Bethnal Green pub history index
Existed from at least 1805. This pub was almost certainly closed and demolished in the slum clearances of the Old Nichol in the 1890s. ** The address is directories is generally given as 33 New Nichols Street (or as 32 New Nichols Street in 1856). *
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address.
1805/Thomas Sturdy/[Five Inkhorns]/../../Holden's Directory *
May / June 1808 – several adverts in the Morning Advertiser for pub leases, with details available from Mr Lewes at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street ++
May 1816 – Ann Mansfield (aged 20) was convicted at the Old Bailey of stealing the property of William Scales, a soldier, who was quartered at the Five Ink Horns, in the occupation of James Lewis. ++
1816/James Lewis / Publican /../../House of Commons Committee Report/Police of the Metropolis 1817 **
1817/Joseph Turner / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records held at Guildhall Library **
May 1826 – Morning Advertiser advert for sale of a small estate, with details available from Mr Cook at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street ++
The father of an ancestor of mine operated the Five Inkhorns Public House at Shoreditch from 1826 until at least April 1831. During this period, the licensee's name was William Wood. For the period 1826 to 1829 the record of Licensed Victuallers, Tower Division will confirm this. I obtained this document from London Metropolitan Archive. I can add a couple more years as follows.
Wood's son, who was also named William, was tried at the Old Bailey in April 1831 charged with stealing linen and in evidence he stated "I live with my father who keeps the Five Inkhorns Public House in Shoreditch". Found guilty
he was and transported for 7 years. When he arrived in Tasmania he married and had a son but died soon after in 1837. Unfortunately he left no records of his 'family line' in England.
I am having the greatest difficulty tracing my ancestor's family line in
England and would greatly appreciate anything about William Wood; e.g., when
left the pub (perhaps he sold to Brampton) and where he went to after that.
*+
1832/William Wood/../../../Pigot's Directory *
1839/Thomas Brampton /../../../Pigot’s Directory **
1842/Ben. Bridges/../../../Robson’s Directory **
1848/Henry Quaintrell/../../../Post Office Directory
July 1850 – Bells Life in London has an advert for a boxing match between John Pryer and Elie Andrews, with deposits to be paid at Mr Quaintrill’s, the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street ++
August 1850 – Bells Life in London has an advert for the Pryer – Andrews fight, which will be “within 30 miles of London”. The location of the fight may be “known of Mr Jacob’s, the Victory, Friars Mount, or Mr Qaintrell’s, the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street” ++
1851/Henry Quaintrell/Licensed Victualler/35/Westham, Essex/Censusy ***
1851/Mary Ann Quintrell/Wife/31/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Thomas Quintrell/Son/11/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/John Quintrell/Son/8/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Mary Quintrell/Daughter/1/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Margerat Fall/Servant/18/Regent St, Middlesex/Census
1851/A Lodger/Male/20/../Census
1852/Henry Quaintrell/../../../Post Office Directory ***
May 1853/Henry Quaintrell/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
May 1853/William George/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
March 1856 – Bells Life in London has the following advert: “At Mr John Darrah’s, the Five Ink Horns, New Nicholas Street [sic], Church Street, Shoreditch, the harmonic meetings still continue to be numerously attended. Tomorrow (Monday) evening, the chair will be taken at 8 o’clock by Mr Levit, faced by S
Leach, when the lovers of harmony will find a treat”. This advert, along with several similar, all referring to “harmony” or “harmonic” meetings is in a column headed “The Ring” and seems very likely to refer to boxing, rather than competitive singing! ++
Henry Quaintrell is next at the Three Loggerheads ***
1856/Wm George/../../../Post Office Directory
January 1856/William George/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
January 1856/Henry Quantrill/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
30 August 1862 – London Metropolitan Archives has document ACC/0262/075/102, which is a draft lease and plan of the “Messuage and premises known as the Five Ink Horns in New Nicoll Street. Parties: 1. The Most Noble Richard Plantagenet Campbell Third Duke of Buckingham and Chandos 2. Christopher Framlingham of Downing Villa, King Edwards Road, Hackney, gent. 3. Pearson Goward, of Club Row, St Matthew Bethnal Green, licensed victualler. Includes plan.” Pearson Goward was the landlord of the Knave of Clubs, 25 Club Row, Bethnal Green E1 (which reopened as a pub in 2025). ++
7th July 1866/William Jno Strahan/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
7th July 1866/James Young/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer +
July 1867/James Young/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer
July 1867/Walter Hall/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer
November 1867 – the Edinburgh Gazette reports the bankruptcy of James Young of 250 Bethnal Green Road, late of the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street, Shoreditch. ++
1869/George Roberts/../../../Post Office Directory
May 1869/George Roberts quit/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
May 1869/George Henny/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
July 1869/George Henny/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
July 1869/George Thomas Thorpe/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
1870/George Thomas Thorpe /../../../P.O. Directory **
January 1870/George Thomas Thorpe/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1870/Nicholas Necrasoss/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
April 1870/Nicholas Necrassos/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
April 1870/Albert King/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
11th March 1871/Albert King/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer +
11th March 1871/Edward Haywin Mase/Incoming Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
1871/George R Parsons/Publican/29/Poplar/Census
1871/Phiebe Ann Parsons/Wife/29/Poplar/Census
1871/Edwin G Parsons/Son/4/Poplar/Census
1871/Alfred W Parsons/Son/3/Poplar/Census
1871/Clara E Parsons/Daughter/2/Poplar/Census
1871/Charles Edward Parsons/Son/3 months/Poplar/Census
September 1873 – the Globe reports a gas leak at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street. Francis Carlkett (aged 26) lit a match to try to find the leak, and there was an explosion which severely burnt him and he was taken to St Bartholomew’s hospital. The explosion severely damaged the parlour and its contents. [I can find no other records relating to Francis Carlkett, so it seems likely that the papers reporting the explosion got the name wrong]. ++
1874/E H Mase/../../../H.D. Miles London & Suburban Licensed Victuallers'
Directory **
January 1876 – Bells Life in London has an advert for some charity boxing matches at Mr Flemming’s, the Five Ink Horn, New Nichol Street. The event was organised by friends of Mr J Bibby who “lost an immense amount of property by the late inundations”. ++
October 1876 – Bells Life in London has an advert for “A monster dog show of all kinds” to be held at Ted Napper’s “spacious sparring saloon” at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street. ++
November 1876 – Bells Life in London has an advert for more boxing at “Ted Napper’s, Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street”. ++
1876/Edward Harwin Mase/../../../Post Office Directory **
There are several more reports of boxing at Ted Napper’s, Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street, from 1876 to 1879, then in October 1879 Bell’s Life in London reports “Death of Ted Napper. This once celebrated boxer suddenly died on Thursday last, at the Five Ink Horns, of which establishment he has been proprietor for some time.” ++
1880/Ed. Harwin Mase /../../../P.O. Directory **
Some of the reports of Ted Napper’s funeral use quotes around his name and it appears that this was his ring name – he was actually Edward Bilborough. The Southwark Mercury reports that he was “seized with a fit on 18th [October 1879] at the Three [sic] Inkhorns Tavern, Shoreditch, from which he never really recovered consciousness”. His death on 23 October 1879 at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street, was registered by his widow, Elizabeth Bilborough four days later. Elizabeth could not sign her name. Edward was listed as a 35 year old licensed victualler and his cause of death was listed as “congestion of the brain”. ++
The Manchester Courier of 30 October 1879 records his funeral procession as being over half a mile in length, and states that “owing to losses, his mind became affected” and that it was this that lead to his death at such a young age. ++
Bells Life in London of 25 October 1879 reports that his most celebrated fight was “perhaps” against Abe Hicken in 1864 where (according to Bells Life) he beat Hicken after 88 rounds over 2 hours and 40 minutes. ++
February 1880 – Elizabeth Napper [Bilborough] was still at the Five Ink Horns – Sporting Life reports a novel boxing competition at “Mrs E Napper’s, the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street”. ++
More reports of boxing events at “Mrs Napper’s” are reported in 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1883. ++
1881/Elizabeth Belborough/Beer Retailer (Widow)/34/../Census *
1881/Edward Belborough/Son/14/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Elizabeth Belborough/Daughter/13/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Alfred Belborough/Son/11/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/William Belborough/Son/9/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/George Belborough/Son/6/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Harriet Belborough/Daughter/5/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/James Belborough/Son/3/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Samuel Downs/Barman/27/Bethnal Green/Census
1881/Mr Pritchard/Lodger/40/../Census
1881/Mrs Pritchard/Lodger/35/../Census
1881/Mr Alderson/Lodger/50/../Census
1881/Mrs Alderson/Lodger/40/../Census
1882/Edward Harwin Mase/../../../Post Office Directory *
December 1887 – Sporting Life records a boxing competition at the Five Ink Horns, New Nichol Street, Shoreditch, proprietor Mr W Holland – “the late renowned Ted Napper’s house” ++
1891/Mrs Minnie Frances Underwood/../../../Post Office Directory *
1891/Thomas Mackey/Publican/46/Tipperary, Ireland/Census
1891/Mary Ann Mackey/Wife/45/Shadwell?, London/Census
1891/Michael George Mackey/Son, C Clerk/17/Stepney/Census
1891/John William Mackey/Son/14/Stepney/Census
1891/Ellen Martin/General Servant/16/St Georges east/Census
May 1892 – the London County Council were purchasing land to form the Boundary Estate and set a price for the Five Ink Horns at £1,265. There was discussion about whether or not compensation should be paid to pubs and beer houses, but the council decided that to avoid the costs of arbitration, offers should be made. The LCC offer for the Five Ink Horns was made to FH and AS Taylor, Brewers, of 32 and 33 New Nichol Street, to purchase the house, the leasehold, the license and the trade. By October 1892, the LCC owned the Five Ink Horns and determined that the license would not be renewed and the pub would be closed. The same conclusion was reached in respect of the Portobello (5 Turville Street), the Prince of Wales (52 Old Nichol Street), and another Prince of Wales (10 Turville Street). ++
+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
* Provided By Ewan
++ Provided By Stephen Barratt
*+ Provided By Chris Gourlay
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Sue Dent