"William Lewis, watchmaker, was charged with breaking into the house of …[and stealing property worth 90 pounds, including some 10-notes] …Mr Thomas George Lewis, landlord of the Lord Nelson public house, Nelson-Street, City-road, identified the prisoner as the man who changed a 10-pound note at his house about a month ago."/Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper ***

1891/Thos Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

1895/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

1899/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

1901/Thomas G Lewis/Licensed Victualler/50/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1901/Margaret L Lewis/Daughter, Forewoman, Drapery Warehouse/21/St Lukes, London/Census
1901/Florence E Lewis/Daughter, Housekeeper/19/St Lukes, London/Census
1901/Ernest G Lewis/Son, Pawnbrokers Assistant/17/St Lukes, London/Census
1901/Emily Thomas/Nursemaid/15/St Pancras, London/Census
1901/Mary S Clarke/Barman/21/Walthamstow/Census
1901/Arthur Rayner/Barman/19/Whitechapel/Census
1901/Emily Murphy/Barmaid/29/Bethnal Green/Census

1910/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory

1914/William Hunter Gillingham/../../../Post Office Directory

1915/William Hunter Gillingham/../../../Post Office Directory

1921/James Williams/../../../Post Office Directory

1934/Alfred Witherick/Lord Nelson, 17 Nelson Street/../../Kellys Directory

1935/Alfred Witherick/../../../Post Office Directory **

1938/Alfred Witherick/Lord Nelson, 144 Lever Street/../../Post Office Directory

1944/Alfred Witherick/Lord Nelson, 144 Lever Street/../../Post Office Directory

1971/../Lord Nelson, 17 Moira Street/../../Pub Directory

1983/../Lord Nelson, 17 Moira Street, Watneys/../../Pub Directory

1991/../Lord Nelson, 17 Moira Street, Grand Met -  Watneys/../../Pub Directory


* Provided By Ewan

** Provided By Stephen Harris

*** Provided by Jill Browne

 

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