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In July 1914 a parlour maid was needed at Park House. The successful applicant was to be aged about 25 with good references, and could expect wages up to £22. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Osbert Samuel Cadogan, the brother of Mrs. Carlile, of Gayhurst House, was reported missing on October 30th 1914. Born the son of the Reverend Edward Cadogan, of Wicken, he joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the Militia in 1888, and served with the 1st Battalion throughout the Hazara Expedition in 1891. Promoted to Captain in 1896, he was with the 2nd Battalion in the China Expedition and Relief of Peking in 1900, becoming Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion from 1900 to 1904. Serving in 1906 as Assistant Commandant Indian Mounted Infantry School, the following year he was promoted to Major, and from 1908 to 1909 acted as Station Staff Officer and Commandant at Kasauli. Regarding the action in which he was last seen, the following is an extract from a letter to the Vicar of Carnarvon, taken from the Manchester Guardian; “The Old First Battalion got a severe shaking at Ypres. The sergeant-major, two staff sergeants, and three colour sergeants are in England wounded, three colour sergeants are wounded in Germany, the other two colour sergeants, Craven and Sullivan, cannot be traced yet. The Commanding Officer and adjutant were with the Battalion all through till the last day. They bore charmed lives, did splendid work, and were the talk of the Division. They simply laughed at the shells. Two hundred and fifty of our fellows were left in a position in the trenches when the troops on the left and right retired without letting us know and our fellows were surrounded. What happened to Col. Cadogan and Lieut. Dooner no one can find out. I fancy they were wounded and prisoners. … The Welch Fusiliers made a forced march of 110 miles in three days and two nights. We were so close to the Germans at Ypres that we dare not strike a match to light a fire for fear of revealing our position. … We have had some very heavy fighting and very little rest. We held Ypres for 63 hours until reinforcements came, and we were complimented by Sir John French.” A farm sale took place at Park Farm on Tuesday, March 14th 1916, due to Mr. E. Cox relinquishing the tenancy. Included were cattle, pigs, and poultry, plus a refrigerator at £5 10s, and a Blackstone swathe turner at £6. With Mr. W. Carlile as chairman, on Wednesday, December 13th 1916 a married woman of Bunstye Cottage, Gayhurst, was summoned at the Newport Pagnell Divisional Petty Sessions for obtaining money by false pretences, and for acting as a pedlar without a certificate. Giving evidence, a woman of Tathall End, Hanslope, said that five weeks last Friday at about noon the woman had called at her house, saying that she was selling a few blouses ‘to help get something for the soldiers at the Front at Christmas.’ When asked if she came from Stoke Goldington she said she was, and although she was not told the name of the charity, the woman nevertheless bought one of the wares for 4d. Another woman of Tathall End said that the defendant had also called at her house, saying she was selling blouses for the soldiers, and wanted to get back as soon as possible to give the money up. The woman bought a blouse for 4d, and two more were bought by another woman of Tathall End for a total of 8d. Mr. William Steventon, the schoolmaster at Stoke Goldington, and honorary secretary of the Village Christmas Presents’ Fund (a registered fund under the War Charities Act) said that he had received information about articles being sold at Tathall End by a Mrs. Ellen Warren. On November 3rd at Stoke Goldington a jumble sale had been held for his cause, but since the defendant was not associated, and had not paid any money in, he reported the matter to the police. Giving his evidence, Superintendent Dibben said that on Wednesday, November 22nd he went to Tathall End and interviewed the three women. On the same day he then saw Mrs. Warren at Bunstye Cottage, where she admitted having sold the blouses. When asked why this hadn’t been for the Stoke Goldington Fund, she said she did it on her own for the soldiers “and not for bilkery.” “I was going to pay the money in, but I have not seen Mr. Armstrong for the last fortnight. The blouses were what my sister at Leeds gave me.” She then said that the money was upstairs in a drawer, but when he asked to see it she refused to let him into the bedroom, saying “The money is there, and it is all in coppers.” She said that she had sold the items with good intention, but had not had a chance to pay the money in. The case was dismissed, but to the charge of acting as a pedlar without a certificate she pleaded guilty. In May 1917, at Park House a dog cart, station wagon, and single brougham were offered for sale by W. Price. GAYHURST HOUSE Following the outbreak of the First World War, Mr. Walter Carlile, of Gayhurst House, lent his car to the recruiting authorities, to collect those young men from the local villages who had volunteered to join Kitchener’s Army. His wife, Blanche (the third daughter of the rector of Wicken) whom he had married in 1885, was also helping in the war effort, and regarding the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, of which she was President, on Tuesday, August 4th 1914, she called a meeting at Gayhurst House of the representatives of the parishes in the Petty Sessional Division of Newport Pagnell. The movement had been formed in February 1885, to aid the wives and families of men in the Army and Navy, and in view of the European crisis the discussions centred on the best way to relieve cases and obtain funds. It was duly decided that for the latter the representatives should write to the President stating the amount that their parishes would guarantee, and also to notify any cases that might arise. Apart from her involvement with the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, Mrs. Carlile was also President of the Newport Pagnell group of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, the annual meeting of which was held at Gayhurst House on October 10th 1914. As well as most of the vice presidents, also present, by invitation, were several ladies who had arranged working parties, and sent in articles, and in fact the number of articles received to date had totalled 3,124, with 2,583 having already been despatched to amongst others the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the British Red Cross, troops, the Fleet, Belgians, Aylesbury Hospital, and Northampton Hospital. Not surprisingly, in recognition a letter from Devonshire House, Piccadilly, dated October 22nd 1914 would be received by Mrs. Carlile, stating; “The Lady in Waiting presents her compliments to Mrs. Carlile, and is commanded by the Queen to convey Her Majesty’s most heartfelt thanks to herself and the members of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild for their gift of socks and woollen belts. Her Majesty very much appreciates this kind answer to her appeal. The Lady in Waiting is happy to say that the first consignment left for the front last week.” Since the outbreak of war, Mr. Carlile had given valuable help to the recruiting agencies of Buckinghamshire, and at the end of October 1914 it was announced that he was to shortly proceed to the Front with a motor ambulance, which, for duty on the Western Front with General Ware’s unit, he himself would drive. In fact at his own expense the chassis of his Rolls Royce had been fitted with an ambulance body, designed and built by Messrs. Salmons and Sons of Newport Pagnell, with the vehicle able to accommodate four persons lying down, or two persons lying down and six or 12 sitting. Converting the interior to a particular requirement could be completed in less than two minutes, and a particular innovation was the provision of a gangway down the centre, which not only greatly aided the work of the wagon orderly, but also made for the greater ease of loading and unloading. A door in the front of the vehicle allowed access to the gangway, and other features included panelled bodies, to ensure interior warmth, and a white enamelled interior, to safeguard against infection. Duly equipped with the vehicle, Mr. Carlile then proceeded to the battlefields of France to perform voluntary Red Cross work, and in consequence on November 11th 1914 in a local newspaper Mrs. Blanche Carlile made the following appeal from Gayhurst House; “Dear Sir. I have received a notice from both the Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association, that an idea has got about, clothes and hospital requirements are not wanted, that there are plenty. I am, On Wednesday, December 16th 1914, with her husband away in France it was therefore Mrs. Carlile who represented him at the induction of the Reverend. F. Walker as Rector of Gayhurst with Stoke Goldington, with the ceremony being performed by the Bishop of Buckingham, the Very Reverend E. Shaw, accompanied by the Reverend R. Vyvyan of Ravenstone. In this time of national crisis, by the permission of Mr. Carlile all the game shot during the season on the Gayhurst Estate was being sent to the various hospitals in the country for sick and wounded soldiers and sailors, and this thus made the actions of a group of three poachers seem somewhat unpatriotic when, on January 3rd 1915, they went night poaching on the Estate. However, at about 11p.m. they were seen shooting near Gayhurst Wood by the gamekeeper, Mr. George Essam, and although he and his assistant caught one of the men, the others got away. As for the captive, he turned out to be a 66 year old labourer of Bringhurst, Leicester, who, having a record of such offences, was sent to prison for four months and bound over for two years. In February 1915 the brother of Mrs. Carlile, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Osbert Samuel Cadogan, commanding the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was amongst those officers specially mentioned by Sir John French for gallant and distinguished conduct in the field. However, during an early engagement in Northern France the regiment had suffered heavy losses, and amongst the casualties were Captain Kingston and Lieutenants Hoskyns and Chance (killed), and Lieutenants Courage and Evans (wounded.) All had made the acquaintance of Gayhurst, for as members of a cricket team they, under the personal captaincy of Colonel Cadogan, had played Gayhurst and Stoke Goldington at Gayhurst in the summer of 1913. For the benefit of the wounded, Mrs. Carlile had now sent 26 collecting boxes into the district, and in early March 1915 the combined amounts totalled £2 16s 1d. Mrs. Carlile had also received a sum from the committee of the Newport Pagnell Workmen’s Social Club, as the proceeds of a patriotic concert held at the club a few weeks before, and she would forward all the monies to the St. John Ambulance Association, for their Brigade Hospital. As another responsibility, Mrs. Carlile was still continuing her role as President of the Newport Pagnell Branch of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, and it was announced that during March 1915 that 344 articles had been received, bringing the total to 6,270. As for the number of articles sent out in March, this equalled 685, comprised of St. John Ambulance, 311, Belgian Refugees, 220, Belgium Army 75, Troops 8, and ‘special cases from the Reserve Grant for wounded men returning,’ 71. This brought the total number of articles despatched to 6,077, and the ‘comforts’ sent out to the troops always proved most welcome, as no doubt Percy Matten, a footman at Gayhurst House, would soon discover, for on Wednesday, May 8th 1915 he went to Aylesbury and successfully enlisted in the Bucks Territorials. However, as emphasis of the realities of war Lieutenant Colonel Cadogan had been posted as missing on May 25th 1915, and in response to local concerns his sister, Mrs. Carlile, wrote; “With references to the notices that have been in the daily papers re Lieutenant-Colonel H.O.S. Cadogan, 1st. Batt. Royal Welch Fusiliers, no reliable information ha been received since October 30th , when he was reported missing at the battle of Zandvoorde, near Ypres.” Lieutenant Colonel Cadogan had joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the Militia in 1888, being promoted to Captain in 1896, and then Major in 1907. Taking command of the 1st Battalion in 1912, he was Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion from 1900 to 1904, Assistant Commandant of the Indian Mounted Infantry School from 1906 to 1908, and Station Staff Officer and Commandant at Kasauli from 1908 to 1909. He served with the 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers throughout the Hazara Expedition in 1891, and served with the 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers in the China Expedition and Relief of Peking in 1900. As for the First World War, sadly the report that he had been posted missing was followed by a report that he had been killed, in a gallant attempt to save the life of his adjutant at the first battle of Ypres. The Germans had marked the grave with an anonymous wooden cross bearing the simple tribute, ‘Ein Englander,’ and this was then brought to Gayhurst by his brother in law, Walter Carlile, to now form a part of the wooden memorial in Gayhurst Church. (Poignantly, in the churchyard is the grave of his sister, Alice, who at the age of 21 was lost in a boating fatality on the River Ouse in 1894.) As for his own experiences at the Front, on Friday, June 4th 1915 (this being the date that a detachment of the 3rd Battalion of the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry visited Newport Pagnell, to camp on Bury Field) Walter Carlile was amongst those addressing a public meeting held that night in the Electra Theatre, where he gave some interesting details of his personal experiences on the French battlefield. For their conveyance to hospital, these had involved the search and rescue of wounded, and in his talk Mr. Carlile said that in many of towns that he had seen the only inhabitants were old men, women and children. All the men had gone to fight, and the women were working in the munitions factories. From his five months experience of the war he paid high tribute to the French soldiers, who were fighting to protect their homeland and families, but he was somewhat dismayed at the attitude in England, for he had found there to be no sense of urgency. This he assumed was because the population had not seen the consequence of invasion, and therefore of little surprise the British troops at the front had only contempt for the shirkers and strikers back home. However, perhaps some of them might have been enthused to join up at the meeting by the newly arrived colour sergeants who, whilst the regimental band gave an early evening concert in the vicinity of the Town Hall, made several recruiting drives. In July 1915 Mr. Carlile was appointed second in command of the North Bucks Battalion of the County Volunteer Defence Corps, although perhaps his travelling arrangements suffered some disruption on Tuesday August 3rd 1915, when his car, driven by his chauffeur, whilst emerging onto the main road from the Park was hit by a car driven by a lady. She was a stranger to the district, and although no one was injured both cars were damaged, especially that of Mr. Carlile. There was sad news the following month, when on Saturday, September 11th 1915 Mrs. Annie Dobbs, the wife of Charles Dobbs, for 31 years the coachman to Walter Carlile, died at Gayhurst House. Mr. Dobbs was a member of the Gayhurst and Stoke Goldington Special Constables and Volunteer Defence Corps, and fellow members accompanied him at the funeral at Gayhurst Church on the following Tuesday. (Mr. Dobbs had first entered the service of the Carlile family at Ponsbourne Park in Hertfordshire, and came to Gayhurst House when Mr. and Mrs. Walter Carlile made the mansion their home. He died in 1925, the cause no doubt having been hastened by the shock of the death of his only son only a few days before.) There was further tragedy in September 1915, when it was learned that Private A. Plumton, of the 5th Oxon & Bucks Light Infantry, had been killed in action in France on September 25th 1915. For some three years he had been the underkeeper on the Gayhurst Estate, of which Mr. Essam was the gamekeeper to Mr. Walter Carlile, having previously been gamekeeper to Lord Carrington. In December 1915 Mrs. Carlile sent her usual Christmas gifts of beef to widows and the elderly in Stoke Goldington and Gayhurst, and on Thursday, December 16th 1915 a whist drive was held at Gayhurst House in aid of the North Bucks Red Cross and the St. John Ambulance Fund. Having invited 40 patients from the Tyringham Military Hospital, Mrs. Carlile provided not only all the refreshments but also the prizes, and the event raised £3 for the joint funds. A meeting of vice presidents and heads of working parties of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, Newport Pagnell Group, was held at Gayhurst on Tuesday, January 25th 1916, with Mrs. Carlile presiding. Among those present were Mrs. Sams, Mrs. Good and Miss McFerran, and in her address the president said that she had called the meeting to discuss the registration of the Group. Following enquiries it had been advised to continue the work of the Group under one registration, and the question for them to decide was a) should each working party register by itself, or b) should the whole district register as a Group. Amongst other reasons, if they decided to register as a Group it would save expense both to the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Fund. Work could be sent to any special object, and small villages could still send in as they did at present with the knowledge that the articles would be sent wherever they were most needed. As a Group, from the beginning of the war they had a fine record of work carried out in this district, and unity was strength. Stating their wish to continue as at present, and not to register separately, letters had been received from several members who were unable to attend the meeting, and it was therefore decided to continue working as one registration, under the name of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, Newport Pagnell Group. In other matters, on the recommendation of the heads of working parties certificates would be given to those members who had worked conscientiously, whilst as for the number of articles sent in since October (the month of the last annual meeting) this was 1804, with many knitted mittens and other articles having been made from materials supplied by Mrs. Carlile. Already being a deputy lieutenant of the county, in February 1916 Mr. Carlile was appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Buckinghamshire, although while holding that position he would not be able to sit on the Newport Pagnell Magisterial Bench. At Gayhurst House, the annual meeting of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association took place on Friday, March 10th 1916, with Mrs. Carlile presiding over a good attendance of those village representatives in the Petty Sessional Division of Newport Pagnell. According to her report, the Newport Pagnell district had been able to support all its own cases - at an average cost of £2 3s per case - without any need for help from the County Fund or the National Relief Fund. Throughout the past year assistance had been given to 24 wives, 31 dependants, and 113 children, and the Association had also obtained grants from the Patriotic Fund for seven soldiers’ widows and dependants, to the amount of £42. In fact it was hoped to have sufficient funds to carry on the Division until the War Pensions Committee took over the work on June 30th 1916. Mr. Carlile, the Honorary Treasurer, then presented a statement of the accounts, and with these showing a balance on December 31st 1915 of £58 3s 2d, he proposed, seconded by Colonel Good, that a vote of thanks should be recorded to Mr. J.O. Butler, the honorary auditor. Additionally, it was proposed by Mr. Bull, and seconded by Mrs. Carlile, that a vote of thanks should be recorded on the minutes to Mr. Price, the honorary secretary. Next followed the annual meeting of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society, with Mrs. Carlile, the district head, presiding. She reported that the number of men who had been helped with money or clothing was 42, those helped to obtain employment, 1, and those otherwise dealt with 10, with the total number of assisted cases being 53. As for the total number of reports received from ‘Friends,’ this was 25. The number of patients discharged from the Tyringham Military Hospital had been 472, and the address of each had been sent to the ‘District Friend.’ The Honorary Treasurer, Mr. Carlile, then presented the accounts for the past year, which showed a balance in hand on December 31st 1915 of £10 6s 2d. In conclusion it was proposed by Mr. Carlile, and seconded by Mr. Price, that the meeting should record gratitude to Miss McFerran, and Mr. Garratt, for their kindness and trouble in arranging amusements etc. for the patients at the Tyringham Military Hospital. A heavy fall of snow blanketed the district during the night of March 26th/27th 1916, followed on Tuesday, March 27th 1916 by weather of the wildest character, in the form of a keen east wind and continuous snow. With telephone and telegraph wires brought down, the whole district was isolated from the outside world, and hundreds of trees, including several huge examples on the Gayhurst Estate, were uprooted, and roads blocked. Hopefully in better weather, with Mrs. Carlile as the President, a meeting of the subscribers to the Gayhurst Village War Fund was held in the Estate Office on Monday, June 26th 1916. Almost everyone in the village paid a small weekly or monthly amount, and the statement of accounts, presented by the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. F. Freshwater, included Y.M.C.A. Huts, £1 10s, Bucks Soldiers’ Comforts Fund, 10s, Belgian Refugees, £3 18s 4d, Tyringham Hospital, 5s, and materials for the Gayhurst Working Party, £3 1s 8d. The subscriptions, from 1d a week, were received by Miss Essam at the post office. A meeting of the representatives of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families’ Association, and Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society, was held at Gayhurst on Monday, July 3rd 1916. Mrs. Carlile presided, and those present were Mrs. Knapp, Mrs. Symons, Mrs. W.G. Eyles, Mrs. Wellesley Taylor, Miss Turnbull, Mrs. Fraser, Mrs. G.B. Whiting, Colonel A.W.H. Good, Mr. W. Carlile, Messrs. O.H. Bull, J.P., W. Mann, J.P., J.C. Hipwell, W.G.H. Price, and F. Freshwater. Apologies were received from Miss McFerran and Mrs. Konig, and during the proceedings the President read the following letter from Queen Alexandra to Mr. James Gildea, the chairman of the Association; “I take this opportunity of asking you to convey to all my workers my grateful thanks for the way they have devoted themselves under constant difficulties, since the beginning of the War, on behalf of the wives, families, and dependents of our brave soldiers and sailors. The pecuniary assistance provided by the National Relief Fund, of which the Prince of Wales, my dear grandson, is treasurer, has been distributed by a large body of voluntary workers (I believe over 50,000) and this distribution has given them the opportunity of showing their sympathy with the families they have visited, and offering them advice and encouragement where it has been needed, in their own homes. I have been glad to see from time to time, through different expressions of public and other opinion, that almost unanimous testimony has been borne to the admirable way the workers have carried out their duties. It is indeed fortunate that the Association was in existence, with the past experience of its members, ready to undertake this responsibility when the war broke out. Some of my workers, I understand, have been asked to continue their work under the new Local Committees which have been formed throughout the country; but to the large body of those whose work in connection with the war will, I fear, shortly cease, I would earnestly express a hope that they will keep up the organisation in their several localities, and thus enable equally important work to be carried on which will fall on the Association both now and in the future.” The annual meeting of Vice Presidents and heads of working parties of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, Newport Pagnell Group, Reg. No. 1593, was held at Gayhurst House on Thursday, October 12th 1916, and those present were Mrs. Bellairs Harries, Mrs. Trevor, Mrs. Harkness, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Hawkes Field, Miss Hipwell, Mrs. Waller, Mrs. Britton, Mrs. Wellesley Taylor, Mrs. Blomefield, Mrs. Hoyle, Mrs. Walker, and Mrs. Gunnery. Apologies were received from Lady Leon, Mrs. De Moubray, Mrs. Symonds, Mrs. Knapp, Mrs. Tetley, Mrs. Sams, Mrs. Good, Miss Turnbull, Miss McFerran, Miss J. Taylor, Mrs. Harvey, Mrs. Last, and Mrs. Boswell. As president, Mrs. Carlile said that Mrs. Lucas was sorry to say goodbye to the Guild after nearly 20 years, but because of the distance she was now unable to carry out the work. However, Lady Leon had kindly agreed to undertake Bletchley, Water Eaton and Fenny Stratford, Mrs. Waller, Newton Longville and Stoke Hammond, and Mrs. Hoyle, Great, Little, and Bow Brickhill. Saying that the year had been very successful, Mrs. Carlile reported that the County Regiments had been supplied, as also the Red Cross and St. John. 7,298 articles were received during the year, and 514 walking sticks, of which the largest consignment, 120, was from the Olney Boy Scouts. In the same period 7,280 articles had been sent out. As a friend of Baden Powell, Mr. Carlile took a great interest in the Boy Scout movement, and was one of the six judges when on Tuesday afternoon, May 29th 1917, the North East Bucks Division of the Boy Scouts’ Association rallied at Gayhurst. Numbering nearly 180, under the command of Scoutmaster Percy Sharp they lined up on the lawn in front of the mansion in columns, excepting however the troop from Great Brickhill, which had failed to turn up. Then with military smartness, in bright summer weather they went through their various drills, although unfortunately time did not allow for the signalling competition or a relay race. At the conclusion, Lathbury came first with 150 points, and Olney sixth with 55 points, but apart from the competitive events there was also an exhibition of the boys’ handiwork, including a ten foot canvas canoe built by Patrol Leader N. Saunders, of the Lathbury troop. Aboard this, six people took a trip on the water, and found that the craft behaved splendidly. At the conclusion of the rally the Scouts were formed up in columns to be addressed by Major Trevor and Colonel Good, and saying that it had been a pleasure for himself and his wife to see such a good muster at Gayhurst, Mr. Carlile dismissed the parade. He then announced that Mrs. Carlile - who during the afternoon had supplied the gathering with cake, chocolate, and tea - was presenting a cup or shield for an annual competition for the Scouts of the North East Bucks Division, which would be held for the first time by the Lathbury troop, who had been the winners that afternoon. The event then closed with Colonel Good calling for three cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Carlile. Yet not far away there would be further Scout activity during the weekend, when the Stony Stratford and Wolverton troops made camp in the bath house meadow. As well as being a friend of Baden Powell, Mr. and Mrs. Carlile also enjoyed the friendship of Mr. Gervase Elwes, ‘the squire of Billing Hall,’ near Northampton. He was a famous tenor, and when appearing at concerts in Newport Pagnell would stay as a guest at Gayhurst House. Following the national introduction of military conscription, as the military representative to the local Appeal Tribunal for the Rural District of Newport Pagnell, Mr. Carlile fulfilled a perhaps unpopular role, as evidenced by the letter he wrote to the press on July 25th 1917; “I should like it to be known that unsigned letters about recruiting are thrown into the waste paper basket, for I believe that any person with a real grievance is not ashamed of signing his name. Anyone who writes me a straightforward letter always receives due consideration, but those who stoop so low as to write anonymously defeat their own desire by their stupid cowardice. Recruiting officers have orders which they have to obey, however distasteful at times they may be, but it is silly to ‘hit the horse that is trying to pull the load.’” Also on the subject of letters, in August 1917, as President of the Newport Pagnell Group of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild Mrs. Carlile received the following communication of thanks from Lady Jekyll, chairman, St. John Ambulance Warehouse; “On behalf of the ladies’ committee of the Order of St. John, of which Her Majesty the Queen is President, I write to acknowledge and thank you most warmly for the useful contribution you have so kindly sent. Copies of advice and three sacks of free-grant material things, all safely and correctly received. We are very grateful to you and your workers for the valuable help and well made and most useful gifts so generously contributed, and beg you to accept our most cordial thanks.” A whist drive was held at Gayhurst House on Friday, October 19th 1917 for the Stoke Goldington and Gayhurst Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Christmas Presents Fund. The prizes were given by Mrs. Carlile, who was the artist of a water colour sketch of the Water Garden, which, being included in the draw, was during the evening won by Mrs. Hawkes Field, of Milton Keynes Rectory, who drew ticket number 42. The annual meeting of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild was held at Gayhurst on October 11th 1917, with Mrs. Carlile, the President of the Newport Pagnell Group, presiding. Many of the vice presidents and heads of the working parties were present, and Mrs. Carlile said that the depot had calls for 202 needs, including several for warm clothing for children. Wool had been applied for at special prices from Sir Edward Ward ( this being for warm comforts for the troops, which would be sent through his distribution) and continuing her further address Mrs. Carlile said “I would again remind vice-presidents that the depot can supply garments and clothing for serious cases arising during the year, and I urge upon them to make this known and that application can be made through them.” Mrs. Carlile next read letters of thanks from Lady Jekyll for the beautiful articles sent to the St. John’s warehouse, and from Miss Maxwell Lyte, for the splendid collection of garments for the Children’s Aid Society. As for the number of articles received during the year, this figure was 5,680, with the number being sent out totalling 5,005. In fact the total sent out since the outbreak of the war was 21,329. At Christmas 1917 Mrs. Carlile again gave presents of beef to the widows and pensioners of Gayhurst and Stoke Goldington, whilst as for her husband, who was the organising officer of the Bucks Special Constabulary, as appeared in the London Gazette in January 1918 he was made an O.B.E., an order constituted in 1917 for the purpose of recognising the war service of men and women. Also in January 1918, a woman was needed to assist in the Gayhurst House laundry for three days a week. Other work could be obtained in the village, and the position offered a small house (rent free) plus wages. The quarterly meeting of Vice Presidents and Heads of Working Parties of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild was held at Gayhurst House on Monday, January 28th 1918. The Mrs. Allen, Gunnery, Hulton Sams, Walker, Lasham, Bellairs Harries, Wellesley Taylor, Cock, Yarborough, and Escritt were present, and the president, Mrs. Carlile, said; “During the quarter ending December 31, articles have come in splendidly, in spite of the large increases in prices, and I am deeply grateful to my kind workers. Our President was very pleased with the amount we had distributed and again urged us to keep up our Guld for the sick, aged and very large families. Many more individual cases have been assisted from the Depot, which I feel is much more satisfactory. In the last quarter 400 articles have gone to St. John Warehouse, 324 to the D.G.V.O., Sir Edward Ward, 115 to Sick and Poor, 10 to Bucks soldiers, and 10 to the Royal Engineers Sick Ward in Newport Pagnell, making a total of 859 for the three months, and a grand total of 22,749 to December 31, 1917.” Letters of grateful thanks were read from the recipients of the articles, and also an urgent appeal from the D.G.V.O. for mufflers, socks, etc. The next quarterly meeting was held at the same venue on Monday, April 29th 1918, and in giving her report Mrs. Carlile said that in response to her special appeal over 1,000 comfort bags had now come in, and during the quarter ending March 1st 1,049 articles had been received. Of those sent out, these included 352 to Tickford Abbey, and two to a soldier going to France, and reminding of the war, at Newport Pagnell, at a Red Cross fete in May 1918 Walter Carlile exhibited fragments of windows from the Cloth Hall and Cathedral at Ypres, portions of German shells, a howitzer shell, a French 75 cartridge case, a French bayonet, a German sniper’s rifle, a German helmet, a bayonet, a drinking cup, an aeroplane dart, and fragments of the Zeppelin brought down at Cuffley 1916. The quarterly meeting of the Newport Pagnell Group of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild was held on Friday, July 12th 1918 at Gayhurst House, where presiding over a large attendance of vice presidents and heads of working parties Mrs. Carlile said; “I have to report this quarter a good receipt of articles for the Red Cross and Sir Edward Ward. The result of the appeal for comfort bags amounted to 1,416. We have sent out 2,029 articles during the three months ending June 30 - St. John Warehouse 1,829, D.G.V.O. 144, Duston Hospital 38, soldier in France 2, for service 4, district sick and poor 12. Sixteen certificates and badges have been given out to workers. Sir Edward Ward appeals for A.V. vests, socks and mufflers, and for mittens for October for the cold weather. We have received acknowledgments from several units abroad and expressing grateful thanks. The reserve grant has hardly had any appeals this quarter. I should like to point out that all Guild work garments for sick and old people and children are due from the vice-presidents the first week in September; also things for the Linen League for Northampton Hospital.” Letters of thanks were then read, including those from the St. John Warehouse and military hospitals. Having previously been convicted for a similar offence, at a special police court at Newport Pagnell, on Monday, August 5th 1918 Henry Dale, a lodging house deputy of Newport Pagnell, appeared for begging alms at Gayhurst on August 4th. Stating the case, Mr. Carlile said that on the afternoon of Sunday, August 4th the prisoner had handed in a begging card at Gayhurst House, but he thought the man looked suspicious and consequently phoned the police. In the meantime he sent him to the butler’s pantry to get some food, but shortly afterwards saw him run across a field and go into a wood. The man was subsequently apprehended by the police at Newport Pagnell, and duly pleaded guilty. He had 17 previous convictions, six of which were for begging, and was found to have £15 in Treasury notes and other cash in his pockets. Fining him 5s, the Chairman advised him that if he had got any money, but was afraid of spending it, then he should invest it in War Savings Certificates at the Post Office. The annual meeting of the Berks and Bucks Needlework Guild, Newport Pagnell Group, Regd. No. 1593, took place at Gayhurst on Monday, October 21st 1918, with Mrs. Carlile presiding. Among those present were Mrs. Hawkes Field, of the Rectory, Milton Keynes, and Mrs. Cooke Yarborough, of The Lodge, Sherington, and after the minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed the president’s report was presented. The numbers had fallen slightly from 5,680 the previous year to 5,339, but this was assumed to be due to an increase in prices. The Reserve Grant had been called upon for cases of illness, girls going to service, cases going to sanatoriums, and old people, and Mrs. Carlile urged Vice Presidents to call on this facility whenever such cases arose. Four work parties had registered separately for the Red Cross - Olney, Wolverton, Emberton and Sherington - but had nevertheless decided to send their items through the group, and Mrs. Carlile said “I earnestly beg those who are working or knitting to push on quickly - give an extra quarter of an hour a day - as our men are now needing warm comforts for cold, wet nights and sleeping in the open.” However, the war would soon be at an end, and for her service not only during those turbulent years, but also for many years before, on Monday, December 20th 1918 at Buckingham Palace Mrs. Carlile was invested by Princess Victoria with the Order of Mercy, in recognition of her work with the League of Mercy. This had been founded by King Edward 7th in 1899 to bring financial help to hospitals and similar institutions ‘engaged in the humane and beneficent enterprise of relieving the sick and suffering poor,’ and in this noble cause Mrs. Carlile would continue for many years to come. She would also continue with the needlework guild, and the quarterly meeting of vice presidents and heads of working parties was held at Gayhurst on Monday, January 20th 1919, although due to the severe weather there was a smaller attendance than usual. In her address, Mrs. Carlile said “Many letters of great appreciation of our work have been received, and an application from Sir Edward Ward and Lady Jekyll to continue sending hospital requirements and warm comforts for a month or two to come. Our President, Princess Beatrice, has sent us a special message of thanks for the large numbers of our collection, and how splendid it is of our members to continue in such difficult times to send such help to the Guild. … When the Red Cross work has ceased I am hoping my kind workers will still work for the Guild, which covers all objects requiring assistance in the counties of Bucks and Berks …’ Then at the meeting on Friday, October 17th 1919 she was able in her report for the year ending September 30th 1919 to give the complete figures for the period of the war; “… The total number of articles sent in to me from the various work parties amounted to 29,911. The number sent out was 28,908, leaving us with 1,003 in the Depot. … 332 certificates and 248 war badges have been presented to the members of the 16 Red Cross and St. John working parties connected with our Guild.” As for the future of the Guild, Mrs. Carlile had received a lengthy letter from the Headquarters of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, and since of these there was soon to be a general meeting it was decided, after much discussion, to consider the matter at a future date, when more information might be available.
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