John Turnpenny

 

 

In 2010 Dover Town Council awarded the Freemanship of Dover to:


Dover Town Council logo

In 2010 Dover Town Council awarded the Freemanship of Dover to:John Turnpenny

 

 

John H Turnpenny, 87-year-old retired businessman and a long-serving member of The Dover Society, has played a major role in the life of the town over the last 60 years.


John H Turnpenny, 87-year-old retired businessman and a long-serving member of The Dover Society, has played a major role in the life of the town over the last 60 years.

He is recognised as a most efficient and very helpful chairman of a number of Dover organisations on which he has served. Mr Turnpenny, a bachelor living at The Gateway, was a director of the well-respected retail furnishers Turnpenny Bros until the firm closed down in 1984. He was President of Dover Chamber of Commerce in 1954-55 and again in 1962-63 in the days when the President chaired the meetings. He served as a Dover magistrate from 1967-1993 and was chairman of the Bench from 1988-92. He was chairman of the Governors of Dover College 1987-1994, and is a former chairman of The Gateway Residents Association.

He was also chairman of the board of visitors at Dover Borstal from 1976 to 1980 while he served on the board from 1959-1981. He was chairman of the St Alphege Trust from 1984-1987, is a trustee of the Dubris Trust that provides finance for deserving Dover students going on to university and was a trustee of the Herald Disaster Fund for two years from 1987. He is a general commissioner of Income Tax and over the years up to 1994 served the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club as honorary secretary, honorary treasurer and trustee. He is a worshipper at Dover's St Mary's Church where he has served on the church council.

 

 

Turnpenny family's shop


Turnpenny family's shop

Lilian TURNPENNY has died at the age of 108, at Kearsney Manor Nursing Home on Sunday. Her son John said he believed she was the oldest person in the County of Kent.

Mrs TURNPENNY had lived in Dover for over 100 years and attended the Dover County school (later to become the Boys Grammar). She had a degree from Bedford College, London, and married Sydney TURNPENNY of the Dover furniture company in London Road. In 1937, they had shops at 2-5 London Road, 7,0 Bridge Street and 45-53 High Street.They had two children, John (now 78) and Suzanne three years older. She was born Lilian VASS, of Scottish parents in Ireland on St Valentine's Day 1893.
Funeral service will be held at Barham Crematorium on Monday.

(From East Kent Mercury July 19 2001 page 5:
Announcement of death of Dover's oldest inhabitant:)

Jack Woolford


Bob Tant


Terry Sutton


Video clip of the Freemanship of Dover awarded