Chequers 1915 - 1919

Folkestone Express 21-8-1915

Obituary

We regret to say that Mrs. Howlett, wife of Mr. W. Howlett, of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, Folkestone, passed away on August 11^th at 28, Bloomsbury Rod, Ramsgate. The deceased, who was 50 years of age, had only been ill a few days, and the end came very suddenly. She had only been at Ramsgate two days prior to her death.

Folkestone Express 13-1-1917

Local News

Yesterday (Thursday) Mr. Walter Howlett, the landlord of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, was found lying dead on the floor of his bedroom. The deceased had been ill for some time.

Folkestone Express 10-2-1917

Annual Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, February 7^th: Before E.T. Ward, G.I. Swoffer, R.J. Linton, G. Boyd, H. Kirke, and J.J. Giles Esqs., and the Rev. Epworth Thompson.

Mr. H. Reeve read his annual report as follows: Gentlemen, I have the honour to report that there are within your jurisdiction 115 places licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor by retail, viz; Full licences 71, Beer on 7. Beer off 5, Beer and spirit dealers 15, Grocers etc., off 7, Confectioners, wine, on 3. Chemists, wine, off 6, Total 115. This gives an average, according to the census of 1911, of one licence to every 291 persons, or one on licence to every 429 persons. This is the same number of licensed premises as were in existence last year.

At the adjourned licensing meeting, held on 6^th March last, the licence of the Clarence Inn, Dover Road, was referred to the Compensation Committee on the ground of redundancy, and at the principal meeting of that Committee held at Canterbury on 21^st June, the renewal of the licence was refused. The question as to the amount of compensation to be paid was referred to the Inland Revenue Authorities, and has not at present been determined, consequently a provisional renewal of the licence will be applied for. During the past year five of the licences have been transferred.

For the year ended 31^st December last 55 persons (28 males and 27 females) were proceeded against for drunkenness, of whom 32 were convicted and 23 discharged without conviction. Of the persons proceeded against 17 were residents of the Borough, 9 members of the Naval and Military Forces, 13 persons of no fixed abode and 16 residents of other districts. In the preceding year 174 persons (109 males and 65 females) were proceeded against, of whom 129 were convicted and 45 discharged.

Proceedings have been taken during the year against 14 of the licence holders for various offences, 7 of whom were convicted and 7 dismissed. The following are the cases in which convictions have been recorded, viz; 9^th March, the licensee of the Guildhall Hotel was fined £1 for a breach of the “No Treating” Order; 24^th March, the licensee of the Mechanics Arms Inn was fined £1 for allowing a child under 14 years to be in the bar of his licensed premises; 23^rd June, the licensee of the Chequers Inn was fined £1 for dispatching intoxicating liquor from his licensed premises without a licence; 30^th June, the licensee of the Morehall Wine Stores was fined £1 for dispatching intoxicating liquor from his licensed premises without the same having been previously paid for; 30^th June, the licencee of 27 Rendezvous Street (off licence) was fined £1 for a similar offence; 1^st December, the licensee of the London and Paris Hotel was fined £5 for a breach of the No Treating Order; 1^st December, the licensee of the Pavilion Shades was fined £5 for a similar offence.

Nine clubs where intoxicating liquor is supplied are registered under the Act. There are 16 places licensed for music and dancing, 7 for music only, and 1 for public billiard playing.

The Order of the Liquor Control Board which came into operation on 10^th January last year, restricting the hours of sale and supply of intoxicating liquor to 4½ hours each weekday and 4 hours on Sunday remains in force, and in my opinion is mainly the cause of the decrease in the cases of drunkenness recorded.

Under Regulation 10 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, Orders have been made by the Competent Military Authority, and are still in force, closing 3 of the licensed houses to all members of H.M. Forces. The houses are the Jubilee Inn, Radnor Street, the Wonder Tavern, Beach Street, and the True Briton, Harbour Street.

The Chairman said with regard to the report the number of convictions was very satisfactory. Mr. Reeve said in his opinion that was due to the restricted hours. He (Mr. Ward) was sorry to see so many convictions of publicans – seven – which was a greater number than he remembered in any year. There was no doubt that publicans were faced with very great difficulties with so many restrictions placed upon them. He urged upon them the necessity of being very careful not to serve any wounded soldiers, or any soldiers waiting embarkation. There were very heavy penalties laid down for offences of such a nature – imprisonment for six weeks or £100 fine. He hoped all of them would be very careful. All the licences would be renewed with the exception of the seven against which convictions had been recorded, but those seven licences would be granted until the adjourned sessions in a month`s time.

The Clerk (Mr. J. Andrew) said with regard to the premises licensed for music and dancing the Magistrates had made new regulations. In future no structural alterations should be made in the licensed premises, and no alterations should be made in the stage, gangways, passageway or exits without the previous approval of the justices, and such gangways should be kept free from chairs or other obstruction during the hours of public entertainment, and all performances should be of an unobjectionable character, and good order and decent behaviour should be kept and maintained on the premises during the hours of licence.

Folkestone Herald 10-2-1917

Annual Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, February 6^th: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Mr. G.I. Swoffer, Mr. R.J. Linton, Mr. G. Boyd, Mr. J.J. Giles, Mr. H. Kirke, and the Rev. H. Epworth Thompson.

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

The Chairman said he was sorry to see so many convictions of publicans, the greatest number he had seen for years. No doubt the difficulties of publicans were great owing to abnormal times. He would advise them to be very careful not to serve wounded soldiers or those who were soldiers about to embark. In regard to the licences, they would all be renewed, with the exception of seven, which would be considered at the adjourned sessions on March 7^th.

Folkestone Express 17-2-1917

Local News

The licence of the Chequers Inn was, on Tuesday, at the Folkestone Police Court, temporarily transferred from the late Mr. Howlett to Mr. Nash, who for some years was at the Pavilion Shades.

Folkestone Herald 17-2-1917

Local News

At the Folkestone Petty Sessions on Tuesday, Mr. G.I. Swoffer presiding, a temporary transfer of the licence of the Chequers, Seagate Street, was granted to Mr. W.H. Nash.

Folkestone Express 3-3-1917

Local News

The Magistrates on Wednesday transferred the Chequers from the late Mr. Howlett to Mr. W. Nash.

Folkestone Express 10-3-1917

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

The Folkestone adjourned licensing sessions were held on Wednesday, Mr. E.T. Ward presiding on the Bench, when the licences of the Guildhall, the Mechanics Arms, the London and Paris Hotel, the Chequers, the Pavilion Shades, the Morehall Wine Stores, and Finn`s Store, Rendezvous Street, were renewed.

Folkestone Herald 10-3-1917

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, March 6^th: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Lieut. Col. R.J. Fynmore, Mr. G.I. Swoffer, and Mr. H. Kirke.

The licences of the Pavilion Shades (Mr. E. Bishopp), the Mechanics Arms (Mr. J. Lawrence), Paris Hotel (Mr. G. Gray), Guildhall Vaults (Mr. Cousins), and those of Mr. J. Kent (Morehall), and Messrs. Finn and Co. Ltd. (Rendezvous Street) were renewed.

The licences of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, the Red Cow, Foord, and Royal Oak, North Street, were respectively transferred Mr. Bert Nash, Mr. W. Collard, and Mr. H.W. Baldock.

The Chairman, addressing the licensees, impressed upon them the great necessity of taking the greatest care in the conduct of their businesses, whilst at the same time acknowledging their difficulties.

Folkestone Herald 8-12-1917

Obituary

We regret to record the death, at the age of 48, of Mr. W.E. Nash, of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street. He had been in indifferent health for some time. For many years he was in the employ of the late Mr. James Peden, and was formerly landlord of the Pavilion Shades. Whilst living at Wootton he met with a severe accident, from the effects of which he never properly recovered. Possessed of a genial manner, he had a host of friends. The funeral took place at the Cemetery on Wednesday.

Folkestone Express 5-1-1918

Local News

On Wednesday at the Police Court, Mr. H. Dunn, a deep sea pilot, applied for the transfer of the licence of the Chequers from the late Mr. Nash to himself. Mr. Reeve, the Chief Constable, said Mr. Dunn had been on torpedoed vessels two or three times. Mr. Andrew said the applicant told him that the Germans could not sink him. The application was granted.

Folkestone Herald 5-1-1918

Local News

The Folkestone Magistrates on Wednesday authorised the transfer of the licence of the Chequers Inn, Seagate Street, from the widow of the late Berte Nash to Mr. Harry Dunn, a former Channel pilot.

Folkestone Herald 2-3-1918

Local News

A Herald representative, having occasion to interview Mr. Harry Dunn, the new proprietor of the Chequers Inn, in Seagate Street, noticed a remarkable painted fireplace of great width and depth in the bar of the old-fashioned hostelry. It had been painted over repeatedly, and from a cursory glance, one would think the structure to be of wood. So impressed was our representative with the appearance of the fireplace that he communicated at once with Mr. W.H. Elgar, a well-known antiquarian, whose sketches of old churches and buildings appear from time to time in the Herald. Mr. Elgar, accompanied by our representative, visited the Chequers, and at once pronounced the mantelpiece to be a fine Tudor specimen. It is of stone, and in moderately good preservation.

This mantelpiece has stood there unnoticed for some hundreds of years. Mr. Elgar in due course will make a further investigation. With its extraordinary oak beams (many encased) in low ceiled rooms, the Chequers is looked upon by its owner as one of the oldest buildings in “Old Folkestone”. It is an interesting fact that it was here in “pre-railway” days that the coaches started for and arrived from London. Skipper Dunn has come to anchor here after many years piloting in the Channel and other places. He has weathered many a storm, and is still bluff, hale and hearty. The discovery that the mantelpiece belongs to the Tudor period has delighted him immensely. The property belongs to Messrs. Leney and Co., of Dover.