Printed and Published at the Dover Express Works. 1916.

TO BE FORMATTED

ANNALS OF DOVER.
SECTION SEVEN.
OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION.
VII. CLERKS OF THE PEACE.

The Office of Clerk of the Peace did not exist in Dover
until the new Commission of the Peace was issued in the
summer of 1836. The preparation for proceedings in the
Dover Courts was anciently arranged by the Bailiffs, and,
later, by the Clerks to the Mayor and Jurats. Since the
date of the new Commission only three Clerks of the Peace
have been appointed : —

1. George William Ledger was appointed Clerk of
the Peace in 1836, and he continued to hold the office until
the first week of January, 1879, when his death occurred at
Boulogne, where he had resided some years. For a long
time he had taken no active part in Dover affairs, and for
nearly twenty years his Deputy Clerk of the Peace had been
Mr. Wollaston Knocker, Town Clerk.

2. Thomas Lewis, solicitor, of Castle Street, son of
Mr. Lewis, surgeon, of Snargate Street, was elected Clerk of
the Peace by the Town Council on the 30th January, 1879.
The filling of the vacancy caused some keen interest, because
parties in the Council were then nearly evenly divided, and
the Town Clerk having been many years acting as Deputy,
there was a strong party in favour of his having the office,
but after all possible supporters had been brought up on
the day of election, it was found that the show of hands
would be in favour of Mr. Lewis, therefore opposition was
abandoned, and Mr. Lewis was elected unanimously. Mr.
Lewis was at that time a Town Councillor, but he, by
accepting this office, vacated his seat automatically. He
discharged the duties of his new post with great credit until
his death, which occurred on the loth February, 1908, in
the thirtieth year of holding the office.

3. Mr. Ernest Pain, a Dover solicitor, had, for several
years been in partnership with Mr. Lewis, and although
there were other Dover soliritors qualified and willing to
accept the office, the Town Council concluded that the best
tribute that they could pay to the memory of Mr. Thomas
Lewis, who, for his good works, was highly esteemed in the
Borough, was to allow the appointment to go to Mr. Ernest
Pain, his partner, who was then unanimously elected, and
is the present Clerk of the Peace.



OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION 353