All information supplied by Bea Nicholson (nee Kirk)
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in London.
I have recently discovered that my great-grandfather (James Kirk) was
carrying out a great deal of business in London (and elsewhere) at the tail
end of the 19th century.
Unfortunately he was bankrupted (hardly surprising) having stretched himself
rather too far – and I now discover he probably did the same in Edinburgh,
his home town, before he came to London some time in the 1870's. **
BANKRUPTCY NOTICES - FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.
James Kirk, residing at De Montford House, Streatham Hill, in the county of
London, carrying on business at The
Stirling Castle, 50 London Wall, and The
Monument, King William Street, both in the city of London, The
Mildmay, 130
Balls Pond Road, the Battersea Palace of Varieties (formerly The
Washington), York Road, Battersea, the
Green Gate, 220 City Road, the
Balmoral Castle, Caledonian Road, and the
Pine Apple, 53 and 55 Hercules
Road, Lambeth, all in the county of London, licensed victualler.
Gazette Issue 11120 published on the 18 August 1899. **
Private address is 22 Hinton Road, Lambeth in 1881 census
1881/James Kirk/Wine Merchant/44/Scotland/Census
1881/Caroline Kirk/Wife/35/Ealing, Middlesex/Census
1881/James Kirk/Son/13/Scotland/Census
1881/Charles Kirk/Son/9/Scotland/Census
1881/Mary Peddingham/General Servant/19/Camberwell, Surrey/Census
Private address is 30, Woodberry Grove, Stoke Newington in 1891 census
1891/James Kirk/Music Hall Proprietor/54/Scotland/Census
1891/Caroline Kirk/Wife/50/Ealing, Middlesex/Census
1891/Charles Kirk/Son, Naturalist (Bird)/19/Scotland/Census
1891/Ada Long/Cook/24/Highgate, Middlesex/Census
1891/Elizabeth Long/Servant/21/Deptford, Kent/Census
I was also given the following information from a theatrical contact.
By 1890 he was the Proprietor/Lessee of the
Oxford Music Hall in London’s
Oxford Street, a very popular Music Hall at which the likes of Marie Lloyd
and Dan Leno [’top’ Performers of their day] appeared. [The Oxford Music Hall
subsequently became a Variety Theatre, and was ’taken over’ by the very famous
Impresario CB (Charles Blake) Cochran. It was demolished in 1926 to make way
for a Lyons Corner House.]
By 1893 he was no longer Proprietor of the Oxford Music Hall, but instead was
Managing Director of the Company which opened the Bristol Empire, a Variety
Theatre in Bristol.
In 1896 he bought the
Hoxton Varieties Theatre in London’s Shoreditch area.
In 1898 he became the Proprietor of the
Battersea Palace Variety Theatre
[formerly the Washington Music Hall] in Battersea, London. He sold it in
1899.
Between 1883 and 1891 he also owned/part owned and sold several licensed
premises [Pubs, Music Halls, etc] other than the above including the Gaiety
Music Hall and Scotia Music Hall in Glasgow; the Stirling Castle Pub in
London Wall, London; the Green Gate Tavern in City Road, London; the
Mildmay
Park Tavern in Balls Pond Road, London; the
Balmoral Castle Pub in Caledonian Road, London; the
Pineapple Pub in Lambeth, London; and the
Monument Pub in King William Street, London. [Pubs were often, in part, also
Music Halls.]
He was declared bankrupt in October 1899 with Liabilities of £233,384 [a
huge, huge sum] and Assets of £10,290. Of his liabilities, only £14,677 were
unsecured thereby leaving a Net Deficiency of £4,386.
I believe he also had a wholesale and retain wine and spirit outlet in
Oxford Street – it was certainly mentioned by his Edinburgh creditors in
1879. I don’t know if he owned or leased the premises (or what the number
was) and whether this was how he managed to realise the bulk of that huge
debt, I’m not sure. I think it is possible that his son Adam managed it
while he was dallying with the music hall and public house business.
**
Private address is 34 Croxted Road, Norwood in 1901 census
1901/James Kirk/Wine Merchant/64/Scotland/Census
1901/Caroline Kirk/Wife/60/Brentford, Middlesex/Census
1901/Rose Wood/General Servant/20/Chevening, Kent/Census
If you happen to know how I could source more information, I would be grateful. **
** Provided by Bea Nicholson (nee Kirk)