A Pint of History Please

Exploring the History of Ceredigion's Pubs

Details of pub: London and Provincial Stores, Aberystwyth

Other names: John James Market; Jimmy's Vaults, Railway Tea Warehouse
Address/Location: 32 and 34 Terrace Road
OS Grid Ref: SN5841781770
Opened: c. 1867      
Closed: NOT KNOWN       Type: Pub
Summary: In 1867 John James had a grocery and tea shop with a licence to sell wine and spirits, on the corner of Terrace Road and North Parade, opposite Watkins’ (who also sold wines and spirits). He sold the site to the London and Provincial Bank (now Barclays) in 1876. He then took over two plots slightly further down the street and built a market hall, at which he sold groceries, wines and spirits.
In 1879, James was accused of selling beer without a licence but he claimed that he had one for his old shop and assumed that it covered his new one too. The property was damaged by fire late on Christmas eve, 1880 when those who helped put it out ‘were, to say the least, not as sober as judges,’ but it was soon repaired and to the rear of the shop he built a large public hall. This was destroyed by fire in 1890, and soon after, which the present building was erected. The shop continued to sell wines and spirits and became a pub too, in the style of an American Western Saloon, with spring doors and sawdust on the floor and large barrels of beer behind the counter which supplied tankards, for consumption on the premises, or bottles to take away. It is now occupied by the Spar shop.


Notes: 1867
Advert for a wide range of goods, trading as the 'New Railway Tea Warehouse, North Parade'

1870
A general CORN, BUTTER and POULTRY MARKET, with convenient Stalls for Fruit, Vegetables, Fish etc., the want of which has been felt for many years, is about to be provided, of proper dimensions; in fact, the public are now promised two such Market places, and companies are being formed for the construction of both. One scheme is to enlarge the present market by adding a story to it; the other is to be construct an entirely new market, on that space of ground in Terrace Road, between the London Tea Warehouse, North Parade, and Portland Street, having an entrance from Terrace Road and also from Baker Street.
Morgan, T.O., (1870), Guide to Aberystwyth, Postscript, p. [189]

1870
THE TERRACE-ROAD NEW MARKET HALL.
This splendid building has almost been completed, and being situated in such a convenient, central, and commanding spot, the greater part of the market floor has been already let tor stalls of various kinds. We noticed there the other day a great quantity of corn, and it is rumoured that Several farmers who patronized the old market in the upper part of the town will henceforth bring their corn to this market, as the building is so well adapted for exhibiting goods. Some beautiful stalls are in the possession of the butchers, and when dressed up on Saturday look remarkably well. There are also, in another part of the building, several stalls containing fancy goods, and the style in which they are laid out is truly fascinating. Mr James deserves great praise for taking the lead in forming an organization which was the cause of bringing forth this structure, it being not only a boon to the inhabitants and the people of the neighbourhood, but also a great improvement in the part of the town in which it is situated.
CN 15.10.1870

1875
John James
occupation: market, wine and spirit merchant
no number, Terrace Road
source: Slater's 1875

1875
Advert in CN lists address as 51 North Parade

1875
James, John, occupation , Wine and spirit merchant, Tea Dealers, wholesale and retail,
house no.: Terrace Road
source Worrall's Directory 1875

1879
John James prosecuted for no licence. Argues that old licence covers new premises. see att.


1880
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT ABERYSTWYTH. The lofty and handsome pile of buildings in North- parade and Terrace-road, owned by Mr James, and occupied by Mr Vaughan, The London and Provincial Bank, and by the owner, are well known. The wine -stores, heavily stocked with wines and spirits, occupied by Mr James himself, adjoin the Post-office which was formerly part of the market in Terrace-road on one side, and the London and Provincial Bank on the other. About twenty minutes past eleven on Christmas Eve, or soon afterwards, the cry of fire was raised and quickly spread through the town. Men, women, and boys ran through the streets and shouted as they ran, Tan, tan; fire, fire." Almost from the moment of the first alarm there was the reflection of fire to be seen over Mr Evan Morgan's premises. A crowd quickly gathered at the corner of North- parade and Terrace-road. Owing to the flood of Wednesday night, which extinguished the fires in the retorts at the gas works, there was a scarcity of gas, and the public lights were out; but before long the manager of the works caused the lamps in the neighbourhood to be lighted. The crowd as usual on these occasions was excited, and was under nobody's control. As it was Christmas Eve, and within half-an-hour of Christmas Day, a large proportion of the early arrivals were, to say the least, not as sober as judges, and consequently not in the best condition for rendering efficient assistance. … … …
CN 31.12.1880

1884
John James
occupation: grocer etc
address: London and Provincial Stores Terrace Road
source: Kelly's trade directory, 1884

1886
John James unsuccessfully applies for a licence for 39 Great Darkgate Street - see att.

1888-1944
various, occupation:
from : to various,
house no.: 32 Terrace Road
source abstract of title page
date: ..1888-1944 lease box no. 33.16 with lease Plans

1890
MR. JOHN JAMES'S STORES and vaults AND St JAMES' HALL DESTROYED, MESSRS. WILLIAMS AND WHITE'S WAREHOUSE GUTTED.
… A considerable portion of the Terrace Road frontage was occupied by a long one storied building originally intended for a market hall, and for some years used as a fish and vegetable market. Then when the London and Provincial Banking Company took the corner shop formerly occupied by Mr John James as grocery stores, Mr James cut off a portion of the Market Hall and utilized it for the sale of groceries. He also altered the premises for the accommodation of the Post Office and the year before last converted the middle portion of the market into a commodious assembly-room which became known as St. James's Hall.
Last summer Mr Dyson had the hall covered with a flooring of wood and converted it into a comfortable room capable of holding an audience of 1,000 people. A large wooden Platform with dressing rooms were constructed at the Western end. The roof was supported by massive wooden pillars, and high partitions containing many thousand feet of wood divided the hall from the storage room at the back and from the wine and beer vaults and the entrances in the front as well as from the grocery stores at the eastern end. The premises next [to] the hall are shops occupied by Mr Truscott, Mrs Clapperton, Mr Purton, Mrs Garner and Mr Wheatley and devoted to the sale of jewellery, toys, confectionery and music. The other side of the block consists of a two-storied building used as a warehouse by Messrs Williams and White as general ironmongery and mining stores. It has a frontage to Baker-street, and the back wall immediately adjoins Mr James's premises. On either side of the warehouse are cottages occupied by Mrs Owen, Mrs Williams, Miss Hughes, and Capt. David Lloyd. The grocery stores is roughly estimated to have contained a stock in flour, wine, beer, &c., worth about £2,000 or £ 3.000. The ironmongery contained Warehouse is said to be worth about £3,000. The fire has completely gutted the grocery stores, wine vaults and St. James's Hall, as well as the warehouse. The Groceries have been completely destroyed. The salvage of ironmongery is not expected to be of much value, and this is to be regretted, seeing that the whole loss will not be covered by insurance.
[The building between the Post Office and Mr Truscott’s was completely destroyed, but those two buildings survived.]
The plate glass windows in the milliner’s shop, [opposite] occupied by Miss M Morgan Jones were shattered and the windows of Mr T Ellis, Mr Hughes, Mr Evans and Mr Lloyd were broken and scorched … Mr and Mrs Hughes grocery business on the opposite side …
CN 21.3.1890

1893
J. R. JAMES (LATE OF THE LONDON AND PROVINCIAL STORES), 10, North Parade, Aberystwyth (Next Door but one to the London and Provincial Bank), FAMILY GROCER, PROVISION MERCHANT AND PATENT MEDICINE VENDOR. BEGS to announce to the public generally that he has opened the above premises, and has in stock a CHOICE SELECTION of the FINEST TEAS …
CN 5.5.1893

1894
LONDON AND PROVINCIAL STORES, TERRACE ROAD, ABERYSTWYTH (Adjoining the Post Office.) JOHN JAMES & CO., TEA, WINE, SPIRIT, AND PROVISION MERCHANTS. …
CN 21.9.1894

1895
John James and Co., grocer
32 & 34 Terrace Road
source: Slater's 1895

1900 (about)
James, John, occupation Tea, Wine, Spirit and Provision Stores,
house no.: 32 Terrace Road John James and Co., adjoining the Post Office source Peeps at Picturesque Wales page 16
date: ..1900 (about) 1984.237.13 advert

1900
James's Stores tea, wine, spirit and provision merchant, London and Provincial stores
32 & 34 Terrace Road
source: Bennett's Business Directory, 1900

1902
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 & 34 Terrace Road
source Anon, (1902), A Souvenir of Aberystwyth page 61
date: ..1902 2000.39.78 advert

1903-1936
32 Terrace Road
John James and Co. occupation: grocer and wine and spirit merchant
source: Wales Trades' Directory

1905
Petty Sessions: Aberystwyth; number on list: 21; name of premises: London and Provincial Stores; Parish / Place: Aberystwyth; Licensee: James, William; owner or tenant : owner ; registered owner : W James, London and Provincial Stores; free or tied: free; tied to: [blank]; type of licence: full; on or off licence: on; number of licensed days per week: 6. (1905 list)

1906
John James
occupation: grocers
32 & 34 Terrace Road
source: Kelly's, 1906and 9 Baker Street

1910
32 Terrace Road Vaults
occupier: John James and Co
Owner: selves
Gross annual value: £70 note John James stores
source: Duty on land values, 1910, Ceredigion Archives T/DV/2, page 87 no. 1760

1914
John James and Co
occupation: grocer
address: 32 & 34 Terrace Road
source: Kelly's trade directory 1914

1915
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32-34 Terrace Road James' Stores source National Eisteddfod programme, 1915 page 42
date: ..1915 72

1920
James, John, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 & 34 Terrace Road John James and Co.,
source Anon, (1920), Programme of Infirmary Bazaar page 20
date: ..1920 AYB 39 advert

1920
John James
occupation: grocers
32 & 34 Terrace Road
source: Kelly's, 1920

1920 = 1921
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 Terrace Road James' Stores source Anon, (1920), Aberystwyth, What to See and How to See it page 50
date: ..1920 = 1921 72 AYB12 advert

1923
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 & 34 Terrace Road
source Aberystwyth Corporation, (1923), Aberystwyth, the Biarritz of Wales, page 158
date: ..1923 AYB37 advert

1926
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 James' Stores Terrace Road James' Stores source Anon, (1926), Aberystwyth, What to See and How to See it page 47
date: ..1926 72 1991.35.1 advert

1926
James, occupation grocer & wine and spirit merchant,
house no.: 32 & 34 James' Stores Terrace Road
source Anon, (1926), Official Guide and Souvenir page 121
date: ..1926 72 1973.217.17 advert

1928
James, occupation grocer,
house no.: 32 & 34 James' Stores Terrace Road
source Anon, (1928), Parish Magazine for Aberystwyth churches page 3
date: ..1928 72 AYD 15 advert

1945-1958
various, occupation:
from : to various,
house no.: 32 Terrace Road
source abstract of title page
date: ..1945-1958 lease box no. 33.16

1959
32 & 34 Terrace Road James Stores
reason for plans: Improvements David Roberts
date of deposit of plan: 16.4.1959
source: Aberystwyth Borough plans register 1940 Ceredigion Archives, CDC/A/BP/1

1960
32 & 34 Terrace Road
reason for plans: Alterations to wine shop and grocery David Roberts
date of deposit of plan: 17.6.1960
source: Aberystwyth Borough plans register 2037 Ceredigion Archives, CDC/A/BP/1




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