9 High Street

Miss Marden’s Ladies School

Now known as The Clout Institute, number 9 High Street has had a mixed past, being used at different times as a residential house, a school, a club and finally the Clout Institute. Although the earliest census record of 1841 shows the property being occupied by Sarah Marden, newspaper advertisements for Miss Marden’s Ladies’ School state that it was established a few years earlier in 1833 and, according to the census records, remained beyond the 1880s.

LADIES’ SCHOOL, WEST MALLING.
Established 1833.
Conducted by Miss MARDEN. Terms moderate and inclusive, regulated by the age and requirements of the Pupil.
A Lady Boarder can be received on moderate terms.
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Number 9 wasn’t owned by Sarah but by local gent and property owner Peter Sutton who lived at 37 High Street (Scott House). Upon his death in 1860, his properties were put up for auction by West Malling auctioneers, Messrs Dutt. Lot 2 was described as follows:

Lot 2.- A capital Freehold well-built RESIDENCE, situate in the High Street of West Malling, containing two parlours, three principal bedrooms, two attics, large airy schoolroom, kitchen, pantry, excellent cellar, wood and washhouses detached, walled-in garden, good supply of hard and soft water, now in the occupation of Miss Marden, as yearly tenant at £38 per annum.
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Looking at the building as it currently is,  the ‘large airy schoolroom’ is likely to have been the room at the back of the property, shown in the photos below, and although the ‘wood and washhouses’ have since been updated they are still evident and it is easy to imagine how they could have looked. If we assume that Sarah remained at number 9 operating her private school until her death, the school would have closed in 1889 when she was 87 – the last census before her death lists 6 pupils at the property, alongside an additional teacher and a servant.

The Clout Brothers

Number 9’s days as a Ladies’ School ended with the passing of Miss Marden but it’s purchase by Albert Clout in 1908 ensured that it would continue to be an asset for the young of West Malling for many years to come.

Richard and Albert Clout were the sons of a Lambeth butcher. The two brothers appear to have remained together for the whole of their lives and are listed at Brome House at the top of the High Street for over 40 years. How they climbed the social ladder from shopkeepers to owning one of the grandest houses in the town may never be known. Different census lists Richard as landed proprietor and retired meat salesman so he may have inherited his wealth or could simply have been an astute and successful businessman.

There was 15 years between the 2 brothers and the elder sibling, Richard, appeared to have taken the role of senior member of the family, listed as Head in the census until his death in 1906 when Albert took over as head of the household. Upon the death of his brother, Albert bought number 9 High Street and bequeathed it to the use of young people in memory of his late brother(1).

The ‘I remember memories’ of West Malling(2) includes a number of recollections ranging from a skittle alley in the garden of the building, a girls guide company meeting at the building and carpentry evening evening classes for boys. The following newspaper article recalls how a rifle range was also operated from one of the garden buildings at the beginning of the 20 century:

WEST MALLING RIFLE RANGE
The new West Malling Rifle Range, established by voluntary subscription, was opened at the Clout Memorial Hall by Major-General Luard on Monday Evening.
Kent & Sussex Courier
Friday May 15, 1908
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The property has remained in the care of trustees ever since and even now, although primarily converted to office units, the trustees still make contributions to local children’s charities using any surplus profits that remain following the general upkeep of the building.

Ministry of Food

Although the building continued to fulfil its primary role for use by children with regular classes including teaching girls cookery and boys woodworking skills – it inevitably remained empty for long periods of time throughout the day, whilst children attended school etc, so it was obviously negotiated with the property managers that its valuable and conveniently located space could be utilised for other community requirements when it wasn’t in use, particularly at times of national importance.

During the first world war, the upstairs rooms were used by the military who were based at the Leybourne Camp and in 1917 permission was granted for the probation officer to use the rooms on court days.

The photo above (© Copyright of the Women’s Institute) shows the side gate of the Clout Institute with the hand painted sign for the 1st Aid Entrance on a wall that has since been demolished to provide access to the parking area at the back of what is now the Pad Thai restaurant.

During the second world war, it was used as a first aid post and also acted as home to West Malling’s Food Control Committee. At a time when the management of production and distribution of food supplies became of critical importance, local authorities were empowered to appoint localised Food Control Committees who acted as a link between the local populace and the centralised Ministry of Food. Over 1,500 of these committees were established during the first year of the war, deliberately appointing a diverse mix of the community in order to ensure the opinions of the whole town were considered. With local housewives now becoming the primary manager of food consumption within the home, their voice was vital and it therefore became a requirement that they occupied at least 2 seats on the committee.

Among other duties, the committee was responsible for the issuing of ration books and the awarding of licenses to local shops and food manufacturers such as the bakers and butchers of the High Street. Although rationing didn’t end until 1954, the responsibility of the local Food Committees thankfully gradually lessened following the end of the war as the easing of restrictions would leave them with little to do.