Mile End Pubs history
The sun fire insurance record of 1813 lists Michael Rourke, White Horse, at the corner of Spicer Street and Spital Street, Mile End. This is very relevant when referring to the Times report of the White Horse, Spicer Street at the corner of Spital Street collapsing in 1827, and killing the landlady. The White Horse, Spital square in the 1847 license transfer.
The address is listed as 40 Spicer Street in 1884 and earlier, prior to street renaming. (It is also listed as 45 Spicer Street in 1839 and 1848, as 31 Spicer Street in 1841, and as 10 Buxton Street in 1895 and 1899, but always named.) * The 1867 license transfer refers to this as the White Horse, Spital Street.
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address.
1813/James Rourke / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records, held at
Guildhall Library **
This lady, Sarah Wiltshire, I believe to be my 4x great grandmother - if the
two are one and the same as it were, then her details are as follows
Sarah Reynolds, born 1765, baptised 14 April 1765 at St Dunstans & All
Saints Stepney, she married Joseph Wiltshire, on the 11th September 1786 at
St Dunstans. ***
The report and follow up letter (which was published the day after the
report), of this rather unfortunate incident, mention that the Sarah
Wiltshire killed had four sons, and an elder brother, and this is all I
really have had to go on in ascertaining whether or not she is 'my' Sarah
Wiltshire. A distinct lack of a death or burial record, make it difficult to
be sure, but I do tend to think that she is 'mine'. Certainly 'my' Sarah had
4 sons - James, Joseph, William & Robert, and she definitely had elder
brothers. Wouldn't time travel be so useful?! ***
I haven't found any real record of the pub concerned, - the White Horse, -
but then again as it seems to have fallen down, maybe the site was not used
again as a public house. [Or maybe it was !]
August 1827 - Times :
Calamitous Accident. About one o'clock on Saturday morning, the inhabitants
of Spicer Street, Spitalfields were thrown into consternation by the falling
in of the White Horse public house, at the corner of Spital street (kept by
Mrs sarah Wiltshire), with a most deafening crash, and burying under the
ruins the landlady and her aged brother.
The house was a crazy fabric, and had been condemned upwards of six months:
possession, however, had been imprudently kept and even a few hours before
the fatal catastrophe although the partitions in the interior were cracking
and giving way, such was her attachment to the spot, that the neighbours
(some of whom foresaw the impending danger) could not prevail upon her to
quit the house, alleging that all she had in the world was there. Both
retired to rest, leaving word with the watchman that if anything particular
occurred during the night, he should give alarm. A few minutes before one
[o'clock], her cries were heard from the bed room window calling for
assistance, and saying that the floor had given way and while the watchman
was in the act of knocking at a neighbours door on the opposite side of the
way, the whole fell with a tremendous noise. Being a corner house, the two
fronts were thrown with such force against the houses facing that the window
shutters of several were literally shattered into pieces, and so
instantaneous was the shock, that the surrounding buildings trembled to
their foundations, as from the effects of an earthquake :and it was with the
greatest diffulty that several families could be prevailed upon not to throw
themselves out at the windows to escape being involved in general ruin. By
the active exertions of the multitude, the body of the unfortunate occupier
was dug out of the shapeless mass, where it was found under an immense beam,
quite dead; and the brother , who was shortly afterwards found, escaped
comparatively uninjured, saving a slight wound on the head. At break of day,
a cash box, containing 38 pounds in money, was also rescued.
A coroners jury sat in the evening, when the account of the deceased stated
that several applications had been made to the brewers, Henry Meux and Co,
to do something to the house, and prevent its falling, and having neglected
to do so; he himself a few days before called at the brewery, and
represented to Mr Latham, one of the partners, that the customers were
afraid to go into his mothers house, in consequence of its condition. Mr
Latham complained about being put to additional expense, but said he would
send some person to look at it before Monday (this day). ***
1839/Henry Fox/../../../Pigot’s Directory **
1841/Thomas Granger/../../../Post Office Directory **
1842/Thos. Granger/../../../Robson’s Directory **
1842/Thomas Granger / Formerly Licensed Victualler /../../London Gazette, 18
February 1842 **
1848/Abia Butfoy/../../../Post Office Directory *
August 1847/Abia Butfoy/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
August 1847/George Welch/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
1851/George Welch/Victualler/32/Lilley, Hertfordshire/Census
1851/Dinah M A Welch/Wife/24/Sotherton, Suffolk/Census
1851/Frederick C Welch/Son/3/Stepney, Middlesex/Census
1851/Emily Briggs/Cousin, Barmaid/12/Islington, Middlesex/Census
1851/Heken M A Welch/Daughter/6 months/Stepney, Middlesex/Census
1851/Sarah Prong/General Servant/14//Census
1851/John Peacock/Potman/20//Census
May 1863/George Welch/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
May 1863/Joseph William Taylor/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
March 1867/Joseph William Taylor/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
March 1867/William George Hider/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1869/William George Hider/../../../Post Office Directory
September 1870/William George Hider/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
September 1870/Frances King/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1871/Frances King/Licensed Victualler, Widow/58/Bethnal Green/Census
1871/James King/Son, Ink Maker/28/No 6 Thracol Street C C/Census
1871/Elizabeth King/Daughter in Law, Dressmaker/21/Lafflam, Suffolk/Census
1871/Elizabeth King/Grand Daughter/2/Christchurch/Census
1871/Martha King/Grand Daughter/10 months/Christchurch/Census
1871/Mary Marchant/Sister, Dressmaker/46/Bethnal Green/Census
November 1871/Frances King/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1871/William Taylor/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
8th July 1876/Taylor/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +
8th July 1876/George Thew/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +
1879/George Thew/../../../P.O. Directory **
March 1879/George Thew/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer
March 1879/Walter Pottle/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer
1881/Walter Pottle/Licensed Victualler/31/Stepney, Middlesex/Census
1881/Jane Pottle/Wife/31/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Walter E Pottle/Son/4/Hackney/Census
1881/Ada G Pottle/Daughter/3/Shoreditch/Census
1881/Mary A Garrett/General Servant/18/Bethnal Green/Census
1882/Walter Pottle/../../../Post Office Directory *
1884/Walter Pottle/../../../Post Office Directory
1886/George Smith/../../../Business Directory of London **
1891/Geo Leeder/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Annie Maria Farrow/Licensed Victualler/56/Lutinm Bedfordshire/Census
1891/Elon Nix/Barmaid/35/Wapping, London/Census
1891/Ben Gosshawk/Potman/18/Stowmarket, Suffolk/Census
1895/John Edward Bacon/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/John William Smith/../../../Post Office Directory *
1901/John W Smith/Licensed Victualler/34/Dover/Census
1901/Elizabeth Smith/Wife/34/Brighton/Census
1901/Winifred Smith/Daughter/13/Fulham/Census
1901/Elizabeth A Smith/Daughter/10/Fulham/Census
1901/Percy J Smith/Son/6/Vauxhall/Census
1901/Emma Smith/Mother, Widow/63/Oxford Street, London/Census
1901/Susan Chidley/Niece, Barmaid/24/Colchester/Census
1901/James Picket/Potman/26/Mile End New Town/Census
1910/John William Brown/../../../Post Office Directory
1915/John William Brown/../../../Post Office Directory
1921/Joseph Perkoff/../../../Post Office Directory
+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
* Provided By Ewan
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Elaine Johnson