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155 Snargate Street
Dover
Above photo pre 1940, from Paul Wells. |
Above photo circa 1960, kindly supplied by Terry Wheeler of the Ramsgate
History Society. |
Above picture by kind regards Chris Byrne, son of landlord Tom. |
Gardners Brewery once had an outlet on this site known as the "Warrior". It was
still being reported there in 1895 but on the other hand, according to my
notes, Paramour definitely had the "Invicta" there in 1887.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 14 October, 1887. Price 1d.
STEALING FROM A TILL
Edward Farrel was charged with stealing from the “Invicta Inn,” Snargate
Street, about 2s. in silver and bronze, the money of the landlord,
William Paramour.
Maria Jordan said: I am barmaid at the “Invicta” public house, Snargate
Street. Yesterday afternoon, about four o'clock, I was in the bar and
served prisoner with a glass of beer, for which he paid. I then left the
bar and went into the kitchen. Mrs. Paramour had left the bar, and
prisoner was left alone. Before leaving the bar I had cleared the till
with the exception of about 2s. in silver and some coppers. The till is
at the further end of the bar near the window. Miss Farley had remained
in the bar parlour, which overlooks the bar. In consequence of what I
was afterwards told I examined the till and found that 1s. 3d. in silver
and some coppers had been taken from the till. There was a sixpenny and
a three-penny piece and about 6d. worth of coppers left in till. The
till, which is in the form of a drawer, is in the counter and was left
unlocked.
Sarah Farley said: Yesterday afternoon, about four o'clock, I was
sitting in the bar parlour of the “Invicta” public house, and saw the
prisoner standing at the bar with a glass of beer. I saw Mrs. Paramour
and the last witness leave the bar. There was then no one else in the
bar but the prisoner. Hearing money rattle in the till I looked up and
saw the prisoner at the back of the bar taking money from the till. I
called out to Mrs. Paramour. The prisoner turned around and seeing me he
jumped over the counter and ran out into the street. I followed the
prisoner. Seeing a policeman on the opposite side of the street I told
him, and prisoner was caught and taken into custody.
Police-constable W. A. Cadman said: Yesterday afternoon, between four
and five o'clock I was on duty in Snargate Street, and was standing
opposite the “Invicta” public house. I saw the prisoner come out of the
bar in a manner which caused me to suspect something had happened. I
went towards the prisoner with the intention of taking him back to the
bar to see if he had stolen anything, when the last witness came out,
and from what she told me I took the prisoner into custody and brought
him to the Police Station. I searched the prisoner and found on him 1s.
0½d. in bronze coin and 1s in silver tied up in his pocket handkerchief.
Prisoner said he had one or two sixpenny pieces and a three-penny piece
on him, and as these could not be found he accused me of taking them.
The prisoner, replying to the charge, pleaded “guilty” to taking 8½d.
from the till, and wished the case to be dealt with by the Magistrates
present.
The Bench sentenced the prisoner to one month's hard labour.
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The above picture gives a date of 1761 as to the age of the building. I
have no information to doubt or confirm that, but the earliest I have for
the building being a licensed premises is 1870, but my research is far from
complete.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 29 January, 1886. 1d.
The Dover carnival Society had their annual dinner on Wednesday evening
last, at their club house, the “Invicta Inn.”
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Dover Express 17 November 1922.
DOVER PUBLICANS BANKRUPTCY.
At the East Kent Bankruptcy Court, held at Canterbury, before Mr.
Registrar Furley, the examination was conducted by Mr. A. Harold Ward
for
Alfred Davis, of 5, Shipman's Way, Dover, formerly of "The Invicta,"
Snargate St., Dorev, miner, and formerly licensed victualler.
Liabilities, £214; deficiency, £209. Debtor stated that up to June,
1915, he was employed as a miner at Shakespeare Colliery, at a wage of
about £3 a week. He then took over "The Invicta" public-house at Dover.
The ingoing valuation was £222 17s. Debtor had £180 capital, and sold
his furniture for £60.
Neither his wife nor he had any experience of the
trade, but for the first months they had a barmaid to assist them.
He
increased the trade from three to six barrels a week, but he could not
say how much he drew for housekeeping expenses.
At the time there were
five members of his family entirely dependent on the business, and he
thought his housekeeping expenses amounted to about £5 a week. He never
took any steps to ascertain what his earnings were.
During the year 1917
debtor went back to mining, and his wife looked after the inn whilst he
was away.
The Official Receiver asked debtor if he meant to say that he
was carrying on the inn and never knew what his profits were?
Debtor:- I
never troubled to notice them.
The bankrupt admitted that he knew of his
insolvency in the early part of 1921, and he gave up the "Invicta" in
September, 1921.
The outgoing valuation was £173. He had contracted no
fresh liabilities since. The furniture debtor declared belonged to his
wife.
The examination was closed.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday,
10 March, 1933. Price 1½d.
DOVER ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING
A music and singing licence was granted to Mr. Lewis Carver in respect of
the "Invicta," Snargate Street. Plans for alterations to the premises,
including the removal of an unwanted staircase, were approved.
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In 1908, the doors of the pub were set back three feet from the pavement,
making the bar smaller. That does not suggest a busy time but perhaps things
were better in 1950, when an application was made for the floor and frontage
of number 156 to be added.
The rear of these premises were destroyed by fire on 24 June 1972. A
further fire broke out on the derelict premises at a later date, and
although it was still standing in March 1973, it was only prevented from
collapse by the use of beams and scaffolding and was taken down shortly
afterwards.
A Whitbread House.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, 11 June, 1937.
DOVER DART CHAMPIONS
The "Invicta" dart team, which won the Dover Licensed Victuallers'
Dart Championship. Reading from left to right:-
Back Row: A. Ross, G. Lodder and P. Nicks.
Sitting: D. Chapman, F. Lewis, H. Marklow (captain), J. Berry and R.
Pritchard.
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Dover Express 31st July 1943.
A LIGHT £2.
At the Dover Police Court on Friday last before Messrs. C. W. Chitty, H.
E. Russell and F. A. Holmes and Miss Elnor.
Thomas William Brown of 155 Snargate Street was summoned for allowing a
light to show from the premises at 3.25 a.m. on July 17th.
Defendant wrote pleading guilty and said that he switched on the light
because he dropped his torch.
Inspector McLeod said that the light came from an unscreened window on
the first floor of the “Invicta”. The room was occupied by Brown, who
was a lodger.
Fined £2.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, 12 February 1954.
DRUNKS WENT UP THE CLIFF
Police had to get them down.
Police were called to Snargate Street just before midnight on
Saturday when two men were found stuck on the cliff face. When the
police eventually brought them down to the road it was found that they
were drunk.
They were going over the cliff, they said, for a short cut to
Military Road.
On Monday, 22 year old David James Mold, of 34, Beaufoy Road, and
David Robert Page, age 19 years, of 70 Limekiln Street, both seamen,
pleaded guilty at Dover Magistrates' Court to being drunk and disorderly
on Sunday. They were each fined 10s.
Inspector Wilkinson told the court that the police were called by
phone on Saturday. Sergeant Forsyth and other officers answered the call
and on the cliffs behind Snargate Street were found the defendants.
They were twelve feet up the cliff face at the back of the "Invicta"
public house, and both were drunk.
Sgt. Forsyth was able to get Mold to the ground, but not Page, who
was staggering on the cliff over a sheer drop of eight feet. Other
officers managed to lead Page to safety.
It was Sunday by the time they got down again to Snargate Street when
both men began to be disorderly.
There were no previous convictions against either defendant.
"Thank your lucky stars that they police were able to rescue you,"
said Mr. Golding (Chairman of the Magistrates) announcing the fine of
10s each.
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Tom Byrne with wife Dorothy and daughters Maureen, Yvonne and Sue, 1969. |
Above photo kindly sent by Chris Byrne, showing Mrs. Terry Byrne and
daughter Yvonne circa 1970.
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From the Dover Express, 4 September, 1970
'Drink's driver had given his customers a lift.
A Dover licensee - described as a "well-known and popular man - was
disqualified from driving for 11 months by Dover magistrates on Friday.
Thomas Byrne of the "Invicta" public house, Snargate Street, pleaded
guilty to driving with excessive alcohol in the blood.
He was fined £40, banned from driving and ordered to pay an £8
doctor's fee.
Byrne was stopped by a police officer in Charlton Green early one
morning in June, after being followed from Buckland Avenue, long Barton
Road and down Frith Road.
At the junction of Barton Road and Frith Road, and Frith Road with
Charlton Green, Bryne made several corrective movements with the car to
negotiate the corners.
He was stopped and a breath test proved positive.
Occupational hazzard
A sample of blood sent for analysis to New Scotland Yard showed that
there was 224 milligrams of alcohol to every 100 millilitres of blood,
three times the prescribed limit.
Defending solicitor, Mr. Richard Stuart told the magistrates: "It is
an occupational hazard for licensees."
"There were three people in the public house at closing time, with no
way of getting home."
Byrne had had some drinks during the evening with the customers.
He then took the three people home in his car, and stayed at their
home for some time to have some coffee.
It was on the way back that he was stopped.
"At the end of the enquiry at the police station he was invited to
drive his own car home, said Mr. Stuart.
"He thought this was strange, and said he would rather walk. The
police drove his car to his home.
The magistrates were told that Bryne had been in the Army for
26 years, leaving as a Regimental Sergeant Major, he had been driving
for over 30 years without any previous trouble.
"He has already sold his car because he knew he would be
disqualified," said Mr. Stuart.
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From an email by Derek Yeomans. (11 Feb 2008).
As a young boy I used to live in the Invicta Inn in Snargate St.
1948/1952. This was the period that Les Pearce was the landlord, he also
was a well-known inshore fisherman, during this time his mother would
take on the running of the pub. Regarding the fishing, he would sell his
catch to the White Cliffs Hotel then run by a Mr Boiardini this is only
a snippet of information but it does show a link between the Invicta
Inn and the White Cliffs Hotel if only on a commercial basis.
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From an email by Maggie Stevenson-Knight. (1 September 2007).
We've just been talking to the son of the woman who used to run
the Invicta. He says that he doesn't have any photos, but that his sister up in
Scotland might, as she took the family album after his mum died.
So he's going to 'phone them and see, and will let us know. Wouldn't it
be great if he did come up with a picture. Fingers crossed. He did say that
when he lived in it, it was badly bomb damaged upstairs, and the whole
upstairs was bent and buckled and it all creaked. Also, when the
Hippodrome was blown up it blew in the doors of the pub, which was almost
opposite, he says. |
LICENSEE LIST
PARAMOR William R B Apr/1887-Nov/87
(Extra history)
MARTIN George Nov/1888+
(Late
licensed victualler of Blean)
HARMAN Albert Edward 1891+ (age 27 in 1891 )
POULSON Henry Albert 1895
WILLIAMS William Jn 1899-1901
 
HARLAND Bert Henry 1901-05
 
BUCKINGHAM Frederick 1905-07 end
READER John 1907-08 end
GILLESPIE Frederick John 1908-11
BAKER Josiah B 1911-Jan/14
WHITING Walter Jan/1914+
DAVIS Alfred 1917-23/Sept/21
GORKING/GOCKING ???? 23/Sept/21+
FORSYTHE Edward P 1922
LOTINGA Philip 1923-24 end
ASKIE Frederick John 1924-Feb/31
 
SMITH George Robert Feb/1931+
(Formerly
of Chatham.)
HUGHES C H 1932
CARVER William Edward to Sept/1933
LEVEY Bert Barnett Sept/1933-May/35
(Living
at "Queen's Head," Hoxton.)
LEWIS Frederick Charles Victor May/1935-Sep/40
 
Of Kensington, London)
CLINCH Ernest William Sep/1940 (Secretary to Gardener & Co.)
PEARCE Mr Les 1941-48
PEARCE Mrs Lillian 1948-50
 
THOMAS John Beresford 1953-56 end
 
FRANCE Albert James 1956-67
BYRNE Thomas 1967-72
COOMBER John F A 1974
Gardner & Co
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1895
From the Kelly's Directory 1899
From the Post Office Directory 1901
From the Post Office Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1909
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1922
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1924
From the Post Office Directory 1930
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1932-33
From the Post Office Directory 1938
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1938-39
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1948-49
From the Kelly's Directory 1950
From the Kelly's Directory 1953
From the Kelly's Directory 1956
Library archives 1974
From the Dover Express
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