[Brighton] Brighton and Hove c.1783

[jamie (not that one)]

You're stepping into a minefield with this one - there's no easy answer

There's a Black Lion in Black Lion St in 1455 but it closed at some point and re-opened (at a different address)

There was a Cricketers also in BLS that dates from 1547, but it was rebuilt in Victoria's reign

The Druid's Head building dates from the early 16th century but it didn't become a pub until 1830

The Pump House dates from 1776 and was used to pump sea water - it's not clear whether other drinks were available then

You choose the answer that you like

All good enough answers for me along with the K&Q.

 

[MattBackHome]

View attachment 124156

8 kids and a pregnant wife at home.

"**** this, I'm off down the pub, love"

 

[marlowe]

8 kids and a pregnant wife at home.

"**** this, I'm off down the pub, love"

.....
TBH, most of central shoreham was a pub/bar/knocking shop until the early 1900's......

Maybe the pub wasn't his only port of call if zefarelly's post is to be believed. It's a long way to travel on horseback in the snow just for a pint when there were probably plenty of options available in Brighthelmstone.

As a man who was "much and deservedly esteemed" he had a certain reputation to think about so wasn't likely to visit any houses of ill repute in his own neighbourhood, so that well known den of iniquity just a short horseride along the coast meant he could maintain an element of discretion with a quick stop over in Copper's Gap on the return journey.... Seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

I wondered that too but I found out that Nevill is the family name of the Marquesses of Abergavenny, who owned the Manor of Blatchington from the 16th century onwards.

I suppose it is possible that the baker was related to that family. I find it odd that the death of a Brighton baker would merit an obituary in The Times.

The 1783 map gives a good indication of the terrain on which his ill fated journey took him and the diagram below based on an 1850s map gives an indication of which pub he might have stopped at at Copperas Gap. I wonder if it was the Halfway House Inn which was demolished in 2014...
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Here is the wiki entry for the Marquess of Abergavenny which mentions the Nevill name...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Abergavenny

.

Might have been The Crown which once stood at what is now the entrance to Travis Perkins next to the conveyors where Wellington Road meets Church Road. It was demolished in 1969.

 

[MattBackHome]

Or the Midway? Unless that wasn't built then.

My guess is he just got pissed and fell off the nag on the way back. It was icy right? Whacked his head and that was that.

 

[marlowe]

Might have been The Crown which once stood at what is now the entrance to Travis Perkins next to the conveyors where Wellington Road meets Church Road. It was demolished in 1969.

View attachment 124215

And then there's the mystery of which "tavern in Hove" the body was conveyed to. Possibly the Ship Inn in Hove Street where they conducted inquests but then they often used to conduct inquests in pubs in those days.

Here is an account of an inquest they conducted in "The Crown" in Copperas Gap in 1831 after a particularly gruesome find with Ripper like undertones...


Inquest – December 1831

The inquest on Hannah Hobbs was carried out at the Crown Inn in December 1831. The body of the unfortunate woman was found on a beach in Aldrington, but with the gruesome detail that her head and lower arms were missing. When this sensational news leaked out, there was considerable interest in the entire neighbourhood, with people from Brighton hurrying over hoping to view the body. The authorities had anticipated the ghoulish demand and Hannah’s body was placed in a locked barn. Unfortunately, a farm labourer saw the opportunity of making some money, and allowed visitors inside the barn at a fee of two pence each.

Needless to say, the pub was packed to the rafters when the inquest opened on Wednesday, 7 December and continued until the Sunday. However, nobody was ever charged with murder.

 

[neilbard]

Brighton and Hove c.2019