A Rare photo of the King of Belgium, Formerly The King of Prussia.
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| The early address is at 4,5 & 6 Union Street. At 5 Creek Road by 1884, and 8 Creek Road by 1891,then 8 Albury Street by 1910. By 1921 (probably by the start of WW1, it is renamed the King of Belguim. |
Colins grandfather (Richard Charles Quittenton) bought the lease of the ale house King of Prussia in 1895 for £350 from Thomas Hamilton Fox and his brother Walter St. John Fox, at a ground rent of £40 payable on the "usual quarter days" to Nalder and Collyer, brewers of Croydon. My grandfather did not live there, only the pot-man was resident at that time. In 1902 the ale house was rebuilt as a public house (a foxes head was depicted on each of two facade columns for the Fox brothers). In 1903 my grandfather continued to lease it at £50 quarterly. He also moved into it with his 2nd wife Minnie Elizabeth, nee Walsh and Albert (son by 1st. wife Fanny Ellen, nee Vodden d. 1897). During WWI and as a result of the anti-German riots, the name of the pub was changed to King of Belgium. My uncle Hector was born there (1903-1904), my uncle Leonard was born there (1904-1975) and my mother Ella was born there (1909-2004). In 1924 my grandfather retired and sold the lease of the pub for £600. I believe that the pub did not survive the war as did much of Deptford. On his retirement (to Eastbourne) he bought rental properties 22/24 Clyde St., one of which was rented to Mrs Hill who lived there with her son Reginald and her daughter Marjorie (married Charles Wincup).
In 1905, one of the Stratton brothers was arrested as he exited the pub. He knew that the police were outside waiting for him. My grandmother was alone in the pub behind the bar that night and Stratton offered to help her clean up. My grandmother knew him of old, and refused to let him behind the bar. If she had done, Stratton could have escaped over the back fence and into Pickford's yard.
Colins mother left home when she was 21 from Eastbourne and moved in with Mrs. Hill in
Clyde St. The house had only 2 bedrooms with a double bed in each. My mother
shared one bed with Marjory and another male lodger (polish artist named Rodolf
Krystra (?)) shared the other double bed with Reg. Nobody thought anything
about such things THEN! Mrs Hill slept in the kitchen. My mother married my
father (born in the Stowage) in April 1939 and moved to a flat in Lewisham
owned by Charlie Watson. His family owned two wood yards and a general shop in
Deptford and the lease of several houses in Albury St. and still has some of
those Grinling Gibbons portico's. I was born in 1940, and was brought up in
Lewisham.
Colin E. Bailey.
My thanks to Colin for sharing his families history, great information especially that photo.
