Pindar of Wakefield, 328 Grays Inn Road WC1

St Pancras index

At Constitution Row, Kings Cross in 1839;and at St Chads Row, Grays Inn Road -  in 1856

Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.

Pindar of Wakefield, 328 Grays Inn Road, WC1 - in May 2007

Pindar of Wakefield, 328 Grays Inn Road, WC1 - in May 2007

Kindly provided by Stephen Harris

Residents at this address.

Mount Pleasant Fort, sited underneath the modern Post Office sorting office, was also known as Wakefield or Pindar's Fort. This is a frequently described location, and the Mount itself was an ironic name given to a notorious dung hill. Soldiers were known to camp immediately north of here in fields typically used for archery and duels. From Islington, Lithgow descended to Holborn Fields where he came to Pindar of Wakefield's Fort [10], evidently on the right of Gray's Inn Lane, and the one styled by Vertue 'a Battery and Breastwork on the hill east of Black Mary's Hole'. It is a natural site for a garrison and defensive position **

Originally built in 1517 when the landlord was George Green, one-time Pindar of Wakefield, who was supposed to have had connections with Robin Hood.  The present house, built in 1878, was once patronised by Karl Marx and Lenin.  Until the 1980s it housed a regular 'Old Time Music Hall'.  In 1986 the premises were bought by the Grand Order of Water Rats and the name was changed to the Water Rats. - London Encyclopaedia **

1723 The Pindar of Wakefield Public house in Grays Inn Road is badly damaged in a thunderstorm, the landlords two daughters are buried in the ruins; the pub is rebuilt on the opposite side of the road. -  **

Ann Mortimer , of the Parish of Pancrass, was indicted for privately stealing five Guineas, from the Person of Richard Richardson , the first of this present October. The Prosecutor depos'd, he being very much in drink, he went into the Pindar of Wakefield, in Grays-Inn-Lane, and the Prisoner came in, and there he lost his Money. The Landlady's Daughter depos'd, the Prosecutor came in with the Prisoner, and they had three Quarters of Brandy, and were there about an Hour; that he threw his Money about, and afterwards he said he had lost six or seven Guineas; and she found a Guinea in her Hand. The Landlady depos'd, That her Daughter came and told her, The Gentleman was in Liquor, whereupon she went in, and he charg'd the Prisoner with having taken his Money; that she search'd her, and could find none; but her Daughter coming in, said, Mother, look in her Hand; and she said her self did, and found a Guinea in her Hand, which she said the Prosecutor had given her in stead of a Shilling, to buy some Pork. After a full hearing of the Matter the Jury acquitted her. ** --
Old Bailey Proceedings Online , 29 June 2006), Ann Mortimer, theft : pick pocketing, 16th October, 1723 (Ref: t17231016-55

It was originally built in 1517 and from my research it appears to have been relocated and the present public house was built in 1878 and has been renamed The Water Rats and is still trading today. One of my ancestors William Reeve (1776-1846) was the licensed victualler from around 1828 to 1846. **

1825/Mr Reeve, Pindar of Wakefield, Grays inn road/../../Licensed Victuallers Association

April 1827/William Reeve/../../../Licensed Victuallers Association

1829/William Reeve/../../../Robsons Directory

1833-34/William Reeve, Pindar of Wakefield, Constitution Row/../../Post Office Directory

1839/William Reeve/../../../Pigots Directory

1841/W Reeve/../../../Post Office Directory

1848/James Bryson/../../../Post Office Directory

1851/James Bryson/../../../Kellys Directory

Morning Advertiser 22 March 1852 - Aplications for New Licenses. :
James Newton, corner of Chads row and Chads place, Grays Inn road. The application was opposed by John Francis Bucknell Cabburn, White Hart; James Thornton, Pindar of Wakefield, and Thomas Joseph Sellers, of the Globe - Licence refused.

1856/J Thurston/../../../Post Office Directory

1861/James Thurston/Victualler/48/Marylebone, Middlesex/Census
1861/Mary Ann Thurston/Wife/48/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1861/Albert A Thurston/Son, Cellerman/21/Chelsea, Middlesex/Census
1861/George Thurston/Son/11/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1861/Charles Thurston/Son/7/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1861/William Smith/Nephew, Assistant/24/Marylebone, Middlesex/Census
1861/Elizabeth Smith/Niece/15/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1861/Ann B Emonarton/Mother in Law, Retired Inn Keeper, Widow/76/Guildford, Surrey/Census
1861/Elizabeth Crickondre/General Servant, Widow/39/St Georges Hanover square, Middlesex/Census
1861/Samuel Craddock/Barman/17/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1861/George Hassell/Potman/19/Islington, Middlesex/Census

June 1862/Henry Speedy, Alfred Tapp and James William Thurston/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era

June 1862/Frederick Joseph Rowcliffe/Incoming Licensee/../../Era

Morning Advertiser 29 October 1866
Tetleys East India Pale Ale,
The Brewery, Leeds.
The New Seasons Brewings are now being delivered.
Stores.
Liverpool - 62, Duke street
Manchester - Town Hall buildings, King street
Dublin - 62 Middle Abbey street
York - Swinegate
London - 169 Upper Thames street, Agent, George Hall.
These Ales are in every respect of the highest class, and in flavour, Condition, and keeping qualities, are not to be surpassed. They are always on draught at the following, amongst many other of the leading Houses in London :-
Arkell, Goat and Compasses, 8 Upper Fitzroy street, New road
Bond, Rose, Monkwell street EC
Brown, Portman Arms, 34 Great Quebec street, Portman square
Brown, Ticket Porter, Arthur street West, London bridge
Brunt, Cannings Head, Sidney street, Commercial road East
Collins, Giraffe, Newington crescent
Darbyshire, Crown, Pentonville road
Grey, Oxford Stores, 181 Oxford street
Morgan, New York stores, East Smithfield
Oughton, 110 Great College street, Camden Town
Riches, George and Dragon, Buckingham street, New road
Rowcliffe, Pindar of Wakefield, 328 Grays Inn road
Turner, Star, Goldington street, Oakley square
Tweedy, Unicorn, 79 Jermyn street, St James's
Walter, Discussion Hall, Shoe lane
Webb, Camden Head, Bethnal green road
Williams, Artillery lane, Houndsditch.

1869/Alfred Fairs/../../../Post Office Directory

1880/Hy Bacon/../../../Post Office Directory **

1881/Henry Bacon/Licensed Victualler/27/Ongar, Essex/Census
1881/John Strange/Cousin, Gas Engineer/17/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1881/Samuel Brown/Assistant/27/Gosberton, Lincoln/Census
1881/William Ray/Assistant/20/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1881/Henry Scarll/Assistant/16/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1881/Edward Symons/Assistant/21/Over, Cambridge/Census
1881/Florence Scotchmer/Housemaid/21/Framlingham, Suffolk/Census
1881/Emma Hammond/Cook/29/Stapleford Abbots, Essex/Census

1882/Hy Bacon/../../../Post Office Directory

1884/Frederick Strange/../../../Post Office Directory

1891/James Baskett/../../../Post Office Directory

1895/Robert Hicks/../../../Post Office Directory

1899/David Cohen/../../../Post Office Directory

1901/Samuel Cohen/Publicans Manager/28/US America, British subject/Census
1901/Julia Cohen/Wife, Publicans Manageress/30/City, London/Census
1901/Walter Chandler/Barman/20/Notting Hill, London/Census
1901/Ellen L Smith/Barmaid/18/Holborn, London/Census
1901/David Fannatt/Barman/21/Boro, London/Census
1901/Charles Leeman/Barman/19/Plaistow, Essex/Census
1901/Maud M Dunn/Barmaid/22/Ireland/Census
1901/Charles Hopper/Page Boy/16/Clerkenwell, London/Census
1901/Ellen Bennett/Cook/56/Pimlico, London/Census

1910/Henry Bishop Hartnell/../../../Post Office Directory

1915/William Thomas Harpham/../../../Post Office Directory

1966/J K Robertson, Pindar of Wakefield, 328 Grays Inn road WC1/../../Licensed Victuallers Association



** Provided by Michael Reeve

*** Provided By Stephen Harris

 

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