Nip to the pub, in the name of research

If people told you that time spent in a pub is the symptom of a mis-spent youth then it’s time to think again.

A trip to your local watering hole can be an educative experience, provided you know where to look, and that’s not just on quiz night.

Many drinkers will already know that the future King Charles II hid from his enemies in a tree called the Royal Oak, while no degree in theology is required to understand the legend behind the name, George and Dragon.

However, when it comes to other pub names, you might need to drive a Coach and Horses to your local library or go to the World’s End to find out more.

All sorts of characters, from prostitutes and pirates to racehorses and revolutionaries, have been immortalised on pub signs but most patrons are too eager to get to the bar to wonder why.

In “The Old Dog and Duck: The Secret Meanings of Pub Names”, author Albert Jack lifts the lid on the marvellous monikers bestowed on our boozers.

“It’s been a fascinating journey to discover names like the Blind Beggar or Bucket of Blood. It’s been great fun to find out what lies behind them.”

Researching pub names might sound like the ideal assignment for any author but Jack did not do all his legwork at the bar.

“I did e-mail some landlords or use the phone book,” he said. “Some like the Red Lion were easy to find out but for others I had to look harder.

Jack admits his research uncovered gaps in his own historical knowledge.

“It’s a great way of learning about British history and finding out about people like the Marquis of Granby, Admiral Vernon, Lord Nelson or the Duke of Wellington.”

Some pub names are more difficult to interpret than others. Jack believes this could have been a deliberate move by landlords, who had to be sensitive to the political climate of the day.

For example, Tudor pubs calling themselves the Cat and the Fiddle could have diplomatically been showing support to the Catholic queen, Katherine of Aragon — whose nickname was Catherine La Fidele (French for Katherine the Faithful). While others, called the King’s Arms, openly displaying their allegiance to Henry VIII

Unsurprisingly, Jack prefers old pub names to the new ones.

“I really prefer the traditional names,” he said. “I would much rather drink in a place called something like the White Hart than somewhere like the Fox and Flowerpot. But then again I am 44. Maybe if I was 25 I would feel differently.”

And he hopes that pub names will continue to evolve as new heroes and heroines come forward.

So what are the origins?

Red Lion: The popular pub name is associated with the coat of arms of James I.

JD Wetherspoon: The chain was named by founder Tim Martin after his tutor, Mr Wetherspoon, who told him he would never amount to much. The initials honoured JD "Boss" Hogg, the stetson–wearing crooked politician in the Dukes of Hazzard.

Cross Keys: Associated with St Peter who in Christian tradition holds the keys to heaven while the cross pattern refers to the crucifixion, a fate Peter shared with Jesus.

The Blind Beggar: Although this pub in Whitechapel, London was a notorious crime scene where Ronnie Kray murdered George Cornell, the origins of the name are more benign. The visually–challenged mendicant was an aristocrat who donned his disguise to ensure his daughter would marry a kind man and not a gold–digger.

Cat and the Fiddle: One theory links it to Sir William Catesby (Cat), a henchman of Richard III, who helped his master 'fiddle' his way to the throne. Or is it a tribute to Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon, for her loyalty to Catholicism – in French, Catherine La Fidele (Katherine the Faithful)?

The John Snow: He may have been teetotal but the London doctor's work linking cholera with the impure water supply persuaded many 19th Century people to drink beer instead, thus saving lives.

Molly Malone's: Some believe Dublin's "trollop with the scallops" sold more than cockles and mussels. The eponymous pubs keep her legend "alive, alive–oh".

The Bag of Nails: A reference to Bacchanals – the Roman pagan festival honouring the God of Wine, Bacchus.

The World's End: Many pubs bear the name but for Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, there is local interest. Mother Shipton (1488–1561), renowned for many accurate prophesies, was not on top form when she forecast 1881 as the date for the apocalypse.