Martin Edwards, a fellow pub historian, has compiled a list of pubs that were trading in Cheltenham in 1844 – early Victorian times and a long time ago! He has documented a public house called the Portland Inn with the address being in Albert Place, which is a continuation of Sherborne Street.
In February 1870 the Portland Inn was described in the Gloucester Journal as ‘having a large yard with extensive cellaring, with the dwelling house adjoining thereto and known as no 31 Sherborne Street.” The date of closure is not yet known.
The Portland Inn was once tied to George Stibbs’ Cheltenham Steam Brewery, Albion Street. He was the owner of the licensed ale house in 1891 when the annual rateable value was set at £34.0s.0d. The business of Stibbs’ Cheltenham Steam Brewery was acquired by the avaricious Cheltenham Original Brewery in 1899.
In 1903 the Portland Inn had been absorbed into the estate of the Cheltenham Original Brewery, yet the annual rateable value fixed to the property had decreased by four pounds and five shillings to £29.15s.0d. The alehouse had a six-day licence, presumably closed on Sundays.
Landlords at the Portland Inn include:
1844 J. Evans (Portland Inn, Albert Place)
1859 John Rowland (listed as Portland Arms)
1870 John Rowlands and William Watts
1885,1891 George Stibbs
1902 James Henry Beadnell (Bednell in 1903)
1906 George E. Morris
