Landlords, legends, census records, and lost taverns.
Holborn index
Southampton buildings, nearly opposite to Gray's Inn in Holborn, still retains the old appellation. Thomas Wriothesley, earl of Southampton, petitioned, but unsuccessfully, King Charles the First, in 1637, for leave to demolish the then Southampton house, and to erect buildings for tenantry on its site. During the interregnum, the earl appears to have experienced no difficulty; and Howell, in his Londinopolis, 1657, fol., mentions Southampton house as having lately been "quite taken down, and turned to several private tenements." There are traders' tokens from Southampton buildings, bearing date 1658, and showing the occupancy of some of the houses. The speculation would seem not to have been profitably successful till the occurrence of the great fire, when Baron Atkins, in a letter to his brother Sir Robert, from Lincoln's Inn, dated September 8th, 1666, writes, "Houses are now at an excessive rate, and my lord treasurer's new buildings are now in great request." An early coffee house, possibly the first, was sold in the Southampton buildings by Jacobm the Jew, in 1671.
One of the earliest records I currently have for the Grotto is in 1825 when Sarah Bryan is a paid member and subscriber of the Licensed Victualler Association. This association, also linked to a school, was to benefit victuallers families which had hit upon hard times. The Grotto was one of three licensed premises in Southampton buildings, Holborn. The other premises were the Blue Posts and the Southampton. These latter premises were paid to close in 1911 by the award of compensation payments. These payments were all part of the drive towards a more temperant society and were significant amounts. The Grotto by this time was often noted as the Bedford Hotel, and at other times as the Dublin House.
This is the The Bedford, 4 Southampton Buildings in 1869 and the 1871 census; aka Dublin House by 1899; and again named the Bedford Hotel in the 1911 census and again by 1934; but with periods when it is again named Dublin House. Nearly all early records refer to the Grotto.
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Holborn - St Andrew, London.
Residents at this address
1806/Thomas Tarte, formerly of the Northumberland Arms, and late of the
Grotto, Southampton buildings, Holborn, both in the County of Middlesex,
Victualler : Prisoners in the Kings bench Prison, Surrey/../../London Gazette
I think the earliest references I have to The Grotto Southampton Buildings is MS 11936/444/834794 in 1809 and MS11936/481/946316 in 1818 in the Guildhall Library **
5 October 1818, Thomas Bryon victualler The Grotto Southampton Buildings, MS11936/481/946316 **
3 October 1809, Insured: Benjamin Pritchett, the Grotto, Southampton Buildings, victualler, MS 11936/444/834794 **
I seems likely that your Sarah Bryan in 1825 is actually a Bryon too, although Thomas was actually married to Eliza and the only Sarah Bryon I have was born later in 1828 **
The Bryon Family are my ancestry and the Bryon name (spelt that way) was carried on in our family as a first name until my generation. A brother of his (Henry) had the Assembly House in Kentish Town. **
1815/James Faunch/../../Sun Fire Insurance - London Met archives
Morning Advertiser. 13 June 1818
Sale by Auction, The Grotto Public house, Southampton buildings, Holborn. The valuable Lease and Goodwill, with immediate possession, of the befote mentioned respectable Public House and Chop House, in a commanding situation for business, being within a few doors of, and immediatley opposite Grais Inn Gate, Holborn.
The premises have been recently fitted up, and are well arranged for business. The premises are held under the Earl of Radnor for an unexpired term of 17 years, subject to very low rent of 50 pounds per annum. The purchaser to take the furniture, fixtures, and stock in the usual way.
1821, Mr Bryan, Grotto, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, Licensed Victualler Association
Weekly Dispatch (London). 30 March 1823
Meetings of Lodges etc in the Metropolis during the ensuing week, Lodge of Temperance, the Grotto, Southampton buildings
1825/Mrs Sarah Bryan/Grotto/../../Licensed Victualler Association
1826/Jane Eckstein/Grotto/../../Sun Fire Insurance - London Met archives
1827/Jane Eckstein/4 Southampton buildings, £44 rental/../../London Tax
Records
1829/Jane Eckstein/4 Southampton buildings, £44 rental/../../London Tax
Records
1831/Jane Eckstein/4 Southampton buildings, £44 rental/../../London Tax
Records
1839/Jane Eckstein/Grotto/../../Pigots Directory
1839/J Eckstein/Grotto chophouse/../../Robsons Directory
Morning Advertiser. 21 August 1841
To be Let or Sold the newly erected House known as the Grotto Tavern and Chop House, in Southampton buildings, Holborn. Its vicinity to the Inns of Court and to the proposed site of the new Law Courts, will, it is presumed, add greatly to the value of this house, and enable a man of ability to make it of first rate importance.
1843/Thomas Cooper/Grotto Tavern/../../Kellys Directory *
1848/Miss Louisa Wright/Grotto Tavern/../../Post Office Directory
October 1848/Edward Thomas Phinn/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
October 1848/Christopher Holt/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1851/Christopher Holt/Grotto Tavern/../../Kellys Directory
1851/Christopher Holt/Tavern Keeper/40/Richmond, Surrey/Census
1851/Mary Holt/Wife/40/Coleford, Gloucestershire/Census
1851/Christopher Holt/Son/14/Richmond, Surrey/Census
1851/Edith Holt/Daughter/9/London, Middlesex/Census
1851/Sarah Hawkins/Servant/21/Liverpool, Lancashire/Census
1851/Patience Butchery/Servant, widow/41/Mendum, Suffolk/Census
1851/James Burch/Servant/54/London, Middlesex/Census
1851/G Curtis/Visitor, Gentleman/24/Surrey/Census
1851/Daniel Edward/Visitor, Gentleman/28/Exeter/Census
1851/Ketty Guilley/Servant/50/Ireland/Census
1851/Standish Mott/Visitor, Gentleman/40/Brighton/Census
November 1851/Christopher Holt/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1851/Samuel Gilbert/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
Morning Herald (London). 05 April 1852 - Insolvent Debtors Court, April 3.
In the matter of Christopher Holt. This insolvent, the late proprietor of the Grotto Tavern, Southampton buildings, Holborn, applied to be discharged.
The insolvent was made bankrupt in 1847 when he kept "Coopers Hotel" in Bouverie street, Fleet street, and in 1848 obtained a certificate. He then owned £1500. He afterwards took the Grotto Tavern, in Southampton buildings. He compunded with his creditors in May 1850, by paying 6s 8d in the pound (a third), and went on in his business.His insolvency was attributed to the insufficiency of his receipts. He expected a good deal from the Great Exhibition. He took a house adjoining the tavern, to let out in sleeping rooms during the Exhibition. For the first month (May) little or nothing was taken. After the Exhibition he sold some furniture, on which he sustained a loss 55 pounds. Several complaints were made as to the contracting of debts and the disposal of property under a bill of sale.
His Honour adjudged the insolvent to an imprisonment of five calendar months from the vesting order.
1855/Charles Henry Wood of the Grotto Southampton buildings to his wife Sarah Wood/../../../Will
1856/Mrs Sarah Wood/../../../Post Office Directory
April 1856/Sarah Moore (late Wood)/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
April 1856/Beaufoy Alfred Moore, her husband/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1857/Beaufoy Alfred Moore/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
January 1857/William Blamire/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
April 1860/License had lapsed/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era *
April 1860/Samuel Henry Leah/Incoming Licensee/../../Era *
1860/The Will of Samuel Henry Leah formerly of the "Grotto" Tavern
Southampton Buildings Chancery lane but late of the London Hospital
Whitechapel both in the County of Middlesex Licensed Victualler deceased who
died 4 July 1860 at the London Hospital aforesaid was proved at the
Principal Registry by the oath of Frederick Hucks of the "Oxford Arms" St
Peters street Hackney road in the said County Licensed Victualler one of the
Executors/Probate
1862/D Dancer/Bedford Tavern/../../Post Office Directory
January 1862/John Dent/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
January 1862/William Humphryes/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
April 1864/William Garratt/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
April 1864/Charles Millington/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1869/William Hunt/Bedford Hotel/../../Post Office Directory
1871/George W Imber/Wine & Spirit Merchant/33/Shaftesbury, Dorset/Census
1871/Esther M Imber/Wife/30/Bristol, Gloucestershire/Census
1871/Florence E Imber/Daughter/6/Frome, Somerset/Census
1871/Kate R de S Imber/Daughter/5/Southampton/Census
1871/Leopold G Imber/Son/10 months/Holborn, Middlesex/Census
1871/Rosina Aldridge/Visitor, Drapers Assistant/21/Bristol,
Gloucestershire/Census
1871/Charles A Balls/Visitor, Articled Clerk/26/Cambridge/Census
1871/Arabella Tinson/Barmaid/20/Barnstaple, Devon/Census
1871/Emily Butt/Barmaid/21/Bristol, Gloucestershire/Census
1871/Mary J Brown/Cook/30/../Census
1871/Frederick Belchin/Potman/19/Camberwell, Surrey/Census
1871/Emily J Oakshott/Nurse/22/Southampton/Census
January 1872/Leendert Oudshoorn/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1872/Robert Morton/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1873/Robert Morton/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1874/Robert Morton/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1875/Robert Morton/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1876/Robert Morton/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1877/Edward Bond/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1878/Edward Bond/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1879/Edward Bond/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1880/Edward Bond/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1881/Edward Bond/../../../Holborn Petty Sessions
1881/Edward Bond/Licensed Victualler/42/Lambeth/Census
1881/Emma Bond/Wife/41/Lambeth/Census
1881/Sarah Carrington/Niece/14/Lambeth/Census
1881/Emily Morse/Barmaid/24/Grosmount, Monmouth/Census
1881/William Goff/Potman/28/Islington/Census
1882/Edward Bond/../../../Post Office Directory
Bedford, 4 Southampton Buildings :
1884/Edward Bond/Bedford/../../Post Office Directory
1895/John Edward Smith/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/William Andrews/Dublin House/../../Post Office Directory
1910/Naylor & Green/Dublin House/../../Post Office Directory
Alfred Elphinstone is at the Walmer Castle, Market square, Dover in the
1891 and 1901
census
1911/Alfred Elphinstone/Licensed Victualler/55/London/Census
1911/Emily Elphinstone/Wife, Assistant/57/Liverpool, Lancashire/Census
1911/Mary Ann Maycock/Servant, Widow/50/Carmarthen/Census
1921/Alfred P Elphiston/Dublin House/../../Post Office Directory
1934/../Bedford/../../Post Office Directory
1938/David Crowley/Bedford/../../Post Office Directory
1944/John Henry Ruskin/Bedford/../../Post Office Directory
* Provided By Bridget Martin
** Provided By Janet Fitzgibbon