Kentish Gazette, 19 April 1803.

To be LETT AUCTION, By GEORGE HAMMOND,

On the premises, on Tuesday the 26th instant, April, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, for the term of 21 years from Michaelmas next, agreeable to conditions that will be then and then produced.

THE "GEORGE" PUBLIC-HOUSE, with out buildings and some fixtures, and a piece of land behind the same, now used as a tan yard, situate in the parish of Holy Cross Westgate Without.

And on the same day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, for the term of 21 years, from Lady Day, 1803, The "CASTLE" Public House on the premises, in Castle-street, in the city of Canterbury. Canterbury, 19th April, 1803.

From the Kentish Gazette, 22 September 1846.

TO BE LET, With Possession at Michaelmas.

THAT old-established INN, the "George and Dragon," High Street, CANTERBURY. The Yard pays about half the rental.

For particulars and to treat, apply to Mr. Mendey, on the Premises.

From the Kentish Gazette, 18 January 1848.

A good attendance of members participate in the the discussions of the Friendly Debating Society, on Wednesday evenings, at the "George and Dragon Tavern," High-street. The subject discussed at the last meeting, and which elicited some excellent argument, was, "Which of the arts or sciences has most conduced to the benefit of man?" The discussion will be resumed tomorrow evening.

Kentish Gazette, 16 March 1852.

Thomas Brown, 39, cutting and wounding William Selby, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, at St. Mary, North.

Mr. Maxwell prosecuted.

Prosecutor and prisoner had been working together, and were in the "George and Dragon" public-house on the 9th August, and left about nine o'clock. Heard some person say "I will chop your-head off.'' On looking round he received a blow on the right ear, and right side of his head, which knocked him down. Before he got up he found a cut on his left thigh, and on both his hands.

James Smith deposed that he was outside the public house, and saw the prosecutor and prisoner, and heard the latter say that he would cut his "----- head off," but did not see him strike him.

— Grant deposed that he saw the prisoner knock down the prosecutor with a hook, und strike him several times with it after he was down.

Mr. Jameson, the surgeon, was called to see the prosecutor, whom he found greatly exhausted from loss of blood. He found an extensive wound on the back of his head dividing the right ear through, an extensive wound across the face, and a slight wound across the nose.

Guilty:— Ten years' transportation.

Kentish Gazette, 21 September 1852.

Thursday. Licensing.

This being the adjourned licensing day, those parties, whose licences had been suspended, again attended, and after receiving animadversion for their irregularity of conduct, had their licences granted, but with a decided caution that if again complaints were made against them they would not have their licences in future.

These parties were:- John Stairs, of the "Eight Bells," King Street;

John Noble, "Kentish Arms;"

George Kilner, "City of London;"

John Jordan, "White Heart;"

John Gillis, "Bricklayers' Arms;"

Elizabeth Forbes, "Oddfellows Arms;"

John Murphy, "Carpenter's Arms;"

Richard Wellard, "George and Dragon," Westgate;

Joseph Pentecost, "Royal George;"

and George Crow, "Rose and Crown."

Applications for New Licences.

Thomas Rodgers, of the "Sir Robert Peel" beer shop;

David Tuthwell, "True Britain;"

and Edward Gordon, "Pine Apple,"

applied for spirit licences, but which were refused.

Kentish Gazette, 30 November 1852.

Friday.

An information was laid against Richard Wellard, landlord of the "George and Dragon," by Capt. George, of the East Kent Militia, for refusing to admit four militiamen, on presenting a billet on the 24th inst. Defendant pleaded guilty, but in extenuation stated, that only one man came to the house and presented the billet, which had the names of four men written on it, though erased by a pen being drawn through them. He questioned the man, who, he stated, was drunk and abusive; and not obtaining satisfactory replies, refused to take him. The magistrates told defendant he might have easily discovered, by applying to the billet-master.

Convicted in the penalty of 40s. and costs, that being the lowest amount they could inflict—the penalty being £5. and not less than 40s.

Kentish Gazette, 6 June 1854.

On Thursday, George Wellard, of St. Dunstan's was had before our city magistrates for having his house open for the sale of liquors at one o'clock on Sunday morning; and fined 5s. and 10s. costs.

Kentish Gazette, 17 February 1857.

No little excitement was created in Westgate Without, in this city, on Friday evening, by two men, employed by Mr. Hammond, carrier, having been brought in, one completely lifeless and the other apparently so, through the effects of drink which they had obtained from a spirit cask in its transit to the city. It appears that the men, whose names are James Bennett and Joseph Gardner, had been engaged in conveying some malt to Whitstable that day, and on their return had to bring some spirits which were over-proof, and on the road they contrived to abstract a portion which speedily took effect and rendered them senseless; in which state they were found by a number of persons, who placed them on their wagons and drove them in. Laying in this stupefied state, one of them, Bennett, became suffocated before his arrival in the city, and the other very nearly so; and when the wagons arrived the body of deceased was conveyed to the "George and Dragon," and Gardner was removed to his own house close by, where he was attended by Mr. A. B. Andrews, who, by the persevering use of the stomach pump, drew off full a quart of what appeared to be rum, and with other appliances succeeded in restoring consciousness to the victim of his greedy folly, and he rallied sufficiently to attend the inquest next day and give evidence, he attempted to account for their inebriated state, but it is scarcely credited in full, as it is not thought so little as he represented them to have taken would have so powerful an effect, nor did he pretend to know how the spirit was drawn from the cask. The particulars are related below:—

The inquest on the deceased was opened on Friday evening at the "George and Dragon," by Mr. Delasaux, when the first witness, William Taylor, fisherman, merely related that about four o’clock that afternoon, when proceeding to the "Half-way house" on the Whitstable road, and arriving near the "Pear Tree" he saw a man (Gardner) lying in the road, and deceased, who was very much intoxicated, walking by the side of his own horses in a wagon. Having helped Gardner up, he (witness) left them coming towards Canterbury.

William Blackman, of St. Peter’s Lane, labourer, on coming towards Canterbury, overtook at Tile Kiln Hill, the two wagons, on which the deceased and Gardner, who appeared intoxicated, were lying. Some boys were accompanying the wagons, and deceased's head was lying in the arms of one of the boys. A young man was driving one wagon and a boy the other. Witness told the boy that the men would fall, but he was informed that there was a chain which would prevent it. They tried to arouse them, but could not.

The inquest at this stage was adjourned till the next evening, when the following further depositions were taken:-

George Waters stated that the previous afternoon he left Whitstable a little before two o'clock, and proceeded on his way towards Canterbury, in company of John Mumford. When they had arrived a short distance on the Canterbury side of the "Half-way House," they saw two wagons with a number of persons about them; and on getting up to them, found the deceased on the ground in a drunken state. Two or three persons were endeavouring to raise him, and succeeded in doing so and placing him in one of the wagons. He also saw another man (Gardner) lying on his stomach in one of the wagons, with a whip in his hand. He also was intoxicated. After a short time he (witness) drove the horses in the wagon in which deceased was lying to Canterbury, and Mumford drove the other — which they brought down to Water-lane, when they found deceased to be dead.

Joseph Gardner (the companion of the deceased) was also examined, he deposed that after having been to Whitstable with some malt, he and deceased had their wagons loaded at Mr. Hammond’s barge with some merchandise; and having arrived at the "Coach and Horses," where they each had a pint of beer, they left for Canterbury at about two o’clock. At the bottom of Borstal-hill the horses were taken from deceased’s wagon to help the other up, and the same course was afterwards adopted in respect of deceased’s wagon. They then proceeded onwards, and when they had passed Mr. Hyder’s cottage, deceased called him (witness) to him, and taking a small bottle from a box at the side of his wagon, gave it to him and told him to drink — which he did, and a second time, under the persuasion of deceased. He thought it was rum, and that he did not drink more than a teacup full. When they had got half a mile further on, he found he was intoxicated. Two sailors were then in their company.

Mr. A. B. Andrew's, surgeon, who was called to attend deceased the previous evening, when he was lying on the pavement near Water-lane, stated that he found him quite dead, and that there was great congestion above the head, face, and hands. He was quite warm, and had been dead but a very short time. He believed deceased died from congestion of the brain, but how produced he was not able to say.

The jury returned a verdict of "Died from excessive drinking."