DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Dover, March, 2021.

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 31 March, 2021.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Barry Smith and Paul Skelton

Earliest 1842

Sir Sidney Smith

Latest 1882

62 East Cliff Post Office Directory 1874

Dover

Sir Sidney Smith

Above photo by Paul Skelton (18 Sept 2010). This now appears to be 63 East Cliff, but the location on the map below identifies it as the location of the former "Sir Sidney Smith."

Sir Sidney Smith

Above photograph. The house next door is listed as being 63A.

Sir Sidney Smith sign bracket

I believe the tell-tale identification is what is not holding the lamp on the wall. My detective work suggests this used to be where the sign hung.

 

East Cliff map circa 1890

The above map shows the position of the "Prince Alfred" in yellow. Red is the "Albion" and green is the "Sir Sidney Smith" circa 1880.

 

Now 62 East Cliff

The above house and garages are now listed as being number 62, but the gap either side of the building and shown on the map the same, suggests a renumbering has taken place.

 

Captain John Smith of the Third Guards Regiment built his abode at East Cliff in 1791. He used chalk blocks purloined and fashioned from the cliffs and surmounted them with upturned boats to provide a roof. Perhaps the only building on the foreshore at that time. Other buildings appeared after 1817. That hereditament passed to his son, Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, on his demise there on 23 February 1804. Sir Sidney, at the time, busy with the Channel Fleet destroying invasion barges in the French ports.

 

This pub which honoured his name can be traced to 1842, when an inquest was held there on the body of John Nash, a drowned coast guard.

 

From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday 25 June, 1842. Price 5d.

CORONER'S INQUEST

On Monday last an inquest was held at the "Sir Sydney Smith," public-house, before G. T. Thompson, Esq., Coroner for the borough, on the body of John Nash, boatman of the Coast Guard service.

George Yates, boatman of the Lydden Spout station, deposed:- On Sunday morning, about half-past seven o'clock, I saw a body floating on the water near my station, which on inspection I knew that to be of Nash. I then conveyed the body in a boat to the Casemate station, and delivered it to John Berry, who also identified the same to be the body of Nash, as did John Kalway, who saw deceased go from the shore in a pleasure-boat, in the afternoon of the 7th instant.

Harman Gatton, gentleman, deposed - On the 7th inst. about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I went off for a sail in the "Gulnare," pleasure-boat, accompanied by John Nash. We went as far as Lydden Sport, and on our return back, about 6 o'clock, a squall of wind filled out mainsail, and, the sheet being belayed, capsized the boat. Deceased got out and I followed, when we began to swim towards the shore. Deceased called out to me to keep on swimming. I turned round, but I could not see him; I never saw him afterwards. He had been steering the boat during the day. The accident occurred about a quarter of a mile from the shore, off Shakespeare cliff, and I reached the shore without assistance.

The Coroner then addressed the Jury, who returned a verdict of Accidental Death.

 

From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser, Saturday January, 1843. Price 5d.

 

Last evening about 5 o'clock, an alarm was raised that a fire had broken out at the "Sir Sydney Smith," public house at East Cliff. The town engine was in attendance, and the fire, which originated in the chimney, was extinguished without having occasioned much damage.

 

From the Dover Chronicle, Saturday 7 November, 1863.

Friday Frederick HEWLETT v. Charles HILLS

A case of assault arising out of a quarrel over a game of bagatelle at the "Sir Sydney Smith" on Tues evening.

From the showing of the complainant's own witness, it appeared the defendant had received a very great deal of provocation, and taking that fact into consideration the Bench dismissed the case, and ordered the parties to pay the costs between them.

 

 

Duncan officiated in 1856 but the licence was surrendered finally by Miss Emery in 1882.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 8 September, 1882. Price 1d.

THE SURRENDER OF SIR SYDNEY

It was reported that the licence of the Sir Sydney Smith public-house, East Cliff, had been surrendered.

 

 

There is also a "Sir Sydney Smith" in Deal, spelling using a "y". Care should be taken that the two do not get confused.

 

LICENSEE LIST

BATCHELLER William 1847 Bagshaw's Directory 1847

DUNCAN William 1856

EMERY Thomas 1858-May/80 dec'd (also plumber age 50 in 1871Census) Melville's 1858Dover ExpressPost Office Directory 1874Post Office Directory 1878

EMERY Thomas Jun. May/1880+ Dover Express (son of deceased)

EMERY Miss Ellen 1881-Sept/1882 Post Office Directory 1882Dover Express (age 28 in 1881Census)

 

Bagshaw's Directory 1847From Bagshaw Directory 1847

Melville's 1858From Melville's Directory 1858

Post Office Directory 1874From the Post Office Directory 1874

Post Office Directory 1878From the Post Office Directory 1878

Post Office Directory 1882From the Post Office Directory 1882

Dover ExpressFrom the Dover Express

CensusCensus

 

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

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