DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Canterbury, December, 2024.

Page Updated Canterbury:- Monday, 02 December, 2024.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1859

Bell and Crown

Open 2019+

10 (19) Palace Street / St Alphege Lane

Canterbury

01227 784639

https://whatpub.com/bell-crown

Bell and Crown locals 1930s

Above photo, circa 1930s.

Bell and Crown locals

Above photo, date and names unknown.

Bell and Crown bus trip 1937

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.

Bell and Crown outing

Above outing, date and names unknown.

Bell and Crown 1938

Above photo circa 1938, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Bell and Crown 1942

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!

Bell and Crown 1953

Above photo, circa 1953, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Bell and Crown croud 1953

Above photo, 1953, showing a ladies day out, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Bell and Crown 1957

Above photo, 1957, showing Lilian and Ron Crisp behind the bar, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Bell and Crown Copenhagen tour 1959

Above card invite for their tour to Copenhagen.

Bell and Crown outing 1959

Above photo, 1959, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe, showing their group setting off for their Copenhagen tour.

Bell and Crown 1960

Above photo 1960. Showing Ron Crisp offering some refreshment to a member of Bertram Mills' Circus. Bob Simmons looks on.

Bell and Crown 1965

"Bell and Crown" taken in 1965.

Bell and Crown sign 1967Bell and Crown sign 1991

Bell and Crown sign left, 1967, sign right, July 1991.

Above with thanks from Rory Kehoe (left) Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com

Bell and Crown licensees 1979

Above photo, 2 April, 1979, showing Charlie Passey and Joan.

Bell and Crown 1980

Above photo, circa 1980, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Showing licensee Charlie Passey on his delivery bike.

Bell and Crown Bell and Crown Truman signBell and Crown Truman sign Bell and Crown Bell and Crown signBell and Crown sign Bell and Crown George Beer window

Above photos taken by Paul Skelton, 19 May 2012.

Bell and Crown sign 2023

Above sign, 2023, kindly sent by Benitta Ogg, who says she had just retired from her job as a Bursar.

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.
 

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.

 

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 1861Census) Post Office Directory 1862

FLETCHER John 1862-68+ Greens Canterbury Directory 1868

HADAWAY Edward 1870+

MADDEN William 1874+ Post Office Directory 1874

BAILEY Henry 1878-1903+ (age 43 in 1881Census) Post Office Directory 1882Post Office Directory 1891Post Office Directory 1903Kelly's 1903

WALTERS George July/1904-13+ Post Office Directory 1913

KNIGHT E F 1914+

KNIGHT Mrs Sara E 1915-17+

PARR Mrs Sarah Elizabeth 1930+ Post Office Directory 1930

CRISP Ronald C 1934-74 Post Office Directory 1938Edward Wilmot Canterbury

BETTIS Jim 1974+

PASSEY Charles 1976-80+

HARRIS James 1992+

RESZCZYNSKI Stefan 1997+

JEFFREY Dorothy 2002+

https://pubwiki.co.uk/BellCrown.shtml

 

Post Office Directory 1862From the Post Office Directory 1862

Post Office Directory 1874From the Post Office Directory 1874

Greens Canterbury Directory 1868Greens Canterbury Directory 1868

CensusCensus

Post Office Directory 1882From the Post Office Directory 1882

Post Office Directory 1891From the Post Office Directory 1891

Post Office Directory 1903From the Post Office Directory 1903

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

Post Office Directory 1913From the Post Office Directory 1913

Post Office Directory 1930From the Post Office Directory 1930

Post Office Directory 1938From the Post Office Directory 1938

Edward Wilmot CanterburyInns of Canterbury by Edward Wilmot, 1988

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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