Bristol’s Lost Pubs

Don Cossack Redcliff Street

1816. Benjamin Lucy
1820 – 26. James Parrish
1828 – 34. John Densham
1837 – 41. James Barwell
1842 – 44. Edward Alder
1847. Edward Bartlett
1848 – 49. Aaron Dando
1851. Ann Kidwell
1851 to 1861. John Parker
1861. Elizabeth Parker
1863 – 76. George Clark Plumley
1876 to 1878. A. H. King
1879. Frederick Knowles
1880. W. E. Wookey
1881 – 82. Ellen Clements
1885. C. H. Quilter
1886 – 87. G. Becker

On the corner with Portwall Lane, the name above the door is George Plumley and the posters either side of the door read ‘Removed to the White Hart Thomas Street’ which dates this picture to around 1876. The Don restaurant by 1890 and later a temperance hotel the building was lost in the blitz. The Angel Inn with its central drive through can be seen just up the road.

The pub was named after the Don Cossacks who originated from the lower courses of the river Don in Russia, the name was adopted by many English pubs when these Russian cavalrymen caused Napolean to retreat from Moscow in 1812; however, most of these pubs were re-named when the Crimean war began and British soldiers found themselves fighting against the Cossacks.

Census 1841.

James Barwell 45, licensed victualler, born in county
Anna Barwell 45, born in county
Maria Parker 22, born in county
name not known Parker 1 month, female, born in county
Matilda Downing 16, servant, born in county

Census 1851.

John Parker 34, head married, malster and victualler, Somerset Wrington
Sarah Parker 34, wife married, Somerset Barrington
Elizabeth Parker 10, daughter scholar, Gloucestershire
Sarah Ann Parker 9, daughter scholar, Gloucestershire
Charles Kempsford 30, servant unmarried, Wiltshire Cullen
Emma Curtis 23, servant unmaried, general servant, Wiltshire Westbury

Census 1861.

Elizabeth Parker 20, head unmarried, inn keeper, Stapleton Bristol
Sarah Parker 19, sister unmarried, assistant, Stapleton Bristol
Matilda Parker 14, sister, scholar, Stapleton Bristol
Henry Parker 13, brother, scholar, Stapleton Bristol
Elizabeth Derrick 31, servant unmarried, general servant, Somerset Blagdon
William John Usher 30, servant unmarried, labourer, Bristol, deaf

Census 1871.

George Clark Plumley 59, head married, innkeeper, Blagdon Somerset
Elizabeth Plumley 60, wife married, Wrington Somerset
Florence Griffin 19, servant unmarried, domestic servant, Winford Somerset
John Winscombe 60, lodger unmarried, carpenter, Blagdon Somerset

Census 1881.

Ellen Clements 49, head widow, innkeeper, Nailsea Somerset
Ellen Elizabeth Knight 19, daughter unmarried , assistant, Birmingham
George Long 42, visitor married, Halfpay Officer – Army, Bristol