Inn Signs

The stories behind their names Inn signs are an illustrated guide to the history of Britain. In the early Middle Ages, when few people could read, an ale-house keeper put up a distinctive symbol - a stag, a white hart or some other animal for instance. Often the name of the inn advertised entertainment found there, such as cockfighting. Others were named after great events or eminent people. Kings and outlaws, courtiers and courtesans, bishops and Puritans therefore take their place on the signs outside Britains 70,000 public houses. Here too is a pageant of social history from the Thatcher's Arms and Barley Mow of pastoral England, to the Miner's Arms and Furnace of the Industrial Revolution and on to the Air Hostess and the Propeller of today.

The first sign The trading sign for a wine bar in ancient Rome was a bunch of vine leaves. The Romans brought the custom to Britain and hung a bush outside "inns". The name Bush, and Bull and Bush, survive.

The religious influence in the first residential inns Religious houses opened the first residential inns as hostels for pilgrims in the 12th. century. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th. century some some religious names of these hostelries such as the Mitre, survived. A sign of the Ship denotes the Ark, while the Anchor refers to the Christian faith. The Bull may be derived from bulla, the Latin for a monastery.

Echoes of the Crusades At the end of the 12th. century, inns were built for a new kind of traveller - the knight on his way to fight under Richard I in the Third Crusade. Echoes of the campaign to free the Holy Land from Islam are found in signs such as the Turk's Head, the Blackamoor's Head and the Lamb and Flag. The lamb represented Christ and the flag was the cross of the Crusaders. The Gentil Knyght and the White Knight, which is sometimes illustrated as a chess piece, are also inn names dating back to the Crusades.

The "ALLs" These are normally the Four or Five Alls. The "Alls" can vary but most contain the King and Parson then 2 or 3 of the others. Popular ones are listed here: King or Queen Parson John Bull Lawyer Soldier Labourer Devil - Rules for All - Prays for All - Pays for All - Pleads for All - Fights for All - Works for All - Takes All Kings and their battles After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the hostelries belonging to religious houses became secular houses. Many changed their names such as the Crown or using a royal device such as the Rising Sun, taken from the badge of Edward III. Inns called the Pope's Head were rapidly changed to the King's Head. Henry VIII, who ordered the Dissolution, is the monarch most frequently shown on inn signs. The next most popular is Elizabeth I. The many Royal Oak signs recall an incident after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, when Charles II escaped by hiding in an oak tree. Among battles giving their names to inns is Sedgemore, where James II's army crushed a rebellion by the Duke of Monmouth in 1685.   Heraldic Birds and Animals While some inns took the names of monarchs others, such as the Royal Standard, used either all or part of the royal coat of arms. Black, blue, red, green, golden and white lions have appeared on royal badges since the Conquest. A greyhound was on the arms of the Tudors. A unicorn, which figured on the arms of Scottish Kings, was introduced after the union between England and Scotland, and a white horse was on the coat f arms of the Hanoverians. The arms of great families were also used on signs. Sometimes the inns were on their land or old retainers would open an inn and name it after them. In the north are many signs of the Eagle and Child (right), which comes from the crest of the Earls of Derby. The Talbot, a breed of hound now extinct, usually derives from the arms of the Earls of Shrewsbury. The Bear and Staff, Bear and Ragged Staff or Bear and Baculus, all come from the crest of the Earl of Warwick

Tributes to the famous and infamous Many inns are named after personalities who have caught the public imagination. Some have been heroes like Nelson, highwayman Dick Turpin or courtesans like Nell Gwynn, a mistress of Charles II. But of all the heroes the Marguis of Granby takes a special place. At the Battle of Warburg in 1760 he was leading a bravely, impetuous cavalry charge against the French when his wig blew off - an incident from which comes the saying "going for it bald-headed". After the war he set up his disabled non-commissioned officers as publicans in inns from Surrey to Derbyshire. They gratefully named these inns after him - but the gesture ruined the marquis and he died leaving debts of £37,000.

High on the gallows In the 17th. and 18th. centuries signs became more elaborate, and some even stretched across the street. The White Hart, at Scole, Norfolk cost £1000. Early in the 18th. century a gallows sign in London pulled down the front of a building, killing two people. In 1795 a law ordered that dangerous signs be dismantled, leaving only lightweight signs such as the one that can be found at The Magpie at Stoneham, Suffolk.

 

From stagecoach to a moon rocket In the 18th. century many signs indicated the form of transport travellers could take from the inn, such as Coach and Horses and the Chaise and Pair, or showed that there was stabling, such as the Horse and Groom. Other inns were named after stagecoach services that stopped there - services romantically named the Gloucester Flying Machine, Dairymaid and Flying Bull. When the railways arrived the names given to the inns were less inspired. Many were called the Station or the Railway. It was not until the steam age was ending that inn signs nostalgically recalled names of famous engines such as the Puffing Billy and the Royal Scot. Now signwriters are looking to the Space Age. One of their first: Man in the Moon.

Signs of a trade The cordwainers, the whitesmiths and the flintknappers all had their favourite local inns. Now these craft names are recalled only on inn signs. Cordwainers are shoemakers, whitesmiths were tinsmiths while flintknappers prepared the flint for muzzle loading, flintlock guns. Their arms and those of other craftsmen such as saddlers and plaisterers (or plasterers) appeared either because their society met at the inn, or because the landlord was trying to attract their custom.

Inns for the sportsman In the past, an inn sign often advertised the kind of savage "sport" that could be found there. The Bear recalls bear-baiting, in which dogs were set upon a tethered bear. Near inns called the Dog and Duck, dogs raced across a pond to be first to reach a pinioned duck. Cockfighting took place at any inn called Cock, and falconry was a favourite sport at the Bird in Hand. Signs depicting ball games came later. An early one was the Mall, in London, where Charles II played Pall Mall, a form of croquet.

Odd names and touches of rustic humour Some inns have names that are not what they seem. The Pig and Whistle, for example, is believed to have been adapted from the Saxon "piggen" (pail or bucket) and "wassail" (be in good health). When ale was served in pails, drinkers dipped in their mugs and gave the wassail toast. Another sign which means more than it says is the Intrepid Fox. Although a fox is often illustrated on the sign, this refers to the nickname of the 18th. century politician Charles James Fox. In Stevenage, Hertfordshire, The Twin Foxes recalls two local twins, Ebenezer Albert Fox and Albert Ebenezer Fox, who were notorious poachers at the beginning of the 19th. century. Often punsters have also left their villages with such signs as the Drop Inn, the Nog Inn and the Wych Way Inn. Macabre signs include the Quiet Woman or the Good Woman, who is always headless.

The above is taken from Readers Digest 'New Book of the Road' of 1981 (a little 'old' as it's now 2001).

Current trends (My rantings): It is most unfortunate that many breweries are renaming inns and using names that mean nothing and are in most cases un-pronounceable. As an example, I quote the name change of a landmark of Sydenham, southeast London. The inn has existed for around 250 years and was called the Greyhound from the day it was built. Some clever clown at the brewery who now own the place decided that history was not worth retaining and renamed it the Fewterer and Firkin which to locals here is totally meaningless (A variation of the name has been circulating but I can't print it here as this is a family friendly site. I will say that the Firkin goes in front of Fewterer and has been purposely mispronounced). This is just one of many such changes as inns now get transformed into "Theme Pubs" that have no atmosphere and are normally blasting out so called music to the annoyance of neighbours and passers-by. This is the belief of breweries and more and more "Traditional Pubs" are disappearing and so too are customers especially for the theme pubs as they're at long last being recognisesd for the "cons" they are, a means of overcharging to recoup the money for the conversion. There is still a fairly large customer base for traditional pubs, but this is slowly reducing. Many country inns are heavily affected by the drink/drive laws as this has reduced the number of customers using them as many rely on passing trade, normally the motorist. It certainly seems that due to the above items that the famed British Pub has but a short time to be saved from the idiosyncrasies of breweries and lack of passing trade. I for one will mourn the day they die even though, on health grounds, I don't drink alcohol. As a point of interest, the most popular name for Pubs in Britain is the Red Lion. GOOD NEWS : The pub mentioned above has as of 12th August 2001, due to local pressure, reverted to 'The Greyhound' proving public pressure can influence breweries.

Addendum: THEME PUBS, THE DREGS Eight out of ten drinkers prefer traditional British pubs to trendy new theme bars a survey reveals today   Half of the adults quizzed said country pubs were their favourite, while a third preferred community pubs.   Fewer than 20 per cent opted for chains like All Bar One despite multi-million investments.   Real ale campaigners CAMRA intervied 1000 people. A spokesman said the result showed pub firms need to offer a wider range of facilities like play areas and Internet access.   One in four adults go to the pub at least once a week. Draught lager is the most popular drink with 22 per cent of votes, with 17 per cent favouring real ale. A quarter of women now drink pints. The above was found in The Sun newspaper of 18 January 2001.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page