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Cross Keys Public House

The 'Cross Keys' Inn in Dagenham was built around 1500. The discovery of 2 fine stone fireplaces seems to confirm this dating. Until 1670, however, its history is unclear. It is not identifiable in the 2 surveys of the Manor of Barking made in 1540 and 1609.

From 1670 there is a complete record of the 'Cross Keys'. In 1670 the house belonged to the Comyns family, who were a family of considerable importance in Romford and Dagenham. A descendant of the family founded the almshouses in Dagenham Village.

The house then belonged to Elizabeth Comyns, widow of Thomas. In 1670, her son John, took possession if it. In 1682 it was conveyed to Henry Osbourne, a cordwainer (shoemaker).

In 1685 Osbourne mortgaged it to John Marlowe, a London apothecary. It was mortgaged again in 1690 to Elizabeth Collet, of Barking. By 1695 the house passed to John French, of Spitalfields, a haberdasher.

In a deed of 1708 a mention was made for the first time of the house as an Inn. It was known as the 'Queen's Head' and was leased to John Gull and the deed makes reference to a previous tenant as Curley.

Another mortgage was signed in 1715 between John Gull and Anthony Piercey, a distiller. Another series of mortgages takes place until in 1719, when George Gull leased it to Thomas Walmesley of Barking. George Gull still remained as the Inn holder and the house is known as the 'Queen's Head'.

Thomas Motley, of Beckenham in Kent, became owner in 1735. In 1758 he died and his nephew, Francis Motley Austin, inherited it. In turn, he sold it to George Spurnell, the owner of the adjoining farm. Spurnell, a retired mariner, became a noted man in the parish.

George Spurnell sold the 'Cross Keys' in 1799 to John Brooks. The Ale House Recognisance Book held at the Essex Records Office shows that James Smith was landlord of the Cross Keys in 1774. In 1781, William Smith succeeded James and held it until 1820, a run of 40 years.

In 1821 Elizabeth Smith (probably William's daughter) took over. Between 1828 and 1839, the 'Cross Keys' found a new owner in Charrington and Company. From the Rate Books we can still trace Elizabeth Smith. She gave up the 'Cross Keys' but lived in a cottage in 'Cross Keys Yard' until her death in 1856.

In 1839, Thomas Hirst was landlord and was succeeded by John Chapman in January 1840. In February 1845, the tenancy was passed to Thomas Shutt and in January 1863 to a Mr Smith. No other name is given but in 1867 the tenant was Mrs Smith and in 1868 George Cook became landlord until 1871.

George Smoothey took over the tenancy but died in the same year and was succeeded by William Shipton. In 1882, William Derbyshire moved in. He became the overseer of the village poor.

Derbyshire's executors ran the Inn until 1904 and then for 4 years it was run by George Rogers who handed it over to Arthur Poston in May 1908. He died in 1926 and it was carried on by Mrs Poston and her son until 1937.

In 1952, the Inn was completely renovated by Charringtons. Although thriving today, the Cross Keys was derelict and had a fire in the roof during the early 1990s.

The origins of the name 'Cross Keys' comes from the dedication of the Parish Church opposite - St Peter who is always represented holding the 'Keys of the Kingdom'.