Pigots 1840 - Kent
Marden, Biddenden, Staplehurst & Frittenden
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Marden is a village in rather an extensive parish, in the hundred of its name and Lathe of Scray; the village is situate to the right of the road leading from Maidstone to Cranbrooke, about eight miles from either, and close to the line of the South Eastern Railway, on its route from London to Dover. The church which is dedicated to St Michael, is a very ancient but convenient building, with a low tower; the living is a discharged vicarage, in the presentation of the see of Canterbury. In the parish is a meeting house for independents and a national school. The parish contained in 1831, 2109 inhabitants.
Biddenden is a small village, in a large but not populous parish, in the hundred of Barclay and the lathe of Scray; situate on the road from Tenterden to Maidstone, 5 miles N from the former and 13 SSE from the latter town. This place was once famous for its clothing trade, long since entirely decayed. The church dedicated to All Saints is a fine structure, in the later style of English Architecture; the benefice, a rectory, is in the same patronage as that of Marden. The charities comprise an ancient endowed school, and an annual distribution of bread and cheese to the poor; the expense of the latter is defrayed from a bequest connected with a legend of some curiosity: - it is said that two sisters, of the name of CHULKHURST, and called the “Biddenden Maids”, were born joined together by the hips and shoulders, in the year 1,100; and having lived in that state to the age of thirty four, died within six hours of each other; to perpetuate the remembrance of this extraordinary phenomenon, cakes and rolls, bearing a corresponding impression of the figures of two females, are given on Easter Sunday to all who apply. To those who are disposed to look upon this tradition otherwise than as fabulous, the exhibition of the Siamese Twins in our days may be adduced as a useful prop to the credulity. The parish contained, by the Government census of 1831, 1658 inhabitants.
Staplehurst is a village, in a parish partly in the hundred of Cranbrooke and partly in that of Marden in the lathe of Scray. The South Eastern Railway passes the village which is five miles from Cranbrooke, pleasantly situated on the sides of a hill, upon the summit of which is the church dedicated to All Saints; some few years since it underwent a complete repair, when a handsome altar piece was added. The living is a rectory, in the patronage of St Johns College, Cambridge. There are two annual fairs held here, one on the first Monday in July, a pleasure fair; the other on the 11th October for cattle. The parish contained in 1831, 1484 inhabitants.
Three miles from Staplehurst, in the hundred of Cranbrooke and lathe of Scray, is the parish of Frittenden; it contains a parish church (a very old building), dedicated to St Mary and a population of 816 inhabitants.
POST OFFICE – Marden, William JUDE, Postmaster. Letters from London and all parts arrive (by foot post from Maidstone), every morning at eight, and are despatched every evening at six.
POST OFFICE – Biddenden, Robert TOLHURST, Postmaster. Letters arrive (by foot post from Hawkhurst), every morning at eight, and are despatched every afternoon at half past three.
POST OFFICE – Staplehurst, Thomas HUMPHREY, Postmaster. Letters from London and all parts arrive (by mail cart from Maidstone), every morning at seven and are despatched every evening at half past six.
GENTRY & CLERGY
BEALE Mr John, Biddenden
BEALE Mr Richard esq., Biddenden
BUCKLAND Mr John, Biddenden
BURTON Mr Henry, Frittenden
HAGUE Mr Jenkins, Biddenden
HARRIS Mr John, Marden
HOOKER Mr Thomas, Biddenden
HORNBUCKLE Rev Thomas R, Staplehurst
JENNINGS Mr John, Frittenden
LE GEYT Rev Philip, Marden
NARES Rev Edward (DD), Biddenden
OSBORNE Mr Samuel, Marden
OTTAWAY Messrs W N & G J (attorneys), Staplehurst
PATTERSON Capt Cook, Biddenden
PHILLIPS Rev Isaac, Staplehurst
RABAN Rev Samuel, Marden
STILL Mrs, Staplehurst
USBORNE Mrs Elizabeth, Staplehurst
WALTER Mr James, Marden
WALTER Stephen esq., Marden
WATSON Mr Thomas, Staplehurst
WHITE Rev, Biddenden
WILLOUGHBY Rev, Frittenden
WITHERDEN Mr Carey, Biddenden
ACADEMIES & SCHOOLS
CHITTENDEN Ann (day), Staplehurst
CHITTENDEN William, (day), Staplehurst
Free School, Biddenden, John MORRIS, master
National School, Marden, William NETTLETON, master; Mary Ann NETTLETON, mistress
RABAN Mary, (day), Marden
BAKERS
EARL John Charles, Marden
PEACHE John, Biddenden
REEVES John, Staplehurst
WAGHORN Joseph, Staplehurst
BLACKSMITHS
BOURNE Thomas, Biddenden
BOWLES John, Frittenden
CHITTENDEN William, Staplehurst
CLEAVER Samuel, Marden
DEAN William, Biddenden
EVENDEN Thomas, Frittenden
FIELD Edward, Staplehurst
STANLEY David, Marden
TYLER Richard, Marden
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
BEACON James, Frittenden
BOURN James, Biddenden
CORNWELL Thomas, Marden
DAVIS William, Biddenden
GODDEN John, Marden
HEATH William, Frittenden
HOPPER Michael, Biddenden
INGRAM Charles, Staplehurst
NOAKES Richard, Marden
READ William, Biddenden
TOMSETT Henry, Staplehurst
VANE James, Staplehurst
WALTER Nathaniel, Marden
BRICKLAYERS
CHAMBERS Abraham, Biddenden
FREEMAN James, Biddenden
FUGGLE George, Frittenden
HOPPER John, Biddenden
SHOEBRIDGE John, Staplehurst
TAYLOR Stephen, Marden
WALTER Stephen, Marden
BUTCHERS
BUTTON Thomas, Biddenden
DEAN John, Biddenden
EAST William, Frittenden
IGGULDEN Joseph, Marden
OSBORN John, Frittenden
PILBEAM Joseph, Biddenden
WALTER William, Staplehurst
WATKINS William, Staplehurst
WILLIAMS William, Marden
CARPENTERS
BATES Henry, Frittenden
COLEMAN David & Edward, Biddenden
FARRIS Abraham, Biddenden
FRENCH Daniel, Marden
REEVES Thomas (& ironmonger), Staplehurst
STACE Henry, Biddenden
USBORNE Alexander, Marden
WICKINGS William, Staplehurst
FIRE, & OFFICE AGENTS
Kent, Thomas REEVES, Staplehurst
Norwich Union, Charles BEAUFOY, Marden
GROCERS, DRAPERS & DEALERS IN SUNDRIES
AUSTEN James, Biddenden
BEAUFOY Charles, Marden
BRYANT Benjamin, Staplehurst
BUCKLAND Walter James, Biddenden
CHAINEY Elizabeth, Biddenden
EARL John Charles, Marden
EDMETT Charles, Staplehurst
FOSTER Martin, Frittenden
HARRIS Ann, Biddenden
HOLDER Richard, Marden
HOPPER & FIELD, Biddenden
HOW Sarah, Staplehurst
JUDE William, Marden
JULL William, Staplehurst
MACKINDER Henry, Biddenden
RUSSELL Richard, Marden
SHARP Paul, Biddenden
SOUTHON David, Frittenden
MILLERS
BAYLY John, Staplehurst
DUNGEY John, Biddenden
HAMMOND William, Marden
HEATH Henry, Biddenden
ORPIN Robert, Frittenden
REEVES John, Staplehurst
SANDERS Job, Frittenden
SHARP Stephen, Biddenden
PAINTERS, PLUMBERS & GLAZIERS
EAST William, Marden
WESTON Shadrach, Biddenden
SADDLERS & HARNESS MAKERS
CRAMPTON John, Biddenden
WALTER Rosemond, Staplehurst
WEST Godfrey, Marden
SURGEONS
GREENALL John, Biddenden
JOY Henry, Staplehurst
PERRY Robert, Marden
TAILORS
DAY William, Marden
HUMPHREY Thomas, Staplehurst
WELLS Alfred, Biddenden
TAVERNS & PUBLIC HOUSES
Bell, John BUSBRIDGE, Frittenden
Bell, Samuel Relf COUSINS, Staplehurst
Chequers, George DOWLEY, Biddenden
Crown, Edward FIELD, Staplehurst
Kings Head, Hy BROADLEY, Staplehurst
Kings Head, Caroline BROOKS, Biddenden
Red Lion, George SKINNER, Biddenden
Stile Bridge, Stephen LEFEAVER, Marden
Unicorn, Thomas DAY, Marden
WHEELWRIGHTS
BOORMAN Edward, Staplehurst
CLEAVER Samuel, Marden
COLEBROOK Charles, Biddenden
DAY Richard, Marden
ROFE Henry, Frittenden
THURSTON John, Biddenden
MISCELLANEOUS
CLEAVER William, veterinary surgeon, Marden
KELLY John, auctioneer &c, Staplehurst
SHARP William, gunsmith, Biddenden
SMITH James, glover, Biddenden
SNASHALL William, watchmaker, Marden
THORPE James, corn dealer, Frittenden
TOLHURST Robert, cooper, Biddenden
WALTERS Nathaniel, registrar of births & deaths, Marden
WATSON Frederick, hairdresser, Staplehurst
COACHES
To London, a Coach, (from Tenterden), passes through Biddenden every morning (Sunday excepted), at half past seven.
To Tenterden, a Coach, (from London), passes through Biddenden every evening (Sunday excepted), at nine.
VANS – for passengers and goods
To London, a Van, (from Hastings), passes through Staplehurst every Monday, Wednesday & Friday morning at eight.
To Cranbrooke, a Van, (from Maidstone), passes through Staplehurst every evening at eight.
To Hastings, a Van, (from London), passes through Staplehurst every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday afternoon.
To Maidstone, a Van, (from Cranbrooke), passes through Staplehurst every morning at eight.
CARRIERS
To London, James HOLLAND, from Biddenden, every Monday, Wednesday & Friday and Henry BROADLEY from Staplehurst every Tuesday.
To Maidstone, James BARTON & Ann LEAVITT from Biddenden & James PAINE & Thomas USBORNE from Marden every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. David SOUTHON from Frittenden and Robert BARLING from Staplehurst, every Monday & Thursday.
To Tenterden, James HOLLAND, from Biddenden every Saturday.
This page was last updated on 06-Mar-2021.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason.