DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Saturday, 29 April, 2023.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1828-

Cock Inn

Open 2020+

Camberwell Lane

Ide Hill

01732 750310

https://cockinnidehill.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/cock-inn

Cock Inn 1911

Above photo, circa 1911, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock Inn 1914

Above postcard, postmarked 1914. The pub is just visible centre right of above picture.

Cock Inn 1916

Above postcard, 1916, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock Inn 1931

Above postcard, circa 1931, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock Inn 1951

Above postcard, circa 1951, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock 1969

Above postcard, circa 1969, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock 1975

Above photo, circa 1975, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Cock Inn 1988

Above photo, 1988.

Cock Inn 1990

Above photo 1990, kindly supplied by Rory Kehoe.

Cock Inn 2003

Above photo, 2003.

Cock Inn 2011

Photo by Nigel Chadwick 2011 from http://www.flickr.com.

Cock Inn restaurant 2019

Above photo 2019.

Cock Inn inside 2019

Above photo 2019.

Cock Inn matchbox 1980s

Above matchbox, circa 1980s, kindly sent by Debi Birkin.

Cock Inn sign 1960sCock Inn sign 1995

Above sign left, 1960s, sign right 1995.

With thanks from Roger Pester www.innsignsociety.com

Cock Inn sign 2017

Above sign 2017.

With thanks from Roger Pester www.innsignsociety.com

 

The pub gained a Grade II listing on 16 January 1975.

Although the sign for this pub is a Cockerel the name actually stems from the fact the pub would have originally served beers from a barrel rather than in bottles, and the cock is referring to the "stop-cock" or "tap" that would deliver the beer.

The census of 1911 called this the "Old Cock Inn."

 

Kentish Times, 22 August 1985 about riots involving hop pickers in 19th C Kent:

DESPERATE AFFRAY AT IDE HILL.

"One of the worst incidents was at Ide Hill in 1866, which had already proved a bad year with strikes by the pickers and a lot of bad feeling between them and local people.

A group from Surrey had been lodging with an Alehouse keeper, Joseph Leigh, ("Wheatsheaf") and been having a few drinks and a bit of fun at his house They left and had a few more drinks at the Cock Inn, and were ordered out. A fight broke out between the locals, who apparently started it, and a picker called Dobson was killed.”

Three excerpts from the Times Newspaper The Times - Tuesday 2 October 1866.

"DESPERATE AFFRAY - Ide Hill, an isolated hamlet about four miles from Seven oaks, was the scene of a desperate affray on Saturday night between some of the inhabitants of that neighbourhood and a number of strangers who were employed on a farm in an adjoining parish as hop pickers, and which resulted in the death of one of the strangers, a young man about seventeen years of age, who is supposed to have left London for the hop picking season, and injuries to several others. The strangers had been spending the evening at a beerhouse kept by one of the men employed in the hop garden and they remained there until the usual closing time, which was 10 o'clock. After they left they called at a public house, within four or five minutes walk, and some angry words passed between them and some of the neighbouring labourers who were drinking there. As soon as they got out of the house, the landlord having desired them all to go home, a general fight ensued, in which sticks and knives were freely used. The young man already referred to was taken up in an insensible condition, his right eye being cut open, the upper part of his skull broken in, and a frightful wound extending from the top of his forehead to his nose, besides lesser injuries, and he died as he was being moved to the Union. A second man of the same party, named Grimes, a native of Berkshire, was also taken to the Union on Sunday, his skull being fractured, and it was reported that he died at night; while of the home people, one had a fractured skull, caused by one of his own party, and another severely cut on his left arm, and others were more or less injured, but the extend of them we have not yet been able to learn. Information was sent to Mr Colman, the superintendent of the Kent constabulary at Sevenoaks, and he arrived there about 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. His investigations led to the apprehension of three men named James Wood, Martin Quittenden, and James Bartholomew, who were recognised as being the ring leaders. At Quittenden's house was found a bludgeon about a yard long, with a large red knob covered with blood, and which he said he had taken from one of the strangers, and with which it appears he had knocked down one of his own companions in the midst of the fight, and also a clasp knife, which was still stained with blood. The prisoner Bartholomew was the one who had been stabbed in the arm, and he had previously been in custody for an aggravated assault upon the police. The coroner of the district has directed that a post mortem examination be made, and the whole matter, which has caused considerable excitement in the district, will be fully investigated. The prisoners were remanded yesterday by the magistrates at Sevenoaks."

 

The Times Tuesday, 2 October, 1866.

Desperate Affray.

Ide Hill, an, isolated hamlet about 4 miles from Sevenoaks, was the scene of a desperate affray on Saturday night between some of the inhabitants of that neighbourhood and a number of strangers who were employed on a farm in an adjoining parish as hop pickers, and which resulted in the death of one of the strangers, a young man about 17 years of age, who is supposed to have left London for the hop picking season, and injuries to several others.

The strangers had been spending the evening at a beer house kept by one of the men employed in the hop garden, and they remained there until the usual closing time, which was 10 o'clock. After they left they called at a public house, within 4 or 5 minutes walk, and some angry words passed between them and some of the neighbouring labourers who were drinking there. As soon as they got out of the house, the landlord having desired of them all to go home, a general fight ensued, and which sticks and knives were freely used. The young man already referred to was taken up in an insensible condition, his right eye being cut open, the upper part of his skull broken in, and a frightful wound extending from the top of his forehead to his nose, besides lesser injuries, and he died as he was being removed to the Union.

A second man of the same party, named Grimes, and native of Berkshire, was also taken to the Union on Sunday, his skull being fractured, and it was reported that he died that night; while of the home people, one had a fractured skull, caused by one of his own party, and another was severely cut in his left arm, and others were more or less injured, but the extent of them we have not yet been able to learn.

Information was sent to Mr. Colman, the superintendent of the Kent Constabulary at Sevenoaks, and he arrived there about 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. This investigation led to the apprehension of three young men, named James Wood, Martin Quittenden, and James Bartholomew, who were recognised as having been the ring leaders. At Quittenden's house were found a bludgeon about a yard long, with a large rough knob covered with blood, and which he said he had taken from one of the strangers, and which it appears he had knocked down one of his companions in the midst of the fight, and also a large clasp knife which was stained with blood. The prisoner Bartholomew was one who had been stabbed in the arm, and he had previously been in custody for an aggravated assault upon the police.

The coroner for the district has directed that a post-mortem examination be made, and the whole matter, which has caused considerable excitement in the district, will be fully investigated. The prisoners were remanded yesterday by the magistrates at Sevenoaks.

 

The Times Saturday 6 October 1866.

THE FATAL AFFRAY AT IDE HILL.

Yesterday at Sevenoaks police court, before the Hon and Rev. F Baring, the three men James Wood, James Bartholomew, and Martin Quittenden, were brought up on the charge of causing the death of Abraham Dobson, on the night of the 29th September. The prisoners were defended by Mr Cripps. It appeared from the evidence that a party of pickers visited a beerhouse, intending to take farewell of its proprietor with a song, and, after leaving his house called at another, the "Cock," where an opposition party of resident labourers was drinking. Deceased was a merry rollocking fellow, who sang and danced to the company, beating time with a formidable bludgeon as an accompaniment. After amusing the people at the "Cock" in this way for some time, he went out, and in doing so passed the prisoner Martin Quittenden, who cautioned him to keep the stick quite, or he might have it taken from him. This led to some altercation, and a struggle for the possession of the stick ensued. Quittenden succeeded in possessing himself of the weapon, and immediately made use of it by knocking his opponent down. Thus the row became general; knives and sticks were freely used. Deceased was frightfully beaten about the head, and the evidence showed the most savage brutality on the part of the assailants. The evidence of the medical man who was called will convey an idea of the injuries they inflicted.

Mr. R. M. Rathull, surgeon, deposed, I saw the deceased about 3 o'clock on the morning of the 30th he was dead, and had been so about three hours. He had five wounds on the forehead, the right eye was closed, evidently the effect of a heavy blow. There were three scalp wounds, and a very severe wound under the right ear. The hair was matted with blood, mixed with gravel and small stones. The wounds were such as might be inflicted by the stick and the clasp knife produced. Deceased died from congestion of the brain, the result of kicks and blows. Mr Cripp applied for the discharge of James Bartholomew on the ground that no evidence had been given to implicate him to the murder; but the magistrate left that for the consideration of the jury, and committed them to the assizes on the charge of wilful murder.
 

The Times Monday 24 December 1866 Winter Assizes.

Home Circuit, Maidstone, Dec 22 (Before Mr Baron Channell).

Martin Quittenden, James Bartholomew, and James Wood were indicted for the wilful murder of Abraham Dobson at Sundridge, near Sevenoaks, on 24"' September last.

Mr. Poland and the Hon E Stanhope prosecuted; and Mr. Barrow and Mr. John Sharp defended.

The deceased was killed in a fight near the "Cock" public house at Sundridge late on Saturday evening. He had picked a heavy stick in a plantation and went with it to the "Cock," where he and two companions got into a quarrel with the prisoners, who were older and stronger than they were. Ultimately the stick was taken from the deceased, and he ran away. The prisoners pursued him. He fell from a high bank into the road, and as he lay or strove to rise Quittenden struck him on the head with his own stick, and Bartholomew and Wood kicked him. He died of these injuries almost immediately. The stick which was produced, deserved to be called a club. The deceased was only eighteen years old, and one of his companions, - Fry, who was a witness, - looked quite a youth. The prisoners on the other hand, were full grown men. Their violence was accompanied by brutal language. It appeared, however, that one of them had been stabbed with a knife, and, as he supposed, by Grimes, one of the companions of the deceased, and there was reason to think the deceased had sought a quarrel. As there were three successive skirmishes, amid the usual confusion, it would be difficult to ascertain exactly what took place. But a respectable witness, who was roused from his bed by the noise, gave evidence as follows as to the treatment of Grimes: He heard a heavy blow struck. The man that struck the blow said he had got a knife from the man that was struck down. Another man came up and said to the man on the ground, "You -, you have stabbed me and I will make your heart cold for you before morning." It was immediately before or after this the deceased ran away, and pursued and killed. The police officer who took Bartholomew into custody said that his arm had been cut, and that he (the officer) sent for a surgeon to dress the wound. It was also proved that before the last and fatal conflict a woman came into the "Cock" and said "They were killing Quittenden with a stick." The police, however, did not find that Quittenden was the worse for what was done to him. The only stick seen in the affray was brought by the deceased, whose conduct, perhaps, was not inappropriately, although coarsely, described in the words said to have been used by Wood when he kicked him, "the young.......was too fast; he wanted settling." Grimes, who was severely injured, was not called as a witness. He was several years older than the deceased or Fry. It was admitted by the prosecuting counsel that the case was one of manslaughter only, and after a long trial the prisoners were found guilty and severally sentenced to five years penal servitude."

 

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, Friday 16 July 1909.

Mrs. Whitmore, of the "Crown Hotel," Westerham, was granted an occasional licence for the Westerham Flower Show, and Mr. Marchant landlord of the "Cock Inn," Ide Hill, was allowed a similar privileged for the annual fete.

 

LICENSEE LIST

PARKER George 1828-51+ (age 71 in 1851Census) Pigot's Directory 1828-29Pigot's Directory 1832-34

SHARMAN Samuel Edward 1858+

MANN John 1881-82+ (age 65 in 1881Census)

MARCHANT Robert Herbert 1891-1909+ (age 28 in 1891Census) Kelly's 1903

BARKER Robert 1911+ (age 34 in 1901Census)

DAVIS Robert Cuthbert 1913+

???? Monica 2019+

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

 

Pigot's Directory 1828-29From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29

Pigot's Directory 1832-34From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

CensusCensus

 

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

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