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

A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in  St Pancras parish, City of London. The St Pancras parish includes a large number of areas that include Camden Town, large parts of Grays Inn Road, Tottenham Court Road, Kentish Town, Euston Road, Regents Park  etc ,  London Pubs,  information from census, Trade Directories and History to add Victuallers, Publicans, Pub staff, Lodgers and Visitors.

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

Kindly provided by Stephen Harris

The following entries are in this format:

Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.

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. - www.kxrlg.org.uk **

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. **

1839/William Reeve/../../../Pigotts Directory ****

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

1848/Jas Bryson/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1851/Jas Bryson/../../../Kellys Directory ****

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

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 ****

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

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