User:Psicorps/Craven Arms (Coventry)

There are two public houses in Coventry which are called The Craven Arms.

65 Craven Street, Chapelfields, Coventry
The Craven Arms was opened in 1874 on Craven Street in Chapelfields, a district of Coventry close to Hearsall Common. The land itself was a charitable donation by a Sir Thomas White, whose name is preserved on a neighbouring connecting street.

Partial history

 * 1874 - Joseph Evans is the first recorded landlord (White's Directory 1874).
 * 1879 - Frederick Henry Smith takes over as landlord.
 * He was born in 1844 and like many of his neighbours he was employed in the watch industry. Many of the houses in Chapelfields and on Craven Street and Sir Thomas Whites Road in particular were build to house watchmakers.
 * On the 1871 census, Smith is recorded as living next door to the pub at number 63, under the roof of his brother-in-law, John Jinks. John and his wife Lucy had a young daughter, also called Lucy, who was just 3 years old.
 * Smith took over The Craven Arms in 1879 and on the 1881 census he is recorded as having a live-in servant, Laura Elkington, who was just 13. Smith was still working as a watch jeweller as well as being a licenced victualler.
 * On the 1891 census, Smith's mother-in-law, Maria Bickley, a widow aged 77 is living with him. She was from a watchmaking family also. It is not known whether she was related to Robert Bickley, who was landlord of the Dun Cow pub on Jordan Well in Coventry in the early 1900s.


 * 1893 - The Chapel Fields Philanthropic Society was inaugurated at The Craven Arms.
 * Between 1896 and 1901, Joseph Price became landlord (Kelly's, 1896).
 * He had previously lived at 37 Craven Street as a watch finisher. The Philanthropic Society was evidently still flourishing. A Mr P J Smith was its president, it met regularly at The Craven Arms and the landlord, Joseph Price, was on its committee.


 * 1926 - Frederick Baker took over the licence of the pub.
 * He kept the pub for 29 years. He was held in tremendously high affection and the pub was frequently referred to as 'Freddie Bakers'.


 * 1955 - Leslie Harry Speer took over the licence.
 * 1957 - Harry Gould took over the licence, he was the former landlord of the Dun Cow on Jordan Well only the previous year.
 * 1959 - John Healey took over the licence.

89 Woodway Lane, Coventry
The Craven Arms on Woodway Lane is located in the Walsgrave district of Coventry, approximately 3½ miles from the city centre.

As at 2007 the current landlord is Craig Frost (was Lynn Fisher in 2006).