Bonner Arms, Bonner Street
Bishop Bonner, 21 Bonner Street
Both kindly provided by Ken Finch
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Bethnal Green, Middlesex - now in East London. The Bethnal Green, East London listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
1884/John Glaney/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1891/William Mark Gange/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1899/Daniel Dupuy/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1901/Daniel Dupuy/Publican/50/Bethnal
Green, London/Census ****
1901/Jane Dupuy/Wife/52/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1901/Arthur Dupuy/Son, Barman/20/Bethnal Green, London/Census
1910/Daniel Dupuy/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1914/Charles Ward Wildig/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1915/Charles Ward Wildig/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1921/Thos G Kemp/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1934/Alfred J Wyllye/../../../Kellys Directory ****
1938/Jn Waine/../../../Post
Office Directory
****
1944/Rt
Geo Drane/../../../Post Office
Directory
****
My Parents Freddie & Rita Woodman Owned the Bishop Bonner
Pub in Bonner Street London E2 from 1971 until 1979.
My father turned it into a Boxing Theme Pub with wall to wall photos of
boxers. My father and I were also Boxers and we had many famous boxers that
used to pop in such as John Conteh, Henry Cooper, John H Stracey Maurice
Hope, Jack Kid Berg and many more. My Father used to have Boxing theme
nights where he would show some old time boxing fights and the famous Boxers
who used to come along would tell us some great stories. Henry Cooper
came in a few times as he was friends with my Dad. They used to train
together in the Gym above the Thomas A Beckett Pub in the Old Kent Road.
On Thursday nights we used to have a little known band called Chas & Dave
who went on to become quite famous !! On Friday, Saturday and Sunday night
there was always live music and the customers would be encouraged to get up
and sing, some were really good, one man who stood out for me was Bertie
Dawltry he owned a fish stall in Roman Road market, he always sang "Won't
you come home Bill Bailey" and the customers used to love it. My father
always used to finish off every night with a couple of Perry Como songs
before ringing the bell for "time gentleman please"
We used to hold lots of events such as a Annual Pram race around all the
local pubs for Charity. There was 2 darts teams, a Shove Halfpenny Team, Bar
Skittle team and a Cribbage team. We also had the Best Tug of War team in
Bethnal Green!
Our Pub was due to be pulled down in 1975 along with all the old shops along
side us in Bonner Street and the Terrace houses on the corner of Bonner
Street in Royston Street, but because the Pub was so Popular with the Locals
the Council decided to leave it, so at one stage all the houses and shops
were pulled down and our Pub was the only thing left standing on the corner
!! The pub stood all alone for about 8 years until they finally started
building new houses around it again. I think the Pub lost all its character
when the new houses were built around it, I preferred it when it was
surrounded by the little 2 up 2 down Victorian terraced houses which would
have been worth a lot more money today than the ones they have built to
replace them.
I am sure that the Pub was haunted as me and my brother used to hear heavy
footsteps in the night above our upstairs bedroom, it sounded as though
someone was walking on the roof. We later found out that there used to be
another floor on the building but was probably bomb damaged during the war
and taken down. There was also rumoured to be a tunnel in the cellar which
linked the Pub with the Bishops big house (now the London Chest Hospital) in
Bonner Road! ***
1971-79/Freddie & Rita
Woodman/../../../..
****
*** Provided By Paul Woodman
**** Provided By Kevan