TROUT TAVERN Cherry Lane
1754 -
1764. Alexander Highins
1775. Robert
Witherly
1792. Henry Bateman
1794. William Snelling
1800. John Nickless
1806. Thomas
Crew
1816 -
1834 to 1838. Francis Duffett
1839 to 1840. Thomas James
1841 to 1847. Francis Duffett
1848 to 1863. James Burrows
1865. H. Sowden
1866. Mrs.
Sowden
1867. T. Sowden
1868 -
1874. William G. King
1875 -
1894 -
1897 -
1914. Henry Butler
Francis
Duffett was also a maltster with premises just around the corner in Barton Street
and in Jacob Street St.Philip’s. No longer a pub by 1919, this building which was
thought to date from around 1715 was in poor condition by world war two and was demolished
not long after. The publican in 1754 was a gentleman named Israel Trout, this is
possibly an indication as to when the building first became a public House. Landlord
Tom Davies was once the captain of Bristol Rugby Club.
These pictures were sent in by Yvonne Duffett of South Africa, they show her Father
in law’s great grandfather Francis Thomas Duffett and his wife Elizabeth Legg. This
was thought to be the same Francis Duffett who was at the Trout 1841-
CENSUS 1841.
Francis Duffett’s home address, No.7 Paul Street, St.Paul’s, they did
not live ‘over the shop’
Francis Duffett 40, maltster, born in county
Mary Duffett
40, born in county
Elizabeth Duffett 15, born in county
Thomas Duffett 14, born in
county
Adalaide Duffett 11, born in county
Hannah Duffett 8, born in county
Francis
Duffett 7, born in county
Catherine Duffett 6, born in county
Emily Duffett 4, born
in county
Sarah Duffett 2, born in county
Mary Duffett 2½ months, born in county
Eliza
Higgs 30, governess, born in county
Charlotte Peak 20, servant, born in county
Sarah
Smith 15, servant, born in county
CENSUS 1851.
James Burrows 41, Licensed Victualler
Gloucestershire
Harriet Burrows 45, Wells
Sarah Burrows 8, Scholar, Bristol
Selina
Burrows 6, Scholar, Bristol
Thomas Burrows 70, Visitor Widower, Gloucestershire
CENSUS
1861.
James Burrows, head M 51, victualler, Minchinhampton
Harriet Burrows, wife M
52, Wells Somerset
Eliza M. Burrows, daughter U 16, Somersetshire
Harriet Thomas, grandaughter
1, Bristol
Charlotte Allen, niece U 23, Wells Somerset
Elizabeth Price, servant widow
33, domestic servant, Somerset Wool...?
Deborah Hapgood, servant U 17, domestic servant,
Somerset Wool...?
Mary Jeffreys, servant U 21, domestic servant, Bedminster Bristol
CENSUS
1871.
Sarah Sowden 50, head married, publican, Wells Somerset
Allen Thomas 25, son
unmarried, actor in theatre, Bristol Kingsdown
Charles Sowden 17, son unmaried, carpenter,
Bristol Kingsdown
Emma Remball 17, servant unmarried, servant general, Chipping Sodbury
Thomas
Tabbot 16, servant unmarried, pot boy, Taunton
CENSUS 1881.
James Milford, W M Alphington,
Devon, England Head Licensed Victualler 40
Ellen Milford, F Woolbrough, Devon, England
Daur Scholar 12
James Milford, M Woolbrough, Devon, England Son Scholar 7
Louisa
Murray, U F Canada Niece Barmaid 20
Lucy Churchill, U F Bristol, Gloucester, England
Serv General Servant 20
Edward Higgs, U M Bristol, Gloucester, England Serv Billiard
Marker 13
The opening lines from ‘Early Music Hall In Bristol’ a pamphlet by Kathleen
Barker.
Wine is the thing
That makes a body sing...
Pass round the bottle and start...
(Hooray
for Daisy, Theatre Royal, 1959)
‘In this spirit was music hall born, in Bristol as
elsewhere; in the taverns and the randier eating houses, at the Pleasure Gardens
where song and dance accompanied al fresco refreshment. The first trace of organised
entertainment in a Bristol public house comes in 1789, when the proprietor of the
Old Trout Tavern in Cherry Lane off Stokes Croft advertised “Comus Court” to be held
on 6 June, when
The Gentlemen of the original Catch-