NORFOLK PUBLIC HOUSES

Shown on Faden's 1797 map.

At the Norfolk Quarter Sessions 17th April 1903 the appeal against a
Refused Licence was heard before Lord Lindley & other magistrates.

The licence of Walter Giddings had been first refused at the Hunstanton Petty Sessions
and then again at adjourned meeting at Docking.
The case had again appeared at Hunstanton Court Of Appeal
where the application was refused.

Walter Giddings was subject to much legal activity.
He had been charged on 30th June 1902 of keeping his house
open at prohibited hours. ( Serving a man with 1/2 pint of beer,
outside his house at 10:30 am ) - Mr Giddings was fined 16 shillings with 4 shillings costs.
( He had advised the Setch brewery representative that he had been fined a total of £1, which included costs and that the magistrates had said it would have no effect on his licence. On that information the brewery had allowed Giddings to continue at the house. )
On another occasion he had been charged with receiving stolen property,
( A turkey, purchased from a man he did not know - The case to be heard at
Kings Lynn Quarter Sessions later in April 1903. )
and another time, of serving a drink to a person who was already drunk.

The Court Of Appeal had said that they could not possibly say that Giddings
was a man to whom a licence should be renewed. 
The case against Giddings was so strong `and it was obvious that the
Police were telling the truth' 

The Norwich Court refused the appeal without costs and with a recommendation
to the magistrates to facilitate and give effect to the application for transfer if in their
judgment the facts and the law allowed. It was advised that Mr Giddings could not apply for a new licence until the following February.

Lord Lindley ( His Lordship ) summed up by saying he did not like to recommend what he could not carry out. The Court thought it rather hard on the brewers, and if anything could be done to help them, so much the better.