17 East Hill / Bridge Street 1851
Ashford
Richard Thackery tells me that the pub although closed many years before
this was probably demolished just prior to the widening of Mace Lane
in the early 1970s.
Southeastern Gazette, 13 September 1853.
Applications for Licenses.
The applications of Mr. Wenbourne, for a transfer of his license to
a new house near the railway station, of Mr. Richard Ford, landlord
of the "Queen’s Head," and of Mr. Edward Arkhurst, for a newly
erected house, were granted. (I don't know
which house the latter was yet. Paul Skelton.)
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Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette 9 September 1865.
LICENSING DAY.
The licenses of the public houses in the Ashford division were renewed. The
following new licenses were applied for:— ....
Amos Walder, of the "Sun" beershop, New-rents, Ashford, was the next
applicant, and Albert Lindfield, of the "Star" beershop, East Hill, Ashford,
also applied for a license for his house. This was opposed by Mr. Langham on
behalf of Mr. Butcher, of the "Queen's Head Inn," and the solicitor produced
a memorial against it from several highly respectable inhabitants living in
the neighbourhood of the "Star," who complained of the way in which the
house was conducted and the class of persons using it. The Bench retired to consider the applications, and on returning into Court
announced that they had decided to refuse all of them with the exception of
that for the "Man of Kent." Ashford, kept by William Richard Brown, and for
that house they had decided to grant a license. |
From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. 30 November 1867. Price 1d.
PETTY SESSIONS.
(Before G. E. Sayer, Esq., chairman, Colonel Groves, W. D. Walker, H. B.
Walker, and H. Darrell, Esqrs.) George Hayward, of Willesborough, shoemaker, was charged with stealing a
shawl, Value 8s, from the tap-room of the “Queen's Head Hotel,” Ashford. Mary Pearce, wife of George Pearce, a traveller, deposed that on the
afternoon of November 12th she was in the tap-room, and placed her shawl
on a form. When she got up to go she found it was gone. She had not seen
it since. John Valgar, of Smeeth, deposed that he saw the prisoner take the shawl
from the form and put it in his pocket. The magistrates adjourned the case for further evidence, bail being
taken. |
Kentish Gazette, 29 March, 1870.
Inquest.
On Thursday Afternoon an inquest was held at the "Queen's Head Inn,"
Mill Bridge, before Walter Furley, Esq., deputy coroner for East
Kent, on the body of James Moss Hobday, a man aged sixty, who was
found dead in bed under the following circumstances:-
William Dodd, landlord of the "Queen's Head," denoted:- The deceased
came to lodge at my house on Saturday evening last. I have known him
for twenty years past. He formerly lived at Boughton Lees, and was
mailman to his father, who was a brewer there. He was then in a
comfortable position in life; but for some time he has been in bad
circumstances. Two other men occupied the same bedroom in my house
as the deceased. I have not heard of any squabbling having occurred
between them. The deceased was not cheerful; the first night he came
he complained of being very unwell, but did not say in what way he
was unwell. He had no meals in my house; he generally came home
early in the evening; had a pint of beer and a biscuit, and went to
bed he told me he had been employed at the "Duke of Marlborough
Inn," but had been paid off from there the week before. On Tuesday
evening he had his pint of beer and biscuit as usual, and I saw no
more of him. I called the other two men up at halt-past five o'clock
the next morning, and they went to their work. Not seeing anything
of the deceased, I went to the room about half-past nine o’clock,
and found him lying in bed quite dead. One arm was out of the bed,
and he seemed to have died without pain or struggle, us the clothes
were not in any disorder. I found the phial bottle produced under
his bolster. It was empty and corked. There was no label on it.
Dr. George Wilks deposed:- From instructions received, I made a post
mortem examination of the body this morning. There were no marks of
violence on it. I suspected the cause of death, but I deferred
forming an opinion till I examined the bottle produced. I found it
contained minute crystals of oxalic acid, and I have no doubt death
resulted from taking that poison. It is never used as a medicine,
and could not have been taken for the purpose of curing disease or
alleviating pain. I am of opinion that a very large quantity was
taken, from the quiet mode in which death had occurred. When taken
in a very large quantity the person usually faints; but when in a
small quantity intent pain is suffered. Oxalic acid can only be sold
under the usual restrictions for the sale of poisons; and it is
usually bought in a crystallized form.
Mr. Beken, one of the jury, stated it was frequently bought in that
way and mixed with water to clean brass, harnesses, and boot lops.
William Fisher, labourer, deposed:- I and another man slept in the
same bedroom as the deceased. On Monday evening, about nine o'clock,
as the deceased was undressing to get into bed he suddenly put his
hand to his right side and exclaimed "Bless me what a pain I have
here." I said "Sit down, my good man, on the bed," He did so, and
attempted to get his trousers off but could not. I advised him to
wait till he felt better, and he did so. In a few minutes he
undressed and got into bed. I asked him how he felt, and he replied,
"All right; good night." On Tuesday night about half-past eight
o'clock he said he did not feel quite right and should go to bed. I
came up into the room about half-past nine, and I asked him how he
was. He replied, "Pretty middling," and began complaining of the
hardness of the times; he said he could not get work, and he did not
like to beg. I wanted to go to sleep, and bade him good night.
During the night I was awakened by a loud gurgling noise which the
deceased was making. I told my fellow lodger that it was hardly like
snoring, and that if it continued I should go and wake the deceased
up. ln a minute or two all was quiet, and I went to sleep again. In
the morning I went out without noticing the deceased.
William Crump, labourer, the other lodger, gave similar evidence;
and added he did not think much of the noise in the night, as the
deceased was in the habit of snoring loudly.
P.O. Hollands said that no money was found on the deceased; he had
two pawn tickets for clothes pledged by him.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased killed
himself by taking oxalic acid when in an unsound state of mind.
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LICENSEE LIST
FOORD Richard 1851-58+ (age 71 in 1851)
FOORD Mary Ann Mrs 1862+
BUTCHER Mr 1865+
DODD William 1870-91+ (also coal merchant age 43 in 1871)
DODD Henry 1901-03+ (age 49 in 1901)
HARRISON Arthur 1913-30+
NEWALL Albert E 1938+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/QueensHead.shtml
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/queenshead.html
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
Census
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