John and Mary Townsend at The Warde Arms
From the obituary for John Townsend, February 1917
“…He commenced his walk in life when a young man, coming to Westerham and taking charge of the stud of the late Mr Kitchin, at Dunsdale. Always extremely fond of animals he found a work congenial to his nature. With a natural aptitude for the management of horses, he soon became known as an expert in colt breaking, and this knowledge he turned to use, when after a few years he started business on his own account. He embraced it with a livery business and hired the yards at the Grasshopper and the George and Dragon. His keenness for business and thorough knowledge of colts soon established his reputation for miles around. He was a follower of the hounds while employed at Dunsdale, and his advice was much valued in respect of the hunters, many of which he had trained.
With that inborn instinct of the real Englishman he turned to the land and took Cover’s farm, and the added responsibility of the proprietorship of the ‘Warde Arms.’ His interest centred mostly in farming and he proved that the stock of English farmers was not an extinct breed, for he was successful with his management and made the farm pay.
It was a common saying: “what John Townsend did not know about farming and horses, was not worth knowing…”
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