A proud day for the Brigade On March 13 1929, members of the Parish Council journeyed to Messrs. Merryweathers’ works at Greenwich, to inspect the new motor fire engine, which was bought to Westerham that same evening. The new motor fire engine was named ‘Invicta’ in a ceremony held on the Green on March 18. The ...
Reference: WH0927
Interesting to note that alongside being the contractor for the Sewers in 1879, John Bingham was also contractor for the town’s Water Well in 1880 and for the expansion and rebuilding of the Gas Works in 1882. The Herald from June 3rd 1882: The Gas Company are making some extensive alterations to their works, to enable ...
Reference: WH0933
In 1923 Margaret Busk paid for electric lighting to be installed in St. Mary’s Church in memory of her brother John Laird Busk who had died the previous year. This would have involved a considerable sum of money at that time.
Reference: WH0935
A typical example of electricity generators around in the 1920s they were diesel powered and the plant would have a noisy place to work. From the outset there was a degree of disco-ordination between the electricity supply companies, some delivering power at 115 volts while others were delivering 220 volts. This was a nightmare for ...
Reference: WH0936
The coming of electric power Despite entertaining lectures and demonstrations delivered at the Public Hall in 1879 by Dr William Spottiswoode Esq (President of the Royal Society) on the subjects of “Electricity” and “Electric Light” – illustrated by numerous experiments – there was no development of domestic power in the Sevenoaks area until 1914. In that year ...
Reference: WH0940
Geoff Hoath “…when I was very small they used to have a horse-drawn tender that was kept in the old fire station in Post Office yard, and the horses were kept down at the market field. My grandfather was superintendent of the brigade and grandmother had one of the fire-bells. If anyone came saying there ...
Reference: WH0942
Alongside his ‘day-job’ running the Herald Steam Printing Works, printing Hookers Almanack and the Westerham Herald newspaper, Charles Hooker was Secretary of the Westerham Gas and Coke Company who ran the gas works. This would provide added income but along with that would go added responsibility. However, for all businesses at the turn of the ...
Reference: WH0943
This picture shows trench digging for laying water or sewage pipes in the late 1930s. When the sewer was built from Westerham to the outlet at Dartford in the early 1880s, twenty-three miles of trench had to be dug by manpower alone. No tunnel boring equipment was available at that time, so the sewers were ...
Reference: WH0948
Four generations of chimney sweeps worked out of the same house in Post Office yard – all of them called John! Geoff Hoath “…I remember the sweep was Mr Newman. He‘d do it all by hand, always in the morning, but you could set your clock by him. If he said he would be there at ...
Reference: WH0950
In 1856 sixty year-old Chimney Sweep John Newman lived in this house with his wife Mary. Working from horse and cart, there was a stable and cart-shed in the back yard. On the 1871 Census, now 76, John was still working as a sweep, but was then employing his 20 year-old grandson John in the ...
Reference: WH0951
For many years a tenant farmer on Squerryes land, Jack Steven ran the largest dairy farm in the district. Curiously, the Steven men and the Greenlees, both longstanding farming families in the area were related and both had their roots on Scottish soil. In 1951 Force Green Farm was the province of Jack Steven, Squerryes Home ...
Reference: WH0953
Seen in this photograph taken circa 1920, two essential services, the purpose-built Westerham Post Office and the Fire Engine House, bearing a notice saying “Keys are kept with A. Maude Esq, Winterton House, C.Hooker ‘Glenholm’ Westbury Terrace, J. Hoath Supt. 3, South Bank”. Apart from Dr. Maude, who had his medical practice at home, all ...
Reference: WH0955
Fire Brigade with the new Merryweather Fire Engine on Farley Common in 1929 The firemen are: On the tender L-R Bill Allen, Alf Allen, Alf Nicholas, Fred Dunn, Fred Nicholas On the ground L-R Bill Henley, Arthur Galloway, Fred Paige, Major Hicks, George Avis, Bert Wood, Charlie Sharp. The driver is George Burgess. Local garage owner Charlie Sharp ...
Reference: WH0956
