13 Bridge Street

15 Bridge Street in 1901

Above photo by Paul Skelton 6 Oct 2007.

The Admiral Harvey 1987 (Photo by Paul Skelton)

Above Admiral Harvey circa 1980, below late 80's. Photos by Barry Smith.

The pub is named after Sir Eliab Harvey (1758-1830) a descendant of the anatomist, William Harvey, who discovered the circulation of blood. Sir Eliab commanded the Fighting Temeraire at Trafalgar and was made admiral in that year, 1805.

The bridge which gave the street its name, was built in 1829. The houses on the North side appeared about that time. According to the book  book "Old Kent Inns" by Donald Stuart, 2006, he says the pub opened in 1829, which was the same time as the bridge. The earliest mention I have found so far is 1844 when the landlord was Henry Clements, who was called as a witness to a murder of a policeman near the "Three Colts" in the same year; at the time the premises was referred to as a beer-house. This was well established by 1855, very much a country pub, and kept by Mr. Care who supplemented his bar takings by the sale of dairy produce, largely gleaned from his own surrounding pasture land and who gained a license in 1857. The annual fair used to be held on part of those pastures and as it eventually attracted the undesirable element of society, the magistrates were quick to point out that the practice was putting his licence in jeopardy. Later, as the lands passed to the Eagle estate, the keeper of that house received like warning.

This lease expired in 1903 and plans to rebuild, at a provisional cost of £1,000 were approved in January that year. Bridge Street was widened in 1903, at a cost of £500, which would have altered the numbers. They were renumbered again, more intelligently it was said, in 1915. I point that out because at different times the address will read otherwise. We mustn't quarrel. Obviously progressed with some alacrity also because the new pub opened whilst the old was still being pulled down. History tells us that a bomb fell into this pub yard on 22 August 1917 but does not describe the resulting damage.

The pub was given permission to close in September 1940 for the duration of the war. However, with further scars occurring during world war two, it wasn't until in June 1949 when approval was given, for repairs to be implemented at a cost of £217.

Fremlins in 1974, later a Whitbread house.

LICENSEE LIST

CLEMENTS Henry 1844+

CARE Mr T 1855-58+

CARE James

CARE Mrs Naomi 1882

WRIGHT William Henry 1891-99+

COLES William Henry 1901-10 end

BOWLAND George William 1910-Aug/11 dec'd

BOWLAND Mrs E Aug/1911-Apr/12

ROGERS Frank Apr/1912-Oct/40 dec'd

FULLAGER A E Oct/1940 (Brewer's manager)

HARPER Alfred Harold 1941-45 end

BIGGS Frank E 1945-49 end

NICHOLAS John 1949-59

BROWN A F 1959-62

TOWNLEY Edwin Kenneth 1964-8 dec'd

TOWNLEY Mrs Gladys L 1968-80 end Fremlins

EDWARDS Patrick D 1980-87

The Dover Express reported that Frank Rogers was late of the "Flying Horse" Inn, Canterbury.

From the Post Office Directory 1855

From Melville's Directory 1858

From the Post Office Directory 1874

From the Post Office Directory 1882

From the Post Office Directory 1891

From the Kelly's Directory 1899

From the Post Office Directory 1901

From the Post Office Directory 1903

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1909

From the Kelly's Directory 1913

From the Post Office Directory 1913

From the Post Office Directory 1918

From the Post Office Directory 1922

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1923

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1924

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1932-33

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1938-39

From the Post Office Directory 1938

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1948-49

From the Kelly's Directory 1950

From the Kelly's Directory 1953

From the Kelly's Directory 1956

Library archives 1974

From the Dover Express