Crown & Shears, 83 & 84 Minories, Aldgate EC3

A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Aldgate, London.

Crown & Shears, 83 & 84 Minories, Aldgate EC3 in 1920 at the corner of Royal Mint Street. The landlord is James Stewart.

The Crown and Shears existed from at least 1817. Address also given as Sparrow Corner. This pub survived until at least 1959, but is now demolished. **

Alhough the pub survived, the area was heavily bombed during WW2. When the nearby GNR Royal Mint Street Depot closed in 1951, the whole block from Minories to Mansell St was scheduled for redevelopment.
Demolished by 1968 when work began on the Minories Car Park, itself partially demolished in 1985. The Tower Gateway office block now stands on this site. ***

1817/Thomas Price / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1818/Price / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1819/Esther Price / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1821/Gamelia Bishop / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1823/Gamelia Bishop / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1825/Gameliel Bishop / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1825/Price / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1827/Price / Victualler /../../../Sun Fire Office Records, held at Guildhall Library **

1839/Joseph Stephens/../../../Pigot's Directory *

1842/Thomas Watson / Formerly Licensed Victualler, now Out-of-Employ /../../London Gazette, 11 January 1842 **

Weekly Dispatch (London). 07 April 1844
Thomas Chambers, Crown and Shears, Sparrow corner, Tower Hill, sentenced to pay a penalty of 10 shillings and costs, for having on his premises two illegal spirit measures.

1842/J Brummel/../../../Robsons Directory **

1848/Thos. Chambers/../../../Post Office Directory

1851/Thos. Chambers/../../../Kellys Directory **

1851/Thos Chambers/Licensed Victualler/36/Mansfield/Census
1851/Eliza Chambers/Wife/34/Woolwich, Kent/Census
1851/Rt Morrison/Servant/18/London/Census
1851/May Hills//22/London/Census

July 1854/Thomas Chambers/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era

July 1854/John Empson/Incoming Licensee/../../Era

May 1855/John Empson/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era

May 1855/Thomas Preston/Incoming Licensee/../../Era

London City Press. 05 March 1859 License Transfers
Crown and Shears, Sparrow Corner, John Cowlin to Henry Andrews

Morning Advertiser 20 February 1860 - Transfer of Licences
Crown and Shears, Sparrow corner, Henry Andrews to William Samuel Scott

In 1861 at 15 Sparrow Court, St Botolph Aldgate
William Scott, Publican aged 42 and born in Greenwich, Kent
Sarah Susannah Scott, Wife aged 34 and born in Greenwich, Kent
Edward ?, Lodger, Mariner aged 50 and born in Greenwich, Kent
Ann ?, Lodger, Mariners Wife aged 48 and born in Greenwich, Kent-
Mary ?, Lodger, Needlewoman aged 55 and born in Dublin, Ireland
Matthew Scott, Visitor, Mariner aged 32 and born in Greenwich, Kent

1869/G Adams/../../../Post Office Directory

1871/George Brinkman/Licensed Victualler/31/Buckamstead. Herts/Census
1871/Elizabeth Brinkman/Wife/38/nk/Census
1871/Frederick Brinkman/Son/5/Hackney/Census
1871/Rose E Brinkman/Daughter/4/Hackney/Census
1871/Ada Brinkman/Daughter/1/City London/Census
1871/Alice Brinkman/Daughter/7 months/City London/Census
1871/Elizabeth Brinkman/Mother, Widow/65/Alesbury, Berks/Census
1871/William Saunders/Barman/21/Devon/Census
1871/George Kelly/Barman/19/Notting Hill, Middlesex/Census
1871/Clarissa> Sanders/Servant/14/Devonshire/Census

1874/George Brinkman/../../../H D Miles London & Suburban Licensed Victuallers Directory **

1878/George Arthur Browne/../../../P.O. Directory **

1881/George A Brown/Licensed Victualler/28/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Sarah E Brown/Wife/27/Stratford, Essex/Census
1881/William Brown/Son/2/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Charlotte A Temple/Barmaid/16/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Louisa Jones/General Servant/25/Chepstow, Monmouth/Census
1881/William J Maddox/Potman/24/London, Middlesex/Census

1882/George Arthur Brown/../../../Post Office Directory

1886/William Uffindell / Formerly Licensed Victualler /../../London Gazette, 23 November 1886 **

1891/Julius Blum/../../../Post Office Directory

1891/James J Homewood/Public House Manager/29/St Pancras, London/Census
1891/Emily S Homewood/Wife/28/Hackney, London/Census
1891/Lucy Carter/Barmaid/25/South Arney, Gloucestershire/Census
1891/Albert E Hawthorne/Potman/19/St Johns, Bedfordshire/Census

1895/Julius Blum/../../../Post Office Directory *

1899/Julius Blum/../../../Post Office Directory

The second page of the 1901 census then refers to Sparrow Corner, which also includes reference to the Crown & Shears place, and also the Ship & Star at 4a Sparrow corner. *+
In 1901 at the Crown & Shears, 83 Minories, St Botolph Without Aldgate, next address on listing is at 2 sparrow corner *+.
Herbert Rehm, Licensed victualler aged 23 and born in Bermondsey, Surrey
Alice Chapman, Housekeeper aged 30 and born in Camden Town, Middlesex
Albert W T Knight, Barman aged 18 and born in Fulham, Middlesex
George Wheeler, Barman aged 19 and born in Battersea, Middlesex
Alexander W North, Potman aged 24 and born in Clerkenwell, Middlesex
Ellen Ward, Cook (domestic) aged 45 and born in Bishopsgate, Middlesex

1910/Herbert Rehm/../../../Post Office Directory

[In the 1901 census, James Stewart is a Publican at the Wynford Arms, 75 Wynford road, Islington]

1911/James Stewart/Licensed Victualler/50 years 8 months/Tyrone, Ireland/Census
1911/Isabella Stewart/Wife/42 years 2 months/Ottawa, Canada/Census
1911/James A R Stewart/Son, Assistant/23 years 8 months/Woolwich/Census
1911/Isabella Lettia Stewart/Daughter/22 years 1 month/Waterford, Ireland/Census
1911/Violet Mabel Stewart/Daughter/12 years 5 months/Portsmouth/Census
1911/William Willis/Potman/40/Middlesex/Census
1911/Clara Kavanage/Cook, Widow/40/Clare, Ireland/Census
1911/Lilley Myall/Barmaid/21/Middlesex/Census
1911/Hilda L Sacre/Barmaid/19/Middlesex/Census
1911/A De Souza/Guest, Merchant, Widow/39/India/Census

1915/James Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory **

1921/James Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory

1935/James Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory **

1938/James Alex Stewart/../../../Post Office Directory

In the 1939 electoral register at Crown & Shears P H 83-84 Minories, Tower Hill
James Stewart, Licensed Victualler, born 31 Jul 1860
Isabella Stewart, Domestic Duties, born 21 Jan 1869
Isabell L E Underwood, Cook, Widowed, born 21 Feb 1889
Leonard T Harding, Barman, born 23 Oct 1900
Joan Baynes, later Clements, Barmaid, born 03 Feb 1915
Violet I Johnson, later Baynes, Barmaid, born 15 Jan 1921
Edith Murry, Domestic Servant, born 31 Mar 1900Female
Violet A Johnson, later Baynes, Barmaid, born 16 Jan 1921

1944/Mrs Jean Clements/../../../Post Office Directory

* Provided By Ewan

*+ Provided By Lorraine

** Provided By Stephen Harris

*** Provided By Vincent O'Loughlin

And Last updated on: Wednesday, 15-Jul-2026 14:11:03 BST