Updates

29th September, 2013: Folkestone Herald Reports for 1908 Added.

Chequers 1900s

Folkestone Daily News 20-6-1906

Wednesday, June 20^th: Before Messrs. Herbert, Leggett, and Pursey.

The licence of the Chequers Inn was transferred from J. Dorrell to Ernest Reeves

Folkestone Express 23-6-1906

Wednesday, June 20^th: Before W.G. Herbert Esq., Major Leggett, and C.J. Pursey Esq.

The Magistrates granted temporary authority to Ernest Reeves (sic) to sell at the Chequers Inn

Folkestone Herald 23-6-1906

Wednesday, June 20^th: Before Alderman W.G. Herbert, Mr. G.W. Pursey, and Major Leggett.

The licence of the Chequers Inn was temporarily transferred from John Dorrell to Ernest Reeves (sic).

Folkestone Daily News 11-7-1906

Before Messrs. Hamilton, Fynmore, and Linton.

Licence Transfer

The Chequers from J.C. Dorrell to E. Reeve.

Folkestone Express 14-7-1906

Wednesday, July 11^th: Before Lieut. Col. Fynmore, Alderman Vaughan, and R.J. Linton Esq.

This being the day fixed for the special licensing sessions, the following licence was transferred: The Chequers Inn, from Mr. J.G. Dorrell to Mr. E. Reeves

Folkestone Herald 14-7-1906

Wednesday, July 11^th: Before Councillor R.J. Fynmore, Lieut. Colonel Hamilton, and Mr. Linton.

Licence was transferred as follows: The Chequers Inn, from Mr. J.G. Dorrell to Mr. E. Reeve.

Folkestone Daily News 5-2-1907

Annual Licensing Sessions

Tuesday, February 5^th: Before Messrs. Ward, Hamilton, Linton, Fynmore, Herbert, Pursey, and Carpenter. Mr. Stainer, Mr. Wells, and Mr. Boyd, the two latter being the new Magistrates, occupied seats on the Bench, but did not adjudicate.

The Chief Constable read his report as to the number of houses and convictions, which showed a decrease last year. He recommended that the Bench should still continue to take advantage of the Act and refer some of the licences to the Compensation Committee at the Canterbury Quarter Sessions. He then went on to say that although he did not oppose the renewal of any licences on the ground of misconduct, there had been five convictions during the last year, and he had had to warn one licence holder against allowing betting and taking in slips. He also wished to caution all licence holders that these practices would not be allowed on any occasion, and after giving this public warning he should take steps to detect and prosecute for any such offences.

The Chairman, before commencing, stated that the Licensing Bench had visited a large number of houses, and they had seen in various places automatic machines, into which people put pennies, and in some instances got their penny back or a cigar, &c. The having of these machines was practically permitting gambling, and it had been decided that they were illegal. Every licence hiolder must understand that they were to be immediately removed, otherwise they would be prosecuted for having them. As regards the automatic musical boxes, gramophones, &c., if licensed victuallers had them on their premises, they were to be used in such a way as not to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood, and if complaints were made they would have to be removed.

The renewal licences for the Black Bull Hotel, the Railway Inn, the Chequers, Queen`s Head, Channel Inn, Alexandra Tavern, Perseverance, and Railway Hotel at Shorncliffe, were adjourned  till the 4^th March, some on account of convictions, and some for the consideration of closing them under the Licensing Act. The other applications were granted, a full report of which will appear in our next issue.

 

Folkestone Express 9-2-1907

Annual Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, February 6^th: Before E.T. Ward Esq., W.G. Herbert, R.J. Linton, C.J. Pursey and W.C. Carpenter Esqs., Lieut. Col. Fynmore, and Lieut. Col. Hamilton.

The Chief Constable read his report as follows:

Chief Constable`s Office, Folkestone, 6^th February, 1907.

Gentlemen, I have the honour to report that there are at present within your jurisdiction 128 places licensed for the sale by retail of intoxicating liquors, viz.:- Full licences, 80; beer “on”, 9; beer “off”, 6; beer and spirit dealers, 14; grocers, 12; chemists, 4; confectioners, 3; total 128. This gives an average, according to the census of 1901, of one licence to every 239 persons, or one “on” licence to every 344 persons. This is a reduction of 8 licences as compared with the return presented to you last year, as the renewal of 3 “off” licences was not applied for at the last annual licensing meeting, and at the adjourned licensing meeting the renewal of one full licence was refused on the ground that the premises had been ill-conducted, and four other full licences were referred to the Compensation Committee for East Kent on the ground of redundancy. These four licences were subsequently refused by the Compensation Committee, and after payment of compensation, the premises were closed on 31^st December last. Since the last annual licensing meeting 22 of the licences have been transferred, viz:- Full licences, 15; beer “on”, 5; off licences, 2; total 22. During the year three occasional licences have been granted by the justices for the sale of intoxicating liquors on premises not ordinarily licensed for such sale, and thirty extensions of the ordinary time of closing have been granted to licence holders when balls, dinners, etc., were being held on their premises. During the year ended 31^st December last, 131 persons (106 males and 25 females) were proceeded against for drunkenness. 114 were convicted and 17 discharged. This, it is most satisfactory to find, is a decrease of no less than 52 persons proceeded against as compared with the preceding year, when 164 were convicted and 19 discharged. Six of the licence holders have been proceeded against, and five of them convicted, for the following offences: Selling adulterated whiskey, 1; permitting drunkenness, 1; delivering beer to a child in unsealed vessels, 2; supplying drink to a constable when on duty, 1; total, 5. In the latter case notice of appeal against the conviction has been given by the licensee. Eleven clubs where intoxicating liquor is sold are registered in accordance with the Act of 1902. There are 16 places licensed for music and dancing, and two for public billiard playing. I offer no objection to the renewal of any of the present licences on the ground of misconduct, the houses generally having been conducted during the past year in a satisfactory manner, but on one occasion one of the licence holders was cautioned (as the evidence was insufficient to justify a prosecution) for receiving slips and money relating to betting, which practice he immediately discontinued, bit I desire to intimate to all the licence holders that if in future any such practice is allowed, or any illegal gaming whatever is permitted on their premises, I shall take such steps as may be necessary to detect and prosecute the offenders. I beg to submit a plan showing the situation of all “on” licensed premises within the congested area, which I have marked on the plan, and would respectfully suggest that the Committee again avail themselves of the powers given by the Licensing Act, 1904, and refer the renewal of some of the licences within this area to the Compensation Committee to deal with under the Act. Within this area there are 920 houses, with a population approximately of 4,600, with 37 “on” licensed houses and 8 other licences, giving a proportion of one licence to every 20 houses or every 102 persons, and one “on” licence to every 24 houses or every 124 persons. This number of licences I consider excessive for the requirements of the neighbourhood. I have received notices from eight persons of their intention to apply at these sessions for the following new licences, viz.,:- Full licence 1; beer off 1; cider and sweets off 1; wine off 3; music, etc., 2; total 8.

I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, H. Reeve, Chief Constable.

The Chairman said the report seemed to be highly satisfactory. The Magistrates were very pleased to see the diminution in the number of cases of drunkenness brought before the Bench. One point about the report he wanted to make a remark upon, and that was the prevalence of gaming in public houses. In several houses the Committee visited they saw automatic machines, in which customers placed pennies and pulled a trigger. Occasionally they got something out for their pennies. That was gaming. It had been decided to be illegal, and they warned all licence holders that they would be watched, and that the machines would not be allowed, and proceedings would be taken against the offending publicans, whose licences would be jeopardised next year. There was one other point of a similar nature with regard to musical instruments, which were reported to be a great nuisance. They warned all licence holders to be careful not to create a nuisance with those pianos and other instruments, which were now very common indeed in public houses.

The following houses were ordered to be opposed as not required: The Channel Inn, High Street; the Queen`s Head, Beach Street; the Railway Tavern (sic), Beach Street; the Chequers, Seagate Street; and the Perseverance, Dover Street.

Folkestone Herald 9-2-1907

Annual Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, February 6^th: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Alderman W.G. Herbert, Lieut. Colonel Hamilton, Major Leggett, Councillor W.C. Carpenter, and Messrs. R.J. Fynmore, R.J. Linton, and C.J. Pursey

The Chief Constable presented his annual report (for details see Folkestone Express report).

The Chairman: The report seems to be very satisfactory, and we are very glad to see the diminution in the number of cases of drunkenness brought before the Bench. One point about the report I should like to make a remark upon, and that is about gambling in public houses. In every house we have visited we saw automatic machines in which you put a penny, pulled a trigger, and occasionally you get something out, either your penny back, or a card for a cigar. That is gaming, and it has been decided as illegal, and we warn all licence holders who have these machines that they must be removed or otherwise proceedings will be taken against them for gaming, and their licences may be in jeopardy next year. There is another thing. In the same way, with regard to these musical instruments, which have been reported to the Bench as a great nuisance, we warn all the licence holders to be careful, and not create nuisances with these machines.

The licences of the Channel, High Street, the Queen`s Head, Beach Street, the Railway Inn, Beach Street, the Chequers, Seagate Street, and the Perseverance, Dover Street, were not renewed, notice of opposition being given on the ground of redundancy.

Folkestone Daily News 4-3-1907

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

Monday, March 4^th: Before Messrs. Ward, Fynmore, Linton, Boyd, Herbert, Pursey, Carpenter, Leggett, and Hamilton.

There were seven licences to be considered: The Black Bull, Railway Tavern (sic), Railway Hotel, Perseverance, Chequers, Channel Inn, and Queen`s Head.

The Chequers Inn

Mr. Rutley Mowll appeared for the brewers, Messrs. Leney and Co., and also for the tenant.

The Chief Constable recited the facts, which were similar to the previous cases. Mr. Mowll admitted the notices, &c. There were 24 houses within a radius of 150 yards, and 30 houses within 300 yards.

Cross-examined by Mr. Mowll: There was no complaint against the house, and there had been four tenants in 26 years.

Mr. Mowll asked to be allowed to put the trade figures in to the Bench without the same being made public. Other Benches of Magistrates had acceded to that request, and it had been adopted a few days since at the Augustine`s Licensing Sessions.

Mr. De Wet supported the application.

The Bench would not accede.

Alfred Charles Leney, Chairman of Leney and Co. Ltd., deposed that the figures of the trade were as follows:- 1897, 283 barrels; 1898, 301 barrels; 1899, 324 barrels; 1900, 322 barrels; 1901, 323 barrels; 1902, 315 barrels; 1903, 326 barrels; 1904, 291 barrels; 1905, 281 barrels, and 1906, 272 barrels. They were the owners of the Cinque Ports Arms that was recently taken away from them.

Cross-examined by the Chief Constable: There was a falling off of 46 barrels per year. They owned five other houses. He thought there was a redundancy.

Re-examined by Mr. Mowll: The house had been licensed 114 years.

Ernest Reeve deposed that he paid £187 to go in. He was making a good living. The spirit book showed 120 gallons per year, besides the beer sold since July, also 2,500 packets of cigarettes, 50 lbs. of tobacco, 1,800 cigars, 220 gallons of ginger beer, and 80 doz. minerals. He had a slate club attraction to the house, with ninety members, sixty actual members. He employed a barman, and had a difficulty to compete with the trade.

The house was open at six o`clock in the morning for the convenience of the public. The licence was 114 years old, and old licences should not be interfered with.

The Bench referred it to Canterbury.

Folkestone Express 9-3-1907

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

The adjourned licensing sessions were held on Monday at the Police Court, when the principal business to be considered was whether or not the five licences should be referred to the East Kent Licensing Committee for compensation. The Licensing Justices on the Bench were E.T. Ward Esq., Lieut. Col. Fynmore, Lieut. Col. Hamilton, W.G. Herbert, C.J. Pursey, R.J. Linton and W.C. Carpenter Esqs., while other justices present were Major Leggett, Mr. G. Boyd, and Mr. J. Stainer.

After the adjournment, the opposition to the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, was taken.

Mr. Mowll appeared on behalf of the tenant and landlord.

The Chief Constable put in the plan and figures of the congested area, and also the notice of objection to the licence on the ground that it was not needed for the requirements of the neighbourhood. Continuing, he said the present licensee was Ernest Reeves, who obtained the transfer on July 11^th last. The registered owners were Messrs. Leney and Company, of Dover, and the rateable value was £28. It was next door to the South Foreland, the rateable value of which was £72. There were only four houses altogether in Seagate Street, one side of which was a blank wall, and two of those houses were fully licensed houses. The premises were old and low-pitched. Within a radius of 150 yards there were 24 other on licensed houses. Within 200 yards there were 30 licensed houses. The trade appeared to be chiefly with men employed on or about the Harbour. In his opinion the licence was unnecessary, and he considered there would be ample accommodation in the remaining houses.

Cross-examined, he said he had never had any complaints about the house at all. The present tenant was the fourth in twenty six years.

Det. Sergt. Burniston also gave it as his opinion that the licence was unnecessary for the requirements of the neighbourhood, and he did not think it would be any inconvenience to the present customers if that licence was taken away.

Mr. Mowll, who was supported by Mr. De Wet in his efforts, attempted to get the Magistrates to accept a written statement with respect to the trade done at the house, but the Magistrates held that it should be given in the same way as other evidence.

Alfred Charles Leney, the chairman of Messrs. Leney and Co., said the amount of beer, including bottled beer, supplied by his firm in 1897 was 283 barrels; in 1898, 304; in1899, 324; in 1900, 322; in 1901, 323; in 1902, 315; in 1903, 326; in 1904, 291; in 1905, 281; in 1906, 272, which gave an average of 304 barrels. He gave as his reason for the falling off in the trade during the past three years the general depression in the town.

Ernest Reeves, the licensee of the house, said he paid something like £187 to go into the house. He was making a very good living there. During the last year, according to the spirit book, 120 gallons of spirit were sold in the house. He had a considerable trade in cigarettes, having sold 2,500 packets. He had also sold 1,800 cigars, 50 lbs. of tobacco, 222 gallons of ginger beer, and 80 dozen of other minerals. He ran a slate club in connection with the house, and there were about sixty members.

Mr. Mowll made a strong appeal to the Justices to allow the licence, and gave as his reasons that the house had been in existence 114 years, and also the heavy call it would make on the compensation fund if it was refused.

The Justices, however, decided to refer the Chequers Inn to the Licensing Committee.

Folkestone Herald 9-3-1907

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

Monday, March 4^th: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Alderman W.G. Herbert, Lieut. Colonel Hamilton, Councillors W.C. Carpenter and G. Boyd, and Messrs. R.J. Fynmore, C.J. Pursey, R.J. Linton, and J. Stainer.

The Chequers

The next case to be taken was that of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street. Mr. Rutley Mowll appeared for the owners and tenant.

The Chief Constable put in the notice, which said that the opposition was tendered on the ground that the house was not needed. The present licensee was Ernest Reeves, who obtained a transfer on the 11^th July, 1906. The owners were Messrs. Leney and Co., Dover, and the rateable value was £28 a year. Seagate Street ran from the bottom of Dover Street to Beach Street. There were only four houses in Seagate Street, and they were on one side. Two of the four houses were fully licensed public houses, viz., the Chequers and the South Foreland. There were two entrances to the house in Seagate Street, one to a front bar and the other into a passage, which led into the tap room. There was also a right of way through the yard into Beach Street. The premises were old and low pitched. The rateable value of the house adjoining was £72. Witnin a radius of 150 yards there were 24 other on licensed houses, within 200 yards radius there were altogether 30 houses licensed. The trade appeared to be chiefly with men employed in and about the harbour. In his opinion the licence was unnecessary, as there would be ample accommodation in the remaining houses.

Cross-examined by Mr. Mowll: He had not had a word of complaint as to the conduct of the house. There had been four tenants in the last 26 years. The South Foreland had a similar class of customer to the Chequers, though it could accommodate both classes. He thought one house could do the trade of both houses. He did not know that there was a slate club at the house.

Detective Sergeant Burniston gave it as his opinion that the licence was unnecessary.

Mr. Mowll asked to be allowed to give the amount of trade for ten years to the Bench on paper. He did so because it was objectionable that a tenant should have to disclose the trade that he was doing. He had prepared a statement of barrelage, which Mr. Alfred Leney would be prepared to swear as correct.

Mr. De Wet, representing an opposition firm of brewers, supported the application of Mr. Mowll, declaring that he intended to make it in the next case.

The Bench, however, declined to accede to the request.

Mr. Alfred Charles Leney, Chairman of Messrs. Leney and Co., said the house was their property, and he supplied everything in the way of beers. In 1897 there were 283 barrels sold at this house; 1898, 304 barrels; 1899, 324 barrels; 1900, 322 barrels; 1901, 323 barrels; 1902, 315 barrels; 1903, 326 barrels; 1904, 291 barrels; 1905, 281 barrels; 1906, 272 barrels. That gave an average of 304 barrels, or nearly 6 barrels a week for ten years. Witness`s firm were the owners of the house, the Cinque Ports Arms, next door, which was taken away because it was next door to the Chequers. (Laughter)

Cross-examined: According to the statement, there was a falling-off of 46 barrels in ten years. In the same time ten houses had been closed in that area. He thought there was a redundancy of houses in that district.

Re-examined: He considered the house one of the best in the neighbourhood. It was licensed 114 years back. If the licence was taken away the trade would not go to one of his other houses, as there were none very near.

Mr. Ernest Reeves, the licensee, said he paid £187 to go into the house. He depended entirely on the house for his living, which was a very good one. The trade in spirits for the house, as shown by the spirit book, was 120 gallons. He had sold 2,500 packets of cigarettes from July to February, and 1,800 cigars, as well as 50 lbs. of tobacco in the same period. He had also sold 220 gallons of ginger beer, and 80 dozen minerals. Mail boatmen and better class working men patronised his house. He made a rule of opening at 6 a.m. in order to supply men coming off duty. He had a slate club associated with the house, and there were 90 names.

Mr. Mowll: Don`t 90 pay?

Witness: About 60 pay.

Mr. Mowll: I suppose the others are honorary members, then? (Laughter)

Witness, continuing, added that he had to employ a barman.

Mr. Mowll, addressing the Bench, said the house was doing the best trade of any house, the licence of which had been questioned, and with which he had anything to do.

The Bench decided to refer the case to the East Kent Committee.

Folkestone Express 26-9-1908

Wednesday, September 23^rd: Before Alderman Vaughan, Lieut. Colonel Fynmore, and Mr. H.J. Wells.

The licence of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, was temporarily transferred from Mr. Reeves to Mr. Howlett.

Folkestone Herald 26-9-1908

Wednesday, September 23^rd: Before Alderman Spurgen, Lieut. Col. R.J. Fynmore, and Mr. H.G. Wells.

The licence of the Chequers Inn was transferred temporarily from Mr. Reeve to Mr. Howlett.

Folkestone Herald 5-12-1908

Wednesday, December 2^nd: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Lieut. Colonel Fynmore, Messrs. G.I. Swoffer, R.J. Linton, J. Stainer and G. Boyd.

The transfer of the licence of the Chequers Inn was granted.