Landlords, legends, census records, and lost taverns.
Westminster St Margaret index
The Old Star and Crown stood on the north side of Broadway, next door to the “Hoop and Grapes”. For a period around 1870, the two houses were run together by the Kennet family. The address remained 13 Broadway until the 20th Century, but it was at 66 Broadway by 1915. The pub still exists today and run by Greene King, although it is now called the Old Star opposite St James's Park tube station and a five-minute stroll from Buckingham Palace; it seems to occupy both its own original site and also that of the Hoop and Grapes, which closed in 1913. * It was a Greene King public house in 2017, and still in March 2026. Greene King has announced plans to sell off, or convert 150 pubs into tenanted or franchised locations, as the UK hospitality sector struggles with rising costs.
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address.
1827/Harris, Old Star and Crown, Broadway, Westminster/../../Licensed Victuallers Association
14th Jan 1837/Mr Hittinger/../../../The Standard (servant charged with robbing him) *
1839/Samuel Hittinger/../../../Pigot’s Directory *
1841/John Hittinger/Victualler/35/outside Middlesex/Census *
1841/Sarah Hittinger/../13/Middlesex/Census
1841/Martha Hittinger/../9/Middlesex/Census
1841/Amelia Hittinger/../6/Middlesex/Census
1841/Francis Heywood/Male Servant/29/Middlesex/Census
1841/Allice Redman/Female servant/38/outside Middlesex/Census
1851/John S Hittinger/../../../Kellys Directory
1851/John S Hittinger/Victualler, Widow/48/Bermondsey, Surrey/Census
1851/Amelia Hittinger/Daughter/17/Westminster, Middlesex/Census
1851/George McKensey/Potman/22/Westminster, Middlesex/Census
1856/John S Hittinger/../../../Post Office Directory
1st Feb 1857/License transfer from John Samuel Hittinger to Chas Joseph Dobson/../../../The Era *
26th Jan 1858/License transfer from J M Vosey to M J Welsh/../../../The Era *
JMV was the administrator of R Dobson
4th Jan 1858/Michael James Walsh/landlord/../../Daily News (witness in trial) *
5th Aug 1859/Michael James Walsh/../../../The Morning Chronicle (Philip Daws, his potman, accused of embezzling from him) *
9th Jan 1861/Michael James Welsh/Landlord/../../ The Morning Chronicle (witness) *
1861/Michael J Welch/Licensed Victualler/39/Ireland/Census *
1861/Mary Ann Welch/Wife/31/Boston Lincolnshire/Census
1861/Louise Pead/Servant/30/Wisbech Cambridgeshire/Census
12th Aug 1862/License transfer from Michael James Welch to Edward Hamilton Norris /../../../The Era *
12th May 1863/License transfer from Edward Hamilton Norris to John Read/../../../The Era *
11th Aug 1863/License transfer from John Read to John Dennis/../../../The Era *
8th Nov 1864/License transfer from unnamed tenant to Ann Turner/../../../The Era *
4th Nov 1864/Mrs Ann Turner/../../../Daily News (witness)
9th May 1865/License transfer from Ann Turner to Robert Kennett/../../../The Era *
7th May 1867/License transfer from Robert Kennett to Harry Kennett/../../../The Era *
1869/Harry Kennett/../../../Post Office Directory
1871/Rebecca Kennett/Licensed Victualler, Widow/57/Easton, Wiltshire/Census
1871/Harry Kennett/Son, Licensed Victualler/23/Westminster/Census
1871/Walter Kennett/Son, Carriers Apprentice/20/Westminster/Census
1871/Sarah Bennett/Barmaid/20/Westminster/Census
1871/Dorcas Kimber/Half Sister/47/Easton, Wiltshire/Census
1871/Alfred Gough/Wailer/19/Birmingham/Census
1871/Samuel Bowery/Waiter/62/Windsor/Census
1881/Henry Howell/Public House Manager/28/Lamport Hampshire/Census *
1881/Elizabeth Howell/Wife and Manageress/26/Westminster Middlesex/Census
1881/William Challis/Potman/18/Deptford Kent/Census
1881/Jane Ives/Cook/21/Ponders End Essex/Census
1882/Isaac Smith Manley/../../../Post Office Directory
30th Jul 1883/James Box/../../../Proceedings of Old Bailey (witness) *
1884/James Box/../../../Post Office Directory
17th Nov 1884/Alfred Pattle/../../../Proceedings of Old Bailey (witness,
together with his wife Harriet) *
1891/William Abley/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Emily Abley/Manageress, Widow/37/Ilford, Essex/Census
1891/Lizzie Mead/Sister, Barmaid/26/Dagenham, Essex/Census
1891/Annie Mead/Sister, School Teacher/24/Dagenham, Essex/Census
1891/Leonard Abley/Son/4/Holborn, London/Census
1891/Mary A Ottley/General Servant/35/Ilminster, Somerset/Census
1891/George Pales/Potman/49/Bromley, Kent/Census
1895/Christopher Dalwood/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/Mrs. Sarah Ann Kurz/../../../Post Office Directory *
In 1901, the building appears not to be a pub, as the occupier is a dealer in works of art. *
1910/Charles Hirsch/../../../Post Office Directory
1911/Charles Hirsch/Publican/33/Germany/Census *
1911/Karolina Hirsch/Wife/35/Germany/Census
1911/Emma Hirsch/Daughter/11/London England/Census
1911/Charles Hirsch/Son/9/London England/Census
1911/Karolina Hirsch/Daughter/7/London England/Census
1911/Fredrick Hirsch/Son/5/London England/Census
1911/Lize Wilkes/Housemaid (domestic)/21/London England/Census
1911/Charles Smith/Barman/22/London England/Census
1915/Frederick Wm Flexman/../../../Post Office Directory
1921/Frederick W Flexman/../../../Hughes Directory
1944/Louis Jas Bellatti/../../../Post Office Directory *
2017 Greene King - Old Star (Westminster) 66 Broadway City-Of-Westminster SW1H 0DB
* Provided By John Hills