Famous residents of Eynsford
Eynsford is and has been home to several well known and interesting people in the past and present. Here are a few of them, click on person to view their story.
| Tom Hart-Dyke |  |
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| Modern day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke first shot to international prominence when he was kidnapped by Guerrillas in the Panamanian jungle in 2000. He and a travelling companion had decided to trek through the notoriously dangerous Darien Gap in search of wild orchids. They were held hostage for nine months before being released. | |
| It was during his captivity that Tom came up with the idea of building a World Garden of Plants at his ancestral home, Lullingstone Castle, near Eynsford.
The Garden opened to the public in 2005 and the trials and tribulations of building the new visitor attraction have been documented in two recent BBC 2 documentaries - Save Lullingstone Castle and Return to Lullingstone Castle (KEO Films). Further Information: www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk/pages/toms_story.html Bibliography: The Cloud Garden - Tom Hart Dyke & Paul Winder - (Transworld) An Englishman's Home - Tom Hart Dyke - (Bantam Press) |
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Isaac Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha was born in 1893 in Devonport, Plymouth. He was educated at Clifton College in Bristol and, briefly, at the Sorbonne and Heidelberg. His studies were interrupted by the First World War, in which he joined the Royal Fusiliers. After the War, he took a degree at St. John's College in Oxford, where he was the President of the Union.
After graduating, he wanted to become a lawyer, but had little money, so he worked in journalism in order to raise the funds. He became a leader writer for Express Newspapers before, in 1923, being called to the Bar, at the Inner Temple ; and, in the same year, he was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Plymouth division of Devonport. In the coalition Government between the Wars, Hore-Belisha served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (1931-32) and Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1932-34) before, in 1934, becoming the Secretary of State for Transport with, two years later, a seat in the Cabinet. At the Ministry of Transport, Hore-Belisha revised the Highway Code and introduced driving tests for motorists, as well as the 30 m.p.h. speed limit in built-up areas, but he is best remembered for extending the use of pedestrian crossings. To this day, the amber globes on top of a black-and-white striped pole, which he introduced to mark such crossings, are known in England as 'Belisha Beacons'. In 1937, Neville Chamberlain moved Hore-Belisha to the Ministry of War. Here, he increased soldiers' pay and allowances, improved the standard of catering, made sure that new barracks were built, allowed married soldiers over the age of twenty-one to live with their families. Not all of these innovations made him popular with the old guard, and Chamberlain objected to his introduction of conscription on April 27th. 1939, and to his proposals for increased military spending. When, in September that year, the Second World War broke out, his warnings about the slow progress of the defences in France were not heeded, especially by Lord Gort. Hore-Belisha had appointed Gort as Chief of the Imperial General Staff and as head of the British Expeditionary Force, but the two were no longer on speaking terms. Some of the flavour of the times may be gained from the fact that Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall wrote of the relationship between the Field Marshal and his Minister : "They could never get on, and you couldn't expect two such wildly different people to do so ; a great gentleman and an obscure, shallow-brained, charlatan, political Jewboy." Chamberlain travelled to the Front in France to attempt to persuade the Generals of Hore-Belisha's case, but was unsuccessful ; so, in January 1940, he attempted to move Hore-Belisha to the Ministry of Information. However, Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, considered that it would be "inappropriate to have a Jew in charge of publicity." Instead, Chamberlain offered Hore-Belisha the Presidency of the Board of Trade, but he considered this to be something of an insult, and resigned from the Cabinet. In his letter of resignation, he wrote : "You have been categorically assured that there is no reason whatsoever for anxiety about a German breakthrough. Yet my visit to France has convinced me that, unless we utilise the time that is still available to us with far more vision and energy, the Germans will attack us on our weak spot somewhere in the gap between the Maginot Line and the sea." Four months later, he was shown to be right. In May 1945, having spent the war years on the back-benches, Hore-Belisha returned to government, as the Minister for National Insurance, in Churchill's caretaker administration. Two months later, however, he lost his seat, which he had held for twenty-two years, in the Labour landslide. Sir Leslie, as he had now become, resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Conservatives, but was defeated in 1950 when he contested Coventry South. In 1954, he was raised to the peerage, as Lord Hore-Belisha of Devonport ; but, three years later, he died suddenly in Reims, whilst leading a British Parliamentary delegation to France. He and his wife, Cynthia Elliot, had no children, and the Barony died with him.
More information:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Hore-Belisha,_1st_Baron_Hore-Belisha
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7468940&pt=Leslie%20Hore%20Belisha
After graduating, he wanted to become a lawyer, but had little money, so he worked in journalism in order to raise the funds. He became a leader writer for Express Newspapers before, in 1923, being called to the Bar, at the Inner Temple ; and, in the same year, he was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Plymouth division of Devonport. In the coalition Government between the Wars, Hore-Belisha served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (1931-32) and Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1932-34) before, in 1934, becoming the Secretary of State for Transport with, two years later, a seat in the Cabinet. At the Ministry of Transport, Hore-Belisha revised the Highway Code and introduced driving tests for motorists, as well as the 30 m.p.h. speed limit in built-up areas, but he is best remembered for extending the use of pedestrian crossings. To this day, the amber globes on top of a black-and-white striped pole, which he introduced to mark such crossings, are known in England as 'Belisha Beacons'. In 1937, Neville Chamberlain moved Hore-Belisha to the Ministry of War. Here, he increased soldiers' pay and allowances, improved the standard of catering, made sure that new barracks were built, allowed married soldiers over the age of twenty-one to live with their families. Not all of these innovations made him popular with the old guard, and Chamberlain objected to his introduction of conscription on April 27th. 1939, and to his proposals for increased military spending. When, in September that year, the Second World War broke out, his warnings about the slow progress of the defences in France were not heeded, especially by Lord Gort. Hore-Belisha had appointed Gort as Chief of the Imperial General Staff and as head of the British Expeditionary Force, but the two were no longer on speaking terms. Some of the flavour of the times may be gained from the fact that Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall wrote of the relationship between the Field Marshal and his Minister : "They could never get on, and you couldn't expect two such wildly different people to do so ; a great gentleman and an obscure, shallow-brained, charlatan, political Jewboy." Chamberlain travelled to the Front in France to attempt to persuade the Generals of Hore-Belisha's case, but was unsuccessful ; so, in January 1940, he attempted to move Hore-Belisha to the Ministry of Information. However, Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, considered that it would be "inappropriate to have a Jew in charge of publicity." Instead, Chamberlain offered Hore-Belisha the Presidency of the Board of Trade, but he considered this to be something of an insult, and resigned from the Cabinet. In his letter of resignation, he wrote : "You have been categorically assured that there is no reason whatsoever for anxiety about a German breakthrough. Yet my visit to France has convinced me that, unless we utilise the time that is still available to us with far more vision and energy, the Germans will attack us on our weak spot somewhere in the gap between the Maginot Line and the sea." Four months later, he was shown to be right. In May 1945, having spent the war years on the back-benches, Hore-Belisha returned to government, as the Minister for National Insurance, in Churchill's caretaker administration. Two months later, however, he lost his seat, which he had held for twenty-two years, in the Labour landslide. Sir Leslie, as he had now become, resigned from the Liberal Party and joined the Conservatives, but was defeated in 1950 when he contested Coventry South. In 1954, he was raised to the peerage, as Lord Hore-Belisha of Devonport ; but, three years later, he died suddenly in Reims, whilst leading a British Parliamentary delegation to France. He and his wife, Cynthia Elliot, had no children, and the Barony died with him.
More information:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Hore-Belisha,_1st_Baron_Hore-Belisha
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7468940&pt=Leslie%20Hore%20Belisha
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Composer Peter Warlock was born in London in 1894 and moved to Eynsford in 1925. During his four years in the village he composed some of his most famous songs, which are said to have shown a love for Elizabethan poetry. As well as composing more than one hundred songs, during his lifetime, Peter Warlock also worked as a writer and journalist. Warlock's real name was Philip Heseltine and he died in London in 1930. Further Details: The Peter Warlock Society - www.peterwarlock.org/officials.htm
Graham Sutherland was a famous British artist who worked as a painter, etcher and designer and is also known as a war artist. He lived for many years in Willow Cottage, a 17th Century timber framed cottage opposite the old school in Eynsford.
His early work was influenced by, amongst others, Samuel Palmer who spent some time living in nearby Shoreham. His work was often of landscapes and natural forms, often abstracted. He was included in a Surrealist exhibition in 1936.
In 1940 Sutherland was employed as an official war artist and worked on the Home Front depicting mining, industry and bomb damage. One of his best known works is the tapestry 'Christ in Glory' created for the newly built Coventry Cathedral in 1962.
His early work was influenced by, amongst others, Samuel Palmer who spent some time living in nearby Shoreham. His work was often of landscapes and natural forms, often abstracted. He was included in a Surrealist exhibition in 1936.
In 1940 Sutherland was employed as an official war artist and worked on the Home Front depicting mining, industry and bomb damage. One of his best known works is the tapestry 'Christ in Glory' created for the newly built Coventry Cathedral in 1962.
An aviation pioneer who undertook a manned flight in a powered aircraft seven years before the Wright brothers in 1896/7, Percy Pilcher spent some time in Eynsford where he made many experimental flights.
Pilcher constructed successful lightweight soaring machines, The Bat in 1895, and The Hawk in 1896 from bamboo and canvas. These were first flown at Eynsford. Pilcher later designed and built a triplane fitted with an engine.
On 30th September 1899, a number of visitors, including Baden-Powell, gathered in the grounds of Stanford Hall near Rugby to watch an aeronautical demonstration. It would appear that the idea was to demonstrate the tried and tested Hawk, and then show off the new triplane (with an engine). Around teatime Percy Pilcher took off in the Hawk, got up to 30 feet, whereupon the tail collapsed and he fell to his death. It is assumed that heavy rain had over-tightened the hemp ropes, causing the disaster.
On June 17th 2006 a Monument to celebrate the life of British aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher was unveiled at his original flying site at Upper Austin Lodge (now a golf course) south of Eynsford.
Pilcher constructed successful lightweight soaring machines, The Bat in 1895, and The Hawk in 1896 from bamboo and canvas. These were first flown at Eynsford. Pilcher later designed and built a triplane fitted with an engine.
On 30th September 1899, a number of visitors, including Baden-Powell, gathered in the grounds of Stanford Hall near Rugby to watch an aeronautical demonstration. It would appear that the idea was to demonstrate the tried and tested Hawk, and then show off the new triplane (with an engine). Around teatime Percy Pilcher took off in the Hawk, got up to 30 feet, whereupon the tail collapsed and he fell to his death. It is assumed that heavy rain had over-tightened the hemp ropes, causing the disaster.
On June 17th 2006 a Monument to celebrate the life of British aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher was unveiled at his original flying site at Upper Austin Lodge (now a golf course) south of Eynsford.
Arthur Mee was a British writer, journalist and educator. He built Eynsford Hill, a large house above Sparepenny Lane overlooking the village.
He is best known for The Children's Encyclopaedia and The King's England. The Children's Encyclopaedia came out as a fortnightly magazine starting in 1908. The series, which was read and enjoyed by many thousands of children in Britain and abroad, was published and bound in eight volumes soon afterwards, and then into ten. The King's England was a guide to the counties of England begun in 1936.
His work was very patriotic and Mee was also known for his commitment to the Temperance movement. There is some speculation as to whether the name of Eliza Doolittle's admirer Freddy Eynsford Hill in Pygmalion is connected to Mee's house.
He is best known for The Children's Encyclopaedia and The King's England. The Children's Encyclopaedia came out as a fortnightly magazine starting in 1908. The series, which was read and enjoyed by many thousands of children in Britain and abroad, was published and bound in eight volumes soon afterwards, and then into ten. The King's England was a guide to the counties of England begun in 1936.
His work was very patriotic and Mee was also known for his commitment to the Temperance movement. There is some speculation as to whether the name of Eliza Doolittle's admirer Freddy Eynsford Hill in Pygmalion is connected to Mee's house.
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Kent Village of the Year 2006
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