Westerham

Dated 4 March 1785, relating to the Red Lyon public house, Westerham. The agreement is between John Fleming of Elsom in the county of Kent, Plumber and Glazier of the one part, and George Fleming, late of Westerham, who died intestate in about June 1783, and William, Harris of Westerham, blacksmith, and Mary, his wife of the other part. The indenture is a lease for the term of one year in consideration of five shillings paid to William Harris and Mary and relates to Messuages or Tenements formally erected and built on part of  the land belonging to a tenement formally called Snoades garden belonging to the Red Lyon Inn, situated and being in the town of Westerham. The document is signed by John Fleming in the lower margin and includes a wax seal. Two duty stamps are found on the upper left margin.

This house was shown in a list of public houses said to be open in the first 25 years of the 18th century, as mentioned in an article by the Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, 23 January, 1903. At present, no other information is known.

Nigel Hayman tells me the following:- Edward Lucas of East Grinstead (possibly an ancestor of mine) entered into a tenancy agreement for the "Red Lyon" with an Edward Thornton on 6 March 1658 and that Edward Thornton was still the tenant in April 1664 when the will was written. On the death of Edward Lucas (which occurred in 1667), the property was to pass to his widow Judith Lucas and on her death (which occurred in 1685) to his daughter Elizabeth.

LICENSEE LIST

LUCAS Edward & 6/March/1658-67 dec'd

THORNTON Edward 6/March/1658-67

LUCUS Judeth 1867-85 dec'd

LUCUS Elizabeth 1685+