This was the off licence serving Benjamin Coombe’s Grafton Brewery. It had a license to sell intoxicating liqour off the premises only. The 1891 licensing returns also give details that was licensed as a beer house with an annual rateable value set at £42.10s.0d. In 1899 the Grafton Brewery merged with the Nailsworth Brewery Co. Ltd. and ownership of the off-licence was transferred to the new owners. According to the information taken from the 1903 licensing records the Nailsworth Brewery served their beer, probably in bottles and re-fillable earthenware stone jars, at the off-licence. The annual rateable value remained constant at £42.10s.0d.
Landlords:
1891 Benjamin Coombe
1903 John A. Connelly
Hi Geoff,
Grafton Brewery was located in Grafton Road near the junction with what is now Norwood Road, just along from St. Philips & St. James Church (Pip & Jim’s) at Grafton Cross. If you look at the 1855-7 Old Town Survey map you can see that the road running more or less east-west was then Grafton Street and the one more or less north-south aligned was Grafton Road.
I haven’t come across an earlier mention of the Grafton Brewery than the one you mention in the 1851 census. Also F. Martindale is listed under “Brewers” in the 1851 Edwards Directory with a “Grafton street” address but not in the 1850 Edwards.In the 1852 Edwards Directory “Saunders, Ashby, Grafton st.” is listed under “Brewers.”
The cheltenhamsouthtown.org website explains that “By 1881 the Brewery advertised ales made of pure malt and hops, with beer at 8d. per gallon. In 1883 a new proprietor, Mr. Benjamin Croome, explained that the brewery had a satisfactory supply of water derived from an underlying sand bed, which was lifted by steam power to a tank at the top of the building.”
Here are the landlords/proprietors I managed to trace:
1851 Francis Martindale (listed under “Brewers” in Grafton street in the Edwards Directory
1852 Ashby Saunders as above in the 1852 Edwards
1883 Benjamin Croome
1891-2 Grafton Brewing Company listed in Post Office Directory, no name – the listing runs as below, showing the brewery was at the junction with Norwood Road:
“Watt’s Carriage Works
Norwood Road intervenes
Grafton Brewing Company“
1892 – 1899 B. Croome Grafton Brewery Annuaires (sometimes listed under “Brewers”)
1902 J.A. Connelly Nailsworth Brewery Company Grafton Road Built-Leonard – also 1904 plus 1906 – 1910 Annuaires listed as Nailsworth Brewery Stores
1911 & 1912 Mr. J.N. Till Annuaires – also 1913 – 1916 Looker-On – and 1922, 1924 & 1925 Built-Leonard listed as Grafton Brewery
In the 1926 Kelly’s Directory the brewery is no longer listed, but John Bryan Till is still listed as residing in Old Grafton Brewery House.
Cheers,
Alan Jones