Below is a letter sent to my father Murray Rook in 1988 from a local Solicitor, Bryan Tassell..  Dad serviced and repaired the Tassell’s Grandfather clock a few times, hence the mention ‘Ann-Pan’ (their pet name for the clock).

The William mentioned is indeed one of ours!  The Wesleyan Chapel had only been built the year before, but is now unfortunately converted into flats!

Dear Mr. Rook,

I meant to show you the following extract from

The Kentish Gazette of 8th July 1845.

Begins :-               Faversham

“William Rook of Dunkirk, tailor, was on Tuesday last

bought up in the custody of Police Constable Mills

to the offices of Messes Shepherd and Tassell, Faversham,

charged with creating a disturbance and otherwise annoying

the congregation assembled for divine worship at the Wesleyan

Chapel Boughton the evening previous, being at the time in

a state of intoxication.    The parties connected with the

chapel not wishing to appear against the prisoner, he

was admonished and discharged”.

One of your forefathers?!  Or very possibly not ?!

You may wonder why he was dealt with at the offices

of Shepherd and Tassell.  The reason is that Julius Gabonian

Shepherd, my great-great-grandfather, was Clerk to the Justices

and in those days minor offences were frequently heard at his

office rather than at the Guildhall.

James Tassell, my great-grandfather, married his above partner

J.G. Shepherd’s daughter Charlotte Anne in 1846, and Ann-Pan

was Charlotte Tassell’s cook, so named by my grandfather and

his sisters (all long since dead of course) when they were children.

Mrs. Tassell sends you her good wishes and hopes you

may soon be able to restore the clock Ann-Pan to her

familiar place on our kitchen wall!

Yours sincerely

Mr. Murray Rook.                                                    Bryan Tassell