Granville Inn 1910 - 1914

Folkestone Daily News 5-9-1912

Inquest

On Tuesday the Coroner (Mr. G.W. Haines) held an inquest upon the body of Frederick Robinson, who was found dead on the beach near the half-way house at four o`clock on Monday morning.

Frederick Skinner, the landlord of the Granville, 63, Dover Street, said he also was proprietor of a registered lodging house, 50 Dover Street. He identified the body as that of Frederick Robinson, who had been staying at 50, Dover Street for the last three weeks. Deceased stayed with witness last year. At the time he was advertising “The Midgets” at Payer`s Auction Rooms, and went round the town with a small pony and trap. During the last four days deceased assisted another man in selling music in the street. Deceased always paid for his room, with the exception of one night. The man that had the music left Folkestone on Sunday night. He left witness`s house at 7.45 in company with deceased. Deceased never came back. Deceased did not drink heavily; far from that. When deceased was staying with witness last year he was not in the habit of sleeping out. Witness had a lot of men at his lodging house who were at work on the Warren sea wall. Deceased showed no evidence of despondency.

Edgar Milton, 15, Fenchurch Street, a fisherman, said on Monday morning about 4.30, when near the half-way house (on the site of the mixed bathing) he saw the body of a man, which had apparently been in the water. The body was then at high water mark, and the tide had receded about twenty yards from him. High water was at 1.50. Witness then went and informed a coastguard. There was a sea wall close to where he found deceased, who was about eight yards from the base of the wall. Deceased`s head lay close to a large rock, of which there were several about.

DR. F.J. Lidderdale said: On Monday I saw the body of a man at the mortuary. He had been in the water. His chest was full of water. There were no marks of violence, except a small cut over the left eyebrow, caused after death by contact with the shingle, and small particles of shingle were adhering to the body. The man had been dead some hours, rigor mortis being well marked. The only marks on the body were “F.R.” in blue, about an inch long, in Roman capitals. All the symptoms were compatible with death by drowning.

P.C. Johnson said that shortly after 5 a.m. on Monday he proceeded with the ambulance to the beach, took the body to the mortuary, and handed it over to Mr. E. Chadwick.

E.J. Chadwick (Coroner`s Officer) said at 5.25 on Monday morning he received the body now viewed by the jury. The body was fully dressed. In the waist pocket were two common rings, one halfpenny, several studs, a number of timetables, and also a paper containing several names and addresses.

The Chief Constable interposed and said he had made enquiries through the Metropolitan Police, and at the addresses given on the paper produced. A Mrs. Field had written from Croydon. This lady at first thought it was her husband, who had travelled with midgets, but further enquiries had proved the deceased to be Frederick Robinson, of Derby.

The jury returned an open verdict of “Found drowned”.

Folkestone Express 7-9-1912

Inquest

On Monday morning, shortly after 5.30, Edgar Milton, a boatman, of 15, Fenchurch Street, found the body of a man at high water mark on the beach, near the Bathing Establishment Company`s west end grounds. The man was fully dressed. He was wearing a black serge suit, black socks, practically new laced boots, pink shirt with blue stripes, brown tie with diamond shaped spots, and a celluloid collar. His height was about 5ft. 10ins., and on his left forearm were the tattooed letters “F.R.” He had fair hair, cut short, moustache, and grey eyes. On one of his fingers he had a brass ring with a Masonic square and compasses, while in his pocket was found an old snuff box. There were no marks on the clothing, and no papers by which the man could be identified. The police were communicated with concerning the discovery, and later the body was conveyed to the mortuary.

The mystery as to the man`s identity was cleared up on Tuesday afternoon, when Mr. G.W. Haines (Borough Coroner) conducted an inquest at the Town hall on the body of Frederick Robinson.

Dr. Lidderdale said the previous day he saw the body of a man lying at the mortuary. He had apparently been in the water, and his chest was full of water. There were no marks of violence, except a cut above the left eye, which had evidently been caused by shingle after death. Some scratches on the left side of the scalp had evidently been caused by the same means. He had apparently been dead for some hours, as rigor mortis had set in. The only other thing he had noticed were the tattooed letters “F.R.” in Roman characters on the left forearm. All the symptoms were compatible with death having been caused through drowning.

Frederick Skinner, of the Granville Inn, 63, Dover Street, said he kept a registered lodging house at 50, Dover Street. He identified the body viewed by the jury as that of Frederick Robinson, who had been staying at his lodging house for the past three weeks. He was about 38 years of age. Deceased stayed with him last year, when he was advertising a show in the Tontine Street auction rooms, at which two midgets were on view. During the past few days he had been assisting a man in selling music in the street. Deceased had always been able to pay for his lodgings, except one night. The man with whom deceased had been working left Folkestone on Sunday night for London at about a quarter past seven. Deceased went away with him, and they seemed to be on the best of terms. He never saw Robinson afterwards. Deceased was not a teetotaller, but he did not drink heavily. He had not seen him under the influence of drink. On Sunday afternoon Robinson remained in the kitchen with a lot of other men who were employed on the sea wall in the Warren. Deceased did not seem despondent. He was not a quarrelsome man.

Edgar Milton, of 15, Fenchurch Street, said he was a fisherman. On Monday morning, about 4.30, opposite the Halfway House, he looked down on the beach near the west-end mixed bathing place, when he saw the body of a man lying on the beach. He had apparently been in the water, but he was at high water mark. The tide was twenty yards from him. High water was about 1.50 a.m. on Monday. He immediately gave information to the police. The man was fully dressed.  He was about seven or eight yards from the sea wall. P.C. Johnson came and took charge of the body.

P.C. Johnson said shortly after 5 a.m. on Monday, from what he was told by the previous witness, he went to the beach, where he found the body of a man lying at high water mark. He was dead, fully dressed, and a portion of the body was covered with beach. He placed the body on the ambulance, and assisted Mr. Chadwick, the Coroner`s Officer, to remove the body to the mortuary. There was no cap anywhere near.

Edwin John Chadwick, the Coroner`s Officer, said from information received from the Police Office by telephone, he went to the beach, where he assisted in the removal of the body to the mortuary. On searching the body he found two common rings in the pockets, a snuff box, a comb, several studs, a key, a piece of paper (on which were several names and addresses), and a halfpenny.

The Chief Constable (Mr. Reeve) handed in a letter, which he had received from a woman at 74, Morland Road, East Croydon. The writer of the letter stated that the description of the man given in the evening paper answered that of a man named Frederick Robinson, who had stayed at her house. She enclosed a photograph of the man and asked that it might be sent back to her.

Mr. Skinner looked at the photograph, and said it was that of the man, Frederick Robinson, whose body he had identified.

The Chief Constable, continuing, said he had telephoned to the Metropolitan Police, who had made enquiries, and it appeared from them that Frederick Robinson was 38 years of age, and had the letters “F.R.” tattooed upon his left forearm. His mother lived at Derby, and he had a brother working at the Derby Railway Station. The deceased left Derby three weeks ago to come to Folkestone. There was also a Yarmouth address found on the man, but the police there could not trace him at all. There was also another address given on a piece of paper, “Mrs. Field, Upper Street, Islington”. The Metropolitan Police had seen her, and she said she was satisfied the man was not her husband, as she had had a telegram from him that morning. The description given, however, was similar to that of a man who worked some time ago for her husband. He was known as Fred, and he came from Nottingham. Her husband exhibited midgets at seaside towns. He had no doubt that the deceased was Frederick Robinson.

The jury came to the conclusion that the body was that of Frederick Robinson, and they returned a verdict of “Found drowned”.

Folkestone Herald 7-9-1912

Inquest

At the Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon the Borough Coroner (Mr. G.W. Haines) conducted an inquest on the body of Frederick Robinson, whose body was found washed up on the beach.

Dr. F.J. Lidderdale stated that he saw the body of the deceased at the mortuary. It had been in the water, and the man`s chest was full of water. There were no signs of violence, with the exception of a few scratches above the eyebrows and side of the head, which had been sustained after death. They were probably caused by the shingle. The letters “F.R.” were roughly tattooed in blue on the left arm. Deceased had been dead several hours, and the eyes were shrunken. The symptoms of death pointed to drowning. Deceased had nothing in his hands, which were not clenched.

Mr. Fred Skinner, a lodging house keeper, residing at 63, Dover Street, said he identified the body as that of Frederick Robinson, aged 38, who lodged at 50, Dover Street. Deceased had been stopping there for about three weeks. He also stayed there last year, when he was engaged in advertising two midgets, who were on view in the auction rooms in Tontine Street. During the last few days he had been assisting a man selling music in the streets. He had always been able to pay for his lodgings, was of temperate habits, and never despondent. He and the man he was assisting left on Sunday night, and he had not seen deceased alive since. Deceased was on good terms with the man he left with.

Mr. Edgar Milton, a fisherman, of 15, Fenchurch Street, said he left home at about 4.30 on Monday morning. He took a walk along the Lower Sandgate Road, and went down to the front between the halfway house and the mixed bathing establishment. Looking over the groyne he saw the body of a man. It had apparently been in the water, and was lying at the high water mark. The tide had gone down about twenty yards. It was high water at about 1.50 that morning. He reported what he had seen to the coastguard, and later P.C. Johnson took charge of the body.

P.C. Johnson stated that from information received from the last witness he went with an ambulance to the beach, and found the body of a man at high water mark. It was partly covered with shingle. He conveyed the body to the mortuary. There was no cap or anything near the man.

Mr. E. Chadwick, Coroner`s Officer, said that from information received from the police office, he went to the mortuary, where he saw the body, which was fully dressed. Upon undressing it and searching the clothes he found two common rings, a halfpenny, a snuff box, a comb, several studs, and a key. There was also a piece of paper, on which were written several names and addresses.

The Chief Constable (Mr. H. Reeve) stated that one of the addresses, 74, Moreland Road, East Croydon, had been communicated with, and the answer stated that the description in the Evening News was similar to that of a man who had a snuff box and a tattoo on his left arm, and who left there a few weeks ago. Deceased had a brother living at 5, Derby Street, Derby, who was working at Derby Railway Station. He had left him three weeks ago to come to Folkestone, since when his brother had been unable to trace him. Another of the addresses was Mrs. Field, Upper Street, Islington. The Metropolitan Police had seen Mrs. Field, who was satisfied that deceased was not her husband. She had had a telegram from him from Yarmouth that morning. But the description tallied with that of a man who had worked for her husband some time ago. Her husband exhibited midgets at seaside places.

The jury returned a verdict of “Found drowned, but there is no evidence to prove how deceased came to be in the water”.