Black Lion

Open 2024+

Ash Road

Hartley

01474 702134

https://whatpub.com/black-lion

Above print, date unknown.

Above postcard circa 1910, kindly sent by Shaun Gardiner.

Above photo, 1914. Showing Charles English holding the front horse, and his brother Jack behind. Information from Derek Atkins, Canada. (Grand son).

Above photo 1932, kindly sent by Shaun Gardiner.

Above photo circa 1950. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, 1959.

Above postcard, date unknown.

Above postcard, circa 1967, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo circa 2000.

Above sign, September 1992.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Above matchbox, date unknown.

Above photo 2022.

The premises was built between 1688 and 1698 by Edward Best and has been a pub since 1731 when Richard Glover (1680-1748) purchased, and opened the first licensed victualler in the village.

He with his father William were already publicans - they had leased a pub called the "Black Lion" in Fawkham in 1707, but at present I have no information regarding this one.

Francis sold the pub to Robert Monk in the 1790s who sold it on to Hussey Fleet from the Dartford Fleet Brewery family. In 1865 the brewery was put up for auction.

The freehold eventually came to the Dartford Brewery, which was closed down and demolished in the 1930s when it was taken over by Courage.

Licensee Charles English (1913-33) drove a horse and grocery van, and was named “the midnight grocer” because of the time of some of his deliveries!

A plan of the pub in 1914 shows the grocery shop at the southern end and a store room at the opposite end with a sitting room, tap room, private bar, scullery and kitchen in between.

As well as a pub, the "Black Lion" was for a long time the village shop.

The "Black Lion" used to have Hartley's oldest letter box, which was put in the front wall between 1882 and 1899. Sadly this was stolen in 2015.

It is rumoured that Daniel Defoe lived in part of this inn and is reputed to have written "Robinson Crusoe" in the back room over the wash house. Henry Treadwell was one of several generations of his family to run the pub in addition to being a local farmer.

From the Kent Herald, 14 August 1828.

John Treadwell was put to the bar, charged with having attempted to violate the person of Amelia Bowers, an infant under the age of 12 years.

Prisoner have been admitted to bail; he was landlord of the "Black Lion" public house, at Hartley, and is 78 years of age. The evidence against him went to prove that prosecutrix was a child about 11 years of age, living with her parents at Hartley. On the third of May, she was going to the house of a Mr. Parsons, when prisoner came through the gap of a hedge, carried her to a wood, and then committed the alleged offence. She did not cry out, because he threatened her; about a week afterwards, she told what had occurred to a school fellow, who told it to a woman named Lane. It was then communicated to the child's mother, but no proceedings were taken in the business for some weeks after. The child also deposed, that prisoner had before committed a similar offence the first time in his own garden two years before. There was no proof of any personal injury, such as must have been occasion by the violation of so young a female. A Mrs. Treadwell, nice to prisoner, deposed she had heard that the girl "represented undecent conduct," but did not know that from her own knowledge. Being pressed to say what she had heard, and from whom she had heard it, The witness hesitated some time, and at last said she would not answer any more questions.

His Lordship in summing up, commented strongly on the absence of testimony to show that the original violence, two years ago, had injured the person of prosecutor; and the jury without hesitation acquitted the prisoner.

Larne Times - Saturday 8 July 1916.

300 PAIRS OF ARMY BOOTS. THEFT CHARGE AGAINST PUBLICANS.

At Gravesend Police Court, John English, of the "Black Lion" Public-house, Hartley, and Edwin Swift, of the "King of the Belgians" Public-house, Gravesend, were remanded, bail being refused, on the charge of being concerned in stealing 300 pairs of army boots.

A police sergeant said at the Black Lion; he found a case of thirty pairs of boots in an office, six cases, with 180 pairs, in one bedroom, and three cases, with 90 pairs, in an-other bedroom. English told witness he had a drink at Gravesend with another publican and the latter asked him whether he had room to take a few boxes. He replied "Yes" and the publican thereupon left him, and spoke to another man dressed in officer's uniform. The cases were brought to Hartley; in a military motor lorry, two soldiers assisting in the work. The police intimated that other arrests were probable in connection with the case.

Closed for a short time and reopened again in 2022.

LICENSEE LIST

GLOVER Richard 1731-1748

GLOVER Francis 1748-1797

TREADWELL John 1797-1836 (age 78 in 1828)

TREADWELL William (also farmer) 1836-1852 (age 65 in 1841)