Limehouse index
This pub is now demolished. *
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address
One of my ancestors built the Spreadeagle Hotel in Limehouse.
My great-great-grandfather (the paternal grandfather of my father's mother,
Mary Coote, nee Mary Williams) was a man called William Hawkins Williams,
who came to Australia in 1830, aged 13. He was born in England in 1817, died
in Australia in 1903.
I have a typewritten transcript of part of a letter written by William
Hawkins Williams dated March 18, 1898, concerning his ancestors in England
[I have interpolated within square brackets those words which I I believe to
be missing from the transcript]:
"I [am], William WILLIAMS, Shipwright and Boatbuilder, son of William
Williams. He [was] also the son of William Williams, Carpenter and Joiner,
carrying on a business as I have heard and believe at Bath and Bristol
England. Having means, he moved to London somewhere about the latter part of
the 1700s. He invested in land and property in Spreadeagle Street, St. Annes,
Limehouse. He built the Spreadeagle Hotel at the corner of Limehouse
Causeway and Spreadeagle Street. It was a three storied building with
porticos in each street. His initials, with the date of erection of the
building, are on the uppermost corner of the building facing the Limehouse
Causeway. He was an officer of the Volunteers at the time that Napoleon
threatened invasion of England. Of an easy and trusting nature he got
involved, and his daughter (Mrs. Holmes) became the landlady of the Hotel."
**
There are a considerable number of documents relating to this public house
in the Hale collection
1811/William Williams, Spread Eagle, Limehouse causeway/../../Holdens Directory
1816/William Holmes / Public House Keeper /../../Proceedings of the Old
Bailey *
1825/Mr Holmes, Spread Eagle, Limehouse Causeway /../../Licensed Victuallers Association
Eastern Star Lodge Freemasons membership initiated December 18th 1827, Henry Geere, Victualler, Limehouse, 1829 to 1833
1830/Mr Geere, Spread Eagle, Limehouse causeway/../../Licensed Victuallers
Association
1834/Henry Geere / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records � Guildhall
Library *
1839/John Hamer/../../../Pigots Directory
1842/John Hamer/../../../Robson�s Directory *
1851/William Renwick/../../../Kellys Directory
1869/W Renwick/../../../Post Office Directory
1871/Thomas Renwick/Publican, Son/23/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1871/Louisa Renwick/Daughter/17/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1871/Rebecca Wenham/Domestic General Servant/30/Wendey,
Cambridgeshire/Census
1871/William Cashon/Barman/16/St Andrews, Middlesex/Census
1871/David Robins/Potman/21/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
May 1871/executor of William Renwick, deceased/Outgoing Licensee/../../East
London Observer
May 1871/William Bennett/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer
30th September 1871/William Bennett/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
30th September 1871/William Farr/Incoming Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
1881/Lucy Farr Bennett/Niece (Head)/41/Broadway City/Census
1881/Lucy B Frances/Niece/19/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/William H Stone/Manager Of P.H. (Publican)/35/Limehouse,
Middlesex/Census
1881/George Geuge/Barman/38/Aldgate, Middlesex/Census
1881/Susannah Lilley/Friend/57/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/Edward Boyd/Potman/21/Yarmouth, Norfolk/Census
1881/Sarah Taylor/Servant Domestic General/20/Poplar, Middlesex/Census
1882/William Farr/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/William Farr/../../../London Trade Directory
1895/Mrs Lucy Farr Bennett/../../../London Trade Directory
1899/Mrs Lucy Farr Bennett/../../../London Trade Directory
1901/Wm Hy Stone/Manager |Public House/57/Limehouse, London/Census
1901/James Donovan/Barman/19/Millwall, London/Census
1901/George Genge/Barman, Widow/59/Aldgate, London/Census
1901/Ethel Roberts/Domestic Servant/21/East Preston/Census
1910/Wm Dennis Murphy/../../../London Trade Directory
1911/William Murphy/Licensed Victualler/33/Essex/Census
1911/Walter Warren/Barman/35/London/Census
1911/Ellen Cease/Cook/31/Essex/Census
1915/Benj Samuels/../../../London Trade Directory
1934/Lewis Collins/../../../Kelly's
1938/Lewis Collins/../../../London Post Office Directory
1941/Lewis Collins/../../../Post Office Directory *
There is no entry by 1944, here are a few suggestions why:
The London Docks, and surrounding area were the most bombed area, during the
last war, Limehouse Causeway was largely bomb-obliterated, figures show that
by 1945 just under 20% of the East End had been laid waste, of Stepney's
34,000 homes over 32,000 were seriously damaged, while of Poplar's 25,000
homes just one escaped unscathed. Pete of Shoreditch
+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
* Provided by Stephen Harris
** Provided by Darryl Coote