Rose & Crown pub on The Street, Shorne. Formerly Crooked Billett & Bells 1728-75. The building dates, in part, from 1485.
A friendly village local with two bars and a popular separate restaurant area. The pub offers a 10% discount for CAMRA members.
"The Inn known as the "Rose & Crown" was built during the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509), part of which still stands today, and was used for many years as a bakery. It was originally a private dwelling house, part of an estate.
During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), in the year 1601, the estate was sold and the land was divided up. The house at the time underwent extensive alterations.
During the reign of George II (1727-1760), in the year 1730, the house was purchased by a man called French. It was he who turned it into what was known then as an "Ale House".
The ale was brewed locally with hops from Cobham and Faversham. By 1736 the house had fallen into a state of dilapidation and was partly demolished, save for the foundations and the "Olde Bakery" and rebuilt.
French still owned the property and continued to trade under the auspices of a licensee, though there is no evidence of a licence ever being granted at the time.
The house became known as "Ye Olde Billett" and a sign was duly erected.
In 1740 a licence was granted and the Inn became a registered public house, with Mr French the licensee. In 1744 French tried to sell the Inn to a man called Little, a bricklayer of the parish.
Little was a man of ill-repute and in 1741 had purchased another man's wife, a woman called Benning, and they set up house together.
Although legal articles were drawn up between Little and the man called Benning, the Vicar of Shorne (1733-1770) the Reverend Caleb Parfect, who at the time lived opposite the Inn, thought the pair undesirable and wrote to the Justices of the Peace at Chatham and objected strongly.
Little was refused a licence and shortly after French sold to another buyer and the name was changed to the "Crooked Billett". Then in 1812 the name was changed again to the "Rose and Crown".
LICENSEE LIST -
FRENCH David 1841+ (age 40 in 1841Census)
FRENCH Elizabeth 1851+ (widow age 53 in 1851Census)
RENTON Ian 1858-61+ (age 35 in 1861Census)
JONES Edward 1881+ (widower age 60 in 1881Census)
WELCH William 1891-1903+ (also farmer age 48 in 1901Census) Kelly's 1903
STICKINGS William 1913-38+
WATSON W G Mr 1988+
KING Bill pre-2014"
SOURCE - (
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