Spread Eagle, 66 Limehouse Causeway, Limehouse E14

Limehouse index

This pub is now demolished. *

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

Residents at this address

One of my ancestors built the Spreadeagle Hotel in Limehouse.

My great-great-grandfather (the paternal grandfather of my father's mother, Mary Coote, nee Mary Williams) was a man called William Hawkins Williams, who came to Australia in 1830, aged 13. He was born in England in 1817, died in Australia in 1903.

I have a typewritten transcript of part of a letter written by William Hawkins Williams dated March 18, 1898, concerning his ancestors in England [I have interpolated within square brackets those words which I I believe to be missing from the transcript]:

"I [am], William WILLIAMS, Shipwright and Boatbuilder, son of William Williams. He [was] also the son of William Williams, Carpenter and Joiner, carrying on a business as I have heard and believe at Bath and Bristol England. Having means, he moved to London somewhere about the latter part of the 1700s. He invested in land and property in Spreadeagle Street, St. Annes, Limehouse. He built the Spreadeagle Hotel at the corner of Limehouse Causeway and Spreadeagle Street. It was a three storied building with porticos in each street. His initials, with the date of erection of the building, are on the uppermost corner of the building facing the Limehouse Causeway. He was an officer of the Volunteers at the time that Napoleon threatened invasion of England. Of an easy and trusting nature he got involved, and his daughter (Mrs. Holmes) became the landlady of the Hotel." **

There are a considerable number of documents relating to this public house in the Hale collection

1811/William Williams, Spread Eagle, Limehouse causeway/../../Holdens Directory

1816/William Holmes / Public House Keeper /../../Proceedings of the Old Bailey *

1825/Mr Holmes, Spread Eagle, Limehouse Causeway /../../Licensed Victuallers Association

Eastern Star Lodge Freemasons membership initiated December 18th 1827, Henry Geere, Victualler, Limehouse, 1829 to 1833

1830/Mr Geere, Spread Eagle, Limehouse causeway/../../Licensed Victuallers Association

1834/Henry Geere / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records � Guildhall Library *

1839/John Hamer/../../../Pigots Directory

1842/John Hamer/../../../Robson�s Directory *

1851/William Renwick/../../../Kellys Directory

1869/W Renwick/../../../Post Office Directory

1871/Thomas Renwick/Publican, Son/23/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1871/Louisa Renwick/Daughter/17/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1871/Rebecca Wenham/Domestic General Servant/30/Wendey, Cambridgeshire/Census
1871/William Cashon/Barman/16/St Andrews, Middlesex/Census
1871/David Robins/Potman/21/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census

May 1871/executor of William Renwick, deceased/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer

May 1871/William Bennett/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer

30th September 1871/William Bennett/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +

30th September 1871/William Farr/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +

1881/Lucy Farr Bennett/Niece (Head)/41/Broadway City/Census
1881/Lucy B Frances/Niece/19/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/William H Stone/Manager Of P.H. (Publican)/35/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/George Geuge/Barman/38/Aldgate, Middlesex/Census
1881/Susannah Lilley/Friend/57/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/Edward Boyd/Potman/21/Yarmouth, Norfolk/Census
1881/Sarah Taylor/Servant Domestic General/20/Poplar, Middlesex/Census

1882/William Farr/../../../Post Office Directory

1891/William Farr/../../../London Trade Directory

1895/Mrs Lucy Farr Bennett/../../../London Trade Directory

1899/Mrs Lucy Farr Bennett/../../../London Trade Directory

1901/Wm Hy Stone/Manager |Public House/57/Limehouse, London/Census
1901/James Donovan/Barman/19/Millwall, London/Census
1901/George Genge/Barman, Widow/59/Aldgate, London/Census
1901/Ethel Roberts/Domestic Servant/21/East Preston/Census

1910/Wm Dennis Murphy/../../../London Trade Directory

1911/William Murphy/Licensed Victualler/33/Essex/Census
1911/Walter Warren/Barman/35/London/Census
1911/Ellen Cease/Cook/31/Essex/Census

1915/Benj Samuels/../../../London Trade Directory

1934/Lewis Collins/../../../Kelly's

1938/Lewis Collins/../../../London Post Office Directory

1941/Lewis Collins/../../../Post Office Directory *

There is no entry by 1944, here are a few suggestions why:

The London Docks, and surrounding area were the most bombed area, during the last war, Limehouse Causeway was largely bomb-obliterated, figures show that by 1945 just under 20% of the East End had been laid waste, of Stepney's 34,000 homes over 32,000 were seriously damaged, while of Poplar's 25,000 homes just one escaped unscathed. Pete of Shoreditch


+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

* Provided by Stephen Harris

** Provided by Darryl Coote

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  • And Last updated on: Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 09:45:35 GMT