DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 07 March, 2021.
PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1603-

 Cotton Breeches

Late 1950s

Mill Lane

Elmstone

Preston

Cotton Breeches 1886

Above photo, pre 1886, showing Caroline Gibbs and customers. Kindly sent by Michael Nancollas.
Cotton Breeches 1950

Above photo, 1950, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
Former Cotton Breeches 2010

Above photo, 2010.
Cotton Breeches 2009

Above Google image, July 2009.

 

Reference has been found of a building called the "Cotton Breeches" and addressed simply as Elmstone, and dated 1603.

Originally called "Cotton Breeches" the building has deeds dating back to 1602. The former name referred to the fact it was halfway between Sandwich, the port at which raw cotton was landed, and Wickhambreaux, where it was spun, ready to be made into clothing. The Breeches was an off licence until the late 1950s and is now a private house.

The Breeches sold Gardner's Ash Ales.

I have reference to a Caroline Gibbs being licensee there from between 1882, it appears that she was drowned in 1886.

 

Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette, Saturday 31 July 1886.

Preston next Wingham. Found drowned.

The East Kent Coroner (R. M. Mercer Esq.) held an inquest yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon at the "Swan Inn," Preston next Wingham, on the body of a woman named Caroline Gibbs, aged 65, an unmarried woman, keeping a house having an off licence to sell beer. Deceased was found at about 9:30 on the previous morning lying on her back in a dyke which runs close to her house, her face was about 2 inches under the water.

The same morning she had said that she felt very giddy. Deceased was infirm and had fallen down several times lately. She lived quite alone, but a girl slept in her house at night.

The jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned."

 

LICENSEE LIST

GIBBS Edmund 1871+ (age 79 in 1871Census)

GIBBS Caroline 1882-July/86 dec'd age 65 (gardener and beer retailer)

 

CensusCensus

 

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