The Kings Arms
The Moor, Coleorton
Coleorton Jubilee parade in 2014 starting from the Kings Arms
The Kings Arms inn was in Swannington Parish, along with the area at the top of The Moor and also the Rowlands where the Queens Head stood, until a realignment of boundaries in 1936 brought them into Coleorton parish.
We know that Thomas Potter and his family lived in one of three cottages at Field Highgate Close, which was the area at the top of The Moor where the Kings Arms stands. The Potter family continued to live there during the next decade or so with the head of family miners or in the coal business. But by 1861 Thomas Potter is listed as a publican and this is the first mention of "The Kings Arms". At this time it was usual for the publican to have another job as well, usually mining and the pub was probably part of the family house.
The Kings Arms remained in the Potter family until the Shaw family took over in the early 1900s. Here is a photo of wedding of Elsie Shaw and Peter Goss. James and Clarice Shaw (nee Peters) licensees of The King's Arms are 4th and 5th from right second row from the front. James is listed as the licensee in 1911 census.
In 1929 John Smith a popular licensee of the Kings Arms was killed along with two of his neighbours when their car hit a bus at Long Eaton. He left a wife and three children. In 1939 George W Neal and family were in residence.