Dengate Shop Fire
Dengate Reunion 2008
On the 24th September 2008, the surviving grandchildren of Ernest Alfred and Agnes Lucy Dengate gathered together with their families in the village of Sedlescombe, East Sussex.
Organised by Norman Stanley Dengate, following a suggestion from one of his sisters, the event took place in the Brickwall Hotel and was attended by all of the Dengate cousins.
The village of Sedlescombe was an appropriate choice: it was here that Ernest Alfred Dengate's grandfather, James Dengate settled as the village miller in the 1840s.
The Dengate cousins who attended the day were: Norman Stanley Dengate (1926-2017), Nita Dengate (born 1944), Gwen Dengate (born 1933), Barbara Dengate (1930-2014), Eveline Florence Dengate (1924-2019), Maisie Irene Dengate (1926-2011), Gordon Dengate (1927-2017), Dorothy Elizabeth Dengate (born 1938), Dora Chandler (1917-2014), Audrey Chandler (1925-2017), Eileen Vera Chandler (1928-2013), Joan Cecile Dengate (1920-2014), Joyce Donnelly (born 1921), Faith Donnelly (1921-2011) and Marjorie Mapplesden (1922-2013).
The only cousin not present was Clifford Arthur Glazier, who had been killed in WW2.
Ernest Alfred & Agnes Lucy Dengate
The Dengate Reunion on Meridian News (ITV)
Clifford Arthur Glazier
1925-1940
The Dengate Family Reunion
Written by Norman Stanley Dengate in December 2008
At our Diamond Wedding celebrations in March 2008 it was commented that there were a number of our cousins that we had not seen for many years, and that it would be nice to see them all again, and I got the job of organising a get together. My Grandfather, Ernest Alfred Dengate (1857-1941) and Grandmother Agnes Lucy (1860-1930) had 16 grandchildren, one of whom, Clifford was killed by the Bomb dropped at the Memorial, Hastings in 1940.
The quite remarkable situation being that the remaining 15 of us were all still alive, the eldest Dora now 91, and the youngest, my sister Nita 64. Having got all the addresses I wrote asking their opinions and all were very keen to get together, particularly as some of us had not met for over 40 years, my original thoughts on numbers were very wide of the mark, I thought that with 15 cousins, with partners and perhaps a member or two of their families we might be thinking of around 40 to 50, the Brickwall Hotel Sedlescombe was booked for the 27th September 2008 which seemed to be when everyone could come, and so the invites went out and asking to let me know how many might attend.
By the time that the 27th was imminent the numbers had grown to 75, so frantic visits to the hotel to see if they could still accommodate us, which they were happy to do and allocated the complete use of the Restaurant, the Garden room and the bar for our use, and by now the numbers were at 84.
The 27th arrived and we could not have wished for better weather, beautiful sun and warm. I arrived early to find that my son Colin and Nathan, Eveline’s grandson, were already there arranging the equipment for the photo show and the taking of photos of the event, a situation when modern technology was very useful as they were able to show many historic photos from the laptop, on screen and to copy them all in order that every one could ultimately see the photos of the day on the Kodak website.
Everyone then started to arrive, and it was tremendous to see families that we had not met for years and to meet members of their families who, in many cases had never met. Three generations were represented, the eldest at 91 and the youngest at 6.
It was so pleasing that Joan had travelled with her family from Devon, Marjorie from Newcastle, families from Yorkshire, Kent, Oxford and Surrey, and everyone who lived locally. The event interested ITV Meridian and we had good coverage that evening, and also by the local Hastings & St Leonards Observer. Meridian were particularly impressed with the Family Tree that Nathan had prepared, which was five and a half metres long, a most professional effort by him. I myself was so pleased that it all came together and that all the cousins were able to be there, it would seem that every one en- joyed the day, judging by the lots of letters cards and emails I have received, and the weather which enable us to use the garden was an absolute bonus.
