BRICKLAYERS ARMS Pubs of Whitstable

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Whitstable, September, 2021.

Page Updated:- Tuesday, 28 September, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1859-

Bricklayer's Arms

Latest 1894+

(Name to)

28 (13) Harbour Place (Harbour Street 1889)

Whitstable

From the Kentish Chronicle 8 October 1859. Price 1½d.

ST. AUGUSTINE'S PETTY SESSIONS.

Saturday. (Before Capt. Slarke, Capt. Young, and H. Denne, Esq.) William Wetherley, "Bricklayers' Arms," Whitstable, was charged with selling beer at an unlawful hour. P. C. Smith, K. C. C. deposed that he went to visit the house a little before twelve on Saturday night last, and that he saw a man who was a lodger, and another who was not a lodger sitting at one table with a pint of fresh drawn beer before them. He asked Wetherley what right he had to draw beer at that hour, and he replied that by the terms of his license he understood that he might draw beer to a lodger on Sunday morning, as the other man only came in to see his lodger. Witness had previously cautioned the landlord against serving a lodger on Sunday morning. The landlord denied that he had received the caution, and called the lodger, who said that the other man came to visit him. Fined 5s. and 10s. costs.

Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette, Saturday 24 September 1864.

Whitstable fatal accident.

A fatal accident occurred late on Tuesday night or early on Friday morning, to a youth named Edwin Barton, aged 15 years. It is conjectured that he went off on Wednesday evening in his father's boat to go to the yawls lying in the Bay, to seek for stray or waste oysters, when his boat, not being made fast, got adrift, and it is supposed he stripped and swim after his boat, and, being taken with the cramp, was drowned. His clothes were found on board one of the yawls, with several oysters in the pocket of his coat. The inquest was held in the afternoon, before T. T. Delasaux, Esq., County Coroner, at the "Bricklayers Arms Tavern." A jury of which Mr. Stephen Kemp was foreman having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken.

Stephen Leggett, a licensed victualer said ("King's Head"):- This morning at about 7:30 o'clock, I was dredging on the Seasalter oyster ground, call the "Pollard," and saw the deceased floating in about 14 feet of water, I brought him ashore in my boat, he was then quite dead.

William Henry Houch, sail-maker, was the next witness called, who said that deceased was an apprentice of his and had been to work in the usual manner during the day.

The Foreman:- Was there anything strange in his manners which could lead you to think he would commit suicide?

Witness:- No. I last saw the deceased at about 6:20 o'clock, when he left off work for the day.

This being the whole of the evidence the Coroner's summed up.

The jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned."

South Eastern Gazette, Tuesday 27 September 1864.

Whitstable. Fatal accidents.

On Friday afternoon last. T. T. Delasaux Esq, coroner held an inquest at the "Bricklayers Arms Inn," on the body of Edward Barton, 15 years of age, who was found drowned that morning. The evidence showed that the deceased went on Thursday evening in his father's boat towards some oyster yawls, for the purpose of picking up straight shellfish, and that he was found in the water on the next morning, dead, and naked. The jury returned an open verdict of "Found Drowned."

It is conjectured that when the deceased got to the yawls he failed to attach his boat to one of them, that it drifted, and that in his endeavours to recover it he was drowned.

A second inquest was then held on the body of a lad named Curden, 5 years of age, who on Friday met his death through falling beneath the wheels of a moving wagon, behind which he was hanging. The jury found a verdict of "Accidental Death."

'Government and Politics in Kent, 1640-1914' edited by Frederick Lansberry.

Chapter called 'Crime and Public Order'.

"The basic aim of the Kent Constabulary was prevention of crime and the maintenance of good order... In 1878 county police superintendents were empowered to borrow constables from other divisions to work in plain clothes on licensing matters where their own policemen were too well known. The first step was to establish some control over the taverns and beerhouses which frequently served as brothels. Physical strength was an important pre-requisite in recruiting. Its value quickly became evident in the countless confrontations of the 1860s and 1870s as Ruxton's policemen battled for superiority in scenes reminiscent of the American frontier. When Sergeant Bates and PC Oliver attempted the arrest of a party of seamen in the "Bricklayers Arms," Whitstable, 'a . . . fight ensued in which chairs, pewter pots, glasses . . . were freely used. Both policemen were severely handled as was evidenced by their heads and faces. The knuckles on two of Bates' fingers were displaced . . . One man held him while others struck him with a chair . . . . Despite magisterial promises to protect the police the offenders got only the statutory month's hard labour."

There is a sub note at the bottom of the page that dates the quote describing the fight between 1864 and 1865.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 2 July 1870.

CAUTION TO PUBLICANS.

At the County Police Office, on Saturday, William Lennox, landlord of the "Bricklayers Arms," was charged with opening his house to persons of notoriously bad characters, and thereby infringing a provision in his license.

P.C. Tomlin stated that he went in the house on the 13th inst., at 11 o’clock, having whilst in Harbour-place heard a great noise proceeding there from. The noise was produced by musical sounds, dancing, and singing, and the neighbours were complaining loudly of the annoyance they suffered. Upon entering the house he found therein twelve men and three women, amongst the company being five organ grinders and several suspicious characters, including a convicted thief. The landlady was dancing with a prostitute. He had previously cautioned defendant respecting the manner in which he was conducting his house. When witness ordered the prostitute out, the landlord said she could remain there until twelve.

Charles Browning, a grocer residing in the neighbourhood, stated that the nuisance caused at night by the noise at the defendant’s house was so great that he never knew when he went to bed whether he was going to have any rest. The house had for some time had a bad name under previous landlords and it had not improved under the present landlord.

Defendant said that being a stranger he did not know the character of those in his house.

The Magistrates fined him £2 and 10s. costs, and directed the conviction to be recorded on the defendant's license.

From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 8 June 1867. Price 1d.

The Magistrates granted an authority to William Lester to sell spirituous liquors in the “Duke of Cumberland,” Whitstable.

David Clay, landlord of the “Bricklayers,” Whitstable; John Holness, landlord of the “Red Lion,” Sturry; and to Mrs. Smith, landlady of the “Star,” Upper Hardres.

If anything is incorrect on these pages, please let me know. Your help is appreciated.

I am informed that the pub became the "New Inn" from between 1891 and 1901.

However the Census of 1881 gives 27 Harbour Place as the "Bricklayers" with a Lavinia Rowden identified as sailmaker and wife age 25 years. Number 28 says Eliza Foster housekeeper age 30 years.

There doesn't appear to be a landlord mentioned so he either wasn't in residence when the census was taken or the premises could have been used as a lodging house or just as a letting.

At that time the police station was only yards away so it had probably lost its license. Also there was now a convent directly opposite.

LICENSEE LIST

WETHERLEY William 1859+