Willie James Miles
Willie James Miles
Willie Miles was the landlord of The Bull from 1919 to 1922, taking over the business after the death of his mother, Harriet Miles.
Following the untimely death of her husband, William Miles, in 1899, Harriet had continued to run The Bull for nearly 20 years, supported by her wider family. Upon her passing in 1919, her eldest son Willie assumed control. He already had a long-standing connection to The Bull, having originally been employed by John Grout in the sales side of the horse dealing operation.
Willie was born in Boulge while his parents were in service to the FitzGerald family at Boulge Hall. He was well-educated, boarding at a private school in Melton, and was multilingual. This skill proved valuable as he travelled across Europe promoting The Bull’s horse dealing business even introducing the future King of Italy.
In December 1895, Willie married Luise Albertine Lory at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, Kensington, part of the Church of England. Luise, a Catholic from Baden-Baden, Germany, and Willie marrying in England—away from both families—was unusual for the time and may have been influenced by religious or social pressures. Their first child, May, was born in May 1896, five months later, which suggests the marriage may have been arranged quickly.
Luise and Willie raised 11 children, speaking both English and German at home. During World War I, Luise narrowly avoided internment as an enemy alien; Willie successfully appealed on her behalf to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The family lived opposite The Bull Ride—in what is now six flats. Sadly, Luise died at just 45 years old in 1920. Her death was not only a personal loss but a blow to the business. She had strong business instincts and had pushed Willie to streamline operations. Without her, Willie struggled to make difficult decisions—failing to curb credit or reduce staff, even as the horse trade collapsed due to World War I and the growing dominance of cars and trains.
While Willie possessed deep knowledge of horse dealing, he lacked experience in managing the hotel side of the business. With Harriet and Luise both gone, the business faltered under mounting financial pressure. By 1922, The Bull was bankrupt. Willie was forced to sell the establishment and eventually relied on charity from the Doric Lodge.
The story of the Miles family—who had risen alongside John Grout and once courted royal interest—had come full circle. The golden era of The Bull was over.
Following the untimely death of her husband, William Miles, in 1899, Harriet had continued to run The Bull for nearly 20 years, supported by her wider family. Upon her passing in 1919, her eldest son Willie assumed control. He already had a long-standing connection to The Bull, having originally been employed by John Grout in the sales side of the horse dealing operation.
Willie was born in Boulge while his parents were in service to the FitzGerald family at Boulge Hall. He was well-educated, boarding at a private school in Melton, and was multilingual. This skill proved valuable as he travelled across Europe promoting The Bull’s horse dealing business even introducing the future King of Italy.
In December 1895, Willie married Luise Albertine Lory at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, Kensington, part of the Church of England. Luise, a Catholic from Baden-Baden, Germany, and Willie marrying in England—away from both families—was unusual for the time and may have been influenced by religious or social pressures. Their first child, May, was born in May 1896, five months later, which suggests the marriage may have been arranged quickly.
Luise and Willie raised 11 children, speaking both English and German at home. During World War I, Luise narrowly avoided internment as an enemy alien; Willie successfully appealed on her behalf to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The family lived opposite The Bull Ride—in what is now six flats. Sadly, Luise died at just 45 years old in 1920. Her death was not only a personal loss but a blow to the business. She had strong business instincts and had pushed Willie to streamline operations. Without her, Willie struggled to make difficult decisions—failing to curb credit or reduce staff, even as the horse trade collapsed due to World War I and the growing dominance of cars and trains.
While Willie possessed deep knowledge of horse dealing, he lacked experience in managing the hotel side of the business. With Harriet and Luise both gone, the business faltered under mounting financial pressure. By 1922, The Bull was bankrupt. Willie was forced to sell the establishment and eventually relied on charity from the Doric Lodge.
The story of the Miles family—who had risen alongside John Grout and once courted royal interest—had come full circle. The golden era of The Bull was over.
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