Issue 16, Winter 2019 Detail from map of lands in Midley, Old Romney, , Kenardington, Warehorne and Woodchurch, 1687 [ref. U4202/P1], showing Lydd church and the ‘Pigg well’. Catalogue Transfer Project

Temporary closure of Archive and Local History service at the Kent History and Library Centre, 9-26 December 2019

Work on phase 1 of our Catalogue Transfer Project by staff and volunteers is now drawing to a close. This means that we have now almost completed typing up and uploading all of the outstanding paper catalogues that predated the introduction of our electronic cataloguing software and its online counterpart. In total, we have completed typing up almost 500 archive catalogues.

The next phase of this project is to enable readers to order documents directly from our online catalogue. In 2017, Kent Archives launched its own website and integrated catalogue, enabling readers to find out more about our services and collections all in one place at www.kentarchives.org.uk. Making our collections orderable Some of the rare books held in Kent Archives’ local history collection that require catalogue online will involve checking all of entries to be created, as well as packaging, barcoding and locating, prior to being orderable on our existing online catalogues for our online catalogue. errors in the structure and arrangement of the entries, which if uncorrected would prevent our users from being able to locate and identify relevant records. We also need to produce catalogue entries for our extensive local history collections, which have previously only been partially listed on the Kent libraries catalogue. Every book, map and document that has not already been prepared will need to be placed in archival packaging, barcoded and located. Work on the local history collection has already been taking place alongside phase 1 of the Catalogue Transfer Project but will now focus on our 1,350 rare books.

To help enable us to carry out this vital work, the Kent Archive and Local History service will be temporarily closed to the public for two and half weeks from 9 December 2019. The archive searchroom and the remote enquiry service will reopen from 27 December 2019 after the Christmas holidays.

Catalogue Transfer Project

Tenth update on newly transferred catalogues

The following catalogues have recently been added and will be available on our online catalogue soon:

U1679: Correspondence of Dr F. W. Cock, 1902-1935, and miscellaneous printed papers, 1632-1933 U1682: Deeds of , 1665-1924 U1701: Estate documents of Chislehurst, Orpington, Deal and Lydd, 1928-1947 U1709: Deeds of , 1601-1870 U1712: Deeds of Smallhythe, Tenterden, 1592-1964 U1739: Deeds and estate papers of St John’s College, Cambridge, relating to land in various parishes, 1834 -1961 U1816: Miscellaneous title deeds, presented by Day, Rooke and Bradfield, Maidstone, 1803-1923 U1821: Title deeds and printed items, Herne and district, 1832-1929; sale particulars, Wateringbury and neighbouring parishes, 19th century U2348: Papers of Sir Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge of Lahore (microfilm) U3567: Lease and release for property at Godden Green, Seal U3583: Title deed for land in Wrotham U3627: Deeds and documents relating to U3673: Deed of covenant for Green, U3791: Title deed for property in Tenterden U3991: Dymchurch vestry minute book U3994: Deed for Lamb Lane, U4101: Title deeds for land in Shepherdswell U4135: Abstract of title for the Evington estate U4137: Mortgage for farms in the parishes of Bapchild, Lynsted and Tong

Archive Events

If you missed any of Kent Archives’ lunchtime talks in September and October, then you can now watch them online on Youtube:

• Watch Peter Clarke, ‘Clergy and Criminal Violence in Late Medieval Kent’ here

A presentation of the speaker’s current research on clergy and criminal violence in later medieval and Wales, with special reference to pre-1500 church court records in the Rochester and Canterbury dio- cese archives. Peter Clarke is Professor of Ecclesiasti- cal History at the University of Southampton and spe- cialises in later medieval religious history, especially the papacy and canon law.

• Watch James Lloyd, ‘The White Horse of Kent’ here

The White Horse is the ubiquitous symbol of the county but what exactly does it mean and for how long has it been used? James Lloyd gained a Cambridge doctor- ate for research into local government in Anglo- Saxon England. He currently combines roles as an ar- chivist at the Kent History and Library Centre and Li- brarian at Priory.

Staffing update James Larden, Archive Collections Assistant For those that I haven’t yet had the chance to meet, this is just a quick introduction from a not-so-new face here at the Kent History and Li- brary Centre. My name is James, and in March I joined Kent Archives and Local History Service as a volunteer, assisting James Lloyd with his work on the uncatalogued Kent Opera Collection. Since then, I have helped with listing over one hundred boxes of mate- rial spanning the company’s conception to closure, as well as repackaging and ar- ranging a large assortment of production photographs. In my new role as an Ar- chive Collections Assistant, I’m now typing up the index cards from the local history maps catalogue as part of the Catalogue Transfer Project. This information will provide the metadata for the new electronic catalogue entries that will be imported to our cataloguing software, CALM. I am only a few weeks into my new role but have already come across some particularly fascinating pieces, including maps reporting on the progress of the Spanish Armada, and others concerning the Anglo-French Survey (an ambitious, late-eighteenth century attempt to ascertain the relative coordinates of the Paris and Greenwich Observatories, using Romney Marsh as a baseline for trigonometric calculations). Improving accessibility to this collection will without- doubt facilitate fresh interpretation, allowing new audiences to investigate lesser-known facets of Kent’s rich history. My interest in the archives sector began in 2016, when I graduated from University of the Arts in London, having studied Set Design for Screen at Central Saint Martins and Wimbledon College of Arts. My degree projects typically explored anomalous periods in modern history and relied on very detailed research – a pro- cess which often became all-consuming, but nonetheless enjoyable! After graduating, I worked for a time within London’s commercial art scene at a Fitzrovia-based gallery specialising in emerging and established artists spanning antiquity to the present day. With conflicting feelings about the industry, I parted ways in or- der to pursue work that favours education over commercial motives. In addition to volunteering at the Kent History and Library Centre, I also joined a collaborative archiving project at the , which fo- cused on the Max Tyler Music Hall Collection. Then from July to late-October I assisted with a project at the Rochester Bridge Trust, which saw the organisation’s 600-year-old archives move from its riverside location along the to an underground storage facility in the North West of England — a temporary transfer whilst the Bridge Chamber and medieval Chapel undergo refurbishment. Intrigued by the use of primary sources to aid our contemporary understanding of history, I work on a self- directed project in my free time which combines my love of Post-Impressionism and French sociocultural his- tory. This venture involves sourcing scarce ephemera documenting Bohemian life in the Parisian district of Montmartre; the global epicentre of avant-garde art and subversive entertainment in the late-nineteenth cen- tury. Six-or-so years later, I have developed a collection that consists primarily of rare antique photographs, but also small-scale lithographs, large antique posters, theatre programs, periodicals, letters, clippings, post- cards and other unusual finds connected to famed cultural figures of the period. Fuelled by my disappoint- ment with the lack of related material in British galleries and museums, I hope to digitise the collection, es- tablish a website, and one day, fulfil my ultimate goal of loaning selected pieces for public display. Over the next few months, I look forward to engaging with the Kent Archives and Local History team and tak- ing every opportunity to learn about the archives sector, amidst this exciting turning point in the preservation of Kent’s cultural heritage. Responses to Remote Enquiry Survey – ‘A First Class Service’ Sheila Malloch, Customer Services Officer—Archives and Local History

If you have contacted us recently by email or in writing with an enquiry about our collections or services, you will have been asked to complete a survey on our remote enquiry service. We are very grateful for the num- ber of responses that we received. Although the survey related primarily to enquiries made remotely, many people also commented about the service that they received when they visited in person. Overall, the responses we received were complimentary; others gave us constructive points on where they felt we could improve. We really appreciate the kind words that our readers took the time to write, just a few examples being: ‘first class service – The personal communication is wonderful’; ‘Service has been amazing: friendly helpful staff and prompt replies’; and ‘above and beyond’. I will attempt to answer some of these comments, to inform you of future changes which will improve the service, and clear up some misunder- standings. You may have seen advertised recently that public libraries in Kent have had changes to their opening hours, including the library at The Kent History and Library Centre. These changes have not affected the Ar- chives’ opening hours, which remain the same following the public consultation which took place about 18 months ago: we are open to the public Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and are closed on Monday and Sunday. The doors to the main library at the Kent History and Library Centre are open from 9am every day to allow access to the Archives and for library users to browse. Parking is not provided at the Kent History and Library Centre either for visitors or staff, but there is parking close by. If you are unfamiliar with Maidstone, please ask before your visit what the options are for parking and public transport and we will be able to advise. Once you are in the building, and before you enter the Ar- chive searchroom, we request that you put all your personal belongings into one of the lockers provided. There are various sizes lockers and you will need a £1 coin to operate the lock (which is returned to you once you have completed your visit). We permit personal computers, notes and pencils to be brought into the searchroom, but no pens, food or drink, which could damage the items in our collections. We also re- quest that tables are kept uncluttered so that documents and personal belongings do not get muddled up. If you are unsure about what can be brought into the searchroom, do speak to a member of staff before your visit or when you arrive.

Responses to Remote Enquiry Survey – ‘A First Class Service’ Sheila Malloch, Customer Services Officer—Archives and Local History Some customers commented upon the auto-reply acknowledgement they receive when emailing in, which states that it may take up to 20 working days to respond. In many instances we can respond more quickly, and particularly if you are requesting a searchroom seat or reserving documents, we try to reply as soon as possible. Other enquiries may take longer to respond to, especially if they involve research, so that we can provide you with the most comprehensive reply possible. Occasionally we may not be able to reply within 20 working days, for instance if we are short-staffed or we are experiencing a very high volume of enquiries. If this is the case, we would usually keep you informed about when you can expect a reply. Although it might seem odd that we do not have a separate email inbox for each kind of enquiry, having all our enquiries sent to the same email address enables us to monitor and allocate the enquiries most effectively. We were also asked to clarify the cost of some of our services. If you visit Kent Archives’ searchroom to con- sult our records or request general advice about our holdings, then these services are free of charge. Howev- er, if you require that documents are searched on your behalf as part of our research service, would like cop- ies as part of our reprographics service, or request a specialist tour of our facilities, then these are chargea- ble. This is due to the staff time involved, the specialist equipment needed for digitisation and conservation, and the costs of ongoing collection care. Some activities can take longer than you might think: for instance, providing a digital copy of a document involves identifying the relevant item or entry, assessing if the docu- ment is suitable for copying, ensuring that the document is well supported during the photography, as well as time for editing, sending correspondence and undertaking administrative work. We periodically review the fees and charges across different Archive Offices around the country and we usually find that our prices are comparable. Our range of services also includes producing vehicle registration transcript (for vehicles originally purchased in Kent) and providing copies of the c1840s tithe maps on CD. Vehicle registration transcripts cost £12 per vehicle, and tithe maps cost £15 (plus postage) per parish. Both can be ordered either remotely by email or telephone, or in person in the searchroom. As part of the planned improvements to our service, we hope to offer reader registration, searchroom book- ings, and an online payment system through our website in 2020. We will announce when these new ser- vices are available on our website and in this newsletter. Once again, thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the questionnaire, and if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our friendly front of house staff are always happy to help with your enquiries in our searchroom. Shown below are Julie [left] and Hannah [centre], Archive Colllection Assistants], and Sheila [right], Customer Services Officer—Archives and Local History.

75th Anniversary of the end of the cross-Channel shelling of Kent Jonathan Barker, Archive Collections Officer

26 September 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of cross-Channel shelling of Kent by the huge German naval guns emplaced in the Pas de Calais. Kent was unique in being the only part of the country to face an assault by this type of weapon. The county had to endure the shelling in addition to the bombing, strafing and later ‘vengeance’ weapons, the V1 and V2.

Kent Archives remembered this anniversary by creating an online timeline, a section of which can be seen above, and in full here. The timeline highlights part of the story of the shelling of Kent, based on an album held at Kent Archives [ref. Fo/W4/5] that mapped each recorded incident in the town of over the period 1940-1944. The al- bum contains multiple town plans, each marked with the type and number of assaults, casualty figures, and the numbers of houses that were destroyed, badly damaged or slightly damaged. Some of the incidents are accompanied by photographs, and a selection are reproduced on the timeline. Of the thousands of guns in Hitler’s ‘Atlantic Wall’, 11 were huge long-range guns, sited in the Pas de Calais, which persistently shelled the coastal towns of Kent. The largest were the three guns of Batterie Lindemann at Sangatte. These were huge 406mm calibre guns, intended for Germany’s largest battleships, each in an armoured turret and protected from bombing by enormous reinforced concrete casemates, and capable of firing shells over 34 miles. Batterie Todt, at Cape Griz Nez, housed four 380mm guns equally protected in huge bunkers. Observers in Kent would see flashes from the batteries, indicating the firing of a salvo of shells, each salvo taking sixty seconds to cross the Channel before wreaking destruction and death in the coastal towns. Folke- stone, , Deal, , St. Margaret’s Bay and Hythe were all targeted, with shells recorded falling nearly as far as Maidstone.

75th Anniversary of the end of the cross-Channel shelling of Kent Jonathan Barker, Archive Collections Officer To accompany the period photographs, we have also taken some modern photographs showing the same sites in September 2019, exactly 75 years later. Some examples from the timeline are illustrated here:

Beachborough Road The heaviest concentration of shelling in one day oc- curred on 13 June 1944. Beginning in the early hours, forty two shells rained over the town and borough. Areas hit included Sidney Street School, Beachborough Road (shown to the left), Wear Bay Road and Burrow Road. Over one thousand properties were damaged and others, such as the St. Eanswythe Mission Hall, were completely demolished.

New Canterbury Road 15th June 1944. At 5:30pm a shell exploded near St. Saviour’s church, killing an airman from the RAF who had been walking past, and causing damage to these houses opposite on Canterbury Road. Later that evening, just before starting his shift at mid- night, Police Sergeant William George Dickson heard a shell burst and had gone outside his house to see where it had exploded. As he stood outside his front door at 29 Walton Gardens he was hit by the blast from a second shell and was killed. This photograph shows damage caused to the houses on New Canterbury Road, opposite the church.

The last day The Harvey Grammar School was the first building to be struck by a shell on Monday 25 September, and another fell in the same area at Beechborough Road. Two more shells fell on open ground. At 4:26pm two shells landed in the sea in front of The Leas; another exploded on the beach throwing up thousands of pebbles. The next shell blew out the top of the Castlehaven hotel, close to the Leas Cliff Hall. Many of the guests were downstairs at the time the shell hit and therefore escaped serious inju- ry. The people of Folkestone did not know it yet, but it was the last shall that would hit the town. The shelling was finally over.

Newly Catalogued Collections at Kent Archives

Elizabeth Finn, Archive Service Officer Kent Archives has recently acquired two new items with the aid of grants from The Friends of The National Libraries. One is a title deed dated on the feast of the Epiphany (6 January) 1375 [ref. U4134/T/1] by which John Lowyn of Wincheap granted John Bertelot of Thanington four acres of land and one virgate of meadow in the par- ish of Thanington, now a suburb of Canter- bury to the south of the city, but in those days still in the countryside. Before we ac- quired this deed, our earliest document re- lating to Thanington dated from 1429, so this is significantly earlier. The land is de- scribed in relation to the properties of adjoin- ing owners, including Sir William Septvauns of the famous East Kent family, one of whose knightly relatives, Sir Robert de Septvans, is commemorated in a fine brass in Chartham church, and a woman, Juliana Rypieres. The deed is in Latin, but contains a number of English place names. Several local landmarks are mentioned, such as Cockering, which can still be identified in present day Thanington, and a lane called ‘Kersbroke’. The virgate of meadow adjoined Can- terbury Cathedral Priory’s meadow and was called ‘Selererismed’, presumably indicating something like ‘Cellarer’s mead’. Most medieval deeds had seals, pieces of wax, stamped with distinctive designs and inscriptions, attached to the documents as a means of authenticating them. The seal attached to this deed is fragmentary, but it seems to show two human figures with perhaps a third figure between them (possibly Adam and Eve and the serpent, or is this letting my imagination run away with me?); unfortunately, its legend is illegible. The deed bears two late fourteenth or early fifteenth century endorsements but, tantalisingly, we have no in- formation about its history. The other document is a map of lands in the parishes of Midley, Old Romney, Lydd, Kenardington, Warehorne and Wood- church, dated 1687 [ref. U4202/P1]. It is lavishly decorated, with stylized foliage, bird’s heads, scrolls and strapwork in red, blue and gold and a red-breasted, black- headed bird with green wings and tail— perhaps some kind of finch — perched on a very large flower with white and blue petals. The map is further enriched by an achievement of the arms of the landowner, William Tyndall, who purchased the lands from the heirs of Sir Thomas Godfrey. The map covers almost 500 acres alto- gether and distinguishes between marsh, woodland and arable. It also depicts part of the network of watercourses which is still a characteristic feature of the Romney Marsh. A number of identifiable buildings are shown, including Midley church, which had been deserted in the 16th century and was clearly already ruinous— although if the map’s depiction is accurate, it was still quite a substantial structure.

Women and the Workhouse: The Hidden Working Lives of Women Deborah Collins, Kent Workhouses and Poorhouses https://www.kentworkhouses.uk/

Part of the entry for Lucy Ophelia Short in the Milton Union Superannuation Register, recording her appointment as a sick nurse on 18 No- vember 1893 and her employment history [G/Mi/AOr1].

Much has been written about the inmates of workhouses but what about those who were employed to run them? Kent Poor Law Union documents contain a vast amount of information about the individuals who were involved with the workhouses, including the staff who were employed to carry out the various tasks required to make everything work. What these documents reveal is the large number of women who were employed, both in and out of the workhouse, and show what an important role the Union played in providing careers and independence for women. The stories of these women have mainly become lost as female employees who married would normally have had to leave their position. Some managed to continue their careers in Unions after marriage by marrying another member of staff, but in general it was only single and widowed women who could forge a career in the service of the Poor Law Unions. In 1835 when the Kent Poor Law Unions came into existence, the number of persons employed in workhous- es was relatively small. However, as the role of the workhouse changed to become more of an institution for the old, infirm, children and the sick, so the number of jobs increased, and were mainly staffed by women. Even those women who did not have to work for a living found a role of some importance in the running of the workhouses, with Ladies’ Committees being appointed by the Guardians to visit certain parts of the work- house and make reports on any improvements that could be made. Towards the end of the 19th century, more women were being elected as Guardians, and although they were placed on committees deemed to be more suitable for ladies, they could still command a degree of power, such as the Nursing Committee estab- lished at the Medway Union in 1899. This Committee, entirely composed of women, had the responsibility, amongst other matters, of interviewing applicants for nursing positions in the workhouse and making recom- mendations for appointments to the full Board of Guardians to sanction. This change in women’s roles can be seen in the Kent Census Returns. In 1841, the ratio of men to women employed in workhouses was 54% men and 46% women. However, by the time of the 1911 census, the num- bers had shifted to 28% men and 72% women. The Superannuation Act of 1896 entitled all Poor Law officers to a pension based on their salary and contributions. This included women, and although the sums involved were generally quite small, it nevertheless still gave them a source of extra funds in their old age, especially as State pensions were not introduced until 1908, and then only for those over the age of 70. Young women often had a fleeting association with the Union, with many only staying for a short period of time before marry- ing, but others travelled all over the country to make a career. Women and the Workhouse: The Hidden Working Lives of Women Deborah Collins, Kent Workhouses and Poorhouses https://www.kentworkhouses.uk/ An example of someone who achieved such a career was Lucy Ophelia Short, who was born in 1860 in Compton Valence, Dorset. She was the fifth child of seven born to Henry Short, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Margaret. Lucy’s early life can be traced through the Census Returns, and the 1881 Census records her as working as a laundress at the Dorset Lunatic Asylum, Charminster. Her first connection with Kent appears in the Milton Union records where the Minutes of the Board of Guardi- ans record that, in answer to an advertisement placed by the Guardians for a Nurse, they interviewed Lucy on 25 October 1893 and appointed her to that position at a salary of £25. Due to the passing of the Superannua- tion Act in 1896, records had to be kept of the contributions made by the staff employed by the Unions. Milton Union’s Superannuation Register records the employment that Lucy had had in other Poor Law Unions [ref. G/MI/AOr1], and from this it can be seen that she had worked for three other Unions in Dorset and Somerset. It also shows that in 1908 she had resigned her position at Milton Union to take up a position as nurse in the adjoining Hollingbourne Union. The Guardians’ Minutes of the Hollingbourne Union record that at their meeting on 26 March 1908 ‘It was re- solved that Miss L. O. Short be hereby appointed Night Nurse at a Salary of £24 per annum and £2 in lieu of Uniform, rising by Annual increments of £1 to £26 per annum’ [ref. G/HB/AM22]. The Hollingbourne Union Superannuation Register does not hold much information about Lucy, other than details of the contributions she made to her superannuation and that she had been ’Superannuated’. However, the Minutes confirm when and why she retired. At the Board of Guardians’ meeting of 29 August 1918 it is recorded that ‘Miss L. O. Short tendered her resignation as nurse at the Workhouse owing to continued ill-health and sent two medi- cal certificates and asked the Guardians to fix her superannuation in accordance with the terms of the Poor Law Officers Superannuation Act. Mr J Kitchin gave notice that he would propose that the term of service of Nurse Short be increased to 30 years’ (G/HB/AM22). This was approved at the Guardians’ meeting on 24 Oc- tober 1918 and Lucy was granted a superannuation allowance of £40.7.3 per annum. At some point Lucy returned to Dorset, dying there in 1936. Despite her humble beginnings as the daughter of an agricultural labourer, she left a will to the value of £77.13s.4d. The Kent Poor Law Union documents show that Lucy was able to forge a career for herself, and there are many more such stories in these records just waiting to be uncovered. Entries relating to Lucy Ophelia Short’s superannuation in the Hollingbourne Union Guardians’ Minutes [G/HB/AM22, pp. 287, 297]

Document in detail: Letters of Algernon Sydney, to his father Robert, 2nd earl of Leicester, 1659-1660 [U1000/7/Z1] Mark Ballard, Archive Service Officer A documentary film by DSP TV about the events leading to Charles I’s execution, called Charles I: Killing a King, is to be shown on BBC4 over three consecutive evenings starting on Tuesday 17 December, and will feature a letter held by the Kent Archives and Local History Service as a key source. It was written in 1660 by Algernon Sidney (1623-1683) to his father, Robert Sidney, second earl of Leicester (1595–1677). Charles I had appointed Leicester to the po- sition of lord lieutenant of Ireland in 1641. With the impossible task of quelling the Irish rebellion, he was caught between king and parliament and eventually became alienated from the royalist cause. For his part, Al- gernon attained a parliamentarian command in the earl of Manchester's regiment of horse in 1644 and distinguished himself at Marston Moor. After the civil war he acted as governor of Dublin and then as governor of Dover castle. As Charles I would not abdicate in any cir- cumstances, Cromwell became convinced of the necessity of the king’s trial and exe- Extract from Algernon Sidney’s account of his opposition to the trial and cution. But despite his own republican con- execution of Charles I [U1000/7/Z1]. Reproduced with the kind permission victions, this was too much for Algernon Sid- of Viscount De L’Isle, Penshurst Place, Kent. ney, and in the Commons he opposed an oath of allegiance which would have approved judicial proceedings. As he later wrote to his father: …I was at Penshurst when the act for that triall passed, and comming to towne, I heard my name was put in, and that thoes whoe weare nominated for iudges, weare then met in the painted cham- ber. I presently went thither, heard the act read, and found my owne name with others. A debate was raised, how they should proceed upon it, and after having bin sommetime silent, to heare what thoes would say whoe had had the directing of that businesse, I did positively oppose Crom- well, Bradshawe and others whoe would have the trial to goe one, and drewe my reasons from theis tow points. First the King could be tried by noe court. Secondly, that noe man could be tried by that court. Theis being alleaged in vaine, and Cromwell with much heat, using theis formall words (I tell you wee will cut of his head with the crowne upon it) I replied, You may take your course, I cannot stop you, but I will keep my self cleare from hauing any hand in this businesse, immediately went out of the roome, and never returned… The recalled Rump Parliament of 1659 appointed Algernon as an ambassador to Denmark, but his brusque diplomacy with Denmark and Sweden ruffled feathers and the restoration of Charles II the following year, prior to his return, placed him in an awkward position. Though not estranged from his father as was his brother Philip, Lord Lisle, he was to remain in exile on the Continent until Leicester’s death, writing him this letter from Venice, and afterwards he settled in France, where he committed his republican political thought to paper. It is a tragic irony that having thus testified to the events leading to Charles’s execution, he was himself to suffer a similar fate in 1683, after being implicated in the supposed Rye House Plot. This letter and others passed from Algernon’s sister, Lady Sunderland, through her second husband’s fami- ly, the Smythes, to the Lambardes of Sevenoaks, and they were published by John Murray in an edition by R. W. Blencowe. A century later, General Fane Lambarde lent and then donated Algernon’s original letter and several others to the antiquarian H.W.Knocker, whose manuscript collections have passed from Seven- oaks Library to Kent Archives. Knocker, though naturally grateful, enquired as to the fate of some missing letters which Blencowe had published, to be informed that they had probably gone astray in one of the Lam- bardes’ house moves. Remarkably, despite being the source of Cromwell’s often-quoted words, it seems (so far as we can ascertain) that this letter has not appeared in print in full since Blencowe’s 1825 edition.

Kent History and Library Centre, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, ME14 1LQ Telephone: 03000 420673 If you have any comments regarding this newsletter please contact: