The Definitive Guide to the History of
Pubs and Beerhouses in Coventry

Drinking in an Old English Town

City, 14 Spon Street (Smith)

Address:	14 Spon Street
Became:	Recruiting Sergeant
Alternative Addresses:	24 or 15 Spon Street
In the 1841 census Mary Smith, 55, was a victualler at the Recruiting Sergeant Yard, Spon Street. In 1851 Sarah Smith, 42, was a licensed victualler in Spon Street and in 1861 she was 55 and a licensed victualler in Spon Stree. By 1871 there are no matching records. This had a public house license from 1841 to 1932 There was a barracks in Coventry. The earliest record of the pub that John Ashby has found is 1808 and it closed in 1929, whilst Coventry Barracks opened in Smithford Street in 1793 and closed in 1922. In 1835 the Recruiting Sergeant was recorded as being a BEERHOUSE. The building in fact is much older than this, dating to the mid-to-late 15th century. It was one of the higher quality houses in Spon Street, originally being a four-bay open hall house with a two-bay open hall in the centre and jettied bays on either side. It was restored in 1977 and 1985. The building was split in two with the pub being No14 and No 15 housing a succession of retail businesses. It was not until 1919 that the two premises became one and the pub occupied the whole building.
LICENSEES: 1835 Mary Smith
Street plan of 1851
Google map location (Due to the scaling on old maps, the pin location might not be 100% accurate.)