Pints, Partitions and Rebuild - The Red Lion’s 300-Year History

Presented by Amir Dotan (http://www.stokenewingtonhistory.com) at the Red Lion pub in 132 Stoke Newington Church Street on 8th September 2024, as part of 'Red Lion Fest', an event marking 100 years since the current pub building was rebuilt on a site of a 17th century pub.

1. Amir Dotan
Pints, Partitions and Rebuild
The Red Lion’s 300-Year History

2. 1. The Old Red Lion
2. Historic Pub Sections
3. 1924 Road Widening
4. The Rebuilt Red Lion

3. Door 1
Door 2
Door 3
Door 4
Why do pubs have so many doors when usually only one is ever in use???

4. Saloon Bar
Private Bar
Off-Licence
Public Bar

5. The old Red Lion

6. 1741

7. The Red Lion
1741

8. 1846
The Red Lion

9. 1869 - Drawing by J. F. Wilson

10. The old pub was originally two separate houses that got merged
40 Church Street
Renumbered 114 in
1880
41 Church Street
Renumbered 116 in
1880
The rebuilt pub was renumbered 132 Stoke Newington Church Street in 1937

11. Some Public Houses originated as private dwellings

12. 1861 census
- Thomas Charles, Licensed Victualler, 46
- Ann Amelia Charles, Wife, 37
- Charles James Charles, Son, Clerk, 16
- Elizabeth Ann Charles, Daughter, 17
- Hannah Susannah Hurrell, Visitor, Milliner, Widow, 35
- Charlotte Tuff, Housemaid, 20
- William Stockbridge, Barman, 25
- William Byworth, Potboy, 14
- Reuben Lutkin, Potman, 25

13. 1871 census
- John Ayres, Publican, 27
- Eliza Ayres, Wife, 28
- John Ayres, Son, 18 months
- George M Ayres, Son, 7 months
- Mary A Ashton, Servant, 24
- Eliza Neaves, Nursemaid, 17

14. 1870s Red Lion pub token

15. 1881 census
- Edward Treadwell, Licensed Victualler, 30
- Mary Ann Treadwell, Sister, 31
- Alice Treadwell, Sister, 21
- Ellen Rinble, Visitor, Dressmaker, 29
- Lizzie Yotch, General Servant, 19

16. 1890

17. John Gale was recorded as the publican in 1890

18. 1890

19. James Sargent, Milkman of 32 Kersley Road, Stoke Newington

20. 1891 census
- Edward W Rollings, Publican, 25
- Florence A Rollings, Wife, 25
- Eleanor Rollings, Daughter, 3
- John Rollings, Son, 1
- Alice A White, Barmaid, 23
- Elizabeth Barker, Cook, 21
- Eliza Warren, Nursemaid, 15
- Emily Spurling, Barmaid, 30

21. 1892

22. c. 1902
Robert Huist was the publican from 1900 to 1904

23. 1910
Pubs were tied to specific breweries until the 1989 Beer Orders, which required major brewers to sell some of their tied pubs to increase competition

24. 1894

25. 1888

26. The 1824 parish Lock-Up (The Cage)

27. Parish lock-ups from around the country
Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire Swanage, Dorset Wavertree, Liverpool

28. The parish stocks and whipping post: Examples of items that were kept in the lock-up

29. The accounts from 1704 of the
people held in the Stoke Newington
Parish lock-up
“Permitting tippling in his house in sermon
time” - Allowing people to drink alcohol
(tipple) in one’s house during the time when
religious sermons were being delivered,
typically on a Sunday.
“Prophane oath” - The act of swearing or
using blasphemous language that was
considered disrespectful or irreverent towards
God or religious matters.

30. Photo by Terry Gilley
1983

31. 1988
Photo by Derek Baker

33. 1923 plan by A. E. Sewell

37. Historic Pub Sections

38. Saloon Bar Private Bar Public Bar The Class Sketch, 1966

40. Bar, Public Bar
Vaults
Smoke Room
Tap Room
Lounge, Parlour
Best Room, Best End
Snug, Snuggery
News Room
Buffet Bar
Sitting Room
First Class/Second Class
Public Bar
Saloon Bar
Lounge
Lounge Bar/Saloon Lounge
Private Bar
Ladies’ Bar
Bar Parlour
Buffet Bar
Tap Room
Hotel Bar
Public Parlour, Bar Parlour
Pub section names - Northern vs. Southern usage

41. Waggon and Horses, Southgate

42. Saloon
Bar? Public
Bar? Private
Bar? ‘Ghost’ section doors

44. In Which We Serve (1942)

45. Fewer than 4% of existing pub
interior retain much historic value
Licence to Sell - The History and Heritage of the Public House, 2004

46. The Prince Alfred, Maida Vale

47. The Castle, Harrow

48. The Kings Arms, Waterloo

49. The Jolly Butchers, Stoke Newington (1977)

50. The Jolly Butchers, Stoke Newington (1977)

51. The Elgin, Notting Hill

52. The Shakespeare, Stoke Newington

53. The Saloon Bar in the Three Crowns
The former Saloon Bar in the Three Crowns, Stoke Newington

55. The former Saloon Bar in the Shakespeare, Stoke Newington

57. Snob Screens
The Lamb, Holborn The Crown, Islington

58. The Public Bar

59. “Public Bar: The plebeian side of the pub,
where everything is cheapest, where nothing
is charged for decoration, where pints of ale
are the most popular drink where there are no
pin-tables, and darts, shove-ha’penny, and
dominoes are played by people who have
played them all their lives.”
Maurice Gorham in Back to the Local, 1949

60. “There are many Public Bars where any patron
who is too obviously not dressed as a labourer
is regarded with distrust. His presence is
resented by the patrons as well as by the
management, on natural grounds that he can
afford the Saloon Bar.”
Maurice Gorham in Back to the Local, 1949
Illustration by Edward Ardizzone

61. Saloon Bar Public Bar The Red Lion, Stoke Newington

62. Private Bar Public Bar The Rose and Crown, Stoke Newington

63. If you want to geek out about pub history even more

64. 1924 Road Widening

66. Buildings along Lordship Road were reduced/demolished due to road widening

67. Footprint of the old compared to the new pub
Old Red Lion
Rebuilt Red Lion

68. Footprint of the old compared to the new pub

70. Fits 8 people

72. Fits 11 people

73. The Rebuilt Red Lion

74. 8 of the 50 pubs designed by Truman’s architect, Arthur Edward Sewell (1872–1946)
The Rose & Crown, Stoke Newington The Army and Navy, Islington The Arundel Arms, Stoke Newington
(Demolished)
The Golden Heart, Spitalfields
The Royal Oak, Bethnal Green The Station, Stoneleigh The Royal George, Euston The Stags Head, Hoxton

75. 1924 plan by Arthur Edward Sewell

79. The lavish Victorian Gin Palace pub style

81. Section partitions

82. Surviving partitions in the
Stag’s Head in Hoxton
Designed by A. E. Sewell in
1936

83. Infill in the counter of the
Red Lion where there used
to be a partition

85. The Red Lion, Stoke Newington The former Bottles & Jugs in the Stag’s Head, Hoxton
The Off-Licence section was a small, narrow area

89. The Red Lion used to have a Vitrolite ceiling, like other pubs designed by A. E. Sewell
The Royal Oak, Bethnal Green

92. Coloured version of the plan

94. 1955

95. 1975

96. c. 1975 - Red Lion publicans Martin and Kathy Brennan facing the Saloon Bar

97. c. 1975 - Red Lion publicans Martin and Kathy Brennan with George
Bristow, father of Eric Bristow

98. 1982

99. 1983

100. c. 1989

101. 1993
Photo by Peter Marshall

102. 1998

103. 2015

104. 2002

105. 2006

106. Thank you