Thomas Stanley Wakeley, Evangelist Preacher and Businessman 1832-1897

Born at Moor Street Farm on September 1^st 1832, one of seven children which included four brothers and three sisters, Thomas had a strict moral upbringing mainly at the hands of his mother. She had a big influence on him, particularly after the death of his father when he was aged seventeen. She gave him his early training in the evangelical religion and instilled in him a strict moral code.

As a boy Thomas liked hunting, shooting and cricket and continued participating until four years after his marriage. In 1856 he became a founder member of the newly formed Rainham Cricket Club along with his brother Richard Mansfield Wakeley and his future father-in-law Thomas Dodd. He was a bit wild as a teenager with an impetuous nature, stubborn with a lot of determination and became well-known as a shrewd and straightforward businessman with an enterprising and energetic mind in the Wakeley Brothers hop, fruit and brick making business after starting off as a corn merchant.

Thomas got involved in several incidents during his teenage years including one while driving his horse and cart from Rochester to Gillingham. As he approached a drawbridge at New Brompton a brewer’s dray came from the opposite direction. The driver and accompanying mate demanded that he turn back but when he refused they threatened him with violence. Thomas took them on, refused to back down and passed into Gillingham.

Richard Wakeley wrote of his brother in his book ‘Gathered Fragments:’

He had one day been playing in a cricket match about sixteen miles from home, and staying later than most of his eleven who had previously left in a coach and taking more stimulant than was good for him, he became excited, and having a very fast horse, determined to overtake them. To do this he drove at such a furious pace for about eight miles that a friend who was with him became greatly alarmed; then overtaking the coach, he threw the reins into the hands of his companion saying, ‘Now you drive,’ and sitting down in the cart went to sleep…’

Richard Wakeley goes on to describe his brother’s attitude when hunting.

And here I might name that during the very time when my brother was labouring under strong convictions of sin, he went one day to the hunting field to follow the hounds as usual. Always a bold and fearless rider, he surpassed himself in hardihood on that last and memorable occasion; and going quite against his conscience, and urged on, no doubt, by the power of Satan, he rode in such a desperate manner that when he reached home at the close of the day his horse had not a single shoe left to his feet…’

In 1855 Thomas married Marianne Dodd, daughter of Rainham farmer Thomas Dodd and went on to have several children. In 1859 he had a serious accident when he badly cut his wrist in an accident. After this he became concerned about his sins and dedicated himself to religion which dominated the remainder of his life. 

Photo of Thomas Stanley Wakeley, Evangelist Preacher and Businessman

During the late 1850s he viewed himself as a sinner in a letter written to his brothers.

‘I have been a dreadful sinner, but I feel that His mercies are greater than my sins.’

In his early days as a preacher Thomas Wakeley held prayer meetings in the Old Granary at Otterham Quay and in the school room in Rainham but moved to Borstal near Rochester in 1862 where he attended an evangelical church and learnt the doctrine. He eventually became dissatisfied with it and left. He moved back to Rainham in 1864 and remained there until his death.

During the mid-19^th century Thomas and his brothers started Wakeley Brothers Fruit and Hop business in Rainham and a brick making business in Poot Lane Upchurch where they had the bricks transported by rail to Twinney Creek then on to different locations along the coast by barge. However, Thomas regarded religion as being more important than business stating in his diary dated March 5^th 1860:

‘May I be no speculator as regards religion. No, I cannot; religion is a reality, not a speculation. Religion, with Christ for its basis, is beyond a worldling’s ideas; beyond his farthest thoughts of happiness, little though I can speak about it.’

 After becoming ill in Brighton in 1864 he survived after fears for his life then from 1865 he studied religion more seriously. He read intensively including the work of John Bunyon and John Wesley and began preaching at meetings in both Upchurch and Rainham with a range of hymns and readings. He also became involved with the Temperance Movement and collected £75 to build a reading room in Rainham. After this in 1865 he stopped preaching in Upchurch and began meetings in the new Rainham reading room which had been recently built. Meetings continued there until October 1884 when Providence Chapel opened after being constructed in Orchard Street. Thomas Wakeley regularly preached there until his death.

During the 1870s and 1880s Thomas attended church meetings in other parts of the country such as Rotherfield, Wimbledon, Brighton, Hastings and Leicester but on November 8^th 1874 he wrote that he felt like giving up preaching, a feeling that recurred at different times along with periods of self-doubt and depression. In 1876 he fell ill again and went to Margate for a change of air. He returned after a week feeling better and wrote to his sons urging them to follow the correct religious path.

During the 1880s he remained active in the family business and was instrumental in selling land at Wakeley’s Church Farm for the construction of the Infant’s School in Upchurch.

In 1897, towards the end of his life, Thomas Wakeley continued to have periods of illness and depression then in August 1897 he announced that he would never preach again. He gradually recovered then preached for the last time in Brighton over the Easter weekend but he fell ill and couldn’t continue. He went to Ticehurst in Sussex to recover but deteriorated and died there on May 27^th 1897. His body was brought back to Rainham where he was laid to rest in the churchyard and a tablet was placed over the pulpit of Providence Chapel in his memory.

David Wood

Christmas 1923 - Butchers Shop in Rainham

It might have been shortly after the end of the First World War but this photo shows a well stocked Rainham butcher's shop in December for Christmas 1923. This Rainham Cooperative shop in 17 Station Road Rainham Kent displays 100% English fare, home killed beef, pork, mutton, turkey, rabbit, duck and home made sausages.

Rainham Co-operative Butchers at 17 Station Road. The photo shows the Christmas 1923 display of 100% English goods including home killed beef, pork, mutton, turkey, rabbit, duck and home made sausages.

The manager was Bert Petts, also pictured are Bill Akehurst and Bob Wade with the delivery bike.

Reverend Charles Cobb – Real Life Hero and Long Serving Vicar of Rainham

Born in 1828 and the son of Captain Thomas Cobb of New Romney, he lived until 90 years old and became one of the oldest clergy in the country. He served as vicar of Rainham for 32 years from 1876 to 1908 and became one of the most popular and well respected clergymen to have worked the parish.

Charles Cobb entered the holy orders in 1853 after he had obtained his MA degree at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. After this he held curacies at Halstead, St Nicholas-at-Wade, Lambeth and Minster Sheppey. In 1860 he was appointed Rector at Dymchurch where he remained for sixteen years.

While serving in Dymchurch he carried out a heroic act for which he gained widespread praise and fame. ‘The Sunday Pictorial’ dated 29th March 1936, reported that during a fierce gale on January 5^th 1867 a French lugger named ‘Corrier de Dieppe’ which had been blown badly off course got wrecked on Dymchurch Sands. The coastguards tried to fire a lifeline aboard to rescue the crew but it fell short. After this three of the crew were washed into the sea and drowned but one sailor remained clinging to the rigging. A coastguard named John Batist tried to battle his way to the wreck in rough sea and strong wind but failed. Reverend Cobb, a powerful swimmer, arrived and against the wishes of some parishioners who were also present he took off his coat, dived into the sea and swam to the wreck where he reached the stranded sailor. Soon after this Batist, the coastguard, also reached the vessel and helped Reverend Cobb haul the sailor to safety.

For his act of heroism Reverend Cobb received many awards which included a gold medal from The National Lifeboat Institution in 1867 and the Albert Medal from Napoleon 111 of France. He later had a photograph of himself wearing his medals with a framed certificate from the National Lifeboat Association displayed on the wall at Rainham vicarage. John Batist who had assisted in the rescue received a bronze medal.

Later in 1876 Charles Cobb became vicar of Rainham and got fully involved in the church and local activities. During the late 1870s and early 1880s he played as a successful opening batsman for Rainham Cricket Club and also made many friends in the parish.

After his wife died in 1903 Reverend Cobb continued as vicar of Rainham until 1908 then resigned. Reverend Tamplin succeeded him and married his daughter. Reverend Cobb continued to reside at the vicarage and maintained a role at the church taking services when his health allowed him to do so. He regularly presided over intercession services in the church during World War 1. Held in high esteem during the time he resided in Rainham, he died in 1918 and was buried in the churchyard.

After his death the parishioners of Rainham, as a mark of respect and recognition of his services, presented the church with a new communion table and a communion plate in his memory. David Wood.