Kentish Gazette 03 March 1770.

To be Sold by Auction, By John Hopkins.

By Order of the EXECUTRIX, the latter End of this Month, at the "Golden Lyon," near the Brook, at Chatham.

The following Estate, late the Property of Mr. Edward Wood, deceased, In Two Lots.

Lot 1. Consists of Seven New Brick Messuages or Tenements; one of which is that reputable and well-accustomed Public-house the "Golden Lyon" as above, and Six other adjoining, pleasantly situated on Smithfield Bank, near the Brook at Chatham, held by Lease from the Dean and Chapter of Rochester for a Term of Twenty-one Years, renewable every Seven Years at Ten Shillings per Annum, of which Lease Fourteen Years are unexpired at Lady-day, and Let to good Tenants, at Fifty Pounds per Year.

LOT 2. Consists of a Messuage or Tenement situate in that remarkable pleasant Spot, called St. Margaret's Bank, at Chatham, and commands a delightful Prospect of the River Medway, and the adjacent Villages. The said Messuage is held by Lease for 999 Years, at a Pepper-corn per Year, 800 Years and Upwards unexpired; it is in substantial Repair, and Let to a good Tenant at £3. per Annum.

The Time of Sale and when particulars may be had, will be made public in a short Time.

Kentish Gazette 7 January 1803.

Friday night last, or early on Saturday morning the public-house of Mr. Bishop, the Sign at the "Golden-lion," was broke into and robbed of two coats, two shillings in silver, and 30 shillings worth of halfpence.

Kentish Gazette, 5 September 1820.

DEATH.

Last week on the Brook, Chatham, Mm. Bishop, wife of Mr. Bishop of the "Golden Lion."

From the Kentish Gazette, 8 August 1843.

DEATH.

July 25, at his residence, "Golden Lion Inn," Brook, Chatham, Mr. James Butcher, aged 77.

Kentish Gazette, 7 December 1847.

ROBBERY AT CHATHAM BARRACKS.

At the County Magistrates’ Office, Rochester, on Wednesday, the 24th ult. John Prophet and Peter Robinson, both privates belonging to the 63d Regiment, stationed at Chatham Barracks, were charged with stealing a £5 Bank of England note, from a box belonging to Lance-Sergeant John Prophey, of the same corps, which note had been entrusted to him by Lieut. L. V. Reynolds, the officer who commands his company, to pay the soldiers of the company with. The Sergeant said that at seven o'clock on Saturday evening the Bank-note was safe in his box which stood at the head of his cot in the Barrack-room; that at eight o’clock he went to the box to get his pay list out, and he then missed the little bag which contained the note. The two prisoners occupied quarters in the same room with him; and at half-past seven o’clock the prisoner Prophet asked him if he should make his bed down, which he allowed the prisoner to do. The box at that time stood with the lid up, and when he missed the money both prisoners were gone, and as they were absent at tattoo suspicion fell upon them that they had stolen it. He went in search of them; they were however taken by the picquets during the evening and lodged in the guard-house; and on searching the prisoner Prophet the bag that contained the £5 note was found in his trowsers pocket. Evidence was also given that the prisoners were together that night at the "White Hart" public-house, in the Brook, at Chatham, and there offered a £5 note in payment for some beer, but the landlady, Mrs. Chambers, could not give change, and she gave the note back again to one of the prisoners, who sent the waiter out to get change elsewhere, and the waiter procured five sovereigns from Mrs. Butcher, at the "Golden Lion Inn," as the waiter said for his master. The waiter did not return with the change, and he has not been seen since. Mrs. Butcher produced the £5 note, but the sergeant could not identify it as the one he had lost. The prisoner Prophet confessed to the robbery, and Robinson said he was led into the scrape. Both the prisoners were committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions at Maidstone.

Kentish Gazette, 15 January 1850.

JAN. 12. Dreadful Death or Miss Bright.

A most frightful and fatal occurrence took place last night in Wombwell’s Menagerie, which arrived at Chatham about two days ago, and now exhibiting at the east end of the Military Road. This was the second night of submitting to the public inspection his unrivalled collection. Shortly after nine o'clock the public were witnessing in the area of the building the various animals, when their attention was directed to the exciting scene of a young woman entering the den containing a lion and also a male tiger, and then commenced displaying her usual feats, thus showing the sovereignty and control exercised by her over these animals, in which it is said she far excelled Van Amburgh and she was designated the "Lion Queen." Both animals appeared to be perfectly mild, and she exercised her authority over them so effectively, that they rendered to her a willing obedience; when, in a moment, the tiger suddenly sprang forward and seized the lady (Miss Bright), by the throat, with such a degree of force that the teeth and claws of the animal rendered her a lifeless corpse in less than two minutes, although the assistants were without loss of time at the door, and forcibly dragged the unfortunate creature out of the den covered in of blood. The jugular vein is separated, and the neck is shockingly lacerated. The attack caused the greatest horror to all present. Some of the military medical gentlemen were present witnessing the animals, and they rendered every assistance. The deceased was about 19 years of age, and niece to Mr. Wombwell. The body was removed to the "Golden Lion," to await a coroner’s inquest, which was held this afternoon by J. Hinde, Esq., one of the coroners for the divisions of the county. The painful event has caused very great sensation.

South Eastern Gazette, 5 June, 1860.

Child Murder at Chatham.

On Thursday evening last an inquest was held at the "Golden Lion tavern," Military-road, Chatham, on the body of a male infant, name unknown, whose body was found floating in the river, under circumstances which left no doubt that it had been murdered.

George Tulay, a waterman, proved finding the body in the river, off the New-stairs, Chatham, on Tuesday morning last. The body, which was wrapped up in a coarse cloth, was, when brought ashore, deposited in the commandant’s garden. Sergeant Fisher, of the Chatham police, stated that he had made every enquiry in order to find a clue to the mother of the infant, but up to the present time without effect. During his investigations he had ascertained that some clothes belonging to a female had been found in a field at Gillingham, with marks of blood on them. He had not, however, been able to trace them to the party who left them there. Mr. J. Ely, surgeon, said he had made a post mortem examination of the body of the infant, which had been alive, but it was evident great violence had been used at its birth. His opinion was that death had been caused either by the infant bleeding to death, or from drowning. The Coroner said he thought little stress was to be laid on the discovery of the clothes alluded to, as they might not have belonged to the mother. Sergeant Fisher stated that during his enquiries into this case, he had ascertained that there was a young woman missing from Ordnance-place, and it was generally believed that her husband had murdered her. After a few words from the Coroner the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against some person unknown." During the inquiry the learned coroner remarked on the increase which had lately taken place in the crime of infanticide in this country.

South Eastern Gazette, Tuesday 23 October 1860.

SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF AN INFANT.

On Wednesday last an inquest was held at the "Golden Lion," Brook, before T. Hills, Esq., coroner, on the body of an illegitimate child of a woman named Caroline Saunders, which was found dead under somewhat suspicious circumstances.

It appeared that the mother of the child resided in Fairrow, Chatham, and on the 25th of last month was delivered of a child in the house of her sister, a woman named Macdermot, there being no person in the room with her at the time.

On the sister going in she found the dead body of a newly-born child in a crock under the bed, the mother at the time being insensible. Mr. J. J. Ely, surgeon, was shortly afterwards called in to attend the mother, and made an examination of the child, which was a full grown and very healthy one. The cord was torn and separated, which was the cause of death. A careful examination of the body showed that there were no bruised or marks of violence upon it.

The jury returned an open verdict that the child was found dead, but how it came by its death there was no evidence to show.