The History Behind Common Brighton Pub Names

We usually take pub names for granted, but there is a history behind the names and the hanging signs that state them. Everyone knows a local ‘King’s Head’ or a ‘Queen’s Arms’, but where do these really popular names actually come from?

Before there were pub names

Pubs didn’t always have names and in the Middle Ages.  Alehouses, much like other trades premises, were usually recognised by a familiar object hanging over the door. A shoemaker might hang a shoe or a boot outside his workshop, whereas the local farrier would hang a horseshoe.  So the way to differentiate between pubs was to name them after whatever familiar landmark they were near, so pubs in Brighton would have a few choices such as ‘alehouse by the sea’ or ‘alehouse near queen’s park’.

The change to proper names came about over time and may have been due to the increase in the number of local alehouses that needed to be identified.

http://shepherdanddogpub.co.uk/

So what do the names mean?

The most common pub name in the UK, with around 600 or so dotted around the country, is ‘The Red Lion’. The name comes from the Duke of Lancaster in the 14th century and later James I of England in 1603. Both of these influential men had the heraldic red lion on their coat of arms.

‘The Crown’ has been popular through the ages as it reflects loyalty to the reigning monarchy, as do pubs named after specific royalty such as ‘The Prince Albert’.  The same applies to any name with the word ‘arms’ in, such as ‘The Queen’s Arms’ which usually refers to a coat of arms. One exception to this would be ‘The King’s Head’ which relates back to when King Henry VIII broke away from the catholic church.  Many pubs took the name ‘The Pope’s Head’ as a joke, but to avoid offending the volatile king, they later renamed their inns after him.

Other famous names include ‘The Rose and Crown’, which celebrates the end of the War of Roses in 1485 and ‘Wagon and Horses’ or ‘Coach and Horses’ simply mean that the alehouse would take in stagecoaches and horses for the night. So, many of these pub names are actually incredibly simple once you understand the history. 

There are many pubs in Brighton and around Sussex that have these names and its quite fun to take a tour of  Brighton and see how many of these not-so-cryptic names you can find! 

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/culture/pub-names.htm