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Southwark St Saviour pub history index
Southwark St Saviour pub history index
No. 12. THE KING'S HEAD INN, SOUTHWARK.
This inn was originally the Pope's Head, and the name was changed at the time of the Reformation.
In 1534 the Abbot of Waverley, whose town house was not far off, writes, apparently on business, that he will be "at the Pope's Head in Southwark." This was the very year of the separation of the Church of England from Papal headship.
Eight years afterwards the house is marked in the Record Office map as the "Kynge's Hed." That the two were one and the same is proved by a deed of 1559, that belonged to the late Mr. G. Eliot Hodgkin, F.S.A., whose family at one time possessed the property.
This deed is between John Gresham, uncle of Sir Richard and Lord Mayor in 1547, and John White, Lord Mayor in 1563, on the one side, and Thomas Cure, a notable inhabitant of Southwark, on the other; and the inn is here described as having been "formerly known as the Pope's Hed and now as le kynge's hed abutting on the highway called Longe Southwarke."
In 1588 the house came into the possession of the Humble family. John Taylor mentions it as frequented by carriers in 1637; ten years afterwards it belonged to Humble, Lord Ward. A seventeenth-century trade token which was issued from here, reads thus:—
O.—AT . THE . KINGS . HEAD . IN = Bust of Henry VIII.
R.—SOUTHWARKE . GROCER = W. P.
The King's Head was one of the inns burnt down in the fire of 1676, but was rebuilt immediately afterwards. The last fragment of the structure then erected was pulled down in January, 1885. The back of it is shown on the right of drawing No. 3, as the building actually touched the White Hart Inn Yard. Mr. John Timbs, in his "Curiosities of London," remarks that within his recollection the sign was a well-painted half-length of Henry VIII.
The Morgans map of 1682 cofirms the existence of the kings Head Inne at that time. In the 1770-1780 Masonic Lodges listing, the Kings Head, Borough High Street is the meeting place of a masonic Lodge, and apparently constituted in February 2nd 1731
The address is Kings Head Inn Yard, 45 Borough High Street by 1882, following street renumbering. It is named Old King's Head by 1921 which is still the modern name (though Ye Olde King's Head crops up in 1934, 1938 and 1944). * Modern address is at 45 - 49 Borough High Street SE1
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Southwark St Saviour, Surrey, London.
Borough High Street in the Morgans map of 1682. On east side are 113 Kings Head Inne, 112 White Hart Inne, 111 Three Crown court, George Inne, 110 Talbot Inne, 109 Queens head Inne, 108 Cock & hoop alley, 107 Windmill alley, 106 Christopher alley , 105 Spurr Inne. On west side are 62 Malings yard, 63 Saints alley, 64 Great yard, 65 Fishmongerv alley, 66 Bell yard, 67 Windmill alley, 68 Whitehorse Inne, 69 Greyhound Inne, 70 Maypole alley.
Borough High Street in 1746. On east side are Kings Head Inn, White Hart Inn, Three Crane court, George Inn, Talbot Inn, Queens Head Inn, Windmill alley, Christopher alley, Spur Inn, Nags Head alley. On west side are Boars Head Inn, Brewhouse, Fishmongers alley, Bell Yard, White Horse stables, Greyhound Inn, Red Lyon Inn, Maypole alley.
Old Kings Head, 45 - 49 Borough High Street SE1 - in October 2014
Kindly provided by Tris
Old Kings Head, 45 - 49 Borough High Street SE1 - in June 2019
Residents at this address.
Borough High Street in the Morgans map of 1682. On east side are '113 Kings Head Inne'
In 1708 : A New View of London by Edward Hatton lists Kings Head inn, on the East side, and near the middle of the Borough of Southwark.
The 1746 John Rocques map of London names on east side of Borough High Street as Kings Head Inn
1785/Barnard Ellis/Old Kings Head Inn, Borough - new Inn holder/../../Kentish Gazette
1788/Barnard Ellis/innholder/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1805/R Ellis, the Kings Head, Borough High street/../../Holdens Directory
1807/Richard Ellis/inn holder/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1807/William Mellersh/innholder, hop factor and seedsman/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1814/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1817/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1821/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1822/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1825/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1822/Aaron Carter/../../../Victuallers Recognizance
1823/Aaron Carter/../../../Victuallers Recognizance
1825/Aaron Carter/../../../Victuallers Recognizance
1826/Aaron Carter/../../../Victuallers Recognizance
1828/William Mellerish/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1833/William Mellersh/innholder, seedsman and hop merchant/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1832/Aaron Carter, Kings Head Inn, 54 Borough High street, Southwark/../../Robsons Directory
1833-34/Aaron Carter, Kings Head Inn, 54 High street, Borough/../../Pigots Directory
1836/William Mellersh/hop and seed factor and innholder/../../Sun Fire Office records held at the London Metropolitan Archives *
1841/Aaron Carter/../../../Post Office Directory *
1842/Aaron Carter/../../../Robsons Directory
1851/James Martin/../../../Kellys Directory
1851/James Martin/Licensed Victualler/47/Maidstone, Kent/Census
1851/Maria Martin/Wife/46/Liddlescomb, Sussex/Census
1851/James Martin/Son, Fruit Salesman/20/Brighton, Sussex/Census
1851/Charles Fletcher/Waiter/26/Chelsea, Middlesex/Census
1851/Emily Bowman/General Servant/25/Stratton, Norfolk/Census
1851/Emma Eward/General Servant/22/Ullcomb, Kent/Census
1851/Alfred Butler/Porter/18/Ullcomb, Kent/Census
1851/Joseph Smart/Inn Watchman, Widow/32/Bedfordshire/Census
1851/Thomas Hugles/Visitor, Wine Merchant/37/Edginton, Wiltshire/Census
1851/Richard Lawrence/Visitor, Fishmonger/48/Richmond, Surrey/Census
1851/William Stapleton/Visitor, Fishmonger/25/Staines, Middlesex/Census
1851/Charles Auly/Visitor, Spirit Merchant/35/Dewsbury, Yorkshire/Census
1851/William James/Visitor, Custom House Agent/41/Maidstone, Kent/Census
1851/Margaret James/Visitor, Ostler/22/Farehurst, Sussex/Census
1856/James Martin/../../../Post Office Directory
1861/Henry Holloway/Licensed Victualler/33/Barming, Kent/Census
1861/Eliza Holloway/Wife/33/Ramsgate, Kent/Census
1861/Henry Holloway/Son/15/Ramsgate, Kent/Census
1861/Emily Holloway/Daughter/1/Southwark, Surrey/Census
1861/Charles Fletcher/Waiter/36/Chelsea, Middlesex/Census
1861/Katharine Murphy/Servant/21/Ireland/Census
+ Visitors
1869/Mrs M A Wager/../../../Post Office Directory
1882/Henry Barnes/../../../Post Office Directory *
1891/George Oldham/../../../Post Office Directory *
1895/James McKinless/../../../Post Office Directory *
1899/William Lable/../../../Post Office Directory *
1910/Alfred Edward Bowhill/../../../Post Office Directory
1915/Walter Charles Banbury/../../../Post Office Directory *
1921/Merion/../../../Hughes Directory *
1934/William Alliott/../../../Post Office Directory *
1938/Henry Charles Chapman/../../../Post Office Directory *
1944/Henry Charles Chapman/../../../Post Office Directory *
* Provided By Ewan
*** Provided By Bev Howlett
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