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Ipswich Nightingale Inn
Ipswich Nightingale Inn
52.05023,1.16557
Closed: 1940s
last owner/operator: S & P
13-15 John St
grid reference TM 171 438 (approximate location)
The pub may also may also be listed in Duke Street.
The Nightingale was opposite the engineering works and had a front entrance and a back entrance. The beers were lined up on the bar so that as the factory hooter sounded the workers could go in the front door, drink their pint and exit into the street behind. Apparently it had a stuffed nightingale in a glass box inside.
Herbert Skeet ran the pub from 1872 to 1920. He ran the pub with his wife Elizabeth Crapnell. (Daughter of James Crapnell who ran the Pot of Flowers). Herbert died in 1920 at 48 years of age. He died of Neuritis, hepatic cirrhosis aseites and pulmonary oedema, therefore it looks like he drank himself to death.
His wife continued to run the pub (Kelly's 1925 and 1926 Mrs Elizabeth Skeet running Nightingale Pub) but in Kelly's 1926, 1927, 1929, and 1940 shows Henry Prior as the beer retailer at pub (apparently on 17 June 1925 Henry Prior, a widower and retired civil servant married Elizabeth Skeet, widow of licensed victualler); so Elizabeth Skeet was more or less involved with the pub from 1906 to 1940.
It was demolished together with whole street of terraced houses in 1940s.
Gallery
Historical interest
In 1937 the pub was listed in Kelly's Directory as one of 220 pubs that were retailing beer that they were brewing.
Herbert Skeet is listed at the Nightingale in the Cobbolds & co Tenant rent book at £10pa from Mar 1902 to Sep 1916 (Suffolk Archives doc ref HA231/5/3)
Landlords
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
(detailed information by David Clow)