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Hythe Green Preservation Society

(Hythe, Kent)

The two successful candidates - Stewart Marjoribanks and John Lock were elected by voters who lived mostly outside Hythe.

However, 207 other men, residents of Hythe, who considered themselves eligible to vote appeared at the Poll Table  to take the “Bribery Oath”  in order to vote for Fitzroy Kelly and William Fraser.

In his Mayoral capacity, George Shipdem  “declined to tender the Oath to them or admit them to vote”.  Two of  these disallowed voters were Joseph Horton and his father Benjamin. Objections were raised to the election’s outcome, and a petition presented to Parliament - to no avail.

Evidently Joseph’s and George’s differences were reconciled by 1862, when they joined forces to secure The Green from being used for building purposes. (Hythe Town Assembly Minutes)


FREDERICK BASSETT HORTON

……Fast forward to May 1939.

A request was made from the Commandant of the nearby Small Arms School to the Works Committee as to “Whether the Council could see their way to grant a three years’ lease of six and a quarter acres (out of 17) of the Green to the War office, on which temporary accommodation for 400 N.C.Os and 20 officers could be provided..”

The Committee unanimously agreed to the proposal as they felt it would benefit the town, but were obliged to approach Mr. Frederick Basset Horton (1874-1964), the owner of 31, Dymchurch Road, grandson of Joseph and successor in title to the Deed of 1862.

Contd.