Honest Lawyer 1930s

Landlord Ernest Jeffrey. Credit Brenda Gilbert

Folkestone Herald 21-3-1931

Felix

Now don`t, kind reader, put the blame on my humble self, but rather accord it to my Selsted correspondent. He has opened up a wide and interesting subject. However, there are so many other matters that need my attention that necessity calls here for brevity. In Folkestone we have little novelty to note in regard to signs, except it be The Honest Lawyer. This is associated with a small inn situate in Bellevue Street. Modern Folkestone knows it not, but amongst the elder inhabitants the unpretentious establishment is known. How it came by the designation Honest Lawyer is somewhat of a puzzle. Indeed it is very much so. Why single out the lawyer more than members of any other profession? Why not, for example, the Honest Dairyman, who shudders at the sight of water? Why not Honest Butcher, who keeps a strict eye on the justice of his scales, and who is careful to apportion the right quantity of bone or fat with the family joint? Why not the Honest Greengrocer, who, if he could, would offer cherries without stones, or apples without pips? Why not the Honest Fishmonger, who is always endeavouring to supply fish fresh from the Channel, together with those “dried haddocks” that have no relation to a codfish? Why not the Honest Tailor, who knows not shoddy? Why not the Honest Baker, who provides us with our unadulterated daily bread? How many years have passed since the Honest Lawyer appeared in steep Bellevue Street I know not, but from all I can gather the sign did not, or does not, have any local application. It is to be met with in other parts of England. However this may be, I repeat it is a somewhat remarkable thing to single out the lawyer as being honest. Why, even if his inclination was not that way, he is bound round with the red tape he uses so freely himself. Are not all or nearly all his actions governed by the Law Society? Are not his fees legally fixed for him? And even then, if there should be a dispute, his customers, or rather clients, are protected by the Taxing Master. Why, of course lawyers are honest. They cannot help themselves.

Folkestone Express 2-4-1932

Inquest

A verdict of “Suicide while of unsound mind” was returned at an inquest held at the Town Hall on Tuesday on Sidney Spencer Reid, aged 71, who was found dead in a sitting room at the Honest Lawyer on Saturday, where he lodged. A cardigan enveloped his head and he held a length of gas tubing in his hand, the other end of which was fixed to a gas tap.

P.C. Pay said that on Saturday at 8 a.m. he went to the Honest Lawyer, and in the sitting room he saw a man sitting in a chair. The doctor had just left and the man was dead. He was fully dressed and a gas piping was fixed to the main gas tap on the floor and the other end was in the dead man`s hand. There was a note on the floor.

Dr. H. Dodgson said he visited the house at 7.50 a.m. In the sitting room on the first floor the deceased was sitting in an armchair, and it was obvious to him that the man had been dead for three or four hours. His head was enveloped in a cardigan. The cause of death was due to gas poisoning.

Mrs. Charlotte Hubbard, a widow residing at the Honest Lawyer, Belle Vue Street, said the deceased was formerly employed at the Folkestone Gas Works. He was 71 years of age. He left work in November last and seemed rather depressed since. Deceased occupied two rooms. On Friday evening when he retired he seemed quite normal. Recently he had complained of pains in the head and he had said that he felt as if he might fall down. Ernest Edward Jeffrey, her son-in-law, had lived at the house for 27 years. She had always understood that the deceased and her son-in-law were the best of friends. On Saturday morning between 7 and 8 a.m. her son-in-law came into her bedroom, and as a result of what he told her she went into the sitting room and saw the deceased sitting in a chair with a cardigan round his head.

Winifred Fry, employed at the Honest Lawyer, said that about 7.30 a.m. on Saturday she went to deceased`s bedroom to take him a cup of tea. She found that he was not in his room and she went to the sitting room. She saw the deceased sitting in a chair. There was only a slight smell of gas in the room.

Ernest Spencer Jeffrey said he had resided with his mother-in-law at the Honest Lawyer for 27 years. He had known deceased for eleven years. He was friendly with deceased.

The Coroner: You have read the note which was found at his side?

Witness: Yes.

The contents of the note do not seem to be friendly? – He had led Mrs. Hubbard to believe that he had a lot of money and I did not believe him and told him so.

He paid his rent? – Oh, yes. Since he left he Gas Works he had been living on the old age pension. When I left him on Friday night we were the best of friends.

The Coroner said he did not intend to read the note in full. It commenced “Just a note to say goodbye to all. I shall go out and away”. The note ended “Goodbye, my dear old Lottie. God bless you”. The note also contained a request that Mrs. Hubbard should be given his case and box.

Witness added that he had read the note and there was no truth in the assertions it contained.

The Coroner: It scandalises you a lot. Has the deceased ever tried to do this before?

Witness: No, sir.

The Coroner said that the note also stated “This is all through Jeffrey because of my pension”. The making of such statements showed that deceased was deranged. Death, there was no doubt, had been brought about by gas poisoning, self administered, during temporary insanity.

Folkestone Herald 2-4-1932

Inquest

The death occurred on Saturday morning under tragic circumstances of Mr. Sidney Spencer Reid, aged 71, a former employee at the Folkestone Gas Works, who was found dead in a gas filled room at his lodgings at the Honest Lawyer, Bellevue Street. A length of gas piping was in his hand.

The Borough Coroner (Mr. G.W. Haines) conducted the inquest at the Town Hall on Tuesday morning, and returned a verdict of “Suicide during temporary insanity”.

P.C. Pay said on Saturday at 8 a.m. he went to the Honest Lawyer, and in the sitting room on the first floor he saw a man sitting in a chair. He was informed that the doctor had just left. The man was fully dressed. A length of gas piping was held in one hand, and the other end was fixed to a tap of a gas main in the floor. There was a note on the floor by his left side.

Dr. H. Dodgson said on Saturday morning at about 7.40 he went to the Honest Lawyer and saw the deceased. He thought he had been dead for three or four hours. His head was enveloped in a cardigan. Death was due to coal gas poisoning.

Mrs. Charlotte Hubbard, landlady of the Honest Lawyer, said the deceased was a lodger at her house. He was formerly employed at the Folkestone Gas Works. He was 71 years of age. He left work about November last, and had been depressed since then. He occupied two rooms, a bedroom and a sitting room. On Friday night when he went to bed he seemed quite normal. He had complained of pains in the head and had said he felt as if he might fall down. Ernest Edward Jeffrey, her son-in-law, had lived with her for about 27 years. She had always thought they were the best of friends.

Winifred Fry, employed at the Honest Lawyer, said on Saturday morning at about 7.30 she went to deceased`s room with his morning tea. The door was ajar, and she saw deceased was not in his bedroom. She went into his sitting room, the door of which was slightly ajar, and there was a faint smell of gas. The windows were shut. She saw deceased sitting in a chair. She went to Mr. Jeffrey, who came at once.

Ernest Edward Jeffrey said he had lived at the Honest Lawyer with his mother-in-law for 27 years. He was a stoker at the Folkestone Electricity Works. He had known deceased since the War. They had been good friends to a certain extent.

The Coroner: What do you mean by that? – Well, he had led Mrs. Hubbard to think he had a lot of money, and she had had confidence in him. I told him he had no money.

Continuing, Jeffrey said that had been going on for some time. It was not a sudden occurrence. Deceased had always paid his rent regularly, but when he finished working at the Gas Works his only income was his old age pension. He became depressed. Whilst working he had paid 25s. a week for board and lodging, but afterwards he could not pay it. Witness told deceased he had no money. Apart from that they were the best of friends. They were quite friendly when witness left him at 8.30 on Friday night. When he went to the room on Saturday morning the gas tap was on, and he turned it off. The slot meter was on the ground floor. It was a penny meter. The smell of gas was very faint. There was a note on the floor. Witness was the first peron to read it, and he put it back again.

The Coroner said he would not read all the note. He read the following extract: “Just a note to say goodbye to all. I will go out of the way. This is the end. Goodbye, my dear old Lottie. God bless you. Send all my clothes and box to Mrs. Hubbard of Holmewood”. The Coroner added that the rest of the letter showed that deceased was not in his right mind.

Jeffrey said he did not wish it to be published. It was of a personal nature, but his conscience did not prick him. If he had been guilty of anything he would have burnt the letter. The whole world could read the letter.

The Coroner said he had no hesitation in saying that deceased had poisoned himself during temporary insanity. The letter said “It is all through Jeffrey”, but it went into language which showed that his mind was deranged.

Folkestone Herald 19-11-1932

Local News

There was an amusing incident at the Folkestone Petty Sessions on Friday last week, when Mrs. Hubbard, licensee of the Honest Lawyer Inn, Bellevue Street, Folkestone, applied for a protection order, pending a transfer of the licence at the next transfer sessions, to Mr. Jeffrey.

When the application was made, the Mayor, who presided, asked “Is the Honest Lawyer there?”

The Chief Constable (Mr. A.S. Beesley): I do not think so, sir.

Mr. Rutley Mowll, of Dover, and Mr. B.H. Bonniface, who were seated at the solicitors` table, joined in the laughter which ensued.

The application was granted.