Need Inspiration?
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Need inspiration? We’ve been looking into the history of our County town and have found some fascinating history and facts that might give you some inspiration for your Elmer design. A few facts and famous connections… One of Maidstone’s most famous residents is a 3.5 tonne, 13 metre long dinosaur. Iggy the Iguanodon was discovered in a quarry in Queen’s Road in 1834. A cast of the 125-million-year-old herbivore is now on display at Maidstone Museum. Iggy is part of Maidstone’s coat of arms, the first dinosaur to be featured on one. David Bowie when in the Maidstone based band The Manish Boys, regularly played at The Royal Star Hotel Ballroom in the 1960’s, now The Royal Star Arcade. A blue heritage plaque is displayed at the site. The Rolling Stones played in Maidstone in 1964 at the site of what is now the bingo hall at the bottom of Gabriels Hill. The Ronnettes were on the same bill. Dame Joan Collins and Elizabeth Hurley were filmed at Allington Castle making the series The Royals. Sir Lawrence Washington was a lawyer and Justice of the Peace in Kent. He was an ancestor of George Washington, the first president of the United States and lived in Knightrider Street, Maidstone. The family crest, which can been seen in All Saints Church, Maidstone relates in a significant way to the USA national flag depicting an eagle, 2 red stripes and 3 stars against a white background. Benjamin Franklin one of the founding fathers of the USA reportedly acknowledged the crest and the relationship to what was to become the national emblem. Lord Avebury, Liberal Party MP for Maidstone, 1870 and 1874 introduced bank holidays in 1872, which has made a contribution to all those who work in Britain today. His statue can be found in Bank Street, Maidstone. Benjamin Disraeli was elected to represent Maidstone as a Peelite in 1837. Despite being mocked when he made his maiden speech, he defiantly pronounced “the time will come when you will hear me”. He went on to become Prime Minister. Maidstone’s famous adventurer Julius Lucius Brenchley (1816 –1873) Born in Maidstone on 30 November 1816. During his childhood attended Maidstone Grammar School, and later St John’s College Cambridge. As was common during the Victorian period for gentlemen of his status, he was destined for a future in the church, and in 1843 became a curate of the newly built Holy Trinity Church, Maidstone (now the Trinity Foyer on Church Street). The Brenchley’s were a wealthy local family, running the Lower Brewery on Stone Street and another on Brewer Street. Due to this position in the community, a number of Brenchley’s were Mayors of Maidstone. Julius led a fascinating life, with many exciting adventures which sound like they come from a Hollywood movie, including: In Russia sledging across Siberia in the depths of winter In America travelling across the continent, being shot in the neck by native Americans in Utah (and donating the arrow to the museum on his return!) In Ecuador falling into the smoking crater of the Pichincha Volcano In Hawaii, being befriended by members of the royal family (and commissioned some of the earliest photographic portraits or ‘daguerreotypes’) In Paris, being caught in the Prussian Siege of 1870 Travelling to all continents on the globe apart from Antarctica (which no doubt we would have visited if he had lived longer!) He collected items of immense cultural value (this is why part of his collection is also held at the British Museum, London). He amassed the collections fairly and ethically, by trade, exchange and as gifts as marks of friendship and respect. This is clear from the sorts of objects he was collecting such as weapons, bark cloths, carved bowls, masks and personal adornment. It was also during one of his visits to the Maidstone museum that he saw construction of the nearby Maidstone East train station was underway, and decided to purchase the last green space between the museum and the station, and donate it to the people of Maidstone. It is now named after him - Brenchley Gardens. After his last adventure, Julius Brenchley died in February 1873, in Folkestone aged 56. Records suggest the cause was either a heart condition or a travel-related illness. The remainder of his collection was donated to Maidstone Museum, with his entire collection numbering thousands of artefacts Known as a pre-eminent adventurer of his time, his motto was ‘Wander, marvel and adore’. Maidstone’s Zoo and fabulous elephants Sir Hugh Garrard – Tyrwhitt Drake (1881 –1964) Born in Maidstone in 1881. Sent to Argentina at 18, Hugh spent a year on a cattle ranch and returned with his first wild animal, a puma. On his return, he joined his father’s firm, Style and Winch, eventually becoming the wine and spirits buyer. He spent his spare time building up his collection of animals and working with travelling circuses. He opened Maidstone Zoo at Cobtree between 1934 - 1954 where the public were invited to see his wild and rare animals and travel round the Park on a light gauge railway. Between 1915 and 1949 he was Mayor of Maidstone 12 times, High Sheriff of Kent 1956–1957 and served as a County Councillor from 1933– 1937. His enormous contribution to the Borough of Maidstone was recognised by Sir Garrard being made a Freeman of The Borough. He was knighted in 1936 in recognition of his public service and charitable work. A popular, striking man with a genuine interest in the people of Maidstone, Sir Garrard used to ride a horse at the head of the annual Maidstone Carnival procession, he used his own horses and carriages for civic events and was a familiar figure around town driving in his yellow Rolls Royce. Sir Garrard was Maidstone’s most generous benefactor; as well as the Cobtree Estate he also gave to Maidstone the Old College Buildings in College Road, land at Ringlestone Estate, carriages for the Museum and many silver pieces including the Chain of Office for the Deputy Mayor. Having no children, he and his wife Lady Edna set up the Cobtree Charity Trust to secure the future of the estate. The estate has since become home to Cobtree Manor Park, Cobtree Golf Course, the headquarters of Kent Wildlife Trust (Tyland Barn) and Kent Life museum. In years gone by elephants used to roam the site at Cobtree Manor Park. Maidstone Zoo was a popular attraction for 25 years u ntil it closed in 1959. Locals could hear the lions roaring from their homes and elephants Gert and Daisy became firm favourites and their home to this day is called – The Elephant House. Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake had one wish in 1951 that “The grounds and lands of Cobtree Manor, some 300 acres, be used for the benefit of the inhabitants of Maidstone and surrounding neighbourhood in the County of Kent.” Maidstone’s celebrated writer and drama critic William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) Born in Rose Yard, Maidstone on 10 April 1778. The young Hazlitt accompanied his father to America in 1783 but returned to England in 1786 to be educated, though he left before completing his studies. Hazlitt met Samuel Taylor Coleridge whilst trying to earn a living as a portrait artist and through him, was introduced to the famous Lakeland writers of the time, becoming friends with Wordsworth and Southey Alongside his painting, Hazlitt was keenly interested in politics and philosophy and by 1812, was working as a parliamentary reporter and soon developed a career as a journalist, from which he earned a reasonable living. Hazlitt contributed a number of articles to The Examiner. The range of topics included Shakespeare, Milton, aesthetics, and art criticism, as well as dramatic and social criticism. In a collection of critical essays, Characters of Shakespeare's Plays, Hazlitt took a new approach. Today Hazlitt is renowned as the first major drama critic in English, as well as the first major art critic, and is considered one of the most gifted literary and general essayists in English. He died in 1830 in a rooming-house in Soho and is buried in St. Anne's Churchyard nearby. The Hazlitt theatre Maidstone is named after him. His famous quote is ‘The more we do, the more we can do’. Maidstone’s important High Court Clerk and his part in royal history Andrew Broughton (1602/3–1687) There are not many records of Andrew Broughton’s early life, but we do know that by 1627 Broughton was living in Maidstone and in 1639 he was appointed clerk of the peace for the County of Kent. Broughton was a member of the Kent County Committee from 1643. He acted as attorney on behalf of the corporation of Maidstone during the First English Civil War. In November 1648 he was elected Mayor of the town. Two months later he was appointed Clerk of the Court at the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles I of England. As Clerk of the Court, it was Broughton who read out the charge against the king and required him to plead, at the end of the trial he declared the court's sentence of death. There is a plaque in Earl Street at the site of ASK restaurant where Broughton had lived stating ‘Broughton, mayor and regicide’. Popstars, cricket, breweries and a thriving paper industry… even James Bond! The Beatles The Beatle filmed several music videos in Kent in 1967 including Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane and I Am The Walrus.