Handsaker licensee, Southampton, 1910s ?

[Bertie]

St Denys is a district of Southampton, England, approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of the city centre, opposite Bitterne Park on the River Itchen, to which it is linked by Cobden Bridge. It is now bounded by the river, and by the railway and A335 bypass, which divided part of the original parish from the remainder.

[Bertie]

If you look at the 1907 S'ton directory (see link I posted above) and then look at the Neighbourhood Directory Bassett-Hythe, you will see a section on Bitterne. Handsaker is not listed but there are a few "beer retailers" who may have been previous or subsequent licencees. By looking them up in the main street or residents directories for that year (separate PDFs) you might find the name of the Pub listed

[aland]

Bitterne Local History Society (bitterne.net put www in front) has alot of local directories covering that period, it may be worth getting in touch to see if they can help, in the meantime why not put the photo on the forum, someone might recognise it.

As with "progress" there are pubs in the St. Denys area that have been demolished but there are still a few left your photo might give it away.

[barbara lee]

Thank you all very much.
Mutley - I looked at the pub site and viewed the pictures that were available, but none looked like the pub in my photo.
Geoffers, Peter Goodey, Bertie and Aland - useful suggestions to follow up, thanks.
The census information that several of you contributed does suggest he was John Thomas Hansaker born 1878 Staffs, married Emily, daughter Elsie born 1908 Southampton, in Bromley 1911, wife died Bromley 1915, second marriage 1919 in Croydon. So the photo may be about 1908, definitely before 1911.
I am pretty sure the pub would have been in Southampton. My grandfather Fred Holly lived there all his life, he was a bricklayer and in the Territorials. He volunteered for overseas service at Southampton in November 1914 (after some of his Territorial mates who had volunteered in August had been killed). He left two little boys, my uncles, and his wife was expecting my mother.

The Handsaker pub is on this photo. My grandfather is the man in the back row with the straw hat, under the H of Handsaker.
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...hmoremates.jpg

This photo may be of the same pub but with a different licensee. It looks like ALB ---- USSEX. My grandfather is the man in the pierrot suit on the front row.
http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/a...nclownsuit.jpg
Any suggestions as to what is going on in this picture? Flowers in button holes and some very silly hats !

Cheers

Barbara

[LynA]

In the second photo I think the name ends in "en". If so this could tie in with Albert Fred Russen who was the publican at the Waterloo Arms, Dukes Road, St Denys in 1911.
Hope this helps,
Lynda

[pennydog]

I too think that the name on the second photo could be Albert Russen (The Alb and ssen are visible). Well done Lynda I think you have solved this for Barbara.

[Mutley]

I would imagine that the pub was very close to where granddad lived. Walking distance probably.
If I have found the right man in 1911, he lived at 61 Forster Road.

Do you have a map around that time to find out which pubs were close by. At least with a pub name and address, a licensee can often be found to confirm it.

On google maps today, there are The Bent Brief, The Hobbit, The Dungeon, The Bevois Castle and the Old Farmhouse but there may have been others that have been knocked down.

A long trawl but unless a member does recognise it I cannot think of another way.

[barbara lee]

Aha Lynda, you've got it!

My grandfather mentioned him in three of his letters home from Gallipoli, although he spelt his name Russon. I didn't think that it might be the Landlord of his local. He said

June 16 1915 "Go into Russons in Dukes Road and tell them I am going to write soon to them"
Later in June "Tell old Fred Russon I am writing to him by the next mail and tell him to remember me to all the boys and George Perry and old Shine Eye. He will know who that is, Mr Pouch what goes to sea."
August 4th 1915 "I have wrote to Ernest (his brother) at Shirley and also Fred Russon down the road."

So now I can tie up the photos to a place and also connect it to a name in his letters. Thanks!

Mutley - yes, Forster Road is my family.

Barbara