THE THANKFUL BRAVEST VILLAGE
Thankful villages are those which lost no sons in the Great War.
The term
was
attributed to Arthur Mee, renowned for his early 19th
century Children's Encyclopaedia and King's England series.
Knowlton, just outside Dover, is one of the rare thankful
villages - but it is also the bravest village in England! In
1914 a recruiting competition was organised by the Weekly
Dispatch to see which village could encourage the greatest
proportion of inhabitants to join up before the end of February
1915. The winner would be the
Bravest Village.
Knowlton gained the title - and a memorial -
after 12 men enlisted from its population of just 39.
|
Those who served with his Majesty's
Forces
in the Great War
 |
Major F E Speed, REK Yeomanry
Cpt E I L Speed MC 2nd Life Guards
Cpt D C L Speed 60th Rifles
Cpl C Baldock 4th Buffs
Cpl L Martin MM REK Yeomanry
Ctl C Crocker 2nd Life Guards
Pte W J Brett 6th Buffs
Pte J Lack REK Yeomanry
Pte P O'Brien REK Yeomanry
Pte C Sturdee 4th Buffs
Pte T J Wilkins REK Yeomanry
Pte A Wood 4th Buffs
Major S C H Sargent CF |
|
|
|
|
One crowded hour of glorious life is
worth an age without a name
This cross was erected in honour of those twelve men of
Knowlton who out of a total population of thirty nine
enlisted prior to March 1915 and by their patriotic
action won the Weekly Dispatch "Bravest Village"
Competition |
 |
The monument, after unveiling by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent at
3pm on 6 September 1919
The cross is made from Aberdeen granite, designed by Sir George
Frampton and erected by W Kirkpatrick of Trafford, Manchester. A
number of dignitaries attended the unveiling, and only Privates
Sturdee and Wood, of the names thereon, were unable to attend as
they were still away on service in India. Those who could be
present were given silver cigarette cases, while Corporal Martin
was presented with his Military Medal. The celebrations
continued with selections of music played by the 5th Lancers,
with a tea on the Knowlton Estate followed by funfair
amusements.
Notes: there are actually thirteen names on the
memorial ...
many of those who enlisted did not live in the village, which
belonged to an estate; however they all worked on the estate
pictures, Simon Chambers
