Author Archives: twocenturies

The Club Albert: by Jan Wright

In November 1914, Belgian Refugees in Tunbridge Wells decided to form a club.  They were able to use premises at 32 Calverley Road which belonged to the Constitutional Club, on the first and second floor where Waterstones and Hotter are … Continue reading

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Wounded Belgian Heroes in Tonbridge, 1914: by Pam Mills

Following the Siege of Antwerp, many Belgians fled for their lives coming to the UK. On 16th October 1914, a ‘special’ Ambulance train arrived at Tonbridge Station in the early hours of the morning carrying several wounded Belgian soldiers & … Continue reading

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Housing the Refugees: by Anne Logan

The most basic necessity for the Belgian refugees when they arrived in the UK was a place to live. Families for example needed to find somewhere to stay where their children could be educated nearby. Some refugees were fortunate enough … Continue reading

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Mayor Charles Emson: by Anne Carwardine

When Charles Emson died in 1936, the Kent & Sussex Courier’s obituary described him thus: Tall, upright and of striking appearance, Mr Emson commanded the respect and highest esteem of everyone associated with the social and governing life of the … Continue reading

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The Suffragist Clothing Depot: by Anne Carwardine

From 1906 onwards, Tunbridge Wells was home to an extraordinarily active Votes for Women campaign. The largest and busiest organisation in town was the local branch of the NUWSS (the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies) whose non-militant members were … Continue reading

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The ‘Scott’ Album: by Alison MacKenzie

  Invitation to the Misses SCOTT for the event on 22 July 1916 (Photograph ©Alison MacKenzie 2013) On 22nd July 1916, the Belgian Colony of Tunbridge Wells celebrated their National Day (21st July) by honouring the ladies of the Mayor’s … Continue reading

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The villages of West Kent’s response to the Belgian Refugee Crisis: by Anne Logan

As refugees from Belgium poured into England in the autumn of 1914 – many of whom arrived at the Kentish ports of Dover and Folkestone – the towns and villages of West Kent swung into action, offering shelter, raising money, … Continue reading

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Who lived at Broadwater Court during the First World War? by Jan Wright

While compiling the database from the documents in the Brussels archive, I noticed that violinist Eugene Ysaye and sculptor Paul van den Kerckhove and their families both stayed for a short time at Broadwater Court on Broadwater Down, at the … Continue reading

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Making a database from the refugees’ forms: by Jan Wright

The task I had was to compile a database of all those Belgian refugees who signed the Club Albert album presented to the Misses Scott in July 1916.  The aim is to provide a snapshot for statistical purposes of Belgian … Continue reading

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Extracting detail from newspapers on http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: by Caroline Auckland

  Following on from the Weekes advertisement for British Toys for British & Belgian Children, I continued to study the rest of the newspaper (Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 27 November 1914) to see what else could be found relating … Continue reading

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