ANCHOR & HOPE
56 Threefield Lane (corner with Chandos Street)
Brewing sarted 1834
Brewing ceased Circa 1857?
Taken over by Eldridge Pope
Dave Marden in his book Before Holyrood refers to this beerhouse when its address was on the South side of Chandos Street. It had a frontage to Threefield Lane but no separate number, (being between Nos 56, and 54 Threefield Lane). Nos 54 down to 34 were originally Nos 1-11 Eldon Terrace dating back to the 1830s. He also says the Anchor and Hope was sometimes listed at No 68 Threefield Lane, which is on the corner with College Street (stay with me, this is relevant!).
The 1834 Fletcher Directory refers to “Cave Henry brewer & retailer College Street” and the 1839 Fletcher & Sons directory shows “Cave Henry retail brewer Chandos Street”. In Newspapers of 31st August 1839, and 26th December 1840 there is reference to William Henry Cave brewer, and maltster at Eldon Terrace, having applied for a licence.
I conclude therefore that the Cave family were involved in this beerhouse from 1834 as brewers. The Hampshire Advertiser of 19th May 1838 carries a sad report of a fatal accident “at Mr Cave’s brewery”. James Cave, in his 60s, was sitting on the front of a copper filled with boiling liquid at his Nephew’s (Henry Cave) brewery in Chandos Street. Henry Cave saw his uncle sitting there, and he was going upstairs when he heard a noise. He looked up and could not see James, but having looked again, he saw that James had fallen in to the copper. He and a Charles Hailes grabbed his braces and pulled him out. James said he was unhurt and walked away, but about two hours later he complained about burns to his hands, arms, and back. He admitted that he had been told many times not to sit on the Copper and that no one was to blame but him. It seemed that in being pulled out, he had been burned against the inside surface of the boiling copper, and it was found he had also suffered a blow to the head. He sadly died later. The inquest recorded accidental death.
Henry Cave is shown in the 1841 Census as a brewer at Chandos Street, aged 44 years, and living with him is a James Cave, a Coachmaker, aged 36 years. He is not described as a ’brother’, but could he have been Henry’s brother? From the 1843 Fletcher & Forbes Directory, Henry Cave is shown as a brewer, save for 1848, when there is no reference to ‘brewer’ and he is at Eldon Terrace. The last entry is in 1851 when he is shown as being at the Anchor & Hope.
The Hampshire Advertiser of 25th October that year reports another sad accident befalling the Cave family, this time to Henry. “Mr. Cave, brewer, and landlord of the Anchor and Hope public house, Chandos Street, had been out for a ride in the country, in company with a little girl”. On their return journey in the fly, they proceeded down Bevois Hill at a walking pace, but the horse suddenly took fright and started off at the rate of nearly twenty miles an hour. Mr. Cave, who was a heavy man, jumped out, and he fell upon one foot, breaking the ankle bone to splinters. He was immediately taken to the Infirmary, when it was discovered that the injuries he received were of so serious a nature that it was necessary to amputate the shattered limb between the ankle and knee. The horse, the driver and unnamed little girl escaped unhurt.
Henry Cave is still shown as a brewer and retailer of beer in the 1851 Census, married to Mary. At the same address there is also listed a John Rose, brewer’s assistant, as a ‘servant’, aged 22 (the following entry is for 88 Chandos Street where the Rose family were pig butchers). By 1861, Rose is a railway porter. On 22nd November 1851 the Hampshire Advertiser announced the death of Mr H Cave of Eldon Terrace brewer aged 45. I can only speculate as to whether this arose from the accident. By 1853 directories show his wife Mary Cave as a brewer at the Anchor & Hope, and in 1855, we find William Prince there, a ‘fly proprietor & brewer’. He appears again in 1857, and was still here in 1858, as during transfer sessions in June 1858, he transferred the licence for the Anchor and Hope to James Cave, who, at the same time, transferred his licence at the Compton Arms, Compton Walk, to Thomas Warner Hill. The Compton Arms was previously the Brewers Arms.
It seems clear that following Henry’s death, his widow carried on for a period before transferring to, or employing, William Prince to brew, before James moved back to take over.James Cave is listed in directories as being at 2 Compton Walk from 1843 to 1849, but is then listed as a brewer and innkeeper here in 1859, and 1863. In 1853 he is a ‘Herald Painter’ at 2 Compton Walk. Did he brew for the Compton Arms, or was he simply an innkeeper who brewed for his family? That seems unlikely, although I cannot find other evidence of brewing here. The 1846 map of Southampton shows the Brewers Arms at what could be No 2 Compton Walk, although Tony Gallagher in his book ‘Southampton’s Inn and Taverns’ places this as number 20.
From the odd references that I have found, the name ‘Cave’ is well associated with brewing. In December 1859 newspapers I saw reference to the “aged landlord of a small public house at Yarbridge (IoW) named Cave”, and to his “small beer brewery”. In June 1862, there is mention of a G Cave, brewer in Romsey, and in June 1853, a Wm Cave brewer in Hartley Witney. I believe this may be the same William Cave, well known brewer of Odiam, who died on 4th February 1876 (Newspapers of 12th February). In 1877, George Cave of Lion Brewery Romsey also died. I cannot say with certainty however that they were part of the same family.
Tony Gallagher in his book ‘Southampton’s Inns and Taverns’ states that this beerhouse was leased to Eldridge Pope (brewers of Dorchester) in 1875.
I believe that the business went on to become Cave & Co, mineral water and beer merchants. In 1902 there is a newspaper advert for G H Cave wine merchants Broad Street, Est. 1879. Dave Marden in his book Southampton’s Old Kingsland and St Mary Street states that the brewery next to the Fawn Tavern (which also brewed, see the Fawn Tavern page) belonged to Cave & Co by the turn of the century. He also describes them as mineral water and beer merchants.