ELEPHANT HOTEL Pubs of Margate

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Margate, September, 2021.

Page Updated:- Thursday, 23 September, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1849-

(Name from)

Elephant Hotel

Closed 1970s

Marine Terrace (84 (132) High Street 1871)

Margate

Above photo 1952. Creative Commons Licence.

Thompson & Son ledger. Creative Commons Licence.

Above photo date unknown.

Mr. Frank Richford, of the "Elephant Hotel," Margate, caught this 19½lb cod off the North Foreland on Friday, along with several smaller fish.

Above map 1873.

From the Kentish Chronicle, 17 November, 1860.

MARGATE POLICE NEWS.

William Redman, of Ramsgate, was charged, by Sergeant Shelvey, with furious driving, in the High-street, on Saturday, the 3rd inst.

The sergeant deposed:— On Saturday, the 3rd inst., I was on duty in High-street, about seven o’clock. I saw a pony and cart driven down the High-street at a furious rate, and when it passed me I saw it was the defendant driving. Police-constable Mills was following it. After defendant paused, he seemed to increase his speed. I lost sight of him, and afterwards found him in company with the superintendent, when he appeared to be in liquor. There were a number of people passing at the time, who were in danger. The defendant appeared to have no control over the horse.

Police-constable Mills deposed to seeing the defendant at the "Elephant Hotel," in company with another gentleman. He waited a few minutes until they came out, and they both got into the cart, and drove down the High-street at a furious rate.

The Bench considered the case proved, and fined the defendant 10s., and 11s. 6d. costs.

Edwin Minter, a fish dealer, then surrendered to his bail having been arrested, on a warrant, charged with assaulting Joseph Hudson, a fly driver, on Friday, the 9th inst.

Complainant deposed:— Last Friday evening I was called for, by the porter at the "Albion Hotel," who said there were two gentlemen waiting to see me. I went; and when arrived there a gentleman asked me if I had not got a check of the defendants. I said, "Yes," and gave it to him. I asked him for the 7s. 6d. for the blacksmith's bill, for repairing as carriage he had damages, and about eight in the evening I went to the "Hoy Inn," in the company with Charles Rooff; and there I saw the defendant, who came to the bar. I said, "Now, here is a gentleman, Rooff; perhaps he will pay you the repairs done to the carriage." Defendant said he would not. I then went into the parlour, and defendants friend followed: the defendant pulled the chair from under me, and knocked off my hat. I was then coming out, and he hit me on the nose, and ran into the bar.

Stephen Cock was called, and corroborated a great portion of the evidence. He deposed to seeing the blow struck and the blood running down.

Mr. Towne, in defence, said, admitting that an assault had been committed, was it such a one as ought to have been brought before the Bench? He went through the evidence, remarking upon some slight discrepancies.

The Bench seemed to think it was such an offence as ought to have been brought before them, from the fine they imposed, which was 20s., and costs 22s.

The defendant paid this, and Redman's fine as well, and was then charged with furious driving up the High-street, on the 3rd inst.

From the evidence of Police-constable Mills, it appeared that he saw the defendant coming out of Market-street, and turned up the High-street, driving at a furious rate. He called to him to be steady. He could not stop him, he was going at such a rate.

Richard Goddin was called, but could not say whether it was Saturday or Wednesday; but he swore to seeing a person go up the street driving like a mad man and told the people to stop him, if they could. He could not swear it was the defendant; he thought it was.

Mr. Towne commented upon this, and said evidence ought not to be modelled and manipulated after this fashion.

For this offence he was fined 10s., and 11s. costs.

Money paid.

Kentish Gazette 27 December 1864.

MARGATE. - SUDDEN DEATH.

We are sorry this week to record in our obituary the death of a highly esteemed townsman, Mr. Matthew Kidd, proprietor of the "Elephant" Hotel, which took place after an illness of a very short duration, on Wednesday evening. Mr. Kidd attended divine service at the Parish Church, on Sunday morning week, and was taken ill soon after returning to his home. The symptoms gradually grew worse, and on Monday morning he became insensible, in which state he continued until the moment of his death. Dr. Jenner, the Queen's Physican, and Dr. Lochee, of Canterbury, were telegraphed for, and on Tuesday held a consultation in conjunction with Dr. Rowe, Mr. Kidd's medical attendant, and it was then understood that the chances of recovery were hopeless. Mr Kidd was respected by all who knew him.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 22 December, 1964.

It's the people who make the "Elephant."

More than anything else it's the people who make the "Elephant Hotel," Margate, into the personable public house that it is.

Only one meeting with a host and hostess, Mr. Frank Richford and his wife, Hilda, who is the licensee, will convince you of this.

To them the people they serve are the most important aspect of the house, but to the customers it is Frank and Hilda's manner of extending an instant welcome which maintains the houses popularity.

Thursday provided an excellent example of the friendship links Hilda and Frank have forged across the bar over the years. It was Hilda's 56 birthday and not only was she showered with presents for regulars, but presents are also exchanged in the other direction.

Bristol-born Hilda has held the licence of the "Elephant" since 1949 and since then has formed many friendships not only with local people, but visitors as well.

"We have visitors who come back here after year, and although I may not remember their names, I can remember when it was they last paid at visit," she said.

For many years she was a committee member of the Thanet Licensed Victuallers' Association. Frank, who was born at St. Peter's, Broadstairs, has been a committee member for 14 years.

Hilda went into the licensed trade primarily because of her love of meeting people, and she did so after coming to Margate to take a job in Dreamland amusement park, when she ran a kiosk demonstrating Canadian coffee percolators.

During the last war, when she was bombed out in Plymouth, she acted as billeting officer for Lady Astor - a job which entailed finding homes for families whose homes had been wiped out by bombing.

This has also been known as the "Elephant and Castle," but changed name to simply the "Elephant" during the reign of George Sturges as licensee after 1847.

The pub closed in the 1970s and the original building has now been replaced with this box.

The Elephant Hotel was bought by compulsory purchase to widen the top of what was known locally as Elephant Hill. At the same time the council acquired all the old properties on the south of Cecil Square and the High Street and replaced them with these sharp cornered design-less boxes. Nowadays, they wouldn’t get away with it but that was the thinking at the time. Frank Richford and his wife, rather than retire took on the "Princess of Wales" in Tivoli Road and stayed there for years.