Felix William Spiers
Encyclopedia
Felix William Spiers
Felix William Spiers (born London
, England
1832, died Paris
, France
1911) was a British
restaurateur
and hotel
ier.
Spiers' family originated in Glasgow
, Scotland
in the very early 18th century. One of the family moved to France, where he dealt in tobacco. Later family members were born in Calais, Dunkerque, Boulogne, France and in England. After his death his wife, Constance Albertine Spiers, donated money to the town of Belle-Ile, an island off Northern France, for a lifeboat which was named after him. His father was Felix Theodore Benjamin Augustus Spiers, born at Calais, in 1797, a ship broker and merchant, agent in London for the General Steam Navigation Company. Felix William sailed to Melbourne
, Australia
where he was a wine merchant, having acquired a publican
's licence in 1857. He set up in business at George Coppin and Gustavus Brooke’s Theatre Royal, Melbourne with George Hennelle, but Hennelle was injured by a falling Post Office wall in 1859 and replaced by Christopher Pond
. Together they formed a partnership, Spiers and Pond, running the Café de Paris at the Theatre Royal, later buying the lease of the Café from Coppin and Brooke.
In 1861, they brought to Melbourne the All-England Eleven to play a series of cricket matches. Mementos of the tour are held in the MCC Museum at Lord's Cricket Ground at Marylebone, London. Pond suffered an accident in 1862, and in 1863 they both returned to London, where they were soon running the Holborn Viaduct Hotel at 15 Old Bailey. In 1874 they had built, and owned, the Criterion Theatre and Restaurant
in London’s Piccadilly Circus
. The partnership became Spiers and Pond (Limited) in 1882, after the death of Pond in 1881. They owned the London and Westminster Supply Association at New Bridge-street, Blackfriars, which supplied their restaurants, their extensive railway refreshment rooms, their many hotels, and the general public. The company went into liquidation in 1916 and was taken into administration by the court until 1918, when it was reorganised to continue as Spiers and Pond (Limited). They owned twelve hotels and a golf course, Bushey Hall
. The hotels included, Bailey's Hotel
, Gloucester Road, London, The Grand Hotel, Brighton, The Queen’s Hotel, Eastbourne, The Palace Hotel, Hastings, The Victoria Hotel, Manchester, The Grand Hotel, Scarborough, the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter, The Bull’s Head Hotel, Aylesbury, & etc.,. The company eventually became a part of Grand Metropolitan Hotels’ portfolio.
Felix William Spiers (born London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
1832, died Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
1911) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
restaurateur
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
ier.
Spiers' family originated in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in the very early 18th century. One of the family moved to France, where he dealt in tobacco. Later family members were born in Calais, Dunkerque, Boulogne, France and in England. After his death his wife, Constance Albertine Spiers, donated money to the town of Belle-Ile, an island off Northern France, for a lifeboat which was named after him. His father was Felix Theodore Benjamin Augustus Spiers, born at Calais, in 1797, a ship broker and merchant, agent in London for the General Steam Navigation Company. Felix William sailed to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where he was a wine merchant, having acquired a publican
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
's licence in 1857. He set up in business at George Coppin and Gustavus Brooke’s Theatre Royal, Melbourne with George Hennelle, but Hennelle was injured by a falling Post Office wall in 1859 and replaced by Christopher Pond
Christopher Pond
Christopher Pond was a British caterer and hotelier.Christopher Pond was born in Essex in 1826. While looking to seek his fortune in Australia he met Felix William Spiers, and the pair rented a room at the Melbourne National Hotel in which they created their first restaurant called "The...
. Together they formed a partnership, Spiers and Pond, running the Café de Paris at the Theatre Royal, later buying the lease of the Café from Coppin and Brooke.
In 1861, they brought to Melbourne the All-England Eleven to play a series of cricket matches. Mementos of the tour are held in the MCC Museum at Lord's Cricket Ground at Marylebone, London. Pond suffered an accident in 1862, and in 1863 they both returned to London, where they were soon running the Holborn Viaduct Hotel at 15 Old Bailey. In 1874 they had built, and owned, the Criterion Theatre and Restaurant
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
in London’s Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
. The partnership became Spiers and Pond (Limited) in 1882, after the death of Pond in 1881. They owned the London and Westminster Supply Association at New Bridge-street, Blackfriars, which supplied their restaurants, their extensive railway refreshment rooms, their many hotels, and the general public. The company went into liquidation in 1916 and was taken into administration by the court until 1918, when it was reorganised to continue as Spiers and Pond (Limited). They owned twelve hotels and a golf course, Bushey Hall
Bushey Hall
Bushey Hall was a historic house built in 1428 for Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury. It was also the home of Sir John Marsham, 1st Baronet....
. The hotels included, Bailey's Hotel
Millennium Bailey's Hotel
Millennium Bailey's Hotel, formerly Bailey's Hotel, is a historic hotel in the Kensington district of London. The postal address is 140 Gloucester Road, but the main entrance is on Courtfield Road, opposite Gloucester Road tube station...
, Gloucester Road, London, The Grand Hotel, Brighton, The Queen’s Hotel, Eastbourne, The Palace Hotel, Hastings, The Victoria Hotel, Manchester, The Grand Hotel, Scarborough, the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter, The Bull’s Head Hotel, Aylesbury, & etc.,. The company eventually became a part of Grand Metropolitan Hotels’ portfolio.