Running Horses, Erith High Street, Erith DA8 1QY
Erith pub history index
at West Street in 1874, 11 High Street in 1882 and 1901 census; This pub was established in around 1834 and rebuilt in its present form in 1938 **
Directory of Pubs in the UK, London historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Erith, Kent .
The Running Horses, late in 1940 after the bombing raid that demolished and killed many
Further details of those who perished are near the end of this page
Kindly provided by Graham R A Jansen
Running Horses, High Street, Erith - in November 2007
Kindly provided by Stephen Harris
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Residents at this address
1832-34/Thomas Newman/../../../Pigots Directory
1840/Thomas Newman/../../../Pigots Directory
1858/John Pryor/../../../Melvilles Directory
1862/J Pryer/../../../Post Office Directory
1874/James Bridge/../../../Post Office Directory
1881/Mary Fisher/Publican, Widow/31/Wotham, Kent/Census
1881/William/Son/12/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Rose/Daughter/11/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Arthur/Son/9/London, Middlesex/Census
1881/Frederick/Son/6/Lewisham, Kent/Census
1881/Villier Perivia/Visitor/13/Calcutta, India/Census
1881/William Martin/Barman/19/Henly, Middlesex/Census
1882/Mrs Mary Fisher/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/James Hy Henshaw/../../../Post Office Directory
1891/James H Henshaw/Licensed Victualler/33/Rotherhithe, Surrey/Census
1891/Victoria S Henshaw/Wife/28/Rotherhithe, Surrey/Census
1891/Ethel V Henshaw/Daughter/4/Rotherhithe, Surrey/Census
1891/Elsie M Henshaw/Daughter/2/Erith, Kent/Census
1891/Robert J Beadle/Barman/19/Erith, Kent/Census
1891/Alice E Fincham/Cook/21/Camberwell, Surrey/Census
1891/Elizabeth Bellingham/Nurse/14/Erith, Kent/Census
1901/Charles Beaver/Licensed Victualler/33/Woolwich, Kent/Census
1901/Annie Lampkin/Barmaid/23/Theberton, Kent/Census
1901/Mary M Major/Domestic Servant, Widow/36/Plaistow, Essex/Census
1901/Emma Watson/Barmaid/18/Woolwich, Kent/Census
1903/William Hillier/../../../Post Office Directory
My Great Grandfather Samuel Coles was the Proprietor of the
Bull's Head Public House in
Crayford in 1911. Prior to this he was the owner and manager at the
Running Horses. He entered the Public House business in 1904. *
1904-10?/Sam Coles/../../../Post Office Directory *
1913/Jas Frank Montague/../../../Post Office Directory
1922/Arthur E Williams/../../../Post Office Directory
1930/George Grant/../../../Post Office Directory
1938/Jas Frederick Butler/../../../Post Office Directory
My Grandfather, Thomas Arthur House (b. 12/11/1896, Westminster) was killed at The Running Horses at 1930 hrs on 29/11/1940 during a bombing raid. He was an ARP Ambulance Driver, aged 44 yrs. He was killed with a Henry George Frederick Parry, aged 19 yrs, an ARP Stretcher Bearer and an Albert Sydney Humphreys, aged 50 yrs, a Fireman, AFS. They are commemorated in perpetuity by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The licensee of the pub, William Zachariah Coles, aged 49 yrs, was also killed in the blast.
I have been told that The Crown public House,
which stood on the opposite corner to The Running Horses, was so
severely damaged it was never used again and was later demolished. The
landlord's wife, Mary Louisa Witherdon, aged 73 yrs was also killed
along with a Joseph Lancelot Addison, aged 76 yrs. A local researcher
remembers his father telling him "the Crown
had got it" when he returned home from fire watching. Mr. Coles had been
standing at the front door of the newly completed Running Horses and was
killed instantly. Apart from the deaths of my Grandfather and his
colleagues there were no less than twenty people injured. One of the
wardens, a Henry Sims was slightly injured and reported that the victims
in the pub were still seated at the table and had no visible injuries,
they were typical blast victims. The landlord's wife, Annie Elizabeth
Coles is understood to have continued to serve drinks out of the back of
the pub after her husband was killed.
My Grandfather's widow, Flora McAlister Campbell House (McGregor) went
on to marry Leslie James Holloway (16/05/1916 Erith d. Jul 1989
Dartford) Dec 1942. He became the landlord of the
Kings Head public house in Erith and lived
there for 42 years having moved there at the age of two. The pub used to
belong to his uncle, Arthur Hewett, who lived next door. He had a club
foot and used a crutch to get around the bar. Because of his uncle's
disability, the pub was run by his parents, James William Holloway (b.
Dec 1885 Dartford) and Emma Matilda Holloway (Hewett). Les remembered
beer being 4d a pint and tobacco fourpence ha'penny a packet. He was a
popular figure in Erith having run the Kings
Head for over 10 yrs. He was once described as Erith's answer to
Fanny Waldren - the famous Tottenham Hotspurs winger of the 1920's.
***
Myself & My Husband had the lease on this pub from May 2006 till September 2020 - Mr Philip Davidson & Mrs Lorraine Davidson
* Provided By David Yates
** Provided By Stephen Harris
*** Provided By Graham R A Jansen