S t a p l e
Village and civil parish in East Kent
History of The Three Tuns
This building is now a private house; and before that (in 2010) it was a B&B called The Tuns at Staple. But it was The Three Tuns Pub from 1755 - And this is its history:
The Three Tuns was built during the Reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714), in the year of 1712.
The ancient sign of The Three Tuns dates back to the reign of Richard the First (1189-1199), when tables were set up at tournament banquets by placing oak planks onto three large casks.
When first built, The Three Tuns was a farmhouse forming part of a considerable hop & fruit farm.
The earliest recorded occupant of the Farm is Jacob Longman, who is mentioned in a sale document of 1735 when William Tubb purchased the property, which is described as 'One messuage, with barn and all that piece or parcel of land now planted with fruit trees, containing by estimation seven acres and all that piece or parcel of land thereto adjoining, containing by estimation three acres now planted with hops, which said messuage, barn and land are situate and lying within Staple in the parish of Dover, held by Johnathon Gale, previously held by Jacob Longman and purchased by William Tubb'.
In 1755, the property was purchased by Abraham Marsh, a gardener, hop grower and brewer of the parish of Wingham.
In September of that year, Marsh stood before two Justices at Dover and was granted a licence to sell ales and ciders.
The property at this date bore no title but was registered as an Ale House.
In 1767, Johnathon Cox purchased the property, and after obtaining a licence, registered the property under the title of The Three Tuns.
When Johnathon died in 1801 he bequeathed the property to his wife Eliza when he decreed that: 'My messuage or tenemente situate and lying at Staple, known by the sign of the Three Tuns with its land thereto belonging, I leave to my beloved wife Eliza who upon my passing shall take up the deeds and title of the said tenemente'.
Although the property was registered as an Inn, every owner or keeper, with one exception, until the year of 1946, was a market gardener or fruit grower, and continued to ply their trades as well as run the inn. The exception to this was Charles Hanbrook, a tax collector who kept the inn.
In 2010 the pub changed its name to "The Tuns at Staple House".
