Of MICE and a Man.
Captain Arthur Stanley Glover MC DL BSc AMICE Royal Engineeers
The Man Arthur Stanley Glover was born on 24th April 1889 son of Josiah, a Builder and Annie E, they lived at Cyprus Villa, 32 Asfordby Road in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, together with Alice Birch, a Housemaid. By 1901 they had moved a few houses to number 32. Arthur attended Malvern College from the age of 13, and four years later in1906 when barely 17, went up to Armstrong College in Newcastle upon Tyne to study Civil Engineering. He was successful and in1912 awarded a degree from Durham University as a Batchelor of Science in the subject, subsequently enrolling as a Member of the Institute of Civil Engineering. Whilst at University Arthur enlisted into the Officer Training Corps, and a year after the outbreak of World War I, was Commissioned as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, 2/3rd F.Company, part of the 5 ORE VI Corps on 4th August 1915. Arthur attended various training courses at SME Chatham and the Royal Engineers Training Depot in Aldershot, and was posted to the 233rd Field Company on 10th November 1915. He went overseas as part of the British Expeditionary Force within the 41st Division, entering France on the 3rd May 1916 and promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 23rd June 1916. It was during 1916 that Arthur was awarded the Military Cross, appearing in the London Gazette of 3rd June 1916.Just over a year later on 4th August 1917 he was appointed Adjutant and acting Captain of the Division, further promoted to Temporary Captain on 1st October 1918 and appointed Staff Officer with HQ VI Corps on 9th June 1919, serving in France and Italy.
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During 1919 he was awarded the Croix De Guerre with silver star by the President of the French Republic, this appeared in the London Gazette dated 19th June 1919. He was later transferred to the War Office and remained in the Army until 30th June 1921, aged 32. For his World War I service he was awarded the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals. During the next 10 years he worked as Engineering Assistant to the Liverpool Corporation, and with the Ministry of Transport as Assistant County Surveyor with Durham County Council. He married Doris Mary Caroline Copland during the second quarter of 1923 in Gateshead and they lived at Whinfield, Force Lane, Levens, Kendal in Cumbria. On 16th December 1931 aged 42, he was appointed as County Highways Surveyor and Bridgemaster of Westmorland County Council having received a letter from The Ministry of Transport approving his appointment. His duties also included acting as advisory County Architect. His starting salary was £700.00 per annum with a travelling allowance of £250.00. In 1953 he was awarded the Coronation Medal for his services as County Surveyor and Bridgemaster and in 1954 was approached to become a Deputy Lieutenant of Westmorland, he agreed and was appointed to this high office on 16th September 1955. Although due to retire in 1954, Arthur’s services were extended by the County Council as he was happy to continue working as County Surveyor, so qualifying him as the County’s longest serving Chief Official at that time. Arthur was described as a retiring man, a keen fisherman and serving on the committee of the Kent Angling Association. He was also a member of the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers and of the Old Kent, Bela, Winster, Leven and Duddon Board of Conservators. On Saturday 12th November 1955 Arthur Glover went to work in the morning and was gardening at home in the afternoon, later the same night in his home, Whinfield he died suddenly of a heart attack aged 67. His funeral service was held on Wednesday 16th November 1955 at St. John’s Church Levens, the service being conducted by the incumbent the Reverend F W I Humphries and he was buried in the churchyard.
The Story The set of medals awarded to Arthur Stanley Glover were purchased at The Orders & Medals Research Society annual convention in London on 20th September 2003. It was possible to establish date and place of death from the associated paperwork, and on 17th March 2007, following a speculative search of undertakers in the Levens area of Cumbria, a telephone call was made to Alan Hutchinson of Hutchinson & Sons, Funeral Director. Coincidentally, Mr Hutchinson remembered Arthur personally but stated that he had not buried him; he did however offer to see what he could discover locally. A few days later he returned the call and explained that Arthur had been buried in St. John’s Church Levens in grave number 283. He had actually visited the grave and provided details of the incumbent Vicar, Reverend Ruth Crossley.
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Reverend Crossley was contacted shortly after this and kindly agreed to take photographs of the Church and Arthur Glover’s headstone. True to her word, photographs were received on 5th April 2001, a fine addition to the research quest. A visit to The National Archives in London revealed his World War I Service records, and Arthur’s will was extracted from London. A history of Westmorland County Surveyors and Bridgemasters was provided by Cumbria County Council and the ever trusty ancestry.com provided extra detail; all of which allowed the above brief biography to be compiled.
Tributes paid to Arthur Stanley Glover following his death.
At a Westmorland County Council Roads & Bridges Committee meeting held on 17th November 1955 tribute was paid to Mr. Glover’s ability and personality and members stood in silence as a mark of respect. It was also resolved to send Mrs. Glover a letter of condolence. The Westmorland Gazette of Saturday 19th November 1955 reported the following his obituary.
The family mourners at the funeral at Levens on Wednesday were Mrs Glover (widow), Mr W W Copeland (brother-in-law), Mr & Mrs H F awson (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mr A J C Dawson nephew) and Mrs Dawson. The service was conducted by the Reverend F W I Humphreys, Vicar of Levens. Among those present were: Mr R S Crossfield Chairman Westmorland County Council), Canon W King (Vice- Chairman County Council), Mr H L Groves (Chairman Roads & Bridges Committee), Mr W Ellison, Mr E Crewsdon, The Rev T E H Bailey,The Rev D Prince, Mr J Handley, ColW D Crewsdon, Mr L S Hogarth, Mr D E Willink,
Tributes paid to Arthur Stanley Glover following his death.
At a Westmorland County Council Roads & Bridges Committee meeting held on 17th November 1955 tribute was paid to Mr. Glover’s ability and personality and members stood in silence as a mark of respect. It was also resolved to send Mrs. Glover a letter of condolence. The Westmorland Gazette of Saturday 19th November 1955 reported the following his obituary.
The family mourners at the funeral at Levens on Wednesday were Mrs Glover (widow), Mr W W Copeland (brother-in-law), Mr & Mrs H F awson (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mr A J C Dawson nephew) and Mrs Dawson. The service was conducted by the Reverend F W I Humphreys, Vicar of Levens. Among those present were: Mr R S Crossfield Chairman Westmorland County Council), Canon W King (Vice- Chairman County Council), Mr H L Groves (Chairman Roads & Bridges Committee), Mr W Ellison, Mr E Crewsdon, The Rev T E H Bailey,The Rev D Prince, Mr J Handley, ColW D Crewsdon, Mr L S Hogarth, Mr D E Willink,
Mr R O Naylor, Mr G N Pattinson, Mr C E Armstrong, Dr A E Ainscow, Mr F Wilson, Mr G E Jackson (all members of the County Council); Mr K S Himsworth (Clerk, Westmorland County Council), Mr S H Critchley (County Treasurer), Mr E L Clarke (Director of Education), Dr J A Guy (County Medical Officer), Mr J Irvine (School Dental Officer), Mr R H Crompton (County Architect), Mr T Aspinall (County Welfare Officer), Mr W Adair (County Land Agent), Mr T G Haseman (Chief Fire Officer), Mr A Bryant (Inspector Weights & Measures), Mr A E Rogers (County Civil Defence Officer), Mr J Barnfather (Kendal Borough Surveyor), Mr A F Fildes (Lakes Urban Council Surveyor), Mr T Sowerby (Clerk, Lakes Urban Council), Mr F L Broughton (County Surveyor, Cumberland; also representing the President & Members of the County Surveyor’s Society), Mr J W Allison (Deputy County surveyor, Cumberland), Mr J G Parkinson (Surveyor’s Department, Lancashire County Council), Mr J D Wallace (Divisional Road Engineers’ Office and representing the Minister of Transport), Mr D A Pattinson (Representing Lord & Lady Lonsdale and Lay Lowther), Sir Arnold Somervell, Sir Maurice Bromley-Wilson, Mr J W Cropper (Lord Lieutenant), Supt T Barber (also representing Mr J S H Gaskain, Chief Constable), Mr G Gledhill (Southern Divisional Surveyor),Mr H Baldwick (Northern Divisional Surveyor), Mr S Sunter (Eastern Divisional Surveyor), Mr W G Gibson (Western Divisional Surveyor) and many other members of the Westmorland County Council staff and friends.
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It is interesting to note that the County Surveyor also acted as County Architect in an advisory capacity until 1944, when that position became an indepenent one. The modern equivalent of County Surveyor & Bridgemaster would be something like Head of Highways and Transport, which in the case of Cumbria – certainly in late 2003) is part of a larger Community, Economy & Environment Directorate, while the Highways & engineering part of the operation is now managed by Capita. The term Bridgemaster was simply the title of the officer of the corporation or local authority with responsibility for upkeep and repair of the bridges in that area; an alternative title in some authorities was Bridge Warden.
Medal Details:
- Military Cross: Unnamed as awarded
- 1914-18 British War Medal: CAPT A.S.GLOVER
- Victory Medal: CAPT.A.S.GLOVER
- Coronation Medal 1953: Unnamed as awarded.
- Croix De Guerre: Unnamed as awarded.
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