Frank Blest (1887-1975)

Post date: Jul 08, 2020 3:26:20 PM

Frank Blest was baptised at Wateringbury Church on 4th May 1888, the son of William Wigram Blest (a farmer) and Elizabeth Ann Blest (nee Jude). Frank's date of birth is shown by the 1939 census as some 6 months earlier than his baptism, 2nd November 1887.

Elizabeth Ann Blest was the daughter of John Beale Jude (JBJ) who founded the Kent brewery in Wateringbury and later also became a farmer. When JBJ died most of his estate was inherited by his son, Thomas, until on his death it passed to Elizabeth including Broomscroft in Canon Lane.

William Wigram Blest's involvement in village life is referenced many times on this site: he was chair of the Parish Council for many years; a trustee of the Working Men's Club; an honorary member of Wateringbury School's Old Boys Society.

In the 1911 census, aged 23, Frank was still living at Broomscroft (12 rooms) with his parents, elder sister, Elsie, and 3 live-in servants. His occupation is described as "son-farmer" and it is noted that he is an "employer at Offham".

A list of parishioners, compiled by the vicar and published in the parish magazine serving in the army in June 1915 records:

Blest, 2nd Lieut. Frank, 3rd (Reserve) Bn., Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

The regiment's history records this battalion's movements in WW1 as follows:

August 1914 : at Stirling. A depot/training unit, it moved on mobilisation to Woolwich, going on in May 1915 to Edinburgh and in March 1917 to Dreghorn. Moved to Kinsale in November 1917.

The vicar's list of parishioners serving from January 1917 indicates that he was serving overseas, but this is inconsistent with the battalion's history so he might have transferred to another battalion. His war service record (WO 339/65708) is available at the National Archives in Kew but, as at June 2020, had not been digitalised so requiring a visit to Kew to inspect.

He married his wife, Winifred Hall, in the last quarter of 1916 (i.e. during the war ) at Portsmouth. Winifred was his cousin from Queenstown, Co. Cork.

Frank after the war is known for expanding the family's farm portfolio from Canon Lane (renting or buying) to include Brewer's Hall Farm and Bull Farm in Mereworth and Home Farm in Wateringbury. Wateringbury and Mereworth were the main locations of the family's farm, but they also farmed in Hawkhurst, Goudhurst, Benenden and Brede in Sussex. As well as hops, cherries, gooseberries and damsons, many kinds of hard and soft fruit were grown. His grandson, Peter, recalls (article in Wateringbury People & Places Volume Two) that he relied heavily on his foremen, many of whom were WWI veterans; he was driven around in an open Lagonda.

Frank is the "Blest" referred to in Orwell's Hop-Picking essay.

A photo of him with his wife at Broomscroft is available in Wateringbury Local History Society's library. He is remembered by a family descendant as being a short man, bald after his service in WW1 so usually wearing a hat. Another family member recalls that after Orwell became famous he came for lunch at Broomscroft with Frank and his wife, Winifed; the conversation is recalled as quite boring.

Frank retired to Devon, dying in 1975.