Sittingbourne, Kent

Description
Sittingbourne, a town and a parish in Kent. The town stands on Watling Street, on Milton creek, and on the London, Chatham, and Dover railway, at the junction of the Sittingbourne and Sheerness railway, 45 miles from London, and 10 ESE of Chatham. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office. Sittingbourne was anciently a halting-place for pilgrims to Canterbury, entertained Henry V. on his return to England after Agincourt, was the favourite resting-place of George I. and George II. on their way to Hanover, numbers among its natives Theobald the hero of the " Dunciad," was incorporated by Elizabeth to have a mayor and jurats, and to send members to Parliament, made little or no use of its parliamentary franchise, is a seat of petty sessions and county courts, consists chiefly of one long old street, and several shorter modern ones, and has two banks, two chief inns, public rooms, a town-hall, a free library, a public recreation ground of 10 acres, two churches, and several public institutions. A weekly corn market is held on Friday, and cattle markets on alternate Mondays. There is a large trade in bricks and fruit, in the import of coals, and in the dredging for oysters. A weekly newspaper is published. Lloyds have large paper-mills in the town. Acreage of parish, 1004; population, 8302. It has an urban district council consisting of nine members. The church of St Michael is a building of flint and stone in the Early English style, and contains some handsome monuments and stained windows. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Canterbury; net value, £240 with residence. Patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Holy Trinity Church is an edifice of Kentish ragstone in the Early English style with a massive tower. The living is a vicarage; net value, £200 with residence. Patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury. There are Congregational, Baptist, Primitive Methodist, Bible Christian, and Roman Catholic chapels.