The Original Shamrock, a beer house, has been identified in St Georges Place by Martin Edwards. Martin is a fellow pub historian who has compiled a list of Cheltenham pubs in 1844 – in early Victorian England, a very long time ago!
The address of the Original Shamrock is given as 44 St Georges Place. The modern street numbering in St Georges Place is odd numbers on the west side, and even numbers to the eastern side. If the existing street numbering is the same as that in 1844, which in itself is doubtful, 44 St Georges Place seems to have been located somewhere in the position of the Public Library fronting Clarence Street which was constructed in 1887.
Which, naturally leads to the inevitable question – was the Original Shamrock demolished to make way for construction of the public library?
Another pub called the Shamrock was trading in Grove Street as documented in the 1891 petty sessional licensing records.
To further complicate matters, Martin Edwards has also identified a Shamrock Inn trading in Worcester Street also in 1844. That was also a beer house with James Bowstead in occupancy according to Martin’s records.
Landlord (Original Shamrock St Georges Place)
1844 Tomas Foye / John Carter ?
