TWO BREWERS Pub of Yalding

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 12 May, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1841-

Two Brewers

Closed 1980

Lees Road

Yalding

Above showing the "Two Brewers" 1930.

Above postcard, date unknown.

Above photo date unknown.

Above showing the former "Two Brewers" date unknown.

Above aluminium card issued May 1949. Sign series 1 number 37.

Above aluminium card issued May 1949. Sign series 1 number 38.

Above signs 1960s.

The pub unfortunately closed about 1980, and behind it there had been a brewery, that at the close of the nineteenth century was offering the products of Messrs Loud and Wickham. This latter was Herbert Thomas Wickham of Laddingford House, who was soon to move into Congelow House.

These two men were not the actual two brewers, as the name existed in directories at the start of the nineteenth century, but was also known much earlier.

There were many charities established in the period since 1600, giving bread or clothes to the elderly or education to children, of the poor of the parish. One such benefactor was Mrs Julian Kenward, who linked her efforts with two men from Kingston, Surrey. They may have been related, but they also owned land both in Tudely and Yalding.

The two men, Thomas and John Twiffen were brewers, and are mentioned in a deed dated 1641, relating to a farm of 17 acres called Bentletts, the purchase of which was made by Mrs Julian Kenward, and Thomas and John. The farm was purchased from a Thomas Turner, and the subsequent rents were to pay for a schoolmaster, chosen by the vicar, churchwardens, and overseers, to teach the sons of the poor of the parish whom they should nominate. There were several charity connections with buildings in the parish, and one such cottage that adjoined the Two Brewers was sold for £80 on 8th May 1877.

The information and names of publicans and their houses was not advertised until the directories and census records of the eighteenth century. The first name associated with this property at that time was William Tubb, but with no further details as the 1841 census lists the name of Joseph Samway.

He was living there with wife Mary, five years his senior, and children James 25, Joseph 20, and Matilda 15. After Joseph was buried here on 8th of May 1845 aged 57, and then Mary on 23rd Dec 1848 aged 65, son James took over the business, but only for a short time as he was to be buried here on 19th Nov 1851 aged 35. The next publican behind the bar, was John Baldwin, who had previously been a cooper.

John lived there with his wife Elizabeth, six years his senior, five children, and his father also John, who was formerly a victualler and bargeman. Elizabeth was buried here on 16th Oct 1869 aged 51, and John senior on 1st Oct 1871 aged 83. John had passed The Brewer's onto Edward Law, and retired to Tonbridge back to his old trade as a cooper, before he was buried here on 30 July 1883 aged 57.

The "Two Brewers" became known as the Hoppers pub or the Londoners pub, as can be seen by the top photo of a coach stopping for folk to have a glass in 1930, and sample wares from the Cockle and Whelk stall.

Edward Law was publican for about twenty years till the turn of the century, followed by Mrs Eleanor Cheesman, early 1900's, George Edward Cheesman (1915), George Ditcher (1925), and Jonathan George Vennell (1938).

Next came Bert Sadler, whose son David was clever with his feet, played one game of football for Yalding, onto play for Maidstone, and was quickly passed onto Manchester United.

Other publicans were Tompsett, and Barry Beachamp, son of Cecil and Alvey, of The Swan Fruit Shop.

This Public House like many others has now reverted to being private accommodation.

Kent Times, 7 June 1862.

Stealing a shovel.

Thomas Ventham, of Yalding, labourer, appeared to a summons, charging him with stealing a shovel, Value 3s., the property of Thomas Steadman, at Yalding, about Nov. 1860.

Mr. W. S. Norton appeared on the part of the accused.

The prosecutor stated that the prisoner had been in his employ for some months as warehouseman. He (prosecutor) carried on the business of a coal and corn merchant at Yalding. In about the latter end of November, 1860, he lost a shovel from the wharf. He had seen it on the same day on which he missed it. The shovel produced by police-constable Smith was the one he lost.

Cross-examined:- The prisoner had no shovel while he worked in his employ, at least he said he had not got a shovel when he was asked. He discharged the prisoner in October, 1860, for being intoxicated.

John Murphy, a foreman platelayer on the line, said that in about October, November, or December, of last year he was in want of a shovel, and he purchased the one produced, of the prisoner, for 2s. After using it for some months he offered it to the prosecutor, through his warehouseman, for sale. Prosecutor claimed the shovel as his, and he (witness) told him from whom he had purchased it.

Police-constable Smith deposed that he went to the prisoner and enquired whether he had at any time sold a shovel to John Murphy. Prisoner said he had lately sold two shovels, one to Murphy and the other to Baldwin, the landlord of the "Two Brewers" public house. In reply to further questions, prisoner said the shovels were his own property and had been purchased at Tonbridge by a man named Langridge. When the summons was served the prisoner said that since he had last seen him he had recollected that Langridge bought the shovels of a "navvy" at Tonbridge, and not of a ironmonger.

The defence was that prisoner took a shovel to Mr. Steadman’s and worked with it while employed there, and that if the shovel produced did really belong to Mr. Steadman, then it must have been taken in mistake for the one belonging to the prisoner, which was exactly similar to it.

Witnesses were called whose depositions favoured this view.

He was sentenced to six weeks hard labour.

LICENSEE LIST

TUBB William ????

SAMWAY Joseph 1841+