Pigots 1840 - Kent
Crayford, Erith & neighbourhood
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Crayford is a village and parish in the lathe of Sutton at Hone and hundred of Lessness – 13 miles E by S from London and 2 W from Dartford; situated on the Cray, from which it received its name. Upon this river are some considerable silk and calico printing establishments and several saw mills of a most costly and ingenious construction – the latter were employed in cutting timber for the flooring of Buckingham Palace; these works are now however used for grinding corn. The church dedicated to St Panlinus stands on an eminence at the upper end of the village; it is a spacious modern structure adorned with an elegant altar piece; the benefice is a rectory, in the patronage of Thomas AUSTEN esq. and incumbency of Rev Arthur ONSLOW. At this place in the year 457, Hengist obtained a decisive victory over the Britons under Vortimer. In the parish are many ancient caves some of which are from ten to twenty fathoms deep, widening in circumference; there is a tradition that they were formed by the Saxons, as places of security for their wives and children during the wars with the Britons; many, however, consider it more probable that they were merely excavations for procuring chalk for agricultural and other useful purposes. May Place here was formerly the residence of Sir Cloudesley SHOVEL; it is now the property of Mrs Ann BARNE and let to J F BURNETT Esq. An Archbishop of Canterbury who possessed Crayford procured a weekly market for it, to be holden on Tuesday and a fair on our Lady nativity; the market has been long abandoned, but a fair of little or no importance is annually held on the 24th August. Population of the parish in 1831, 2,022.
Two miles north from Crayford in the same lathe and hundred is Erith village and parish situated on the banks of the Thames; it lies open to the upper part of the Long Reach, where the East Indiamen in proceeding up the river, discharge part of their cargo and also receive ballast in going out – a circumstance of material advantage to the place. It is composed chiefly of two streets, one leading down to the water side, the other branching off to the left towards the church – this edifice dedicated to St John the Baptist is very ancient and almost overgrown with ivy; it consists of a nave, chancel, a south chapel and a south isle with a low tower and spire at the west end. There are several ancient monuments in this church. Erith was some ages since incorporated and possessed the privilege of holding fairs and markets, but this right has not been acted upon in the memory of the present inhabitants. The parish contained in 1831, 1533 inhabitants.
POST - Crayford, Receiving House at Sarah BUCKs. Letters from London arrive every morning at eight, afternoon at half past twelve and evening at seven, and are despatched every morning at a quarter before eight and afternoon at a quarter before three.
POST – Erith, Receiving House at Charles BECKLEYs. Letters arrive every afternoon at two, and are despatched at the same time.
NOBILITY, GENTRY & CLERGY
BARNE Mrs Sarah, Manor house
BURNETT John Fassett esq, May Place, Crayford
BUTLER Mr Edmund, Beaton well, Erith
CARTER Mr Thomas, Erith
COLYER Mr John, Crayford
CREICHTON Rev William, Crayford
FLETCHER Mr Edward, Abbey, Erith
GRANTHAM Mr John (surgeon), Crayford
ONSLOW Rev Arthur, Erith
PAGE Mr James, Erith
PAGE Mr James, jun, Erith
SAY & SELE the Hon. Lord, Belvedere, Erith
TALETON Rev John, Chesfield
ACADEMIES & SCHOOLS
BARTON John, Hall place, Crayford
COOPER James, Erith
National School, Crayford, Augustus FARRIER, master; Eleanor FARRIER, mistress
BAKERS
BROADBRIDGE Thomas, Crayford
KNAPP Henry, Erith
ROBINSON James Fennell, Crayford
THOMPSON John, Crayford
THORNTON John, Crayford
WOODHAM John, Erith
BARGE OWNERS
BEADLE Mrs Henry, Erith
CHITTERDEN Thomas, Erith
MANN John, Erith
BLACKSMITHS
COOK Robert, Erith
DWELLEY George, Crayford
FRANCIS John, Crayford
WEST John, Crayford & at Bexley Heath
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
HARVEY William, Erith
HINES John, Crayford
JAYE James, Erith
REDSELL John, Crayford
BRICKMAKERS
WHITE J B & Son, Erith
WILSON Philip, Crayford
BUTCHERS
BEALE George (& corn dealer), Crayford
BUCK Thomas, Crayford
KEMPSTONE John, Erith
SANDY John (pork), Crayford
SAUNDERS Daniel, Erith
SMITH Anthony, Erith
SMITH Elizabeth, Erith
CALICO PRINTERS
APPLEGARTH Augustus, (& silk and woollen), Crayford
SWAISLAND Charles, Crayford
CARPENTERS
HUMPHREY James (& builder & undertaker), Crayford
PAYNE John L, Erith
WHIFFEN William, Crayford
COAL MERCHANTS
DAVIDS Henry Charles, Saw mills; house, Bexley lane
HUGHES Robert, Erith
GREENGROCERS
BROAD Thomas, Erith
BROWN Susannah, Erith
WARNER Robert, Erith
GROCERS & DEALERS IN SUNDRIES
BAYLEY Joseph, Erith
BUCK Sarah, Crayford
BUCK Thomas, Crayford
HARMAN John George, Erith
HEATH George, Erith
JESSOP James, Crayford
MONK Jonathan, Erith
MONK Robert, Crayford
RICHARDS Lucy, Crayford
SMITH Anthony, Crayford
INNS & PUBLIC HOUSES
Bear, James SAXTON, Crayford
Bell, Charles BECKLEY, Erith
Bell, James HUMPHREY, Crayford
Black Bull, John NASH, Crayford
Bulls Head, Samuel DIXON, Crayford
Cross Keys, John STONE, Erith
Crown, Elizabeth MILTON, Erith
Dukes Head, George TANNER, Crayford
Plough Thomas Barthlmw JAMES, Crayford
Roebuck, John BURTON, Crayford
Running Horses, Ths. NEWMAN, Erith
Swan, Jane GREGORY, Crayford
White Hart, John WYATT, Erith
MARKET GARDENERS
AUDSLEY George, Crayford
BAYLEY Mary, Erith
DAVIES Henry, Crayford
FLETCHER John, Erith
STONEHAM Edward, Crayford
WEATHERHOG Robert, Crayford
MILLERS
ASHBY John, Erith
COOPER John, saw mills & at West Ham Essex.
TAILORS
GREATHEAD John, Erith
KEMP Joseph, Crayford
WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT
SAXTON James, Crayford
MISCELLANEOUS
Ballast Office, Erith, James BEALE, ballast master
BROOKE Benjamin, corn merchant, Erith
CURTIS John, bleach works, Barns Cray
JARVIS John, appraiser, Erith
NORMAN Luke, brazier, Crayford
SEDGWICK William, druggist, Crayford
SEVENOAKES William, painter, plumber & glazier, Crayford
SEWELL Joseph, cooper, Crayford
STARLING William, hairdresser, Crayford
STRICKETT Mark, saddler, Crayford
TAYLOR John Hy, pattern designer, Barns Cray
TIPTON Sarah, dressmaker, Crayford
COACHES, VANS & CARRIERS
To and from London, Rochester, Canterbury, Dover and other towns on the coast pass through Crayford daily.
To London, William BALDWIN, from Crayford, every Wednesday and Friday.
This page was last updated on 06-Mar-2021.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason.