Inns, Taverns and pubs

There is something about my ancestors, most of them were licenced victuallers (he says, pouring himself a g&t).

George Henry GILLHAM 1824-1860 (parents George GILLHAM & Jane ANYON).
(Not found a baptism or birth certificate).
1841 Census, age 15, father is a shoe maker.
1848 Married Harriett Louisa POULTON (1828-1876).
1851 Census, head, age 26, shoe maker.
1856 PO Directory, "George GILLHAM, Surrey Canal Tavern, Trafalgar Road. Old Kent Road".
1857 Daily News (July 11) 'Election Committee', "GILLHAM of the Surrey Canal Tavern ...."
1858 London Gazette (23 February) "George GILLHAM the younger of the Surrey Canal Tavern, Trafalgar Road, Old Kent Road" - declared bankrupt.
1860 Buried Nunhead cemetary (10 August) 36 years, Crown & Anchor, Old Kent Road.
1860 Death/Probate (26 September) Crown & Anchor, Old Kent Road "To Harriett Louisa GILLHAM ....".
1861 Census - Harriett continues with the Crown & Anchor.
1871 Census - Harriett continues with the Crown & Anchor.

I'm trying to find (if all my facts above are correct) how George can go from bankrupt in 1858 to running another pub before his death in 1860. It's also turning into a quest to find pictures of all the pubs and taverns or indeed anything that mentions his name in connection with either pub (although the "Surrey Canal Tavern" was known by four similar names from when it opened around 1836 to 1920 when it closed).
This is by no means a brick wall or particularly important, just trying to be as accurate as possible and include every snippet of information to fill in all the blanks

Oh to be on WDYTYA where they find letters and suchlike

 

Familysearch has a christening of George Gillham 16 Jan 1825 at CHRIST CHURCH,SOUTHWARK,LONDON,ENGLAND. Father George Gillham and mother Jane.

 

Hi Phil,
Was George running/owning the second pub or was he just residing/working there with Harriet as publican?

 

FMP newspaper has Mrs Harriet Louisa Gillham as landlady of the Crown and Anchor public house.
The Refrehment House Act. Two summonses
Kentish Mercury 17 September 1864
There is also this:

27 September 1860 - Morning Advertiser - London, London, England
Lambeth
rattles away William 1. die Walker. Crow n and Anchor, M. J h- own ac i,i ; bo, having written book, interplace, lo Harriet Louisa Gillham, widow and admunstra- w h, I say in ray novel,” Ac.; w bo, being trix of George Oillharo, the late occupier. fine
27 September 1860 - Morning Advertiser - London, London, England.
I can't find any details about her.
Sorry about the size of the writing.

 

pubhistory.com/Kent Pubs
Crown and Anchor 43 New Cross Road, St Paul, Deptford SE14
Listed as St James Place in the 1858 Directory.
Now a Chinese Restaurant, 43 New Cross Road, New Cross SE14
1858, Thomas Ford...Melvilles Directory
Sept. 1860 George Gillham, late occupier/outgoing licensee
Sept. 1860 Harriet Louisa Gillham, widow & administrix of George Gillham/incoming licensee
1869 Harriet Louisa Gillham
1881 George Mitchell who continued with the licence for a number of years.

 

Surrey Canal Tavern, pubhistory.com
1841 William Alsop
1848 George South
Nov. 1851 James Kevin outgoing
Nov 1851 William Coulton incoming
1856 George Gillham Post Office Directory
1859 Henry Weatherly outgoing deceased.
Not all listed there. Sorry

 

Oopsie!
Delete William Alsop 1841 (he just lived there)
Add 1839 William Coulton (also had another turn from 1851 before George Gillham in 1856)

 

I envy the seeming ease with which you found your people in Canal Bank area of Deptford Phil. That Canal Bank site had a few of us going in circles 8 yrs ago when my 3rd [x 1 removed] cousin & I trying to help her 2nd cousin, tried to find the "Surrey Arms" on Canal Bank where several of my Gt./Gt. Aunt's children were born according to their birth certificates, & where my Gt.Gt. Aunt Rebecca died. In 1881 they were at '1 Charles st, Lad of the Village-Deptford' he a publican. If you google that address, you'll witness part of the hunt & the eventual find in the 2nd last paragraph.

Great help then from Lewisham Library.

 

That's a good question (I like your lateral thinking), I'll dig a bit deeper

 

I haven't started chasing Harriet yet but she is on my hit list .... nice find

 

Hi A.M - as with my previous reply, Harriet is on the hit list - finding the actual people behind the cold census records is significantly more challenging but ultimately more rewarding

 

Trust me, there was no "seeming ease" about it Ma, I am merely revisiting George for the umpteenth time (together with many others) and trying to fill in the gaps with concrete - my tree had taken on a life of it's own and spread sideways like a weed so it needs cutting back and concentrating on my closer relatives.

Spurred on by letters and other minor details as they find on the WDYTYA programs I'm trying to find "the people within my ancestors" from newspapers etc and hopefully a few photographs may also emerge in the process – buildings are a start, people would be a bonus.

I'm embarrassed to say that navigating London is a complete mystery to me (I can find my way in easily but finding the M3 to get out again is a nightmare) and the Surrey Canal bank area was particularly difficult as (going by what I have found so far) the street names and house numbering have changed at least half a dozen times within the timescale of the Surrey Canal Tavern (as indeed has the pub name itself).

Pubhistory.com and other similar sites have proved invaluable but (as with other subjects - not least of which genealogy) unfortunately even the sites have conflicting data between themselves LOL.

The British Newspaper Archive has thrown up a few gems over the years but I do find it a little frustrating to use sometimes - especially when one uses up credits only to find it's a blind alley.

Onwards and upwards

 

Well done anyway, I find it very difficult to find anyone in London when I'm searching

 

As indeed am I at this very moment. I'm just looking up the Crown & Anchor (
September 1860/George Gillham, late occupier/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era ****September 1860/Harriet Louisa Gillham, widow and administratrix of George Gillham/Incoming Licensee/../../Era ****1869/Mrs Harriet Louisa Gillham/../../../Post Office Directory ****).
George's probate says it's in Old Kent Road but the site "Pubhistory" says it's in New Cross Road .... sooooo frustrating !

> No willpower, distracted from George already

 

This answers my own question. Obviously did hold the licence before his demise.

 

And St James Place in 1858........

 

Sorry AM, I misunderstood (thinking you meant "did he have two pubs at the same time ?")- yes you are correct, he was the landlord of the C&A.
From what I can see, George had the Surrey Canal Tavern from 1854-1857 but was reported bankrupt in the London Gazette in 1858.
I'm unsure (so far) of the exact date he aquired the Crown & Anchor where he died in 1860 - his widow Harriet immediately taking it over.

 

It get's worse !!! LOL

 

"The Morning Advertiser, 1860" (change of licence to Harriet) says St James Place too ..... anybody here familiar with London ? (before I get even more grey hair LOL)

 

.... and to round it off nicely (not), his burial certificate says "Crown & Anchor, Old Kent Road".

Still trying to find out how he died so young at age 36.