Kentish Gazette, 2 March, 1821.

An inquest was taken on Monday last, at the "Duke's Head," Hythe, before Robert Finnis, esq. Mayor and Coroner, on view of the body of Elizabeth Mannering, aged 21, found in the Royal Military Canal near the above house, in the morning of that day. The deceased had been missing more than a month, and from the appearance of the corpse, had lain that time in the water.

Verdict — Found Drowned.

From the Kentish Gazette, 3 January 1865.

County Petty Sessions.

Thursday. Before Thomas Denne and John Kirkpatrick, Esq.

Unfounded Change of Felony.

At the Magistrates’ Clerk’s office on Friday last, before P. Monypenny, Esq., Mayor, Thomas Shrubsole a labourer living at Lympne was brought up in custody of P. C. Wright charged with stealing an overcoat the property of Charles Spicer of Burmarsh. The prosecutor stated that on the night of the 29th Dec. he was in the "Duke’s Head Inn," Hythe. The prisoner was also there, in the same room. When he went into the house about half past eight o’clock he was wearing the coat and pulled it off and gave it to the landlady to take care of. About half past 10 o'clock he left the room and about 11 o’clock he went and asked for his coat but it could not be found. From information he received he went to the prisoner's house at Lympne and saw the prisoner. He asked him if he had got a coat. He replied "Yes I have one belonging to some one. I think it belongs to a man at Brabourne." Prosecutor told him it was his coat and he could swear to it. The prisoner then gave up the coat. A witness named Walter Tyrrell living at West Hythe, said that he was at the "Duke's Head" on the evening of the 29th inst. He saw the prisoner put on the coat when he started between 10 and 11 o’clock. Prisoner said that if any one enquired for the coat, they were to say he had got it. Witness told the prosecutor of this when he heard that he had lost a coat.

The prisoner was discharged.

Kentish Gazette, 15 January 1850.

QUARTER SESSIONS.

On Tuesday last, the quarter sessions for the borough of Folkestone were holden at the Guildhall, Folkestone, before the Recorder (J. J. Lonsdale, Esq.,) the Mayor (D. Major, Esq.,) and Messrs. C. Golder, Wm. Major, and S. Bateman, magistrates.

James Osborne, labourer, late of Hythe, was indicted for having stolen a piece of copper, value 9s., the property of Mr. Owen Fickell Algar, proprietor of the "Pavilion Hotel."

Guilio Giovarni, manager of the "Pavilion Hotel," deposed that the piece of copper was brought to him by Pearson, the policeman, and which he recognised as being the top of a "bain marie." It had not been used for two years; originally coat 25s.; and had been put away in the scullery.

Matthew Pearson, policeman, on the 25th of December, went to John Myers, the marine store dealer, at Hythe, in consequence of information he had received; saw the piece of copper produced; asked where it came from; was told by Myers that he had purchased it from the ostler of the "Duke’s Head Inn," named Osborn Lee; took it away and brought it home; next day took it to the "Pavilion Hotel," where the servants identified it as being the property of Mr. Algar.

John Myers, marine-store dealer, deposed that Osborn Lee, ostler of the "Duke’s Head," brought the piece of copper produced, asked him haw he came by it, said it was all right, told him all right was sometimes all wrong; gave him 4s. for it, but told him he might have the difference in the price, if any, at some future time; did not know the exact value, told him, over and over again, he was afraid it was stolen.

The Recorder cautioned this witness about his dealings, and told him to be more cautious in future.

Osborn Lee, ostler at the "Duke's Head," Hythe, deposed to selling the piece of copper for Osborne, without any suspicion that it had been stolen.

Mary Roker, still-room maid at the hotel, identified the copper as belonging to the "bain marie" at the "Pavilion." Saw it last in the still-room, two or three years since.

William Francis, whitesmith, identified the copper produced, it being fitted by him in the place it occupied.

The prisoner, on being asked what he had to say, stated that about a fortnight ago he was sent for a load of ashes. One of his master's sweeps was down the ash-hole at the "Pavilion Hotel"; he passed the piece of copper through the hole, and when he (prisoner) cautioned him about it, he said all thrown in there belonged to the sweeps. The sweep asked him to sell it for him, and he passed it to Osborn Lee for the purpose.

The Recorder summed up, and the jury, having retired for a short time, acquitted the prisoner. He was, however, detained in custody, to be brought up as evidence against the sweep.

South Eastern Gazette, 14 February, 1860.

DEATH.

On the 30th ult., at Hythe, the wife of Mr. J. Forster, of the "Duke’s Head Inn," aged 60.

South Eastern Gazette, 23 October, 1860.

APPEAL.

Kemp v. The Justices of Hythe.

This was an appeal against the judgement of the justices of the borough of Hythe, in respect to a license being refused for the appellant's house, the "Duke's Head," at Hythe. Mr. Biron appeared for the appellant, and Mr. Addison for the respondents.

Mr. Biron informed the bench the nature of the appeal, where Mr. Addison requested that the notice of appeal might be proved. Mr. Biron replied that he was not then in a position to do so, as his witness was not in court, but would be there in the course of an hour. Mr. Addison said he had understood that the notice had not been served upon all the magistrates.

The Bench suggested that the appeal should be proceeded with, and the service of the notice should be proved when the witness was present.

Mr. Biron laid the facts of the appeal before the court. It was an appeal against a judgment of the Hythe borough magistrates in refusing to grant a licence to the appellant for the "Duke's Head," at Hythe, at the annual licensing day held on the 6th of September. The house in question had been public for 100 years, and for a very many years it had had a licence. A few years since a man named Foster took the house, to whom a licence was granted, and the business was carried on by him up to the last annual licensing day. Foster wished to get rid of the house, and assigned the goodwill to the appellant, Kemp, who had been a constable of Hythe. He (the appellant) informed the Hythe bench of magistrates that was it was his attention to take the house, to which they replied that they thought that as Kemp was a constable, it was not right that he should keep a public house in the town of Hythe, and that if he took it he must resign his office as constable. At the same time the appellant was told that in order to give him an opportunity to tender his resignation, a special meeting of the watch committee should be held. Kemp accordingly gave up his office, which he had held 30 years. He attended the licensing meeting, and was then told, without any reason being assigned, and without any evidence being given, that the licence was refused. He (Mr. Biron) thought that a most extraordinary thing, as they did not give the appellant an opportunity of speaking. If there had been any sound reason for the refusal of the licence, it would have been better if the bench had told the appellant first that they did not think that he was a proper person to keep a public house, and that there would be some difficulty in Grant in the license. That would have been the better course to have been taken, as the appellant had resigned the office of constable in the anticipation that a licence would be granted him. The appellant had attended the court very frequently, had shown considerable intelligence in discharging his duties, and was known to every person in the neighbourhood. He had also raised a little money from his earnings, which he had invested in the purchase of the goodwill of the "Dukes Head." He (Mr. Biron) would hand in a memorial in favour of the appellant, signed by six of the borough magistrates, the church wardens, some members of the town council, and 200 of the burgesses.

Mr. Addison then took a legal objection, which arose upon two Acts of Parliament, viz., the 9th of Geo. 4th, chapter 61, and the 5th and 6th Victoria, chapter 44. In the present case it was required by those Acts that the magistrate should have notice of the intention to apply for the licence, in order that they might have an opportunity of seeing whether the applicant was a fit and proper person. Now it had not been proved that anything of the kind had been done, but Mr. Biron had proceeded under a section which did not apply to the case in question. The application for the licence had reference to an annual general licensing day, and under the Act it was required that the notice of the application should be given also to the constable and overseer of the parish, but that had not been done.

Mr. Biron, in reply, contended that it was unnecessary, as the bench had heard the case, and they knew all the facts. It had also been publicly talked of. The magistrates, knowing the case, gave their judgment by refusing that license. He could not conceive what Mr. Addison required.

After a little consideration, the Chairman said the bench had ruled in favour of the objection, and he remarked that the course taken by the appellant was most discreditable.

From the Kentish Gazette, 26 September.

Borough Police.

Tuesday, Sept. 19th. (Before P. Monypenny, Esq., Mayor, and W. Rayner, Esq.)

Henry Phillips, having the appearance of a tramp, and who said that he got his living by selling various things, although none of which he at the time appeared possessed of, was brought up on a charge of committing wilful damage at the house of Mr. Thomas Kemp, publican, to the extent of five shillings, on the previous day. It appeared that from some cause Mr. Kemp expelled the prisoner from his premises, when he turned round and deliberately smashed the glass portion of a door. The magistrates sentenced him to be imprisoned in St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, for fourteen days with hard labour, at the same time telling him that he had been liable to two mouths’ imprisonment for the offence.