Spread Eagle, 26 West Orchard
| In 1756 six soldiers were billeted here. Coventry's stocks were nearby.
In the first month of 1865 the original pub had to be pulled down, along with many other old buildings, to enable to building of the new Market Hall which was completed in early 1866. Previously directly to the west of Market Place, it moved farther west to No. 26 - four doors away from the Wheatsheaf.
In March 1905 a Notice of Objection was served to the renewal of the license, in large part due to redundancy. With another pub just a few doors away and very few dwelling houses in West Orchard, the pub's continuance was deemed unnecessary.
The pub closed in July 1905, and in February 1906 the magistrates offered a paltry £700 compensation for the pub's closure - the owners had claimed £1,500. After months of negotiation, the compensation was finally agreed in September 1906 at £1,400.
The unlicensed premises, with a slightly adjusted name, Old Spread Eagle, continued as a lodging house until at least 1928. An eagle with its wings spread out was established as an emblem by the Romans. It is associated with many countries including Austria, Germany, Russia, Spain and France, and with the bald eagle, U.S.A. British noble families adopted the spread eagle in their coats of arms after service in such countries, e.g. Viscount Montague in Hampshire and the Hoares in Wiltshire. | |||
LICENSEES:1761 - 1762 Cleophas Ratliff 1822 - 1830 Samuel Lynes 1835 John Bodden 1841 Thomas Chattaway 1850 - 1851 George Gibson 1861 - 1865 Job Snape 1866 - 1874 William Bickerton, watchmaker 1879 - 1881 Samuel Fox 1886 - 1891 James Ward 1893 - 1894 William Gough 1896 William Ward 1903 - 1905 George Davies | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||
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