This rather modern looking pub is reputedly haunted by the ghost of George Villiers, the first or second Duke of Buckingham depending on which version of the story you read. He is said to have forced his affections on unwilling ladies but then to have vanished very quickly if their husbands and brothers came after him. There is even a suggestion that he was the Georgie Porgie from the nursery rhyme.
Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.
The ghost in the Cock and Bottle is seen mostly by women and described as a shadowy figure with long hair and embroidered clothing. I remember reading a report by a 'ghost hunter' which noted
"The Duke of Buckingham II haunts the Cock and Bottle Inn. While alive he had quite an eye for the ladies and in death he often appears in the toilets".
Quite.
"The Duke of Buckingham II haunts the Cock and Bottle Inn. While alive he had quite an eye for the ladies and in death he often appears in the toilets".
Quite.
I love your english pubs. I can't imagine any pub here having the word cock in its name!
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating how the usage of language changes over time. Cock & bottle simply means the pub sells both draught (from the barrel) and bottled beer. The 'cock' is the peg used to draw off beer from the barrel. It is usually illustrated on the pub sign (as here) by a cockerel.
ReplyDeleteGreat story, true or not.
ReplyDeleteDarryl and Ruth :)
So true, RedPat!
ReplyDeleteI love the story, too. Quite!