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

Drinking in an Old English Town

Spon Street Brewery, 48 Spon Street

These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
	1824	1871	SPON STREET BREWERY
	1871	1929	EAGLE VAULTS
John Southam jun. established the SPON-STREET BREWERY in early 1924, "supplying private Families with home brewed ALE and BEER ... a genuine article, on moderate terms." His entire stock in trade was put up for auction just two years later, and by 1829 James Heales was informing his friends that he was at the establishment. In July 1843 John Soden, later described in the 1851 census as a Brewer, Spirit Merchant & Auctioneer, informed the public via the Coventry Herald that he was had taken to Mr. Heales' business, and assured them of "genuine quality of ALES and LONDON PORTER, upon the lowest terms". In August 1847 Soden informed us once again that he had added WINE AND SPIRITS to his brewery trade, giving his premises the rather long-winded name of SPON-STREET ALE AND PORTER BREWERY, COVENTRY WINE AND SPIRIT VAULTS, which we'll just call the WINE AND SPIRIT VAULTS ! John Soden died in early 1859 and his widow, Mary, continued at this address until 1864. In December 1862, however, she advertised in the Coventry Free Press and Midland Express that, although retaining the Wine and Spirit trade, she was declining the Brewery side of the trade and handing that over to Henry Brown, who continued that side of the trade, also advertising that he was accepting orders made at the Wine and Spirit store at 75 Spon Street, which in 1871 became the Board. In December 1863 Mary Soden put 48 Spon Street up for auction. Mary had her license transferred to Edward Kerby the following February, but the pub was up for auction again on the 3rd October 1864, after which Kerby passed the license to his son-in-law, Edward Hollins, who held it until putting the brewery up for auction again in September 1870. From 1871 Maria Brown took this license and changed the name to the EAGLE VAULTS. The pub would've been just out of view to the left of the photographer.
LICENSEES: 1824 - 1836 John Southam jun. 1829 - 1843 James Heales 1843 - 1859 John Soden 1859 - 1864 Mary Soden (widow of John) 1862 - 1864 Henry Brown (brewing business only) 1864 - 1865 Edward Rosser Kerby 1865 - 1870 Edward John Hollins (married Mary Ann Kerby, Edward's daughter, in 1865)
Street plan of 1851