The
Bear & Staff
A public house by this name has occupied this site on Bear Street since 1714 with the current building dating from 1878 when it was rebuilt. "The Bear & Staff" takes its name from a heraldic sign normally referring to the Neville Family, Earls of Warwick, most commonly Richard Neville, the "King-Maker" who's family crest consisted of a rampant bear chained to a ragged staff. Some people believe that the pub is so named after Augustus Beare, a glazier who worked on the houses that were laid out here in the 1670s. Since the opening of the pub in 1714 there has been an almost continuous list of licensees, including John Philips, who owned the pub at the beginning of the 1800s. In 1820 Philips passed away leaving a rent to pay on the pub of £52/10s. In February 1821 William Heartwell issued a writ and took charge of the pub but in 1858 he lost the license on proof of Sunday trading and robbery. The Bear & Staff is situated near Leicester Square, an area that was built towards the end of the 17th century on Leicester Fields, named after the house of the Earls of Leicester, descendants of Sir Philip Sidney. Today the area is devoted to entertainment and includes cinemas and theatres, many of which are the premier venues for new films released in this country. The Odeon, Leicester Square was built
in 1937 on the site of the old Alhambra Theatre and opened with a royal charity performance of "The Prisoner of Zenda".
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