Category Archives: Sutton at Hone

Wide Awake Dartford

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wide-awake-dartford-journal

Dartford Borough Council published a monthly journal with articles and local news between 1932 and 1934.  Copies of these journals can be found in Dartford Library, and are an interesting mix of news about local people, events and village developments.  The items below refer to Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley.

September 1932

For twelve hours Dartford Fire Brigade were dealing with a stack fire at Hollands Farm, Hawley, and brought some 30 lengths of hose into use.

January 1933

Steps are being taken to form a section of the Legion of Frontiersmen at Dartford, Lieut. C. F. Camburn, of Hawley, being the prime mover.

February 1933

The Rev. W.E. Bott, M.A., who has been appointed Vicar of Sutton-at-Hone, has been Vicar of Christ Church, Erith, for between six and seven years.

Dartford & District Scouts’ Association are celebrating the quarter century of Scouting by holding a “Scout Week” commencing on Saturday, May 27th, and concluding on Whit-Monday, June 5th, with their Annual Jamboree at Sutton.

March 1933

The Rev. W.E. Bott, Vicar-designate of Sutton-at-Hone, is to receive a presentation from his parishioners and friends in Erith, and has received a white stole from scholars of Christ Church Sunday School.

Sutton-at-Hone Parish Council have not jumped at the idea of joining a federation of Parish Councils in the Dartford Rural District Council’s area, and postponed consideration of the matter for further details; whilst Longfield Parish Council have definitely declined to participate.

April 1933

Monday 3rd – Election Day – for Dartford Urban District Council and Dartford Rural District Council
Sunday 9th – Summer Time commences

The Rev. W.E. Bott was instituted to the living of Sutton-at-Hone by the Bishop of Rochester, who said he went to Sutton with the general assent of the parishioners, and carrying the goodwill and affection of his former parishioners at Erith.

May 1933

After enquiry it has been decided by the Rural Council to retain the sub fire stations at Hawley, Sutton Village and Horton Kirby subject to the firemen attached thereto making themselves efficient.

June 1933

Monday 5th – Whit-Monday. Scouts’ Jamboree at St John’s Park, Sutton-at-Hone
Saturday 24th – Alexandra Rose Day

July 1933

The Scout week arranged by Dartford & District Scouts’ Association was a triumph of organisation, and the boys had a happy time in the camp at Sutton Park (otherwise known as St John Jerusalem).

October 1933

Miss Dorothy Bott, only daughter of the Vicar of Sutton-at-Hone, was married to Mr W. J. Moore, of Grimsby, the ceremony being performed by the bride’s father, the Rev. W. E. Bott.

Sir Stephen Tallents, of St. Johns, Sutton-at-Hone, has been appointed by the Postmaster-General to the role of the Public Relations Officer at the General Post Office.

January 1934

Sutton-at-Hone Friendly Society, which shared out 16s 6d to each of its 144 members, has now entered on its 69th year.

Sutton-at-Hone Parish Council, faced with an expenditure of between one and two thousand pounds for playing fields at Hextable and Hawley, are enquiring how it is that Horton Kirby can make their recreation ground self-supporting.

March 1934
Friday 2nd – County Council Elections

April 1934

Sutton-at-Hone Parish Council have agreed to certain street lamps in their area being set back to allow the passage of double deck ‘buses on condition that the cost is borne by the Transport Board.

Application has been made to Kent County Council to divide Sutton-at-Hone into three wards – Swanley Junction, Swanley Village and Hextable.

wide-awake-dartford-1934

Remembering the men who fell at the Battle of the Somme

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The Battle of the Somme started on 1st July 1916, and the first day is notorious for the number of men who died or were wounded on the first day, making it the worse day in the British Army’s history.

The following men are from Sutton at Hone and Hawley, and they died during this battle, which lasted from 1st July to 18th November 1918

3rd July – Corporal Henry K Smith, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

13th July – Private Arthur Mankey, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

17th July – C.S.M. Francis (Frank) Neave Reynolds, York and Lancaster Regiment

29th July – Sergeant Charles Elliott, Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)

11th August – Private Thomas Harold Ovenden, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

15th September – Private Leonard Willett, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

3rd October – Rifleman Arthur Owen Mayne, King’s Royal Rifle Corps

15th November – Private George William Mayne, Northumberland Fusiliers

 

Road Names of Sutton at Hone

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Whilst some of the road names within the village are self explanatory, such as Main Road and Church Road, other roads are named after long lost buildings and people associated with the parish.

Russell Place – named after the Russell family who lived at St John’s Jersualem in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Smythe Road – named after Sir Thomas Smythe, who lived at Sutton Place and is buried at St John’s, with a magnificent memorial

Hotham Close – named after the Rev John Hallam Hotham, who was Vicar from 1837 to 1881.

Barfield – this estate was built on a field called Barfield (and there is Barfield Terrace on the Main Road, which runs parallel with to Barfield)

Barton Road – possibly named for Florence Barton, a former teacher at the village School

Tallent Close – named after Sir Stephen Tallent, who lived at St John’s Jersualem

Cedar Drive – this estate was built on the site of a house called Cedar Lawn

Keith Avenue – this road was named after the builder’s nephew when the Rectory Estate was developed.

Sutton at Hone National School – 1914 photo of pupils

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A fascinating timeline has been drawn up by Kent History & Library Centre showing what life was like during for pupils and teachers during the First World War.  However, the significant fact about this timeline is that the backdrop is a photo of Jack Kadwill, Head Master and local Scout Master with a group of his pupils from Sutton at Hone National School.

KENT SCHOOLS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
This timeline draws on information from entries in Log Books for Kent Education Committee schools. These Log Books are held at the Kent History & Library Centre in Maidstone.
School Log Books were written up by Head Teachers weekly, and sometimes daily, to record attendance figures, occurrences and activities in schools. The Log Books from the First World War era which are held at the Kent History & Library Centre are a valuable source of first-hand information, showing how the war impacted on everyday life in Kent towns and villages during the war years and immediately afterwards.

Kent Schools Timeline

 

January 1916 – a girl wants a job

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DC 14 Jan 1916 - Girl advert

In the Dartford Chronicle’s Situations Wanted column on 14th January 1916

There are not many Situations Wanted adverts in the Dartford Chronicle at this time, and normally they are for specific roles, such as nurse, clerk or labourer.

Miss Keturah Mankey, who lived at 29 St John’s Terrace in Sutton at Hone, obviously needed a job but it seems war work in the local munitions factories may not be an option.

Keturah’s uncle was Arthur Mankey, who was killed in the Great War, and is commemorated on the War Memorial.

Remembering Dunkirk – 75 years later

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The War Memorial lists three men who were lost during the evacuation of Dunkirk in May and June 1940

Douglas John Macpherson was born in Hawley,  joined the Royal Navy in 1926, and married in November 1934 at St John’s to Florence Amy Docksee, and the couple had two children. At the time of his death, Douglas’s family were living in Bexley.

Douglas was serving on HMS Boadicea, which had been in Chatham for a refit since the beginning of May 1940, and on the 9th June HMS Boadicea set sail for Le Havre, France to assist in the evacuation of British troops. On the 10th June, the warship was severely damaged by Junkers Ju 87 “Stuka” dive bombers that knocked out her engines and boilers. Douglas was an Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class, and so was probably killed during the raid.  He was buried at Alverstock Cemetery, Gosport.

HMS Boadicea

HMS Boadicea during WWII – Imperial War Museum

Richard Swaffer was serving as a Driver in the Royal Army Service Corps, and died during the retreat, his date of death is given as between 31st May and 1st June 1940.  He is buried in the De Panne Communal Cemetery in France.

Donald Eastburn Waterman was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 140 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, having been a member of the Honorable Artillery Company before the war.  His father was Bertie Waterman, a well known Dartford Auctioneer, who lived in Wilmington (Donald is commemorated on the Wilmington War Memorial), and his mother helped raise funds for a Comfort Fund for troops in Wilmington. Donald was married, and he and his wife Chloe were living in Sutton at Hone in 1939.

Donald died between the 28th and the 31st of May and is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery. His death was not confirmed until October 1940.

Sutton Scouts who served in World War One

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Thirty three former Boy Scouts and Leaders of the Sutton-at-Hone Boy Scouts Troop served during World War One, and three former Boy Scouts lost their lives and are commemorated on the War Memorial.

Thanks to an article published in the Dartford Chronicle on 7th February 1919, we know the names of all those former Boy Scouts who served during the Great War.

H. J . Kadwill – Scoutmaster – Jack Kadwill founded the Scout Troop, was the village Schoolmaster, a parish councillor, and lived in the School House by the School.  When teachers were allowed to join up, he joined the London Regiment and was a 2nd Lieutentant, 1/13 Brigade

T. Elliott – Assistant Scoutmaster

S. M. Smith – Assistant Scoutmaster

B. Elliott – believed to be Bertie Elliott, the brother of Charles and William Elliott, who were both killed in the Great War and are commemorated on the Sutton at Hone War Memorial.  Bertie served with the Army Ordnance Corps.

B. Turner – awarded the Military Medal

Arthur Charles Trimmer – lived at Alexander’s Cottages, Sutton at Hone and served in the Machine Gun Corps as a Private, No. 145389

George Mantle (Mantell in the  1911 census) – lived at 4 Ship Lane, Sutton at Hone and served with the 1/5th Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment as a Private, No. 240461

Hugh Taylor – lived at Lane Cottages, and served as a Gunner with the A/116 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, No.71209

Harold Smith – Killed in Action

Alfred Cook

Thomas Ovenden – Killed in Action

H. Smith – Wounded twice

Hector Ovenden – brother of Thomas Ovenden, and lived at Cromwell Villas, Sutton at Hone.  Hector joined the Navy in 1915, at the age of 15, and served until 1920 when he was invalided out (possibly with TB).

Mornington Hibbert  -Both Hibbert brothers were the sons of Carl Hibbert, landlord of The Greyhound, Sutton at Hone, and Carl and all his seven sons served during the Great War. Mornington served as a Signaller with the Royal Horse & Royal Field Artillery at the Signalling Training Centre

Leonard Hibbert – youngest son of Carl Hibbert, born in 1901, no record of where he served has been traced.

George Gunner – Returned Prisoner of War – served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, and his family lived at The Stores, Lower Sutton.

B. Taylor

T. Davis

J. Smith

Arthur Budd

H. Bennett

Harry Stubbs – lived at 4 Fair View, Ash Road, Hawley,  before he joined up he had worked for J. & E. Hall in Dartford.  After joining up (probably in 1915), he served with the King’s Royal Rifles and went to the Western Front in March 1916.  Harry had become Lance-Corporal, but was wounded by a shell in early December 1916, and had an arm amputated that Christmas Eve in a hospital in France.

E. Richards

(Harry) Basil Packman – lived at Cromwell Villas, Sutton at Hone, and signed up for service on 8th August 1918 at the age of 22, and had been working as a tool fitter at Vickers in Dartford. Harry served with the 26th Battalion, Tank Regiment as a Private, No. 311086

Leslie Thorne – lived at Crown House, served with the Royal Field Artillery, 121 Brigade, as a Driver, No. 234273

Thomas L. Dancer – Tom lived at 24 St John’s Terrace, Sutton at Hone and was a nurseryman when he enlisted in 1916.  Tom was finally called up in 1917 and served as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery in India and Mesopotamia, and was released in October 1919.

Frank Mantle (Mantell in the 1911 census) – lived at 4 Ship Lane and served with the Rifle Brigade, as a Private, No. S/31674

Harry Acton – lived in Ship Lane and served with the 9th Royal Sussex Regiment,  as a Private, No. 19375

Arthur Wright – Killed in Action

J. Lane

Ronald Barlow

Tom Relph – lived at East Hill, South Darenth, and enlisted on 27 December 1917, just after his 18th birthday.  Tom was a ‘fitter and turner apprentice’ before the war, and joined the Royal Flying Corp to be an Air Mechanic.

Nelson Yeatman – Nelson lived at Victoria House, Hawley, and enlisted on 12 February 1918, and served with the Royal Air Force, before he had enlisted he had been working as an Engineer.

During the absence of Scoutmaster Kadwill, the troop ‘carried on’ under Acting Scoutmaster Thompson.

The article notes that as Sutton at Hone was the oldest troop in the district, they had become the Senior Troop of the new Dartford District, which had been formed in 1918, from the old Central North Kent district (which had included Gravesend, Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath).

1919 Christmas & Boxing Day Football Matches

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Once the Great War had concluded, Sutton at Hone (known as Sutton Athletic) and Hawley Football clubs started up again, as local football leagues had been abandoned in 1914 “for the duration”.  Both Sutton Athletic and Hawley played in the Darenth Valley League, and Hawley also played in the Dartford & District League.

On Christmas Day morning in 1919 the local ‘big’ match was between Hawley and Sutton Athletic, with the teams playing at Hawley, where Hawley won 3 – 2.

hawley - football field

The Football Field in Hawley – with cattle grazing. This postcard shows Leigh Place (in the middle of the card) and Hawley Terrace (to the right), with Shirehall Road in the distance. Part of this field is now covered by the M25 embankments.

On Boxing Day the return match was played at Sutton, when Hawley lost to Sutton for the first time that season, the score being 2 – 0, and it is noted that the match was watched by some 1,000 spectators.  The first Sutton Athletic goal was scored by J. Foster after 15 minutes, and their next attempt was blocked by Hawley’s W. Chalcraft.  The second Sutton goal was again scored by J. Foster, before half time, and J. Foster had scored both Sutton goals during the Christmas Day match the day before.

However the Christmas Day match in Hawley ended with two court cases thanks to brawling in the Bull Hotel at Hawley after the match and both cases were caused by the same incident.

On Tuesday 30th December at Dartford Police Court, Harry Tidy, papermaker, living at Bank Houses, Hawley, was charged with afflicting grievous bodily harm on Alfred Couchman, licensee of the Bull Hotel in Hawley on Christmas Day.

After the Hawley v Sutton Athletic match on Christmas Day, a group of about 14 men entered the Bull Inn and called for three glasses of bitter each at about 2.40pm.  At 2.55pm, time was called as the pub was due to close at 3pm, and it was very full,  but the group tried to order another 14 glasses of bitter but were told that it was closing time and they were too late.

Mr Tidy first swept a tray with 14 glasses off the counter, breaking them all and damaging the piano with broken glass.  Mr Tidy (who was not known to Mr Couchman) then went after Mr Couchman, striking him in the chest with his fist, knocking him down, injuring his back, chest and arm.

After the assault “the party had to be got rid of by a sort of scramble” and Mr Tidy managed to smash several bottles of  wine and spirits before he was safely back on the ‘public’ side of the bar and removed from the premises.

Edward Langridge, a stoker, of 2 Leigh Place, Hawley, corroborated the account given by Mr Couchman.

PC Clayton stated that he had been contacted at 3.15pm and then went in search of the prisoner, whom he found the following day (Boxing Day) at the football ground in Sutton at Hone.  Mr Tidy, when asked if he  was present at the time of the assault , said “Yes, but I do not know what happened.  I am very sorry“.

As Mr Couchman thought his arm had been broken in this attack, he consulted Dr Renton, and had his arm x-rayed at the Livingstone Hospital.

The case was adjourned as Dr Renton was unavailable, and his opinion was required

On Thursday 1st January (it was not a public holiday), Dr Renton stated that Mr Couchman was suffering from shock and was knocked about when he examined him on Boxing Day.  After x-raying his arm it was clear it was not broken but it appeared to have been twisted and it would be a considerable time before he could lift weights with it.

Mr Tidy was committed for trial.

The following day, a second court case took place at the Dartford Petty Sessions,  where Frederick John Barnett (48) and Frederick William Barnett (20), father and son, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Ernest Couchman at Hawley on Christmas Day.

Ernest Couchman, the son of Alfred Couchman, had tried to clear the pub at closing time and he was hit by Frederick Barnett senior and Frederick Barnett Junior stripped and wanted to fight. During the struggle Ernest Couchman’s jacket and waistcoat were pulled off, he was much hurt and assistance had to be fetched to get rid of both the Barnetts.

Sydney Arthur Dimond, 4 St John’s Terrace, Sutton at Hone, said he saw both the Barnetts at the Bull on Christmas Day and Mr Barnett senior had struck Ernest Couchman in the back.  Edward Langridge, Frederick James Castle and Alfred Couchman corroborated.

The magistrates took a serious view of the case but as neither Barnett previous convictions, the were given the option of either a fine or going to prison. Frederick Barnett senior was fined £4 or a month and Frederick Barnett junior was fined £2 or 14 days.

Mr Tidy was back in court the following week where he pleaded guilty to common assault. It was stated that until this incident he had had an exemplary character, and had served in France and Gallipoli, and had been gassed.  Mr Tidy expressed regret to Mr Couchman for the injury he suffered as an indirect result of the blow.

The Bench decided, in light of his previous good character, to bound Tidy over for 6 months for the sum of £10.

 

Sir Thomas Smythe and his tomb

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Visitors to St John the Baptist Church in Sutton at Hone will have noticed the large monument to Sir Thomas Smythe, and this monument has recently been restored and conserved.

Sir Thomas Smythe Tomb

The tomb of Sir Thomas Smythe

On Sunday, 30th November 2014, a Service of Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Conservation of the Tomb of Sir Thomas Smythe was held at St. John the Baptist Church.  This service was attended by representatives of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, Tonbridge School, the Japan 400 Project and The Japan 400 Project, whose generous donations had paid for the restoration and conservation of the tomb.

After the Bishop of Rochester blessed the tomb, Dr Karen Hearn gave a brief lecture telling the family history of the Smythe family, and Dr Tessa Murdock followed telling us about Sir Thomas’s time as Ambassasor to the Russian Court.  The carriage that Sir Thomas presented as a gift to the Russian Tzar is on display in the Hermitage Museum in Moscow.

Sir Thomas Smythe retired to Sutton at Hone and he lived at Sutton Place, although the large Tudor house has long gone, and only the boundary wall remains (it runs along Parsonage Lane from the Sutton Corner roundabout).  However he is commemorated in the village as Smythe Place (off Ship Lane) was named after Sir Thomas in the 1920s when Dartford District Rural Council built the houses.

The Sir Thomas Smythe’s Charity was founded by the will of Sir Thomas and provides financial and pastoral support to people in need in twenty six parishes in West Kent.

smythe inscription blog

The inscription on Sir Thomas Smythe’s tomb


The lower inscription alludes to Sir Thomas’s varied career and Sutton at Hone  is referred to as ‘To this obscured VILLAGE he with drewe’.  

SAh Church smythe tomb inscription blog

The lower inscription on Sir Thomas Smythe’s tomb

 

The fine carving of the effigy shows the wealth of Sir Thomas in the richness of his clothes.

smythe arms blog

Sir Thomas Smythe

 

Sir Thomas’s cloak is fur lined, as can be shown in the armholes of the cloak

Smythe fur lined jacket blog

The fur lining to Sir Thomas Smythe’s cloak

 

Sir Thomas’s elegant shoes

Smythe feet blog

Sir Thomas Smythe’s feet

 

If you are interested in more details about Sir Thomas Smythe, there are two good biographies on the Tonbridge History website and on the History of Parliament website.

Welcome to this local history blog

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Whilst researching for the new publication ‘Never Such Innocence’ – Sutton at Hone and Hawley during the Great War, there were a number of items that could not be included in the book because of space constraints.

The intention is to publish these “extras” as well as any other local history snippets about the villages of Sutton at Hone and Hawley along with related photos and images.

Sutton at Hone parish church

St John the Baptist Church at Sutton-at-Hone

 

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