Gratton Terrace is off Great Norwood Street and is now known as Gratton Street.
The Commercial Arms was located on the corner with Commercial Street. In fact, an 1878 reference gives the address as Commercial Street. The pub was certainly brewing its own beer in 1883 when it was referred to as the Commercial Brewery. G Cummings provided materials for Home Brewed Beer. There was no application for the renewal of the licence in 1923.
Above images: Chris Amies
Mary Ann Alcock is listed as the owner of the Commercial Arms in 1891 and 1903. She ran the pub free of brewery tie, and the premises was a licensed beer house with an annual rateable value of £21.5s.0d.
Hi Geoff,
I think the building on the corner of Gratton Street (formerly Terrace) and Commercial Street (24 Commercial Street) definitely looks like it used to be a pub, and you say that an 1878 reference locates it in Commercial Street, which would certainly make sense of it being the corner plot.
Landlords at the Commercial Arms include:
1878 William Alcock
1883-4 T. Royal Directory – Coole Commercial Brewery is listed under Gratton Terrace
1891,1903 Joseph Martin
1891 & 1903 you have Joseph Martin, but in the 1891-2 Post Office Directory it lists J. Marshall, Commercial Arms Brewery Gratton Terrace, but the 1902 Built-Leonard lists J. Martin Commercial Arms under Gratton Street – this is the same in 1903 and 1904 too.
1911 Built-Leonard lists Mrs. Martin Commercial Arms Gratton Street
1913 – 1916 Looker-On Mr. T.A. Martin Commercial Arms Inn Gratton Street
I couldn’t find it listed in the 1922 Built-Leonard Directory.
Cheers,
Alan Jones