Saturday 24 March 2012

Chelmsford, Essex, The Market House Pub [interior] c1908

Chelmsford, Essex, The Market House Pub [interior] circa 1908. This unprepossessing and badly damaged postcard may seem quite ordinary, but in my years of collecting postcards of pubs this is one of the handful that I have seen that show a real photo of a pub interior. Not a stylised advertising postcard pub interior, or one of the very common hotel bar interiors, this is a real rarity and shows an honest old-fashioned pub from over a hundred years ago. The Market House was at 1 Tindall Street, Chelmsford. Long since closed, this location is now home to a cocktail bar called 'Ancient Lights'. On a recent business trip to Chelmsford I snapped an early morning picture of Ancient Lights on my phone. I have no idea what it is like in the evening, but I suspect is is very different to the Market House pub of a hundred years ago.

Alas, we don't know precisely who the barman is. The pub at this time, 1908, was run by Thomas William Judge who had the pub from about 1898. The sender of the postcard identifies the barman as 'one of the sons' so it is likely to be Thomas W Judge (Jr), born 1877 or John A Judge, born 1879. The postcard was sent to a Mrs Evans in Kansas City, USA, in January 1909.

The strange white thing in the middle of the postcard is damage. Notice the fishtank and above that a model of a ship. I can't work out what are in the jars on the bar - snacks of some kind no doubt. There are eight handpumps on the bar, a good selection.

For more old photos why not visit the Sepia Saturday blog.

Click the pictures to enlarge.



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14 comments:

  1. That's a wonderful-looking bar. And serving Dewars according to the window. By the way, I'm glad you clarified the bit of photo damage. It looks like a waterspout springing from the fishtank.

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  2. Interesting picture with so many details. In between the snack jars on the bar are two glass covered cake plates. I was trying to figure out what the sign says near the ceiling, but couldn't.

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  3. Ancient Lights is it? Looks very interesting, I'd pop in there without a doubt. The first photo is quite a grand looking place for sure....very nice post, thanks.

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  4. That sign - Our Grand Old (?) Tea Galbant( ). It's good to see the Dewar's Perth Whisky too. Unfortunately places like this have disappeared; we had one such converted to a modern wine bar in recent years - no one goes there anymore.

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  5. A real treasure of a postcard! It's a fantastic scene!

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  6. You know you have me hooked with a pub picture. Wobderful original shot and equally wonderful comparison.

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  7. So much detail here. I hope the fish weren't there to be one of the snack choices!

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  8. So cool! That building is so old, yet is still there. Thanks for your fascinating post. They sure did have a lot of stuff in that bar.

    Kathy M.

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  9. This is a fantastic card; especially with the message on the back.

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  10. That's an interesting photo and very well done.

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  11. Alas, the Ancient Lights bar is a modern building, not the original pub

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  12. Terrific photo; so much nicer than the horrible "themed" pubs that are around these days.

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  13. A fine photo and indeed rare to see this common occupation. The fish tank fits into today's concepts of pub decor. As to "Ancient lights" I remember seeing a few signs with this slogan years ago around Chelsea. Later when I learned the meaning, it seemed the best kind of protection against offensive architecture.

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  14. The 1911 Census for England and Wales shows Thomas William Judge age 59 born in New York U.S.A. and British by parentage as the Publican at the Market House, Chelmsford. His wife is Emily Judge age 48 born in Cambridge (UK). They have one son and five daughters plus a domestic servant all staying at the premises. Their son was born in Cambridge and all the daughters were born in Chelmsford, Essex.

    Great photograph :)

    Steve

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