Southwark St George Martyr index
This may well have started life as the Surrey Tavern, which was used for
Masonic meetings in 1776. It was the Surrey Coffee House by 1796, and in
1810 one of the clerks of the Bank of England was seen in an intoxicated
state in the coffee house, from which after being beaten he was turned out
by a gentleman who charged him with attempting to steal his pocket
handkerchief. For being drunk the clerk was ordered to resign his position
at the bank.
The Masons used it for lodge meetings in 1816. It became the Coal Hole or
Surrey Coal Hole sometime in the 1820s. In 1845, the landlord Richard
Shepherd renamed it the Flower of the Forest, after a play at the next door
Surrey Theatre (Owned by Grand Met) - although named the Surrey Coal Hole in
the 1848 license transfer and 1851 Kelly directory.
It was demolished in the early 1990s and the name transferred to the
Oxford
Arms, at 14 Westminster Bridge Road. The site is now part of a huge office
block used by the Polytechnic of the South Bank, the site of the Theatre is
marked by a plaque commemorating the fireman who lost their lives here in
World War Two, the Flower of the Forest was on the left as you look at the
theatre. ***
Although mostly listed in Post Office directories in the singular, it is shown in the 1869 Directory as well as on Ordnance Survey maps from the 1950s/1960s as Flowers of the Forest, and this pluralised form of the name is the one which survives for the current pub at 14 Westminster Bridge Road. *
A listing of historical London public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Southwark St George Martyr, Surrey, London. The Southwark St George Martyr, Surrey , London listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
Residents at this address.
Lodge of Unity, now the Lodge of Union from 1786, meets at the Surrey Theatre Coffee house, Blackfriars road, London in 1811
1811/John Branscomb, Surrey Theatre Coffeee house, Blackfriars road/../../Holdens Directory
1827/Fras Robert Honeyman, Surrey Theatre Coffee House, Blackfriars road/../../Pigot's Directory
1832/Surrey Theatre, 123 Blackfriars Road/../../Robsons Directory
1839/John Theodore, Surrey Coalhole, 123 Blackfriars Road/../../Pigot's Directory *
1842/John Theodore, Surrey Coalhole, 123 Blackfriars Road/../../Robsons Directory
1845/Richard Shepherd/../../../.. ***
January 1848/John William Tabernacle/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1848/Abraham Simmons/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1851/Abraham Simmons/../../../Kellys Directory
April 1853/Alfred Browne/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
April 1853/Richard Samuel Thorne/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1856/Richard S. Thorne/../../../Post Office Directory *
November 1856/Richard Samuel Thorne/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
Newspaper
November 1856/Joseph Kerschner/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
April 1863/Albert Thomas Harris/Outgoing Licensee/../../South London
Chronicle
April 1863/Joseph James Osment/Incoming Licensee/../../South London
Chronicle
October 1865/Joseph James Osment/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
October 1865/James Robinson/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1869/James Robinson/../../../Post Office Directory
November 1870/James Robinson/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
November 1870/Harriet Stevens/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1871/Harriet Stevens/Licensed Victualler/28/Kent/Census
1871/John Stevens/Nephew/9/Kent/Census
1871/Alfred Stevens/Nephew/6/Kent/Census
1871/Harriet Stevens/Niece/4/Kent/Census
1871/Thomas Stevens/Nephew/10 months/Middlesex/Census
1871/Susan Catherine Hobbs/Servant/22/London/Census
1871/William Smith/Waiter/24/St Saviour, London/Census
1880/William Lloyd/../../../Post Office Directory **
1881/John Osment/Licensed Victualler/28/Surrey/Census
1881/Emily Osment/Wife/32/Limehouse, Middlesex/Census
1881/Selina Taylor/Domestic Servant/21/Worcester/Census
1881/Henry French/Barman/26/Sudbury, Suffolk/Census
1881/Robert Archer/Barman/19/Lambeth, Surrey/Census
1882/William Lloyd/../../../Post Office Directory
1884/William Lloyd/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/John Osment/../../../Post Office Directory
1895/John Phillips Cash/../../../Post Office Directory
1899/George Cooper/../../../Post Office Directory
1910/Frederick Thomas Coupland/../../../Post Office Directory
1915/Mrs Mary Coupland/../../../Post Office Directory
1921/Maria Garwood/../../../Hughes Directory *
1938/Jas Surtees/../../../Post Office Directory
1944/Thomas R Williams/../../../Post Office Directory
* Provided By Ewan
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Bill Rigby