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Information taken from their web site, accessed January 2016.
The History of The Rose & Crown.
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 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" and the present sign
hung.
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