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85 – 87 Gwydir Street, The Dewdrop Inn, The Cambridge Blue
History of 85 Gwydir Street
1871 Dew Drop Inn
Thomas Stratton, 49, dairyman, b Cambridge
Matilda, 45, b Caxton
Harry, 14, draper’s assistant, b Cambridge
George, 13, b Cambridge
CCJ 26.8.1871: Mr French applied for a spirit license for Thomas Stratton, Dew Drop beer house, Gwydir Street, which he supported by a memorial from the inhabitants of the locality.
1881
(85)
George Allen, head, 37, railway smith’s labourer, b Dorset
Mary A, wife, 44, b Oakington
James Sells, lodger, 22, railway engineer’s labourer, b Ely
Frederick S Fuller, lodger, 35, telegraph linesman, b Suffolk
(87) Dewdrop Inn
Joseph Strange, head, 32, dairyman, b Dorset
Maria, wife, 31, b Cambridge
Ellen, daughter, 11, scholar, b USA
Sidney, daughter, 8, scholar, b USA
1889
CDN 11.1.1889: Furious Driving.— At the Cambridge Borough Police-court this morning, before the Mayor and other magistrates, Joseph Strange, milkman, living in Gwydir-street, was fined 6s. and costs, for furious driving on Hill’s-road, on the 8th instant.
CDN 8.6.1889: A Foolish Act. —Yesterday evening a little boy named Percy Smith, of Gwydir-street, met with accident which might have resulted very seriously. The boy is a child of only six years, and some indiscreet person put him on tho back of a horse belonging to Mr. Strange, a milkman, of Gwydir street. The horse threw the boy off, and it was found he had hurt his arm. On being taken to the hospital it was ascertained that he had received a compound fracture just above the elbow.
CDN 24.9.1889: STREET ACCIDENT IN CAMBRIDGE. Information has reached us to the effect that a man named Charles Stearn, of Rifle Butt’s-row, sweeper, employed by the Cambridge Improvement Commissioners, met with an accident while employed on the mad on Monday. Wo hear that the man was sweeping the road the wake of the steam roller in Mill-road, when the milk cart of Mr. Strange, of Gwydir-street, driving rapidly by, knocked him down. The wheel of the vehicle passed over his ankle and he was immediately conveyed home, and medical aid sought. We learn from witness of the occurrence that Steam was standing on the edge of the path, and that the accident certainly seemed like the result of reckless driving. Beyond the fact that the unfortunate man is still confined his house, we have not discovered the extent of his injuries.
1891
(85)
George Allen, head, 47, hammerman, b Dorset
Mary A, wife, 50, b Oakington
George Strudwick, boarder, 28, telegraphist, b Essex
(87) Dewdrop Inn
Joseph Strange, head, 40, publican and dairyman, b Somerset
Mary A, wife, 39, b Cambridge
Ellen, daughter, 19, b USA
Sydney, son, 18, milkman, b USA
CIP 3.10.1891 Cox v Strange: In this case James Cox, a livery stable keeper, sued Joseph Strange, dairyman, of Gwydir Street, for the recovery of £3, the balance on the sale of a horse. Mr A Estcourt Day of Brandon appeared for the plaintiff and Mr C percy Jones for the defence. Mr Day stated that about three years ago the plaintiff sold a horse tot eh defendant for £10 in cash and a pig, which was valued by the defendant at £3, and which was to be delivered in about a fortnight, but was not. Plaintiff went to the defendant for the pig some time afterwards and he said he had sold it. Since then £1 5s has been paid into the Court. For the defence it was urged that the defendant said the pig would be worth £3 later on, and that it was not worth that amount at the time, and also that the defendant sold it because it was not fetched away within five or six days, for which period he had agreed to keep it. His Honour gave judgement for £2 9s.
1893 CIP 5.5.1893 Alleged False Pretences. Joseph Strange of Gwydir Street gave evidence in the prosecution of William Beattie, canvasser, late of Hope Street.
1901
(85)
Robert Alderson, 50, plasterer, b Yorks
Isabella, 48, b London
Richard, 16, b London
(87)
Mary Strange, 47, beerhouse keeper, b Bourn
Sidney, 27, dairyman, U S Albany New York
Florence Been, 16, servant, b Cambridge
1902 CIP 7.2.1902: MISCHIEVOUS LADS. Richard Alderson, aged 17, a plasterer, of 85, Gwydir-street, and Percy Smith, aged 15, assistant at the Chemical Laboratory, of Gwydir street, were charged with wilfully doing damage to a public convenience at Hyde Park-corner, belonging to the Mayor and Aldermen and burgesses of the Borough of Cambridge, on the 26th January.—Both defendants pleaded not guilty.—The Town Clerk (Mr J. E. L. Whitehead) prosecuted, and said that although that building had only been put up very recently they had had numerous complaints of damage done to the fittings and portions of the building inside.—Henry John Thompson, of 25, Norfolk terrace, the custodian, said on the evening of Sunday, January 26th, he heard a terrible noise of kicking, thumping, and shouting. He doubled across the road, ran down stairs, and saw Alderson hanging on the lintel of one of the doors, kicking and shouting to someone who was inside to come out. He detained two lads who came from behind the screen, and Alderson then rushed up the stairs, jeering and remarking, “Ah, you’ve got the wrong one.” Witness noticed the electric light was on in No. 3, and directly afterwards heard someone jump down inside. Smith then came out, and witness went in, found the seat scratched with footmarks, and three large bruises on the inside of the door. There were bruises and pencil marks also on the outside of the door, a luggage rest, which was painted white, was covered with nail marks. He had been round the place ten minutes before, and all was right then. He estimated the damage at 7s 6d.—John Henry Gates, shoemaker, and Archibald Clarke, an errand boy, both living in Gwydir-Street, gave evidence. —Alderson elected be sworn, and stated that he got on the door.—The Chairman said the state of their streets on Sunday evenings had been called attention to again and again, and it seemed that a set of lads of this type caused all the trouble —They fined Alderson 10s., and Smith 7s. 6d., both inclusive.
1908 CIP 14.8.1908: Row in Gwydir Street. Richard Alderson, aged 24, plasterer, of 85, Gwydir-street, was charged with assaulting Ann Pointon, wife of Henry John Pointon, plasterer, of 92, Gwydir-street, and also with wilfully damaging a panel of the door of Pointon’s house to the extent of 12s. on August Ist.
Mr. A. J. Lyon appeared for the prosecution, and stated that for some time past Mrs. Pointon had been subjected to very considerable annoyance by the defendant. His had used very opprobrious epithets to her on several occasions, and as he lived opposite, and was very frequently in the vicinity of the complainant, he had made her life very unbearable for a long time past. On the occasion in question he commenced the same sort of behaviour, and going across the road, put himself in opposition to Mrs. Pointon, and hit her under the chin. Later on, when Mrs. Pointon’s husband arrived home, he went across the road to the defendant’s house to ask what the defendant meant by his conduct, and the defendant came out in such violent temper that Mr. Pointon returned to his house and shut the door. Shortly afterwards defendant went across to Pointon’s house, knocked the door, and kicked the panel out, doing damage to the extent of 12s. Mr. Lyon pointed out that if the magistrates convicted the defendant of the assault they could not bind him over to keep the peace, and as it was important that Mrs. Pointon should be protected from the defendant in the future. He also asked the Bench not to convict the defendant of the assault, but bind him over with proper sureties to keep the peace. He also asked that the defendant should be ordered to make good the damage and pay such a penalty as would show him he must behave himself, and leave other people’s property alone.
Mrs. Pointon, in her evidence as to the assault, stated that defendant hit her under the jaw with his fist, and took off his coat and challenged to fight her. He was “nasty drunk,” and witness was in fear of him, and would like him bound over.
Defendant gave a blank denial to Mrs. Pointon’s allegations, and called his father, Robert Alderson, who said that the defendant did not strike the complainant. Both of them called each other names.
The Mayor said that the affair was evidently in the nature of a quarrel, which must be very unpleasant to the other neighbours, and the Bench proposed to bind over both the defendant and Mrs. Pointon in the sum of £5 to keep the peace for six months.
Mr. Lyon asked the Bench to state a case with regard to their right to bind over Mrs. Pointon. He was sent there by the Rev. Wood, who had had Mrs. Pointon under his observation and care to some extent, and Mrs. Pointon had denied using any bad language to the man or annoying him in any shape or form.
The Bench acceded to the applicat ion, and remitted the costs.
With regard to the charge of wilful damage, both Mrs. Pointon and her husband stated that from their bedroom window they saw the defendant kick the panel, which was smashed, and would cost 12s. to repair.
For the defence, defendant’s father stated that he did not see his son kick the panel, and, looking at the door from the other side of the street, he had not been able to see that the panel had been smashed to any extent. He would not swear that his son did not kick the door.
The defendant did not believe he kicked the panel, and thought that the damage might have been done by his rapping the door with the knocker. The panel was only cracked a little.
The Magistrates convicted and fined the defendant 10s. and 8s. costs, and ordered him to pay the costs.
Mr. Lyon thereupon suggested to the Magistrates that, having heard the witnesses again in the second case, they should reconsider their decision with regard to binding over Mrs. Pointon.
The Bench retired to consider the point, and, on their return, the Mayor announced that, in view of the evidence given on the second charge, they had decided, after full thought and consideration, not to press the point against Mrs. Pointon.
1911
(85)
Robert Alderson, 60, plasterer, b Yorks
Isabella, 58, b London
(87)
Richard Sutcliffe, 45, house painter, b Yorks
Eliza, 39, b Cambridge
Frederic, 23, groundsman college cricket ground, b Granntchester
Mabel, 19, b Grantchester
Elsie, 16, b Grantchester
Ada, 13, b Grantchester
Florence, 11, b Grantchester
Marjorie, 5, b Cambridge
Kathleen, 4, b Cambridge
Winford [sic], 3, b Cambridge
Agnes, 11 mos, b Cambridge
George Burbage, 58, boarder, bricklayer, b Grantchester
1913
(85) Robert Alderson, plasterer
(87) Dew Drop Inn, Richard Sutcliffe
1937 Dew Drop Inn
Fred B Green
1962 85/87
Dew Drop Inn
1970
Dewdrop Inn
There is a detailed history of this famous pub at this location:
http://www.theedkins.co.uk/jo/gwydir/blue.htm
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