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1 Goschen Road
King Edward VII circa 1987 (Photo Paul Skelton) |
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Above and below King Edward VII circa 1980 photo by Barry Smith |
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TWO FINE horse-brakes in Goschen Road, Tower Hamlets, apparently
about to set off on an all-male outing of the King Edward VII
"Judge and Jury Club," practically everyone wearing a button-hole while
four wear clown outfits. Others carry musical instruments. In front
towards the left one member appears to be wearing a chain of office and
holds a quill pen and inkwell.
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Above showing the members of the "King Edward VII" Club, date unknown. |
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News. 2 December, 1955.
SCHOOLS BROKEN INTO
Public House, Too
Thieves broke into two Dover schools during the week-end. On Monday
morning returning staff found that St. Martin's School and Astor School
had been entered and in each case a small amount of money was stolen. At
St. Martin's School teachers' desks were broken open and overturned.
On Sunday, the "King Edward VIIth" public house in Goschen Road was
broken into and a little money stolen.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News. 15 February, 1963.
Young Wives of Tower Hamlets at their party at the King Edward VII,
on Saturday.
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A licence application by George Beer in 1900, for a house he proposed
building on the corner with Wyndham Road, at a provisional cost of £2,000,
was rejected. He had offered to surrender the "Marquis of Waterford" but
nine other licensed houses already plied their trade in Tower Hamlets.
A second try by Newton Chapman was presented in 1901. That time the
surrender of the "Royal Oak" in Oxenden Street was suggested. Forty one
houses had meanwhile been erected in Devonshire Road as well as others in
Douglas Road so he was favoured. A slight alteration in the site though, to
the corner with Devonshire Road.
The opening was in 1902, the licensee William Henry Rogers, and the pub
now serves Whitbread.
Jimmy Cairns relinquished this post to gradually move closer to town and
after a number of pubs eventually ended up as landlord of the "Dewdrop."
Larger than life Bowler hatted character, he stood for election as
Conservative candidate and was mayor of Dover between 1937 and 1943.
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From an article 'Colourful
Characters From Dover Past' by Shirley Harrison. Unknown date.
"JIMMY CAIRNS" - "FRONE LINE" MAYOR 1881-1969
Like Winston Churchill, with whom he was photographed many times,
bowler-hetted Jimmy Cairns was larger than life. He saw Dover right
through the Second World War to become the longest-serving Mayor this
century. And when it as all over, like Churchill, the 'pig-headed old
Geordie' was passed by. No honours. No knighthood.
"If he'd kept his mouth shut he'd have been knighted... his language
was a bit grim," said a former Town Sergeant.
James Robert Cairns was born in Willington-on-Tyne in 1881 and never
forgot his origins. He began work as an apprentice fitter in Dover at
the age of 12. After travelling the world, he returned to the town in
1919 as licensee of the "King Edward VII" pub in Goschen Road. He also
stood for election, as Conservative candidate for the St. Bartholomew
Ward, which he was to represent for 25 years.
He became Mayor in 1937 and remained in office at the outbreak of war
because he was a well known personality, who, it was believed, could
unite the public. "We all knew him, and accepted what he was," said a
former colleague. He became a figurehead.
Under his leadership the Council fought the Government over local
plans to excavate new tunnel-shelters in the cliffs.
The national press described him as a 'burley figure, a man with a
downright manner and an 'I've got my foot in the door' look in his
bowler-hatted and imperturbable."
he wholeheartedly opposed the evacuation of children from London to
Dover and urged local residents to get out if they could. When there was
talk of a military take-over of the town, the Mayor and Corporation
stood fast.
But the Mayoral chain was not not untarnished and the legends about
him were legion.
It was whispered that his pint-pulling experience meant that he was
sometimes a liability. If important decisions were to be taken in the
later years the rumour is that Mayor Cairns was occasionally locked in
the lavatory!
When sirens went customers at the pub who preferred to stay put
would, so it is said, be locked in - while their landlord drove off to
a safe place in the country.
One of his last duties a Mayor was to take King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth (the present Queen Mother) on a visit round the town following
the capture of German guns, which the Council hoped would win the town a
George Cross. But there was to be no medal for Dover.
Jimmy Cairns took the disappointment with typical ebullience. "One
gets little appreciation for years of public service - not that it
worries me..." His death in 1969 rated a small single column obituary in
the local paper!
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Closed, hopefully temporarily around April 2009. Open again September
2009. Closed again May 2010.
Photo taken by Chris Grimes, 23 July 2010. |
1st January, the pub seem to have had all the boards taken off the
windows and the lights have been on, both inside and outside, so I'm hoping
it's again open. Unfortunately this is not the case, the workmen were in
removing the beer engines etc.
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From the Dover Mercury, 17 February, 2011.
STORE ON PUB SITE WOULD CREATE JOBS
A PUBLIC house in Dover could be turned into a convenience store.
Thevalingam Thevakumar is asking the district council for the change
of use of the "King Edward VII" pub in Goschen Road.
he plans to open the shop from 7am to 10pm seven days a week.
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Above photos taken 4th June 2011 by Paul Skelton. The premises is now
operating as a Londis grocers, but still retains the pub signs and name
at present. |
LICENSEE LIST
ROGERS William Henry 1902-Jan/06
HOLLINGHAM Frederick William Jan/1906-Jan/07 dec'd
(Lately a
sergeant in the Army Service Corps. who had been invalided out of the Army.)
HOLLINGHAM Mrs Daisy Augusta (widow) Jan/1907+
THACKARY Walter Simon 1907-Mar/09
QUESTED Edward William Mar/1909-Aug/11
CASPARD Frederick Aug/1911-Oct/14
PRYER Mr W T Oct/1914-16 end
PRYER Mrs 1916
CAIRNS James Robinson 1919-24 end
 
KENTON Ernest R 1924-32+
 
PUGH John 1933-34 end
SHIRLEY Capt. James 1933-39 end
 
KINGSNORTH Herbert senior 1939-47 end
KINGSNORTH Herbert Charles Wilson 1947-70 dec'd
   
FLOYDD John W 1970
SEWELL William C 1972-78 end
Whitbread Fremlins
GRAY Edwin Paul 1978
ORD John 1987
TOWNSEND John & Mikey
Sept-Dec/2009
TOWNSEND Barry 2010+
The Dover Express recorded that Mr. W. T Pryer was late of the
Inniskilling Fusiliers and recently manager of the "Friend
in Need."
From the Post Office Directory 1922
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1924
From the Post Office Directory 1930
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1932-33
From the Post Office Directory 1938
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1938-39
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
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