Bristol’s Lost Pubs

Bathhurst Hotel Bathurst Terrace

1816. Elisha Weeks
1820 – 28. William Case
1830 – 34. John Goode
1837 – 41. Mary Goode
1841 – 44. Ann Goode
1846 to 1848. James Salmon
1849 to 1861. Maria Salmon
1861 to 1867. John Sanders
1867 to 1868. Mary Ann Barnett
1869 to 1891. John Sanders
1891 – 99. William Ireland
1901 – 21. George James C. Labdon
1925. Luke Dursley
1928. Emily Dursley
1931. Herbert Purnell
1935. William Adams
1937 – 44. William Baldwin
1950 – 53. John Lanning
1956. Thomas Richards
1960. F. W. Riley

Bristol’s Lost Pubs collection

Bathurst Basin was built as part of the Floating Harbour scheme 1804 – 09, forming a link between the Cut and the Floating Harbour with a lock gate at each end. The basin was named in honour of Bristol M.P. Charles Bragge who had changed his name to Bathurst in 1804. The Bathurst Hotel was built near the southern lock in 1809 to cater for the sailors and travellers the new Basin was sure to attract, it was built to an unusual design with balconies and railings reminiscent of New Orleans, this was probably the inspiration for its present name the Louisiana. The building has several bricked in casements, a reminder of the ‘window tax’ which was abolished in 1851.

The above photograph was taken in the early 1950s. When the Garrick’s Head on Broad Quay was pulled down in 1978 the landlord took over the Bathurst Hotel and re-named it the Garrick’s. The name was changed again in 1982 to the Smugglers. Just opposite the hotel in Commercial Road are the ruins of the old gaol built in 1820.

Bristol’s Historic Inns. Helena Eason. 1982.
Now only the gatehouse remains as the gaol itself was the target of the 1831 rioters who burned it to the ground. The governor of that gaol, William Humphries, was actually taking refreshment at the Bathurst Hotel when the mob attacked his gaol and he was forced to stay there and watch the destruction. The gateway of the gaol was the scene of the last public hanging of a woman in Bristol, when in 1849 Sarah Thomas was hanged for murder.

A drawing of the Bathurst Hotel
by C.F.W. Dening (1943)

Census 1841.

Ann Goode 50, inn keeper, born in county
George Goode 45, independent means, not born in county
Martha Goodridge 45, independent means, not born in county
Harriett Goodridge 20, not born in county
William Goodridge 19, land agent, not born in county
Richard Goodridge 14, not born in county
Sarah Ann Goodridge 12, not born in county
Mary Bryant 25, servant, born in county

Census 1851.

Maria Salmon 62, head widow, licensed victualler, Somerset Bath
Charles Salmon 39, son married, accountant Somerset Stratton
Maria Salmon 37, daughter unmarried, house assistant, Somerset Stratton
Catherine Tovey 33, daughter widow, house assistant, Somerset Stratton
Alexander Salmon 30, son unmarried, shipwright, Somerset Stratton
Ellen Salmon 23, daughter unmarried, house assistant, Somerset Ashchurch
George James Tovey 8, grandson, scholar, Bristol
Maria Ellen Tovey 7, grandaughter scholar, Bristol
Grace Horler 16, house servant (inn) Somerset Kilmersdon
William Henry Colins 18, Tapboy (inn) Bristol
James Nicholls 43, Married, traveller, St Pancras London
Evans Jones 25, unmarried, shopman, Newport Monmouthshire

Census 1861.

John Sanders 37, head married, victualler, Bristol
Ellen Sanders 33, wife married, Somerset Ashwick
John Sanders 7, son, scholar, Bristol
Arthur Sanders 5, son, scholar, Bristol
Ellen Sanders 3, daughter, Bristol
Henry Sanders 1, son, Bristol
Maria Salmon 73, mother in law widow, late hotel keeper, Somerset Bath
Maria Salmon 40, sister in law unmarried, assistant hotel keeper, Somerset Stratton
Emily Small 22, servant unmarried, barmaid, Somerset Shepton Mallet
Fanny Cox 41, servant widow, cook, Somerset Bedminster
Harriet England 20, servant unmarried, Gloucestershire Winterbourne
William Webb 44, visitor unmarried, Bristol
Edwin Peters 17, servant unmarried, Bristol
William Greenwood 35, visitor married, linen draper, Herefordshire M…Church
William Huddler Fone 38, visitor unmarried, fund holder, Clifton

Census 1871.

John Sanders 46, head married, licensed victualler & master mariner, Bristol
Mary Sanders 38, wife married, Cornwall St.Ives
John F. Sanders 17, son unmarried, mariner, Bristol
Arthur C. Sanders 15, son, shipbuilder’s clerk, Bristol
Ellen S. Sanders 12, daughter scholar, Bristol
Henry J. Sanders 11, son scholar, Bristol
Frederick W. Sanders 8, son scholar, Bristol
Edith M. Sanders 4, daughter scholar, Bristol
Alfred Sanders 1, son, Bristol
Mary P. Sanders 2 months, daughter, Bristol
James Hamlyn 18, step son unmarried, mariner, Cornwall St.Ives
Annie Hicks 23, servant unmarried, barmaid, Somerset Ashton
Ann Isaacs 25, servant unmarried, general servant, Radnorshire Tenby
Caroline Phillips 37, servant widow, general servant, Somerset Bridgwater

Census 1881.

John Sanders 56, head married, licensed victualler, Bristol
Mary Sanders 48, wife married, St Ives Cornwall
James Hawlyn 28, step son unmarried, mariner, St Ives, Cornwall
Frederick Sanders 18, son unmarried, ironmonger, Bristol
Edith Sanders 14, daughter, Bristol
Ann Sanders 80, mother, Bristol
Kate Cleaves 19, servant unmarried, barmaid, Gravesend, Kent
Ann Isaac 32, servant unmarried, domestic servant, Tenby Pembrokeshire
Septimas Nixon 25, lodger married, accountant, Walbottle Northumberland

Census 1891.

William Ireland 47, head married, licensed victualler, Durham Sunderland
Mary A. Ireland 39, wife married, Bristol
William F. Ireland 7, son, Bristol
John B. Ireland 4, son, Bristol
Alice Morris 31, servant single, barmaid, Bristol
Annie Westlake 24, servant single, domestic servant (nurse), Bristol
Louisa Harvey 50, servant widow, domestic servant (cook), London
Sarah McNicholl 15, servant single, domestic servant (under nurse), Scotland
Albert Robins 17, servant single, domestic servant (boots), Gloucestershire Stoke Gifford

Census 1901.

George James C. Labdon 35, head married, licensed victualler, Chulmleigh Devon
Mary Ann Eliza Labdon 37, wife married, Somerset Yeovil
Wilfred Labdon 14, son, Bristol
Ernest Labdon 10, son, Bristol
Percy Labdon 7, son, Bristol
Reginald Labdon 2, son, Bristol
Albert Carter 21, servant single, barman, Bristol
Lily Stevens 26, servant single, cook, Bristol
Alice Bailey 18, servant single, general domestic servant, Isle of Wight

Census 1911.

George J. C. Labdon 45, head married, hotel proprietor, Devonshire
Edith J. Labdon 39, wife married, assisting in business, Devonshire
Ernest Labdon 21, son single, mechanical engineer, Bristol
E. Doreen Labdon 4, daughter, Bristol
G. Edith Labdon 11 months, daughter, Bristol
Wallace Bromfield 19, single, barman, Bristol
Clara Deane 24, single, domestic servant, Gloucestershire
Mirara Burne 23, single, domestic servant, Somerset
The 1911 census reveals that not counting the scullery, landing, lobby, closet, bathroom; nor warehouse, office or shop, the Bathurst Hotel had 13 rooms.