Sir Gerald Berkeley Hurst KC

Gerald Hurst (originally Hertz) lived at Hoblands between 1937 and 1944. He moved there after being appointed as a County Court Judge. He was born in Bradford in December 1877, the second of three sons and one daughter. He attended Bradford Grammar School, and went up to Oxford to read History, where he obtained a first. He moved to Manchester to study law, and was called to the Bar in 1902. He continued to practice law in Manchester until he was called up to fight in the 1914/18 war.

During this time, in 1905, he married Margaret Hopkinson. They had six children, five girls, and one son, Quentin, who died in 1941 fighting in North Africa. Quentin’s name is on the Chislehurst War Memorial.

Gerald was a member of the Territorial Army, and was called up in 1914 to fight. He fought with the 7th Manchester Battalion, part of the 42nd Territorial Division. The war took him to Africa where he was in Port Sudan, to Gallipoli, where as a Major, and second in command of his Battalion, he was involved in heavy fighting, and was invalided out to Alexandria, and finally to Belgium, where once again he involved in the fighting in 1917 at Bethune, where many of his colleagues were killed. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel after the war.

He had been involved in politics before the war and was released from duty in 1918 to stand for Parliament. He was returned as Conservative MP for Moss Side, which he held between 1918 and 1923, and again between 1924 and 1935.During this time he continued to practice law, and in 1937, at the age of 60, was offered the opportunity to become a County Court Judge. After a short time in Bristol, he was appointed to the Croydon and West Kent Circuit, where he remained until he retired in November 1952,  when he was almost 75. After he retired he and Margaret continued living in Chislehurst, first at 15 Church Row, and then at Heatherbank, a private hotel.

They celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1955. He died in October 1957, shortly before his 80th birthday. Margaret died in 1969.