Holy Trinity Minories pub history index
The Sieve, close to Holy Trinity Church, Minories, was one of the oldest public-houses in London.
Underneath, there were crypt-like cellars, the material used in their construction being of the nature of chalk. It is possible that originally they had some connection with the adjoining convent of nuns of St. Clare, for Mr. J. T. Smith, who in 1797 sketched the remains of the conventual buildings, then laid bare by a fire, and published the results in his "Ancient Topography of London," tells us that their walls were of chalk and Caen stone.
The parish of Holy Trinity is all included within the ancient precincts of the convent, and in the early days of the Reformation the gates were still kept up. In the parish records, under date 1596, there is mention of the appointment of a "vitler to the parish." He was also to have the custody of the keys, and was to close the gate "in the sommer at night at tenne of the clocke, and in the winter at nyne, and at noe other hour, except the necessary and urgent occasions of the inhabitants of the said parish doe require the contrarie."
Later extracts speak of vestry meetings at the Sieve; for instance, on February 13, 1705-6, "about agreeing to pull down the churchyard wall," when matters were facilitated by the expenditure of six shillings on refreshment.
A seventeenth-century trade token issued from this house, of which a drawing is given, reads thus:—
O.—RICHARD . HARRIS . AT . YE SEV = a sieve.
R.—IN . TRINITY . MINORIES = HIS HALF PENY. R. R. H.
It is mentioned among public-houses of note in the "Vade Mecum for Malt-worms" (1715?)
.
The sign is a rare one; in 1669, however, there was also a Sieve in Aldermanbury, from which a trade token was issued.
In the eighteenth century the Sieve in the Minories appears to have been much curtailed, for in a deed of 1762 it is described as "all that messuage or tenement now divided into three," and an old drawing shows adjoining shops similar in style, which no doubt originally formed part of it.
For many years the house belonged to the Byng family, and at last came into the hands of the Metropolitan Railway Company, by whom it was closed in 1886, but not entirely destroyed until 1890.
The parish of Holy Trinity is now annexed to that of St. Botolph, Aldgate. The church, within a few yards of the old Sieve, is a plain little structure, but has various interesting features and associations, which have been described in two publications, by the last vicar, the late Rev. Samuel Kinns. The previous incumbent, the Rev. E. M. Tomlinson, has also written an interesting book about it.
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Holy Trinity Minories parish, Whitechapel.
Residents at this address
1841/Thomas Harwood/../../../P.O. Directory **
1842/Robt. Bishop/../../../Robson�s Directory **
October 1848/Robert Bishop/Music License/../../Era Newspaper
1851/Robert Bishop/Publican/45/Aldgate, London/Census
1851/Ann Bishop/Wife/43/Witley, Surrey/Census
1851/Ann Bishop/Daughter/19/St Georges, Middlesex/Census
1851/Mary Bishop/Daughter/10/St Georges, Middlesex/Census
1851/Ann Biggs/Barmaid/43/Weald, Essex/Census
1851/Margaret Sylvin/Cook/27/Ireland/Census
1851/George Kendell/Potboy/16/Marnhull, Dorset/Census
1856/Robert Bishop/../../../Post Office Directory *
1859/Robert Bishop / Licensed Victualler, Dealer & Chapman /../../London Gazette, 11 February 1859 **
October 1859/Edward Harry Dalby/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
October 1859/William Featherstone/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1861/Henry Meeking/Licensed Victualler/34/Hillingdon, Middlesex/Census
1861/Dorothy Meeking/Wife/32/Althorne, Essex/Census
1861/Jane George/Servant/16/Aldgate, London/Census
1861/Harry Edgar Stillwell/Lodger, Butler/29/Frome, Somerset/Census
October 1866/James Russell Cosgrove/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
October 1866/John Selby/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
1871/John Selby/Publican/35/Nottingham, Nottinghamshire/Census
1871/Eliza Selby/Wife/36/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Eliza Selby/Daughter/12/London, Middlesex/Census
1871/Alfred Selby/Son/3/Holy Trinity, Middlesex/Census
1871/Emma Giles/Domestic Servant/17/St Lukes, Middlesex/Census
1862/Henry Meekins / Victualler /../../London Gazette, 28 February 1862 **
October 1865/Ralph Murray/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +
October 1865/Thomas Stevens/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +
1869/John Selby/../../../Post Office Directory
1874/J Selby/../../../H.D. Miles London & Suburban Licensed Victuallers'
Directory **
1882/John Selby/../../../Post Office Directory *
+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
* Provided By Ewan
** Provided By Stephen Harris