Search my many thousands of pubs and London history
Kent Villages, Towns & Public Houses - History, Genealogy & Trade Directories
Kent Villages Home Page | Kent Districts & Kent Lathes |Kent Villages and Towns A - Z
Melvilles 1858 Directory of Kent.
Pubs in Swanscombe & Greenhithe
SWANSCOMBE, and the hamlet of GEEENHITHE, three miles west
from Gravesend, and four east from Dartford, is in Dartford union, Axton
hundred, and lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, West Kent. The manor house,
occupied by John Coveney, Esq., is an ancient building, the seat of the
Weldon family; it is said to be the oldest manor in the country. Swanscombe
Wood is well known to the lover of rural retirement, and for gipsying
parties. Here is a cavern, called Clappernapper's Hole, to which is attached
much interesting legend. The church of St. Hildefaith, with its spire, is a
very old edifice, and an attractive object to the surrounding neighbourhood.
It contains a nave, aisles, and a chancel, with some very antique monuments.
In the south aisle, in memory of the Weldon family, is an alabaster monument,
supporting the figures of a recumbent knight in armour, leaning over
his lady resting on a pillow. The living is a rectory, in the gift of Sydney
Sussex College, Cambridge, value £650 per annum; the incumbent is the
Rev. G. C. Renouard, B.D. In 1856 a new church, dedicated to St. Mary,
was built at Greenhithe. It is a neat edifice, provided with 500 sittings,
200 of which are free; Rev. P. Eussell, B.C.L., curate. The area of the
parish is 2,188 acres of land, and 405 of water, and the population in 1851
was 1,705.
Greenhithe is a station of the North Kent Railway, 18 miles from
London, four from Gravesend, and 11 from Rochester; and within view of
the river is the celebrated Ingress Abbey, built by the late Alderman Harmer,
out of stone from old London Bridge. It is an elegant structure, in the
Tudor-Gothic style of architecture, and, with, its tastefully wooded park, is an
object of great attraction. The present proprietor is Samuel Charles Umfreville,
Esq. Near it are the ruins of the nunnery. Here are also a number
of very excellent family residences: the very handsome row of semi-detached
Italian villas at Cobham terrace, excite much attention, from their picturesque
style and situation, being erected on an eminence, which affords a view of the
highly cultivated country for miles around. There is an excellent pier for
the landing of passengers from the various steamers plying up and down the
river. Here are Roman cement works, chalk and lime works, and some
market gardens. Knockholt is half a mile S.W. of Greenhithe; Western
Cross, three quarters of a mile south; Milton Street and Hockenden, one
mile S.E.; Gaily Hill, a quarter of a mile west.
POST-OFFICE. - Thomas Heritage, Postmaster. Letters arrive through Dartford.
Money Orders are granted and paid at this Office.
SWANSCOMBE.
| GENTRY. Bayley, Charles, Esq., Knoekholt Lodge Bull, Captain John Cooper, Rev. Allen Tiievalyan, Curate Coveney, John, Esq., Manor House Goodeve, Frederick, Esq. Hart, Edward, Esq, Western villas Lintott, J., Esq., Gaily hill Muller, Rev. Samuel, Independent minister Robertson, _, Esq. Renouard, Rev. George Cecil, B.D., Rector Russell, William Edward, Esq. Waters, Mrs West, Richard, Esq., Western Cross Wilson, Thomas, Esq. |
TRADERS. Bartholomew, Thomas, baker Clinch, William, George & Dragon, Galley Hill Collins, William, beer retailer Cooper, George, beer retailer Cousins, Henry, cowkeeper, Milton Street Gumbrell, Robert, grocer Hill, John, gardener, Knockholt Harper, William, Blue Anchor Inward, George, beer retailer, Milton Street Pearson, George, grocer and postmaster Richardson, George, shoemaker and parish clerk Rixon, George, market gardener Swan, John, schoolmaster, and Fire and life agent Styles, George, farmer White Edward, farmer White, John Bazley, and Brothers, cement factory |
| GENTRY. Ashley, Henry, Esq., 1, Cobham terrace Barnett, John, Esq., 8, Cobham terrace Baxter, Mrs. Bryant, Miss Bennison, _, Esq. Colyer, Thomas, Esq. Dearey, _, 23, Cobham terrace Dickenson, Mrs. Evenden, John, Esq., Ingress Hill Frisby, Mrs., 24, Cobham terrace Forrest, Thomas, Esq. Fradgeley, William, Esq. Gulliver, Thomas Dale, Esq., 22, Cobham terrace Harvey, William, Esq., 5, Cobham terrace Hunter, Dr., 18, Cobham terrace Hill, Mrs. Kippen, Miss, 3, Cobham terrace Luke, Miss, 9, Cobham terrace Metoalfe, John, Esq., 15, Cobham terrace Nugent, Miss, 7, Cobham terrace Newton, William Mears, Esq., Parkwood Lodge Jannings, Charles, Esq., 21, Cobham terrace Johnson, Frederick, Esq., 21, Cobham terrace Johnson, William Prior, Esq., 21, Cobham terrace Rose, Frederick, Esq., ship "Flamer" Russell, Rev. F., Cliff House Robinson, _, Esq. Simonsky, Mrs. Shepherd, Mrs., Retreat Seccombe, John Collier, Esq. Sargeant, Mrs., Avenue House Stone, Mrs., 26, Cobham terrace Sebastian, Mrs., 16, Cobham terrace Skinner, William, Esq., 4, Cobham terrace Tait, William, Esq., 20, Cobham terrace Tolhurst, Mrs. Umfreville, Captain Samuel Charles Umfreville, Samuel Charles, Esq., Ingress Abbey Vaughan, John, Esq., 2, Cobham terrace Vogan, George, Esq., 17, Cobham terrace Vandivillikins, _, Esq., 25, Cobham terrace |
Vulliamy, _, Esq. Westbrook, Mrs. Walsh, Mrs. TRADERS. Austin, Thomas, corn dealer Barham, Charles Hazeltine, painter Bliss, Henry, house agent and stationer Buckham, Mrs., ladies' school Bradley, Thomas, coal wharf Banford, William, baker Chapman, Mrs., carpenter and undertaker Downes, Joseph, chemist Durling, George, shopkeeper Daniels, George, butcher Dalby, Mrs., greengrocer Eales, Peter, shoemaker Fox, William, carpenter and builder Heritage, Thomas, grocer and postmaster Hill, Owen, bricklayer and plasterer Joyner, William, Brown Bear Keene, Alexander, milkman Lockyer, Robert, plumber and builder Lockyer, William, academy Martin, James, butcher Minter, James, Hull Trader Parsons, William, bricklayer Payn, James, shoemaker Reed, John, plumber and painter Roe, William, shoemaker Russell, William, blacksmith and wheelwright Rudland, J., academy Seccombe, John Collier, surgeon Swan, John, schoolmaster Shepherd, Richard, fishmonger Spence, Philip, tailor Taylor, William, Pier Hotel Underwood, Harrison, grocer Vallins, Jacob, greengrocer Varney, William, hairdresser Viton, Peter, White Hart Westbrook, Charles, greengrocer and gardener Ware, George, pork butcher Woodward, Mrs., Railway Hotel Wheatley, William, baker Waghorn, Robert, barge builder |