Martello Tower No.24 © P.E. Blanche 1998

No. 24 An English Heritage site

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The Martello Towers are entered through a doorway halfway up each tower which leads to the seperated living quarters for officers and men. On this floor there was also a small store and a trap door that leads down to larger store rooms and a magazine which would be at ground level. Both the officers and the mens quarters had a fireplace which was vented to the roof. A full complement was 24 men and one officer but it is unlikely that many of the towers were fully staffed all the time. It required at least 10 to 14 men to operate the cannon on the roof.

Muzzle loading 24 pounder cannon © P.E. Blanche 1998

This cannon was capable of firing a 24 pound shot a mile out to sea, or, in reality, in any direction. These guns were mounted on a central pivot with an "inner" and "outer" metal rail that allowed them to be hauled around in a full 360 degree circle:

© P.E. Blanche 1998

The walls of each tower were 13 feet thick on the seaward side and narrowed to 6 foot thick at the rear. A total of half a million bricks was required for each 30 foot high tower which as many bricks as were required to complete the Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral. Not one of these forts ever fired a shot in anger.

After the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, there was little need for these towers in a defensive role but many were used to house the newly formed Coastguards to assist in the blockade that was started against smuggling in this area. Many retired soldiers and sailors, no longer required for active service, were taken on as Coastguards, normally with a preference for those men who were not native to the area.

Just recently I had a message from Jack CARR in New Zealand to tell me that his ancestors had once lived in Martello Tower No. 24. From his research, this was some of the information he was able to provide to me:

From Page 23 of the 1841 Census the following people are listed as residents of No 24 Tower:

- Gustavus Baker [Aged 40]
[The present staff at Tower No. 24 told me that as far as they knew, Gustavus Baker never married]
- George Maddock [Aged 25]
- Francis Barnes [Aged 25]
- Georgina Barnes [Aged 20]
- Henrietta Elliott [Aged 8]

At the same time the CARR family was living in No. 23 Tower but from other research it is obvious that that had lived in No. 24 previously. These are the Census details in 1841 and the entries for the baptisms of some of the children:

- John Carr [Aged 50]
- Diana Carr [Aged 45]
- Mary Carr [Aged 15]
- William Carr [Aged 12]
- Rebecca Carr [Aged 10]
- Julia Carr [Aged 7]
- ** Agnes Carr [Aged 5](Male)

** Note this has to be a clerical error - Julia Agnes Carr was baptised 9/2/1834 and the entry more likely relates to Hugh Carr [see below].

- Hugh Carr was baptised 14/2/1836.
- Charles Carr [Aged 3]
- Thomas White [Aged 50]
- Mary White [Aged 50]
- William White [Aged 10]
- Stephen Brown [Aged 30]
- Elizabeth Brown [Aged 25]
- William Brown [Aged 3]
- George Brown [Aged 1]
- Judith Brown [Aged 50]
- Thomas Fletcher [Aged 30]
- Sarah Fletcher [Aged 30]
- Sarah Fletcher [Aged 4]

Julia, Agnes (Hugh), and Charles are shown as having been born in Kent as well as all others on the page from Stephen Brown onwards.

When we look at the Baptism records we get a slightly different version indicating that the Carrs had earlier lived in Tower 24:

- Julia Agnes Carr was baptised on 9/2/1834 when her address was shown as Dymchurch.

- Hugh Carr was baptised on 14/2/1836 when his address was shown as XXIV Tower Dymchurch.

- Caroline Carr (an older daughter - born 8/9/1820) was baptised on 30/6/1837 when her address was shown as Tower XXIV Dymchurch.

- Mary Carr (born 25/2/1823) was baptised on 30/6/1837 when her address was shown as Tower XXIV Dymchurch.

- Charles Carr was baptised on 16/12/1838 when his address was shown as Tower XXIV Dymchurch.

Should anyone recognise a connection with this CARR family, you can reach Jack at jacknjan@xtra.co.nz