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

Drinking in an Old English Town

Old Duke of Cumberland, Spon Street

These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
	1756	?	DUKE WILLIAM
	1765	?	DUKE OF CUMBERLAND'S HEAD
	1830		The Old Duke William of Cumberland and Birmingham House
	1845	?	DUKES HEAD
	1850	1863	OLD DUKES HEAD
Prince William Augustus, 1721-65, was a younger son of George II and Caroline of Ansbach. He is best known for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and as such is known as 'Butcher' Cumberland. After Culloden he went on to a largely unsuccessful military career, and following the French occupation of Hanover in the Seven Years War from 1757 he never held active military command again, devoting himself to politics and horse racing. This pub had various alternative formats to its name. In 1765 it was called the DUKE OF CUMBERLAND'S HEAD when it was robbed by a recruit who was quartered there. In 1779 it had the same name but in 1845 it was the DUKES HEAD, and in 1850 and 1851 it was known as the OLD DUKES HEAD. In 1830 it was advertised as 'The Old Duke William of Cumberland and Birmingham House', which must win as the longest pub name ever in Coventry. This was described as near St. John's Church, adjoining the new road to Birmingham, so the Birmingham House part probably indicated that coaches or carters started from the pub. This print on the left, from 1817, shows it next to Spon Gate, which sadly was demolished in 1771. It had closed by 1863, and by 1869 was three separate tenements.
LICENSEES: 1835 - 1841 Henry Perkins 1841 Thomas Perkins 1850 - 1851 Henry Castledine
Street plan of 1851