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At 72 Marsham Street by 1944. The pub stood on the corner of Horseferry Road and Marsham Street. For a brief period in the 1870s it seems to have been called simply the “Kings Head”, and it was possibly rebuilt or significantly altered soon afterwards. Its address wanders between Horseferry Road and Marsham Street before settling down to 36 Marsham Street in 1881 and later. [In the 1851 Census, the east side of Marsham Street was numbered 1-35, with 35 at the southern end. However, the first house on the western side, the “Old Kings Head” was also listed as No. 35, with a greengrocer’s next door at 36. In 1861, the pub was still given as 35 Marsham Street, but with a note added “Old Kings Head & corner of Horseferry Road. No 1.” In 1871, the “Kings Head” was at No 80 Horseferry Road, with the first house in Marsham Street being No 36, still a greengrocer’s. In 1881, the last house in Horseferry Road was No 78, with the next entry being the “Old Kings Head” at 36 Marsham Street. It is this which suggests some rebuilding or major alteration, since in 1871 the pub had a long frontage on Horseferry Road (Nos. 80, 78 and the corner) but a short one in Marsham Street (the corner) whereas in 1881 it had a short frontage on Horseferry Road (the corner) and a longer one on Marsham Street (the corner and No 36). I have no direct evidence of rebuilding, however.] *
Westminster St John index
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Old Kings Head, 72 Marsham Street, St John Westminster
Residents at this address.
I was delighted to find one of my ancestors listed for this pub as the licensed victualler in 1825 & 1827. Isaac Scotts (sometimes written 'Scott' and previously 'Scutts') was my 3 x Great Grandfather.
His will is on Ancestry but it's difficult to read as it is not a great copy and it's handwritten. He leaves property to all his 7 children. ***
I'm interested in his son William Holborow Scotts and I've almost deciphered one small section which mentions the Old Kings Head and led me to look for more details about the pub. It says something like this:
'... bequeath to William Holborow Scotts the Public House known as the Old Kings Head Marsham Street and Horse Ferry Road the house at the ?? Gate? and all the ?? in the Horse Ferry Road held ? under one lease ...'
Isaac Scotts was born in Wiltshire in 1789.
The first record I have of him in Westminster is 1816, when he appears in the rate books. His first son was born in 1820 and on that baptism record he is described as 'victualler' and his address is simply 'Marsham Street', so I suppose that was the pub. He died in 1848. Throughout his life he was described as a victualler or publican. There is only one census available during his lifetime - 1841 - which didn't give his occupation but the address is 2 Lower Gillingham Street (later just called 2 Gillingham Street). I don't think this was a pub as it's described as a house elsewhere in the will.
1825/Mr Isaac Scotts, Kings Head, Marsham street, Westminster - Licensed Victuallers Association
1827/Isaac Scott, Old Kings Head, 35 Marsham street, Westminster/../../Pigots Directory
1829 Robsons, Kings Head, Isaac Scott, Horseferry road, Westminster
1832, Davis John, Kings Head, Horseferry road, Westminster
1836, Old Kings Head, Joseph Carter, Romney terrace, Horseferry road
1839 /William Howard/.../../../ Pigot’s Directory *
1841/ W Howard /../../../ Trade Directory *
1842/William Howard, Kings Head, Horseferry road, Westminster, Robsons Directory
1848/Richard Brazier/../../../Post Office Directory
1851/Richard Brazier/Victualler/44/Shropshire/Census *
1851/Jane Brazier/Wife/42/Somersetshire/Census
1851/J E Brazier/Daughter/8/London/Census
1851/Mary Thyer/Wife’s Sister and Servant/Somersetshire/Census
1856/Richard Brazier/../../../Post Office Directory
1861/Richard Brazier/Victualler/54/Berrington, Shropshire/Census *
1861/Jane Brazier/Wife/52/Ashcott/Somersetshire/Census
1861/Jane Elizth Brazier/Dauugter/18/St James Middlesex/Census
30th Aug 1870/License Transfer from Richard Brazier to William Brookin/../../../ The Era *
1871/William Brookin/Licensed Victualler/47/Droitwitch, Worcs./Census *
1871/Janet Brookin/Wife/45/London/Census
1871/William J Brookin/Son and assistant/27/St Georges Hanover Sq./Census
1871/Julia Healey/Domestic Servt./17/Westminster, Middlesex/Census
25th June 1872/ License transfer from Sarah Brookin to Thomas Hough/../../../ The Era *
Sarah Brookin is noted as the widow and executrix of William Brookin, the late occupant. I’m not sure how Janet could be his wife in 1871 and Sarah his widow in 1872! *
1881/Albert Cusack/Publicans Manager/34/Sydenham, Middlesex/Census
1881/Alice M Cusack/Wife/26/St George, Middlesex/Census
1881/B H Mitchell/Barman/37/Clerkenwell, Middlesex/Census
1881/Mary Russell/General Servant/58/Islington, Middlesex/Census
1881/John Homerton/Lodger, Printer/38/Pimlico, Middlesex/Census
1891/Edward William Hobbs/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Edward William Hobbs/../../../Post Office Directory
1893/Edward William Hobbs/../../../Post Office Directory
1895/Edward William Hobbs/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/William Carpenter Hall/../../../Post Office Directory
1907/Frederick Charles Knight & Co/../../../Post Office Directory
1910/Frederick Chas Knight & Co/../../../Post Office Directory
1921/Frederick Charles Knight/../../../Post Office Directory
In 1921 at 36 Marsham Street, Westminster
Frederick Charles Knight, Licensed VictuallerMale, aged 43 years 7 months and born in Clapham, London, the Employer, the Old Kings Head, 36 Marsham Street
Agnes Reese, Barmaid, Licensed Victualler, aged 19 years 4 months and born in Bow, London
Frederick Henry Pamphilon, Barman, Licensed Victualler, aged 22 years 6 months and born in St Lukes, London
Alice Swan, Cook, Licensed Victualler, aged 33 years 7 months and born in Beccles, Suffolk
Dorothy Edith May, Barmaid, Licensed Victualler, aged 38 years 4 months and born in Maidstone, Kent
Frank Henry Adams, Manager, Licensed Victualler, aged 49 years and born in Mile End, London
1930/Frederick C Knight/../../../Post Office Directory
1934 - 1937/Knight/died 1st October 1940/../../Freehold
1935, Frederick Charles Knight, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
1935, Arthur W Mirams, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
1935, George Field, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
1935, George Robert Haewkins, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
1938/Chas Knight/../../../Post Office Directory
1938 - 1940/Mrs Mead/daughter of Mr Knight/../../Freehold
[Arthur W Mirams marries Hilda Thomas in 1928 in Islington; living at 74 Plimsoll road in 1932.]
I lived in that pub, with my parents William and Hilda Mirams and my eldest brother Arthur and my youngest brother who was born there, we were there from sometime before the war until 1945, I do remember the war starting. My mother cooked lunches which were served in the dining room on the first floor, and she did this right through the war. **
Mrs Pask was my fathers employer and she had the pub just a little farther down Marsham Street, towards Vauxhall Bridge Road.
I remember the search lights lighting up the sky and the ballons going up and having our roof blown off a couple of times. If you can find a picture of the display window on the corner you will see a pair of pants made of red white and blue material hanging upside down with a sign saying “Hitler can’t pull these down “ and they hung there all through the war and they never fell at all; and on the day the war ended one of our customer took them down and put them on and started a crocodile which he took all the way to Buckingham Palace.
We left in 1945 and Mrs Pask and her son moved in I believe
In 1939 Electoral register in Marsham street, at junction with 76 Horseferry road, were
Arthur W Mirams, Licensed Victuallers Manager, born 03 Feb 1903
Hilda Mirams, later Dancer, Licensed Victuallers Manager, born 08 Jan 1906
Henry K Wilson, Barman, Divorced, born 04 Mar 1910
Olive Irene M M Salter, Housemaid, born 05 Apr 1918
Bridget Page, Barmaid, born 29 Jul 1917
Arthur D Mirams, At School, born 30 Aug 1928
1941 - 1951/remarried again - now Mrs Pask/../../../Freehold
1944/Mrs Dorothy Muriel Valentine Pask/../../../Post Office Directory
1945, Arthur W Mirams, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
1945, Hilda Mirams, 72 Marsham street, Electoral register
* Provided By John Hills
** Provided By Eric Mirams
*** Provided By Corinne Brice
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