DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Dover, April, 2023.

Page Updated:- Tuesday, 25 April, 2023.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Barry Smith and Paul Skelton

Earliest 1713-

City of Antwerp Hotel

Latest 1893

Market Square Post Office Directory 1874

1 Market Place Pigot's Directory 1828-29Pigot's Directory 1832-34Pigot's Directory 1840

Dover

City of Antwerp Hotel 1893

Above photo 1893. By kind permission of Jen Woodbridge.

City of Antwerp Hotel

Above photo, date unknown.

Antwerp 1890s

Above photo circa 1890. Kindly sent by Paul Wells.

City of Antwerp

Above photo, date unknown kindly sent by Graham Butterworth.

From the Kentish Post or Canterbury News-Letter, February 20 to 23, 1751. Kindly sent from Alec Hasenson.

Notice by an oculist that he may be found at the Antwerp Tavern, near the Market Place in Dover.

An oculist, by the way, is a physician who treats diseases of the eyes; an ophthalmologist.

 

From the Kentish Post, February 2-5, 1763. Kindly sent from Alec Hasenson.

Beef, to be sold publickly to the highest bidder, at the House of Mr. Adams, at the "Antwerp," in Dover, 12th February.

 

From the Kentish Post, May 22-25, 1765

Notice:- George Adams, late from the "Antwerp" in Dover, now at the "Red Lion" in Canterbury.

 

From the Kentish Post, June 29-July 3, 1765

Notice:- John and Mary Payne (late Butler and Housekeeper to Henry Oxenden, Esq., of Broome) have taken the "Antwerp" at Dover.

 

From Kentish Gazette 20 June 1772.

To be SOLD to the HIGGEST BIDDER.

On Saturday, the 18th Day of July next, about Five o'clock in the Afternoon, at the Sign of the "City of Antwerp," in Dover (if not disposed of before by Private Contract, of which Notice will be given in the Kentish Gazette)

A COMPLETE FREEHOLD FARM,

consisting of a good modern-built Dwelling-house and convenient Offices, Barn, Stable,, and other Buildings, and about eighty Acres of good Arable and Pasture Land, all inclosed, and lying contiguous to the House; the Whole being in a desirable Situation, in the Parish of Guston, within a Mile and a Half from Dover, about six Miles from Deal, and ten from Sandwich. Some of the Land commands a fine Prospect of the Sea, French Coast, etc.

The Tenant Samuel Prescot, with shew the Premises. For further Particulars enquire of Mr. Fagg, Attorney-at-Law, Ramsgate.

 

From the Kentish Gazette, December 17-20, 1777. Article kindly sent from Alec Hasenson.

Notice: Elizabeth White, widow of John White, acquaints the public that she continues to keep on the business of the Antwerp, Dover.

 

From the Dover Express, 16 January 1807.

From the Kentish Gazette, 16 January 1807.

INN AT DOVER TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION.

On the premises, On Thursday the 29th day of this instant January, at two o'clock in the afternoon.

All that well known and long established Inn, the "City of Antwerp," with the stables, coach-house, yard, garden ground, and appurtenances, situate in the Market Place in Dover.

Possession may be had at Michaelmas next, or sooner, as may be agreed with Mr. John Tilly the present tenant.

For particulars enquire of George Stringer, esq. Dover.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 28 May, 1869.

HOTEL ROBBERY

On Tuesday morning last a cash-box was stolen from a bedroom at the "Antwerp Hotel," the property of the landlord, Mr. Stokes. The cash-box, which contained a considerably sum of money, was kept in the bedroom of Mr. Stokes. It is supposed that the thieves were a couple of men who had taken beds at the hotel on the previous evening, but who disappeared on the following morning, without calling for their bill. The probability is that they entered the room while Mr Stokes and his family were downstairs at breakfast, and having obtained possession of the cash-box, decamped with it immediately. Information of the robbery was at once given to the police; but the depredators have not yet been captured.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 18 December, 1874. Price 1d.

STOKES v PARKER - A CHEQUE DODGE

This was an application made by Mr. Worsfold Mowll for a judgement summons against the defendant who had been staying at the "City of Antwerp" Hotel, Dover and having no money he gave a cheque to the hotel keeper and got from him the change in cash. When the cheque was presented at the bank it was found there were no effects; in fact the defendant had kept no account at all, therefore the case might have been a criminal prosecution, only the plaintiff did not care to take the trouble. The defendant had something to do with horses at Epsom.

The application was granted.

 

Information taken from John Bavington Jones' book "A Perambulation of the Town, Port and Fortress of Dover", 1906. (Reprint in The South Kent Gazette, June 13th, 1979.

The old City of Antwerp Hotel, on the north side of the Market Square, which was demolished as part of the Cannon Street widening scheme in 1898.

The Antwerp Hotel, at the Cannon street corner, was much used by the old Dover Corporation as a place where they refreshed themselves and did business, and the Court of Lodemanage was held there at the time of the Duke of Wellington's Wardenship. These tenements having all, as far as in known, been devoted to trade or domestic purposes, nothing of note is left on record respecting them, except the interesting fact that on the steps of Igglesden's original shop David Copperfield was represented as sitting to rest when weary with searching for his aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Those steps, and the old frontage disappeared in the transformation of "Igglesden's Corner." The entire aspect of the northern side of the Square was changed by the building of Lloyds Bank in 1905. In removing the old buildings there was found in a heap a large quantity of human bones, supposed to have been collected from tombs in St. Peter's Church, and they were re-buried, with an appropriate religious service, on the western side of St. Martin's Churchyard.

 

City of Antwerp Hotel

From the Dover Express and East Kent News 11th October 1963.

THIS VIEW, from the Market Square, shows Cannon Street as it was before its widening in 1898.

A horse and cart and Seven pedestrians... compare it with the Cannon Street of today.

The City of Antwerp Hotel (now the offices of Messrs. Worsfold and Hayward) and the Commercial Hotel have long since disappeared.

It was hereabouts that a chalk receptacle containing a human head was discovered during excavations.

It was thought to be the head of William de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk, who was banished in 1450 because of his mismanagement of the war in France.

The people were so enraged at this lenient sentence that they intercepted the Duke's ship when it was passing through the Straits and beheaded him.

An ancient chronicle gives this vivid account of the affair: "And the Friday of the 7th day of May, 1450, he took his ship at Ipswich and sailed forth into the high sea where another ship called the Nicholas of the Tower lay wait for him and took him.

"And they on board granted him the space of a day and night to shrive himself and make himself ready to God.

"And then a knave of Ireland smote off his head on the side of the boat and the body, with the head, was cast to the land at Dover."

The old Antwerp Hotel, says Mr. J. Bavington-Jones in his book "Dover," was "much used by the old Dover Corporation as a place where they refreshed themselves and did business."

 

This was a free-house but was supplied by Gardner. As the church of St. Peter disappeared from the Market Square, this hotel materialised on the site. That could have been at any time after 1600, although some parts of the church still remained in 1611. We do know that the hotel was well established by March 1799 and from an article that appeared in the Kentish Gazette, December 1777, gives mention to the death of the licensee, John White. In 1823 the address was given as Market Place.

 

The Dover Chronicles on 7 May 1842, printed a list of "Inns & Innkeepers of Dover A.D. 1713. Unfortunately no addresses were given.

 

From the Dover Chronicles, 7 May 1842.

Dover Innkeepers 1713

 

In the 1847 Bagshaw's Directory, the establishment was given as Commercial and Posting.

 

The stables covered the ground where Castle Street now enters the Square and they were, purchased by the town, for £3,100 in July 1837. The opening into Castle Street had already been made in March of that year whilst negotiations proceeded. Other stables must have taken their place but I have no knowledge where. They were certainly rebuilt in 1881 and supervised by Williams of 18 Church Street. In 1901 they show at 61 Castle Street, managed by Laslett and an Antwerp Garage was demolished in Castle Street in October 1964. I do not know of any association.

 

In 1882, coaches ran to the hotel from Denton every Wednesday and Saturday, returning the same day. Coaches from Sibertswold ran only on Saturdays to this address.

 

The widening of Cannon Street in 1892-93, called for the removal of this property and it disappeared in 1893, the licence passing to the town. Compensation of £7,046.4s.5d. was made to the owner and £1,791.7s.9d. to the lessee. The tenants were offered and accepted £1,600, and Mr. Spicer received £1,845.

 

Saxon Munumental slab

The early Saxon monumental slab found in 1810. Broken in two it had been used as the foundation for a pillar of St. Peter's Church.

It was found in the year 1810, when excavations were being made for a cellar at the old Antwerp Hotel which stood on the Cannon Street corner. At the same time the foundations of the church of St. Peter, which formerly stood on that spot, were disclosed. The base of a pillar was found to be resting on two large fragments of stone, one on the other, and when they were removed it was found that the two pieces corresponded, and when placed together formed an entire monumental slab, having a cross on it, and a Runic inscription on the cross. The fact of this memorial stone having been found broken in two pieces, and placed merely as two pieces of building stone under a pillar of St. Peter's Church proved that the memorial existed before the church.

Information taken from John Bavington Jones "Perambulator of Dover" 1906.

 

Garricks Head circa 1895

Above shows a watercolour by Fred Kennett of the Market Square in about 1895. The City of Antwerp Hotel is shown on the left next to what was Worsfolds and Haywards the estate agents and auctioneer for many years. Next to that is the narrow frontage of the "Garrick's Head

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

GLOVER William 1713+

ADAMS George Next pub licensee had to 1763-May/65

PAYNE John & Mary June/1765+

WHITE John Up to December 1777 dec'd

WHITE Elizabeth December 1777+

TILLY Mr John 1799-1807 Historical Sketch 1799

LUCKETT 1805?

CHITTENDEN David 1811

CHITTENDEN Mrs D 1819 Next pub licensee had

HUNTLEY William Slaughter 1823-39 Pigot's Directory 1823Batchellor 1828Pigot's Directory 1828-29Pigot's Directory 1832-34Pigot's Directory 1839 (?? HUNTLEY Pigot's Directory 1840)

HUNTLEY Mrs Susannah 1838?-59 Bagshaw's Directory 1847CensusMelville's 1858

STOKES John 1859-82 Post Office Directory 1862Post Office Directory 1874Post Office Directory 1882 (age 44 in 1861Census)

Last pub licensee had FOX William Henry 1885-91+ (age 45 in 1891Census) Pikes 1889Post Office Directory 1891

SPICER 1893 end

 

Pigot's Directory 1823From the Pigot's Directory 1823

Batchellor 1828From Batchellor's New Dover Guide 1828

Pigot's Directory 1828-29From the Pigot's Directory 1828-9

Pigot's Directory 1832-34From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34

Pigot's Directory 1839From the Pigot's Directory 1839

Pigot's Directory 1840From the Pigot's Directory 1840

Bagshaw's Directory 1847From Bagshaw Directory 1847

Melville's 1858From Melville's Directory 1858

Post Office Directory 1862From the Post Office Directory 1862

Post Office Directory 1874From the Post Office Directory 1874

Post Office Directory 1882From the Post Office Directory 1882

Pikes 1889From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1889

Post Office Directory 1891From the Post Office Directory 1891

Historical Sketch 1799Historical Sketch of the Town of Dover 1799 by G Ledger

CensusCensus

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

TOP Valid CSS

 

LINK to www.DeadPubs.co.uk