ALBION Pub of Canterbury

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Canterbury, December, 2022.

Page Updated Canterbury:- Saturday, 10 December, 2022.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1820-

Albion Tavern

Closed 1907

16 Palace Street (13 in 1862)

Canterbury

Above shows the former "Albion" kindly sent to me by Len Parrick and taken in March 2012.

Above photo, date unknown by Darkstar.

In 1869-70 the pub was part of a consortium who were advertising their goods of selling tea in response to grocers' selling beer and wine. (Click for further details.)

Kentish Gazette, 5 December 1820.

ALBION HOTEL, HIGH-STREET, CANTERBURY,

TO BE LET.

ALL those extensive PREMISES, known by the name of the "Albion Hotel," well adapted for trade, being situate in the central part of the City of Canterbury.

The above Premises comprise spacious Cellars, Stabling for ten horses, with Yard, Outhouses, &c.

N.B The above may be Let together, or divided.

For particulars enquire of Mr. Wilson, on the premises. or C. Lepine, Auctioneer, Canterbury.

Dover Chronicles, 16 April, 1842.

Death from Poison.

On Wednesday last an inquest was held at the "Albion," Palace Street, before T. T. Delasaux, Esq., Coroner, over the body of Mary Ann Emery, aged 15, who died suddenly on the preceding day.

From the evidence adduced on the occasion it appeared that the deceased was a servant to Mr. Purvis, chemist, residing in Broad Street. On Monday she was allowed to go home to see her friends at Petham, when she gave her mother some money to buy her some clothes, and on the following morning returned to her duties at Mr. Purvis's, in her accustomed high spirits.

About noon, however, she was seized with a violent retching and sickness, and on being closely examined as to whether she had taken anything to cause it, positively stated that she had not.

Mr. Hunt, surgeon, was immediately sent for, and attended her till she died. From the nature of her death, it was deemed necessary to perform a post-mortem examination her body, which was accordingly undertaken by Mr. hunt, and Mr. Andrews, Who, on analysing the contents of her stomach and bowels, discovered arsenic, which they believed to be the cause of death. No evidence was adduced as to whether she had knowingly taken the poison, or whether she had taken it accidentally; but the jury returned a verdict:- That deceased had died through taking arsenic administered by herself unknowingly.

From the Kentish Gazette, 19 April 1842.

Coroner’s Inquest.

On Wednesday an inquest was held before T. T. DeLasaux, esq., coroner, at the "Albion," in Palace-street, on the body of Mary Anne Emery, aged 15 who had died suddenly the previous day, after a few hours’ illness, and from circumstances attending her illness, a post mortem examination of the body had been deemed necessary.

By the evidence adduced before the jury, it appeared that the deceased, who is a native of Petham, was in service at Mr. Purvis’, chemist and druggist, in Palace-street, that she was in apparent good health a few hours previous to her death, and of a very cheerful disposition; that she had on Monday last visited her parents, and gave her mother some money to purchase for her, the deceased, some articles of apparel; that on Tuesday morning she was engaged in her usual household employment, and made no complaint of being indisposed, but at about twelve o’clock in the day she was seized with a violent sickness and retching, and on being questioned as to her having taken anything to occasion the violent retching with which she was afflicted, she assured her master and mistress and others in attendance on her, that she had not. Mr. Hunt, surgeon, was sent for by Mr. Purvis, who attended the deceased till she died. Mr. Hunt, together with Mr. Andrews, examined the body after death, and gave it as their opinion from the tests they had applied to the contents of the stomach and bowels, that the deceased had come by her death through having taken poison, as arsenic was found in the parts of the body above referred to. But as no evidence could be given as to whether she had knowingly taken the poison, or that she had otherwise taken it accidentally, the jury returned a verdict "That the deceased had died through taking arsenic, administered by herself unknowingly."

From the Kentish Gazette, 13 May 1845.

An inquest was held on Thursday evening before Mr. Delasaux, at the "Albion," Palace-street, Canterbury, on the body of a Jew, named Jos. Hart, who had died rather suddenly the preceding evening. He had been ill two or three days, and had complained of a violent pain in the lower part of the chest, for which Mr. Hunt, surgeon, had prescribed medicine. About halt-past seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, George Bates, a saddler, was called in by a son of the deceased and on repairing to his bedroom, found him lying on the floor with his face to the ground. Surgical assistance was immediately obtained, but he was a corpse before it arrived. Mr. Hunt stated it to be his opinion that the deceased must have fallen from the bed — that his illness had not been of a nature to indicate immediate alarm and that he died from internal causes, most probably from an inflammation of the heart or the lungs — at all events, not by any violent means. Satisfied with this evidence, the jury returned a verdict of "Natural death."

From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 2 February 1901. Price 1d.

LANDLORD IN TROUBLE.

William Branehett, landlord of the “Albion Tavern”, Palace Street, was charged with allowing his licensed premises to be open during prohibited hours on the 13th Inst.—Mr. Henry Fielding prosecuted.
Sergt. Jackson stated that on Sunday, 13th January, he was in Palace Street at 11.25 p.m.. and saw the door of the “Albion” partly open. It was quickly closed when be got to it. On gaining access he saw defendant in the act of removing two glasses which contained a small quantity of beer. Defendant said there was no one in the house, but on examining a lodge in the yard he found a man named West there. He said he was a friend of the landlord's. In a room which defendant said was his sister's bedroom he found a private in the 9th Lancers.

The Bench fined defendant 10s. and 13s. costs. The license would not be endorsed.

Charles West was then summoned for being on the premises during unlawful hours, and the Bench inflicted a fine of 5s. and 11s. 6d. costs.

From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 15 July 1905.

PERJURY AT CANTERBURY.

THE “ ALBION ” CASE. PRISONERS PLEAD GUILTY.

David Bodkin, late licensee of the "Albion," Palace Street, Canterbury, Edwin Russell, who had been lodging with a Mrs. Cage, at 44, Cattle Street, Canterbury, and Percy James Lawford, of 34, Union Street, Canterbury, pleaded guilty at the Kent Assizes on Monday to committing wilful and corrupt perjury at Canterbury on June 16th.

Mr. C. M. Pitman, instructed by Messrs. Furley and Furley, Canterbury, prosecuted. Mr. R. F. Gibson, instructed by Mr. P. Maylam, of Canterbury, appeared for Lawford, Mr. Perdral Hughes, instructed by Mr. H. Broughton, of Canterbury, appeared for Russell, while Bodkin was not represented.

On Friday, June 16th, David Bodkin was summoned before Mr. W. W. Mason, Mr. J. Hunt, Mr. H. G. Sadler, and Mr. F. J. Godden for selling intoxicating liquor during prohibited hours on June 11th. He was legally represented by Mr. Norman H. Lightwick, and after hearing the evidence the Magistrates dismissed the case. Police Sergeant Jackson and Police Constable Lockey found Russell and Lawford on the licensed premises after closing hours, and Lockey swore that after visiting the house he saw Russell leave the premises and go towards his lodgings in Castle Street. The defence placed before the Magistrate was that both Russell and Lawford were bonafide lodgers. In giving evidence on oath Bodkin stated that Russell and Lawford each paid one shilling for their lodgings, and he also stated that Russell did not leave the premises until after nine o'dock on Sunday morning. Russell gave evidence, and stated that he hired the bed and paid one shilling for it. He said he did not leave the house during the night nor until half past ten on Sunday morning, and that he slept with Percy Lawford. On oath Lawford stated that he slept at the "Albion" in the same bed with Russell, and that the letter never left the room daring the night — in fact, when he left to go to work early on Sunday morning Russell was still in bed.

The local Magistrates appeared to pay considerable weight to the evidence given for the defence, and to think there was some doubt as to whether P.C. Lockey did see Russell leave the premises. At any rate, they dismissed the summons. On the following Wednesday the police charged the three men with committing perjury. They produced additional evidence to prove that Russell did leave the premises, and that neither Russell nor Lawford paid any money for their lodgings. Upon the evidence of Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cage, who stated that Russell returned to his lodgings at about half-past one in the morning, Nancy Saville, the barmaid, who turned "King's evidence," and Mr. Ernest B. Armitage, cycle maker, of 17, Palace Street, who saw Russell leave the premises, the Justices (Mr D. Amoa, Captain Stead, and Mr. F. J. Godden) committed the prisoners for trial.

Mr. Justice Bray regarded Bodkin as the principal offender, and sentenced him to six months' hard labour. He sentenced Russell to two months' and Lawford to three weeks' hard labour.

LICENSEE LIST

BOXALL Henry 1838-40+