Use the search box below to research your ancestors by surname, street name, pub name etc. The directory and census entries are reproduced verbatim from original sources. The Historical-Overview represents my (the author’s) interpretation of that evidence.
Do you have detail to add, please contact me : Kevan

Black Horse, Victualling Office Square, Tower Hill, Aldgate EC3

Aldgate pub history index

The Black Horse was a public house located in Victualling Office Square, Tower Hill, Aldgate EC3 with evidence of operation from at least 1803. Early Sun Fire Office insurance records and trade directories list Sarah Pope as the victualler here in 1803 and 1805, establishing the pub’s presence in this part of Aldgate in the early 19th century. (pubwiki.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Directory and census evidence shows continued use through the mid-19th century, with John Hartsing recorded in 1809 and Jno Smith in 1827. Mid-19th-century census entries (1841) record Edward Cropley and family living at the premises alongside a number of servants and lodgers, reflecting how taverns of this period often combined commercial hospitality with accommodation. By the 1860s and 1870s, licence transfers and Post Office directory listings show proprietors such as John B. Smith and later George R. Cheek continuing to operate the Black Horse. (pubwiki.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

The Black Horse appears to have remained active into the late 19th century but was long demolished by the 20th century, as evidenced by its absence from later directories and map evidence. The transformation of the Tower Hill area — including the construction of the Victualling Office and related infrastructure — reshaped this part of the City, and many earlier tavern sites did not survive those changes. (pubwiki.co.uk)

The Black Horse, Victualling Office Square existed from at least 1803. The Black Horse, Tower Hill in the 1841 census, then the Black Horse, Queen street in the 1873 license transfer. This pub is long demolished **

Residents at this address.

1803/Sarah Pope / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records held at Guildhall Library **

1805/Sarah Pope, the Black Horse, Victualling office square, Tower hill/../../Holdens Directory

1809/John Hartsing, Black Horse, Victualling office square, Tower hill/../../Holdens Directory

1827/Jno Smith, Black Horse, Victualling office square, Tower/../../Pigots Directory

1833-34/William Hutton/../../../Pigots Directory

1841/Edward Cropley/Licensed Victualler/45/../Census
1841/Christiana Cropley/../40/Middlesex/Census
1841/Robert Cropley/../10/Middlesex/Census
1841/James Cropley/../8/Middlesex/Census
1841/Sarah Cropley/../7 months/Middlesex/Census
1841/George Austin/Male Servant/35/Middlesex/Census
1841/John Pierce/Male Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Charlotte Burow/Female Servant/40/Middlesex/Census
1841/Ann Brett/Female Servant/15/Middlesex/Census
1841/John Jenkins/Lodger/40/../Census
1841/Charles James/Lodger/50/../Census
1841/Joseph Day/Lodger/20/../Census
1841/John Harris/Lodger/20/../Census
1841/William Kersey/Lodger/20/../Census

East London Observer 16th January 1858
Black Horse. Queen street, Ellen Walker to John Benjamin Smith

1861/John B Smith/Victualler/46/Greenwich, Kent/Census
1861/Maryann Smith/Wife/35/Chalburg, Dorset/Census
1861/John B Smith/Son/12/Marylebone, Middlesex/Census
1861/William B Smith/Son/11/Marylebone, Middlesex/Census
1861/Adelaide L Smith/Daughter/5/Westminster, Middlesex/Census
1861/James Beresford/Wifes Brother, Barman/22/Newington, Surrey/Census
1861/William Blythe/Barman/25/Norwich, Norfolk/Census
1861/Elizabeth Hayter/Housemaid/23/Sisbury, Wiltshire/Census
1861/Elizabeth Kuckle/Cook/29/Tower Hill, Middlesex/Census
1861/George Baker/Waiter/22/Southall, Middlesex/Census
1861/James Roche/Potman/19/Spitalfields, Middlesex/Census
1861/John R Cutter/Boarder, Master Cabinet maker/24/Durham/Census
1861/Edmund B Hunt/Boarder, Captain/40/U S America/Census

January 1864/Joseph Leftwich/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +

January 1864/Robert Edward Clarke/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +

1866/George Reuben Cheek/../../../P.O. Directory **

1869/George Reuben Cheek/../../../Post Office Directory

1871/George R Cheek/Licensed Victualler/33/Black Notley, Essex/Census
1871/Sophia Cheek/Wife/30/Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire/Census
1871/Sophia B Cheek/daughter/3/St Botolph without, Middlesex/Census
1871/Emily J Batchelor/Niece/12/Pimlico, Middlesex/Census
1871/Susannah Cheek/Cousin, Visitor/?/Braintree, Essex/Census
1871/Fanny Flint/Barmaid/18/Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire/Census
1871/Martha A Flint/Cook/15/Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire/Census
1871/Caroline ? /Housemaid/15/White Notley, Essex/Census
1871/Edward W Barnard/Barman/20/Black Notley, Essex/Census
1871/Edward Edwards/Potman/23/Monmouth, Wales/Census

15th July 1871/George Rouben Cheeke, late occupier/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +

15th July 1871/Sophia Cheeke, widow and adminstratrix/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +

January 1873/Sophia Cheek, deceased/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer

January 1873/Thomas Francis Cheek/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer

23rd May 1874/Emma Mary Cheeke/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +

23rd May 1874/Samuel Challis/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +

1882/Samuel Challis/../../../Post Office Directory

1884/Kate Harrison/../../../Post Office Directory

January 1874/Thomas Francis Clarke, deceased/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer

January 1874/Emma Mary Clarke, widow and administratrix of Thomas Francis Clarke/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer

1886/Kate Harrison/../../../Business Directory of London **

1891/Hatsell Garrard/../../../Post Office Directory

1899/Albert Edward Hiller/../../../Post Office Directory



+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

** Provided By Stephen Harris


PUB HISTORY
And Last updated on: Sunday, 01-Feb-2026 14:23:34 GMT