Chequers, 34-35 Little Park Street
This pub dates from before 1800 and at one time adjoined Cheylesmore Manor House, which stood in Little Park Street.
St. Michael's bell ringer's ten-pint glass was kept here after its removal from the O Rare Ben Johnson. It is said to have rung in the key of A.
In February 1926 it was sold by Charrington's, by which time it adjoined the works of the Coventry Machinists Co., the Maudslay Motor Works and Quinton Hosiery Works.
On Good Friday 1941 it was demolished by a German bomb.This is an ancient tavern sign which was probably brought to England by the Romans. Evidence from Pompeii suggests that it was already in use there, perhaps referring to a game such as draughts played on the premises. The sign was later associated with a money-table and, indeed, the word 'exchequer' originally meant a kind of chess board. Some inns may have used the sign to indicate that they were ready to change money or act as bankers in some way. A heraldic connection is that the head of the Fitzwarrens, whose coat of arms showed chequered squares, had the privilege of licensing alehouses in the reign of Edward IV. | |||
LICENSEES:1822 - 1829 Thomas Boswell 1835 Daniel Sheard 1841 - 1845 Mrs Sarah Sheard 1847 William Taylor 1847 Charles Musson 1861 William Smith 1861 Thomas Iliffe 1886 Tom Garratt 1890 - 1896 E. Poutney 1899 - 1923 John Busby 1923 - 1932 Thomas Bott 1933 - 1938 F. James 1939 - 1940 W. S. Naughton | |||
OWNERS:1926 Charringtons | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||