Life on home front during Great War

Maidstone In The Great War is a new book that paints a portrait of what hap- pened on the home front in the County Town during the four-year conflict.

I t start s with a meeting held at Sessions House in which the great and the good of the town, including the Marquis of Camden, Fiennes Cornwallis and the Mayor, A.T.Epps, pledged support for Lord Kitchener’s campaign to recruit 100,000 volunteers.

Cornwallis offered practical assistance by billeting a squadron of soldiers in his family home – Linton Park. He just about found room to squeeze them into his 330-acre estate without imposing too much on his wife and three daughters and their 20 servants.

Several prominent buildings were turned over for use as hospitals, including the Howard de Walden Institute and Hayle Place at Tovil.

The town began to absorb refugees and within six months had taken in 136 Belgian children.

As news from the front grew worse, there was domestic tragedy too. A motor-car crash in May 1915 claimed the life of Alice Crosby, of Week Street. There was a horrendous murder case in June that year. Margaret Neale was convicted of murdering her eight-month-old daughter – by cutting her head off. Maidstone judge Mr Justice Darling gave her the death sentence, but this was changed to life in prison by the Home Secretary.

Maidstone In The Great War is written by Stephen Ward and published by Pen and Sword Military, cost £12.99, ISBN978 1 47382 791 2.