Richard's reputation seems to have gone before him as he was soon on the local council, becoming chairman of the Charlton Kings UDC, chairman of Pates Governors and on the boards of both the Gentleman's and Ladies Colleges. The local branch of the Primrose League was named the Vassar-Smith Habitation. In 1891 a great sadness struck the family, the death of their daughter Edith. 1896 saw a window installed in St Mary's church, Charlton Kings, depicting "Raising of Jairus' daughter" and was in memory of Edith. In the same year Charles entered the Gentleman's College. John had gone on to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1887 and gained a BA in 1890. Charles went straight from the college into the army and was commissioned into the Shropshire Light Infantry.
The South Africa Boer War saw the boys in action, both gaining the Queen's medal, John with four clasps and Charles with five, a worrying time for the Vassar-Smiths. Happier times were to follow with three family weddings, Charles married Emily Rathbone in 1908, Margaret married Colonel Fairlie Ozzard in 1910 and in 1913 Dorothy married the Revd Marriot who had been a curate at St Mary's. The Looker-On reported of Dorothy's wedding "after the ceremony Mr and Mrs. Vassar-Smith held a reception at Charlton Park attended by 400 guests.....it is hardly necessary to say they carried it out perfectly".
Another notable event at this time was the appointment of Richard to the position of Chairman to Lloyds Bank, then the largest bank in England. His appointment marked a significant break in banking tradition, Richard did not come from a banking family nor had he been Deputy Chairman of Lloyds. However he must have proved himself a very effective chairman, he negotiated the mergers with the Wilts and Dorset Bank in 1914 and the Capital and Counties Bank in 1918. He was chairman of the committee of London Clearing Banks and of the Central Association of Bankers in 1916 and 1917. He was also at times Chairman and then President of the Council of the Institute of Bankers.
The family had other personal worries during the Great War. John fought with the 27th Canadians in France and was wounded, while Charles (now a major) was still with the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was wounded at St Eloi in 1915. He was invalided out of the army in 1917 and went to Manchester to work for the Ministry of Pensions. Charles died on 25 November 1920.
The Great War was to prove a busy time for Richard, he was appointed to serve on the Treasury Committee of Financial Facilities (raising money for the war) and in 1917 he became Chairman of this committee. It was for this work that his baronetcy was conferred. He became Sir Richard Vassar Vassar-Smith of Charlton Park in 1917. The Looker-On sent a reporter to interview Sir Richard just after he had received his baronetcy and described him as deeply interested in their campaign for better housing conditions with a better standard of living and education for the children of the workers. I think this says more about Sir Richard's ideas than that of the Looker-On. The paper also reported that the staff of Lloyds Bank had presented Sir Richard with a car to celebrate his baronetcy.
Sir Richard continued with his many duties which entailed much travelling abroad to Berlin, Petrograd, Moscow, and Vienna etc. Another director who accompanied him recorded that "when they entered a room Sir Richard's personality was such that everyone looked round and whispered 'The Englishman' ".
Perhaps Sir Richard began to feel that Charlton Park was too big for himself, his wife and the unmarried John and Beatrice. Whatever the reason, they decided to look for a smaller house to buy and settled on Shiel in Sandy Lane Road, Charlton Kings, apparently naming the house with their eldest son Richard in mind as he died at Cree Shiel in South Africa.
Lloyds Bank had a flat for the Chairman's use above 16 St James Street in London. It was here that Sir Richard died on 2 August 19 22. There was a brief death notice in The Times and we know he was buried in St Mary's churchyard in Charlton Kings. A memorial service was held at St Paul's Cathedral on 9 August and although Lady Vassar-Smith did not attend, the rest of the family was there. A notable number of titled gentlemen attended and representatives of banks, businesses and charities. The event was noted in court circular in The Times and Richard's son John succeeded to the title.
Sir Richard had been born into a family that believed in hard work and doing one's civic duty. On his mother's side the family worked hard and looked for opportunities to do well. Having succeeded they put their wealth to use for the general good. There was also a background on both sides of strong religious principles. The picture built up of Sir Richard during research by Mary Southerton (Charlton Kings Local History Society) is of a gentle but firm man, hard working, confident in his own ability but not at all arrogant, and always considerate of other people. He declined many offers to stand for Parliament, feeling that politics implied posturing, a retreat from his standards of honesty and frankness. His banking achievements were eclipsed only by his dedication to the welfare of Lloyds Bank staff. It is said of him "this concern was unaffected, rooted in Christian liberalism and comes over in the warmth and sincerity of the tributes". It was also said that he lived in an atmosphere of goodness and nobility and had an irresistible charm which no one could forget. He had started a Widows and Orphans fund for the bank staff and when he died the staff contributed £10,000 to the fund in his memory. In 1923 the Vassar-Smith fund was set up to be used for the relief of staff, pensioners, widows or children in difficult circumstances.
After Sir Richard's death the family continued to live at Shiel and Lady Vassar-Smith died on 9 October 1930 and Sir John in 1942. Beatrice continued to live in Brookway, Charlton Kings until her death in 1965. Sir John had been succeeded by his nephew Richard, Charles' son, until his death in 1995 when his son, John Rathbone Vassar-Smith took the title. The Charlton Kings Local History Society was pleased to welcome Sir John and Lady Vassar-Smith, with their younger son David to a meeting in 2004 when the subject was, 'Sir Richard - a True Gentleman'.
© CKLHSSir Richard V Vassar-Smith Bt. 1843-1922