Pigots 1840 - Kent
Down, Keston, Hayes & West Wickham
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Down is a neat little village, in a pleasant situation, two miles from Farnborough and six SSE from Bromley. The church is a low stone edifice, underwent a thorough repair in 1825, when it was ornamented three fine stained glass windows; the benefice is a perpetual curacy, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the see of Canterbury. There is a chapel for baptists and near the church a national school. The parish generally is well cultivated and the face of the country rich and cheerful. A fair is held here on Whit Monday.
Two miles south west from Down is the straggling village of Keston. At Holwood, in this parish are the traces of some entrenchments supposes to have been formed by the Romans on their first invasion; and near these traces two stone coffins have been found, and various implements of war, at different periods. Holwood Hill was the residence of the late Right Hon. William PITT; the mansion occupies an eminence commanding a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. In the parish is a very fine tepid spring, called Ravensborne, of superior tonic qualities, and deemed exceedingly beneficial to the debilitated constitution. The church is a very small fabric, built principally of flint; the benefice is a discharged rectory in the exempt deanery of Shoreham, and in the presentation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
About two miles south from Keston is the small village of Hayes. The church dedicated to St Mary, stands on the verge of Hayes common, abutting on the commons of Keston and Bromley; in it are preserved the banners borne at the public funeral of the great Earl of Chatham, who has a seat here, contiguous to the church, called Hayes Place, in which his son William was born. A small fair is held here on Whit Tuesday.
Two miles south west from Hayes is the neat village of West Wickham, agreeably situated close to the borders of Surrey, between four and five miles from Croydon. The church dedicated to St John the Baptist, is a small venerable edifice, standing towards the centre of the village; the windows of the chancel are beautifully enriched with stained glass; the benefice is a rectory, in the gift of the Dowager Lady FARNABY, who likewise possesses the manor. A chapel for Wesleyan methodists and a national school are in this parish. West Wickham formerly had a market, which has long been discontinued; an annual fair for cattle, however still is attended on Easter Monday.
The above parishes are all locally situated in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone and the hundred of Ruxley; and the population of each, at the census of 1831, was as follows: Down parish 421; Keston 391; Hayes 504; and West Wickham 614 inhabitants.
POST - Down. Letters arrive from and are despatched to Farnborough daily.
NOBILTY, GENTRY & CLERGY
ANDERSON John, esq, West Wickham
ANGUS Mrs Dorothy, Hayes
CHAPMAN Mrs Sarah, Hayes
CHURCHER Mr Charles, Blackness
COCKELL Edgar, surgeon, Down
COURTENEY Hon. & Rev. Henry, Down
CRITTALL Mr Richard, West Wickham
DAVIS Jno Wilson esq, West Wickham
DRUMMOND Rev Jas. Down House
DUTHEE James esq, Down
EATON Mrs Susan, Down
ELLIOTT Richard esq, Down
ESDAILE Joseph esq, High Elms
FARNABY Rev Sir Chas.West Wickham
FINLEY Mr Alexander, Hayes
GIBBS Lady, Hayes
GILDART Rev Fredk. West Wickham
HALL Miss, Keston
HORTON Mr, West Wickham
HOWELL John esq, West Wickham
HUNTINGTOWER Lady, Keston
HUSSEY Rev Thomas John, Hayes
JACKSON Major, West Wickham
KIRKPATRICK Rev James, Keston
LITTLE Mr William, West Wickham
MARGETSON Mrs Elizabeth, Hayes
MARTIN Rev Joseph, Hayes
MASTERMAN Mrs Richenda, Keston
MORICE John esq, West Wickham
MORLAND Lady Caroline, Hayes
MOYSEY Miss Charlotte, Hayes
MOYSEY Frederick esq, Hayes
PHILLIPS William esq, Down
PLUMMER Mr George, Keston
PRICE Edward esq, Down
SHOVE Mr John, Down
SMITH Mrs Henry, Keston
SMITH Mr John, Keston
SMITH Mr William, Keston
TOLMARSH Lionel esq, Keston
TOONE Mrs Colonel, Keston lodge
TRAIL Miss W B, Keston
TWERT Mr Thomas, Hayes
WARD John esq, Holwood
WARD Samuel esq, Hayes
ACADEMIES & SCHOOLS
CHAPMAN Becket (day), Hayes
CHAPMAN Henry (day), Keston
Infants School, Down, Sarah LASLETT, mistress
National School, Down, John BROOM, master
National School, Hayes, John MILLARD, master
National School, North End, William PHILPS, master
National School, West Wickham, William TAPSELL, master; Rebecca JONES, mistress
BAKERS
COOTES Thomas, West Wickham
KNIGHT Solomon, West Wickham
OSBORN Henry, Down
BLACKSMITHS
BILES Jasper, West Wickham
LANGRIDGE Joseph, Hayes
TOWN Sarah, Down
VICKERS Christopher, Down
WOOD George, Keston
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
BUDGEN John, West Wickham
COOPER John, West Wickham
HOLMES Humphrey, West Wickham
HUNT George, Hayes
KADWELL John, Keston
OSBORN Charles, Down
PARKER Jesse, Down
SMITH Henry, Down
WINTER James, West Wickham
BRICKLAYERS
BUTCHER George, Hayes
LASLETT Isaac, Down
WHILMSHURST William, West Wickham
BUTCHERS
HAYNES William, Keston
LINTON Thomas, West Wickham
OSBORN Walker, Down
OSBORNE James, Hayes
CARPENTERS
ALEXANDER John, West Wickham
COLE William, Keston
DENNIS Ignatius, Keston
HATFIELD Gabriel, Hayes
HILLS Thomas, Keston
SALES Timothy, Down
SMITH Thomas, Hayes
SWEETING Thomas, West Wickham
COAL DEALERS
EATON Thomas, West Wickham
WALTER John, West Wickham
GROCERS & DEALERS IN SUNDRIES
BARGRAVE Maria, West Wickham
BOWYER William, Keston
BURGESS Richard, Keston
DUCK George (& cooper), Down
GREGORY Samuel, Keston
HASLETT Thomas, Keston
JARVIS Edward, Hayes
KILLICK Henry, Keston
LANCELETT Henry, Down
LYONS Elizabeth, Hayes
SALES Timothy, Down
STAPLE Thomas, Hayes
TAPSELL William, West Wickham
TAYLOR George, West Wickham
INNS & PUBLIC HOUSES
Crown, Thomas EATON, Keston
Fox, James SPICER, Keston
George, George DUCK, Down
George, Richard VIDLER, Hayes
Pig & Whistle, Richard BURGESS, West Wickham
Queens Head, Timothy SALES, Down
Red Cross, Thos, EMINTON, Keston
Swan, Richard CRITTALL, West Wickham
LINEN DRAPERS
LETTINGTON Amy, Down
MILLERS
BANNISTER Henry, Down
ELLIS John, Keston
WILMOTT George, Keston
PLUMBERS & GLAZIERS
CARTER James, Down
OVERY George, West Wickham
REYNOLDS, William Keston
TAILORS
GREEN David, Keston
GREEN James, Keston
HARDING Charles, Down
STAPLE Thomas, Hayes
WHEELWRIGHTS
MERCHANT James, Down
NEWMAN Thomas, West Wickham
PURDAY William, Keston
MISCELLANEOUS
ELLIOTT LANSDOWN & Co, flour dealers, West Wickham
LEWIS Elizabeth, dressmaker, Down
SALES William, furniture broker, Down
TILDEN Timothy, brewer, Hayes
COACHES
To London, a Coach (from Sundridge), calls at the Red Cross, Keston every morning (Sunday excepted), at nine, goes through Hayes and Bromley.
To Sundridge, a coach (from London), calls at the Red Cross, Keston every evening at six, goes through Westerham and Brasted.
CARRIERS
To London, George SNOW, from Down, James RUSSELL, from Keston and Robert HARMAN, from West Wickham every morning.
This page was last updated on 06-Mar-2021.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason.