Hundreds and Miscellaneous Entries for Kent

"ALOESBRIDGE HUNDRED, one of the twelve subdivisions of the lathe of Shepway in the county of Kent, bounded on the N.E. and S.E. by Langport, St. Martin's hundred, and on the S.W. and N.W. by Oxney hundred. It contains the parish of Brookland, Fairfield, Snargate, Suave, and part of Brenzett, and extends over an area of 7,240 acres."

"AXTON HUNDRED, (and Darford and Wilmington) one of the eight hundreds or sub-divisions of the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, in the county of Kent, bounded on the N. by the river Thames, on the E. by the lathe of Aylesford on the S. by the hundred of Codsheath, and on the W. by the hundreds of Lessneth and Ruxley. It comprises the following parishes:-Ash, Darenth, Dartford, Eynesford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Horton-Kirby, Kingsdown, Longfield, Lullingstone, Ridley, Southfleet, Stone, Sutton-at-Hone, Swanscombe, and Wilmington. This hundred extends over an area of 39,500 acres.

"AYLESFORD LATHE, one of the five lathes or subdivisions of the county of Kent, occupying a nearly central position in the county and bounded on the N. by the river Thames and the county of Essex, on the E. by the lathe of Scray, on the S. by the county of Sussex, and on the W. by the lathe of Sutton. It contains the following hundreds: Brenchley and Horsemonden, Chatham and Gillingham, Eyhorne, Hoo, Larkfield, Littlefield, Maidstone, Shamwell, Toltingtrough, Tonbridge, Twyford, Washlingstone, and Wrotham. This lathe extends over an area of 233,580 acres."

"BERKELEY HUNDRED, one of the 16 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, situated in the southern part of the county, and surrounded by the hundreds of Catehill, Chart and Longbridge, Blackborne, Rolvenden, and Cranbrook. It comprises the parish of Biddenden only,"

"BEWSBOROUGH HUNDRED, one of the 12 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent, bounded by the hundreds of Eastry and Cornillo on the N.W. and N.E., the Straits of Dover on the S.E., and the lathe of Shepway on the W. It contains the parishes of Buckland, Charlton, West Cliffe, Coldred, Deal, Temple Ewell, Guston, Hougham, West Langdon, Lydden, St. Margaret-at-Cliffe, Poulton, River, Shepherdswell, and Whitfield, comprising an area of about 19,800 acres."

"BIRCHOLT FRANCHISE and BARONY, one of the 12 subdivisions of the lathe of Shepway, in the county of Kent, bounded by the hundreds of Stouting and Street, on the N., E., and S., and by the hundreds of Ham, Chart, and Longbridge and Wye on the W.; and containing the parishes of Bircholt, Brabourne, Hastingleigh, Smeeth, with part of Aldington. It has an area of about 10,100 acres."

"BLACKBOURNE HUNDRED, one of the 16 hundreds or subdivision of the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, surrounded by the hundreds of Chart and Longbridge, Ham, Oxney, Tenterden, Rolvenden, and Barclay, and containing the parishes of Appledore, High Halden, Kenardington, Shadoxhurst, and Woodchurch. It has an area of about 17,000 acres."

"BLACKHEATH HUNDRED, one of the 8 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, in the county of Kent, surrounded by the hundreds of Lessness and Bromley, and Beckenham, the county of Surrey, and the river Thames. It contains the parishes of Charlton-next-Woolwich, Eltham, Lee, and Lewisham. The area of the hundred is about 12,690 acres."

"BLEANGATE HUNDRED, one of the 12 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent, situated in the eastern division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the Thames, on the E. by the Isle of Thanet, on the S. by the hundreds of Downhamford and Preston, and on the W. by the hundred of Whitstable. It contains the parishes of Chislet, Hearne, Heath, Reculver, Stourmouth, Sturry, Swalecliffe, and Westbere. This hundred covers an area of about 18,800 acres."

"BOUGHTON-UNDER-BLEAN HUNDRED, one of the 17 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, situated in the eastern division of the county and bounded on the N. by the Thames, on the E. by the lathe of St. Augustine, on the S. by the hundred of Felborough, and on the W. by the hundred of Faversham. It contains the parishes of Boughton-under-Blean, Graveney, Hernhill, and Selling, and extends over an area of about 9,662 acres."

"BRENCHLEY AND HORSEMONDEN HUNDRED, one of the 13 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Aylesford, in the county of Kent, situated in the western parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Twyford, on the E. by the lathe of Scray, on the S. by Sussex, and on the W. by the hundred of Washlingstone. It comprises the parishes of Brenchley and Horsemonden, with a small part of Lamberhurst, and has an area of about 16,500 acres."

"BRIDGE AND PETHAM HUNDRED, one of the 12 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent, situated in the parliamentary eastern division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundreds of Westgate and Downhamford, on the E. by the hundred of Kingshamford, on the S. by the lathe of Shepway, and on the W. by the lathe of Scray. It contains the parishes of Bekesbourne, Bridge, Upper Hardres, Lower Hardres, Nackington, Patrixbourne, Petham, and Waltham, and extends over an area of about 13,200 acres."

"BROMLEY and BECKENHAM HUNDRED, one of the 8 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, in the county of Kent, situated in the western parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Blackheath, on the E. and S. by the hundred of Ruxley, and on the W. by the county of Surrey. It contains the parishes of Beckenham and Bromley, and has an area of about 8,460 acres."

"CALEHILL HUNDRED, one of the 16 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, situated in the eastern parliamentary division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the lathe of Aylesford and the hundred of Faversham, on the E. by the hundred of Felborough, on the S.E. by the hundred of Chart and Longbridge, on the S. by the hundreds of Barclay and Blackborne, and on the W. by the lathe of Aylesford. It contains the parishes of Charing, Little Chart, Egerton, Pluckley, Smarden, and Westwell, and extends over an area of about 21,980 acres."

"CHART AND LONGBRIDGE, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, in the eastern portion of the county of Kent. It contains the parishes of Ashford, Bethersden, Brook, Great Chart, Hinxhill, Hothfield, Kennington, Kingsnorth, Mersham, Sevington, and Willesborough, and comprises 25,000 acres."

"CHATHAM AND GILLINGHAM, a hundred in the northern portion of the county of Kent. It contains the parishes of Chatham and Gillingham, comprising 4,310 acres."

"CHRISTCHURCH, a precinct in the city of Canterbury, in the county of Kent. See Canterbury."

"CODSHEATH, a hundred in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, in the north-western portion of the county of Kent contains the parishes of Leigh, Brasted, Otford, Halstead, Chevening, Seven Oaks, Kemsing, Sundridge, Shoreham, and Seal, comprising about 37,720 acres."

"CORNILO, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent, contains the parishes of Great and Little Mongolism, Oxney, Sutton, Walmer, East Langdon, Shoulders, Ripple, Ringswould, and Northbourne, comprising 13,140 acres."

"CRANBROOK, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, in the S. division of the county of Kent, contains the parishes of Frittenden, Cranbrook, and parts of Staplehurst and Goudhurst, comprising about 14,100 acres."

"CRANE RIVER, in the south of county Kent, which joins the Beult near Hedcorn. "

"DANE PITTS, a camp of about half an acre, at Ripple, in the county of Kent. This, with another very near, is supposed to have been made by Julius Caesar."

"DOWNHAMFORD, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, in the county of Kent. It contains the parishes of Adisham, Fordwich, Ickham, Littlebourne, Staple, Stodmarsh, and Wickhambreux, comprising 10,670 acres."

"DUNGE-MARSH, in the hundred of Langport, lathe of Shepway, in the county of Kent. It is situated near Dungeness, and contains Lydd, a member of Romney cinque port."

"EAST BARNFIELD HUNDRED, one of the 16 hundreds or subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, in the county of Kent, situated in the southern part of the county, on the edge of Sussex, and bounded on the N. and E. by the hundred of Kingshamford, on the S. by the hundreds of Eastry, and Bridge and Petham, and on the W. by the hundreds of Downhamford and Preston. It contains the larger part of the parish of Hawkhurst, and has an area of about 6,500 acres.

"EAST BRIDGE HOSPITAL, a liberty within the city of Canterbury, county Kent, the ancient site of St. Thomas's hospital for pilgrims."

"EASTRY, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, E. division county Kent, contains the parishes of Barfreston, Bettes-hanger, Chillenden, Denton, Eastry, Eythorn, Ham, Knowlton, Tilmanstone, Waldershare, Woodnesborough, and Worth, comprising 14,690 acres."

"EYHORNE HUNDRED, in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Bearstead, Bickner, Boughton-Malherb, Boughton-Monchelsea, Bredhurst, Broomfield, Chart, Frinstead, Harrietsham, Headcorn, Hollingbourn, Hucking, Langley, Leeds, Lenham, Otham, Otterden, Stockbury, East Sutton, Valence-Sutton, Thornham, Ulcombe, Witchling, and Wormshill, comprising about 52,000 acres."

"FAVERSHAM HUNDRED, one of the subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, county of Kent. It is situated in the N. of the county, and contains the parishes of Badlesmere, Buckland, Davington, Eastling, Faversham, Goodnestone, St. Thomas Isle of Harty, Leaveland, Luddenham, Newnham, Norton, Oare, Ospringe, Preston, Sheldwicks, Stalisfield, Stone, Throwley, and part of Otterden, and has an area of nearly 25,000 acres."

"FELBOROUGH HUNDRED, a hundred of the lathe of Scray, county Kent. It is situated in the central part of the county and contains the parishes of Challock, Chartham, Chilham, Godmersham, and Molash, comprising about 17,500 acres."

"FOLKESTONE, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent. It is situated in the eastern part of the county, and includes the parishes of Alkham, Chapel-le-Ferne, Cheriton, Folkestone, Hawkinge, Newington, Swingfield, and parts of Acrise and Hougham, comprising about 18,000 acres."

"GOODWIN SANDS, an extensive sand-bank lying off the coast of county Kent, between Deal and Ramsgate, in N. lat. 51∞ 10' to 510 20', and E. long. 1∞ 25' to 10 36'. They extend in length for near 8 miles, and in breadth about 3, having only 3 fathoms water, except at low water, when they are dry in many parts. Lying outside the Gull stream and Downs, they serve as a natural breakwater, and have lights erected at several points, with a mast 50 feet high, supporting a gallery for twenty shipwrecked persons, called Bullook's safety beacon. They are supposed to have been formed in the reign of William II., when the sea, flooding the opposite lands of Holland, retired considerably from the English coast. They have been the scene of many dreadful wrecks."

"GREY FRIARS, a precinct in the city of Canterbury, county Kent."

"GULL STREAM, the N. passage to the Downs of the coast of Kent, between the Goodwin Sands and the Brake off Ramsgate. Here are the Gull Light and Gull Shoal."

"HAM, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the parish of Warehorne and part of Orlestone, comprising 3,860 acres."

"HAYNE, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway county Kent, containing the parishes of Postling and Saltwood, comprising an area of 3,510 acres."

"HOLWOOD-HILL, the site of the Roman Noviomagus, county Kent, on the road from Bromley to Pevensey."

"HOO, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Allhallows, Isle of Grain, High Halstow, Hoo, Hoo St. Mary, and Stoke, comprising an area of 17,760 acres."

"HULKS-IN-MEDWAY, a place in the town of Chatham, county Kent."

"HYTHE, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, including the cinque port and borough of Hythe and West Hythe, comprising about 2,240 acres."

"ISLE OF SHEPPEY, a liberty having separate jurisdiction in the lathe of Scray, county Kent. It lies opposite the Nore, on the N. coast of Kent, from which it is separated by the river Swale on the S., and is bounded on the W. by the Thames and Medway, and on the N. and E. by the North Sea. Although considered as one island, it is formed by the three islands of Sheppey, Elmley, and the Isle-of-Hasty, comprising the parishes of Queenborough, Minster-in-Sheppey, Eastchurch, Leysdown, Warden, Isle of Elmley, and St. Thomas' Harty Isle, and the rapidly rising town of Sheerness, in the parish of Minster. It was called by the Saxons Sceapige, or "The Isle of Sheep," and still retains its fame for the excellence of its mutton. It was frequently ravaged by the -Danes, in the 9th century, whose tumuli and "coterels" remain to this day scattered along the coasts, which are in general low and marshy, especially towards the S., where they are defended with strong sea walls and dykes, but towards the N. the cliffs attain an elevation of 90 feet, and extend for about six miles in length. The island is rather more than 10 miles long from E. to W., and 4 miles in breadth, with an area of about 20,000 acres. The surface is marshy, consisting chiefly of low rich pasture, with some arable clay lands, except in the southern part, where it is traversed by a ridge of low hills. The corn crops are abundant, but of wood and trees there is a dearth. The chief crops are wheat, beans, oats, clover, and seeds. The island breed of sheep is much prized, as is also the breed of small horses. Productive oyster beds extend along the coast from Sheerness to Milton, and form a staple article of export for the London market. The population of the district in 1861 was 18,494, of which number 12,015 reside in Sheerness. The mineral productions consist chiefly of septaria or argillaceous limestone, from which Parker's Roman cement is made, and iron pyrites or copperas stones, which latter are collected in heaps upon the beach, from the falling cliffs, and are carried away in vessels to the copperas works near Sheerness and Queenborough, originally established by Matthias Falconer, a native of Brabant, as early as 1579. The fossil remains are numerous, throwing much light on the geologic formation of the London basin; they comprise upwards of 700 different species, chiefly crustacea and reptiles, including the crocodilus Spenceri, and numerous specimens of fossil fruits. The Cant sand lying to the N. of the island, stretches to the Nore light. The means of communication was formerly by three primitive ferries, two for foot passengers, and one called the King's ferry free for travellers and horses, but not for carriages; a great alteration has, however, been recently effected in the mode of transit by the construction of a railway viaduct across the bed of the Swale, and the establishment of steamboat communication with London, Gravesend, Southend, and other places. Sheppey gives name to a Poor-law Union, comprising the parishes above named; also to a superintendent registry district.

"KENTISH-KNOCK, a sandbank off the coast of Kent, near the estuary of the Thames, and outside the Long Sand, in N. lat. 51∞ 41', and E. long. 1∞ 39'. A revolving light was put up on these sands in 1840, which is visible for about 10 miles."

"KINGHAMFORD, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, county Kent, contains the parishes of Barham, Bishopsbourne, Kingston, and Wooton, comprising an area of 9,160 acres."

"KITS-COTTY-HOUSE, a cromlech in county Kent, 3 miles N. of Maidstone. It consists of one stone 12 feet by 9, resting on three supports, and is supposed to have been erected in memory of the British king Catigern, slain in battle by the Saxons."

"LANGPORT, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the parishes of Hope and Lydd, forming part of Romney Marsh."

"LARKFIELD, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Addington, Allington, Aylesford, Birling, Burham, Ditton, Leybourne, East Mailing, West Malling, Offham, Ryarsh, Snodland, Trotterscliffe, and Wouldham, comprising an area of 22,410 acres."

"LESSNESS, a hundred in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, county Kent, contains the parishes of Crayford, Erith, Plumstead, and East Wickham, comprising an area of 10,410 acres."

"LITTLEFIELD, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent. It is situated in the western part of the county, and includes the parishes of Mereworth and West Peckham, comprising an area of 1,150 acres."

"LONGBRIDGE HUNDRED, one of the subdivisions of the lathe of Scray, county Kent."

"LONINGBOROUGH HUNDRED, one of the subdivisions of the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, situated in the eastern part of the county. It includes the parishes of Acrise, Elham, Lyminge, and Paddlesworth, comprising an area of about 12,200 acres."

"MAIDSTONE, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the borough of Maidstone, with the parishes of Barming, Boxley, Detling, East Farleigh, Linton, and Loose, comprising an area of 12,830 acres, exclusive of the borough of Maidstone."

"MARDEN, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Goudhurst, Marden, and Staplehurst, comprising an area of 23,530 acres."

"MILTON, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Bapchild, Bobbing, Bordon, Bradgar, Lower Halston, Hartlip, Iwade, Kingsdown, Milstead, Milton-next-Sittingbourne, Marston, Newington, Rainham, Rodmersham, Sittingbourne, Tonge, Tunstall, and Upchurch, comprising an area of 30,580 acres."

"MONTREAL, the seat of Earl Amherst, in the hundred of Codsheath, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, county Kent, 1 mile N.W. of Sevenoaks. It is situated in a hilly country near the river Darent, and was rebuilt by the first Lord Amherst after he returned from his campaign in Canada, where he took Montreal in 1760. In the grounds is a column in commemoration of that event."

"NEWCHURCH, a hundred in the county of Kent, contains the parish of Ruckinge, with part of Bilsington, and includes St. Mary and Newchurch, in the liberty of Romney-Marsh."

"OXNEY, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the parishes of Ebony, Stone, and Wittersham, comprising an area of 8,380 acres. It is chiefly marshy, and forms an island between the river Rother and the Kent Ditch."

"PRESTON, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, county Kent, contains the parishes of Preston-by-Wingham and Elmstone, comprising an area of 2,030 acres."

"RAVENSBURN, a small river of the county of Kent, rises near Farnborough, and passes under the Greenwich railway to the Thames at Deptford Creek."

"REDDING HILL, a hill in the hundred of Tenterden, lathe of Scray, county Kent, 3 miles S.E. of Tenterden, and 24 S.W. of Canterbury. It is the supposed site of the Roman station Anderida, and has barracks on it."

"RINGSLOW, a hundred, called also Isle of Thanet, county Kent, contains the watering-place of Broadstairs and the parishes of Birchington, St. Lawrence, Margate, Minster, Monkton, St. Nicholas at Wade, St. Peter's, Ramsgate, Sarre, Stonar, and Wood; comprising an area of 45,880 acres."

"ROAR, a bank in East Bay, county Kent, extending nearly 7 miles between Hythe and New Romney."

"ROLVENDEN, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Benenden and Rolvenden, comprising an area of 12,450 acres."

"ROMNEY MARSH, a liberty in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the cinque-port town of Romney, and the parishes of Blackmanstone, Burmarsh, Dymchurch, Hope All Saints, Ivychurch, Lydd, St. Mary, Midley, Newchurch, Orgarswick, Snargate, Suave, and parts of Aldington, Appledore, Bilsington, Bonnington, Brenzett, Brookland, Broomhill, Hurst, West Hythe, Kenardington, Lympne, Newington, Orlestone, Rockinge, Sellinge, and Warehorne, comprising together above 45,000 acres, a great part of which has been reclaimed from the sea by various innings, and is protected by a seawall called Dymchurch Wall, extending 3 miles in length, and from 12 to 20 feet high, which is the sole barrier that prevents the sea from overflowing the whole of the level. It gives name to a Poor-law Union comprising 19 parishes or places; the workhouse being at New Romney. It is also the seat of new County Court and superintendent registry districts. Denge Marsh, with Southbrooks and Guildford Marsh, both adjoining Walland Marsh, are under the jurisdictions of separate commissions of sewers."

"ROUNDDOWN, a cliff on the coast of Kent, near Dover. It was about 380 feet high before it was blasted in 1843, to make way for the London and South-coast line of railway. In this operation 19,000 lbs. of powder were employed to throw down more than 400,000 cubic yards of chalk, which were scattered over 20 acres."

"RUXLEY, a hundred in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, county Kent, contains the parishes of Bexley, Chelsfield, Chiselhurst, Foot's Cray, North Cray, St. Mary and St. Paul's Cray, Cudham, Downe, Farnborough, Hayes, Keston, Knockholt, Orpington, and West Wickham, comprising an area of 36,321 acres."

"SCADBURY, an ancient seat, now a farm, near Chiselhurst, county Kent. It was the birth-place of Sir Nicholas Bacon and of Sir Francis Walsingham."

"SCRAY LATHE, a division of the county of Kent, containing the hundreds of East Barnfield, Berkeley, Blackbourne, Boughton-under-Blean, Calehill, Chart, Cranbrooke, Faversham, Felborough, Marden, Milton, Rolvenden, Isle of Sheppey, Tenterden, Teynham, and Wye, comprising together an area of 260,510 acres."

"SELBRITTENDEN, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Newenden liberty and Sandhurst, comprising an area of 5,720 acres."

"SHAKESPEARE'S CLIFF, a headland on the coast of Kent, 1½ mile S.W. of Dover. It rises about 350 feet above sea-level, and the London and South-Eastern railway passes under the cliff, through a tunnel 4,179 feet long."

"SHAMWELL, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Chalk, Cliff-at-Hoo, Cobham, Cooling, Cuxton, Denton, Frindsbury, Halling, Highham, Shorne, and part of Strood, comprising an area of 26,020 acres."

"SHELLNESS, a promontory at the E. end of the Isle of Sheppey, county Kent. It lies opposite Whitstable Harbour, and takes its name from the Shelly beach."

"SHEPWAY LATHE, a division in the south-eastern part of county Kent, comprises the hundreds of Alvesbridge, Bircholt, Folkestone, Ham, Hayne, Hythe, Langport, Loningborough, St. Martin Ivy Church, Newchurch, Oxney, Romney cinque port, Stonting, Street, Worth, and the liberty of Romney Marsh, together containing about 125,000 acres."

"SOMERDEN, a hundred in the lathe of Sutton-at-Home, county Kent, contains the parishes of Chiddingstone, Cowden, Heiver, Penshurst, and part of Speldhurst, comprising an area of 13,650 acres."

"ST. AUGUSTINE, (Lathe of) one of the five lathes, or principal sub-divisions of the county of Kent, is bounded on the N. and E. by the ocean, on the S. by the lathe of Shepway, and on the W. by the lathe of Scray. It comprises the following twelve hundreds:-Bewsborough, Bleangate Bridge and Petham, Cornillo, Downhamford, Eastry, Kinghamford, Preston, Ringslow, or the Isle of Thanet, Westgate, Whitstable, and Wingham. The lathe extends over an area of 163,550 acres."

"ST. MARTIN, (or Ivy Church or Pountney), a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the parishes of Ivy-Church and Midley, in, Romney Marsh.

"STOUTING, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent, contains the parishes of Elmstead, Monks Horton, Stanford, Stelling, and Stowting, comprising an area of 8,100 acres."

"STREET, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent. It is situated on the Roman way Stone Street, and contains the parish of Sellinge, and parts of Hurst, Donnington, and Lympne, and comprises an area of 4,710 acres."

"SUTTON-AT-HONE, a lathe in county Kent, contains the hundreds of Axton, Blackheath, Bromley, Codsheath, Lessness, Ruxley, Somerden, and Westerham, comprising an area of 169,510 acres."

"SWALE, a channel or tidal river separating the Isles of Sheppey, Elmley, and Harty, from the mainland of county Kent. It extends about 17 miles in length, with a varying breadth of from half a mile to 1½ mile, and anciently joined the Wantsum channel, which formed the shortest passage from the Downs to the port of London, but which is now dry."

"TENTERDEN, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Tenterden, Boveiste, Castwcasle, Dumborne, Shrubcote, and part of Ebony, comprising an area of 8,620 acres."

"TEY, a small stream of county Kent, joins the river Beult, near Staplehurst."

"TEYNHAM, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Doddington, Linstead, and Teynham, comprising an area of 6,210 acres."

"THE DOWNS, a much frequented roadstead between the North and South Foreland, off the coast of Kent. It affords a safe shelter for shipping, the Goodwin Sands forming a natural breakwater. When the wind is contrary, several hundred vessels may frequently be seen at one time opposite Ramsgate, Sandwich, and Deal.

"TOLTINGTROUGH, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Gravesend, Ifield, Luddesdown, Meopham, Milton, Northfleet, and Nursted; comprising an area of 13,110 acres."

"TONBRIDGE, a lowey in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the market towns of Tonbridge and Tonbridge Wells, also the parishes of Hadlow and Tonbridge, with part of Caple or Capel, comprising an area of 20,660 acres."

"TWYFORD, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of West Farleigh, Hunton, Nettlestead, East Peckham, Teston, Wateringbury, and Yadling, comprising an area of 16,450 acres."

"WANTSUM, a channel forming the Isle of Thanet, county Kent. It passes between Richborough and the Reculvers, and was anciently the readiest passage to the port of London, but is now choked up by the sea, which is retiring on the eastern side."

"WASHLINGSTONE, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford, county Kent, contains the parishes of Ashurst, Bidborough, Caple, Pembury, Speldhurst, and Tudeley; comprising an area of 12,330 acres."

"WELLAND, (or Walling), a division of Romney Marsh, between Rhee Wall and Lydd, county Kent. It is chiefly in pasture.

"WESTERHAM, a hundred in the lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, county Kent, contains the parishes of Ellenbridge and Westerham, comprising 11,030 acres."

"WESTGATE, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, county Kent, contains the parishes of Dunkirk, St. Dunstan, St. Gregory, Hackington, Harbledown, Milton Chapel, Staplegate, Thanington, and part of Westgate Holy Cross, comprising about 8,890 acres."

"WHITSTABLE, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of county Kent, contains the parishes of Blan, Seasalter liberty, and Whitstable, comprising 10,670 acres."

"WINGHAM, a hundred in the lathe of St. Augustine, county Kent, contains the parishes of Ash-next-Sandwich, Goodnestone, Nonington, Wingham, and Womenswold, comprising 16,590 acres."

"WORTH, a hundred in the lathe of Shepway, county Kent. It comprises part of Romney Marsh, containing the parishes of Blackmanstone, Burmarsh, Dymchurch, Eastbridge, and Orgarswick."

"WROTHAM, a hundred in the lathe of Aylesford county Kent, contains the parishes of Ightham, Shipbourne, Stanstead, and Wrotham, comprising 16,140 acres."

"WYE, a hundred in the lathe of Scray, county Kent, contains the parishes of Aluph Boughton, Crundale, Eastwell, Wye, and part of Brook, comprising 9,830 acres."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2010]

"KENT, a maritime county at the south-eastern extremity of England, bounded on the N. by the estuary of the Thames and the German Ocean, on the E. by the German Ocean and the Straits of Dover, on the S. by Sussex, from which it is partly separated by the rivers Rother and Tees, and on the W. by Surrey. Its extreme length, from Deptford to the North Foreland, is about 63 miles, and its extreme breadth, from the North Foreland to Dungeness Point, about 43 miles. It is 170 miles in circuit. Its area, including the city and county of Canterbury, is 1,039,419 statute acres. Its population in 1861 was 733,887 (369,129 males and 364,758 females), having increased since 1851, when it was 615,766, by 66,413, or at the rate of 19 per cent. during the decennial period. The number of inhabited houses in 1861 was 126,221, and of uninhabited, 5,247.Kent, from the numerous important events which have taken place within its limits, is one of the most interesting counties in England.

It was on the Kentish coast that Julius Cæsar landed on the occasions of his two invasions of England, and it was in a great measure owing to the determined resistance offered to him by the men of Kent that he was prevented from obtaining a permanent footing in the island. At this period the inhabitants of Kent, from their more frequent intercourse with the Continent consequent on their close proximity to Gaul, were in a more advanced state of civilisation than those of the more inland parts of the island. In the reign of Claudius, Kent was brought under the Roman sway, and in that of Constantine, was included in the division Britannia Prima. It was called by the Romans Cantium, and still retains many traces of their continued occupation, in the ancient roads, bridges, forts, camps, &c., scattered over all parts of the county. On the departure of the Romans from Britain, it would seem to have been the theatre of a protracted civil war, and in 450 to have been overrun by the Jutes and Saxons, who, according to tradition, had been invited over by Vortigern to repel the attacks of the Picts and Scots.

Five years later these hardy Northmen, under the command of their leader Hengist, subjugated the whole of the county, and laid the foundation of the Anglo-Saxon supremacy in England. Of the successors of Hengist, Ethelbert is the most worthy of notice. He invaded the territory of Ceawlin, king of Wessex, about the year 568, and suffered a severe defeat. In 589, he was elected Bretwalda, which dignity he enjoyed until his death in 616. During his reign Christianity was introduced among the Saxons in England by St. Augustine, and Ethelbert was one of his earliest converts. Augustine built a church (the precursor of the present cathedral) adjoining the royal palace, at Canterbury. This city then became and has since continued the ecclesiastical metropolis of England. Under the successors of Ethelbert, the crown of Kent lost the supremacy which it had obtained during the reign of that king. In the reign of Lothar, Ethelred, king of Mercia, invaded the county and destroyed Rochester; and, during the same reign, in 686 and 687, Kent was again invaded by Ceadwalla, king of Wessex.

For about half a century previous to the consolidation of the various parts of England into one kingdom, by Egbert, Kent was under the supremacy of the kings of Mercia. Baldrid, the last sole king of Kent, was driven from his throne by Egbert, king of Wessex, about the year 823. From this period Kent was for some time governed by dukes and earls, and afterwards by sheriffs. In 832 the Danes made their first attack upon the coast of this county. During the reign of Ethelwulf their attacks became frequent: in one of these they were met and defeated at Sandwich by Athelstan, brother of Ethelwulf, and at that time governor of Kent. During the successive reigns of Ethelbert, Ethelred, and Alfred, the Danes still continued to infest this county. In the reign of Ethelred, surnamed the Unready, the Danes renewed their ravages with great fury, on most occasions exacting large sums of money as the price of their retreat. In one of their attacks they obtained possession by treachery of Canterbury, burned the city, and murdered the archbishop.

In the brief contest between Canute and Edmund Ironsides, a great battle was fought at Otford, in this county, which resulted in favour of Edmund. During the reign of Edward the Confessor Kent was included in the earldom of Godwin. Kent was called by the Saxons Cantwaraland.

At the battle of Hastings the men of Kent formed the van of the Anglo-Saxon army, it being their privilege to occupy that post. After the battle William the Conqueror marched to Dover, took possession of the castle, and hanged the governor; he then proceeded by Watling Street to London, conciliating the men of Kent on his way by granting them a continuance of their ancient privileges. In the reign of William Rufus, Odo Bishop of Bayeux raised this county in favour of Robert Duke of Normandy. When John was threatened with an invasion by Philip II. of France, he resigned his crown to Pandulph, the pope's legate, at Dover. Louis, the Dauphin of France, coming to the assistance of the barons, landed in the Isle of Thanet in 1216. He took Rochester, and reduced the greater part of the county to submission, but failed to obtain possession of Dover Castle, which was defended by Hubert de Burgh. In 1381 Wat Tyler's rebellion broke out in Kent. The insurgents attacked the Archbishop of Canterbury's house at Maidstone, and released John Balle, a follower of Wickliffe.

In 1450 the insurrection, headed by Jack Cade, broke out in this county. In the wars of the Roses, Kent was the scene of several contests. In 1554 Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion had its origin in Kent. In the civil war between Charles I. and the parliament, a battle was fought at Maidstone in 1648, in which the latter was victorious.

Kent has a great extent of coast. That portion of it on the northern side which bounds the estuaries of the Thames and the Medway, and that part of the county which is included between those two rivers, consist of marshland. Eastward of the Medway lies the Isle of Sheppey, separated from the mainland by the Swale, an arm of the estuary of the Medway, and containing the royal dockyard of Sheerness, and the decayed borough of Greenborough. The island is 10 miles in length, and 5 in breadth, and contains about 33 square miles. The coast on the northern side of the Isle of Sheppey is precipitous-the cliffs, which decay very rapidly, rising to a height of from 60 to 80 feet. The southern part of the island is a low flat. The isles of Harty and Elmley form subordinate portions of the Isle of Sheppey, with the exception of Harty Isle, which is included in the hundred of Faversham. The Isle of Sheppey constitutes a separate liberty. The coast between the Isle of Sheppey and the Isle of Thanet, with few interruptions, as at Herne Bay and Reculver, rises in clayey cliffs.

The Isle of Thanet, containing the celebrated watering-places of Ramsgate, Margate, and Broadstairs, occupies the north-eastern corner of the county. E. of Margate is the North Foreland, where is a lighthouse. The coast of Thanet rises in chalk cliffs. From the Isle of Thanet to Walmer Castle the coast is low; at the latter point the cliffs recommence, continuing round the South Foreland to Folkestone, whence the coast gradually declines until it forms the extensive tract known as the Romney Marsh. Off the coast, between Thanet and the South Foreland, are the Goodwin Sands, between which and the mainland is the well-known roadstead of the Downs. The Goodwin Sands, supposed to be the remains of an island called Lomee, belonging to Earl Godwin, which was submerged in 1097, are about 10 miles in length, and from 3 to 4 miles in breadth, and are traversed by a channel navigable for small vessels, called the "Swashway." Between the north-western extremity of the Goodwin Sands and the shore is another sandbank, about 5 miles in length, called the Brake. The Downs are about 8 miles long and 6 wide. To the N. of and contiguous to the above are the Small Downs, which are sheltered by the Brake, as the Downs are by the Goodwin Sands. Off Margate are the Margate Sands, between which and the mainland are Margate Roads.

Kent is a hilly county. The chalk range of the North Downs enters the county near Westerham, and runs eastward. The principal hills in this range are Hollingbourn Hill, 616 feet high, between the Medway and the Stour; Paddlesworth Hill, 642 feet high, near Folkestone; Folkestone Hill, 575 feet high; and Dover Castle Hill, 400 feet high. The width of the chalk formation varies from 3 to 6 miles. The district lying between the chalk formation and the estuary of the Thames is occupied partly by plastic clay, and partly by London clay. The land between the estuaries of the Thames and the Medway, the Isle of Grain, and the Isle of Sheppey, belongs to the latter formation. Shooter's Hill, 446 feet high, is an insulated mass of London clay. S. of the North Downs, and skirting the chalk, is a strip of marl and green sand, from 2 to 7 miles in width: the greensand contains limestone, which is quarried near Maidstone, and is used for the purposes of road-making, building, and lime-making. A considerable quantity is exported to the West Indies, where it is used for refining sugar. The southern slope of this formation, the most elevated points of which rise to a height of from 600 to 800 feet, is called the "Ragstone Range" of hills. The next parallel belt through the middle of the county is the Weald clay, forming the nucleus of the district of the Weald of the S.E. of England. The Weald was formerly an immense forest, frequented only by deer and hogs. The Weald clay is succeeded by the ironsand, which, down to the end of the 17th century, was in great request; but the substitution of coal for billet-wood has caused the manufacture of iron to be transferred to other parts of the country, where fuel and iron-ore are more abundant.

Kent has numerous rivers. The northern boundary of the county is formed by the Thames, which affords a grand channel of communication between that side of the county, the metropolis, and other parts. The Ravensbourne rises on Keston Common, and flows northward, past Bromley and Lewisham, into the Thames near Deptford. It supplies Deptford and Greenwich with water, and turns several mills. Its length is 10 miles. The Darent, or Dart, rises in Squerries Park, near Westerham, and runs parallel to the North Downs as far as river Head, near Sevenoaks, where it turns to the N., and flows through a pass in the Downs by Otford, Shoreham, Farningham, and Sutton to Dartford, and, after receiving the Cray, falls into the Thames. The Cray, famous for trout, rises near Orpington. The Medway rises on the northern border of Sussex, between East Grinstead and Crawley, and flows eastward, entering Kent near Ashurst; at Penshurst it receives the Eden; thence it flows by Tonbridge to Yalding, where it receives the Tees and the Beult. The Tees rises in Sussex, and flows by Lamberhurst. The Beult rises in the Weald, near Shadoxhurst, and flows north-westward to Yalding. From Yalding the Medway flows northward past Maidstone, Aylesford, Rochester, Strood, and Chatham, and falls into the Thames at Sheerness. The length of the course of the Medway is 60 miles, 40 of which are navigable. The tide flows up to Maidstone Bridge.

The Stour has two branches, the Greater and the Lesser Stour. The Greater Stour rises near Lenham, flows to Ashford, where it is joined by another stream; thence it proceeds north-eastward by Canterbury to Sarre, where it divides into two branches, one of which falls into the Thames near Reculver, and the other into Pegwell Bay, below Sandwich : these two branches separate Thanet from the mainland. The Lesser Stour rises near Lyminge, flows past Elham and Burham, where it sometimes becomes dry, and flows into that arm of the Greater Stour which falls into Pegwell Bay. The channel which is formed by the Stour, and was formerly called Wantsume Channel, was anciently 3 or 4 miles wide. Both the Greater and the Lesser Stour contain excellent trout. The Rother rises in Sussex, and after forming the boundary of Kent, re-enters the former county, and finally falls into the sea at New Romney. In the reign of Edward I. this river forsook its ancient channel, and formed a new one by Rye and Winchelsea. The principal canal in the county is the Royal Military canal, which runs along the borders of Romney Marsh, from Hythe to the Rother.

The climate of Kent is mild and genial. The soil consists of gravel, chalk, and clay, and the alluvial soils along the Thames and Medway, and in Romney Marsh, which are very rich. In the chalk district are extensive sheep-downs. The soil of the Isle of Thanet, by a skilful application of manure, has been rendered very productive. The principal crops raised are wheat, oats, barley, rye, and canary and radish seed. Large quantities of hops are produced, about 50,000 acres being planted annually. Fruit and vegetables are very abundant-of the former the principal are apples, pears, plums, filberts, &c.; and of the latter, peas, asparagus, &c.: these are generally sent to the London markets. Kent is well wooded, producing much oak, beech, hop-poles, and billet-wood. The principal manufactures of Kent are paper, ribbons, calico, linen, woollen cloths, bricks, tiles, pottery, cement, lime, and gunpowder. The county contains many mineral springs, the most remarkable being those of Tunbridge Wells and neighbourhood.

Kent is divided into 5 lathes, which are as follows: Sutton-at-Hone lathe, comprising the western extremity of the county, and including 10 hundreds; Aylesford lathe, on the western side, coterminous with Sutton-at-Hone lathe, including 15 hundreds; Scray lathe, on the western side, coterminous with Aylesford lathe, including 14 hundreds; St. Augustine's lathe, comprising the north-eastern part of the county, and containing 14 hundreds; Shepway lathe, comprising the south-eastern part, and including 19 hundreds. Kent is partly in the diocese of Canterbury, partly in that of London, and partly in that of Rochester. That portion of the county which is in the diocese of Rochester constitutes the archdeaconry of Rochester. The county is under the jurisdiction of a lord-lieutenant and sheriff: several parts, however, have their separate liberties-viz: the county of the city of Canterbury, the city of Rochester, the borough of Maidstone, the liberty of Romney Marsh, comprehending the hundreds of Langport, St. Martin, Poutney, and Worth, and part of those of Newchurch, Alvesbridge, and Street, and of the barony of Bircholt, under the jurisdiction of bailiffs and jurats, and the liberty of the Cinque Ports.

For political purposes Kent is divided into two parts-East Kent and West Kent, each division returning two members; besides these, Canterbury, Rochester, the Cinque Ports of Dover and Sandwich, and the boroughs of Greenwich and Maidstone, return two each, and the Cinque Port of Hythe and the borough of Chatham return one each. The greater part of Kent is in the Home Circuit; that portion of it lying within 10 miles radius of London is (in criminal matters) in the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court. The assizes for the county are held at Maidstone. The county is divided by the Poor-law Commissioners into 27 unions: the management of the poor of the city of Canterbury, however, is under a local act. The most remarkable antiquities in the county are Roman camps at Ospringe, Barbara, Trenworth, Bonning, and Folkestone, besides which are tumuli at Woodnesborough, Shottington, Liminge, Chartham, Shebbertswold, Sutton Valence, Julaber's Grave. At Addington are the remains of a Druid circle. The principal Roman road through the county was Watling Street, running from Canterbury to London. Of monastic remains the most important are St. Augustine's, at Canterbury, Lesnes, Faversham, Reculver, Malling, West Langdon, and Bradsole. There are remains of priories at Aylesford, Horton, Folkestone, Bliston, and Dover, and of a nunnery at Minster and preceptory at Swingfield.

Kent is intersected in all directions by railroads, the chief of which belong to the London, Chatham, and Dover railway company, and the South-Eastern railway company. The London, Chatham, and Dover railway has its termini at London Bridge, Victoria Station, Pimlico, and Blackfriars; it passes by Bromley, Beckley, Rochester, and Chatham (whence is a branch to Sheerness), Faversham (whence is a branch to Whitstable and Herne Bay, and another to Sevenoaks), Canterbury, and Dover; several other lines are now in course of construction in connection with this railway in various parts of the county. The South-Eastern railway has its London termini at London Bridge and Charing Cross; the main line runs eastward through the middle of the county; diverging from the Brighton line at Reigate, it enters Kent near Edenbridge, whence it proceeds by Tonbridge (whence is a branch by Tunbridge Wells and St. Leonard's), Paddockwood (whence is a branch to Maidstone), Ashford (whence is a branch N. to Canterbury, Whitstable, Ramsgate, Margate, and Deal, and S. to Rye and Hastings), Folkestone, to Dover.

The county is traversed by three main roads; the Dover road runs by Dartford, Gravesend, Rochester, Sittingbourne, and Canterbury, to Dover; its length is 71 miles. The Hythe road runs by Maidstone and Ashford to Hythe; its length is 65 miles. The Hastings road runs by Bromley, Sevenoaks, and Tonbridge.

The principal seats of the nobility and gentry in the county are-Bayham Abbey and Wilderness Park, Marquis of Camden; Bifrons, Marquis of Conyngham; Montreal, Earl Amherst; Chevening Place, Earl Stanhope; Belmont, Lord Harris; Blackheath, Earl Dartmouth; The Mote, Earl of Romney; Cobham Hall, Earl of Darnley; Eastwell, Lord Winchilsea; South Park, Viscount Hardinge; Knole Park, Dowager Countess Amherst; Birling Manor, Hon. and Rev. Earl of Abergavenny; Chart Lodge, Lord Monson; Cliff House, Ramsgate, Dowager Lady Curtis; Godmersham Park, Lord St. Vincent; Holwood House, Lord Cranworth; Lees Court, Lord Sondes; Lenniker, Lord Kingsdown; Linchfield House, Dowager Lady Hampson; Linton Park, Lady Julia Cornwallis; Mereworth Castle, Viscount Falmouth; Penshurst Castle, Lord de L'Isle; Scott's Hall, Dowager Lady Knatchbull; Sissinghurst Park, Lady de Spaen; Smiths Hall, Dowager Lady Fitzherbert; Southwood House, Ramsgate, Dowager Countess Ashburnham; Torre Hill, Lord Kingsdown; Waldershare Park, Lady North; Belvedere House, Eardley, Bart.; Burrswood, Stirling, Bart.; Charlton House, Wilson, Bart.; Collingwood House, Sir John Herschel, Bart.; Crofton Hall, Sir R. M. Bromley, K.C.B.; East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate, Sir Moses Montefiore; East Sutton Place, Filmer, Bart.; Evington, Honeywood, Bart.; Finchden, Lady Chatterton; Forest Hill, Lady Legge; Goodnestone Park, Bridges, Bart.; Great Bounds, Hardinge, Bart.; Hatch, Knatchbull, Bart.; High Elms, Lubbock, Bart.; Hothfield Park, Tufton, Bart.; Kennards, Shaw, Bart.; Leybourne, Hawley, Bart.; Lullingstone Castle, Dyke, Bart.; Oxenoth, Geary, Bart.; The Palace, Maidstone, Lady F. Riddell; Thurnham Court, Hampson, Bart.; Bedgebury, Beresford-Hope, Esq.; Broomhill, Alderman D. Salomons, M.P.; Gads Hill Place, Charles Dickens, Esq.; Langton House, O. W. H. Hamilton, Esq., besides numerous other seats of private gentry."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2010]

Search the GENUKI Gazetteer. [Click the Gazetteer link at the top of any page, not the search box which searches GENUKI pages.] 
The GENUKI Gazetteer covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and can be searched by place-name (or part of a place-name) or Ordnance Survey Grid Reference (six-figure, eg NZ183848). If there are multiple place-names matching the name you enter, you will initially be presented with a drop-down list of the matching place-names with their distances and bearings from London, England.

 

The GENUKI Church Database. [Click the Churches link at the top of any page, not the search box which searches GENUKI pages.]
This covers the whole of the UK and includes facilities for listing other churches and parishes within any specified distance of the parish church.

 

• The Vision of Britain site provides: A vision of Britain between 1801 and 2001. Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions. 
  - read the guide to searching places, units and locations 
  - check the sources on which this excellent site is based
• The downloadable PARLOC program is available from Dave & Chris Bennett's site.
• The Open Domesday project enables you to locates places (and their details) from the Domesday book.

 

GENUKI Gazetteer maintenance - Ireland

Basic information

All the Irish Civil Parishes and Townlands appear in the gazetteer, but for many we do not have an actual location. So as a starting point it uses the centre of the county when we have no location. Where we have a parish location we use that as a starting location for the townland. All very approximate but it helps guide reasearchers to the appropriate area and as we add locations it gets nearer and nearer to the real value. So most of this work is to achieve that. There is also other documentation describing how it is achieved.

• The status of each county section can be seen on the statistics page which helps identiy the amount of work required for each county.
• Details of the format of the source files and basic techniques are described in the Gazetteer maintenance page.
• Work already mostly done on developing the Irish counties is a useful adjunct.

Work required

The starting point for each county is to take a look at the Parishes column on the statistics page. If you hold the mouse over the numbers it explains what they represent. We want to get to the stage where there is just single number here where we've created a web page for each parish. If there is a name other than Phil Stringer in the Maintainers column then somebody is already working on this county.

In the end we want to get to the stage where there is nothing in the Approx column, and nothing in the No links column but it is easiest to do some of the tasks in a particular order.

Exact location for parish

In the Approx column, if there is a number marked Parishes with an approximate location this is the simplest one to resolve first. It is those parishes that had a location in our original data and location should be nearly right. Click the number for the names of the parishes, and click each name to see a page with links to online maps. Select This place shown on a Google map. Zoom the map appropriately and drag the icon to where you think the centre of that place is. You then have the correct value to go the csv file and can change the Approx field (column C)from Y to N. If you find the Google map does not take you to a place and ther is none nearby on the map, then perhaps then perhaps an error was made in the past. So use the instructions in the next step for finding the centre location of the parish.

Parishes where we need a location

These can be identified in the Parishes column, and are labelled Civil parishes for we don't yet have a location. Click the number and see the list of names. Click a name to take you to links to online maps, the ones in the south are much easier to do.

• North - the Irish Times site is your friend as it shows where they all are on a map. It is not always easy to relate this to the modern Google map as it does not show place names. But you need to open a Google map in another browser tab and pan it and move the marker to then centre of the area shown on the Irish Times. You then have the centre location of the parish.
• South - follow the link to the Irish Ordnance survey site. Use the search menu on the right, and select the county and then Historic parishes. That shows you a historic map of the parish along with its boundaries. Pan the map until the red cross is in the centre of the parish. Don't pan it again on subsequent clicks as it changes the location that you've just found!. I find it best then to go to the 'Preview map series' menu on the right and select 'Wind report' it changes to a modern map which is much easier to relate to the Google map. Zoom, without, panning so that you can see place names that you can relate to a Google map that you've open in another tab. So look at that the OS map with one eye and move the marker on the Google map to the same location. You then have the centre location of the parish.

Cut and paste the location (Lat/Lon) into column B in the csv file for that parish entry. Change the Approx field (column C) from Y to N. Now for all the townlands without a location in this parish, change the Approx field (column C) to P, and add the parish centre location to column B. This makes the most significant improvement to the gazetteer.

Places with no location at all

As updated versions of the csv file are updated the entries that need attention in the statistics file thankfully drop. At this point the Places with no location at all in the Approx column should now have disappeared. If not it is worth fixing these now as there will be very few left for this county. Sometimes you may see Market Town in column K with the name of a description in column L. Search the gazetteer for this place to read the description. It may tell you this is also a parish. If so copy column L into column L for the parish where it is missing and then you can probably just delete the duplicate Market Town entry. For others a Google search can help identify it and lead to a location.

Townlands with a parish centre location

We are now getting to the more tedious work, but once done it makes it much more useful for researchers. In the Approx column there is probably a significant number entitled Places with a parish location. This gives list of all the names which can be clicked to link to maps, such as Google centred on the parish centre, the value in that entry in the csv file. However going through this alphabetically can be slow and it isn't as easy to spot mistakes.

The easiest method I've found is to look in the csv file at all the entries in a parish, the smaller parishes being easier. Use the gazetteer to search for the entry for the parish and ask it to display all the places in the parish on a Google map. There will be townland names on the Google map which should match the ones you need to find. If none match then the parish location may be wrong! There do seem to townlands in other parishes with the same name as actual parishes. In the rare event that this has happened, then fix the parish centre location as described above. Drag and drop the marker on the map to find the location of the townlands and change the location field in the csv file and also change the Approx to N.

Start with the ones where we already have an approximate location as they show up reasonably easily to start with. Then compare the unknown townland names nearby on the Google map with the csv file. Where they match, drag and drop and you have another answer. Google does at times have two identical names close by. I tend to use the one in the larger font as that seems to be the older one. If both are the same size I drag to point mid-way between.

So what about the townlands that don't seem to be on the Google map? Well we can go to the Irish OS site and search for the townland and see where it is on the map. Be careful that the one you get is the one you want as there can be multiple townlands with the same name. Again a useful check is to look at adjacent ones on the map and see if they are in that parish in the cav file. The Irish OS technique can only be used for counties in the South as it doesn't have the countties and townlands in the search menu for the north. If it is a county in the North try the map provided by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. We haven't found a way to link into a location so you will need to zoom and pan to the parish location and then search for townland names. There does seem to be better coverage than Google, and it appears to have more accurate locations.

There will be some very small townlands that the Irish OS site doesn't have in the menu. If it is an island, then browse the Irish OS 6" historic map for the parish and pan and zoom across the wet areas. It is easy to find island names there. For tiny townlands that aren't islands, try a Google search as somebody may have described the location. Otherwise you are left with panning the historic 6".

There is also a technique that will find the townlands plotted on a Google map. Go to https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@?dg=dbrw&newdg=1 and put the place and county in the search bar. It normally finds it and shows a marker on a map with a rough outline of the townland. What you want is the location of the marker. So right click next to the marker and a menu will appear. Select What's here? and the lat/lon is placed in the search bar. I tend to compare that with other places in the parish to make sure it is nearby and so the right one.

In the larger parishes I find it useful to put in a framework of townlands, upload the csv file, and wait for the nightly update. Things are then clearer on the map the next day. There is less clutter and it is easier to finds ones that still need doing. You need to zoom in for Google to make some visible.

The remaining places with approximate locations

That ones that are left with approximate locations come from the CIA World Fact Book. Some will be duplicates of existing places, some geographic features and some places smaller than townlands. So take each one in the list, and select nearby places on a Google map.

• Look at nearby places marked on the map, and if a duplicate, remove it from the csv file.
• I look at all Cross Roads and tend to remove any that match the name of a nearby townland. If it is a new name check on the Irish OS map and zoom in when it usually becomes visible. You then know the exact location and can drag/drop the Google marker. It is also useful loohing at the historic 6" to see which parish it was in, and put that name in the Parish field. The CIA didn't always get the spelling right, so make any adjustments that are needed.
• If it is a named bridge, then I keep these setting the exact location, and filling in the Parish name.
• Then any small places I treat in a similar way.

It is during this phase that the towlands with parish boundaries running through them become visible as we have two or more markers at the same spot. Zoom in to make it clearer and perhaps drag one to the side to check the names and the parishes.

We only want the user to be presented with a single place at that location. We don't multiple gazetteer entries for any of these as we are trying to specify where they are, not to document an administrative hierarchy. But we can do our best to tell the user that it is in multiple parishes. So for the first entry for the townland put the names of the parishes it lies in, in the parish field separating the names with a colon ':' character (without quotes). Then delete the entries from the other parishes. We then have a single place listing all the parishes it is in.

Gotchas

There do seem to be some parishes split across counties. If you find one, get in touch with Phil as he has devised a technique to handle it but has not yet implemented it.

 

The Post Office's Postcode Finder

 

The Post Office no longer supports their postcode finder tool. Instead they advise: for the most up-to-date address and postcode details, please use your preferred mapping service such as Google Maps or Apple Maps, or use a search engine.

 

• The GENUKI Gazetteer covers the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and can be searched by place-name (or part of a place-name) or Ordnance Survey Grid Reference (six-figure, eg NZ183848). If there are multiple place-names matching the name you enter, you will initially be presented with a drop-down list of the matching place-names with their distances and bearings from London, England.
• A Gazetteer of British Place Names provided by the Association of British Counties. This comprehensive place-name index for Britain lists more than 50,000 places and gives the Ordnance Survey grid reference, the ancient or geographical County, and current local government information for each place name. There is comprehensive coverage of alternative spellings (including Welsh and Gaelic versions) and detailed notes specifically aimed at historians and genealogists. Appendices relate present day registration districts to local government areas and list those places which lay in a different "registration county" to their ancient County in the 19th century.
• The GB1900  Project - a crowd-sourced historical gazetteer based on the 1:10560 Ordnance Survey mapping of Great Britain
• GENUKI Church Database provides an online Parish Locator covering the whole of the UK. This includes facilities for listing other churches and parishes within any specified distance of the parish church.
• UK Placename Finder from Popular Archaeology includes details of 160,000 UK places.
• The archived copy of the BBC Domesday Project Reloaded website provides a method of searching the contents of the original BBC Domesday Gazetteer disk - a huge crowd-sourced description of the UK, dating from 1986 - by using the TNA Discovery Catalogue's results filtering facility.

Some historical gazetteers:

Lewis, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of England. 4 vols. London: S. Lewis and Co., 1831

Southall, Humphrey; Aucott, Paula; Fleet, Christopher; Pert, Tom; Stoner, Michael. GB1900: engaging the public in very large scale gazetteer construction from the Ordnance Survey “County Series” 1:10,560 mapping of Great Britain. Journal of Map & Geography Libraries, Vol. 13, No. 1, (2017), p. 7-28. [PDF]

Wilson, John M. The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. Six Volumes. Edinburgh, Scotland: A. Fullerton, 1870

The National Gazetteer: A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands. Virtue and Co., London (1868) 3 vols. [Full text - vol 1 (A-E), vol. 2 (F-M), vol. 3 (N-Z)]

Gazetteer of the British Isles. Edinburgh, Scotland: John Bartholomew and Sons, Ltd., 1966.