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Lord Nelson, 17 Nelson Street, City Road, St Luke parish of London EC1

The road is later renamed to Mora Street; It closed in 2002 and is now in residential use. **

A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in St Luke parish of London, Middlesex - now in East London. The St Luke parish of London  listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.Lord Nelson, 17 Mora Street - in December 2006

Lord Nelson, 17 Mora Street - 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.

1839/William Wilson/../../../Pigots Directory ****

1848/William Wilson/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1851/William Wilson/../../../Finsbury Petty Sessions ****

1856/Thomas Browning Hockley/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1861/Thomas B Hockley/Licensed Victualler/48/Greenwich, Kent/Census ****
1861/Mary Ann Hockley/Wife/26/Standon, Herts/Census
1861/Edgar Hockley/Son/1/St Lukes, Middlesex/Census
1861/Sarah Wells/Housekeeper/23/Parndon, Essex/Census
1861/William Pratt/Barman/24/Great Dunmow, Essex/Census
1861/Rebecca Hacker/Barmaid/23/Cambridge Heath, Middlesex/Census
1861/William Underwoods/Potman/17/East Buryhall, Suffolk/Census

1869/Henry James Edwards & Son/../../../Post Office Directory ****

This is from memory. If anyone is interested please contact me. ***

My ancestor, Marguerite Rayson, was born in Haltwhistle, Northumberland in the 1840s. Unlike most of her large family, she moved to the south and married Thomas George Lewis. I believe his father, Thomas John Lewis, was a grocer, and there's a slim chance he had a pub at some time. Thomas George Lewis became a licensed victualler and raised his family on the premises of his pub, the Lord Nelson, at 17 Nelson Street. They were living there in several censuses - between 1881 & 1901, and possibly 1871.

Marguerite (aka Margaret) died when her children were fairly young, but the family stayed on at the Lord Nelson. The daughter that I am descended from was also called Marguerite. She was born and lived at the Lord Nelson until the day she married. Shortly thereafter she and her husband emigrated to Canada, never to see her father alive again.
***

I had found a report of a fatal accident at the pub, related to some building work, probably before the First World War. It involved substantial rebuilding of the place, to the extent where I concluded that the present bricks and mortar are unlikely to be the same that my ancestors lived in, although they stand in the same place. That's my interpretation, from some hasty reading of a book on Islington found at the Family History Centre.

Fast forward to nearly present day. I believe this pub had a small role in the movie 'Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels'. At the beginning when the two inept thieves are interviewed for the position of thieves, the interview / meeting takes place in a pub which looks very much like the Lord Nelson.

I was only inside once. My friend and I (neither of us in the first stages of adulthood) stopped in just before noon one day, having gone round to take pictures of the outside. As I live in Canada, this was a rare opportunity. The pub was actually open, but we didn't fancy a beer, so asked if it would be possible to have coffee instead. The bar man was very nice and said we could, but then said, "But you might not want to. There's a stripper comin' on in five minutes". We declined to stay for the performance.

When I went back again in 2003 (?) things were changing again. The conversion to luxury flats was almost complete. It was the end of an era, as  it was the Lord Nelson that put bread on my family's table so long ago. Knowing that I could have a pint in the same rooms as my ancestors had lived and served, was a unique thing. 
***

 I have had little luck linking up with anyone from the Lewis family. I often wondered what happened to Marguerite's brothers and sisters, the ones who didn't emigrate. Thomas George Lewis died in approximately the late 1930s.

I would love to hear more stories about the pub and its neighbourhood. I hope that at least some of the people living in the new flats will take an interest in the history of the building and the area.
***

1881/
Thomas G Lewis/Publican/30/Bethnal Green/Census ****
1881/Margaret Lewis/Wife/32/Northumberland/Census
1881/Thomas Lewis/Son/5/Paddington/Census
1881/Margurite Lewis/Daughter/1/St Lukes/Census
1881/Lilien M Lewis/Daughter/3/St Lukes/Census
1881/George Levett/Barman/21/Suffolk/Census
1881/Alber A Bredd/Barman/18/Norwich/Census
1881/Ellen Quirck/Cook/28/Devon/Census
1881/Jane Baymeah/Nurse Maid/33/London, Middlesex/Census

1882/
Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1884/Thomas G Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1891/Thos Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1895/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1899/
Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1910/Thomas Geo Lewis/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1914/William Hunter Gillingham/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1915/William Hunter Gillingham/../../../Post Office Directory ****

1934/Alfred Witherick/../../../Kellys Directory ****



** Provided By Stephen Harris

*** Provided by Jill Browne

**** Provided By Kevan

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Updated in April 2008 by Kevan.
And Last updated on: Tuesday, 04-Dec-2007 22:19:03 GMT