1715 to 1922
Swanscombe pub history index
Directory of Pubs in the UK, London historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Swanscombe, Kent .
Residents at this address
Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser 25 February 1832 :
Edward Cullen, the landlord of the Brown Bear public house, at Greenhithe, was charged with having a quantity of stolen corn in his possession.
The prisoner, in defence, said the corn and malt were sweepings from the holds of vessels after they had been cleared, and the property had been purchased by him of various sailors who came to his house.
Mr Ballantine fined the prisoner, under the Police Act, in the penalty of 5 pounds for unlawful possession of the property, which was declared forfeited. The defendant paid the fine, and was told he had better look to his licence.
James Middleton, was my third great grandfather, and was the Publican of the Brown Bear in Greenhithe, Kent.
I've have found from several of his children's marriage records that the father of the bride was a Licensed Victualler. But not until I obtained the birth record of his daughter Sarah, did I find he was the publican of the Brown Bear. A copy as evidence of this, is dated 6th July 1838. The birth record reads :
1838 Births in Dartford, Kent on the sixth of July 1838 4 o'clock a.m. Greenhithe Swanscombe, Sarah, a girl, father James Middleton and mother Maria Middleton formerly Haywood. James's occupation is a Publican residing at the Brown Bear in Greenhithe, Swanscombe.
It doesn't appear he was there very long as by the 1841 Census he and the family were at Black Lion Yard, Whitechapel in the east end of London.
Sarah was the last child of James and Maria and the previous one was Maria born in Chislehurst, Kent in 1836. It's therefore reasonable to assume James came to the Brown Bear sometime after 1836. If I can obtain the Victualler License records from the Rochester records office, then I can be more accurate. James came from the village of Ash by Wrotham in Kent where the Middleton families had been for there generations. He married Maria Haywood from Eltham in 1819 and they had 10 children altogether.
1840/Hy Bliss/../../../Pigots Directory **
1858/William Joyner/../../../Melvilles Directory
1881/Henry Chillamid/Licensed Victualler/28/Southfleet, Kent/Census
1881/Elizabeth Chillamid/Wife/26/Greenhithe, Kent/Census
1881/Francis E Chillamid/Daughter/4/Greenhithe, Kent/Census
1881/Ann L Chillamid/Daughter/1 month/Greenhithe, Kent/Census
1881/Fanny/Sister, Assistant/32/Southfleet, Kent/Census
1881/Rachel Carter/Domestic Servant/19/Bar, Essex/Census
1881/Henry Grimmond/Lodger, Town Carter/34/../Census
1891/Joseph G Smiles/Licensed Victualler/31/Northfleet, Kent/Census
1891/Rose M Smiles/Wife/30/Gravesend, Kent/Census
1891/Roy H Smiles/Son/7/Borough, London/Census
1891/Horace S Smiles/Son/4/Greenhithe, Kent/Census
1891/Percy Smiles/Son/2/Greenhithe, Kent/Census
1891/Arthur H Smith/General Servant/21/Chicago, N America/Census
1891/Jane Gibson/Domestic Servant/16/Sunderland, Durham/Census
1901/Alfred Beadle/Publican/44/Erith, Kent/Census
1901/Ester Beadle/Wife/42/Peckham, London/Census
1901/Elizabeth Beadle/Daughter, Barmaid/19/Peckham, London/Census
1901/Alice Beadle/Daughter/12/Peckham, London/Census
1901/Gertrude Beadle/Daughter/10/Northfleet, Kent/Census
* Provided by Linda Gradidge
** Provided By Stephen Harris
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