DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Plumstead, September, 2024.

Page Updated:- Tuesday, 03 September, 2024.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1840-

Red Lion

Open 2019+

6 Red Lion Place

Shooter's Hill

Plumstead

020 8856 8753

https://www.theredlionwoolwich.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/red-lion

Red Lion 1930s

Above photo 1930s.

Red Lion

Above photo date unknown, by kind permission Chris Mansfield. http://www.chrismansfieldphotos.com/

Red Lion 2017

Above photo, 2017.

Red Lion inside 2017

Inside 2017.

Red Lion bar 2017

Bar area 2017.

Red Lion garden 2017

Garden 2017.

Red Lion sign 2019

Above sign 2019.

 

I also have reference to another "Red Lion" in Woolwich, and another "Red Lion" in Plumstead.

In the 1930s it was part of the Beasley's Brewery tied houses.

 

Thomas Bathurst

Above photo circa 1860 showing licensee Thomas Bathurst. Kindly sent by Helen Wildish. Died September 1862 from a diseased liver and uremia.

 

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 27 September, 1856.

TRANSFER OF LICENCES. Sept 25.

Present - Sir T. M. Wilson, Bart., chairman; General Angerstein, Captain Hossett, Alderman Eagleton, T. Lewin, Esq., J. Sutton, Esq., and Coles Chile, Esq.

This being the annual licensing day for the hundreds of Blackheath, and Little and Lessness, there was an unusually large attendance of applicants for spirit licences, numbering 60; of which Greenwich numbered 9; Saint Nicholas, Deptford, 1; Saint Paul, Deptford, 6; Lewisham, 4; Lee, 1; Charlton, 1; Woolwich, 20; and Plumstead, 14.

PLUMSTEAD.

Mr. Carttar supported and Mr. Nokes opposed the petition of Mr. Provart, "Red Lion," Shooter's hill road. Licence refused.

 

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 28 November, 1857.

BURGLARS.

John Henry, Francis Smith, Joseph Dodson, and George Webb, four stylishly-dressed young men, were brought up on remand, charged with being found on Shooter’s-hill, for the supposed purpose of committing a burglary.

It appeared from the evidence of detective officer James William Crouch, an intelligent and active constable or the R division, that he was on duty on the evening of Friday, the 6th instant on the Shooter’s-hill-road, when he met the prisoners walking together. Suspecting their character he followed them some distance, until he saw them enter the parlour of the "Red Lion Inn." After they had been there some time, he entered the room for the apparent purpose of lighting his pipe, and complained that neither the gas nor fire was lighted, upon which one of the prisoners offered him a light, he then rang the bell and requested the landlord to light the gas; and immediately after the landlord left the room the prisoners turned the gaslight partly down, as also the window blind. Crouch then left the room, and having had a conversation with Mr. Provart, the proprietor, sent to Shooter’s-hill station for assistance. The whole of the prisoners shortly afterwards left the house together, followed oy Crouch. On arriving opposite Captain Cooper’s residence at the top of Shrewsbury-lane they stopped and surveyed the premises, the prisoner Webb, who was engaged as a look-out, giving a sharp, shrill-whistle on seeing constable in uniform approach, they all made off. Crouch succeeded in securing Webb, and handed him over to another constable, and assistance having arrived the others were speedily captured. On their way to the station Webb threw a parcel over the garden of a gentleman named Richardson, which, on being picked up by the butler, was found to contain a housebreaker’s implement known as a "jemmy," two life-preservers, wax taper, a glazier's knife, etc.; and in Smith’s coat pocket a pair of overall shoes were found, ready for use, to deaden the sound of footsteps.

David Darely, warder of Pentonville Prison, identified Webb as having been in his charge, with a batch of others from Bermuda, in March last, and to his being discharged in the following month on a ticket of leave. The prisoners Webb and Henry were also Identified by Brett, the detective officer of the City police, as known characters.

Mr. Traill said he should deal with the prisoners under the Vagrant Act, and sentenced each of them to three months’ hard labour in Maidstone Gaol.

 

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 21 August, 1858.

PETTY SESSIONS, CROOMS HILL. SATURDAY.

Present — Sir T. M. Wilson, Bart-, John Sutton, Esq. and Colonel Grant.

FALSE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

The following persons were fined, with costs, upon informations by Messrs. John and John W. Farmer, inspectors of weights and measures, Straight’s-mouth. Greenwich:—

George Coombs, "Red Lion," victualler, Shooters-hill, 3 measures, fined 10s.

 

From the Kentish Chronicle, 17 November, 1860.

DISCOVERY OF THE DEAD BODY OF A CHILD AT WOOLWICH.

Two females walking in a plantation belonging to the residence of Colonel Woodford on Monday, in search of blackberries, observed something white near the hedge which separates the plantation from a meadow. It seemed to be a bundle; and on examining it they found it contained, wrapped in calico, the corps of a female child.

Notice was given in the proper quarter, and an inquest was appointed to be held on Thursday, at the "Red Lion," on Shooter's Hill. On that day the coroner attended, a jury was sworn, and the women were examined who made the discovery. They described the spot where the child was found, a short distance from the commencement of the path in the meadow. Their conjecture was that the body had been thrown over the hedge from the field into the plantation. It was supposed to have been so disposed of on Sunday night or early on Monday morning. The child appeared to be two or three days old, but as no post mortem examination had taken place the inquest was adjourned till four o'clock on Tuesday, when a medical gentleman was to report on the subject. At present the belief is that the child was born alive and that another murder must be added to the dismal list which has lately shocked the humane.

As yet the perpetrator of the crime remains unsuspected.

 

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 28 June, 1862.

Suicide by a French Gentleman.

Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent, has concluded an inquiry at the "Red Lion Tavern," Plumstead, relative to the death of M. Brandicourt, a French gentleman, aged 66, who had resided at Royal Hill, Greenwich, and was well known as a teacher of languages at various schools in the district. The evidence proved that on Wednesday last the deceased was found lying in an enclosure near Seven-Droog Castle, Shooter s Hill, with a handkerchief twisted tightly round his throat, and death was caused by strangulation. A sum of £20 was found in the possession of deceased, and also various documents which led to his identity. The jury returned an open verdict.

 

From the http://www.dailymail.co.uk. By Euan McLelland. 8 July 2015.

Residents on an affluent London street are left terrified as 60 travellers brawl outside their homes and use the road as a toilet after a drunken wake.

Brawling travellers clambered on car roofs and urinated in an affluent London street after a funeral wake descended into drunken chaos.

Sixty mourners were involved in what one witness described as a 'huge fist fight', which required an estimated 100 police officers to control.

Residents in Shooter's Hill, south east London, told of their shock after seeing a 'mountain of police' trying to control the violence outside the "Red Lion" pub.

Three men were arrested following the brawl, one of whom attended a south London hospital where he was treated for a head injury.

Rioters

Residents in Shooter's Hill, south east London, told of their shock after seeing a 'mountain of police' trying to control the violence outside the Red Lion pub.

Witnesses say a large group of travellers involved in the fighting were attending a wake and had been swigging from beer cans in the street.

Maddie Mansfield, 19, said: 'It was very, very noisy. There was a huge fist fight involving loads of people, definitely 60-plus at one point.'

A neighbour, who asked not to be named and whose house and van were damaged during the violence, said: 'People were petrified. I have never seen anything like it.

'They were standing on the roof of my neighbour's car. He's had thousands of pounds worth of damage done.

'They were urinating in the street and doing number twos as well. I was hosing them down from my garden the next day.'

Amanda Barry, also of Shooters Hill, said her husband had earlier overheard travellers, who were sat outside the "Red Lion" pub on July 2, say they were celebrating a wake.

She said: 'It started to get quite noisy outside at about nine o'clock.

Rioters

Witnesses say a large group of travellers involved in the fighting were attending a wake and had been swigging from beer cans in the street.

'The neighbours and I came out to see what was going on and they were everywhere.'

Mrs Barry said nearby restaurant The Jasmine was forced to close early at around 6pm after a group of travellers became angry when they were refused use of the toilet.

The 37-year-old mum-of-four added: 'They began to urinate in the street outside the restaurant and glasses were being thrown into the restaurant garden.'

Mrs Barry said around 30 to 40 travellers' caravans arrived on the field opposite her house over the weekend but left on Monday morning after Greenwich Council intervened.

Red Lion 2015

The caravans have since been photographed on Plumstead Common.

Simon McDonagh, 33, a Tottenham car salesman and David Ward, 38, unemployed from Enfield, have both been charged with affray and appeared in custody at court on July 4.

A third man, who was arrested, has been released without charge.

 

In June 2016 the "Red Lion" was transformed with a £290,000 refurbishment.

Red Lion cheque presentation

Greenwich Council leader Denise Hyland, Clive Efford MP, Jenny Heritage from Demelza, Paddy Fuller deputy and James Jones general manager.

 

LICENSEE LIST

HENDERSON Hannah 1840+

BATHURST Thomas 1843-Feb/1852

SOAR John Feb/1852+

PROVART A O Mr 1855-56+

COOMBS George 1862+

COOMBS Hannah 1866+

TODMAN James to Nov/1870

BOXSHALL Thomas Nov/70-74+

ROBERTS Mitchell 1881-96+ Next pub licensee had (age 34 in 1881Census)

CHEXFIELD Albert T 1901+ (widow age 55 in 1901Census)

BARRETT John 1905-19+

Last pub licensee had BANISTER William Henry 1921-41 dec'd

BANISTER Helen Kathleen Miss (daughter) 1941-66+

https://pubwiki.co.uk/RedLion.shtml

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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