Part of the Earley family tree
Family background and early life
Philip Branch was baptised at St Margaret’s Church, Ipswich on 3 January 1843; his parents were recorded in the baptism register as Philip and Sarah Branch. Nothing more is known about his parentage or early life.
Marriage and children
On 21 April 1867, aged 24, Philip married 29-year old Rebecca Riches at St Peter Parmentergate, in the centre of Norwich, Rebecca’s home town.
The couple’s first child, William Robert Alexander Branch (known as Robert), was born nine months later, on 10 January 1868, at Northumberland Street, Heigham, then described as a “hamlet”, but now an inner suburb of the city of Norwich.
The couple had two further children:
Emma Elizabeth Branch, baptised at St Bartholomew’s Church, Heigham on 16 May 1869.
Henry Philip Branch, born in early 1871 [No baptism record traced]
On the marriage register in 1867, Philip’s occupation is recorded as carter, but at the 1871 census, he was a brewer’s servant, still living at Northumberland Street with Rebecca and Emma, plus Rebecca’s widowed mother, Sarah Riches. 3-year old Robert was staying with an aunt in King Street, Norwich.
Lord Nelson Public House, Heigham
On 10 October 1879, Philip Branch became the licensee of the Lord Nelson public house in Dereham Road, Heigham (also known as Stone Hills). At the 1881 census, he and Rebecca were at the Lord Nelson with their three children: 13-year old Robert was already working as a blacksmith. Also lodging at the house were two employees of the nearby waterworks.
On 12 August 1882, Philip appeared in front of the Norwich magistrates’ bench at the Guildhall, charged with “allowing beer to be consumed on his premises during prohibited hours” and “allowing gaming to be carried on upon licenced premises”. On Saturday 5 August, PC Pilch was passing the pub at 11:15 pm when he saw that the doors were still open. He walked into the bar, and found a group of five or six men sitting round a table playing cards. There was a pile of cash on the table which Philip whisked away as soon as he noticed the policeman, while the men attempted to hide the cards. On another table, more men were shaking dice in a mug “as if raffling”; no money was visible on this table. Around the room were several tankards containing beer.
Philip had initially claimed that he did not know what was going on, but pleaded guilty at the trial. He was fined £3 for allowing gaming and £1 for permitting beer to be consumed out of hours, plus total costs of £1 15 shillings. The bench did not endorse his licence
In the 1883 White’s Gazetteer for Norwich, Philip Branch is listed as a “Firewood dealer and victualler, [at the] Nelson, Dereham Road”.
In September 1885, Philip was again in court but this time as the victim of theft. On 19 September, William Skipper, a brickmaker, was charged with stealing eight fowls from the garden of the Lord Nelson. Skipper was a regular customer in the pub and had several previous convictions. At the subsequent trial he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
Two years later, Philip was involved in a serious accident. On Saturday 17 December 1887, he was driving his cart along Exchange Street, Norwich, when an 85-year old man stepped in front of him and was knocked down. He was taken to hospital with three broken ribs. No blame was attached to Philip Branch.
On the 1891 census, Philip was at the Lord Nelson, with Rebecca and 19-year old Philip, a general labourer. Philip senior (recorded as Peter) was described as a “beerhouse keeper and general labourer”.
Philip’s wife, Rebecca died from pneumonia, aged 59, at the Lord Nelson on 10 October 1897.
Two years later, in July 1899, the following advertisement appeared in several Norwich local newspapers:
The new “Lord Nelson”, described as of “greater service to the public than the present premises”, was opened on the corner of Dereham Road and Bond Street in September 1900. The following month however, Philip transferred the licence of the Lord Nelson to Randell Mann, previously the licensee of the Coach & Horses at Heigham.
Later life and death
At the March 1901 census, Philip was living next door to the Lord Nelson with his son Henry. Both Philip and Henry gave their occupation as greengrocer.
In August 1902, Philip was once again in front of the magistrates when he was charged with cruelly ill-treating a donkey. On Saturday 9 August, he was seen by RSPCA Inspector Robinson in West End Street, Norwich in charge of a donkey and cart laden with greengrocery. The donkey was described as “dreadfully weak and could scarcely move”. The donkey had several sores and the lining of the saddle was saturated with the animal’s blood. When stopped by the police, Philip Branch claimed that the donkey was “better than it was a few weeks ago”. “I know it is nearly 100 years old.” The inspector told the court that the donkey was “a skeleton and was too old for work”; it was “impoverished for want of food”. Philip then claimed that the animal was not a donkey but a mule. The animal was subsequently put down and Philip was fined 5 shillings.
Philip Branch died at 71 Northumberland Street, Norwich on 9 April 1905, aged 62. The cause of death was “Rupture of the urethra and septicaemia“.