11 White Horse (Briefly called the Varsity)

Description

48 Terrace Road and Upper Portland Street

This dates back to at least 1838 when Mr Edward Jones was Landlord. He had been a member 1st Royal Horse Guards and died in December 1838. Susan Jones, presumably his wife, was the licensee in 1841 and John Jones, possibly her son, hired out horses and vehicles. By 1851 it was run jointly by Mrs Jones and her son-in-law, George Tempany Smith, an auctioneer and excise officer. They had moved to the Wine vaults in Great Darkgate Street by 1864, when John Rae, from Worcester and his wife Mary Ann, from Newtown, Montgomeryshire, took over the White Horse. An advert of 1874 shows that they were selling ‘Guinness's Stout in Bottles, 4s.6d. per doz.; Allsopp's Pale Ales, in Bottles, 4s.6d. per doz.; Worthington's Pale Ale, in nine and eighteen gallon casks; Martell's Brandy, 4s.6d. per bottle; Hennessy's Old Pale Brandy, 4s.6d. per bottle. Ports and Sherries from two shillings per Bottle. Moet and Chandon's Champagne. Rhine Wines of every description. Ellis's Aerated Waters.’
By 1889, John Rea had died and his wife continued to run the hotel for many years. In 1892 she purchased the leasehold of the hotel and also that of the adjacent house in Portland Street in order to extend the hotel and incorporate a grocery shop within it.
In 1901 the property was for sale by auction because Mrs Rae wished to retire, but the reserve price was not reached. Another auction was held in 1902 but it was withdrawn when the bidding stopped at £7,500.
In 1906 Mrs Rea’s son, John Charles Rea (born about 1869) took over the licence. He had the façade rebuilt and was presumably responsible for having the fine decorative tiles and windows added. He named it ‘Rea's Restaurant and Stores’ and added a sweet and confectionery department and a cold meat counter to the grocery store. This was advertised to holiday makers as an ideal place to purchase provisions for picnics and meals which they could eat at their self-catering lodgings. In order to store all the provisions and alcoholic drinks, Rea built a new, 5 story warehouse in Corporation Street which backed on to the shop. This has recently been converted into flats. Although J. C. Rae ran the business, his mother continued to be the licensee until at least the 1930s.
By the 1950s, Mr and Mrs Tom Kinniburgh had taken over and they were succeeded by 1958 by Mr and Mrs G.C. Baker. The grocery shop was taken over by A and E Lloyd’s ‘Staffordshire Stores’ which sold glass, china and ceramics.
It was renamed the Varsity at the end of the 20th century, but the old name was reinstated in about 2015.