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The following information has been taken from
http://www.cliffehistory.co.uk/pubs.html
Outside and away from the village,
along Cooling Street, sat the beer house known as the "Staff of Life"
which was run by Mr. Moses Watson until the 1870's when the Batchelor
family became involved. James Batchelor became licensee in 1872 and
stayed there for just over twenty years. In the 1871 census returns it
shows James and his wife Frances occupying the "Staff of Life" with some
of his children – sons: Charles, William, George and James, and his
three daughters: Ellen, Caroley (Caroline) and Elize with his fourth
daughter, Edith, soon to be born. As with many beer houses of the time
the "Staff of Life" changed its licence in 1887 to enable its patrons to
buy the drink of their choice and to drink it away from the premises –
an off-licence.
James's son John took over the establishment in 1895 from his father
and worked there until the turn of the century. John would have had help
not only from his wife Lizzie, whom he married in 1892 but James too as
carried on living there. From 1869 through to 1921 the Register of
Licences show that the name and address for the "Staff of Life" remained
constant however, when looking at the 1891 census returns there appears
a slight confusion. In it shows James Batchelor, together with his
children John, Caroline and Edith living at ‘The
Beehive', a beer house,
and with James being indicated as being a farmer and beer retailer.
However, in the official records of the North Aylesford Petty Sessional
Magistrates Court for licensing of beer houses, there is quite clearly
an entry for the "Staff of Life" with James Batchelor as licensee and no
mention of an establishment called "The
Beehive". There is a
photograph of a round, thatched building in a local publication stating,
“Circa 1908. The "Beehive"
public house was in Cooling Street, to the south of the present "Staff
of Life" public house.” The present "Staff of Life" referred to was not
the original one, which closed in 1921, but another in the same area
that took the old name. The photograph shows a small, round building
which looks totally unsuitable in size to house the Batchelor family.
However, there is no indication of another beer house in this position
on maps between 1875 and 1911 and, according to Parson's Directory
(1902), it shows an entry for, "The Staff of Life" (otherwise "Beehive")
beer house and Mr. John James Batchelor as beer keeper and farmer. In
the 1899 edition of Kelly's Directory the "Beehive" was again included
and Batchelor was noted as the beer keeper. Interestingly there was a
farm next to Yew Tree Cottage, on the same side of the road to the
"Staff of Life," called Beehive Farm where a Charles Frederick Jarrett
lived. On a map of 1912 there is an indication of a small, round
building that would satisfy the findings of A. Cherry's publication and
which appears to be in the grounds of Beehive Farm. What was the
"Beehive?" It certainly was not a licensed premise in its own right. It
may well have been an out building of the "Staff of Life" named
"Beehive" due to its shape or location on Beehive farm. Whatever it
actually was, it was known as the "Beehive" locally and dispensed ale.
It is very possible that there was a change of name of the beerhouse
that was not 'officially' recorded - this practice has been noted with
several public houses in and around Medway about this time. It is also
worth noting that in 1901 James Batchelor was recorded as being a
retired farmer and living at Gattons Farm House and John, with his
family, as living at the "Staff of Life" beer house. Prior to taking
over from John James Batchelor, Isaac Davies worked at "New
Inn," Shipbourne, Malling where he described himself as a ‘Hotel
Manager'. A fellow neighbouring farmer, by the name of William Francis
Hayter, then took over the running of the beer house for a short time
and lived there with his new wife, Rowena Helen and their baby daughter
Phyllis. The "Staff of Life" closed its doors towards the end of 1921,
however, the location was used at a later date to construct a fine brick
building which was once the home to Cooling Men's Institute which, after
its demise, returned once more to be known as the "Staff of Life": a
public house and restaurant. Today it is a private dwelling. |
