Horse and Groom King Street advert

86 – 88 (47) Kings Street, Horse and Groom Public House / The King Street Run, Cambridge

History of 86 - 88 King Street

1830 Robert Edwards  (Pigot’s  Directory)

1839 B Edwards (Robson’s)

1839 David Bush Edwards (Pigot’s)

1851 D B Edwards (Gardner’s)

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1851

Charlotte Edwards, 45, publican, b Cambridge

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1852 David Bush Edwards (Slaters)

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1861 (47)

Frances Wright, Inn Keeper, Widow, 60, b Chesterton
John Willimott, Son in Law, Inn Keeper, 34, b Chesterton
Fanny Willimott, Daughter, 33, b London
Sarah Squires, General Servant, 33, b Norfolk
Arthur Cambridge, Billiard Marker, 22, b Shelford

1869

Mrs Frances Wright (Post Office Directory)

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1871

Frances Wright, Publican, Widow, 78, b Shropshire
John Willimott, Son in Law, Butcher, 44, b Chesterton
Fanny Willimott, Wife, 44, b London
Sarah Squires, Domestic Servant, 43, b Norfolk

1878 J W Willimott  (Spalding’s)

1879 John Willimott (Kellys)

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1881

John Rich, Licensed Victualler, 45, b Girton
Ann Rich, Wife, 45, b Cambridge
Elizabeth Rich, Daughter, Teacher of Pianoforte, 18, b Chesterton
Maude Newling, Domestic Servant, 18, b Haslingfield

In 1871 the Rich family were at 33 Market Hill.

In 1891 the Rich family were at The Mitre in Bridge Street

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1883 John Rich (Kellys)

1888 John Rich (Kellys)

1892 Henri Verlit (Kellys )

1896 Henri Verlit (Kellys)

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1901 Horse and Groom

Francis G Ferris, 29, licensed victualler, b Middlesex

Mary Jane, 30, b Northants

Violet Barker, visitor, 10, b Northants

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1904 Francis G Ferris (Kellys)

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1913

(86 – 88) Horse and Groom

Jane Hilton Hamilton, billiard rooms

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1916

Francis William McCulloch (Kellys)

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1932

A bankruptcy hearing heard how the licensee of the Horse and Groom in King Street had enjoyed a profitable business after taking over the public house in October 1925, only for trade to suffer severely following the 1926 General Strike. To keep the business afloat he borrowed money before moving in 1930 to the Rose Hotel in Rose Crescent. However, an increase in the price of beer by one penny a pint further reduced sales, forcing him eventually to leave Cambridge for a public house in Maidstone. The report offers a valuable insight into the economic pressures experienced by licensed premises during the late 1920s and early 1930s and provides rare evidence of the long-term local consequences of the General Strike.
Source: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge King Street Scrapbook 1897–1990, Item: 32 12 09b & c.

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1933

Sydney A M Fisk (Kellys)

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1962

Horse and Groom Public House

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11 April 1966 – University bans the King Street Run
University authorities banned the traditional King Street Run, a student event that had been taking place for around forty years. Mike Petty’s scrapbook notes that the event was subsequently reported as not taking place, before later accounts recorded that it was eventually held in defiance of the Proctors.

Source: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge King Street Scrapbook 1897–1990, Items: 66 04 11a, 66 04 21c & 66 04 28c.

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1971

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28 April 1975 – The King Street Run outgrows the street
A feature explained the traditions of the King Street Run, or “King Street Pint to Pint”, in which participants attempted to drink eight pints of beer in two hours. Originally the event could be completed entirely within King Street because of the number of public houses there, but by 1975 the route had to include pubs elsewhere in Cambridge. Following disorder during the previous year’s event, including vomiting outside the Hopbine in Fair Street, several publicans refused to allow future runs to finish at their premises.

Source: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge King Street Scrapbook 1897–1990, Item: 75 04 28.

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13 October 1978 – Varsity Handbook criticises the Horse and Groom
The Varsity Handbook published an outspoken review of several Cambridge public houses. Its assessment of the Horse and Groom in King Street described the beer as poor, the bar as dirty and the landlord as unfriendly. Other pubs also received critical reviews, although the Baker’s Arms in East Road was praised for its welcoming atmosphere.

Source: Mike Petty Archive, Cambridge King Street Scrapbook 1897–1990, Item: 78 10 13.

 

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There is an on-line article about the traditional King Street Run:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/history/famous-king-street-run-day-13806564

There is more information about the run and the street in general in this Wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Street,_Cambridge