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High Street
Seal
Above postcard, 1965. |
Above Google image, October 2009. |
Above Google image, May 2019. |
Not a lot of information known about this one yet, apart from to say it
is closed, unfortunately date unknown and has also been operating as Indian
Restaurants called Tandoori Nights and latterly as Ganga.
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From the Kent and Sussex Courier. 5 September 1873. Price 1d.
THE PRINCE OF WALES BEERHOUSE, SEAL.
In the case of Thomas Miles, of the "Prince of Wales" beerhouse,
Seal, Supt. Okill said that Miles had been summoned twice during the
year, but the cases had been dismissed. The house generally had been
badly conducted throughout the year. Earl Amherst said that they must
assume that the cases having been dismissed there was no offence, but he
must take care that it did not happen again (laughter, in which his
lordship joined).
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From the Kent and Sussex Courier. 8 August 1873. Price 1d.
SEAL—UNSUSTAINED CHARGE AGAINST A BEERHOUSE KEEPER.
Thomas Miles, of the "Prince of Wales" beer-house, Seal, was charged
with having his house open for the consumption of beer, in prohibited
hours, on Sunday, the 29th June. John Lloyd and William Sutton were also
charged with being in the same house during such prohibited hours. Mr.
T. F. Simpson, of the firm of Stone and Simpson, Tunbridge Wells,
appeared for Miles, and Captain Ruxton, chief-constable of the County,
was present to watch the proceedings, which were of more importance than
usual, as a serious charge of libel against one of the defendants arose
out of it. The case against Miles was first gone into, and at Mr.
Knocker's suggestion, as the evidence was the same, the other defendants
consented that the cases should be taken together. Sergt. Pope, K. C.
C., said that about a quarter past eleven on the morning in question,
when he was within twenty or thirty yards of the defendants house, he
saw a man named Osborne, who, as he saw him, ran to on open space behind
defendant's house. He followed him three or four yards from the
defendants back door. He saw the defendant and John Lloyd and two other
persons, and Lloyd was passing a glass half full of beer to the
defendant. He passed them and went into a skittle alley where he saw
William Sutton sitting smoking a short pipe, and there was a pewter pot
beside him which had contained beer. There was also another man there
cleaning knives. By Mr. Simpson:- He did not hear Supt. Okill tell the
defendant that there would be a time when he should catch him. Supt.
Okill gave similar evidence, and said that he asked the defendant what
the men were doing there, and he said that two of them were travellers,
that Osborne had run away because ever since he had been summoned he was
frightened of the police, but he (Supt. Okill) had seen him several
times before that morning and he had never run away before. After
visiting the house Sergt. Pope came up with the pint pot, and the
defendant said that he had given the beer to the man for cleaning the
knives. By Mr. Simpson: He knew Lloyd, who lived at Harts Lands. The
other two were strangers to him, but they said they were travellers, and
showed him their railway tickets. P. C. Martin, 201, K. C. C., said that
he knew Sutton, who lodged with his father in Seal village. Mr. Simpson
then addressed the Bench at considerable length, and said that he
admitted that there was a consumption of beer during prohibited hours,
but there was not a particle of evidence before them to show that
anything was consumed except by those persons who were entitled to it.
He then called the two persons who were sitting with Lloyd outside the
defendant's house, and they said they were clerks in the office of Mr. Boydell, solicitor, in Gray's Inn, and they went out that morning for a
walk with Lloyd, having business at the defendant's house. They had some
refreshment which the defendant refused to serve them with until he saw
their railway tickets, but Lloyd had nothing at all. The defendant and
other witnesses gave similar testimony, and the ease was dismissed. |
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The Chronicle and Courier, 5 July, 1940.
Lorry demolishes front of Seal in. Six men taken to hospital.
An amazing road accident, in which three heavy lorries were involved,
occurred in Seal High Street on Thursday afternoon, and resulted in the
major portion of the front of the "Prince of Wales Inn" being completely
demolished, while the door and window of an adjacent cottage were
knocked out, and two other nearby houses damage.
The lorries - huge diesel engine vehicles, heavily laden - were entering
the village from the description of Seal Chart, and it is thought that
the first lorry swerved to avoid a trade van which was ascending the
hill. In doing this the driver apparently failed to keep his lorry on
its course, and after mounting the curb it careered along the pavement
for a short distance, then struck the three small houses referred to,
and finally crashed into the "Prince of Wales" before turning over on
its side.
By exercising considerable skill, the driver of the second lorry almost
succeeded in steering clear of the first vehicle, but not quite, and
with the road thus blocked, the following lorry crashed into the other
two.
Catapulted into the road.
Mr. A. Fisher, licensee of the "Prince of Wales," told a "Chronicle"
representative that he was in and upper room, overlooking the High
Street, discussing some business with two gentlemen, when the accident
happened. All three were catapulted into the road along with the falling
masonry, furniture, etc., but luckily escaped with more or less minor
injuries, although Mr. Fisher sustained a nasty cut over one eye. He
explained that the ground floor rooms demolished were the saloon bar and
the public bar.
Quick to realise the danger that might accrue from the quantity of fuel
oil that was running down the road, Chief Officer R. N. Bates turned out
the Seal Fire Brigade, and in a matter of minutes lengths of hose had
been coupled up and the oil swilled away. The fireman rendered valuable
help in many other directions.
It was largely due to the fine work of the fireman, who made use of saws
to some purpose, that the man imprisoned in the lorry were released so
promptly.
Mr. G. B. Chapman, whose premises are opposite the "Prince of Wales,"
said he was assisting to unload the overturned lorry when the third
lorry crashed into it. Both he and Mr. Fisher paid tribute to the prompt
way in which the public rendered whatever aid they could in extracting
the occupants of the first lorry from their perilous position.
Mrs. Stedman, junr., said she and her mother - whose premises overlook
the scene of the accident - were sitting at an upstairs window and saw
the lorry crash and also witnessed Mr. Fisher and his two companions
being hurled into the street followed by various articles of furniture.
Mrs. Stedman added that it was fortunate the children had not come out
of school at the time.
Noise like a bomb.
The house in which the window, front door and a part of the passage were
demolished is occupied by Mrs. Lock, who was not in the room at the
time, nor was a neighbour, Mr. W. Pennell, whose dwelling suffered
rather less damage. Mr. Pennell likened the noise of the crash to that
of a bomb.
A lady who lives a short distance from the "Prince of Wales" expressed
her admiration for the way the fireman, police and members of the public
acted in the circumstances. "If everyone will only show the same
calmness, efficiency and common sense in the case of air raids, then
they will not cause me any fear," she concluded.
All six men who were in the overturned lorry were taken to the Sevenoaks
and Holmesdale Hospital, four suffering from fractured limbs, and others
being less seriously hurt.
It was not until Friday morning that the road was cleared for traffic.
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LICENSEE LIST
HOPE Herbert 1891-Aug/93 (age 24 in 1891 )
HOPE Catherine Barbery Aug/1891+
MORLEY William to Nov/1903
WILLIS Albert Nov/1903+
FISHER A Mr 1940-43+
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser
Census
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