GIBRALTAR HOTEL Pub of Chatham

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Chatham, December, 2023.

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 13 December, 2023.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1828-

Gibraltar Hotel

Latest ????

New Road (Gibralta Row 1828)

Chatham

Above postcard circa 1904, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. With the pub in the livery of Style & Winch's Medway Brewery, Maidstone.

Above postcard, date unknown, also showing the Waghorn Memorial.

Above photo date unknown showing the "Gibraltar Hotel" on the right.

Above photo, Sept 1957, by Images of Medway.

From the Maidstone Gazette and West Kent Courier, 9 March 1830.

Freehold Estate. Land tax redeemed.

Ordnance place, Chatham, to be sold by auction, by T. W. Wood.

On Monday, 15th of March, 1830, at 6 o'clock in the evening, at the "Gibraltar Inn," New Road, Chatham, (subject to such conditions as will be then and there produced, unless previously disposed of by private contract, of which due notice will be given.)

A Freehold Estates, situated in Fort Pitt Street, Ordnance Place, Chatham in two lots.

Lot 1 comprises of Brick, Tiled, and Weather boarded house, containing two Parlours, two Chambers, two Atticks, Kitchen, Cellar, Wash House, and Garden, now in the occupation of John Church, tenant at will, at the yearly rent of £13.

Lot 2 consists of four Dwelling houses, adjoining to Lot 1, each containing a Sitting room, two Bedrooms, and Cellar, with Wash houses, Garden, &c, in the occupation of Mr. John Lomas, and others, producing a rent of £30 per annum.

South Eastern Gazette 08 May 1832.

GIBRALTAR TAVERN, NEW ROAD, CHATHAM.

Michael Richardson, (From Maidstone) Begs respectfully to inform his Friends and the Public that he has taken the above House, which he has fitted up with excellent Beds and every accommodation for Travellers.

Wines and Spirits of the first quality. Dinners at a short notice in the best style.

STABLING FOR HORSES, AND AT LIVERY.

In which every care is taken as to cleanliness, air, and food.

LOCK-UP COACH HOUSES.

The utmost attention paid in every department of the Establishment.

The situation is truly delightful, commanding views of the river, the town, and environs - the air most salubrious, and although close to the town is yet free from the fog and smoke generally so annoying in great towns.

NEAT SINGLE HORSE CHAISE, AND SADDLE HORSE TO LET.

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, 11 February, 1860.

SUICIDE

On Wednesday morning a private soldier, named Mortimer, of the 6th Carbineers, committed suicide by drowning himself near the "Gibraltar Inn." An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon, and a verdict of temporary insanity was returned.

South Eastern Gazette, 26 June, 1860.

Friday. (Before the Revs. G. Davies and J. J. Marsham).

James Hill, a private in the 20th Regt., and Thomas Davis, of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, were finally examined on a charge of highway robbery, accompanied with violence, on the person of John Wells, lately discharged from the 60th Rifles, at Chatham.

It appeared that the prosecutor was drinking with the prisoners, neither of whom had he seen before, at the "Royal Oak," High-street, at which time he had five sovereigns and some silver in his possession fastened in a belt which he wore round his waist. During the time they were drinking together in the tap-room of the "Royal Oak," one of the prisoners was observed by a girl there to empty a white powder from a paper into a pot or beer which prosecutor was drinking. They afterwards all left the "Royal Oak" and proceeded together to the "Gibraltar" public-house, but returned over the New-road towards the "Royal Oak," when as they were passing along by some railings Davies suddenly asked prosecutor to give him some money. The prosecutor said he would, and was about to take 6d. out of his belt, when the prisoner Hills struck him a violent blow in the face, and at the same moment the other prisoner snatched his belt out of his hand, and both ran away as fast as they could in the direction of Rome-lane. In a very short time after the robbery both prisoners ran into the "Crown and Thistle" public-house, High-street, and made their way upstairs into a bed-room, where they exhibited several sovereigns to a female living there. At that moment the police entered the house, when both prisoners secreted themselves under the bed, but were taken by Police-constable 108, who conveyed them both to the station-house, where no money was found on either of them. The officer, however, returned to the room in which he had apprehended the prisoners, and under the bed where Hills had crawled he found two sovereigns and an Indian coin which the prisoner said was his.

Mr. Davies asked what had become of the other sovereigns, as only two had been found.

Superintendent Everist said he had no doubt the prisoners had swallowed them.

The prisoners were committed for trial.

In 1869-70 the pub was part of a consortium who were advertising their goods of selling tea in response to grocers' selling beer and wine. (Click for further details.)

The Licensing Directory of 1872 states the premises held a Full License and was owned by Edward Winch of Chatham.

Outside the hotel stands the statue of Victorian sailor and naval officer, Thomas Waghorn who was born in the town. Today (2020) the statue remains but the building is now housed by a dental practice.