THE HISTORY OF MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT

THE HISTORY OF MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT by Sir Frank Markham

Over more than three decades I have said that no person should be allowed to serve as a councillor in Milton Keynes unless they have read Sir Frank Markham’s book THE HISTORY OF MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT. With my tongue in my cheek I wonder how many minor can actually read but that is not part of our pathway IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAMMY LEON.

When I was writing my book NOT THE CONCRETE COWS kaleidoscoping through the then adolescent new city of Milton Keynes Lady Markham gave me permission to use her late husband’s writing within my book. As I write this new work I will be referring to Sir Frank Markham’s work and wish to pay tribute to him. Have you read THE HISTORY OF MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT by Sir Frank Markham ?  Never mind our council members perhaps I should extend my applause of the book and recommend it to every Milton Keynes resident to read.

When Sir Frank wrote his book there was no Milton Keynes save for an idea on a sheet of paper within the offices of Milton Keynes Development Corporation. The timing of his book, therefore, is of special importance as it became something of a foundation stone for the Milton Keynes we know today.

Sydney Frank Markham was born on Tuesday 19^th October 1897 in Stony Stratford. He left us

on Monday 13^th October 1975. He was a politician but not perhaps a politician as we comprehend such in the third decade of  this century. Believe it or not he served as a member of parliament for three different constituencies and representing three different political parties ! 

At the 1950 general election he stood as the Conservative candidate in the North Buckinghamshire constituency but failed to unseat the sitting Labour member Aiden Crawley. However, when it came to the 1951 general election he beat Crawley by a majority of only fifty-four votes. He then held the seat with narrow majorities at the 1955 and 1959 elections before standing sown at the 1964 general election.

Frank Markham was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II on 30^th June 1953 in the 1953 Coronation Honours.  

Frank Markham was a Milton Keynes man even though it was not until he was seventy years old when Harold Wilson’s government designated an area of land within North Buckinghamshire, Markham’s former constituency, for the building of a new city. Sir Herbert Leon lived in Bletchley Park from 1883 until his death in 1926 and lady Fanny Leon from 1883 until her death in 1937, he may not have known them but Sir Frank certainly knew of the Leon Family and their home of Bletchley Park.

It was in Bletchley Park, attending teacher training college, that I met Sir Frank Markham listening to him speak in two lectures talking about his books. That would have been in 1972 or perhaps 1973.

In my final year I was the student representative on the college board of governors where I came to know Lady Markham, I can clearly remember all these years later our sitting together and some of the things she said at one particular meeting. When I was writing Not The Concrete Cows in 1993 I made contact with Lady Markham seeking permission to use her husbands work in reference as I wrote. I did this through a lady who I believe, if my memory is serving me correctly, who was headmistress of Castles First School in West Bletchley and daughter of Sir Frank and Lady Frances. Permission was given in a letter which has long since been lost. This chapter within THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAMMY LEON seeks to thank her for that permission and to recognise the work of Sir Frank.

Sir Frank and Lady Markham are buried in Calverton Road Cemetery Stony Stratford. A school within the new city was named after Sir Frank Markham but sadly the folly of reconstruction changed its name divorcing that area of education from the memory of a great man.

Almost one hundred years now since Sir Herbert Sammy Leon left us and close to fifty years

since Sir Frank Markham passed on. How many are there in today’s Milton Keynes who in fifty to one hundred years time will be remembered within our then community’s heritage. I can not think of anyone.

So do find yourself a copy of Sir Frank’s two volume work THE HISTORY OF MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT, read it and understand just how special his passion for our new city was. Perhaps we should re-name his book to The HERITAGE o f Milton Keynes and District.

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