Bethnal Green pub history index
Existed from at least 1839. Address formerly 19 Barnet Street. This pub was re-built in its current form in 1923. **
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Outside The Royal Oak, in the late 1950's
This Royal Oak is still in Columbia Road Flower Market Bethnal Green. Featured in the Kray film and was used for the TV series 'Goodnight Sweetheart'. This was the series starring Nicholas Lyndhurst (Del Boy's Rodney) when he was able to go back to WW2 by walking through a wall *
Royal Oak, 73 Columbia Road, E2 - in November 2008
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Residents at this address
1839/Thomas Draper/../../../Pigots Directory
1842/Richard Brown/../../../Robson�s Directory **
1843/James Mann/../../../Post Office Directory
1848/John Tacey Cousins/../../../Post Office Directory
1851/Frederick Rouse/../../../Kellys Directory
1851/Frederick Rouse/Licensed Victualler/26/Easthampstead, Berkshire/Census *+
1851/Hannah Rouse/Wife/22/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Richard Manning/Pot Man/20/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
January 1853/John Cox/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
January 1853/Thomas Sharpe/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1856/Thomas Sharp/../../../Post Office Directory
October 1856/Thomas Sharp/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
October 1856/Daniel Baker/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
November 1859/Daniel Baker/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1859/William John Todd/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
January 1860/William John Todd/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1860/Richard Coltman/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1861/Richard Coltman/Baker & Publican/45/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1861/Mary A Coltman/Wife/41/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1861/William Coltman/Son, Cooper/14/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1861/Eliza Coltman/Daughter/12/Bermondsey, Surrey/Census
1861/Alfred H Coltman/Son/9/Bermondsey, Surrey/Census
1861/Joseph /Servant/20/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census
1861/Fanny/Servant/16/Bermondsey, Surrey/Census
November 1865/Richard Coltman/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1865/William Clay/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1869/William Clay/../../../Post Office Directory
1871/William Clay/Licensed Victualler/47/Spitalfields, Middlesex/Census
1871/Elizabeth Sarah Clay/Wife/42/Spitalfields, Middlesex/Census
1871/Jane Mary Ann Clay/Daughter/24/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1871/Mary Ann Clay/Daughter/19/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1871/Samuel Baker/Potman/28/Hackney, Middlesex/Census
1872/W Clay/../../../Brabner�s Hackney Directory **
1873/William Clay/../../../Post Office Directory
1874/B Hyams/../../../Licensed Victualler & Hoteliers Directory
1876/Benjamin Hyams/../../../Post Office Directory **
1882/Benjamin Hyams/../../../Post Office Directory
1884/Alfred J Lawrence/../../../Post Office Directory
1885/Alfred James Lawrence/../../../Post Office Directory **
1891/Key & Butler/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Walter Key/Licensed Victualler/37/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1891/Sarah Key/Wife/40/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1891/George Butler/Barman/37/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1891/Emily Butler/General Servant/33/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1895/William Brian Dawson/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/William Brian Dawson/../../../Post Office Directory
1901/William B Dawson/Publican/65/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1901/Jane F Dawson/Wife/66/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1901/Lydia Dawson/Daughter/25/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1902/Mrs Jane Frances Dawson/../../../Post Office Directory **
1910/Francis John Hunt/../../../Post Office Directory
1911/Francis John Hunt/Licensed Victualler/49/Mile End Old Town,
London/Census
1911/Emily Hunt/Wife, Assistant/48/Hereford, Herefordshire/Census
1915/Howard Thomas Hewlett/../../../Post Office Directory
The 1921 census at 73, Columbia Road, Bethnal Green
James William Bayley, Licensed Victualler, aged 39 years 7 months and born in Finsbury, London, the Employer
Maud Amelia Bayley, Wife, aged 40 years 1 month and born in Norwood, Surrey
Ronald James Bayley, Son, aged 1 year 4 months and born in Bethnal Green, London
Emily Doris Edwards, Nurse Girl, aged 14 years 3 months and born in Clapton, London
Francis Hughes, Visitor, aged 70 years and born in Finsbury, London
1938/Mrs Maud Amelia Bailey/../../../Post Office Directory
1944/Mrs Maud Amelia Bailey/../../../Post Office Directory
1945/William Piercy / Licensed Victualler /../../London Gazette, 31 August 1945 **
Mr R J Bayley, licensee of the Royal Oak, Bethnal Green, had to post "full house" notices when Joe Hitchcock and his Licensed Victuallers Darts Four visited the house. An additional attraction was the presence of a darts team of four footballers from the Arsenal. (1949) ***
1949/R J Bailey/../../../Black Eagle Journal ***
In 1955, my parents Kenneth & Rosina Knight ran the Royal Oak as their first pub together. I have a newspaper cutting announcing their wedding and the detail that they were taking over the licence from 10th October 1955. I believe they may have had it until around 1957 when they moved out of London to Essex.
1958/K F Knight, Royal Oak, Columbia Road E2/../../BT Telephone directory SHOrdtch 8204
* Provided by Ron Pummell
*+ Provided By Karen Wilson
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided by Alex Wilkinson
Provided by David Knight