Source:
The Faversham Farmers' Club and its Members
Author: Prideaux George Selby
Printed by: Messrs. Gibbs & Sons, Canterbury 1927
There have
been twelve members of the NEAME family in the Club since its inception, which
is the largest number of members belonging to one family.
The earliest
member was THOMAS NEAME of Garrington Court born in 1746 and came to
Selling where he resided at Selling Court. He married Catherine COBB,
daughter of John Cobb of Sheldwich. Her sister Mary married William
Chapman of Badlesmere Court. The Neames were a very old East Kent family
having resided there since circa 1400.
The following
names and dates show the members of the club and the years of their
membership.
THOMAS
NEAME 1781 - 1817 (Died)
Considered to be the Patriarch of the NEAME family as far as the Club
is concerned, as all the members of this name were his direct descendants.
After leaving Garrington Court, he leased Selling Court from Lord Sondes.
Later he bought Luton House at Selling Court (retiring there in his
old age), which is still in the family, as the residence of MR.. FREDERICK
NEAME. The lease of Selling Court was left to his second son, JOHN NEAME.
|
|
JOHN
NEAME 1813 - 1848 (Quitted)
Second son of THOMAS NEAME and first elected Chairman of the Board
of Guardians in 1835. Married to Anne CHAPMAN of Ospringe, he
had six sons of whom four were members of the Club. He was agent
for Lewis Richard, Lord Sondes from about 1810, till he was killed
in a carriage accident in 1849, on a hill,
between Littlebourne and Canterbury, as a result of the kicking
strap of his dog cart not being properly adjusted. He succeeded
____Edmunds, of Stockers Hill, who was the previous tenant. He
and Edmunds, between them, agreed to arrange with the tenants
of the estate to plant an elm tree to every acre of the Sondes
estate.
|
CHARLES
NEAME 1816-1870 (Died)
Was the third son of THOMAS NEAME and lived at Harefield, and afterwards
at Woodlands, Selling. Born in 1789, he married Anne WIGHTWICK daughter
of William Wightwick of New Romney, and left three sons (CHARLES, ROBERT
and EDWIN), who were all members of the Club. At Woodlands the doors
and woodwork were made from Chestnut wood grown by himself. He was a
man of fine presence, great strength, and a man of good business. At
his tenants dinners, Robert Cobb and Charles Neame sat on either side
of Lord Sondes, who used to refer to the former as "a really good
business man" and to the latter "as a genial companion".
After his death, twelve bearers carried him by hand from Woodlands to
Selling Church. In accordance with the ancient custom of this family,
they wore white linen scarves in addition to the usual black hat bands
(Faversham Mercury). A clock was placed in the Tower of Selling Church
in his memory.
AUSTEN
NEAME 1817 - 1837 (Died)
The fourth son of THOMAS NEAME, born in 1791, AUSTEN farmed at Homestall,
Faversham, and married Anne BEALE of Biddenden. He left two sons, PERCY
of the Mount, Ospring, and RICHARD.
ROBERT
NEAME 1819 - 1821 (Died)
The sixth son of THOMAS NEAME, remaining unmarried, Robert of Selling
Court, died at the age of 27.
EDWARD
NEAME 1850 - 1865 (Quitted)
The third son of JOHN NEAME of Selling Court, he was born in 1822. Succeeding
his father at Selling Court, he married Mary Ann Bayden. In 1856 he
moved from Selling to Canterbury. He was a keen foxhunter and an exceptionally
good shot.
CHARLES
NEAME 1850 - 1883 (Quitted)
The son of CHARLES NEAME of Harefield, and brother of ROBERT and EDWIN,
CHARLES NEAME of Copton Manor, Pretson, was born in 1822 and died 12th
September, 1892. He married firstly Julia WIGHTWICK, daughter of William
Wightwick of New Romney, and secondly, Eliza Cobb WILDASH, daughter
of John Wildash.
It used to be the custom of the Club to put a bowl of punch on the table
as well as the wine, which remained generally untouched. Charles Neame
broke the custom at one meeting at his house, and after that it lapsed
altogether.
ROBERT
NEAME 1855 - 1883 (Quitted)
Son of CHARLES NEAME of Harefield and Woodlands. Born in 1824 and died
23 Feb 1884, he was himself of Fairbrook. He married Ellen ABBOTT, daughter
of John Abbott of Ospringe Parsonage.
EDWIN
NEAME 1860 - 1895 (Died)
Second son of CHARLES NEAME of Harefield, Selling and Woodlands. Born
in 1829, he succeeded his father at Harefield, and married Elizabeth
DIXON, daughter of the Rev. Dixon of Lindfield, Sussex. He was brother
of Charles of Copton Manor, Preston, and Robert of Fairbrook, Boughton.
FREDERICK NEAME 1872 - 1903 (Quitted)
Third son of FREDERICK NEAME and Mary Tassell, he was born on 29th May,
1847. He married Kathleen STUNT, daughter of Frederick STUNT of Higham.
He farmed Macknade, Preston, for many years and afterwards retired to
his house of Luton, Selling.
Frederick was educated at Cheltenham College and left in 1863, then
spent a year studying architecture and building in Birmingham. In 1864
he joined his father in his land agency and farming at Macknade. In
1865 he joined the East Kent Yeomany Cavalry, later termed Mounted Rifles
(Faversham Troop). When Lord Harris took over the troop in the early
1870's from Lord Sondes, he became a Quartermaster, a position he retained
till 1878. During this period he was honorary Treasurer to the Faversham
Agricultural Association. In 1881, he helped to form the East Kent Cart
Horse Society, of which he was Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. The
introduction of High Class Shire Stallions by this Society effected
a noticeable improvement in the District in draught horses. In 1905,
he represented the Hop Industry on Joseph Chamberlain's Tariff Reform
Committee, and continued to act for some years. On his father's retirement
in 1878, he took over the position of agent for Lord Sondes' estates
in Kent and Norfolk until 1912, when he retired and was succeeded by
his son FREDERICK IVO NEAME. At his final rent audit he was presented
with a silver tea and coffee service by Earl Sondes and the tenants
of his estates in Kent.
In 1915 he was appointed a County J.P.; for many years was a director
of the Kent Fire Office, and a Commissioner for East Kent Sewers. Deeply
interested in Kent Sheep (a hobby he inherited from his father), in
1870 he started his own flock, and in the first 18 years, he received
no less than 218 awards, including seven champions, six reserve champions
and 60 first prizes. In 1913 in a unanimous judges' decision, he was
awarded the first prize and Challenge Cup for the best flock exhibited.
In 1890 he established a herd of Dutch Cattle, from which a descended
flock was inherited by his second son THOMAS NEAME.
In 1903 he felt compelled, by bad health, to retire from the Club, but
fortunately completely recovered, and became the oldest living authority
on the Club customs, having joined 54 years earlier. He kindly invited
the members to his house to celebrate the Club's Bi-Centenary, and consented
to rejoin as a member for that occasion.
FREDERICK
IVO NEAME 1917 - ??
Eldest son of FREDERICK NEAME of Luton, Selling. He married Sylvia Helena
Ludlow DELL, daughter of James Dell of Court Lodge, Harrietsham, formerly
of Calicut, India. Educated at Cheltenham College and later became a
member of the Surveyors' Institute. He succeeded his father and grandfather
as agent to Earl Sondes for the Lees Court estate, and also managed
the estates of Otterden for Sir Granville Wheler, Bart., and Nash Court,
for the Hon. H.A. Milles-Lade. Besides being an extensive fruit and
hop grower, he was a member of the Faversham Navigation Commission and
the St. Augustines's Commission of Sewers, and a Director of the Royal
Insurance Company of Maidstone. He formerly held a Commission in the
R.G.A. (Volunteers) and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Selling
Troop of Boy Scouts, of which he was a Scoutmaster for sixteen years,
and District Commissioner for the Faversham District. Formerley a member
of the National Rifle Association, he competed at Bisley. In his spare
time he was also a keen follower of the Tickham Hounds.
THOMAS NEAME 1920 - ??
Third son of FREDERICK NEAME of Luton, Selling, born 23rd December,
1885, at Macknade, he married Gwendolyn Mary THOMSON, daughter of George
Thomson of Torquay. Educated at St. Michael's, Westgate, he became head
of the School and obtained an entrance scholarship to Cheltenham College.
Whilst there, he took three further scholarships, became head of his
house, Senior Prefect, Captain of the Cadet Corps, and was a member
of the School XV. Then after obtaining a scholarship to Queen's College,
Cambridge, and an Exhibition to Gonville and Caius, he entered the latter
and took his Tripos in Natural Science and later his M.A. degree. He
Captained the College XV, and played hockey and lawn tennis for the
College. He held the rank of Captain of the University Rifle and Volunteer
Corps.
After leaving Cambridge, he spent two and a half years in factories
in Germany, Austria, Poland and France. On his return, he was employed
by Messrs. Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd. Of Birmingham, manufacturers of
steel tubes and zinc sheet rolling as Department Manager.
On the outbreak of war in August 1914, he volunteered for service and
went to Gallipoli with the 9th Battalion, Worcester Regiment (part of
Kitchener's first 100,000). Wounded in the assault on Sari Bair, he
was sent home and was subsequently employed on munitions work.
After the war he entered a partnership with his father at Macknade,
Colkins and Abbey Farms, occupied in hop, fruit, dairy farming, poultry
and pigs. They had Friesian Cattle and developed six 2,000 gallon cows,
two of which gave over 100lbs. of milk in one day. He won several open
milk and dairy trials between 1920 and 1926, had the highest herd average
milk yield in Kent, and was three times second in the Silcock All-England
Dairy Herd's Competition.
He was elected Chairman and Vice-President of the Kent Milk Recording
Society, Chairman of the Canterbury Farmers' Club and the Faversham
Branch of the N.F.U.
