HAMMER AND PINCERS - 200 YEARS
A flag-sized banner between the two upstairs windows of
the Hammer and Pincers announces that this village pub has
been in business for the last 250 years. Glynn Hewitt, the
landlord says that he is often asked, 'what is a victualler?’
- quite simply, victuals are food and drink, so a licensed
victualler sells food and drinks requiring a license - beer,
wine and spirits.
Before 1753, the building was used by Joseph Hull as a blacksmiths.
The blacksmith's business there was shown by having tools
of the trade fixed to the outside wall - a hammer and a pair
of pincers. When Joseph Hull died, Mrs. Hull was unable to
continue with the blacksmith's work and ran the inn, at that
time named the Blacksmith's Arms; the name changed to the
Hammer and Pincers in 1846.
Landlords and dates:
1754 - 1757 Joseph Hull
1757 - 1758 Frances Hull
1758 - 1756 William Branston
1778 - 1779 Stephen Squire
1780 - 1789 Frances Branston
1790 - 1792 Thomas Hull
1793 - 1794 Jane Hull
1794 - 1809 Joseph Shepherd
1809 - 1814 Thomas Underwood
1815 - 1827 Joseph Priestly
1827 - 1883 mostly unknown
(Edward Voce - 1846)
1883 - 1884 Thomas King
1884 - 1886 William Millett
1886 - 1887 Albert Lord
1887 - 1889 William Clifford
1889 - 1890 Walton Goodwin
1890 - 1897 Thomas Thorneycroft
1898 - 1902 Harry Lewis
1902 - 1904 Henry Simpson
1904 - 1906 Harry Thorneycroft
1906 - 1907 Ernest Hickman
1907 - 1911 Joseph Page
1911 - 1915 John Mayes
1915 - 1930 Walter Smith
1930 - 1958 Walter Lockwood
1958 - 1984 Maurice Hewitt
1984 - Glynn Hewitt
The building has changed over the years . The lounge was
previously cottages and was used by brewery staff for accommodation
until the late 1950's. This is the oldest part of the pub
and was thatched until the end of the 19th. century. The Rose
Room, the upstairs entertainment room was previously three
letting rooms. It has a claim to fame. The Leicester based
singer Jerry Dorsey was often booked - he later became known
as Englebert Humperdinck.
In the part of the building that fronts North Street was
a butcher's shop. This can be seen in the bottom right-hand
corner of the photo - © 1905. The out-buildings were used
as a slaughterhouse. To the right of the arch off North Street
are stables and a coach house stood on what is now the car
park. There were two wells in the yard. The wide pavement
area running to the side door of the pub is common land and
was used as a market place.
It is easy to imagine how this inn was used. A market on
the doorstep, stabling, a coach house, food and drink available
and perhaps overnight lodgings would have made a thriving
business: bring produce to sell at the market, have the horses
re-shoed while you have some food and drink in the pub, but
Glynn also mentioned that the Fox Inn, on the opposite side
of North Street, between Thirlmere Road and Grasmere had facilities
for coaches and, given the name, may well have been used,
with the Hammer and Pincers, by those coming to the Quorn
Hunt.
The last 250 years have seen many changes to the buildings
that are now the Hammer and Pincers, but it has been an inn
continuously over this period and has been adapted and changed
to meet the needs and demands of the times and will, quite
likely, do so for another 250 years. Below are the names of
the landlords and the dates of their tenancy over this time.
It can be seen that the Hewitt family have been landlords
for about a fifth of this!
Alan Willcocks
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