Notes from the Archive: Halford L. Mills of Smarden

“I should not be able to identify this place were it not for the assistance of the Late Halford Mills of Smarden..” so wrote Dr. Gordon Ward in 1945 in his article on the Lost Dens of Little Chart in Archaeologia Cantiana. The place in question was a holding near the charmingly named location ‘Stinkingee Pittes’ near Smarden. Gordon Ward had come across and utilised the large collection of manuscript notes accumulated by Halford L. Mills (1843-1931), who devoted many years to researching the History of Smarden with the intention of publishing a History as a tribute and follow on to The Antiquities of Smarden written by the Rev. Francis Haslewood and published in 1866.

Mills was of an entrepreneurial nature and became a local historian late in life. He was born in Smarden in 1843, but left for London as a young man, where he became the proprietor of the Reformed Funeral Company, which specialised in cremations but also offered an embalming service. Mills had learnt this art at the United States School of Embalming. Mills also became involved with coach building and publishing and he owned a small farm near Chalfont St. Giles. Eventually he ceased to run the Funeral Company; it appears due to difficulties in business. He moved back to Smarden and in the 1920s we find him living in Claggett House researching local history and seeking subscribers for his proposed book. A box of Mills’ papers containing letters and forms from prospective subscribers to his book have been found in the KAS Archive. The box also contained research relating to the Baptists of Smarden, fascinating information on local people, historic buildings, changes in farming locally and weather records. Sadly, Mills never did get enough subscribers to publish his book on Smarden’s History, although many did sign up, including the Hon. Henry Hannen, but he contributed to the local paper and published other works including a booklet on the Smarden Church Bells in 1922. The final item he published was an Article in Archaeologia Cantiana on The Dating of Timber Houses in the Weald of Kent which was submitted only a few weeks before his death on October 10th 1931.

Mills’s papers were contained in a rather sorry looking box. It was water and soot stained from the 1977 Fire at Maidstone Museum and judging from the address labels it had travelled around a bit. A little research identified the papers as part of the ‘lost archive’ of the Smarden Local History Society. According to Alex Ferris from Smarden Heritage Centre, the first Local History Society in Smarden was established in 1931 by the Curate and Miss Rathbone. Activities ceased during the war and in 1955 the Society was wound up and the archive of local history material, including the Mills papers, were dispersed. Some papers ended up at Kent Archives, some with private individuals and some with the KAS. In 1995 the Smarden Local History Society was reformed and has since gone from strength to strength. It has a very active membership and interest in Mills’ research has blossomed resulting in the return of most of the papers to Smarden Heritage Centre where they have been catalogued and archived to a high standard.

A digital copy of his History of Smarden has also been published thereby belatedly fulfilling Mills’ ambition. The papers are a valuable resource for the study of the locality and contain wonderful details on all aspects of Smarden life. The information on local buildings has proved especially popular with residents researching their historic properties. It seemed right that the newly discovered box should join the main collection in Smarden Heritage Centre on loan. Alex Ferris said, “We are really pleased that the papers have come home to us, they mean a lot to us locally. We hope to build an extension of our facilities in Smarden Charter Hall so we will have more room for our growing Archive and artefact collection.” It is pleasing to know that other local historians will have cause to echo the sentiment of Gordon Ward and find Mills’ work useful.

Fig 1: Halford Mills, Local History Society. Fig 2: Members of the Smarden Local History Society working on the papers in the main room of Smarden Charter Hall. Photos: © Alex Ferris.