Bristol Spirit Vaults

The Bristol Spirit Vaults stood on the northern side of Pembroke Street, on the corner of St Stephen’s Street and was, around the time this photograph was taken, owned by the Starkey, Knight and Ford brewery of Bridgewater. However the principal landowners in Devonport, the St Aubyn Estates, bought it back for redevelopment in the early thirties and time was called in the pub for the last time at the end of September 1933.

The poster on the pub window would doubtless date the picture fairly precisely but sadly all we can ascertain from it is that the popular vaudeville comic monologist, Fred Duprez, was appearing at the Devonport Hippodrome and the date is hidden from view. Judging from the caps and the charabanc though it could not have been that long before the pub closed.

Licensees

1812 - Henry Kay
1822 - Richard Rottenbury
1844 - Jacob Copplestone
1850 - Jane Copplestone
1852 - John Broadlick
1862 - George Beer
1867 - Martin Bentley
1878 - Thomas Searle
1880 - W Williams
1890 - John Ackland
1893 - George Bull
1898 - James Hancock
1906 - W Watkins
1911 - P Sutton
1914 - Thomas Sutton
1921 - Elizabeth Sutton
1928 - James Honeyard