Stanhope Street is now Hope Street but the area of today constituting of council houses bears no resemblance to the Stanhope Street of 1861. The original street was an area of low-cost and high-density houses that were declared as slums and demolished from 1924. The celebrated Lady Hester Stanhope, known to have visited the town early in 1800s, may have inspired the original name.
The Bengal Arms is mentioned in the 1861 census when John Powell is listed as the keeper of the beer house.
Alan Jones, fellow pub enthusiast and local historian, provided the following information.
“In your listing you say the Bengal Arms was mentioned in the 1861 census, but little else. Well, on the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub website, I did come across info about a doc. held at Gloucester Archive, relating to a Select Committee on the Cheltenham election 1866, election candidates Col. Fitzhardinge-Berkeley and Mr. Schreiber. Petition chaired by Acton Ayrton esquire.
But the interesting part is the list of electors examined. These include Eliza Biddle, wife of James Biddle, carpenter of the Royal Arms the Bengal Arms, Stanhope Street, Cheltenham
Which shows that the pub still existed 1866 – 5 years after the 1861 census. Not sure why the double-name (Royal Arms, Bengal Arms)
Also came across the following listed as beer sellers in Stanhope Street in the Hunts & Co Directory of 1847, Jane Bowles (no house no. or beerhouse name) and T. Smith No. 34 but no beerhouse name given.”
Hi Geoff,