Ted Briggs was one of a number of singers from whom Francis Collinson collected a single song. Born on 27th July 1872 and baptised on 29th September 1872, he appears to have lived in Bethersden practically his entire life. His parents were James, an agricultural labourer, and Mary née Woodcock, both natives of Bethersden. At the age of 8, the 1881 Census listed Edward as a scholar, living with his Aunt and Uncle Elizabeth and James Dunster, in The Street, Bethersden. In 1891 he was a grocer’s assistant for Jabez T Joy, grocer and farmer, at Knoxbridge, Frittenden. In 1894 he married Alice Adesa (or Avisa) Oliver, and the two subsequent censuses showed them living in The Street, with two sons. The younger son, George, was still living with his parents in 1921, at Elizabeth House, The Street. Ted is listed in these census records as agricultural labourer or general farm labourer – or, in 1911, as “Worker on farm sometimes with portable steam saw”.
In September 1939, he was living with his wife Alice at 10 Council Houses, Bethersden, and listed as a casual labourer. A short obituary in the Kentish Express, 11th November 1955 stated that he had been a road foreman for West Ashford Council before his retirement, around 18 years previously. He was buried in the churchyard of Bethersden parish church on 5th November 1955.
Writing in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society Vol 5 No 1 (1946), Francis Collinson provided a brief paragraph about Mr and Mrs Baker of Maidstone:
His wife also knows folk-songs and I got the following songs from her: “The oyster girl,” “The bold fisherman” and “The sergeant in the wagon train.” She was born at Mereworth in Kent and learned her songs from her father, who used to sit and sing them in the chimney corner in the evening. He knew over a hundred and fifty songs. Mrs. Baker was hopeful of getting some more songs from her sister, but the latter unfortunately died very shortly afterwards, and her songs died with her.
Frances Bell was born on 5th October 1879, and baptised at St Lawrence, Mereworth on 26th October 1879. Her father Josiah was a labourer. Both he and his wife Mary née Cheesman had been born and raised in Mereworth. In 1881 they were living at an unspecified address in Butcher’s Lane, Mereworth; in 1891 the family (now including 5 children) were residing at Moorcocks Cottages in Butcher’s Lane.
At the time of the 1901 census Frances was 21, and working as a cook for farmer John Godwin at Hazlewood, East Peckham. She married Harry Baker at St Lawrence, Mereworth on 19th December 1903, and by 1911 they were living in Maidstone, initially in Upper Fant Road and then later at 5 Evelyn Road.
She died at Maidstone in 1954, aged 75.
Josiah Bell, 1845-?
Frances’ father Josiah was baptised at Mereworth on 19th February 1845. He lived in Mereworth all his life, with censuses from 1881 through to 1911 showing him living in Butcher’s Lane; his occupation was consistently given as agricultural labourer, with the exception of 1901, when he was listed as “Fruit grower, own account”. By 1911 he was a widower, and living with his daughter Kate and son-in-law Jesse Pantrey (also a farm labourer) at Herne House Cottages, Butcher’s Lane. I have not as yet been able to identify his date of death, but this would appear to have occurred before the 1921 census.
Kate Pantrey née Bell, 1886-1944
Frances had two sisters. The elder, Annie Louisa, died at the age of 16, in 1893. Therefore Kate, born 25th January 1886, must have been the sister from whom “Mrs. Baker was hopeful of getting some more songs”. She was still living in the family home in Butcher’s Lane, Mereworth in 1901. In 1905 she married Jesse Robert Pantrey, and they set up home at Herne House Cottages – also in Butcher’s Lane. In 1911 they were living at 8 Kent Street, Mereworth in 1921, with a son and a daughter. By 1939 they had moved to 8 Council Cottage, Herne Pound. Kate died in the second quarter of 1944.
‘Death and the lady’, the only song in the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs that was collected in Kent, came from “Mr. Baker of Maidstone”. The song was included in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society Vol 5 No 1 (1946), with the following note from the collector Francis Collinson:
Mr. Baker of Maidstone, who is in his seventies, has worked all his life as an engineer at Thomas Tillings’. He is a little uncertain in his singing, and I had to ask him to repeat the tune of “Death and the Lady” a number of times before I was certain of having it down correctly.
It only became apparent in the 1990s, when Collinson’s English song MSS became more readily accessible, that he had in fact collected songs from both Mr and Mrs Baker.
Harry Baker was born on 12th December 1876 and baptised 14th January 1877 at St Lawrence, Mereworth. His father William was a labourer, originally from East Malling, his mother was Eliza née Honey, from Mereworth. In 1881 the family was living at New Pound, Mereworth; Harry was the second youngest of the four children in the family home. By 1891 they had moved a couple of miles away, to Dukes Place, West Peckham. Harry, now 14, was described as “Houseboy domestic”. 10 years later they were to be found at Court Lodge, East Peckham; Harry’s occupation was given as Grocer’s assistant.
Shortly before Christmas 1903, on 19th December, Harry married Frances Harriett Bell, at St Lawrence, Mereworth. His occupation at the time was given as “Labourer”. By the time of the next census, in 1911, Harry was working as an Assurance agent for the Prudential and living at 108 Upper Fant Road, Maidstone, with Frances, and a 5 year old daughter, Hilda. They were at the same address in 1921, and the family now included a son, Harry, who had been born in 1912. Harry’s occupation was shown as “Hardener (Steel)”, but in the Employer column it states “Out Of Work”.
The 1939 Register shows that they had moved at some point literally just round the corner, to 5 Evelyn Road, Maidstone. As well as Frances, his daughter Hilda – now Hilda Stanley – was also living in the house. Harry was working as “Steel Hardener Heavy Worker”. His employer is not given, but presumably this was Thomas Tilling Ltd. – or, to be accurate, Tilling-Stevens, whose factory was less than a mile away in St Peter’s Street. That factory was designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, the foremost factory architects of the inter-war period. It is now a Grade II listed building, “one of few surviving examples of a group of English factories built using the Kahn Daylight System, an adaptable, efficient and influential system of factory building, developed in America for the construction of automotive factories”[1]. To quote further from the same Historic England record:
Tilling-Stevens Ltd was formed in 1915 after WA Stevens, inventor of the petrol-electric motor, met Richard Tilling of Thomas Tilling Ltd, London’s oldest omnibus operator (established 1847). The men recognised the potential for petrol-electric transmission in motorised buses, and the companies went into partnership together, manufacturing their own vehicles. New premises were added to Stevens’ Maidstone works (known as the Victoria Works) in 1912, and following the formation of Tilling-Stevens Limited the works were enlarged again with the construction of the Wallis Gilbert and Partners factory in 1917 to accommodate production for war requirements.
The company manufactured buses and other commercial vehicles; during the Second World War their work would have been turned over to the war effort, and they produced searchlight lorries for the Army.
[1] Historic England, Official list entry for Former Tilling-Stevens Factory, St Peter’s Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0ST, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1408072
Cecil Sharp noted down two songs from Charles Barling, then 81 years old, at Ruckinge, on the 23rd September 1908. Mr Barling had been baptised on 20th January 1828 at St Mary Magdalene, Ruckinge. His parents were William, listed as “Labourer”, and Mary Ann, née Clemens, originally from Stanford, on Stone Street. They had married the previous April, at the church of St Peter & St Paul, Newchurch.
By the time of the 1841 census Charles, just 10 years old, was already out at work, as a servant for William Chittenden, landlord of the Blue Anchor at Ruckinge. Ten years later, he was living in the family home at Gorse Green Farm, Ruckinge. Charles, his father, and his brothers James and William (i.e. all of the male members of the household) are listed as agricultural labourers.
He was married in November 1851 to Lydia Knowlden, of Ivychurch. They had 10 children, and lived the rest of their lives at a variety of addresses in Ruckinge. When Sharp encountered him, Charles, Lydia and two of their children, Percy and Lily, were living at The Corner, right in the centre of the village, close to the Blue Anchor. The 1901 census gives Charles’ occupation as “Ordinary labourer”, but also notes that he was “Nearly Blind”.
Charles lived to be 89. He was buried in the same church where he’d been baptised, on 22nd January 1917.
Harry Barling, from whom Francis Collinson collected a couple of songs in the 1940s, was Charles Barling’s cousin: Harry’s father Frank was a younger brother of Charles’ father William.
Eyton Boulden. Photo used by permission of Mr. David Boulding.
The following appeared in the Kentish Express, 16th February 1973:
Church organist and farmer dies
ONE of Bonnington’s best known farmers, Mr. Eyton Boulden, died on Tuesday in Ashford Hospital. He was 80.
Mr. Boulden was organist at Bonnington Church for more than 20 years. Before that he was organist at Aldington Church for 25 years.
He lived at Pinn Farm, Bonnington where he built an organ in a barn so that he could play whenever he wanted to.
Mr. Boulden was one of those rare people who had the same home all his life. He took over the farm from his father and never left Bonnington.
A month later, on 16th March 1973, the same newspaper printed this obituary:
E. M. BOULDEN
AN APPRECIATION
BY THE recent death of Mr. Eyton Miles Boulden at the age of 80, of Pinn Farm, Bonnington, the village has lost not only its Lord of the Manor but a revered figure.
He was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. David Boulden and came of a family which had farmed in the area since the ISOOs. His only surviving brother George, now 89. still lives at Ruffins Hill, Aldington. his brother Bertie farmed at Paddlesworth and his sister Olive was a school teacher and headmistress at Newchurch.
Partly retiring in 1958, it was not until five or six years ago that he rented his farm to his nephews, but he still cared for a few sheep.
Beside farming his other great love was music. He played the organ at Aldington church for 25 years and at Bonnington for 20 years.
Another great delight was the Newchurch Musical Society.
He wrote many stories of the Marsh and researched into its history and into the history of nearby villages and into the history of the smugglers.
He was in great demand as a speaker and broadcast on radio on country matters.
Last year his documentary on the Cinque Ports was put to music and received great local acclaim.
A great reader and a great plant grower, he also painted still life pictures of charm.
Beside being Lord of the Manor he was also a Lord of the Level of Romney. It was owing to him that the village school was purchased for a village hall.
Eyton Miles Boulden was born on 30th Aug 1892, and baptised at St Rumbold’s, Bonnington, on 16th October. He was the son of David, a farmer, and Olive Grace née Foord. As stated in the newspaper report, he lived his entire life at Pinn Farm, Bonnington. He was actually the youngest in the family, having two older brothers and a sister.
In 1911 he was listed in the census as “Farmer’s son working on farm”, in 1921 as “Shepherd & Stock Man”. He married Edith Annie Hogben at St Rumbold’s on 18th May 1923; they had no children.
Francis Collinson obtained a single song from him on 17th June 1942. This was ‘Where the lambs they skip with pleasure’, a version of ‘The Streams of lovely Nancy’, and headed “Chas Boulding’s song”. The neatly written out sheet music does not seem to be in Collinson’s handwriting. It may in fact have been written out by Eyton Boulden in preparation for the upcoming Kent-themed episode of the BBC’s Country Magazine. The fact that in this copy the song is titled ‘Where de Lambs Dey Skip Wid Pleasure’ is probably an attempt to reproduce the old Kentish dialect where, according to A dictionary of the Kentish dialect and provincialisms in use in the County of Kent (1888)
The voiced th [dh] is invariably pronounced d; so that, this, then, though become dat, dis, den, dough [dat, dis, den, doa]
From an article in the Maidstone Telegraph for 24th July 1942 we learn that this song featured in the Kent-themed episode 5 of Country Magazine broadcast at 13:15 on Sunday 28th June 1942, on the BBC Home Service:
Uncle Charlie’s Song
In response to requests from many readers we publish below “Uncle Charlie’s Song”—”At the Foot of Yonder Mountain,” which was so beautifully rendered in the recent Kent Country programme by the B.B.C.
The song, which is at least 150 years old, was sung by Frederick Woodhouse, and the music was arranged by Francis Collinson.
The “Uncle Charlie” in question was almost certainly Charles Boulding (1836-1926), a farmer at Bonnington, referred to in his obituary as “Bonnington’s grand old man”. He and Eyton were first cousins once removed, and also related by marriage – his mother’s sister Agnes Foord married Charles’ brother Jesse. David Boulding of the Boulding Study website tells me that the family certainly associate the song with him, referring to it as “Uncle Cholly’s song”. He also relates that almost everyone in Bonnington seemed to be related – either a Boulding/Boulden or a Foord. Apparently Eyton used to say that if you were walking in the dark and someone passed you, and you could not see who it was, “Goodnight Aunty” or “Goodnight Uncle” would almost certainly be a suitable greeting.
We know from a report in the Kent Messenger, 3rd July 1942, that Eyton Boulden was one of the contributors to the Country Magazine broadcast on 28th June. A few years later a report on a Bilsington Womens’ Institute meeting in the Kentish Express, 23rd February 1945, mentions that “A talk by Eyton Boulden on his experiences at the B.B.C. when broadcasting for “Country Magazine” was much appreciated”. In fact he was to make another appearance on the programme, in April 1949 – the Kentish Express for 22nd April listed “Mr. Eyton Boulden, Bonnington farmer” as one of the participants in the previous week’s programme, which covered Romney Marsh.
The Bouldings were clearly a musical family. After the war Eyton bought a church organ and re-built it in a barn on his farm. The Kentish Express 17th February 1950 reported on this:
FARMER ACHIEVES LIFE AMBITION
Builds Church Organ In Barn
WHEN Mr. Eyton Boulden, a Bonnington farmer, was a boy he longed for a keyboard instrument.
As a makeshift he experimented by placing the blades of ivory-handled knives between the leaves of a very thick book, thus making them resemble the keyboard of a piano. Any necessary sounds were provided by young Eyton.
Years passed and a small American organ appeared in his home; later, he watched his sister playing a pipe organ in the village church. Eyton Boulden made up his mind that he, too, would one day play a pipe organ.
PRACTICES UNDER DIFFICULTIES
He had his first organ lesson at the age of 17 in Westwell Church, leaving home after finishing his farm work at 6 p.m., walking a mile and a half to Aldington and then going on a borrowed bicycle another eleven miles. He did not return until nearly 11 p.m. and had to be up again by four o’clock the next morning. In the summer farming left little time for organ lessons.
But practice made perfect, and for nine years he was organist at Bonnington Church, transferring to Aldington Church, from which he resigned as organist last year after over a quarter of a century.
Some years ago he was able to acquire a small practice organ which he kept at his home, Pinn Farm – the former Manor House.
IN AUCTIONEERS’ ANNOUNCEMENT
He continued to read all he could about organ building, realising that if he ever possessed his own instrument it would have to be largely home-built.
Four years ago in an auctioneer’s announcement he saw advertised, ” Three church organs.”
To-day, in a barn adjoining the house at Bonnington, there stands a fine church organ built by Mr. Boulden and a friend. After purchasing the organ, Mr. Boulden spent three days dismantling it and took it to his home in lorry-loads. The components, stored in various places throughout the farm included nearly 800 pipes of all sizes.
The organ which has a beautiful tone, is 100 years old.
Eyton Boulden died on 13th February 1973. He left the organ to his nephew Clive, who moved it to a barn about 400 yards away from its previous home.
Charles Boulding. Photo used by permission of Mr. David Boulding.
When Cecil Sharp made his brief visit to Kent in September 1908, he started a new field notebook (CJS1/9/1/1908/7). The first page of that notebook contains a series of cryptic – and sometimes indecipherable – notes. These include names: presumably men who had been recommended to him as worth visiting in search of songs. One of these is “Charlie Boulding (Cherry Picker)”. Then in June 1942 Francis Collinson noted down a song from Mr Eyton Boulden at Bonnington, which was described as “Chas Boulding’s song”. It was tempting to jump to the conclusion that Chas / Charlie Boulding are one and the same but Boulding (or Boulden) is an extremely common name in that area of Kent, on the edge of Romney Marsh and, although they were related, these Charles Bouldings were in fact two separate people.
Charles was, I believe, somewhat of a character. He played the bassoon in the church orchestra before organs were used and was notable for a song known in the family as “Uncle Cholly’s song”. He lived at Lawson farm – next Bonnington Court which was then known as Court Lodge
Charles and Eyton were first cousins once removed, and also related by marriage – his mother’s sister Olive Foord married Eyton’s brother Jesse.
Baptised on 16th October 1836, at the church of St Martin, Aldington, the parish records have him as ‘Charles Boulden’, although census records consistently spell his surname as ‘Boulding’. His father, George, was a labourer, whose family hailed from Smeeth and, before that, Crundale; his mother Elizabeth, née Young, was from Brabourne. Census records indicate that Charles’ birthplace was Hurst, south of Aldington, on the Royal Military Canal.
“HURST, a parish in the hundred of Street, liberty of Romney-Marsh, lathe of Shepway, county Kent, 7 miles S.E. of Ashford. Hythe is its post town. The parish, which is small, is situated on the Royal Military canal. The land is partly in hop-grounds. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Canterbury, value £55. The church, dedicated to St. Leonard, has gone to decay, and the inhabitants frequent the church at Aldington.”
In 1841 the family resided at Mount Pleasant, Aldington, while in 1851 their address is given only as Aldington Parish. Charles had an older sister and, by 1853, three younger brothers and three younger sisters. No occupation is recorded for him in 1851 although, aged 14, one suspects he might already have been doing at least some work as an agricultural labourer. That’s his occupation in both 1861 and 1871, when the family were living in Peacock Road, Aldington.
He married Jane Chambers, from nearby Hurst, at St Martin’s, Aldington, on 9th February 1878. His occupation was given as “Woodman”. At the next census, 3 years later, their residence is given simply as “Cottage”, in Bonnington. His occupation was now “Farmer & grazer”, Jane’s was given as “Do [i.e. ditto]; Wife”. In 1891 they were living at Goddard Farm, Carpenter Land, Bonnington. He is now “Farmer & carrier”, and the couple have one farm servant living with them.
Jane died in 1894, and was buried in Aldington on 11th May. Thereafter Charles remained at Goddard Farm until his death in 1926. One other resident is recorded in censuses from 1901 onwards – Elizabeth Coombs, a housekeeper.
The Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph ran the following obituary on 1st May 1926:
BONNINGTON’S GRAND OLD MAN.
The late Mr. Charles Boulding.
Bonnington’s “grand old man,” Mr. Charles Bolding. passed away on Sunday at the age of 90 years. By his death the district loses a truly remarkable man, who never experienced a day’s serious illness in all his 90 years. He was born in September, 1836, and for the past 50 years has resided at “Goddards” Farm. Bonnington. For a number of years he was in partnership with his brother at Court Lodge Farm. He also had extensive agricultural and grazing interests in Romney Marsh.
Mr. Boulding’s very active career included public work as Overseer, Guardian, District Councillor (East Ashford Union), and Rate Collector. He was a Tory of the old school, and it is interesting to note that his last political activity took him to Bilsington by motor car to record his vote at the General Election two years ago. On this occasion he was accompanied by Mr. William Higgins, who was the same age, 88, and has since died. Mr. Boulding could relate many humorous political stories of the old days. He was then a man much sought after at social functions, being a keen dancer and singer. For many years he played the bassoon in Aldington Church choir. He was a staunch Churchman and a bellringer. In his younger days he was a good goalrunner and supporter of fox hunting and coursing. Only two years ago Mr. William Blacklocks, of Lydd, claimed him as guest at the Coursing Club annual dinner.
Mr. Boulding will be widely missed as a gentleman of sterling character, loved and respected by many throughout the county. His wife died 34 years ago. There were no children, but deceased leaves a brother, Mr. Hy. Boulding, of Kennington, and a sister, Mrs. Washford, of Croydon. Longevity evidently is hereditary, for his father reached the age of 74, and his mother lived to see her 91st birthday.
The funeral takes place to-day (Saturday), when deceased will be interred by the side of his wife in Aldington Churchyard.
It’s worth mentioning, perhaps, that not all of his relations survived to old age. Two of his siblings died at just 35 – sister Harriet in 1879, and brother Jesse in 1888. But the Mrs Washford mentioned in the newspaper – his youngest sister, Alice – died in 1927 at the age of 80, and his brother Henry lived to the ripe old age of 93, dying in 1943.
[1] David Boulding, private communication, 7th October 2024
During her summertime visits to her brother in Blackham, Sussex, 1905-1907, Anne Gilchrist noted three songs from a Mrs Jenner of Ashurst, Kent (although they are in different counties, Ashurst is actually only 1 mile from Blackham, the other side of the River Medway). Gilchrist didn’t provide any record of the singer’s first name, but her song notes refer to “Mrs Jenner, native of Penshurst” and “Mrs Jenner, 70, from her mother, Mrs Yeoman”. From these clues we can confidently identify her as Matilda Yeoman, baptised at St John the Baptist, Penshurst, on 20th November 1836. Her father Nicholas was a farm labourer, born Chiddingstone c. 1811. He married Jane Coomber (born Hartfield, Sussex, 1812) at the church of St Mary, Chiddingstone in 1833.
The 1841 census shows the couple living with four young children at Fordcombe Green, Penshurst. Matilda was not present when the census was taken – she is listed with a couple in their fifties, Richard and Philadelphia Ashdown, at Hall Boro, Penshurst. In 1851 the family had expanded to include four sons and three daughters, living at Blowers Hill Farm, Penshurst.
At the time of the 1861 census Matilda, now 25, was a house servant for Isaac and Elizabeth Verrall, who ran one of the pubs in Speldhurst (less than 3 miles from Penshurst). Two years later, in 1863, she was married to James Jenner, an agricultural labourer from Ashurst. They appear to have set up home in Ashurst: the 1871 census has them living at Hard Hill, Ashurst with James’ 70 year old father William, two sons, two daughters, and a stepson and stepdaughter. They remained in the village, with the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses listing them as living at The Bank, Ashurst. Matilda must have died not long after the 1911 census, being buried on 6th May 1911 at St Martin of Tours, Ashurst.
The three songs which Gilchrist collected from Matilda Jenner had all been learned from a family member.
Jane Yeoman née Coomber, 1812-1887.
‘Green Bushes’ came “from her mother, Mrs Yeoman”.
Matilda Jenner’s mother was born Jane Coomber (or Comber), baptised at Hartfield in Sussex on 12th April 1812. She married Nicholas Yeoman at Chiddingstone in 1836 and lived in Penshurst until her death in 1887. The 1881 census lists her as a widow, occupation ‘Ag lab dairy woman’.
Alfred Yeoman, c1834-1855 (?)
‘Babes in the wood’ was learned “from her eldest brother, as a child”.
This was Alfred who, according to census records, was born in 1833 or 1834. In 1851 he was a farm labourer at Saints Hill, Penshurst, working for Robert Hopkins, “Farmer of 150 acres employing 4 labourers”. Thereafter he seems to disappear from the official record; possibly he was the Alfred Yeomans whose death was recorded in the North Aylesford district in 1855.
Myrah Yeoman, 1835-1901(?)
‘The Banks of Sweet Primroses’ was learned “From her eldest sister”.
The elder of Matilda’s two sisters was Myrah (sometimes given as Myra, Mira, or Mirah, and later as Maria or Marianne). She was baptised at Penshurst, 15th March 1835. At the age of 17 Myrah was working as housemaid for a farmer at Leigh, near Sevenoaks. She married George Woolley, a labourer almost 20 years her senior, at Tunbridge Wells in October 1857, and they continued to live at Leigh. After his death in 1876, she was married in 1880 to Ephraim Haysman, a game keeper. He died in 1885, and in 1891 she was the head of the household, living with her daughter and grand-daughter, both named Florence, at Garden Road, Tunbridge Wells; her occupation was given as “Laundress”. Given the multiplicity of names under which she appears in official records, it’s hard to say for sure, but she was probably the “Mariam Haysman” who died in the Tonbridge district in the final quarter of 1901.
Clarke Lonkhurst was the landlord of The Duke’s Head in Hamstreet when Cecil Sharp visited the area in September 1908. One assumes that Sharp visited the pub as a likely source of information about singers in the locality, but he also collected a song – ‘Nobleman and the Thresherman’ – from the landlord. It is possible that Lonkhurst only knew this one song. Or that it was the only one which fell within Sharp’s rather narrow definition of ‘folk song’. Or perhaps, as landlord of a pub, he was simply too busy to spend much time with the song collector.
In the VWML archive catalogue, the singer’s name has been transcribed as ‘Clarke Lankhurst’, but that’s probably an error in interpreting Sharp’s handwriting, rather than an error by Sharp himself. Census records up to 1891 give his first name as ‘Clark’; thereafter, and on his burial record, it’s ‘Clarke’ with an ‘e’. His surname is usually rendered ‘Lonkhurst’, although his baptism record has him as ‘Clarke Longhurst’, and ‘Longhurst’ seems to be the more common spelling when one looks at his father’s and grandfather’s generations. (As an aside, I have Longhursts in my family tree, and it transpires that Clarke’s grandfather John Longhurst, 1786-1857, had a brother named Clark, who was the grandfather of Caroline Longhurst, my maternal Grandad’s mother). But we have evidence of how he spelled his own name, from an endorsement of Harvey’s Embrocation which was printed in The horse-owner’s handy note book or common diseases of horses and other animals, with their remedies (1908): “I have been using your Embrocation for Capped Elbew with great benefit. — Clarke Lonkhurst, Duke’s Head Hotel, Hamstreet, Ashford, Kent, July 29th, 1908.”
Clarke Lonkhurst was baptised at the church of St Mary the Virgin, Orlestone on 19th July 1863. He was the youngest child of William, 1819-1876, a carrier, and Sophia, née Bolding, 1822-1899. Their residence was given as “Ham St Of This Parish”, and they continued to live in the Hamstreet / Warehorne area.
Clarke was working as an agricultural labourer by the time of the 1881 census; in 1891 his occupation was given as ‘Carrier’, while his father was now ‘Poulterer & farmer’. In 1894 he married Edith Knowler, whose father Frederick was landlord of the Queen’s Head at Kingsnorth from roughly 1865-1816. Encouraged perhaps by his wife’s family, Clarke also moved into the licensed victualling trade: first as landlord of the Blue Anchor Inn, at nearby Ruckinge (probably 1896-1900); then moving further afield to run the Woodman’s Hall pub at Horse Lees, Dunkirk, near Faversham (1901-1906) before returning to Hamstreet in 1906 or 1907. He remained landlord of The Duke’s Head until his death on 16th August 1926. Actually, referring to him as the ‘landlord’ is perhaps not to do him justice: when his daughter Edith (“Queenie”) was married in Apr 1922, his occupation was given as ‘Hotel Proprietor’, and it’s worth noting that at the time of the 1911 census not only were his wife and daughter “Assisting in the business”, but they employed a domestic help and an ostler.
Newspaper reports of the period show that Clarke Lonkhurst was engaged in supporting local sports and other entertainments: he was on the organising committee for the 1914 Empire Day celebrations; he provided a brake (open horse-drawn carriage) for the Wesleyan Sunday School’s outing to Hythe and Dymchurch in August 1916; he donated 10 shillings to the Hamstreet Goal Running team in March 1923. Meanwhile the Kentish Express for 12th January 1924 reported as follows:
PUNCH NIGHT – In fulfilment of a promise made by Mr. Clarke Lonkhurst that if the Hamstreet football team won at Warehorne on Saturday he would give a bowl of punch, a smoking concert was held at the Duke’s Head on Saturday. Mr. R. Catt presided. The bowl of punch was handed round, after which an impromptu concert was held, to the programme of which Messrs. H. Dorman, B. Cobb, H. Judge, W. Stickells, G. Benster, C. Lonkhurst [possibly Clarke’s nephew Charles], F. Richardson, W. Wicken, J. Bensted, J. Harden, sen., A. Smart, J. Johnson and the landlord, Mr. Clarke Lonkhurst, contributed.
There are earlier newspaper reports – from before he was a landlord – mentioning the participation of a Mr Lonkhurst in village events. This may well have been Clarke Lonkhurst, although it could also have been one of his older brothers, Charles or William, both of whom lived locally. For instance performing the songs “Daughters” and “In England” at a concert held in the Warehorne Board Schools in 18891; while in 1895, after a cricket match between Buffaloes of the Unity Lodge, Ashford and the Duke of Wellington Lodge, Hamstreet, “the teams partook of tea at the Duke’s Head, and a smoking concert followed, songs being rendered by Messrs. Clark, Lonkhurst, W. Roots, G.G. Taylor and Leslie Dudman, who officiated at the piano”.2
After his death, Clarke’s widow Edith continued to run the pub until 1938 or 1939; she died in 1942.
During his September 1908 visit to the Hamstreet area, Cecil Sharp noted a single song – ‘The Barley Mow’ – from George Benstead. In Sharp’s manuscripts, a singer’s age is often inserted in brackets after his or her name. It’s difficult to decipher the single character inserted in brackets after George Benstead’s name. Maybe it’s a ‘Y’, meaning Young.
David Sutcliffe has identified the singer as Percy George Benstead, who would indeed have been only 26 in 1908 – much younger than the singers from whom Sharp typically noted songs. He was baptised at St Matthew, Warehorne, on 14th May 1882, the son of William, a labourer, and Ellen (or Eleanor; her maiden name has not so far been identified). The 1891 census shows him just as George, living with his parents and seven siblings at Tinton Farm, Mount Field, Warehorne. 10 years later some of his siblings have left the parental home, but George is still there, living at Orman’s Cottage, Ham Street.
In 1907 he was married in Warehorne church to Kate Mills – “of this parish” at the time, but originally from Iden in Sussex. By 1911 they had three young children, and were living at 1 Mount Pleasant, Orlestone. The 1921 census has them living at Orchard Cottage, Ruckinge Road, Hamstreet, with the addition of a fourth child. At the time of the 1939 Register the address for Percy G. Benstead is given as 5 Fairfield Terrace, East Ashford – actually that’s what must have been a fairly recent housing development just off the Ruckinge Road in Hamstreet. His occupation, as in previous censuses, is Agricultural Labourer, but he’s also doing duty as a Special Constable. His wife, Kate, was shown as living at 1 Glanville Cottages, East Ashford – again that’s actually in Hamstreet.
When Kate died on 16th November 1967, her residence was Quince Orchard, Hamstreet. Percy died the following year, in Epping, Essex.
