By 1983 it was trading as the Betsy, with the name extended to the Betsy Trotwood by 1992. **
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Clerkenwell, London. The Clerkenwell, London listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
Butchers Arms, 56 Farringdon Road - in 1986
From the Archives of East London & City CAMRA
Butchers Arms, 56 Farringdon Road - in December 2006
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
1876/George Alexandra Denman/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1876/George Saunders/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1877/George Saunders/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1878/Sophia Saunders/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1878/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1879/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1880/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1881/William Guest/Publican/37/Shoreditch, Middlesex/Census ****
1881/Amy Guest/Wife/32/Clerkenwell, Middlesex/Census
1881/Frances Bloomfield/Barmaid/29/Fulham, Middlesex/Census
1881/Susan Jones/Domestic Servant/32/Birmingham/Census
1881/Charles Cave/Barman/22/Northampton/Census
1881/Valentine Trulley/Potman/42/Islington, Middlesex/Census
1881/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1882/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1883/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1884/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1885/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1886/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1887/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1888/Thomas William Guest/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1889/William Anderson/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1890/William Anderson/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
The Henry Robert Banks (1848-1900), publican from 1891, was my
great-grandfather. He was a builder who formed a relationship with my
great-grandmother Annie Constable after seeing her on stage. The couple set
up home together in Guildford Street by 1881 and had several children. Henry
also had a wife and legitimate family, and split his time between the two
households. Henry and Annie seem to have taken on the Butchers Arms as a
joint business venture, but continued to live off the premises in Guildford
Street. Henry died in 1900 and is buried in the City of London Cemetery. The
funeral cortege is said to have started at the pub before calling at the
homes of both wife and mistress to pick up mourners en route to the
cemetery. Annie took over the license on his death, and appears as landlady
in the 1901 Census. She calls herself Banks in the census although she had
no legal right to the name as she was never married to Henry. The Amy Banks
listed as a barmaid was my grandmother (1885-1979), the daughter of Henry
and Annie. The Thomas Yorwarth listed was the son of Richard Yorwarth, a
local widower and (presumably) pub customer. Thomas later went to sea as a
steward and was killed when his ship was torpedoed off the coast of Italy in
August 1918. In 1902, Annie married Richard Yorwarth. She died in 1904 of TB
(presumably an occupational hazard for publicans in “spit and sawdust”
days). There is a family story that after Annie’s death the brewery did not
want to offer the license to Richard Yorwarth, but instead offered it to my
grandmother Amy Banks (at age 18). She turned it down, supposedly because
she was too ashamed about having to admit her illegitimacy to the licensing
magistrates. ***
1891/Henry R Banks/Bricklayer/43/Mile End, London/Census ***
1891/Annie Banks/Wife/33/Kingsland, London/Census
1891/Henry R Banks/Son/11/Holborn, London/Census
1891/Amy Banks/Daughter/5/Holborn, London/Census
1891/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1892/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1893/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1894/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1895/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions****
1899/Henry Robert Banks/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1901/Amy Constable/Licensed Victualler, Widow/42/Kingsland, London/Census
****
1901/Amy Banks/Daughter, Barmaid/15/Holborn, London/Census
1901/Eleanor F Green/Barmaid/25/Brixton, London/Census
1901/Thomas D Yorwarth/Visitor/14/Clerkenwell, London/Census
The Yorwarth/Banks family next moved south of the river, and Richard
Yorwarth became publican of the
Roebuck. Again, there is
some suggestion that at least at first he had trouble over the licence, and
the pub had to be licensed to his daughter Kitty (Katherine). I have a photo
of him outside the pub in about 1910 which shows his name all along the
frontage, so I guess that any issues were resolved. The pub in the photo has
the street number 47 (= 47 Trafalgar Street, Walworth?). ***
1910/John William Holman/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1934/Mrs Caroline Drury/../../../Kellys Directory ****
1938/Jas Morgan/../../../Post Office Directory ****
1944/Leonard Meyer/../../../Post Office Directory ****
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Simon Hayes
**** Provided By Kevan