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Listed as the Grotto Hotel in the 1901 census. Now a large and much altered hotel. Opened in 1852 the original building was destroyed in 1944. The current pub opened in 1959. *
Our family lived in Radnor Road, Twickenham; a few hundred yards from the explosion which not only demolished the hotel but also some of the houses around including parts of the adjoining St.Catherine’s School. It was not a V2 rocket, but a V1 flying bomb or doodlebug, which came down at about 7 pm on a summer’s evening. My father had just reached the door of our house having just left the pub a few minutes earlier when the bomb fell killing everyone he had been drinking with a few minutes earlier. A lucky escape for him!
As this was the second V1 attack in Twickenham that day our family decamped straight away to my grandparents in Leamington to be out of harm’s way. **
The pub is now called the Alexander Pope Hotel. (2023)
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Middlesex.
Popes Grotto Hotel, Cross Deep, Twickenham - circa 1910 with landlord Joseph Frank Ewington
Kindly provided by Vincent O'Loughlin
Pope’s Grotto, Cross Deep, Twickenham - - circa 1980
Some of my friends and founding members of Pope's Grotto Wanderers Cricket Club can be seen to the left of the bay window
Kindly provided by John Kirwin
Pope’s Grotto, Cross Deep, Twickenham - in May 2010
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Residents at this address
1853 - 1855/Jonathon Turner/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1861/Robert Collard/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1870 - 1872/Thomas Bendy/../../../Kellys Directory ***
Morning Advertiser 14 August 1871
A special licence was granted to Mary Bendy , sole executrix of Thomas Bendy, late landlord of the Popes Grotto Tavern, Twickenham
1872/Mrs Elizabeth Bendy/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1874/George Powell/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1881/Edmond D Garwood/Licensed Victualler/63/Clerkenwell, Middlesex/Census
1881/Mary Ann Garwood/Wife/62/St Lukes, Middlesex/Census
1881/Robert J Garwood/Son, Assistant To Head/31/St James, Middlesex/Census
1881/Sarah A Garwood/Daughter In Law, Inn Servant, Widow/23/Braintree, Essex/Census
1881/Edmond J Garwood/Grandson/6/St Giles, Middlesex/Census
1881/Alice A Garwood/Grand Daughter/5/St Giles, Middlesex/Census
1882/Edmund Denham Garwood/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1885 - 1888/Frederick John Thompson/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1890 - 1894/Mrs Sarah Thompson/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1899/Mrs Elizabeth Hall (owner since pre 1885)/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1900/Robert Jay/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1901/Robert Jay/Publican/54/Dorking, Surrey/Census
1901/Elizabeth Jay/Wife/47/Strood, Kent/Census
1901/Ethel Money/Barmaid/20/Kesford, Lincolnshire/Census
1901/Alver Rolls/Domestic Servant/18/Wycombe, Bucks/Census
1901/Charles Saunders/Domestic Servant/24/Windsor, Berks/Census
Windsor and Eton Express. 03 January 1903
On the 29th ult at the Pope’s Grotto Hotel, Twickenham, the wife of Robert Jay, many years at the Grapes, Thames street, Windsor, aged 50 years
Middlesex Chronicle Saturday 13 February 1904 - Transfers of License ****
Grotto Hotel, Twickenham, from Robert Jay to Joseph Frank Ewington
1907/Joseph Frank Ewington/../../../Electoral Register
1911/Joseph Frank Ewington/Licensed Victualler/34/Kennington, Surrey/Census
1911/Hettie Marian Johns/Housekeeper/37/Cardiff, Glamorganshire/Census
1911/Margaret Flora Nash/Housemaid/15/Croydon, Surrey/Census
1914/Joseph Frank Ewington/../../../Kellys Directory ***
On 30 September 1914, Joseph Frank Ewington marries Florence Amelia Smith at Hockley St Saviour
1915/Joseph Frank Ewington of the Popes Grotto public house Twickenham Middlesex died 24 February 1915 Admin London 10 April to Florence Ewington, widow. Effects £3280 14s 8d
Middlesex Chronicle 13 March 1915 - Public House Transfers
Mrs Ewington, widow of the late landlord of the Grotto Hotel, Twickenham was granted protection
1922/Mrs Ewington/../../../Kellys Directory ***
1937/William Ansell/../../../Kellys Directory ***
The 1939 electoral register lists the following
John W H Ansell, Licensed Victualler, born 18 May 1905
Phyllis R Page (Ansell), Domestic Duties, born 28 Nov 1907
Henry WEllison, Bar Assistant, born 28 Jan 1882
Nora Strickland (Everett), Bar Assistant, born 30 Oct 1902
MichaelO'Halloran, Bar Assistant, born 13 Mar 1914
1940/John Ansell/../../../Kellys Directory ***
* Provided By Vincent O'Loughlin
** Provided By Colin Sykes
*** Provided By Kenneth Lea
**** Provided By Angel Miles
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