DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Ashford, August, 2021.

Page Updated Ashford:- Wednesday, 04 August, 2021.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1858

Market Inn

Latest 1980+

(Name to)

40 Bank Street (Elwick Road 1881Census)

Ashford

Market Inn 1900

Above postcard, circa 1900. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Market Hotel 1900

Above photo, circa 1900. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Market Inn

Above photo, date unknown, by kind permission Roy Moore, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.

Market Inn 1912

Above photo, circa 1912, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Market Inn

Above photo, date unknown, by kind permission Roy Moore, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.

Market Hotel 1975

Above photo 1975 by Mike Bennett.

 

Opened in 1858 this part time pub traded on market days, when the auction mart and corn exchange was operating in the area.

The pub was at one time supplied by Nalder & Collyer, which was a Croydon-based company. Miles away!

Nalder and Collyer sold out to the City of London brewery in 1919, got closed in 1936 and their pubs were sold on to Ind Coope, which is how the Market Inn became an Allied Breweries outlet.

 Late 70s/early 80s when Pete Smith, licensee of the Royal Dragoon, had the licence for the Market Inn. It sold Shepherd Neame.
 

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, 11 February, 1860.

THE NOTORIOUS DUTCHMAN AT ASHFORD

At the police court, on Tuesday, before W. Rurra, Esq., and elderly and very respectable-looking man, who gave the name of Van de Walter, but who has a number of aliases, was charged with defrauding Mr. Bridge, of the "Market Inn," to the amount of upwards of £4.

Remanded.

 

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, 18 February, 1860.

ASHFORD THE SWINDLING DUTCHMAN

At the remanded examination of Van de Walter (but who has also a string of aliases) on a charge of defrauding Mr. W. Bridge, of the “Market Hotel,” a good deal of evidence was brought forward as to the prisoner's swindling career previous to his making an appearance at Ashford.

Mr. Henry Cantril, son of the proprietress of the “Royal Hotel,” Derby; Mr. George Hilton, Superintendent of police at Derby; Mr. James Venables, of the “Mitre Hotel,” Oxford; and Mr. Joseph Strangfield, surgeon, Weston-super-Mare, Somersetshire, having given evidence for the prosecution, prisoner questioned Mr. Strandfield, with a view of showing that he had given him ten of the shares back, and that they were all valueless, but Mr. Strangfield said that his assertions were totally untrue. This being the whole of the evidence against the prisoner.

The Chairman said he thought the charge of obtaining goods under false pretences had not been substantiated; he had not obtained goods by means of false pretence, but made the fraudulent representations because he was not able to pay the bills.
Superintendent Hilton said that he had discovered that the prisoner victimised hotel keepers in Yorkshire in a similar manner ten years ago; he had also traced him to Chester and Grantham.

The Chairman:- If the sale of shares can be proved against him there is no doubt of a conviction.

Prisoner:- I think, when I am a little more composed, I can answer every case. The truth is this, Mr. Chairman, that I am ruined by my brother-in-law, who ran away with the money for which I was security. Before that I had been living in very good circumstances. Then I became very poor, and I have tried to my knowledge to make some money, and I came for that purpose into England. I have several inventions, which I have made useful to me, and made money with them; but that would not always succeed, and then I have been reduced, and been almost a pauper. Then I have made money again, and paid what I owed. I am now getting old, and my energies and faculties have not always been successful. Still, I was on the point of being successful in Derby, if that Mr. Bowyer had not interrupted me, and driven me away. But wherever I have been I have paid as much as I could. Now, the man that pays whenever he can is not exactly a swindler. As far as this case goes, it is a trumpery case. To me these shares were worth nothing; they had not paid any interest for the last ten years, or more, and it was only from friendship that I charged myself with ascertaining what they were worth.

The prisoner was then formally charged with having committed a misdemeanour, in applying the shares ton his own use, and on this charge he was ordered to be detained, and, for the convenience of the witnesses transferred to Somersetshire.

 

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 10 March, 1860. Price 1d.

ASHFORD

Van de Walter, the Swindling Dutchman, otherwise Dr. Wolf, and a number of other aliases, the Dutchman who was examined before the Ashford magistrates, on a charge of swindling Mr. Bridge, of the “Market Inn”, and several other hotel keepers, and who was remanded at Weston-Super-Mare, in order that a charge of fraudulently disposing of some shares in the Hague gas company, of that place, might be further investigated by the magistrates there, has been committed for trial at the next Old Bailey sessions.

 

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 31 March, 1860. Price 1d.

THE NOTORIOUS DUTCHMAN

The foreigner who under the name of van de Walter swindled Mr. Bridge, of the “Market Inn,” out of several weeks' board and lodging, after practising upon several hotel keepers in Leicester, Derby, and elsewhere, has escaped justice after all. He was committed by the magistrates of Weston-Super-Mare for trial at the Central Criminal Court, for fraudently disposing of Dr. Strangfield's shares; but in consequence of some mistake, neither the prosecutor, prisoner, not witnesses were in time for the sitting, and therefore the prisoner was discharged.

 

From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 23 June 1860.

ASHFORD THE FOUR O'CLOCK MOVEMENT.

A numerously attended meeting of the building operatives in Ashford was held at the "Market Inn," on Wednesday in Ashford when a petition was drawn up to be sent to each employer in the town and neighbourhood requesting that the system of leaving work at four o'clock on Saturdays might be adopted in Ashford. A second meeting is to be held on Wednesday next.

See "Rose and Crown," Maidstone.

 

From the Kentish Chronicle, 26 January, 1861.

ASHFORD PETTY SESSIONS. AN"EXCITED LOVER"

(Before G. E. Sayer, Esq., and Captain Groves.)

Thomas Convin, an engineer, was charged with creating a disturbance and breaking a window at the "Market Inn," on the previous Sunday.

Mr. Bridge, the landlord, stated that the prisoner came to his house about one o'clock on the above day, with a return ticket from Brighton, and had some dinner. Witness went out about three o’clock, and on his return he found the prisoner very much excited, and threatening that he would get a revolver the next time he came, and murder every one in the house; and as to the barmaid, as sure as he met her there would be bloodshed. His conduct was so intolerable that he was put out of the house; but he returned again three times, and on the last occasion he broke the glass and ran towards the station. He had only two glasses of stout in the house.

Thomas Smith and George Potter corroborated this evidence, stating that the prisoner threatened to take their lives also.

The prisoner said that he had been working at Mr. Foord’s engine factory at Ashford, and while there proposed and was accepted by a young person living in Mr. Bridge's house. Something unpleasant occurred, and he obtained a good situation at Brighton, and from thence wrote many letters, both to Mr. Bridge and to the object of his affections, with the view of making matters up. These, however, proved unavailing, and he therefore came himself; but as this was attended with no better success he became excited in the manner that had been stated, for which he was now very sorry, and if the offence were looked over he would go away and never come back again.

Mr Bridge said that the young person mentioned was the daughter of highly-respectable parents, and denied that there had ever been any engagement between her and the prisoner.

The Bench fined him 4s. 9d. for the damage, and 20s. fine.

 

Maidstone Telegraph, Saturday 8 February 1868.

ASHFORD. Petty Sessions, Saturday.

Before G. E. Sayer, Esq., chairman, Lient.-Colonel Groves, R. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen, Esq., M.P., H. Tufton, and P. D. N. Oxenden, Esqs.

How Mrs. Woodgate Lost Her Bag.

A respectably-dressed woman belonging to Ham-street attended to prosecute a pensioner named Horace Finn, living in Ashford, for stealing from her a reticule bag containing some bread and cheese, a bottle of medicine, and 5d in copper. It appeared from the evidence that Mrs. Woodgate came up to Ashford on the previous market day, and towards evening she went into the "Market Inn," having had, as she admitted "something to drink." The barmaid, however, thought from her condition she did not stand in need of any beverage of an alcoholic nature, and declined to serve her with anything stronger than a glass of water. Mrs. Woodgate accordingly partook of a bumper of the limpid element. Being, however, in a generous frame of mind, she treated every one else who happened to be near her to stronger potations. She passed once or twice between an inner room and the bar, and on one occasion left her hag behind her. The prisoner brought it to her, and she thanked him. Soon afterwards she started to go to the railway station, and according to the statement of the prisoner and other persons she asked Finn to accompany her and to carry her bag. She herself denies that she did so. In was certain, however, that her funds by this time were running low, as she complained of having out 2d left to pay her fare. Finn, not to be outdone in the generosity which she had shown, said that "if no one else would pay her fare he would." At the station they became separated, and Finn not being able to find her again took the bag home and hung it up. Mrs. Woodgate in the mean time began to think she had been robbed, and went from the railway station to the police station and made her complaint. Supt. Dewar advised her to go home and consult with her husband before she gave any one in charge. The husband, the day after he had heard his wife's story, communicated with Police-sergeant Smith, and that officer immediately proceeded to Ashford and found the bag hung up in Finns house. There was no concealment of it in any way, and the bottle of medicine still remained in it. The Bench, without hearing Finn's witnesses, dismissed the case.

 

From the Whitstable Times, 29 June, 1901.

ASHFORD USING TREATS TO AN HOTEL KEEPER.

At the Ashford police court on Friday, Daniel George Swaffer, of Ashford, was charged with using threats to William Francis Palmer, landlord of the "Market Hotel." On the previous day prisoner said he would "stick something into” prosecutor, besides using other threats. He was ordered to find sureties to keep the peace for six months, himself in £5 and two of £10 each; or, in default, a month's imprisonment.

 

The pub changed name to the "Wig and Gavel," as yet date unknown.

 

LICENSEE LIST

BRIDGE Mr 1860-62+ Kentish Chronicle

BRAHAM George 1874+

PATCHING James 1881-82+ (age 44 in 1881Census)

DAVIDSON Alexander A 1891+ (age 28 in 1891Census)

PALMER William Francis 1901-30+ (age 45 in 1930Census) Kelly's 1903

BLAKE Edward Porcher 1938+

SMITH Peter late 1970s-early 80s

https://pubwiki.co.uk/MarketInn.shtml

http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/markethotel.html

 

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

CensusCensus

Kentish ChronicleKentish Chronicle

 

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

TOP Valid CSS Valid XTHML