Home > Hampshire > Gosport > Elm Tree Elm Tree

Picture source: Joan Dickson

The Elm Tree was situated on Forton Road. This pub is now in residential use.

Source: Anne Stockham

In March 1893 the Portsmouth Evening News reported the story of the man who stole a hand of Pork from a butcher in Forton Road, Gosport. He was apprehended in the Elm Tree Public House but the hand of pork was never found. Isaac was one of the members of the well known White family of Gosport. After he retired from the Royal Navy, in about 1899, he became tenant of the Elm Tree public house in Forton Road. Four years later he ‘entered into the possession’ of the Britannia public house which was also in Forton Road and almost opposite The Elm Tree. Isaac’s brother, Thomas, took over as licensee of the Elm Tree and at the time of the 1911 census he was described as a publican with his wife Emily and daughter Georgina assisting in the business. Thomas’s granddaughter, Rita Russell, remembered that both the Britannia and the Elm Tree opened at lunchtime on Christmas Days and then closed for rest the day. The two families would then spend the afternoon and evening together in the Elm Tree. Thomas had twelve children (two of whom died in infancy) and Isaac had seven children so it must have been very noisy. Rita also remembered that she would sometimes pretend to be asleep on the seats in the pub and eaves drop on the family gossip. In 1913 a summons for allowing gaming on his licenced premises was heard at the Gosport Police Court against Thomas White. Thomas pleaded not guilty. A police constable, dressed as a navvy, had been to the Elm Tree on a number of occasions and reported that he had witnessed games of rings, shove halfpenny and dominoes being played for beer and tobacco. He was told that he should be there on a Sunday dinner time when they play prick the letter through the newspaper. In the witness box Thomas said that he had never suffered gaming for money or money’s worth on his premises. He said notices prohibiting games were displayed near the ring board and the shove halfpenny slate. Fortunately for Thomas witnesses were called to prove that no gaming of any description was allowed in the house and the case was dismissed. Joan Dickson (September 2021)

Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.

Other Photos

Picture source: David Fisher