The Finborough Arms was built by Corbett and McClymont in 1868 to designs by the Godwins. See Little Chelsea, Old Earl's Court and Finborough Road

The original ground floor design featured three entrances to separate snuggeries (drinking rooms), intended to keep the various social classes separate. The new refurbishment of the Finborough restores the main entrance door to the original position, but does not discriminate as to who uses it.

The first floor has over the years been a restaurant, a Masonic Lodge, a billiards hall and, from 1980, a theatre.

One of the Finborough Arms' most regular customers was sanitary pioneer Thomas Crapper (1836-1910). The manufacturer of sanitary goods and improver of the Water Waste Preventer (the syphon fitted in British cisterns) who promoted plumbed bathroom fittings and brought them out of the closet. He founded Thomas Crapper & Co. in 1861 who were based, successively, in Robert Street, Draycott Avenue and the King's Road, and the firm still exists today. He and his brother, George, would regularly begin their working day in the Finborough Arms with a bottle of champagne!

The Finborough Arms was run by the Finch family for many years who took up residence sometime between 1871 and 1881. They previously lived in Lower Holloway, Finsbury.

The following people were resident on the following census nights:

31 March 1881
William Finch. Age 43. Born about 1838 at St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England. He is described as a Licensed Victualler.
His wife, Mary Ann L. Finch. Age 34. Born about 1847 in Marylebone, Middlesex,
And their children:
Alice Elizabeth Finch. Age 6. Born about 1875. Alice and the other children are listed as being born in West Brompton, Middlesex, England, i.e. almost certainly The Finborough Arms itself.
Edith Eliza Finch. Age 5. Born about 1875 in The Finborough Arms.
Emily Bray Finch. Age 3. Born about 1878 in The Finborough Arms.
Ernest Shrimpton Finch. Baby. Born about 1881 in The Finborough Arms.
Florence Catherine Finch. Age 8. Born about 1873 in Lower Holloway, Finsbury, Middlesex.
Marion Emma Finch. Age 2. Born about 1879 in The Finborough Arms.
Mary Ann Ada Finch. Age 10. Born about 1871 in Lower Holloway, Finsbury, Middlesex.

And their staff:
Fanny Bridger. Age 22. Born about 1859 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Occupation - Servant.
Annie Brown. Age 24. Born about 1857 in Sandhurst, Berkshire. Occupation - Barmaid.
Ruth Channer. Age 29. Born about 1852 in Penn, Buckinghamshire. Occupation - Servant.
Rebecca White. Age 64. Born about 1817 in Isleham, Cambridgeshire. Occupation - Nurse.

[Two other children are listed as members of the Finch family in the 1871 census, but must have died before 1881 - William Finch, born about 1868 in Wandsworth, Surrey, England; and Fanny Elsie Finch, born about 1870 in Lower Holloway, Finsbury.]

Present on the night of 31 March 1891:
A new child had joined the family:
Fanny Elsie Finch. Age 5. Born about 1879 in The Finborough Arms.

The rest of the family were:
William Finch, age 52
Mary Ann Finch, age 44
Alice Elizabeth Finch, age16
Edith Eliza Finch, age 15
Emily Bray Finch, age 13
Ernest Shrinpton (sic) Finch, age 10
Florence Catherine Finch, age 19
Marion Emma Finch, age 12
Mary A Ada Finch, age 20

and their staff
Kate Gould. Age 22. Born about 1869 in Notting Hill, London, England. Occupation - Servant.
Mary Annie Jones. Age 37. Born about 1854 in Newbridge, Radnorshire, Wales. Occupation - Barmaid.
Rebecca White. Age 74. (see above)

The Finch family moved to a more spacious house in Ealing after 1891, but remained as landlords (Mrs Mary Ann Lydia Finch was listed as Landlady in 1910), while most of the Finch family went into the licensed trade. The pub was run by resident staff:

Present on the night of 31 March 1901:
Martha Stephenson, Public House Manageress. She was 25 and born in Battersea.
Percy Frank Hunt, Public House Manager. He was 24 and born in Leamington, Warwickshire.
Alice Hagg. A 20 year old barmaid from Norwich, Norfolk.
Lottie Cook. Another 20 year old barmaid, from Kilburn, London.
Matilda Page. A 26 year old "Cook General (Domestic)" from Lambeth, London.

By 1911, Percy Hunt was running the Blantyre Arms in Blantyre Street with his wife, Georgina Emma Hunt, and Martha Stephenson was a single servant, resident at The Chelsea Potter at 119 King's Road.

Present on the night of 2 April 1911:
George Edward Uwins. Manager. A 29 year old single man from Reigate, Surrey. Licensed for the bar trade in Victoria.
Hilda Louise Ball. Manageress. A 39 year old widow from Cork, Ireland. Licensed for the bar trade in Victoria.
Jade Ann Duff. Servant, Cook and Domestic. A 47 year old single woman from Perthshire, Scotland. She is listed as "Resident" which may mean that the rest of the staff lived off-site.
Margaret Bowen. Barmaid. A 30 year old single woman from Mill End, London
Constance May Giles. Barmaid. A 22 year old single woman from Battersea, London

Able Seaman George Uwins of the Mercantile Marine died on the S.S. John Miles (London) at the age of 35 on 22 February 1917. He was the son of Harry Albert and Jane Elizabeth Uwins, of 2 Southwick Street, Southwick, Sussex. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial.
John Miles (Official No.125659) was a steel-hulled 687-ton British steam cargo vessel. S. P. Austin & Son Ltd. built and completed her at Wear Dock, Sunderland in 1908 as Yard No.245; she was launched on December 17th 1907 for Stephenson & Clarke & Co., London, who was also the owner at the time of loss. SS John Miles was sunk on 22 February 1917 with the loss of all 14 hands by a U-Boat, commanded by Bruno Mahn whose UB21 crew sank 21 vessels off the North Yorkshire Coast, and sank or crippled another 15 along the East Coast. He also landed two saboteurs near Whitby only months before the Armistice.

Other staff and managers of The Finborough Arms include
1991-1992 - John Gibson
1996 - Sheila English
1998-2001 - David Teakel (resident)
2001-2002 - J Hindmarsh (resident)
2002-2006 - Joshua Reid
2007 - Andrew Fay
2007 to date - Tracey Coles