HISTORY - "The Crown"

In the Hundreds of Cornilo and Eastry, lathe of St. Augustine, within the ancient parish of Northbourne, lies Finglesham and the inn known by the name and sign of the Crown.

The inn is made up of two former farm dwellings. The easterly most facing dwelling was built during the reign of King John (1199-1216) in the year 1208, and was part of the estate of nearby Cotmanton Court (later Cottington). In 1245 the property was given up by the Bishop of St. Augustine to one of the knights for his bravery in the war against France. The remaining dwelling was built during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) in the year 1340. Initially a farm dwelling and shepherd's cottage, it was this building that was later to become the "Crown".

The earliest recorded occupant is one Josia Critch a yeoman and shepherd of the parish of Northbourne who came to the cottage around 1375. Critch and his wife Eleanor had nine children all of whom were born in this house: Lucrece 1379, Elias 1380, Jacob 1381, Osten 1382, Naomi 1383, Gabriel 1384, Edward 1385, Anne 1386 and Richard 1387. By 1395 only five children remained alive. Lucrece was buried in August 1379, Osten in September 1383, Elias February 1392, and Richard January 1395.

Over a century later in 1523 the property was in the hands of William Spatchhurst who in 1535 was fined 12d. for being a cottager within demesne, he had not come to mend the roads for the space of five days as required by the statute. This statute was laid down at the turn of sixteenth century and although all roads and paths were dirt and practically impassable there were to be "at all times hence not to be unbalanced and kept free of foulness". The latter would refer to animals as the street was then a main drover's road.

In 1580 the property was purchased by one Jacob Swyfte a yeoman of the parish. By the time Swyfte sold the property in 1628 the land which at one time totalled fifteen acres, included three acres planted with hops. In 1674 the property was purchased by Nicholas Wane, a hop grower and common beer seller of the parish Ash next to Sandwich. Wane was granted a licence to sell ales and ciders of his own making only on October 4th 1675. The house at this date bore no title but was a registered ale house under ownership.

In 1720, in order that the rector of the parish could hold tithe suppers here, the house was granted a full licence and registered under the title of the Crown, a title which generally refers to the reformation of the Crown in 1660.

In 1780 the Crown became the posting house for the parish and remained so for many years until the coming of the first post office. In 1785, the Crown was purchased by one William Piddock, Piddock owned the inn for 52 years and upon his death his widow Elizabeth took up the licence. She sold the property in 1854 to one William Harris market gardener and innkeeper and for the next 60 years the Crown was a market garden as well as an inn. William Ford, James Taylor and Arthur Ongley, keepers of the Crown during the nineteenth and early twentieth century were all market gardeners.

The Crown has seen and undergone many changes since it was built but the historic atmosphere remains unaltered. So stay, enjoy the fayre and reflect on those bygone days.