Posted on Sep 21, 2025
Reproduced with the kind permission of ©National Portrait Gallery x167928 Admiral Sir William Lowther Grant KCB (1864-1929) was born on 10th November 1864, the eldest boy in a family of six children. His father was a banker, and later a JP. They lived in the Portsmouth area, settling at Monckton House, Alverstoke in the 1870s. Grant went to school at nearby Stubbington House, known as ‘the cradle of the Navy’, with close links to the training ship HMS Britannia, which he entered as a cadet in 1877. Although he had been placed twenty-third out of forty six successful candidates in the Naval Cadetship examination, he was described as ‘very promising’, and progressed from midshipman in 1879, to sub-lieutenant in 1883 after serving in the Anglo-Egyptian War (1882), and lieutenant in 1884. In 1896 he qualified in torpedo duties and commanded a torpedo boat for manoeuvres in 1887. By 1893 Grant was recommended for promotion, as he was said to be ‘very trustworthy, and handles [the] flotilla with skill’. In 1896 he was commended again for his ‘zeal and ability’ in preparing a report on trials of a Howell Torpedo at Newport, Rhode Island, and in 1897 was promoted to Commander. From 1898 he worked at the Admiralty’s Naval Ordnance Department. In January 1900 he landed in Cape Colony, was mentioned in despatches, and became a Captain in October 1900, in recognition of his service in the Second Boer War, where his detachment was nicknamed ‘Grant’s Guns’. He was in command of Monarch, Sutlej, Hawke and Cornwallis during the early 1900s, and was Naval Advisor to the Inspector-General of Fortifications. He acted as a Naval Aide-de-Camp to Edward VII in September 1908, and also became the Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence in the same year, before being promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral in October 1909, shortly before his forty-fifth birthday. From 1910 he was based at Sheerness (where he was stationed till November 1911), for special service with the Vice-Admiral Commanding the Third and Fourth Divisions of the Home Fleet. In King George V’s Coronation Honours in 1911, Grant was appointed Companion in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, becoming a Knight Commander (K.C.B.) in 1917. At the outbreak of the First World War, he initially commanded the Sixth Cruiser Squadron from HMS Drake, based at Scapa Flow, before he was promoted to Vice-Admiral in July 1915 and transferred abroad. He was then made Commander in Chief of the China Station in 1916, then Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station in 1918. By now Sir William Lowther Grant, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 1st September 1918. When he left the United States in 1919, the American Secretary of the Navy expressed his ‘sincere regret’ at the departure of ‘this talented and gifted officer’. For his wartime service abroad he was awarded the USA’s Distinguished Service Medal, the Légion...
Read More »
Posted on Sep 21, 2025
Admiral JOHN FORBES (1714 – 1796) was mentor to John Locker, Horatio Nelson’s “Sea Daddy.” He refused to sign the Death Warrant of Vice-Admiral Byng. Born in Minorca he was the son of the third Earl of Granard. He served on the Burford under his uncle Hon. Charles Stewart. In 1729 Stewart promoted Forbes to Lieutenant. He was Captain of the Poole, later commanding the Port Mahon, the Severn, the Tiger and the Guernsey. Commanding the Norfolk in 1742 he took part in the battle off Toulon in 1744, and gave evidence in the Parliamentary enquiry. As Rear Admiral of the Blue in 1747 he was second in command to John Byng. In 1748 he rose to Rear Admiral of the White. He became Vice-Admiral of the Blue 1755 and was elected to the Irish Parliament. Under William Pitt he became a member of the Admiralty Board. Forbes refused to sign the Death Warrant of Vice-Admiral Byng as he was convinced it was illegal. Many Europeans said that “From time to time the English hang an Admiral to encourage the rest”. In 1758 he married Lady Mary Capel and became Admiral of the Blue, Admiral of the White 1770, and Admiral of the Fleet 1781. He bought Malling Place in 1779, where he lived until his death in 1796. He was highly respected. Forbes passed his vast knowledge of naval matters to his friend and colleague William Locker, Horatio Nelson’s acknowledged mentor and so called “Sea Daddy”. More...
Read More »
Posted on Sep 21, 2025
‘Five Kings, One Queen, One Bishop, One Archbishop, and Two Traitorous Knights’ The group of buildings here on the corner of High Street and Swan Street is of national importance and has a remarkable documented history. Its relationship to the Norman abbey of West Malling has been revealed and there is much exciting research to be done. In 1066 William of Normandy acquired the throne of England by conquest at the Battle of Hastings. Initially the land was assessed, redistributed and reorganised, followed by an intense period of castle and monastery building. Many churches were enlarged, and Saxon landlords were replaced by landowners with Norman French names. In 1077 the famous military and ecclesiastical architect Gundulf was appointed Bishop of Rochester, and subsequently began building St Mary’s Abbey in West Malling, believed by some authorities to be sited on all or part of the site of a Saxon Monastery (according to information held by the nuns of Malling Abbey). He is also credited with starting the building of St Leonard’s Tower at the same time, and probably the unique Norman building to the rear of 67 High Street (Source – Memories of Malling and Its Valley, C.H.Fielding). The Ancient House, West Malling The Ancient House (also known locally as the Norman House) is at the rear of 67 High Street and is now attached to it, forming part of that property. Its east wall (pictured) can be seen from Swan Yard, just off Swan Street. It is a Grade 1 listed building and much more information on it can be found at: https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101292809-the-ancient-house-and-65-and-67-high-street-west-malling#.YRUMkM1Kipo It is of Norman origin (c.1080) with many later modifications. It was built outside the Abbey walls, but at the same time, and was probably ecclesiastical in purpose. It is built of ragstone, with tufa blocks where needed structurally. The bottom right-hand corner of the east wall is particularly interesting, and is shown enlarged below. Evidence of a semi-circular tufa arch indicates the top of a doorway, and a tufa impost block supporting the arch can be clearly seen. Normally the impost block would be at roughly shoulder height, indicating that the doorway most likely extends downwards to ground level at the time of building – about a metre below ground level in 2021. Starting with the first Abbess, named Avicia, the Abbey prospered, despite fire and plague, becoming one of the richest in England. In 1278 the Abbess claimed liberties granted by Henry III, including a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays together with ingfangtheif (the right to administer summary justice), granted by King John, and the right to hold fairs was granted by Henry III. The St Leonard’s Day Fair was still being held on November 17th until at least the end of the nineteenth century. West Malling Abbey (18th century) A market cross stood at the junction of Swan Street (then called Holyrode,...
Read More »
Posted on Sep 21, 2025
JOHN DOWNMAN (1750 – 1824) was a minor but prolific painter, primarily of portraits, carried out in pastels or watercolours, or a combination of these. His portrait style, rapid, bright and light, is instantly recognisable and became very popular with the aristocracy. Downman studied with Benjamin West after moving to London from Lancashire in 1767, and went to Italy with Wright of Derby and others in 1773/74, returning in 1775. He initially settled in Cambridge, where he was supported by the Mortlock family, local bankers, painting a series of portraits of the family. He was in London from 1778 to 1804 before moving to West Malling (which he refers to as “Town Malling”), where his brother, Lieut-Col Francis Downman was already living at Brome House. At Went House he enjoyed time in the garden, producing sketches of toads and robins which he had apparently tamed, and painting local personalities, including members of the Douce family into which his niece, Jane, had married; and the Larking family of Clare House, East Malling. After two years in West Malling he moved to live in the West Country, then London, Chester and Wrexham where his only daughter married and where he died. A list of his portraits reads like a Who’s Who of the period including: Queen Charlotte; Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Sarah Siddons; Horatio Nelson; Frederick The Great of Prussia; Richard Brinsley Sheridan; ‘Monk’ Lewis and so on. Further reading: *John Downman ARA by Dr Williamson (1907) *Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 by Neil Jeffares (updated 2010) More...
Read More »
Posted on Sep 21, 2025
WILLIE EMERSON DEDRICK was born in Snodland and died 18th March 1963 aged 77 years. His wife Doris Harriet died 2nd December 1981 aged 90 years. He was a scholar at Marlborough College and Managing Director of Snodland Paper Mill from 1919 to 1963. His father William was Managing Director before him and rebuilt the business following the disastrous fire of 1906 thus saving the livelihoods of many workers. Willie enabled the continued success of the business by links with The Times etc. A keen collector of art and antiques, he paid for the construction of windows in All Saints Snodland from Medieval fragments left after a bomb blast. A beautiful window commemorating him by Moira Forsyth was installed in the ancient All Saints Church Snodland in 1963 and a garden built near the High Street. More information on the window can be found in Snodland Museum. Willie Emerson Dedrick sat on the Bench at West Malling and was High Sheriff of Kent in 1952. The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular crown office. Originally the principal law officer, the role of Sheriff is now largely ceremonial. At the end of WW2 Mrs Dedrick ceremonially planted a flowering crab apple tree at the North end of the small green on which stand the Town Sign and the Statue “Hope”. It is possible that the tree also commemorates his nephew Richard William Pearson killed in HMS Hasty off Malta June 1942 aged 22 years. The tree is still living at the date of writing. Lord Abergavenny succeeded Willie as Chairman of Snodland Paper Mill 1963 and KJ Funnel, author of the book Snodland Paper Mill, became Managing Director. Andrew Ashbee, Curator of Snodland Museum says … William Dedrick (d.1920) and Willie Emerson Dedrick (d.1963) were, in their turn, Managing Directors of the Paper Mill. Both, too, served the church faithfully in many ways for many years. Some of the valuable glass destroyed in the war was salvaged and re-instated through the kindness of WE Dedrick at a cost of £200. This is now placed in the west windows of the aisles, both carrying the same inscription: “Damaged by enemy action 1941 and restored 1949 in memory of William Dedrick (1857-1920) of the Paper Mill and of his grandson Richard Pearson killed in HMS Hasty off Malta, June 1942.” In 1966 Mrs. Doris Dedrick gave a beautiful window in memory of her husband. Designed by Miss Moira Forsyth, ARCA, FMGP, it replaces the “Palmer window” which was destroyed. The inscription reads: “To the GLORY of GOD and in loving memory of WILLIE EMERSON DEDRICK J. P., Paper Maker, High Sheriff of Kent, 1952. 10th May 1885 – 18th March 1963.’’ The following description was provided when the window was dedicated: “The Church of All Saints is an ancient foundation and stands on the old Pilgrim’s Way. The window has been designed to commemorate these pilgrimages...
Read More »
