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GARDENING IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Written by; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario.Canada

Date: April 8,2012

INTRODUCTION

The central focus of this article is about the history of the Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society that was founded during the early 19th century in the beautiful spa town of Tunbridge Wells,nestled in the county of Kent the "Garden of England". I have however widened my coverage of this topic to include in summary form some background information about the history of gardening in England which had a direct impact on a town which initially derived its beauty from its natural surroundings and the proliferation of blue belles and other wild flowers that dotted the landscape.

With the general and rapidly growing local interest in gardening the appearance of the town was enhanced by the efforts of local nurseries and gardening enthusiasts that patronized them.Initially non native plant material was scarce and expensive and gardening was a luxury reserved for the well-to-do but as new species of plants were propogated on a large scale gardening became more affordable for the common man. Soon the residents of Tunbridge Wells joined the wealthy estate owners by beautifying their own humble premises by establishing flower gardends of their own.Like the explosion of colour that takes place during the growing season the number of people who took a serious interest in gardening so too exploded in numbers and gardening today has become one of the most popular and relaxing hobbies and pastimes.

My interest in this topic flows from my fathers lifelong interest in gardening and whos efforts brought him great pleasure,recognition and awards throughout his life and the fact that he was born in Tunbridge Wells in 1916 provided the impetus I needed to write this article about the town.For anyone interested in reading about the gardening exploits of my father please refer to the seperate article about him on page 5 of this website entitled " Douglas Edward Gilbert-The Man With a Green Thumb (Finger)".

So if you are ready,put away your gardening tools and put down your seed catalogues for a few minutes and read a little about the hobby that has become an important part of your life.

THE PRE VICTORIA ERA

After the emergence of the first civilizations,wealthy individuals began to create gardens for purely aesthetic purposes and mainly consisted of ponds,native plants,trees and shrubs.Walls with vines and rows of trees were often provided for privacy and shade.The Roman style of gardens with statuary found their way to Britian and it is still a popular feature of gardens today.The Middle Age represented a period of decline in gardening for aesthic purposes with the emphasis shifted towards plants grown for medicinal purposes.In the late 13th century rich Britons began to grow gardens for leisure and for medicinal herbs and vegetables.During the next two centuries came the planting of lawns and raising flowerbeds and trellises of roses.Fruit trees were also common in these gardens.The gardens in the 16th and 17th century were symmetric,proportioned and balanced with a more classical appearance.Most of them were built around a central axis and divided into parts by hedges.Commonly,gardens had flowerbeds laid out in squares and separated by gavel paths.Gardens in Renaissance were adorned with sculptures,topiary and fountains.In the 17th century people began to plant new flowers such as tulips,marigilds and sunflowers.In the 18th century,gardens remained a privedge reserved for the upper class.They were laid out more naturally,without any walls.Gardens of this century contained shrubberies,grottos,pavilions,bridges and follies such as mock temples.It was not until the next century that gardens became available to the middle class as well.

The era of the Georgian and Regency period saw the birth of the English Landscape movement. From about 1700 onwards visiting gardens had become a national pastime,and the grand tour of Europe became a part of every gentleman's education.Formal gardens were on their way out and writers and landscapers advocated a return to nature.After seeing the ruins of ancient Rome and Greece,landowners came home to England hoping to create a classic wilderness in their country estates.

The Picturesque movement towards the end of the 18th century was a reaction away from smooth rolling landscapes.The wild more rugged style became popular but declined in the 1830's.

In 1640 John Parkinson published the first great book on plants.He was the first of the great English botanists.His book 'The Botanical Theatre' described over 3,800 plants. In 1673 The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries established the Chelsea Physic Garden in London to grow and research medicinal plants and had over 5,000 species of them.In 1682 Nehemiah Grew,a botanist and physician,studied with a microscope the structure of plants and published his findings in tha that year in a book entitled "Anatomy of Plants".

THE VICTORIAN ERA

The Victorian period was the golden era of plant collecting.There was a desire for exploration and discovery and Victorian plant hunters were botanical adventurers who risked life and limb to bring back exotic plants from around the world.May of them died on their travels,but their legacy lives on in the plants that many of uis now consider to be part of the quintessential British landscape. These men brought back the monkey puzzle tree, Wellingtonia, rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, Himalayan poppies,primulas,and much more.

During Victorian times gardening was no longer the exclusive hobby of the upper class.As industry and commerce prospered a wealthy middle class emerged who wished to live near their source of income but away from the squalor and overcrowding.Imporved transportation made it possible for them to have villas built on the outskirts of towns where there was fresh air and an opportunity to display new-found wealth.There was a desire for gardens with ostentatious features,following the latest fashions and themes,rather than harmonizing with the landscape.It was a time of progress, inventions,new ideas and discoveries.One significant invention was the first lawnmower,in 1831,by Edwin Dudding.Before 1831 lawns had to be cut with a scythe.By 1858 there were more than 7,000 lawnmowers in Britian.Thank goodness for this invention.Can you imagine trying to get your children today to cut the lawn with a scythe!

Other notable events of the time are as follows. In 1802 the first public botanic garden opened in Liverpool.In 1804 The Horticultural Society was formed.It was renamed the Royal Horticultural Society in 1861.In 1822 John Loudon published the 'Encyclopedia of Gardening'.In 1826 the 'Gardeners Magazine'was founded by John Loudon,one of the most influential writers of the time.In 1840 the most popular plants for displays were chrysanthemums,dahlias and roses.In 1841 the 'Gardeners Chronicle' was first published which would become the century's major gardening paper.In the period of 1840-1860 The Royal Botanic Research Garden at Kew was expanded with the objective of having one of every plant in the world.In 1845 the glass tax was abolished,making greenhouses and conservatories cheaper and more popular.In 1847 James Hartley produced good quality sheet glass for greenhouses.In 1860 those adorable,or hideous,depending on your point of view, Garden Gnomes were introduced in Britian from Germany.Who could possibly have a garden without at least one! In 1862-3 George Bentham made an exhaustive study of seed plants and collected over 10,000 species which he donated to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.He also wrote "The Handbook of British Flora". In 1870 'The Wild Garden' by William Robinson promoted the idea of natural-looking planting schemes.In 1895 the first women gardemers were employed at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

When the Victorians weren't inventing or constructing they were writing about gardening developments in books and magazines so others could benefit.Better printing systems made it possilbe for more people to gain horticultural inspiration from the garden writers of the day,such as Loudon.The impact and spread of knowledge was greater and quicker than ever and avid gardeners sought out and purchased large quantities of gardening publications.It was also a time when graden centres and nurseries sprang up throughout the country and seed catalogues were available in the hundreds.

Wealthy Victorians also created public spaces and one has only to take a look around Tunbridge Wells today to see the results of private enterprise and town council initiatives in this regard with such fine examples as Dunorlan Park to name only one of many fine public spaces with great floral displays.After the Allotment Act of 1887,space for growing plants became available at a reasonable rent to the rapidly expanding urban class. The Gardenesque movement started in December 1832 when John Loudon suggested a style of planting design in a magazine that moved away from the picturesque English Landscape movement and the obsession with natural form and movement.It relied on using non-native plants and exotics,displaying them individually in beds so they were able to develop their true shape and could be admired from all sides.The garden designs were based on abstract shapes with specimen plants that were intended to look artificial.

Fern collections became extremely popular which were kept in specially designed glasshouses that were known as ferneries.Growing exotic fruit such as figs and dessert grapes in greenhouses became popular as did training hardy fruit trees in styles like espalier,cordons and fans which would adorn the sides of walled gardens.Woodland gardens were also a popular way to display new rhododendrons and azaleas from China.Formal terrace gardens were back in fashion,especially the classical style.Bedding displays were abundant with low box hedging surrounding flowerbeds filled with birght contrasting bedding plants.Roses,chrysanthemums and dahlias were going through rapid evolution via hydridisation and by 1840 there were more than 500 cultivars of dahlias.In Victorian times the fashion was to have a seperate formal rose garden within the boundaries of the main garden.The Victorians loved the giant Wellingtonia trees because of their impressive size.They were planted in many gardens as specimen trees,and in rows creating Wellingtonia avenues.

THE EDWARDIAN ERA

This era saw the emergence of women in the gardening profession,but it became a popular hobby among women at home.Gertrude Jekyll became the most popular name in garden design,while two colleges began to offer courses for women to study gardening.Swanley College was founded in 1885 as a horticultural college for training men.It started to admit women in 1891,and by 1896 it had 39 female students.The last of the men left in 1902 leaving the college to establish itself as a women-only college for horticulture.In 1898 the Countess of Warwick founded Warwick Hostel in Reading to offer training to 'Surplus women in the lighter branches of agriculture'.Thie expanded and moved to Studley Castle in 1903,becoming Studley College for Women,teaching agriculture and horticulture.

The Edwardians craved a rural idyll to capture the romance of the countryside within the confines of the ever-expanding urban and suburban landscape.It was a period of prosperity and this was reflected in the exuberant gardening styles.Informal planting schemes were mixed with formal structured landscaping.This included herbaceous borders with drifts of colour,as suggested by Gertrude Jekyll,and informal woodland planting schemes using native and exotic plants,as recommended by William Robinson.

Bedding plants were avoided while pergolas,paths and garden buildings were highly desirable. Gardens would often have formal ponds with sunken gardens.The Arts and Crafts movement had an aversion to mass-produced products and gardens in this style would use locally crafted garden features,ornaments and materials.One of the most famous gardens to embrace the Arts and Crafts movement was Hidcote Garden in Gloucestershire.Gertrude Jekll and the architect Edwin Lutyens created many gardens that typified this style.

THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (RHS)

The Horticultural Society of London was the idea of John Wedgwood.Although he suggested his idea in 1800, it was not until 1804 that the first meeting of the Society took place on March 7th at Hatchards bookshop in Piccadilly.London.Founded by John Wedgwood and Sir Joseph Banks,the aim of the Society was to collect plant information and to encourage the improvement of horticultural practice.In the 1820's they had their first flower show,the original prototype of today's shows such as the Chelsea Flower Show.During the 1850's however,they faced a major financial crisis due to a lack of memberships and funding.Because of this they had to sell their library full of rare books and drawings.It was not until 1861 that the society received their royal charter by Prince Albert whos support helped increase membership and funding.In the same year the Society became the The Royal Horticultural Society and they developed a new garden at Kensington.By 1866 they had rebuilt their library.

The RHS began publishing a Journal in 1866 which since 1875 has been called "The Garden".The RHS still produces a journal today and is something gardening enthusiasts enjoy reading.

Between 1837 and 1883 the Society had been holding regular flower shows at its Chiswock gardens.The Society then decided to hold an annual big two-day spring event at Temple Gardens until 1911.The popularity of the show meant looking for a larger site.In 1913 the Society settled on the grounds of the Royal Hospital where it's still staged today.

In a book entitled 'The Gardener V2" by William Thomson reference is made to various plants exhibited at the RHS in 1879 which had been grown under the influence of electric light. It gave the following; "Mr Buchanan,gardener to Dr Siemens,Sherwood,Tunbridge Wells,exhibited a fruit Wm Tellery Melon grown under the influence of electric light.It was firm and of good flavour,a cultural commondation being awarded for it. Some wheat was also shown by him which had been grown on December 7th and subsequently grown in the electric light,and it was then over 2 feet high". The Dr Siemens referred to was the internationally renouned scientist,engineer and inventor Sir Charles William Siemens(1823-1883) who with his wife Ann moved from London to the Sherwood Estate on Pembury Road,Tunbrridge Wells in 1874.While at Sherwood Mr Siemens and his staff of gardeners experimented with the effects that electric light had on the propogation of various plants. The results of his research were passed along to the Botanical gardens at Kew and were widely reported on in the gardening journals of the times.He had moved to Tunbridge Wells in a state of semi retirement for some relaxation but while at Sherwood he continued with his research. He died in London November 19,1883 soon after leaving Tunbridge Wells to do a little work in London.His wife continued to live at Sherwood until 1901.

During WW II the show took a break and started up again in 1947.In the 1970's the design aspect of the show started to gain more media interest than the practical sifde of plant growing,and,to this day,the show gardens are the biggest attraction at the event.

Today the RHS's mission is "To be the leading organization in demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening". Th realize their mission the RHS has three main aims,these are: Bring the joy of garding to the lives of a significant number of UK children;Transorm our environmental performance,credentials and culture and achieve a susbstantial growth in membership.

The RHS works in five main areas,shows,gardens,learning,community,RHS shops and science and advice.Of the shows,the Chelsea Flower show is probably the most well known,and between all their shows they receive 650,000 visitors a year.They work with schools and communities across the country and there are currently 6800 schools registered with the RHS.The learing area also encompasses the range of qualifications and training schemes the RHS offers.

Since the time the RHS began many of its members have come from Tunbridtge Wells.They have come from all classes of society and levels of knowledge.Initially membership was from the upper class ,the wealthy,the intellectuals but over the years has encompassed men and women from all walks of life who want to be part of the gardening experience.Its membership in general and from residents of Tunbridge Wells in particular has come from private individuals with a personal interest in gardening and from various business owners such as landscape gardeners,florists and nursery owners.One such local member was Thomas Walker who in January 1864 was made a fellow of the RHS.In 1905 Messrs Cripps (Cripps Nursery) of Tunbridge Wells entered "staged Acers and ornamental trees" at the RHS and at the same event Messrs Charltoii of Tunbridge Wells brought Begonias.

Coach tours associated with the Chelsea Flower show are today popular among gardening enthisiasts.In addition to taking passengers to Chelsea their excursion also includes visits to other gardens.These tours often include Tunbridge Wells where they get to see a little of the town,visit Dunorlan Park,Eridge Castle and other spots and they often stay at the Spa Hotel.

The RHS took over the administration of the 'Britain in Bloom' competition in 2002 from the British Tourist Boad.Tunbridge Wells participates in this annual event and it is popular among residents and businesses.

An interesting artifact from the RHS is a metal sign measuring 40cm by 30cm on which are shown various wildflowers of Tunbridge Wells.Each flower shown on the sign is labelled with its name and the location at which the flower was found.The places shown include Tunbridge Wells Common July 5,1900; Tunbridge Wells hedge June 30,1900; a field June 16,1900;Tunbridge Wells ditch June 23,1900; roadside June 23,1900 etc. The sign is identified as being an "official RHS sign".

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (TWHS)

Gardenig in Tunbridge Wells was carried out by individuals many years before any formal organization was established and before the TWHS was started many of the towns more affluent citizens ,who tended to be owners of large estates,belonged to the RHS.Although no precise date is known,the TWHS was founded by local gardening enthusiasts as early as 1832 and was definately in place by 1833,a year for which records establish its existance.

The TWFS began with a small group of individuals meeting once a month in town and as word of the organization spread its membership grew.It began in the golden age of the Victorian era when the popularity of gardening was at its highest and at a time when there was a proliferation of plant material available from all the nursersies and seed companies that had sprung up throughout Britain and at a time when there were three large nurseries,seed producers and florists in Tunbridge Wells.

The TWFS ran a best of garden competition,and held an annual local show where prizes were awarded for deserving entries of flowers and produce.The society was proud to claim as its partron the Dutchess of Kent,who brought her daughter the future Queen Victoria on a number of holidays to Tunbridge Wells.When the Duchess and the Princess visited the society's show on a memorable occasion in 1834,some 1200 people attended.A certificate has survived,dated August 1843, recording the award of the Duchess of Kent's cottage garden prize of 5 pounds-a large sum of money at that time.

The society was launced at a significant time in the history of the town-when Decimus Burton's Calverly Estate development was beginning to transform it from a season resort to a residential town.Many of the homes that sprang up in the town had substantial gardens and the servicing of them became a significant local industry.

One of the earliest mentions of the TWFS is found in The Gardeners Magazine of 1833 in which the following is given; "Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society-Sept 26-The display of fruits,flowers and vegetables was splendid.Of the flowers,those which attracted most attention were the georginas,of which there was a most brilliant show;and the very beautiful stove and green-house plants sent by Mr Joseph Wells,gardener to William Wells,Esq. of Redleaf.Among these were some beautiful specimens of calceolarias and schizanthus;also some very fine treviranas,the flowers of which were remarkably large;and a superb specimen of Bransvigia Josephina. Mr Gilbert of Frant had eighty sorts of dwarf cockscombs,with a variety of seedling georginas etc; and Mr Cameron exhibited 250 sorts of georginas.Many other plants well wothy of notice were shown (Brighton Gazette Oct 3)". The November 18,1833 edition of The Horticultural Register gives this reference which appears to be for the same event described "Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society-Held its second exhibition of the season" and refers to it as "This newly established Society" and goes on to mention that Mr Cameron of Uckfield,Sussex was one of the exhibitors not so far mentioned by me.He is also found as an exhibiter at the TWHS show of 1836.Mr Cameron was a nurseryman born 1791 in Scotland.

Mr William Wells was the owner of a large,very impressive and extensively landscaped estate called Redleaf at Penshurst.An excellent article about this estate,complete with a large number of artists drawings of the estate buildings,including the residences of the estate gardeners,its vast gardens and landscape features can be found in The Gardeners Magazine of July 1839 which is available on the internet.The extent of the article,which runs on in a very detailed manner for several pages is too great to reproduce here but I do offer this quote " Penshurst Lodge is the cottage dwelling of Mr Well's,head gardener.Mr Joseph Wells,was born on the grounds and succeeded his father as gardener.Cydopean Cottage on the estate was designed by William Wells as a residence for the undergardener".Also of some interest is that :"Mr Joseph Wells has been employed at Redleaf for the last 30 years...Mr Wells raised in the experimental garden in 1825 the first dwarf dahlias". The same publication mentions that in 1839 there were 174 Horticultural, Botanical and Floricultural Societies in Britain and lists them all and among which appears the Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society.The Mr Gilbert of Frant referred to is again mentioned in an 1851 account where he is the gardener to E.L. Mackmurdo,Esq. of Hastings.

Skipping ahead to 1836 is the following information given in 'The Annual Dahlia Register' of that year; "Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society-The last show for the year was held Friday September 18,1836 at Mr Nash's Assembly Room.Mr Cameron of Uckfield,had a very pretty collection of beautuful dahlias of the latest sorts-Mr Hollamby (of Hollamby's Nursery in Groombridge),an excellent collection of dahlias,new sorts-Mr Seal of Sevenoaks,exhibited a large collection of dahlias of nearly 200 fine blooms.The pans of the show dahlias were numberous and exceedingly well grown,both of selfs and variegated,of the newest sorts". The list of prizes awarded at this event are given as " Subscribers Prizes-First Class-'Best Pans of 12(selfs)-(1)Mr kean (2)Mr Seal (3)Mr Mitchell....'Best 6 pans (variegated) (1)Mr Kean (2)Mr Mitchell (3)Mr Read...'Best seeding pans (1)Mr Seal (2)Mr Hooks (3)Mr J. Delves (4)Mr Read". In the Amateur Prize-Second Class category the prize winners were "6 dahlias(selfs)"..(1)Mr Cuthbert (2)Mr Kelson...'6 dahlias(variegated) (1) Mr Kelson (2)Mr Wigzell" and in the last category 'Seeding dahlia' (1)Mr Kelson (2)Mr Cuthbert. The account continues "There was a private show of two pans of most beautiful dahlias exhibited between Mr Read,of Eridge Castle, and Mr Wicker,at the Hon. Captain King's,Cranbrook.The blooms of both pans were so exceedingly well grown and very evenly matched,that it was a most difficult point to decide between them.Indeed,so nearly approaching were they in the different points of excellence forming the criterion for judging good flowers,that the first person selected as judge declared his inability to decide between them; another was called to his assistance,with no better success; and a third was chosen by them,who declared in favour of Mr Wicker,in whose pan we noticed the following-Brewer's Rival King (stated to be in the highest degree of perfection),Beauty of Cambridge,Cedo Null,Ariel,Well's Enchantress,Widnall's Apollo,Eminent,Queen of Sheba, Camelliaflora,Alba and Well's Polyphemus.In Mr Read's pan-Queen of Sheba, Cammelliaflora , Alba,Eminent,Thalice,Springfield rival,Granta,Hermione,Hon Mrs Harris,Enchantress,Ariel,Duchess of Buccleugh,and Marquis.In these two pans,the lovers of good flowers might see everything they wished for".

A list of prize winners and description of the TWHS show of 1837 for the best managed cottage garden is not available online but the records of the event are held by the East Sussex Records Office for anyone interested.

The Gardeners Chronicle of America Vol 15 as well as The Gardeners Magazine of July 1839 give the following report "Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society Show-Their spring show was held July 12,1839.No other details are given about the event.

On July 1,1850 the Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Fete was held,a complete account of which I have given here.Although no mention is given in the account about the TWHS organizing the event I believe it is safe to assume that they were the organizers. The account is as follows " A grand horticultural fete was held at Tunbridge Wells, in the grounds adjoining the Calverley Hotel,on Friday July 1,1859 which was honoured by the presence of the Countess de Neuilly,the Duke de Nemours,the Count d'Eu, and suite.They were conducted from the Calverley Hotel,at which they have been staying for some days,by the Hon F.G.Molyneux and other members of the committee'

and,on their arrival at the entrance to the grounds,the Countess,and each of the ladies of her suite,was presented with an elegant bouguet by Mrs. George Goldney,the wife of the Rev. G. Goldney,one of the members of the committee.We will follow the noble party in their tour through the tents."

"The first entered was that devoted to the productions of cottager's gargens,where the fruits and vegetables exhibited by W. Brown, of Southborough,attracted much notice.The next tend was filled with cut flowers.Here the collection of roses shown by Mr Hollamby,of the Strawberry Hill Nursery,

near Tunbridge Wells,was most splendid; nor should we omit to notice that of Mr Mitchell,of Tower Nursery,near Heathfield,or a box of cut verbenas exhibited by Mr Foreman,gardener to the Rev. G. Goldney,which was deservedly commended.Among the fruit (which,howrever,was decidedly poor considering the liberal prizes offered) were some very fine grapes,grown by Mr Powell,gardener to Dr S. Newington,and a fair collection of six dishes of fruit from Eridge Castle,exhibited by Mr Ogle,gardener to the Earl of Abergavenny.The collection of stove and greenhouse plants in this tend contained some very fine ericas,shown by Mr Gilbert,gardener to E.L.Mackmurdo,Esq.,of Hastings,and some gloxineas from the gardener of H. Reed,Esq.,of extraordinary growth,also a fine collection of British and exotic ferns,grown by Mr Maxted,gardener to J, Field,Esq. Beyond this were some splendid plants,exhibited by Mr Gilbert,which obtained first prize,among which were conspicuous Aphelexis sesamoides Basrnsii,Rhyncospermum jasminoides,and Alamanda cathartica.Mr Ping,gardener to Henry Reed,Esq.(of Dunorlan),had many fine plants;two noble vincas,the rare and beautiful plant Cyanophyllum magnificum,Cissus discolor in general beauty,an immense plant of Coleus Blumei,Caladium bicolor,and C. distillatoria with leaves of enormous size,and a very fine Araucaria escelsea.Messrs. Rycroft and Wells,gardeners to Alderman Salomons (of Broomhill),M.P. ,had a Medinella magnifica which eminently deserved its name; five or six achimenes highly commended by the judges,and many other well-grown plants;and Mr Drummond,gardener to J, Scott Smith,Esc.,Phoenicoma prolifera Barns-,a very well-flowered Statice Holfordii,and Roella Ciliatra.The pelargoniums,though past their best,were very beautiful,Mr Gilbert obtaining the first prize for six shows,and Mr Pring for six fancy varieties.The band of the royal Artillery,consisting of fifty performers,under the able superintendence of Mr Smith,was in attendance,and played some beautiful pieces.There could not have been less than five thousand visitors in the grounds during the day."

The above article was published in the Illustrated Garden News on July 9,1859 and remarkably included with the article was a wood engraving,which I have shown here,of the event. The original engraving measuring 5.75" by 9.5" was made by an unknown artist from a sketch made at the time of the event only 8 days before the image appeared in the publication.Although originally published in black and white the image was later hand coloured.

The Rev G. Goldney referred to at the Fete was Rev George Goldney,M.A. a clergyman born 1816 at Buckingham,Buckinghamshire whos wife was Ann Goldney,born 1826 at Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

The F.G Molyneux referred to at the Fete was the Honorable Francis George Molyneux,born March 5,1805 at St George Hanover,London who died in Tunbridge Wells May 24,1886. His wife,whom he married in 1842 was Georgiana Jemima Ashburham,born May 11,1805 at St George Hanover,London who died in Tunbridge Wells on May 1882. Francis Molyneux was a well known firgure in the town. He was a leading citizen and town benefactor who had arrived with his wife in Tunbridge Wells in 1853.He first lived at Gibraltar Cottage but subsequently built a mansion at 76 Mount Ephraim called Earl's Court which later was converted into a hotel, then offices and now is luxury apartments.He was a British diplomat who was appointed secretary to His Majesty's Legation at Frankfort Germany October 28,1835..He was a a J.P. and magistrate for Kent and a leading member of the Freeholders,as well as the Local Board,the towns first local government.In 1871 he inagurated the granite fountain that now stands in the Woodbury Park Cemetary that was originally installed in town until proposed roadwork necessitated its relocation.Francis,at the ceremony even quenched his thirst by taking a sip of water from the fountains iron cup.

The people who attended the annual shows of the TWHS were dressed to the 'nines' all looking smart in the latest fashions of the times. The gentlemen wore a top hat,a suit with white shirt and tie with their leather shoes brightly polished. The ladies wore beautiful gowns and brightly decorated wide brim hats. There were no trainers or worn blue jeans seen today as people then were proud of their appearance and wanted to dislay their status and image at its best. Travelling to these events was a spectacle in itself as one after another fine carriages would be seen on the streets of the town on their way to and returning from the event. The carriages and horses would all have been cleaned,polished and groomed by hand and driven by the owners servant.Everyone of any significance would have been sure to attend the annual shows even if they were not great enthusiasts of gardening for it was a social get- together as much as it was a flower show.

The Gardeners Chronicle of June 12,1875 listed in their publication news of an upcoming horticultural exhibition to be held by the TWHS on July 2 of that year.The secretary of the society at that time was E.F. Loof "The Parade,Tunbridge Wells".

A book entitled "the Gardener's Monthly and Horticulture V18" by Thomas Meehan in 1876 gave the following account. "The floral decorations of the exhibition of the Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society held on 2nd inst. exhibited a marked improvement upon those of the last season,both as regards number of entries and taste in arrangement in the class for the group of three pieces for table decoration (flowers or fruit) strange to say not one group staged contained fruit.The first prize in this class was awarded to Mrs Seale,London Road,Sevenoaks,for a charmingly-arranged group of three March vases,decorated with white Water Lilies carlet geraniums,the scarlet of the Flamingo plant,orchids scarlet begonias,pale blue larkspurs,mixed varieties of ferns and wild grasses,while from the trumpets trailed long sprays of Lygodium scandens.The arrangement of the flowers in these stands was much more effective than that which Mrs Seale exhibited at the Crystal Palace on the 26th of last month.Indeed,I quite agree with one of our oldest judges,who,when he saw Mrs Seale's group of March vases at Tunbridge,said it was the prettiest arrangement he had ever seen".

"The second prize in this class was awarded to Mrs G. Smith,Hurstley,for a group of three vases,consisting of trumpets rising out fat tazzas,the centre piece being the talest,but had it been about 6 inches taller still it would have been a great improvement.The principal dressing of these stands consisted of blooms of Tacsonia Van Volxemoo,sprays of Spirea and Cipper Beech,and light grey-tinted foliage furnished by Cen-taurea and other grey-leaved plants.The third prize in this class was awarded to Mr John Beech,for an effective group consisting of a March stand for the centre piece,and at each side trumpets rising out of tazzas,all three being dressed with much taste.In the class for a since piece for table decoration the first prize was awarded to Mr James Bolton for an elegantly arranged vase,in which orchids,blue corn-flowers,Stephotis,and other flowers and ferns were charmingly intermixed.The second prise fell to Mrs Seale for a March vase,very similar to the others exhibited by that lady,and the third prize was awarded to Mr Fennel for a pretty design;and an extra fourth was awarded to Mr G. Hubbard."

"The hand bouquets were good,nearly all exhibited,with few exceptions, being lightly put together,and free from that packed appearance too often to be observed in those exhibited for competition at flower shows;the prizes were awarded (in the order in which the names stand)to Mr John Staples,Mrs Staples,Mr G. Hubbard,and Mrs Fennel.For button-hile bouquets,which were plentiful,the first prize was awarded to Miss Jane Hollamby,and the second to Mr R.A.Boesser. Again,as last session,in the class for arranged groups of wild flowers,there was a keen competition. The first prize was awarded to Miss Cox.the flowers in whose stands consisted of poppies,dog daisies,forget-me-nots,yellow bird's footmTrefoil, and grasses;the second to Mr Charles Noble for a large-sized March vase,in which,in addition to wild flowers,grasses were extensively employed in the class for a single piece for table decoration (for gardeners only),the prizes went to Mr Richard Downing and Mr James Bolton,both of whose arrangements were much admired".

Many of the shows of the TWHS were held on the grounds of the Spa Hotel. The show of July 4,1879 was one of them.As seen here is a rare example of one of the tickets issued for the event signed by then secretary of the society E.F. Loof.Upon the ticket are the words " Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society's Annual Grand Flower Show and Musical Promenade...In the Bishop's Down Grove Spa Company's Grounds...Admission at three o'clock 2/6. The tickets for the event were printed by Peltons in Tunbridge Wells.

E.F. Loof was Edwin Fry Loof born 1811 in Tunbridge Wells. He is found in the directories as the secretary of the TWHS during the period of 1875 to 1879 and may have held this position for some time before and after the dates given.He had lived most of his life in Tunbridge Wells and in addition to running his own business in the town as a jeweller,watchmaker and gunsmith from premises at 26 Parade and Chapel Place he was a great enthusiast of gardening and freely gave his time to the work of the TWHS.His wife was Ann Weatherhead who he married October 3,1835 at St Dunsten,London.She passed away in Tunbridge Wells while living at 15 Frant Road on April 18,1894.In 1871 Edwin Loof was a master silversmith employing 8 men and one boy and ran a prosperous business. Edwin Loof retired from business in the late 1890's and passed away at Langley-villa,Frant Road on August 24,1904.

The TWHS held a Rose Show in town on July 2,1886 which was well attended. Hollamby's Nursery near Groombridge who specialized in roses was one of the exhibitors at the event. He customarily won prizes for the his entries at the RHS and other shows and became a respected name amongst rose enthusiasts.

The last directory listing I could find for the TWHS was for 1903 when in that year it is recorded at 73 High Street with "Thomas E. Collins,jun.sec".Thomas Edward Collins is one of two Collins by that name and living at the time in Tunbridge Wells. Thomas E. senior was an ironmonger born 1835 at Paddingon,London who married Annie S,born 1832 at Great Kimble,Suffolk and had a son Thomas E Collins,also an ironmonger,born 1863 in Tunbridge Wells whos wife was Mary,born 1869 at Patching,Sussex.Thomas junior died in Tunbridge Wells March 1928. Its not known by the writer when his father passed away.Both senior and junior are found in the Tunbridge Wells census records of 1891 and 1901."Thomas E. Collins Jun.sec" is also found in an 1899 directory under the heading "Tunbridge Wells Horticultural Society".

It appears that the local society faded into obscurity around the turn of the century no doubt a result of falling membership.

Although having nothing to do with the TWHS the Tunbridge Wells Gardeners Mutual Improvement Association can be found in an 1899 directory with a Mr Snashall as secretary and in 1903 with S.S Cull as secretary. This was one of several "Friendly Societies" in the town located in the Friendly Societies Building af 7 Camden Road. Friendly societies at that time where essentially private insurance companies so in this case those engaged in the trade of being gardeners would have been members of the society and paid a little from their weekly earnings into the society so that if ill or in need of financial assistance they could rely on the society to pay them a little to live on until they overcame their difficulties.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS NURSERIES OF THE 19th CENTURY

Below is given,in summary form,information about the four nursery business that operated in Tunbridge Wells during the 19th century. All of these nurseries did a very good business at a time when gardening in the town was at its height.Not only did the nurseries cater to the general public but they also donated or sold flowers,shrubs and trees to the town for its general beautification of public spaces.All of the nurseries sold a broad range of plant material,bulbs and seeds and produced annual catalogues advertising their products. All of them also extensively advertised their business in the most popular trade publications of the times.Large operations like Hollambys and Cripps also shipped huge quantities of product by train as soon as that service became available and they employed travelling salesmen.

(1) Hollamby's Nursery

This nursery also referred to from time to time as the Strawberry Hill Nursery began in 1815 on about 100 acres of land not far from the railway station in Groombridge on Eridge Road.The companies founders were Charles(1793-1876) and James(1799-1882) Hollamby. Their children took an active part in the family bisiness with Charles son Edwin Hollamby taking over the business about 1847.When Edwin died June 6,1895 he had no heirs to take over the nursery so left it to long time employees William and Albert Neve who continued the business for many years and was still operating in the 20th century.Hollamby was an exhibitor at the 1859 Tunbridge Wells Fete.He was a member of the TWHS and the RHS and won many prizes for his entries in the RHS shows.He also exhibited at the annual National Rose Shows from 1858 onwards and won many prizes for his roses,which were one of the specialties of his nursery.He also grew large quantities of rhododendrons.trees and shrubs but many other types of plant material as well. Further information about this nursery can be found in a detailed article I have written about it.

(2) The Calverly Nursery

This nursery was founded by William Piper born 1794 at Waldron,Sussex.His nursery business of about 17 acres was started in the early 1800's on Calverly road at Cumberland Terrace.In 1850 the nursery employed 11 labourers and had a large selection of flowers,shrubs and trees to choose from. by 1851 his son William Wells Piper had taken over the operation of the business.On April 30,1864 William Piper senior passed away.By that time his son had a 210 acre farm called Halls Hole Farm and when his father passed away the nursery was closed down. In later years the land of the nursery was converted into residential use and is now occupied with many fine homes.Further inforamtion about this nursery can be found in a detailed article I have written about it.

(3) Cripps Nursery

This nursery was founded by Thomas Cripps,born 1809 in Tunbridge Wells. The nursery began operations in 1837.By 1847 the business had been expanded to include a florist shop at 65 High Street.Later the location of the nursery was relocated to a 110 acre site on Frant Road and in additon to large grounds also included several large greenhouses.Thomas had two sons and two daughters all of whom worked in the family business.His son Henry Hairs Cripped passed away in 1867.His other son William became the son in Cripps & Son Nursery but when he passed away in 1871 Thomas eldest daughter Ellen Hephzibah Cripps worked closely with him to expand the business and was a very successful enterprize. Thomas Cripps passed away April 17,1888 and at that time Ellen Cripps took over the management of the business. Ellen,born 1839 in Tunbridge Wells passed away in town in 1901.The business was run for a time by the former nursery manger and changed hands twice before WW I.The business ended in 1911.

Cripps was known nationally for the many varieties of Clematis he propogated and there are over 50 varieties credited to Cripps.He also developed the first fushsia with white pedals called 'Venus Victrix'. He and his daughter Ellen were members of the TWHS and the RHS and were regular exhibitors and prize winners.In 1899 Ellen Cripps had planted a large selectiion of rhododendrons on the grassy patch outside St Mark's Church.Further information about this nursery can be found in a detailed article I have written about it.

(4) Charlton Nursery

This nursery was founded in 1861 by John Charlton born 1822 in Elvetham,Hampshire.He and his family moved to Tunbridge Wells in 1861 and his nursery,located in Frant,became known from time to time as the Summer Vale Nursery.He also had a florist shop in the Pantiles.His nursery on Eridge Road ,by 1881 was employing 36 men.John Charlton passed away February 19,1889. His son Leonard carried on the business under his fathers name and later his brother Arthur entered the business.In 1913 the business operated under the name of John Charlton 35 & 37 Pantiles,the location of the florist shops, with the nursery at High Brooms.The company was also listed as Arthur Charlton & Sons,Summervale Nursery, Eridge Road. When Arthur Charlton died May 26,1928 the business was taken over by his sons.The business continued under various owners in the 20th century such as Copelands Landscape Ltd in the 1970's.In 1971 the Eridge Road Garden Centre took over the business.

John Charlton experimented with the use of creosote to protect wood in greenhouses and wrote a paper on the topic that was published 1876 in the Gardeners Chronical & New Horticulturist.He was a member of the TWHS and the RHS and exhibited at their shows.Further information about this nursery can be found in a detailed article I have written about it.

PUBLIC SPACES

Tunbridge Wells is blessed with having some of the finest parks and open spaces in Kent which apart from many landscape features of note are ablaze in clour at different times of the year throughout the growing season giving great pleasure to both visitors and residents .The following information is reproduced from an article entitled "Tunbridge in bloom through the ages" by Ian Beavis of the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery.

"Long before the days of formal national competitions,Tunbridge Wells people have been running schemes to promote high quality gardens.For over a hundred years,local government has played its part in creating floral displays to beautify the town centre and sites like the historic Pantiles,as well as maintining our splendid heritage of public parks. The Old Gardens,established in 1837 and still commemorated by a street name,was the earlest of several businesses which flourished through the 1800's and beyond. Up to the 1880's,Tunbridge Wells had no public open spaces beyond the Common,the Grove and Woodbury Park Cemetary.But this began to change in 1885,when the Town Commissioners,Tunbridge Wells' first local government,accepted an offer of land from their philanthropic chairman John Stone-Wiogg,Stone-Wigg's gift was the land on which Grosvenor Recreation Ground was created,its formal plantings and water features designed by Robert Murdock in 1887.When the first Borough Council was established in 1889,public parks were high on the agenda.The Council took over the management of the Grove on Mount Sion,making various improvements including laying out of flower beds.St John's Recreation Ground was opened in 1900.Prolonged efforts to provide a town centre park finally achieved success in 1921 with the purchase of what we know as Calverley Grounds.Robert Wallace of the Old Gardens provided the original designs."

"The current Civic Cenre site was acquired by the Council in 1895.Although the new civic cenre complex was not actually built until the 1930's,the maintenance of flower beds along the raised lawn fronting Mount Pleasant began much earlier.They feature prominently in early 20th century views of the town centre.By the early 1950's,the corner plot at the junction with Monson Road boasted a fully functioning floral clock,which was replanted every year.Another elaborate floral display from the same period was the raised bank at the entrance to Calverley Grounds-where in 1961 it was planted up to create a rendering in flowers and foliage of the Festival of Britain emblem. This became an annual tradition,with the Parks Committee deciding every year what typical motif woud be displayed there."

"Postcards from the early 1900's show many examples of floral displays enhancing the town's shopping streets.Views of the Pantiles show a prominent planting in Bath Square in front of the Chalybeath Spring,along with a variety of troughs on balconies along the Upper Walk.Photographs of the High Street,Mount Pleasant hill and Monson Road show similar features."

"In the aftermath of World War II, the Borough Council addressed the shortage of housing by embarking on an ambitious council house building programme.New estates began springing up,with work starting with Powdermill Land in 1946,Ramslye in 1948, and Sherwood in 1952.Councillors were concerned that these new developments should provide an attractive environment for people to live, and there was an early emphasis on encouraging people to take good care of their gardens.Prizes were offered for the best street within an estate,as well as for the quality of individual gardens.Over the years,beginning in 1949,a variety of trophies were presented,and these continued in use as late as the 1980's. More recently,the annual Tunbridge Wells in Bloom competitions,last held in 2003, assumed the role of promoting floral beauty,extending it to the whole town and including businesses and the overall streetscape,This year's revival is the latest manifestation of a great local tradition". This competition was revived in 2010 in an attenpt to bring back more sparkle to the town.In September 2012 the awards presentations are going to be held at Salmons former estate,a place worth seeing itself.

In addition to the above remarks by Ian Beavis I think that Dunorlan Park is worthy of mention.It was given mention in the 2005 edition of the RHS's Green Spaces publication,the "Good Parks Guide" and refers to the 2.8 million pounds that were well spent in its restoration.Originally the private residence of Henry Reed who had the grounds of his estate extensively landscaped from the designs of the renounded horticulturalist and garden designer of the 19th century Robert Murnock(1800-1889) and later occupied by the Collins family until WW II after which time the estate came into the hands of Tunbridge Wells for use as a pubic park and after extensive care and work by the Friends of Dunorlan it has become in my opinon one of the loveliest open spaces in town which is found on Pembury Road.For anyone interested in a complete history of Dunorlan I would suggest taking a look at a seperate article I have written about it-its a fascinating story and includes many images of the estate building and its grounds well laid out with ponds,paths,flower beds,fountains and statuary.

OTHER GARDENING TOPICS

(1) General Gardening

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture.In gardens,ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers,foliage,or overall appearance;useful plants,such as root vegetables,leaf vegetables,fruits, and herbs,are grown for consumption,for use as dyes,or for medicinal or cosmetic use.Gardening ranges in scale from fruit orchards, to long boulevard plantings with one or more different types of shrubs,trees and herbaceous plants, to residential yards including lawns and foundation plantings, to plants in large or small containers grown inside out outside.Gardening my be specialized,with only one type of plant grown,or involve a large number of different plants in mixed plantings.

(2) Types of Gardens

Residential gardening takes place near the home located on land near a residence.Sometimes the garden may be located on a roof,in an atrium,on a balconymin a windowbox or on a patio or vivarium.Gardening in public spaces is found everywhere and are normally maintained by a staff of gardeners or groundskeepers.Indoor gardening is concerned with the growing of housplants contained within the main residence,a conservatory or a sunroom or if you are fortunate to have one a greenhouse.The use of native plants in the garden has become more popular as part of the 'back to nature' movement with the advantage that they are often pest free and require less watering and care. Water gardening is concerned with the growing of plants adapted to pools and ponds something which in recent years has become increasingly popular.Container gardening is ideal for people with limited space for more formal gardens,especially those living in flats where their only outdoor space is a balcony but have enough space on their patio or balcony to accommodate a selection of plants in urns,hanging baskets and planters.For those with no land of their own to garden community garden plots are often the answer.Not only do they give you the opportunity to grow some vegables and flowers but there is the added social benefit of meeting other people and exchanging information.

(3) Garden as Art

Garden design is considered to be an art in most cultures,take Japanese bonsai for example.Garden design can include different themes such as perennial, butterfly ,wildlife, water,tropical or shade gardens. In the 18th and 19th centuries European country estates were refashioned by landscape gardeners into formal gardens or landscaped parks.Today,landscape architects and garden designers continue to produce artistically creative designs for private garden spaces.

(4) Garden Tools and Clothing

The best advice to gardeners is wear comfortable clothes, a big had for shade and gardening gloves to protect the hands and who could manage to garden without a good pair of Wellies. I recently found an interesting item of footware with a Tunbridge Wells connection. A company called 'Hunter" who advertises on the internet a wide range of garden boots,clogs,Wellingtons etc was recently promoting a very lovely pair of Wellies advertised as the Royal Horticultural Society Thistle & Forget-Me-Not Gardeners's tall Wellington Boots. These colourful ladies Wellies were decorated with flowers.The thistle design was taken from a watercolour of a Queen Elizabeth II autograph by Emily Sartain in 1952 with the forget-me-not from a watercolour painted on the Tunbridge Wells Common by Lilian Snelling in the summer of 1900 and I exect she is the same artist who did the drawings of Tunbridge Wells flowers that appears on the metal RHS sign I referred to earlier on in this article.If you are in the market for some good gardening footware I would recommend that you check out their website for a full range of products.

For those gardeners with an interest in antique garden tools I would suggest looking at the website of 'The Garden Museum'.This museum is located on Lambeth Road in London.Once a church it was converted into a museum in 1976 and was the first museum in the world dedicated to the history of gardening. They have a large selection of old garden tools,ephemeria and a library.When you look into the history of some of the most common garden tools we use today one can conclude that very little has changed in the last 100 years. So if you have some old garden tools in your shed, and what gardener doesnt, dont throw them away as they might be antiques and worthy of showing in the museum.

(5) Gardening Publications

Whether you are a novice interested in taking up the hobby of gardening or a seasoned expert there is no shortage of excellent material available on the topic.All of the horticultural societes produce newsletters or magazines.The internet is full of interesting and useful websites. Why not take a trip to the Thunder Bay Reference Library and take a look at the collection of books they have to offer and while on the subject of books why not see what Hall's Boodshop has to offer-they probably have a selection of 'antique' books not available at the library, While at the library a trip to the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery would probably be both interesting and producive for I know they have gardening related items on display or at least in their collection of local ephemeria and objects.

(6) Nearby Horticultural Societies

Although there may be other societies close to Tunbridge Wells, and I would suggest looking to see whats available in the area, the society in Groombridge seems to be going stong with about 270 avid gardeners in its current membership. This society was formed in 1930 and aims to promote horticulture in the community by exhibition and education. They hold three annual shows and costs only 3 pounds a year to belong to it.

(7) Other Societies

Gardeners who prefer to specialize on one particular plant will have no difficulty finding a society that caters to their interests and they can be easily found on the internet. The British Clematis Society for example is for people with a particular interest in Clematis and in a upcoming edition of their newsletter will be found an article about the Tunbridge Wells nursery business of Thomas Cripps which will be based in large part on my article about the nursery.

Flower shows in Tunbridge Wells have always been popular and have occurred regularly since the beginning of the 19th century.Although some shows were organized by the TWHS many were not.Peltons Guide of 1883 for example gives the following " Flower Shows are admitted to be among the most elegant and refining of modern entertainments. The Flower Show of Tunbridge Wells, held in July,is one of the most attractive fetes of the whole year.The exhibition if usually held in the Great Hall, and in tents erected in the grounds of the Calverley Hotel and is enlivened by the music of a first-class military band.It is attended by most of the leading families in the district,and during the day thousands of persons pass into the grounds.A Chrysanthemum Show,of remarkable merit,is held in November. There are also annual local cottagers residing at Frant,Eridge, Brenchley, Southborough,Ashurst, and other villages; and these being under the patronage of the resident families; prove occasions of interest, and are largely visited".

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1) The Queens Grove-early postcard view
2) Postcard view of Mount Ephraim and the Commons
3) Postcard view of gardens near Calverley Hotel
4) RHS sign of Tunbridge Wells flowers from the Commons
5) 1879 ticket for the Horticultural Society Flower Show at the Spa Hotel
6) Print of 1850 Tunbridge Wells Fete
7) Lovely Tunbridge Wells Garden
8) Dunorlan Park garden near the terrace
9) Dunorlan park fountain and avenue of trees
10) Ladies gardening Wellies with Tunbridge Wells flower design

AN EARLY HISTORY OF THE POLICE SERVICE

Written By; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: April 3,2012

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Before 1835 the authority of regulating the towns affairs was exercised by the Vestry appointed by contributors to the support of the Chapel of Ease (King Charle's Church).From Col Waring's Story of the Church of King Charles the Martyr is this entry for 1729 "It is ordered...that upon the account of many Disorders which are daily committed about this place by Vagrants and Sturdy Beggars,and also by many Drunken Fellows belonging thereabouts,that a cage be built upon some current Spot of Ground,for to put such persons in..."

The expansion of Tunbridge Wells after 1815 produced problems of law and order and social distress which was complicated by the fact that the local government was administered by the justices.The constables and nightwatchmen of the three parishes of Frant could not deal with the vandalism of the times and in 1816 the local gentry formed an Assoication for Prosecuting Felons.The justices showed more concern for Tunbridge Wells by holding during the 1820's in the town petty sessions for Kent cases twice monthly in Stone's office on Mount Ephraim and once monthly at the Sussex Hotel for Sussex cases.In 1815 a local act was obtained to light the town with gas and police it with a watch,but this was not carried implemented.

The Report of the Local Act Committee,dated December 1832 refers to thre policing of Tunbridge Wells in the following terms; "the question of Nightwatching and Day Police have been separately considered...It appears by the evidence that burglaries and robberies on an extensive scale are not common in this place,but that other depredations are of frequent occurrance and much complained of,as well as wanton mischief,such as breaking of windows,defacing and destruction of fences,continual noise and disturbance at night,occasioned by persons leaving public houses...These are evils which...an effective Nightwatch...would greatly prevent.On the subject of Day Police,there appears to be some diversity of opinion.It is agreed that the present number of Parish Constables and those of the hundred would be sufficient under the appointment or control of the magistrates to be rendered efficient...and some force therefore seems necessary,differently constituted.

As a result of this Report a more effective form of law and order came into effect when the Tunbridge Wells Police Force was formed in August 1835,consisting of a Superintendent and five constables. As the town had not been incorporated as a borough (it had long been a subsidiary of the town of Tonbridge) the Police Force was not constituted under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 but under the local act;in fact,the town did not become a borough until 1889.There was therefore no Watch Committee,the police being controlled by the Police and Lighting Committee which, in, August 1835,resolved ..."That the police force be clothed in a uniform consisting of a blue coat and trousers with the letters TWP and a number (of white cloth) sewed on the collar,and with a hat partly glazed,similar to the London Police,and that the Superintendent or Inspector have a similar dress except that on the collar of the coat,a crown only should be sewed instead of the numbers and letters.That each policeman be also provided with a great coat of dark grey cloth with a similar distinction on the collar and all the other articles as provided for the use of the London Police".

The uniform therefore followed the usual pattern and later went through the various phases of frock coats and tunics as the other forces in the country.

Anxious that the new police force should be effective and efficient,the Police Committee asked for a sergeant from the Metropolitan Police to be attached to the town temporarily,to advise on its proper organization.A Sergeant Sillwood arrived in 1835 and gave the Committee valuable advice,including the recommendation that the men should not call the hour at night,since this will "completely destroy the efficiency of the night police...because it prevents the detection of offenders...and in a place like Tunbridge Wells,where there are so many places for thieves and other offenders to hide themselves,it is more necessary than in London for the movements of the police to be as secret as possible". Based on the advice it had received,the Police Committee wasted no time issuing a 'Police Instruction Book' to the members of the new force which,by the end of 1838 had added a sergeant and another constable.

The first Superintendent of the Tunbridge Wells Police was John Alexander Thompson who was appointed around October 1835 but appears to have quickly become unhappy with his excessive workload.He went so far as to resign from the post and the Committee considered seeking a replacement from London but Thompson subsequently asked to withdraw his resignation "in consequence of the contemplated appointment of a Sergeant". The Commitee added that it "did not feel satisfied with his conduct so far as respects the sincerity of his motives assigned by him for resigning but that they had been induced again to appoint him to that situation in consequence of the zeal,steadiness and unremitting attention which he had hitherto displayed in the performance of his duties...". As promised,one of the men was promoted to sergeant whose task was to supervise the men on the night duty and take charge of the Station House in the daytime whenever the Superintendent was absent on his rounds,which no doubt made the Superintendent's job a lot easier.

In November 1840 Superintendent Thompson gave in his notice,having been appointed superintendent in the newly-formed East Sussex force.He was replaced by Thomas Barton,aged 39,from Hadlow who left after four years to take the licence of the White Bear Inn in Tunbridge Wells.The next Superintendent was William Plumb from the East Sussex Constabulary who died on the job in May 1847.

The Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 came into being.It was an Act for consolidating in one Act certain provisions usually contained in Acts for regulating the police of towns.It included detailed provisions dealing,to name a few, such things as "Power to impound stray cattle...Penalty on drunken persons....Penalty for accidentally allowing chimneys to catch on fire....Plying for hire without a licence..etc".

The Tunbridge Wells Police force had,by this time,evidently become something of a plumb since the next man in charge had been the Superintendent in charge of the Cambridge City Police,one Captain Charles Bailey,who took over in June 1847.However,in October of that same year he was allowed leave of absence "in consequence of the expected death of a beloved daughter" but he failed to return to work and was summarily dismissed.

The Committee wasted no time in replacing Baily and on October 25,1847,William Morten,who had been a sergeant in the Metropolitan Police,was appointed,taking up his post early the following year.Mr Morton gained an excellent reputation in Tunbridge Wells as a thief-taker and,when he applied for the superindendency of Nottingham City,he was supplied with numerous glowing testimonials as to his "promptitude,activity,sagacity,courage and general good conduct" from the borough and county worthies.For reasons which are not known he apparently withdrew his application for this new post and, shortly afterwards,was given a number of rewards for his action in arresting 'the Sussex burglars' and others.However,in April 1853,Mr Morten was reported as absent from duty.His absense prompted numerous complaints from the men under him to the effect that he had defrauded them of money due for their attendance at court.Morten was removed from office in his absence and apparently emigrated to Canada shortly afterwards where he changed his name to Martin,possibly to avoid any pursuit.

The Morten case gave the Police Committee cause for concern and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was asked for assistance and he sent one of his inspectors to investigate the present state of the force.It appears the Committee was right to be concerned since, in May 1853,Inspector Robert Bray reported " I find every department connected in a very disorganized state,no one properly understanding his position...Clothing and appointments (dirty and in a poor state of repair)...the Police Station filthy and having more the appearance of a lumber room than a Police Station".

The town now had a population of some 12,000 and Inspector Bray suggested the force should consist of an inspector (in place of the Superintendent),two sergeants and 10 constables.He closed by saying "I attribute the whole of the imperfection to the neglect and very loose manner in which the late Superintendent (Morten) conducted the force". Consequently,the advertisment for Morten's replacement called for an 'Inspector' rather than a Superintendent and the successful candidate,Cyril Winnington Onslow,age 37,a parish constable from Chatham,was duly appointed.Although he was described as Inspector in June 1853,the post was renamed Superintent four years later and, in February 1860,in response to a letter from the Home Office,Chief Superintendent.

Many changes occurred in the Police force in the following years including the construction of a new police station,new modes of transportation afforded to the men such as bicycles,motorcycles and finally automobiles and there was a general improvement in the calibre of the men in the force and the methods used to both apprehend criminals and to prevent crime.In the period after the running of the force by Cyril Onslow to the end of 1939 there were four new Superintendents,details of which are given below.

THE POLICE STATIONS

The new police force was initially housed in a building on the corner of Mount Pleasant Road and Grove Hill Road but,when a prisioner escaped by simply demolishing a brick wall,it was agreed that something better was needed. In May 1847 the new Town Hall was available with accommodation for the police and a number of cells.At the same time,the County Justices readily agreed to a proposal that the Superintendent in charge of the Tunbridge Wells Police should also act as the Superintending Constable for the area and undertook to pay him an appropriate stipend for looking after the Parish Constables.

The towns first police station described as being on the corner of Mount Pleasand Road and Grove Hill had an address of #3 Grove Hill.The writer was unable to locate an image of the building but one can expect that is was a modest building constructed of brick and would have been located in the current vicinity of Hoopers Department Store but on the opposite side of the street.The old police station was subsequently demolished and replaced by more modern buildings which are now occupied by shops.I have included with this article an old post card view circa1913 of the intersection of the two roads looking up Grove Hill Road.

The replacement for the old police station was constructed on Calverly Road and was part of the new Town Hall facility.The new police station was considerably larger than its predecessor containing more cells than before and members of the police force,along with their families,resided in the building.Included with this article is a postcard view from about the 1920's or so showing the Opera House and the Town Hall.The 1851 Kelly directory gives the following. "the town hall is a commodious building, in Calverly Road; it is also the Police station.County court is held monthy at the town hall.Petty sessions are held at the town hall on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday every month and the 5th wednesday when it occurs".

I found the following reference of interest. "The town commissioners adopted Burton's Market hall as their headquarters and it became the town hall and its premises enlarged from time to time grew to comprise,in addition to administrative offices,a meeting room which was used by the town as a police court and county court and all sorts of public assemblies,a police station and a fire brigade station".

Records from the 1850's from the Police and Lighting Committee record that the condition of the police dwellings at the Town Hall were designated as "unfit for human beings to reside in" and "as such damp and dangerous habitations as to be sure of certain death to any party dwelling in them".However,when the committee inspected the building,they found little evidence of this,and recommended a surveyor to look into the matter of "the evil complained of".Mr Spicer(the surveyor ?).stated in his opinion that "the dwellings were very nice and comfortable little rooms",but required "about 6 pence worth of ventilation to each room",which were damp in consequence of deficiency of ventilation.

Tunbridge Wells did not have a seperate building as a jail (or gaol as they were once called).Instead the police station had a number of cells that criminals could be put into until it was time for them to appear at the court to face the charges.Today however the cells are gone and were converted into equipment lockerrooms and the prisioners kept in a seperate facility.

In 1934 the police station was still at the Calverly Road location but plans were in place to have a new police station built as part of the proposed Civic Centre complex.A 1938 Kelly directory gives "A police court and police station was erected in Crescent Road in 1938" and also "The town hall in Calverly road comprises a large hall,committee room,council chambers,police station with cells,fire station and various offices".

The property for the new Civic Centre was aquired by the town in 1895 when the idea of the Civic Centre was first proposed.The site of the proposed Civic Centre was at Calverly Parade and Calverly Terrace,both of which had been designed by Decimus Burton.There was strong public outrage of the plan to demolish these historic structures and so nothing happened with the redevelopment of the site until the 1930's. The entire Civic Centre was to include buildings for the Town Hall,the police station and court,the Assembly Hall as well as the museum and library.After a design competition was held the architects Percy Thomas and Ernest Prestwich were commissioned in 1934 to prepare specifications and construction plans for the proposed work.The redevelopment of the site took place in stages.Construction work began in 1937.The Police station and court was first used in April 1939 and on May 24,1939 the Assembly Hall opened.The Town Hall was completed in 1941.Construction of the museum and library were only in shell when WW II began and construction of them was delayed but eventually the entire Civic Centre project was completed in 1952.All of the buildings were constructed of brick in the New-Georgian style and they have since become listed buildings with British Heritage.The Police station and Assembly Hall were constructed with frontage on Crescent Road with the other buildings fronting on Mount Pleasant Road across Monson Road from the site of the Opera House and in front of them is the Tunbridge Wells War Memorial which was already there when the Civic Centre was constructed.

RECRUITMENT

The early policemen met with a very mixed reception.Although parish constables and watchmen had been in existence for many years,the concept of a professional,paid force was not always welcomed.The wealthy,land-owning genty already had their own private 'police' consisting of gamekeepers,stewards,baliffs and other servants and they did not see why they should pay for a force to look after other people. The lower social orders,too,quickly realized that they would be the centre of attention for such a police force,especially as most criminals came from their peers.Only the newly burgeoning commercial and industrial sectors generally welcomed the idea. They were suffering thefts,industial unrest and malicious damage and quickly saw that a paid,professional police force would be better than some lackadaisical parish constable.

Given this widespread opposition to the profession police force,what sort of man was going to offer his services? Many chief constables looked to the agricultural labourer to fill the ranks of his force.They were strong and comparatively healthy and many were looking for a more secure life than could be found on the farms,where they could be hired and fired on a whim.But the precarious economic and employment situation encouraged many from other trades and callings to apply-bootmakers,carpenters,blacksmiths,bakers,ostlers and grooms were all represented.But labourers of one kind or another made up a large proportion of the recruits to both town and county forces.Young,single men were generally preferred and some forces expressely excluded married applicants.Others,like Deal,found married men much more reliable and loyal.

Keeping the men in the police force was in itself a major problem as there was a significant amount of turnover.It was not uncommon to find that 1/4 of the men who joined the force left within four years of service. This of course meant that the police force was in a constant state of flux with more experienced men leaving and new men requiring training arriving continually and it was difficult to keep a well trained complement of men.Inexperience led to problems and in small communities the bond and friendship that was established between the local constable and the man on the street was broken with the constant turnover of personnel.This bond was important to the effective operation of the force as it created a close working relationship between the police and the community it served and 'tips' from the towns citizens often resulted in arrests.

Tunbridge Wells, and borough forces in general, favoured hiring local men who knew the area and the people who lived there.The Superintendents,at least inititially,were usually recruited from the Metropolitan or City of London Forces because of their experience but in the later years it became common practice to try and promote men to the higher positions from within the local force.The Rural Constabulary Act of 1839 had allowed the boroughs to control their own forces and so decisions regarding the personnel in the Tunbridge Wells Police were made locally.

Being in the police force was not an easy job for in the early days the men worked 7 days a week and it was not until 1917 that constables,sergeants and inspectors were allowed one day off in fourteen worked.In the 1850's the wages of the police constables was 17/week, but later increased to 18/.

Training of new PC's was handled in the early years by a sergeant being sent down from London.One of Sergeant Sillwood's recommendations was to stop 'calling the hour' during the night.This had been the practice of the constable as he walked about the town and did so by shouting out the hour at the top of his voice.Based on Sillwood's advice this practice was stopped and the local force issued a Police Instruction Book regulating good practices. A copy of this book can be seen today at the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery.

When photographic studios were established in Tunbridge Wells in the 19th century it was not uncommon for members of the police force to go to one of the studios to get there photograph taken. The men were proud of their appearance in their uniforms and if for example they had just been promoted they wanted to mark the occasion by having a photograph professionaly done. There were several such studios in town where the men could go. One of them was the studio of Hatt and Luck.I have included with this article one of their portrait studio photos,taken of Sergeant Boorman of the Tunbridge Wells Police.This studio was operated by the partners Frederick Lindon Hatt and Walter Luck who had opened their studio at #1 Mount Sion around 1876,which business continued until about 1882.Hatt then moved to Bristol but Walter Luck continued to have a studio in Tunbridge Wells at the same address until the end of the 19th century.

GETTING AROUND TOWN

The mainstay of the local police force was the patrol of the constable on foot and certainly throughout the 19th century this was essentially the only way for constables to get around. Anyone found to be committing a crime had to be chased down by foot,put in handcuffs,and walked to the police station where they were put in a cell and kept there until they could be brought before the court.If the criminal put up a fight then the constable had a truncheon at his disposal to knock some sense into him.Outside of the built up areas it was not uncommon for horses to be used by constables and the horse and wagon was also a mode of transportation employed to transport personnel,prisioners etc from more distant locations to the police station. The foot patrol by the constables had its advantages to maining law and order as the police were visible to the public as they made their daily rounds and evening patrols thereby disuading anyone from commiting unlawful acts and this contact with the public,at least with the law abiding ones,was most often of a friendly nature.

When the Kent County Constabulary was formed there were twelve Superintendents in charge of Divisions and each was issued a horse and a two wheeled cart to convey prisioners and for other uses.The death of a prisioner in 1892 brought the instruction that prisioners were to be conveyed in a covered vehicle and prisioners were not allowed to be conveyed in an open vehicle "without a sufficiency of clothing". A constable was put in charge of the horse and cart and to drive it when not needed by the Superintendent.In 1884 this constable became officially known as a "Groom Constable".Horses were still in use in many locations in the 20th century.The last police horse in Britian was retired in 1943 and put out to pasture.

In 1896 a few bicycles were purchased by a cost of 8 pounds each and although most constables in town still walked, those travelling further distances used the bicycle.The bicycles were kept at the police station when not in use.Records indicate that bicycles did not start being used until 1896.

In the early 1900's the police motorcycle began to appear in use among the various police forces for use in more rural areas.Initially they had no radio but as mentioned elsewhere in this article were later equipped with one so that the constable could contact the police station to request assistance,to make inquiries and so that the sergeant at the station could contact him.The British Motorcycle Museum has a few nice examples of the early police motorcycles in their collection which can be seen on their website.

It was not until about the 1930's that police automobiles started being used but were initially for the use of the Superintendent.Other members of the police did not start to use automibiles much before WW II and were not abundant even then.

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

Initially the uniforms consisted of a Frock Coat with a high hat but in 1860 the long uniform tunic and shake hat were adopted. Constables were issued with a truncheon,and a rattle to summon for assistance.Whistles were not issued until 1885 although some whistles were unofficially used by constables before that date.Also, there was a move away from high hats and shakes to the more readily recognizable "bobbies" helmet which was adopted as standard ware in 1897.

In the 1880's the bobbies wore a navy blue uniform with a swallow-tailed coat with raised leather collar to protect against garroting.The ensemble was topped off with a high stovepipe had until 1865 after which the standard Custodian hat was introduced.There were mixed feelings about the loss of the stovepipe hat since they were so sturdy that they could be used as a seat to have a rest on and they formed a useful step to look over high fences and into windows.

Until telephone service came to Tunbridge Wells in the late 19th century the only means of communication was the police whistle. When Telephones did become available there was one installed at the police station but the men themselves had no direct means of contacting the station.Initially they had to rely on the police whistle to sound the alert and if possible find someone with a telephone they could use to call the station.Police boxes,found at different locations throughout the town, and used exclusively by the police to contact their police station,were not generally available in Tunbridge wells or elsewhere in Britiain until the 1920's.The police radio clipped onto the unform did not become standard issue until well into the late 20th century although police radios on motorcycles and in vehicles started being used around the mid 20th century.

SOME INTERESTING CRIMES

Anyone who has occasion to look through the old Tunbridge Wells newspapers will have no difficulty finding many interesting accounts of criminal activities in the town and although not funny at the time,certainly to the perpetrator,you cant help smiling at some of them today.Some of the crimes commited then are no longer crimes today as the laws have changed and in many cases the punishment was quite severe.

Here are a few examples from the 1840's and 1850's era which I have reproduced from an interesting article that appeared in the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society Newsletter of Autumn 2004 which can be seen in its entirety on their website. The information given pertains to a 'search in the vaults' for records from the "Police and Lighting Committee".Typically the reports of the committee begin with "the police constables have been attentive to their duties and have occasionally visited the outer parts of the district". The names of the individual constables are given ;PC's Cooke ,Barfoot, Westbrook, Foster, Morgan and Ferguson,although these change from time to time and then the principal occurrances of the month are listed.

The main offences committed were for being drunk and riotous,hawking without a licence,picking pockets,gambling,stealing,attempting to rescue prisioners,obstructing the public highway,and leaving horses and carts unattended.The punishments for these crimes were often severe.Mary West got 14 days in Maidstone gaol for being drunk and riotous (on the Lew),although on other occasions Moses Brazil and Charles Marsland were only fined 2/6 and 1 pound for the same offence.James,Ann and Mary Taylor were convicted of breaking a public lamp in Grosvenor Road,and committed to gaol for 2 months,1 month and 1 month respectively.Samuel Gilbert (no relative of mine thank goodness !!) was fined 10/ for assaulting his wife and held to bail for 6 months.Henry Pope was sentenced to 1 month in gaol for neglecting to maintain his family.

Others were apprehended for hawking without a licence (selling pheasants and rabbits) and stealing.Edward Williams,Robert Lockyer and David Day went to gaol for 21 days each,for picking pockets on the Common.Henry Russell and George Baker were charged with stealing one loaf and 2/6 from the person of John Brooker.Russell was discharged but Baker was to be whipped by his father.A piece of roast beef and other articles of food were stolen from Isaac Hargrave's larder, and one haunch of mutton from the Refv. Franklin's,but no culprits were caught.Harriet Miller was accused of stealing clothes from the Common and was discharged,but Sarah Connolly had to spend 21 days in solitary confinement for stealing 2 waistcoat pieces.Michael Wood faced 3 weeks imprisionment with hard labour for stealing a trowel.

With great drama,it was reported that, "in the night of Friday the 5th April (1850),the house of James Powell of Langton was burglariously entered by three men,disguised,who stole therefrom 10-10s-0d,the monies of the Reverend Cholmondeley...a reward of 50 pounds is offered for their apprehension and conviction".In another case,Daniel Powell and William Braydon were convicted and fined 5/ with costs of 6/9 each,for stealing turnip greens,the property of J Ward Esq.Powell paid,but Braydon defaulted and was sent to gaol for 14 days.However,others received more extreme punishment.William Sutton and James Henessy were transported for 7 years each (for stealing 19-13s-0d and some lead),and 6 other men were transported for the term of their natural lives,for a burglary at Uckfield House.Richard Harvey was also transported,for 15 years,for highway robbery with violence.

Some names crop-up repeatedly.Thomas Waghorn was summoned for using obscene language and fined 9/costs,and also 1/ for "furious driving".James Waghorn,Flydriver,was convicted on several occasions of offences againt the By Laws and was disqualified.George,Charles and William Monkton shared a number of convictions for using licensed carriages without the proper dsitinctive mark,plying for hire off stands,using unlicensed carriages,using abusive language and leaving carriages unattended.In February 1852,George Monkton obtained 4 lbs of sausages under false pretences and was sent to Maidstone for trial.

It was important to keep the highways free of obstructions, and people were constantly being fined for this offence. John Hickmott was fined one pound for obstruction wuthg his oyster cart.William Stafford,a servant of Lady Dampier (of Calverley Terrace),was given notice for driving a Bath chair on the footway in front of Calverley Parade.

In February,1852,there was a riot.Thirteen young men and boys at Tunbridge Union Work House,broke 326 frames of glass and birnt a quantity of bedding.Five were committed to Maidstone for 2 months,five for 1 month,and the rest discarged.

There were a surprising number of forgetful people in Tunbridge Wells."In the night of Frifday the 23rd March,PC Swift found the front door of Jordan House open at half past 1 o'clock.It had been left open from neglect". On another occasion,he found the front door of Clarence House left open at 2 a.m.,from neglect.One can just imagine the police constables patrolling the town on foot,late at night,and making these discoveries.The grateful public often rewarded individual constables for helping them,and these are recorded.PC Cooke was allowed to keep 5/,given to him by a lady for finding a brooch on the Common,and PC Colman was allowed to accept Christmas dinner,for finding a gold brooch and other articles lost by Mrs Prebble.Superintendent Morton and Sergeant Swift were allowed to retain the 10/ given by W. Brandram,"for their extra duty in attending at his residence on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter".

The monthly Police report often concluded,rather delighfuly,with such words as "the fire engine was exercis4ed on Tuesday 30th October," (at a cost of 1-10s-0d).On at leat two occasions when it was called out,it arrived on the scene after the fire had already been extinguished.Thomas Pervin,the director of the firemen,at one point submitted a false report,claiming that some firemen had attended (and had been paid for attending) a fire at Mr Dadson's when in fact they had not been there.Mr Pervin was dismissed (but later re-appointed).

PC Foster,when travelling on duty from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings "took Georgina Goldsmith or Lawrence with him to Ticehurst,and slept with her ".He was dismissed and replaced by George Colman.

In the 1880's one can find many accounts of further misdemeanors (usually drunken) of policemen.They often seemed to behave as badly as the people being arrested by them.On two occasions in the 1850's it was reported that PC Blackford was guilty of "improper conduct by frequenting beer shops and gambling".He was dismissed and replaced by William Harriman (of Nottingham).PC Grover was reported for having been the worse for liquor,on duty at the Races,on Thursday 11th September 1851 and was reprimanded and cautioned.Mr Dadson,charged PC Waghorne with "keeping a disorderly house and harbouring bad characters therein" and that "very improper persons had been found" in the house.Waghorne admitted this to have been the case and expressed regret and promised that it should not again occur.He was reprimanded by the committee and cautioned as to future conduct.

A review of the Petty Session records leads one to conclude,based on the number of appearances before the court,that cabbies and fly drivers seemed to be a lawless bunch appearing on frequent occasions for the offences of furious driving,plying their trade without the necessary license or being drunk in charge of a conveyance.There was plenty of opportunity for fly drivers to become intoxicated in Tunbridge Wells as the number of beerhouses about the town was well above what any person would consider necessary.One regular visitor to the court in Tunbridge Wells was a man known as George W who over a twenty year period had appeared at the bench ninety three times ,been convicted 26 times , spent over 4 years in prision and paid over 20 pounds in fines.In 1868 George had been seen picking up passengers at the Flower Show and was charged with plying for hire in an unlicensed fly.When he appeared before the magistrate he tried to excuse his actions by claiming that he had picked up the Honorable F.G. Molymeux,who was on the bench.Moymeux replied George was "so disquised in his livery that he did not know it was him until he was some distance into his journey".George of course was found guilty of the charge.George also liked his beer and consumed it to excess and had also been charged previously on several occasions with being drunk while operating a conveyace.

Moving ahead in time is an interesting incident in the 1930's when a riot ensued upon the appearance in town of the fascist group,the Blackshirts.Some 30 of them tried to march through the town on a Saturday night but thousands of residents were waiting for them.The Blackshirt leader while trying to speak was pelted with a shower of missles, including eggs,tomatoes,rotten fruit,lumps of meat and even a kipper,according to the newspaper,which published a long article about the event. The pelting took place near the Opera House and since the residents and the police were expecting the Blackshirts there was a large number of constables on hand to try and keep the situation under control.The Blackshirts made a swift departure from the scene by leaving in the automobiles they had parked at the fire station and were met with a mob of angry residents everywhere they went.A large photograph of the event appeared in the newspaper showing the police in a sea of bodies.The police were complimented for their handling of the situation and those commenting on their role said "The police held the crowds in check with a calmness deserving of the greatest praise.They dealt with the situation with a wonderful sense of humour,yet at the same time asserting their authority in such a way as to be able to escort the Fascists away from Newton Road where speech-making was found to be impossible.The police rescued several women in danger of being trampled...".

THE MEN OF THE POLICE FORCE

(1) John Alexander Thompson

John Alexander Thompson was Tunbridge Wells first Superintendent of Police,a position he assumed around October 1835 and remained in until the end of 1840 when he resigned and went to be a Superintendent in the East Essex force.Thompson had submitted his resignation in November 1840 and probably stayed long enough for a new Superintendent to be assigned which may have taken a month.

John Thompson was born about 1809 in Marylebone.On September 1831 he married Isabella King at Bloomsbury St George and started a family but appears to have had only one child, a daughter Emma,born 1836 in Tunbridge Wells.The 1841 census shows him as a police Superintendent in Tunbridge Wells living with his wife and daughter.The 1851 census records him with his family at Whatlington Sussex where John is working as a Superintendet of Police.In the 1861 census he and his family are at Battle,Sussex where he is still a police Superintendent.His daughter was working at that time as a school mistress.In 1871 at Battle Sussex John is living with just his wife and is listed as a retired Superintendent of police.On April 28,1873 John passed away at Battle,Sussex.His estate of just under 100 pounds was left to his spinster daughter Emma,as his wife had already passed away by that time.

(2) Thomas Barton

Thomas Barton replaced John Alexander Thompson as the police Superintendent sometime between November 1840 and Janurary 1841.Barton was at the time of his new appointment 39 years of age who had been with the police force before that in Hadlow.He left four years later to take the license of the White Bear Inn.The police station house was at this time located at #3 Grove Hill Road.

Thomas Barton had been born 1801 at Hadlow,Kent.Its not known by the writer if he had a family.What is known from reviewing the local directories is that he was the proprietor of the White Bear Inn ,on London Road,in Tunbridge Wells from 1844 until at least 1851.He had taken over the running of the inn from John Hughes who had been the proprietor since about 1839.Thoams Barton passed away in Tunbridge Wells in the second quarter of 1876.

(3) William Plumb

William Plumb replaced Thomas Barton as the police Superintendent in 1845 but had a short stay in this position as he passed away on the job in May 1847. He came to Tunbridge Wells from the East Sussex Constabulary.He is found in the 1847 Bragshaw directory as the Superintendent of police at Calverly Road.

William Plumb was born in April 1817 and was christened on the 27th of the month at Southfleet,Kent.His parents were William and Ann Plumb. The writer has no other information on him or his family.

(4) Charles Bailey

Captain Charles Bailey replaced Thomas Barton on the occasion of Barton's untimely death in 1847.He had been the Superintendent of the Cambridge City Police and assumed his new position as Superintendent of the Tunbridge Wells force in June 1847.In October of that year he was given a leave of absence and failed to return to work at the end of it and as a consequence he was relieved of his position.The writer had no further information about Mr Bailey.

(5) William Morten

With the unusual departure of Charles Bailey towards the end of 1847 William Morten, who had been a sergeant with the Metropolitan Police,was appointed October 25,1847 as the police Superintendent for Tunbridge Wells.I have already described in detail Mortens checkered performance in this position and his sudden departure in 1853 with money that did not belong to him and eventual escape to the safety of Canada so I will not repeat the information.His men were not happy having worked under him,especially since it was their money that had been taken and a subsequent inquiry into the affair resulted in the final conclusion that the force was "in a very disorganized state...clothing and appointmets dirty and in a poor state of repair...and that the police station looked more like a lumber room than a police station". A shakeup in the affairs of the police was definately in order so they sought out a many they believed would whip the force back into line in the form of one Cyril Winnington Onslow.

William Morton was born 1813 at Motts,Southwell.From the 1851 census taken at the Town Hall in Tunbridge Wells is recorded living there with him his wife Sarah,born 1814 Gaythorpe, Leicestrershire and two children namely Mary,born 1843 at Marylebone,Sarah,born 1847 at St Mary's Newington,London.Also with the family is William's nephew William Morton,born 1848 in Tunbridge Wells and his sister Mary Foster,born 1828 at Clifton,Nottinghamshire.William Morten is found recorded in the 1851 Kelly directory as the Superintendent of police at Calverly Road.

The only other reocord found by the writer is one for a Mr Morton departing from Liverpool and arriving in St John ,New Brunswick,Canada in either 1853 or 1856 but whether this is the correct Morton could not be confirmed by the writer.

(6) Cyril Winnington Onslow

Cyril Winnington Onslow,age 37,was hired as a replacement for William Morten in 1853.He had been hired as an Inspector and was described as such in the records of June 1853.In 1857 his title was changed to Superintendent and in February 1860 he became the Chief Superintendent.

Cyril Onslow was born in 1816 or 1817 at Newington,Surrey.An 1841 census records Cyril at Speldhurst living with his wife Elizabeth.He is found in the 1861 census in Tunbridge Wells living at the Town Hall Police Station and working as a Superintendent of police. Living with him there are his two daughters namely Mary Violet,born 1850 at Ipstow,Devon and Clara born 1854 in Tunbridge Wells. Also with the family is a housekeeper and another servant. An interesting entry is a man described in the census as the uncle of Cyril's by the name of James Ovenden,a 52 year old labourer who's living accommodations are given "in police cells".

Also at the police station in the 1861 census is George Swift,Inspector of police,born 1815 at Wadhurst,Sussex with his wife Sohia and 5 of his children.Also there is PC John Westbrook,born 1822 at Hartes,Kent with his wife Ann,age 39, and his five children.You would think by now the police station must be getting rather crowded but no also there is PC Thomas Barfoot,born 1813 at Ticehurst,Sussex with his wife Margaret and two children.PC James Hubbs,born 1839 at Rotherfiled,Sussex is also there with his wife Elizabeth,age 23, and his son as well as his mother-in-law. Last but not least is found police sergeant George Anson Westbrook,born 1819 at Sevenoaks,Kent with his wife Ann,age 39, and his two children.Its a good thing that members of the police force in 2012 dont all live at the police station or it would need to be the size of the Calverly Hotel!

The 1862 Kelly directory records Cyril Winnington Onslow at the police Superintendent and George Swift is the Inspector.

Probate records show tha Cyril Winnington Onslow, widower and late of Tunbridge Wells, a gentleman, passed away July 24,1866.His estate was valued at under 450 pounds.The executors of his estate were Constantine Phipps Onslow of 6 Grove place Denmark Hill,Camberwell,Surrey,

gentleman the uncle and guardian of Mary Louisa Onslow,spinster, and Clara Onslow,spinster,respectively minors the daughters and next of kin.

(7) John Joseph Embery

John Embery took over the position of Superintendent of police from Cyril Onslow in 1866 and still held the position in 1891 and perhaps even after then but was gone by 1901.He is found listed in that position in the directories of 1867,1874 and 1882 but in the position in the 1891 census.

John Embery was born 1837 at Southwark,London.His parents were John Embery,a druggist,born 1804 at Bideford,Devon and Sophia,born 1802 at Honiton Clysh,Devon.John junior was baptised April 9th of that year at St George The Martyr.In 1851 John was living with his parents at 45 Moneyer Street,Shoreditch,Middlesex and working as a porter.His father at that time was a druggist assistant.In the 1891 census taken at #10 Calverly Road,Tunbridge Wells John is living on his own and is listed as the Chief Constable of the police force.John certainy did marry late in life for he was not married until the first quarter of 1895 in Tunbridge Wells when he was 58 years of age.The 1901 census taken at #10 Calverly Road records John Emery as a retired police officer.Living with him is his wife Lavina Alberta and their two children Arthur John,born 1896 and Frederick William,born 1899.Both children were born in Tunbridge Wells.

On May 19,1915 John Joseph Emery of #10 Calverly Road passed away in Tunbridge Wells.His estate valued at 611 pounds was left to his wife who passed away in town in the 4th quarter of 1938.

(8) Charles Prior

Charles Prior took over from John Embery but instead of having the title of Superintendent he was the Chief Constable.He is listed with this title in the 1901 Kelly directory and in that same year the police force had two inspectors;4 sergeants and 41 constables.Charles prior was still in the same position in 1903 and in that year the force had two inspectors;four sergeants and 49 constables.

Sometime between 1903 and 1913 Tunbridge Wells council decided to combine the fire and police departments.In 1913 Charles Prior is given at the police station as the Chief Constable and with him are two inspectors;seven sergeants and 49 constables. Charles Prior is also listed in the 1913 Kelly under the heading of Fire Engine & Fire Escape Stations as "Charles Prior,Captain,second officer,superintendent;2 engineers and 24 firemen. Another listing gives "Chief Constable,Inspector of Hackney Carriages and Captain Borough Fire Brigade and "Shops Act 1912",Charles Prior Town Hall". The same information appears in a 1918 Kelly except that the number of police constables has been increased to 54 from 49.Petty sessions at that time were held at the town hall ever alternate Friday at 11 a.m.

Sometime before 1922 Charles Prior left the employment of the town and was replaced by Stanley Albert Hector.

Charles Prior was born 1858 at Ashford,Kent.His parents were Frederick T. Prior,born 1826 at Woodchurch,Kent, who in 1871 was a gardener labourer; and Ann,born 1823 at Sheldwich,Kent who in 1871 was a post office assistant.In the 1871 census taken at Shelwich,Kent, Charles was living with his parents.Also in the household was Ann Ellis,age 82, a beer retailer born 1789 at Throwley,Kent who was the mother of Chalres Prior's wife.

On or before 1881 Charles married Fenny Elizabeth in Kent and they began to raise a family.The 1881 census taken at 37 Grecian Street in Maidstone,Kent records Charles as a police offer living with his wife.In the 1891 census taken at the Reigate police station Charles is the Inspector of the borough police.Living with him is his wife Fanny,born about 1857 at Chigwell Row,Essex and his children Percy,born 1881 at Hartley,Kent; Daisy Elizabeth,born 1883 at Gravesend,Kent and Ernest William Prior born 1884 at Gravesend.

The 1901 census taken at 3 St James Road,Tunbridge Wells records Charles as a chief constable with the police force.Living with him is his wife Fanny and his son Percy,a dentist apprentice;daughter Daisy.son Ernest, an ironmongers apprentice;daughter Ella,born 1892 at Reigate,Surrey and Mabel,born 1895 at Tunbridge Wells.

On May 2,1929 Fanny Elizabeth Prior of 443 Portland Road,Hove,Sussex passed away leaving her estate of 555 pounds to her husband Charles Prior. Charles Prior of the same address passed away November 27,1929 leaving an estate of over 6,000 pounds. The executor of his estate was Charles George Creamer, a wheelwright.

Shown is a 1915 photograph of the Police force.The gentleman in the front row middle is Charles Prior.My appreciation goes to the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery for supplying this image for my article.

(9) Stanley Albert Hector

Stanley took over the position of Chief Constable of the police depatment sometime between 1919 and 1922.In a 1922 Kelly directory is recorded that the police force consisted of the Chief Constable; one inspector; six sergeants and 47 constables plus for the first time in the forces history one policewoman but she is listed as "reserve" so one can speculate that she was not called out on two many occasions.But at least the women now had a foot in the door.Its too bad the name of the policewoman is not recorded.Stanley was also in charge of the Fire Brigade and was given the title of Captain and in 1922 the Brigade had in addition to Stanley a second officer,a superintendent;two engineers and 24 firemen. Stanley like his predecessor must have been a busy man for he was also the Inspector of Hackney Carriage,Inspector under the "Shops Act" and Chief Inspector under the "Diseases of Animals Acts". He worked closely with the town veterinary inspector Mr Charles Roberts M.R.C.V.S. at 8 Church Road.

Sometime between 1923 and 1930 Stanley ceased to work for the town and his position was taken over by Guy Carlton.

Stanley was born 1897 in London.His father seems to have passed away sometime before the bith of his last child in 1899.The 1901 census taken at 34 Enfield Road,Hackney,London records Stanley living with his mother Florence,a needlewom in the clothing industry who was born 1863 in London. Also in the household is Stanley's siblings; Albert,age 15;Hilda,age 13 and Rose,age 12, all born in Islington,London. Also in the household were Stanley's siblings Frank,age 2 and Reginald,age 10, both born in Hackney,London.

The 1901 census taken at 103 Graham Road in Hackney,London records Stanley living with his mother and his siblings Rose,age 22, a bat assistant;Gladys Elenor,born 1894 in London who was 'assisting at house'; and Francis Hector born 1899 in London.

Phone books of 1922 record Stanley as a chief constable at #6 Calvery Parade and those for 1923 to 1927 record him at Rowlands Upper Stone Street in Tunbridge Wells. The year 1927 was the last directory lising for him in Tunbridge Wells.It is believed by the writer that he passed away in London in 1971.

(10) Guy Carlton

By 1930 Guy Carlton was in charge of both the Police force and the Fire Brigade. A directory of 1930 records the following; "Chief Constable,Police; Captain Borough Fire Brigade,Inspector of Hackney Carriages,Inspector under the "Shops Act" and Chief Inspector under the Diseases of Animals Acts,Guy Carlton". Guy Carleton had been an inspector with the local police force during the time Stanley Hector was Chief constable so he was promoted to Chief constable when Hecor left the position.

Sometime between 1930 and 1934 the town officials decided to split up the running of the Police force and the Fire Brigade.Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade in 1934 was John W. Goodwin at the town hall. Guy Carlton was the Chief Constalbe,Inspector of Hackney Carriages and Chief Inspector of the Diseases of Animals Acts. No mention is given about him being the Inspector under the "Shops Act". Petty sessions were held at this time at the town hall every Monday at 11 a.m. and every alternate Friday at the same time.

The 1938 Kelly directory records that Chief Constable Guy Carlton and his men are now operating from their new police station on Crescent Road. Carlton is still the Inspecor of carriages but by this time one wonders how busy he would have been in this role.He was also the Inspector of diseases under the animal Act.The town vet was still Charles Robert at 8 Church Road. John W. Goodwin was still the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade with addresses given as 50 St John Road and Calverly Road.The Fire Brigade had stations at the town hall and a substation at Lower Green Road. Petty sessions were held at this time alternate Fridays at 11 a.m.

Guy Carlton was born in the first quarter of 1880 at Wateringbury,Kent.His parents were William Henry Carlton,born 1853) and Mary M Bing,born 1857.Guy had only one sibling,namely Sidney G. Carlton,born in 1881.The census for 1881 taken at Ickham Street in Ickham,Kent records Guy living with his mother Mary M. Carlton,born 1858 at Seasalter,Kent.His father,a commercial traveller,was away on business at the time of the census.Guy and his mother were living at time with the Bing family.Thomas Bing,a retired farmer, was Charles grandfather,being born 1827 at Elham,Kent.Chalres grandmother was Mary Bing,born 1830 at Wye,Kent.

The 1891 census taken at Maidstone,Kent records Guy living with his parents and his brother Sydney.Its not recorded who Guy Carton wed but he was married in the first quater of 1905 and soon after raised a family.

Phone books for 1931 to 1932 record Guy Carlton as the police constable living at 4 Southfied Road,Tunbridge Wells and from 1933 to the time of his death he was living at 3 New England Road,Tunbridge Wells.Guy passed away in the third quarter of 1959 in Tunbridge Wells.

Shown is a 1943 photograph of the Police force.Guy Carlton is shown front row centre.Note that the photograph shows 46 other members of the force including five women.The name of all of them appear at the bottom of the photograph but are difficult to read in reduced scale so if you are interested in the names go to the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery,who supplied this image to me, to see the original in full size.

MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES

The Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery have a nice collection of artifacts,photographs and printed matter pertaining to the Tunbridge Wells Police force and I would highly remcommend that you pay them a visit one day to see the collection and talk to the archivist.

The Kent Police Museum has a good website worth visiting for it has a photo gallery with images from all eras of buildings,vehicles,personnel etc as well as an interesting account of the history of the police force in Kent.The musem began as a collection of memorabilia in the 1960's but expanded over the years,changing locations many times and today can be found in Maidstone at The Historic Dockyard in Boiler House #3.The museum was begun by retired inspector John Fail in the attic of the Police Headquarters in Maidstone and has been kept going by volunteers interested in the history of the police.

Many police records for Kent are also kept at The Centre for Kentish Studies in Maidstone. Unfortunatley many paper records were destroyed in 1943 when paper was needed for the war effort.A listing of their holdings can be found on their website.

A trip to the Tunbridge Wells Reference Library might also be productive for they have a selection of documents to view in their local history file and no doubt there are other publications at the library on the topic of the police that would provide information not given in my account.

Photographs (numbered from top to bottom)

1) circa 1880 photo of the Tunbridge Wells Police Service (courtesy of Anke site)
2) Postcard view of Grove Hill Road.Just up the road was where the old Police station was located.
3) Photo of  Police station/court house as part of the Civic Centre Complex
4)1942 photo of the Tunbridge Wells Police force garage/men/transportation (courtesy of Anke site)
5) Photo showing the five modes of transportation available to the police
6)Studio photo of Sergeant Boorman taken at the portrait studio of Walter Luck in Tunbridge Wells
7) 'Black Maria' used to transport prisioners
8) Charles Prior and his men from a 1915 photo (courtesy of the Tunbridge Wells Museum)
9) Guy Carlton and his men from a 1943 photo (courtesy of the Tunbridge Wells Museum)

MOTORCYCLING IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Written by: Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 28,2012

GENERAL HISTORY

The history of motorcycles in Britain began in the second half of the 19th century and their manufacture in the country lagged behind that of France and Germany.Britain of course had a long history of manufacturing bicycles and it was only natural that enterprising individuals in Britain,especiailly companies already manufacturing bicycles ,would seize upon the opportunity to expand their busines by making motorcycles. Initially motorcyles world wide began as nothing more than the regular safety bicycles with a small engine attached for propulsion.Gottlieb Diamler and Wilhelm Maybeach made the first petroleum powered motorcycle in 1885.In 1894 Hildebrand Wolfmuller became the first motorcycle made available for public purchase but only a few hundred were manufactured.In May 1896 the first trade show took place at the Imperial Institute in London proudly entitled the "International Horseless Carriage Exhibition".It featured ten different makes of cars and motorcycles.

Sir David Salomons set up the Self Propelled Traffic Association with the objective of scrapping the 4mph speed limit in Britain.As a result,in November 1896 the Locomotives on Highways Act (alias the Red Flag Act) was replaced by new regulations which raised the speed limit to 14mph.This event was celebrated among motoring enthusiasts by holding the first London-Brighton Run.At this run a Beeston Humber Tricycle was the only motorcycle to made it all the way.Two years later the Duke of York,later to become King George V became the fist Royal to ride one.The Beeston bikes were made at their facility in Nottingham and was one of the first to make motorcycles and it was at the time considered to be the best of the type.

By 1901 motorcyles were being made in a number of European countries.Most of them at this time were motorized tricycles or motorized safety bicycles.In 1901 English quadricycle and bicycle maker Royal Enfield intoduced the first motorcycle with a 239 cc engine mounted in the front and driving the rear wheel with a belt.In 1902 Triumph made its first motorcycle of which they sold 500 in 1903.In November 1902 Norton launced its own motorcycle called the Energette which was advertised as being suitable for busines,touring or racing and claimed that it was ideal for doctors.

Although patents for electric motorcycles date back as far as the 1860's it wasnt until about 1911 that a reliable type was developed for sale to the general public.A Popular Mechanics magazine of 1911 gives the following description."Motorcyclists who object to the trouble of starting a gasolne driven cycle and to its exhaust willl welcome a new type of electric motorcycle which is claimed will run 75-100 miles on a single battery charge,start instantly with the turn of a switch and run without noise.The motor is located under the seat and drives the rear wheel by means of a chain and sprocket wheels and is connected to a three speed controller which provides for speeds of 4,15 and 35 mph.The battery is suspended in the lower part of the frame.The motorcycle has a 51" wheelbase and weighs about 200 pounds". These early electric motorcycles had frames like a regular safety bicycle not open like modern scooters of today.Although initially a success it was the petrol driven motocycle that dominated the market.With new technology in the 21st century electric motorcyles can achieve remarkable speeds and are becoming an important part of the motorcycle market.

By 1913 there were 100,000 motorcycles registered in Britain.By 1914 motorocycles were no longer just bicycles with engines;they had their own technologies yet most retained the bicycles seats and suspensions.The First World War resulted in a demand for motorcycles for the war effort and there were more than 48,000 of them used in the war by Britain.They were mainly supplied by BSA,Royal Enfield,Triumph and others with no less thean 48 different manufactures producing them.In the war the motorcycle was used in many roles including mounted infantry,scouts,patrol and security duties,despatch and courier duties,very light transport (with sidecars),ammunition carriers,medical supply carriers,casualty evacuation (with sidecars) and signals.The domestic supply of motorcycles understandably went into a decline.

When the war ended there was a resurgance in the industry.At the first Olympia motorcycle show in 1919 there were over 112 motorcycle manufacturers displaying their wares.Many companies at this time were just assemblers having bought the parts and engines elsewhere and made into their own machines.During the interwar years there were about 300 makes and about 700 British makes registered in the first century of motorcycling.The peak year of production in Britain was 1929 when 147,000 motorcyles were made.Production picked up during and after WW II.The industry has had its ups and down ever since but motorcycling still remains very popular although far fewer companies are involved in their manufacture. The names the like Norton and Triumph were predominent makers of motorcyles in Britian throughout the 20th century and even afterwards.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

The first motorcylce known to appear in the town was the one demonstrated at the 1895 Tunbridge Wells Horseless Carriage Exhibition that had been organized by Sir David Lionel Salomons(1851-1925), a well known and wealthy individual who was a strong promoter of the motor car in Britain and who later would have his own impressive collection of motor cars and motorcycles housed in garage facilities he specially built at his estate.The exhibition was held at the Agriculture Showground on October 15,1895.Even though there were just a few vehicles at the event it drew a large crowd and stimulated the publics interested in motorized transportation. Apart from the 5 automobiles,a fire engine and a 'steam horse' demonstrated there was also shown a motorized tricycle made by Count de Dion and Georges Bouton which carried enough fuel for a six-hour run and could touch 14mph with the wind behind-on level ground.Up hills, though,the rider had to puff away at the pedals.Shown here is a photograph of Sir David Salomons dated circa 1895 riding a motorized tricycle from his collection which would have been very similar to, if not the same as, the one demonstrated at the exhibition.The caption on the photo reads : D.L.Salomons at the conrol of one of his De Dion-Bouton motor tricycles".Of the tricycle itself 'The Courier' newspaper of October 18,1895 reported " Another exhibit,of no little interest was the tricycle,It is a very light bike,after the type of pneumatic tricycles in appearance,and the tiny motor in it did not appear to affect in any way the design of the machine,or detract in its likeness.Its rider assisted it with pedals,but on level ground and turf the machine travelled easily without additional power". The National Society of Cyclists attended the event as observers as well as many other organizations and dignitaries.A poster advertising the event actually listed two tricycles to be shown but it appears from the newspaper and other accounts that only one was available at the time of the exhibiton. The description given of the two tricycles was as follows; "Tricycle-worked by petroleum motor,with electric spark ignition,shown by Messrs De Dion & Bouton of Paris,after the design of Count de Dion and M. Bouton.The weight is about 90 lbs" and "Tricycle-exhibited by M Guedon,for the Gladiator Cycle Company of France.The horse-power is about two-thirds,the fuel is mineral naptha, and the ignition is by the electric spark.The carbonizer in this motor,is dispensed with.The weight is appoximaetly 112 lbs.The pedals are used to start,but,when the motor runs,the pedals are automatically disconnected". A photograph dated circ 1900 of Sir David Salomons garage at his estate shows through the open doors two motorized tricycles parked inside beside one another in one bay of his garage,the other bays being occupied by his automobiles.It is known from the image that it predates 1906 for in that year Salomons rebuilt his garage complex which changed the appearce of the structure.

The Tunbrdge Wells Motorcycle club,now called the Tunbridge Wells Motor Club (TWMC),was founded in 1911 and today is one of the oldest still operating in Britain.The club was formed by a small group of local motorcycle enthusiasts.There were no helmets at that time-just goggles and a flat cap and depending on the weather a long coat.The leather motorcycle jacket was not to appear until much later.Their trousers, of normal street wear,were tucked into their socks and no special motorcycle boots were worn-just work boots or shoes.The club events then were Mud Reliability Trials,Night Trials and one Treasure Hunt per year. As the years passed the membership grew as did the type of motocycles driven.They held solo and combination events.Among the stars of the clubs early days were Bill Jury,Freddie Philpott and 'Tunny' Tunbridge who all owned local motorcycle businesses.BSA,Norton,Panther,Royal Enfield and Rudge were the makes of the day.Testing courses were found at Holmwood,Langton and Home Farm,Groombridge.Membership in the club fell leading up to the WW II.After WW II Freddie Philpott cornered the market in khaki patterned Royal Enfields.In 1947 the club became the Tunbridge Wells Motor Club under new organization.Eventually the motorcycle boys faded from the scene as motor cars became of more interest to the clubs members.In July 2010 Pat Merle in Kent discovered and purchased a 1954 Velocette MSS motorcycle which had been off the road since 1965 although it was in original and restorable condition.This bike was found,after researching the records of the The Centre for Kentish Studies, to be registration number SKT331 first registered in May 25,1954 to the former club member G.E. (Tunny) Tunbridge.

G.E Tunbridge was George Ernest Tunbridge,born in the 3rd quarter of 1865 in Dover,Kent. Probate records show that he had been living at the time of his death at 2 Vale Road,Tunbridge Wells and that he passed away September 17,1925 at the General Hospital Tunbridge Wells.He left his estate of about 5,000 pounds to his wife Matilda Jane Davis Tunbridge.George is found in an 1899 directory as a cycle manufacturer at 2 Vale Road and was still in the same business at the same address until just before 1918.In the 1901 cenus his occupation is listed as 'cycle agency employer'.From 1918 to the time of his death he was at the same address but was advertising his business as a 'motor car dealer' so seems to have gotten out of motorocyles in favour of selling motor cars.The business of G.E.Tunbridge Limited however did not die with George for it is found in directories up until about 1991 when the company was dissolved.A 1962 directory for examle gives "G.E.Tunbridge Limited-28 and 30 St John's Road and from 1918 until 1991 the company,carried on by his decendents,was in the business of selling motor cars in Tunbridge Wells.

Another of the club members mentioned above was Freddie Philpott.He was born as Frederick Philpott June 27,1909 at Croydon,Greater London.He passed away April 1987 in Tunbridge Wells.He had a business selling motorcycles initially and eventually went into selling motor cars.Bill Jury was the last member of the club I researched.There was born a William B Jury in 1872 at Tunbridge Wells.William's wife was Emily Lockyer,born 1867 at Maidstone,Kent.He and his wife had three children including a William B Jury junior in 1897.Its not clear to the writer if it was the father or the son that belonged to the motorcycle club but likely it was William junior.William senior,a plumber, died September 1945 at Ashford,Kent and William junior died June 1969 in Tunbridge Wells.

The first Tunbridge Wells directory listing for anything to do with motorcycles was a listing of one company,namely G & A.J. Cross Limited -Electrical Cycle Engineers at 74 High Street and 13 Warwick Road.A 1913 directory records the company under the same name and location but as "cycle makers' and also as 'motorcycle makers'.They are also found in 1903 at The Pantiles as cycle agents.From 1918 to 1922 two listings appear namely G & A.J. Cross as motor cycle engineers at 14 High Street and W. Cross & Co. motor and cycle agents and cycle engineers at 11 Quarry Road .The W. Cross referred to was Wilfred Charles Cross born 1879 at Speldhurst whos parents were Charles and Fanny Cross.Wilfred's father was a gardener.Wilfred is found in the census records of Tunbridge Wells from 1881 to 1911 and lived most of that time at 25 Wood Street.It is belived by the writer that Wilfred passed away in Tunbridge Wells in March 1951.The firm of G & A.J. Cross are related to the Wilfred Cross family.The principals of that firm were George,Albert and James Cross.They were all borthers born 1880's who in the early 1900's lived in Tunbridge Wells at 39 Norman Road.George was the eldest brother and died in Tunbridge Wells September 1970.Albert passed away in 1995.

The Read Brothers were active locally in the 1920's. Listings for Read Bros-motor cycle engineers begin to appear in 1922 at 4 Goods Station Road and remain as such until 1929. In 1930 their address and name remain unchanged but their business is described as 'motor engineers'They remain at this address well into the 1960's and not doubt was a business passed along from father to son.

The E Powell Limited Company operated in town at 41 High Street from 1913 to 1918 as 'engineers-electric light' but from 1920 to 1928 at the same address as cycling engineers.From 1930 to 1934 the company were electrical engineers at 39 High Street with their works at Little Mount Sion.This company,listed as electrical engineers was liquidated in 1964.

The Halford Cycle Co Ltd is first found in Tunbridge Wells in 1913 and continued under that name and located at 2 Station Buildings until 1930 and were listed as cycle manufacturers.No doubt they made regular bicycles as well as motorcycles.The company expanded over the years and is found in other locations such as Gravesend,Bromley etc and became manufacturers of cycle accessories.

A company called R Carey at 16 Crescent Road first appears in 1920 as cycle motor engineers and continue that way until abput 1931. From 1932 to 1937 they are listed as R. Carey(Tunbridge Wells)Limited motor engineers at 16 Crescent Road. About 1939 the company seems to have left Tunbridge Wells and moved to Folkstone.The principal of this company was Robert Carey who in the 1911 census,taken at Folkestone is given as a retired mechanical engineer,being born 1843 at Peckham,Surrey.He is found in the census living with is sister and two daughters.

Goding & Co are found in Tunbridge Wells at 9 Grosvenor Road as motorcycle engineers during the period of 1920 to 1922.

Other companies came and went in Tunbridge Wells from the 1930's onward but a study of them is beyond the intended scope of this article. One item I could not leave unmentioned however, as it relates to my hobby of postcard collecting, is about Harold Camburn who was a Tunbridge Wells photographer and postcard publisher. I include a reference to him because he spent his photographic career in the early 1900's travelling all over Kent and Sussex on his motorcycle taking pictures of the people and places he came upon in his travels. An early photo of him shows him wearing a long coat with goggles and cap taking in a local view before capturing it on film. I have included here a photograph of his motorcycle. His bike had a sidecar which he used to transport his photographic equipment in.

Tunbridge Wells has a long history with the motor car and the motorcycle and I am sure that motorcycle enthusiasts and those interested in their history will be able to add more to my story.

Photographs (numbered from top to bottom)

1) 1903 145cc Norton Energetta
2) David Salamon on his motorized tricycle cira 1895
3)'Tunny' Tunbridges's former motorcycle resurected and ready for restoration
4)  Motocycle and sidecar 1932 Brooklands. Harold Camburn ,local photographer and postcard publisher used a motorcycle with sidecar to transport his photographic equipment around Kent and Sussex in early 1900's.
5) Woman dispatch rider with motorcycle circa 1941

THE STICKELS FAMILY-THE WANDERING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Written By; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date; March 21,2012

The Stickells family were a fascinating lot with most of them devoting their lives to a career in photography,but unlike most photographers who set up photographic studios and stayed for the most part in one place, the Stickells took their jobs on the road by transporting their photographic studio in a horse -drawn wagon all over Kent,Sussex and Surrey.But like all itinerant photographers they eventually settled down and established studios.The story of one member of the family, Ambrose Henry Stickells is the focus of this artcle but its hard to talk about his career in isolation so details are given about other members of his family as well.Ambrose did eventually settle down and for over 35 years there was a Stickells photographic studio in Tunbridge Wells on Camden Road.

Ambrose Henry Bensley Stickells was born April 11,1864 at Hythe,Lent.He was the son of Frances Shaw Bensley(b1834) and David A. Stickells(1828-1902),a professional photographer.Ambrose father was an itinerant photographer who travelled around Kent,Sussex and Surrey in a "photographic saloon",a horse-drawn portable studio.Although Ambrose was born at Hythe his father travelled extensively but was based in Ashford,Kent.The carte-de-visite portraits of the 1860's and 1870's were produced by David A Stichells at his East Kent Portrait Studio,but his permanent address was given as Ashford Kent.

David A. Stickells had been born in Rustinge,Kent around 1828,the son of William Stickells,a publican.By the late 1850's David was working as an itinerant photographer,When he married Frances Shaw Bensley in Canterbury on April 14,1857,David was already working as a photographer.Ambrose Henry Stickells was one of five surviving children born into the family.Wen Ambrose was in his teens,he accompanied his father on his travels,assisting his father in his portable studio.Amborse was taught by his father the art and science of photography.Their travelling studio was known as "The East Kent Portrait Saloon".Photographs by David Stickells of the 1870's carry a business address of 36 Queen Street,Ashford.

Around 1880 the Stickells family moved from Ashford,Kent to the Sussex seaside resort of Hastings.By 1881 Mrs Frances Stickells had taken over the running of a lodging house at 124 St Andrews Road,Hastings.The census for that year records her at that address with three of her children-Lauramage 23;Arthur,age 12 and Adamage 9.Meanwhile Ambrose is in Marden,a village nine miles south of Maidstone in the families mobile studio parked in Fowle's Yard,and open area off the High Street belonging to Thomas Fowle,a local builder and carpenter.

After Ambrose served his apprentiship with his father,David Stickells brought Ambrose into the business as a partner and during the early 1880's,the carte-de-visite portraits produced by them are marked "Stickells & Son".By this time David Stickells and his family had moved to Cranbrook in Kent and a permanent photographic portrait studio was established in the High Street.A Kelly's 1882 directory lists "Stickells & Son-portrait and landscape photographers".

In 1884 Ambrose Stickells was 20 years old and he and his father agreed that it was time for Ambrose to brach out on his own,David Stickells had decided to operate a permanent studio in Cranbrook's High Street,David gave his son a sum of money as working captital and equipped him with a horse-drawn photographers van with which to tour the towns and village of Kent and Sussex.With Ambrose on the road David brought his youngest son Arthur Edward Stickells(born 1869 Ashford) into the business and so his Cranbrook studio continued under the name of D.A.Stickells & Son.

Between 1894 and 1895 Ambrose travelled extensively taking portraits of individuals and groups on location.His travelling studio had the workds "A.H.Stickells" painted on the front.Around 1888 he arrived in the Sussex village of Mayfield where he met Mary Ann Lade (born 1864 Mayfield),the daughter of Mary and Henry Lade,a local saddler and harness maker.On February 20,1899 Ambrose and Mary were wed at the parish church.For the next six years of so Mary and Amborse travelled together travelling from place to place taking photographs.Their first child was Mary Frances born at Leigh,Kent,a village 3 miles west of Tonbridge,in the 3rd quearter of 1889.The 1891 census records the family as lodgers at a house on Maidstone Road,Paddock Wood,,a hamlet near Maidstone.In the 4th quarter of 1895 Amborse Henry Stickells was born at Robertsbridge,a small town some 13 miles from Hastings.Although the family was travelling extensively they appear to have had a permanent address in Cranbrook,Kent for there is a cabinet portrait dating from around 1895 stamped "A.H.Stickells,Photographer,Cranbrook".

Around 1896 Ambrose was in Crowborough,a town with just a population of about 2,000 and without a photographer.The nearest photographic studio at that time was in Tunbridge Wells,some seven miles away.It was a Crowborough that Amborse decided to settle down and worked from a permanent studio there,albeit one parked in a field behind a small cottage in Crowborough Cross.Photographs produced at that time were marked "A.H.Stickells,Crowborough Cross,Photographer,Stationer,Picture Frame Maker".Amborse and his family were living in the parish of Crowborough when their third child Percy Rufus Stickells was born during the 3rd quater of 1897.Sometime before 1904 Ambrose opened a studio in Croft Road,Crowborough and it was while there in the 3rd quarter of 1904 that the couple had another child,Lilian Irene Stickells.

The photographic studio established by Ambrose at 9 Croft Road,Crowborough is marked today by a stone tablet above the shop entrance which carries the initials of Ambrose Henry Bensley Stickells and the date the building was completed "AHBS 1902". Ambrose was based at this location for the next 36 years .As soon as his eldest son Ambrose Henry Stichells junior left school,he joined his father in the family business.The 1911 census records the Stickells family at their home on Croft Road,Crowborough,In that censu Ambrose junior is recorded as "assisting in the business".The census of 1911 records Ambrose senior living with his wife and his four children Nary F,age 23,Ambrose,age 15 as a photographers assistant,Percy R,age 15 and seven year old Lilian Irene Stickells.

For a period of 40 years Ambrose senior was Crobourough's only resident photographer and consequently the pictorial history of that town is dominated by his photographs.Ambrose took portraits of the inhabitants of Crowborough and the neighbouring areas of Jarvis Brook,Rotherfield and Town Row.With his camera he recorded the significant events in people's everyday lives-engagements,weddings,anniversary celebrations of every new addition to a family.

About 1904 Amborse Henry Stickells began to produce picture postcards.He continued to produce portraits in the traditional,established formats of cartes-de-visite and cabinet cards right up until the First World War but from around 1910 many of his studio portraits were produced in the popular picture postcard format.A.H.Stickells also used the picture postcard format to publish photographic views of Crowboroigh and the surrounding villages and hamlets.Notable and special events were also recorded and then ussued as "real photgraph" postcards.Even though at this time Stickells had a permanent studio he still ventured out from time to time taking photographs on site.

Ambrose studio at Croft Road in Crowborough was still in business when Kelly's 1938 directory of Sussex was compoled.By this time Ambrose was in his early seventies and it is possible that at that time his studio was managed by his eldest son or one of his daughters.Ambrose Stickells youngest son ,Percy Rufus Stickells, was at that time working as a professional photographer in the Sussex seaside resort of St Leonards-on-Sea during the 1920's and 1930's.

Mrs Mary Ann Stickells,Ambrose seniors wife died in Crowborough in 1935 at the age of 71.Amborse Henry Bensley Stickels died in Crowborough during the 3rd quarter of 1940 at the age of 76.

Ambrose Stickells,junior,born as Ambrose Henry Stickells in the 4th quarter of 1895 at Robertsbridge near Hasings,Sussex ,however, carried on the family name and business by establishing a photographic studio in Tunbridge Wells. Directories throughout the period of 1922 to 1958 record "A.H.Stickells-photographer 33-35 Camden Road.In 1958 Ambrose junior was 63 so it is very likely he retired that year and the studio was either closed or the business sold. Number 33-35 Camden Road had a long history of being a photographic studio. At the turn of the 20th century and for some time afterwards it was one of three studios operated under the name of Carr & Hopperton.When the partnership between Edward Carr and Herbert Hopperton was dissolved in 1906 Herbert Hobberton continued to operate a studio from this address under the name of H.J. Hopperton but only at #33 Camden Road. Who took over the studio from him is not known to the writer but no doubt it was another photographer and it would have been from him that Stickells took over the business. Shown here is a photo card identified on the front as "A.H.Stickells-Tunbridge Wells" which shows the Tunbridge Wells Salvation Army Band. Also shown is a 2012 photograph of 31-35 Camden Road which no doubt is not the original building used by Stickells but today is the site of the clothing retailer "Westfield Royal Victoria Place".

Ambrose Henry Stickells was married in 1918 to Nora Emily Simmons at Hailsham registration district.Nora had been born 1894 at Hailsham,Sussex and died 1994 at Hastings and Rotherfield registration district. It is not know if Ambrose and Norah had any children.Ambrose and his wife lived in Tunbridge Wells at 24 Lansdown Road from 1960 until 1882 and it is possible Ambrose was still living at that address when he died in Tunbridge Wells in 1986. Ambrose was cremated at the Kent and Sussex Crematorium on June 21,1986 at the ripe old age of 91 years.His brother Percy lived to a good old age as well as he passed away in September 1988 at Brighton,Sussex ending a dynasty of Stickells photographers.

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1) Stickells travelling photographic studio
2) D.A. Stickells & Son studio card
3) A.H. Stickells studio photo in Crowborough
4) Portrait of A.H. Stickells
5) Photocard of the Tunbridge Wells Salvation Army Band by A.H. Stickells

BOOTS CASH CHEMISTS LTD

Written by; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 20,2012

GENERAL HISTORY　

The name of this business is one that will be remembered by many in Tunbridge Wells,although they are no longer operating in the town, for it was a company on a national scale that had chemists shops througthout most of Britian in the 19th and 20th century.In the early 1900's Boots had two shops in Tunbridge Wells on High Steet and Mount Pleasant Road,which I give more information on later but first I begin with the founding of the company.

The business founder was John Boot(1815-1860) who was born 1815 at Radcliffe-on-Trent who started work as an agricultural labourer before travelling to attend services at Wesleyon chapels in the Lace Market are of Nottingham. Herban remedies were popular at that time as the labouring poor could not afford the services of a physician.Boot's mother Mary (nee Mary Wills)( 1826-1885)had used herbs for healing and he may have been familiar with remedies published in John Wesley's herbal 'Primitive Physic'.In 1849 with some help from his father-in-law and the support of the local Methodist communit,he opened The British and American Botanic Establishment at 6 Goose Gate,hoping to provide physical comfort to the needy,as well as a reasonable living for his family.In addition to giving consultations and serving in the shop,John and his wife Mary,prepared many remedies themselves. By 1851 John Boot had moved to Hockley.It was a poor area so he became involved in chapel affairs and local schemes to impove living conditions within his community.In 1860 John Boot died at the age of 45,after years of hard work and ill-health.Mary took over management of the shop,with the help of her ten year old son Jesse,who gathered and prepared herbs and served behind the counter.

Jesse Boot was born June 2,1850 at Hockley,Nottinghamshire and at the time of his fathers death was living at St Mary,Nottinghamshire.Before this time his father was given in census records as a 'Medical Botanist' and in 1861 his mother Mary was listed with the same profession.In the 1871 census taken at 38 Goosegate,Nottinghamshire Mary Boot is given as a 'Herbanlist' and Jesse has the same profession. In about 1871,when Jesse was 21,he became a partner in the business,which began to trade under the name of M. and J. Boot,Herbalists.Determined to cut his prices,he preferred cash to credit.With extensive advertising,he began to sell a wider range of stock and advertised "over 2,000 articles". In 1877 Jesse took sole control of the shop and became one of the busiest shopkeepers and the largest dealer in patent medicines in Nottingham.In 1879 success brought hostility from many of his fellow chemists,sho criticised his cut-prices and tried to cast doubt on some of Boot's products.The House of Lords supported the right of general stores and companies,as well as traditional chemists,to dispense medicines.

In 1881 with financial support from several local business contacts,Jesse Boot took on a lease of a vacant porperty at 16-20 Goosegate.He converted the building into a new shop which contained the retail and wholesale areas,workshops,stockrooms,offices and living accommodation. The 1881 census taken at that address records Jesse Boot as a 'Patent Medicine Vendor Chemist'.Living with him is hios mother Mary and his sister Jane who is working in the shop as a patent medicine chemist assistant.In 1883 his business became a private concern operating as Boot and Company Limited, with Jesse as chairman and managing director.The success of the shop inspired Jesse to expand the business elsewhere.He bought vacant porperties all over Nottingham.They were usually in poorer districts so properties were reasonable and he refurbished them all similarly.Each was opened to a fanfare of publicity.The growth of the railway network allowed Jesse to consider a much larger operation. In 1884 the first Boot's store outside of Nottingham was opened at Snig Hill in Sheffield.In the same year he found and appointed Edwin Warin,a qualified pharmacist,in order to offer dispensing services,thus bringing with him the professional prestige that the business needed.

In 1885 Jesse,suffering from ovetrwork,took a holiday in Jersey,where he met Florence Anne Rowe(1863-1952),the daughter of a bookseller and stationer in St Helier.She had been born at St Helier in 1863.Jesse and Florence were married August 31,1886 and John,their first child was born 1889 in Nottingham.Florence enjoyed the retail side of the company introducing books,stationary,fancy goods,artist's materials and picture frames into the products offered by the business.Jesse and Florence began to develop a concept of Boots shops as department stores. In about 1885 Jesse made an investment in the manufacturing side of the business.He wanted the company to be self-contained so that he could control both prices and quality and to be the 'Largest Best and Cheapest'.He then took out a lease on three rooms in Island Street in Nottingham.

In 1888 to build public confidence in the quality and purity of his products,Jesse renamed the business Boots Pure Drug Company Limited with the name registered on November 7,1888.In 1891 Jesse secured a lease on a property in Nottingham town area.The premses were largely rebuilt,with a gallery supported by a colonade of cast iron pillars and mahogany counters.This became the model for future Boot's stores throughout the country.The 1891 census taken at #14 Wellesley Street,Sheffield,Yorkshire, records Jessee as age 46 as "manager drug stores chremist".Living with him his his wife Florencre and his children John and Dorothy plus three servants.By 1892 Jesse had taken over the entire building described above and further properties around Island Street and Parkinson Street.Over 80 staff,including a large proportion of women,were employed in packing,bottling,shop fitting,printing,advertsing,laboratory work and accounts.The Island Street works were ideally suited for developing the company's distribution system as they were convenient to the canal,main roads and railway stations. By 1893 Jesse had opened 33 stores,with 7 branches in Nottingham,and extended further south,into East Amglia and the West Midlands.

By 1900 Boots had 250 stores.As well as opening new branches Jesse acquired existing chemist's firms,including William Day's Southern Drug Company,a chain of 60 stores in London and the south of England. Florence Boot,inspired by her interests in literature and the arts,founded a subscription library,the Boots Booklovers' Library.She also had the idea of opening elegant cafes in the larger stores.These had an impact on sales,attracted the more affluent middle classes to the shop at Boots and encouraged loyalty.The 1901 census records Jesse and his wife at Blackpool, Lancashire,taking presumably a much needed holiday.Jesse is listed in the census as 'managing director drug shop'.

In 1908 The Pharmacy Act confirmed the legal right of large companies and stores such as Boots to offer dispensing services.In 1911 The Health Insurance Act extended medical benefits to ordinary working poeple and there was a dramatic increase in the number of prescriptions. In 1913 sales in the 560 Boots stores across England,Wales and Scotland amounted to over 2.5 million pounds a year.During the war years Boots made a significant contribution to the war effort and produced items for men at the Front,such as water sterilizers,vermin powder and anti-fly cream.Many fine chemicals such as aspirin and scccharin were previosuly imported from Germany and Jesse anticipated a shortage in supply.He enlarged the company's scientific laboratories and production facilities and manufactured for the government,domestivc and overseas buyers.Over 900 women were involved in the manufacture of box respirators,used as gas masks.Over 5 million of these were produced throughout the war.

After WW 1 Jesse Boot began to consider the company's future.He anticipated that the business would soon face a post-war depression,as well as greater competition.Increasingly disabled by arthritis,he would need to soon relinquish control of the business.In 1920 Louis Liggett,the head of the United Drug Company,one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in America,made an offer to purchase the company for 2.25 million pounds and the sale was made.In the years following the company continued to expand while Jesse and Flornece took life easy.On June 13,1931 Jesse passed away on the island of Jersey.His wife Florence lived much longer but passed away ion June 17, 1952 at Jersey ending what had been a tremendously successful career for both of them.Jesse Boot had been knighted in 1929 becoming Sir Jesse Boot.The probate records for him record "Sir Jesse Boot,baronet,baron Trent of Nottingham,died June 13,1931 Jersey"He left an estate valued ad over 222,000 pounds.

By 1933 the Boots company had over 1,000 shops.In that same year,United Drug went bankrupt as a result of the Great Depression,and a group of British investors bought back the business,making Jesse's son John the managing director.John Campbell Boot(1889-1956) had followed his father into the business and during the period of WW II was appointed Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence for the North Midlands,as well as remaining the chairman of Boots a position he had held for several years.On June 11,1914 John Campbell Boot married Margaret Joyce Pyman and together they had four children.Margaret had been born September 1891 at Essex,Hertfordshire ,Middlesex.

The Boots Company continued to prosper and certainly did well financially during the WW II period,supplying large quanties of products to the goverment.Boots had as many as 7,000 employes away on war service and 381 members of the staff were killed.Thirty three of their shops were destroyed during the war as was the companies printing works in Nottinghamshire.The company built new warehouses away from London to protect their operations.The company was at the 1947 British Industies Fair as manufacturers of special medical products;pharmaceutical specialties,fine chemicals,veterinary and horticultural products and toilet preparations, cosmetics, industrial chemicals,soaps and many other products.In 1949 the comoany opened a plant in Airdrie,Scotland to make cosmetics.In 1952 the companies agricultural division was exdpanded and by that year the company was farming 4,500 acres in England and Scotland.In 1956 some self-service shops were opened and other branches were re-modelled to give partial self-service.In 1965 it was announced that the Booklovers Library begun by Jesse Boots wife was to close and in 1966 the last branch was closed.In 1965 it was known as Boots Cash Chemists Ltd and in that year Robert Dickson,a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, was the Retail Director of the company.In 2012 there are hundreds of branches of the Boots company still operating throughout Britain.

BOOTS IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Shown is a photograph from the Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery of Boots first store location in the town. The photo was taken about 1900 before Boots moved in. The building they occupied was once the Bath House in the Pantiles,built in 1803. It had seen many occupants over the years but by 1900 was occupied by John Luck,a dealer in glass and porcelain.You can see Luck's sign above the windows on the front of the shop and quite a crowd of people shopping so no doubt it was a very successful location for the chemist.The museum says that there has been a chemist at this location ever since Boots moved in.The address of this shop was #4 Ye Pantiles.In 2011 the Imperial Pharmacy operated their shop from this address.

Boots Cash Chemists also had a second shop about the same time at 73 Mount Pleasant Road and both shops were run by local shop managers and were still found at both locations in a trade directory of 1913 but in that directory the addresses are given as 4 & 6 Pantiles and 73 Mount Pleasant Road.In 1918 both shops were still at the above addresses.

In 2011 there was a Boots The Chemist at 9 Calverley Road. This part of Calverley Road is now closed to vehicles and is for pedestrials only. Number 73 Mount Pleasant Road now appears to be a newer building occupied by a Pizza Hut.There is however now a pharmacy across the street at &72 by the name of A.E.Hobbs Ltd which continues the tradition of a pharmacy being in that area.It seems that Boots now has only the one location in town,no doubt the result of competition from other chemists that sprang up for there are several of them in the town.

As you may have seen from my article about Tunbridge Wells Postcards, and thanks to the efforts of Florence Boot convincing her husband to expand the business into carrying stationary products,local postcard views of the town were made and sold in the Boots shops.The most common ones are those marked with the publishers name of Boots Cash Chemists "Pelham Series" but cards with the name Boots The Chemist can also be found. Boots began piblishing post card views in Nottingham in 1899 and it was quite a successful enterprise for the business,producing views from just about everywhere in Britain.

As was the case in most towns in Britain, Boots became an institution in Tunbridge Wells and did a very good trade there.

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1)  Portrait photo of Jesse Boots
2) 1918 Boots Advertisment
3) Boots shop on the Pantiles circa 1900
4) Postcard view of the Commons,Tunbridge Wells.The published of this card was Boots Cash Chemists and they sold them in their Tunbridge Wells shops.Many examples exist with their name as publishers on the back.

JESSE NEWNS-ANTIQUE & ART DEALER

Written By; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 20,2012

Mr Newns was quite well known in Tunbridge Wells for his two shops on Calverley Road and Mount Pleasant where his displayed at his premises framed paintings and prints and a wide assortment of antiques as well as being a stationer,bookseller,framer and publisher.

Jesse Newns was born April 1854 at Dinton,Buckinghamshire and was baptised there on April 16th.His parents were Elizabeth(1813-1890) and James.His mother was born 1813 at Dinton and was a homemaker and died Spetember 1890 at Buckinghamshire.His father James was an agricultural labourer born November 8,1811 at Dinton and died a few years before his wife.Jesse had five siblings namely Johathan(1847-1883)Joseph(b1850)Anne(b1852)Eliza(b1856) and Martha born 1860. All of the children were born at Dinton.

In 1871 Jesse was 17 and working as a "Tui Man" and living on Bierton Road in Aylesbury St Mary,Buckinghamshire with his parents and two siblings and two grandaughters of his parents,Sarah and Martha Watson.By 1881 Jesse married Ellen,born 1850 at Aylesbury,Buckinghamshire and in the 1881 census they were living at Grove Road in Ealing.At this time Jesse is employed as a sheetmetal worker and his wife is a milliner.

By 1890 he decided to change professions and became a stationer and fancy goods dealer with premises in Ealing,Middlesex at 17A and 21 The Grove.The 1891 census taken at #21 The Grove in Ealing records Jesse as a stationer and bookseller.With him working as an assistant in the shop is his married sister Annie Roberts,age 39 and his 10 year old nephew Joseph W. Roberts.In a 1898 trade directory he is found as a retail stationer at #5 Uxbridge Road,Ealing.Electoral Registers show that Jesse was operating his business in Ealing from 1887 until 1900.

In 1901 Jesse moved to Tunbridge Wells and opened a shop at 18 Mount Pleasant as well as a gallery at 48 Calverley Road and it was around this time that he got married and started raising a family. A great photograph of his shop at Mount Pleasant ,which I have included with this article, appeared in a Peltons Guide circa 1910. As you can see his business activities and wares are well described and shown.Hanging in the window are a selection of framed oil paintings and also on display is a selection of silverware,porcelain and antique furniture.His gallery on Calverley Road is mentioned on the sign above the window.Note the advertisment painted on the sidewalk in front of his shop.He is advertising himself as an "Art,Antique Dealer,Frame Maker and Picture Specialist"

Jesse Newns did a good job of promoting his business for many examples can be found of advertisments he placed in various antique and art publications throughout the first quarter of the 20th century.He was also commissioned by Benjamin Minors Woolan,who had been the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells from 1906-1909 to be the publisher of a very special document that Woolan had aquired,namely The Nelson Memorandum.The Memorandum had been offered for sale by Messes. Christie,at their sale rooms in London on March 14,1905 and was purchased by Mr Frank Sabin,of Shaftesbury Avenue London for 3,600 pounds.Mr Woolan,a Justice of the Peace,and a Councillor of the Borough of Tunbridge Wells at the time ,informed Mr Sabin that if no institution or other person was prepared to buy the Memorandum,that he would purchase it,and after some negotiation bought it for the sum of 3,600 pounds for the benefit of the citizens of the town.When Woolan passed away on December 5,1909 he left the Memorandum to the nation which before that time had been on display at the town hall.

In the following years Jesse Newns changed the location of his business premises twice.In 1903 he was at 44 Grosvenor road as well as at 18 Mount Pleasant.At his Grosvenor Road location he was a retail stationer and at Mount Pleasant still an antique and art dealer.In 1913 he was in the same business but the address of his Grovenor Road shop had become #42.By 1913 he closed his stationers shop on Grosvenor Road and from that time on until his death he had premises only at 18 Mount Pleasant Road.

On February 26,1926 Jesse Newns passed away at 66 Claremond Road,Tunbridge Wells and left his estate,valued at about 2,200 pounds to his son Henry James Newns who was also an art dealer and who had been managing one of his fathers shop locations.Jesse's wife had passed away by this time and according to the 1911 census he had two daughters and two sons who survived him.Henry James Newns married a Miss Muffett in the third quarter of 1921 and unpon his fathers death took over his fathers business.The last directory listing for the business was 1928.

Photographs

1) Top photo of Newns shop at 18 Mount Pleasant.From Peltons 1910 Guide
2) Bottom-postcard view of Mount Pleasant circa 1907　

JOHN BROWN'S DAIRY

Written By; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario

Date: March 19,2012

John Brown was a big man in a small body,measuring only about four feet in height,and became a well known figure in both business and politics in the town of Tunbridge Wells. John was born in the second quarter of 1846 at Hitchin,Hertfordshire.His mother was Caroline,born 1828 at Hitchin, Hertforshire and his father John was a farmer born 1821 at the same place.He was one of five children born into the family and they all lived together at Hitchin until about 1870 when at the age of 24 he left home and started a career in the agricultural industry.

In 1871 John married Rose Allen Brown(maiden name unknown) and in 1872 the couple had their first child Alice,born 1872 at Haywards Heath,Sussex.Their next child Kate was born in Tunbridge Wells in 1874 and during the period of 1876 to 1881 the couple had four more children namely Daisy K(b1876)Mable(b1877) George(b1881) and John who was born in 1881 but died as an infant not long after birth.

John Brown,by all accounts was a bit of a task master and started his dairy about 1873 from the back of Sion House with the delivery men in bowler hats carrying the milk in yoke and pails over their shoulders,or if they had to go further, on the back of horse-drawn carts,or later referred to as "milk floats". Shown in this article are examples of various types of floats used throughout the years and they span the time of the horse drawn version through the era of the petrol driven and to the current electric type which are confined to use in the urban area,with diesel powered ones used in the countryside.The float was specially designed for milk delivery,sometimes open top and sides but later enclosed with refrigeration to keep the milk cool.

The filling of customers milk jugs at the door went on for many years as it was not until 1878 that the first milk bottle patent was taken out and even longer still before milk bottles came into universal use.In Britian in 1880 milk bottles were first produced by the Express Dairy Company and were delivered by horse and wagon four times/day.The first bottles used a porcelain stopper top held by wire.In 1894 Anthony Hailwood developed a pasteurization process for milk which allowed it be be sterilized and be safely stored for longer periods of time and with that invention milk could be delivered once a day.Today milk in the UK is sold to the door in Imperial pints because glass bottles are returnable,which means that they are excluded from metrication.Milk bottles used to have the name of the dairy on them either accomplished as impressed wording during the manufacturing of the bottle or just simply painted on the surface.Some early bottles have quite elaborate images on the front but most were quite plain.The sound of the milkbottles clinking and clattering as the milkman made his way to the door was a sound very familiar to every household and for the most part the milkmen were a friendly lot.

John Brown's business proved to be a success and it wasnt long before he moved to larger premises on the corner of Berkely Road,which is still there today although now is an office.The next time you are sitting outside the Compasses or picking up your fish and chips from the Downtown Fish Bar take a look as the horses were parked in where the side door is now.

In 1881 John and his family were residing at 22 Little Mount Sion and at that time was a dairyman with 6 acres of land and employing 4 men. An 1882 directory records John Brown's Dairy at 34 High Street which was the companies head office.By 1891 he and his family had moved to #21 Berkely Road and in 1891 was operating his own business as a dairyman and employing a large staff.Its not known by the writer what type of cows John Brown had on his farms but the most common dairy breeds in the UK are Ayrshire,Guernsey,Jersey,Milking Shorthorn and the popular black and white cow,the Holstein-Friesian.

When the railway came to town in 1866 many arable farmers switched to dairy farming.Full milk churns would be loaded by the farmer onto a wagon and taken to the railway station where they would be hastily loaded onto the train and the empties removed so not to delay the departure of the train.Large quantities of milk were transported this way from Tunbridge Wells.

'Anke" says that by 1888 John Brown "built a larger dairy on the Mount Sion site and purchased other local dairies and even farms and that he eventually controlled dairies in Vale Road,Camden Road,The Pantiles and St. John's Road,and farms in Great Culverton,Ramslye,Mount Ephraim and Frant.All these farms and dairies supplied fresh milk to the Mount Sion site where it was prepared and put into churns for delivery up to twice a day to local homes,actually to most homes in the area.It was said that if you ran out of milk,John Brown's Dairies could get you a fresh pint within a few minutes of milking the cow".

Shown here is a photograph of a sign that can be seen today on the side of a newsagents in the St John's Quarter.The entire front of the building that the sign is on is protected so one can expect that this sign will be around for many more years. The sign says " St Johns Dairy Estd 1833 Rebuilt 1878".It reads this way because the dairy was gutted by fire.

In an 1891 Peltons appeared the following advertisment for John Brown's Dairy in which he lists the reasons for patronizing his business. He says "Firstly; Specially appointed sanitation inspection by Mr Richard Roberts,Vetrinary Surgeon,Tunbridge Wells; Secondly; Selected cows and special feeding; Thirdly; A heard of 60 cows to be seen at Ramsle Farm,2 minute walk from Broadwater Down,and Home Farm,Tunbridge Wells; Fourthly; Milk can be delivered from above herd within 10 minutes from time of milking to any part of the town; Fifthly; The best fitted dairy and butter factory in Tunbridge Wells with latest improvements and steam power; Lastly; but not least,John Brown's 24th year of personal superintendence. Office at 34 High Street;Dairy Factory at Mount Sion".

In the 1899 directory John Brown is a dairman at 34 High Street as well as at Berkeley road and owns Ranslye farm on Eridge Road. According to "Anke" he sold his milk business in 1898 but it appears he was still running a dairy farm in 1899 if the directory is correct.In 1903 John Brown is living at #2 Berleley Place.

In the latter part of the 19th century came the invention of the milking machine.The Scotsman William Murchland is credited in 1889 as having invented the first vacuum milker and this invention was given a USA patent in 1892.Up until that time the caring for and milking of cows buy hand was a very labour intensive operation.The farmer and milkmaids and others involved in the farm operation normally were up early enough to milk the cows at 6 a.m. and again about 5 p.m. and because of the work involved most farms were ,compared to today, quite small.When milking machines came into use they were initially nothing more then collection tanks located below the cow being milked.Suction type milking machines were an improvement as far as increasing milk production but still required alot of labour,The intoduction of the milking pipeline system reduced the labour needed to milk a heard of cows.The milking machine cut the time down to milk a cow to just 5 minutes.With these advancements the size of farms increased as did the number of cows on each farm.

On June 30,1909 the Grove Hill Lawn Bowling Club officially opened. John Brown was one of the clubs first members and my grandfather Francis Reginald Gilbert joined the club a few years later.

John Brown was also active in local politics and was an alderman for the South Ward not only in 1918 when he was residing at #2 Berkely Place but according to "Anke" he "stood unopposed on Council from 1906 until 1912 " as well. " He also managed to find time to be a director of the Opera House.

George Denny worked at John Brown's Dairy at 78 Camden road and continued to work there until about 1950 when the dairy later became Unigate which is opposite Skinner School.As local residents will know there is a still a dairy on St John's Road, at #87, which today,and for many years,is called the Unigate Dairy,which is a distrubution centre for Unigate milkmen.

John Brown became involved in many business ventures including the purchase of the Nevill Bakery and restaurant.He also aquired the South Eastern Hotel,located at #8 Barden Road in the town of Tonbridge which some years later became known as the 'Station House and after 2008 'Mojo's Bar'.Various members of the Breeze family had run the South Eastern Hotel beginning about 1876 and ending about 1938.Among them was George Breeze who in 1876 died in the hotel as a result of being bitten on the leg by an annoyed and drunken patron called Charlotte Martin.She was found guilty at the Old Bailey and given a 6 month sentence.

John Brown himself had at least two scrapes with the law when John Brown's Dairies was charged in the 1900's on two seperate occasions for offences.On the first occasion the company was charged by Sevenoaks Rural District Council for selling milk in a dirty bottle,to which offence the company entered a guilty plea. On a later occasion John Brown's Dairy Ltd was charged and pled guilty to "selling milk not of substance".

In the 1920 directory is found a listing for 'John Brown's Dairies at 30 Mount Ephraim,11 The Pantiles and 57 St John's Road.

On January 8,1934 John Brown passed away at 3b Princess Street,Tunbridge Wells leaving an estate valued at about 4,300 pounds.His executors were William Maynard,a retired estate agent's clerk and Edward Winterton,a solicitors clerk.John's wife Rose Allen Brown of 2 Berleley Place,Tunbridge Wells had passed away February 3,1931 and left her estate of 584 pounds to her son George John Brown who was working as a baker.It is known that sometime in the 1900's John Brown became the owner of The Nevill Bakery which had premises at 5 High Street; 4 Nevill St and 59 St John's Road and it is likley that his son George John Brown worked in the bakery.George John Brown in 1901 was working as a clerk and living at #2 Berkley Place with his two sisters Alice and Daisy.George passed away April 1,1940 leaving his estate of about 7,900 pounds to his wife Winifred Kathleen Brown.

In 2012 an interesting record was passed along to me by Fiona Woodfied,the current archivist of St John's Church which had been prepared by previous archivist Andre Wilson.The record pertains to a plaque commemorating Captain J.E.Bingham.RN,the founder of the 'Mission Room' which now forms the southern part of the Unigate building opposite Skinner's School at 87A St John's Road.The plaque was restored and affixed under the windows in the north porch of the church.The 'Mission Room" referred to underwent a number of name changes over the years and in 1908 was called the' Wesleyan Methodist Mission Hall'.In 1934 it became known as the 'Methodist Mission' and last appears under this name in 1939.In 1940 the building is referred to as 87A and titled "Brown's Dairies'until 1961.In 1963 the site became known as 'Home Counties Dairies' and remained under that name until 1972.The date of changwe to Unigate is not recorded.

The hobby of collecting milk bottles is a popular one and several examples of bottles from John Brown's Dairy can be found on various bottle collecting sites as well as on eBay.I bet you wished you had kept some of your old milk bottles for now they are commanding prices of about 13 pounds each,and thats without the milk!!.

If collecting milk bottles isnt quite your cup of tea then check out the songs on You tube on the topics of milk and milkmen.One of my favourites from the 1960's is by that British pop group Hermins Hermits called "No Milk today"recorded in 1966.The chorus goes like this "No milk today,my love has gone away; The bottle stands for lorn,a symbol of the dawn;No milk today.it seems a common sight; But people passing by don't know the reason why".Its a great tune and one you wont get out of your head for days.It has been used in a number of milk commercials over the years. The second tune you have to hear is by that famous British comedian Benny Hill which appeared on his fourth album in 1971.The tune is called "Ernie The Fastest Milkman in the West". It reached number 1 on the UK charts and was inspired by Benny Hill's early exerience working as a milkman. Its hillarious so make sure you arnt drinking a glass of milk when you listen to it or you might spill it all over yourself as you roll with laughter.!! Perhaps you can think of John Brown and his dairy while listening to it for its men like him that got the milk for you in the first place.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF F.W.ELLIS

Written by; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 18,2012

The name of F.W.Ellis is not one that will come quick,if at all, to the mind of Tunbridge Wells residents but I stumbled upon him while researching another subject and after doing a little preliminary investigating found him to be an interesting character and one who I credit with having done much in the town to elevate the education of young people wishing to persue a career in the business community. Like most people who just do their daily jobs,he has gone unrecognized and unappreciated for far too long so hence this article about him.My appreciation for his career is strengthened by my own personal life experience with the subject matter he devoted his life teaching,but more about that later.

F. W. Ellis was born Frederick William Ellis in 1849 at Alfriston,Sussex.His father was William Ellis,born 1820 at Bexhill,Sussex who in 1851 was a general shopkeeper,a career he seemed to have worked at for most of his life. Frederick's mother was Emma,born 1821 at Warbleton,Sussex and was a homemaker.William was the proprietor of his own shop and in 1851 had two apprentice shopkeepers working for him.The children of William and Emma at that time were Frederick,age 2 and his sister Emma who was onky one month old.

By 1861 the Ellis family had moved to Newick,Sussex and in the census for 1861 is found Frederick,age 12 living with his parents and five siblings,Emma Mary,age 10;Arthur Russell,age 8; William Longhurst,age 6; Edward Webb,age 4 and Fanny,18 months. All of the children are going to school except of course the youngest ones who are staying home with their mother.

Frederick developed health problems and in the 1871 census he is found at the Hospital for Consumption and Disease of the Chest at Kensington,St Mary,Abbott,London but fortunatley recovers from his condition and goes on to live a reasonably healthy and productive live.By the time of the census Frederick was already living in Tunbridge Wells and actively engaged in his career.Where Frederick obtained his training in the teaching and business profession is not known by the writer but by 1871 Frederick was the Principal of the Tunbridge Wells School of Typewriting and Shorthand,which operated from premises at Scotsford House,24 London Road.His business is found listed in Peltons 1871 Guide under the category of "Schools" with the only other entry under this category being Skinner's School.An advertisment for his business in Peltons reads " Tunbridge Wells School of Typewriting & Shorthand,Scotsford House,24 London Road; Principal-F.W.Ellis M.N.P.S. etc.Fees for instruction and charges for Typewriting Copying as in the London offices.Every description of typewriter copying undertaken.All transactions confidential,and the Principal will be responsible for the safe custody of all MSS left at the school.Typewriting Charges; Law copying,letters and specifications...1d per folio(72 words); Carbon duplicates...1d; Tables and balance sheets...2d; Plays...5s per act of 16 pages;MSS in large quantities...3d per 1,000 words;Typing from Dictation...2s/6d per hour".

Also in 1871 appeared an article written by F.W. Ellis in 'The Phonetic Journal in which he promotes the need for teaching shorthand and how its teaching provides great benefit not only to the individual but also to the business world by speading up the recording of the written word. He says in part "If only on the score of economy of time it is desirebable to teach shorthand in schools.The subject is not difficult of attainment and is capable of being learned by the youngest...Experience teaches that writing,drawing,and shorthand may be,and ought to be,taught simultaneously..." He goes on the remark that many advertisments for help by business owners state as a qualification to getting the position "One able to write shorthand preferred". He goes on to say that a person learning shorthand "should be able to write 80-100 words per minute when leaving school at the age of 15". So what exactly is shorthand,you may ask, for it is a skill that has essentially disappeared from the business world now and did so many years ago thanks to the dictaphone and other electronic devices used to record sound and how was shorthand used ?.

Essentially shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method used to increase speed or brevity of writing.The process itself is called "stenography" from which we get the term and profession "stenographer",a person who does stenography.Since the early 19th century and through to at least the middle of the 20th century stenographers played an important if not essential role in the business office for it was the stenographer who "took down dictation" while his/her boss said what he wanted to say in a letter.When the boss called out to his secretary "Miss Jones take a letter" Miss Jones would scurry into her boses office and with a pad of paper and a stenographers pencil or pen sit down and begin to write down in shorthand every world that needed to be recorded.When completed she would return to her desk and begin to type out the letter on her typewriter,another device now gone from the typical office scene,but more about that later.Although at different times through the years different systems of shorthand were developed it was the 'Pitman' system that was widely adopted in Britain and elsewhere.In 1922 a person using the Pitman system was able to jot down 350 words a minute during a 2 minute trial.The ability to use shorthand to speed up the process of recording the word was obviosly of great benefit to the business community and it is thanks to men like Frederick William Ellis that the young people of Tunbridge Wells became schooled in its use.While I have used in my example a fictitious reference to Miss Jones it should be noted that in the 19th century is was not considered 'proper' for single ladies to work and in that century it would be a young Mr Jones taking down dictation and if one looks at the advertisments of Mr Ellis's business as well as articles on the subject during that century you will see that shorthand was a young mans profession. It wasnt until the next century that the profession was taken over by women.

Since I have introduced the topic of typing and the fact that Frederick Ellis taught typing at his school, I should explain to those from the electronic generation what a typewriter is and how it evolved for one would be hardpressed today to find a typwriter anywhere but in a museum.I know because I have three old typwriters of my own collecting dust since I got a computer which span the entire range of machines from manual to electric and nobody wants them! A typewriter is a mechanical device (with lots of springs,levers etc inside)that has keys (similar to a computer keyboard)which when depressed cause characters to be printed in ink onto a piece of paper.The ink is normally found on a typwriter ribbon that moves each time the key is depressed and passes between the arm with the character on it in raised letters and the paper.The typewriter was invented about 1868 and like all inventions evolved in different forms over time and became an indispensible tool in every office.By about 1910 the manual or mechanical typewriter had become the standard and later it was replaced by the electric typewriter.By the 1980's it was all but replaced by word processors and later the personal computer.When the typewriter came into use there were no photocopy machines to make duplicates of the original so to make copies(referred to as carbon copies) one had to insert a sheet of carbon paper between the top sheet(original) and each blank piece of paper after it. There was a limiit of course of how many carbon copies could be made this way as considerable force on the keys was necessary to transfer the text to each carbon copy below.If more copies were required then either a new original had to be typed and the process repeated or another printing device called a mimeograph had to be used which I explain later.Typing speed and accuracy were both important and those being taught typing and tested on it were scored based on the number or words per minute being typed and 10 words per minute were deducted from the score for each mistake make.If mistakes were make on the original these could be corrected using an ink eraser until in the 1950's correction fluid was invented and then in the 1970's typewriters came equipped with not only a typewriter ribbon of ink but also a 'correction' tape'.For anyone interested in these inventions and how they were used do a google search for details as space does not permit me to go into details about them.Just as was the case with shorthand, initially all the typists were young men but by 1920 in the United States over 81% of them were women and it was one of the few "respectable" jobs an unmarried woman could hold outside the house. Although personally I am thankful for the invention of the computer and the retirement of my typewriters I have fond memories of a time during the summer of 1968 when I made productive use of my summer vacation from school to learn typing.I enrolled in the York Commercial College on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill,when I was 18 and took a "touch typing course".Touch typing is where you dont look at the keyboard while typing and believe me its quite a challenge to be both fast and accurate.I remember the teacher, a Mr. C.W.McGee teaching the class and I think I was the only male student.At first the task seemed impossible but by the time I graduated (about 2 months later)and received my certificate I had become very good at it and it is a skill that was put to good use for the rest of my life and one that assisted me in writing this article.Please dont however penalize me for any typo errors in this article as I am now an old fella with arthritis in my hands and poor eyesight !!. I had my certificate framed and it still hangs in a place of pride on my wall .After this departure down memory lane I now return to my story about Mr Ellis and pick him up again in 1881.

In the 1881 census taken at 24 London Road is found Frederick William Ellis,age 32 working as a private scdhoolmaster with 42 boys in attendance.With him are his wife Emma and two children Emma A,age 4; Helen M,age 10 mths.Also present is his 60 year old mother Emma and two servants.A 1882 Kelly directory lists "Frederick W. Ellis-boys school,24 London Rd.

In 1884 an advertisment for Mr Ellis appeared in 'The Practical Teacher' by Joseph Hughes which reads "Practical Book-Keeping For Elementary Schools etc by F.W. Ellis,Principal of Scotsford House,Tunbridge Wells..The Grocer's Journal says; We have no hesitation in recommending it to young traders and to all who are anxious to obtain a good insight into the elementary principals of book-keeping.It is a simple as any we met with for some time,and is within the scope of most ordinary intelligent. London-H.J.Infield 160 Fleet Street...Manchester-The Scholastic Trading Co. Denn's Gate. And at all booksellers..price one shilling". So as one can see not only was Mr Ellis the Principal and teacher of the school he was also the author of a book on book-keeping.

In the 1891 census taken at 24 London Road is found Frederick Ellis,age 42, working as a private schoolmaster.With him is his wife Emma and children Arthur R,age 3 and Owen E.,age 12, plus three lodgers. In the same year in a publication entitled "Pitmans Journal of Commercial Education Vol 50" is found another reference to Mr Ellis. You will perhaps remember the name 'Pitman" from my writings about the Pitman method of shorthand and this is the same fella (Sir Isaac Pitman).The storey from the original source was republished in 'The Phonetic Journal in an article entitled "The Speed of Speech" dated June 10,1891.It reads in part "The results of a phonographic competition held by the special committee of the Tunbridge Wells Tradesman's Association are given..Last summer Mr. E. Durrant,Ex-President of the Association offered in view of the importance of youths aquiring the art of shorthand writing,the sum of 10 guineas to be competed for.A committee was oprganized to carry it through.The condition was that the system should be the Pitman and Mr F.W. Ellis of Scotsford House would be the judge" The article goes on to announce the winners of the competion and says that the competion "was held at the Tunbridge Wells Town Hall Wednesday December 3,1890" and that the examiner was Mr F.W. Ellis,M.P.S..A Mr N. Strange was the secretary of the Association and copies of the Examiners report could be obtained from his office.

In the 1901 census taken at 24 London Road is found 52 year old Frederick Ellis operating a private school as a "school master at home". By this time his wife had passed away and living with him were his two daughters Helen M.,age 20 who is working as a clerk to a solicitor and Caroline E,age 16 working at or running a boarding house.

A 1903 Kelly directory lists F.W. Ellis as a typewriting and shorhand teacher and as shown opposite is an advertisment of his that appeared in the directory.In addition to other things, he mentions "reproductions by Mimeograph" something I will now give a description of for it is another printing technique few will be familiar with since it was replaced by the invention of the photocopy machine in 1959. A Mimeograph is a mechanical device that allows one to produce multiple copies from an original. Also refrerred to as a 'Stencil Duplicator' it was a low cost printing press that worked by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The 'Stencil" was created on a typewriter with the ink ribbon removed and when the keys were activated to write the text it caused the wax on the mulberry paper to be displaced leaving an impression through which ink could travel.The stencil was then mounted onto the drum of the mimeograph and when the drum was turned manually it caused an ink impression of the text to be transferred onto a blank piece of paper. About 200 copies could be made from one stencil until it was worn out to the point where a new stencil had to be made. It was said that "One individual with a typewriter and a mimeograph could become his/her own printing company allowing for a greater circulation of printed material. Mr Ellis, as can be seen from the advertisment, not only taught his students on the use of the machine but also took in work that needed to be printed,a service like all others he provided was charged for.

In 1913 Mr Ellis was still found in the local directory advertised as a teacher of shorthand and a teacher of typing and he still continued to offer typing and other services from his premises on London Road. Sometime between 1913 and 1917 he retired from business and on May 2,1917 Mr Ellis passed away in Tunbridge Wells at 24 London Road and left his estate valued at just over 208 pounds to Annie Berry Ellis (widow),who must have been the wife of one of his brothers. Much has changed in the business world and offices around the country since the time the skills Mr Ellis taught were used but it is thanks to men like him and women who followed in this profession that we have arrived where we are today.One day I expect that the computers we currently use will evolve into a device that can read our mind and carry out our commands without the use of a keyboard ,ending the last remaining remnant of the typewriter age that Mr Ellis played so large a part in.

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1) Portrait of Sir Isaac Pitman
2) cira 1905 comical poscard of typist
3) 1903 Advertisment of business
4) circa 1950 woman typist

THE CORN EXCHANGE

Written by; Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date; March 17,2012

The Corn Exchange building at 49 Pantiles ,currently a shopping arcade owned by the Targetfollow property company of Norwich,began as a theatre built about 1799 by Sarah Baker(1735-1816),of Kent theatrical fame and was reportedly the second building to have been built on the site,the first one being demolished to make way for the new theatre.Up until that time Tunbridge Wells did not have a purpose-built theatre and any theatrical performances were either held outdoors at the local fair or in another building suitable for the purpose on a temporary basis.The date of Sarah's birth is given variously as sometime from 1735 to 1738 depending on what account you read and the building construction date, although most often given as 1799, is also given by British Heritage as 1802 so one must give a little lattitude to the accuracy of any dates given in such an early account.

Bakers new theatre was one of several she owned in Kent but her ownership of it was on a leashold rather than a freehold basis.The name of the buildings location has changed over the years being called The Walk when it was constructed and at later times The Parade,Ye Pantiles,or The Pantiles.The building was originally constructed of brick,with reference to its brick construction mentioned in various trade directories and had a Georgian style facade and was a three storey structure.Since other theatres built by Sarah Brown were substantial structures and well decorated inside and out it can be surmized that her theatre in Tunbridge Wells was no different in this regard.Sarah Brown was a very successful businesswoman and had the capital necessary to affort the cost of constructing a theatre of some grandeur for the times.The theatre seemed to have been a success for it was listed as one of several owned by her at the time of her death.A death notice for her gives "Died at Rochester,Mrs Baker,late proprietor of the Canterbury, Rochester, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Faversham theatres".She died February 1816,leaving an estate valued at about 16,000 pounds, a considerable sum for that time, and was buried in the cathedral grounds in Rochester.At the time of her death she had become one of the most successful provincial theatrical managers and entrepreneurs of her day.There is much to be said about the life and times of Sarah Brown but I left that information for a seperate article so that I can concentrate on the history of the Corn Exchange.

Historical accounts report that the old theatre became the Corn Exchange in 1843 when it was forced to close,some 27 years after the death of Sarah Brown.An Act was passed in 1835 empowering Tunbridge Wells to hold fairs and markets of its own.A website entitled "Theatres and Halls in Tunbridge Wells" says "The Tunbridge Wells theatre,situated in the Pantiles,was built in 1801 by Mrs Sarah Baker and opened in 1802.The building survived as a theatre for over 50 years but was eventually reconstructed as the Corn Exchange". If this last account is true then the building did not become the Corn Exchange until 1852,so once again some speculation in the absence of fact is called for as to when exactly the theatre became the Corn Exchange.Peltons Guide provides some clarification with the following; "Dowton,the comedian,made his debut at the original theatre occupying this site,on September 24,1791,as Rover,in the comedy of "wild Oats",Mrs Baker,the lessee,in 1801,took down the old theatre,building a more commodious one,which was opened in the following year.Here,while unknown to fame,in the autumn of 1806,Edmund Kean played at the salary of less than a pound a week,the great tragedian being content to do the "general utility" work.Dowton succeeded Mrs Baker as lessee,and,in 1838,Sloman,the comic vocalist and Improvisateur,became the manager.Paganirni, Dibdin, T.P.Cooke,Madame Vestris,Harley,and other theatrical celebrities vave,from time to time,appeared here,and the publisher of this guide has many of the old Play Bills with these names on,that were printed on the Pantiles by Mr. Cliftoid,then the only printer in the neighbourhood.The theatre was closed in 1843".In any event the first directory listing I could find mentioning the Corn Exchange was one for 1847 which states "The Theatre has been converted into a Corn Exchange,and an elegant Market-house erected at Calverly Place" which discounts the date given in one account and to some degree supports the previous 1843 date.I doubt historians will ever be able to pinpoint the exact date as no doubt the event was never recorded.An 1840 Pigots directory mentions that the town had a market but does not say what kind of market or where it was located.Before the alterations of the county boundaries the theatre had its stage in Sussex and the auditorium in Kent.The theatre had been built astride the river which formed the boundary between Kent and Sussex.The course of the river,now in a conduit,still runs below the basement of the present building.

Having a Corn Exchange was an important attribute to the town especially since the population was growing and the production of corn,cereal grains and vegetables were on the rise.The Corn Exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded corn and other cereal grains,something which was common in Britain during the 18th century.Peltons Guide adds; "The Corn Exchange is situated on the east of the Pantiles,adjoining the late Sussex Hotel.A corn-market is held every Friday afternoon.The hall is used principally by the farmers and dealers,who have stands and other conveniences for conducting their business".Later all manner of agricultural products were sold or exchanged there.Farmers would seal bargains by slapping wrists.In Tunbridge Wells the Corn Exchange was only used for this purpose on Fridays' and for the rest of the time the building was used as a public hall,hence the large degree of civic pride reflected in the architrecture of the building. When the old theatre became the Corn Exchange the building was significantly altered inside and out.Only the Greek Doric porch and three bay,three storey face of the old theatre are said to have been retained during the conversion but the exposed brick exterior was covered with stucco.The theatre auditorium was demolished and relaced with a mid 1800's interior much as it appears today.Atop the building was installed a figure of a woman with a scythe and sheaf of corn,which represents Ceres,the Goddess of the Harvest.

The 1851 directory mentions as it did in 1847 that the old theatre had become the Corn Exchage with the market held on Friday but adds that "the original corn market is still held at the Kentish Hotel,on the same day".The 1862 directory gives the same information as 1851 but describes the Corn Exchange as "a neat building".By 1867 the directory simply lists "The Corn Exchange, Parade with no mention of the market at the Kentish Hotel.On April 1,1870 a special meeting of the members of the Corn Exchage company was held at the Sussex Hotel.Architect and surveyor Henry Hickman Cronk was called to the meeting to get his opinion about enlarging the premises to obtain more space but nothing came of it.At the same meeting it was decided to wind up the present company and sell it for 860 pounds and that the newly formed company would be allowed to use their name with the word 'Limited' added.

In 1874 the directory refers to the Corn Exchange holding its market on Friday but adds that "There is also a small vegetable market there on Tuesday" and the same listing appears for 1882.The 1891 directory gives the following listing "Corn Exchange,Ye Pantiles,W.H.Delves,Secretarty; T. Laycock,keeper"......The corn excange on the east side of the Pantiles is of brick and here a market is held every Friday".Both Delves and Laycock still held these positions at least up to 1903. The W.H. Delves referred to will be familiar to local historians for he was a prominent figure in the community. William Henry Delves was the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells for the 1900-1901 term only but was an alderman after that.While Mayor,on October 10,1901 he laid one of three foundation stones for the new opera house,quite a fitting ceremony for him as the opera house became the scene of many theatrical performances.He was born 1830 at Speldurst,Kent and was baptised January 13th.His parents were William Delves(1807-1886) and Elizabeth Jane Nash(1809-1839) and he was one of seven children in the family,three of which were half siblings.He lived all his life in Tunbridge Wells and began his career in banking.In 1861 he was a clerk in a bank but worked as a bank manager during the period of about 1881-1891. The 1901 census records him as an accountant,Justice of the Peace and the mayor.His wife was Emily Howkins(1834-1918),born at Eaton,Bedfordshire and died October 9,1918 in Tunbridge Wells. William and his wife produced four children.William passed away April 4,1922 in Tunbridge Wells.

In 1989 the building was extensively re-constructed.In the Interior of the building is found today a painting done by Miss Julia Manning in 1990 which depicts the history of the Corn Exchange building until its conversion to its present use in the 1980's.The two figures at the top of the picture are Belle Causey and Beau Nash.Bell Causey was the originatior of the Social events that made Tunbridge Wells famous as a spa during the 18th century.It was after her death that Beau Nash made the town the fashionable resort it eventually became.They are depicted behind a balustrade echoeing the one that exists on the same wall on the opposite side of the outside of the building.

'The Playgoer of 1901" offers the following information about the building and its use. "Charles Keand once figured here at a salary of ten shillings per week,as well as Garrick and Dowton,who were afterwards transplanted to the London boards,on the recommendation of Richard Cumberland.In 1737 and itinerant group of comedians exhibited in the town,and in 1753 an actor named Peters used a room belonging to a public house,now known as the "Sussex Shades".About 1770,a Mrs Baker erected a "Temple to the Muses",and occupied this building for two seasons,whilst an opposition company exhibited their talents in a warehouse at Castle Street.They both played on the same evenings,but the manager of the latter,finding his efforts unsuccessful,

eventually joined Mrs Baker,who in 1801,erected the theatre which we are enabled to represent,at a cost of about 1,600 pounds.It existed for some fifty years or so,but the site was eventually used for the Corn Exchange".

The use of the Corn Exchange declined as the years passed and during the First World War the building was used as a drill hall by the West Kent Yeomanry,and it was there that they paraded before marching through the town on their way to fight in France.Tunbridge Wells had for quite some time before this been the headquarters of C troop of the (Queens Own) Royal West Kent Yeomanry Cavalry and of the D & E companies of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Queens Own(Royal West Kent Regiment).

On May 20,1952 the building was given a Grade II listing by British Heritage who described the building this way, "Early 19th century,three storeys,stuccoed.Ground floor rusticated.Parapet with solid panel in the centre flanked by cornucopias and surrmounted by the statue of a female figure with seythe and sheaf of corn.Cornice above each floor.Porch has 2 fluted Doric columns and 2 plain pilasters.Cast iron spear rails to forecourt"..In more recent times the building was used as an orchestral rehersal room and as an auction hall.

In 2006 there was an event held in town entitled "An Exhibition of the History of Tunbridge Wells Entertainment Venues Past and Present" .It was held in celebration of the 400 year aniversary of Royal Tunbridge Wells at the Corn Exchange.It consisted of photographs,memorabilia and a slide show.The ceremony began with "the opening of the Sarah Baker Theatre in 1802 that was later converted into the Corn Exchange Shopping Centre situated in the Lower Walk of The Pantiles and ends with the more recent closure of the Ritz Cinema and current happenings.Other venues include the Opera House,Assembly Hall,Ritz Cinema,Great hall and others". The event was organized by Val Marshall of the Corn Exchange Tenants Association and the exhibition was held in front of the stage and Galleria nural depicting the history of the Corn Exchange building until its conversion in the late 1980's.She sent leaflets to over 100 schools in the area hoping that school children will visit the exhibition and learn more about their local history.A booklet "The History of Tunbridge Wells Entertainment Venues Past and Present" was on sale at th Pantiles Bookshop".

In August 2008 the building underwent renovation to its exterior and for quiete some time it was hidden behind builders scaffolding while the work progressed to restore the facade.Now this historic building is a shopping arcade containing several select shops clustered around a central internal courtyard and cafe which in turn links through to the Austion House and the Linden Park Road car park. The Theatre Trust says of the interior space of the building that "it is now a covered courtyard shopping centre.It is pleasant and retains some the Corn Exchange character despite evocative decorations,it is not a relic of the Baker Theatre.Architect unknown.The 1989 alteration to the buiding involved extensive internal reconstruction".

On the outside of the Corn Exchange building are two plaques. The first in to commemorate Sarah Baker and reads as follows; "This building was formerly the Tunbridge Wells Theatre,built in 1802 by Sarah Baker.May actors,later famous,played here,including Edmund Kean and Charles Kemble.Before the alteration of the County Boundary,the Theatre had the stage in Sussex and the Auditorium in Kent.It later became the Corn Exchange.The buildign was extensively reconstructed in 1989". The second plaque was installed to recorgnize Edmund Kean.The plaque reads "Edmund Kean 1787-1833.Noted tragic actor performed frequently at the theatre in this Corn Exchange".

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1) Recent photo of the Corn Exchang building
2) Decorative mural
3) Recent interior photo of arcade

THE ROYAL WELLS HOTEL

Written By: Edward James Gilbert-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 11,2012

The history of The Royal Wells Hotel as it is known today dates back to about the end of the 18th century when it was known as The Hare and Hounds in the area of Mount Ephraim which at the time was considered to be a better class part of the town.A contemporary account says the area was "a respectable and useful quarter of Tunbridge Wells on a hill with the most salubrious air and with extensive views of Kent,Surrey and Sussex".John Browra's map of 1738 names the 'Huntsman and Hounds'on this part of Mount Ephraim,although Bowra's map of 1808 has the 'Hare and Hounds' facing the common on the site of the current hotel.A map of 1808 engraved by T.T.Barron shows the Inn set back from the road on its present site with the main axis of the building parralel with Mount Ephraim and facing out over Boyne Park.

The Inn was one of several similar establishments on Mount Ephraim where visitors and tourists wishing to take advantage of the clean air,the spa waters and the social atmosphere of the town came to stay during the summer season.Some of the original Georgian brickwork can still be seen,according to the present owners of the hotel,in the cellar area of the building.Colrans 1840 guide says of Mount Ephraim that "a new hotel has been erected here,the prospect from which can be surpassed by few in the Kingdon".

In about 1835,Edward Neal,a wine merchant who ran his business from the vaults fronting the road,acquired the Inn and renamed it The Mount Ephraim Hotel.He carried out extensive alterations and refurbished the principal apartments.It is believed by the current owners that this is when the whole of the front of the hotel was added changing the axis to look over the top end of The Commons and town.Edward Neal was still the proprietor in 1841.Edward was born 1796 in Sussex. His wife was Emma,born 1801 and they had a son Thomas.In 1841 Edward,a wine merchant, was living in Frant,Sussex.He passed away in Ticehurst,Sussex in the 4th quarter of 1848.

Queen Victoria,while still a princess,stayed several times at the hotel and later granted permission to use the Coat of Arms,which were and still are displayed on the parapet of the hotel.Some accounts say she stayed at Boyne House next door to the hotel in 1835.Colbran's guide of 1840 provides an image of the hotel based on the works of local artist Charles Tattershall Dodd.The image shows the coat of arms and the word 'Hotel' above the right-hand second floor window.At this time the first floor had a veranda along the front,with a canopy and balcony that were typical of the Regency period.In the late 19th century this veranda was replaced with an ambitious winter garden extending across the full width of the building.

In 1842 a horse-drawn omnibus service was begun bringing hotel patrons and others to Tunbridge Wells and when train service began in the town in 1845 even larger numbers of people arrived as visitors or tourists and duirng "the season" the hotels were packed with members of the social elite looking for good accommodation.It was a common site at that time to see carriages lining up at the hotels to take the patrons around the town and out into the countryside for a pleasant day and the number of fly proprietors offering this service increased in number.In 1862 a regular omnibus service was begun in the town and ran between the railway station and all of the hotels.Daniel Hoadley(1834-1910),who had been born in Tunbridge Wells was a fly and omnibus proprietor who ran this service in the latter part of the 19th century.

A "posting department" consisting of the Mall Coaches was run from the hotel and was found,according to a local account, "efficient in every respect,with daily conveyances to and from the hotel between London,Brighton and Hastings".

From 1847 to 1851 the proprietor of the Mount Ephraim Hotel was William Colnett.William had been born 1820 at Fleet Street.London.He had a wife,Eliza and at least one son (Walter).William was living in Speldhurst in 1851 and is listed as a wine merchant in the census of that year.William and his familty later moved to London and became the proprietor of the Cock Tavern on Fleet Steet.He died at the tavern December 25,1872 and his wife carried on operating the tavern for awhile after his death.

In 1851/1852 Richard Luck became the new proprietor.The freehold of the hotel and the adjoining Somerville and Plaisance cottages came up for sale in 1866 and General Sir Frederick Smith,chairman of The Alexandra Hotel Company,invited the public to subscribe in shares of the hotel.

In 1862 a local directory lists a Charles James Curtis(1808-1873) as the hotel keeper and became known at that time as the Royal Mount Ephraim Hotel,located at 59 Mount Ephraim.Charles remained as the proprietor of the hotel until he died there on September 13,1873.He had been born 1808 at Bromley,Kent and with his wife,who he married September 17,1832 at Covent Garden,St Paul,he had three children.When Charles died his wife Elizabeth took over the running of the hotel and continued as the proprietor until about 1880,when it is believed that about that time Mrs W.T.Wrighton took over and remained there until at least 1882,for she is found in an 1882 directory as the proprietor of the hotel.She is also found as the proprietor in the 1881 census and is recorded as a widow,age 43.Living with her at the hotel were her three children and two neices and sixteen hotel guests.The 1883 Peltons Guide had this to say about the hotel,"The Mount Ephraim Hotel is elegibly situated upon the mount from which it takes its name.From its elevated position,this house commands fine views of the Commons,the town,and the surrounding country". By 1886 the owner of the hotel had become Miss F. Prouse.

Sidney Montague Bulls is recored as the proprietor from 1899 to 1903 and it was about that time that the conservatory and bay windows were added.A 1903 advertisment in Kelly's directory announces "The Royal Mount Ephraim Hotel,remodelled and redocorated,occupying the highers position in Mount Ephraim,Facing common,south aspect,Electric light in evety room,table d'hote at separate tables,high-class English cuisine,headquarters of The Automobile Club,en pension or a la carte terms,by far the most reasonable hotel in Tunbridge Wells". A. Frick is recorded as the proprietor of the hotel in 1913 and in the same year was the proprietor of the Royal Mount Ephraim Shades public house.

From 1918 to 1922 the hotel proprietor was Mrs L. Meadmore.She was also during the same time period the proprietor of the Royal Mount Ephraim Shades.In 1930 the hotel proprietor was Miss Nora Turner.Later in the 1930's the proprietor was Mrs Elsie Graham.Between the war years a garage block was completed.In 1938 the proproprietor of the hotel was Captain Clyne and Mrs Gray.Although some mention is given by other writers that the hotel was renamed in 1935 to The Royal Hotel,the directories still record it as the Royal Mount Ephraim Hotel in 1938.

By 1950,when the hotel proprietor was Cecil Wyer,the hotel was advertising itself as providing hot and cold water,gas fires and telephones in all its bedrooms,together with excellent cuisine and service.With a telegram address of "Comfort",its claim was "Your happiness and comfort is our first consideration".Cecil Wyer remained as the proprietor until 1952.By 1959 he had moved to Sussex and was in the years 1959-1960 the proprietor of the Ringer Hotel in Ringer,Sussex.

In the 1950's the hotel was owned by Lady Docker(1906-1983),the socialite and wife of Sir Bernard Docker .Lady Docker was a flamboyant person and referred to in the media as "naughty Norah". She was born as Norah Royce Turner,the daughter of Amy and Sydney Turner.who committed suicide when she was sixteen by throwing himself from the ferry to Ireland,and was then obliged to make her own way in the world.As a young woman she became a dance hostess at London's famous Embassy Club,where celebreties mixed with the aristocracy.She eventually married three times,the last marriage being in 1949 to Sir Bernard Docker,chairman of Birmingham Small Arms,Daimler and a director of the Midland Bank,Anglo-Argentine Tramways and Thomas Cook and Son.In the 1940's and 1950's they were beloved by the press and the paparazzi as they were neither restrained or well behaved and were described as being "gracelessly gaudy".The couple ran foul of the law over a tax dispute and went into exile in a small bungalow in Jersey.Before these problems began Norah had become somewhat active in the Daimler business and she became a director of Hooper,the coachbuilder.She designed her own car and had it covered wit 7,000 gold stars,which garnered headlines in newspapers across Britain.As a result of her influence Daimler came out with automobiles that oozed with opulance and drew great attention in the industry.Lady Norah earned a reputation for having poor social graces especially when under the influence of her favourite beverage-pink champaigne.The Dockers were ousted from the board of Daimler in 1956.Thereafter the tax problems and other difficulties led the couple into a downward financial spiral which they never recovered from.By late 1958 they were reduced to selling Lady Docker's jewelry and in 1968 their famous yacht,'Shemara'.Sir Dernard died in 1978 and Lady Docker died in 1983 in a hotel in Paddington.

Many clubs and organizations used to hold their annual dinners as the hotel. The Linden Park Cricket Club for example had their annual meeting at the hotel on November 30,1951 and in the following year they and their meal at the Spa Hotel.

On May 20,1952 British Heritage gave the building a Grade II listing and described it this way; "built abt 1834.Consists of a centre portion of 4 storeys and 3 windows and slightly recessed wings of 3 storeys and one window each.Stringcourse above the 1st floor.Cornice and parapet above the wings,the cornice continued across the central portion.Round-headed windows in the 2nd floor of the wings.Glazing bars missing.Cornice and parapet above the centre portion supporting two shields surrounded by a crown and flanked by figures of a lion and a unicorn.The building has been altered by the addition of two largre bays on the ground floor and a continious domed glass verandah built out above them on the first floor".

In 1968 the hotel was purchased by Geoff and Peggy Sloan and became The Royal Wells Hotel,a name it retains to this day.In 1982 Geoff and Peggy's sons David and Robert became the proprietors of the hotel.One of the hotel rooms today is name "The Sloan" in honour of them.

In July 2002 Geoff and Peggy Sloan sold the hotel to Peter Ratcliffe and he is still the owner in 2012 with the hotel retaining much of its Victorian elegance.The wesibite of the hotel describes its current operation this way "A perfect blend of Victorian elegance and modern comfort and luxury,our individually designed rooms offer a calm haven after a busy day,whilst Chalybeate Restaurant and Beau Nash pub provide an extensive range of eating and drinking options". The hotel today offers 25 well appointed bedrooms,each one given a name of historical significance to the hotel,such as "Room 12 Lady Docker","Room 9 Edward Neal", etc. In addition the hotel offers comprehensive facilities for conferences,seminars and business meetings and is well equipped to cater to weddings and other special functions.Local residents offten affectionately refer to the hotel as the
"Wedding Cake" with its whitewashed walls looking like a well decorated wedding cake.

Photographs (numbered top to bottom)

1) Mount Ephraim Hotel circa 1889
2) Mount Ephraim Hotel circa 1896
3) Postcard view of the Royal Mount Ephraim
4) Royal Mount Ephraim hotel card
5) Artists rendering o the Royal Wells Inn
6) Photo of Lady Docker 1955 at the first day of the Royal Ascot
7) Modern photo of the royal Wells Hotel taken 2011

FISHMONGERS & POULTERERS

Written by: Edward James Gilberts-Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada

Date: March 16,2012

INTRODUCTION

The trades of Fishmongers and Poulters have existed as seperate occupations for centuries and initially business proprieters operated shops specializing in either selling seafood or in selling pountry but as time passed it was not uncommon to find shops advertising themselves as both fishmongers and poulterers. Such was the case with four families in the town ,the Tolson's,Wheeler's,Knee's and the Hook's, who were interrelated either by marriage or by the formation of business alliances.

Like butcher shops,fishmonger and poulterer shops were initially of the "open front" type where there were no windows/doors/walls seperating the front of the shop from the sidewalk during opening hours.If you were a fishmonger your selection of fish and other seafood was put on ice and displayed in trays or boxes on counters as there was no refrigeration.The seafood products would be delivered to the shop or the shop owner would go to the wholesale market and buy what he wanted.At the back of the shop the owner and or his assistants would prepare the products for sale.The tools of the trade consisted of pliers to remove bones,fish scaler to remove scales,fillet knife to cut the flesh from the bone,strong knives for opening oysters and other shelfish,protective gloves and a curved knife for gutting and removing roe.On a daily basis the shop owner would obtain blocks of ice which he would handle with tongs and break down into ice chips/shavings with an ice pick.

If you were the proprietor of a poulterers shop you would receive you selection of chickens, ducks, geese live and keep them at the rear of the shop in pens or cages until it was time to prepare them for sale. Armed with a selection of knives and cleavers the birds would be killed and plucked with the feathers saved for resale to be used in the stuffing of pillows for example by people in that trade.The birds would then be gutted and cleaned and hung up on hooks in a row at the front of the shop for their customers to see and make their selection from.Most birds were sold with the head,wings and feet still attached.Poulters did also sell pieces of poultry which they kept cool by storing them in ice.

The floors of these early shops were normally covered with sawdust but when refrigeration was available the sawdust was dispensed with and the flont of the shops closed in so customers had to enter the shop through a door or purchase what they wanted through a serving window,The men and sometimes women would be found wearing rubber or white aprons to protect their clothes as the handling and selling of these products was a messy business.

Sadly today with modern food preparation and retailing practices the trades of fishmonger and poulterer are all but gone.Today the thought of buying unrefrigerated seafood and poultry out in the open air with flies buzzing around is not something we find appealing but that was the business practice at the time and people seemed to manage alright and survive.

THE TOLSON,HOOK AND KNEE FAMILIES

The 1840 Pigots directory lists for Tunbridge Wells three fishmonger shops namely Hook & Tolson at Market Place; John Moon at #1 Calverley prospect and Richard Moon at Chapel Place.The 1841 census taken at Market Place records six individuals there namely Thomas Tolson,age 29,fishmonger;his wife Harriett,age 19;and two daughers Fanny,age 3 and Louisa,age 11 months. Also present was William Hook,age 59,fishmonger and his 34 year old son William who also worked in the shop.William Hook had been born 1782 in Kent and passed away February 1852 in Tunbridge Wells.

Thomas Tolson was born 1813 at Frant,Sussex and was the founder of the family business at Market Place as noted in the 1840's Pigots directory.It is likely he started the business in the 1830's,perhaps on his own initially but by 1840 had gone into partnership with William Hook.

In the 1851 census taken at Market Place is found Thomas,age 38,a fishmonger employing 2 men.With him are his wife Harriet,born 1813 at Spelhurst,Kent and their children Fanny Elizabeth,age 13;Louise Stapley,age 19;Charles,age 7 and Harriett,age 6.Thomas's fighmongers business is found listed in the 1851 directory as being at the "Fishmarket" and later at "Market place,Parade.He is also found in an 1847 direcory as "fishmonger,Parade".Thomas's wife Harriet was Harriet Hook,who he married at Speldhurst February 28,1837. She was the sister of William Hook referred to above.Charles Tolson was christened at Speldhurst May 24,1843.

The census of 1861,taken at "Parade" lists Thomas,age 48, a fishmonger employign four men and two boys.His wife Harriet had passed away by this time and living with him were his children Fanny Elizabeth,age 23; Harriett,age 10 and his son Charles,age 18 who is also a fishmonger and working in his fathers business.The 1871 census taken at #25 Parade lists Thomas,age 59 as a widower and is still working as a fishmonger.Living with him are just two servants as his children have left home and begun families of their own.The 1867 directory records him a a fishmonger at "Market square". In the 1870's Thomas's on Charles has estentially taken over the main responsibility of running the family bisiness but his father is still working in the shop. By 1874 they had expanded their business and an 1874 directory lists "Thomas Tolson,fishmonger and game dealer,Market square and 25 Parade".

In an 1882 directory Thomas Tolson's prive residence was 43 Vale Road and that of his son Chalres was 25 Princess Street with both listed as fishmongers.

In April 1880 Charles Tolson married Sarah who was born 1858 at Whitestable, Kent and in the 1882 directory his business is advertised as "Tolson & Co,fishmonger and ice merchants,Market square".

In the 1891 census taken at #24 The Pantiles is found Thomas Tolson,age 78 a "retired fishmonger" living with his second wife Charlotte T,age 63,born 1828 in Tunbridge Wells and his daughter Harriet,age 46 who is working as a fancy shop assistant.Also is the household is a cook and another fancy shop assistant.In the same census year is found Charles Tolson,age 47,fishmonger living at #4 Buckingham,Tunbridge Wells,with his wife Sarah and children Thomas,age 9 and Harriett,age 6, as well as his sister-in-law,22 year old Vellie Humphrey who is visiting the family.On August 8, 1900 business founder Thomas Tolson passed away at the age of 87.The London Gazette of September 25,1990 announded that Thomas was late of #24 the Pantiles,a retired fishmonger.His estate was proved by Charlotte Fanny Tolson of the same address,widow, and Thomas Brown Bernard.

Sometime between 1891 and 1901 Charles Tolson either sold or simply closed his shop in Tunbridge Wells and moved to Hastings. The 1901 census taken at #15 Vickarays Road,St Mary-in-the-Castle,Hastings records Charles,age 57, a retired fishmonger.Living with him is his wife Sarah.Also present is his son Thomas W Tolson,born 1883 Tunbridge Wells who is a fishmonger and poulterer (worker).Also present is Charles 16 year old daughter Harriet L who is working as a brokers assistant and two visitors,one of which is Sidney J.H. French,a fishmonger and poulterer,born 1875 at Brixton London.

The business of Charles Tolson & Co is still found in the Tunbridge Wells directories of 1899 to 1903 but by 1901 Charles Tolsons son Thomas W Tolson had taken over the business and directories of 1913 and 1818 record the business at Ye Pantiles as Tolson & Co. A directory of 1920 records Tolson & Co at two locations.The first is Tolson & Co,fishmongers-Pantiles and the second is Tolson & Co,fishmongers and poulters at 43 Albion Road.

The directory of 1922 gives Tolson & Co.(P.L.Knee),fishmongers Ye Pantiles and 43 Albion Road.The directories of 1923 to 1929(the last listing for the company) records the business at Tolson & Co, Pantiles.The P.L. Knee referred to was Percy Lawrence Knee born 1881 in Tunbridge Wells. His father was William Knee,a timber merchant,born 1838 at Stroud,Gloucestershire. William Kneee married Agnes Davies February 3,1869 at Westminster,Middlesex.The Knee family is found in the 1881 census at 59 Bulah Road,Tunbridge Wells. Percy is living there with his father,his mother Agnes,born 1849 at Southampton,Hampshire and his siblings William l,age 11 and Mabel A,age 9.By 1901 Percy's father passed away and in the census of 1901 taken at 19 Mountfield Road Percy is found living with his sister Mabel who is working as a dressmaker. Percy is listed in the census as tha manager of a fishmongers shop.Percy was married April 1909 in Tubnridge Wells and passed away in Tunbridge Wells in May 14,1953.A death notice for him records that he died at his home on St James Road and that his wife was Agnes May Knee and that he had a son Montague P.W. Knee.He was buried in the Tunbridge Wells cemetary May 19,1953.Thomas W. Tolson passed away June 1947 at Bromley,Kent.

THE WHEELER AND TOLSON FAMILY

The Mercury dated October 6,1871 announced the conviction of two police constables of Tunbridge Wells for being on the premises of Messrs Tolson and Wheeler,fishmongers,for an unlawful purpose. The article mentions that Thomas Wheeler had lost several pieces of salmon and that he and Wheeler were determined to watch for the thief.As a result the two gentlemen stayed up all night in the shop and at 2 a.m. they head movement on the premises and discovered two police constables searching about and saw them looking on the floor in the cellar for fish.Wheeler quickly closed the trap door to the cellar and fastened the constables in.The constables begged for mercy but Wheeler said he would keep them there until the Superintendent of police arrived.However the two constables forced their way out when Mr Wheeler left the premises.The constables then approached Mr Wheeler and begged him to forgive them.Later Wheeler and Tolson laid charges against the two constables and they were found guilty of the offence and sent to jail for three months with hard labour.One constable,Henley had been with the forcre for 17 years and the other constabler Bailey for 12 years.

The London Gazette of September 5,1893 announded "That the partnershop between Thomas Tolson and George Wheeler,carrying on business as fishmongers at the Pantiles,Tunbridge Wells,under the style of Tolson and Comoany is dissolved by mutual agreement September 17,1888...."

The London Gazette of September 5,1893 gave the following notice "Charles Tolson and George Wheeler carrying on business as poulters and fishmongers at Tunbridge Wel;ls,under the style of C.Tolson and Company is dissolved by mutual agreement September 1,1893...".

I begin my story about the Wheeler family with the 1851 census taken at Market Place,Speldhurst where present is George Wheeler a poulterer born 1808 in Tunbridge Wells.Living with him is his wife Mary,age 39; and children William,age 13;Mary Ann,age 11;George,age 10;Arthur,age 9;Elizabeth,age 7;Emily,age 5 and Fanny age 1; all of whom were born in Speldhurst,Kent.George's father was Samuel,born 1779 and no information is known about his mother or his siblings. George wed Mary Hook on April 10,1837 and at an early age became a poulterer.Mary Hook had been born October 20,1811 at Speldhurst.Her father was Charles Hook(1773-1820) and her mother Elizabeth Underwood(1784-1856) and she was one of 10 children in the family. One of her siblings was William Hook,born 1807, that I mentioned earlier, who had gone into business with Thomas Tolson.

The 1871 census taken at #11 The Parade records George Wheeler(1808-1882),age 63 as a poulterer living with his wife Mary(1811-1890) and daughter Fanny,age 21, a drapers assistant and 19 year old daughter Margaret Alice(1851-1896).George and Mary also had the following children;William(b1838);Mary Ann(1839-1908);Arthur(1842-1883);Elizabeth(b1844) and Emily(1846-1888).For the same census year but at #40 Prospect Villas is recorded George Wheelers son George,born 1840 Tunbridge Wells as a master poulterer living with his wife Lucy Elizabeth,age 24.Lucy Elizabeth was born September 1846 as Lucy Elizabeth Rush.Her parents were Thomas John Rush,born 1818 and Lucy Laver.George and Lucy produced two children namely George T(b1874) and Ernest Edward,born 1876.George Wheeler,born 1840, was christened October 21,1840 at Speldhurst.He and Lucy Elizabeth Rush were married May 26,1869 at St Pancras,St Bartholomew.The 1871 census taken at #3 Bedord Terrace records the presence of William Wheeler,born 1838, working as a poulterer.Living with him is his wife Julia and daughter Julia M.

In the 1881 census taken at #20 and 22 The Parade is found 73 year old George Wheeler a poulterer,employing 2 men living with his wife Mary and their children Fanny and Charles.Charles is working as a warehousman.For the same census year taken at 24 Eridge Road is found 40 year old George Wheeler working as a fishmonger and living with his wife Lucy and children George,age 7 and Ernest E,age 5.For the same census year taken at 17 Eridge Road is William Wheeler,age 43,born 1838 in Tunbridge Wells and baptised April 11 of that year.Living with him is his wife Julia,born 1842 at Barking,Essex and their children Julia M,age 11;Ellen E,age 9;William J,age 8;Ada,age 7;Alice M.age 4;Ethel M,age 2;George,age 1 and Arthur 11 months.

In the 1891 census taken at 22 Eridge Road is found 50 year old George Wheeler a fishmonger shop owner living with his wife Lucy and children George T,age 17;Ernest E,age 15 and Kuct M,age 5. George T Wheeler is working as a shopman,no doubt in his fathers shop.In the 1891 census taken at #8 Monson Road is found William Wheeler,age 53, a poulterer and fishmonger.Living with him is his wofe Julia and their eight children.

In the 1901 census taken at 23 Cambridge Street George is now a 60 year old grocers clerk worker having left the fishmonger/poulterer business.He is found at that address living with his wife Lucy and son George G,age 27, a coach builders clerk and daughter Lucy,age 15, a drapers apprentice.The 1901 census taken at #8 Monson Road records William Wheeler,age 63,as a grocers assistant.He is at that address with his wife Julia,who he had married October 21,1868 at Mile End Old Town St. Peter, and children Julia M,age 31, an iron mongers clerk; Alice M,age 24; George,age 21,a solicitors clerk;Arthur E,age 20,a clothing outfitters assistant and Thomas,age 19 who is working at the post office.

George Wheeler,born 1808, passed away in Tunbridge Wells in 1882 .Probate records show he passed away March 13,1882 and left his estate of 574 pounds to William Wheeler(born 1838 Speldhurst),his son who was also a poulterer. George Wheeler,born 1840, passed away in Tunbridge Wells in the first quarter of 1904.William Wheeler,born 1838, passed away July 19,1911 in Tunbridge Wells.

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