Bristol's King David Hotel

Bristol's King David Hotel

Season: 7 Episode: 1

This time, we’re stepping inside the story of the King David Hotel. Built in 1893 on the site of the original King David Inn, this striking three-storey building of yellow and red brick spent a century welcoming drinkers, travellers, and locals alike. By the 1990s, its role had changed completely, taken over by the Hospital, but its walls had already seen more than their fair share of life. In this show, we’ll be uncovering just a few of the people and stories woven into this fascinating slice of Bristol’s history.

As you can imagine, featuring all the proprietors of the King David would make this an extremely long episode but they should still be remembered, so here's a list of them.

1. c.1791: Joseph Stephens (1791 Universal British Directory).
2. c.1793-1794: William Pritchard (Matthews New Bristol Directory 1793-1794).
3. c.1814-1817: George White.
4. c.1818: Mrs. White. (Evans, 1818 Directory).
5. c.1822: William Hooper (Pigot's 1822 Bristol Directory).
6. c.1825: Thomas Watson (Pigot's 1825 Bristol Directory).
7. c.1826-1830: James Highman.
8. c.1831-1836: Ann Highman. (daughter Ann married Edward Willey 1836)
9. c.1836-1866: Ann Willey & Mary Lockley (1859 pub for sale with the sisters as yearly tenants).
10. c.1838-1839: Matthew Pomphrey (manager?).
11. c.1841-1858: Robert Adams (and excise officer).
12. c.1859-1866: Mary Lockley & Ann Willey.
13. c.1866-1880: Ann Willey & William Cates.
14. c.1880-1889: William Cates.
15. c.1889-1891: Rose Elizabeth Cates.
16. c.1891-1892: William Thomas West (manager).
17. c.1892-1893: Hotel rebuilt.
18. c.1893-1895: Walter Franklin (manager).
19. c.1895-1899: Robert Gibbons.
20. c.1899-1942: Stephen George Gibbons.
21. c.1 June 1942-27 July 1942: Hartie Nellie Eastburn.
22. c.27 July 1942-7 June 1943: Clarence Clifford Gardiner.
23. c.7 June 1943-7 March 1944: William G. King.
24. c.7 March 1944-17 April 1944: Ernest Sellick Burrell.
25. c.17 April 1944-1963: Alfred William McGill (d.1963).
26. c.1963-1976: Alfred William McGill junior.

CAST

William Cates - Julian Kendall

George Arthur Cates - Steve Sheperd

George Townsend - Mili Beniams

Police Officer - Tony Allen

Newspapers - Sam Roberts

THIS PODCAST

This podcast has been specially edited from a Bradley Stoke Radio show in Bristol, England.

If you liked it please leave a rating and maybe a comment and if you’d like to support the show with a donation, however small, you can go to Ko-Fi.com

Some more great news for you, if you were interested in buying merchandise featuring the show’s logo, then pop over to Teepublic, you’ll find lots of things to choose from.

So, thankyou for listening and until next time guys, take care and look after each other.

CONTACT ME

Email: info@backtracker.co.uk

Facebook: @BackTrackerUK

Instagram: @backtrackeruk

Bluesky: @BackTrackerUK

-

SOURCES

Archaeology Data Services

West Country Bottles

Glasgow Evening Post - Thursday 19 November 1868

Frome Times - Wednesday 25 November 1868

The Western Daily Press

Bristol Mirror

-

Sound Effects by zapsplat.com

Intro music by The Model Folk

Back In The Day music by Freesoundmusic

© THE BACKTRACKER HISTORY SHOW 2025