THE COCKPIT
A Publication of the Chislehurst Society (Founded 1934)
The Cockpit, on Chislehurst Common, has been the traditional meeting place for Chislehurst people
on all great occasions from time immemorial
No. 72
Autumn 1999
contribute to the book of memories, send to John
Sutherland, 13 Ravenshill, Chislehurst, BR7 5PD or
telephone him on 0181 467 0037 to discuss details.
If you do write an article for Cockpit, please do not
despair if it does not appear in the next edition. As
articles are usually of an historical nature there is no
particular hurry to publish, so the general rule is; that
they are published in the order in which they are
received; and if there is a glut it may not be possible
to include them all in the next edition therefore they
may be held over. It is better for the Editor to be
spoiled for choice than to have nothing to use! In
this connection, we apologise for the lateness of the
annual progress report about Scadbury archaeology;
by the time this edition is published the Open Days of
11th and 12th September will have gone by. We
hope that many of you managed to be there, all the
same.
EDITORIAL NOTES
Here we are again, as promised, with our Autumn
edition. After some discussion it has been agreed
that there will be two editions The of Cockpit a year,
one in spring, about April or 'Nfay, and one in
Autumn, about October. This is how The Cockpit
was produced for many years. Everything depends
upon a steady supply of material. At present there is
a reasonable amount in hand, but further
contributions are always welcome.
~
Our thanks are due to those readers who responded
to our appeal for further information about a military
vehicle assessment centre, and the various uses to
which so many large houses were put during the war
years. The result of this appeal has made an article
for this edition. We received an appreciative letter
from New Zealand relating to John Mansell's
memories of the 1940s and 50s; it seems that copies
of The Cockpit are sent world-wide to Chislehurst
exiles. This sort of response gladdens an Editor's
heart; it proves that at least Someone Out There is
reading Cockpit. In connection with Mr Mansell' s
article, it has been pointed out that the Mr Eggleston
he remembers as "Eggie" was in fact Frank
Eglesfield, who was a scout on the Invicta Troop as
a boy, and that the Hawkwood Troop he formed was
for the boys at St Michael's Orphanage in School
Lane.
ROSE COTTAGE - A POTTED mSTORY
By Keith Heselden
Personal reminiscences, however slight, are always
of interest, and can be of considerable value when
they illuminate the past. Bearing in mind that one of
the Millennium projects in hand is a book of
Chislehurst memories, material of this nature sent to
the Editor might be suitable for inclusion in this
book, as well as, or instead of, inclusion in Cockpit.
Any contributions should be sent to Roy Hopper,
Editor, Cockpit, care of Chislehurst Library; or if
you are feeling more ambitious, and wish to
Rose Cottage, situated in Old Perry Street, stands
half hidden by tall hedges almost opposite the Sydney
Arms public house. The cottage was originally built
in the early 18th Century by the then Lord of the
Manor, as a dwelling place for his labourers working
the farmland of the historic Scadbury Estate. It is a
partially timber framed structure, built of local
materials, the typical handmade red bricks of the
period all being manufactured locally at the long-gone
Chislehurst brickworks, that stood on Red Hill .
Evidence for this is seen in the name "J Pascall" ,
found on many bricks, and on some of the original
chimney pots . Unusual beam and stud work make up
the timber framing, and it appears that most of the
timbers have been reclaimed from other sources.
Expert opinion suggests that some of the timbers have
been used in shipbuilding, and with the fairly close
proximity of the Thames and Chatham boatyards , this
seems highly probable. Rose Cottage was originally
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a single dwelling, but clearly during its early history
several alterations were made, and eventually it
became three fully self-contained dwellings . This can
be visualised easily today by the presence of three
separate front and back doors, and the addition of
three outside toilets. Apart from the two staircases in
use today, traces of a third can also be found.
During the early 1900s the cottage was the home of
the proprietor of the village laundry, who very
appropriately had the name of Mr George Ringer.
The laundry was in fact called "The Rose Cottage
Laundry"; some of the washing and ironing
outbuildings together with the stables are now
currently occupied by the HSW Timber Company,
who also own what was the old village school next
door. Part of the former clothes drying grounds,
then called the paddock, is now built over with the
recent construction of the private house named "The
Gables". During early August 1979 a children's
author, Doris Watson, paid what was her first visit to
Rose Cottage since the summer of 1~. As a young
child then, she visited Auntie and Uncle Ringer each
summer, and spent many happy days in the country
at Chislehurst. Now living in Bognor Regis , Sussex,
Doris felt the urge to retrace her earlier steps in
Chislehurst, and in particular to see the cottage again,
as she had just completed her book, "The Little
Demon", which described her youthful experiences
during her summer vacations there.
During her visit Doris was able to confrrm the
various uses and layout of the sixteen rooms and the
garden, relating to the story within her book. One
memory was of the Ringers' talking pet parrot, which
during the summer months perched on a special stand
close to the front garden gate , and, to the delight of
the children, entertained the passing walkers and
Sunday lunchtime visitors to the Sydney Arms. The
Ringer family remained in occupation until the late
1920s. On the outbreak of World War II Chislehurst
and Sidcup Urban District Council used the then
vacant cottage as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) post
for a Heavy Rescue team, comprising the following
local volunteers: Bill Packman, Bert (?) Newton, Sid
Kidd, Harold Martin, a Mr Palmer, Bill Weston, Bill
Longhurst, and Too Wafmer. To this day Mr
Newton's name can be clearly seen etched into the
brickwork of the bread oven section of the inglenook
fireplace. Rescue vehicles were parked at the rear,
and the cottage itself was duly protected by filled
sandbags, piled up to approximately six feet. The
author has photographs of the above squad members,
and of the fortified cottage, in his collection. During
the war Rose Cottage suffered blast damage on
several occasions; the most serious being at 3am on
8th February 1945 when a V2 rocket impacted close
to Scadbury Manor House. The author has in his
possession a small sprocket from the chain-driven
guidance system of the missile, collected at the time
by the then resident of the cottage, Mr Alan Gasson.
Since then, many artefacts of the period have been
found on the site, together with other items such as
bottles, clay pipes, pottery and so on, from earlier
times.
From circa 1900 to the present day, some ten
occupiers and their families have lived in the cottage,
and the present owners have resided there for the last
30 years .
During the early 1960's the building was recognised
to have architectural features of special historical
interest, and it was subsequently designated as a
Grade II Listed Building.
STOCKMAN'S ROW
Here, in a slightly edited form, are two pieces by
Brian Turner Stockman, or Rocky Stockman as he is
better known. He raised an enquiry at the Library
about Stockman's Row many years ago. He gleaned
some information, but certain points remained to be
resolved when the first article, "Mystery ... " was
published in the North West Kent Family History
Society Journal in 1981.
Subsequent research
confirmed what appears in the second article,
"Blackney the Blacksmith"; Stockman's Row lay
between the Old Post Office and The Fox and
Hounds (now transformed into a Dragon). Several
old house tops can be seen above the shop fronts in
this section of the High Street, and these are probably
the remains of this Georgian row. We are very
grateful to Mr Stockman for his permission to reprint
both pieces.
MYSTERY IN CIDSLEHURST IDGH STREET!
WHERE WAS "STOCKMAN'S ROW"?
Brian Turner Stockman
The mystery began for me forty years ago, on the
upper deck of a No. 161 bus as it pulled away from
a stop alongside Chislehurst Pond (or Prickend
Pond). My mother pointed across the High Street to
a row of terrace roofs behind the shops and told me
that it was Stockman's Row . Oh, if only I had asked
more questions then!
We lived at Eltham. My brothers and I never heard
about our forebears except those still living, but one
of the oft repeated family yarns was about the loss of
"our rightful inheritance" . The story went that my
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father, Charles George Turner Stockman, had been
given leave during World War I to claim his
inheritance - a row of cottages in Chislehurst called
"Stockman's Row" . There was further talk about it
having been "in Chancery" for years and that it
would have cost too much to get it out again, and the
claim was never pursued.
The cottages were supposed to have been near the
High Street, opposite the pond, and, according to the
yarn, a concrete tablet in the front wall bore the
name "Stockman's Row".
After the death of his parents in the 1970s, Mr
Stockman started to pursue his family history, and
resolved a number of mysteries.
He was also
involved in putting together many family yarns in a
booklet, for the benefit of later Stockman
generations. His article continued:
My great-grandfather was William Turner Stockman
who he was born at Chislehurst in 1851, the fifth
child and eldest son born to his parents - all in
Chislehurst. His father was a grocer of the Prickend
part of Chislehurst, near the pond, and seems to have
been one of the village worthies.
Great-great-grandfather was William Stockman Jm
who had married Elizabeth Annabella Turner, and the
St. Nicholas vestry council minutes show that he
often served as overseer for the Upper Boro of
Chislehurst, or as a Commissioner for HM Court of
Requests; in other years he had the contract for
supplying the Poor House with groceries.
The earliest record I have of my
great-great-great-grandparents (John and Harriot
Stockman) being in Chislehurst was about 1840, but
John's elder brother, William Stockman Sm, had
been there since at least 1797, when he was
appointed for the first time as Commissioner for HM
Court of Requests. William Stockman Sm seems to
have been even more of a local worthy than his
nephew William Stockman Jm. I think that he must
have been in Chislehurst earlier than 1797 and he
was a man of some means, for when he died in 1839
he left £1,500 in cash. The father of John and
William Sm was Francis Stockman who died in
Chislehurst, at the ripe age of 91, in 1817, but I do
not know how long he had been there.
The earliest reference I have found to "Stockman's
Row" was in Tom Bushell's "Old Chislehurst":
"An ancient lady, Miss Mary Stone,
reminiscing in 1868, said that she
came to Chislehurst in 1772 and at
that time there were no houses in
Prickend on the right going to
London, excepting The Queens Head
and Lord Sydney's farm at the bottom
of Red Hill (now Albany Road). On
the other side of the High Street,
which was then called Stockman's
Row .... n
As late as 1st September 1891, the BromJey Record
newspaper reports an application to sell wines and
spirits from a grocer "of the Post Office, Stockman's
Road, Chislehurst" . The street directory for the
same year gives the address of the Post Office (as
now) as being in the High Street. No doubt a
number of local people still used the old name.
I do not know when the High Street was first called
Stockman's Row, or when it ceased. What I would
really like to know, for sure, is if it got its name
from my family or whether it was just coincidence;
the former seems the more reasonable.
My family were still at Chislehurst into the 1860's,
and in 1865 great-grandfather William Turner
Stockman was listed in the West Kent Poll Book as
entitled to vote in that year's Parliamentary Election,
although he abstained.
The next part of the Stockman's Row story involved
a colourful local figure, the Village Blacksmith,
Samuel Blackney. This is one of the family yarns
that Mr Stockman has collected.
BLACKNEY THE BLACKSMITH
Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands .
His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face
For he owes not any man.
- First two verses of The Village Blacksmith
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Under a spreading chestnut tree was the blacksmith's
forge at Chislehurst in Kent, from about 1790 until as
recently as 1960.
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...
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the American poet
and Harvard professor, visited Europe 1826-1829 and
again in 1839.
"The Village Blacksmith" was
published in 1841 and local Chislehurst folklore
claims that Longfellow was inspired to compose his
famous poem by the picturesque setting of their
village smithy. The beautiful rural scene of the
spreading chestnut tree and forge was made even
better by being opposite the village pond, on the
other side of what is today Chislehurst High Street
but was then called Stockman's Row.
Samuel Blackney was Chislehurst's blacksmith at the
time when Longfellow may have visited. He had
inherited the forge from his father, Chislehurst's
original "Blackney the blacksmith", and he worked
there with his brother Thomas who was the village
wheelwright.
The brothers kept their accounts,
recorded in copperplate-style handwriting, in
leather-bound books which were kept on a shelf near
the furnace. The books stayed on that shelf, even
though the Blackneys were later succeeded by another
family of blacksmiths, until the last blacksmith died
in 1960.
As often happens during a house-clearing after a
death, the relatives burned unwanted items and other
rubbish on a bonfire, and the books of Blackney the
blacksmith were thus consigned to the flames.
Someone had second thoughts, and dragged them
from the fire. The earliest book, dating from 1792,
went up with the flames but the others were saved
and donated to the local history archives (Their
saviour was Thomas Bushell - Editor) .
I found the Blackney accounts books while
researching my family's history . The Stockman
family were grocers in Chislehurst even before the
Blackneys set up their smithy under the spreading
chestnut tree nearby, and were the Stockmans after
whom Stockman's Row was named. There were four
pages of my family's personal accounts with the
blacksmith and wheelwright, from 1840 to 1848.
During those eight years I discovered that my family
were forever losing keys and having, to have new
ones cut, paying sixpence (2 1/2p in decimal money) a
time for ringing a pig, having kettles and saucepans
repaired, and paying their income tax to Samuel
Blackney at two shillings and eleven pence a year
(15p) .
Us latterday Stockmans are careful about money,
having been brought up on Grandmother Stockman's
exhortation of "Never go to bed unless you've made
a profit l " I totted up Samuel Blackney's figures and
discovered that, in 1840, he had over-charged my
great-great-grandfather by a penny: demanding
£2.9s.5d instead of £2.9s.4d! Even worse, in 1842
he had over-charged my great-great grandmother (by
then recently widowed) by two pence !
I now look upon the last three lines in verse two of
The Village Blacksmith in a new light:
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face
For he owes not any man .
I have nothing against Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
as a chap, after all he might have bought a few
refreshments from my great-great grandfather's
grocery during his visit to Chislehurst in 1839. Nor
can I question the accuracy of his assessment of
Blackney in the line "He earns whate'er he can" i.e.
blacksmithery, wheelwrightery, collecting taxes, and
over-charging widows! Was Longfellow duped by
the way Blackney " ... looks the whole world in the
face"? He must have been or he would never have
written "For he owes not any man" - he owes us
Stockmans! What is the compound interest on 3d
over 150 years?
I traced a Blackney
great-great-grandson, and wrote to him . He had
continued some of his family's tradition and was a
senior officer in the engineering branch of the RAF.
We have never met but, if we do, he has promised to
buy me a beer on the strength of his family's debt.
I'll settle for that!
Did Blackney the blacksmith really over -charge the
Stockmans 150 years ago, and would I have been so
petty as to trace a descendant so as to visit the sins of
a great-great-grandfather unto the fourth generation?
Is this TALL STORY true or false? (Revelation on
back page).
A SHORT mSTORY OF THE BELL-RINGING
BRETT-SMITH FAMILY
Robert Brett was born at Stanstead, Suffolk, in 1870.
At the age of 12 he started work on the land at
Stanstead Hall. He became interested in bell-ringing
at 14, and his father put him under the guidance of
the renowned Suffolk bell-ringer, Samuel Slater.
Robert was soon in the Stanstead Church team, and
by 1890 his name was to be seen on many pealboards in Suffolk churches. He met his wife,
Harriet, at Stanstead Hall , where she worked as a
kitchen maid , and they were married on Christmas
Day, 1894.
Family tradition says that Robert
acquired the "Smith" at the ceremony, due to a
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muddle with the certificates; he remained Brett-Smith
thereafter. They moved to Nottingham around 1898,
and came to Chislehurst in 1900, living first in
Victoria Road, and fmally at 68 White Horse Hill.
In 1900 Robert joined the St Nicholas Band of
Ringers, and remained a member until his death in
1935. During those years he rang for service on
Sundays, and always attended practice on Monday
evenings, and often took his part in peals of 5,000 or
more changes. He was also a skilled handbell ringer,
and joined the Camden Handbell Ringers, which had
been formed by Thomas Groombridge junior, son of
the Tower Captain at St Nicho1as. The Camden band
were very popular and played at concerts and
gathering over a wide area. They were in great
demand to play carols at large houses in Chis1ehurst
and the surrounding area during the Christmas
period. The payment for playing augmented the
family budget, and was welcome at this time of year .
It was Robert's desire that all the family should share
in his love of bell-ringing, and obviously the potential
for a family band was always in mind. In 1913 he
bought a second-hand set of handbells, intending to
teach four of his sons to ring changes, so that they
would be fairly accomplished before they started
ringing in the church tower. In descending age they
were Percy, Tom, David and Cyril. The eldest son,
Jack, was working away from home at that time, but
on his return he was also taught. The six daughters
also learned the skill. Jack, David and five of the
girls gave up after a few years, but Lizzie progressed
and became a member of the St Nicholas team.
Robert, Percy and Cyril were also in the team, and
on 24th March 1925 they took part in a peal of 5,040
changes.
When the war broke out in 1914, Robert went into
munitions, and worked at Woolwich Arsenal for a
long time. After the war he returned to his first
occupation of Landscaping, which he enjoyed. He
often spent time cutting turf on piece-work, and was
skilled at land drainage, as well as with different
types of landscaping. In his spare time he grew
vegetables on his allotment on White Horse Hill, to
help feed his large family; later he took a second
allotment, which provided nearly all the family's
needs throughout the year. Even when this need
passed, Robert continued with his allotments.
Obviously his love of horticulture was pretty deepseated.
Between 1921 and 1933, Robert and Cyril took part
in ten peals of 5,000 and more changes. Robert also
taught his family to play tunes on the handbells , and
in about 1920 the sons formed a family band. They
played at concerts and broadcast on BBC Radio from
Savoy Hill Studio, on "2LO". In the 1930s the BrettSmith talents were used by Quaker Oats to advertise
their product on radio. At this time they had the
opportunity to turn professional, but they found that
the fees were low and expenses high. In 1936 they
also broadcast from Radio Luxembourg.
From about 1950 they took part in the Carroll Lewis
Show. Like the Camden Band, they were in demand
at Christmas time in the Chislehurst area.
All the sons except Jack married, but they still met
once a week for practice at 68 White Horse Hill.
After renumbering, this house became number 78.
Jack died in 1931. When the families of Percy and
David were old enough, they also formed two
handbell bands.
Robert was a member of the Lewisham District of the
Kent County Association Ringers, and also of the
Ancient Society of College Youths. In this capacity
he rang many peals in North West Kent. This often
entailed walking to Bromley, Lewisham, Farningham,
Eyensford and Shoreham, which he was only too
happy to do for his pursuit of bell-ringing.
Throughout his life his work was always arduous,
physical and demanding. When he first came to
Chislehurst he worked as a carter, and later as a
greens man on the Camden Golf Course.
In 1935, at the age of 65, Robert died. Cyril
continued ringing handbell peals and church peals
until 1947, by which time he had taken part in a total
of 27 recorded peals. He was also in the Beckenham
Band 1934 and 1935, Crayford Band 1936 to 1966,
and Christchurch Band, Erith 1967 to 1989, by which
date he was 83.
Throughout the years at family gatherings the
handbells were played at weddings, and the Bride and
Groom on leaving the church would be greeted by
the sound of the handbells arranged on either side.
At family gatherings some of the younger generations
would groan when it was suggested that the handbells
were got out and played, but after a while we all
sang along to songs such as "Danny Boy", or "The
Bluebells of Scotland"; and at Christmas time we
would all sing "Silent Night", and many other carols.
About 1968 David and Percy, now being retired,
decided that with David' s set of handbells they would
tour pensioners' clubs to entertain them. They had a
good repertoire, and it was easy to sing along to the
bells. They were joined by brother Cyril 1972, and
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the band of three continued until Percy was 81 years
old. Altogether the Brett-Smith family had been
connected with handbell ringing and church bell
ringing for a period of over 90 years .
"In 1953 .they moved to newly built offices in
Kidbrooke and the house "Oakwood" and hutments
were demolished. This area now forms part of a
housing estate.
Although there were many arguments over the bells,
the family always got together regularly throughout
the years. The last survivor of the family, Lydia,
died recently in her 80s. Percy and David' s families
have not kept up the tradition of bell ringing. Alas,
I am sorry that many of us did not appreciate the
beauty of handbell playing until it was too late.
"The IEME departments continued until 1951; when
their purpose built HQ "Aquila" was ready for them
in Bickley they rationalised, and finally moved in
1952.
"These departments all moved out from the Royal
Arsenal Woolwich in 1939. Another part was the
Armaments Design Establishment, (ADE) and
Armaments Research Establishment (ARE). They
moved to Fort Halstead near Sevenoaks .
Compiled from records of Cyril Brett-Smith, and
written by George Culley.
A MILITARY VEmCLE ASSESSMENT
CENTRE IN CmSLEHURST:
PROGRESS REPORT
"I personally have happy memories of these places,
working as a Grade I shorthand typist in two of them,
and helping out sometimes at "Claverley" in Lubbock
Road.
The response to this enquiry which we raised in the
May Cockpit has been most gratifying, and we thank
those people who wrote in reply. One letter received
from Mrs Margaret Southam of Mottingham was of
sufficient historical value to be worth printing here in
full , and we thank her for granting permission to do
so. She felt some surprise at our appeal, for as she
wrote: "These places formed such a part of my youth
that it was strange to realise that they are unknown to
a later generation.
"Three houses in Manor Park, "Walsingham",
"Pelham" and "Harley" were all occupied from 1939
by the Ministry of Supply. The particular department
involved was the Inspectorate of Electrical and
Mechanical Equipment (lE ME) , who also occupied
Foxbury, Kemnal Manor, and Shepherds Green
houses, together with Farringtons School.
"From June or July 1944, aged eighteen, I was
required to sit up all night at "Bonchester" in
Camden Park Road. This was the Civil Defence
Coordination Centre for Chislehurst. In what had
been the wood panelled library, twelve telephones
waited to ring, giving news of incidents involving VI
rockets (sic), the so-called "Doodle Bugs" , which
were falling thick and fast in Chislehurst and
surrounding area.
"When the shift ended at 06.30am, the firemen and
Civil Defence workers went home. They worked 24
hours on and 24 hours off. I would walk across the
blacked-out Common and home by bus to snatch a
cup of tea and a bacon sandwich (if lucky), before
returning to do a day's work .
"Hours of work were long. As a sixteen year-old I
worked a 54 to 58 hour week for 25 shillings in old
money (£1.25 today).
Discipline was tight.
Clocking-on machines were used; three minutes
lateness, including lunch hour. meant 15 minutes loss
of pay.
"There was an electrical store and assessment centre
fronting Perry Street beyond the Sports Field at the
War Memorial. (sic)
"The house in Lubbock Road was called "Claverley" ,
now disappeared, and was occupied by people
working for UNRRA (UN Relief & Rehabilitation
Administration) .
"Despite all this, unacceptable to a modern
generation, I was happy during the seven years I
spent working in these places.
"Another department of the Ministry of Supply took
over "Oakwood" in Yester Road, and also "Walden
Knowle" in Walden Road , of which only a name
painted on a wall now remains. This was the
Inspectorate of Fighting Vehicles (IFV), who not only
occupied Oakwood House but also built hutments in
the grounds in which to carry out their tasks.
"One memory concerns a visit made to us in our
top-floor typing room with its sloping floor in what
had been the servants' quarters at Oakwood, by
Leslie Henson, then a top name in musical comedy.
He was living with his wife and several children in
Oakwood Close . This visit was part of his war
work. no doubt.
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"I hope this information concerning these
establishments will help to clear the mist which now
seems to envelope them".
Other correspondents confirmed that the vehicle
assessment centre we sought was indeed at
"Oakwood". We also learned that the house was
built in 1836 by or for one Roger de Quincey, who
is buried in St Nicholas Churchyard. We also
learned that "Bonchester" was the home of Sir
Malcolm Camp bell , who is also buried at St
Nicholas.
Another correspondent writing, as did Mrs Southam,
to inform us of other houses used for various
purposes during the War, mentioned that
"Avonhurst" in Camden Park Road was the HQ of
No 4 London District Group ATS (the women's
Auxiliary Territorial Service, and that "Oak Lodge"
in Holbrook Lane was the ATS Officers' mess. If
any other readers have similar memories or
knowledge, we would like to hear from them.
This enquiry was originally directed to the Local
Studies Library at Bromley, and was passed to the
Editor in hope of further enlightenment. All relevant
details gleaned have been passed back to the original
enquirer and also to the Senior Librarian, Local
Studies . He has made a note of what each house was
used for during the war, as a start towards
uncovering the complete history, and thanks the
Chislehurst Society for its help. An appreciative
letter of thanks has also been received from the
original enquirer, Bill Munro, who is a professional
writer and historian.
The main task was to remove carefully by trowel the
several layers of brick rubble, pebbly soil, or sand
deposited by the original builders of the ancient part
of the house, which had three main ground-floor
rooms with a brick barrel-roofed cellar beneath. This
was done to fmd out in as much detail as possible
how the house was built; for example the nature and
depth of the footings, and the methods used to build
the cellar walls . Also, and importantly, objects
found in the deposits could tell us the period of
construction of the house, previously only roughly
estimated as 15th or 16th century, from the style of
the bricks and bricklaying. We were fortunate to
find a number of sherds· of 16th century pottery, and
two groats and a half-groat of Henry VlII, (a groat
was equal to four old pence - Editor) . From these
fmds we estimate that the building was put up around
1550 or 1560, or thereabouts. Very approximately,
the coins would represent half a week's pay for a
craftsman, someone must have been annoyed to have
lost them.
Other finds have been interesting; none more so than
a stone sundial, a drawing of which is shown here.
The stone is evidently part of a larger block which
has been intentionally broken, and it is clear that the
work of engraving was left unfinished. Thus there
are no morning hour numerals before VIII, and this
numeral is only partly engraved. There are no
afternoon numerals after IIII. Normally a sundial
mould be engraved from about 4 or 5am to about 7
or 8pm.
RECENT DISCOVERIES AT SCADBURY
1998 SEASON
In this series of occasional notes, readers are kept in
touch with the work of ODAS (Orpington & District
Archaeological Society) on the 13th to 18th century
ruins and remains within and near the Moat in
Scadbury Park Nature Reserve.
Excavations during 1998 centred mainly on the
foundations of the mansion of the MarshamTownshends, which until 1976 stood outside the
moat.
It had an ancient central portion with
surrounding wings which were added later. The
remains of the mansion are not usually open to the
public, as they are next to the working farm
buildings, as well as being at present an
archaeological site. However, visitors are very
welcome each year on the Open Afternoons, this year
(1999) on 11 th and 12th September.
Drawing by John Hodge
As the dial's delicate markings are sharp and
undamaged, and it'was well stratified, there is every
likelihood that it is contemporary with the deposit (ie.
16th century). The engraving work is very precise,
and the hour angles are close to the theoretical
values. Sundials, especially some beautifully made
complex metal examples, were objects of
considerable prestige in the 16th century.
For
example, Nicholas Kratzer of Munich, who was
horologer to Henry VIII, constructed a complex dial
for Cardinal Wolosey, and was an acquaintance of
Page 7
- -- - - -
•
Holbein who painted Kratzer in 1528 working on a
similar dial.
THE REVELATION ABOUT BLACKNEY THE
BLACKSMITH True or false?
We are at present also working on the south part of
the island wall, by the public path. Some years ago
we excavated the area behind the northern part in
order to find its previously unknown construction
date (about 1450). We now need to include the
shorter, more ruined but less complicated southern
stretch in our forthcoming publication of this part of
the excavations. We have been able largely to
reconstruct (only on paper!) the 15th century
appearance here. The original wall was built here, in
two sections, against the vertical island edge after the
moat was drained. It has also been possible to
confirm that the whole corner of the island here
collapsed and was rebuilt by Hugh
Marsham-Townshend around 1930.
I cannot vouch for the truth of Henry Wads worth
Longfellow being inspired to pen "The Village
Blacksmith" after seeing Blackney's forge under a
spreading chestnut tree in Stockman's Row in
Chislehurst, or even if he passed through Chislehurst
during his European travels, despite the local
tradition that he did.
In addition to the excavation work, the perpetual task
of trying to prevent weeds from damaging the
remaining foundations on the island has continued.
We will again look forward to seeing many of the
readers of "The Cockpit" on our Open Afternoons in
September.
Alan Hart
Editor's Foot1lote:
It is regretted that it was not possible to include this
article in the May edition of The Cockpit, and that
this current edition has appeared after the Open
Afternoons took place. Further information about
ODAS can be obtained from the Membership
Secretary, Michael Meekums, 27 Eynsford Close,
Petts Wood, Kent BR5 IDP - Telephone: 01698
824565
WEBB'S "IllSTORY OF
CENTENARY REPRINT
CIllSLEHURST" ,
We are happy to announce that further copies of this
reprint are now available. Please get in touch with
Roy Hopper, via Chislehurst Library, or telephone
him at home: 0181 302 2842 (or with the new-style
number 020 8302 2842). This valuable history of the
parish up to the end of the 19th century would make
an excellent Christmas present for someone,
somewhere. The price is still held at £30, and the
book is available only via the Chislehurst Society, as
indicated above.
The part of what is now Chislehurst High Street,
opposite Prickend Pond, was known as Stockman's
Row from the 1770s until the late 1800s. My
Stockman ancestors were grocers there until some
time in the 1840s and 1850s.
The smithy, and the spreading chestnut tree, were
demolished in 1960. A bank now occupies the site
and there is a plaque in the front wall
commemorating the years when it was a forge in the
shade of a chestnut tree.
What I have written about the Blackneys and their
accounts books is true, and we were over-charged by
a penny in 1840 and by tuppence in 1842. I came
across the name and address of Thomas Blackney' s
great-great-grandson in a genealogical directory and
by coincidence he was, like me, then serving as an
officer in the RAF and, yes!, I was petty enough to
write to him and, among other items of genealogical
information, tell him about his old family debt!
This is an extract from TALL STORIES or WOULD
YOU BELIEVE IT? by Rocky Stockman
<l:l Copyright: Rocky Stockman 1997.
Further details fro11l:
Rocky Stockman MBE
Byways
Goodnestone Road
Wingham
Canterbury
Kent CT3 lAR
Telephone: 01227 720805
Editor's Footnote:
The plaque in the wall of Barclay' s Bank
commemorates Lash's Forge that stood there until
1960, but the original forge here was started by the
Blackneys from 1792 .
See Bushell: Imperial
Chislehurst, Page 108.
The Cockpit is a Pu"blication of the Chislehurst Society * . All material is copyright.
For further information or to discuss any issues raised in The Cockpit, please
write to the editor at The Cockpit, PO Box 82, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5TT
' The Chis le hurs t S ocie ty . Regi s te red Charity No . 298 413
Page 8