Pigots 1840 - Kent
Boxley, Bearstead, Debtling, Leeds, Otham, Thornham and neighbourhoods
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Boxley is a neat village, 2 miles from Maidstone and 36 from London. The parish is chiefly noted for the manufacture of paper of a superior quality. The church is dedicated to All Saints, is of stone, and has a low square tower; it contains a curious monument of the WHYATT family, recording a tyrannical act of Richard III, towards one if its members, suspected of high treason. The living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the crown and the dean and chapter of Rochester alternately. A small rivulet, which rises just below the church and runs through the village, is stated to possess the property of petrifying wood (for population see after Thornham.)
Bearsted is a small parish and village, two miles and a half from Maidstone and 11 from Rochester. A pleasure fair is held here on the third Tuesday in July and a monthly meeting of the magistrates of the east division of Aylesford takes place at the “Royal Oak” for the transaction of local public business. The parish church is dedicated to the Holy Cross; the living is a discharged vicarage; in the patronage of the dean and chapter of Rochester.
Debtling is a small village, two and a half miles from Maidstone, consisting of a few scattered houses and a church; the latter dedicated to St Martin is a low building of stone with a square tower. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the archbishop of Canterbury.
Leeds is a village, in a very small parish, five miles from Maidstone; a clear stream of water runs through the village, which gives it a clean and wholesome appearance. The church dedicated to St Nicholas, is very ancient, furnished with a large low square tower, and a peal of bells; it stands on a hill, overlooking the village, which lies principally in a village. The living is a perpetual curacy united to that of Broomfield, in the patronage of the See of Canterbury. Leeds is celebrated for its castle, formerly the residence of the family of FAIRFAX and is one of the most stately edifices of the kind in the kingdom; George III and his royal consort were entertained here with great splendour on their excursion to Coxheath camp, in 1779.
Otham about two and a half miles from Maidstone, is a small parish, containing a few houses, but nothing like a regular village. The church which is dedicated to St Nicholas is small but neat structure, and the spire lofty.
Thornham is a small village, but the parish is large and almost surrounding that of Bearstead. The church dedicated to St Mary, is very ancient, small and convenient, with a low square tower. The walls of Thornham or Godards castle still exist on the brow of a hill; they are thirteen feet high and three feet thick and inclose an area of about a quarter of an acre.
The localities and population of the foregoing places are as follows: Boxley and Debtling are in the Aylesford lathe, and Maidstone hundred; the former contained by the last census 1391 inhabitants and the latter 372. The other parishes are in the same lathe, but in the Eythorne hundred; population of Bearstead by the aforesaid census, 594; Leeds 613; Otham 344; and Thornham 571.
POST OFFICE – Bearstead, George WILSON, postmaster. Letters from Maidstone arrive every morning at six, and are despatched every night at eight. The letters from Leeds are left at the Park gate public house, on the Ashford road, and are taken up by the Ashford and Maidstone mails every morning and evening.
POST – Thornham. Letters arrive from and are despatched daily to Bearstead daily.
POST – Boxley, Debtling & Otham. These villages are within the delivery area of Maidstone post office.
NOBILITY, GENTRY & CLERGY
ASHBOURN Rev. John, Linton
BEST Col. Park house, Boxley
BISHOP Mr Robert, Leeds
CLARKE Redburn esq, Bearstead
CLAYTON Rev Simeon, Otham
COBB Rev William, Debtling
COOK Mr George N, Debtling
CROFT Sir John, Millgate park
DOWSE Mr Thomas, Debtling
EVERSFIELD Mr Thomas, Boxley
FINCH Lady Maria, Boxley abbey
FOWLE Mr William, Boxley
GOLDING Mr John, Bearstead
GRIFFITH Rev Dr, Boxley
HILLS Mr George, Boxley
HILLS Mr Thomas, Thornham
LINTON Capt. (RN), Bearstead
LOMAS Rev, Thomas, Leeds
MARSHAM Viscount, Boxley house
SHIRLEY Mr William, Debtling
WAYTH Major, Bearstead
WHATMAN James esq, Winters
BAKERS
KNIGHT Stephen, Debtling
PEARCE Edward, Leeds
BLACKSMITHS
BETTS James, Otham
CLIFFORD Katurah, Frances & Rowena, Boxley
COX John, Leeds
DADD Elizabeth, Sandling
JENNER John, Bearstead
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
DUDDINGS Finnis, Otham
HATCHER William, Leeds
LACY William, Bearstead
LEDGER John, Leeds
LOGAN Thomas, Sandling
MASTERS Richard, Leeds
MOORCROFT William, Boxley
STEDMAN Stephen, Debtling
BRICKLAYERS
CROSS John, Leeds
HADLER William, Bearstead
SPARKS Henry, Boxley
SPARKS Sander, Boxley
BUTCHERS
BETTS Thomas, Bearstead
DAWSON John, Debtling
CARPENTERS
CALLAWAY William, Debtling
CHEESMAN John, Leeds
GIMSON John, Otham
ROOTS James, Boxley
WILES Charles, Otham
GROCERS & DEALERS IN SUNDRIES
BUDDS John, Bearstead
COCKER Mary, Thornham
COLBROOK James, Leeds
MARTIN John, Boxley
MASTERS Mary, Leeds
PARKER James, Debtling
INNS & PUBLIC HOUSES
Artichoke, Michael FIELD, Ashford road
Bell, George NELSON, Thornham
Black Horse, John ASHFIELD, Thornham
Blue Boar, James CLAPSTONE, Otham
Bull, George LAVENDER, Pennenden heath
Cock, Edward KNIGHT, Debtling
George, Thomas POOLEY, Leeds
Gibraltar, Frances PEARCE, Sandling
Huntsman, George STYLES, Boxley
Kentish Yeoman, Michael STOKES, Bearstead
Kings Arms, John MARTIN, Boxley
Red Lion, Thomas ONGLEY, Sandling
Rose, Thomas PINE, Bearstead
Royal Oak, George WILSON, Bearstead
Running Horse, William GROVER, Sandling
Ten Bells, DANIELS, Leeds
White Horse, Robert CLIFFORD, Bearstead
White Horse, James WHITE, Bearstead
MALTSTERS
CLEMENTS Matthew, Boxley
FILMER Thomas, Boxley
WISE Biddingfield, (& brick & tile maker), Thornham
MILLERS
BLINKHORN John, Thornham
BLINKHORN Thomas, Sandling
FOWLE William, Boxley
TUDDENHAM Thomas, Bearstead
PLUMBERS & GLAZIERS
KNOWLES John, Bearstead
RUSSELL George, Boxley
SADDLERS
CRUMP George, Leeds
JOY Jesse (& rope maker), Bearstead
TAILORS
BOTTLE Benjamin, Leeds
JENNEY William, Debtling
WHEELWRIGHTS
ALLMAN George, Bearstead
JOHNSON Samuel, Bearstead
MILLINER John, Otham
MURRELL William, Boxley
ONGLEY Thomas, Sandling
REYNOLDS Thomas, Debtling
MISCELLANEOUS
CHARLES Wm, blanket manufacturer, Sandling
HUNT Wm, paper manufacturer, Sandling
NORTON William, clock maker, Leeds
PARKER Mary, dress maker, Leeds
ROOTS Abraham, parish clerk, Boxley
STREATFIELD Wm, boarding & day school, & registrar of births and deaths, Bearstead
SWEETLOVE John, millwright, Leeds
WELLER William, parish clerk, Debtling
CARRIERS
To Maidstone, John COPPING and Edward EATON from Bearstead, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This page was last updated on 06-Mar-2021.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason.