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

Drinking in an Old English Town

Fleur de Lis, 43 Smithford Street

These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
	1570	1750	Cross Keys
	1671	?	Black Horse
	1756	?	Flower de Luce and Crown
	1795	1926	Fleur de Lis
	1835	1835	Beerhouse
This name is literally 'lily flower', but a heraldic lily rather than a real one. It occurs in the royal arms of France and is thus a symbol of France in a general way. When Edward III assumed the title of 'King of France' the device was incorporated into English coats of arms, where it has remained. As a pub name it makes a fairly vague reference to royalty. This pub dates to the eighteenth century and in 1820 was leased by the trustees of the Vicar Lane Meeting House to Richard Dunn. In 1835 it was a BEERHOUSE. In 1885 it was purchased by Phillips and Marriott for £1,062.10s.0d and in 1899 they valued it at £1,800. On 12th August 1926 it was closed in consideration of permission being given to remove and rebuild the Bulls Head on the Binley Road. Some time around 1822/23 the pub was referred to as the CROWN AND FLEUR DE LIS. The pub was listed in Pigot's directory of 1828/29 as the Fleur de Lis in Fleet Street, but in White's directory of 1850 it was correctly listed as an Inn in Smithford Street, but spelt the same way, 'Lis', without the 'y'. The pub was four properties west of the Great Meeting House in Smithford Street.
LICENSEES: to 1794 Gilbert Shenton (possibly the FLOWER DE LUCE AND CROWN) 1820 Richard Dunn 1827 Thomas Whittemore 1832 - 1861 John Bailey 1861 - 1868 Mrs Harriett Bailey 1871 - 1874 John Scampton 1877 Frederick Gascoyne 1879 John Wilcox Oswin 1881 E. B. Twycross 1886 R. Yardley 1890 - 1894 C. Brown 1896 Elizabeth A. Brown 1902 William Sargent Thrasher 1902 George William Roots 1903 H. H. Archer 1904 - 1912 John J. Franklin 1912 - 1922 Thomas Fletcher 1822 - 1823 John Davies 1924 - 1927 Leonard Taylor Jacques
OWNERS: 1820 John Freeman Taylor, Thomas Horsfall, Richard Henson Tilt, Edward Hall, William Newsome, Richard Horsfall, William Brown and Thomas Adcock, the surviving trustees of the Vicar Lane Meeting 1896 William & Emma Brain of Oxford 1896 - 1899 Phillips & Marriott
Street plan of 1851