|
From an email received, 16 October 2018.
Hello.
As part of my research of all things relative to Ramsgate’s history
(where I lived 1944-1956), I often come across rather obscure or
unsubstantiated pieces of history, they being situations that
warrant my further research or challenge me to establish the facts.
One such example relates to Ramsgate’s "Central Hotel,"
referred to in your pub list archives.
The 1938 photograph is of a section of Ramsgate’s High Street, and is
one downloaded by me from a website relative to the history of Marks
and Spencer stores. As you can see, the photograph captures not only
the M&S store on the right, it also depicts the "Central Hotel"
diagonally opposite at its address of 30 High Street. Not only is
the hotel identified, but the resident proprietor at that time i.e.
Percy Bevan is also named. Despite this revelation, I am not yet
able to date the photo to any certainty, but it does make things a
lot more precise than the ‘1930-1938’ for Bevan’s licence period, as
is shown on your archival piece. My estimation is that Percy Bevan
would have commenced his Central Hotel licence period circa 1906-7
i.e. approx. 12 to 18 months after the baptism in London of his son
Gordon Percy Bevan… his birth occurring in the previous year i.e. May
1904. The 1911 census shows the hotel of 17 rooms to be their
residence i.e. Percy, wife Maude Lilian and son Gordon Percy aged 6.
Kelly’s Directories for 1929 and 1936 again show Percy Bevan as the
proprietor.
I’m guessing only, at a date of 1920 to 1928 for the photograph. I
base that on the fashions, and that looks to me like a cycle shop
beneath the Mackeson’s sign, which if I am right it is Curry’s Cycle
shop at 28 High Street…as is listed in Kelly’s Directory for 1929.
Kelly’s previous directory for 1914-1915 had Curry’s at 29 Queen
Street. Unlikely for them to have moved through WW1 so 1920 at the
earliest I would think before moving to High Street.
At least you now also have a photo of the "Central Hotel," albeit a
shop sign mounted on its 2nd storey wall… but that’s more than
Central’s eventual replacement at 30 High Street i.e. Henekey's! I
find that to be so incredible, especially when considering Henekey’s
widespread and long established presence in the pub game, and the
comparatively recent date (60’s) for its destructive fire, and worse
still, an indefinite date of the fire and no mention of the name of
the carpet shop where the fire started! Where are the press reports,
let alone a photo or two? Very mysterious!
I have yet to establish what happened to Percy Bevan and wife Maud
Lilian immediately after the 1936 business directory, and nothing
shows up on the special 1939 register set up by the government as
WW2 broke out. His son Gordon Percy Bevan and his family however
i.e. wife Kathleen and children Peter Gordon Bevan (born 1934), and
Kay Maud Bevan (born 1936) were living after 1931 at 8 Poplar Road
Ramsgate, and Gordon was the licensee of the "Railway Tavern" in
Chatham Street. By 1939 (WW2 Register) they had moved to Lewisham in
London… tragedy was to ensue of the worst kind. In the air raid of
8th October 1940 over Lewisham, many families includng Gordon’s were
tragically killed. In ancestry.com’s summary of WW2 civilian deaths
relative to the family, there is mention of father Percy and Lillian
Maud Bevan in 1940 being the licensees of the "Medway Hotel" in
Maidstone. The hotel is mentioned in your archives, but to 1938 only
with M. H. Martin as licensee. Both Percy and his wife did eventually
return to Thanet… passing away in 1961 and 1964 respectively.
Credit to Janet and Richard Mason for the Kelly’s Directory
information.
Regards,
Bob Lee.
Perth, Western Australia. |
