Railway Tavern, 116 West India Dock road, Poplar E14
Poplar index
Existed from at least 1841. Best known as 'Charlie Browns'; Charlie Brown arrived as licensee in around 1897, remaining until his death in June 1932. His funeral drew the largest crowds for a traditional East End funeral. On his death, the licence of the Railway Tavern was inherited by his daughter Ethel and her husband Tom Chandler, whilst his son Charles William was at the Blue Posts, and they then moved on to the Roundabout Public House in Woodford. All these Public Houses were affectionately known as 'Charlie Browns'..
In 1982 the pub was officially renamed Charlie Brown's. It was demolished in November 1989 to make way for the Limehouse Link Road. **
This pub is listed as 9 Wellington Place, West India Dock Road in the 1856 and earlier directories. ***
A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Poplar, East London.
Railway Tavern, 116 West India Dock Road, Limehouse, E14 and Charlie Brown - circa 1925
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Railway Tavern, 116 West India Dock Road, Limehouse, E14 - circa 1986 shortly before demolition
From the Archives of East London & City CAMRA".
The Blue Posts and the Railway Tavern, West India Dock Tavern in the same photograph
Kindly provided by John Carnaby
Some of Charlie Brown's Worlds Treasures
Some of Charlie Brown's Worlds Treasures - part 2
Some of Charlie Brown's Worlds Treasures - part 3
Some of Charlie Brown's Worlds Treasures - part 4 & 5
Kindly provided by Colleen
Residents at this address.
1841/Thomas Parish/Licensed Victualler/50/../Census *+
1841/Mary Parish/../50/../Census
1841/Thomas Parish/Carpenter/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Esther C Parish/../25/../Census
1841/Elizabeth Parish/../15/Middlesex/Census
1841/Esther Carman/../60/../Census
1841/John Grinsell/Male Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1841/Eliza Jones/Female Servant/20/Middlesex/Census
1848/William Verey/../../../Post Office Directory ***
August 1847/William Verey/ Outgoing Licensee /../../The Era
August 1847/Richard William Howlett/ Incoming Licensee /../../The Era
1851/William Howlett/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1851/William Howlett/Licensed Victualler, Widower/44/Oxfordshire/Census ***
1851/Ann Howlett/Niece, Servant in Bar/22/Oxfordshire/Census
1851/Eliza Burnard/Niece, Servant in Bar/15/Oxfordshire/Census
1851/Matthew Cowen/Potman/29/Not Known/Census
1851/Mary Mestestun/Cook/32/Kingstown, Dublin, Ireland/Census
1851/Elizabeth Thomas/Visitor, Dressmaker/17/Oxfordshire/Census
1851/Alexr. Moore/Potman/23/Oxfordshire/Census
1852/William Howlett/../../../Watkins Directory **
1856/William Howlett/../../../Post Office Directory ***
August 1859/Harriet Howlett/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
August 1859/Alfred Cole/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
1861/Alfred Cole/Victualler/25/Enfield/Census
1861/Mary Ann Busby/Servant/23/Horselydown/Census
1861/Fanny Thorsley/Servant/19/Limehouse/Census
1861/Harriet Bowley/Servant/24/Middlesex/Census
1861/John Westling/Waiter/40/Yarmouth/Census
May 1862/Alfred Cole/LV Association/../../Era
January 1863/Samuel Lovegrove and James Lovegrove/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
January 1863/Robert Clark and Emma Morrison/Incoming Licensee/../../Era Newspaper
May 1866/Robert Clarke and Emma Morrison/Outgoing Licensee/../../Era
May 1866/Robert Clarke, Emma Morrison and Robetr Clarke the younger/Incoming Licensee/../../Era
1869/Alfred Cole/../../../Post Office Directory **
1871/Alfred Cole/Licensed Victualler/35/Enfield, Middlesex/Census
1871/Harriett Howlett/Pastorer, Widow/59/Thane, Oxfordshire/Census
1871/Charles Jennings/Barman/23/Bethnal Green/Census
1871/William Wilcott/Potman/19/Marylebone/Census
1871/Elizabeth McCarthy/General Servant/22/Poplar/Census
1871/Sophia Ray/Visitor, Milliner/38/Thane, Oxfordshire/Census
1871/Thomas Hutchens/Visitor, Cook/20/Islip, Oxfordshire/Census
1871/William Lee/Visitor, Clerk/56/Oxford, Oxfordshire/Census
October 1873/Alfred Cole/Outgoing Licensee/../../East London Observer
October 1873/Harriet Howlet/Incoming Licensee/../../East London Observer
1876/George William Peet/../../../Post Office Directory **
1880/George William Peet/../../../Post Office Directory **
1881/James Tanner/Licensed Victualler/38/Poplar, Middlesex/Census
1881/Susan Tanner/Wife/37/Bromley, Middlesex/Census
1881/Harriet Tanner/Daughter/13/Poplar, Middlesex/Census
1881/Eleanor Tanner/Daughter/9/Poplar, Middlesex/Census
1881/Francis Tanner/Son/6/Poplar, Middlesex/Census
1881/Beatrice Tanner/Daughter/2/St James, Middlesex/Census
1881/Beatrice Mammey/Domestic Servant/17/St Pancras, Middlesex/Census
1882/James Tanner/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1884/James Tanner/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/Mrs Susan Tanner/../../../Post Office Directory
1895/Thos North Cundy/../../../Post Office Directory
1896/Thos North Cundy/../../../Post Office Directory **
1897/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
1898/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
1899/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory
1900/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
1901/Charles Brown/Licensed Victualler, Widow/42/Whitechapel, London/Census
1901/Charles W Brown/Son/14/Bermondsey, London/Census
1901/Ethel E J Brown/Daughter, Manageress/19/Bermondsey, London/Census
1901/George Redcall/Barman/32/../Census
1901/Alice Allen/Housekeeper/40/Colchester, Essex/Census
1901/Laura Hartley/Housemaid, Widow/42/Limehouse, London/Census
1901/Madge Allen/Barmaid/20/Tottenham, London/Census
1901/Ruth Boyle/Barmaid/18/West Ham, Essex/Census
1901/Henrietta Thorne/Barmaid/19/Plaistow, Esex/Census
1901/Lavinia E Carter/Barmaid/26/Greenwich, Kent/Census
1901/Edith M Cummings/Housemaid/28/Leyton, Essex/Census
1902/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
1910/Charles Brown jun/../../../Post Office Directory
1913 - 1932/Brown/../../../Freehold
1915/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory
Charles Brown was Landlord until his death in 1932; his daughter Ethel was
married to Thomas Chandler who continued on with this Pub, whilst his son
Charles William was at the Blue Posts, and then moved on to the Roundabout
Public House in Woodford. All these Public Houses were affectionately known
as 'Charlie Browns'.
In 1982 the pub was officially renamed Charlie Brown's. It was demolished in
November 1989 to make way for the Limehouse Link Road. **
1917/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
The 1921 census at Railway Tavern, West India Dock road
Charles Brown, Licensed Victualler, aged 62 years 3 months, and born in London, Employer
Thomas Chandler, Son-in-law, Manager, C Brown L V, aged 35 years 2 months, and born in Limehouse, London
Ethel Chandler, Daughter, Manageress, C Brown L V, aged 40 years 1 month, and born in Bermondsey, London
Ester Chandler, Grandchild, aged 9 months, and born in Poplar, London
Martha Walker, Barmaid, C Brown L V, aged 34 years 3 montha, and born in Houndsditch, London
Mabel Ginger, Barmaid, C Brown L V, aged 25 years 6 montha, and born in London
Nora Montes, Barmaid, C Brown L V, aged 19 years 9 months, and born in Millstone, Middlesex
1933/Charles Brown/../../../Post Office Directory **
1933 - 1935/Chandler/../../../Freehold
1934/Thomas A Chandler/../../../Kellys Directory
1936/Ethel Chandler/../../../Post Office Directory **
1936 - 1940/J A Scott/../../../Freehold
1941 - 1942/Everest/../../../Freehold
1944/Mrs Lillian Maud Everest/../../../Post Office Directory
1943 - 1945/W Mitchell/../../../Freehold
1946/Walter Mitchell/../../../Post Office Directory **
1946/A J Emmerson/../../../Freehold
1947/A & Mrs L M Brown/../../../Freehold
1948 - 1954/E Brown/../../../Freehold
My grandfather, Edward Brown is listed at the
Three Compasses, Rotherhithe in 1937 and left in 1948 where he then took the tenancy for The Railway Tavern (Charlie Browns), in Limehouse from 1948 - 1955. Both my grandparents, Edward and Hilda Brown were the licensees. From 1956 to 1972 they were licensees at The Duke of Cambridge, Kingston Vale, SW15. *
1948 - 1955/Edward and Hilda Brown/../../../Personal history *
1955 - 1960/C H Neal/../../../Freehold
1961 - 1962/W G Vincent/../../../Freehold
1971/../Railway Tavern, 116 West India Dock Road/../../Pub Directory
1983/../Charlie Browns, 116 West India Dock Road, Bass Charrington/../../Pub Directory
1991/../Charlie Browns, 116 West India Dock Road, Bass Charrington, Pub Demolished/../../Pub
Directory
* Provided By Deborah Haynes
*+ Provided By Kath Parish
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided by Ewan