Tag Archives: Club Albert

Wounded Soldiers in Tunbridge Wells, 1914-18: by Jennifer Watts

The Germans had demanded the right of passage through neutral Belgium to attack France. King Albert retorted ‘Belgium is a nation, not a road’. Belgians refused to stand aside as Germans marched through their country and resistance to their advance … Continue reading

Posted in Research notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paul Vd Kerckhove and the bust of Mayor Whitbourn Emson: by Alison MacKenzie

“A souvenir of the Belgians’ friendship and visit to the town” In 1915 the Belgian Community of Tunbridge Wells commissioned Belgian sculptor Paul Vd Kerckhove, himself a refugee, to make a bust of the town’s Mayor and Chairman of the … Continue reading

Posted in Research notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Schooling for the Belgian children: by Alison MacKenzie

In all, 75 Belgian refugee children passed through Tunbridge Wells (though the maximum at any one time was only 35), and arrangements were made with the Borough’s schools to give them free education as required.  Some were taught by the … Continue reading

Posted in Research notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Belgians in Southborough: by Fiona Brown

In 1914 Southborough was quite a small village, separated by three miles of open country from the more elegant Tunbridge Wells but very much connected to High Brooms with its Brick Works and Railway station.  I am fascinated by the significant … Continue reading

Posted in Reflections, Research notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Reflections, Research notes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Reflections, Research notes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Making a database from the refugees’ forms: by Jan Wright