Little more than a small, quiet village, Upchurch consisted of about 1,100 inhabitants in 1918. Although still at war with Germany residents continued their lives as well as possible.
Most Upchurch residents were born, educated, married and died in the village. Men worked mainly on local farms, in the brickfields or on barges. Most women were housewives and some did seasonal work on local farms such as fruit picking in the summer or hop picking in the autumn.
Some families had lived in the village for generations like the Wildish family who date back to at least the beginning of the seventeenth century in Upchurch. Joyce Bass and her sister Susan who live at Drakes Close are present day descendants of the Wildish family.
How did people in Upchurch live in 1918? There were no indoor bathrooms, so residents had to use an outside toilet situated in the back garden. To keep clean they had to strip down at the kitchen sink to wash or sit in a tin bath full of water placed on the kitchen floor. Central heating did not exist so warmth came from a fire lit under the kitchen copper while open fires heated other rooms. Because electricity did not become available in Upchurch until 1935 lamps and candles were used for lighting. Although mains water had existed in the village since the early 1890s some people still chose to use water from wells. A water pump situated in The Street opposite Forge Lane served local residents with clean water.
Because buses did not pass through the village people walked or cycled to Rainham where they could catch a bus to Sittingbourne or Medway or a train farther afield. Children usually walked to school even in torrential rain but they were allowed to dry their wet socks in front of the classroom stove according to Holywell School’s daily log book.
Compared with today wages were low and inflation and taxes high, so people had to be careful with their money. With the introduction of rationing in January 1918, residents had to use ration cards to purchase products like cheese, butter, margarine and meat. They also had to pay a special war rate to the parish council. Because 140 Upchurch men were away fighting in the war their families came under financial pressure. However, savings schemes were available. Parish council chairman Len Harvey ran a coupon system while Holywell School offered savings certificates.
Towards the end of 1918 hardship increased when a serious influenza epidemic broke out nationwide which caused widespread illness, made worse by a serious coal shortage.
How did the village appear in 1918? Instead of modern housing estates people lived in cottages or in terraced houses like the row opposite and adjoining Terry’s shop. Outside the village centre some farm workers lived in tied cottages like Webb’s Cottages and Callows Cottages at Ham Green. Thatched cottages also existed like the two sets that once stood at Wetham Green and a row of small wooden buildings located in Shoregate Lane for river workers known as ‘Muddies’.
A brick works at Brick Hill in Poot Lane owned by farmers Wakeley Brothers had a rail system that enabled the transportation of finished bricks to Twinney Creek and then by barge to locations along the coast. Another rail track stretched from the brick works to a sand pit situated behind the terraced houses in The Street from where sand was taken for the brick making process.
Five oasthouses were dotted around the village, two in Horsham Lane, one in Chaffes Lane, one in Forge Lane and a small one at Gore Farm. Four of these belonged to farmers Wakeley Brothers. Other farmers included George Lumley Webb from Tunstall, Tom Dennis from Natal Farm, Frank Stevens from Holywell and Henry Clark, William Wood, Harry Witherden and Edward Tress from Ham Green. Produce such as fruit was transported from these farms by horse and cart to Rainham Railway Station from where it was sent to London markets. Although fruit and hops were the main crops cereal, sheep and cattle production also existed in an area of mixed farming.
Businesses including shops existed in the village as today. Tom Wraight ran The Old Bakery in Forge Lane and delivered bread to residents’ homes by horse and cart. Harry Legge managed The Upchurch Stores and post office which later became Terry’s. William Hales ran W H Hales Butcher’s opposite The Crown. The big white house in The Street opposite the church served as Dawson’s Boots and Shoes Repairers managed by George Dawson, the Co-op building became a Royal Navy convalescent home run by Miriam Hilton-Coulton who lived and worked there as the matron. The old white house known today as ‘Wayside’ opposite the church in Horsham Lane served as a confectionary shop run by William Simmonds. Ellen Baker had a small grocery shop in Wallbridge Lane while George and Caroline Richens managed a grocery and butcher’s shop near The Three Sisters pub.
Five pubs existed in the parish compared with three today. William Faulkner managed The Crown, Tom Polhill the Brown Jug and Bill Edmonds The Three Sisters. The Lord Stanley Inn stood at the bottom of Windmill Hill but that closed in 1918 and the Barnes family turned it into a grocery store. The Anchor & Hope pub stood at Otterham Quay wharf but this closed and then demolished in 1921.
The recreation ground had fallen into disuse by 1918 and the football and cricket clubs who usually played at Holywell Meadow were suspended because of the war. Other organisations were available for people to join. For example, the Girl’s Friendly Society existed for young girls. The Bible Class, the choir and the bellringers functioned in the church while the Mother’s Union met at the vicarage.
Annual events continued in the village despite the war. As well as Christmas and Easter, Empire Day took place in The Paddock on Ascension Day in May followed by a Fete in August and the Harvest Festival in October.
A total of 190 pupils attended the two village schools. Bertha Lakey served as the headmistress at the Infant’s School while Dora Dawson worked as the other teacher. Mr Maltravers worked as head of Holywell School with teachers Ethel Maltravers, Katherine Wraight and Violet Witherden. Apart from being educated the pupils in both schools were involved in fund raising activities for the war effort. Mr Maltravers set up the League of Young Patriots to do this at Holywell.
Memorial services for the war dead presided over by village vicar Reverend Dicker periodically took place in the church which remained open every day for prayers. The pulpit and lectern were draped with the Union Jack to symbolise bravery, patriotism and sorrow during the war. When news was received about a dead soldier or sailor the tenor bell in the church was tolled three times, five for a dead sailor and three times for a soldier. The family had to pay Mr Giles the sexton a small fee for this to be done. Five soldiers and three sailors from Upchurch died in 1918. This took the total war dead to 34 men.
Fund raising continued at the village schools and events mainly for a peace memorial and a permanent memorial for the war dead. A jam making factory became established at the vicarage where fifteen lady volunteers produced 300 pounds of jam every weekend, then sold it. They gave the money to the Memorial Fund set up by the parish council.
Police constable Jenner and thirty seven special constables patrolled the village streets to check security and the blackout throughout the war. Len Harvey served as head constable.
A siren placed in the village centre was intended to warn of German air attacks which never came. A public telephone box discussed by the parish council did not become reality until after the war.
Overall, life was much more difficult for residents in 1918 than today. They had to endure daily hardship as well as great grief and sorrow due to the loss of so many Upchurch men fighting in the war. Ultimately, they experienced great relief with the signing of the armistice on November 11th 1918 which brought four years of war to an end.
About David
David Wood was born, raised and still lives in Upchurch today. He is able to write from personal experience about village life and the changes that have taken place over the years, making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and 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
