Grapes, 2 South Street, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Bishops Stortford index
This pub was present in 1850, initially as the Cherry Tree, and was rebuilt in 1934. It closed in 1966 and was demolished in 1967. ***
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Hertfordshire . The Hertfordshire listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
Residents at this address
1881/Robert B Quelch/Licensed Victualler/34/Bekshire Hall Kelloe,
Durham/Census **
1881/Sarah E Wildblood/Servant, Housekeeper/21/Wellington, Shropshire/Census
1881/Frances Curtis/Servant, General Servant/20/Bishops Stortford, Herts/Census
1882/John Franklin/../../../Post Office Directory
1890/Mrs Elizabeth Read/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Elizabeth A Read/Inn Keeper, Widow/33/Islington, London/Census
1891/Oliver Reed/Son/5/Hammersmith, London/Census
1891/H=Jas M E Read/Daughter/2/Shephers Bush, London/Census
1891/Mary A Read/Mother in Law, Widow/68/Willingham, Cambs/Census
1891/Beatrice Jeeves/General Servant/17/Felstead, Essex/Census
1895/Arthur James Green/../../../Post Office Directory
George Chapman, aka Severin Antoniovich Klosowski
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
1898/George Chapman/../../../Proceedings
of the Old Bailey***
1899/George Chapman/../../../Proceedings
of the Old Bailey ***
Landlord George Chapman’s real name was Severin Antoniovich Klosowski. In
1903 he was hanged at Wandsworth Prison for poisoning three ‘wives’,
including Bessie Taylor – his ‘wife’ when at the Grapes. He was also a
serious Jack the Ripper suspect who had been questioned over those murders
at the time. (If you read through the case papers at the link above, you
will see that he also managed a couple of London pubs in his time).
I have a picture of Klosowski that seems to be in the public domain ***
Here is a summary of 'Severin Antoniovich Klosowski' and his antics : *
Severin Lososowski was working as a hairdresser's assistant near the White
Hart, Whitechapel High Street in Jack the Ripper territory throughout 1888.
As a Polish immigrant, he "married" Lucy Baderski whom he met in a Polish
club in Clerkenwell. It was embarrassing when another woman arrived from
Poland claiming to be Mrs Klosowski. This awkward mess was settled in favour
of Lucy and in 1891 the couple emigrated to America. A year later Klosowski
returned alone leaving Lucy in America. He took up with a woman named Annie
Chapman, lived with her for about a year, adopted her surname claiming to be
an American named George Chapman. In 1895 he settled to living with Mary the
estranged wife of railwayman, Shadrack Spinks. They claimed to be married,
which if true, would have been bigamy for both; they moved to Hastings where
Chapman set up as a barber and Mary played the piano while he shaved
customers. This scheme was popular at first, but Mary's drunkeness caused it
to fail. They moved back to London where Chapman who had purchased some
tartar emetic, then became a publican. He took the licence of the Prince of
Wales in Bartholomew Square, off Old Street. Here Mrs Chapman fell sick and
died at the end of 1895. In 1898 Chapman "married" Bessie Taylor, they spent
a year managing the Grapes in Bishop's Stortford, and then in 1900 took the
Monument, Union Street Borough. Widowed once again when Bessie died in
February 1901, with his lease about to fall in, Chapman suffered a handy
fire. The insurance company believed it to be arson and did not pay up.
Chapman then took the licence of the Crown, at 213 Borough High Street. He
advertised for a new barmaid and took on Maud Marsh. Her family were less
sure about her live in post, despite Chapman's untrue assurance another
family lodged in the building. Maud's mother was horrified when Maud wrote
asking for advice now that Mr Chapman proposed paying her £35 (about a years
wages) and sending her home if she wouldn't let him have his wicked way with
her. Mrs Marsh was not reassured when a second letter arrived saying Maud
regretted the first letter, she was now engaged to Mr Chapman and very
happy. Finally Maud reported herself married in such a hurry there had been
no time for a family wedding. The young girl's hastiness proved fatal within
a year. This time the doctor was suspicious, with this being the second Mrs
Chapman he had treated for similar symptoms in the space of twenty months.
All three Mrs Chapmans were exhumed and their bodies found to be in
excellent state of preservation, characteristic of antimony poisoning.
Chapman was caught' *
1901/William H Adams/Licensed Victualler/48/Folkestone, Kent/Census **
1901/Jessie A Adams/Wife/42/Liverpool, Lancs/Census
1901/Ellen S Adams/Niece/20/Folkestone, Kent/Census
1901/William Carpenter/Lodger, None/50/Bristol, Somerset/Census
1901/Peter S Gardiner/Lodger, Commission Agent/62/Huntingdon, Hunts/Census
1902/William Henry Adams/../../../Herts Kellys Directory ***
1908/William Henry Lewington/../../../Kellys Directory **
1912/William Henry Lewington/../../../Post Office Directory
1914/William Henry Lewington/../../../Herts Kellys Directory ***
1922/William Henry Lewington/../../../Post Office Directory
1926/William Henry Lewington/../../../Post Office Directory
1929/William Henry Lewington/../../../Post Office Directory
1933/Reginald Horace Mote/../../../Post Office Directory
1937/Albert Harold Gains/../../../Post Office Directory
* Provided By Bill Rigby
** Provided By Colin Ager
*** Provided By Stephen Harris
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