The Canadian Premier RB Bennett's Tomb at Mickleham Church, Surrey, England

I don't know whether you have noticed the large tomb just outside the door of Mickleham Church. It contains the relics of R B Bennett, Canada's eleventh Prime Minister, who died in 1947 while living at Juniper Hill.

On 5th August 2002 a service was held in the church to dedicate a plaque in his memory. It was an impressive occasion at which the Bishop of Guildford spoke the prayer of dedication and supporting speeches were made by Sir Paul Beresford, Mole Valley's MP; Dr Peter Waite of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia; William Herridge, Bennett's nephew; and Senator Laurier LaPierre, representing the Canadian Government.

Also present were the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner; Mole Valley DC Chairman Heather Ward; Lady Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook's daughter-in-law, and assorted Canadians as well as a goodly number of members of Mickleham Parish.

image courtesy of the Leatherhead Advertiser

The service commenced with the singing of the Canadian National Anthem led by Jenny Phippen from the Royal School of Church Music. After the Service, a red maple tree was planted in the churchyard and the War Memorial was rededicated by the Bishop of Guildford after its refurbishment for which the Herridge family had given generous support. Finally a reception was held at Juniper Hill at the invitation of the new owners, Jan and Jackie Murray-Obodynski. It had been a grey day but the sun shone fittingly as we stood on the terrace, glasses in hand, admiring the superb view. The event was the culmination of two years' hard work by Parish Administrator Rose Spence; it went extremely well. Thank you, Rose.

R B Bennett was Prime Minister between 1930 and 1935, the terrible years of the great depression, for the miseries of which he was unfairly held responsible by the Canadian electorate. By the end of the speeches we had a clear impression of R B (as he was universally known) as a man who was incorruptible, hard working and quietly generous, a man whose great achievement was the creation of several Canadian institutions such as the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In an earlier edition of the Mickleham Parish magazine, I reported on my visit to Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook)'s birthplace: it would seem that on the same trip I also, but unknown to me at the time, passed through R B Bennett's birthplace at Hopewell Cape, where his father and grandfather had been shipbuilders. Aitken and Bennett were both poor boys who fought their way upwards in the politics of New Brunswick and were close friends. Aitken had been Bennett's campaign manager when he stood as a Councillor in Chatham, a small town close to Aitken's birthplace. In later years Bennett made a career for himself as a lawyer in Calgary, Alberta, which he represented in both provincial and federal politics, rising eventually to Prime Minister.

Bennett's last days were spent at Juniper Hill during World War II, within walking distance of Beaverbrook's home at Cherkley Court, and with a Canadian Army division around him preparing for D Day. He is the only Canadian Prime Minister buried outside Canada, and the village of Mickleham is honoured to be the resting place for his remains.

By mischance, the stone plaque plaque to be dedicated had failed to reach Mickleham in time, but a superb mock-up had been produced and framed. It stood on an easel by the pulpit. As the cameras flashed, one of the participants commented 'If you hadn't said that this was a mock-up, nobody would have known.' 'Ah', said another, ' R B was a frank and honest man and it is a fitting tribute to him that we came clean.' It was the perfect summing-up.
Barry Moughton