October 2022 Group Meeting Report
At our October meeting we reflected on the life of Queen Elizabeth II following her recent death, our topic being ‘Royal Chislehurst’ presented by the Chair of The Chislehurst Society, Joanna Friel. Chislehurst celebrated the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by having not one but two beacons, a Big Picnic and a Royal Dog Competition.
Members of royalty and their courtiers have been associated with Chislehurst over many centuries. The Lord of the Manor of Scadbury and Lieutenant of the Tower of London, Sir Edmund Walsingham (1480 – 1550), was lucky to keep his head - even though he was himself imprisoned in the Tower of London by Henry VIII. As part of his duties he was paid - by the soon-to-be-headless - to escort prisoners (such as Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell) to the block. He is buried in The Scadbury Chapel, St. Nicholas Church. Elizabeth I stayed at Scadbury – she was apparently in search of oak trees to be made into ships for her navy. The Queen’s Head is the oldest pub in the town and is said to have been visited by Charles II....so maybe it should be The King’s Head?
Ivy House in Morley Road was the home of John Nussey, apothecary to George 1V. It was his role to provide the oil used during the coronation of Queen Victoria who made several visits to Chislehurst during her lifetime. Lord Chamberlain to Queen Victoria, Lord Sydney, was another resident. It was on his orders that the skirts of ballet dancers were lowered. I wonder if he is known for anything more important. It was his great grandson who was responsible for transporting convicts to Sydney in Australia – hence the name.
Camden Place (now part of Chislehurst Golf Course) was the home of exiled Emperor Napoleon III (nephew of Bonaparte) and his wife Eugenie. Their son trained to be a soldier at Woolwich Academy and was killed during the Zulu Wars. His body was returned for burial in England, preserved in a vat of brandy. In 1894 The Duchess of Albany (daughter- in- law of Queen Victoria) made a fund raising visit with Lord Chubb whose business was locks and safes. They were raising money to support the poor of Deptford. The Albany Theatre, Deptford is named after her.
Photographs showed crowds dressed in Edwardian hats and boaters on the common during a visit by King George V and also of Queen Mary visiting Farrington’s School in 1925. Known to suffer from kleptomania, a silver spoon disappeared during her visit. A photograph showed the gauntlet worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation in a ceremonial box made by local craftsman John Easden. Other photographs showed The Queen Mother during a visit to the Governesses’ Asylum, with Earl Spencer and a very young Diana in the audience and Princess Anne visiting a disabled riding facility.
Whilst Swanley lacks the grand mansions of these former residents, we have had our own royal visitors – In July 1883 the Swanley Home for Orphan Boys was opened by The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). He also opened Kettlewell Hospital in July 1885, accompanied by Princess Alexandra and their three daughters. More recently, in December 2017, Princess Anne opened The Citizens Advice Bureau in Swanley Square. Perhaps you know of other occasions.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Our next meeting is Tuesday 1st November when Christoph Bull will talk on Our River Thames from Dartford to Grain. This is a change to the previously published programme as our speaker on The Brinks Mat Robbery has had to cancel due to family illness. Christoph is always an interesting and entertaining speaker so it should be an enjoyable evening.
At our October meeting we reflected on the life of Queen Elizabeth II following her recent death, our topic being ‘Royal Chislehurst’ presented by the Chair of The Chislehurst Society, Joanna Friel. Chislehurst celebrated the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by having not one but two beacons, a Big Picnic and a Royal Dog Competition.
Members of royalty and their courtiers have been associated with Chislehurst over many centuries. The Lord of the Manor of Scadbury and Lieutenant of the Tower of London, Sir Edmund Walsingham (1480 – 1550), was lucky to keep his head - even though he was himself imprisoned in the Tower of London by Henry VIII. As part of his duties he was paid - by the soon-to-be-headless - to escort prisoners (such as Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell) to the block. He is buried in The Scadbury Chapel, St. Nicholas Church. Elizabeth I stayed at Scadbury – she was apparently in search of oak trees to be made into ships for her navy. The Queen’s Head is the oldest pub in the town and is said to have been visited by Charles II....so maybe it should be The King’s Head?
Ivy House in Morley Road was the home of John Nussey, apothecary to George 1V. It was his role to provide the oil used during the coronation of Queen Victoria who made several visits to Chislehurst during her lifetime. Lord Chamberlain to Queen Victoria, Lord Sydney, was another resident. It was on his orders that the skirts of ballet dancers were lowered. I wonder if he is known for anything more important. It was his great grandson who was responsible for transporting convicts to Sydney in Australia – hence the name.
Camden Place (now part of Chislehurst Golf Course) was the home of exiled Emperor Napoleon III (nephew of Bonaparte) and his wife Eugenie. Their son trained to be a soldier at Woolwich Academy and was killed during the Zulu Wars. His body was returned for burial in England, preserved in a vat of brandy. In 1894 The Duchess of Albany (daughter- in- law of Queen Victoria) made a fund raising visit with Lord Chubb whose business was locks and safes. They were raising money to support the poor of Deptford. The Albany Theatre, Deptford is named after her.
Photographs showed crowds dressed in Edwardian hats and boaters on the common during a visit by King George V and also of Queen Mary visiting Farrington’s School in 1925. Known to suffer from kleptomania, a silver spoon disappeared during her visit. A photograph showed the gauntlet worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her Coronation in a ceremonial box made by local craftsman John Easden. Other photographs showed The Queen Mother during a visit to the Governesses’ Asylum, with Earl Spencer and a very young Diana in the audience and Princess Anne visiting a disabled riding facility.
Whilst Swanley lacks the grand mansions of these former residents, we have had our own royal visitors – In July 1883 the Swanley Home for Orphan Boys was opened by The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). He also opened Kettlewell Hospital in July 1885, accompanied by Princess Alexandra and their three daughters. More recently, in December 2017, Princess Anne opened The Citizens Advice Bureau in Swanley Square. Perhaps you know of other occasions.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Our next meeting is Tuesday 1st November when Christoph Bull will talk on Our River Thames from Dartford to Grain. This is a change to the previously published programme as our speaker on The Brinks Mat Robbery has had to cancel due to family illness. Christoph is always an interesting and entertaining speaker so it should be an enjoyable evening.