** Kent Online Parish Clerk ** - Rainham Parish

Rainham is in the Eastern division of the county, hundred and union of Milton, lathe of Scray, county court district and rural deanery of Sittingbourne, archdeaconry of Maidstone, and diocese of Canterbury, 4 miles east from Rochester, and 6 west from Sittingbourne: it reaches to the creeks on the Medway, and includes several marsh islands.

The higher ground is chalk, in downs perpendicular to the coast; to the south are woods. The church of St. Margaret, close to the high road, is a handsome building, with a conspicuous tower; in the church is the burial-place of the Earls of Thanet; eight earls and six countesses of this family are buried here, including Henry, the last of the line of the Earls; and the TUFTONs, who held land here in the reign of Henry III.: the church, which is eight centuries old, has a double nave, two chancels, carved rood-screen, three stone sedilia, stalls and brasses, some of them of the date of 1409, and contains many monuments to the TUFTONs, Earls of Thanet.

The register dates from 1592. The living is a vicarage, valued at £404, with residence, in the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and held by the Rev. Augustus John PEARMAN, M.A., of Pembroke College, Oxford. The National schools were erected in 1846, on a piece of ground given by the Earl of Thanet. There are chapels for Wesleyans and Independents. Sir R. TUFTON, Bart., is lord of the manor. Bricks are made here. The area of the parish is 3,608 acres of land and 260 of water. The population in 1861 was 1,422, being an increase of 272 over the year 1851.

MOOR STREET is half a mile east; COZENTON, half a mile north; MOTLEY HILL, 2 miles north-east. Berengrove is the residence of William WALTER, Esq. Here is a station on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.

POST OFFICE. – William FRIDAY, receiver. Letters by foot post through Sittingbourne at 8.30 a.m. Box closes at 5.25 p.m. & at 9 p.m. The nearest money order offices are at Chatham and Sittingbourne.

PILLAR LETTER BOX at Lower Rainham, cleared at 5 p.m. week days, & 10.30 a.m. Sundays

INSURANCE AGENT. – Liverpool & London & Globe, John LONGLEY NATIONAL SCHOOL, John LONGLEY, master; Mrs. Emma LONGLEY, mistress London, Chatham & Dover Railway Station, William KENNEDY, station master CARRIERS. – GARDNER & Co.’s van passes through, daily, to & from London, Sittingbourne & Faversham [GENTRY & CLERGY] COLEGATE Mr. Thomas Richard DODD Misses, Church house DODD Thomas, esq EVEREST, William Bentham, esq PEARMAN Rev. Augustus John, M.A. (vicar) PENFOLD Henry, esq SIMMS Mr. James SMART Misses, Lower Rainham SMART Mrs. Church house WAKELEY Mr. Richard Mansfield WAKELEY Mr. Thomas Stanley WAKELEY Mr. William Henry WAKELEY Mrs. Mary, Moor street WALTER William, esq. Berengrove house WATKINS Mrs. Moor street COMMERCIAL AKHURST Thomas, Angel, Station road ATKINS James, malster, corn, hay & straw dealer BAKER George, baker BAKER George, boot & shoe maker BEAUMONT Edward, boot & shoe maker BLEEZE Caroline (Mrs.), baker BLEEZE William J. Red Lion BLOORMAN Edwin, wheelwright BRICE Solomon, barge owner BRICE Solomon John, butcher, Lower Rainham BROOKER Jas. Man of Kent, & fruiterer BRYAN John, beer retailer BURLEY William Henry, tailor BUSHELL Geo. Frederick, builder, grocer & outfitter, Ivy place, Station road BUTCHER Joseph Edwd. Brick manufctrer CHAMBERS Robert, beer retailer DANES Thomas, beer retailer DENNIS Thomas, market gardener, Lower Rainham DODD Thomas, sen. farmer & landowner DUNSTALL James, watch maker EDMONDS Wm. & Son, market gardeners EVEREST William Bentham, surgeon FEATHERBY George, brick manufacturer FOSTER Jas. shopkeeper, Lower Rainham FRIDAY William, shopkeeper GARRETT William, harness maker GILBERT Thos. farmer, Mare’s borough GOLDSTON John, Kent Volunteer, Railway station GREEN Daniel, farmer, Pump farm GREEN George, carpenter HARRIS George, Cricketers KITCHINGHAM William, beer retailer LONGLEY George, nursery & seedsman MANSFIELD James, farmer, Moor street MILES James Luke, farmer & hop grower, Silam farm MOSS Henry, draper MOSS William, grocer & ironmonger PACKER Stephen, basket maker PARSONS John, butcher PENFOLD Henry, physician & surgeon PHILPOTT Thomas, gardener & seeds man POPE Frederick, blacksmith PRENTIS Walter, farmer, Cozenton farm RAINS Thomas, shopkeeper, Station rd RANDALL Robert, farmer REEVES George, butcher, Station road ROPER William, greengrocer SAYERS Charles, White Horse inn, & fly proprietor SAVAGE William, brick maker SEARS John, beer retailer & shopkeeper, Lower Rainham SIMMONS Jsph. wheelwright & blacksmith SMART Chas. farmer, Lower Rainham SMITH Charles, shopkeeper STEERLA James, Three Mariners, Lower Rainham SWAN & MILTON, brick makers, Station rd SWAN Henry John, fruiterer, Lower Rainham TASSELL John, brick manfr. Station road TAYLOR James, carpenter & builder TAYLOR James, jun. plumber & painter TURNER George, grocer & draper WAKELEY Brothers, merchants, corn factors & commission agents, Otterham quay, & at 13 Bouverie street, Fleet street, London e.c WAKELEY Thomas (exors. of the late), farmers & hop growers, Moor street WATERS Robert, shopkeeper, Station road WALTER William, farmer & landowner, Berengrove house WATSON Robert Durrant, farmer & brick manufacturer WELLER Charles, grocer WILKINS James, farmer & hop grower, Moor street WIILS & PACKMAN, brick manufacturers WILLIS Job, cowkeeper, Mare’s Court lane WYLES Thomas, beer retailer & shopkeeper, East Rainham

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Date last modified: 1/3/2007 1:47:19 PM

Kelly's Directory 1866,Rainham

Kelly's Directory 1866,
Rainham