Above photograph 1937.

Above painting by Geoffrey Lardew 1975. Kindly sent by Pauls Wilkinson.

Above photo showing a road accident, date unknown.

Above photo circa 2020.

History of the pub kindly sent by Paula Wilkinson.

FORTUNE OF WAR - 1718.

This inn known by the name and sign of the "Fortune of War," was built in the 6th year of Queen Anne, in 1708.

When first built it was a dwelling house, belonging to the estate of one Thomas Moorcroft, wool merchant of Gabriels Hill, who owned the land upon which it was built, and appears to have commissioned its building, for which he intended to be used as a lodging house, however there is no documented evidence to support the fact that although intended, it was never put to this use and by 1711, Moorcroft had disposed of it by sale to one Austin Packer a tailor and draper of King Street, who used the house as an outlet for his trade. In 1715, he is again recorded here but is described at this date as a tailor and slops maker of Upper Stone. A "slops” maker was one who manufactured ready made clothes for sailors.

By 1717, Packer had sold the property to Isaac Elliott, a horse dealer of Sandling. In August of that year he applied for and was granted a licence to sell ales from the premises, which at this date remained untitled, other than that it was a registered ale house kept by the said Elliott, a horse dealer and taverner. He kept the house and carried on his trade of buying and selling horses until his death in 1748. During the time he was here he had stables added to the property, for they are mentioned in his will, drawn up at his death when he bequeathed the ale house and all its contents, including the bed chamber in which he lay, to his wife Jane.

The widow Elliott, as she is described ran the house for a further 11 years after the death of her husband, during the course of which she sold haberdashery here as well as ale. She died in 1759, leaving the house to her daughter Jane, who held it until 1764, when she married Thomas Benning a bricklayer of Maidstone. In that year she sold the non thriving ale house to Richard Bodkin, taverner of Pudding Lane, Maidstone, in this County of Kent. He applied for a full licence in 1768, but was refused and in the following year sold the house to Henry Carpenter of Stone street.

Carpenter in 1771, made an application for a full licence in July of that year and at first was refused, but at a later attempt in the same year he was granted one. He called the house the "Fortune of War" the origin of which generally refers to and is derived from the sign of the Hope Anchor, however in this case it is believed to have been named after A Man of War, built at Chatham in the mid 18th century. Carpenter, described as victualler of the "Fortune of War" Upper Stone Street, kept the house until his death in 1804, whereupon his widow Maria took over the licence.

Maria Carpenter kept the house until 1807, when in that year she sold it to William Randell. In 1845, his son, also William, purchased the freehold of a tavern called the "Nag's Head" in Week street. William Randell senior kept this house until 1819, when, in that year he sold it to Thomas Dann. It was around this period that the "Fortune of War" became a listed house on a carriers route. A carrier, more often or not another innkeeper, was someone who undertook to deliver items ranging from mail to bits of furniture. People wishing to collect their goods would meet at a given time at an inn or tavern on the carriers route. Tuesdays and Saturdays the given days on which people waited at the "Fortune of War".

Thomas Dann, kept the house until his death in 1838, whereupon his widow Esther described as a straw hat maker, took over the inn, until 1845 when one John Newman innkeeper and gunsmith came here. In 1856, he was fined 30 shillings for selling and permitting the consumption of liquor between the hours of divine service, and 2 years later he was fined 20 shillings for a similar offence. By 1865, the house was kept by John Mannering who stayed until 1875, when he was succeeded by Harry Arthur and he in 1882, by William Charles Goodbody, who remained here until his death and was succeeded by his son William who remained here for the duration of world war II and long after.

William Goodbody remained at this pub until his death, when the licenses was retained by the brewery, Whitbread. In 1970 Peter Pearson and his wife Patricia took the license and stayed until the premises were closed and was turned into flats in January 1991.

Above photo, kindly sent by Paula Wilkinson showing the crash of a car into the pub, date unknown.

Above photo showing 1970s licensee, Peter and Pat Pearson, kindly sent by Paula Wilkinson.

Above photo showing 1970s licensee, Peter and Pat Pearson, kindly sent by Paula Wilkinson.

From the Kent Messenger, 10 January 1992. By Derek Johnson.

PUB REGULARS ARE LEFT HIGH AND DRY.

A band of die-hard pub-goers has resorted to desperate measures now that their favourite watering hole has closed down.

Maidstone's long serving licensees, Pete and Pat Pearson, pulled their last pints at the "Fortune of War" in Upper Stone Street on New Year's Day. The pub has been sold for development by brewers Whitbread.

But regulars longsome for life at their local have found a new way to recreate the barroom - at home.

One customer, Pamela Green, said, "We've found ourselves all going around each others houses for a drink. We don't really know what to do because most of us have been using the pub for years.

As many as 40 former "Fortune of War" drinkers have vowed to stay together and the group is on the lookout for a new drinking spot. Meanwhile, the hard-core of about 15 are keeping the houses fires burning.

Mrs. Green said "We just want to stay together. We don't want to break the relationship up."

"Most of us have grown up with each other and some of the women have even had their babies around the same time. We're not going to split up now that the pub has gone.

After 21 years behind the bar, the Pearsons bade a tearful farewell to customers and friends during a final party night. They were presented with a bouquet of flowers and a carriage clock.

Mrs. Pearson, who now lives in Coxheath with her husband, said leaving the pub had been a painful wrench for both of them.

She said, "It just seems like one biog happy family. All the customers knew each other and we will miss it all, obviously.

From an email received 27 March 2022.

In my family history I have found some of my grandmother's relatives ran the 'Fortune of War' pub for many years.

William Goodbody born 1858 took over ‘The Fortune of War’ 126, Upper Stone Street, Maidstone in 1882 and ran it until his death aged 71 in 1929. His son, also called William, took over until his death in 1946. Therefore, a Goodbody continuously ran the pub for 64 years.

Also other members of the Goodbody family were involved in the pub business in Maidstone. In a total of 2 generations of Goodbody’s they spent 176 years serving beer to the good people of Maidstone!

Frederick born 1861 took over the ‘Dog and Bear’, 37 King Street from brother John in 1891 and continued to run it until 1913. He died in 1946 aged 85.

Robert born 1863 was running ‘The Hussar’ in Lenham, Kent – just outside Maidstone in 1891. He had married Annie Hillman in 1883 and together they ran ‘The Hussar” for just over a year.

I hope this may add a little bit to your history of the pubs in Maidstone.

Val Lenthall.