Some history of The Leopard on Allison Street at Digbeth in Birmingham in the County of Warwickshire

Birmingham | Allison Street | The Leopard

The Leopard was a beer house located on the western side of Allison Street close to the railway viaduct of the former Great Western Railway. The house had a poor reputation and was closed in the mid-1870s. Henry Williams was listed as a delinquent publican when hauled befor the magistrates. However, he was an angel compared to how the Bench viewed Thomas Brown who was refused a renewal of the licence.

John Wilson was the licensee of The Leopard in 1840, the year in which his 31 year-old son passed away. The newspapers reported that "he died as he lived, universally beloved by all who the pleasure of his acquaintance."

The licensee in 1871 was John Blower who worked as a joiner during the day and publican in the evening. The Polesworth-born woodworker kept The Leopard with his wife Mary. John Blower had moved to Birmingham to work as a carpenter and found accommodation in Bartholomew Street. His wife Mary hailed from Herefordshire. The licence was transferred from John Blower to Edwin Collins in December 1871.

More information on The Leopard on Allison Street to follow. I probably created the page as I had a link to The Leopard from another page. When building the site it is easier to place links as they crop up rather than go back later on. I realise this is frustrating if you were specifically looking for information on the Bricklayers' Arms. There is information on Birmingham dotted around the website - click here for a suitable starting place.

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"Robert Green, 23, a brass-caster, Latimer Street South, and Joseph London, 26, a gun-finisher, Bishop Street, were charged with attempting to break into the Leopard beer house, Allison Street. Detective Sergeant Seal stated that about three o'clock that morning the inmates of the Leopard beer house were awoke by a noise down stairs. They went to the bedroom window and saw two men get out of the cellar, jump over the yard wall, and run away. About that time Seal was walking along Park Lane, when he saw the two prisoners come over the wall and run away. He pursued them, and, with the assistance of a police-constable, took them into custody. It was afterwards found that the cellar window of the Leopard beer house had been broken into. Seal applied that the prisoners might be remanded until this day [Wednesday] for him to make inquiries. The application was granted."
"Attempted Housebreaking"
Aris's Birmingham Gazette : October 15th 1864 Page 7

"Ellen Hopkins, [30], seamstress, Rocky Lane, was charged with stealing a purse containing one sovereign and some silver, from the person of Samuel Smith, whilst asleep in the Leopard, Allison Street. Last evening the prisoner was seen by a witness named Michael Manion to withdraw her hand from Smith's pocket whilst he was asleep, and afterwards examine a sovereign. He spoke to the landlady of the house, who asked him if he had lost any money. After searching his pocket he found he was deficient of a sovereign, and on being charged with stealing she took it from her pocket and placed it the counter. Pleading guilty, she was sent to the House of Correction for six weeks."
"Stealing a Sovereign"
Birmingham Mail : December 2nd 1871 Page 2