Kings Ferry
Iwade
Above photo, date circa 1893. |
Above postcard, date showing the floods of 3 February 1953. |
Above photo, 4 February 1953, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo of Harry & Charlotte, gran and granddad of Howard Statham
being rescued from Ridham farmhouse by the Army in 1953, the Lord Nelson
in the back ground, who says "my dad was in a rowing boat in distance going to rescue
a horse."
Kindly sent by Howard Statham. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
Above photo, 1953, taken from the film The Long Memory. |
I have reference to a pub that was identified as the "King's
Ferry" in the 1841 census. I have a suspicion that the two are one and
the same. However, I also have two different licensees mentioned for 1841,
so perhaps they are different.
I believe the pub was demolished in to make way for the Kings Ferry
Bridge in 1959.
Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal, Tuesday 6 December 1803.
LIVE STOCK, IMPLEMENTS, &C.
To be sold by Auction, by Mr. Batten, on Saturday, the 10th inst of
December, 1803, at twelve o'clock, at the "Lord Nelson," King's Ferry,
Iwade.
Four capital cows in calf, two Buds, one chestnut Horse, four Sows,
sundry Poultry, a cart and harness, a water-barrel, a wheel-barrow, a
cutting Box and Knife, Bridles and Saddles, a parcel of Faggots, Dairy
Utensils, and sundry other articles, belonging to Mr. William South,
leaving the place.
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Kentish Gazette, 9 December 1803.
Live Stock, implements &c.
To be SOLD by AUCTION; By Mr. BATTEN,
On Saturday, the 10th of December, 1803, at twelve o'clock, At the
"Lord Nelson," KING'S FERRY. IWADE.
FOUR capital Cows in calf, two Buds; one chestnut Horse, four Sows,
sundry Poultry, a cart and harness, A water-barrel, a wheel-barrow,
a cutting Box and Knife, Bridles and Saddles, a parcel of Faggots,
Dairy Utensils, and sundry other articles, belonging to Mr. William
South, leaving the place.
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Kentish Gazette, 24 July, 1804.
PUBLIC HOUSE, TO BE LET,
And entered upon immediately.
The Public House, the Sign of the "Lord Nelson," at King's Ferry, in
the Parish of Iwade.
Enquire at Messrs Best's Brewhouse, in Chatham.
21st July, 1804.
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22 Jan 1806.
Up about 7, at 10 went with Messrs Head, William Swift,
Wright, Boarer, Viney and Widgeon to meet Mr ? and French at the "Lord
Nelson," Kings Ferry. At home at 5 and in bed 8 o’clock.
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From the Maidstone Gazette and West Kent Courier, 13 February, 1827.
Suicide.
On Monday night about 10 o'clock, a woman, genteelly dressed, went to
the "Lord Nelson" Public House at Kings Ferry, and enquired if she could
be allowed to sleep there; she was taken in and remained until Wednesday
about 1 o'clock, when she rang the bell, and told the daughter of the
landlord she had taken poison; she soon after fell back in her chair and
expired. She is about 4 feet 8 inches in height, has dark eyes and black
hair; she wore a black sarsenet gown, light coloured shawl with a pink
striped border, leghorn bonnet, and black lace veil. She appeared to be
about six and thirty.
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Maidstone & Kentish Advertiser on 13th August 1833.
MARRIED.
At Iwade, August 5th, Mr. Chapman of the "Lord Nelson," King's
Ferry, to
Miss Ann Lockyer, of Iwade.
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Kentish Gazette, 17 March 1857.
SHEERNESS.
Tit for Tat.
On the 5th instant Mr. Alfred Strood, victualler, and Mr. A.
Chiringbould, saddler, of this town, were had before the Rev. Dr.
Poore, at Sittingbourne, charged with having been concerned in
whitewashing a horse, belonging to Mr. W. Pratten, whereby it died a
few days afterwards. It appeared, however, by the evidence of a
veterinary surgeon that the animal had sufficient internal disease
to cause death, and so the defendants were relieved of the more
serious charge; but for the practical joke or whitewashing they were
fined 2s. 6d. each with costs — the reverend magistrate observing
that he trusted he should not have any more of these practical jokes
again brought before him, as, although the horse was of little
value, still the offence was equally as great. The parties then left
the Court, and adjourned with their friends to the "Lion Inn,"
Sittingbourne, to dinner. On returning homeward they stopped at the
"King’s Ferry," and while at the ferry-house a joke was played on
the jokers, some persons having whitewashed the carriages, five in
number, and in that state they returned to Sheerness.
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From the Kent Online, 24 March, 2021.
The First and Last. A haunted hostelry with a macabre past.
Although the name was clearly displayed on the fascia, even in large
painted letters on the roof, the long gone "Lord Nelson" pub was often
referred to as the "First and Last.
It depended on the route of travel, on or off the islands.
It was the only pub between Queenborough Corner and the "Woolpack" and
the official address was Iwade.
There is also Lord Nelson Road in the Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow
Ward, but of the pub?
Nothing at all. No landmark stone. Nothing since 1959 when it was
demolished as the new Kingsferry Bridge was making ready to officially
open in 1960.
But there are many stories about it, which lose nothing in the telling -
accidental deaths and a suicide.
The pubs location is near isolation gave wat to ghostly happenings.
Many a yarn most likely began "it was a dark and windy night, no moon
all stars in the sky (pause for dramatic effect)..."
It was such a night in February 1827 when a young woman smartly but
plainly dressed, entered the pub and begged a room for the night. Where
she had she come from on foot? She was made welcome but a few hours
later announced she had taken poison and died.
There are accounts of a livestock sale in 1803, but not until 1841 is
there mention of a landlady - 55 year old Martha Lockyer.
We can assume in its long history farm workers and Swedish sailors
coming in from pub boats at Ridham Dock would have been customers.
Soldiers too, from Chetney Marshes, and railway workers from Swale Halt.
It is possible after the Second World War German prisoners-of-war held
in huts at Kingsferry were allowed supervised freedom to inbibe?
It was certainly not only on the beaten track but we know families from
Queensborough and Rushenden found a route across Rushenden Marshes which
brought them out to the Ferry Road with the "Lord Nelson" as their gaol.
What better place to sit and admire Sheppy's magnificent sunsets?
Filmmakers both amateur and professional have found it an ideal location
and scenes from one film starring John Mills were definitely shot there.
But not everyone agrees the name of the classic. Some insist it was
Great Expectations with the actor has young Pip meeting with escaped
prisoner Magwitch. Not so.
The film was Long Memory, made in 1953 - the year of the floods. John
Mills was certainly the star, but he played a man out for revenge after
serving a prison term for a murder he did not commit.
Filming must have been after the ruinous floods because everywhere was a
quagmire of mud when the water subsided.
However the pub did feature prominently in the rescues there never had
been such activity in years - swarms of soldiers creating a Bailey
Bridge, armies of civilians filling sandbags and farm workers squelching
through mud hauling the bloated bodies of dead sheep.
Above photo showing Royal Engineers searching for drowned animals on
the marches of Sheppey during the flood of 1953.
After days like that a few first have been slaked, be it with beer or
hot drinks. The bar also offered warmth and shelter from bitterly cold
winds and rain. |
LICENSEE LIST
CHAPMAN William 1833-41+ (age 35 in 1841)
LOCKYER Martha 1841+ (age 55 in 1841)
LOCKYER John 1847-61+ (age 55 in 1861)
HAMMOND John 1882-91+
DARTNALL John 1899-1903+
WALTERS Albert Edward 1913-34+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/LordNelson.shtml
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/lordnelson.html
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Kelly's Directory 1882
Census
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
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