WILL "Mr. Robert William Sayer, of The Tors, Maidstone-road, Chatham,
retired draper, who died on the 25th August last, aged 78 years, left
gross estate of the value of £23,274 10s., with net personalty £17,262
1s. 10d. Mr Herbert Benjamin Sayer, of Court-street, Faversham,
draper, son; Mr. Harry Nichols Poles, of Brooklands, Maidstone-road,
Chatham, and Miss Alice Mary Sayer, of Chatham, daughter, are the
executors. The will is dated 10th January, 1931. Testator left £50 to
the Salvation Army; £25 to St. Dunstan's for the Blind; £25 to St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester; £30 to Ebenezer Church,
Clover-street, Chatham; £10 to his servant, Miss K. Newell; £200 to
his daughter, Alice Mary Sayer, payable on the death of his wife; £150
to Rachel Sayer; £150 to his grand-children, Margaret and Basil Sayer;
£100 to his son, Frank Samuel Sayer, payable on the death of his wife;
£200 and his personal effects to his wife; £500 a year and his
residence to his wife for life; £25 a year to Mary Elizabeth Froud;
£25 each to Henry Nichols Poles and John Gray; the residue of his
property in trust for his children, Herbert Benjamin Sayer, Frank
Samuel Sayer, and Alice Mary Sayer, in equal shares."
Robert always said that he knew nothing about his ancesters. He opened
a shop, probably general drapery, in Bluetown, Sheerness (the 1881
census lists his occupation as draper). The address according to the
census was 41 High Street. This shop either failed or, more likely, he
closed it iolarger premises. Joan Dennett remembers seeing his name in
the tiles at the entrance of the meh later when it was a small
restaurant. He was a great Salvation Army man and his son, sod to tol
his children that when he wasa child, they all had to go to kneeling
practice on ottoneons. Robert was a friend of Bramwell Booth
(1856-1929), eldest son of William Booth, the Salvation Army. Bramwell
Booth succeeded his father in 1912 as general of the Salvation Army.
Robert married Hannah Tapsfield, one of four children from an East
Farleigh (near Maidstone) ‘amie Joan Dennett remembers visiting them
as a very young child and remembers their typical small farm cottage
set in an orchard. Robert had red hair. Hannah's sister Polly married
a Mr Froud and they had a daughter Doris who wasa great friend of her
cousin Mary Sayer. Joan remembers that Polly “looked just like granny"
(Hannah). Hannah's sister Clara did not marry and was housekeeper to
Henry Payne, a Maidstone businessman. He was a batchelor who lived at
"Hillfield", Detling, Kent and kept shooting dogs in kennels - two
brown and white spaniels. Henry Payne financed Robert to open a large
shop in Chatham High Street. Hannah used to tell Joan and her siblings
that "your Grandpa struck oil". Henry Payne was quite a gentleman
benefactor. He was taken ill while Clara was living there and he ended
up marrying the nurse who took care of him while he recovered. He gave
Clara a nice little house in Loose (near Maidstone) with a small
pension, and used to visit her. Robert and Hannah moved to a house
called "The Tors" on Maidstone Road in Chatham. Joan Dennett remembers
it as a lovely house and garden where she sometimes stayed as a
child.. Mary (Auntie Mary) and brother, Frank Samuel, also lived
there. Joan was frightened of Frank Samuel - she remembers herself as
a nervous child - and she also didn't like the creaking curtains in
the house. Queeny, a Salvation Army lass, used to comfort Joan if
Auntie Mary was out. Queeny had been with the family for many years
and used to spoil Joan with her shortbread. Joan still has the recipe
in year 2000!.
