History of Dover

Patrick McCabe, John Spillen, and Timothy Reardon, were charged with obstructing the footway in Princes Street in a state of drunkenness on Saturday last. It appeared that P.C. Bowles had been called on the evening in question to a disturbance in Queen Street occasioned by three defendants and a number of other men. The defendant were all intoxicated and swearing horribly and so conducting themselves as to create alarm in the neighbourhood.

He advised them two or three times to disperse, but they refused and he then went to the Police Station for further assistance. In the meantime they went away. From the defence of one of the men it appeared that they had “a bit of a funeral betwixt themselves” on Sunday and that having taken a little drop of liquor to raise their spirits their heads became affected. The Bench deprecated the custom of “waking” and the defendants having promised to do their best to avoid a like charge in future, they were each fined in the nominal penalty of 1s. and the cost 10s. (1860)