From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 17 September, 1886. 1d.

TRANSFER

Mr. Vernon Knocker said that with reference to the “Rose,” of West Langdon, notice had been given that it should be a fully licensed beer house, but owing to some fault in that notice he had advised his client to withdraw the application for the present. He asked that the house might be transferred to George Drew, formerly of the Royal Marines. The widow was not in occupation.

The magistrates granted the request.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 14 September, 1888. 1d.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

The report of Superintendent Kewell showed that the ale houses, beer houses, and grocers, and others licensed to sell spirits, wine, and beer within part of the Wingham Division under his superintendence with the following exceptions have been well conducted:

The exceptions were the “Rose,” off license, West Langdon, kept by George Drew, who was fined 18s. and costs for permitting beer to be consumed on his premises contrary to his license on the 18th May, 1888.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 21 September, 1888. 1d.

APPLICATION REFUSED

Mr. M. Mowll applied on behalf of Mr. George Drew, for an on-license at the “Rose” public house.

The application was refused.

Dover Express 22nd June 1889.

Dover County Sessions( before G. E. Toemer, Esq., Major Stevenson and Colonel Sladen).

George Drew, the landlord of the "Rose" beerhouse, West Langdon, was summoned for allowing beer to be consumed on his premises, he only having an off licence. The defendant, on oath, denied the offence but the Bench fined him 10 shillings and costs.

Dover Express 14 May 1915 back page.

(Private) Wm HARVEY 2nd Batt. Buffs. War Dead. Parents at the Rose Inn, West Langdon. Photo of him there. To add.

Dover Express 8.th January 1943.

Wingham Petty Sessions 7th January 1943.

The licence of the “Rose” Inn, West Langdon, was transferred from Frederick George Philpott to William Powell.

Dover Express 15th January 1943.

The licence of the “Rose” Inn, West Langdon, has been transferred to William Hall and not Powell as stated last week.

Dover Express 20th August 1943.

Wingham Petty Sessions held on 19th August 1943 before Lord Hawarden (in the Chair).

LANGDON DANCE SEQUEL. TWO MEN SENT TO PRISON.

Gunners Leonard H. Pink and William C. Kelly R.A. represented by Mr. A. K. Mowll, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of tinned foodstuff of the value of 17s 1d, the property of H.M. Government. Supt. Wheatley said that, on 7th August, the unit held a dance and, at 11.45 p.m. Lieut., Hutchinson was seeing people off the premises when he heard voices, made investigations, and, as a result, came into possession of a box containing tins of food. He made certain other inquiries and issued instructions for the rations to be checked. The tins were then missed from the cookhouse. Defendants were interviewed by the Police and made statements.

Pink stated that he and Kelly were together all the evening and had been drinking a lot of beer. Following a suggestion made to them, they went to the cookhouse and took the foodstuffs, which they left outside in the box, telling the men inside that they had got them some food. No payment was made.

After an officer had given the men excellent army characters, Mr. Mowll said that the whole unfortunate incident was the result of beer. Both had been drinking heavily or they would not have done that sort of thing. Before the war Kelly had been in one job for 17 years. He was representing them at the expense of the officers, because they thought so highly of those men.

The Chairman said that the defendants had committed a very serious offence and, apart from stealing Government stores, would have deprived their mates of certain food. As they did not get much money as soldiers, the fines would be 30s each.

Langdon Licensee sent to Prison.

The sequel to the above case was that William Hall, licensee of the “Rose” Inn, West Langdon, Mrs. Emily M. Hall, his wife, and Victor V. Lawrence of Douglas Road, Dover, were charged with receiving foodstuffs well knowing them to have been stolen and with being in possession of Government stores. Represented by Mr. G. W. Hardman, they pleaded not guilty.

Supt. Wheatley outlined the case and observed that the Bench would appreciate in these days that no sane person could suggest that they would not suspect that the tins were stolen goods, since civilians could not obtain them without points and those tins represented 182 points or an adult ration for 8 months.

Lieut Ernest Hutchinson, R. A. said that, on August 7th, the unit held a dance which ended at 11.45 p.m. when he was seeing people off the premises. He was returning when he heard voices 15 or 20 yards away. He called out “Who’s that?” but got no answer. He went across and saw the three defendants. Lawrence had a box and witness asked “What have you got there?” There was no reply but, when witness said he wanted to know what they were taking out, the woman said “What has that got to do with you?” The woman dropped something – which he afterwards found was a handbag – over the things in the box. He took them to a marquee and found that the box contained the tins of food, which were similar to those issued for the mens’ rations.

Cross examined, witness said that Lawrence had been drinking, but was not drunk. He afterwards became abusive. He could not say on oath that any one of those tins was the property of the Government, because the same brands could be bought in the shops.

Corpl. John Catlow, in charge of the cookhouse, and responsible for the food stores, said that he checked them at 4.30 p.m. on August 7th. At 1 a.m. on August 8th, he again checked the stores and missed the 28 tins and the box, which he identified in Court.

Pink said that he and Kelly were in the canteen during the dance and had some drinks with Hall and Lawrence. One of the civilians spoke of the difficulty of making ends meet because of the food rationing. As a result, he went to the cookhouse and he put the tins in the box. Returning to the canteen, he told them he had one or two things for them outside. They then had another drink.

Kelly said that he went with Pink and got the rations and he handed the box to the two men in the dark.

Det. Cons. Sharp of Deal said that he went to the "Rose Inn," West Langdon, and saw Mr. & Mrs. Hall and Lawrence, and told them they would be arrested for receiving stolen Government stores. Hall replied “I don’t know what it’s all about”. When charged at Deal Police Station, Hall said “I have nothing to say except that it was a good job I was stopped. Perhaps I was not as careful as I should have been. I have never received anything before.” Lawrence said that he was leaving the place when a box was handed to him. He did not know what it contained.

Mr. Hardman withdrew his plea of not guilty in regard to the two men and called Mrs. Hall, who maintained her plea of not guilty.

Mrs. Hall said that, after the "Rose Inn" closed, her husband and she and Lawrence, who was an old friend, went to the dance and remained until nearly midnight. She stopped in the dance room all the time, except for a few minutes when Lawrence fetched her to have a glass of lemonade. After the dance, she met Lawrence outside the canteen, but did not see her husband. Lawrence had had a lot to drink and was a bit troublesome. He was stumbling along when she thought she heard something, and, turning round, saw that Lawrence had a box. She asked where he had got it and he said someone had given it to him. She then thought she heard her husband coming and called “Will”. She did not know what was in the box, but knew it must have come from the soldiers and she wanted to get it back to them. It was through her calling to her husband that the officer came. He thought that they were waiting for somebody and then saw the box. Because she wanted to keep Lawrence out of trouble, she put her handbag on the top and told the officer it was something they had brought in with them. It was then her husband came up. Her one idea was to keep the men out of trouble. She had no idea of the contents of the box or from where or why they came. She knew Lawrence had no right to it and she stupidly tried to bluff the officer.

Mr. Hardman said that all three bore good characters and the case was the result of the two men indulging in too much of a drinking party. They apologised for all the trouble they had caused. He asked the Bench to accept Mrs. Hall’s evidence as the truth and contended that she had no knowledge of any arrangements between the two soldiers and her husband and Lawrence. The first she knew was when she saw Lawrence in possession of the box and her immediate instinct, as a friend, was to get him out of trouble.

The Bench gave Mrs. Hall the benefit of the doubt and dismissed the cases against her. Hall and Lawrence were each sentenced to a month’s hard labour on each charge to run concurrently, the Chairman observing that they had, whether or not they had had too much to drink, committed very serious offences.

As Hall, on conviction, automatically ceased to be a licensee, the licence of the “Rose” Inn, West Langdon was temporarily transferred to the secretary of the brewery company.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 3 September 1943

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

Licence Transfer

The licence of the "Rose Inn," West Langdon, which at the last Court was temporarily transferred to the Secretary of the Brewery company, Messrs. Thompson and Co., Ltd. following the conviction of the licensee, was temporarily transferred to George Pepper.