Camberwell pubs history index
Historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels.
Asylum Tavern, 40 Asylum Road, London, SE15 - in May 2009
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
In 1982 Teacher's Whisky sponsored an investigation to find the twelve most authentically haunted pubs in Britain, one of these was the Asylum Tavern. It is the only pub to bear this name in England and was said to be frequented by the phantom of an old lady dressed in grey with her hair in a bun. The family running it at the time were Len & Eileen Moon with their daughters Donna and Tannia. They all claimed to have seen the ghost, their dog, Karma, would not stay in the bar on its own at night and customers told of an ice bucket and tongs moving unaided. **
Residents at this address.
Joseph held the licence from 19 March 1856 to October 1864.
Joseph Etherington was born in Arundel, West Sussex about 1798 and died on 7
August 1866 in Camberwell, Surrey. According to the 1851 Census he was
residing at the Asylum Tavern with his wife and children, and his occupation
was a builder/carpenter and beer shop keeper. He was granted a licence for
the Asylum Tavern on 19 March 1856 as reported in this newspaper:
The Era (London, England) Sunday Mar 23 1856 issue 913. Category: News
�Annual Licensing Meetings. Camberwell, March 19: Joseph Etherington, Asylum
Tavern, Asylum Road. In this locality a new neighbourhood of several hundred
houses has been lately formed. The roads and sewers were completed, and
there was a great deal of traffic past the applicant�s house. Supported by
eighty inhabitants, and unopposed. � License granted.�
Joseph held the licence until October 1864 when he transferred the licence
for the Asylum Tavern to John Chipperfield Roberts, as reported in this
newspaper (the Era - Sunday October 2, 1864; Issue 1358).
I think it is probably likely that Joseph built the tavern, as he was a
builder and carpenter. *
March
1856 - October 1864/Joseph Etherington/../../../.. *
Era - September 27 1864 :
Asylum tavern, Asylum road, Old Kent road, Joseph Etherington to John Chipperfield Roberts
1864/John Chipperfield Roberts/../../../Era Newspaper*
1867/George Briggs/../../../Post Office Directory *+
1869/George Briggs/../../../Post Office Directory *+
1871/George Briggs/Licensed Victualler/34/Yorkshire/Census
1871/Ann Briggs/Wife/38/Berkshire/Census
1871/Anne Briggs/Daughter/9/Surrey/Census
1871/Nathan R Carter/Barman/17/Surrey/Census
1871/Cuthbert F Irish/Pot Boy/14/Huntingdonshire/Census
1871/Nathan Bridgman/Visitor/48/Berkshire/Census
1873 - 1978/George Briggs/../../../.. **
1874/George Briggs/../../../Licensed Victualler & Hoteliers Directory
1978/George Briggs/../../../Surrey Directory
1880/George Briggs / Victualler, deceased - Died 21 February 1880
/../../London Gazette, 28 January 1881 ***
1896/Frederick William Bird/../../../Kelly's Directory *+
1901/Charles T Davies/Licensed Victualler/42/St Pancras, London/Census
1901/Augusta L Davies/Wife/34/Pimlico, London/Census
1901/Charles E Davies/Son/12/Chigwell, Essex/Census
1901/Dorothy B Davies/Daughter/11/Clapham, London/Census
1901/Reginald S Davies/Son/9/Chigwell, Essex/Census
1901/Stanley H Davies/Son/7/Chigwell, Essex/Census
1901/Alice M Stone/Barmaid/28/Reading, Berks/Census
1901/Florence M Taylor/Barmaid/22/Bow, London/Census
1901/Matilda Fellows/Cook/48/Camden Town, London/Census
1903/Charles Davies/../../../.. **
1904/Charles Thomas Davies of the "Asylum" Tavern Asylum road Peckham Surrey
died 22 December 1903 Probate London 19 January to Augusta Louise Davies
widow. Effects �8065 0s 6d./Probate
1908 - 1910/Augusta Davies/../../../.. **
By the 1911 census, Augusta Davies is at the
Star & Garter, 105
High street, Bromley, Kent
1911/James Johnson/../../../Post Office Directory *+
1914/Mrs M. Garwood/../../../Post Office Directory *+
1917 - 1922/Mabel Philpot/../../../.. **
In 1921 at 40 Asylum Road, Peckham, Camberwell
Mabel Philpot, Licensed Victualler aged 34 years and born in Fulham, London
Dorothy Mabel Philpot, Daughter aged 11 years 11 months and born in Paddington, London
Grace Elizabeth Philpot, Daughter aged 8 years 11 months and born in Paddington, London
Lilian Rose Philpot, Daughter aged 6 years 8 months and born in Ealing, London
James Joseph Leal, Father, Carpenter aged 65 years 11 months and born in Marylebone, London
Ellen Cole, Sister, Actress, Macdonald & Young aged 29 years and born in Fulham, London
John Cole, Brother-in-law, Actor, Threatrical Agents aged 29 years and born in Liverpool, Lancashire
1950/Louisa Hearn/../../../.. **
1950 - 1956/Valentine Tite/../../../.. **
* Provided By Ann Parkinson
*+ Provided By Ewan
** Provided By Bill Rigby
*** Provided By Stephen Harris