Gt YARMOUTH INDEX

Please note that houses are listed under the Ward they were situated in as recorded in the 1903 to 1953 Licence Registers.
Later boundary changes and renaming of Wards is not accounted for.

At the Brewster Sessions 24th August 1901, the Chief Constable reported that there were a total of 306 licences - Comprising:-

173 Ale Houses
97 Beer Houses
11 Off Licences
4 Wine Refreshment Rooms
20 Grocers Licences
&
1 Spirit Licence.
....
By 1936 LACONS owned 171 licensed houses in Gt. Yarmouth
....

Having a lovely time.....Lacons to the left, Hunts mineral waters to the right and a barrel in the centre.

It was recorded April 1834 that the Parliamentary Borough of Great Yarmouth contained a population of 25,999 persons and 572 vessels belonged to the port, which were manned by 3833 men.

By August 1841 the total population was said to be 25,251, which included those in the Workhouse, Hospital, Gaol and House of Correction and an allowance of 1,300 Sailors at Sea.

Messrs. Nicholls & Lee, merchants of Yarmouth, advertised 22nd February 1812, the availability of casks of newly imported Dantzic Black Beer. Orders would be taken for any quantity not less than one keg.

174 licenses were granted Friday 4th September 1846. No complaint had been made against any parties. One new application, by Mr. Haines, for premises on the corner of Queen Street, was refused since there were already ten public houses within one hundred yards.

It was reported September 1850 that eight new spirit licences had been awarded to beershops, in spite of many of them adjoining existing spirit shops. It was said that there were then upwards of 180 spirit dealers in the town of 30,000 inhabitants.

In September 1852 it was reported that there were 183 houses licensed to sell Beer and Spirits. There were 97 Beerhouses.

In May 1859 the paving commissioners announced a provision of the Town's Police Clauses Act, that any person keeping a public house, shop or room, for the sale of refreshments, knowingly suffering prostitutes or reputed thieves to assemble and continue in the premises, would be subject to a fine of 40s.

For several days in the first week of August 1853, a "beautiful West Indian Turtle, weighing upwards of one hundredweight" (about 51 Kg) was on display in a tub of sea water in the yard, to the rear of Marsh and Barnes' liquor shop.
It was presented by the worthy Mayor to the Race Committee towards the dinner to be held at the Royal Hotel on Tuesday 9th August 1853.

In September 1859 the magistrates advised that there were 156 public houses and 66 beerhouses giving 222 licensed premises.
41 in St Nicholas Ward (41)
21 in Market Ward (22)
25 in Regent Ward (24)
32 in St. George's Ward (32)
40 in Nelson Ward (40)
& 23 in St. Andrew Ward (23)
(These ward figures total 182, excluding beerhouses, so the 156 reported above seems in error . The 1859 total becoming 248. In 1857 the total was given as 182. Numbers in brackets are as given in 1857)

At the August 1864 Sessions 182 licenses were renewed (Full licences)
There were 42 public houses in St. Nicholas Ward.
21 in Market Ward
24 in Regent Ward
31 in St. George's Ward
41 in Nelson Ward
& 23 in St. Andrew Ward
Beerhouses were not accounted for.

Following the 1872 Licensing Act, it was reported, August 1873 that there were 183 fully licensed houses and 136 beerhouses (Including Gorleston)
There were a great number of houses that were not of the (annual) value required by the new legislation and so the magistrates could refuse licenses if the properties were not brought up to the required value.
The required value was £15 for Yarmouth and £11 for Gorleston.

29th October 1959 : Gt Yarmouth and District LVA Auxillary

October 1959 - A fine turnout of Gt Yarmouth (& district) landladies
visiting the Guinness Park Royal Brewery.
Recognise anybody?

Mrs. Stella Gates of the Cobholm Tavern is thought to be on the bottom row, 5th from right. (7)
Mrs Ethel Gladys Hood of the Lord Roberts is at the extreme right of the front row. (11)
(Thanks to Miss Jane Powley for the first identification - 28.08.2015)
Gladys Keeler of the Recruiting Sergeant is about central on the third row, (28)
standing behind the lady with the light coloured coat.
(Thanks to Peter Hacon and Marie, nee Schofield - 18.08.2022)

At the Yarmouth Licensing Sessions Thursday 1st February 1906, it was recorded that there were:-
168 fully licensed or ale-houses,
95 for beer to be consumed on or off the premises,
9 for the sale off the premises,
18 grocers selling wines, spirits, sweets, bottled beer, etc.
5 wine and refreshment licenses and
1 spirit licence.
296 total.
This was a decrease in 5 ale-houses and 9 beerhouses over the previous 10 years.
The police reported that they had made 230 visits, in plain clothes, to Hotels and Public-houses in the previous 12 months and on the whole the houses had been conducted in a satisfactory manner.
There had been a general decrease in the number of cases of drunkenness:-
1900, there were 315 of which 109 were strangers to the town.
1901, 306, 143
1902, 292, 150
1903, 310, 157
1904, 225, 35
1905, 156, 45
During the previous year, one person had been convicted 3 times and 6 persons were convicted twice.

The sixth excursion to Yarmouth, of several thousand employees of Messrs. Bass, Ratcliffe & Gretton Ltd. arrived in 14 special trains on Friday 26th July 1913. Their train ticket would give them free admission to the Royal Aquarium and Theatre Royal, Britannia Pier and Pavilion, Goode's Assembly Rooms for dancing, Wellington Pier, Pavilion and Gardens, Tolhouse Museum and Dungeons and the Nelson Room at the Star Hotel. Reduced rates arranged for Sea Bathing, Revolving Tower, Hippodrome, Gem Palace, Empire Playhouse, Scenic Railway, Nelson Monument and sea and river trips.

~

	At the Annual Licensing Sessions, held Friday 12th February 1932, before 20 magistrates, it was heard that during the past 24 years, there had been a reduction of 52 licenses in the Borough. Surviving were :- 149 Alehouses, 63 Beerhouses with On licences, 3 Wine On licences, 1 beer and wine On licence, 16 shops selling other goods as well as liquor and 5 other premises with Off beer licences. A total of 237. The wine licence of the Granville Hotel had not been used for two years and the off licence at 38, Bells Road, Gorleston, had not been used since September 1930. Deemed redundant, those licences should not be renewed. At the Sessions Friday 18th February 1938 the Chief Constable reported that there were 147 alehouses, 51 beerhouses, 2 wine licenses, 14 shops where liquor and other goods were sold and 5 other premises such as beerhouses with off licenses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	In early 1853, in the publication `Household Words', a Mr. Charles Dickens said.... `If you bear a grudge against any particular insurance company, purchase a heavy life annuity from them and go and live in Great Yarmouth...... As proof of this observation there are at the present time, residing on the Denes, not far from the Theatre Gates, in six adjoining houses, seven persons whose combined ages amount to 574 years, an average of 82 years.' GLOBAL WARMING........ on 3rd October 1886 it was reported that Mr. Beckett of White Horse Street had gathered several fine strawberries from his garden within the previous few days......... During the week of 7th July 1902, trial runs of the new Electric Trams were taking place. Unfortunately Mr. Woodcock of Brewery Place was driving his pony and trap along Northgate Street when it was in collision with a tram. He was thrown out, had his face badly cut and his vehicle was smashed. ~

It was proposed Tuesday 17th May 1870, that since the gaol was to be relocated and a handsome ecclesiastical edifice had been erected at the entrance to the street, the objectionable name of Gaol Street should be renamed to what it had previously been, Middlegate Street.
The Committee unanimously agreed.
It was also agreed that street names were to be erected on enamel plates for each street, rather than the existing lettering.