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95 High Street
Rainham
01634 231210
https://whatpub.com/white-horse
Identified as "Ye Olde White Horse" in the above photo, circa 1890.
Kindly sent by Garth Wyver. |
Above photo 1896, showing a trip to Sutton Valence, the driver being a
Mr. Holloway the local lamp-lighter. |
Above photo, circa 1900. |
Above postcard, date unknown, by kind permission of Kent Photo Archives. |
Above postcard 1906, celebrating the arrival of the first tram, showing
the "White Horse" right, and "Cricketer's" left. |
Above photo circa 1910. Also showing the "Cricketer's"
left. |
Above photo circa 1929. |
Above postcard circa 1930. Also showing the "Cricketer's" right. |
Above photo showing the VE Day processions in May 1945, Ronald
Williamson and Brian Toucher are the flag bearers and Mr. & Mrs.
Clohessey on the right in the foreground and their daughter Anita on the
tricycle. Mrs. Freeman, her daughter Mary, and Mrs. Wilkinson centre
front, and Mrs. Gilberthorp, her son Peter, and Mrs. Clouhew centre
back. |
Above photo circa 1950s showing Vera Vickers the landlady. |
Above photo circa 1950s showing Vera Vickers the landlady. |
Above photo circa 1950s. All photos kindly sent by Linda Steer, the landlady's daughter. |
Above photo, 1970. |
Above photo 2013 by Nigel Chadwick
Creative Commons Licence. |
Above Google image, August 2016. |
Above photo 2021. |
Above photo, August 2021, kindly sent by Maggie Francis. |
Above sign, 2017. |
The sign of the House of Hanover, adopted by many 18th Century inns to
demonstrate loyalty to the new Royal dynasty. A white horse is also the
emblem of the County of Kent. The name can also refer to the chalk horses
carved into hillsides.
The "White Horse" was one of four public houses listed in Rainham in
Pigot's 1839 Directory, but all can also be traced much earlier. The other
three were the "Cricketers,"
the "Green Lion" and
the "George &
Dragon," Moor Street. By the 1870s the "White Horse" boasted 'very fine
livery stables’, and it was the Liberal Party’s headquarters during the
election of 1874.
This premises operated its own Slate Club in which participants would
save for a special occasion, such as Christmas.
I have also seen reference from vestry meetings written in the Gillingham
Chronicles by a Mr. Baldwin that
mentions the "White Horse" as early as 1732.
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From the Kentish Gazette, Tuesday 19 September 1797.
Freehold Estate, in Kent.
To be sold by Auction, on Friday 29th day of September 1797, at the
house of Mr. Henry Elvy, commonly called or known by the name or sign of
the "White Horse," Rainham, near Chatham, in the county of Kent, between
the hours of 4 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon.
All that last and substantial brick Messuage or Tenement, with the yard,
gardens and outbuildings; and also all that orchard and cherry garden
therunto belonging, with the appurtunities; situate, lying and being in
the centre of the village of Rainham aforesaid, and late in the
occupation of Mr. William Cartwright, his assigns or undertenants.
Further particulars may be had by applying to Mr. William Jeffrey's,
Attorney at Law, Chatham; where a map of the estate may be seen.
All persons, who stand indebted to the estate and effects of Mr. John
Elvy, late of Rainham in the county of Kent, yeoman, deceased, are
requested immediately to pay their respective debts to Mr. Jefferys, who
is duly authorised, by the executors of the deceased, to receive and
give discharges for the same, or they will be sued for the amount.
And all persons having any claim or demand on the said estate and
effects, are desired forthwith to transmit an account and apply to Mr.
Jefferys for payment thereof.
Chatham, 2nd September, 1797.
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Prerogative Court of Canterbury Will, dated 26th June 1800.
Henry Elvy, Victualler.
All his leasehold estate, ready money, securities, money in Public
Funds, bonds, etc., household plate, linen, china, glass, and rest and
residue, to his trustees, John Packman of Rainham, Gentleman and Edward
Brocke of Chatham, Linen Draper, to sell, pay his debts, funeral and
probate costs and invest the remainder at interest, upon trust. The
interest to be paid to his wife, Mary, for her lifetime. After her
death, upon trust, the principal money to be shared equally among his
daughters, Sarah, Susannah, Elizabeth, Judith and Martha Elvy,
respectively at 21 years of age.. His trustees are executors.
Witnesses: John Fowle and William Jefferys Attorney of Chatham.
Proved 29th December 1800.
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Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal 5 February 1822.
DIED.
Jan. 26, Mr. Sykes, landlord of the "White Horse" public-house, Rainham.
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Kentish Independent 18 November 1843.
OPENING DINNER.
On Wednesday Mr. Coningsby, of the "White Horse," Rainham, had a
splendid dinner party, composed of gentlemen from the surrounding
neighbourhood. Mr. G. Jefferys, was chairman, and mirth and harmony
prevailed to a late hour, but we are sorry to say that the finale was
anything but friendly, as someone imprudently introduced politics.
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From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 21 January,1860. Price 1d.
RAINHAM. SITTINGBOURNE AND MILTON RIFLE CORPS.
Last week a meeting was held at the “White Horse Inn,” Rainham, for the
purpose of considering the propriety of forming a branch to the above
corps. Mr. F. Mansfield presided, and after a few practical remarks
proceeded to read the rules about to be established by the committee of
the Sittingbourne corps. The rules were received with universal
approbation. In the course of the evening about 20 persons were
enrolled. At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman announced that
should a sufficient number be enrolled, the committee were desirous of
having drill twice a week, at Rainham, Sittingbourne, and Greenstreet.
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Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser 4 May 1868.
RAINHAM. FIRE.
On Thursday afternoon, about two o'clock, a fire broke out on the
premises of the "White Horse Inn," Rainham. The fire commenced in the
store and coach house, and shortly afterwards the wind carried the
sparks to the stable and back premises of Dr. Knight's residence, about
50 yards down the street, which were completely destroyed. Fortunately,
the horses were not in the stable, but some valuable harness was
destroyed. A new chaise the property of Mr. Sayers was destroyed by the
fire, and the premises attached to the "White Horse" were burnt to the
ground, the house itself receiving but slight damage. The Kent fire
engine stationed at Chatham was promptly on the spot, and rendered good
service. The premises were insured.
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Kentish Gazette, 25 January 1876.
THE CHARGE OF CUTTING COCKS' COMBS.
Yesterday week, at the Sittingbourne Petty Sessions, before the Rev.
George Bridges Moore (chairman), Colonel Dyke, and other
magistrates, Charles Sayer, landlord of a public house at Rainham,
near Sittingbourne, and John Manning, veterinary surgeon, of
Rochester, appeared in answer to summonses issued at the instance of
the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the
former being charged with having unlawfully caused to be
ill-treated, and the latter for having unlawfully ill-treating,
three bantam cocks. Mr. Morton W. Smith, of the Home Circuit,
appeared for the prosecution; Mr. W. Webb Hayward, solicitor, of
Rochester, defended. Mr. Smith, in opening the case, said that the
society wished to put down the practice of "dubbing" cocks, an
operation which he should prove was, to use the words of the
section, "ill-treating, abusing, or torturing" the animals. This was
a specimen case. The case turned on the single point whether cutting
the combs of cocks was an act of cruelty.
Mr. James Broad, a member of the Council of the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons, stated on oath that the practice of "dubbing"
or cutting the combs of cocks inflicted great pain upon them, and
they were not benefited or improved by the operation. Several nerves
had to be severed in the operation. Mr. William Henry Jones,
M.R.C.V.S. gave corroborative evidence.
Mr. Fred Crook, one of the editors of Land and Water, and one of the
principle judges at the Crystal Palace Poultry Shows, deposed that
it was very detrimental to the birds to cut their combs. He
discouraged the practice as much as possible. He wrote against it,
and it was he who suggested to Lady Burdett Coutts to offer prizes
for "undubbed" birds. He would like to make it a sine que non
(without which not.) in all
poultry shows that the birds should not have their combs cut. Mr.
Harrison Weir, the animal painter, was then called, and gave it as
his decided opinion that the practice of cutting the combs of cocks
caused them great pain and spoilt their appearance. For the defence,
it was urged that the combs were cut for the purpose of exhibiting
the birds, and that the evidence of cruelty failed. It was also
contended that it was a benefit for the cocks to have their combs
cut, as in fighting they could not pull one another by the comb; and
that, if there were a conviction in this case, masters of foxhounds
must be proceeded against for rounding the ears of their dogs. It
was stated that the practice was very common in Lincolnshire, and
the witness, a veterinary surgeon from Gravesend, but not a member
of the College, who was called for the defence, said also that he had
cut the combs of hundreds of cocks, and he did not consider that it
inflicted pain. The magistrates, after consulting in private,
dismissed the summons, the chairman stating that the Bench did not
consider this was an offence within the meaning of the Act. Mr.
Smith applied for a case to a higher Court, and the magistrates
granted it. The court was crowded during the hearing of the case.
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Faversham Times and Mercury and North-East Kent Journal, Saturday 20
September 1879.
Sittingbourne Petty Sessions.
The Bench then proceeded to the consideration of the licence in the
cases in which there were complaints about the manner in which the
houses were conducted, or in which the holders of the licences had
been convicted during the last 12 months of offence against the
Licensing Act.
These were John Hughes, "Cricketers Arms," Sheerness (convicted for
permitting gambling on February 28th); Peter Newton Barlow
"Shipwrights Arms," Sheerness, (convicted of a similar offence);
John Bircham, "Highlanders Arms," Minster; Samuel Jarrett,
"Cricketers," Rainham; Thomas Grewcock, "Green Lion," Rainham;
Elizabeth Sayer, "White Horse," Rainham; Richard Charles Wallace,
"Three King's," Sittingbourne; James Millington, beer house keeper,
Borden, William Kitchenham, "Rose," Rainham; John Jordan, "Billet
beer house", Milton.
The publicans having been cautioned, the Bench renewed each licence,
with the exception of those of Bircham and Jarrett, Superintendent
Mayne objected to the renewal of the licence to Bircham because of
the manner in which it was conducted, owing to the drunkenness, &c.,
of his wife and frequent quarrels between them. Jarrett's house had
also been conducted in a very unsatisfactory way. The bench refused
to renew the licence to Bircham and Jarrett, but adjourned the
question of renewal until September 29th, notice of which will be
given to the owners of the houses.
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A fire in 1892 destroyed the original pub.
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By David Wood.
DESTRUCTION OF THE WHITE HORSE INN.
On May 14th 1892 one of the biggest blazes seen in Rainham took place when a fire broke
out in the "White Horse Inn" on the corner of Station Road and the High
Street.
The Inn closed as usual on the night of Friday May 13th and the
customers left while publican Charles Adie, his wife, their two children
and four lodgers including two Royal Engineers stayed in the building.
When everyone went to bed everything seemed normal according to Mrs Adie
but at 4.20am she awoke to see smoke coming from the bedroom fireplace
and heard knocking but at first she decided not to do anything. Unable
to sleep she got up and went to the landing where she saw thick smoke
coming from below. She realized that a fire had started so she woke her
husband then the two Royal Engineers sleeping in the adjoining room. She
went to the children’s bedroom, woke them up, wrapped a blanket around
each and then took them out of the building by the back staircase. Mr
Adie and the lodgers also managed to vacate the premises.
While Mrs Adie and her children were taken into the "Cricketer’s Inn"
opposite by the landlord Mr Jarrett, Mr Adie, assisted by police
constables Packman and Bridgeland who had arrived on the scene, managed
to take the horses and traps from the coach-house next to the inn to
safety before the fire engulfed it.
By this time a large crowd of Rainham residents had
converged on the scene after the alarm had been sounded. A mounted
messenger was immediately sent to Chatham to rouse the fire brigade.
Richard Wakeley junior from Moor Street Farm cycled to the waterworks at
Keycol Hill to request that the water be turned on as it had been turned
off during the night. Meanwhile, people present at the fire could only
watch as large orange flames and thick smoke shot up into the sky and
completely engulfed the building. According to the East Kent Gazette a
large amount of spirits stored in the cellar contributed to the speed of
the fire expanding. Just before this Mr Adie managed to get into the bar
where he recovered the safe containing a large amount of cash before the
roof caved in at about 6am. The two Royal Engineers managed to prevent
the fire from spreading to ‘Church House’ next to the inn by cutting
down a wooden shed between the two buildings with axes.
When the fire brigade arrived from Chatham the inn with all its contents
had been completely destroyed and only the charred walls and the inn
sign remained. The Chatham firemen could only push down the walls of the
building with poles to make it safe leaving a heap of ruins apart from
the coach-house which survived.
The "White Horse" building belonged to E Winch & Sons from Chatham.
Fortunately, they had insured it so although the estimated damage
totalled £2,000 the inn was rebuilt immediately and still exists today.
An investigation later attributed the cause of the fire to a beam
that ran into the chimney at the back of the bar. The end had ignited
then burst into flames. However, the biggest concern regarded the water
being turned off and fire hydrants not being available. Mr Adie later
commented that if the water had been turned on buckets of it could have
been used to extinguish the fire before it took hold. This led to the
establishment of Rainham Fire Brigade and hydrants being placed in
different parts of the village during the following decade.
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From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 2 February 1901. Price 1d.
RAINHAM SHOCKING FATALITY
A lad named Hammond Clarke, aged 15, son of Mr. William Clarke, hay
dealer, of Rainham, was in charge of a horse and van proceeding to Gore
Farm, Upchurch, for a load of straw on Wednesday, when he slipped off
the rods and fell beneath the wheels, which passed over his head,
completely crushing it. The poor lad died shortly afterwards. An inquest
was held at the “White Horse,” Rainham, on Thursday afternoon, before
Mr. Coroner Harris, when a verdict of Accidental Death was returned. |
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From the East Kent Gazette, Friday 25 April 1952.
RAINHAM.
Chatham magistrates on Monday granted the
transfer of the licence of the "White Horse Hotel," Rainham,
from the late Mr. J. Leigh Adie to his son, Mr. Ronald John Adie. |
For many years the Inn was run by Charles Adie assisted by his sons. It
is said that opposite the pub was a Chestnut Tree reputed to have been
planted by licensee Charles Sayer, to commemorate the birth of each of his
children. By
the end of the 1930s there were garages rather than stables, and aviaries to
attract visitors who called for lunch or tea. Sadly after reopening under
new management only a year ago (2016) the "White Horse" is now boarded up,
having closed last month, giving a rather despondent feel to the centre of Rainham.
A notice in the window stated the following:- "Lyon and Craig along with
all our staff would like to thank all our customers who have proven loyal
support over the last two and a half years. We have had a fantastic time
with you all and hope to see you all again very soon. We shall miss you all!
Liam and Craig.
This pub has now been handed back to Enterprise Inns PLC whom own the
building. Any regards about the building please contact them on 0121 733
7700. All items of value have been removed from this building."
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From the
http://www.kentlive.news By Ashford Herald, 20 July 2016.
White Horse pub in Rainham announces opening date.
The Horse opens this Saturday.
A popular Gillingham boozer is set to reopen this week after coming
under new management.
The "White Horse," on 95 Gillingham High Street shut last month, after
the previous owners "suddenly left".
The re-opening will take place this Friday (July 22) with lots to
keep punters entertained.
Now under new management, a worker at the Horse told the M&M News "We
have three nights of great music, and the whole place looks a million
times better than ever before.
"We hope the locals are back on Friday - and looking forward to
getting back into the community."
On Friday DJ Kev Jones will be playing a set, on Saturday DJ Danny
will be keeping the punters entertained, and Sunday has a live band from
the afternoon. |
I will be adding the historical information when I find or are sent it,
but this project is a very big one, and I do not know when or where the
information will come from.
All emails are answered.
LICENSEE LIST
ELVY Henry to Sept/1797-26/Sept/1800 dec'd aged 51
SYKES Mr to Feb/1822
MOSS William 1826-40+
    
MANSER Robert 1841+
CONINGSBY Charles 1843+
CONINGSBY William 1845+
CONINGSBY Charles 1847+
CONINGSBY William 1851-55+
 
SAYER Charles 1858-76+ (age 46 in 1871)
     
SAYER Elizabeth Mrs 1874-79+
  
FISKE Alfred 1881-87+
 
MORGAN Edwin 1891
RICE John 1891+ (age 34 in 1891)
ADIE Charles Adie 1901-37 (widower age 41 in 1901)
       
ADIE John Leigh 1938-Apr/52 dec'd (age 53 in 1939)
  
VICKERS George & Vera 1952-68
  
GIBBONS Dennis H 1969-72+
   
HUTCHINS R B 1973-74+
 
KIRTON Lee 2016+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/WhiteHorse.shtml
From the Pigot's
Directory 1826
From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29
From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34
From the Pigot's Directory 1839
From the Pigot's Directory 1840
From the Post Office Directory 1845
From Bagshaw Directory 1847
From the Post Office Directory 1851
From the Post Office Directory 1855
From Melville's Directory 1858
From the Post Office Directory 1859
From the Post Office Directory 1862
From the Post Office Directory 1867
From Kent Harrods Directory 1867
From the Post Office Directory 1870
From the Post Office Directory 1874
Mannings & Co Directory 1877
From the Post Office Directory 1878
From the Kelly's Directory 1882
From the Kelly's Directory 1887
From the Kelly's Directory 1891
From
the Kelly's Directory 1895
From the Kelly's Directory 1899
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1905
From the Kelly's Directory 1907
From the Sittingbourne District Parrett's Directory 1908
From the Kelly's Directory 1909
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1937
From the Kelly's Directory 1938
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1948
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1951
From the Kelly's Directory 1953
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1955
From the Medway Kelly's Directory of 1968
From the Medway Kelly's Directory of 1969
From the Medway Kelly's Directory of 1970
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1971
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1972
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1973
From the Medway Kelly's Directory 1974
Census
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