Cardiff remembered: Raise a pint to city’s former pub landlords

Royal Hotel, St Mary Street, Cardiff. Image: Media Wales.

Written by Brian Lee

For the first time in the history of the Cardiff Licensed Victuallers and Beerhouse Keepers Association in the May of 1898 a guide was published which contained potted histories of the various pub landlords.

And on May 3 a reception and concert was held at the Royal Hotel in St Mary Street and the following day saw the opening of the conference.

In the evening there was a banquet in honour of the National Defence League at the Park Hall which was also the venue of a ball where dancing went on until 3am.

During the Thursday afternoon the delegates had enjoyed a channel trip on the SS Waverley.

Each of the potted histories of the landlords in the guide had a picture of them and under the one of Mr. John Mander we learn that he was “the licensee of the Rising Sun, one of the oldest established houses in the town, and a remnant of Old Cardiff.”

We also learn that he had great musical taste and that he was a thoroughly good fisherman and that he was either a starter or referee at all the important foot racing events that were held back then.

Mr. Robert J Bucknell, proprietor of the Mackintosh Hotel in Upper George Street, Cathays, now known as Wyeverne Road, had to enlarge his premises in order to meet the requirements of his trade and his leisure hours would “frequently find him in the saddle, out with gun or “following the more leisurely occupation of the rod”.

One of the oldest members of the Cardiff Licensed Victuallers and Beer House Keepers’ Association was the white bearded George Strong who kept the Robin Hood Hotel in Severn Road. He came from Cothelstone in Somerset and migrated to Cardiff in 1856 and had been mine host of the Robin Hood since its formation.

Mr. TR Timothy was said to have occupied one of the oldest licensed houses in Cardiff which was the Mason’s Arms in Queen Street, Apparently in his day he had been a good sportsman and a good athlete.

The Golden Cross pub back then was kept by Nat Hurley, “a Cardiff lad and belongs to one of the oldest families in town”.

John Ruddock, who was originally from Bristol, gave up engineering work and took the King’s Cross Hotel on The Hayes while the East Dock Hotel in Tyndall Street was run by Mr PL Atkinson, a cooper by trade who was engaged by the Transatlantic Line when they started running from Cardiff to New York and we are told: “He has a wide experience, having been in the American Navy and through the American Civil War.”

Some Cardiffians, and I am one of them, will remember the Criterion in Church Street in the centre of Cardiff. It was kept back then by George Dalroy Westlake. George, who hailed from Bridgwater, took the lease in 1894 and we are informed he was a most zealous worker, although of unassuming character.

Meanwhile, Mr. Barrie Milsom some time ago now sent me a list of vanished Cardiff pubs which he discovered during his research and they are as follows:

• Sebastapol Hotel, Adam Street;
• Beaufort Arms, The Hayes, Caerphilly Castle, Working Street;
• St Fagan’s Castle, St Mary Street;
• Caernarvon Castle, James Street;
• Napoleon The Third Evelyn Street;
• Cork And Kerry Arms, Lucknow Street;
• Liverpool Tavern, Bute Terrace;
• Cross Guns, Adam Street;
• Princess Royal, Hewell Street;
• Cyfartha Castle, Mill Lane;
• Gas Inn, Mary Ann Street;
• North Pole Tavern, Bute Street;
• American Eagle, Tavern Bute Street.

Please send your pictures and stories to Brian Lee, Cardiff Remember, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XR

• or email brianlee4@virginmedia.com
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