Honest Lawyer 1950s

Folkestone Herald 10-8-1957

Obituary

Landlord of the Honest Lawyer public house, Belle Vue Street, Folkestone, for 15 years until he retired in 1948, Mr. Ernest Edward Jeffrey, of Chapel Street, Ullesthorpe, near Rugby, died in Leicester Hospital recently. He was 76. After serving in the Royal Navy for several years, Mr. Jeffrey was discharged with the rank of Chief Petty Officer. In 1933 he became landlord of the Honest Lawyer, and was there until he retired to live with his daughter at Ullesthorpe. He handed the business over to his son, who is now in Toronto, Canada. The Honest Lawyer was in the family`s hands for 43 years. Mr. Jeffrey`s wife died in 1930; he is survived by his four children.

Cremation was at Leicester on Wednesday last week.

Folkestone Herald 14-2-1959

Local News

One of Folkestone`s oldest public houses ceased to exist this week – the war-damaged Pavilion Shades, in Tram Road.

At the Brewster Sessions on Wednesday, the Justices made an order for the removal of the full licence to the Honest Lawyer, in Bellevue Street, which hitherto had only a beer and wine licence. The licence was transferred from Mr. D.D. Casball, Secretary of Fremlins and Co., to Mr. George S. Rayner, licensee of the Honest Lawyer. The beer and wine licence of the Honest Lawyer was surrendered.

Mr. J.W. Girling, appearing for Flint and Co. and Fremlins and Co., said the Pavilion Shades was unfit for use as the result of enemy action during the last war. At the Honest Lawyer there was a beer and wine licence which, if an order was made for the removal, would be surrendered. It had been agreed that no monopoly value should be payable so there would be no pecuniary gain either way. The up-grading of the Honest Lawyer to a fully licensed house would reduce the number of licences in the area by one. The Licensing Planning Committee had no objections and had issued a certificate. “It has been suggested”, went on Mr. Girling, “that in view of the proposed improvements, the name Honest Lawyer should be changed to Improved Lawyer. I might add that all good lawyers are honest, although I would not like to say that all honest lawyers are good lawyers. In any event the beer will be good – it is Fremlins”, he added.

“I thought all beer was good”, commented the Chairman (Ald. N.O. Baker).