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Royal George Hotel, Market Place, Rugby in 1955
The photograph shows the hotel was still standing in 1955, but it is no longer there. QR & Co Ltd are still running but no longer run hotels. *
Site of the Royal George Hotel, Market Place, Rugby in 2022
Both kindly provided by Lynda & Allan Gilbert
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Warwickshire.
Residents at this address.
Quellyn Roberts & Co ran several hotels, mostly in North Wales, from 1890. Members of the family ran some North Wales hotels before that, before the company was formed. *
Ambrose Oakes Roberts in your 1912 reference was Managing Director of the company at the time, so your information shows QR & Co ran the Royal George from at least 1912 to 1940. *
1912/Ambrose Oaks Roberts, George family hotel, Market place/../../Kellys Directory
Quellyn Roberts and Co Ltd, Hotels in 1936 *
Hotels controlled by the company included :
Westminster Hotel, Rhyl
Colwyn Bay Hotel, Colwyn Bay
Queens Hotel, Llandudno
Dinorben Arms Hotel, Amwlch
Castle Hotel, Harlech
West End Hotel, Pwllheli
Royal George Hotel, Rugby
In 1939 electoral register of the Royal George Hotel, Market Place, Rugby are:
Vera M Craik, Hotel Manageress, born 9 June 1888
Margaret G Quigley, Bookkeeper, born 11 November 1895
Mary A Crowley, later Nugent, Waitress, born 1 January 1913
Hugh McWilliam, Cook, born 12 May 1914
Dorothy E M Williams, Staffmaid, born 9 October 1920
Gladys M McNeill, Chambermaid, born 2 June 1909
Margaret McKeon, later Beech, Chambermaid, born 6 May 1920
Frank L Newbold, Porter, born 27 June 1913
Samuel Doyle, Kitchen Porter, born 22 September 1872
Ida H Randall, Barmaid, born 13 September 1910
Fred W W Robinson, Barman, born 23 June 1894
Albert G Evans, Waiter, born 8 January 1886
Harold Gillen, Porter, born 1 May 1888
and a number of visitors.
1940/Q Roberts & Co Ltd,/proprietors/../../Kellys Directory
Rugby Advertiser 26 January 1951
Mr Leonard Fulcher of the Castle Hotel, Harlech, Merionethshire, formerly of the Royal George Hotel, Rugby, who died on October 15th last, left £895 gross, £741 net value. Probate has been granted to his widow, Mrs Elsie M Fulcher, of the same address.
Rugby Advertiser 09 November 1951
Following licenses were transferred:
Royal George Hotel, from Ambrose Oaks Roberts to William Alexander Wallace and Mrs Hilda Mary McCartan, Three Horse Shoes, Rugby
North Wales Weekly News 17 January 1952
The Queens Hotel, last of Llandudno's residential hotels to be derequisitioned is undergoing renovation and redecoration. The opening date is fixed for April. The hotel which was among the first to be taken over by the Inland Revenue Department in 1939, has 60 bedrooms and accommodation for about 80 people.
The hotel which is fully licensed, will have a lounge bar, open to the public (entrance on the promenade) and an attractive ballroom.
The aim of Messrs Quellyn Roberts Chester, is to run the establishment as a family hotel and the company plan to combine entertainments facilities at the Queens Hotel and the 70 bedroomed Colwyn Bay Hotel which they will be opening early next month.
The Queens will be under the management of Mr and Mrs J J Waldron, from the Royal George Hotel, Rugby.
Coventry Evening Telegraph 23 December 1954
The Royal George Hotel, Rugby, which is to be demolished to make way for a block of shops. The scheme will enable a widening of the roadway to be carried out at what is now a blind corner.
Coventry Evening Telegraph 01 February 1955
Last Drink served at the Historic Rugby Hotel
Just before Mr Charles Pierce, landlord of the Royal George Hotel, in Rugby Market Place, served the last drink in the hotel bar last night, patrons handed him a cheque as a parting gift.
Mr Pierce's call of "Time" brought to an end a chapter in the town's history. Today the doors of Rugby's oldest licensed house remained closed.
Soon, a demolition team will move in. The stately building, erected in 1846 on a site which is believed to have been occupied by an inn for 300 years, is to be pulled down.
Transfer of Licence.
The corner of the Market Place will be removed, and the hotel replaced by a row of shops.
The licence of the Royal George Hotel will eventually be transferred to a public house to be built on one of the Rugby's new housing estates.
There has been strong local opposition to Rugby Town Council's decision to demolish the building. The hotel was bought by Rugby Urban District Council in 1931, along with two adjoining shops.
Rugby Advertiser 22 April 1955
With the cover bearing an attractive engraving of the Market Place as it was before demolition work began on the Royal George Hotel, Rugby Conservative Assoiation has issued its first year book. It is a useful booklet, and some doubtless will keep it as a permanent record of the appearance of the Market Place a few months ago.
* Provided by Lynda & Allan Gilbert