Known as The Ship from 1213 to 1663, it adopted its current name when the restored monarch Charles II allowed the name change as a reward for offering the supporters of his father, Charles I, a safe haven during the English Civil War; hence the name of one of the rooms within the establishment, the Lower King Charles room.
The Ship, formerly known as The Ship from 1213 to 1663, was renamed by Charles II as a reward for those who supported his father, Charles I, during the English Civil War; this renaming is reflected in one of the rooms within the establishment.