Bethnal Green pub history index
Existed from at least 1827. The address of this pub was formerly given as 48 Duke Street (until at least 1872). **
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Residents at this address.
1827/Frederick Statham, Free Masons Arms, Duke street, Bethnal green/../../Pigots Directory
1827/Hugh Jones/../../../Licensed Victuallers Association
1828/Hugh Jones / Victualler /../../Sun Fire Office records held at London
Metropolitan Archives **
1833-34/Hugh Jones, Freemasons Arms, Duke street, Bethnal green/../../Pigots Directory
48 Duke street
1851/Edward Jacobs/Licensed Victualler/50/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Mary Jacobs/Wife/48/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Mary Jacobs/Daughter/15/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Edward Jacobs/Son/11/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Catharine Jacobs/Daughter/9/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/Mary Brand/Servant/40/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1851/John James/../2/Bethnal Green, Middlesex/Census
1852/J Jacobs/../../../Post Office Directory **
September 1857/Joseph Jacobs/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
September 1857/James Lamb/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
September 1860/James Lamb/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
September 1860/Richard Morley/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
November 1867/Richard Morley/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1867/James William Blake/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
16th May 1868/James William Blake/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
16th May 1868/John Frederick Edwards/Incoming Licensee/../../East London
Observer +
1871/Edward Birch/Licensed Victualler/52/Margate/Census
1871/Elizabeth Spark/Housekeeper/40/Spitalfields, Middlesex/Census
1871/George Needham/Barman/32/Hackney, Middlesex/Census
1872/E Birch/../../../Brabner’s Hackney Directory **
1874/E Burch/../../../H D Miles’ London & Suburban Licensed Victuallers
Directory **
Louis Serth is listed in 1891 at The Freemasons Arms 45 Pereira Street
Bethnal Green; (with name spelt wrong) Louis SEITH with wife Emily Ann plus
their 7 children were living there. *
1891/Louis Serth/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Louis Serth/Publican/56/Germany/Census *
1891/Emily A Serth/Wife/44/Southwark, London/Census
1891/Emily C Serth/Daughter/21/Southwark, London/Census
1891/Edward E L Serth/Son/20/Southwark, London/Census
1891/Rosetta Serth/Daughter/18/Southwark, London/Census
1891/Jessie E Serth/Daughter/16/Southwark, London/Census
1891/Josiah C Serth/Son/10/Rotherhithe, London/Census
1891/Alfred G P Serth/Son/9/Rotherhithe, London/Census
1891/Ruby Serth/Daughter/2/Kent/Census
On the 23 Dec 1892 Louis aged 58 years died while fishing on the river Lea
near Spring Hill road, he drowned when the river bank gave way, his death
certificate does not mention the Freemason Arms as there was an inquest into
the death , so no home address nor family members are mentioned on his death
certificate. But on the Probate Calendar Index in 1893, we found " Louis
Serth Licensed Victuller of the Freemasons Arms Pereira Street death by
Drowning" is mention in the records. *
Louis Serth's death/ Inquest was in a local news paper with the Headline
(with wrong date of death) : " Fatal Fishing Trip On Boxing Day" Louis Serth
proprietor of the Freemasons Arms Pereira Street. The London Gazette 13 June
1893 also mentioned Louis Serth of the Freemasons Arms (this was just
sorting out his estate/will etc ). *
1893/Louis Serth of the "Freemasons Arms" Pereira street Whitechapel
Middlesex licensed victualler died 23 December 1892 by drowning in the River
Lea Middlesex Probate London 29 January to Emily Ann Serth widow and John
Putley packing case maker Effects £1296 4s 8d resworn 1893 £53 18s
8d/Probate
Louis Serth was originally from Germany and the first record of him was on
the 1861 census a single man working as a Furrier South of the Thames in
Southwark & Bermondsey area; where he and his wife Emily Ann had many
different addresses. His Widow Emily Ann Serth and the 7 kids moved out of
the Freemasons Arms, sometime before 1895. By the 1901 census widow Emily
Ann Serth and daughter were running a Beer house called The
CROWN BEER HOUSE 129 Hamilton
Road, Norwood SE27. *
1895/Thomas E Ives/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/Charles Walter Leighton/../../../Post Office Directory
In 1901, John William Marsh is a licensed victualler & Grocer at
96 Moray Road, Tollington Park
- in Islington
1910/John William Marsh/../../../Post Office Directory
1911/John William Marsh/Licensed Victualler/47/Cambridge/Census ***
1911/Amy Marsh/Wife/39/Lewes, Sussex/Census
1911/Henry George Marsh/Son/11/London/Census
1911/Elsie Amelia Marsh/Daughter/10/London/Census
1911/Walter carter/Nephew, Manager Public House/28/Edmonton/Census
1915/James Spurgin/../../../Post Office Directory
1921/George James Northwood/../../../Post Office Directory
+ Provided by Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
* Provided By Karen Wilson
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Terry Morris