FIVE BELLS Pub of St Mary Cray

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- St Marys/Pauls Cray, June, 2025.

Page Updated:- Thursday, 26 June, 2025.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1786-

Five Bells

Latest 1939+

98 High Street

St Mary Cray

Above photo, date unknown.

Above photo date unknown, premises shown just above men on left in hats.

Like many pubs in rural areas (as St. Mary's Cray was in the mid-Victorian era) the "Five Bells" was a meeting point for the important people of the area, including employers, farmers and local landed gentry. Societies of skilled men also met there, including the Ancient Order of Shepherds.

A double murder, which deeply shocked this quiet, peaceful area, had its beginnings at the pub on the evening of Saturday 30th October 1880.

Joseph Waller was a local lad, who'd always wanted to be a policeman. Aged 20, he joined the Metropolitan Police but was badly injured on duty about a year later, when a rope he was being lowered on (to arrest criminals hiding in a church crypt) snapped and PC Waller fell very heavily. About a month later, on being discharged from hospital, PC Waller's physical injuries may have been sorted out but he appeared to have suffered some sort of personality change and tended towards being short-tempered and aggressive. After several warnings about his attitude and disorderly conduct, PC Waller was dismissed from the Met, aged just 21.

Waller became a jobbing agricultural labourer and found occasional work on the Berens' Estate, where he reported to long-serving gamekeeper, Edward Ellis. However, Mr Ellis also found Waller difficult to work with and advised him to find winter work elsewhere.

Drowning his sorrows in the "Five Bells" that fateful Saturday night, Waller got drunk and started picking arguments with other customers, resulting in the licensee ejecting him.

Waller first broke into some nearby farm buildings, probably with a view to sleeping off the drink but the farmer heard the break-in and ordered him off his land. According to Waller's confession, he was fighting an inner urge to kill someone and as he was armed with a loaded revolver, he had the means so to do. Arriving at the gamekeeper's house, Waller fired a shot in the air and roused Mr Ellis, telling him that poachers were active on the estate. Ellis picked up a lantern and armed with a truncheon, followed Waller into the woods. At some point, Waller grabbed Ellis' truncheon and started beating him with it. Ellis apparently put up a valiant fight but was no match for the much younger Waller, who finished off the 74-year-old gamekeeper with a shot to his head. Waller then ran back to the gamekeeper's house and shouted for Ellis' wife, Elizabeth, to come down quickly, as her husband had been injured by poachers. As soon as Mrs Ellis was in the woods, Waller beat her with her husband's truncheon and shot her in the head too.

Above photo showing Edward Ellis circa 1878.

Arriving at his parents' home, Waller was surprised to find the local constable waiting for him and an arrest was made, not for murder but for the earlier farm trespass, when he broke into the farm building. It was only when Waller arrived at the police station, that officers noted his blood-stained clothing and found the recently-discharged pistol. Waller voluntarily made a full confession to the double murder and told the police where the bodies of his unfortunate elderly victims could be found.

Local feelings ran very high and at the initial Magistrates' Court hearing, Waller needed heavy police protection, in order to prevent to the angry crowd dispensing summary justice and lynching him.

Above photo showing Joseph Waller, circa 1881.

Early the following year, at his Old Bailey trial, Joseph Waller was found guilty of wilful murder but had been declared to be insane and so was spared the gallows. Waller was committed to Broadmoor Hospital, where he died in 1923 aged 66.

This was a tied "Fleet Brewery" pub in 1865 when the brewery was put up for auction.

From a local paper, October 1840.

An inquest was held on Wednesday last before C. J. Carttar, Esq., Coroner, at St Mary Cray, on the body of Lucretia Ann Watkins, aged 14 years, the barmaid at the "Five Bells," who have been found drowned in the River Cray, which flows past the back premises of that house.

There was no evidence to show how the deceased came into the river. She was seen for the last time about 9 o'clock the previous evening, and was not discovered until nearly midnight. She was then in about three feet depth of water. She was of exceeding full habit of body, and very short in the neck; and it is believed that she was seized with a fit of apoplexy or giddiness while stooping down at the brink of the river to wash her hands, which was her constant custom.

After a particular inquiry by the coroner and jury, a verdict of "Found Drowned" was recorded.

From the Kent and Sussex Courier and Southern Counties Herald. 25 July 1873. Price 1d.

ST MARY CRAY. ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY.

On Friday evening last, J. C Carttar, coroner, held an inquest at the "Five Bells Inn," on the body of Henry Daley aged 74, a native of Bromley, who was killed at the railway station on the preceding day, while attempting to cross the line. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased, who would cross the line in spite of the remonstrance's of those on the platform, was knocked down by a passing train and killed on the spot. The jury considered that there was no one to blame in the matter, but the unfortunate deceased himself, and returned a verdict of accidentally killed, appending to it, however, a recommendation to the company that a bridge should be built across the line, the passengers now having to pass from one platform to another by means of a level crossing. It is understood that the deceased was to be married next month to a young woman to whom he had been on a visit that evening.

Bromley & District Times, Friday 11 July 1890.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT ST MARY CRAY.

Thomas Peters and James French, fruit pickers, were charged with having been drunk at St. Mary Cray on the previous Saturday evening. Police Constable Cadman said the men were ejected from the "Star" public house, and thereupon became very noisy. A crowd assembled, and they were therefore taken into custody.

Defendant pleaded "they were doing nothing."

The Chairman pointing out that the Magistrates were dealing very leniently with the case, in finding them 5s. and 3s. costs.

Bridget Hannett was also charged with a similar offence.

Police Constable Hills said she was ejected from the "Five Bells Inn," and became very noisy in the street.

The Chairman fined her 5s. and 2s. 6d. costs.

Eric Rush informs me that the pub was destroyed by a landmine attack in WW2, and also that this and the "Bridge House" had the same husband and wife licensee. He was unfortunately killed in the above attack and I believe his son carried on the business afterwards.

LICENSEE LIST

VOLLINS/VALLINS John & Ann 1786+

TIBBS Pet 1826+

HARDS William 1832-34+