Parish Council Minutes (1920)

Post date: Mar 11, 2014 6:6:56 PM

Wateringbury Parish Council Minutes (1920 to March)

Summary

Issues considered in 1920 (to March when minute book becomes full) include:

• Cemetery: dismissal of caretaker; new caretaker; restoration;

• Rat club.

• New Cottages

• Pot holes

• Allotments

• Lych gate

• Late evening post

Detail

Parish Council Meeting held in Church Rooms on Thursday Jan 1st at 7.30 p.m. Present: Canon Livett (Chair), Messrs. W.W. Blest, W. Phillips, O. English, J. T. Gibbs, G. Cheeseman, H. Shepherd, Dr. G. S. Sander.

Letter from Allison that building of cottages here in spring. Notice had been given to Martin, caretaker, and he wished to resign. Circular request from MRDC and KCC that parish form a rat club- delegated to O. English and H. Shepherd.

Notice from Rural District surveyor that brambles by allotments required trimming. Agreed that work be done.

Letter from Amos Baker & sons re disposal of waste- not regarded as council’s responsibility.

Parish Council Meeting held in Church Rooms on Thursday Feb 12th 1920. Present: Canon Livett (Chair), W. Phillips, O. English, J.T.. Gibbs, G. Cheeseman, H. Shepherd, Dr. G.S. Sander.

Proposed by Mr. English that

• Frederick Collins be elected to fill vacancy caused by death of Mr. Ed. Hollands.

• Dr. Saunders represent council on School management committee.

Agreed to put cemetery in order before appointment of permament caretaker/gravedigger.

Circular letter from Board of agriculture referring to Land Settlement (Facilities) Act (1919): clerk instructed to procure a notice board as suggested. Clerk to ask Mr. Lambert if he would rent a field for allotments.

“Dr Sander drew attention to the bad condition of the road through the village owing to a large number of holes etc and the clerk was instructed to write the County surveyor.”

O. English reported a Rat and Vermin Club1 had been started.

Parish Council Meeting held in Church rooms on Thursday 2th March 1920. Present: Canon Livett (chair), O.English, G. Cheeseman, H. Shepherd, F. Collins, Dr Sander, Mrs Lemmens.

KCC will now stop paying for rats. Fencing for allotments to be replaced. Applications from several residents for allotments had been received. Clearing up cemetery had been done satisfactorily by Tom Shepherd for £12.

Mr. J. Hatwell interviewed for post of caretaker/gravedigger. Offered at £16 p.a. plus 10s. per grave (6 ft deep).

Restoration of Lych Gate at cemetery discussed.

Question of having a later evening dispatch for letters and a later train from Maidstone discussed and Clerk instructed to write to Post Master & S E &C Railway Co.

 Notes:

1. Sparrow and Rat clubs were a feature of rural life from the 18th century, but declined in most places after WW1 when Wateringbury created its own. A well documented one was The West Farleigh & District Sparrow and Rat Club, established in 1903, with a Constitution based on a leaflet (number 84) from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. In 1917 West Farleigh's Annual Report claimed the destruction of 1192 sparrows, 657 rats, 33 bullfinches, 134 moles, 879 blackbirds, 1301 Queen wasps, 1854 butterflies, 13 stoats and 9 jays. Sparrows are not mentioned in the title of the Wateringbury club as by this time, although considerably more numerous than now, some sensitivity to their fate was evident recognising that, though they ate grain they also ate harmful insects. See KAS newsletter of Autumn 2011 for an article by Pernille Richards on the West Farleigh Club.