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56 Military Road
Canterbury
Above photo, circa 1920, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo by Edward Wilmot 1965. |
The Inns of Canterbury by Edward Wilmot's,1988, mentions a document, date
circa 1945 that gives the description of clientele at the pub as being "Locals
and soldiers."
An entry in Fremlin's 1950s publication called "Where shall we go,"
indicated the following:- Parking accommodation - Space for Coaches 5 minute
Car Park. Lunch - 20. Tea - 20. Remarks - Piano available. Fine view of
Cathedral. Near Town centre.
The license was suspended in 1970 having been transferred to the Brewery
Secretary a year earlier.
The house was in the same family from the earliest I can trace it, the
licensee being Stephen Maple, he was living with his wife Emma, daughter
Mary Ann, and sons Stephen and George. I believe his son Stephen took over
the licence of the pub but to date do not know when, both father and son
having the same first name.
The inn being just past Notley Street would put it roughly where the
Dairy Crest Limited Canterbury Depot is today.
Little Wonder was a racehorse, which made racing history in 1840, when he
won the Derby at odds of 50/1. As a consequence, several British pubs were
named/re-named in his honour. Little Wonder went on to be the nickname
adopted by the champion, bare-knuckle prize fighter, Thomas Sayers, in the
1850s. Only 5'8 tall, Sayers only lost one fight, despite taking on taller,
heavier fighters, in bouts lasting, on average, 34 rounds! I do not yet know
whether the pub was named after any of the above.
Above picture from Google July 2009, shows the position where the pub
would have been, I believe. |
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Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 2 February 1935.
To Court From Prison.
Two Chatham men on charges of alleged false pretences.
Harry Burgess, Crosskeys, Chartham, and John Wickenden, Council Houses,
Shalmsford Street, Chartham, who that week had been sentenced to six
months' and 2 months' hard labour respectively at Tunbridge Wells on a
charge of obtaining cigarettes by false pretences - 10 other similar
charges from Faversham, Sittingbourne, Dover, etc., were taken into
consideration - appeared at Canterbury Police Court on Friday on charges
of obtaining by false pretence and with intent to defraud from Horace
Harold Eyers, 2,200 cigarettes of the value of £3 16s., the property of
Messrs. Reynolds (Canterbury), Ltd., on December 28th, and from Richard
J. D. Cooper, 2,400 cigarettes, of the value of £4 4s. 10d., the
property of Messra. Theobald and Sons, Canterbury.
Detective Sergeant Port stated that when he cautioned and charged the
prisoners that morning at the Guildhall, both replied "Correct."
One of the prisoners asked why there were only two charges, and
Detective Sergeant Port said that two other outstanding charges would be
mentioned during the case.
On this evidence the prisoners were remanded in custody until tomorrow
(Friday).
Arthur Short Nicholson, the "Little Wonder," Military Road, Canterbury,
appeared on remand of charges of receiving 2,200 cigarettes, well
knowing them to have been stolen, on or about December 28th, also
receiving 1,400 cigarettes, to the value of £2 4s. 2d., on January 14th.
Evidence at the previous hearing was to the effect that when charged
prisoners replied:- "When I took the first parcel of cigarettes from
Wickenden he told me he was working for a cut price firm. He introduced
his pal, Burgess, to me, and I paid 30s. a 1,000 for the 10's and 23s. a
1.000 for the 5's. I did not know the cigarettes was stolen.
On the application of the Chief Constable (Mr. G. T. Hall), a further
remand was granted until today (Friday). Bail was granted in Nicholson's
one recognisance's of £20, and that other of a surety for a similar
amount.
Early in the morning, the licence of the "Little Wonder," on the
application of Nicholson, was temporarily transferred to Mr. Arthur E.
Fullager, Secretary of Messrs. Fremlins.
Mr. A. K. Mowll (for Nicholson) asked the Magistrates to accept short
notice as it was a matter of expediency.
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LICENSEE LIST
MAPLE Stephen 1851+1913+ (age 47 in 1851 )
MAPLE Stephen 1874-1903+ (age 47 in 1881)
     
MAPLE Stephen (son) 1911-30+ (age 43 in 1911)
  
NICHOLSON Arthur Short to Feb/1935
FULLAGER Arthur E Feb/1935+ (Sec to Fremlins)
BRADFORD George 1938+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/LittleWonder.shtml
From the Post Office Directory 1874
Census
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Post Office Directory 1891
From the Post Office Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1922
From the Post Office Directory 1930
From the Post Office Directory 1938
Inns of Canterbury
by Edward Wilmot, 1988
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