The Tarpots Public House

Staff of the Tarpots Public House 1944

Can you name any of the Tarpots staff?

Ernie Rogers lived in Church Road, until he joined the army as a young man of 17 years.  His mother worked as a barmaid at the Tarpot Public House throughout his childhood, as a result his mother knew lots of people in Benfleet.  Ernie recalls his mother telling him that his grandfather, Ben Rogers used to shoot rabbits from a seat outside the Tarpot Pub, this is thought to have been in the 1930’s .

Other public houses

The Hoy and Helmet

The Lighthouse

More pages from Ernie Rogers

Teddy boys hangout at Mendozer’s

Dark Lane Caravan site 1961

Our Benfleet home was bombed

Christmas Island Atomic tests

Rushbottom lane School 1940s

The staff of the Tarpot Pub, this picture is thought to be taken 1944. The Landlady Mrs Wright is in the front row seated far left, Edie Rogers barmaid is seated front row far right. James Ferguson second middle row, father of George Ferguson, 2nd left back row and Alex Ferguson 3rd left top row. It is thought the young boy is Bobby Bashford. For more names see comments below.
Ernie Rogers
The names on the rear of the photograph
Ernie Rogers
The Tarpot Hotel the date is thought to be late 1930's
R.F. Postcards collection
The Tarpot Hotel the date is thought to be late 1930's
Peter Hadden
The Tarpot Hotel the date is thought to be after 1951
R.F. Postcards collection
Shooting Rabbits at Tarpots Corner
Ernie's Grandfather used to shoot rabbits from a seat outside the Tarpots Pub, short description of what it was like in the 1940's, and how cattle were slaughtered at Tarpots farm
Some of the staff of the Tarpot Pub 1944
"barmaid" by Ernie Rogers. Released: 2013. Track 1.

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  • My Parents Eve & Bill Plant, after getting married in Grays Register office, then had their wedding reception in the Tarpots Public House! (1952) My dad was stationed in Benfleet Barracks at the time, 3 days later he was sent to fight in Egypt and the Suez Crisis (1952) and again in 1956. My mum lived on a small farm along Selbourne Road with my grandparents George and Daisy Bartlett. In 1942 they moved from Dagenham after being bombed out of their original home. George Bartlett printed the original Hadleigh Gazette Newspaper during WW2!

    By Peter g Plant (23/03/2024)
  • The Tarpots pub pic, around 1944, staff:- 2nd woman from the left is my grandmother, Emmy Zinzan and behind her was her 2nd husband Alf. Emmy originally had been evacuated from Stepney during WW2, living in Romsey Road, and my dad and his family went to the local schools. His dad died while they lived there and later she married Alf, who was of Dutch origin. My dad married a local girl, Joyce Clemens, and we lived in Homefields Avenue for years. Emmy and Alf lived in the pub and had the flat facing the High Road. They moved to Vange and then to Avondale Road Benfleet, Alf went back to building. They remained there till Alf died in the 1960s and then Emmy moved to Pitsea until she ended up in a home. She passed away in the 1980s. A lovely couple, very well know from the pub, I always got treated by my Nan when I went in that off licence!

    By Roy Burton (09/03/2024)
  • Please could anyone tell me why the pub was called Tarpots, I know it had a pot outside which it still has but would like to know some information, trying to tell my Brownie group some local history.

    Ed: A quick look on the internet found the following.

    Tarpot Hotel or Tarpots local history states that on an early surviving Benfleet Manor Roll (1405) the farm it was built on it was known as Tarpody or Tarpottes, said to be so named from the distillation of wood around the area for Tar and Pitch used on boats, and wooden buildings.

    Hope this is of some help to you, please let us know if you need any further help on local history.

    By Samantha March (12/10/2021)
  • My Great Great Grandmother Jane Thorn lived on Little Tarpots farm with her mother Sarah (farmer) and family as shown on the 1841 census, any info on these would be great, or any info if this farm still exists etc would be great. Jane was born in Thundersley c1827. I have come to a standstill on the family tree so any help would be great. All the best and hoping this finds you all in good health in these hard times, Dave

    By David Hunneybell (20/01/2021)
  • Does anyone know how the Tarpot pub got its name please?

    By Rob Keen (03/01/2019)
  • I sent some information on Tarpots Pub staff. Something I need to mention is, photo says maybe taken around 1944, that is incorrect as Bobby Brereton was about 12 or 13 in that photo. Him being the same age as me I would put the year at 1952.
    The comment I made about Tarpots party was meant for the staff photo. The Wright family were the licensees at that time they had a son, Gordon who was in my 1st year class at Benfleet Secondary School. My father and his two friends used to drink at the Tarpots every Saturday night. One of his friends was Paddy Burns or Byrnes, he was the caretaker of the Catholic Church over the road from there, he lived at the top end of Kents Hill Road near London Road.
    Hope this helps a little, its only when reading other people’s stories that memories come back. Happy Healthy New Year to you all from Australia.

    By Stella Sutherland (02/01/2019)
  • In the photo of Tarpots Pub staff, the young boy in the photo is Bobby Brereton, he was in my class at Benfleet Primary School. His mother, Bertha, was a cleaner at the pub. She is pictured third left, next to a man. They lived on the High Road, just before Cemetery Corner. Bertha was a great supporter of Benfleet United football team. I remember her well, she was a very nice lady.

    By Stella Sutherland nee Bouchereau (30/12/2018)
  • The picture of the Tarpots staff include my two uncles, George Ferguson, 2nd left top row, Alec 3rd left top row, and their father and my grandfather James Ferguson, 2nd right middle row.

    By Roger Worster (18/04/2014)
  • That’s my Uncle Joe!!!  Wow!

    Does anyone know who the man 3rd from left in the middle row of the staff at the pub is? My uncle Joe is on the back row and I have a feeling the one in the middle may be my grandad – I have only ever seen 1 photo of him but he looks familiar. Joe Gates is top row in the middle and Alec Ferguson top row on the left.

    By Carolyn Blake (24/03/2014)

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