Notable People

Partner at Schroders for over 40 years, Justice of the Peace, and Rector's Warden at St Nicholas Church for a quarter of a century. Henry purchased 57 acres from Samuel Asser in 1874 and commissioned David Brandon to design Foxbury — the grandest house on the road, with a staff of 20 servants. He was also president of the Chrysanthemum Society.

Henry's son. Partner at Schroders and a director of the Bank of England for an extraordinary 34 years. During the First World War he served in Naval Intelligence. In 1931 he led the Standstill Agreement negotiations that prevented the collapse of German banks during the financial crisis. His emergency food relief work in occupied Cologne after the war earned him the lasting friendship of Konrad Adenauer, the future German Chancellor. Frank owned Woodheath (which suffered two disastrous fires during his tenure) and inherited Foxbury, eventually selling both in 1937.

Henry's wife. A woman of formidable intellect: fluent in several languages, she could read Greek and loved to read Dante in the original Italian. An astronomy enthusiast, she observed the heavens from Foxbury's grounds.

Frank's son. Polo player, partner at Schroders, and founder of Securicor (now part of G4S). He observed Halley's Comet at the age of 11 from Kemnal Road, and again at 86 — one of very few people alive to have seen it twice.

Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer and former Attorney General and Solicitor General of England. One of Kemnal Manor's most distinguished tenants during the long centuries of New College, Oxford ownership. He was caricatured by the great satirist James Gillray.

Born James Rosenthal, he took the name Kemnal by deed poll. Managing director of Babcock & Wilcox, the engineering firm whose boilers powered HMS Dreadnought — the revolutionary battleship that transformed naval warfare. Knighted in 1920 for services to munitions during the war. His son Stuart's life ended in tragedy: he died by suicide in a London hotel in 1950.

Solicitor to the Board of Trade, knighted on his retirement. A tireless campaigner for the protection of Chislehurst Commons, Murton's most enduring legacy for Kemnal Road was his purchase of the Amenity Strip — a narrow band of land along the road's western side, bought specifically to preserve its woodland character for future generations.

Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. His son Nicholas was killed in action in Tunisia in 1943.

County Court Judge, Conservative MP for Moss Side, barrister, and author. He served at Gallipoli during the First World War. At Hoblands during the Second World War, he watched the aerial battles of the Battle of Britain from his doorstep. His son Quentin was killed in action during the war.

Merchant in Madras (now Chennai), knighted in 1911. He served as Norway's Consul at Madras and was Sheriff of Madras in 1915.

Shipbuilder who received the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun for his work with Vickers. Awarded the CBE in 1919 for his wartime services.

RAF pilot who was shot down and held as a prisoner of war during the Second World War. He was connected to the famous Great Escape from Stalag Luft III. After the war, he became a metallurgist and lived on Kemnal Road for over 50 years. Known to neighbours simply as “Spitfire Pete.”

Great-niece of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. A writer of extraordinary range: war correspondent in the First World War (one of the first women accredited), novelist, playwright, and pioneering criminal psychologist. She published 36 works during her lifetime, including the celebrated A Pin to See the Peepshow. She struggled with morphine addiction in her later years and died in 1958.

Born Tessa Scratcherd, she grew up at Hoblands and went on to become a film and television actress under the name Yvonne Furneaux. She appeared in productions across Europe, working with Federico Fellini and other leading directors of the Italian and French cinema.

Born in Cuba, Harold Molins founded the Molins Machine Company, which manufactured cigarette-making machinery used throughout the tobacco industry. At Mulbarton Court he installed slot machines for guests and had a television in every room. His company later diversified into packaging machinery and defence systems.

Founder of Clifton's service station chain and a racehorse owner. He served as Chairman of the Kemnal Road Residents' Association.

Consultant Urologist at Guy's Hospital and a competitive sailor for 64 years. Before selling Hoblands, he sold a significant portion of the grounds to Crest Homes, which developed Telson Lodge and Queenborough Gardens on the former estate.