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Littlebourne
Littlebourne photos
Displaying the first of 22 old photos of Littlebourne. View all Littlebourne photos
Littlebourne maps
Historic maps of Littlebourne and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Littlebourne maps
Littlebourne area books
Displaying 1 of 23 books about Littlebourne and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Littlebourne
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Littlebourne.
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Grandeur in Kent
In a corner of Kent known with justification as the Garden of England stood the magnificent building known as Lee Priory. It saddens me so much that it no longer exists. In my childhood a Colonel Belcher resided there with his family and in their generosity they allowed we local children to have access to their own children's library. A gesture that awakened in me a lifelong love of books.
I remember the wide expanse of park that fronted this beautiful house where deer could be seen grazing. I could only imagine at the time the lifestyle of the people who lived there. But such memories were inflamed by the literature of the time that illustrated so vividly a life so far beyond the reach of those of us from humble country origins.
I can only thank them for giving me a brief insight into a lifestyle I would never know, and in an age where now the standards they set are being swiftly eroded who can be blamed for... Read more
My Great-Grandmother's Baptism
The date was actually March 1, 1857. No church is named on the copy of the Baptismal Certificate that I have. The certificate states that it is from Page 31 and is No. 243. Ada Maria, daughter of James (a laborer) and Mary Jane West, was baptised on 1 Mar 1857 by J. Woodcock, Vicar. The copy that I have was obtained by N. Howard M"Gocchen, Vicar of Littlebourne on 6 Jan 1886. I believe James had brothers - I have a picture of one named Stephen. There may have been a brother named Thomas; I'm not sure. In this set of 3 pictures, there are 2 copies of a woman. At the top on the back of the picture is the name Lottie West. On the bottom of the same picture it says Ada Marion West. Ada was later married to Thomas Chester Kean in Geneva, Ontario County, New York State, USA. I would very much like to know more about my great-grandmother and feel honored to have the... Read more
Kent memories
Treasury Farm
The building on the right-hand side of the photo in the foreground is in fact the wall of the garage which belonged to Treasury Farm, my home for many years. Many a time I was in the forge with my ponies getting them reshod ... to think this is how it looked just one year before I moved there.
School Holidays
I used to spend all my summer school holidays with Mr and Mrs Curtis who used to live in the school house in Ickham. He used to play the organ in Wickhambreux church. I was adopted in London, and Mr Curtis was a good friend of my birth mother(I will leave it at that). I always remember the awful day that I was put on the coach outside the pub to go back to London (a place I have always disliked). I used to dread that each summer. I remember Mrs Clegg who used to have the sweet shop where I used to buy sherbert powder. I now live in the Peak District but I still have wonderful memories of Ickham.
John Travis
Living in The Rectory
I lived in the Rectory for the whole Universty year 1968-1969. There were four of us - male students from the University of Kent. A fantastic place to live. I have revisited the place - now an old people's home, still just about the same. The pub was a pub in the 60s - it is now a posh restaurant.
Best wishes from Andrew lissa@lissa.dk if you want to comment
Seaton Mill, Ickham
My great uncle Henry Charles Rudd was an India Rubber Manufacturer at Seaton Mill, Ickham, in 1891. He is on the 1891 census. He died there the following year, in 1892. I believe my grandmother, Margaret Hagar Rudd also worked at the Mill. She was married to my grandfather Herbert Edwin Rudd, Henry Charles' brother. They were both sons of my great grandmother Sarah Clayden Rudd, who lived at the Green at Wickhambreaux. I would be very interested to learn of any further information about Seaton Mill if anyone has this.
Summer Holiday
I used to go to Ickham for my summer holidays visiting my grandparents who lived in the High Street, their names were Mr and Mrs Couchman, it was around 1955, my gran used to clean the church, they are both buried in Ickham. My grandparents lived next door to a old gentleman who used to have a parrot, he kept the cage on the kitchen table, I can't remember his name. I remember going to the shop just along the road from my gran's, it used to sell everything.
