Northfleet History Group - 7th November 2017 Meeting Report.
A FERRY STORY
A ferry connecting Gravesend and Tilbury has been operated over the centuries by a variety of vessels, including wherries, tilt boats, paddle steamers and twin-screw steamers, as Bob Appleton explained at our meeting in St Botolph’s church hall on Tuesday 7th November. The earliest ferries were used for the transportation of livestock, notably sheep from Kent to Essex, as well as for people. But it was the old twin-screw steam passenger ferries, ‘Gertrude’, ‘Edith’, ‘Rose’ and ‘Catherine’, provided by the railway company, as well as the car ferries ‘Tessa’ and ‘Mimie’ (which were withdrawn soon after the opening of the Dartford tunnel in 1963), that were fondly remembered by many people in our audience. Prior to these vessels coming into service, the ferry was operated by paddle steamers named ‘Sir Walter Raleigh’, ‘Tilbury’, ‘Earl of Essex’ and ‘Earl of Leicester’. The original ‘Tilbury’ was withdrawn but replaced by another vessel of the same name, and used to carry VIPs at the opening ceremony of the Tilbury Docks. The first twin-screw vessel was the ‘Carlotta’ which remained in service until 1930 and eventually found a new role as a clubhouse at Leigh-on-sea. Bob took us through the various changes of ownership and vessels right up to the present day and his very entertaining talk was greatly enjoyed by nearly 100 members.
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Northfleet History Group - 3rd October 2017 Meeting Report.
HIRAM MAXIM and the VICKERS FACTORY at CRAYFORD
At our meeting on Tuesday 3rd October, we were entertained by Peter Daniel, with a talk on Hiram Maxim and the legacy of the Vickers factory in Crayford. Hiram Maxim was a prolific inventor, who was born in America but came to England to escape accusations of bigamy. He was responsible for numerous inventions, including the electric light bulb, over which he had a long running dispute with Thomas Edison, and a heavier than air flying machine, powered by a steam engine, which successfully left the ground when tested at Joyce Green in Dartford. Without doubt, though, he is most famously remembered for the Maxim machine gun, which utilised the power of the recoil to reload the chamber, resulting in a fully automatic weapon, which was used to such deadly effect in both the Boer War and World War I. He established his factory in the rural village of Crayford, and later joined forces with Vickers, becoming a director of that company, which rapidly turned the area into the built-up town we know today. He was given a knighthood by Queen Victoria shortly before the end of her reign, which was, in fact, conferred on him by the new King Edward VII in 1901. This very interesting talk, delivered with enthusiasm by Peter Daniel, was enjoyed by a near capacity audience.
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Northfleet History Group - 5th September 2017 Meeting Report.
Edith Cavell
On Tuesday 5th September, Melanie Gibson-Barton gave us an excellent presentation on Edith Cavell, the First World War nurse whose execution by the Germans for assisting allied soldiers caused outrage around the world. She was born on 4th December 1865, in the village of Swardeston in Norfolk, where her father was the vicar for 45 years. She worked as a Governess for a family in Brussels from 1890 to 1895, where she learnt to speak both French and Flemish.
She then came back to England to look after her sick father and during this time decided to pursue a career as a nurse and worked in several London hospitals. She was recruited by Dr Antoine Depage to become matron of his newly-established nursing school in Brussels. During the First World War, Brussels was under German occupation and she began helping soldiers without any discrimination as to nationality. She helped some 200 British soldiers to escape over the border into neutral Holland and was arrested after having been betrayed by a collaborator who had asked her for help. A prison sentence was expected but, despite not being a German national, she was charged with treason, which carried a death sentence. She did not deny the charge and was shot by firing squad on 12th October 1915, the morning after her trial, despite appeals for clemency, in particular from the United States, a country not then involved in the war.
After the war, her body was exhumed from the cemetery outside the prison, and returned to England in great ceremony, for a memorial service in Westminster Abbey and burial in Norwich Cathedral. A 40 foot statue of her was erected near Trafalgar Square in 1920. She famously said, “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone”.
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She then came back to England to look after her sick father and during this time decided to pursue a career as a nurse and worked in several London hospitals. She was recruited by Dr Antoine Depage to become matron of his newly-established nursing school in Brussels. During the First World War, Brussels was under German occupation and she began helping soldiers without any discrimination as to nationality. She helped some 200 British soldiers to escape over the border into neutral Holland and was arrested after having been betrayed by a collaborator who had asked her for help. A prison sentence was expected but, despite not being a German national, she was charged with treason, which carried a death sentence. She did not deny the charge and was shot by firing squad on 12th October 1915, the morning after her trial, despite appeals for clemency, in particular from the United States, a country not then involved in the war.
After the war, her body was exhumed from the cemetery outside the prison, and returned to England in great ceremony, for a memorial service in Westminster Abbey and burial in Norwich Cathedral. A 40 foot statue of her was erected near Trafalgar Square in 1920. She famously said, “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone”.
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Northfleet History Group - 6th June 2017 Meeting Report.
"BROADLY SPEAKING"
…The reality of holidays afloat!
For many people, a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads has been their first, and sometimes only, link with Britain’s maritime traditions. But few are aware of the background to those holidays, how they began, and the people who created them. We were joined by Wilf Lower, who, after a long career in the entertainment industry, decided to retire to a quiet backwater in Norfolk. He had always been interested in "messing about in boats" - local watermen had actually taught him how to "scull" a dinghy on the River Medway when he was only six years old! So, he and his wife decided to purchase a boat hire business on the Norfolk Broads, then dominated by the big firms, Blakes and Hoseasons. His light-hearted look at his hectic time in this "less stressful" business revealed a lot about boating holidays and the people who go on them and made for a very amusing and entertaining talk.
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Northfleet History Group - 2nd May 2017 Meeting Report.
"MEDWAY QUEEN" - HEROINE OF DUNKIRK
Mark Bathurst and his wife Pam, who are members of the "Medway Queen Preservation Society", joined us to give a very interesting talk about the much-loved paddle steamer which was built in 1924, and provided a regular service for day trippers across the Thames Estuary between the Medway Towns and Southend. In 1939, she took part in the evacuation of local schoolchildren to Suffolk and with the outbreak of the Second World War was adapted for minesweeping. In May 1940, she took part in "Operation Dynamo" the code name for the evacuation of allied troops trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk by the advancing German army. This little ship did valiant service and rescued 7,000 allied soldiers, in the face of enemy shelling and bombing, earning her the nickname ‘Heroine of Dunkirk’. After the war, she resumed her pleasure trips, but by 1964, more people were taking cheap package holidays abroad rather than day trips to Southend, making her financially unviable and she was withdrawn from service and destined for a Belgian ship breakers. However, she was saved from this fate at the eleventh hour, and after various adventures, has now returned to the River Medway where, after a great deal of fund raising by a band of dedicated volunteers and enthusiasts and with the help of a National Lottery grant, she is now in the process of being preserved for future generations to enjoy.
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Northfleet History Group - 4th April 2017 Meeting Report.
A SCHOOLGIRL’S WAR
Once again, there was hardly a empty seat in St Botolph’s church hall, when Mary Smith presented a talk based on a book she has produced, entitled ‘A Schoolgirl’s War’. The book features the exquisite and highly original art work of a wartime teacher working at Maidstone Girls Grammar School, who set out to document in paint and pencil the lives of schoolchildren as the Second World War unfolded. Mary also told us some of the anecdotes she had gathered from 53 ‘old girls’ of the school who shared their memories with her, which included disrupted schooling, air raids, doodlebugs and underground lessons in shelters - an experience which was shared by so many children across the region, not least in Northfleet. This was an absolutely fascinating and very nostalgic talk, which brought back memories for many of our members and was very much enjoyed.
Mary’s talk replaced the advertised talk on the paddle steamer ‘Medway Queen’ which will now be presented by Mark Bathurst at our next meeting, which takes place on 2nd May.
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Mary’s talk replaced the advertised talk on the paddle steamer ‘Medway Queen’ which will now be presented by Mark Bathurst at our next meeting, which takes place on 2nd May.
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Northfleet History Group - 7th March 2017 Meeting Report.
GRAVESEND’S STATUES AND MEMORIALS
Another capacity audience packed St Botolph’s church hall for our meeting on Tuesday, 7th March, when Gravesend Historical Society’s Hon. Secretary Sandra Soder returned to give us a presentation in which she explored the various commemorative plaques and statues to be found in and around Gravesend, ranging from the statue of Princess Pocahontas, and the memorial plaque to Robert Pocock who introduced the first printing press to the town, right through to the statue of General Charles Gordon who commanded the New Tavern Fort and among his many charitable works established a Ragged School in the town. She also recalled how the clock tower was erected by public subscription in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Many of the statues and memorials were presented to the town by George Matthews Arnold who was seven times mayor of Gravesend in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Sandra also mentioned, among others, the memorial to Squadron Leader Robert Palmer VC and brought us right up to date with the recent unveiling of the statue of Squadron Leader Mahinder Singh Pujji DFC in St Andrew’s Gardens. A very interesting talk which was very well received.
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Northfleet History Group - 7th February 2017 Meeting Report.
THE LONDON RIVER PILOTS
It was almost standing room only in St Botolph’s church hall, when Capt. Jon Stafford of the Port of London Authority gave us a presentation explaining the work of the river pilots who board and safely guide more than 10,000 ships a year through the River Thames.
Jon mentioned the hazards of climbing a rope ladder from the pilot cutter to the deck of a ship (which can often be as high as the distance from your garden path to the top of the chimney pot) in rough weather, and then having to walk through several decks before having to converse with a crew who may not necessarily have a good command of English. This was a very entertaining and often amusing talk, with a strong local connection, which was very well received.
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Jon mentioned the hazards of climbing a rope ladder from the pilot cutter to the deck of a ship (which can often be as high as the distance from your garden path to the top of the chimney pot) in rough weather, and then having to walk through several decks before having to converse with a crew who may not necessarily have a good command of English. This was a very entertaining and often amusing talk, with a strong local connection, which was very well received.
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David Stanley Jewiss
22nd December 1939 - 4th December 2016.
A large group with many members of the N.H.G., attended the funeral of David Jewiss on Wednesday, 25th January 2017 at Northfleet Reformed Church. The service was taken by Revd Samantha Sheeham, with hymns, prayers and readings.
After the Service, many people also attended David's Burial at
Northfleet Cemetery in Springhead Road, Northfleet.
David, who was Vice-Chairman of the Group will be sadly missed by all members.
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22nd December 1939 - 4th December 2016.
A large group with many members of the N.H.G., attended the funeral of David Jewiss on Wednesday, 25th January 2017 at Northfleet Reformed Church. The service was taken by Revd Samantha Sheeham, with hymns, prayers and readings.
After the Service, many people also attended David's Burial at
Northfleet Cemetery in Springhead Road, Northfleet.
David, who was Vice-Chairman of the Group will be sadly missed by all members.
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Northfleet History Group - 3rd January 2017 Meeting Report.
Greenhithe to Greyhithe (and back again!)
Popular local historian Christoph Bull joined us for our first meeting of 2017, to give a presentation entitled ‘Greenhithe to Greyhithe (and back again!)’ in which he gave a potted history of Greenhithe and, as the title suggests, followed its transformation from an idyllic riverside village which attracted wealthy residents, such as the famous cookery expert, Mrs Beeton, through the period of industrial development by the cement manufacturers from the mid-1800s and the establishment of the shipping company, F.T. Everard’s to the present day when it has once again become an attractive place to live beside the river Thames. He also spoke about Greenhithe’s long association with the Thames Nautical Training College, HMS Worcester and the other training ships, Warspite, Arethusa and Cutty Sark which were moored in the river for many years.
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