Bird In The Hand, Cheriton, Unknown Site c1847 - 1869

Licensees
Richard Earle c1847 c1851 To Oddfellows Inn
George Keeler c1851 c1855 From Oddfellows Inn
Thomas Spicer c1855 c1861 Ex Black Bull, To Prince Albert
Charles Cornelius 1866 1869 

Canterbury Journal 25-3-1854

Assizes: George Stone, for uttering a counterfeit sovereign, well knowing the same to be counterfeit, and having at the same time other counterfeit coin in his possession, at Cheriton, on 1^st February. The prisoner is a soldier of the Foot Artillery. He went to the White Lion at Cheriton, kept by Mr. Collins, on the day named, and asked for a pint of porter. Mrs. Collins served him, and he then tendered something she supposed to be a sovereign and she returned him change. Prisoner said it was a good one, and he had just taken it from his pay sergeant. She kept it in her purse till her husband came home, and he found it was spurious. He gave information to the police at Folkestone, when Steers, the police superintendent there, apprehended the prisoner. He owned that he had changed a sovereign at the White Lion or Bird in Hand that morning. He took from his pocket five half crowns, two shillings and the piece now produced resembling the coin tendered. He said he did not know it was bad. Prisoner said in defence that he had received the coins in change. Five months` hard labour.

Maidstone Journal 28-3-1854

Assizes, Tuesday: George Stone, for uttering a counterfeit sovereign, well knowing the same to be counterfeit, and having at the same time other counterfeit coin in his possession, at Cheriton, on 1^st February. The prisoner is a soldier of the Foot Artillery. He went to the White Lion at Cheriton, kept by Mr. Collins, on the day named, and asked for a pint of porter. Mrs. Collins served him, and he then tendered something she supposed to be a sovereign and she returned him change. Prisoner said it was a good one, and he had just taken it from his pay sergeant. She kept it in paper in her purse till her husband came home, when he found it was spurious. He gave information to the police at Folkestone, when Steers, the police superintendent there, apprehended the prisoner about 11 a.m. at the Swan, Dover Road. He owned that he had changed a sovereign at the White Lion or Bird in Hand that morning. He took from his pocket five half crowns, two shillings and the piece now produced resembling the coin tendered. He said he did not know it was bad. He had received a £5 note from his pay sergeant about two days previously, which he had changed at the foot of London Bridge. Prisoner said this in defence and that he had received the coins in change. He told Mrs. Collins he was going to the Star, where the inspector found him. He had no witnesses, but produced a good character from his commanding officer. The coins were those well-known medals, having a man on a horse and “To Hanover” on the reverse. The learned Sergeant recommended the jury to confine their attention to the first count, charging him with putting off the piece knowing it to be false. Guilty on the first count. His Lordship, in passing sentence, said that he had a document before him which certainly gave the prisoner a good character, but it also said that the only money he received from the regiment was 11s. 4d., all in silver. Five months` hard labour. The change of the sovereign found on the prisoner was ordered to be handed over to Mr. Collins.

Note: Where was he found? Report is conflicting.

Southeastern Gazette 24-10-1854

Quarter Sessions.—These sessions were held on Monday, before James John Lonsdale, Esq.

Alice Hobday pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with breaking open, and stealing, from the dwelling-house of Peter Penfold, one silk dress, value 20s., 1 coburg dress, value 1s., and a shawl, value 5s., the property of Maria Kenyon. The prisoner, at the suggestion of the Recorder, withdrew her plea of guilty, and pleaded not guilty.

Maria Kenyon deposed that on the 17th August last she left her home, having shut all the windows, and, on her return, between two and three o’clock the next morning, the articles named in the indictment, which were hanging up behind the door in the bed-room, were gone. She left Edward Page in the house; he was a lodger. When she returned she found the back window open; the windows were so low that any one could get into the house from the ground.

Edward Page, musician, deposed that he was left in the house, but went out a few minutes after the last witness. Not feeling well, he returned home, and got in through the front window—no, the back window. He went out again, and returned with Peter Penfold, but did not recollect which way he went in, though it was by the door. Was sober; had been playing at the Bird-in-Hand; it was bout three o’clock in the morning.

William White, landlord of the Two Bells public-house, two doors from Peter Penfold’s house, deposed that on the 17^th August he saw the prisoner at the back of his house, between 8 and 9 o’clock in the evening; it was not quite dark. Saw her get over the gate at the back of the house, and then go round to the front of it. Shortly afterwards saw the prisoner pass with a bundle.

Edward Barry, police-constable, apprehended the prisoner about a mile from the town on the Cheriton Road. She had a bundle of clothes. Witness asked her where she got it from, and she said, “From Peter Penfold’s,” and that she was very sorry for what she had done.

The Recorder, in summing up, said that he adopted the course of examination of the witnesses, doubting whether the act of braking into the house could be sustained , thought that it could not, and should direct them to acquit her of the graver charge and find her guilty of larceny.

The jury returned a verdict accordingly.

There was a second indictment against the prisoner for obtaining, by false pretences, on the the 19th August, nine pair of shoes and boots, value 18s., of Mr. George Francis, of Sandgate.

From the evidence of the prosecutor it appeared that the prisoner obtained the goods, stating that they were for her sister, who was in service at Sandgate. As she did not return them, he informed the police.

James Steer, Superintendent of police, stated that vhen the prisoner was brought to the station-house, three pair of shoes were found in the dress which had been stolen from Peter Penfold, the prosecutor in the last case.

The prisoner, in her defence, stated that she did not intend to steal the shoes, but to go the next day and pay for a pair.

The jury, after some consideration, found her guilty.

The Recorder, in a feeling address to the prisoner (who was but 16 years of age), sentenced her to twelve months’ imprisonment for the first offence, the first fortnight solitary, and six months` for the second offence, the last fortnight solitary. 

Kentish Gazette 6-2-1866 

At the Magis­trates’ Clerk's Office, Hythe, on Friday (before Thomas Demie, Esq.), Joseph Jones, a private in the Scots Fusilier Guards, was charged with stealing a silver watch, of the value of 25s., the property of Walter Walker.

The prose­cutor lives at a beerhouse in Cheriton Street, kept by Mr. C. Cornelius, and on Sunday, the 28^th January, upon going to bed, he placed the watch in his waistcoat pocket, and then put the waistcoat into a box in his bedroom and locked it up. On the following Tuesday evening he was asked to look in his box, and he then missed the watch. The pri­soner was in the house at seven o’clock that evening. The next day Colour-Sergeant Thomas Phillips, of the Scots Fusilier Guards, having been informed of the robbery, and that the prisoner was suspected, searched the prisoner’s kit and found! the watch in his mess-kettle, wrapped up in some handkerchiefs. Information was given to the police, and the prisoner was apprehended. On being told the charge and that the watch had been found in his mess-­kettle, he said “he knew it was there; he was on the spree that night and got in the window of the house about nine o’clock, and saw a box in the bedroom. He opened it, and saw the chain of the watch, and then he thought he would have it.”  In reply to the usual caution the prisoner said that he was very sorry for what had happened. He found the things in his possession the next morning, and did not know how he came by them. He was the worse for drink the night before.

The Magistrates committed him fur trial at the next adjourned Quarter Sessions at Maidstone

Kentish Gazette 6-3-1866 

Adjourned Kent Quarter Sessions, Thursday: Second Court (Before J. Espinasse Esq.)

Joseph Jones, 26, soldier, pleaded Guilty to stealing at Cheriton, on the 30^th January, a silver watch, value £1 5s., the property of Walter Walker. Mr. Wright was instructed for the prosecution. Four months` hard labour.