45 (47-49 in 1911) Victoria Street

Whitstable

https://whatpub.com/sovereign

Above photo circa 1923, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. About to board a Daimler motor coach and enjoy a pub outing, the regulars of the Sovereign pose with Mr. Rigden, their driver for the day. Mr. Rigden was also the fire engine driver for the Whitstable Fire Brigade.

Above Google image, July 2009.

Above sign, July 1991. Plaque shown right in 2015. With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

As time allows and I find or are sent further information or pictures regarding this pub I will be adding further information to this page. I am certainly interested in any old photographs you may have, or information regarding licensees names and years of service.

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

Above photo, circa 1910, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo circa 1960 showing members of the Depot Club outside the "Sovereign."

I am informed that the pub probably closed at the end of the 1990s but may have just seen the millennium.

Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette, Saturday 8 September 1866. St Augustine's Petty Sessions. Saturday. Annual Licensing Day. The county Magistrates renewed the publicans' spirit licence today. Applications were also heard for new licences, and, as well be seen by the following list, the majority of these were granted. Licences granted, W. Appleton, the "Sovereign," Sturry. Although they give the address of Sturry, I believe this is indeed the pub in Whitstable.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Friday 11 February 1983. Death of former pub landlord. Mr. Laurie Beadle, who with his wife Marjorie ran the "Sovereign Inn" in Victoria Street for 44 years, has died at the age of 77. Mr. Beadle of Windsor House, Belmont Road, Whitstable, will always be best remembered for the many happy years he put into life at the "Sovereign," but his own interests covered and even by the field. Chief among them was soccer, and during the last war and immediately following it was he was instrumental in keeping Whitstable Town Football Club afloat. During the war years he was the club's secretary and was made a life member shortly after. Among his other interests were golf and the local branch of the Freemasons. Mr. Beadle who retired from the pub 4 years ago, leaves a widow, Marjorie, and two grown up children, Michael and Sandra. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday at Barham Crematorium at 1 p.m. Flowers may be sent to the funeral directors, J. Kemp, of Harbour Street.

William Appleton jun is brother to Edward Appleton of the "King's Head."

The houses we see today at the end of Victoria Street were built in the 1890s. In 1901 47 Victoria was occupied by William Terry 31 years, a steam crane driver, presumably at the harbour. He was from Faversham and his wife was from Whitstable.

His neighbour at 49 was Albert Philpott 26 years Painter.

By 1911 the 2 houses were knocked into one and became the "Sovereign," being run by William Terry age 41 years, now a publican.

Christopher Richford say:- "One of my old builder acquaintances worked on the premises when it was converted back to housing and he described it as a very easy job of replacing that part of the partition wall which had been removed. I used to visit the pub in the 80s and remember the strange bar layout. Most of that part of the town was built at the turn of the 20th century. After WW1 to cure unemployment whole roads of houses were allowed to spring up as were roads such as the Thanet Way from Faversham to Margate.

The "Globe" also in Victoria Street would have been much earlier.

LICENSEE LIST

APPLETON W 1866+

APPLETON William jun 1874-81+ (age 44 in 1881)

FOREMAN Charlotte 1882+

KENNEDY Joseph 1889-91+ (age 66 in 1891)

TERRY William 1901-30+ (age 41 in 1911)

BEADLE Laurence 1935-79

POPPLEWELL Mary 1980s-96 (partner ran "Hare and Hounds", Blean.)

LEE Eamonn 1986-91 (son of Edmund Lee of the "Forester's Arms.")

https://pubwiki.co.uk/Sovereign.shtml

Census

From the Kelly's Directory 1903

From the Kelly's Directory 1924