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41 Biggin Street
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LEFEVRE'S Temperance Hotel and Coffee Tavern (left) faced public houses
across two streets - the Wellington (right) and the Rose Inn on the
opposite corner of New Street - when this picture of Biggin Street was
taken in 1894, shortly before the road, only 18ft. wide, was widened.
According to Kelly's Directory 1899 , number 42 Biggin Street housed
Rutley and Co. wine and spirit mers. which was being run by Edward
Mowll. |
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Wellington Hotel 1960. By king permission of Dover Library ILL/990.
Photo taken by Lambert Weston & Sons Ltd. |
The site of the Wellington Hotel, photo taken in December 1991. |
I have read that this was first built when Biggin Gate was removed in
1762.
I believe John Lyon says 1752. Whatever, other writers opine that other
inns stood here previous to this one. I am personally drawn to the account
which suggests a large house, occupied by a manufacturer, who had his wool
factory in the rear, that being reached by a side alley. Part of those
premises were then said to become the "Wellington Hotel".
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From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General
Advertiser, Saturday 12 December, 1840. Price 5d.
DOVER POLICE COURT
On Monday last, Mr. Bayford, supervisor, applied for a warrant of
distress against the goods of George Douse, flyman. It appeared that
Douse had formerly occupied premises for the carrying on his business at
the "Wellington Inn;" but that a few days previous to the time when the
post-horse duty became due, he absconded, taking with him the whole of
his property. Mr. Bayford said that it was necessary that a warrant be
issued against the absentee ere he could make his return; after which,
Douse would be proceeded against at the place of his present residence.
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My own searches went to 1863 when your host was Matthew Sharp.
(Barry's original work has now been predated by Paul Skelton to as early as
1858, with John Culmer.) It was an
outlet of Evenden and Leney, later passing to Fremlin to as late as 1962+. Being an honest man I
have to inform that I did not see this on maps of 1871 and further to that,
Mr. Rubies wine and spirit licence for 41 and 42 Biggin Street was not
renewed in 1877. One certainty is the 14 year lease granted to Leney on 6
April 1892. According to the Post Office Directory of 1882 and Kelly's Directory 1899 the Wellington was
addressed as 40½ Biggin Street and was also known as the
Wellington Hotel and Bowling Green.
Leaving all that confusion behind, let us move ahead to June 1949, the
year that war damage was made good for £510.
A Tenancy agreement recently advertised on Ebay showed that the yearly
rent through Fremlins for 1962 was £120.
Negotiations for the sale of this began in May 1970 but it was 21 July
1971 before the pub closed. It was demolished in September the same year so
that the Tesco store could expand but later, in 1989, that property was
subdivided to provide two other retail premises.
It is now a clothes shop called "Dorothy Perkins". (April 2007).
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From the Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General
Advertiser, Saturday 11 January, 1834. Price 7d.
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE
An inquest was held by J W Pilcher, Esq. Mayor and Coroner, at the
Wellington Inn, on Thursday evening, on the body of Mr Kennett Spicer,
master of the Dove, London hoy, who was discovered in the laundry of his
own house that morning, by his daughter, with his throat cut in a most
shocking manner. Mr Philpott Elsted, Surgeon, who attended the deceased
immediately on receiving notice of his rash act, stated that he found
him sitting in a chair, with a very large wound in the throat, extending
from ear to ear, dividing the trachea and the right carotid artery.
There was not less than three pints of arterial blood on the floor. The
wound being more than eight inches long, and two and a half deep, was
evidently the cause of death. It appeared by the evidence of Mr H Byng,
a neighbour, of the deceased, and also that of a mate of the Dove, that
he had laboured for some time under a depression of spirits, frequently
complaining of violent pains in his head, and calling himself a lost
man. There was no reason to suppose that he was in embarrassed
circumstances.
VERDICT.-
Died by cutting his throat while in a temporary state of derangement.
After the verdict was given, enquiry being made as to the fee for
surgical attendance, the Mayor directed application to the parish
officers, one of whom, being present said, if an account were presented,
it should be submitted to the Select Vestry. Mr Elsted then signified
that on any future occurrence, nothing less than the Coroner's Warrant
could induce his attendance. The subject, we believe, has been agitated
at other places, insuring to medical gentlemen, a proper numeration for
their attendance on such melancholy occasions.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 20
April, 1861.
John O Hara, a labourer, was charged by Mr. Thomas Culmer, of the
"Wellington Inn," Biggin Street, with disorderly conduct and assaulting
him in his house the preceding night; but Mr. Culmer not being desirous
of pressing the charge the defendant was dismissed with a caution and
advised to leave the town.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 29
March, 1867.
WHOLESALE PILFERING FROM A PUBLIC-HOUSE
Annie Phillips, a respectably dressed married woman, was charged with
stealing a beer glass value 7½d., the property of Mr.
Charles Pain, landlord of the "Wellington Inn."
The prisoner, on hearing the charge, fainted in
the dock, and some time elapsed before the case could proceed.
Upon the prisoner's recovery, George Edward
Blackman, a boy seventeen years of age, was sworn. He said he was
pot-boy to Mr. Pain, and was in view of the bar on the previous evening,
when the prisoner came in and asked for a glass of beer. He saw her
served, and saw her afterwards take up from the counter an empty glass,
which she secreted under her shawl. He informed his master before she
left the house, and on his master asking prisoner for the glass she said
she had not got it. Mr. Pain then went to the prisoner and searched her
pocket, when the prisoner produced the glass and put it in a chair
without making any observation.
Mr. Pain said his suspicion had been excited by
the prisoner previous to this occurrence, and on her coming in on the
previous day he counted the glasses before turning his back upon the
bar. In consequence of what the previous witness told him he searched
the prisoner and found the glass produced in her pocket. She would not
let him take it out, but took it out herself.
Police-constable Raymond said she was sent for, to
take the prisoner into custody, at the "Wellington Inn" on the previous
evening. She denied that she had stolen the glass, and made the same
statement on the charge being read over to her at the station-house. The
prisoner was the worse for liquor, but knew what she was about. She was
enabled to walk from the "Wellington" steadily. Two other glasses were
found upon her. She said she had bought them in Fiver Post Lane; but on
enquiring this was found to be untrue.
There were some other charges of stealing glasses
against the prisoner - one from the "Regent,"
and another from the "George;" and the
solicitors' table was completely strewn with glasses and pewter measures
found at the house of the prisoner, the spoil, no doubt, of other
similar adventures, which the prisoner must have been carrying for some
time.
The Superintendent of Police said that measures
and glasses had been stolen from public houses at all parts of the town,
and the police had been engaged for a long time in endeavouring to
detect the offender.
The prisoner desired that the case might be
summarily dealt with and pleaded guilty, saying, however, that she did
not know what she had done.
The Magistrates sentenced her to one month's
imprisonment, with hard labour.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 26
February, 1869.
WHOLESALE FELONY
See "Mechanics' Arms."
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From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 31
August, 1877. Price 1d.
DOVER LICENSING MEETING
Mr. Rubie's wine and spirit licence for 41, and 42, Biggin Street,
was not renewed.
(I believe the address above is either incorrect or was part of
the "Wellington Hotel." Paul Skelton.)
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 12 August, 1881. 1d.
INQUEST ON A CHILD
An inquest was held on Saturday morning last at the “Wellington Inn,”
Biggin Street, before the Borough Coroner, (W. H. Payn, Esq.), and a
jury, on the body of an infant child named Spratt, living in New Street,
when the Jury returned a verdict of died through natural causes.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 22 May, 1885. Price 1d.
The Bowling Green, at the rear of the “Wellington Inn,” Biggin Street,
which was broken up for the erection of the Circus, has been made good,
and play began on Wednesday.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, 29 September 1939.
William Charles Roberts, "Wellington" Inn, Biggin Street was fined
10s. on 3rd September for letting a light show. P.C. Page said that the
light showed when the doors were open and defendant said that he had not
had time to screen the lights properly.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 28
August, 1953.
The "Wellington" Changes Hands
After 31 years
Licensee of the Wellington public house in Biggin Street for 31 years
Mr. William J Roberts has left Dover for Gillingham, following his
retirement. The new licensee is Mr. John MacPhee.
Granting a temporary transfer of licence at Dover Magistrates' Court
on Monday, the Chairman of the Magistrates (Mr. G. Golding) wished Mr.
Roberts every happiness in his retirement.
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From the Dover Express, 16 July, 1971.
'LAST ORDERS' AT THE WELLINGTON
Mrs. Doris Rich mine hostess of the "Wellington Inn," shares a last
drink with customers before the public house closed down on Wednesday
night.
Another of Dover's public houses, the "Wellington Hotel," closed on
Wednesday. The "Wellington" - next to St. Mary's cemetery, in Biggin
Street - is to come down to make way for an extension of Tesco's
supermarket.
There's been an inn on or near the site of the "Wellington" for
hundreds of years. It was in a good position just outside the town wall
at Biggin Gate.
In ancient days, when the gate was closed, travellers had to wait
outside until daylight. The Inn was very convenient for those locked
out.
FACTORY
Once upon a time there was a wool factory at the back of the
premises, and the owner had a sizable house, part of which became the
enlarged "Wellington Inn."
Licensee at the "Wellington" for the last 2½ years
has been Mr. Kenneth Rick, who plans to move into another public house
after a ten weeks' rest.
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LICENSEE LIST
CULMER John 1858
CULMER T 1862
SHARP Matthew Sept/1863+
PAIN Charles 1867-69+
MACKEY Owen Griggs July/1871-74+
RELF 1879
LEWIS W G 1882
RALPH John 1882-99
  
SOUTH Alfred 1898 ?
RALPH Mrs 1901 
SAUNDERS J S 1903
DANE Alfred T 1903 end
RYDER Frederick R 1907-08
FILDEW W J 1908
HAWKINS W H 1910-13+
ROUSE F 1917
CASPELL John Frank 1919 end
DUNN William or Wilfred 1919-21 end
DUFFELL Albert Edward 1921-Dec/21
ROBERTS W C Dec/1921-32+
   
MILLINGTON William Charles 1921-34? and 1935?
WHITE John Harrison 1934-35 end?
ROBERTS William Charles 1938-Aug/53
    
MACPHEE Johnathan Aug/1953-54 end
GRIFFITHS Henry 1954-56+
CLARK J 1964
RICH Kenneth J 1969-21/July/71
From Melville's Directory 1858
From the Post Office Directory 1862
From the Post Office Directory 1874
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Post Office Directory 1891
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1895
From the Kelly's Directory 1899
From the Post Office Directory 1901
From the Post Office Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1922
From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1923
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
From the Dover Express
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