“Built around the turn of the century, this hotel building is a marriage of Queen Anne and Edwardian architecture; the traditional Queen Anne terra cotta tile roof stretching over the broken parapet covers an Edwardian facade – a bold grid of cream paint with rectangular panels of red brickwork in between” (Hotels in Fitzroy up to 1906, Nicola A Piccolo, 1971).
Piccolo records the building as existing from 1854. At this time though it was known as the ‘William Tell’ till 1858. It was then known as the Globe – 1858-1862, Nood – 1862-1863 and then was closed from 1864 to 1869 before opening as the Derby from 1870-1874 and then as the Royal Derby from 1875.
The are so many different people who are listed as running the hotel including: 1854 – John Felgate, 1856-1858 – John Wood, 1858 – John Irish, 1862 – John Wood, 1870 – Anthony Abbot, 1871 – John Sinclair, Nov 1871 – J McDonald, 1874 – W Yardley, 1875 – Augustus Dixon, 1876 – William Perkins, 1879 – Ann Hordon, 1880 – Edward Conroy, 1881 – George Russel, 1882 – H Warnecke, 1883 – William Kendrick, 1885 – W J Gellard, 1886 – Elijah Harwod, 1887 – Joseph Cody, 1891 – Mrs Margaret Flynn, 1984 – Mrs Mary Flynn, 1895, Mrs Mary Ryan, 1896 – John Malone, 1897 – Mrs I Reid, 1898 – Miss M McInerney, 1902 – Austin Harkin, and 1905-06 – Mrs Lucy Ewen.
Image held by Fitzroy Library.
The next photo here taken in 1927 shows the Royal Derby Hotel on the left as Queen’s Pde is built at an angle away from Alexandra Pde.
looking for more information on the owners of the Royal Derby Hotel.