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Walton pub history index
Portobello, High Street, Walton - Photo by Putmans Photographers
Kittys Bar, Portobello in 1963 - Photo by Putmans Photographers
The following entries are in this format:
Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.
1839/John Palmer/../../../Pigot's
1845/William Dixey/../../../Post Office
1848/Robert Barnard Hubbard/Copperas Agent, &c./../../White's
1851/Robert B. Hubbard/../../../Post Office
1851/Robert P Hubbard/innkeeper + farmer (60 acres 4 men/1 boy)/43/Walton,
Essex/Census ***
1851/Rebecca Hubbard/wife/37/Kirby le Soken, Essex/Census ***
1851/Emma Harvey/general servant/18/Walton le Soken, Essex/Census ***
1851/Robert Harvey/cow boy/15/Walton le Soken, Essex/Census ***
1851/Charles Hewitt/ostler/15/Walton le Soken, Essex/Census ***
1851/Josias Dunningham/lodger, painter/40/Colchester, Essex/Census ***
1855/R. B. Hubbard/../../../Kelly's*
1856/Mrs. Hubbard/../../../Post Office
1862/William Beachey Head/../../../Kelly's
1867/Charles Randell/../../../Post Office
1870/Charles Randall/Grocer & Draper/../../Kelly's
1871/Charles Randall/Grocer & Draper/../../Post Office
1874/Charles Randell/Grocer & Draper/../../Kelly's
1878/Charles Randell/Grocer & Draper/../../Post Office
1882/Charles Randall/Grocer & Draper/../../Kelly's
1886/Walter Robinson Partridge/../../../Kelly's
I am the great-grandson of Edward Chapman, who is listed as the proprietor
of the Portobello Hotel, during the years 1894 to 1899.
This bit of family history is very vague and ambiguous to those of us who
survive. The family immigrated to Canada in the early 1900s, although no one
seems to know for sure which year. My grandfather, George Frederick Chapman
(born Ipswich, 1890) returned to England to serve in the army during WW I,
but again details are sketchy. We have, remaining in our possession, two,
late-1890s letters from Edward to a nephew in which he speaks of a very bad
flood in Walton as well as the lengthening of the pier – one of the letters
is on hotel letterhead. We also have a few pieces of glass bar-ware with the
name, Portobello Hotel, Walton on the Naze etched into the glass. This is
virtually all we know and have, but have been delighted to see your site and
to find old photos and images of the Portobello on the archives of the
Walton on the Naze official site.
I
briefly visited Walton on a day-trip from London, in about 1984, and took a
photo of the Portobello, looking very down at heels – in fact, I think the
building may even have been for sale at the time. I was not able to connect
with any local historical society at the time, and in those pre-internet
days did not pursue any kind of research.
1894/Edward Chapman/Proprietor/../../Kelly's
1895/Edward Chapman/../../../Kelly's
1898/Edward Chapman/../../../Kelly's
1899/Edward Chapman/../../../Kelly's
1902/Harry Padfield/Proprietor/../../Kelly's
1906/Harry Padfield/../../../Kelly's
1908/Harry Padfield/../../../Kelly's
1910/Herbert A. Wightman/../../../Kelly's
1910/Herbert Andrus Wightman/../../../Birth Certificate**
1910/Annie (nee Fitzpatrick) Wightman/Wife/../../Birth Certificate**
1912/Herbert A. Wightman/../../../Kelly's
1914/Frederick W. Smith/Grocer, 17 Old Pier Street & Bootmaker & Clothier,
38 High Street/../../Kelly's
1917/Frederick W. Smith/Bootmaker & Clothier/../../Kelly's
1922/Frederick W. Smith/Bootmaker & Clothier/../../Kelly's
1925-6/Frederick W. Smith/Bootmaker 36 & Clothier 38 High
Street/../../Kelly's
1929/Frederick W. Smith/Proprietor/../../Kelly's
1933/E. R. Ashman/Proprietor/../../Kelly's
1937/R. A. Brown/Proprietor/../../Kelly's
* Provided by the Pubs, Inns and Taverns Index for England, 1801-1900
** Provided by Veronica Pearce, the great granddaughter of Annie
Wightman. Annie registered the birth of her granddaughter, Mary
Davies, in 1910.
*** Provided by John Mead
Provided by Jeffrey Chapman
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