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10 (19) Palace Street / St Alphege Lane
Canterbury
01227 784639
https://whatpub.com/bell-crown
Above photo, circa 1930s. |
Above photo showing an outing in circa 1937, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
In the white cricket sweater is the landlord, Ron Crisp and some of his
regulars: Messrs Cawley, Delo, May and Reynolds. In shot too is a Mr.
Laker and his teenage son, Freddie. He went on to be Sir Freddie Laker,
the founder of Britain's first cut price airline, Laker Airways. |
Above photo circa 1938, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo circa 1942, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
This photo was taken from the top of the Cathedral's Arundel Tower
and shows the Bell & Crown (centre) opposite the parish church of St.
Alphege. Also in shot (with the bow window, next door to the Bell &
Crown) is the bookshop of the British Union of Fascists, which I imagine
was somewhat er... closed when this wartime photo was taken! |
Above photo, circa 1953, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, 1953, showing a ladies day out, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, 1957, showing Lilian and Ron Crisp behind the bar, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above card invite for their tour to Copenhagen. |
Above photo, 1959, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe, showing their group
setting off for their Copenhagen tour. |
Above photo 1960. Showing Ron Crisp offering some refreshment to a
member of Bertram Mills' Circus. Bob Simmons looks on. |
"Bell and Crown" taken in 1965. |
 
Bell and Crown sign left, 1967, sign right, July 1991.
Above with thanks from Rory Kehoe (left) Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com |
Above photo, circa 1980, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Showing licensee
Charlie Passey on his delivery bike.
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Above photos taken by Paul Skelton, 19 May 2012. |
Above sign, 2023, kindly sent by Benitta Ogg, who says she had just
retired from her job as a Bursar. |
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The writing below can be found on a plaque outside the pub.
The sign of the "Bell and Crown" is an ancient one found at an
early date and is mentioned in parts at Manchester, Liverpool and
London. In the eighteenth century the sign of the Bell was commonly
described FEAR GOD HONOUR.
The King which gives us a clue to the origin of our double sign. From
earliest times church bells have rung to celebrate Royal occasions - the
entry of a prince into the world or into a town, a Royal Marriage , or a
Royal Death, at times of victory or the announcement of a peace to a weary
(and thirsty) nation and on other festive occasions.
The "Bell and Crown" in Palace Street was first licensed in 1862.
(I have reference to it being licensed in 1859.
Paul Skelton.) The
name was chosen to commemorate the marriage of the princess Alice, Queen
Victoria's second daughter to Prince Louis Grand Duke of Hesse, the marriage
took place on the 1st of July 1862. The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess
were the maternal Grandparents of (among others) Earl Mountbatton of Burma
and his sister Alice mother of prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.
The earliest tenant of the corner house opposite St. Alphage whose name
has come down to us in the records was one Peter Cook who was paying a
quarterly rent of eighteen pence in the year 1200. Later in the thirteenth
century the house was held by Arnold Eastry then by Thomas of Chilham then
Adam Libel.
By 1433 Walter Bosewyne was the tenant and a succession of quiet and no
doubt sober and industrious men kept the house out of the record and out of
the news until 1862 when Thomas Newman obtained his license and put up the
sign of the "Bell and Crown." From the time down to the present day a nearly
complete list of the Inn Keepers can be compiled.
Few will deny that it is the Landlord who makes a successful pub not the
other way about.
The "Bell and Crown" has been happy in a succession of long-lived healthy
landlords. In fact we can all but match the Archbishops, one for one, in
their palace across the street. Arthur Michael Ramsey was a frequent visitor
to the "Bell and Crown" but it's thought unlikely that the present Landlord
will be the next Archbishop.
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According to Edward Wilmot in his book "Inns of Canterbury" there has
been a house on this site and Cathedral records show it tenanted by a John
Cook in 1220 for the sum of 6s. a year and finally became an inn in the 17th
century.
Brewers George Beer took charge of the premises in 1846.
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From the Kentish Chronicle, Saturday, 3 September,
1859. Price 1½d.
CITY PETTY SESSIONS—Thursday.
There were six applications for new licenses. viz.— Richard Yeoman,
for the “Bell and Crown,” Palace-street, which was granted.
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From the Kentish Chronicle, Saturday, 24 September, 1859. Price 1½d.
GOOD ACCOMMODATION FOR VISITORS
May be obtained at the
“Bell and Crown,”
Palace Street, Canterbury. Refreshments of the Best Quality. Good Beds.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 29 November, 1872. Price 1d.
CHARGE AGAINST A PUBLICAN
At the City Police Court on Monday last, William Madden, landlord of the
“Bell and Crown” public-house, Palace Street, was summoned for allowing
prostitutes to continue in his house longer than a reasonable time for
refreshment to Tuesday last, the 21st inst.
Mr. Walter Furley appeared for the defendant.
P.C. Marsh stated that on Thursday last he visited the defendant's house
at about ten minutes to eight o'clock. He saw two or three prostitutes,
drinking at the bar. He went outside and watched the house until a
quarter to nine, when he again went in, and, seeing the prostitutes
there still, drinking with a lot of soldiers at the bar, he spoke to the
landlord about them, and afterwards, on opening the parlour door and
looking in, he saw another prostitute in there.
Cross-examined by Mr. Furley: he did not know what he considered a
reasonable time for refreshment. The bar was full of soldiers and the
landlord was standing behind it busily engaged in serving his customers.
When he asked him whether there were any more prostitutes in his house
he “hem'd and ha'd” and last said the witness might look and see.
Mr. Furley, in defence, urged that the defendant, as a publican, was
bound to serve even prostitutes coming into his house. Half-an-hour
could not be considered an unreasonable time for refreshment, and the
law gave no information whatever on the point. As long as a house was
properly conducted, and the woman behaved themselves decently, there was
no breach of the law.
Defendant was called as a witness, and stated that he did not know that
there was a prostitute in the bar parlour. Since the passing of the new
Licensing Act he had endeavoured to act in accordance with its
provisions.
Superintendent Davies said that since Madden had had the house he had
heard no complaints of its conduct.
The Bench dismissed the case with a caution.
Mr. Furley requested the Magistrates to state what they considered a
“reasonable” time for refreshment; but this the bench declined to do so.
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Dover Express 10 October 1947.
HOSPITAL DARTS COMPETITION.
Closing date for entries for the Kent and Canterbury Hospital darts
knock-out competition 1947-48 is Saturday, 25th Oct., 1947. Team
entrance fee, 5s. Silver Challenge Cup and medals for winning team.
Medals for runners-up. All proceeds to the hospital. Send entries, or
for further particulars, to R. C. Crisp, "Bell and Crown," Palace St.,
Canterbury. |
LICENSEE LIST
YEOMAN Richard 1859+
NEWMAN Thomas 1861-62 (age 41 in 1861 )
FLETCHER John 1862-68+
HADAWAY Edward 1870+
MADDEN William 1874+
BAILEY Henry 1878-1903+ (age 43 in 1881)
   
WALTERS George July/1904-13+
KNIGHT E F 1914+
KNIGHT Mrs Sara E 1915-17+
PARR Mrs Sarah Elizabeth 1930+
CRISP Ronald C 1934-74
 
BETTIS Jim 1974+
PASSEY Charles 1976-80+
HARRIS James 1992+
RESZCZYNSKI Stefan 1997+
JEFFREY Dorothy 2002+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/BellCrown.shtml
From the Post Office Directory 1862
From the Post Office Directory 1874
Greens
Canterbury Directory 1868
Census
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Post Office Directory 1891
From the Post Office Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1930
From the Post Office Directory 1938
Inns of Canterbury
by Edward Wilmot, 1988
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