As the outbreak of armed conflict between the British Empire and the German Empire became more certain plans were made to evacuate the civilian population of Kent in the event of invasion. The arrangements for the evacuation of Nonington’s inhabitants have recently come to light, and appear to have made shortly before the outbreak of […]
Category: General history of industry and commerce
The Napoleonic Wars:-Nonington’s 1804 evacuation plan
In 1803 Napoleon began planning an invasion of England and began to gather and train a new army in camps on the north French coast which eventually amounted to some 200,000 men supported by over 2,000 ships of various types and sizes. Other invasion methods were considered, including a fleet of troop-carrying balloons and a […]
Recently come to light photographs of:Holt Street
Recently I have been fortunate enough to have had access to the archive of the late Aubrey Sutton, a Nonington born man with an interest in local history whose father harvested the last crop to be grown on the site of Snowdown Colliery. The archive contains hundred of slides, photographs and news-paper cuttings concerning Nonington […]
Recently come to light photographs of: the Fredville Houses and the hamlet of Frogham
Recently I have been fortunate enough to have had access to the archive of the late Aubrey Sutton, a Nonington born man with an interest in local history whose father harvested the last crop to be grown on the site of Snowdown Colliery. The archive contains hundred of slides, photographs and news-paper cuttings concerning Nonington […]
Molly and Tommy Smith-cave dwellers
The Kentish Gazette of the 30th November, 1886, reported: “The death has occurred at the Eastry Union of ‘Molly’, who for half a century or more has lived in a cave at Womenswold. ‘Molly’ or Mary Anny Smith, as her real name was, was about 70 years old and lived with her son Tommy, who earns […]
The present parish of Nonington, where and why.
The present parish of Nonington, often spelt Nonnington, is to be found in East Kent some two miles or so to the north-east of the A2 approximately mid-way between Dover and Canterbury. Sandwich is some seven miles to the north-east and Deal is about ten miles or so to the east. The original parish of Nonington measured roughly […]
Notes made by Dr. Hardman concerning the discovery of a denehole at Church Lane, Nonington, in May of 1939.
Discovered in the last week of May 1939 in the grounds of Mr. F. G. Garlinge of Church Lane (now Vicarage Lane), Nonington. Mr. Garlinge has recently built a bungalow on the right hand side of the road leading from The Royal Oak Inn to the church (now The Haven). He is a haulier and […]
Sir John de Beauchamp-updated with illustrations
Sir John was one of the most successful of King Edward III commanders in the wars in Northern France and the Low Countries. He fought in Flanders in 1338; was present at the array at Vironfosse when the armies of the English and French kings met but did not come to battle in October, 1339 ; and took part […]
The Ratling Fireball, 1741
The Ratling Fireball:– On December 11, 1741, a fire-ball appeared soon after noon-day, and the sun shining, but few people saw it, and they could only guess at its course; which, however, was observed to be from north-west by north, to south and by south, and right over Littleborne from Westbere, and towards Ratling, near […]
Nonington and the Volunteer Rifles
On 12 May 1859 Jonathan Peel the Secretary of State for War, wrote to the lieutenants of the counties of England, Scotland and Wales authorising the formation of volunteer rifle corps and of artillery . The volunteer corps were to be raised under the provisions of the Volunteer Act 1804 previously used during the Napoleonic […]