In 1860, landlord Frederick Kalkhoven opened a music room at the Sedan Chair, what
follows is a passage from a 1979 booklet by Kathleen Barker entitled ‘Early Music
Hall In Bristol’
Under Fred Kalkhoven it started with convivials in June 1860; extending
its range, in April 1861 Kalkhoven offered selctions from operas which in the previous
weeks had been given at the Theatre Royal; the following month “the Evans’s of Bristol”
(as he was pleased to nickname his room) housed an African Opera (i.e. black faced
minstrel) Troupe; and in August he was busy trying to form a Glee Club. The eccentric
Joey Jones, a London comic, held a levee on Boxing Night, when ... Aristocratic amateurs,
thriving tradesmen, honest artisans, each and all will meet with the warmest of welcomes,
every evening at 8. Hail! all Hail! The Era reported the Sedan Chair at this time
as “nightly well patronised by the gentry of Bristol and neighbourhood,” but Kalkhoven
gave up at the end of 1862 and the inn passed from the records as a singing room.
CENSUS
1841.
William Hedges 39, victualler, not born in county
Elizabeth Hedges 25, not born
in county
Charlotte Hedges 5, not born in county
Mary Kelly 35, servant, not born in
county
Jane Bush 16, servant, not born in county
John Edwards 35, master mariner, not
born in county
Mary Edwards 30, not born in county
William Edwards 7 months, not born
in county
Henry Frampton 40, general dealer, not born in county
John Frost 28, potato
dealer, not born in county
Samuel Rumney 25, seaman, not born in county
John Lake 20,
tailor, not born in county
John Tisare 45, cider dealer, Jersey
William Miller 40,
potato dealer, Ireland
CENSUS 1851.
William Hedges 50, head married, victualler, Shirehampton
Bristol
Elizabeth Hedges 38, wife married, High Littleton Somerset
Elizabeth Hedges
16, Daughter unmarried, Bristol
Charlotte Hedges 14, daughter, Bristol
Louisa Hedges
9, daughter scholar, Bristol
William Hedges 6, son scholar, Bristol
Henrietta Hedges
2, daughter, Bristol
Elizabeth Bush 64, wife’s mother, Chew Magna
Eliza Looly 19, servant
unmarried, general servant, Gloucestershire Cirencester
Mary Driscole 31, servant
married, general servant, Ireland
Robert Wilice ? 45, lodger married, mariner, Devon
CENSUS
1861.
Frederick De Kalkhoven 40, head widower, licensed victualler, Somerset Bath
Mary
De Kalkhoven 67, mother widow, no occupation, Devon Exeter
Emma Harding 21, servant
unmarried, barmaid, Bristol
Sarah Maggs 30, servant unmarried, cook, Somerset Clutton
William
Moore 18, servant unmarried, boots, Bristol
CENSUS 1871.
John A. Hemns 32, head married,
innkeeper, Worcestershire Norton
Elizabeth Hemns 32, wife married, Suffolk Mildenhall
Amy
Hemns 5, daughter, Middlesex Paddington
Frances A. Hemns 3, daughter, Bristol
John
S. Hemns 2, son, Somerset Bedminster
Henry Wise 29, boarder unmarried, seaman, Germany
Hamburg
CENSUS 1881.
George Francis 39, head married, licensed victualler, Somerset
Stable Mead
Caroline Francis 32, wife married, Bristol
George Francis 8, son, Bristol
Charles
Francis 6, son, Bristol
Kate Clark 21, servant, domestic, Dorset Dorchester
Jane Worrell
18, servant, domestic, Bristol
Charlotte Ball 14, servant, domestic, Bristol
Charles
Maby 60, servant unmarried, domestic, Bristol
Eada Walter 8, grandaughter, Bristol
William
Herbert 25, boarder unmarried, sailor, Bristol
Henry Herbert 22, boarder unmarried,
clerk, Bristol
CENSUS 1891.
George Francis 47, head widower, licensed victualler, Somerset
Old Ford
George F. Francis 19, son single, barman, Bristol
Charles Francis 16, son
single, flax spinner’s clerk, Bristol
Ada M. Walters 19, grandaughter single, barmaid,
Bristol
Kate Daily 24, single, domestic servant, Bristol
Carrie Bowden 17, single,
domestic servant, Wiltshire Bradford on Avon
CENSUS 1901.
George Francis 58, head married,
licensed victualler, Somerset Frome
Elizabeth Francis 40, wife married, Glamorgan
St.Andrew’s
Diana Fowler 73, mother in law widow, Glamorgan St.Andrew’s
Jane Boyd 37,
sister widow, barmaid, Glamorgan St.Andrew’s
William Boyd 18, boarder single, cycle
engineer, Glamorgan Cardiff
Elizabeth Boyd 12, boarder, Glamorgan Cardiff
Gwendoline
Boyd 10, boarder, Glamorgan Cardiff
Maggie Murphy 23, servant single, general domestic
servant, Ireland
George Walker 40, servant single, porter, barman, Gloucestershire
Clifton
Alfred Morgan 32, visitor single, shop assistant - draper, Glamorgan Llandaff
SEDAN CHAIR Broad Quay
1800 - 06. Charles Holmes
1816 - 22. James Taylor
1823 - 33.
Samuel Hazeldine
1837 - 53. William Hedges
1855. John Park
1856 to 1860. George Sharp
1860
- 63. Frederick de Alton Kalkhoven
1865 - 71. Lewis Bizley
1871. John Hemns
1872. Henry
Wiltshire
1873 to 1929. George Francis (sen & jun)
1930 - 31. Florence Mabel Creed
1935
- 38. John Webb
1944. Cyril Slocombe
1950 - 53. S. E. Slocombe
1975. C. D. G. Palmer
(Dunlop’s)
Charles Holmes was also a ship block maker.
Known as Dunlop’s for most of
the 1960’s and 70’s the Sedan Chair has suffered several more name changes over the
last few years and is now closed. The picture shows the pub in 1953, decked out for
the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Trading vessels moored outside the Sedan Chair around 1900. At the left of the picture
can be seen the Sun Insurance building on the corner of Clare Street (since re-built)
and the tower of St.Stephen’s church.