MEMORIAL TO NOBODY
Have you ever heard of a ‘Memorial to Nobody’?
Well, that is exactly what we have at Knowlton (part of the parish of Goodnestone) here in Kent. Knowlton is what is known as one of ‘The Thankful Villages’ These are settlements (hamlets, or villages) in England and Wales, from which all their members, who joined the armed forces, survived World War I.
The term ‘Thankful Village’ was popularised by the writer, Arthur Mee, in the 1930s; in Enchanted Land (1936), the introductory volume to The King's England series of guides. He wrote that a ‘Thankful Village’ was one where all the members of that parish who enlisted and served in World War 1, returned home again after the war.
He initially identified 32 villages. Interestingly, in the case of our Knowlton, it has not often been spoken about, as technically these brave soldiers were not from a village, but they worked on an estate : Knowlton Court, so they may have actually come from several parishes around the immediate area. Nonetheless, from this single estate, 11 men enlisted. This included the owner, one Major Elmer Speed, and his two sons, and also 9 members of staff. The local Vicar, from the neighbouring Parish of Nonington, The Reverend Sidney Sergeant, who had fired these men with enthusiasm, also enlisted, and also returned at the end of the war. In 1914, in order to boost national morale, there was a competition for the ‘Bravest Village’. I understand that 386 villages in total entered into this event. As Knowlton was entered as having enlisted 11 men from the total (eligible) population of just 39 people, Knowlton won this award!
Today, a peaceful and beautiful stretch of Kentish countryside with a collection of rural parishes, and the delightful holiday home, Knowlton Lodge. This Lodge is the gatehouse to the beautiful Knowlton Court Estate and was designed, in 1912, by the renowned architect, Edwin Lutyens. Just another few examples of the amazing history and heritage behind our hedgerows here in East Kent.
