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

Drinking in an Old English Town

Volunteer, 29 Burges

Alternative Addresses:	29 Cross Cheaping
These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
			Old Coventry Cross
	1864	1867	Volunteer
	1867		Coventry Cross
This most probably refers to the volunteer Fire Brigade, which was established in Coventry in 1861. There was, however, a Coventry Volunteer Rifle Corp, so this remains a possibility. It had previously been conjectured that this pub could formerly have been the BREWER'S ARMS (also referred to as the TWO BREWERS). However, an 1803 auction advertisement for that pub places it on the west side of Cross Cheaping, close to West Orchard. On 30th August 1864 a new license was granted to Edward Cardall for the Volunteer, 29, Cross-cheaping. Exactly two months later Cardall handed over the Volunteer's license to Thomas Goode, and two weeks after that Cardall was declared bankrupt! The address was mostly reported in newspapers as located in the Burges, but occasionally the address was given as Cross Cheaping. In May 1867 John Moore had put the Volunteer up for auction. The following month his license was transferred to William Whitehead who immediately had plans passed for alterations to the pub. On the 28th September that year Whitehead advertised the pub's new name in the Coventry Herald, reopening as the "THE COVENTRY CROSS" WINE AND SPIRIT VAULTS.
LICENSEES: 1864 Edward Cardall (Aug to Nov) 1864 - 1866 Thomas Goode 1866 - 1867 John Moore 1867 - 1875 William Whitehead (from Sept 1867 as the Coventry Cross)