The Market Place Off License at no 7 and 7a Market Place was once a pub called The Griffin. The Gill family ran this pub for over 100 years. John Gill was born in 1712 in the North End of Mountsorrel. His wife Elisabeth was the licensee of the Griffin Inn
In the Record Office for Leicestershire Leicester and Rutland are two inn licenses issued to Elisabeth Gill one dated 1776 the other dated 1783
The license was to keep a common ale house for one year only and to sell bread and other victuals, beer, ale and other exciteable liquors except Brandy, Rum, Arrach, Usbequaugh, Geneva, Aqua Vitae and other distilled liquors. No unlawful games, drunkeness, or other disorder to be suffered in the house, out house,yard, garden or backside.
(Arrack is an eastern Mediterranean liquor flavoured with aniseed. Usbequaugh is Whisky, Geneva or Jenever is a Dutch spirit similar to Gin)
John Gill was a barber. He was also a surgeon, which we can deduce from the household papers of the Gill family held in the Record Office for Leicestershire Leicester and Rutland.
| Eligha Hampson Dr to John Gill for cureing his leg | |
| Feb ye 1765 | £-d |
| Feb ye 3 Bleeding | 6d |
| Ditto ye 9 Bleeding | 6d |
| 3 ounces of tincture | 1s- 6d |
| 2 ounces of ointment | 1s-0d |
| 24 times dressing and atendance | 3s-6d |
| 7s-0d | |
| March ye 16 1765 recev’d in part payment 2 shillings |
John Gill also had a recipe for cough medicine
for a Cough of the Loungs
2 oz of Sweet Oyl
? oz of Honey
2 oz of Rhubarb
2oz of fresh Butter
Half a pint ow Water
boyl them till digested
John Gill died in 1776 and was buried in the churchyard of the North End chapel (now St Peter’s Church) on February 26. His headstone is still there. In his will dated November 25 1772 he left his house with yard or backside in Mountsorrel in which he lived in to his wife Elisabeth during her lifetime. Elisabeth lived for another twelve years and died in 1788. She was buried on May 10 in the church yard with her husband where her headstone remains still. When she died she was still the victualler at the Griffin.
After Elisabeth died the pub was taken over by Ann Gill who remained there until 1819 when Mary Gill took over and was there until the early 1840’s. She was succeeded by John Gill who remained there until 1875. The following year another Gill, Elisabeth took over until Joseph Billson became landlord in 1881 until 1899. The pub was sold in 1895 for £1120. Mary Billson took over for a brief period and later landlords were Harry Rudkin and Samuel Stenson.
The Belgrave Cyclists at the Griffin in 1896. The landlord is Bob Bilson, in short sleeves, and next to him, on the right, is J Garner, who later became captain of Leicester Rugby Football Club
Another image of cyclists from our archive, but where?
A fancy dress parade taken outside the Griffin in the summer of 1914. This was an annual event raising funds for the LRI. The cyclists were Annie Houghton, Harry Ward and Dorothy Jacques.
In March1920 an application to renew the license was opposed on the grounds of redundancy and structural defects. The doors could not stand up in some of the rooms. The owners, Sharpe & Son of Sileby, and the landlord Samuel Stenson argued that the house was no worse that any other and that trade was improving. It was referred for compensation. The pub closed on 31 December 1921.
It later became an off license and chemist run by I N Newton
lucky to survive 
1972 now an off license and a shop
By 1972 the off license was being run by Mr Redhead. The shop changed hands several times. It was a gun shop, a golf shop, Blankley & Poole the upholsterer and a grocery shop run by Roger Boon.
In the 80’s it was sold to Mr and Mrs Patel who are still there and run it as an off license and general store.