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the old fox fleet street

Astoness

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
hi folks wonder if anyone has a pic of the old fox that was in fleet st...

many thanks for any help...

lyn
 
Hi Lynn
Just seen your request for a picture of the old fox in fleet street and I was surprised to see the name of fleet street
Because among the volume of books I purchased from a lady the other week. I am sure I seen it and when I said to myself
I do not ever recall the old fox in that street because I know thefoxand the owner Gerry and his son very well
And I said to myself no that was never in fleet but being you have mentionioned it I presume it. Was because the caption below the picture of the foxsaidit was
Fleet St so I will spend an hour or two scouring the book I seen it in and let you know and if that's the case I will send it down to you
Asap best wishes Alan,,,,,Astonian,,,,,
 
thanks alan must say the only old fox i know of is the one in hurst st but there could of course have also been one in fleet street as well...

i will have to do some more research on this one..

lyn
 
Lyn

There was an Old Fox listed to a William Tilsley at 14 Fleet St in the 1846 Slaters Commercial Directory. I can find no other listing relating to it in the 1903 Kelly's or any after that date. In fact I can find no even numbers at all. Perhaps it has something to do with the canal as even numbers would have been on that side. Mikes a whizz with numbers so perhaps he might know something.
 
thanks for that phil...just trying to find a pic of it for one of our members..her rellie had the pub in 1888 and it was mike who found out that info for us..will go through my pub books tomorrow...

lyn
 
Lyn not sure if these are any help. Only one mentions THE OLD FOX but I wondered if they are all the same pub?

1860 - 24 May - summoned for keeping their houses open at improper hours on Sunday (from a list of names)
William Tilsley FOX INN Fleet Street
1865 - 20 January - sale by auction THE FOX TAVERN, Fleet Street, Newhall Street by the direction of the late Mr Tilsley - who had been there for 23 years
1865 - 5 May - transfer of licence THE FOX, Fleet Street from William Tilsley to Reuben Smith
1865 - 5 October - advertising for any claims to the estate of William Tilsley late of THE FOX TAVERN, Fleet Street
1866 - 9 April - servant wanted - THE FOX, Fleet Street
1866 - 15 August - pigs for sale - FOX INN, Fleet Street
1866 - 20 September - A large room suitable for Lodges and Trades Clubs at THE OLD FOX, Fleet Street
1873 - 11 April - extension of hours to 1am for annual festivities on Easter Monday - Reuben Smith FOX INN, Fleet Street
1873 - 23 August - applicants for music licenses (from a list of names) - Reuben Smith, FOX INN, Fleet Street
 
hi pol i think they must be the same pub...im really only looking for a photo of it but the name of the landlord in 1888 was edwin hawkeswood just in case you come across his name...thanks pol

lyn
 
1878 - 16 April - Reuben Smith victualler of THE FOX, Fleet Street files for liquidation
transfer of licenses
1879 - 9 August - FOX, Fleet Street to Elizabeth Lycett
1880 - 6 August - FOX INN, Fleet Street to G J Lycett
1882 - 8 December - FOX, Fleet Street, to David Waldron
1883 - 9 August - David Waldron of THE OLD FOX INN , Fleet Street summoned for permitting drunkenness his premises.
transfer of licenses
1884 - 7 March - FOX, Fleet Street to E Hawkeswood
1888 - 5 October - FOX, Fleet Street to H Coley
1889 - 8 March - FOX INN, Fleet Street to G H Wilkes
1889 - 3 May - FOX INN, Fleet Street to M Scott
1890 - 4 April - FOX, Fleet Street to J Greaves
1890 - 5 December - FOX, Fleet Street to John Graham
1891 - 2 January - FOX, Fleet Street to Edwin Johnson
1891 - 6 March FOX, Fleet Street to J Lewis

1892 - 26 August - HOUSES CLOSED OR PULLED DOWN - THE FOX, FLEET STREET (included on a list of pubs)
 
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Found him Lyn - E Hawkeswood seems to have been there from 1884 to 1888.
Looks as if the Fox may have been pulled down in 1892 - unless it was just closed???
 
pollypops said:
Found him Lyn - E Hawkeswood seems to have been there from 1884 to 1888.
Looks as if the Fox may have been pulled down in 1892 - unless it was just closed???
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yep thats him pol thank you....just need a pic of it now...

hi ell no its not the same fox the one im researching was in fleet st but if that was demolished then i guess the one in hurst st could have taken its name..
 
The Old Fox is marked in red on the map c 1889

map_c_1889_Fleet_st_showing_the_Old_Fox.jpg
 
I Lynn
So it was always on fleet street I never knew that was fleet street, so after all that it was never ever where else
To be honest be fore you put your request on here for a picture of fleet and the old. Fox a couple of night before I seen it one of my books
And emediatly I said to myself the picture and dated was not correct but now seeing mikes map which shows and tells us it is fleet st,
It goes to show you doesn't it you learn some think every day and you can never stop learning
And the picture have got is what I have got the only alteration to the pub is the place as been painted white and a variation to the side windows
Oriniginaly they was smaller with the orinignal lead pointed windows and taken away the black frames on top of the windows
That's why it looked different I tryed to see whom name is above the door I know quite area back Gerry was contemplating in selling it and I think it was Kathy his girl friend from Monica red ran ktfor him for years I am talking late sevrntys early eighths as we all have got older I presume they may have moved on
But if lever get to the centre I have a nose and beak look whom is above the door
Have a good day Lynn best wishes as always Alan,,,,,,,Astonian,,,,,,
 
Mike

Was the street renumbered some time after 1846 then as 20th century trade directories don't show any even numbers on that side of the street at all?
 
Phil
i think the absence of even numbers was just coincidence . I got the position and number of the Fox from the 1888 Kellys , shown below

Kellys_18882C_showing_fleet_st.jpg
 
Astoness said:
hi ell no its not the same fox the one im researching was in fleet st but if that was demolished then i guess the one in hurst st could have taken its name..
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I know.

Telephone House was built on the site in 1935 (Newhall Street, Lionel Street and Fleet Street).



So what was here between 1892 and 1935?
 
I must correct myself with regard to Phil's question about fleet St being renumbered. According to early directories , like the 1888 one in post 19, the numbering of the street was consecutive (1,2,3...) and started from Newhall st. However, soon after 1890 there appears to have been possibly a rebuilding of the area as the number of businesses reduced considerably for several years and for several years there were no numbers listed for this street. When numbering was reintroduced it was from summer row and on the south side of the street only even numbers were used. there does not seem to have been any odd numbers used for anything on the north side of the street (though there was not much on that side).
 
mikejee said:
Phil
i think the absence of even numbers was just coincidence . I got the position and number of the Fox from the 1888 Kellys , shown below

Kellys_18882C_showing_fleet_st.jpg
Click to expand...


crikey mike looking at that short list its a wonder anyone got home...there are 3 pubs between numbers 14 and 37 lol
 
Some of my family lived 3/16 Fleet Street in 1881.
So that makes sense, great grandad would never have been TOO far away from a pub!
 
Most interesting discussion, never heard of a Fleet Street Birmingham, thought I knew most the old pubs to , not The Fox. Paul
 
morning paul...fleet st is where newmans coffin factory is and is off edmund st....i reckon the fox was gone long before you were born

lyn
 
Thanks Lyn, you really are a Birmingham fountain of knowledge, really sorry I never had a pint in the "Fox", looked a great pub. Paul
 
paul stacey said:
Thanks Lyn, you really are a Birmingham fountain of knowledge, really sorry I never had a pint in the "Fox", looked a great pub. Paul
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hi paul...little bit of confusion here..never surprising when i am around lol...the photos of the old fox that ellbrown has posted is still there so you can get a pint in there but its on the corner of hurst st opposite the old back to backs....the old fox that this thread is about was in fleet st and is no longer there and to date we still have no photo of this pub...

lyn
 
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Astoness said:
the photos of the old fox that ellbrown has posted is still there so you can get a pint in there but its on the corner of hurst st opposite the old back to backs
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I walked past the Hurst Street Old Fox yesterday! Chinese lanterns out in the Arcadian a little early! Is also a Wetherspoon as you head in.
 
The Fox seems to be a popular name, theres also this one in Lower Essex St.
 

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terryb18 said:
The Fox seems to be a popular name, theres also this one in Lower Essex St.
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Not exactly. When the Fox on Hurst street closed for several months (years?) for refurbishment and it was suggested that it would never open again the one on Essex Street took the name and, presumably, some of the customers. When the Fox on Hurst St re-opened it became the Old Fox. I suspect the Fox (Essex Street) has had trouble keeping the clientele as it seems to have re-invented itself a few times over the period. I'm not entirely sure that it's still open.
 
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