The Red Lion ’*
This inn known by the nnme nnd sign of the Red Lion wns lvuilt in the 35th year
of Elizabeth I in 1593 Thouoh the oriqinnl structure of the Building hns undergone nlterntion down
throunh the uenrs, fnrticulnrlu du rind the reign of george III, when the structure wns refnced nnd
thnt of Victoria when other nlterntions were cnrried out.
When first tuilt the frofertu consisted of n mnin dwellino house or tenement with stnlvles,
ou tlmildings nnd n lnrne trnct of lnnd. It wns owned nt this enrlu dnte I717 Frnncis Bruce, 1750mm/L
offntrixlvourne. B17 ll5Z. he hnd disfosed of the house T717 snle nnd in thnt uenr onejncolvjnrvis,
victunller ofC5nnterl7u r17 wns qrnnted n licence to sell nlesfrom it. Hoe cnlled the house nnd
renistered it under the title of the “lied Lion”. B17 I440, it hnd lvecome n registered inn ojferino
lodning nnd stnlvlinflfncilities nnd lvecnuse of its situ ntion on the London to Dover 4-fioh Fond, it
lvecnme nn inn of some Prominence.
jncolvjnrviffnmilu hndfor mnnu uenrs teen vintners of énnterlvu ru nnd were n1/non? the
first to lve cnlled so outside the 6'/itij of London. H-e keft the “ Fed Lion ” until his denth in Iééf, ‘
wherenfter it nnd nll it contninedfnssed with nnother dwellinfl in Bridge to he widow A'rnl7elln.
5he keft the house until 7471, when in thnt 17enr she sold it nnd its wine licence, to Mnrtun
Brndstowe, n victunller of &nnterl?u ru, who for mnnu 17enrs hnd keft nn inn there cnlled the
“Blnck griffin” in St. Peters Street, ( the Present one wns Built in lXX7). Brndstowe's wife, Snrnh
wns n hnrness mnker 177 trnde nnd it would nfajoenr thnt she conducted this trndefrom the “Ked
Lion ” du ring the time she wns here.
Most of the trnde in the fvnrish of Bridoe nt this dnte, lvecnuse of its situ ntion, seemed to lre
centred nrou nd trnvel. There were three wheelwriohts in the villnge, two lvlncksmiths nnd two
snddlers. This wns nfnrtfrom the trndes condu ctedfrom the “ Ked Lion ” which E17 l700 could lvonst
commodious liveru nnd lwnit, stnlrles nnd n hnrness onnker. In l70$’, the Brndstowes sold the inn to
Kichnrd “Knight, victu nller, who kefst it until his denth in l74~7 wherenfter it fanssed to his
dnughterjnne, n milliner of Bridge nnd together they kejat the house until l7l5’, selling in thnt
Zenr to Thomns Fngge. The 7’n§§e's were n frominentfnmilu of Brid§e. There wns nt this dnte n
nker cnlled Fngqe, n miller, lvlncksmith nnd cnrfenter.
The imfrovement of the London to Dover hinhwnu in the 77l0's menntfnster nnd more
regulnr conches. The “Fed Lion” wns never n mnin stnqe, lvut n resting flnce lvetween stnfles.
Frivnte conches would wnit here for the through conches to ;11:Ck. up ynssengers trnnsferrino to locnl
trnnsjoort. It wns du ring this feriod thnt the stnlvles were extended to nccommodnte more horses nnd
n conch~house wns lruilt. B17 ls’00 Nnomi Fngqe, widow of T homns wns keefinq the “fled Lion”. She
sold it in l$’04», tojosefh Moss, victu nller nnd eqlnine denler, who P17 the 17enrlXl0, wns licenced to let
horses from the inn, n trndition thnt remninedfor mnnu uenrs to follow.
Moss sold the “Fed Lion ” in ls’lX to T homns 4'tflM7l(1:1/LS, who like his fredecessor olvtnined n