Life Guards Vet
MARTIN MENCE (1834-1905) was the third of the five sons of farmer William Mence and his wife Maria, both born in 1801.
William owned the 100-acre Ronkswood Farm at St. Martins, in Worcester's Hundred of Oswaldslow.
He died in 1875 after retiring to Salwarpe where his son John farmed 175 acres at Salwarpe Court assisted by an elder son George. Yet another son, Richard, became a bank manager in Great Malvern.
In 1855 Martin joined the army as an officer with the rank of Acting Veterinary-Surgeon.
Serving with the 15th Hussars, he was promoted to First Class Veterinary-Surgeon.
In 1865 he transferred to the most senior British regiment, the 1st Life Guards.
On ceremonial occasions he would have worn the uniform illustrated here; it included the pouch badge shown below.
Martin's grandparents were John Mence and Lotty, née Tolley, who were married at Elmbridge
in 1794. Martin kept the families connected in 1859 when he wed Emily, the
daughter of William and Charlotte Tolley of Northwick Hall, North Claines.
William farmed 200 acres in Northwick until he died in 1869.
In 1880 the purely advisory Army Veterinary Service was transformed into
a Department giving professional direction to veterinarians.
This may have precipitated Martin's decision at that time to retire on half pay to Rose Place, Claines.
Some time before 1891 he moved to Northwick Hall, which had been the private residence of the county coroner since William Tolley's death.
The Hall was swallowed by the northward expansion of Worcester about 80 years ago.
In his will, Martin endowed the Mence Charity for distributing coal to the poor of Claines.
The charity is still active.
BLANCHE TOLLEY (1868-1950), Rev. Crofton McLaughlin's wife, was the younger of two daughters born to Martin and Emily Mence.
Blanche and her brother Oscar Tolley Jones Smith Mence (1865- gave this nativity window to St. John the Baptist Church, Claines.
The window is dedicated "to the glory of God and in memory of Martin Mence of Northwick Hall who died 1st August
1905 aged 71 and of Emily Elizabeth his wife who died 20th November 1886 aged 53
also of Rose Tolley Mence their daughter who died 9th March 1896 aged 53."
In the 1901 christening party picture below, Blanche holds her daughter Rosemary in her lap.
Sitting on the left is Blanche's husband, the Reverend Crofton McLaughlin.
Next to him is the couple's first-born, Martin, held by her nurse, Fanny Everall.
The gentleman sitting on the right may be Blanche's father, Martin Mence.
Standing on the left is the Reverend Alfred McLaughlin, Crofton's brother.
The lady in the white hat standing beside him is probably his second wife, known as May.
Crofton's other brother, Major George McLaughlin, holds my mother Sheila under the watchful eye of my grandmother Ethel.
The lady wearing medals is Nurse Louisa McLaughlin.
She is in heavy mourning, either for Queen Victoria who died on 22 January 1901,
or for Emma Pearson, her partner who had died eight years before.
© 2006 G. Harry McLaughlin.
Reproduction or transmission, in whole or in part, for other than personal use
is prohibited without advance permission from
Dr. G. H. McLaughlin.