Above photo, circa 1905, kindly sent by James Fribbins.

Eight Bells, date unknown.

Above photo, 1951, showing the closed pub next to the Hovis building. I believe the wording says "Quality Cafe."

Above Google image, June 2008.

Above Google image, July 2017.

From 'An 'Account of the legacies, gifts, fees etc' generally called Kimbell's charities of Greenwich of 1816, shows it well established:

The building dates to c. 1705/6, originally a house fronting onto Church Street with a front door on the right (north) side and a window to its left, with the dentelled eaves still visible along the south flank on St Alfege Passage above. It's shown on one of two rather mysterious but good sheets of Greenwich street frontages made shortly after in the first 30 years of the 18th c, probably for Greenwich Hospital when canvassing buyable properties in the town, but now inexplicably in the archives of Wilton House, (Earl of Pembroke). They have been published in detail in a substantial 38 pp pamphlet called Greenwich Revealed by (the late) Neil Rhind and Julian Watson, 2018. When the street frontage was replaced as at present is unclear, though it could have been fairly early in the 19th century.

Dr Pieter van der Merwe, MBE, DL.

West Kent Guardian 16 January 1847.

DEATH FROM ALLEGED VIOLENCE.

On Wednesday, an inquest was held, pursuant to adjournment from the 8th inst., before C. J. Carttar, Esq., coroner, at the "Eight Bells," Church-street, Greenwich, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Ann Johnson, aged 44, an American woman of colour, wife of an out-pensioner of Greenwich Hospital.

John Johnson, deposed to the identity of the body, and that he married the deceased in August last, at which time he belonged to the Ramilies ward, in the Royal Hospital, after which he became an out-pensioner, and resided in Skinner's-court. Greenwich.

Thomas Oak Mitchell, Esq., surgeon. Circus street, Greenwich, deposed that he had attended decease about ten years. He had made a post mortem examination of the body of decease, by direction of the coroner. Witness was sent for previous to death, on the 30th of December, when he found her speechless and insensible; believed she was labouring under concussion of the brain and treated her accordingly. There were external marks of violence, her head was swollen and inflamed, bruises over the shoulder and a black eye. On making the post mortem examination, he found on removing the scalp a bruise extending through the integuments (size of half-a-crown), to the back part of the skull, death ensued from concussion of the brain, on the 8th inst.

Thomas Obering, deposed, to great disturbance taking place in Skinner’s-court. Greenwich, on Wednesday, the 30th ult. Saw deceased foaming at the mouth and striking at an elderly woman, named Humphries. A young woman named Martha Humphries, a daughter of the old lady came up and struck deceased over the shoulder, while she was in the act of opening the street door.

John Johnson, husband of deceased, was re-called, and said that his wife laid two hours on the bed insensible after she came into the house, and said that the "Skinners" would be her death, and that she thought that "tall Mary" would be the last person to strike her.

Joseph Simnot, deposed that he saw Martha Humphries, give deceased a blow and knock her bonnet off. One of the Humphries's gave her a muzzler, and deceased said she did not think that Mary would have struck her; deceased staggered to her door, but did not fall. Amelia Humphries struck deceased in the face. Johnson afterwards came out and took his wife in.

Dr. Mitchell said deceased was quite sober, and was sure she had not been drinking on the day of the occurrence.

Jane Acres and Louis Fleming, deposed to seeing Martha strike deceased.

Harriet Deal, a married woman, residing in Skinner's-court, proved that Hartia Humphries struck deceased the last blow and called her a b----- old bitch, it was between 10 and 12 o'clock in the forenoon of Wednesday, 30th December. Old Mrs. Humphries abused and used deceased most cruelly, the words used were most foul, deceased left and returned to the court an hour or so afterwards, when Mrs. Humphries used deceased as badly as before; deceased held up her slick and said by God she would put up with it no longer. Amelia Humphries then came behind deceased and gave her a violent blow on the head. Deceased reeled without falling. Deceased said she had been shamefully used. Amelia struck deceased twice and her sister Martha Humphries once. Saw tall Mary rub deceased's mouth. Amelia struck as hard as she was able.

Ann Sutton, proved that Mr. Humphries and deceased quarrelled. Saw Martha strike deceased with open hand on the side of her head, Deceased appeared quite sober.

Mary Ann Humphries, window, was called in, and admitted that she was not sober on the day in question. She quarrelled with deceased about 15s. her husband owed for rent and money lent, —told deceased she was an ungrateful woman and that she had kept her from starving. No blows were struck by witness or her daughters—her daughters merely pushed her bonnet off.

Mary Cleoox and several other witness, proved that blows were given to deceased by the two young Humphries’s but only with the open hand.

Amelia arid Martha Humphries both made voluntary statements to the effect that they struck deceased for threatening their mother, but only with their hands. Deceased said "kill me, kill me," and was in a great passion foaming at the mouth.

Dr. Mitchell, surgeon, said death must have ensued from a fall or a blow from some hard substance. The hand could produce no such result.

Mr. Carttar, the coroner, concurred in this opinion.

The inquest-room was then cleared for the jury and coroner to confer, and after nearly an hour had elapsed, the doors were thrown open, when the coroner announced that the jury not being satisfied with the evidence, he had determined to adjourn the inquiry for a month, when it was hoped that important facts would be disclosed.

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 3 July, 1858.

Stealing at the "Eight Bells."

On Tuesday last, Ann Helleth was taken up for being drunk. Locked up, she was visited in the usual way by a police-constable, and he thought he saw something like a bottle sticking out from her coat. He examined and found a glass, which proved to be the property of Mr. Potter, Church-street, at whose house the prisoner had been drinking. The woman excused herself by saying that she was drunk at the house and knew nothing about it. She was sent to prison for a month.

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 8 June, 1861.

Charles Brown, lately barman at the "Eight Bells," Greenwich, who was charged with setting fire to the above premises, was on Saturday last discharged.