51 Wood Street / Manor Street
Brompton
Above postcard, date unknown. |
Above photo, date 1960. |

Above photo showing the same site in 2011. |
The 1851 census shows a pub called the "Royal Sapper" at 11 Wood Street (on
the corner of Wood Street/Manor Street, later on site of the "Royal
Engineer"), named for the lowest rank of the Royal Engineers (previously a
connected but separate regiment).
In 1859 the Chatham News records that application for a new house was
made, and it continued to appear in news items between 1860 and 1863.
At some point it appears to have been renamed the "Royal Engineer"
(possibly incorporating the license from the old "Royal Engineer" in the High
Street, which had closed in 1861). It closed in 1959 and in 1960 the license was
moved to a new "Royal
Engineer" at Twydall Green.
Local knowledge, further pictures, and licensee information
would be appreciated.
I will be adding the historical information when I find or are sent it,
but this project is a very big one, and I do not know when or where the
information will come from.
All emails are answered.
From the Southeastern Gazette, 27 February 1866.
Conviction of Beerhouse Keepers.
At the Chatham Police Court, on Wednesday, Joseph
Thomas Tomlin, of the “Royal Engineer” beerhouse, Manor-street, was
charged with having his house open between the hours of eleven and
twelve on Sunday morning for the sale of beer. On the police visiting
the house at the time mentioned they found 32 persons in the house, 29
of the number, being soldiers. The defendant said he was out at the time
or the offence would not have been committed. The magistrates fined the
defendant £3, and the costs.
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From the Southeastern Gazette, 5 June 1866.
Two Soldiers Flogged.
The whole of the officers and men of the 3rd Depot Battalion were drawn
up in the square at St. Mary’s barracks, on Thursday last, for the
purpose of hearing promulgated the proceedings and findings of two
district courts-martial which assembled at the garrison a short time
previously, for the trial of Private Jordan, 1st battalion 10th Foot,
and Private Hayden, 102nd Fusiliers. The prisoner Jordan was arraigned
before the court on a charge of having entered the “Duke of York”
public-house, Brompton, with other soldiers, on the evening of the 20th
May, and there created a disturbance by refusing to pay for six quarts
of ale which they had ordered, and with doing damage to the amount of £2
10s. to certain property in the house, in addition to which he assaulted
Sapper Kirwin and Pensioner Farrell at the “Royal Engineer” beerhouse,
Brompton. The Court sentenced the prisoner to receive 50 lashes, to be
imprisoned for 84 days, and to be placed under stoppages until the
amount of the damage to the property injured bad been made good. Hayden,
the other prisoner, was tried on a charge of fraudulently making away
with his regimental necessaries. Although the prisoner has been only a
comparatively short time in the service he has spent nearly the whole of
that period in prison. He has been tried no fewer than sixteen times by
court-martial for various military crimes, and has also been flogged
seven times, in addition to which he is also branded. Altogether he is
one of the most depraved characters in the British army. The Court now
sentenced him to receive 50 lashes, and to undergo 168 days’ hard
labour. Immediately after the sentences had been promulgated the
prisoners were fastened to the halberds and the punishment inflicted. On
being taken down they were removed to the military hospital, and will he
sent hence to Fort Clarence, to undergo their term of imprisonment.
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From the Southeastern Gazette, 10 July 1866 WKQS 7.bmp"
FRIDAY — FIRST COURT. (Before Sir William Yardley).
Alleged Housebreaking at Gillingham.
George Spoofs, 26, soldier, was indicted for housebreaking and stealing two
paper bags, and 16s., the property and moneys of Jane Penyouick, at Gillingham,
on the 1st April. Mr. Barrow prosecuted.
Prosecutor was keeper of the “Canteen”
at Brompton barracks, and on the night of the robbery fastened up the bar and
went to bed, leaving about 16s. in coppers in paper bags on the desk. Next
morning it was gone.
Andrew Cary, labourer, deposed that shortly after seven on the 1st April,
when he was going over Dock Field, in the rear of the barracks, he saw prisoner
with a towel in his arms. Prisoner went a little way and the towel dropped, and
he saw a number of coppers and some pieces of paper. He afterwards saw a paper
bag picked up.
Edward McMassey, employed at the “Royal
Engineer” beerhouse, Bromley, deposed that on the afternoon of the 1st
April prisoner produced a quantity of coppers, and the mistress gave him silver
for five shillings’ worth at the rate of thirteen pence for a shilling. He
(witness) also purchased thirteen pence for a shilling.
Sergeant Mathews said he was pay sergeant of the company to which the
prisoner belonged. During the month of March prisoner was paid 3s. 6d. He did
not receive more because he did not work on the garrison works.
Prisoner’s defence was that the money was won by him in gambling, and he
called the orderly-corporal, the corporal of the guard, and two other witnesses,
to prove that (so far as they knew) he was not absent from his room on the night
of the 31st March.
The jury acquitted him.
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LICENSEE LIST
TOMLIN Joseph Thomas 1863-66+ (age 39 in 1851 )

SHARP John 1881+ (also Chelsea Pensioner age 40 in 1881 )
GOLDUP Walter George 1918-22+
BERRY Percy Edgar 1930+
HOBDAY Edward T 1938+
DAISH W G 1955+
USHER Amy Mrs to 1959
https://pubwiki.co.uk/RoyalEngineer.shtml
Census
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