World's End at Chatham, date unknown.

Above photo circa 1945 showing licensee Albert Poole standing outside. With kind permission of the https://kentphotoarchive.org.uk/

Above photo 2022. Photo by Brian Skinner.

Above aluminium card issued 1950. Sign series 2 number 12.

From an email sent 5 October 2010.

The World's End in Stourmouth, (the village in which I spent most of the first 25 years of my life!) doesn't look at all like Stourmouth to me: this village, both East and West parts of it, is as flat as a pancake: right on the edge of the marshes; except for one slope in East Stourmouth, but I've never seen anything resembling a pub just there. The only pub I ever heard speak of was much further on towards the church, right on the corner of a path leading directly to the marsh, therefore flat. Could it possibly be Littlebourne, if you're sure it's a pub in that area?

Regards,

Carole Chassagnar.

From an email sent 14 March 2011.

I had a few hours to spare today so was taking a wander around your site - so much too look at Brill!

World's End picture said to be at Stourmouth!

You may already have this info but hey ho - thought I'd been a quite good detective.

Take a look at the "Trafalgar Maid" Public House Warner Street Chatham - I cant find any photos but if you go to Street Google and take a look it is the "Worlds End" pub, door, windows & on the slope etc.

Regards,

Terry Wheeler

The Ramsgate Historical Society.

Above picture from Google Maps showing the Trafalgar Maid, Warner Street, Chatham.

The picture on the left was taken from the web site http://www.adkinshistory.com/trafalgar.aspx and is the only reference I can find to this pub. The accompanying text states the following:- "The pub sign Trafalgar Maid at Chatham in Kent, commemorating one of the women who served as a powder monkey during the battle."

Is this the pub? Does anyone have any further information?

Part of Cutting from a Kent Newspaper – Name and Date Unknown

The Trafalgar Maid

Inn sign commemorates Chatham woman

Chatham history was brought to light again, on Tuesday evening, when the "New Inn-World's End" public house in Warner-street, Chatham, received a new name and sign to become the "Trafalgar Maid".

The new name commemorates the adventures and exploits of a Chatham woman who, it is said, was the only one to have been on board a ship at the Battle of Trafalgar and witnessed Nelson's great victory over the French Fleet.

She lived in a house adjoining the old "New Inn" in John-street, Chatham which was destroyed by bombing during the last war when the licence was transferred to the "World's End".

Records state that in 1837 the woman was still alive and able to relate her her [sic] experiences in the lookout frigate Euryalus—a Chatham-built ship which was one of the last of the Trafalgar vessels to be broken up.

The new name for the public house was selected by a panel of judges from more than 10,000 entries received in a competition organised by the brewers, Messrs. Whitbread and Co., Ltd.

The winning entry came from a London woman, Miss Kathleen Mitchell, of Ealing, who had not seen either the "New Inn" or the "World's End" but was attracted by the history of the 'Trafalgar' woman and her association with the "New Inn".

A painting of the woman hangs in the Royal Gallery next to the House of Lords.

Among the many names suggested were: The Penny Atom; The Red Dean; The Cosh-in-Hand; The Husband's Sanctuary; Trafalgar Lady; Tale of Two Houses and Winston Churchill.

One entry came from as far overseas as Kuala Lumpur where Major A. B. Waring of the Queen's Own West Kent Regiment, read about the contest in a newspaper sent to him.

UNVEILED BY M.P.

The sign, which shows the woman placing a blazing match to the touch-hole of a ship's cannon, was unveiled by Mr. A.G. Bottomley, the Member for Chatham and Rochester.

He said that in the first Elizabethan era the public house was the meeting place of wits, poets, writers and brains and it was the same today when it was still a place to meet friends, make friends, discuss the problems of the day and relax.

The large crowd present at the ceremony, cheered Mr. Bottomley when he drew back the Union Jack covering the flood-lit sign.

Among those present were the Mayor of Chatham (Alderman F. H. Lawrence), the Clerk to the Justices (Mr. E. F. Barrett), the Chairman of the Bench (Mr. A. H. Hardy), Chief Superintendent C. J. Broughton, Councillor J. Green, Mr. Michael Whitbread and Mr. J. Marchant of the Wateringbury Brewery.........

Part of Cutting from a Kent Newspaper – Name and Date Unknown

.....The Trafalgar Maid is in Warner Street, Chatham, and they particularly wanted to show me this one for two reasons; firstly, the name itself, and secondly, the method of the sign's construction

Metal

The name is documented in a book called A Dictionary of Pub Names which states: "The pub replaced the New Inn which was badly damaged in World War II. It was named after Jane Townshend who lived next door to the old pub for many years. She was on board HMS Euryalus during the Battle of Trafalgar."

From http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk

My great grandfather was John William Taylor (known to his local's as Jack). He was licensee of The Worlds End Pub in Chatham from 1912 -1921.

His brother Harry Charles Taylor ran the "Globe Hotel" 1922-1923, and then the Angel 1923-1933, both in Chatham High Street. The Angel has disappeared and is now the TSB Bank.

The pub changed it's name to the Trafalgar Maid in 1952.

I came to Chatham the year before last to do some family research and met some really nice people in the Trafalgar Maid who told me about the History of the pub.

John Taylor married Alice Mepham (daughter of Mary Mepham's Pianoforte Showrooms in Gillingham, which is now a Take-away). She was classically trained on the piano and her father was a blind pianoforte tuner. John William only had one leg. They say a beer barrel rolled onto it and it had to be removed. Others say he lost it in the boer war. He was also a Master Hairdresser and achieved a little fame in the local newspaper, when a travelling circus came to town and he bravely entered the lions cage and saved the lion tamer! When he died, Alice went to work as a barmaid at the Angel for John's brother Harry. Sometimes I like to think of her in the Angel, playing all the old pub songs for the regulars. John William Taylor was born in Chatham Prison where his father Henry was a warder. John William also spent some time as a prison warder. At one time, Henry was also manager of the dockyard canteen. Henry's wife was Mary Huntley of Trowbridge. Her family were farmers in Trowbridge. There is a family rumour that there was a pub in the dockyard where Alice worked for a time but I couldn't prove this as the entrance fee to the dockyard was beyond my means I'm afraid.

Nevis51:

From an email sent, 29 March, 2013.

I was born a dozen doors away from the "Trafalgar Maid" in 1960. the "Trafalgar Maid" earlier known as the "Worlds End" is on the corner of Warner Street and Skinner Street (where I was born) and changed names in 1952. My mother told me years ago (who lived in Skinner Street since 1940) the change of name came about as the landlord of that time fell down the cellar stairs and had died as the result. Previously there had been other injuries or fatalities of some kind at the pub and it was deemed that the name of the pub was an unlucky omen. It was decided the name had to change.

Also, one other little claim of fame for Warner Street, famous TV presenter Michael Aspel was either born or lived at 2 Warner Street in his early years.

Kind Regards Trevor Barnard.

Above photo 1945 showing Albert Poole, licensee.

Above photo, showing licensee Harold Phelps, circa 1946. Kindly sent by Sandra Smith.

Above photo, pre 1946, kindly sent by Sandra Smith, showing Harold Phelps, (left) prior to being licensee when he was working for the Maidstone and District bus company.