TOWN ARMS Pub of Maidstone

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Maidstone, September, 2023.

Page Updated Maidstone:- Sunday, 03 September, 2023.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1798-

Town Arms

Latest 1882-

123 Lower Stone Street

Maidstone

It was mentioned in the song, "The Maidstone Landlords" in 1798.

South Eastern Gazette 23 January 1827.

DIED.

Jan. 21, at the house of her son in law, Mr. Amies at Loose, after a long illness, Mrs. Pell, wife of Mr. Pell, of the "Town Arms," Maidstone.

From the Maidstone Gazette and West Kent Courier, 22 May, 1827.

Notice to creditors of the late Thomas Pell.

Notice is hereby given, that on Monday 28th May, 1827, a meeting of the creditors of the late Mr. Thomas Pell, of Maidstone, Victualler, deceased, will be held at the "Town Arms Inn," Maidstone, at 2 o'clock, for the purpose of investigating the affairs of the deceased, and making some final arrangement for their settlement.

J. T. Amos, Executor.

From the Maidstone Gazette and West Kent Courier, 19 September, 1827.

Notice.

All persons having claims up on the estate of the late Thomas Pell, Victualler, Maidstone, are requested to meet at the "Town Arms," on Monday next, 24th instance, at 1 o'clock, to receive a statement of his affairs, and to arrange upon the final disposal of the assets.

John Pike, Accountant.

Maidstone. September 18th 1827.

Southeastern Gazette, 1 March 1853.

Coroner's Inquest.

On Friday last and inquest was held at the "Globe Inn," Knighrider Street, before T. Kipping, Esq., coroner, on the body of John Mitchell, aged 56, blacksmith, who died very suddenly on Thursday.

Harriett Furminger deposed that she was landlady of the "Town Arms Inn," Stone Street, she had known the deceased for two years. He came into her house between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday, and remained there the whole of the afternoon, but no beer was taken to him, and she did not see him drink anything. He seemed very comfortable and in his usual health, and at two o’clock eat some meat pudding and vegetables, which she sent him from her own table. She did not notice anything peculiar in his appearance, and he left the house about half-past eight o’clock in the evening, perfectly sober. Had occasionally seen him intoxicated, but believed him to be generally of sober habits.

Elizabeth Mitchell, daughter of deceased, deposed that she lived with her father, he came home on Thursday night, about a quarter post nine o'clock. When he first came in, he appeared cheerful. He sat down beside the fire, and said "How dry I am, I haven’t had half a pint of beer to drink all the whole afternoon," and asked witness to get him some tea. She had the child in her arms at the time, and asked deceased to take it, when he said "Stop a moment, I’ve got such a swimming in my head," and did not speak afterwards. He stretched out his legs, and kicked violently for two or three minutes. Witness threw the child into the cradle, and immediately awoke her brother, who called her brother-in-law, who was at the bottom of the yard at the time, and medical assistance was then sent for, but on Mr. Brenchley arriving in a few minutes, deceased was dead. He had seemed very cheerful in the morning, and she noticed no difference in him. He had been much subject to rheumatics for years.

John Stanley, brother-in-law of the last witness, corroborated portions of her evidence.

Mr. H. C. Brenchley, surgeon, deposed to being called to attend the deceased, whom he found sitting up in a chair before the fire, quite dead. He, however, opened a vein in the arm, but no more blood flowed from it than might have been supposed to flow from a corpse. After further satisfying himself that life was quite extinct, he had him undressed and placed upon the bed. He did not appear to have died from a fit of an ordinary character, as he was sitting upright, his hands unclenched, his mouth open, and his face very pale, which were different symptoms from those usually observed in a person who died from a fit, and he (Mr. B.) believed his death occurred almost instantaneously. His being subject to rheumatics would have rendered him liable to sudden death, but he (Mr. B.) believed it to have resulted from a fit of apoplexy of the worst nature. The feature which would induce them to believe that he died from natural causes, was, that his brother died in the same manner.

Verdict, "Died by the visitation of God, from natural causes."

Southeastern Gazette, 22 March 1853.

Death

March 15, at the "Towns Arms Inn," Stone-street, Maidstone, Mr. John Furminger, aged 45 years, much respected by his relatives and friends.

Southeastern Gazette, 5 June 1853.

MAIDSTONE PETTY SESSIONS.

Friday. (Before W. Hills and T. Hyde, Esqrs.)

The license of the "Town Arms" was transferred to Harriet Furminger, widow of the late John Furminger, landlord of the above house.

Southeastern Gazette, 16 August 1853.

Friday. (Before H. W. Joy, Esq., Mayor, H. Argles and J. Whichcord, Esqrs.)

Burglary. Francis Powell, a wood-turner, was placed in the dock on the following charge of burglary:—

Sophia Chambers, living at the alms-houses, Mote-road, deposed that on Wednesday last she had charge of the house which a person named Thomas Simmons occupied, nearly opposite to the one in which she lived. She locked up the house at about half-past eight o’clock in the evening, and put the key in the window, leaving everything safe, and a child asleep in bed. She returned to the house at about half-past nine, and then found the prisoner standing outside and the window partly open. Thinking it was Mr. Simmons, she tapped him on the shoulder and said to him, "Halloa, Mr. Simmonds, are you come home already?" Prisoner turned round, and perceiving he was a stranger, she said, "Well, my good man, what do you want?"

Prisoner turned round and said, "I’ve just come from Simmonds; they are gone to have something to drink; they’ll wait to see the fireworks, and will then come home." She told the prisoner she had come to look after the child, and he said he had come for the same thing. She said if that were the case she would go and find Mr. Simmons, and tell him he might look after the child himself. They left the house together, and prisoner then went away.

She went to two places to look for Mr. Simmons, but could not find him, and as she was returning about half an hour afterwards she saw the prisoner in the road near the house, and told him she could not find Simmons at the public-house where he had told her, and prisoner then said, "Oh, it’s all right; he told me he was going there to have something to drink." The prisoner had no bundle with him either time.

Amelia Riley deposed that she lived with her sister, Mrs. Furminger, at the "Town Arms Inn." Prisoner, who was a turner by trade, had lodged there since the 18th June. On Wednesday evening she went upstairs between ten and eleven o'clock, to light two persons to bed, and seeing that the bed on which prisoner had slept had been disturbed, she looked there, and found the sheet produced, which was marked "S.," under the bed. She took it down stairs, and showed it to Mrs. Furminger who said it did not belong to her. She had suspected something wrong, and had watched the prisoner’s movements on that evening. He had gone upstairs about every half hour. He had been up shortly before she found the sheet. He was in the house at the time she found it. At about seven o’clock on the following morning she found the quantity of linen produced, consisting of sheets, towels, bed-gowns, bed furniture, and numerous other articles, concealed in a closet in the room where prisoner had slept, covered over with a velveteen jacket. She then locked up the closet. Afterwards found the spoons and knives and forks produced in a drawer.

At about eight o'clock on that morning she saw a young man named Walter in the house with a bundle, tho clothes in which he said prisoner had wished him to pawn for him for 10s. He put the bundle into a room behind the bar, and she afterwards took it away and locked it up in the closet with the other articles. Prisoner afterwards came to her and asked her for the bundle, saying it was his. She refused to let him have it, and told him she knew he had done wrong. He said the things came down from London for him that morning. He then said if she did not give the bundle to him he would go upstairs and smash in the door. Afterwards sent for Mr. Knight, prisoner’s employer, and a a constable was also sent for, to whom she gave up the articles.

John Nobbs, ostler at the "Town Arms," stated that prisoner came into he yard to him, at about a quarter to ten o'clock on the night in question, and said to him "Jack, can you keep a secret?" He answered "Yes," and prisoner then said "Well, then, come into the stable." When there he took the two money boxes produced from his pocket, and said "I want to see what there is in here; have you got a hammer?" Witness said he had not, and prisoner afterwards broke them open with a knife. He took some coppers and some small silver out of them, and put it into his pocket. Prisoner then showed him some spoons, of the same description as those produced, and said "They will be all right." He then went away, but afterwards came back, and gave witness some coppers, which he refused to keep. Subsequently he brought a bundle, and asked him to take charge of it. Witness told him to take it away, and said he would have nothing to do with it. Prisoner said "Oh, yes, we will sell them, and go shares." Witness said he should do no such thing. The prisoner then took the bundle into the house.

Charles Walter deposed that he was at the "Town Arms" at about eight o’clock on Thursday morning, and saw the prisoner, who asked him to go to the pawn-shop to pawn his best clothes, as he owed Mr. Furminger a few shillings, and did not like to go away without paying her. Prisoner afterwards threw the bundle out of the window, but witness took the things into the house and made enquiries about them, as he thought they might belong to Mrs. Furminger. Mrs. Riley advised him to have nothing to do with it, and he left the bundle in the room.

Caroline Swain, servant at the above public-house, deposed to seeing prisoner with a bundle, which he said contained the ostler’s clean clothes, in the passage of the house at about ten o'clock on the night in question. He said he had some more in the stable. Soon after she saw him coming out of the room in which he slept.

Emily Simmons stated that she was out with her husband on Wednesday night, and returned about eleven o’clock. They then found the door unlocked, and the key in the window. They missed nothing till the following day, between twelve and one o'clock. The witness here enumerated the articles missed. All the things were taken from a box in her bed-room. Identified all the articles produced as her husband's property. She knew nothing of prisoner, and had never seen him till he was in custody.

Thomas Simmons, husband of the last witness, also spoke to the identity of the articles.

Chambers re-examined:— She shut down the window when prisoner went away with her. Prisoner could have opened the window and got the key. The door was locked.

Police-constable Russell deposed to receiving the above articles from Mr. Riley, and to apprehending prisoner.

He told him he should take him into custody on suspicion of committing a robbery somewhere. He said a man had given the articles into his charge and he had not seen him since.

On asking him his name he said he should not tell him.

On searching him witness found only a few halfpence upon him.

The prisoner said nothing in his defence, and was committed for trial to the next assizes.

Maidstone Telegraph, 30th December 1865.

Mr. Monckton appeared on behalf of Messrs. Baldwin, Holmes and Style, for the transfer of the spirit license of the "Town Arms," which is about to be pulled down, to the "Falcon" Beer-house, Week-street. The license was granted.

I believe by 1882 the premises had closed.

LICENSEE LIST

PELL Thomas 1826-May/27 dec'd (1829? )