25 Bouverie Road

Folkestone

The Earl of Radnor granted a lease for 86 years for £14 per annum on 4th October 1866 for builder John Bennett Tolputt, the building was completed and opened on the 9th February 1867 and titled the "Albion Tavern" as a beer house. A spirit license was obtained in 1869. The licensee, William Henry Jacobs was an eccentric who was often seen in court, being charged for selling intoxicating liquors out of hours, and also had a reputation for upsetting the guests.

In November 1877 he was charged with receiving stolen goods, obviously to gain some extra cash to help pay for his second mortgage from banker Richard Hammond who had been after payment since taking it out in 1874. Eventually things got too much for Jacobs and the hotel was relinquished to auctioneer John Banks who auctioned it on Friday 27th September, 1878.

At the time the building was described as follows:- Containing a basement with five large cellars, a coal cellar and larder and a ground floor containing  a hall, bagatelle room, coffee room, bar parlour, kitchen, scullery, urinal and lavatory. The first floor contained a billiard room, three sitting rooms, two bedrooms, landing and lavatory. The second floor had nine bedrooms, housemaids closet and lavatory, and at the very top of the building were two attics. The hotel was eventually secured by Croyden Brewers, Nalder and Collyer for £4,250.

Things must have been difficult to start of the business again, as from 1878 to 1881 the premises saw no less than five managers installed to run the hotel, one called William Allen from December 1879 to July 1880, but during this time the name changed from the "Albion Tavern" to the "Bouverie Hotel" either because it adjoined Bouverie Square or to honour the family name of the earl of Radnor who originally granted the lease.

LICENSEE LIST

JACOBS William Henry 1867-78

CRUX John 1878

BANKS John 1878

BRYAN Thomas 1878-79

WRIGHT George 1879

ALLEN William 1879-80

From the Post Office Directory 1874

From More Bastions of the Bar by Easdown and Rooney