The Lukehurst Legacy: From Humble Brickmaker to High Sheriff
Research by Enya Williams and Theresa Emmett
Martin Lukehurst has recently been appointed as the High Sheriff of Kent, so it seems fitting to write a retrospective on the Lukehurst family.
The origins of the Lukehurst family in Swale began with the arrival of George Lukehurst around 1890, when he moved from the village of Bilsington on Romney Marsh in search of work. Employment was plentiful in the rapidly expanding brickworks along the Swale estuary, which attracted many families seeking new opportunities.
Ironically, this was not the family’s first migration in search of employment. Around a century earlier, the Lukehursts had moved to the Romney Marsh area from Molash, drawn by the opportunities created through the construction of the Royal Military Canal.
Shortly after his arrival, George found employment in the Murston brickfields. He soon met his future wife, Eliza Bridges, whose family worked East Hall Farm. The old farmhouse remains standing today, surrounded by the newer East Hall estate.
George was soon in charge of a kiln, with an eight man team, making bricks. He was successful enough to build his own bungalow, in Highsted Road where he and Eliza raised 7 children, four sons and three daughters, Leonard followed by Harold, Leslie and Gordon, together with three daughters: Sybil, Dolly and Ruth.
Leonard Sydney Lukehurst (1895-1960) was in 1921 a brickmaker living in Teynham, and was employed by Smead Dean & Co. Leonard married Lynsted born Bertha Streatfield in 1916 (pictured below) and they had one son Gerald, who was born on 5th October 1917 in Green Street. By 1939 the family were living at 21 Highsted Road, Sittingbourne, and Leonard was an Insurance District Manager. At this point Leonard was living with his parents George and Eliza and his brothers Leslie, who was an insurance agent and Gordon, a delivery driver. Gerald served as a sailor during WW2, after signing up in September 1939 at Chatham Dockyard at the age of 21. Gerald married Lancashire born Mary Townson, and they were married in Oban, Scotland in 1942. On returning to Kent as a married couple Mary took on a cornerstore on Barnsole Road in Gillingham called Barnsole Road Stores, from 1953 to 1973. They had a son, Martin, born 1950 at Canada house maternity home in Barnsole Road.
Gerald began his career in the furniture business at the Featherstones department store on Bell Road, Sittingbourne. Later he managed the long-established Sittingbourne business, ‘John Peters’, for over 25 years.
In 1970, at the age of 53, whilst facing redundancy, Gerald decided to make the giant leap to run his own business, and he opened his first store in Rainham. The first day’s sale at ‘Lukehurst’ was for a single pillow – equalled 4 shillings and 11 pence.
Gerald’s son, Martin, left school in 1968 and gained experience in carpet manufacturing by joining Brintons carpets in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, becoming a sales rep in the South East. After his father opened his store Martin joined his father’s company in 1972, aged 22. The pair expanded the business by opening a store at Watling Street in Gillingham in 1972, and in the late 1970s they developed further, opening three units in the Rainham shopping centre. Two years after that, they moved the flagship store into the former Lipton’s supermarket on Rainham High Street, gaining another 10,000ft² of floorspace.
Gerald had always hoped to return to Sittingbourne, and after thirteen years he succeeded. The Sittingbourne branch of the store opened in 1983, and he took over the premises of the former Nash’s furniture store on the south side of Sittingbourne High Street (pictured here – right of the old Lloyds bank on the corner).
Martin took the reins from his father when Gerald retired in 1987. Gerald passed away six years later, aged 76.
Martin continued running the business, and in 1987, the business expanded after Lloyds Bank moved out of the adjoining building to the Sittingbourne store, on the corner of the High Street and Bell Road. The opening celebration included a colour television raffle, and an appearance by the former England cricketer, Brian Luckhurst.
Martin was also a keen cricketer himself, having played for Gore Court Cricket Club in the Kent Cricket League, together with representing Kent at hockey. He also became the youngest-ever Chairman of Gillingham Football Club.
Martin married teacher Victoria Budge in 1977, and they had two daughters, Kathryn (1979) and Rachael (1983).
In 2010, the company moved into larger premises in the retail park outlet in Mill Way, Sittingbourne.
In 2014, a third generation joined the business. Martin’s eldest daughter, Kathryn, started working with Martin, and in 2015 they purchased and moved to new premises at Bargebrick House, on Eurolink Way in Sittingbourne, pictured right.
Martin and Kathryn’s Sittingbourne and Rainham stores focus on offering a wide variety of home décor, including furniture, beds and accessories. A 10,000ft² warehouse on Sittingbourne’s Eurolink estate is currently used for the daily dispatch and delivery of carpets, furniture, and beds. Each location specialises in a variety of additional products according to local demand, such as soft furnishings, curtains, wallpaper, and even carpets and flooring.
A significant milestone in both Martin’s career and the history of the Lukehurst journey, came in April this year, when Martin was appointed High Sheriff of Kent during a service held at Rochester Cathedral. The role of High Sheriff is to serve as the King’s personal, non-political representative in the county, supporting the judiciary, promoting law and order, and championing local charities and emergency services. It is an honorary, unpaid civic appointment held for one year.
The Lukehurst family proudly attended Martin’s installation as High Sheriff of Kent. Kathryn’s son William, and his older sister Harriet and their younger cousins Florence and Freddie, comprise the current generation of the Lukehursts.
Whilst Harriet and William are still far too young to consider whether they might one day follow in their mother’s (and grandfather’s) footsteps and join the family business, they have already been spotted enthusiastically playing shopkeeper at home using old sales invoice books.
