Roebuck, 47 St Margarets Street, Rochester
Rochester pub history index
This pub closed during the 1990s and has been converted to flats. **
Directory of Pubs in the UK, historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Rochester, Kent . The Rochester, Kent listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.
Roebuck, 47 St Margaret’s Street, Rochester - in April 2010
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
Residents at this address
1824/Geo. Weller/../../../Pigot’s Directory **
1840 Historical Notes of January 1939, Rev S.W.Wheatley records "At the north –east end of the Vines on ground
occupied by Mr. Weller, seemingly a market gardener, and also landlord of
the Roebuck Inn, in St. Margaret's Street, was built in 1880 the King's
School House for the Headmaster and his boarders…" ***
1858/Robert Tussell/../../../Melvilles Directory
1861/William Lamb/Licenced Victualler/48/Chatham/Census ***
1861/Ann Lamb/Wife/47/Northfleet/Census
1861/Ann Lamb/Daughter/13/Chatham/Census
1861/Charles Lamb/Son/9/Chatham/Census
1865/William Lamb/../../../Simpson's Rochester Directory ***
1866/William Lamb/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1867/William Lamb/../../../Chatham & Rochester Directory ***
1871/Ann Lamb/Victualler, Widow/58/Pluckley/Census ***
1871/Ann Lamb/Daughter/23/Chatham/Census
1871/Charles Lamb/Son, Stonemason/17/Chatham/Census
1871/Emma Lamb/Daughter/15/Borstal/Census
1871/Edward King/Lodger, Labourer/40/Rochester/Census
1871/William Bristow/Lodger, Pensioner/60/Rochester/Census
1874/William Lewis Phillips/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1872 20th June: On birth certificate of WILLIAM CHARLES PHILLIPS born, the
first child of WILLIAM LEWIS PHILLIPS and ANN (nee LAMB) [5] PHILLIPS.
WILLIAM LEWIS PHILLIPS was described as a Victualler and was Landlord of the
Roebuck Public House, St. Margaret's Street, Rochester. WILLIAM LEWIS
PHILLIPS had married ANN LAMB [1], the publican's daughter, since the census
was taken in the previous year and taken over as licensee of the Roebuck
Inn. Prior to that he had been a shipwright.
Edwin Harris, in his booklet: Old Rochester No. 19 - Rochester Inns and
Signs, described The Roebuck as an old weather boarded Inn of Rochester that
had been pulled down a few years before 1905 and replaced with the present
building.
In his Historical Notes of April 1926, Rev S.W.Wheatley notes derivations of
street names in the Parish of St. Margaret "So we pass to Roebuck Road,
which connects our main street with what is now the main road to Maidstone
from Rochester… Why was this Lane named 'Roebuck'? Clearly because an
ancient inn bore that name. And why was the inn so named? In the case of
modern hotels and public houses names are very generally a matter of taste,
or affectionate memory on the part of the builder, or first proprietor, but
in the case of ancient inns, the signs had most frequently an association
with the heraldic devices of reigning monarchs, local nobles and gentry, or
some person of contemporary fame. The 'Buck' or 'Roebuck' is fairly common
as a name amongst ancient inns; one in Cheapside was notorious during the
Whig riots in 1715. The 'Buck' was one of the Royal beats that figured with
other nine, painted and decorated on the old Bridge of Rochester, perhaps
placed there in honour of Henry VIII's marriage with Ann Bolyn. The Roebuck
was connected with the 'arms' of Lord Montacute and the 4th Baron was
Constable of Edward III's army in France and distinguished himself at
Poitiers in 1356. Either of these associations might have…" (rest of note
missing). In his notes of November 1942 he explores further the area:
"Further south comes Roebuck Road which not so many years ago (about 1880)
was known as Roebuck Lane. The present houses have displaced a number of
thatched cottages, pleasant country gardens, chicken houses and pig styes.
All these must have given it a pleasant rural appearance. The ancient inn,
'The Roebuck', now entirely modernised, probably supplied the name, for what
had been the western portion of the old Roman road." ***
1877/William Lewis Phillips/../../../Manning & Co Directory ***
1878/William Lewis Phillips/../../../Post Office Directory ***
1881/William L Phillips/Licensed Victualler/38/Rochester/Census ***
1881/Ann Phillips/Wife/33/Chatham/Census
1881/William C Phillips/Son/8/Rochester/Census
1881/Annie Phillips/Daughter/7/Rochester/Census
1881/Alfred B Phillips/Son/5/Rochester/Census
1881/Arthur E Phillips/Son/4/Rochester/Census
1881/Emily M Phillips/Daughter/7 months/Rochester/Census
1881/Mary A Mantle/Domestic Servant/36/Burham/Census
1881/Charles Lawrence/Visitor/14/Preston, Lancashire/Census
1882/William Lewis Phillips/../../../Post Office Directory
1890/William Lewis Phillips/../../../Kellys Directory Rochester ***
1892/W L Phillips/../../../Kellys Directory Rochester ***
1894/W L Phillips/../../../Kellys Directory Rochester ***
1903/Samuel Hodshon/../../../Post Office Directory
1911/Samuel Hodshon/../../../Kelly’s Directory **
1913/Samuel Hodshon/../../../Post Office Directory
1922/Arthur Ward/../../../Post Office Directory
1930/Chas Rogers/../../../Post Office Directory
1938/Mrs A E Rogers/../../../Post Office Directory
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Richard Coulson
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