Three Kings

Running parallel to and immediately to the south of Union Street, George Street, Stonehouse, was once blessed with more than half a dozen pubs or beerhouses, among them the delightfully named Three Kings. Although not much in evidence, if at all, as a pub name prior to the sixteenth century, the name is generally an allusion to the Magi, the Three Wise Men who took gifts to the baby Jesus. Evidence surrounding the story, and particularly the names of the men is scant to say the least but tradition has it that they were Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, and that their gifts were gold (for royalty), frankincense (for divinity) and myrrh (“in prophetic allusion to the persecution unto death of that awaited the ‘Man of Sorrows’.” Brewer’s Fable and Phrase). The pub itself is long gone (it closed at the dawn of the twentieth century) and formerly stood on what was the south-eastern corner of Market Street and George Street.

Licensees

1830 - Robert Corse
1862 - H Morgan
1865 - William Hill
1873 - Charles Vague
1888 - William Munn
1890 - Mrs Elizabeth Walke
1895 - Mrs Martha Abbott
1898 - S Ede
1902 - H Baker