Daly's

From Jerripedia

Historic Jersey buildings

9 Mulcaster Street

Daly's in 1900, an ornate frontage showing the full Captain John Giffard treatment

The public house in Mulcaster Street, St Helier, now known as the Lamplighter, was originally known as Daly's Hotel, after its proprietor

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Property name

9 Mulcaster Street

Other names

Daly's
La Grappe de Verjus
The Grapes
The Lamplighter

Location

Mulcaster Street, St Helier

Type of property

Former hotel, now public house. Known for decades as Daly's, after its original owner Denis Daly. It did not start out as a hotel, however, because in the 1881 census, Denis Daly (52), described as a general merchant, was living here with his wife Jane, 47. He was also described as a grocer around the same time.

He was succeeded as manager of the pub which still bore his name, by T Collins and later his widow, from 1895 to 1920, and then by E L Barbot in 1925 and F W Gillett from 1930 until the Occupation. I M Parker was manager after the war, followed by M R Bertrand. It was not until the 1960s that it was renamed The Grapes.

Before alterations in 1960 the original facade of the hotel was one of the most imposing in the street. The most striking feature, which has been retained, is the statue of Britannia above the second storey, with garlands of fruit and ornate pillars which used to reach the ground, but have been retained only to first-floor level. Ironically it was when the pub changed its name from Daly's to The Grapes that it lost its lower glory.

This was the work of Captain John Giffard, and it is described as follows in The Historical Hotels and Inns of Jersey by Philip Ahier and W S Ashworth:

"At its vertex can still be seen a statue of Britannia seated on her throne, trident in hand; on her right is the recumbent lion while on her left is the elliptical shield containing the Union Jack. Below this ornamentation were the two cupid boys usually associated with the God Bacchus. These are now placed one each side of Britannia. In a line with the boys, on opposite sides of each, were two urns from which dangled a garland of replicale of fruits from which wine, perry, cider and other alcoholic beverages are made.

"Below the two urns were the semi-circular columns; on each were representations of acanthi superimposed with bunches of grapes. Between those columns stood a man and woman typical of workers in a vineyard; the man was depicted as squeezing the grapes while the woman held a tumbler to receive the juice. Descending to the ground floor were three decorated semi-circular columns ornamented with grapes, hence the local expression, "la grappe de verjus", but the piece de resistance was the two grotesque heads with decayed teeth, protruding tongues and bleary eyes, standing on either side of the main entrance to the hotel. The heads looked so debauched that Captain Giffard must have inserted an ironical touch in the design of the facade. They were removed in 1960."

Valuations

No recent transactions

Merle Heald, behind the bar at The Grapes in 1979

Families associated with the property

Census returns

1881: Denis Daly (52) general merchant, wife Jane (47)
1901: Thomas Collins (46) licensed victualler, wife Ellen and two sons

Almanac listings

1880-1890: D Daly, grocer and later publican
1895-1920: T Collins/Mrs Collins ^[1]

1925: E L Barbot
1930-1940: F W Gillett
1950-1955: I M Parker
1960: M R Bertrant
1965-1975: The Grapes, M R Bertrand
1980: The Grapes, M R Pratt
1990- :The Lamplighter

Historic Environment Record entry

Listed building

Late Victorian pub with distinct character, notable for its ornate decoration. All original carvings by 'Turnkey' Giffard. Ex-prison warder and grocer, who set up as monumental mason in 1877.

Three-bay, two-storey with additional post-1900 rooftop storey set back from the parapet. Highly ornamented in stucco, wood and plaster moulded details. Parapet with recessed panel, figure of Britannia above, urns to either side and later addition of a garland of fruit. Bracketed cornice with dentils between first floor and parapet, supported by columns in the Corinthian order on either side. Moulded window cases, set of three 8 pane French windows. Balcony along the length of the first floor with unusual fern-style cast-iron pattern. Ground floor timber pub frontage with panelling, panelled reveal to door and three bays of arch windows.