HE WAS known as Britain’s first working class novelist. But to people in Rochester Jack Saunders was the “silent postman”, who faithfully trod his rounds for 40 years.

W.J.Saunders achieved a modest level of fame with his book “Kalomera – the story of a remarkable community”.

The story was heavily influenced by his upbringing. It described a Utopian world, where there was no poverty and no prejudice.

Saunders, who was christened William John, was born in Langdon Road, Rochester. He was the son of a private in the Royal Marines, George Saunders.

George later worked as a groom at a house on Boley Hill and after that as a labourer at a mineral water plant. He and his wife Sarah brought up 11 children, and although poor, they possessed a remarkable collection of books, which clearly influenced their son Jack.

He certainly wasn’t inspired by his education. Although he spent a few years at St Margaret’s National School, he left at the age of 14 to take a job as a telegraph boy at the Rochester post office.

The family’s poverty was emphasised by the fact they lived for some time in Ironmonger Lane, in the centre of Rochester. This was described as having open cesspools, and fly-infested rubbish piled up in the streets.

Perhaps to escape this, Jack spent much of his time at the Rochester Library, reading classic novels and books on evolution and social reform.

He graduated from telegraph boy to postman, and perhaps his silence during the long delivery rounds, was brought about by the fact he was teaching himself languages.

He could speak and read French, had a working knowledge of German, Spanish and Italian and a smattering of Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

Walking was his passion. He hiked extensively in Ireland, Norway, and France as well as England. During one holiday he walked to Somerset, then on to Gloucestershire and across to Oxford, from where he returned to Rochester by train.

Perhaps the silence on his rounds was a brooding silence as he contemplated the poverty which surrounded his life.

In 1911 he wrote the novel in which he created his perfect world. It was well reviewed.

Jack was an active member of the Union of Postal Workers and became Vice President of the Rochester branch. He may well have been a member of the local Labour Party, which sent a wreath to his funeral.

Jack Saunders died on April 23 1928, just a week before his 55th birthday, at the home of his sister in May Road, Rochester. His coffin was carried by fellow postal workers.

Today he lies in a simple grave in St Margaret’s Cemetery, silent in death as he was in life.