{"id":66,"date":"2017-06-01T15:44:14","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T14:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/rtwbelgians\/?p=66"},"modified":"2017-06-01T15:44:14","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T14:44:14","slug":"the-scott-album-by-alison-mackenzie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/rtwbelgians\/2017\/06\/01\/the-scott-album-by-alison-mackenzie\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘Scott’ Album: by Alison MacKenzie"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Invitation to the Misses SCOTT for the event on 22 July 1916 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(Photograph \u00a9Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

On 22nd July 1916, the Belgian Colony of Tunbridge Wells celebrated their National Day<\/em> (21st July) by honouring the ladies of the Mayor\u2019s Refugee Committee<\/a> \u00a0\u2013 Mrs BURTON, Mrs GUTHRIE, Miss POWER,<\/a> Mrs Le LACHEUR<\/a>, Mme Le JEUNE, Miss McCLEAN, Mrs WILSON and the Misses SCOTT<\/a> \u2013 and the local Doctors \u2013 WILSON, C. SMITH and GUTHRIE \u2013 who had ministered to the refugees free of charge.<\/p>\n

A ceremony and celebration was held in the Town Hall on Calverley Road to which townspeople and Belgian refugees were invited. On the evening in question the hall was packed.<\/p>\n

At 7.30pm precisely the Mayor, Councillor Charles Whitbourn EMSON with his wife, Margaret, and Miss EMSON arrived in the hall and were welcomed by Monsieur Florent COOSEMANS, Mrs EMSON then being presented with a floral arrangement of orchids and roses by one of the Belgian children.\u00a0 Monsieur Albert LE JEUNE, Honorary President of the \u2018Club Albert\u2019 spoke patriotically of his country\u2019s history and its links with Britain, and Monsieur COOSEMANS then spoke of the two years they had spent in exile and of the kindness afforded to them by the people of Tunbridge Wells, and by the ladies and doctors of the Committee in particular:<\/p>\n

The reception received in this lovely county, rightly named the Garden of England, was above what the Belgian people could have expected\u2026 It took all the dexterity and amiability of the British, whose noble and chivalrous character was proverbial, to sweeten their troubles and suffering. (Kent & Sussex Courier, 28 July 1916)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mayor EMSON and Doctor WILSON thanked the gathering on behalf of the Committee and the doctors, and the evening concluded with a concert and the National Anthems of Belgium and Britain.<\/p>\n

While the Kent and Sussex Courier<\/em> reported that a commemorative album to which all the Belgians in the area had contributed, was then presented to Mrs EMSON as the representative of the ladies of the Committee, the Belgian press-in-exile<\/a>\u00a0reported that albums were given to each of the ladies of the Committee \u2013 including Belgian refugee Mme LE JEUNE \u2013 , along with bouquets of flowers.<\/p>\n

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Extract from La Metropole newspaper (27th<\/sup> July 1916)<\/strong><\/p>\n

What we know for certain is that an album was presented to the Misses SCOTT -Amelia and Louisa.\u00a0 And that is because it still exists \u2013 in the Papers of Amelia Scott <\/em>which are held in the Women\u2019s Library @ LSE<\/a> .<\/p>\n

It is an amazing resource, providing as it does a list of names of possibly all, maybe most, certainly some, of those in the area at the time.\u00a0 Some entries take up a whole page.\u00a0 Other pages are covered with the signatures of several families.\u00a0 There are patriotic poems, poems of gratitude, drawings and paintings.<\/p>\n

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The Misses Scotts\u2019 Album (Photo \u00a9Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This album is the starting point for this community research Project.\u00a0 A database<\/a> of all the names has been created by one of our volunteers, Jan Wright, and analysis of the 170 names inscribed therein will provide a snapshot of the Belgian Community in Tunbridge Wells in July 1916.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Club Albert\u2019 Committee 1916 (Photo \u00a9 Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\n

And some fascinating discoveries are being made as we research the names.<\/p>\n

Albert LE JEUNE<\/strong>, Hon. President of the Club Albert of Tunbridge Wells, went on to be a Belgian Senator for the Antwerp region.\u00a0 At the end of the war, he sent \u00a350 back to Tunbridge Wells to be used for \u201ceducational purposes\u201d It funded historical essay prizes – known as the Le Jeune History Prize – at Skinners School and the County School for Girls (now TWGGS) for many years.\u00a0 Albert Le Jeune\u2019s wife Gabrielle was a member of the Mayor\u2019s Belgian Refugee Committee.<\/p>\n

Josef DENYN <\/strong>was the famous \u2018carilloneur\u2019 of Malines, who was a close friend of local musician, composer and campanologist, William Wooding STARMER, and spent the whole period of the war in Tunbridge Wells with his family.<\/p>\n

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Carillon Music by \u2018Mechlin Bellmaster\u2019 Josef DENYN <\/strong><\/p>\n

(Photograph \u00a9 Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of the family of painter James ENSOR<\/a> of Ostend were here \u2013 his divorced sister Mariette (known as Mietje or Mitche), her daughter Alex and son-in-law, and their son; and also the artist\u2019s companion and muse, Augusta BOOGAERTS, with her nephew, Pierre GOVAERTS.<\/p>\n

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Augusta BOOGAERTS and Madame ENSOR <\/strong><\/p>\n

(Photograph \u00a9Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Committee member Georges CANTILLON<\/strong> was a medically-discharged Belgian soldier who had been awarded the Order of Leopold II for bravery on two occasions, in August and October 1914.\u00a0 He was an artist, employed as a painter on glass in civilian life, and while in Tunbridge Wells he was employed as an artist by W.T. Waters, wood letter manufacturer, of 39 Culverden Avenue and Tunnel Road.\u00a0 I wonder whether any of his work still exists?\u00a0 His contribution to the album was a beautifully-illustrated message of gratitude on behalf of all the Belgian soldiers convalescing in the town.<\/p>\n

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(Photograph \u00a9Alison MacKenzie 2013)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Adapted from an article by Alison MacKenzie on her blog <\/em>www.belgiansrtw.wordpress.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Sources :<\/em><\/p>\n