The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-06
A HISTORICAL LANDMARK.
The Headquarters of the Gang of Black
heath Highwaymen in the Eighteenth
Century.


| Another old London landmark Is about
to be swept away. This is the famous
Brockley Jack public house, which has
been one Of the best-known places on the
! Brockley road any time during this last
| five hundred years. It is believed to
have bsen erected about the reign of the
third Edward, and then and for many
years afterward it was the only house in
| the neighborhood. At first it was pri-
vate residence, but some time in the six
| tenth century it became house of pub
lie entertainment and has continued SO
| up to the present time. 1t is now the
Oldest licensed house in the county of
Kent, and there are only one or two of
greater antiquity in London itself. 1t
was at the commencement of the last CEN
tury, however, that the house achieved
| its greatest notoriety. At that time
Blackheath was infested by a desperate
gang of highwaymen, who found a con-
| venient headquarters at this lonely road
side inn. They were commercially
minded, businesslike gang. to whom
chivalry and romance were utter stran-
gers. At that period the adjacent viii
lage Of Ladywell was noted for its medi-
cinal springs, and many visitors journey
| ed thither to drink the healing waters.
| These were, of course, principally
wealthy people, and they were in great
request as victims for the bold knights of
the road who sailed forth from their we'll
known headquarters under the leadership
of notorious outlaw famed Brookley
Jack, whose name has since been adopt
ed as the sign of the house. This desper-
ate gang disappeared before advancing
civilization, and widely different Gus
tom has sprung up at the old inn. 1t be-
came the objective of southeast London's
Monday morning walk, and on high
holidays it was always the scene of merry.
making. An extremely old print repre-
SCENTS a Christmas revel outside this house
with rustic gamboling under the old tree.
beneath which the highwaymen used to
quaf their wine and play pitoh-and-toss
with the gold pieces among their booty.
| It is even said that they used to toss
golden coins into the tree and, that when
the tree decayed half tankard full of
gold coins were collected by a former
landlord from the interior of the trunk.
In his latter days the Brookley Jack has
lived down It's evil reputation. A few
months ago the property was sold to
| firm Of brewers with an important reser-
walton, and they are responsible for the
removal of the old place. The reserya-
ton was the sign board, which the own
ers OF the house declined to part with AFT
any price. This sign board, which is
fastened on the old tree in front of the
horse believed to have been ridden n
one of the old highwaymen, and this
grewsome relic will soon be all that 10
left of the old Brockley Jack. The bouse
has been shored up and added to- the
original matched roof removed and tho
whole of the buildings rooted with red
tiles; but even this new covering belonos
to an out of-date age. Inside the house
however, evidences of antiquity abound
The wooden walls, covered on the outsida
with modern matchwood, are pIastsred
with composition of clay and hay. and
the woodwork is SO hard that nail GOV,
scarcely be driven into it. Curious dark
and narrow passages run between the
rooms. and until few years ago WHOM q
modern staircase was introduced H.
upper part of the house was divided into
two parts, connected by a drawhrido.o
watch could be raised, thus con,n1a+e1,
isolating the two parts. The teiebt Of
the rooms clearly indicates that the bo,sa