DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Folkestone, May, 2022.

Page Updated:- Thursday, 12 May, 2022.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1877

Little Raglan

Latest 1877+

The Warren

Folkestone

 

Found by Jan Pedersen from his research from the Folkestone papers.

This house was a licensed structure at The Warren, erected for the convenience of workers engaged in clearing debris after the 1877 landslip. The landslip was reported in the Folkestone Chronicle of 20 January, 1877 and closed the main railway line for three months.

I do not know at present how long it was there for but would assume that it would have been removed after the workers had finished their clearing.

 

Folkestone Express 10 February 1877.

Inquest.

Nothing has transpired during the last week to disturb the usual briskness of the ordinary work in the Warren, except the finding of the body of the unfortunate man Marsh, who was killed by the fall near the Eagle's Nest. The poor man's body was found on Monday evening by a platelayer named Underdown, who was engaged in clearing away the chalk and earth. The remains were so dreadfully mutilated as to be scarcely recognisable, the lower jaw being completely knocked up over the nose, and the legs and body so compressed as to leave hardly a whole bone in the body. Strange to say, those who expected to find the remains of the unfortunate man near the spot where he was last seen, were greatly surprised to find that they were discovered about two chains away, on the top of the chalk, and not, as some thought they would be found lying close to the metals. This was accounted for by the fact that the poor man was walking along the line, and the first fall of the chalk knocked him down, but instead of burying him, threw his body on the top, the remainder of the chalk then burying him.

Last Wednesday, one of the most interesting operations that have taken place since the first slip was commenced, in the shape of blasting away the loose portions of the cliff, which were thought to be dangerous, and likely, if they fell, to again stop the line. During the latter part of last week and the beginning of this, men were engaged in picking away the outer face of the cliff previous to blasting. To enable them to do this they were suspended over the cliff by ropes, which were passed through a ring to a leather belt which they wore round their waists, and which were fastened to stakes driven some distance into the ground. The face of the cliff is very much altered, indeed, from about 300 yards on the Dover side of the Eagle's Nest, for a good distance the cliff is hardly recognisable.

An addition of 400 men has been made to those now working on the tunnel and slips, and it is now almost certain that the tunnel will be clear in about 28 days. So nearly have they got through that the sound of the men working on the outside is plainly heard by those clearing on the inside of the tunnel. It is proposed to make an open cutting of part of the Martello Tunnel, from the Dover end, for about 150 to 200 yards.

The men do not have to travel very far for their beer, Messrs. Langton and Co., of the Imperial Brewery, Tontine Street, having erected a shed near the works and taken out a license to sell intoxicating liquors there. Those who have charge of the beershop are very often placed in a very awkward predicament. For instance, on one occasion, just as they had “turned in” for a little rest, some of the excavators called for beer, and upon being refused, threatened to burn the “shanty” down, and actually kindled a large fir on the outside with the intention of so doing, but the inmates having become alarmed, they supplied them with beer.

On Sunday evening, as the South Eastern Railway Company's bus was proceeding to Dover a number of navvies waylaid it, and having thrashed the conductor and driver, jumped on the top and drove off to Dover.

“It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good” is thoroughly verified by the fact that although the stoppage of the line is a great loss to the South Eastern Railway Company it has proved a lucky windfall to the keepers of the toll gates on the Dover Road, the traffic along the road being enormous.

An inquest was held at the Valiant Sailor, on the Dover Road, on Wednesday last, before the County Coroner, Thos. Thorpe Delasaux Esq., on the body of the unfortunate man Marsh, who was killed by the fall of chalk from the Eagle's Nest in the Warren on the 15th January last.

The unfortunate man, who has been in the employ of the South Eastern Railway Company for upwards of twenty five years, leaves a wife and family, and we are pleased to notice that several benevolent persons are endeavouring to raise a subscription for them.

Henry Underdown, a Folkestone man, who is a platelayer in the employ of the South Eastern Railway Company, said he hed been employed with many others in clearing away the chalk which had fallen on the line in the slip from the Eagle's Nest. He was present when the body of the deceased was found on Monday last about five o'clock. He was quite dead, and appeared to have been so for some days. He believed deceased came by his death by being suffocated by the chalk that had fallen upon him. He had been working near the spot where the deceased was killed. He believed the slip was caused by the great quantity of rain which had lately fallen, and thought that the deceased was accidentally killed.

Charles Peters, living at Folkestone, a platelayer, who has been employed on the South Eastern Railway for the last twenty years, identified the body as that of William Marsh, who was in the same employ as himself. He said that on the day in question he was at dinner with the deceased, when his wife called him (deceased) to put a plaster on his side, as he had had one of his ribs broken some time back. While the deceased was having the plaster put on witness was sent for by Mr. Brady. Shortly after he saw deceased walking down the line towards Dover with a signal flag in his hand, and a few seconds after an immense quantity of chalk fell in the direction in which the deceased had gone, and on the spot where his body has since been found. He agreed with the last witness; in his opinion the fall of chalk was occasioned by the late heavy rains. Not a moment's warning was given of the probability of the chalk falling.

Edward Scott, another platelayer, also identified the body and corroborated the evidence of the last witness.

The Coroner, in summing up, said there were only two questions for the jury to consider, and they were what caused the deceased's death, and whether he was suffocated by the chalk falling upon him. There was no blame attached to anyone, and he had no doubt the falling of the earth was caused by the late heavy rains.

After a short deliberation the jury returned a unanimous verdict of “Accidental Death” caused by a great quantity of earth falling upon him.

 

Folkestone Express 3 March 1877.

Local News.

Extract from a report on works to clear landslip at the Warren.

The shanty which was used by Messrs. Langton & Co. has at last received a name. Messrs. Langton & Co. have transferred the business to Mr. W. Summers of the Raglan Tavern, near the Station, and he has christened the shanty The Little Raglan.

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

LANGTON Arthur 1877

SUMMERS William 1877

 

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