White Bear, 41 New Street
| Alternative Addresses: | 42 New Street, Cox Street | ||
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| 1862 | White Bear | ||
| 1862 | 1864 | Half Moon | |
| 1864 | 1958 | White Bear | |
In 1823 this pub was owned by the Free Grammar School, although it was erected by the lessee, William Twycross, at his own expense on the site of an old stable! In 1844 William Twycross' 21 year lease expired. In 1862 it was still owned by the Free Grammar School and at that time it was let to Mr. Poultney for £16.
For less than two years, November 1862 to September 1864, the pub bore the name HALF MOON, until reverted after John Ainge took the licence.
In 1882 it was sold.
In 1915 the pub was owned by Phipps of Northampton and the annual rent was £28. In that year they received £25 1s 5d for the brewing plant, so it is safe to assume that home-brewing stopped at that point. An article in the Coventry Standard tells us that Tom Thorpe (John Thomas Thorpe) was the longest-standing licensee in Coventry with 53 years in the same pub, that is c1903 to c 1956. He was 85 in 1956 and brewed his own beer until 1915. The pub closed on 2nd July 1958.This is a heraldic reference to the Earls of Kent. It was also the name of a galleon in Drake's squadron at the attack on Cadiz in 1587. | |||
LICENSEES:1822 - 1823 J. Smith 1828 - 1841 Thomas Russell 1845 J. Green 1850 - 1853 William Humphries 1858 George Tandy 1861 Joseph Rice 1861 Thomas Poultney 1862 - 1864 HALF MOON 1864 - 1868 John Ainge 1868 - 1871 Sarah Ainge 1874 - 1886 Sarah Graham 1890 - 1896 John Venn 1903 - 1940 John Thomas Thorpe | |||
OWNERS:1823 - 1862 Free Grammar School Brewers: 1887 S. Graham 1887 - 1892 John Venn 1892 - 1915 John Thomas Thorpe | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||
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