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The Street
Bethersden
https://whatpub.com/george
Above photo, circa 1920, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above postcard, 1924, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo kindly sent by Chris Excell, 12 August, 2009. |
Above photos kindly sent by Tricia Francis, 18 January 2015. |
Above photo 2020. |
 
Above sign left, 1980s. Sign right, April 1985.
With thanks from Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com. |
 
Above sign 2015, by Tricia Francis. Sign right May 2023. |
Earliest mention found from the Kentish Gazette July 1769, when
catalogues for an auction held at the "Saracen's
Head," Canterbury could be obtained from this establishment.
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From the Kentish Gazette, Wednesday, 20 July to
Saturday, 23 July, 1768. Price 2d
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION
All the Stock in Trade of Mr. Thomal Abbly, of Ashford; consisting of
Mercery, Woollen Drapery, Linen Drapery, haberdashery and Hosiery. The
Goods will be divided into two Weeks Sale. The Goods to be viewed on
Thursday the 28th, and the Sale will begin on Friday the 29th, and
continue Saturday the 30th of this Inst. July, in the Assembly-room at
the “Saracen's Head.”
Catalogues may be had of Mr. Apsley at Ashford; the “Swan,” Charing; Cranbrook. Mr. Ingram; at the “Flying Horse,” Wye; the “Woolpack,” Chilham; “Dog and Bear,” Lenham; of Mr. Baker, Folkestone; Mr. Stokes at
Hythe, Romney; Mrs. Pike, the “George” at Lydd, Tenterden; Mr. Hall; Biddenden, “Red Lyon,” Smarden; “Chequer,” Bethersden, “George;”
Faversham; Mr. Walker, Elham, “Rose”; and at Thomas Roach's,
Cabinet-maker, Upholder, and Appraiser, in St. George's Street,
Canterbury.
N.B. Messrs, Ramsden and Creed, who have taken the Shop of the above Mr.
Apsley, propose laying in an entire fresh Assortment of every Article in
the Woollen and Linen Drapery, Silk Mercury, Haberdashery and Hosiery
Business.
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Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday 17
February 1849.
BETHERSDEN.
Burglary, and murderous attack on an Old Man, aged Eighty Years.
On Wednesday night, or early on Thursday morning, a lone cottage at
Bethersden, occupied, with a little land, by on old man named Law, who
is 80 years of age, and lives by himself was broken into and ransacked.
The poor old man was struck, in a most brutal manner, by an iron
instrument, two or three times, on the head, while in bed. Weltering in
his blood he crawled, after the thieves left the house, across to a
neighbour’s, living at a little distance, who rendered him every
assistances.
Two young men, named Millen and Sheepwash, belonging to
Bethersden, were apprehended on Thursday evening, and taken to Messrs.
Furleys and Mercer’s office, at Ashford, on suspicion of having
committed the offence, and were remanded by the Rev. N. Toke. It is
believed the evidence will be quite conclusive against them—the eldest
is not 18 years of age.
The blows were inflicted with a piece of iron,
which with the old man's breeches, have been found in a neighbouring
pond. The thieves were evidently annoyed at not finding his watch, which
he had sold a short time before while in distress.
The poor man died on
Saturday last.
The adjourned examination commenced at twelve o’clock on
Saturday, and, after some hours, terminated by Sheepwash and Millen
being committed for trial, and a person named Oliver entering into his
own recognizance to appear when called upon, the two prisoners having
stated that, he (Oliver) told them that he would purchase anything of
them they could get.
Millen has borne a bad character for a long time,
and on his way through the town evinced a hardened disposition by the
remarks be made to persons who recognized him.
Several petty depredations have been committed in and about the parish
of Bethersden lately, and it is thought that this capture will be the
means of breaking up a gang of desperadoes with which this place is
infested.
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Kentish Gazette, 20 February 1849.
On Tuesday last, in obedience to the warrant issued by — Willis, Esq.,
coroner for West Kent, a jury assembled at the "George Inn," Bethersden,
to enquire into the death of the old man named Law, (the circumstances
of which we reported in our last), when a verdict of "Wilful Murder" was
returned.
Found in the criminal registers that they were George Millan & Henry
Sheepwash who were both found guilty of murder on 10th March 1849 and
executed on 29th March 1849.
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From the Kentish Express, 12 January, 1856.
ASHFORD PETTY SESSIONS, Saturday. January 5th.
Before J. B. Wildman. Esq., (chairman,) Sir N. J. Knatchbull, E. K.
Hugesson, H. W. Carter. G. E. Sayer, W. Burra, Esqs., and the Revs.
J. Dufton, and N. Toke.
Charles Stevens, landlord of the "George Inn," Bethersden, applied
for an order for the restoration of his property, which was alleged
to have bean stolen by the man Lambert, who was found not guilty at
the last Quarter Sessions, (see our paper of the 15th ult.)
The magistrates immediately granted his request.
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South Eastern Gazette – Tues 10 Feb 1863.
“Transfer of Licences – the License of the George Inn Bethersden, was
transferred from Mr Charles Stevens to Mr Panton.
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Kentish Express, 8 April 1966.
Reginald Harry ‘Tim’ Fidler, 1899-1966.
On 25th June 1942 Francis Collinson collected two songs – ‘Buttercup
Joe’ and ‘The Cricketer’ – from Tim Fidler, landlord of
the "George" at Bethersden. He may have been known as Tim but was in fact registered at
birth as Reginald Harry Fidler. He was baptised at St John the Baptist,
Mersham on 9th July 1899. His parents were Annie, née Plascott,
originally from Exbury in Hampshire; and William Joseph Fidler, born at
Wickham, Berkshire, but now working as a game keeper, and living at
Quarrington Cottage, Mersham. From 1908 onwards, William Fidler was
licensee of the "Black Horse" at Pluckley, where he remained until his
death in January 1932 (his son, William Frank Fidler, succeeded him as
landlord, but sadly he too died, in April of the same year).
When Tim Fidler married in April 1933, his bride was Elsie Mary Philpott,
whose father, William Philpott, the landlord of the "George Inn." Mr Philpott died in June 1933 and it would appear that his son-in-law took
over as landlord, and remained at the pub until the 1960s (when his wife
Elsie died in April 1963, the notice in the Maidstone Telegraph gave her
address as the "George"). Tim Fidler died on 5th April 1966; his address
was given as 6 St Peter’s Cottages, Bethersden, so we can assume that he
had retired at some point following his wife’s death.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Jee, 3 December 2022.
Bethersden residents fight to save historic The George pub near Ashford.
A village community is in a race against time to save its beloved
300-year-old pub.
Residents in Bethersden, near Ashford, are facing the challenge of
raising £300,000 by Christmas in order to save and re-open The George
pub.
The old freehouse – described by many as "the heart of the village" –
closed during the pandemic, with the building put up for sale.
Fearing the historic building could be demolished or transformed, a
group of like-minded residents came together to form The George
Community, which has been campaigning to save the pub for around 18
months.
Robin Draper, chairman of the group, said the pub was an "absolutely
vital asset" to the village.
"I have been in this village for 37 years and have met nearly all my
friends through it," he explained.
"For two years we have not had it, and we really have noticed it. If
there is no pub in the village, there is no heart in the village."
The George Pub closed in October last year.
The campaign aims to raise enough to buy the pub, before renovating and
repairing the inside in order to make it viable in the long term.
Community efforts were given a boost in October of last year, when it
was granted a £250,000 share of the government's Community Ownership
Fund.
The scheme pledges to match any funds raised towards the pub up to the
£250,00 limit – meaning £300,000 raised would result in £550,000 in
total.
It is seen as a vital part of the campaign to save the pub – however the
offer only stands until the end of the year, meaning the group is facing
a timeline of weeks to find the necessary cash before Christmas so that
contracts can be exchanged on the sale.
A significant part of the fundraising efforts is a Community Share
Offer, which involves shares of £500 being made available to anyone who
wishes to purchase them.
Bethersden residents at the lunch of the George Community Share
scheme. Photo: Alison Miles.
Robin Draper, Joanne Brannan, Alex Withington and Roger Kelly, members
of the George community in Bethersden.
A maximum purchase of 80 shares can be made per individual, with every
shareholder receiving one vote in the community running of the pub, and
earning interest which can be collected as a bar tab (to encourage
continued custom at the pub) or or as cash.
Alternatively, a crowdfunder page has been put up for those who live
further afield or who do not want to buy a share, while Co-operatives
UK, which provided start-up grant funding last year, has also committed
to make an investment of £25,000.
Mr Draper said: "We know this is a huge challenge – particularly at the
present time – but this is our one and only shot to save the heart of
our village and ensure it can play a full part in maintaining the
community spirit and community care that Bethersden has always been
known for."
George Community Secretary Alex Withington added: “We’ve been extremely
heartened by the ongoing support we’ve experienced so far - not only as
we worked towards securing an agreement to purchase the pub but at all
the pop-up pub events that we’ve been organising every few months to
keep The George front of mind with the community.
"If that support translates into share purchases then there’s no
question that we can get there.
"Then our next goal will be completing necessary repairs and
refurbishments so that we can re-open the pub – even if that’s in a very
limited way to begin with – before St George’s Day 2023."
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From the
https://www.msn.com By Alex Jee, 19 Dec 2022.
The George pub in Bethersden, near Ashford, saved after community fundraising campaign.
A historic pub has been saved after villagers raised more than
£300,000 to buy it.
Residents in Bethersden, near Ashford, rose to the challenge of raising
the staggering figure before Christmas in order to save and reopen The
George.
Bethersden residents, the George Community head council and Damian Green
MP celebrate raising funds to buy the George Pub.
The 300-year-old freehouse, described by many as the "heart of the
village", closed during the pandemic, with the building up for sale.
Fearing the historic building could be demolished or transformed, a
group of like-minded residents came together to form The George
Community, with the aim of raising enough money to reopen the pub as a
community asset.
Efforts were aided by a government boon, which pledged to match any
money raised up to £250,000 – meaning £300,000 raised would result in
£550,000 in total.
Small fundraising events were held at the pub across 18 months, but with
an end-of-year deadline looming the group launched a Community Share
Offer, with anyone being able to purchase up to 80 shares of £500 each.
At a party at the pub on Saturday, the good news was announced by
Ashford MP Damian Green to a jubilant crowd.
George Community Chair and Bethersden stalwart Robin Draper said he and
the whole committee had been "overwhelmed" by the community's response.
"We knew this was a huge ask from the village right now, but they have
demonstrated how important The George is to them and this community," he
said.
"In return for that vote of confidence, our pledge is that The George
will not only re-open as a pub but also as a hub – somewhere that will
be a true community meeting place and resource for residents going
forward."
With the funds raised, contracts on the purchase are set to be exchanged
next week, with the purchase being completed in the new year.
The George Community then plan to prepare the pub for reopening in time
for St George’s Day at the end of April.
Mr Green congratulated the village on their achievement, adding: “This
is hugely important for the village and a real tribute to everyone
involved.
The George Community head committee celebrates successfully raising
the funds to buy the pub.
"The fact that they’ve raised this incredible amount of money, to more
than match the money coming from the Government, is a real testament to
the pride in their community.
“Villages like Bethersden suffered hugely from the pandemic because
people weren’t allowed to meet with one another, so one more step back
to a normal way of life will be the re-opening of The George.”
To help raise further funds for vital repairs and necessary
refurbishments, the share offer is remaining open. More details can be
found on the George Community website.
Members of the public who wish to support the campaign without buying
shares, can contribute through The George Community’s Crowdfunding
account.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Jee, 15 May 2023.
The George, Bethersden near Ashford, to reopen after community rescue.
A historic village pub saved from destruction by its community is
finally set to reopen after almost two years closed.
The George Pub in Bethersden, near Ashford, has been transformed by a
group of residents following a mammoth effort to raise more than
£300,000 to buy it.
The George Community head committee celebrates successfully raising the funds to buy the pub.
The 300-year-old freehouse, described by many as the "heart of the
village", shut in October 2021, with the building put up for sale.
Fearing the pub could be demolished or transformed, a group of
like-minded residents came together to form The George Community, with
the aim of raising enough money to reopen the inn as a community asset.
Efforts were aided by a government pledge to match any money raised up
to £250,000 – meaning £300,000 raised would result in £550,000 in total.
Small fundraising events were held at the pub across 18 months, but with
an end-of-year deadline looming the group launched a Community Share
Offer, with anyone able to purchase up to 80 shares of £500 each.
Now, the group has confirmed that after months of work, the reopening
date is just around the corner.
A spokesperson said: “It’s the news you’ve all been waiting for: we are
planning to reopen the doors of the George at 1pm on Friday 26th May!
“The final redecoration and fitting out are taking place so, subject to
all final checks and approvals being received, we will be pulling that
first long-awaited pint in the public bar at around 1pm on the 26th!
“More news on our opening times shortly but we really can’t wait to
welcome you back inside The George!”
This month’s opening will only see drinks poured, with more work needed
on the kitchen before it is ready to serve food.
A raffle for the “honour” of receiving the first pint pulled at the pub
will be held ahead of the opening to raise money for the kitchen
refurbishments.
Tickets are £2.50 or five for £10, and are available from tomorrow
(Tuesday, May 16) from Marchants, The Post Office General Store and
Vibez hairdressers.
A spokesperson added: “If you are available at 1pm on the 26th and are
happy to be photographed and filmed for publicity, then all you need to
do is buy a ticket for your chance to take a place in history!” |
Closed October 2021, open again 26 May 2023.
LICENSEE LIST
MILLEN Thomas 1841+ (age 45 in 1841 )
STEVENS Charles 1851-Feb/63 (age 47 in 1851)
PANTON Mr Feb/1863+
TANTON Elizabeth Ann Mrs 1871-82+ (age 40 in 1871)
EDWARDS Joseph Edwards 1891+ (widower age 56 in 1891)
GIBBS Anthony Edmund 1898+
SCARFF Charles R 1901-03+ (age 42 in 1901)
PHILPOTT William 1913-June/33 dec'd
FIDLER Reginald Henry 1938-42+
STYLES Ronald 1963-73
https://pubwiki.co.uk/George.shtml
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
Census
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