Rainbow Temperance Hotel

A hotel run by the Temperance movement in Silverhill. The building was located on the corner between London Road and Sedlescombe Road South. Also known as the 'Rainbow Hall' for its meeting room.

Proprietors

Thomas Jacklin ran the hotel until his death, aged 60, in 1904. On the 11th of July, 1904 he was in the bar of the hotel, serving John Smith of Clarence Road some lemonade. A fish-hawker named George Noakes from the Old Town had been his previous customer - he ordered two cups of tea and four slices of bread and butter for him and his companion, Frederick Stace, the price asked by Jacklin being five pence. The fish-hawker considered this too expensive and offered four pence instead. This being refused, the hawker left, leaving the bread and tea behind, but was followed by Jacklin as far as Duke Road, saying he was going to summon the police. On his return to serve the lemonade, Jacklin went as if to fetch it, but sat down, putting his head in his hands - as though he was in pain saying "Those fellows went away without paying". Rising to pour the lemonade, he suddenly threw his arms in the air and collapsed, breathing heavily. With the assistance of a customer, his wife laid him on the floor and loosened his clothing. Medical assistance was summoned and Jacklin was found to be deceased by a passing surgeon, Otho R. Travers. An post-mortem revealed his heart to be enlarged and syncope was the cause of death, possibly brought on by excitement. The inquest held at the Tivoli Tavern returned a verdict of death by natural causes.

Edgar Burnham was the proprietor around 1910. Having taken on the hotel on a seven year lease, some four years earlier with no experience of running a hotel, Burnham ran into financial difficulties and started a confectionery business from the premises. This did not ease his finances. The landlord, Mr. A. D. Snow, took possession of the hotel back in March 1910 and Burnham found himself in front of the Bankruptcy courts

Images

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  Trams-at-Silverhill.-1906.

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  Entente-on-the-Silverhill-tram.1906