CARRIERS ARMS Pubs of Dover

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Barry Smith and Paul Skelton

Earliest 1871

Carriers Arm's

Still open

12 West Street

Carriers Arms 1976 (Photo by Paul Skelton)

This appears as a beer-house on ordnance maps of 1871 and it would have been one of the last in the town to relinquish that role. I have seen it mentioned as a beerhouse at the end of 1938. The census shown for that year puts the "Carriers Arms" in the parish of Charlton and the Municipal Ward of Castle. Tower Hamlets as we know it today was just beginning to develop around that time. A wine licence was obtained by Peter Beer in 1947. Applications for a spirit licence had been refused as long ago as 1880.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 2 September, 1910.

TOWER HAMLETS BUTCHER IN TROUBLE

PUBLIC HOUSE SCENE

At the Dover Police Court on Monday, before the Mayor (W. Emden, Esq.) and J. L. Bradley, Esq.

Richard Beecham, 12, Douglass Road, a butcher, was charged with being drunk and refusing to quit the "Carrier's Arms" beer house, Tower Hamlets, when requested to do so, and further with breaking the glass panel in an automatic machine in the bar by striking it with a stick, doing damage to the amount of 6s., the property of George William Woodruff Waterhouse, the licensee.

Mr. L. B. Watson, who appeared to prosecute on behalf of Mr. Woodhouse, said for some time past it had been necessary to refuse to serve the defendant at the "Carriers Arms," but on Saturday last he went in there. Mrs. Waterhouse told him he could not get served, and he was not, in her opinion, in a fit condition to be served. She advised him to go away from the house, but he refused, and said he was waiting for some friends there. To occupy his time the defendant put a halfpenny in an automatic machine, but no ticket came out, and Mrs. Waterhouse offered to give him one in the place of the one he should have received. That, however, did not satisfy him, and he proceeded to knock the machine about with his stick, and eventually broke the glass. If the facts were proved to their satisfaction it was not desired to the prosecution that the defendant should be sent to prison or fined, but rather that he should reimburse the expense the prosecutor had been put to, and that the Bench should bind him over.

Mrs. Edith Whitehouse, wife of George William Woodruff Whitehouse, licensee of the "Carrier's Arms," Tower Hamlets, said: "The defendant came into the house on Saturday afternoon last. He was not served, and he has not been served for six months. He came back in the evening about 7.30, and at that time there was nobody in the bar. I went upstairs, thinking he would go, but when I came down again he was still there, tapping on the floor with his stick. I told him it was no use his waiting as he would not be served. I considered he was under the influence of drink. He said he was waiting for a friend, and he then put a halfpenny into an automatic machine in the room. The check did not come out, the machine failing to act properly. He started hitting it with his stick (produced), and I told him to desist, and that I would give him the value of the check. He refused, and said he meant to have the check from the machine. He then smashed his stick into the glass. I sent for my husband, and he sent P.C. Bond, who came in to the defendant. About five minutes afterwards my husband arrived and another police constable, and the defendant was given into custody. The amount of damage was 6s.

The Mayor: Has the defendant been coming constantly for the last six months? - Yes.

You have always refused to serve hi,? - Always.

The Clerk: We have no evidence that you told him to quit on this occasion? - I told him it was no use waiting; he would not get served. I did not tell him definitely to quit.

George William Woodruff Waterhouse, the licensee of the "Carriers' Arms," Tower Hamlets, said: I was sent for on Saturday evening, and I sent P.C. Bond over to the house to see what was the matter. I followed soon afterwards, and saw the defendant in the bar parlour, sitting down. I noticed that the glass front of the automatic machine was smashed, and I asked my wife how it happened. She replied that Beecham had broken it with his stick. The defendant was present in the room, but made no reply. I fetched another policeman, who took charge of the defendant, as P.C. Bond was off duty.

The witness produced a piece of the broken glass which was ¼in plate, and splinters from the defendant's damaged stick.

The Mayor: Was Beecham drunk when you saw him? - He was under the influence of drink.

Mr. Watson: Have you had to refuse to serve him with drink? - Yes; I have refused to have him come into the house at all, drunk or sober. He is a continual annoyance to us.

Defendant, in reply to the Clerk, said he admitted doing the damage.

P.C. Bond said: I was at home, off duty, at 8.15 on Saturday evening, when I was called to the "Carrier's Arms," West Street. I saw Mrs. Waterhouse there, and she showed me into the room adjoining the bar. The defendant was there on the floor, on his knees, as if he were looking for something. I saw the glass of the automatic machine was smashed, and Mrs. Waterhouse complained that the defendant had broken it by striking it with his stick. I asked him what he was doing on the floor, and he said he was looking for the top of his stick, and that when he had got it he would clear out. He was under the influence of drink. I detained him till the arrival of Mr. Waterhouse, who gave him into custody. Defendant admitted breaking the glass, and said he did it because the machine was empty. I was only partly dressed at the time, so .C. Roberts took him in charge, and afterwards we both brought him to the police station. He was later released on bail.

Defendant: I must contradict one statement you made. You don't suppose I should be crawling about when there was broken glass on the floor. I was stooping down with a box of matches.

The witness said the defendant was under the table when he saw him.

Beecham denied this; but had nothing further to say.

The Mayor reminded the defendant he had been before the Bench on several previous occasions. It was a pity a man in his position could not keep himself free from drink. He should recommend him - as he did every man who could not take drink without losing control of himself - to take the pledge, or do something to prevent him from drinking to excess, because it only brought disgrace on himself and trouble on everybody else who had to deal with him. In this case it had been in a kindly spirited suggestion that the defendant should only be bound over, but the Magistrates were of opinion that he must also pay the amount of the damage and the cost of the summons. Defendant would therefore be bound over for twelve months, and pay the damage, amounting to 6s., and the costs, 8s.

Defendant, who was allowed a week to pay, or in default 14 days, was then formally bound over for twelve months in the sum of £10.

Incidentally, the Richard Beecham mentioned above is not the same one as once landlord of the "Carrier's Arms," as the landlord died in 1893. I do not know yet know whether they were related. P Skelton.

It had closed its doors for the duration of world war two in September 1940 but it was the same Peter Beer who reopened in 1941.

From the Dover Express, 13 September, 1940.

MORE PUBLIC HOUSES CLOSING

At the Dover Licensing Sessions on Friday last, the licensees of the following public houses were granted permission to close for the duration of the war:- "Carriers Arms," West Street; the "Royal Standard," London Road; and the "Granville Bars," Marine Parade. On Monday similar permission was given in respect of the "Admiral Harvey," Bridge Street.

From Bob Hollingsbee MEMORIES. Thursday, September 27, 2001

DENNIS Beecham, of Elms Vale Road, Dover, was very interested in the picture of the "Carrier's Arms," in a recent memories page feature - and with good reason. His grandfather, Richard Beecham was the licensee for a number of years.

Richard and his wife Sarah had 13 children, and one of them, Reuben, born in 1889, was Dennis Beecham's father.

Sadly, when Reuben was four, his father died suddenly. A doctor was called when he was taken seriously ill and he died during an emergency operation, which, Dennis tells me, had to be carried out immediately in the public house.

Richard's sorrowing widow Sarah, left with young children, carried on running the Carrier's Arms for several years afterwards.

Dennis kindly lent me his autographed family copy of the paperback book on Dover public houses by Barry Smith, of Dover, called "By the Way - Local Observations by Rambler."

Now out of print, this book packs in a great deal of information about Dover's hotels and public houses in its 70 pages, but there are no illustrations.

Barry Smith himself also phoned me about the Memories article, as did several other people. He told me he had gathered far more information than he could ever hope to include in a book during his researches.

These Included hours searching through the Dover Express files of bound newspapers which extend back to 1858.

Barry also told me he had deposited more up to date information, extending the account up to about 1997.

Writing about the "Carrier's Arms" in the book Barry said although the pub was shown on local ordnance survey maps of 1871, the earliest licensee for whom he could find a reference was Richard Beecham, whose link with it dated from 1877.

The book solves for me the mystery of why, in the old photograph sent to me by Dave Wybom, now living in Denton, Manchester, the pub had the painted sign "Waterhouse's Carriers Arms," as shown above.

Public houses myth

Evidently it is because George Waterhouse was licensee from 1903, possibly until 1932, when a Waterhouse was still listed.

Incidentally, consent was given in September 1940, to close the pub for the duration of the war if necessary, but Peter Beer obviously had other ideas. He took over in 1941 and stayed until about 1956.

As to the thorny subject of the sheer number of public houses the town once had - in Snargate Street and Commercial Quay, old photographs show it was not unusual to find rival establishments next door to each other!

Writer Joe Harman, of St Radigund's Road, whose memoirs have just been published, based on a lifetime in Dover, has presented me with a photocopy of an 1870 licensing list giving a total of 270 names of public houses, hotels and other licensed premises in Dover, taking in Buckland and Charlton. (I'd sure like to see that list as the maximum I have found is only 229 in 1870. Paul Skelton.)

That is the highest number at one time that he has been able to verify. That number was soon cut considerably, as Barry writes in his book, by the 1904 Compensation Act and the Licensing Consolidation Act of 1910, as steps were taken to cut down the number.

By 1919 467 Kent licences were abolished, 42 of them closing in Dover between 1904-19. Reader Andrew Palmer told me of a claim of 365 pubs in Mark Smith's Dover book published by Alan Sutton some years back.

It seems to be one of those myths, 'propagated' over a pint or two, perhaps, and given some apparent credence by appearing in print, that will probably never be laid to rest! (I'm doing my best. Paul Skelton. Click here for TIMELINE spreadsheet.)

"By the Way," intended not as a comprehensive history but "a brief history of pubs and hotels in Dover since 1970," nevertheless includes some interesting background information, including a summary of the early breweries that were set up in the town.

But that's another subject. Suffice to say, as Barry observes, that the town played no small part in making its contribution to the development of the Kent brewing industry, but, sadly, brewing in Dover ended in 1926.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 5 November, 1954.

VERY REALISTIC.

Some of the realistic entries in the "Tramp's" fancy dress competition at the "Carriers Arms," Tower Hamlets, last Thursday.

Within five minutes walking distance were the "Eagle", "Friend in Need", "White Lion", "Dewdrop", "Havelock Arms" and "Imperial Crown" so it is remarkable that the establishment kept its head above water to 1988. On 1st October that year Fremlin decided to close. Its last licensee was Brian Porter.

Following extensive alteration and renovation it reopened under a new sign, "The Battle of Britain", on 6 July 1991. Barry Norman and Les Holness.

It is now again trading under it's original name of "Carriers Arms". (2007)

From the Dover Express, 26 March, 2009.

Pub has been taken on by beer expert

Report by Yamural Zendera

Expert hands: New landlord John Townsend, right, and his son Mike outside the Carriers Arms.

THE family running the newly-reopened Carriers Arms say they are equal to the task of ensuring it does not join the list of small pubs to have gone under in recent times.

Many independent boozers have folded since the smoking ban came into force, or are struggling in the face of stiff competition from supermarkets and off-licences and are now having to deal with the recession.

But the brutal economic climate has not put off father and son John and Mike Townsend from buying the lease of the Tower Hamlets pub from Admiral Taverns.

The West Street venue had been closed all this year.

Father-of-five John, 60, who has made a career out of reversing the fortunes of ailing pubs for breweries and landlords, said: "The pubs we have recently managed for holding companies have been challenging.

"Working for holding companies was a nomadic existence and it was time to go it alone."

The former P&O Ferries employee, who is living above the boozer with son Mike, 28, feels the government could do more to help small pubs survive.

He said: "We would like a level playing field with supermarkets, as they can afford to sell alcohol as a loss leader.

"Every pub has to sell alcohol responsibly but people can go to a supermarket or off-licence and buy as much as they want. It makes things tough for us."

The widower, who has lived in Dover since 1970, said he hoped having three closely situated pubs in Tower Hamlets would encourage local residents to go for a drink in the neighbourhood rather than in town.

He said: ''This is a community pub and needed to be opened again.

"There's no reason why the pub should not succeed if we give a good service."

Information received November 2011 tells me that the leasehold is sale for as yet an unknown amount, but the pub is still open for business.

LICENSEE LIST

DENNIS George 1871 (1871 census)