NOWHERE TAVERN - St MARGARET

Address as Lower Westwick Street in 1811 & 1855
and as Lower Street in 1845.

Mary King, formerly mistress of the No-Where Tavern was found dead in bed. The inquest was held at the LOCK & KEY, St. John's Sepulchre and it was reported 6th August 1823 that, with no marks of violence on the body, a verdict of `Died by the visitation of God' was to be recorded. The suggestion that she had taken laudanum was said to be unfounded.

14th March 1846 : Mrs Furnish was named as landlady in a case of assault involving the Allen brothers, one a Pigeon Dealer and the other a Soldier. Upon entering the tavern, the pigeon dealer saw his brother, who apparently refused the offer of a drink and attacked him, burning his hand and arm with a hot poker and striking him on the face. Others in the house were also accused of grabbing hold and throwing him in to a back room and kicking him. William Betts (a butcher), a man named Newby and two soldiers were said to be involved in the attack and Mrs Furnish was said to have held a light and to say `Kill him, he is no customer of mine!'.
Witness statements supported the landlady who said the dreadful argument ensued owing to the violent conduct of the victim.
Allen, the soldier and Newby were each fined 10s with 10s 6d costs, or gaol for one month. Mrs Furnish had a severe reprimand which would be remembered when she next applied for a licence.

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Spirit licence lost ** 7th September 1847 owing to disorderly manner in which the house had been conducted. The magistrates said it was illegal for them to allow transfer of licence to a brewery clerk until a new tenant was found. One of the magistrates, Mr. Willett, said that he had made up his mind that he would sign no licence to a house that had been proved to be a common brothel. The 10 magistrates agreed that the decision to withdraw the licence would stand.

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Robert Hase (24) and Edward Sadd (19) were found guilty of having stolen a pair of highlows, 2nd September 1851, from publican John Catchpole. Hayes (as report) received two months detention and Sadd six months, both with hard labour.

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At the Annual Licensing Sessions held 28th August 1855 it was heard that John Catchpole kept a mistress at the house and his young daughter was made to act as a servant.
The Bench thought that a person who set such a bad example was not fit to keep a public house.
The licence was cancelled, none of the fifteen magistrates signing it.

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By 17th March 1888 the house is recorded as a cottage, owned by Charles Crawshay, formerly a public house called NOWHERE.