OK, time for the reveal. The gardens were given as a memorial to George Willis RAF by his father Charles Willis. They were originally called the Willis Gardens but were later renamed to Fort Clarence Gardens. Earlier I said "Yes John, you have it, so start preparing the next one" which I hoped made it clear John had won.
The following is an extract from a book I've been working on for about a decade:
George White Willis RAF George was born in April 1899. He was the elder of two sons. He completed his schooling during the war and had a place at Christ Church.
1However he elected to join the colours in the Royal Flying Corps, the precursor to the Royal Air Force. He was initially a third class Air Mechanic and joined on 5 September 1917 (service number 94881). He must have impressed since 5 months later on 1 February 1918 he was discharged and granted a temporary commission as a Probationary 2nd Lieutenant attached to the 1st Aircraft Supply Depot.
2Fortunately his discharge papers have survived and he was recorded as of 18 years 10 months, 5'10” tall of “good character” and “keen & efficient”.
On 4 January 1919 he took off in a Sopwith Camel 1 ASD (D1867) to perform an engine test. At 200 feet the engine failed and the plane stalled, crashing and killing him. Although the armistice, that is the cease fire, had come into effect on 11 November previously, the war did not officially end until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in the following June. Willis was therefore killed on active wartime service. He is buried in France, details below.
The public gardens in Borstal (at the point where the Borstal Road meets St Margaret’s Street) had been maintained by Mr Charles Willis and were given to the citizens of Rochester as a memorial to George.
"THESE GARDENS WERE PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF ROCHESTER BY ALD & MRS CHARLES WILLIS IN MEMORY OF THEIR SON GEORGE WHITE WILLIS WHO WAS KILLED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919"
His mother, Mrs Edith Lucy Willis, is said to have kept the propeller of the plane in her bedroom in his memory.
Family background
George's father was Charles Jr. He ran a firm of solicitors in Chatham and Rochester and was an important figure in municipal life. With a Mr Shippwick, Charles Jr ran the paddle steamers on the river. Earlier he had given Churchfields (also known as Backfields) in memory of Charles' parents (Charles Sr and Jane). The stone recording this gift is in the retaining wall below St. Margaret's Church and is dated 1906. What is now the part of the Esplanade that runs from Churchfields to the Bridge used to be called Willis Avenue also in memory of Charles Sr and Jane. Charles Jr was mayor for four years and remained an alderman. He was granted the freedom of the city; the highest honour in the gift of the council.
Charles Jr helped to persuade the Short Brothers to move their factory from the Isle of Sheppey to Rochester in 1913. As part of the deal he sold them the 8 acres of land on which their factory was built.
During the Great Depression he gave a sack of coal (normally 1 hundredweight, 50 kg, at that time) to every citizen of Rochester and also supplied shoes to the city's schoolchildren.
1The family home was given to the city on Charles' death in 1943. It was renamed “Greenacres” and became a home for unmarried mothers, then referred to as “fallen women”. Ultimately the house was burnt and demolished and a terrace build on the Borstal Road site near Goddings Drive.
