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George Lane
Hither Green
Lewisham
Above painting, circa 1830. |
Above painting by J T Wilson, 1800s. |
Above postcard, circa 1870, kindly sent by James Fribbins. |
Above photo circa 2007. |
Above photo circa 2008, by Ewan Monro. |
The original pub can be dated back to 1588 when it stood on the west side
of Rushy Green near to the site of the old Lewisham Central Library, but a
new one was built between 1700 and 1720 on or near the same foundations.
Further information sent to me from Stevesw19 shows a passage from a 1757
document, (The George 1770) mentions the burial of Charles Ward servant to
Mr Smith at the George so assume a Mr Smith was the Landlord in 1757. Seems
he died age 70 in 1799, but it is unknown whether he was still the licensee.
I am going to assume he was.
By 2008 the premises suffered a fire in the building and was boarded up
having destroyed a good part of it and the entire was demolished in 2010 the
area destined for new housing.
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Buried.
4 Jan 1799 William Smith (Late Landlord of the George) - Aged 70 - Died at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch.
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South Eastern Gazette, 31 January, 1860.
LEWISHAM. Suicide of a Police-constable.
Charles Davis, a constable of the R or Greenwich division of police,
committed suicide on Thursday morning by cutting his throat in the
garden of Mr. Astendeck, a gentleman residing at Lewisham. An inquest
was held on Friday last, at the "George Inn," on the body of
deceased. It appeared that on the 18th of the present month the
deceased was spoken to by a gentleman at Lewisham respecting his
being the father of a child with which his servant was then
enceinte, which he did not deny, and respecting which the gentleman
stated he should speak to Mr. Traill, the magistrate, and write to
the police commissioners. Having been in the force a period of
twenty years, such a complaint would have had the effect of
depriving him of a pension which he would otherwise have been
entitled, as there was a supposition in his mind that this would
lead to his dismissal from the force. On Tuesday afternoon he left
the Lewisham station, and called at several public-houses in the
neighbourhood, the last of which was at the "Spotted Cow,"
Hither-green. This was shortly before eight o’clock in the evening,
and having proceeded into the back garden he quickly returned,
remarking to the landlord that a person had frightened him. From
this time nothing more was seen of him until eleven o’clock on
Thursday morning, when the gardener of Mr. Astendeck, a gentleman
residing at Lewisham, was working in his master’s garden. Having a
small dog with him the animal kept running to and from the
summer-house and appeared uneasy. The gardener, suspecting that a
sheep had strayed into the place, went to look, and was horrified at
perceiving the deceased sitting in the corner of the summer-house,
with his coat drawn over his head and his throat cut in a shocking
manner. There were evident signs that the deceased must have
struggled between life and death for some time, as there was a pool
of blood in the summerhouse some distance, from where he was found,
and also in another part, whilst he appears to have used his pocket
handkerchief to stop the bleeding from the wound, after wiping the
razor clean with which he committed the fatal injury and re-placing
it in his coat pocket! On his person was found a letter proved to
have been written as far back as the 18th inst. (the day on which he
was spoken to about the child) addressed to his sister, and in which
he expressed an intention of destroying himself. To have got to the
summer-house he must not only have crossed a ditch but got over a
hedge also. The jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."
Deceased was 40 years of age.
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From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette,
4 February, 1860.
SUICIDE OF A POLICE CONSTABLE
Charles Davis, a constable of the R or Greenwich division of police,
committed suicide on Thursday morning by cutting his throat in the
garden of Mr. Astendech, a gentleman residing at Lewisham. An inquest
was held on Friday last, at the "George Inn," on the body of
deceased. It appeared that on the 18th of the present month the deceased
was spoken to by a gentleman at Lewisham respecting his being the father
of a child with which his servant was then exciente, which he did not
deny, and respecting which the gentleman stated he should speak to Mr.
Traill, the magistrate, and write to the police commissioner. having
been in the force a period of twenty years, such a complaint would have
had the effect of depriving him of a pension which he would otherwise
have been entitled, as there was a supposition in his mind that this
would lead to his dismissal from the force. On Tuesday, the 24th
instant, he left the Lewisham station, and called at several
public-houses in the neighbourhood, the last of which was the "Spotted
Cow," Hither Green. This was shortly before eight o'clock in the
evening, and having proceeded into a back garden he quickly returned,
remarking to the landlord that a person had frightened him. From this
time nothing more was seen of him till eleven o'clock on Thursday
morning, the 26th instant, when the gardener of Mr. Athendeck, a
gentleman residing at Lewisham, was working in his master's garden.
Having a small dog with him the animal kept running to and from the
summer-house and appeared uneasy. The gardener, suspected that a sheep
had strayed into the place, went to look, and was horrified at
perceiving the deceased sitting in the corner of the summer-house, with
his coat drawn over his head and his throat cut in a shocking manner.
There was evident signs that the deceased must have struggled between
life and death for some time, as there was a pool of blood in the
summer-house some distance from where he was found, and also in another
part, whilst he appears to have used his pocket handkerchief to stop the
bleeding from the wound, after wiping the razor clean with which he
committed the fatal injury, and replacing it in his coat pocket. On his
person was found a letter proved to have been written as far back as the
18th inst. (the day on which he was spoken to about the child (addressed
to his sister, and in which he expressed an intention of destroying
himself. To have got to the summer-house he must not only have crossed a
ditch, but got over a hedge also.
The Jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."
Deceased was 40 years of age.
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From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 27 July, 1860.
SHORT WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
PUBLIC ROOMS, GROOMS HILL. July 14.
(Before T. Lewin, Esq., Captain Gosset, and J. Button, Esq.)
The following persona were fined on information by John Farmer, and
John W. Parmer, Inspectors of weights and measures.
James Jones, "George Inn," Lewisham. — Fined 5s., and costs, for two
short measures.
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Now (2024) a new build has turned the area into flats.
LICENSEE LIST
SMITH William 1757-4/Jan/1799 (dec'd age 70)
HENDON Edward 1832+
CANFOR Sarah 1841+ (age 36 in 1841 )
JONES James 1851-Nov/60 (age 56 in 1851)
COLE Robert Nov/1860+
GAMON Benjamin Richard 1866+
From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34
Census
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