SIR COLIN CAMPBELL Pubs of Walmer

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Walmer, September, 2021.

Page Updated:- Monday, 27 September, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1858

Sir Colin Campbell

6 June 1962

36 Campbell Road

Lower Walmer

Deal

Above photo taken in the 1980s, kindly sent by Susan Summers.

Above photo showing the advert at the back, taken in the 1980s, kindly sent by Susan Summers.

Above pictures taken from Google maps 2009. What looks like a beer hatch is actually just a widow into the cellar, the beer hatch was situated round the corner.

Built and opened in 1858 and named after Sir Colin Campbell, otherwise known as Lord Clyde, John S Holtrum took a 63-year lease from the Leith estate two years earlier in 1856.

The Leith Estate (Walmer Court) continued to be the land owners unto at least 1920.

The following has kindly been sent to me from Mark Frost, ex Senior Assistant Curator at Dover Museum, taken from deeds held at the museum.

In December 1857 the Leith Estate leased a parcel of land at Walmer to John Stephen Holtum of Walmer, builder, for 63 years at £255 p.a. ground rent. In 1858 Holtum erected a public house and two cottages on the site and called the pub The Sir Colin Campbell. At the same time he erected another pub on The Strand which he named The "Lord Clyde," after Colin Campbell’s peerage title. A hero of the Crimean War in 1854/56 and the Indian Mutiny in 1857/58, Campbell was raised to the peerage in August 1858.

15th October 1858 Holtum sold the new pub Sir Colin Campbell and two cottages to James Knight of Milstead, Kent, gentleman's servant, and his wife Rachel. They moved to the pub and ran it as owner-licensees. Knight purchased the property with help of a loan of £150 on 15th April 1859 from Holtum, the title deeds to the property acting as security. Holtum granted an extension for repayment to 15th October 1862 at 5%, interest to be paid yearly.

James Knight, licensed victualler of Walmer, died 24th March 1862, probate granted to widow Rachel Knight. She moved out and rented the pub to John Matthews. Two months later in May 1862 she gave Matthews a lease of the pub and two cottages for £700. However on 10th February 1863 Rachel and her brother-in-law, Francis Knight of Newnham, Kent, leased the pub and cottages to Morris Bowles Thompson of Walmer, brewer.

The Knights had also purchased The "Lord Clyde" pub in Walmer in 1858, which they leased out. John Wyborn and Andrew Gilehurst were the first tenants when they purchased the pub in 1858. When Knight died in 1862, their tenant at the "Lord Clyde" was William Romney, whom Rachel married on 28th April 1866. Rachel moved to the "Lord Clyde" and the Romneys signed a new 10-year lease of the Sir Colin Campbell to John Matthews from 11th October 1867. Again however, they signed a new 14 year lease to Morris Bowles Thompson of Walmer, brewer, for £40 per annum from 11th of October 1868. Thompson had sold Thompson’s Brewery to Matthews in 1867.

On 15th October 1869 the Romneys mortgaged the Sir Colin Campbell and cottages and the "Lord Clyde" to William Henry Solly, a sum of of £108.17.0 paid directly to Morris Bowles Thompson to repay a debt due to him by Romney and an additional sum of of £360 to the Romneys. On 8th February 1870 this last sum of £360 was transferred to a mortgage with Richard Joynes Emmerson.

In early 1878 the Romneys agreed to separate and end their marriage due to differences and to live apart, William to pay his wife £26 per annum. The Romney's moved out of the Sir Colin Campbell and a lease was signed, with Solly and Emmerson, to John Matthews again, on 1st May 1878 for £45 per annum.

On 9th February 1880 a deed of separation was signed between William Romney, now a coachman, and Rachel his wife, late Rachel Knight, widow.

William Romney died 2nd July 1882.

On 3rd April 1884 Rachel Romney of 2 Duke Street, Deal, sold to Thompson's Brewery of Walmer, the leasehold pub the Sir Colin Campbell for the remainder of the lease from the Leith Estates of 36 years, ground rent £2.5.0 p.a., for the sum of £700.

Many thank to Mark Frost for the above.

From the Kentish Chronicle, 12 January, 1861.

SANDWICH QUARTER SESSIONS.

The quarter sessions were held here on Thursday before John Deedes, Esq., Recorder. There were but two cases for trial.

John Moss, of Walmer, surrendered to his bail to answer the charge of stealing a cask, the property of M. B. Thompson, Esq., from the "Sir Colin Campbell" public house, at Walmer, on the 12th of November last, the particulars of which appeared in this journal at the time.

Moss pleaded not guilty, and was defended by Mr. Towne, of Ramsgate, with his usual ability.

The petty jury, after having retired for two hours, returned into court stating that they were all agreed to a verdict of guilty but one, when the judge told them that they must retire again until they did agree; but that they might qualify their verdict by finding Moss guilty of having received the cask with a knowledge of its having been stolen, to which they at once agreed.

Sentence:— Three months' imprisonment in Sandwich gaol with hard labour.

From the Deal, Walmer, and Sandwich Mercury, 7 August, 1869. 1d.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY

James Spander, a waterman, was charged with being drunk and disorderly on the previous day at Lower Walmer.

P.C. Ralph deposed: I am one of the K.C.C. Yesterday forenoon, about a quarter before ten, I was in the street and saw the prisoner in the crossroad leading from the beach to the "Sir Colin Campbell" public-house. He was drunk and made use of beastly language. I told him to go indoors and go to sleep, and said if he did not do so I should take him into custody. I then went indoors, but had hardly got in before I was sent for by the prisoner's family, who stated that he was smashing the windows of their house. I then went to the back road, and there found the prisoner fighting with his brother, who had been persuading him to go home. I then took him into custody, but he was very violent and threw some more stones at the windows. I then threw him down to get some handcuffs on, but after I had done so he took out his knife and swore he would cut my throat. I thereupon drew my staff and told him if he did not put the knife away I would knock him down. The knife was not opened, and I do not think he intended to put the threat into execution.

Prisoner said he had no questions to ask, as there had already been enough lied told. He admitted he was drunk.

Mr. Clarke said that from all accounts the prisoner's character was not very good. He had fallen into the hands of the law, and was a great fool for his trouble. He could not make such a disturbance and not be punished, however, and the Bench therefore fined him £110s. 6d., and the costs 9s. 6d. - in all £2.

The Magistrates inquired whether he had got any goods to distain upon?

A respectable looking woman, who said she was sister to the prisoner, said he had not without distressing five little children, and she hoped for their sakes the Bench would deal as lightly as possible with him.

Prisoner said he could pay the money in a week; but Mr. Clarke said after the row he had kicked up he should be allowed no time, and if the money was not paid by the time the next train went he would have to go to prison for 21 days, with hard labour.

The pub unfortunately closed on 6 June 1962 and changed into a fish and chip shop for some time before becoming the private house we see today.

Landowner. Leith Estates (Walmer Court) 1858 - 1920>

Pub leasehold

KNIGHT James & Rachel 1858-62

KNIGHT Rachel widow 1862-66

ROMNEY Romney & William 1866-78

ROMNEY Rachel (estranged wife) 1878-82

ROMNEY Rachel (widow) 1882-84

Thompson’s Brewery Walmer 1884-1920

Sub-leasehold

MATTHEWS John (Brewer of Anchor Brewery, Chelsea) 1862-72?

THOMPSON Morris Bowles 1863-67?