GEORGE INN Pub of Shoreham

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 06 March, 2023.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest ????

(Name from)

Ye Olde George Inn

2020 (Name to)

Church Street

Shoreham

01959 522017

https://whatpub.com/old-george-inn

Above photo, circa 1918, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1924, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1926, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1927, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, date unknown, kindly sent by Mark Jennings.

Above postcard, postmarked 1961.

Above postcard, circa 2006, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Photos above July 2013 kindly sent by Joe Neary.

Above photo April 2008, by Eric Hartland.

From the https://shorehamkenthistory.weebly.com/the-olde-george-inn.html accessed 6 March 2023.

Ye Olde George Inn (now the "Samuel Palmer") by James Saymor.

For more than 300 years, the timber-framed George Inn (recently renamed the "Samuel Palmer") has announced the village as you enter it from Station Road. Its ancient name goes back to at least 1707, when the George was listed as a licensed alehouse in the diary of Paul D’Aranda, a local magistrate and landowner. The building may have been put up around 1500 and early on was occupied by the Petleys, Shoreham’s dominant farming family at the time. Still doubling as a farmhouse, the George became an inn in 1675. A recent study of old wills suggests the original innholder may have been Henry Spilsted.

The occupier in 1707 was William Pearch, and a descendant, Jane Pearch, married into the Willmott family, soon to make their name in Shoreham as holders of the paper mill. Her husband, William Willmott, already owned paper and corn mills at Sundridge. According to his will of 1775, another property was “my freehold messuage or tenement… being in Shoreham… known by the name or sign of the George”.

The land around the George may once have been the heart of the village, with lanes running either side and a village green nearby. In the early 1800s, the landowner Sir Walter Stirling enclosed much of the land to the left of the building for a mansion and grounds for himself (which became Shoreham House). He also complained about the sharp bend in the road on the right-hand side, which still causes trouble for road-users today.

Stirling wrote: “Where it passes the public house [the road] forms almost a right angle with it. This is an old building, the upper part of which projects over the lower and is absolutely dangerous to the traveller on horseback or in carriages.” Stirling used this argument as part of his audacious plan to build a new turnpike road from the Bridge straight up to the Eynsford-Otford road, a scheme later shelved after bitter local opposition.

The George was a key village meeting place by the 19th century. The church vestry – which supervised much local governance – moved its discussions across from the church in cold weather. In 1835, rate-payers met to decide on a general valuation of the parish “for the purpose of equalising the Rates”, and a gathering three years later began the process of ending the medieval system of tithes levied on landowners. The pub also became the headquarters of the Rat and Sparrow Club: people killed sparrows in cottage gardens and rats in corn stacks, producing the animals’ heads and tails to compete for annual prizes.

The Summerfield family ran the George for much of the 20th century. Jack Summerfield recalled two German airmen being taken to the George after their bomber was shot down in 1940. The Home Guard who arrested them clearly felt the airmen needed a tot of something fortifying on their way to custody. Some villagers, however, said that it was the "Crown" pub that offered the unusual hospitality.

The Summerfields also offered a car-hire service and motoring repairs.

In 1940, Charles Franklin White captured the scene at the bar one night in his painting 'Darts in the George'.

Group shot in the 1920s.

In 1980, Shoreham played the part of a small English village in the film "The Mirror Crack'd", a Miss Marple yarn adapted from the Agatha Christie novel "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side", set in 1953. The film starred Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, and.......

Ye Olde George Inn right there in the opening titles.

Previously known simply as the "George Inn" I am not certain when it gained the words "Ye Olde."

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, Friday 11 March 1932.

Prominent Shoreham Footballer Weds.

Mr. J. C. Summerfield - Miss F. E. Checksfield.

The wedding of Miss Florence Elsie Checksfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Checksfield, of Copt Hall Cottage, Shoreham, and Mr. John Charles Summerfield, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Summerfield, of "Ye Old George Inn," Shoreham, took place at the Parish Church on Saturday, the Rev. A. Payne officiating.

The bridegroom was a prominent member of the defunct Shoreham Football Club and a member of the Cricket Club. He also turned out for the Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club on several occasions last year.

The bride, who was given away by her father, wore an ankle length dress of white georgette with coatee to match and a veil of old lace (lent by Mrs. Hillier). She also wore a wreath of orange blossom and pearls. Her bouquet consisted of pink and white carnations and white heather.

Her mother wore a dress of blue silk marocain and hat to tone.

Miss Winifred Checksfield, Miss Rhoda Checkfield, Miss Lily Checksfield "sisters of the bride" and Miss May Cole were the bridesmaids. They were dressed in floral green silk taffeta with coatees and caps to match and green silk shoes. They carried bouquets of daffodils.

The bridegroom's gift to the bridesmaids took the form of pearl necklaces.

Mr. George Summerfield (bridegroom's brother) was best man.

The reception was held at "Ye Old Georg Inn," where about 50 guests were present. Mr. and Mrs. Summerfield later left for their honeymoon, which was spent at Hove, the bride wearing a red crepe dress and blue coat and hat.

They will make their home at Shoreham.

List of presents.

Brides mother and father, mirror oxidize scuttle;

Bridegroom's Mother and Father, cheque;

Brides Grandfather, cash;

Misses W. and L. Checksfield, toilet set;

Miss R Checksfield, bedspread;

Miss Cole and Mr. G checksfield, rug;

Mr, and Mrs, G, Summerfield jun., art pot;

Mr. and Mrs. A Summerfield, rug;

Miss Lawrence, linen sheets;

Mr. and Mrs. Bolton, cash;

Mr. and Mrs. E. Checksfield and Family, bolster and pillow slips;

Mr. and Mrs. R. Jones (Canada), silver fruit baskets;

Mr. and Mrs. and Annie (Canada), cash;

Mrs. S Checksfield, tablecloth;

Mr. and Mrs. Austin, cash;

Mr. and Mrs. J. Summerfield, (Hastings), cheque;

Miss Brown and Mrs. Smeathman, blankets and eiderdown;

Rev. and Mrs. A. Payne, early morning tea set and tray;

Cynthia Crawford, silk electric light shade;

Mr. and Mrs. Crawford, oak biscuit barrel.

Mr. and Mrs. Hillier, oak tray;

Mr. and Mrs. Wright and Peter, sandwich set;

Mr. and Mrs. Beadle, silk cushion and table cover;

Mrs. Lawrence, cake plate;

Miss H Gordon and Miss Moore, oak bookcase and silver teapot stand;

Miss W. Parsons, pillow slips;

Mr. and Mrs. Reines, salad bowl and glass dishes;

Mr. T. Chatfield and Miss Gentry, set of carvers;

Miss Watson, bread cake and flower bins;

Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury and Joan, set of jugs;

Mr. and Mrs. C. Walker, tablecloth;

Mr. and Mrs. Winn, teapot;

Miss Skinner, glass dish;

Shoreham Whist Drive, tea set;

Mr. and Mrs. Ede, tea knives;

Mr. and Mrs. S Checksfield, jam spoonm pickle fork, butter knife;

Mr. and Mrs. J. Walker, tray-cloth;

Mr. and Mrs. Cole, kitchen ware;

Mr. Eric Cole, gift;

Miss D. Cole, egg-cups and cosies;

Mr. and Mrs. B. Clifton, table and tray cloths and dushesso set.

Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Summerfield and Peter, plate basket and trinket set;

Mr. and Mrs. A Summerfield, tea service;

Lenny, biscuit barrel;

Mr. Coffee, butter knife;

Mr. and Mrs. H. Summerfield and Family, clock;

Mr. and Mrs. Braund, tablecloth;

Mr. H. Braund, cruet;

Employees at Kingsbury's, casserole;

Church Cottages, glass jug and vass;

Mr. and Mrs. P. Stephens, clothes basket;

Mr. and Mrs. Swaisland, bowl of hyacinths;

Mr. and Mrs. Maddox, sheets;

Mrs. Handcocks, milk covers;

Mrs. Lennard, tablecloth;

Mr. and Mrs. Burrows, cheese dish;

Miss J. Checksfield, tablecloth;

Mr. and Mrs. A Booker, cushion cover.

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 09 January 1948.

SHOREHAM LICENSEE'S FUNERAL.

The funeral of Mr. George Summerfield, licensee of "Ye Olde George Inn," Shoreham for 22 years, whose death was recorded last week, took place on Wednesday at Shoreham Parish Church.

Apparently this closed some time after 2020 and when it reopened again was name the "Samuel Palmer."

LICENSEE LIST

SUMMERFIELD George 1932-39+ (age 64 in 1939)

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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