cnr of Tamar and Cimitiere Street
1833 John Griffith
1834-35 William Griffiths
1836-40 John Jacob Driver
This seems to have been in at least two locations. The first one, which seems to have been short lived, was no longer a licenses premises by March 1834 (see advertisment below). The second location wsa in Tamar (Bridge) Street. In the later advertisments the references to Tamar, Cimitiere & William St might all referring to property marked with an X on the Smythe’s map of 1835, or they might be referring to different locations and therefore different buildings. I am looking into it.
Also using the map above, there is only one corner of Tamar and Cimitiere that has buildings marked, shown here with a red arrow.
Hobart Town Courier, 7 March 1834
Independent, 15 March 1834
Launceston Advertiser, 16 October 1834
Launceston Advertiser, 29 December 1834
Launceston Advertiser, 15 October 1835
Launceston Advertiser, 24 March 1836
Launceston Advertiser, 13 October 1836
Launceston Advertiser, 9 March 1837
Cornwall Chronicle, 11 March 1837
Launceston Advertiser, 3 August 1837
Death of John Jacob Driver, innkeeper, Launceston (RGD35/1/16 no 315).
There seem to have been 2 Whale Fisheries
the Griffiths/ Driver one.( Driver’s daughter was the second wife of John Griffiths) and the other one, the history of which is recorded on trove March 37 which states that the sale advertised by Underwood is not valid as the owner, Wm Dutton at sea.
Dutton’s title under a grant to the late Wm Pattern in Feb 34 who sold to JB Harwood in March 34 who sold to Dutton in 35.
Thanks. I’ll follow that up.
Hi Xenith, I also saw the article mentioned by Kaye Sutton above, stating that William Dutton, (the whaler of Portland fame, and who sailed for John Griffiths), and who was my GGGG-Gfather, actually owned the Whale Fishery from 1835, and presumably let it to John Driver to run? The map of 1835 certainly shows the 4-roomed house fronting on Cimitiere St with detached kitchen and stables behind that, and given the close relationship between the Dutton and Griffiths families (and thus Driver also) I believe this is the one and only Whale Fishery, Given that Dutton was a Whaler, I had assumed that the Whale Fishery may have been a whale oil and whalebone store! I would be very interested in whatever else you manage to turn up! Many Thanks and Kind Regards, Robert Clayton
I shall have a look into it.
The 1830s was a complicated time in terms of hotels. A lot of short-lived houses, a lot of changes & little information, but that’s what makes it interesting.
Thanks Morissa. Of course, who had the Licence was not necessarily the owner. We are aware that William Dutton lost a lot of money which he had sunk into the “John Griffith and Connelly” ventures when they struck trouble in the early 40s, so perhaps that’s when it changed hands again? it’s interesting though that properties could be advertised for sale when the people in them didn’t know that they didn’t own them! However just looked at Driver’s family; John Jacob’s wife Martha, 40, died of consumption in 1839 ; John Jacob, 61 yrs, the Innkeeper followed her 7 months later Apr 1840 with delirious fever! That left 19 yr-old daughter Martha Ann with an 18-month old sister! Martha Ann Driver, 19 yrs married 7 mths later to recently- widowed John Griffiths, 39 yrs, Shipbuilder and Mariner. Tough times in those days…. Shirley and Robert Clayton