The history of the Alfred

Built in the late 1860's, The Prince Alfred's first landlord and landlady appear to have been Joseph & Frances Mary Jacobs who held the licence from 1868. Joseph supplemented his income as a cooper. In 1873 Truman, Hanbury & Buxton acquired the Phillips brewery in Burton upon Trent, wishing to expand from London into the brewing capital of Britain, they commenced the building of a new brewery, the Black Eagle Brewery on Derby St. named after their London site in Brick Lane. The Prince Alfred became the brewery 'tap'

This area was being developed by Truman's with housing for their staff and workers. The 1881 census shows that a row of new houses were built by Truman's on the north side of Derby Street, the side on which the Alfred stands. The houses were occupied by a variety of workers including Storekeeper, Coopers, Clerks and a Brewery Foreman, so perhaps the brewery decided that they may as well recoup some of their investment by owning their own pub in the neighbourhood for the workers to use.

Robert & Maria Hutchinson and their family were probably the first to open up this new pub having moved from March in Cambridgeshire where they kept the George Inn. Robert not only kept the George Inn, but was also a horse dealer. Maria died in 1885 and Robert continued to run the pub when he married his second wife, Letitia Faulkner 20 years his junior, from Swadlincote in 1888. Robert is not only the publican in the 1891 census, but also a Cab Owner his horse dealing obviously coming in handy when selecting horses for his cabs. It would seem that his son Frederick drives cabs for him. No trace can be found of Robert & Letitia on leaving the pub although Robert's son, Frederick continued to live in Burton as a Cab Driver.

George & Mary Wheldon had taken over the running of the pub by 1901.They were newly married (1899) shortly after the death of Mary's first husband William.They had rooms to let and at the time of the 1901 census two 'Norkies', maltsters from Norfolk were lodging there.

Research is continuing