Bosphorus Inn, Plymouth

Frank Glanville, 1901-1909

Frank Glanville was related to a 1st cousin of the wife of my granduncle Albert Sheward (1874-1959).

Francis (Frank) Glanville was born in Deptford, Kent, England in November 1857, one of the five children of James William Glanville & Charlotte Vosper.

Frank was a trained Printer-Compositor and only moved on to become a pub licensee in the latter years of his life.

Bosphorus Inn

The pub was located at 16 Millbay Rd, Plymouth, Devon, England and fronts onto the docks and was no doubt a profitable business.

During World War I, Plymouth was the port of entry for many troops from around the Empire and also developed as a facility for the manufacture of munitions. Although major units of the Royal Navy moved to the safety of Scapa Flow, nearby Devonport was an important base for escort vessels and repairs. Flying boats operated from Mount Batten.

In World War II, Devonport was the headquarters of Western Approaches Command until 1941 and Sunderland flying boats were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. It was an important embarkation point for US troops on D-Day. The city was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe, in a series of 59 raids known as the Plymouth Blitz. Although the dockyards were the principal targets, much of the city centre and over 3,700 houses were completely destroyed and more than 1,000 civilians lost their lives. This was largely due to Plymouth's status as a major port. Charles Church was hit by incendiary bombs and partially destroyed in 1941 during the Blitz, but has not been demolished, as it is now an official permanent monument to the bombing of Plymouth during World War II.

Millbay Road, fronting the docks as it does was very badly hit during the Plymouth blitz and whilst I cannot find any proof, I suspect the Bosphorus Inn was destroyed at that time along with the rest of the area.

After his death

Frank left the pub & effects plus £697 8s 8d to his widow Oliva, who had run the pub with him during his life.

The 1914 Kelly's Directory shows that there were plenty of drinking establishments (of one sort or another) and numerous Hotels & Inns in Millbay Road.

On the South side of the road the following establishments existed:

1 W H Crocker & Co, antique dealers
2 W Leaman & Co, shipping agents
3 Robert Abraham, fruiterer
4 Miss Florence Holmes, Temperance hotel
5 Mrs Bessie Liddicoat, Temperance hotel
6 Alfred Chas Marrow, chemist
7 Walt Gardner, Temperance hotel
8 Wavering Family & Commercial Hotel (H Papps, proprietor)
9 Thomas Sanders, Temperance hotel
10 Weekes, Phillips & Co Limited, government emigration agents
10 R Hayward & Sons Ltd, coker canvas manufacturers
10 Belgian Consulate (Frank Phillips, consul for Plymouth & district)
10 Frank Phillips, emigration agent
11 Smith, Sundius & Co, steamship agents (F W George, manager)
12 Mount Pleasant Hotel, Mrs Mabel Marshall
Duke of Cornwall Hotel (Plymouth Hotel Co Limited, proprietors)

Drill Hall
Royal Army Medical Corps (2nd Wessex Field Ambulance Territorial Force)
Royal Army Medical Corps (4th Southern General Hospitals)

Stanley T Pitts & Co, agricultural merchants (Duke of Cornwall buildings)
Pillar Letter Box

15 Brunel Hotel, Fras Jn Harris
16 Mrs Olivia Glanville, beer retailer - Bosphorus Inn**
17 George Tall, beer retailer
18 Greyhound Inn, Mrs Agnes Edwards
19 William Geo Lock, beer retailer

20 Alfred John Goad, plumber
21 Richard Blight, grocer
22 Chas Towell, hair dresser
23 Charles Towell, stationer

24 Chaplin & Co, carriers
25 James Arth Reid, eating house
26 Mrs Mary Roberts, wardrobe dealer
27 Mrs Emily Hatcher, dining rooms
28 Geo Hy Avery, beer retailer
29 Miss Bessie Barrett, pawnbroker
30 John Edward Reynolds, dining rooms
31 Ocean Mail P H, Robert Wannell

North side of Millbay Road

Dampney J & Co, oil & coal merchants
Goads Buildings:
1 Joseph Parminter, dining rooms
2 Wm Guscott Spear, outfitter
3 Mrs Sarah Hamlin, fishmonger
4 Geo Tope Knapman, stationer

34 Geo Fdk Sargeant, boot maker
35 Chas Rt Chubb, hairdresser
36 Mrs F M G Hodge, confectioner
37 Jas Coombs Helson, beer retailer
38 Wm John Horswell, dairy
40 Edward Goard Bryant, eating house

Great Western Railway Station & Offices
William Rowed, divisional superintendent
Edward Angus Scaife, divisional goods manage
Stephen Alfred Hunt, station master
Wyman & Sons Lim, bookstall

South Devon Chambers:
E M Jewson, timber merchant
John S Hambly, estate agent to Great Western Railway
Prigg & Lindon, civil & sanitary Assoc, sanitary engineers

Albion Family & Commercial Hotel, Herbert Arnold
Continental Hotel, Mrs M A Johnstone