FORTUNE'S PASSAGE, CANTERBURY

~ FORTUNE'S PASSAGE ~

CANTERBURY

St. Mildreds

The passage runs off of Stour street down to the River

The passage entrance is located under No. 41 Stour Street

Fortunes Passage is highlighted in yellow on this 1843 map

Three old pictures of Fortunes Passage in "A Century of Canterbury", by Derek Butler Isbn 0-7509-3243-0

The St. Mildred Slums Again

Councillor Horsley, referring to the Medical Officer's annual report, said he observed there was a reference to the shelving of the proposal that had been made to pull down certain passages in Stour Street and compensate the owners of the property. The Medical Officer expressed the hope that the Council would not lose sight of this matter, and he (Councillor Horsley) fully agreed with him, hoping it would not be permantently shelved. The Medical Officer had stated that there were 75 houses containing 101 inhabitants which were unfit for habitation and chronically bad, and serveral members of the Council, amongst whom were the Mayor and Alderman Hart, agreed that it was necessary to take immediate action; whilst remarks fell from the Aldermanic bench to the effect that the present state of the buildings was cruel to the occupiers. The feeling amongst many of the Council was that the fact of there being other instances of insanitary dwellings in Canterbury should be no bar to attacking this case which had been reported upon regularly by the officials. The Medical Officer's report had been referred back and it was understood that he would present another report. No other special report had yet been received but here was the hope expressed that the matter would not be lost sight of, and he (Councillor Horsley) gave notice of motion on the subject, to be placed on the agenda for the next Council meeting.

Councillor Harris said he questioned whether this was admissable, seeing that the matter had been already dealt with by the Council and the Committee. He believed the owner had put this particular passage in considerable repair, and he thought the matter should lay in abeyance for some time. It was known that the Medical Officer withdrew his report because it was too strong, and if the property had been put into repair it was not necessary to re-open the question, as the Council had plenty to do already.

The MAYOR pointed out that he visited the property and was quite of the Medical Officer's opinion that it was a disgrace to allow people to live there. In fact at that time he gave private advice to the owners that the property would, probably, be pulled down, and it would, therefore, not be advisable for them to spend money on it. As to giving them compensation for allowing insanitary dwellings, that was against all reason. Why should the Council compensate persons for violating the law? If a person put up an insanitary dwelling for his own profit the law should be enforced and they should be pulled down or the nuisance abated.

The Sanitary Inspector, in reply to the Mayor, said the owner of Fortune's Passage had proceeded with certain works, but the owner of Fowler's passage had done nothing and the property was in a most insanitary condition, as it was now worse than ever. Housden's passage was, virtually, closed; nothing had been done and it was impossible to make them good.

Councillor HORSLEY said he did not think discussion should take place now as he had only given notice of motion.

The MAYOR asked the Inspector to prepare an up-to-date report on the property, but Mr. RICHARDSON said that under the Act, this was a duty of the Medical Officer and the Surveyor.

Kentish Gazette and Canterbury Press, Friday for Saturday, May 16, 1896

No. 1

Ann KEMP, Charwoman, and son John W. Kemp ^

Uninhabited *

No. 2

John HUSBAND, Road Labourer ^

John STEPNEY, General Labourer *

No. 3

William ELLIES, Farm Labourer ^

John BARTON, Cane Chair Repairer *

No. 4

John NASH, Railway Labourer ^

Amos LOVE, General Labourer *

No. 5

Elizabeth COLLIS, Charwoman ^

Williams (w) Charwoman, son John Williams, Agricultural Labourer *

March 4, 1906 Alice HARMER (5 Fourtunes Passage, Stour Street) *John Russell stole a string of beads and a pair of scissors from her

No. 6

Charles WOOD, Formerly a Bricklayer ^

William FIST, Fish Hawker * (at no. 9 in the 1860's)

No. 7

Thomas ^

Daniel BAKER, General Labourer *

No. 8

Edward BARBER, Bricklayers Labourer ^

Edward BARBER, Where do you live? In Stour Street, Fortune's Passage. What is your occupation? A labourer. PP1881

George MEARS, General Labourer *

WTHBH - April 15, 1899 - A Fatal Fall. An inquest was held at the Royal Oak, Longport, Canterbury on Thursday, by the City Coroner (Dr. T. S. Johnson) on the body of a deaf and dumb man, named Mark Edward Mears. Maria Baker, of 6 Rosemary Lane, Canterbury, identified the body as that of her brother who lived in Fortune's Passage, and was aged 24. He did not do anything for a living, but received 2s. 6d. a week from St. Mildred's Parish. She saw him on the Monday morning previous and he was then in his usual health. Charles Hogben, living at 65 Stour Street, sated that on Monday evening, about six o'clock, he was with the deceased witnessing the volunteers go away by the L.C.D. Railway. The deceased was sitting on a wall when he fell on to a truck and then into the dock below. Alfred John Foster, a porter at the station, deposed that he got deceased out from under the truck. Mr. Eustace Frend, house surgeon at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, stated that he admitted deceased in the Hospital on April 4th at 5 p.m. He was in a bad conditiona nd died at 8;15. The deceased died from peritonitis, supervening a rupture, which was no doubt caused by the fall. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

No. 9

William FIST, Fish Hawker ^

George BAKER, General Labourer and Broom Dasher/Broom Maker *

No. 10

Stephen BUTCHER, Farm Labourer ^

Charlotte COLLISON, Sister in law ^

William COLLISON, Lime Burner ^

John SCAMP, General Dealer *

No. 11

John PICKERING, Farm Labourer ^

Elizabeth STEWART, Charwoman *

No. 12

Florence SULLIVAN, Railway Labourer ^

No. 13

Charles HOUSEDEN, Farm Labourer ^

Thomas SCAMP, Licensed Hawker *

Harriet SMITH (w) *

No. 14

Mattew WEATHERLEY, Farm Labourer ^

Steven TAYLOR, Shoe Mender *

No. 15

William Cineer?, former Labourer ^

Isaac COLEY, Labourer *

No. 16

Joseph JOSTLING, Former Bricklayer ^

George WIGYELL, Gardener ^

Charlotte SPIREPOINT, Charwoman ^

Charlotte WILLIAMS, Agricultural Field Worker *

James HIRONS, General Labourer *

No. 17

George BAKER, Farm Labourer ^

Caroline TOMLIN, Licensed Hawker *

James SIVYER, Agricultural Labourer *

No. 18

Sarah A. MAXTED, Washerwoman ^

No. 19

Mary COLLISON (w) ^

No. 20

Richard COOMBER, Farm Labourer ^

No. 21

Stephen TAYLOR, Farm Labourer ^

No. 22

John SIDDERS, Broom Maker ^

No. 23

Rebecca BARTON, Shoe Binder ^

Robert PETERS, boarder, Railway Labourer ^

No. 24

Edward BAKER, Bricklayers Labourer ^

No. 25

Henry PHILPOTT, Farm Labourer ^

No. 26

Caroline TOMLIN (w), Joseph and Charles her young sons are Farm Labourers ^


~ FORTUNE'S PASSAGE ~ CANTERBURY St. Mildreds The passage runs off of Stour street down to the River The passage entrance is located under No. 41 Stour Street Fortunes Passage is highlighted in yellow on this 1843 map Three old pictures of Fortunes Passage in "A Century of Canterbury", by Derek Butler Isbn 0-7509-3243-0 The St. Mildred Slums Again Councillor Horsley, referring to the Medical Officer's annual report, said he observed there was a reference to the shelving of the proposal that had been made to pull down certain passages in Stour Street and compensate the owners of the property. The Medical Officer expressed the hope that the Council would not lose sight of this matter, and he (Councillor Horsley) fully agreed with him, hoping it would not be permantently shelved. The Medical Officer had stated that there were 75 houses containing 101 inhabitants which were unfit for habitation and chronically bad, and serveral members of the Council, amongst whom were the Mayor and Alderman Hart, agreed that it was necessary to take immediate action; whilst remarks fell from the Aldermanic bench to the effect that the present state of the buildings was cruel to the occupiers. The feeling amongst many of the Council was that the fact of there being other instances of insanitary dwellings in Canterbury should be no bar to attacking this case which had been reported upon regularly by the officials. The Medical Officer's report had been referred back and it was understood that he would present another report. No other special report had yet been received but here was the hope expressed that the matter would not be lost sight of, and he (Councillor Horsley) gave notice of motion on the subject, to be placed on the agenda for the next Council meeting. Councillor Harris said he questioned whether this was admissable, seeing that the matter had been already dealt with by the Council and the Committee. He believed the owner had put this particular passage in considerable repair, and he thought the matter should lay in abeyance for some time. It was known that the Medical Officer withdrew his report because it was too strong, and if the property had been put into repair it was not necessary to re-open the question, as the Council had plenty to do already. The MAYOR pointed out that he visited the property and was quite of the Medical Officer's opinion that it was a disgrace to allow people to live there. In fact at that time he gave private advice to the owners that the property would, probably, be pulled down, and it would, therefore, not be advisable for them to spend money on it. As to giving them compensation for allowing insanitary dwellings, that was against all reason. Why should the Council compensate persons for violating the law? If a person put up an insanitary dwelling for his own profit the law should be enforced and they should be pulled down or the nuisance abated. The Sanitary Inspector, in reply to the Mayor, said the owner of Fortune's Passage had proceeded with certain works, but the owner of Fowler's passage had done nothing and the property was in a most insanitary condition, as it was now worse than ever. Housden's passage was, virtually, closed; nothing had been done and it was impossible to make them good. Councillor HORSLEY said he did not think discussion should take place now as he had only given notice of motion. The MAYOR asked the Inspector to prepare an up-to-date report on the property, but Mr. RICHARDSON said that under the Act, this was a duty of the Medical Officer and the Surveyor. *Kentish Gazette and Canterbury Press, Friday for Saturday, May 16, 1896* No. 1 Ann KEMP, Charwoman, and son John W. Kemp ^ Uninhabited * No. 2 John HUSBAND, Road Labourer ^ John STEPNEY, General Labourer * No. 3 William ELLIES, Farm Labourer ^ John BARTON, Cane Chair Repairer * No. 4 John NASH, Railway Labourer ^ Amos LOVE, General Labourer * No. 5 Elizabeth COLLIS, Charwoman ^ Williams (w) Charwoman, son John Williams, Agricultural Labourer * March 4, 1906 Alice HARMER (5 Fourtunes Passage, Stour Street) John Russell stole a string of beads and a pair of scissors from her No. 6* Charles WOOD, Formerly a Bricklayer ^ William FIST, Fish Hawker * (at no. 9 in the 1860's) No. 7 Thomas ^ Daniel BAKER, General Labourer * No. 8 Edward BARBER, Bricklayers Labourer ^ Edward BARBER, Where do you live? In Stour Street, Fortune's Passage. What is your occupation? A labourer. PP1881 George MEARS, General Labourer * WTHBH - April 15, 1899 - A Fatal Fall. An inquest was held at the Royal Oak, Longport, Canterbury on Thursday, by the City Coroner (Dr. T. S. Johnson) on the body of a deaf and dumb man, named Mark Edward Mears. Maria Baker, of 6 Rosemary Lane, Canterbury, identified the body as that of her brother who lived in Fortune's Passage, and was aged 24. He did not do anything for a living, but received 2s. 6d. a week from St. Mildred's Parish. She saw him on the Monday morning previous and he was then in his usual health. Charles Hogben, living at 65 Stour Street, sated that on Monday evening, about six o'clock, he was with the deceased witnessing the volunteers go away by the L.C.D. Railway. The deceased was sitting on a wall when he fell on to a truck and then into the dock below. Alfred John Foster, a porter at the station, deposed that he got deceased out from under the truck. Mr. Eustace Frend, house surgeon at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, stated that he admitted deceased in the Hospital on April 4th at 5 p.m. He was in a bad conditiona nd died at 8;15. The deceased died from peritonitis, supervening a rupture, which was no doubt caused by the fall. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." No. 9 William FIST, Fish Hawker ^ George BAKER, General Labourer and Broom Dasher/Broom Maker * No. 10 Stephen BUTCHER, Farm Labourer ^ Charlotte COLLISON, Sister in law ^ William COLLISON, Lime Burner ^ John SCAMP, General Dealer * No. 11 John PICKERING, Farm Labourer ^ Elizabeth STEWART, Charwoman * No. 12 Florence SULLIVAN, Railway Labourer ^ No. 13 Charles HOUSEDEN, Farm Labourer ^ Thomas SCAMP, Licensed Hawker * Harriet SMITH (w) * No. 14 Mattew WEATHERLEY, Farm Labourer ^ Steven TAYLOR, Shoe Mender * No. 15 William Cineer?, former Labourer ^ Isaac COLEY, Labourer * No. 16 Joseph JOSTLING, Former Bricklayer ^ George WIGYELL, Gardener ^ Charlotte SPIREPOINT, Charwoman ^ Charlotte WILLIAMS, Agricultural Field Worker * James HIRONS, General Labourer * No. 17 George BAKER, Farm Labourer ^ Caroline TOMLIN, Licensed Hawker * James SIVYER, Agricultural Labourer * No. 18 Sarah A. MAXTED, Washerwoman ^ No. 19 Mary COLLISON (w) ^ No. 20 Richard COOMBER, Farm Labourer ^ No. 21 Stephen TAYLOR, Farm Labourer ^ No. 22 John SIDDERS, Broom Maker ^ No. 23 Rebecca BARTON, Shoe Binder ^ Robert PETERS, boarder, Railway Labourer ^ No. 24 Edward BAKER, Bricklayers Labourer ^ No. 25 Henry PHILPOTT, Farm Labourer ^ No. 26 Caroline TOMLIN (w), Joseph and Charles her young sons are Farm Labourers ^
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