Some history of The Ship at Rotherhithe in Bermondsey in London.

London | Rotherhithe | Ship

A Rotherhithe house within the borough of Bermondsey, The Ship, stands at the junction of Elephant Lane and Saint Marychurch Street. Its predecessor stood in Church Street, the premises backing on to the graveyard.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with kind permission of the National Library of Scotland under the Creative Commons Attribution licence.

I have marked the location of the earlier pub on the above map extract surveyed in 1894 and published in 1915. I have also indicated the location of the replacement building constructed during 1939. The last trade directory to feature the old Ship at No.58 St. Marychurch Street was published in 1939. There is generally some slippage between the survey for such publications. The 1940 Post Office Directory for London lists the new Ship on the corner of Elephant Lane. So, this points towards an opening during 1939. However, it would have been late in 1939, or perhaps in early 1940. Compiled after the outbreak of war, the 1939 Register for this locale was completed by E. G. Davis and signed off on October 5th, 1939. In this survey, licensee Emily Hardwick, along with her son Thomas, were recorded at the old premises.¹ The landlady was widowed during the previous year. Her husband, Thomas, a former taxi driver, had held the licence of the former Ship. Emily Hardwick was granted the licence of the old place and, following its transfer across the road, was the first manager of the newly-constructed Ship.

© Image from author's photographic archive. DO NOT COPY

Captured not long after the war, this shows The Ship that was built just before the conflict. It was a fortunate survivor of the air raids, the Luftwaffe doing their best to obliterate the dock area. Britain did the same to them, not that it makes it right. In the next war we will all be gone. Or living in a bunker clutching a Geiger counter. Note that in this photograph the road junction is close to the pub frontage. This was later extended and a couple of trees planted, the pub taking advantage of the extra pavement by creating an outdoor seating area.

© Photo taken by author on August 1st, 2019. DO NOT COPY

I really like this style of building, harking back to the Georgian period but updated with some art and crafts and a dash of art deco. Featuring a modest parapet which bears the house name, the red brick structure has cream faience surrounds to the ground floor windows. Brown faience was deployed to create a plinth to the neat, crisp building.

To the right of the above image, behind the parked cars is a small block of flats named Henley Close. These were partly erected on the site of the former Ship. They were named after Councillor Albert G. R. Henley, Mayor of Bermondsey, who was killed by a bomb which hit the Mayor's parlour at the Town Hall. Whilst was crossing to the Town Hall after putting out fire bombs on the roof of a neighbouring building, Albert Henley was in a courtyard when he was killed by the blast. The Mayoress, who was not injured, was in the municipal offices next door.² She succeeded her husband in office.³

The Ship was rebuilt by Taylor, Walker & Co. Ltd. of Limehouse. The company had dragged their heels somewhat after a scare in 1930 when the licence of The Ship was considered for redundancy. It was in February of that year that an adjourned general meeting of the licensing justices for the Newington division, a total of 19 public-houses were considered for redundancy, including the Europa Inn and the New Dock Inn, both also in St. Marychurch Street. When the case for The Ship was brought up Mr. E. W. Preston, surveyor to the justices, reported that "within a radius of a quarter of a mile there were 16 fully-licensed houses and seven beer houses." He added that "The Ship was a small single-fronted house of rather poor appearance." Applying for the renewal on behalf of the owners, Taylor, Walker & Co. Ltd., and the licensee, Mr. A. H. Tollady, the legal representative, Sidney Lamb, stated that "the house was opposite the East India Wharf, and ten months ago was redecorated. In 1927 the present licensee had paid £900 for the goodwill and fixtures, and the total sum invested by him in the house approximated to £1,000. Since 1927 the trade increased." The Ship and Europa Inn escaped this cull of licensed houses. The New Dock Inn was not so fortunate and its closure was ordered.⁴

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I imagine that, coupled with the construction of Henley Close, Taylor, Walker & Co. Ltd. entered into some form of wheeler-dealing with the local authority, releasing their site to gain the position on the junction with Elephant Lane. This is conjecture on my part but it would seem logical. The locality was already undergoing civic 'improvement' with apartment blocks replacing what were deemed slums.

© Image from author's photographic archive. DO NOT COPY

One of the repro dealers on e-bay had this image on offer so I couldn't resist buying a photo of the site of the new Ship. The image shows the older premises on the corner and a glimpse of the narrow Elephant Lane, a thoroughfare possibly referencing trade in ivory. The East India Company operated a wharf next to Elephant Steps and built warehouses in the locale, some of which have undergone conversion to apartments. Did this company transport ivory from the East Indies, retailing to button manufacturers or those engaged in the production of pianos, billiard balls and cutlery? It is one possible theory for the origins of the street name.

The shop on the corner in the above image is clearly selling newspapers but a trade directory for the period lists the premises as a chandler's store run by Elizabeth Mary Murphy. Her name can be seen on a sign above the window. She continued the business following the death of her husband, William, in January 1935. Born in Devonport around 1867 he had worked as a steam engine fitter in his younger days.⁵ In those years, during the Edwardian period, the chandler's shop was run by Bertie Lyon.

The premises housing the chandler's shop looks like an 18th century building, the old Ship being of a similar age. I have not done a deep dive into the pub's past but I believe it was run by Jonathan French in the late 18th century.

The Ship, or at least the publican Daniel Hayes, was part of a story that went Victorian Viral in 1884. It was the first case in London after the Public House Act of 1883 that made it illegal for workers to be paid in a public-house. The proper title was the Payment of Wages in Public-Houses Prohibition Act. In the case heard at Greenwich Police Court in August 1884, Inspector Galpin, M. division, stated that "on the passing of the new Act the licensed victuallers and contractors in his district were warned of the consequences of permitting men to be paid in public-houses. He cautioned Mr. Hayes on March 14th last." Addressing the Bench, Detective-Sergeant Goddard, M. division, said that "on the 23rd of July, about half-past six o'clock in the evening, he went, in company with detective Toley, to the Ship public-house. He saw a number of men in the bar, and as they entered, a man rushed to the back of the house. Witness and detective Toley followed him, and saw him enter a room in which there were about twelve men standing round a table. Jeremiah Marney was sitting at the table, and there was some silver lying before him, and a box containing money. He saw a man receive money from Blarney, and put it in his pocket. Eugene Daley was also sitting at the table with a pencil in his hand. He was writing in a book." The police saw it for what it was - payment of wages for dock workers. Marney and Daley were gangers and supplied labour to the Surrey Commercial Docks. As licensee, Daniel Hayes was given a lenient fine of £5 for allowing this to occur in The Ship. But it sent a message to other publicans that such practices were not to be tolerated.⁶

Later in the month, Daniel Hayes was to feature in another story that went viral in the Victorian newspapers - even though he was dead!! On Friday August 15th, 1884, Mr. Wynne E. Baxter held an inquest at Guy's Hospital, London, on the body of Catherine Hayes, aged seventy-two, residing at the Ship, who died from drinking carbolic acid out of a bottle mistaken for beer. The evidence showed that on the previous Wednesday the son of the deceased, who was the proprietor of the house, was to be buried, and just before the funeral she was found foaming at the mouth in the club-room. The cork was out of a half-gallon bottle containing carbolic add, which had been used in the room where the corpse of the publican was lying. She had evidently drunk the contents of the bottle in mistake for beer. A verdict was returned of "Death from Misadventure." ⁷ Personally, I think there is more to these two stories. The publican was dead shortly after the court case and a bottle containing acid is not likely to look like a beer bottle. Just saying ...

Cutting from Page 5 of the "Eastern Argus and Borough of Hackney Times" published on Saturday October 24th, 1908.

Judging by this advertisement, Alfred John Tootill was not a man to undersell himself. He moved to the Dundee Arms following a short spell at The Ship. The son of a musician, Alfred Tootill was born in Brixton in June 1881. He married Clara Georgina Wheeler in 1903. They had run a draper's shop in Lavender Hill at Battersea before selling all of their stock early in 1906 to enter the licensed trade.

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"Daniel Fellby was charged by the landlord of the Ship public-house, Church Street, Rotherhithe. Prosecutor deposed that on the previous evening the defendant commenced fighting with a man, and on his telling him to desist, they went out and finished the fight in the street, and Fellby afterwards came into the house, and struck him. He has done so before - Fined 40s. or one month in the House of Correction."
"Assault"
Kentish Mercury : May 1st 1852 Page 5

References
1. 1939 England and Wales Register : London > Bermondsey > Registration District : Acof.
2. "Two London Mayors Killed On Raid Duty" : Daily Express; May 13th, 1941, Page 3.
3. "Savings Will Avenge Two London Mayors" : Daily Express; May 18th, 1941, Page 5.
4. "Rotherhithe Licensed Houses" : Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder; February 28th, 1930, Page 1.
5. 1911 Census Piece No.1917 : London > Bermondsey > Rotherhithe > District 24, Enumeration District 4 Schedule 33a.
6. "Payment Of Wages In Public-Houses" : Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder; August 9th, 1884, Page 7.
7. "Fatal Mistake At A Funeral" : Pall Mall Gazette; August 15th, 1884, Page 8.

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"At Greenwich, on Friday, David Watson, forty-four, who described himself as a master saddler, of Manchester, was charged with being drunk and incapable of taking care of himself. Police-Constable Walters, 61 M, said he found the prisoner lying insensible in St. Mary Church Street, Rotherhithe. He was very drunk, and smelt of rum. The prisoner said he came from Westminster to Cherry Gardens Pier with his solicitor's clerk. He went into a public-house and had some beer. He was drugged, and robbed of £11 10s., a sum of only 1s. 1½d. being left for him to get back to Manchester. Mr. Marsham discharged him with a caution, saying that probably he would find his friend had taken the money to take care of."
"Insensible At Rotherhithe"
Weekly Dispatch : October 8th 1893 Page 4