A little while ago I popped into the museum and asked about the Labour Fair (Fayre?) that used to be held in the then market field in the junction of The Avenue of Remembrance and Bell Road (although many locals when I was living there in the 1950's always called it Bell Lane).My Father (now nearly 90) has told me that it was organised by the Co-op but I wondered if it had its origins in the traditional labour fairs held in the Summer to recruit workers for the forthcoming year and harvest.

It was always a very busy day culminating with a huge firework display with householders in the area find heavy debris from the 'star burst' displays.

Thank you.

Richard Bushrod

Richard:

I can respond to this enquiry about the Labour Fete in The Sale Field, Bell Lane (although the entrance to the field was in Remembrance Avenue)

It was a major event every summer in the 1950s and was run by the Labour Agent, Mr. Gray to promote the Labour MP, Mr. Percy Wells and his successor, Terry Boston (later Lord Boston). The field itself was owned by the auctioneer, Benstead, and sheep and cattle were auctioned there once per year. It is now owned by Borden Grammar School and is used as a sports field. The Labour Fete was very popular because, in addition to the usual stalls surrounding the field, Mr. Gray invited 'acts' such as fire eating, juggling and people on uni-cycles. There were also some of the usual fair ground rides and stalls. Sometimes it ended with a fireworks display. It ended when Terry Boston was defeated by a Conservative candidate, Roger Moate in the early 1960s.

You may have confused The Labour Fete with the Co-op Sports Day which was held in the summer on the Co-op Playingfield which is now the Australia Estate (Adelaide Drive, etc.). That, too, was well attended and was a major feature of the town's calendar but it was devoted entirely to competitive sports and was not called a fete or a fayre.

That also died out when the Co-op contracted due to the incoming national stores taking away much of their trade. The Co-op, out of its profits, used to support sport, The Co-op Senior and Junior Choirs and other educational activities. These also have died out though the Co-op remains a major trader in the High Street with its large department store at the junction with Station Street. I hope those notes help the enquirer.

Peter, SHM, August 2005

Milton Christmas Play 1906 - enq 02

I am trying to extend knowledge concerning the Milton Regis Christmas play of the Seven Champions from 1906 using the handwritten text held at Sittingbourne public library. My tools will comprise the list of names of the actors stated at the end of the text. Has anybody else carried out a similar appraisal?

The names concerned are: Bill Crook, 'Stevey' George, David Hodge, Bob Kemp, 'Jumbo' (possibly Edward) Kemp, Joe Stears, Harry Whittington and Dick Whittington - all brickfield workers. I have tried to biograph these using the 1881, 1891 and 1901 Censuses, and work is still underway (mainly because the microfiche text is semi-legible!) Is there a directory of the day from which it would be easier to locate these people? I hope to identify these people with their addresses using Electoral Registers of the day using the CKS archives shortly.

I have been in contact with Norman Whittington (Harry's son) who placed a round robin request for information in the East Kent Gazette in 1994, and it appears there was a revival at around the time of the General Strike led by Harry and his brother Bill. Is anything more known about this?

My intention is to compile an article for Bygone Kent and bodies interested in Musical Tradition based on the social history of these actors.

George Frampton

Stock car racing, Wormshill - enq 207

I have recently come across your website whilst attempting some research and I am wondering if you or your members will be be able to assist me.
I am currently engaged in researching the history of short circuit racing in the U.K. and have become aware of Stock Car Racing taking place at Norwood Farm, Wormshill in the mid 50's. I have discovered that at least 3 meetings took place (17/07/55, 21/8/55 and 18/9/55) and I have the newspaper cuttings from the East Kent Gazette as confirmation. The racing is reported as being a success with traffic being queued for 4 miles to gain access to the circuit and some 4,000 persons attending. Having visited the village recently I can fully understand the difficulties that must have occurred down the narrow lanes ! Is that why racing didn't continue ? Any information on racing there would be gratefully received. I would particularly be interested in any personal reminisces or photographs of the track although, as I say any information would be welcome.
John

BROOK & The Queens- ENQ 120

I have been researching family history for 12 years but have only just started looking into my fathers family (he died when I was 11). I was told that one of my grandfather's (Leslie Hubert BROOK) brothers was a commissionaire at the Queen's Cinema in Sittingbourne. I purchased the book by John Clancy, "Long-Gone Cinemas of Swale" and discovered he was named in it. I was wondering if there were any old photos of the Queen's cinema showing the doorman in his "Resplendent uniform and cap"? Also another of my grandfather's brothers Sidney Terry BROOK died in a paper mill accident in 1895 in Sittingbourne I am presuming this would have been the one that you have a history of on your web page. Are there any books available about the mill? Any help you can give me would be most appreciated.

Maria Merrell (nee Brook)

Cinemas of Sittingbourne - enq 36

I am currently in my second year at the University of Essex studying for a BA in Modern History. For my dissertation I was interested in looking at the history of cinemas in Sittingbourne (my home town) and the memories of people who went. I am back in Sittingbourne in the Easter Holidays and have not visited your museum before (rather shocking I know) so could you tell me where you are and what your opening hours are? In the meantime if you have any tips, hints or advice please let me know all help is much appreciated.

Thanks a lot, Claire

John Clancy's book on the Cinemas of Swale should be a great help if you haven't already got it (details supplied). If its personal recollections you are short of contact our secretary and he will surely find some memories for you !

Allen, SHM

Barnard Racing - enq 241

I was wondering if the museum could help me please?
I have just acquired for our collection at Rolvenden (morganmuseum.org.uk) a small racing car, made by Barnard Racing of Sittingbourne C.1965. I have found a mention in motoring encyclopaedia pf 1968.
Do you have any information about the acitvities of Tom Barnard, and the cars that he built?
I will try and send you some attachments showing the car that I have, and the item from the book.

Yours Sincerely
Chris Booth

Sittingbourne Fire Brigade - Enq 142

I have attached a photograph of my great great grandfather (Timothy John Wheeler born 1844) in what I believe is a Sittingbourne Fire Brigade Uniform. I am trying to find any details of the Sittingbourne Fire Brigade of that period and if there might be any records of the time he served there.

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated
Regards Martyn Ransom

Archeology in Highsted and Doddington - Enq 118

I have just happened upon your website while searching for more information to a programme on TV here in Australia about a dig at Syndale near Faversham. I was born in Sittingbourne in 1934 and lived there through WW2 until I married and left town in 1958. (I can remember the night in WW2 when a German bomber turned around from a raid on London and drop a series of incendiary bombs along the High Street, setting fire to a number of shops and also the Methodist Chapel.) In around 1955 or 1956 I participated in an archeological dig on the edge of the APCM chalk quarry at Highstead/Doddington. I remember that a number of skeletons were found, and also that I was lucky enough to uncover an interment which comprised a beaker, a platter and a small pile of broken (burnt?) bones. Very little information was divulged to the diggers at the time, and ever since I have wondered on the specific details of the burial site, age, etc, etc. I am wondering if you have any information in your museum regarding this matter? Forty years ago I inherited a book called Collectania Cantiana from my father which listed many ancient discoveries if artifacts around Sittingbourne. Very unfortunately the book was among a number of our belongings which disappeared when we migrated to Australia, otherwise it could have been a very valuable addition to your museum. Unfortunately it is very unlikely I will ever be in England agains, otherwise I would be very interested to visit your Museum. Regards John R White

Musicological Enquiry - enq 240
Sharsted Court

The Kentish Family History Society has suggested I contact you with an enquiry of mine which he very kindly circulated to members of the KFHS yesterday (and has already brought me three helpful responses).
I am a senior musicologist (retired academic), a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and rather a novice at using the web for research purposes. I have recently been working on a manuscript of keyboard music which appears to have some connection with Sharsted Court, and was copied circa 1705 by a man called Smith (for a young female member of the Delaune family, I would imagine). At least I take it Smith is the copyist. This is the only name I have, and it is written (twice) on the rear fly-leaf of the manuscript. Though I have shown digital images of the hand to all the specialists in this area I can think of, no-one has as yet been able to identify it. The hand is clearly that of a professional scribe and also (I would guess) a harpsichord teacher. Certain similarities with the hand of Daniel Henstridge, organist of Rochester Cathedral from 1673 until 1698, and of Canterbury from 1698 until his death in 1736, incline me to think that Smith may have been a pupil of his, a chorister or singing man of Rochester or Canterbury cathedral perhaps, sometime between about 1680 and 1710. These dates are suggested by his consistent use of the secretary 'e' which would, I fancy, make him a man of at least 30 when the manuscript was copied in circa 1705. A second Kentish problem which I am hoping somehow to resolve is what happened to the library of Sharsted Court when the house was sold in the spring of 1950. The furniture and pictures appear to have been dispersed in a Sotheby's auction of May 1950, but not the books which, from the price (15-) pencilled on the front fly-leaf of the manuscript, were (I'd guess) disposed of by a relatively local second-hand bookseller. The man who bought the manuscript in the early 1950s was then a member of staff at Ardingly. If anyone connected with the Sittingbourne Museum is able to shed any light on either or both of these research problems, I should be more than delighted to hear from them.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr) Harry Johnstone, F.S.A., Emeritus Fellow in Music, St Anne's College

Mayors of Sitttingboure - enq 235

I wondered if you could possibly let me know where there is a list of Mayors of Sittingbourne? Would just like to check when Mr Ernest Rossiter was Mayor and for how long?
Many thanks
Mrs Sue Lynch

Please note that "Sittingbourne" does not have a Mayor and has never had one. From about 1895 onwards there was a Chairman of Sittingbourne & Milton UDC. In 1972 under a local government re-organisation the Borough of Swale was formed by amalgamating Faversham DC, Swale Rural Council, Sheppey DC abd SMUDC.
I could produce a list of the chairmen/Mayors of Swale Borough/District Council from 1972 to the present day.
How long ago was Mr Rossiter the Mayor.. - last century I presume ?

The Legal Dept. of Swale BC to ask what happened to the records of the Sittingbourne Urban District Council before it amalgamated with the Milton Urban District Council in the 1930s. They may well be in The Centre for kentish Studies.
Peter, SHM

Thanks very much for your reply. I was helping someone to do his family tree and he had been told that his great grandfather was once a mayor of Sittingbourne. He was born in 1849 and died in 1904 - Ernest Rossiter. I noticed on your website that another of his descendants mentions this so it must be one of those family tales which has been passed down and become slightly distorted. I wonder whether he was a Chairman as you say of Sittingbourne & Milton UDC? Perhaps we'll never know, but thanks for taking the trouble to respond anyway.

Best wishes, SL

I have now found the information we have been seeking which appears in the 1908 Sittingbourne Directory available at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.

ancestry.com/~mrawson/dir08sitt.html

As you can see from the extract I have quoted below, my 2X great grandfather was Chairman of Sittingbourne UDC from 1896 to 1901. Problem solved! I hope this information will be of interest to the other enquirer.

"SITTINGBOURNE URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

The Sittingbourne Urban District Council was first elected as such on the passing of the Local Government Act, 1894, and took over the reins of control from the old Sittingbourne Local Board. In January 1895, Mr. James Hulburd became the first Chairman of the Sittingbourne Council, and remained Chairman until April 1896. The late Mr. Ernest Albert Rossiter was Chairman from 1896 to 1901, and then Mr. F. G. Gibson was Chairman for two years.

Mr. Henry Payne has presided over the Council since April, 1903."

(see enq. 152, genealogy)

St Johns Ambulance - Enq 117

Hope you can help me. I understand that the St Johns Ambulance Sittinbourne have produced a small diecast model of an ambulance to raise funds for a restoration project of a full size ambulance. Can someone give me contact details so that I could obtain the model please ?Many Thanks, Steve.

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