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====== King's Head ======
The King's Head was the name of two pubs in Harwich history, one a great house of some eminence in King's Head Street, the other a more modest public house in Market Street.

===== Summary =====

==== Pre-1596 ====
The early history of the King's Head is unclear, but it can be surmised from the name that it predated Queen Elizabeth I as a public house, and will have stood as a mansion house for some time prior to that.  In 1561, the Queen is said to have stayed at "//a House about the middle of the High-Street//"; from the work of Harwich historians, most notably Leonard Weaver, the general consensus is that this was East Street (the future King's Head Street), the house belonged to Thomas Moore, on the corner of the street and St Austin's Lane, and it was more than likely the King's Head.

==== 1596 to 1646 ====
In 1596, Thomas Moore died, and the King's Head would have passed to his son Thomas Moore jr.  Notably, these Thomases were the father and brother respectively of [[John Moore]], who would later hold a quarter share of the Mayflower.  Thomas Moore jr died in 1609, leaving the King's Head in his will to his wife Margaret.  Margaret held it with her next husband Robert Knox, until his death in 1616, then with her final husband William Russell, who took it over fully upon Margaret's death in 1640.  Russell sold much of his estate in 1646 - some immediately, some for after his death - to James Gardner of Levington.

==== 1646 to 1689 ====
While it is unclear exactly when the King's Head moved on to Gardner, it was certainly by Russell's death in 1659.  Gardner died in 1671, and appears to have left the King's Head to his daughter Mary.  Mary married Thomas Harvey in 1689, prompting a series of conveyances.

==== 1689 to 1704 ====
Much of the King's Head ended up leased by Richard Hankin of Stepney.  By this point, part of the property had been split off and used as a dwelling house.  In 1697, Hankin married the widowed Anne Peck, and the King's Head plus the former part of it formed a chunk of the marriage settlement.  Upon Hankin's death in 1704 the entire estate was left to Anne.

==== 18th Century ====
The King's Head had lost some of its stature and grandeur, yet by the middle of the century East Street had taken on its name, probably as a colloquialism initially, and the street remains King's Head Street to this day.  It is assumed that during this century, it moved to Market Street, but very little information has been made apparent - Anna Hankin's will of 1732 makes no mention of it, and the occasional reference to the pub by name does not give the street.  What is known is that Thomas Cobbold acquired the King's Head in 1753, so it is possible that the relocation happened around that time.  After this point, known landlords include Benjamin Steward, and Jacob Bond, whose wife Rebecca was previously married to a Cobbold.

==== Post-1800 ====
The history of the King's Head becomes much clearer into the 19th century.  After William Garred's tenancy, the property became that of the Waights family - by which point it is referred to as being on Market Street - staying with them from the 1820s to the 1860s.  Thomas Cobbold sold it on in 1837 due to his retirement, ending the Cobbold association.  Following a period where the King's Head changed hands multiple times - at least six - Frederick William Chambers became landlord in the 1890s and stayed until the Great War.  A few landlords later, the pub closed for good in 1932, the premises later being used as a shop.
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