Colonel Stephens and Tonbridge, Kent

[rogerfarnworth]

A recent short article in 'The Colonel' reminded me that my maternal grandparents lived close to Colonel Stephens' Office in Tonbridge, Kent. This link is to a short article about that part of Tonbridge and the location of Colonel Stephen's office.

Colonel Stephens and Tonbridge, Kent

A very short article in “The Colonel”, the quarterly journal of the Colonel Stephens Society reminded me of something that I have known for a time but about which I had not really made …

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is this the same chap who was once involved with the ramshackle Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway?

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Yes, it is!

 

[Calthrop]

@rogerfarnworth: interesting material about your family connection with "the Colonel's town". I note with amusement, that what was the great man's office: is now adjacent to a "tattoo parlour" -- wonder how Stephens would have felt about that? One has the picture that he was inclined to be something of a "stiff and stuffy" character; but then again, he was a military man, even if of a not greatly "in-harm's-way" kind: so would have been familiar with soldiers and their ways -- perhaps he was tolerant of tattooing...

Am sure I've mentioned this before: but I also have a family link of sorts, with "Stephensdom". During World War II, my mother was a civilian in the employ of the Army: stationed for a long while, at one or more of the big military camps which were established along the route of the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire. Going by what I heard from her (decades ago), it would seem that her daily commute (she had lodgings in Oswestry) must have been accomplished by road, not involving travel on S & M metals. I'd like to imagine, though, that there could have been the odd extra-ordinary circumstance in which she was required to travel from A to B over said metals.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Thank you Calthrop.

 

[steamybrian]

A reproduction of his office has been re-created in the Kent & East Sussex Railway Museum adjacent to Tenterden Town station.
I understand that Col. Stephens lived in a house in Pembury Road and his assistant William Austin lived in Douglas Road (both roads shown on the maps).
A blue plaque marking his achievements has been displayed in Tonbridge station ticket office.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Thank you Steamybrain.

 

[paul1609]

A reproduction of his office has been re-created in the Kent & East Sussex Railway Museum adjacent to Tenterden Town station.
I understand that Col. Stephens lived in a house in Pembury Road and his assistant William Austin lived in Douglas Road (both roads shown on the maps).
A blue plaque marking his achievements has been displayed in Tonbridge station ticket office.

Brian, as well as the Col. Office the K & ESR is the custodian of a great deal of other documents and memorabilia from his other railways. In fact far too much to all be displayed in the museum.

 

[steamybrian]

Brian, as well as the Col. Office the K & ESR is the custodian of a great deal of other documents and memorabilia from his other railways. In fact far too much to all be displayed in the museum.

Noted with thanks.

Brian

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Brian, as well as the Col. Office the K & ESR is the custodian of a great deal of other documents and memorabilia from his other railways. In fact far too much to all be displayed in the museum.

What's on display is very good, though, and fully illustrates the number of the railways with which he was involved.