Above photos taken by Paul Skelton, 21 August 2013.

Above photo shows the Half Moon and Seven Stars at Preston. Photo taken from http://www.roundsandsounds.co.uk

Half Moon and Seven Stars sign left July 1986.

Sign right, 2013, photo by Paul Skelton.

Above with thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com

Photo taken 28 January 2011 from http://www.flickr.com Jelltex.

Above photo, June 2017, kindly taken and sent by Rory Kehoe.

From information displayed inside the pub.

THE HALF MOON AND SEVEN STARS

This inn known by the name of the "Half Moon and Seven Stars," was built in the 3rd year of Charles I, in 1672.

When first built the property was a farm dwelling, consisting on a main tenement with stables and outbuildings. The amount of land attached to the house is hard to determine, it was at this early date bounded on all four sides by its own land, but these boundaries were interrupted by land belonging to other farms. It was owned by one Sladden Holness, a farmer of Preston Parish, who probably commissioned its building. He lived there from 1627 until the year of his death in 1849. He bequeathed his house and his estate of seventeen pounds to his widow Nyomi, however she had little benefit from her bequest since she died within a week of her husband. She had bore him ten children, but as was usual of the times not all of these survived the perils of infancy and at the point of the widow Holness' death only five were recorded alive.

It was to a son Gaylor, that the property eventually passed in 1649. In 1653, he sold eight acres of land belonging to the property to Jacob Culmer, farmer of Preston. In 1661, he disposed of a further five acres and in 1663, sold the house to Thomas Lynn, a saddler and harness maker of Minster. In 1674, he stood before Magistrates at Canterbury and offered two sureties on his good character to keep an ordinary house and was granted a license to sell ales under the terms of the licensing legislation of 1552. And so it was that in May 1674 the first ale was sold from this house, which at first bore no title of registration other than that of an ale-house at Preston-next-Wingham and that Lynn a saddler, harness maker and ale keeper was of that house.

in 1677, Lynn sold the house to Henry Mockett, a farmer of Ash-next-Sandwich. in 1693, he made it over in his will to his son Jacob and he in 1732 sold the property as a thriving ale house to William Symmonds, a brewer of Margate. In that same year, at a hearing to transfer the license, he registered the house under the title of the "half Moon and Seven Stars." He leased the house to James Streeter, a miller of Littlebourne, who kept it until his death in 1765, whereafter the lease extended to his widow Marie. In 1768, she gave up the house to Edwin R Jay and he in 1776 to Isaac Keel, a draper of Palace Street, Canterbury.

Keel kept the house and continued to conduct his original trade from it as well as sell ales, until his death in 1781, whereafter his son was granted an extension of the lease. He kept it until June 1803, when he was succeeded by John Hills, gaoler of Mill Hill, Sandwich. Hills son Lewis went on to fill his fathers position and was gaoler at Sandwich from 1828 until 1869. John Hills gave up the lease of the "Half Moon and Seven Stars" in July 1825, and was succeeded by Daniel Ralph junior. Daniel Ralph senior was a farmer of Mellon's Farm, Preston.

In 1833, the Symond's Brewery of Ramsgate sold out to Francis Cobb and Son, Brewer, also of Margate. As well as the brewery, Cobb's purchased the "Half Moon and Seven Stars," the "First and Last," at Herne, the "New Inn," the "Six Bells," the "George," and the "Prospect," at Margate, the "King's Head," at Sarre, the "Crown and Sceptre," at Acol, and several excise licensed beer-houses. In that same year of 1833, the "Half Moon and Seven Stars" was granted a wine and  spirit license. One Walter Haynes was granted a lease on the house and kept it until 1846, when he was succeeded by William Hughes. in 1853, part of the title of the house was dropped and it became the "Moon and Stars". In 1854, Hughes gave up the tenancy to George Goldfinch and he in 1857, to John Harris, a pork butcher in Canterbury. He kept it until 1863, when he was succeeded by Ralph Sulley, a boot-maker of Preston Parish. His uncle Charles was parish clerk of Preston, whilst his father Stephen was a farmer... and his brothers, millers all of Preston. In 1866, Solley gave up the tenancy here in the partnership Thomas Huskins and Charles L Gibbs. Like the Solley's the Gibbs' family were prominent members of the parish. William Gibbs was a tenant at Deerson Farm whilst others were bakers and gardeners.

 In 1870, Robert Harvey took over the house, but was replaced in the same year by James Sabin, who was here until 1877, when Benjamin Palmer, a tea dealer of Sandwich took over. He kept the house until 1893, when Thomas William Johnson took over, staying until 1902, when he was succeeded by Robert H Miles farmer of Preston parish. In 1906, the name of the house changed back to the "Half Moon and Seven Stars." In that year Robert Miles was succeeded by Thomas Henry Wilkinson, butcher of Sandwich, who kept the house until 1929, when he was succeeded by Victor Danes and he in 1932 by William Arthur Grounds. Grounds was succeeded by Lawrence Cox and he in 1944 by Ernest Davidson, who was the last tenant of the Cobb Brewery. in that they sold out to the Whitbread Brewery. Their first tenant was John Barlow, he was succeeded in 1959 by William Murray and he in 1966 by Frederick Parnard. He gave up the tenancy in 1976 to James Bettis and he in 1986 to Michael Murphy who was succeeded in the same year by Richard Williams the present keeper of the "Half Moon and Seven Stars."

Date unknown.

Eastry Rural District Tribunal 19th June 1918.

The following applicant was granted 6 months exemption (to 19th December 1918)

T. A. Wilkinson, aged 45, married, Grade 11, publican of Preston, one month exemption (to July 19th) granted.

Above photo showing the licensees Bill Murray circa 1960. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above matchbox, circa 1970.