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Farningham pub history index
Into the early years of the nineteenth century there was a pub in Farningham called the Black Lion – probably an earlier name for this pub. **
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Kent . The Kent listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
Lion Hotel, High Street, Farningham - in December 2012
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Residents at this address
1790/[Black Lion] Martin Masters / Innholder /../../Sun Fire Office records, held at London Metropolitan Archives **
1829/William Wells/../../../Pigot’s London & Provincial Directory 1828-29 **
1839/Wm. Wells / & Posting House /../../Pigot’s Directory **
1840/William Wells/../../../Pigot’s Directory **
1847/Jas. Painter Davis/../../../Bagshaw’s Directory **
1855/James Painton Davis / & Posting House /../../Post Office Directory **
1874/Robert Clarke jun/../../../Post Office Directory
1888/Ernest George Martin / Hotel Keeper, Licensed Victualler & Farmer
/../../London Gazette, 16 May 1890 **
1899/Walter Edward Lovegrove/../../../Kelly’s Directory **
1905/Edmund Basil Denton / Hotel Proprietor /../../London Gazette, 17 March 1905 **
1918/Wm D Colmer/../../../Post Office Directory
1922/J Boss King/../../../Post Office Directory
Daily News (London). 20 September 1933
Seven persons in a large saloon were thrown into the road in a crash at Kingsdown, on te London to Maidstone road, in which two lorries were also involved.
George Stone, of Bexleyheath, Kent, a wine merchants traveller, was killed and Mrs Rose Williams, wife of the licensee of the Lion Hotel, Farningham, who was at the wheel; Mrs Dorothy Wheatley and Miss Joan Wheatley, of the Old England Inn, Hollingbourne, and Mr and Mrs Albert Hall, of Heathclose road, Dartford, were injured.
The car, after colliding slightly with the first lorry, swerved and had a head on collision with the second.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser. 29 November 1935
Plumbers Claim - Some plumbing work which had been done at the Lion Hotelm Farningham, was the subject of a claim at Sevenoaks County Court, when Samuel Rich, Wester road, Borough Green, claimed £4 13s 9d from William Walker Harrison.
Rich said his claim was for work done and materials for making a wooden sink and draining board and lining them with lead.
Harrison ordered this work to be done. Defendant explained that he was the proprietor of the Lion Hotel and had asked Rich to do certain work for him.
Rich said it would cost 28 shilings, but defendant knew he could not do it for that money and offered him 50 shilling.
He was away for nearly three months afterwards and when he came back he wrote to Rich straight away that he did not think much of the job.
He was quite prepared to pay Rich if he did the job properly. It was a disgusting job and not Rich's type of work at all. Judgment of £3 13s 9d with no costs.
In 1938, my great grandfather William Walker Harrison (1888 - 1973); and my grandmother Edna (1917 - 2014) has a life story that says " He decided to go into a town, Maidstone in Kent. He then bought The Rose and Crown and was the proprietor of the place. I was about 18 .." so approx 1935
Before that they were at The Lion, Farningham for 3-4 years. *
1934/William Walker Harrison / Proprietor /../../Kelly’s Directory **
1938/Andrew Clement/Proprietor/../../Post Office Directory
* Provided By Marnie
** Provided By Stephen Harris