Peter Goose - the Drunk Man Who Made an Expensive Mistake When He Fell Asleep in a Leeds Pub
- Mike Hampshire
- Jul 6
- 2 min read
In the early 19th century, the Turk’s Head (Whitelock's today) was a notorious pub of questionable activity. Most of which got reported regularly in the local newspaper, possibly because there were newspaper offices right next door.
Whilst the incidents reported were often serious, on occasion it didn't stop the newspapers having some fun with their story telling. Sometimes, this was even at the expense of the victim. Meet Peter Goose.
The following was reported in the Leeds Times on Saturday 15th May, 1847.
“Shakespeare has asked “What’s in a name?” and not hesitated to tell us that “A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” Perhaps so; but will anyone take up the cudgels for the name of Goose, when we declare that that is a silly name; and that silliness is the characteristic of its owner.”
“If we say, Peter Goose took a drop too much; Peter Goose lay on the tap-room settle; Peter Goose went to sleep, and then Peter Goose got robbed, they would… exclaim “everybody expected that, the silly fellow!”"
“Well then, if everybody expected it, nobody will be surprised when we tell them that Monday last, William Riley, a middle-aged man, was placed at the bar, at the court house, charged with picking the pocket of Peter Goose – a veritable goose – who on the previous Wednesday went into the tap-room of the Turk’s Head, Briggate, and there went to sleep.”
“While enjoying his nap, the prisoner, who was sitting beside him, coolly abstracted some pence from his pocket, and called for liquor. Emboldened by the success of his experiment, he proceeded to pluck the Goose entirely; and, like the fabled bird of old, our Goose laid golden eggs, to the number of six. The prisoner had nothing to say in his defence, and was committed for trial.”
The six golden eggs refers to £6 in total that was stolen. Allowing for inflation, today that would be £540!
And the headline for this piece? “Plucking a Goose”!
To hear more stories like this about Leeds pubs and breweries, then check out my Leeds Heritage Pub Tour.