DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Sandwich, September, 2023.

Page Updated:- Thursday, 28 September, 2023.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1624

Three Kings

Latest 1970

9 Strand Street

St. Peters 1841Census

Sandwich

Three Kings renovations

Above picture shows the Three Kings being renovated. The carving in the lintel as mention below can just be seen top right of this photograph, date unknown.

Three Kings Yard

Above postcard, date unknown, by kind permission Roy Moore, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.

Three Kings Yard

Above postcard, date unknown, by kind permission Roy Moore, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.

Three Kings Yard

Above postcard, date unknown, by kind permission Roy Moore, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.

Three Kings 1949

Above postcard, circa 1949, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Three Kings 1955

Above photo, 1955, kindly sent by Robert Audley.

Three King's Yard 1973

Above photo showing Three King's Yard, 1973. Kindly sent by Paul Wells.

Thee Kings, Sandwich, 2008

Above photo taken from Dover Mercury, 28 August, 2008.

 

A piece of history.

THREE KINGS, in Strand Street, Sandwich, is an impressive grade II listed house which is believed to date in part from the early 16th century.

It was formerly known as Three Kings Inn and a distinctive feature is the bridge room which straddles Three Kings Yard.

Strand Street is renowned as one of the longest roads of jettied timber framed houses in the country.

The accommodation includes study, sitting room, cloakroom, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, cellar, loft workshop, three bedrooms, shower room, dressing room and bathroom.

Agents Colebrook Sturrock and Co on 01304 612197 are asking £595,000.

 

 

Trading in Strand Street from 1624, the building itself has the date of 1603 surrounded by grapes and vine leaves carved in the lintel over the yard entrance.

It appears to have been tied to a brewery owned by the prominent Sandwich family, the Wyborns to 1822. In 1764 William Wyborn, brewer, died and his business was left to his daughter Mary, who had married John Bradley. Their son, William Wyborn Bradley was born in 1752 William being described as "common brewer of Sandwich." William was elected Mayor Sandwich in 1785 and died in 1788. The Sandwich brewery and its tied estate of 27 pubs was eventually put up for "sale by private contract" by William's son (also called William Wyborn Bradley, born 1779) as advertised in the Kentish Gazette on 10th May 1822.

The pub closed in 1970.

Three Kings carvings

Photographs above and below by Patricia Streater.

Three Kings carvings

In 1642, at the beginning of the Civil War, Captain Henry Oxinden, ensign to Captain Shrubsall, tried to persuade local men to fight for Charles I. The Town Cryer declared that men should report to The "Three Kings," the "Fleur de Lys," The "Dolphin," and The "Black Bear," if they were willing to take employment under the command of the Earl of Essex, in defence of His Majesty Charles I. Only Three recruits came forward! The people were more interested in coastal defence.

Appropriately at that particular inn, the sign later bore the famous ‘three heads' of King Charles as painted by Van Dyck in 1637.

Triple portrait of King Charles I

Originally, signs of the Three Kings depicted the Magi. (Three King's from the bible.)

 

Three Kings card 1951

Above aluminium card issued June 1951. Sign series 3 number 39.

 

I have reference to this pub from the Kentish Gazette or Canterbury Chronicle September 1768, when the paper advertised the sale of household furniture of Colonel Parr, at his House in Burgate Street, Canterbury. It was stated that catalogues could be obtained from this public house. See Notes of 1768. However, further information kindly sent by Tony Clayton sends the information below that refers to the pub in 1653.

 

From "The Bloody Husband and Cruell Neighbour”, 1653.

27th April 1653, Adam Sprackling, convicted of murdering his wife and another was hanged on the Gallows at Sandwich. “And after stripped, and layd forth, and coffined at the Sign of the "Three Kings" in Sandwich; and the next day towards night carried from thence six miles on mens shoulders over the Ferry to St Lawrence Church.”

 

From the https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sprackling-38 accessed 20 November 2019.

Adam Sprackling is infamous for murdering his wife, Katherine Lewkenor, on 12 Dec 1652 in the Ellington House kitchen. He was hung on 27 Apr 1653 in St. Lawrence, Thanet, Kent, England.

Adam Sprackling was born in 1605 in St. Lawrence, Thanet, Kent, England, to Robert Sprackling and Margaret Moyle. He married Katherine Lewkenor on 12 Jul 1631 in St. Lawrence, Thanet, Kent, England. Children: Margaret, Adam, Mary.

The Sprackling family have been established in Thanet as early as the thirteenth century. The owner of Ellington House, Sir Adam Sprackling, a knight under Queen Elizabeth I died on 7th April 1610, followed by his wife Dame Katherine on 27th August 1627. They left the house to their eldest son Robert, but it was Robert’s son Adam who moved in.

On 12th July 1631, Adam married Katherine Lewkner, daughter of Sir Robert Lewkner.

Adam was known locally as a violent and bad humoured man, frequently picking fights and drinking large amounts in the taverns. It is thought that he ordered two of his men to follow and murder a man named Richard Langley. This they did, and while Paul Allen escaped, the other, named Emerson, was caught and duly executed at Canterbury. Adam Sprackling was also violent toward his wife, servants and tenants who were afraid of his rages.

On Saturday December 11th 1652, Adam sent for an old man called Martin, and they sat in the kitchen of the house along with Adam’s wife and a servant named Ewell. Already in a foul mood due to debts, Adam got Martin to tie Ewell’s legs, before turning his temper on his wife, and hitting her in the jaw with his dagger.

In the early hours of the 12th, Katherine was very tired and moved toward the kitchen door. Adam reached for a cleaver and almost severed her hand, cutting through the bone. Martin tried to staunch the bleeding, but Adam, who was by now in a terrible rage, hit her on the forehead with the cleaver. Bleeding profusely, she fell to the floor crying and praying, but as she prayed, Adam struck her a fatal blow to the head, being violent enough to have gone right through her skull.

If that were not bad enough, he inflicted post-mortem wounds on her before brutally killing six dogs. He then ordered Martin to wash the still tied Ewell’s face with her blood, and then smeared some on himself and Martin, saying that they would thus appear to be mad.

Adam was arrested that night, and indeed pleaded insanity at his trial. He was subsequently sent to the gallows at Sandwich and hung on 27th April 1653.

The estate was taken over by the council for use as a park in 1892, and until the later demolition of Ellington House, there were reports of the ghosts of Katherine and the six dogs being seen in the area. Today it is believed that Katherine’s last cries for mercy can still be heard in the park.

 

From the Kentish Gazette, 14 July 1840.

To Brewers, Innkeepers, and Others. SANDWICH.

VALUABLE FREEHOLD INN, AND DWELLING HOUSE, TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION. By Messrs. DENNE and HICKS,

ON the Premises, on WEDNESDAY, the 29th day of July, 1840, at One o’clock in the Afternoon, (in one LOT);

All that well accustomed INN or PUBLIC HOUSE, called the "Three Kings Inn," with the stables, coach, houses, outbuildings, yards, ground and appurtenances thereunto belonging, situate in or near Strand Street and Love Lane, and now in the occupation of William Thistleton; together with a convenient DWELLING HOUSE and premises adjoining, and now in the occupation of William Boys.

The Premises may be viewed on application to the respective Tenants, and for further particulars and conditions of Sale, apply to the Auctioneers, or at the Offices of Messrs. Surrage and Emmson, Solicitors, Sandwich and Deal.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 16 April, 1875. Price 1d.

THE THREE KINGS INN, SANDWICH

To be let, a fully-licensed House, close to the Wharves; incoming moderate – Apply to Alfred Kingsford, Buckland Brewery, Dover.

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

THISTLETON William 1823-40 Pigot's Directory 1823Pigot's Directory 1828-29Pigot's Directory 1832-34Pigot's Directory 1839Pigot's Directory 1840

THISTLETON Sarah 1841+ (age 60 in 1841Census)

WINTER/MINTER William 1847-51+ (age 44 in 1851Census) Bagshaw's Directory 1847

MILES Mrs 1858+ Melville's 1858

JOHNSON Henry 1861+ (age 53 in 1861Census)

STONE Thomas 1862 Post Office Directory 1862

RANFLE James F 1871+ (also Greenwich Pensioner age 59 in 1871Census)

BLOXHAM Samuel 1874 Post Office Directory 1874

HUBBARD Isaac 1878+ Post Office Directory 1878 (also brickmaker)

LEERY John 1881+ (also navy pensioner age 57 in 1881Census)

SPICER William 1882 Post Office Directory 1882

HEWITT Elizabeth 1891+ (Wife age 49 in 1891Census)

GILHAM John 1901-11+ (age 51 in 1901Census) Kelly's 1903

HOWE Chas Sidney 1913 Post Office Directory 1913

PHILPOTT George Robert 1918-22+

PHILPOTT Herbert Richard 1930-38+ Kelly's 1934

https://pubwiki.co.uk/ThreeKings.shtml

 

Pigot's Directory 1823From the Pigot's Directory 1823

Pigot's Directory 1828-29From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29

Pigot's Directory 1832-34From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34

Pigot's Directory 1839From the Pigot's Directory 1839

Pigot's Directory 1840From the Pigot's Directory 1840

Bagshaw's Directory 1847From Bagshaw Directory 1847

Melville's 1858From Melville's Directory 1858

Post Office Directory 1862From the Post Office Directory 1862

Post Office Directory 1874From the Post Office Directory 1874

Post Office Directory 1878From the Post Office Directory 1878

Post Office Directory 1882From the Post Office Directory 1882

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

Post Office Directory 1913From the Post Office Directory 1913

Kelly's 1934From the Kelly's Directory 1934

CensusCensus

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

TOP Valid CSS Valid XTHML