The Brown Cow, Meadow Lane

[family historian]

Can anyone help me? My gt gt gt grandparents ran a pub called the Brown Cow in Meadow Lane in leeds around 1881. Does anyone know when the pub disappeared or anything about it? I would be really grateful for any information.Thanks

[jane666]

only reference i can find is on this site, but its 1837, maybe the person who runs the site could help?                                                http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/t ... 0987923999

[grumpytramp]

Well a quick check of the directories of the day reveal that the Brown Cow had a long history and judging by the number of proprietors a chequered history. A curious feature is the constantly changing address which I presume merely reflects the rapid expansion of this part of Leeds through the 19th Century.It appears that the Brown Cow was situated on Meadow Lane and to the rear was a yard known as Brown Cow Yard which appears to have been a typical mixture of wharehousing, small enterprises and lodgings.The directories record:Directory General and Commercial of the town and borough of Leeds, 1817 Proprietor was John Firth, 91 Meadow Lane General & Commercial Directory of the borough of Leeds, 1834 Proprietor was James Ingram Brown Cow, 42 Meadow LaneDirectory of Leeds & the Clothing Districts, 1847 Proprietor was William Selby, Brown Cow, 31 Meadow LaneWhite's Directory of Leeds & the West Riding, 1870 Proprietor was Thomas Ellis, Brown Cow, 31 Meadow Lane (and also Butcher of 93 Meadow Lane) Kelly's Directory of West Riding of Yorkshire, 1881. [Part 2: Places L-Y] Proprietor was William Massey, Brown Cow 73 Meadow Lane (apparently at the junction of Barstow Street and close to Christ Church)White's Directory of Leeds & the Clothing District, 1894 There appears to be no "Brown Cow"There is however another reference to the Brown Cow which probably has nothing to do with your own family history but is nevertheless worth the telling as draws to the downfall of one of the murkier and more notorious citizens of Leeds; Henry Harrison the magician, herbalist, water-caster (or ‘[edited for content] prophet’) and fortune-teller. Harrison had been instrumental in the downfall of one William Dove (whom he had predicted the death of his wife and that he would marry a wealthy beautiful second wife ........ result he poisened his wife with strychnine, was tried and hanged in York in 1854).Though scandalised at the time by the likes of the Leeds Mercury and even Punch, Harrison continued to ply his trade.In 1854, an attractive twenty year old called Eliza Croft was hired as servant at the Brown Cow and worked there for eighteen months before moving on to another pub in Dewsbury. In her final month she fell for John Stephenson who lodged in Brown Cow yard with a prositute and worked at the Meadow Lane gasworks. After a bought of illness Eliza was working in the New Cross Inn and took up again with Stephenson who by now was living in Benyon's Court. Thereafter Stephenson stopped seeing her on the pretext of his shift patterns.Eliza having heard of Harrisons reputation went to see him in the hope of winning back Stephenson's affections and after parting with 6d, a look through a lens revealed to Harrison 'affection' and he instructed her to return in three weeks. At the next consulation he suggested that sex with him would help, a suggestion she rejected but not before he made a grab for her. Despite this she returned on a number of occassions and ultimately parting with 5/- to win back Stephensons affection.Returning to see Harrison, he insisted that the he could only help if "until I have connection with you" As she turned to leave, Harrison grabbed her and raped her. Harrison wasn't shy about his deed apparently openly boasting of having sex with her and when the gossip was heard by her employer she was sacked (!!!???). Eventually she plucked up the couarge to complain to the police. Harrison was arrested and tried in the Leeds Courthouse. The defence tried very hard to cast asperations about Eliza's character and called Emma Ward the landlady of the Brown Cow to testify that she had sacked Eliza because of "her habit of going out in the evenings". The Magistrates found Harrison to be a "rogue and vagabond" sentencing him to three monthes imprisonment with hard labour and "assualt and ill-treatment of Eliza Croft" he was sentenced for an additional six monthes imprisonment with hard labour. Utlimately it turned out that Harrison was a bigamistA superb account of the William Dove and Harry Harrison can be found in Owen Davies excellent book "Murder magic madness" See http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/research/archi ... s_tale.cfm

[grumpytramp]

I notice that the forum automatically edits the use of inappropraite language and replaces with:[edited for content]Which is absolutely fair enough, unfortunately in this case it rather obscures one of Mr Harrison's specialities .......... the word eidted was a four letter word begining with P, ending in SS and refers to ones waterworks.These were quacks who claimed to be able to diagnose illness through the examination of ones piddle and often prophercise death, illness, wealth, good fortune etc

[family historian]

Thanks for your help so far..its all very interesting....