Pubs Old & New

[sheffield hatter]

With the supposed brewery being so elusive, could WR simply stand for William Rex?

Would that be William I (the Conqueror) or William III (of Orange)?

Known as the King Billy locally so Wiiliam of Orange.

Hmm. A lot of King William pubs are referred to as King Billy regardless of historical accuracy. This one is actually named King William IV, whereas William of Orange was William III.

[sheffield hatter]

With the supposed brewery being so elusive, could WR simply stand for William Rex?

Entirely possible if a little odd, it might be the initials of William Richardson who was landlord in 1891 although by 1901 it was a John Collier. My dating could be out and the building could easily be 1890s rather than Edwardian.

William Richardson sounds more plausible than my suggestion - it would surely have been W (IV) R if it was intended to represent the monarch.

[Tris39]

William Richardson sounds more plausible than my suggestion - it would surely have been W (IV) R if it was intended to represent the monarch.

Then there's The King William IV. A noted gay pub, known as the Pink Willy.

[oldboots]

Would that be William I (the Conqueror) or William III (of Orange)?

Known as the King Billy locally so Wiiliam of Orange.

Hmm. A lot of King William pubs are referred to as King Billy regardless of historical accuracy. This one is actually named King William IV, whereas William of Orange was William III.

Actually this was just a reply to Tris's tongue in cheek question, although you are correct that regardless of which of the four Williams a pub is named after it is likely to be called the King Billy; this is in spite of each having a unique nickname, Conqueror, Rufus, King Billy and Sailor Bill. I suspect given William IV's Hanoverian excesses and the robustness of contemporary society he would have had other nicknames, few suitable for a family audience.