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Leigh & District Historical Society

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  • History
    • Introduction to Leigh: Concise History from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day
    • Leigh: Early History
    • Artists and Leigh
    • Beating the bounds in Leigh
    • Bell Ringing in Leigh
    • Cinder Hill and Iron
    • Oak Tree on the Green
    • Place Names in Leigh and other parts of Kent
    • Jutish Forest (ca 500AD-1350AD)
    • At the end of the last Millennium
    • Leigh History by F N Stagg
    • Leigh before the Normans, pre-1066
    • Medieval Eating and Drinking in Kent
    • Leigh to 1550: Villare Cantianum
    • King Harold on his Way to Hastings: 1066
    • Leigh authorizes creation of separate Parish of Bidborough 1219
    • Leigh Man in Rebellion against King Edward (1320s)
    • Roads: Three Years and Still the Road is not Repaired – local people complain!
    • Wealden Iron Industry: ca1400-1760
    • Did Leigh People see Shakespeare? (ca 1600)
    • Tonbridge Education and Sir Andrew Judde 1500-2019 – and the Leigh Connection
    • Catching the Post – ca. 1550s-1900
    • Navigation of the Medway 1500-1840
    • Flooding – Leigh and Medway: from 1600 to present
      • A Myth Exploded: The Flood Barrier
    • 1661: Lady Anne Sidney marries Leigh’s Vicar, the Rev. Joseph Carte
    • Unveiling of Leigh’s War Memorial December 1920
    • Leigh Parish Registers
    • Shingle and Bear (sic): Leigh Churchwardens Accounts 1737-1740
    • Streatfeild Ledger Stone in the Nave of Leigh Church
    • Dr Robert Moffat 1795-1883
    • Crime in the Village, 1796
    • Leigh’s Three Windmills: 1820s-1960s
    • A hundred years of Leigh squirearchy: 1809-1886
    • Architect in Leigh: George Frederick Bodley (b. 1827-1907)
    • Leigh for Breakfast in 1823
    • The Swing Riots in 1830 – and Leigh
    • George Devey, Victorian architect, 1820-1886
    • Building of the South Eastern Railway track through Leigh 1840
    • What was Leigh like in 1840 – and what might you have been doing?
    • Tithe schedule: 1840
    • Leigh Butcher – Prosecuted (May 1869)
    • Canadian Red Indians, Shakers and Leigh, 1860
    • Hall Place Gardens in the last quarter of the 19th century
    • The Great Flood, 1880
    • Band of Hope – ca 1880-1900
    • Winter in Leigh 1879: Christmastide
    • Hall Place Gifts to Workers: 1880s-1945
    • Census and Cricketers in the Leigh Area: 1881
    • Diamond Jubilee celebration, 1897
    • Shocking Railway Accident in 1898
    • Leigh Village Policemen – 1900-1990
    • Killed by Lightning c1905
    • Church Parades, 9 June 1907
    • Leigh’s Own Railway Station: The History of the Redhill to Tonbridge Line
    • Coronation of King George V, 1911
    • Diary of an unknown man, 1904-1939 – named as Fred Eade
    • Chiddingstone Causeway War Memorial: 1918
      • Geoffrey William Paley Ashmore
      • William Henry Crouch
      • William Crossland
      • Horace Henry Eade
      • William Edward Frost
      • Herbert William Grubb
      • Montague William Hewlett
      • Percy Henry Parker
      • Victor Henry Pitfield
      • James Richards
      • Alfred Sears
      • Arthur Edward Warner
    • First World War – Half Time …
    • Tonbridge Cricket Week 1920
    • Leigh War Memorial: 1918 and 1945
      • William Henry Bamblett
      • Horace Batchelor
      • Sidney Batchelor
      • Edward Robert Bickersteth
      • Jack Brooker
      • Reginald Lewis Brooker
      • Charles Bourner
      • Frank Bourner
      • James William Bourner
      • Leslie Albert Chandler
      • John Albert Thomas Curtis
      • James Gordon Davies
      • James Charles Davis
      • Victor George Ready (Everest)
      • John Everest
      • Sidney Everest
      • Frank Faircloth
      • Anthony Lacon De Mallet Flower
      • Eric Gordon Fraser
      • Frank Garner
      • Frederick Healey
      • Sidney James Leonard Horan
      • Harry Horsey
      • Leslie Walter Cyril Humphrey
      • Albert George Janman
      • Frank Arthur Killick
      • Tim Lee – coal merchant
      • G. Mitchell
      • Charles George Henry Nixon
      • Gilbert Nixon
      • F. Parker
      • Philip Walter Patching
      • Sidney Pocock
      • Charles Robinson
      • Hubert Leslie Russell
      • Arthur Harry Murray Schofield
      • William Arthur Smith
      • James Taylor
      • Albert Towner
      • William James Upton
      • Herbert Upton
      • Roland Alfred Woodgate
      • Ernest Mark Young (Mark Young)
      • Godfrey Valentine Brooke Hine
    • Circuses and Funfairs in Leigh 1920s-1970s
    • Mummers’ Plays and Leigh ca 1930s
    • Memories of Leigh Bakery and Chapel, 1927-1939
    • Leigh Playhouse – 1930s
    • Fire at Hall Place – 28 November 1940
    • Leigh in the War 1939-45
    • Memories of a Leigh Evacuee – Gladys Hale
    • Memories of a Leigh evacuee – Tony Scragg
    • Evacuees in Leigh: Village Guests
    • Memories of Leigh during World War 2 by David Walters
    • Second World War events, by Bernie ‘Butch’ Baker
    • The End of the War In Europe: VE May 1945
    • The Messerschmidt that surrendered in Leigh
    • The Battle of Britain and Penshurst Airfield
    • 1940 and the Pillboxes around Leigh
    • Leigh’s Iron Cross: 1940
    • Telegraph Boy in the 1940s
    • Leigh Meals on Wheels 1940s-1980s
    • Bakery and chapel-going, by Joyce Juggins (1935-1948)
    • Lord Hollenden moves into workshops – 1941
    • Do You Remember Dadlems Day?
    • Sunday School 1950s
    • The village sign 1951
    • Harvest Festival 1959 Style
    • A Child at Hall Place
    • Village Childhood Fifty Years Ago
    • Coronation Celebrations 1953: A Parade of Decorated Vehicles!
    • Village Shopping Fifty Years Ago
    • Leigh’s First Parish Magazine – August 1957
    • Leigh 1952 and 2002
    • Reflections of a Parish Clerk 1956-1984
    • A Gamekeeper’s Troubles: George Clarke (1955)
    • Silver Jubillee, 1977
    • Best Kept Village, 1971
    • John Parfitt and Papers – from the start of the Historical Society, 1981
    • Wild flowers of Leigh (1985)
    • The Princess Christian Farm Colony 1895-1995
    • French Film Crew Visits Leigh in July 2014
    • VE DAY Leigh May 2025
  • Family history
    • The ANDERSON Family at Home Farm and Charcott
    • Gladys AXTELL
    • BAILY family of Hall Place
      • Who was Farmer Baily?
    • Lucille BAKER 1948-1959
    • BENFIELD family
    • BENNETT family
    • Dr Ernest BERKLEY
    • Harry BLACKFORD – Chauffeur to Dr. Beaufort Fraser
    • Charlotte BOURNER
    • BOYD family and Moat Farm
    • BROAD family
    • BROOKER family
      • BROOKER Family Tree
      • Tribute to Ken Brooker
    • BROOKER – Molly – The Waggoner’s Tale
    • Clement Bertram BURT
    • CHILDREN family
    • The CHEESEMAN family
    • CHILDS – Private Albert – Return from the War
    • George CORNELIUS, police constable
    • Harold COX (1859-1936)
    • CRANDALL family
      • Richard Crandall – Road Rage
      • The Crandall Dynasty
    • Betty CRAWFORD
    • Keith DAVIDSON – Memories 1957-1963 – and letters from mother and father 1964-1974
    • Doctors in Leigh
    • Fred EADE
    • FAIRCLOTH Family
      • Harry Joseph FAIRCLOTH 1856-1929
    • FARRANT Family
      • FARRANT Family Tree
    • Harold FARRINGTON – Cricket Ball Maker
    • The FITZJOHN family
    • Emma GARDNER’s Prize 1901
    • Roy Frederick GRANT
    • GREVATT, George William
    • GRAY family
      • Joyce Caldwell – memories
    • GREYLAND children
    • HEATH AND HINE FAMILIES
      • HEATH AND HINE FAMILY TREES
      • GODFREY VALENTINE BROOKE HINE (1890-1915)
      • HEATH FAMILY ALBUM
      • Origins of the Chinese Porcelain at The Woods
    • The HEALY Family
    • Bob HINGE – wins flight in Lancaster
    • HOBBS – WINTER- STYLES Families of Leigh and Charcott
    • John HOLDEN
    • Thomas HODSON – Leigh Resident in Prison
    • Florence HOSTLER
    • Alfred HOUGHTON
    • Albert Charles HUMPHREY family
    • INGRAM Family
      • Ike Ingram 1855-1947
    • Noel JEMPSON, Landlord of the Plough
    • Harold JONES 1905-1983
    • Peter KING: Leigh Blacksmith: 1936-2014
    • John KNOCK (Pen Portrait)
    • Eileen LOCK
    • MAGNUS Family and Porcupine House
    • LUCAS Family
      • Lucas Brothers and Allotment Theft
    • MAY family
      • Thomas MAY’s letter to son 1849
      • MAY family letters to Henry May
      • MAY Family Tree and Notes
      • Cartes de Visite
      • Deed 4 Feb 1889: Isabella Maria May and Death Certificate
      • Indenture Between Thomas May and Samuel Morley: 28 December 1882
      • Indenture Between Henry Sturt and Thomas May re Little Lucy’s Farm 1886
      • MAY and OLIPHANT connection – who was Isabella Oliphant?
    • MAYNARD George ‘Pop’
    • MEACHAM, Charles Stephen: artist
    • MORLEY family of Lealands Avenue: The ‘Other’ Morley family of Leigh: War-time Memories
    • MORLEY and HICKS of Lealands Avenue
    • MORGAN sisters
    • OLDER, Frank (1918-2006)
    • Samuel MORLEY
      • Samuel Morley at Leigh
      • Lady Sonja – 1919 to 2014
    • Reuben OSBORNE
    • Edward OUTRAM, A Leigh Butcher
    • Janie van OOSTEROM
    • PANKHURST family
    • POCOCK Family
    • Joseph RANDERSON 1880-1973
    • SALES family
      • George Sales: Agreement signed 7 January 1858
      • Alfred SALES 1837-1928
    • Mrs SELDEN
    • SIMMONS family
      • Jack Simmons and the Titanic
    • SHOEBRIDGE Family
    • Bert STUBBINGS (and Argent) Family in Leigh
    • Thomas STURGESS, churchwarden
    • STYLES family
    • Edward TERRY
    • Phyllis UPFIELD
    • WAITE family
    • WELLS family
    • Rev. G E WESTON – Vicar of Leigh 1918-1926
    • Octavius WALTON
      • Reverend Walton’s photograph album
      • AMY CATHERINE WALTON
    • JOHN WILDASH – Who was John Wildash?
    • Albert WINSON
    • WINTER family
    • Richard YOUNG – Charge of the Light Brigade Hero from Leigh
  • Photographs and Documents
    • Buildings
    • Church
    • Clubs, Teams, Village Organizations and Institutions
    • Documents
    • Events
    • General Views
    • People
    • Penshurst Sales Particulars 1921
    • Rev. Octavius Walton’s Photo Album
  • Around the parish and MAPS
    • Maps held by the Leigh Historical Society
    • Maps of Leigh and district
      • Farm Survey, 1713 – Tyherst and Sinderhill Farms
      • Plan showing the Scheme of Drainage of the Village of Leigh, Kent: 1872
      • Farm Survey 1767 – Clark’s Farm
      • Farm Survey 1767 – Funk’s Farm
      • 1870 Ordnance Survey – area around village
      • Farm Survey 1819 – Little Kettles Farm
      • Penshurst Estate, 1822
      • Hasted’s History of Kent, 1778, vol 1 the Somerden Hundred
      • Lady Yonge’s Estate, 1758
      • Andrew, Drury and Herbert, 1769
      • Hasted’s History of Kent, 1778, vol. 2: The Lowry of Tonbridge
      • 1801 Ordnance Survey
      • 1810 Plan for Proposed Grand Southern Canal
      • Greenwoods Map of Kent, 1821
      • Powdermills, 1837
      • Tithe Map, 1841
      • DRAINAGE MAP and REPORT 1872
      • Maps of Leigh
    • Leigh’s Shops and Trades
      • Beer retailers/pubs/publicans in Leigh
      • A Plea to Save Leigh Tradesmen (March 1991)
      • Moon’s Garage
      • Butchers in Leigh
    • Around the Green
      • Leigh Green and The Village Sign
      • Barden Cottages
      • Cherry Tree Cottages/Chestnuts
      • Church Hill Cottage/s (later the Bungalow, renamed The Croft)
      • Church Hill House
      • Cricket Pavilion
      • East Lodge
      • Elizabeth Cottage
      • FORGE Square and area/properties south of Church
        • Forge (The) and Forge House (formerly Cottage) and Forge Cottage
        • Forge Square (formerly Great Boydens/The Row)
        • Great Boydens – The Row (now Forge Square): also Little Boydens
        • Great Brooks
        • South View, (including Little Boydens)
      • Inglenook
      • The Jubilee Almshouses
      • Kennards
      • Oak Cottage, The Green
      • Old Chimneys (formerly No 1 and 2 The Green)
      • The Slaughterhouse
      • Park House
      • Old Wood Cottage
      • Pippin Cottage
      • Porcupine House
        • The Goat’s Head
        • The Naming of Porcupine House
      • Vicarage (Old) – and Leigh’s Four Vicarages
      • The Village Pound
      • War Memorial
    • Charcott
    • Chiddingstone Causeway
    • Farms and the surrounding area
      • Applebys
      • Blackhoath Cottages
      • Cinder Hill Farm
      • Compasses, The
      • Fair Acres
      • Forstall, The
      • Fosters Farm
      • Gales and Greenways Cottages
      • Garden Cottages
        • Garden Cottages in 1921: a talk given by Susanne MacGregor
      • Great Barnetts
      • Green Lane, The (Meadowbank, Crandalls, Wyndham)
        • Leigh’s Pre-Fabs (Meadow Bank)
      • Green View Avenue/Lealands Avenue
      • Hayesden Farm
      • Home Farm (known as Clarks Farm until 1856)
      • Laundry Cottage (Bid Bridge)
      • Leigh Park Farm
      • Lightfoots Cottages
      • Little Barnetts Farm
      • Little Lucy’s Farm
      • Meadow Bungalow, off Weir Lane
      • Moat Farm: The Moated Site, Leigh Kent
      • Moorden: A Short Exhibition on the History of Moorden in Leigh
      • Moorden Farm House
      • Moorden Cottages
      • Oasts in Leigh
      • Oldhouse Farm and Old House
      • Old School House
      • Paul’s Farm
      • Powder Mills – The Cottages
      • Price’s Farm
      • Ramhurst Farm
        • Ramhurst Corn Mill
      • Watts Cross Windmill
      • White Cottage (The)
      • Wickhurst Farm and Oast
      • Woods, The
    • Gaza Barracks
    • Hall Place
      • Hall Place Rent Books
      • Hall Place 1660-1780
      • A Guest at Hall Place in 1859? And Who was John Wildash?
      • The Engineers Department at Hall Place
      • Game-keeping and Shooting in Leigh 1920s/1930s
    • High Street South Side – East to West; North Side East to West; and Lower Green
      • Bat and Ball and adjoining Cottages
      • Bombers Cottage
      • Budgeons Cottages – plus Bridge House, Ivydale and Bradbourne (Lower Green)
      • Chilling House (formerly The Limes)
      • Cottage (The)
      • Donkey Field
      • El Vanin and Ranmore
      • Engineers Cottages, Penshurst Road
      • Fleur-de-Lis and Fleur-de-Lis Cottages
      • Institute Cottage
        • Leigh Reading Room and Institute (Institute Cottage)
      • Oak Cottages, High Street and Lower Mead Cottage and The Firs
      • Lyghe Halt
      • Old Bakery (The)
        • The Bungalow, Lower Green
      • Old Brickmakers
      • Orchard House
        • Restaurant in Leigh
      • Pear Tree Cottage(s)
      • Penshurst Entrance Lodge: Pinnacle/Pepperpot
      • Pump Cottage And Pump House
      • Rose Cottage (replaced with Charlotte Bungalows)
      • Saxby Wood
      • Square (The)
      • Stone House (The) and Park Cottage (formerly 1,2,3 Park Cottages)
      • Village Halls (The)
        • Village Halls Refurbishment Project 1984-1987
        • Leigh Village Halls – Historic Background
      • West Cottage and Park View
      • West Lodge
      • Waterworks Cottages, Kiln Lane
      • Waterworks, Kiln Lane
      • Well Close
      • Wheelwrights Cottage
      • White House (The)
    • Institutions, clubs, teams, associations, school
      • Cricket Club
        • Cricket after the War: Tonbridge Cricket Week 1920
        • Leigh Cricket Club history
        • The Match at Hall Place Park Monday 5 June 1848 and additional article on Cricket in Leigh in 1848
        • An Innings which ‘lasted three days’
      • Football Club
        • Leigh Football Club Centenary
        • Junior Footballers of Yesteryear – Where are they now? (July 2003)
      • Golden Years Club
      • Hospitals for people in Leigh
      • Leigh Coal Fund
      • The Leigh Volunteer Fire Brigade
        • Leigh Volunteer Fire Brigade 1882-1948
      • Leigh Good Intent Benefit Society
        • Benevolence and Self-Reliance in Leigh in the 19th Century
      • Leigh Institute – minute books and accounts
      • Leigh Nursing Association and Leigh Invalid Comfort Fund
      • Leigh Poor and the Leigh Poor House
        • Leigh Families in the Sundridge Workhouse
        • Leigh Parochial Charities
          • Leigh United Charities
        • The Poor Law and the case of John Collens 1845
        • Sold for a Shilling and a Bottle of Gin
      • Leigh Police and Crime
        • Leigh Prosecuting Society
        • Why did Leigh need a Prosecuting Society?
        • Crime in Leigh in the first half of the 19th century
        • Leigh Special Police Constables
        • Crimewatch 1343!
        • Crime in the Village 1796
        • Richard Crandall and Road Rage
        • Lucas Brothers and Allotment Theft
      • Leigh Royal British Legion Table Tennis Club
      • Leigh School
        • Boy Gardens at Leigh School, 1931
        • Miss Helen M Naish – Headmistress of Leigh School 1946-ca 1968
        • Miss Winifred Ellis – infant teacher 1927-1946
      • Leigh School – 19th century School Masters and Mistresses
      • Leigh School/s – the early days
      • Leigh School and World War II
      • Leigh Scouts – Scouting in Leigh – How it began
      • Leigh Village Horticultural Society: Brief History
      • Leigh Women’s Institute Pram Race 1971
    • Leigh Chapel
    • St Mary’s Church
      • Sermon by Rev Miles: November 2015
      • Worship in Leigh 1876–1883
      • The Churchyard
        • New Churchyard
        • Memorial Wall
      • Churchyard Boundaries: repair of the Church Wall after 1987 Storm
      • Vicars of Leigh
      • Church brasses
      • Stained glass
        • Stained Glass in the Heath Window, North Transept
      • Leigh Church during the Incumbency of the Rev. Hugh Collum
      • Refurbishing the Chancel in 1892
      • Monuments in Leigh Church
      • Leigh Church – A vicar, why not a Rector?
      • St Mary’s Choir (-1934-1984)
      • Painting of Leigh Church by Charles Stephen Meacham
        • Charles Meacham in the Local Press
      • Restoration of Leigh Church 1861
      • Four Leigh Vicarages
    • North Lodge, Redleaf, Penshurst
    • Powder Mills
      • Aynho – Powder Mills
      • Charity Win
      • Elizabeth I and her Association with Powder Mills
      • History of Powder Mills
      • Powder Mill Cottages
      • Powder Mills – general photographs
      • Watch House (The)
      • Checklist of trees and plants on the Powder Mills site, 2005
      • Maps of Powder Mills
        • 1951 Ordnance Survey
        • 1920 Ordnance Survey
        • 1981 Ordnance Survey
        • 1814 Kentish Sources
        • 1837 Powdermills
        • 1840 Tythe Map
        • 1801 Ordnance Survey
        • 1859 Conveyance Plan
        • 1865 Ordnance Survey
        • 1899 Ordnance Survey
        • 1916 composite
        • 1924 Ordnance Survey
        • 1938 Ordnance Survey
      • Pictures of Powder Mills
      • Powder Mills photos of site at time of dig
      • People of Powder Mills
        • Powder Mills workers, 1930s
        • David Benfield, a Powder Mill Family from 1811
        • William Ford BURTON
        • Noel Jempson, Powder Mill Carpenter and Landlord of the Plough
        • A schoolboy’s memories of the Powder Mills 1925-1935
        • Powder Mill Workers and Relocation: The Cheeseman Family 1830-1859
        • Powder Mill workers and relocation: the Sealy (or Sealey) family
        • John Fredrick Herring and Explosions at Leigh Powder Mills
        • Tim Lee – Powder Mills lorry driver
        • The Swain family
        • Reuben Osborne and Explosion at Powder Mills 1835
    • Growth of the Parish 1820-2020
    • Southwood – Leigh’s ‘other’ Stately Home
  • Archive
    • Archive index
    • Burials 1827-1840: of children 5 years and under
    • Chapel burials, Leigh Nonconformist Chapel
    • Chris Rowley, We had everything: Index
    • Deed 4 Feb 1889: Isabella Maria May plus Death Certificate
    • Deed 1 August 1913 Exchange of Land and Cottages (South View/corner Green Lane)
    • Deed of Redemption: Leigh United Charities etc 1938
    • Edward Hasted, The History and Topographical Survey of Kent
    • Hildenborough Burial Records and www.findagrave.com
    • Indenture between Henry Sturt and Thomas May re Little Lucy’s Farm: 1886
    • Indenture Between Thomas May and Samuel Morley 1882
    • Leigh Parish Registers 1592-1812
    • Leigh Workhouse, 1851
    • Miscellaneous documents in our archive
    • Minutes of the Parish Council (Indexes only) 1894-1979
    • Notes on the History of the Parish of Leigh, by Commander F N Stagg, 1946
    • Poor House deaths, 1829-40
    • Redemption Document re Charity of George Children 1937
    • Sale of part of the Penshurst Place Estate 1921
    • Vestry Minutes 1823-1844
  • Links
  • Society events

History of the village and parish of Leigh, Kent

Leigh, three miles west of Tonbridge, is thought to have grown from a hamlet that dates to the late 11th century.

You can find here access to the Society’s archives as well as articles which have been written by members for the Leigh Parish Magazine.

To find out more, or to join the Leigh and District Historical Society please contact us.

Leigh village sign. Photo © Louise and Colin English. All rights reserved.
Leigh village sign. Photo © Louise and Colin English. All rights reserved.

History

The village of Leigh in Kent dates back to the 11th century. Read articles relating to the history of Leigh and district from the medieval period onwards.

Family history

Articles relating to the many families who have lived in Leigh and the surrounding area. Includes registers of those buried in the churchyard of St Mary's and those commemorated on Leigh war memorial and Chiddingstone Causeway war memorial.

Around the parish

Leigh has several distinctive Victorian buildings around the Green and in the High Street, but many are even older. Maps, articles and early photographs relating to the buildings and institutions in Leigh, Powder Mills and the surrounding area.
Hall Place | Leigh School | St Mary’s Church

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