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Harry was born at St. Osyth on 22nd July 1876, the son of Henry and Jane, the latter being 32 was, in those days, quite old to be having a first child. They lived in Mill Street, Henry an agricultural labourer.
By the time Harry started school the family lived in Clacton Road and by the time Harry was 14 his parents were the landlord and lady of the Kings Arms. It appears Harry was the only surviving child.
Harry became a carpenter, he married Mary, two years his junior, but in the early days of marriage lost several babies. Consequently when later they had two daughters, Gwen and Pat, they were rather mollycoddled, if not spoilt.
By 1916 Harry and Mary had taken over the Temperance Tea Rooms opposite the Red Lion and Harry renovated the premises into a restaurant, they also owned Homer Rose, the bungalow which became the chemist’s shop, and a cottage opposite which became Woodfords Gift Shop.
Later they acquired Lee Wick Farm house and land and embarked on the Lee-over-Sands estate. The farmhouse became a guesthouse called Fairways, a golf course was laid, the road to the shore made up, 28 bungalows were built with a shop inside the sea wall. All this came to a halt when the 2nd World War started.
My parents worked with Harry and Mary, I came along in the early 1930s, so spent the first few years of my life at Leewick. Harry and Mary became my Godparents.
The outbreak of war was a financial set-back of course, but also helped them recover. The Sergeants Mess was in the large garden behind the restaurant, and of course this was also a Mecca for the troops, sailors and marines stationed in the village.
Pre-war, Mary had established a wonderful business at the restaurant. Rising by 5.00am she baked every day. By 8.30am she was changed and ready to serve breakfasts, then luncheon, teas and by 6.30pm ready to serve dinner. There was also a sweet shop and wedding receptions were held in the upstairs room. Bed and breakfast was available at Homer Rose and the cottage opposite. Mary was an industrious and business lady.
Harry however, was a dreamer, he ran a garage with petrol pump outside (where John Stiff’s is now), and combined this with his carpenters shop, (where Strands is now). In 1939 the petrol pump was removed as part of the scheme to hinder the enemy should they invade!
Harry was indulged by Mary, but even she could be frustrated at times. I do recall an incident when she knocked his hat off - when trying to help he sieved the marrow instead of the potatoes!
Mary always remembered every birthday and Christmas. I was fitted out ready to start work at 14, and later was bought my dress, and white prayer book for my Confirmation. I also received many things such as a ballet dress and bicycles when Gwen and Pat no longer used them. To this day I use some of her recipes and dishes.
Harry loved art and often wrote poetry or pieces. These were sometimes put onto wood as pokerwork or printed and sold for 6d at the restaurant. (Mary called them ‘his stuff and nonsense’.) One such was the 1927 leaflet he wrote on the Witches.
A gentle, quiet, small man, he had a wonderful mischievous sense of humour, interested and amused by all he met, he always made time for a small, rather solitary little girl who was completely at ease with him.
Many Almshouse occupants became their debtors. When my father died in 1948, the Gentrys gave the rose bushes to the Cemetery in his memory.
Harry died at 81 in 1957, Mary at 88 in 1967; the business then passed to Pat. Pat was a mirror image of her mother but her personality was totally that of her father, to say the least unbusinesslike, but very likeable. Pat continued the tradition of patronage established by her parents. After 81 years of service Gentrys closed on Pat’s death.
Phyll Hendy, Local History Recorder |
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SEPTEMBER 2001 