14. W. A. CARDEN 1905 & 1906

In 1906 Kent won the County Championship for the first time in their history. To commemorate the achievement the Bexley President, William Carden. and the1st XI captain. Percy Newton, jointly presented a large framed picture to the Club showing a match in progress at Canterbury between Kent and Lancashire, with Kent fielding.

The intention was that the picture, a print of an engraving by A. Chevallier Tayler, should hang in the pavilion as a constant reminder of Kent’s prowess. In fact it hung there for about fifty years, but then disappeared. (Other copies of the engraving occasionally come up for sale at auctions. and Kent recently issued a modern reproduction as a fund raising venture.)
Mr Carden was Chairman and Managing Director of Sutton. Carden Co. Ltd., Distillers, of Finsbury. He was elected a Liveryman of the Distillers Company in 1894 and remained a member until his death in 1931 at the age of 71. He was elected Master of the Company for the year 1908. (Another Bexley President. Robert Cooper. was also Master of the Distillers Company. in l900 and again in 1914.)
William Carden took a leading role in local life. He was Hon. Secretary of the Freemantle Hall Committee and a sidesman and Sunday School Superintendent at St. Mary's Church. At one time he was Chairman of the Sidcup Choral Society. He was on the councils of several hospitals and was President of the City of London Truss Society, a charity which did much useful work despite its unappealing name.