As I write this article, the old Ship Hotel, (more recently called Harrison’s) is being demolished to make way for a block of flats. It’s a sad end for another of our old hostelries, in this case dating back at least 300 years.
The Ship first appears in licencing records in 1722, when Peter Andrews was the licensee, but as it was already in existence at this date, it’s safe to assume that there was a pub on the site even earlier. He was succeeded by John Andrews (1759-1764), Mary Andrews (1765-1767) and another Peter Andrews (1776-1807), an unusually long run of tenancy by one family.
By 1839, the licensee was Robert Stone, who had succeeded John Stone (presumably his father). Robert Stone was another extraordinarily long serving publican, staying at the Ship until his death in 1885, when he was succeeded by his widow Letitia, who was in charge until 1893. Thus the Stone family had run the Ship for most of the 19th century, much as the Andrews family had in the 18th.
Like many publicans, Robert Stone combined this trade with others, in his case those of Coal Merchant and Barge Master. The barge traffic on the Thames was most important to riverside villages like Shepperton in the days when the roads were awful and before the railway arrived.
The ‘Lock-to-Lock Times’ in 1892 carried an advertisement for the ‘Ship Hotel, Letitia Stone proprietress’, offering Welsh smokeless steam coal for launches – obviously she carried on her late husband’s profession as coal merchant as well. Minnie Cotsford, who succeeded Mrs Stone, advertised accommodation for gentlemen rowers, anglers and tourists, emphasising that once the railway arrived, large numbers of people used it to visit Shepperton for leisure purposes.
In more recent years, the Ship hosted many showbusiness celebrities, including Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor (who danced in the Barn Bar) and Judy Garland, who sang and played the piano.
Readers wishing to know more about the history of our local pubs may be interested in ‘The History of Sunbury’s Pubs’ and ‘The History of Shepperton’s Pubs’, published by SSLHS at £6.50 and £6.00 respectively.
‘The Gentleman’s Magazine 1751-1856’ a valuable source for local history, is the subject of the next meeting of the Sunbury and Shepperton Local History Society, at 8pm on Tues. 19th May at Halliford School, Russell Road, Shepperton. All welcome, admission £2 for non-members.