History
Henry Howard's journey
- From Mornington to Frankston to the gallows By Peter McCullough
“
I come from a race, Mr. Ritchie, who take no insults from any man, even if they should come to the gallows for it,” was the response Henry Howard gave to Thomas Ritchie, storekeeper, after the latter had commented “I hope you have not done anything that you will be sorry for.” Ritchie was one of those nearby businessmen who had been summoned to the Frankston Hotel on the evening of the 14 August, 1875 when Henry Howard stabbed Elizabeth Wright, the licensee, to death in the hotel diningroom. For good measure, he also stabbed the barman, Thomas Harman. By the time Ritchie arrived at the hotel, Harman was lying dead on the pavement. Howard's comment proved prophetic: for his actions he went to the gallows. Mornington While the Tanti was the first licensed hotel in the township of Mornington, being shown on a map prepared in 1854, the “Schnapper Point Hotel”on the Esplanade and the “Mornington Hotel”on the corner of Avenue Road (now Wilsons Road) and Brewery Road (now Nunns Road) were the next premises in Mornington to be licensed. Both hotels appear on a map dated November, 1858. On 29 April, 1857 Henry Howard was awarded the licence to the Schnapper Point Hotel, but patronage dropped off when he installed a mistress (Mrs. Wright) while his wife and children were still in residence. This resulted in the licence passing to T. Rennison in 1860, and the hotel was referred to as “Rennisons” before it became the “Royal Hotel” in 1876.
E ssence
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May 2017
The original licensee of the Mornington Hotel was Harley Goodall who had built a brewery beside his establishment. On 17 March, 1858 The Argus advertised first class accommodation at Mornington House with Harley Goodall as proprietor. Taking advantage of the newly-built pier, the advertisement referred to the availability of a steamer from Melbourne once a week. Goodall soon became licensee and the title of hotel was adopted. In 1865 Harley Goodall, who had been experiencing ill health, travelled to England with his wife and family where he died aged 46. However Goodall's departure provided Henry Howard with the opportunity to resume his role as a publican as the Rates Book of 1865 records a Mr. Howard as ratee for a hotel and 18 acres,