The Blind Beggar

The Blind Beggar is a historic public house on Whitechapel Road in London's East End, positioned at the junction with Cambridge Heath Road. Because it is close to Whitechapel station, it is commonly described as being in Whitechapel, although the premises stand just on the Bethnal Green side of the historic boundary between Bethnal Green and Whitechapel. Its setting has helped make the pub a recognizable part of the area's social and cultural landscape. The current building dates from 1894 and replaced or succeeded an inn on the site that had existed before 1654. The pub takes its name from the ballad and legend of the Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green. According to the traditional story, the beggar was Henry de Montfort, an impoverished nobleman who was wounded and blinded at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. After being cared for by a baroness, he supposedly became a beggar at the Bethnal Green crossroads. The story became popular in the Tudor period and was later revived through Thomas Percy's 1765 collection Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. The pub is traditionally said to stand on or near the place associated with the beggar's activities, although that connection is part of the site's legend rather than a documented modern commercial origin. The Blind Beggar also has an important place in the history of the Salvation Army. In 1865, William Booth delivered his first open-air sermon outside the pub. That activity led to the East London Christian Mission, which later developed into the Salvation Army. William Booth's association with the location is commemorated by a nearby statue, giving the pub significance beyond its role as a drinking establishment. The venue was also closely connected with the Manns Albion brewery. It served as the brewery's nearest outlet, or brewery tap, and is associated with the production of Manns Albion's brown ale, described in historical accounts as the first modern brown ale. This connection reflects the pub's former role within London's brewery and tied-house system, when breweries commonly operated or supplied nearby public houses. The Blind Beggar became especially notorious because of a 1966 gangland murder. On 9 March 1966, Ronnie Kray shot and killed George Cornell, an associate of the rival Richardson gang, while Cornell was sitting at the bar. The killing took place in the pub's former saloon bar and permanently linked the venue with the history of the Kray twins and post-war East End gangland. The incident is the site's principal modern notoriety, although the pub's history also includes religious, brewing and folkloric associations. The pub has been used as a starting point for the Monopoly pub crawl and has attracted public figures associated with London football and popular culture. It was frequented by football manager Harry Redknapp and was at one point owned by former England football captain Bobby Moore. The available reference material does not establish the current ownership, operating status or present-day business strategy. Its enduring identity rests primarily on its historic East End location, traditional pub function and unusually dense concentration of local legends and documented historical events.

The Blind Beggar occupies a site with a long association with public-house life in London's East End. An inn stood on the location before 1654, while the present pub building was constructed in 1894. It stands on Whitechapel Road, at the meeting point with Cambridge Heath Road, near Whitechapel station. Although commonly identified with Whitechapel, the building is just on the Bethnal Green side of the historic boundary. Its location sits on the route historically leading east from Aldgate toward Colchester, later known as the Great Essex Road. The name comes from the English ballad and legend of the Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green. In one influential version, the beggar is Henry de Montfort, who was wounded and blinded during the Battle of Evesham in 1265. After recovering with the help of a baroness, he is said to have become impoverished and to have begged at the Bethnal Green crossroads. The tale of a fallen nobleman living as a beggar became popular during the Tudor period and was subsequently revived by Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry in 1765. The pub is reputed to have been built on the place connected with the beggar's activities. The story also entered local civic symbolism: in 1900, the legend was represented on the seal of the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green. The location acquired a further historical importance in 1865, when William Booth preached outside the pub. His open-air religious work helped lead to the East London Christian Mission, the organization that later developed into the Salvation Army. A nearby statue commemorates Booth and preserves the connection between the site and the movement's origins. The Blind Beggar was also linked to Manns Albion brewery as its nearest outlet or brewery tap. The brewery was associated with Manns brown ale, which historical accounts identify as the first modern brown ale. This relationship illustrates the importance of brewery-linked pubs in London's nineteenth- and twentieth-century drinking culture. In the twentieth century, the pub became strongly associated with East End organized crime. On 9 March 1966, Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell at the bar. Cornell was associated with the rival Richardson gang, and the killing took place in the former saloon bar in front of witnesses. The event made The Blind Beggar a notable location in the history of the Kray twins and remains its best-known modern incident. The pub has also had associations with football and London leisure culture. Harry Redknapp was reported to have frequented the venue, and former England football captain Bobby Moore owned it at one stage. The location is used as a starting point for a Monopoly-themed pub crawl, even though it corresponds to the third space on the Monopoly board rather than a board property. The available sources do not provide reliable information about the current owner, management, financial performance or present operating status.

• 1966

  Kray gangland murder

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  Ronnie Kray killed George Cornell inside the pub on 9 March, creating the venue's most notorious modern association.

• 1900

  Legend appears on Bethnal Green civic seal

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  The Blind Beggar story was represented on the seal of the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green.

• 1894

  Present pub building constructed

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  The current public-house building was erected on the site of the earlier inn and took the name associated with the Bethnal Green legend.

• 1865

  William Booth preaches outside the pub

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  William Booth delivered his first open-air sermon outside The Blind Beggar, an event linked to the later creation of the Salvation Army.

• 1765

  The Blind Beggar legend is revived in print

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry helped renew wider interest in the ballad and legend associated with the pub's name.

• 1654

  Earlier inn recorded on the site

  [1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  Reference material places an inn on the site before 1654, establishing the location's long-standing association with hospitality.

A heritage East End London pub positioned around traditional public-house hospitality and a distinctive concentration of local folklore, religious history, brewing history and gangland associations.

• Hospitality

  Pub hospitality

  The Blind Beggar's core offering is the traditional British pub experience: a public bar and social meeting place serving drinks and, where available, pub food. The venue's value is also tied to its historic setting, making the premises a destination associated with East End heritage as well as ordinary hospitality.

• Beer heritage

  Manns Albion brown ale association

  The pub historically served as the nearest outlet, or brewery tap, for Manns Albion brewery. Its connection with the brewery is particularly noted because Manns Albion was associated with the production of a pioneering modern brown ale. The source material does not establish whether this beer remains available today.

• 1966

  Murder of George Cornell

  On 9 March 1966, Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell while Cornell was sitting at the bar. Cornell was linked to the rival Richardson gang. The killing took place in the former saloon bar and made The Blind Beggar a lasting symbol of the Kray twins' East End criminal history.

  Source

Read more

• 1865

  William Booth preaches outside The Blind Beggar[1]The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  William Booth delivered his first open-air sermon outside the pub. The activity contributed to the formation of the East London Christian Mission, which later became the Salvation Army.

1. 1The Blind Beggaren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Evening Standard London Pub Bar Guidebooks.google.com
3. 3The Blind Beggar official websitetheblindbeggar.com