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Dieu Stone Lane or Church Place
Dover
There is nothing like an apt title and when the local railway lines were
being laid and the fortifications at the Western Heights were taking shape,
this pub come lodging house catered for many of the artisans.
Later it became Flashman's Workshop and furniture depository until it was
damaged by enemy shell fire on 3 October 1941. It was in September 1946,
when the premises were taken down as a result, that the old sign came to
light. It was said to have weathered the years well.
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Information taken from John Bavington Jones' book "A Perambulation of
the Town, Port and Fortress of Dover", 1906. (Reprint in The South Kent
Gazette, August 8th, 1979.)
Dieu Stone Lane, leading from Church Place to Maison
Dieu Road, is a narrow thoroughfare for pedestrians; it is a very
ancient right of way, which formed the boundary between the Maison Dieu
lands and the town. On the south side, Elsam's Cottages and Church court
were built about a century ago by Richard Elsam, who also re-built the
Borough Prison in the Market Place after it was wrecked by the smugglers
in May, 1820. The site of the large building on the north side of the
lane was never a part of the Maison Dieu property, the town wall from
Biggin Gate having passed in its rear, turning at an angle southward
lower down. When the wool combers ceased to work independently in
Woolcomber Street, a wool factory was established here. When the
construction of the Canterbury and Dover Railway was in progress it was
used as a lodging house for the navvies who cut the tunnels and cuttings
near Dover, as is indicated by a still existing sign, "Excavators' Arms
Model Lodging House," and as late as 1861 the premises were licensed.
The building subsequently became Messrs. Flashman's cabinet-making
workshop, although the middle floor for many years was known as the
Union Hall, where united religious meetings were held, and far a good
many years the Dover Young Men's Christian Association was held there,
under the presidency of the late Mr. W. R. Mowll, J.P., who died in
1886. The Union Hall has since 1889 been transferred to Ladywell, and
the whole of the Dieu stone Lane building is now devoted to Messrs. Flashman and Co's business.
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From the Dover Express. 1860.
Getting the Worst of It.
John Macarthy, a labourer, was charged with being drunk and disorderly
and assaulting Thomas Hutchins landlord of the Excavator's Arms. It
appeared that the defendant had gone to the complainant's house on
Saturday night for a bed, but after he had been shown to his room he
made his way down stairs again being found some time afterwards in one
of the lower rooms smoking. He would not return to his room either for
the complainant himself or the waiter but wanted to fight. He squared up
and endeavoured to strike complainant but the latter guarded himself
from the blow and in the phraseology of the P R. “waited upon the
defendant with his left” in proof whereof one of the defendant's eyes
bore sombre testimony. The defendant begged to be let off “for the sake
of his wife and children” Mr. Hutchins in reply to the Bench said he had
no desire to anything but what was necessary for his own protection and
was not therefore anxious to press the charge in the present instance.
The magistrates thereupon dismissed the defendant on his promising to
take 2s and the cost of the hearing to the Station House.
Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.
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South Eastern Gazette, 28 August, 1860.
A Policeman’s Interpretation op his Duty.
At the police court, on Saturday week, Police-constable Joyce
preferred a charge against Mr. James Hutchings, landlord of the
"Excavator's Arms" public-house, for obstructing him in his duty. It
appeared in evidence, however, that it was not the landlord but the
policeman who was to blame; the latter having refused to do his
duty. A man who about 7 o’clock in the evening had gone to
Hutchings's and engaged a bed, for which he paid 4d., afterwards
went out, and did not return till nearly one next morning, when the
house was cleared and shut up, and Hutchings had gone to bed. The
stranger knocked loudly and created a great disturbance because he
could not get in. Hutchings got up and told him to go about his
business, and Thomas Kell, his waiter, went down and told him to go
away, but only received a blow in answer, which he returned.
Hutchings then went down stairs, when the disturbance was renewed,
and as policeman Joyce had come up by this time, the man was given
in custody, but Joyce refused to take him, and the "row" was again
renewed. Hutchings then went in search of another policeman, and
Joyce accompanied the stranger to the police-station to prefer a
charge against Hutchings. On the latter following, Joyce told
Sergeant Scutt that the landlord was following him, on which Scutt
said, "You had better bring him in, if that is his way," and
Hutchings was accordingly taken into the station and locked up till
morning; bail for his release being refused by the sergeant, though
no complaint of any kind had ever been made against him. The
magistrates at once dismissed the charge against Hutchings, and
severely reprimanded Joyce for his misconduct. Sergeant Scutt’s
behaviour on the occasion is to be be made a special subject of
inquiry by the watch committee.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 5
January 1861.
Burns and Bacon.
Michael Burns a navvy, was charged with stealing from the counter of Mr.
Hutchings, Excavators Arms, a piece of bacon value 5d.
James Thomas Hutchings examined; I am the landlord of the "Excavators
Arms", I am in the habit of keeping on my counter bacon and such things
for sale to my lodgers, and I have lately lost great many things from
that place besides articles from the house. The latter have consisted of
knives and forks, cups and things of that description. Yesterday morning
a roll of bacon was lying on the counter and behind it a rasher. I saw
the rasher behind the roll about seven o'clock, and a few minutes after
eight I missed it together with about a pound and a half of butter.
There were only eight of my lodgers up at that time and immediately I
discovered the loss I went into the kitchen and said to those who were
assembled there, “a piece of bacon has been stolen from the counter, and
one of you must have taken it as only one man has gone out of the
kitchen and I saw it safe after he had left” the prisoner was gone
upstairs. I followed him and searched him when I found the bacon wrapped
in a handkerchief and concealed in the breast of his smock. The prisoner
admitted that he had taken it from the counter. The piece produced by
P.C. Joyce is the same and worth 5d.
James Joyce a constable in the Dover Police Force examined:- I took the
prisoner into custody yesterday on a charge of stealing the bacon
produced. On the charge being read over to him at the Station House by
the superintendent, prisoner said he had “done it.”
The prisoner pleaded
guilty and begged that he might be summarily dealt with. It was first
time he said he had done anything of the sort and he hoped the
magistrates would treat him as leniently as they could. In reply to the
Bench he said he was a single man.
The magistrates sentenced him to fourteen days imprisonment with hard
labour at the same time informing him that this offence had rendered him
liable to incarceration for three months.
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From the Dover Express. 1861.
Celebrating an Escape.
Charles Wellard brought up on the preceding day on the complaint of
Mr. Hutchins landlord of the Excavator's Arms, but dismissed on Mr.
Hutchins declining to press any charge against him was again, was placed
at the bar having been found by P.C. Johnson in a state of drunkenness
and obstructing the thoroughfare on the previous night. The defendant
said he was very sorry to come before the Bench again so soon but the
truth was he was so gratified at escaping on the previous day that he
celebrated the event in a drop of drink and unfortunately took a drop to
much. He assured the magistrate however that such a thing was unusual
with him and promised he would not offend again if let of this time.
Captain Noble on hearing that the defendant had behaved himself very
well after being taken into custody yielded to the defendant's
entreaties in the hope that this would be the last the magistrates would
hear of him and he was then dismissed on paying the fee.
A Third Appearance.
Charles Wellard, the man who had been brought before the magistrates on
the two previous days on different charges, was again placed at the Bar
by Sergeant Geddes who had found him creating a great disturbance near
the Excavators Arm's the house at which he had formally been engaged as
servant on the previous night. He was the worse for liquor and was
uttering all manners of threats. He was partly stripped and was running
to and fro in a very excited state. Witness interfered and endeavoured
to prevail on him to go home but he would not act on this advice and he
(Geddes) was therefore obliged to take him into custody. The defendant
said he went to the Excavator's Arms for his clothes that were thrown
out into the street to him. He was very sorry for what he had done.
Captain Noble; so you said yesterday and the day before. The defendant
hoped the magistrate would be merciful and let him off.
Captain Noble; no we have let you off twice and cannot do so any more.
You must go to prison for fourteen days. The defendant said he must be
committed for he only had enough money to take him to London.
Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.
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LICENSEE LIST
HUTCHINS James Thomas 1860-61
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