Portobello, High Street, Walton-on-the-Naze

Walton pub history index

Portobello, High Street, Walton - Photo by Putmans Photographers

Portobello, High Street, Walton - Photo by Putmans Photographers

Kittys Bar, Portobello in 1963 - 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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  • And Last updated on: Thursday, 25-Jan-2024 16:03:52 GMT