The King's Head Inn, not to be confused with another of the same name on the same street, was located on the W side of Cornmarket Street, just N of Sewy's Lane (now Shoe Lane). In 1498 the inn was known as Pyry Hall, later becoming the King's Head in the 16th c., when it incorporated Sewy's Lane.
The large galleried stableyard was apparently used for performances in the 17th c. and 18th c., but there is no evidence of its use before 1642 (VCH Oxford 4.431, 438).
Sir Robert Dudley's men in 1559--60 were given a second payment at 'Mr Coggan's house' or the King's Head. Whether the inn was the actual performance venue or whether the performance itself was indoors or outside as usually thought is not clear in the record.
Demolished. The Clarendon Centre and a Barclay's Bank now occupy the site.
ca. 1498 The building was used as Pyry Hall.
15xx The building became the King's Head Inn.
1556 Owned by the Coggan family (REED Oxford 2.617).
1575 Thomas Coggan, mercer and member of the mayor's council until his death in 1588, licensed to sell wine (REED Oxford 2.1096--7).
1810 Taken over by its neighbour to the N, the Star, a 14th c. inn with an 18th c. symmetrical facade owned by Christ Church.
1863 Purchased by the Clarendon Hotel Company.
1939 Clarendon Hotel purchased by Woolworth & Co.
1954 Demolished.
REED Oxford 1.103, 617--18
