From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 4 January, 1867. Price 1d.

INFRINGEMENT OF LICENSE

John Tomlin, the landlord of the "Kent Arms," pleaded guilty to a charge preferred against him by Sergeant Barton, for opening his house at prohibited hours. He said that he was not aware that he was infringing his licence.

 Mr. Latham said that was no excuse, and fined the defendant 2s. 6d. and 9s. 6d. costs. The money was paid.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 28 February, 1881. Price 1d.

SUDDEN DEATH

An inquest was held on Tuesday afternoon at the “Kent Arms”, Limekiln Street, before the Deputy Coroner (S. Payne, Esq.), on the body of a woman found dead in her bed at No.6, Limekiln Street.

After the body had been viewed, the following evidence was taken:-

Stephen Norwood Larkins, an old retired pilot, living at 6, Limekiln Street, said: The deceased, Ruth Gold, was my housekeeper, and had been for 7 or 8 years. She was about 38 years of age. The deceased went to bed on Saturday evening at eleven o'clock, and feeling unwell on Sunday did not get up all day. On Monday morning, about eight o'clock, while lying on the couch downstairs, I heard the deceased call out that she was cold, and I then lighted the fire. In about a quarter of an hour I went up to see her and found that she was dead and quite cold. The deceased slept alone. I immediately sent for Dr. Colbeck, who came in about half-an-hour. She had been giving way to drink lately but was quite sober on the Saturday evening. There was no one else but the deceased and myself in the house.

By the Jury: It might have been a quarter of an hour or more when the deceased called before I went up to her. She had lately been suffering from delirium tremens. There are bottles of spirits in the house. The deceased would not eat any solid food, and has not for sometime. During Sunday I believe she only had some rum and water, but she could get at the spirits if she wished to.

Dr. Thomas William Colbeck said: Yesterday morning the 14th inst. At about quarter to eight, I was called to No. 6, Limekiln Street to see the deceased, and arrived there at eight o'clock. I found her lying upon the bed quite dead. There were no marks of violence or anything suspicious. My knowledge of her case goes back to the date of the 30th December, 1879, when I was called to see her, as she had fallen down on the back of her hard, and had accidentally run a hairpin into an artery, from which she lost much blood. She was then intoxicated. I attended her till the 17th February, 1880, and during that period she suffered from congestion of the kidneys and from irregular action of the heart, and had also attacks of delirium tremens. There was no doubt that the condition of her kidneys was caused through excessive drinking. I should think death was caused through the failure of the heart's action, brought on by excessive drinking. I have not seen her professionally since the 17th of February, 1880. The last witness must have meant seven o'clock when he was called, instead of eight o'clock, as I was at the house by that time.

By the Jury: The deceased hadn't been dead more than an hour, I should say.

Police-constable Charles Baker said: About nine o'clock yesterday morning, I was called and saw the deceased, quite dead, lying in bed. I saw nothing at all suspicious, the bed-clothing being all right and the room in perfect order. Mr. Larkins told me she had complained to him of pains in the back the previous evening at eight o'clock when he was talking to her, and the next morning he went up and found her quite dead.

Mr. Larkins, recalled, said: The deceased hardly ever ate and solid food, but lived nearly on spirits. She had done so for a long time. On the Sunday she had some rum but no food.

The Jury returned a verdict according to the doctor's evidence, that the deceased died through the failure of the heart's action, caused by excessive drinking.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 12 April 1935.

THE LIMEKILN STREET FLATS

Considerable progress has been made by Messrs. G. Lewis and Sons (Dover), Ltd., with the erection of the 36 flats at Limekiln Street, to house persons displaced under the Slum Clearance schemes.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 30 August 1935.

THE LIMEKILN STREET NEW FLATS

These houses are now almost complete, and will be used to accommodate tenants from St. John's Place, Chapel Court and Seven Stars Street, displaced under the Slum Clearance scheme. The corner site is approximately where the old "Kent Arms" stood.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Arms. 16 October, 1908.

FIRE AT THE KENT ARMS.

On Sunday night at five minutes past eleven the Kent Arms, Elizabeth Street, had a very narrow escape from being burnt down. The fire originated in a cupboard in a room over the bar of a house, which is very largely constructed of wood, and there was considerable peril of it extending. A military policeman blew the fire alarm, Police Constable Hicks being first on the scene. Meantime the Military Police and some railway officials took prompt steps to stop the outbreak with buckets of water with the result that the fire was extinguished. The hose reel from Elizabeth Street and the Queen Street Fire Station in charge of Chief Constable Fox arrived just as this was accomplished but their aid was not required. That stop was considered a very good one by the police in view of the inflammable nature of the spot where the fire originated. The landlady Mrs Oram stated that she went to the cupboard during the evening and struck a match to see if a considerable sum of money, which she kept there was safe and it doubtless due to this that the fire originated. The damage done was to the door of the cupboard, contents, carpet etc. Several bank notes were burned. The members of the Fire Brigade were Chief Constable Fox, Inspector Lockwood, Scutt with seven or eight firemen and ten or eleven volunteers.

Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.