Site Last Updated
2 January 2008

LYNSTED

Lynsted is a populous village situated three-and-a-half miles south-east from Sittingbourne and a mile-and-a-half south-west from Teynham Station, on the S.E. & CR. It is in the North-East Kent Parliamentary Division, Lathe of Scray, Teynham Hundred, and Faversham Union, Faversham County Court, and Faversham Petty Sessional Division. The area of the parish is 1,826 acres, the rateable value is £6,923, and the population at the census in 1901 was 1,215. The soil is mainly of the sort known as brick earth, and the subsoil is chalk. Fruit and hops form the chief crops, the celebrated Nouds orchards being situated mainly in this parish.

The Parish Church is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and is of flint in the Perpendicular and Decorated styles. The tower has a somewhat lofty spire with a clock and five bells. The Church is large, containing 400 sittings, of which 250 are free. The registers date from the years 1654 (marriages and burials) and 1693 (baptisms). In the Church are monuments erected to the memory of members of the Hugeason, Teynham, Drurye, and Knatchbull families. There are also brasses to the Roper and Worley families. The living is a Vicarage, of the net yearly value of £210, with three acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Archdeacon of Canterbury. The living has been held since 1891 by the Rev. Thomas Jackson Sewell, M.A., of Queen’s College, Oxford. Lynsted parish is in the Rural Deanery of Ospringe, and the Archdeaconry and Diocese of Canterbury.

The Guardian for the parish is Mr. William Roper Dixon, and the Overseers are Messrs. George Alfred Henry Smith and Thomas Back.

The Parish Council meets four times a year, or as often as is neces­sary, and is composed as follows :—The Rev. T. J. Sewell (chairman), and Messrs. C. Busbridge, J. Dence, B. B. Dixon, G. A. H. Smith, C. Seagers, and W. Kemp. Clerk, Mr. T. L. Ackermann.

Council Schools: These commodious Schools were erected in 1877, for 200 children, and were considerably enlarged in 1897, and the present buildings will accommodate over 300 children. There are about 230 children on the books. Headmaster, Thomas L. Ackermann. Assistant Teachers, Miss Hambrook, Miss M. E. Hunt (infant mistress), Miss Miles, and Miss White.

Parish Church: Rev. T. J. Sewell, M.A., Vicar. Churchwardens, Messrs, G. A. Filmer and G. A. H. Smith. Sidesmen, Messrs. C. R. Busbridge, B. R. Dixon, and W. White. Organist and Choirmaster, Mr. T. L. Ackermann. Parish Clerk and Sexton, Mr. Caleb Seagers. Services are held on Sundays at 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Children’s Service, 3 p.m. Sunday School, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Holy Communion, first Sunday in the month at 11 a.m., third Sunday in the month at 10 a.m. Other Sundays at 8 a.m.

Wesleyan Church—see Teynham.[EXTRACT: This place of worship was built in 1841 and enlarged in 1860. It now holds about 500 persons. Services are held on Sundays, 10.30 and 6 o’clock. The pulpit is filled by Mr. Trew, lay agent at Greenstreet, by the resident Wesleyan Ministers in the Faversham circuit, and by local preachers. Sunday School, 9.00 am, and 2.15 p.m. The Sunday School is situated in Lynsted Lane, Lynsted. Superintendent, Mr. W. Atkins. Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Meetings Sundays, 3 p.m. Band of Hope, Thursdays, 7 p.m. Superintendent, Mr. H. Watts. Christian Endeavour Society, Monday, 7 p.m. Class Meetings are led by Mr. W. H. Read (two classes), Mrs. Milieu, and Miss Gardiner. The Church officials are Society Stewards, Messrs. E. C. Milieu and F. Court; Poor Stewards, Messrs. W. A. Lucas and S. Read; Chapel Steward, Mrs. P. Carrier.]

Salvation Army Barracks: A corps of the Salvation Army is located at Greenstreet, and meetings are held on Sundays at intervals, and each evening during the week.

[EXTRACT from TEYNHAM entry: St. John Ambulance Brigade (Greenstreet corps): First Officer, George Peatfield; Sergeant, F. Dalton; Corporal, S. Read; Secretary, W. Ray; Storekeeper, F. Court. There are fifteen privates. The Corps possesses a wheeled litter, which is kept at Mr. W. E. Read’s establishment. Drills and lectures as announced.

Greenstreet Rifle Club. President, Mr. J. F. Honeyball; Treasurer, Mr. S.George; Secretary, Mr. G. Potts, School House, Barrow Green, Teynham. Indoor range, Oasthouse, Railway Station; outdoor range, Sandown Hill, Barrow Green. Practice nights, Tuesdays and Fridays, or in summer as arranged.

Tariff Reform League (Greenstreet district branch): President, Mr. R Lake; Chairman, Mr. J. F. Honeyball; Treasurer, Mr. W. F. Wood; Secretary, Mr. A. E. Parris, Station Road, Teynham. The books of the Society show 75 members. The objects of the Society are to further the interests of the Tariff Reform Party in the Greenstreet district.

Greenstreet Associated Cricket, Cycle, Tennis, and Hockey Club President, Dr. P. D. Selby; Committee, Messrs. G. George, M. Dixon, W. Ray, P. French, M. Dalton, H. V. Wildash, E. Millen, H. George, and J. Dunn, Miss A. George, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Atkins, and Mrs. Cleaver. Treasurer, Mr. W. Atkins; Captains, Mr. A. Lavars (cycle), Mr. W. S. Wood (cricket), Mrs. Selby and .Mr. W. S. Wood (hockey); Vice-Captains, Messrs. H. French and A. Wilkins (cycle), B. Dixon, and A. Parris (cricket), and B. Dixon, A. Parris, and Mrs. Parris (hockey); Secretary, Mr. C. W. Foster, Station Road, Teynham; Assistant Secretary, Mr. E. Rossiter, Greenstreet. The headquarters of the club arc at the Dover Castle Inn, and the hockey matches and tennis are played at Newgardens. Hockey matches are arranged on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Gentlemen’s, ladies’, or mixed teams can be played.]

George Inn Hand-and-Heart Benefit Society: George Inn, Greenstreet, Lynsted. Benefits for sickness, and death with share-out in December. Meet­ing nights, first Tuesday in the month. Membership, 70. Secretary, John Ruck, Station Road, Teynham.

Greenstreet Death Club: Headquarters, George Inn, Greenstreet. Bene­fits in case of the death of children with share-out in December. Club nights, every third Wednesday. Membership, 220 persons. Secretary, John Webb, Greenstreet, Lynsted.

Swan Benefit Club: Held at the Swan Inn, Greenstreet, Lynsted. Bene­fits in cases of sickness and death, with share-out in December. Membership, about 50 persons. Club night, first Monday in the month. Secretary, Mr. Alfred P. Challender, Cherry Gardens, Lynsted.

Dover Castle Benefit Society: Held at the Dover Castle Inn, Green-street. Benefits in the event of death or sickness with share-out in December. The membership numbers about 100 persons. Meeting nights, every fourth Tuesday. Secretary, George Bullock, Church Road, Teynham.

Dover Castle Burial Club: Held at the Dover Castle Inn, Greenstreet. Benefits in case of death of members’ children. The membership numbers about 110 members. Club night, every third Monday. Secretary, Walter Tumber, Mount Pleasant, Greenstreet, Teynham.

[EXTRACT - for Greenstreet - Fox Inn Hand-in-Hand Society: Headquarters, Fox Inn, Greenstreet, Teynham. Benefits in cases of sickness or death, with share-out in December. There are fifty members of the society. Club nights, first Monday in the month. Secretary, George Jeffrey, Frognall Lane, Teynham.

Teynham Arms Hand-in-Hand Club: Headquarters, Teynham Arms, Greenstreet, Teynham. Benefits in cases of sickness and death, with share­out in December. Membership, about 50 persons. Club nights, every fourth Monday. Secretary, Walter Wiles, Greenstreet, Lynsted.

National Deposit Friendly Society—see Teynham. [EXTRACT: National Deposit Friendly Society (Teynham district): Chairman, Mr. W.R. Dixon.  Committee Messrs. J. F. Honeyball, A. Banks, H. Buddle, H. Cage, H. Champ, P. C. French, T. Harvey, C. Hopper, W. G. Nicholls, G. Peatfield, J. S. Read, H. Smith, and A. Wilkins. District Secretary, George Rogers, Station Road, Teynham. The membership numbers about 280, and the meeting nights are held monthly.]

Foxhunters Hand-in-Hand Friendly Society: Held at the Foxhunters Inn, Erriott Wood, Lynsted. Benefits in eases of sickness and death with share-out in December. Club nights, every fourth Monday. Membership, about 40 persons. Secretary, T. Styles, Teynham Peat, Teynham.

Kingsdown and District Sparrow and Rat Club: The objects of this Society are to prevent the abnormal prevalence of various pests. Head­quarters, Foxhunters Inn, Erriott Wood, Lynsted. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday in the month from October till April (open season). Secre­tary, A. A. Rye, Malthouse Cottages, Erriott Wood, Lynsted.

Greenstreet and District Gardeners’ Society: Headquarters, Dover Castle Inn, Greenstreet, Lynsted. Monthly meetings and shows held at the Dover Castle Assembly Room, with annual show in August. President, Dr. P. D. Selby. Chairman, Mr. E. Oxford. Secretary, Mr. E. Kingsnorth, Rose Villa, Greenstreet, Lynsted.

St. John Ambulance Brigade - see Teynham.

Greenstreet Rifle Club - see Teynham.

Associated Greenstreet and District Cycle, Cricket, and Hockey Clubs— see Teynham.

Carrier, George Shepherd, of Newington, between Chatham and Faversham. Passes through Greenstreet every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Postal Arrangements: Lynsted Sub-Post Office, Street, Lynsted (Mr. Ernest Alfred Bensted, Sub-Postmaster). Stamps, postal orders, money orders, telegraph, savings bank, and issue of inland revenue licenses. Deliveries, 7 a-in. and 1.45 p.m. Sundays, 7 a.m. Box cleared for des­patches, 10.25 a.m. and 6.35 p.m. Sundays, 12.15 p.m.

Greenstreet Sub-Post Office—see Teynham. [EXTRACT: Postal Arrangements: Greenstreet Sub-Post Office, Greenstreet, Teynham (Sub-Postmistress, Mrs. A. S. Read). Stamps, postal orders, money orders, telegraph, telegraph money orders, savings bank, and issue of inland revenue licenses. Deliveries. 7 a.m., 130 p.m., and 7 p.m. Sundays, 7 a.m. Box cleared for despatches, 10.40 am., 11.45 am., 6.45 p.m., and 8.10 p.m. Sundays, 12.15 p.m.
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KINGSDOWN

Kingsdown is the smallest parish in the Milton Union. It is situated four miles south from Sittingbourne, and is 24 miles from Teynham Station, on the S.E. & C.R. It is in the North-East Kent Parliamentary Division, the Lathe of Scray, and Union and Hundred of Milton. It is in the County Court district of Sittingbourne and the Sittingbourne Petty Ses­sional Division. In acreage it is 703.971 in extent, and possesses 24 miles of district roads. The population in 1901 was 73, and it is estimated to be about the same at the present time. The soil is very good for agricultural purposes, and the subsoil is clay. The chief crops are hops and fruit, with a fair number of acres of cereals.

The late Baron Kingsdown (the Right Hon. Thomas Leigh Pemberton, P.C., Q.C.) took his title from this parish on August 28th, 1858. Lord Kingsdown died unmarried on October 7th, 1867, and the title became extinct.

The Parish Church is dedicated to St. Catherine, and is in the Early English style. The present Church is a somewhat imposing edifice, built with Kentish rag and dressing of Bath stone. It was erected on the site of the former Parish Church in 1865 at the expense of the late Lord Kingsdown. Mr. E. W. Pugin was the architect. It has a tower con­taining two bells and bearing a lofty spire. There are 100 sittings in the Church, and the register dates from the year 1560. The living is a Rectory, with the yearly value of £150 with residence and eighteen acres of glebe. The living, which is in the gift of Sir Edward Leigh Pemberton, of Warwick Square, London, has been held since 1856 by the Rev. Houstoune James Hordern, M.A., of Worcester College, Oxford. Sir E. L. Pemberton is Lord of the Manor and the principal landowner in the parish. Kingsdown is in the Diocese of Canterbury, the Archdeaconry of Maidstone, and the Rural Deanery of Sittingbourne.

The Guardian for the parish is Mr. Richard Cooper, and the Overseers are Messrs. William Farmer and James Spicer.

Parish Church Rev. H. J. Hordern, M.A., Rector. Parish Clerk, William Kennard. Services are held on Sundays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

There are no schools in the parish.

Kingsdown and District Sparrow and Rat club—see Lynsted.

Postal Arrangements There is no Post Office in the parish. There is one delivery a day, morning at 7 o’clock, from the Sittingbourne Post Office. Wall letter box in Kingsdown Street is cleared each day, 7.15 a.m. and 5.35 p.m., and on Sundays at 11.5 a.m. The nearest money order and telegraph office is at Greenstreet, two miles distant to the north-east.
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