CLARENCE HOTEL, Grimshaw Street

CLARENCE HOTEL  #

12 Grimshaw Street

- later 31 Grimshaw Street - 

Formerly the "St. Leger"

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MINE HOSTS:

1869 - 70            Timothy Yates

1870 - 71            Jonas Hothersall

1871                   Frederick Islaub

1871                   John Barron

1871                   John Newton

1873                   James Birtwell

1873 - 74           Mrs. Ellen Isherwood

1874                  John Hopkinson

1877                  Richard R. Joynson

1878 - 82          James Porter

1882 - 83           Harry Harker

1883 - 84           Joseph Lee Standen

1884 - 86           John Marsh

1886                  John Taylor

1886 - 87          George John Hindson

1887 - 88          Edward Anderson

1888 - 89          Thomas Charles Myers

1889 - 90          Mary Grace Moorby

1890 - 97          Edward Anderson

1897 - 99          Joseph Edwards

1900                 Alexander Murdock

1901                 Robert Dixon

1904 - 07         Nancy Dixon

1910                 John Brierley

1913                 James Billington

1917                 Rose Bayfield

                        I think it actually closed on the 4th December 1916

* In a Concert Hall programme from c. 1883 - 84, Mr. J. Porter was listed as a pianist in the entertainment.   (see below as well, an email and photograph from a visitor to the site)

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Clarence music-hall programme 1883 - 84

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Email received 17.11.2019 from a relative of James Porter (licensee)

The attached photograph (see below) of the Porter Brothers Hand Bell Ringers, circa 1874 may provide some further context to the Clarence Music Hall poster.  Pictured from left to right are former Clarence Hotel landlord James Porter (treble) and his five brothers Thomas (treble), Charles (alto), William (tenor), Rimmer (1^st bass) and John (2^nd bass).  Now whether the Porter Brothers Hand Bell Ringers and The Preston Hand Bell Ringers were one and the same I can’t say.  The brothers were certainly all still alive and, as far as I’m aware, resident in Preston in 1883/84 (Thomas, my great grandfather, moved to Teesside in the late 1880’s).  Whatever the line-up, it’s probably fair to assume that the presence of both James and the Preston Hand Bell Ringers on the bill wasn’t entirely coincidental and the bells on the table are quite likely to be those same ‘silver toned bells’ alluded to on the poster.  The second image, the reverse of a postcard of the same photograph – sorry it’s not very clear, it’s a copy of a copy sent by a relative in the USA - details their 1874 performances and also confirms the number of bells (104).  It appears that their entertainment also featured musical glasses  and English concertina – ‘a treat to all lovers of music’ indeed!

And the Programme:

With very many thanks to Alan F. (Freddy) Porter, email as above the photograph, for this fantastic piece of memorabilia.

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CENSUS RETURNS

1871

Frederick Islaub                   42 years              Hotel Keeper                    b. Germany

Mary Islaub                          35                      Wife                                  b. Hampton, Warwick

1881

James Porter                        29 years              Lic. Vict.                           b. Preston

Ann Porter                           30                       Wife                                  b. Blackburn

Thomas Porter                      8                         Son                                  b. Preston

Jane Porter                           6                         Daughter                                  do

1891

Edward Anderson               67 years               Lic. Vict.                           b. Ely, Cambridgeshire

Margaret Anderson               9                        Daughter                           b. Preston

1901

Robert Dixon                     49 years                Publican                            b. Workington

Nancy Dixon                      41                         Wife                                 b. Cockermouth

Jane E. Dizon                      18                        Daughter                           b. Workington

Mary Dixon                         15                       Daughter                                     do

Dora Dixon                         13                        Daughter                                     do

Nancy Dizon                       11                        Daughter                                     do

Robert Dixon                       9                         Son                                             do

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