Plaxtol memories
Here are memories of Plaxtol and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Plaxtol or a Plaxtol photo.
Sturdey Family Tree
William Sturdey, Christened 3 Dec 1797 at Eynsford. 1851 Census:- Aged 53, Agricultural Labourer, Nut Tree Hall, Plaxtol Village. 1861 Census:- Aged 67 (s/b 63??), Farm Bailiff at Nut Tree Hall. Death Reg'd 3rd Qtr 1877 at Malling Regn District, aged 80 yrs. William Sturdey married Sarah Farrant (dob 1798,) 12 Oct 1819 at Wrotham Parish Church, Kent. 1851 Census:- Aged 52, Agricultural Labourer, born Fawkham, Kent. 1861 Census:- Aged 63, born Plaxtol, Kent. Death registered 2nd Qtr, 1870 at Malling Regn. District. Aged 72.
William Sturdey Son (second child) of Daniel and Mary Sturdey, nephew of Elizabeth Sturdey (died c.1794).
William and Sarah had four children, (1) Elizabeth - 1851 Census:- Aged 23, born Plaxtol c 1828. Living with parents, mantua (ie Mantle) maker.
(2) William Sturdey - 1851 Census:- Aged 18, born Plaxtol c 1833, living with parents, farm labourer.
(3) James Sturdey - 1851 Census:- Aged 15, born Plaxtol c 1836, farm labourer.
(4) Ann Sturdey -... Read more
The Forge Restaurant
Happy youthful days at the Forge Restaurant, in Kent. Happiest days of my life....more later....lovely place. Living in a 16th. Century converted Smithy was a blast. Stay tuned...also looking for any of the "guys," who worked there with Alastair and Jack...
Memories of Kent
Fred And Dorcas
My Great Grandparents were Fred & Dorcas Beeching, and both died in 1915, they lived in Dunks Green, and two of their sons Sydney and William were killed in the Great War, their names appear on the memorial stone in Plaxtol i think.
Does anyone have memories of Dunks Green from any years.
Brian
Growing up in Dunks Green
My dad Henry Burton became Post Master at Dunks Green in the early 1950s. I had a wonderful childhood there. It was so quiet in the evenings that we played skipping with a long rope that was tied to the bus stop and stretched right across the road. We played rounders 'up the land'. My best friend was Doreen Crawley and at harvest time we rode on the back of her brother Bill's tractor up and down the field while he collected the sacks of corn from the combine. When the trailer was full they were taken to the barn. We roamed the woods, the fields and the nut plantations quite freely, nobody minded because we never caused any damage. In the spring we would pick posies of primroses and bluebells for our mothers. We knew, by name, everybody in the village and when I got married everyone came to wave me off. My dad sold the shop and Post Office in the 1970s when he retired.
Ivy Hatch Court
These are the memories of my mother May born Ivy Hatch 1921.
The photo shows the gardens and rear elevation of Ivy Hatch Court. The house was owned by Colonel C.N.Watney and his wife Winifred from at least 1919 until approx 1945 when it was sold and converted into apartments/flats. There was a daughter Miss Patricia Watney and a son, name unknown.
Mrs Watney was a keen hunt supporter and rode to hounds with the West Kent Foxhounds
Colonel Watney is understood to have been a patron of St.Bartholomews Hospital, London
Household staff during the 1920s and '30s included:
Mr. Taylor - Butler
Mr Saunders - Chauffeur
Mr Ernie Cox - Head gardener (lived at The Lodge with wife and 2 children, Phillip and Doreen)
Mr Cunningham - 2nd gardener who lived with family at Crown House
Mr Horace Palmer - 3rd gardener who lived with wife and 5 children at Crown House
Mr William (Bill) Jenkins - Groom
My maternal grandfather Horace James Palmer, served with Colonel... Read more
Dads Birthplace
My father Fred Beeching, was born at Dovedale Cottage in 1926, sadly he has now passed away, but left us with many stories, he attended school in ightham, and my Grandparents also Fred Beeching and Rose Beeching are buried in St Peters Church yard.
It would be great if anyone has pictures or memories of Ivy Hatch, i have visited the Village twice, but now living in Germany.
Regards Brian
Ightham 1960s
Interesting to see this picture though I don't think that by the 1960s Ightham was ever this free of traffic except early in the morning.
The building in the centre of the picture was a petrol station and provider of all sorts of bits and pieces. Was it run by Mr Arthur? My father would drive down there (with me in tow) to find whatever he needed to keep the lawnmower and other garden equipment going as well as getting a can of two stroke fuel. Possibly our mini is in the picture (but not if this was taken early in the morning).
Mrs Cox ran the newsagents, just out of picture to the left and there was still a butcher, and a general store in the village. And of course two pubs. I think only the two pubs survive today.
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