Bristol Municipal Charities (1884 to 1938)
1850 or 1884? Help us settle it
Some sources say this was a merchant’s house built in 1850. The official listing says 1884 charity offices. Here is what we think, and why we want proof.
Look Quay Head House up online and you will find two different stories.
One, repeated in at least one recent bar guide, says the building dates from around 1850 and started life as a merchant’s home. The other, from Historic England’s official listing and Bristol Archives, says it was built in 1884 by the architects Foster and Wood as offices for Bristol Municipal Charities.
The 1884 date is the one with documents behind it, and it fits the style of the building. But it is possible both are partly true: an earlier building on the site, or parts of one reused, would not be unusual in a city as old as Bristol.
What would settle it
Old maps, deeds, building plans, or a photograph of the site before 1884. If you have researched the area, or you know your way around the archives, we would be very grateful for a pointer.
Sources: Historic England, list entry 1372267; Bristol Archives catalogue, BMC/12/1/b/40; The Pinnacle Guide, The Milk Thistle