While walking down Rochester High Street I noticed that the former Elizabeth's of Rochester restaurant had refurbishment taking place that had revealed an old sign beneath the modern exterior. This reads BJ Seeley - Fancy Draper, Glover & Hosier and was located at 154 High Street Rochester Kent.
As can be seen in the picture Elizabeth's of Rochester restaurant was established in 1992 and traded until 2019 when the building was sold and the restaurant closed.
Medway Archives records that Benjamin Joseph Seeley (1856-1910) traded as a general draper, glover, hosier, and milliner, on this site from the mid-1890s until his death
According to the Evening Standard "The wonderful Tudor buildings where Elizabeth's of Eastgate is housed date back to the 16th Century, with many original features still intact.
Elizabeth's was quoted in the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens as the home of Uncle Pumblechuck. At the turn of the 20th Century the building was known as Mr Seeley's Drapers, providing the local women with all their drapery requirements."
This photo from approximately 1900 shows Seeley Drapers shop when it was trading. Photo from Medway Archives
