35 Southgate Street in original street numbering and latterly 70 Southgate Street.
In 1919 the Black Horse was tied to Godsell’s Brewery, Salmon Springs, Stroud, and was almost certainly one of their most prestigious hotels in the city.
The Black Swan was renamed the Yeoman in December 1970. Former Gloucestershire Hussar Charles A’Bear was depicted on the pub sign with him in the turret of a Crusader Tank. The pub was the unofficial headquarters of the Hussars and the landlord Arthur McKenna also served in the regiment. Mr McKenna’s father was regimental sergeant major.
Gloucester Journal, 12th August 1865 – Impudent Theft: Henry Sinclair, seaman, was charged with stealing two halfcrowns, a shilling, and two handkerchiefs, the property of John Evans of Cinderford. The prosecutor went to the Tam o’Shanter eating house, on Sunday night, and went to bed; he put his trousers under his pillow, in the pocket of which was two half-crowns, a shilling and the handkerchiefs; on awaking in the morning he found his trousers on the bed, and the money gone. Mr Hobbs, keeper of the house, stated that the prisoner came there on the Sunday night, asked for a bed, and was shown into the same room where the prosecutor was, in a few minutes afterwards he came down, saying he had forgotten something, and must go back to his ship; he left the house and did not return. Next morning information was given to PC Vick, who searched for the prisoner, and found him under the influence of liquor, and arrested him. The constable found that he had changed a half-crown and a shilling at the Red, White and Blue, for beer, and the second half crown at the Black Swan, being the exact amount lost. Prisoner pleaded guilty, when Mr Dowers of the Red, White and Blue, stated that the prisoner came to his house a fortnight ago, showed him a bill of exchange from St John. New Brunswick, for £19, and upon the faith of its genuineness he allowed him to have food and money to the amount of £6. Committed for three months.
The above research and information courtesy Dr Martyn Beaufort
The Citizen. Wednesday, June 12th, 1991 – Pubs for sale. Six more pubs have been added to the Whitbread brewery for sale list. The pubs are being sold in response to Government requirements following the monopolies and mergers commission report. Whitbread have named the following Gloucestershire pubs which will be sold: Duke of York, Chalford Hill, Stroud; New Red Lion, Chalford Stroud; Plough Inn, Corse Lawn, Staunton; Rising Sun, Ruspidge; Royal Foresters, Littledean Hill, Cinderford; Yeoman Hotel, Southgate Street, Gloucester.
The stone faced three storey building was refurbished and re-opened back as the Black Swan in the 1990’s. It was a great real ale pub and was named Gloucester branch of CAMRA ‘Pub of the Year’ in 2000 . It also gained a place in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
A planning application was submitted to Gloucester City Council in October 2002 by owners Newforma Ltd., to build a four storey extension at the side of the Black Swan to provide 14 extra bedrooms in sympathetic Neo-Classical style to match the architecture of the existing building. The interior of the pub would also have been refurbished at a total cost of £1 million. Sadly, the plans never materialised and the Black Swan closed down in 2003.
The Black Swan is now a residential development. During the development an old enamel sign with the wording ‘Black Swan Hotel. Family and Commercial’ was discovered. The sign now takes pride of place in the foyer.
A West Country Ales ceramic plaque is still in situ
Landlords:
1830 Charles Lander
1856, 1859 Samuel Vick
1893, 1906 H. Carter
1919 Godsell & Sons, Salmon Springs, Stroud
1927 Edward Meacham
1936 T. Davy
1972 Arthur McKenna
1983 Ronald (aka Bob) and Primrose Howell
1995 Noel Bennett
1998 Paul McParland (manager)
1998 Bob Keech
2002 Craig Reynolds