From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday, 28 August, 1847. Price 5d.
NOTICE
ALL Persons having any demands on the estate of the late Mr. ROGERS
STEPHEN COURT, of Dover, Wine Merchant, are requested to send the
particulars thereof to Mr. STEPHEN COURT, of Dover, Wine Merchant, &c.,
on or before the last day of October next, in order that the same may be
discharged.
By order of the Executors,
JOHN GOLDSMITH
SAMUEL MACKIE
Dover, September 10, 1847.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 26
December 1941.
THE SNARGATE STREET CAVES
Here is another jotting as to the much discussed origin of the caves know
known as "Barwick's" and the "Masonic," in Snargate Street. These names
have, of course only been applied during the last quarter of a century.
Earlier they were known as Court's Caves, because they belonged to the
once well known firm of wine merchants, Messrs. Court and Co. A plan of
these caves having been used by this firm was printed in an "Official
Illustrated Guide to the South-Eastern Railway," issued in 1863. As to the
earlier use and origin of these caves, there is a passage in "Ireland's
History of Kent" (dated 1829), which throws some light. It is as follows:-
"We are informed by Mr. Batchellor that Mr. Hight, in constructing the wine
vaults for Mr. Worthington, in Snargate Street, when excavating the ground
for a bonded vault, at about ten feet from their entrance discovered in the
fissures of the rock the beach that had been washed in by the force of the
waves; and, at a few feet farther from the entrance, masses of beach were
clearly discernible; affording convincing proof that the sea formerly washed
against the base of the cliffs in question."
The Mr. Worthington referred to would, no doubt have been one of the
proprietors, Messrs. B. and H. Worthington, of the "Ship" Hotel, which stood
on the site of Messrs. Bradley's stores, next to the old Southern Railway
Marine Office, adjacent to Northumberland House. In 1837, Mr. H. Worthington
had premises in Snargate Street, described as the "Eagle and Express Coach
Office." At present we cannot find a clue as to the date when the Mr. Hight
referred to by Mr. Batchellor constructed the above mantioned wine vaults in
Snargate Street, but we find that in 1837 there was still a Mr. F. Hight,
builder, living at 7, St. Jamess' Terrace, Dover. At this date, and earlier
still, Mr. R. S. Court was in business as a wine merchant in Snargate
Street, and it is, therefore, probably that the vaults constructed for Mr.
Worthington may have been an addition to a network of caves already in use
by Mr. Court.
The important point is emphasised by Ireland, namely, that the sea had
washed up with such force against the base of the cliffs as to force shingle
into deep fissures. In such a way caves would in time have been worn out by
the action of the waves. Subsequently, when the portion of Snargate Street
was reclaimed from the sea, such natural caves would have been enlarged and
utilised for storage by the inhabitants at varying times between now and the
15th century, when the reclamation of this part of Snargate Street is
believed to have been commenced.
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