| Description | Site of former Old Crown Inn Yard, Kirkgate (now intersected by High Court Lane and Wharf Street). Thought to be location of the former manor house of Leeds Kirkgate, and later the site of the Old Crown Inn.
In the 16th century the land was owned by the Pawson family, and they lived in a timber framed building that comprised of an office house, a parlour, chamber, a shop and loomhouse, lead house, laithe and a back yard. By the 18th century, the Pawson family has prospered from the popular Leeds textile industry and they built a new 3 storey, four bay brick house next to the earlier timber framed house to reflect their increased status.
By the late 18th century the land was leased out and the 16th century building became the Old Crown Inn, which is known as the birthplace, and meeting place of The Ancient Order of Foresters’ Friendly Society (formed 1790). The Albert Lodge (dissenting Masonic members of the Lodge of Fidelity) was another organisation which used the inn for its meetings during the early 19th century. By the 1840s the site consisted of the pub, a brew house with cottages attached.
In 1859 the Old Crown Inn and yard was purchased by Hannah Proctor, who developed the yard into a place of residential and commercial buildings, and the 1861 census records count 24 residents in the Old Crown Yard. The majority of the residents conducted trades such as boot and shoe makers, cloth dealers, confectioners and bakers. Census records show that many of the residents were immigrants, coming from places like Germany, and Russia.
In 1911 the North Eastern Railway Company acquired the property, and in 1930 the site was bought by Leeds City Council. At this time the shops and other buildings were demolished to make way for the widening of Kirkgate and to construct a new road from Kirkgate to The Calls (McCabe, 2013). |