Arthur William Smale (1858-1938) : Town Councillor

 There is an inscription on the outside of Dartford Library which records that A W Smale opened the building in 1916. 

This prompted me to find out more about A W Smale. I discovered that he was born, married and died in Dartford, did not come from a wealthy family, ran a successful bakery business in Lowfield Street, had retired by the age of 42 and was active in local government in Dartford for over 40 years.

Arthur William Smale was born 14 April 1858 in Dartford. His birth was registered as Arthur Smale (with no middle name). He was a child of Richard Smale and his wife Hannah Maria nee Colyer who married in 1849 in the City of London.

Richard Smale (aged 39, a carpenter, born in Sutton at Hone) and his family were living in Lowfield Street, Dartford in 1861. The census also lists his wife Hannah (34, born in Rochester) and children (all born in Dartford) Emma (10), Frederick (9), Harry (6), Anne (4), Arthur (2) and Eliza (1). In 1871, Richard is shown as carrier, carpenter and builder.

The 1881 census shows Richard Smale (aged 59, a carrier) and his wife Hannah Maria (54) living at 42 Lowfield Street, Dartford. With them were their children Arthur William (22, a baker), Rosina (19, assistant in baker’s shop), Clara (14), Leonard (11) and Edith (8). Arthur seems to have had 9 siblings in total.

Hannah Maria died in 1884 and Richard in 1891. Both are buried in East Hill Cemetery, Dartford. Their gravestone inscription reads:

“In affectionate remembrance / of / HANNAH MARIA SMALE, / the beloved wife of / RICHARD SMALE, / who departed this life July 6th 1884 / aged 57 years. / 'I may go to her, but she will not return to me' / Also of the above named / RICHARD SMALE / who died 20th September 1891 / aged 70 years.”

Arthur married Caroline Mary Ann French in 1883 in Dartford. He was aged 25, she was 28 (born in 1855 in Holborn, London). They had 4 children, all born in Dartford. Chrissie Alice was born in 1889 but died after 3 days, Herbert Arthur was born in 1891, Florence Louise and Cecil Ernest were born in 1892 but Cecil died after 4 weeks. Chrissie and Cecil are buried in East Hill Cemetery. Their gravestone is inscribed:

“In / loving memory / of / dear little / "CHRISSIE" / Safe in the arms of Jesus / Also / CECIL ERNEST / brother of the above / Not lost but gone before.”

In 1891, Arthur (aged 32, a baker) was living at 177 Lowfield Street, Dartford with his wife Caroline (34) and mother-in-law Hannah Eliza French (74). The 1891 Kelly’s Directory for Dartford lists Arthur William Smale as a baker and confectioner at 177 Lowfield Street.

When the grocery chain Penney, Son and Parker Ltd was floated in 1900, Arthur was named as one of the directors of the new company. A newspaper item setting out the terms of the flotation contained the following:

By 1901, Arthur had moved to “Erbistock” 28 Miskin Road, Dartford. The census shows Arthur, aged 42, as a retired baker, living with his wife Carrie (44), son Herbert (9), daughter Florence (8) and a general servant. Many of the most affluent people in Dartford lived in Miskin Road. Arthur’s bakery business must have done well.

The 1911 census shows Arthur (52, a retired baker), Caroline (56), Herbert (19, a shipping clerk), Florence (18) and a domestic servant living at “Erbistock”, 28 Miskin Road, Dartford. The house had 7 rooms.

Darford’s Urban District Council was formed in 1894, with 15 elected members. Bank House (now vacant, next to the Iceland shop in Dartford High Street) was purchased for use as Council Offices in 1903 and a Council Chamber was added to the rear in 1911. Arthur was an elected member of the Council in 1900 and was Chairman from 1915 to 1917. The Urban District Council was replaced with Dartford Borough Council in 1933, when Arthur was one of 18 people elected to it. Town councillors were not paid for their local government work.

Military Service Tribunals were bodies formed by borough, urban district and rural district councils to hear applications for exemption from conscription, introduced in 1916, into the British Army during the First World War. Men could apply on the grounds of doing work of national importance, business or domestic hardship, medical unfitness, or conscientious objection. A very large number of men applied - 748,587 by the end of June 1916. Arthur was chairman of the Dartford Urban Tribunal. There was criticism of its performance and he felt obliged to resign, as described in the newspaper article (from the Kent Messenger and Gravesend Telegraph of 12 May 1917) below. Making tribunal judgements must have been difficult and it was inevitable that some people would be unhappy with the outcomes.

Both of Arthur's children got married in 1918. Herbert married Mary Dorothy Webb in Hackney, Florence married Horace Frederick White in Dartford.

The 1921 census shows Arthur (63, a retired baker), Caroline (66) and a domestic servant at 28 Miskin Road, Dartford.

Caroline Smale (Arthur’s wife) died in 1930 aged 75. Arthur married Elizabeth Jane Maynard Tanner (nee Kethro) in 1932 in Dartford. He was aged 74, she was 65, born 1866 in Bristol. She had married William George Tanner in 1890 and become a widow when he died in 1923. The 1937 Electoral Register shows that Elizabeth’s daughter Olive Daisy Winifred Tanner (born 1891) was living with Arthur and Elizabeth at 28 Miskin Road.

Arthur died peacefully on 7 August 1938 at his home, 28 Miskin Road. The Kentish Times (12 August 1938) published an obituary to him. It called him “a man who has served the town well”. He was a town councillor for over 40 years. Arthur had been on various governing bodies relating to education in Dartford and had been on the West Kent Sewerage Board since 1899. He was blunt and outspoken but his word was his bond and he was “straight as a die”. He attended Spital Street Church and was a loyal and fervent Methodist.

Arthur was buried in East Hill Cemetery in the same grave as his first wife. The headstone is inscribed 

“Peace / In loving memory of / CARRIE, / the beloved wife of A. W. SMALE, / who was called home 19th Oct 1930, / aged 75 years. / 'There is sweet rest in Heaven' / Also of / ARTHUR WILLIAM SMALE, / who entered into rest 7th August 1938 / aged 80 years. / Father in thy gracious keeping / leave we now thy servants sleeping.”

The grave of Caroline and Arthur Smale

Probate on Arthur’s estate was granted to Herbert Arthur Smale, steamship company clerk, and Frank Wells, estimating engineer. The value of the estate was £10,471 18s 8d. This equivalent to about £2,220,000 in 2023 (calculated relative to average earnings).

Elizabeth (Arthur's second wife) died in Dartford aged 85 in 1952 and is buried in Bexleyheath Cemetery in the same grave as her first husband. Arthur's daughter Florence died in 1944 aged 51, his son Herbert in 1961 aged 70.

The Death of Alfred Smith (1859-1913)

Alfred Smith is buried in East Hill Cemetery, Dartford. Cemetery records say that his body was found in the river, so I decided to look for more information about his death in the British Newspaper Archive. I found the following article in the Bexley Heath and Bexley Observer, Friday 28 November 1913.

 

A TRAGIC SEQUEL TO A RECENT PROSECUTION

INQUEST AT ERITH ON DARTFORD MAN

Within a short time of the Grand Jury at Maidstone throwing out the bill in the case of the alleged robberies from Hall's foundry at Dartford, the District Coroner (Mr. H. B. Sewell) conducted an inquest at the West Street Schools, Erith on the body of one of those who had figured in the case. Alfred Smith (aged 54 years), of 14, Priory Road, Dartford, was charged with receiving goods alleged to have been stolen, and, with the two others concerned, was last week committed for trial at the Assizes. However, on Friday morning his body was taken from the River Cray.

The Evidence

The first witness at the inquest was Alfred William Smith, son of deceased. He lives at 73, Ann of Cleeves Road, Dartford, and is an electrical engineer. He stated that his father had had a charge preferred against him recently for receiving some metal fittings, and was committed the previous Monday to take his trial. He was out on bail, and he was very much upset. Witness saw him after his committal. He did not go to work again, although it was not a serious case, as the bail was only £5. He took it very much to heart, as it was the first time he had ever been in such position. He seemed to brood over the matter, and went to see witness the previous Thursday. He appeared to be better then. He returned to his home, and left again about seven o'clock in the evening, having previously had an interview with his solicitor. He appeared to be very depressed, and when he left the house his wife did not know where he was going or when he was expected back. Witness did not know that deceased had not returned until half-past four the following morning, when he searched for him. Witness subsequently heard that the body had been found in the river Cray, about a mile or a mile and a half from his home. It was a favourite walk of deceased's. He never talked of suicide, and left no message or memorandum.

William Cuthbertson, 14, Priory Road, Dartford, block printer, said that he had lived in deceased's house for eleven years. He was terribly upset by the charge against him of receiving some fittings from Hall's foundry. Witness last saw him alive in his own house at seven o'clock on the Thursday evening, when he was in a most depressed condition. When he left the house he did not say where he was going, and as he did not return, enquiries were made, and the body was found about nine o'clock the next morning.

Frederick Liddiard, labourer, of 2, Saw Mills Cottages, Crayford. said he was on his way back from breakfast on Friday morning when a lad called his attention to a body in the water. It was in a standing position, with the head slightly bent forward. There was a large amount of mud at the bottom of the river, and be thought deceased must have got in up to his knees. With assistance the body was taken from the water, which covered the head almost to the crown. It would be quite easy for anyone to walk into the water from the bank, but there was a wire fence to be got over.

P.C. Thomas Hamlin, 90 RR, who received the body, took it to the mortuary at Crayford, and on searching the clothing found a silver watch, stopped at five minutes past eight, a metal chain and a number of other articles, but no money or anything to disclose his identity. Dr Richard Davis Stacy, who was called to examine the body, found no marks of violence, and death, due to drowning, had ensued about 12 hours.

The Coroner said it was clearly a case of suicide, and the Jury returned a verdict of “Suicide whilst temporarily mentally deranged."

 

Alfred is buried in grave 3579 in East Hill Cemetery. Cemetery records say that he was a plumber and hot water fitter. The grave is inscribed

“In memory of ALFRED SMITH, who died 21st Nov 1913, aged 54 years / Also FANNY ALLEN, who died 12th April 1929, aged 74 years / Also MARY ELIZABETH SMITH / who died 29th March 1943 / aged 82 years / 'At rest'”

Mary Elizabeth Smith was Alfred’s wife. Fanny Allen was her sister.

Alfred's grave

1921 Census Entries

Entries in the 1921 census can now be accessed for free at www.findmypast.co.uk on the computer terminals at Dartford Library. I have found the entries for several of the people (such as Thomas Edward Tiffin and Ernest Christopher Youens) whose lives are described in this blog and added the information to the items about them.

I believe that you can get free access to the 1921 census from a computer terminal at any public library in Kent. 

You can search names in the 1921 census from home for free at https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1921-census-of-england-and-wales but you have to pay to access the census records.

J&E Hall Photos

The company that became J&E Hall Ltd was founded in 1785 as an iron works in Dartford. It later became an engineering company that had its main manufacturing site in Hythe Street, Dartford, where the Prospect Place retail park now is. J&E Hall was a major employer in the town over many years. There is an article about the history of the company on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_%26_E_Hall.

J&E Hall had a sports ground (now closed) for its staff, with an entrance in Darenth Road in South Dartford. The Princes Park Stadium (used by Dartford Football Club) was built on this land.

I have been given a box of photos from the 1950s and 1960s, showing J&E Hall staff in various settings and activities. Here are two of the photos:

The Hythe Street entrance to the main manufacturing site in Dartford

The J&E Hall cricket team.

If you can identify anyone in the above photo, please let me know (on PhilT42LQS@Yahoo.co.uk).

Ingress Abbey Contents

There is an item on this blog about the life of Samuel Charles Umfreville (1820-94), who lived at Ingress Abbey, built by James Harmer (1777-1853) in Greenhithe, North Kent. My article was read by Michael Harmer, who has an interest in Harmer family history. He has emailed me with some information about what happened to the contents of Ingress Abbey after Samuel Charles Umfreville’s death.

When Samuel died, the Umfreville family leased Ingress Abbey to Holder Bros before eventually selling it. The family however kept the contents and these eventually ended up with his grand-daughter Phyllis Annora Umfreville (1896-1970), the only child of his eldest son Samuel Charles (1863-1937) and his wife Beatrice Lucy nee Brumell. Phyllis was a spinster who died 3 June 1970 at Yeaton Hall, Walford Heath, Baschurch, near Shrewsbury. Her executors auctioned her possessions through C E Williams & Co of Oswestry. The auction was held in the grounds of Yeaton Hall on the 15 and 16 October 1970, it consisted of 800 lots. The catalogue’s general information states "Much of the furniture at Yeaton Hall was originally in the possession of the Umfreville family at Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent and was specially made for the late Miss Umfreville's great grand-father in the early 1800's from timber grown on the estate....."

One particular lot (170), a set of chairs, has been resold several times and in November 2006 it was sold by Christies the Lot Provenance reads - "Supplied to Alderman James Harmer, for Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent. By descent to the Umfreville family (who sold the house in 1906). .........."

Lot Notes "The dining chairs, designed in the Gothic manner promoted by George Smith's ‘The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide, 1826' were commissioned by Alderman James Harmer (b. 1777) following his purchase of Ingress Abbey, Kent in 1820 and its aggrandisement in the 'Gothic Elizabethan' manner under the direction of the architect Charles Moreing. The chairs were executed by Henry Stidolph who is recorded at Dartford, Kent between 1824 and 1839......."

The catalogue also includes a photo of two of the chairs.

Elizabeth Mary Ann Adkins nee Clarke (1864-1915)

I received a request for a photo of Elizabeth’s grave in East Hill Cemetery, Dartford. This led me to look up her burial in the cemetery records, where I found that she died at Dartford Railway Station. I looked at copies of The Dartford Chronicle (stored on microfilm at Dartford Library), to see whether I could find out more. This is what I discovered about her life and unfortunate death.

Elizabeth Mary Ann Clarke was born in 1864 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire. The 1891 census shows her as a housekeeper, living at 497 Kings Road, Chelsea with her brother Thomas W Clarke (aged 27, an accountant’s clerk) and two lodgers.

Elizabeth married Arthur Adkins, aged 29, a carpenter, at St John’s Church, Chelsea on May 30^th 1892. She is shown as aged 28, a spinster, with her father being William Clarke, a baker.

Arthur and Elizabeth seem to have moved to Ashwell in Hertfordshire after their marriage, as this is where their first three children were born. They were Thomas William (born 1893), Lilian Cecilia (born 1894) and Audrey Muriel (born 1896). Arthur was also born in Ashwell, which is only 5 miles from Stotfold. The family moved to Dartford in about 1897, where their other two children were born. They were May Olivia (born 1898) and Herbert George (born 1906). 

The 1901 census shows the family living at 99 New Colney Road, Dartford. Arthur is shown as a carpenter. New Colney Road is in the Newtown area of East Dartford. A lot of the houses in Newtown were built between 1880 and 1910, which was developed to accommodate Dartford’s rising population at this time. The streets were relatively wide and the properties were generally better than those in central Dartford, where there were health problems associated with poor sanitation. 

In 1911 the family were living at 113 Colney Road, Dartford. The household consisted of Arthur Adkins (aged 50, a carpenter), his wife Elizabeth (47) with their children Thomas (17, a clerk), Lilian (16, a dressmaker), Audrey (14, a milliner), May (12, at school) and Herbert (4). The census return says that the family were living in 5 rooms. 

The following item was published in The Dartford Chronicle dated Oct 1st 1915. 

"Passengers and officials at Dartford Railway Station on Saturday morning were horrified to see a woman, who attempted to enter a carriage of a train in motion, crushed to death between the train and the footway, in the presence of her little son, who was accompanying her to London for the day. 

The train was that which leaves Dartford at 7.03 am, and the last by which cheap tickets are available, and is accordingly very popular and always well filled. The train was stopped immediately, and the unfortunate woman was got on to the platform but life was extinct. The body was badly crushed. She was identified as Mrs Elizabeth Mary Ann Adkins of 113 Colney Road, Dartford." 

The item goes on to record evidence given at the inquest.

“The bereaved husband, Mr Arthur Adkins, carpenter, said he saw his wife a few minutes before the accident, at the foot of East Hill.”

A witness at the station testified that Mrs Adkins was seen running towards the train and called to her son “Come on sonnie, we’ll catch it.” 

The son of Mrs Adkins was Herbert George Adkins, who was aged 9. He must have been traumatised by what happened. 

Arthur Adkins died on 11 March 1935 aged 74. He was buried in the same grave as his wife. It is marked with kerbstones, although these have partly sunk into the ground. The inscription reads : 

“In memory of ARTHUR ADKINS passed over 11th March 1935 aged 74 / Also ELIZABETH his wife passed over 5th September 1915, aged 52.”

(The date of Elizabeth’s death was actually 25th September 1915)  

The grave of Elizabeth Adkins

Probate records show that the value of Arthur’s estate was £277 5s (equivalent to about £60,000 now) and that the administrator was Thomas William Adkins (his eldest son), a carpenter and joiner.

Thomas Edward Tiffin (1868-1952): Architect of Dartford Library

Thomas Edward Tiffin was Dartford Town Surveyor for 31 years. During this time he was responsible for several important building projects, including Dartford Library, which he designed. 

Thomas was born on November 5th 1868 in Sunderland, the second of five children (four boys and one girl) born to William Johnson Tiffin and his wife Margaret Ann Tiffin. The 1871 census shows William (aged 31, an accountant), Margaret (24), William (3), Thomas (2) and Arthur (9 months) Tiffin plus a servant living at 18 Shakespeare Terrace, Bishop Wearmouth, Sunderland. 

Sadly, Thomas’s mother died aged 28 in 1875 (when he was 6) and his father died aged 40 in 1880. In the 1881 census, Thomas is listed as a boarder, aged 12, at North Side School, Staindrop, Teesdale, County Durham. Thomas’s siblings Arthur (10), John (9) and Ada (7) are shown living with their grandparents Thomas (80, a ship owner) and Mary (77) Tiffin, their unmarried aunt Sarah Tiffin (47) and a servant at 7 Park Place West, Sunderland. Both grandparents died in 1884. 

Thomas became a civil engineer. This was his occupation listed in the 1891 census. By then he was a lodger, aged 22, at 9 Foyle St, Sunderland. He married Evelina Turner in 1894 in Sunderland. Thomas was 25 and she was 23. They went on to have seven children, namely Evelyn May (b 1896), Ada Marjorie (b1898), Thomas Edward (b1900), Henrietta Kathleen (b1903), Annie Marguerite Winsome (b1905), Alice Joyce (b1909) and Gordon Mervyn (b1913).

(a more detailed family tree may be found in the “tiffin42” database on RootsWeb’s WorldConnect Project website)

The family moved to West Hartlepool around 1897, where they were living in York Road South in 1901. The census that year shows their household as Thomas (32, a civil engineer and surveyor), Evelina (30), Evelyn (4), Ada (2), Thomas (10 months), a nurse and a general servant.

In 1903, Thomas was appointed Surveyor and Engineer to the Dartford Urban District Council¹. Apparently his previous employer asked him to return to his old post soon after his arrival in Dartford. He considered doing so, but was persuaded to stay by an increase in his salary.²

Henrietta, Thomas’s fourth child, died in 1907 aged 4 years 10 months and was buried in East Hill Cemetery. The cemetery records show the address of the family as 27 Summerhill Road, Dartford. Thomas was still living there when he died, although the houses were renumbered in 1937 and the address became 20 Summerhill Road. The house still exists, it is a modest semi-detached property.

Thomas was responsible for public building works in the town. For example, Bank House (now empty and next to the Iceland shop) in Dartford High Street was acquired by the Council in 1909. He was responsible for adapting the building for use as Council Offices and (in 1910) adding a room that was used as the Council Chamber. 

The 1911 census shows Thomas (42), Eveline (14), Ada (12), Thomas (10), Annie (5) and Alice (1) plus a domestic servant living at 27 Summerhill Road (which had eight rooms).

(from Dartford Library Local Studies Collection)

 Thomas was the architect of the Dartford Library building that was constructed with the aid of a grant from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It was built during the early part of the First World War and opened in 1916. An extension was added in 1937. The building is grade II listed and is an attractive feature of the town. After the First World War, Thomas was responsible for creating local housing schemes. He also supervised the construction of Market Street (in 1926) and various road improvement schemes.

Dartford Library (in 2022)

Thomas and Evelina’s daughter Ada married Richard Rowbotham in 1920. The 1921 census shows Thomas, aged 52, a surveyor employed by Dartford Urban District Council, living at 27 Summerhill Road, Dartford. With him were his wife Evelina (50) and his children Evelyn (24), Annie (15), Alice (12) and Gordon (7) as well as a general domestic servant.

The eldest son of Thomas and Evelina, namely Thomas, was a 2^nd Lieutenant in the RAF in 1917. After the war, he worked in East Africa from 1919 to 1928 and in Sierra Leone from 1929 to 1932 as a railway engineer. He returned to Dartford in November 1932, went to visit some friends in Sunderland where he became ill and died of pneumonia in December 1932, aged 32 (unmarried)³.

Thomas Tiffin in 1934.

The Mayor of Dartford (Alderman Alfred J Penney) held a dinner at the Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel in 1934 to mark the retirement of Thomas Tiffin (aged 65) after 31 year’s service. Most of Dartford Council attended, together with friends and colleagues. He was presented with a clock from Dartford Council and cigarette case from his colleagues. Alderman Wooler said that he “never dealt with a more conscientious, upright man” than Thomas.²

Annie Tiffin married Frank Byerley in 1937. Frank was a flying officer in the Royal Air Service Volunteer Reserve. He died in 1940 aged 39, failing to return from a flying mission during the Second World War. Alice Tiffin married Claude Penny in 1938 and Gordon Tiffin married Margaret Mugeridge in 1940.

The 1939 Register shows Thomas E Tiffin born 5 Nov 1868, a retired civil engineer and Eveline Tiffin born 6 Aug 1870 living in the village of Willsbridge, Gloucestershire (between Bristol and Bath). Perhaps they had moved away from Dartford to avoid the expected German bombing. 

Thomas returned to Dartford and lived there until his death in 1952 aged 83. He died at 20 Summerhill Road, his home. Thomas's wife died five years later in 1957 aged 87. They are buried in East Hill Cemetery. 

Thomas Tiffin's grave

The gravestones are inscribed as follows :

Kerbstones

In loving memory of / HENRIETTA KATHLEEN dearly beloved daughter of EVELINA & THOMAS EDWARD TIFFIN / who died 27^th Sep 1907 aged 4 years 10 months / THOMAS EDWARD TIFFIN, died Dec 5^th 1932, aged 32 years

Headstone

T.E.TIFFIN A.M.I.C.E. / 3^rd June 1952 / EVELINE TIFFIN / 10^th December 1957. 

(A.M.I.C.E. stands for Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.)

Probate on Thomas’s estate of £993 (equivalent to about £65,000 now⁴) was granted to his widow Eveline.

Philip Taylor 

1. Dartford Further Historical Notes by S K Keyes (1938), p801.
2. Retirement of Mr Tiffin, Kentish Times 11 May 1934
3. Death of Mr T E Tiffin, Junior, Kentish Times 9 Dec 1932
4. Calculated with respect to average earnings using the website “Measuring Worth” www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/