Upchurch at War in 1914-1918
One of the great village mysteries of World War 1 involved the sudden disappearance of inventor Mr. Mantle from Bayford House on the bottom left of Poot Lane in 1915.
Born in Minster, Sheppey on December 30th 1850, Mantle went to Germany and joined an agricultural machinery agent’s in Hanover where he stayed for 2½ years. He then moved to Schleswig-Holstein where he continued in the agricultural machinery business then he started a small engineering and iron foundry company. In 1882 he took out his first patent for making improvements in threshing machinery but this failed because of insufficient capital.
Mr. Mantle returned to England in 1884 and took out a patent for improvements in cooking ranges in 1889. He also built a factory at Gray’s in Essex but this failed so he constructed another in Northfleet but he again ran short of capital. He finally settled down in Upchurch during the early 1900s.
When he came to Upchurch Mr. Mantle constructed his own house on the marshes on the bottom left of Poot Lane which became known as ‘Bayford House.’ The large building, overlooking the marshes, reminiscent of Miss Haversham’s big house in Charles Dicken’s novel ‘Great Expectations’, became the only one of its kind in the parish. After this Mr. Mantle formed his own company called ‘The Bayford Ironworks Company’ and constructed an iron foundry close to his house for the production of Wizard stoves in 1911. He intended to produce stoves for the domestic UK market but the business didn’t progress due to the outbreak of war in 1914. Only one stove was ever produced.
Considered as a bit of an extrovert by local residents, the late Georgine Gordon-Smith who later resided in the house, explained that Mantle dressed in a top hat and tailed coat when entertaining friends and generally kept himself to himself.
With the outbreak of war in 1914 residents’ backgrounds were checked and in 1915 the police ordered Mr. Mantle to vacate the parish on instructions from the military then charged and arrested him under the Defense of the Realm Act. The exact reasons remained a mystery but rumour spread in the village that he had become a German spy and wide coverage of the case appeared in contemporary editions of the East Kent Gazette.
After taking out a petition in protest for wrongful arrest and deprivation of his home and business without good reason, the question of Mr. Mantle’s arrest reached Parliament when local MP Mr. Granville-Wheeler took the case to the Under-Secretary of State in early 1915. The MP asked whether Mr. Mantle had been charged with any offence against the realm and whether he had been informed on what charges or evidence had led to his arrest and whether he would be given an opportunity to produce evidence to show that he was innocent of any crime. The Under-Secretary replied that:
‘The action taken in this case was under the Defence of the Realm Regulation Number 14 under which, as I have on previous occasions explained, no charge is necessary. Mr. Mantle was suspected of acting or having acted in a manner prejudicial to the public safety. It would not be in the public interest to go further into the details of this case.’
Not completely satisfied with the reply Mr. Granville-Wheeler asked further questions and a conclusion was reached when the Under-Secretary told him that if he wished to bring the matter as a special case he would give it personal consideration. After Granville-Wheeler had continued fighting the case during a six month period he managed to get the order cancelled and Mr. Mantle re-appeared at Bayford House to the surprise of local residents who were unaware of what exactly had happened to him.
When the war finished Mr. Mantle successfully sued the British government for wrongful arrest and received a large amount of compensation according to the late Georgine Gordon-Smith. He then left Bayford house, terminated his company and moved away from the area. The foundry later became a fruit store for farmers A. Hinge and Sons while bulldog breeder Dick Shrubsall and Georgine Gordon-Smith moved into the house.
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Memories of
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When Dick Shrubsall died Georgine Gordon-Smith continued living alone in the huge building overlooking the marshes until she died when in her mid-nineties and farmer Robert Hinge and his family moved into the property. Although a century has passed since the incident involving Mr. Mantle, the complete truth about his arrest remains a mystery.
About David:
David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village. David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + £3.50 postage and packing.
David Wood
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