DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Dover, January, 2023.

Page Updated:- Monday, 09 January, 2023.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Barry Smith and Paul Skelton

Earliest 1838-

Marine Arms

Latest 1865

(Name to)

Woolcomber Lane

Dover

 

Active in 1838 and the name changed to "Prince Victor" in 1865.

 

From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday 22 March, 1845. Price 5d.

CORONERS INQUEST

An inquest was held on Tuesday, at the "Marine Arms," Woolcomber-lane, before G. T. Thompson, Esq., coroner to the borough, on the body of Emma Sarah Goodfellow, aged 2two years. The jury being sworn, they proceeded to view the body, and on their return Mrs. Goodfellow, the mother of the deceased, was called, who deposed as follows:- I am the wife of John Goodfellow, ostler at the York stables.  Deceased has been poorly with a cold since Wednesday last. She appeared feverish, and her breathing was bad. I gave her a dose of ippecacuanha wine, two doses of spirits of nitre, (15 drops each,) put her feet in warm water, and a bran poultice to her throat. She was not too ill to take her meals, and played about in her room. She slept very well till Sunday night, when, about 10 o'clock, she appeared worse, and had a quantity of phlegm in her throat. I sat up with her, and made more bran poultices, which appeared to relieve her, but she continued very restless, and coughed a great deal, and I gave her linseed tea. About 4 o'clock I saw a change, and she appeared to have no help of herself. I went up stairs and told her father, who wished to go for Mr. Hunt, but I said he had better wait till the morning. She gradually sank, and expired soon after 6 o'clock. No medical man was sent for, as I did not think her in such danger, having often seen children worse.

Richard Thomas Hunt, surgeon, deposed - On Monday morning I called at Mrs. Goodfellow's, to see a child I had vaccinated. The woman appeared in great trouble, and told me one of her children had died in the night. I examined the body, but found no external marks of violence. I had not seen deceased for about a fortnight, when she appeared in good health. I have attended deceased professionally, but not lately. The children are all subject to inflammatory disease. From the evidence just given by the mother, I am of the opinion that the child died of croup. In reply to questions from one of the jury, witness stated that the remedies applied by the mother were proper. She was most kind and affectionate to her children. She did not state to me yesterday what she has now given in evidence, as she appeared greatly distressed.

The Coroner said he regretted she had not done so, as Mr. Hunt might then have given an opinion of the cause of death, and prevented the necessity of holding an inquest. There were other witnesses in attendance, but it was for the jury to say if they  would have them called, or if they were satisfied of the cause of death. The jury, without hesitation, said there could be no doubt on the subject, and they felt satisfied no blame whatever attached to the mother.

Verdict - "Died from natural causes."

 

Dover Chronicles 16 October 1847.

Death.

Oct. 2, at Dover, the wife of Mr. Thomas Johnson, landlord of the "Marine Arms."

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 20 November, 1858.

DESERTION FROM WALMER BARRACKS

Three curiously clad individuals were placed at the bar charged with deserting from Walmer Barracks on the preceding evening. The first, William Tucker, belonged to the 7th Fusiliers, and the others, John Parker ad Thomas Cosgrove, to the 1st battalion of the 2nd Royals, both of the above corps being quartered in Walmer garrison.

The defendants, it appeared, had been seen to enter the town from the Walmer road on the preceding evening, and had attracted the suspicion of the police by their strange costumes and the military fashion in which their hair was trimmed. The defendants were seen to enter the "Marine Arms," in Woolcomber Lane, where they spent the night, carefully watched by the police, and on the following morning just as they were about to depart by the train they were stopped and taxed with desertion. They admitted being soldiers, but denied that they were intending to desert, being only, as they contented, absent without leave and intending to return to their quarters.

The defendants admitted the statement of the police to be substantially correct, but still denied that they had contemplated desertion. Tucker, who had the appearance of an Ethiopian seronador, being adorned with an enormous white cravat, seemed to be the ringleader, and in his replies to the enquiries put to him exhibited a droll kind of effrontery. In answer to the questions of how they had disposed of their uniforms, he told the Bench they had sent them fishing for a week. In reply to the enquiry had he any marks, he enumerated a long list, concluding with the letter "D" on his left side, where, he added, there was still room for another.

The Magistrates ordered them to be conveyed to the quarters of their respective corps.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 1 August, 1863.

CHARGE OF KEEPING A DISORDERLY HOUSE

Michael Maroney, the landlord of the "Marine Arms," Woolcomber Lane, was summoned upon the information of Supt. Coram, for having unlawfully and knowingly suffered common prostitutes to assemble at his house, on the 23rd July.

Mr. Fox, who appeared to support the information on behalf of the parochial authorities of St. James's. said the "Marine Arms" had for a very long period been a disorderly house. It had lately changed hands and come into the possession of the defendant. He was, however, prepared to assume that the offence for which defendant stood charge might have occurred through inadvertence, and he did not intend to press for a heavy penalty; but he would be satisfied with a nominal penalty, on the defendant undertaking to amend the character of the house. If the parish complaints had been so loud and numerous about the conduct of this and one or two other houses, that the parish officers were determined to effect a reform. On Thursday the police visited the "Marine Arms," about a quarter before eight o'clock, and saw about thirteen or fourteen girls and twenty soldiers congregating there, and dancing. The police pointed out to the defendant the character of the persons who were there, and paid another visit about half an hour afterwards, when they found about the same number of the same class assembled in the rooms; hence the present proceedings.

Mr. Lewis, for defendant, said he was prepared to admit there were persons assembled as stated; but it arose entirely through inadvertence. A professional musician, named Wood, was in court, and if the case had been gone into, would have told the Bench he had sole charge of the room, and that he had received express orders from the defendant not to permit any improper character there. Wood was quite willing now to promise the Bench not to allow improper characters, so far as he knew them to be as to assemble; Maroney would do the same; and Mr. Johnson, the owner of the house, would also promise the same. It was the wish of all to have the house respectably conducted, and he therefore submitted that a nominal penalty would meet the case. The persons alluded to were not all bad characters; some of them were known to be respectable married women, the wives of non-commissioned officers, whose husbands would of course not allow them to associate with improper characters.

Mr. Fox reminded the Bench that the defendant was expressly cautioned, when he applied for a transfer of the license from the previous occupier, that as the house had been very badly conducted, it must be carried on more orderly for the future; and the defendant obtained a transfer subject to his promising to do so. He could not admit that the defendant, as stated, know nothing of what was passing at his house.

The mayor remembered cautioning the defendant upon his manner of conducting the house, and he could only suppose that this offence must have arisen through some oversight or inadvertence on his part. The Bench, taking all the circumstances into consideration, and upon the promise of the defendant not to allow a reoccurrence, mitigated the fine to 4s. and 16s. costs, which was paid.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 22 August, 1863.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

John Follness, a young man of shabby appearance, and described as a waiter at the "Marine Arms" public-house, Woolcomber Lane, was charged with attempting to commit suicide, by cutting his throat, on the Thursday evening previous. The defendant said he was an engine-fitter by trade, and was employed as a waiter at the "Marine Arms" because he had nothing to do at his own business. He could not account for the attempt upon his life in any other way than from his indulgence in drink, and he was now very sorry for what he had done. The Magistrates, having ascertained from the medical officer of the union, J. Walter, Esq., that the defendant was in a fit state to be at large, dismissed him with a solemn admonition to abstain from drink for the future.

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

JOHNSON Thomas 1840-47+ (age 45 in 1841Census) Pigot's Directory 1840

FILMER to Sept/1850 Next pub licensee had

BARKER W to Feb/1861 Dover Express

FORSTER George Feb/1861+ (age 46 in 1861Census) Dover Express

MARONEY Michael Feb/1862-Mar/64 Dover Express

TAYLOR W Mar/1864-Mar/65 Dover Express

To the "Prince Victor."

 

W Taylor was reported by the Dover Express (6 February 1864) to be from Canterbury. The person  to whom it was desired the license should be transferred said he was a stranger in Dover, but was well known for Canterbury, where he was already keeping a public-house, the "General Havelock," and the Magistrates directed him to bring up some testimony from Canterbury on Friday.

At the end of W. Taylor's reign in March 1865 the name of the pub then changed to the "Prince Victor" under the reign of Mr. G. Gentry.

 

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

Dover ExpressFrom the Dover Express

CensusCensus

 

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