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 Inn Sign History One of our oldest signs, the Bush, is a direct descendant of the ivy displayed by the Romans outside their 'Taverna' or wine shops. Some believe that this gives rise to the proverb 'Good wine needs no Bush.'
It is not therefore surprising, that following the passing of the Romans, the early British tavern keepers began to adopt the use of such visual signs to advertise their ale and porter to the mainly illiterate populace and inn signs began to appear by the roadside in towns and villages throughout the country. At first these signs were of a simple visual nature in the form of religious symbols such as the 'The Sun,' 'The Star' and 'The Cross' - but later they also became influenced by the coat-of-arms of the landowners on whose site the inn stood. Why Is The Lion Red?
Even then the sign of the red lion was already known as the personal badge of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III. By the time of his death in 1399, John of Gaunt had become the most powerful man in the land. Meanwhile, Richard II, the nominal ruler, introduced a law compelling London innkeepers to hang out his own sign, "otherwise he shall forfeit his ale." Richard's sign was the White Hart. It must have been quite tricky for an innkeeper in those days, trying to keep on the right side of the authorities who owned the land around him. It's certainly true that along with the Church (The Crossed Keys is the emblem of St Peter), the chief influences upon the development of the inn sign were royalty and nobility. So if you're compiling a top ten of pub names, you can start with Red Lion, Royal Oak, Cross Keys and Crown, and then take your pick from the Bull, Coach And Horses, (King) George, King's Head, Duke Of Wellington, Admiral (or Lord) Nelson, New Inn, Plough and Railway. Of these, the sign of the Railway seems to be the one most susceptible to change. A good example of this can be found in the village of North Howden in East Yorkshire, where the former Railway now sports the name of a local hero, the late Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb of 'Dambusters' fame.
Sadly though, there is a growing trend in recent times towards christening or renaming pubs with ever more bizarre names, like Filthy McNasty's and My Father's Moustache (both can be found in Aberdeen). During the 1980s, dozens of pubs named the Slug And Lettuce and the Snooty Fox began to appear all over the place. And soon afterwards came a chain of technical couplings in the Northern counties carrying the Tap And Spile logo. But the big success story at one time was the march of the Firkin Brewery with over 150 outlets. There was the Fresher And Firkin at Cambridge, the Fowl And Firkin (formerly the Hen And Chickens) at Coventry, the Fuzz And Firkin (situated in an old Police Station) at Southsea and the... well you get the idea.
I expect most of us have our own favourite pub name and sign. One of our favourites once stood in London's East End in Devons Road, Bow. It was the nostalgically named The Widow's Son. The name here dated back to 1824 when a young sailor, a local lad, disappeared on his very first sea voyage. In his memory, his widow mother baked a hot cross bun for him every year on Good Friday and strung them on a cord - when she died and her cottage was demolished, the collection passed to the pub and once hung from the ceiling, a new bun being added every Good Friday.
If you get hooked, you might like to join the Inn Sign Society, a dedicated band of almost 400 enthusiasts given to celebrating this unique art form, mindful that only in this green and pleasant land does the inn or pub sign reign truly supreme - and long may it be so. As Hilaire Belloc wrote... "When you have lost your inns drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England!" |
