Shakespeare's Head, 18 Spon Street
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| 1808 | 1864 | SHAKESPEARE'S HEAD | |
| 1864 | 2015 | SHAKESPEARE, SHAKSPEARE | |
| 2015 | 2023 | SAMOAN JOE'S TIKI BAR | |
| 2023 | MISTER SHENANIGANS | ||
 This photo shows the Coventry Sunday Schools King George V Coronation Day procession. In this view, to the right of the Shakspeare (missing the middle 'e'!) is court 7; then before the works entrance to Rotherhams at No.19 is M. Ricks Provision Dealer. Just out of the picture to the right is the Old Windmill. The Shakespeare has since been refaced and the buildings to the right have been demolished.
This building is locally listed, being a modern re-fronting of a 19th century building. Behind lies Court No.7, the last to survive, albeit only in part, of the many that were built in Coventry in the last century to house a growing working population. The frontage is basically 19th century with heavy 21st century modifications.
The reputed date of building of the pub is 1808 and in 1811 the Freemen of Spon Street held a meeting there to defend their rights and privileges on Common and Lammas grounds. In 1844 an inquest was held here. In 1850 a man was fined for 'fighting in Spon Street on Sunday afternoon and assaulting P.C. Symonds in the execution of his duty'. The quarrel had started in the Shakespeare's Head public house and the police had been called to expel the person.
When Benjamin Shepherd's tenancy of the Shakespeare's Head ended in 1864 the pub was put up for auction, and new licensee, William Read, shortened the name to the Shakespeare.William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was born in Stratford, and married Anne Hathaway there in 1582. Little is known of his life, but we have 37 plays and some wonderful poetry, yet he has not had the effect we might expect on pub names. There are more references to Dickens and his novels than to Shakespeare and his plays on British inn signs. | |||
LICENSEES:1822 - 1823 R. Sanders 1828 Charles Bagshaw (moved to the Plough, Spon Street) 1835 William Sanders 1841 Joseph Cleaver 1849 - 1850 John Heslop 1861 - 1864 Benjamin Shepherd | |||
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