110-652: The Kent Militia was an auxiliary military force in the county of Kent in South East England . From their formal organisation as Trained Bands in 1558 until their final service as the Special Reserve , the Militia regiments of the county served in home defence in all of Britain's major wars. They also saw active service during the Second Boer War , and trained thousands of reinforcements during World War I . After
220-598: A higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared to 20% nationwide. The average hours worked per week by residents of Kent were 43.1 for males and 30.9 for females. Their industry of employment was 17.3% retail, 12.4% manufacturing, 11.8% real estate, 10.3% health and social work, 8.9% construction, 8.2% transport and communications, 7.9% education, 6.0% public administration and defence, 5.6% finance, 4.8% other community and personal service activities, 4.1% hotels and restaurants, 1.6% agriculture, 0.8% energy and water supply, 0.2% mining, and 0.1% private households. This
330-540: A legal obligation to supply ships, seamen and marines for the Royal Navy . Under the later Tudors the legal basis of the militia was updated by two acts of 1557 covering musters ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 3) and the maintenance of horses and armour ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 2), which placed the county militia under a Lord Lieutenant appointed by the monarch, assisted by the Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of
440-652: A prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . In a fresh attempt to have as many men as possible under arms for home defence in order to release regulars, the Government created the Supplementary Militia, a compulsory levy of men to be trained in their spare time, and to be incorporated in
550-717: A regular footing at a particularly early date in Kent. Lambarde in his Perambulation of Kent (1576) gives the Distribution of the Shyre for Execution of Justice . Scray was divided into an Upper and Lower Division, while a group of hundreds in the middle of the Lathe of Scray, centred on Ashford, were for convenience attached to the Lathe of Shepway for petty sessional purposes. From time to time existing divisions were split for sake of convenience and in 1857
660-662: A shadowy postwar existence they were formally disbanded in 1953. The English militia was descended from the Anglo-Saxon Fyrd , the military force raised from the freemen of the shires under command of their Sheriff . The universal obligation to serve continued under the Norman and Plantagenet kings and was reorganised under the Assizes of Arms of 1181 and 1252 , and again by the Statute of Winchester of 1285. The men were arrayed by
770-499: A small detachment of permanent gunners assisted by seamen from HMS Monmouth , and a company of Douglas's Regiment , all under the command of the Governor, Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Spragge . When intelligence of the Dutch approach was received, a company of West Kent Militia was added to the garrison, bringing it to a strength of about 250 men. The Dutch squadron appeared off the entrance to
880-503: A third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the regular army. The Childers Reforms of 1881 completed the Cardwell process by converting the linked regular regiments into county regiments and incorporating the militia battalions into them: Although the 2nd Bn East Kent Militia was designated as the 4th Buffs, it was only at cadre strength, and was absorbed by the 1st Bn (now 3rd Buffs) in 1888. The two militia battalions of
990-568: A view to forming a new unified authority for East Kent, although remaining within the auspices of Kent County Council. This idea was eventually dropped. For almost nine centuries, a small part of present-day East London (the North Woolwich , London E16 area), formed part of Kent. Kent is in the southeastern corner of England. It borders the Thames Estuary and the North Sea to the north, and
1100-520: Is England's second-oldest cathedral, the present building built in the Early English Style. These two dioceses ensured that every village had a parish church. Lathe of Scray The Lathe of Scray is an historic division of the county of Kent , England, encompassing the present-day Districts of Swale , Ashford , and the eastern part of Tunbridge Wells The Lathes of Kent were ancient administration divisions originating, probably, in
1210-613: Is a rich sequence of Bronze Age , Celtic Iron Age , and Britto- Roman era occupation, as indicated by finds and features such as the Ringlemere gold cup and the Roman villas of the Darent valley . Julius Caesar described the area as Cantium , or the home of the Cantiaci , in 51 BC. The extreme west of the modern county was by the time of Roman Britain occupied by a Celtic Iron Age tribe known as
SECTION 10
#17328580769541320-477: Is higher than the whole of England for construction and transport/communications and lower for manufacturing. Kent is sometimes known as the "Garden of England" for its abundance of orchards and hop gardens. In particular the county produces tree-grown fruits, strawberries and hazelnuts. Distinctive hop-drying buildings called oasts are common in the countryside, although many have been converted into dwellings. Nearer to London, market gardens also flourish. Kent
1430-531: Is the main area for hazelnut production in the UK. However, in recent years, there has been a significant drop in agriculture, and industry and services are increasing their utilisation of the area. This is illustrated by the following table of economic indicator gross value added (GVA) between 1995 and 2003 (figures are in £ millions): North Kent is heavily industrialised, with cement-making at Northfleet and Cuxton , brickmaking at Sittingbourne, shipbuilding on
1540-457: Is under Liberal Democrat control (Tunbridge Wells), and six are under no overall control and are administered by coalitions (Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone, Swale, Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe). Notably, Thanet is the only council in the United Kingdom to have come under UK Independence Party (UKIP) control, which it did in 2015 . At the national level, Kent is represented in
1650-727: The City of Canterbury . These totalled 2910 musketeers, 1757 corslets, and 293 horse. The trained bands including the Kent contingent were called out in both 1639 and 1640 for the Bishops' Wars . In 1639 the county was ordered to select 1200 men for Sir Thomas Morton's Regiment of Foot in the Marquess of Hamilton 's army, which was to make an amphibious landing in Scotland. But the best men were kept for coastal defence and most of those who actually went were untrained and badly equipped hired or 'pressed' substitutes,
1760-563: The Armistice with Germany and were disembodied in 1919. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but most militia units remained in abeyance after World War I. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, no officers remained listed for either Kent battalions. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953. Kent Kent is a county in the South East England region, the closest county to continental Europe . It borders Essex across
1870-506: The County of London was created and took over responsibility for local administration of parts of north-west Kent. These included the towns of Greenwich , Woolwich , Plumstead , Deptford , Lee , Eltham , Charlton , and Kidbrooke . In 1900, however, Kent absorbed the district of Penge . Some of Kent is contiguous with the Greater London sprawl, notably parts of Dartford . Originally,
1980-502: The Greensand Ridge span the length of the county and in the Vale of Holmesdale in between and to the south are most of the county's 26 castles . The county has agriculture, haulage, logistics and tourism industries. As the land between the capital and the wider continent, it is a high-income county. Agriculture of the county is a notable sector: "The Garden of England" is a nickname for
2090-576: The House of Commons by eighteen Members of Parliament (MPs). The county has historically been dominated by the Conservative Party at general elections. Prior to 2024, the party had won a majority of Kentish seats in every election since the local government reforms of 1974, including during Labour's landslide victories of 1997 and 2001 . In both 2010 and 2015 , the Conservatives won every seat in
2200-520: The Hundreds into which each county was divided. Under this statute 'Commissioners of Array' would levy the required number of men from each shire. The usual shire contingent was 1000 infantry commanded by a millenar , divided into companies of 100 commanded by centenars or ductores , and subdivided into platoons of 20 led by vintenars . The coastal towns of Kent forming part of the Cinque Ports also had
2310-562: The Leeds Castle peace talks of 1978 and 2004. England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 10th –14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover . Hills in the form of the North Downs and
SECTION 20
#17328580769542420-758: The Local Government Act 1972 , Kent County Council has been under Conservative Party control; the exception was between 1993 and 1997 when the party came under no overall control with Labour Party leadership. At the most recent county council election in 2021 , the Conservatives won 62 out of 81 seats. Also elected were seven Labour councillors, six Liberal Democrats , four from the Green Party , one Swale Independent and one residents' association representative. Of Kent's thirteen districts, two are under Conservative control (Sevenoaks, Dartford), four are under Labour control (Gravesham, Medway, Thanet, Dover), one
2530-496: The Regni . Caesar wrote that the people of Kent were 'by far the most civilised inhabitants of Britain'. Following the withdrawal of the Romans, large numbers of Germanic speakers from mainland Europe settled in Kent, bringing their language, which came to be Old English . While they expelled the native Romano-British population, some likely remained in the area, eventually assimilating with
2640-687: The Restoration of the Monarchy , the English Militia was re-established by The King's Sole Right over the Militia Act 1661 under the control of the king's lords-lieutenant, the men to be selected by ballot. This was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' to counterbalance a 'Standing Army' tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported Cromwell 's military dictatorship, and almost
2750-797: The River Darent , tributaries of the River Medway, and on the River Stour . Two 18th century mills were on the River Len and at Tovil on the River Loose . In the late 19th century huge modern mills were built at Dartford and Northfleet on the River Thames and at Kemsley on The Swale. In pre-industrial times, almost every village and town had its own windmill or watermill , with over 400 windmills known to have stood at some time. Twenty-eight survive within
2860-468: The River Medway at about 17.00 on 10 June and three ships of the line engaged Garrison Point Fort while a force of about 800 soldiers and marines under an English renegade, Colonel Thomas Dolman, was landed from small boats. After about an hour's firing by the warships, nine of the fort's guns had been knocked out, and Spragge ordered the survivors of the garrison to evacuate the damaged fort and withdraw up
2970-461: The River Medway in 1547. By the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) a small dockyard had been established at Chatham . By 1618, storehouses, a ropewalk , a drydock , and houses for officials had been built downstream from Chatham. By the 17th century, tensions between Britain and the powers of the Netherlands and France led to increasing military build-up in the county. Forts were built all along
3080-533: The River Medway , rises near East Grinstead in Sussex and flows eastwards to Maidstone . Here it turns north and breaks through the North Downs at Rochester, then joins the estuary of the River Thames near Sheerness . The Medway is some 70 miles (112 km) long. The river is tidal as far as Allington lock, but in earlier times, cargo-carrying vessels reached as far upstream as Tonbridge . The Medway has captured
3190-584: The Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. Kent was given a quota of 960 men to raise. The militia was strongly supported by the Sackvilles, one of Kent's leading families, and despite several anti-militia riots in
3300-796: The Straits of Dover and the English Channel to the south. France is 21 miles (34 km) across the Strait. The major geographical features of the county are based on a series of ridges and valleys running east–west across the county. These are the results of erosion of the Wealden dome, a dome across Kent and Sussex created by alpine movements 20–10 million years ago. This dome consists of an upper layer of chalk above successive layers of Upper Greensand , Gault Clay , Lower Greensand , Weald Clay , and Wealden sandstone. The ridges and valleys formed when
3410-668: The 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local regular and Volunteer battalions. Kent was divided into two Sub-Districts: It was intended that each sub-district would have two regular and two militia battalions, so both the East and West Kents formed 2nd Battalions in 1876. The militia now came under the War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant. Around
Kent Militia - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-425: The 19th and 20th centuries. Cement came to the fore in the 19th century when massive building projects were undertaken. The ready supply of chalk and huge pits between Stone and Gravesend bear testament to that industry. There were also other workings around Burham on the tidal Medway. Chalk, gravel and clay were excavated on Dartford Heath for centuries. Kent's original paper mills stood on streams like
3630-505: The 6th century, during the Jutish colonisation of the county. Scray (alternative spelling: Scraye) was not one of the original lathes and did not exist at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, there existing in its place the "Half Lathe" of Milton and the Lathe of Wye. The half lathe of Milton consisted only of the hundred of Milton, including most of Sheppey. The lathe of Wye consisted of
3740-619: The Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: The West Kent regiment was designated West Kent Light Infantry in March 1853. The 1852 Act introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to the traditional infantry regiments. Their role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery (RA) for active service. The Kent Militia Artillery with six batteries
3850-733: The Americans' allies, France and Spain. Both regiments of Kent Militia were embodied on 31 March 1778. That summer the regiments went into camp, training alongside other Militia and Regular regiments. The East Kent was at Warley Camp in Essex , the West Kents at Winchester , Hampshire , and as the senior regiment in camp ( see Precedence below ) provided the King's Guard when George III visited on 28 September. The militia then alternated between winter quarters and summer camps. The West Kents were at Warley in 1779 and
3960-547: The Armada approached. Kent produced 7124, of whom 4166 were untrained. Kent was threatened on its southern, eastern and northern coasts and its force was divided into eastern and western divisions at Maidstone and Canterbury respectively. Two thousand of the Kent trained men were sent to join the main Royal army at St James's Palace in London, and 4000 foot and 725 horse were to be sent into
4070-618: The Auxiliary Forces (Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteers) to take their place in the six Army Corps proposed by the Secretary of State for War , St John Brodrick . However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under the more sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the Militia was replaced by the Special Reserve (SR), a semi-professional force whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime, rather like
4180-502: The Dutch fleet suddenly appeared off Deal , and 160 townsmen turned out in two hours to help the embodied militia company. The Dutch fleet then sailed into the Thames Estuary and detached a squadron to carry out a Raid on the Medway , with the aim of damaging the ships and dockyard facilities. Its first task was to suppress the coast defences at Sheerness , where Garrison Point Fort was only partly built. The fort contained 16 guns manned by
4290-527: The Kent Trained Bands were often called out and as the war dragged on the county organised Auxiliary Trained Bands to allow rotation of units on duty. They also raised units of volunteers for service outside the county. Each of the five lathes organised an auxiliary regiment and a regiment of horse: The London Trained Bands helped the Kentish authorities to put down a rising at Sevenoaks and Tonbridge in
4400-406: The Kent regiments were organised by ' lathes ' (the ancient groups of Hundreds into which Kent was subdivided): Aylesford (Rochester, Maidstone and Tonbridge areas); St Augustine Lathe (Canterbury, Sandwich and Dover areas); Scray Lathe (Ashford area); Shepway Lathe (Folkestone, Hythe and New Romney areas) and Sutton-at-Hone Lathe (Dartford and Sevenoaks areas), together with one company from
4510-499: The Lathe of Scray consisted of the following Hundreds: Within the Lathe of Scray is the Isle of Sheppey, which is separated from the rest of the county of Kent by a narrow arm of the sea, called the Swale. Almost all of Sheppey is within the hundred of Milton, except the conjoined island of Harty, which is within the hundred of Faversham. That part of the hundred of Milton in the island of Sheppey,
Kent Militia - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-670: The Local Militia were held at the Bell Inn at Maidstone in April 1809 and the Lord Lieutenant of Kent ( Earl Camden ) began issuing commissions to officers in the new regiments: Viscount Marsham, who had just succeeded his father as Earl of Romney, resigned and Lt-Col Hon John Wingfield-Stratford was appointed to replace him as Commandant of the Bearsted and Malling Regiment on 4 April 1811 The 19-year-old George Sackville, 4th Duke of Dorset ,
4730-476: The Medway and Swale , engineering and aircraft design and construction at Rochester, chemicals at Dartford, papermaking at Swanley , and oil refining at Grain . There is a steel mini mill in Sheerness and a rolling mill in Queenborough . There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness , although the older one, Dungeness A, built in 1965, was decommissioned in 2006. Cement-making, papermaking, and coal-mining were important industries in Kent during
4840-423: The Medway to Gillingham . The Dutch now controlled the river below Chatham and Rochester , and proceeded to burn Sheerness Dockyard and the laid-up warships at anchor, towing away the flagship, HMS Royal Charles , as a prize. The other forts prevented the Dutch ships from proceeding further up the Medway or Thames, so they withdrew on 22 June, having completely demolished Garrison Point Fort. In May 1672, on
4950-566: The Militia in emergency. Kent's quota was fixed at 1873 men, and a third regiment was formed, though this seems to have been shortlived. The war ended with the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802 and all the militia were stood down. However, the Peace of Amiens was shortlived and the regiments, whose training commitment had been increased from 21 to 28 days a year, were called out again in 1803. Legislation passed in 1798 and 1811 permitted English militia regiments to serve in Ireland for two years, and both Kent Militia regiments spent periods there. While
5060-412: The Militia were the mainstay of national defence during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, they were supplemented from 1808 by the Local Militia, which were part-time and only to be used within their own districts. These were raised to counter the declining numbers of Volunteers, and if their ranks could not be filled voluntarily the Militia Ballot was employed. Meetings of the Kent Lieutenancy to set up
5170-424: The New Model Army into the county and defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Maidstone on 1 June. Once Parliament had re-established full control it passed new Militia Acts in 1648 and 1650 that replaced lords lieutenant with county commissioners appointed by Parliament or the Council of State . At the same time the term 'Trained Band' began to disappear in most counties. Under the Commonwealth and Protectorate
5280-425: The Peace . The entry into force of these Acts in 1558 is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. Although the militia obligation was universal, it was clearly impractical to train and equip every able-bodied man, so after 1572 the practice was to select a proportion of men for the Trained Bands , who were mustered for regular drills. When war broke out with Spain training and equipping
5390-533: The Richter Scale. It was centred in the Sandwich area of east Kent at about ten miles below the surface. There was little if any damage reported. The coastline of Kent is continuously changing, due to tectonic uplift and coastal erosion . Until about 960, the Isle of Thanet was an island, separated by the Wantsum channel , formed around a deposit of chalk; over time, the channels silted up with alluvium . Similarly Romney Marsh and Dungeness have been formed by accumulation of alluvium. Kent's principal river,
5500-497: The Royal West Kents were similarly amalgamated in 1894. The 3rd Bn Buffs was embodied from 9 March to 30 September 1885 during the Panjdeh Crisis . After the disasters of Black Week at the start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of the regular army was sent to South Africa, and many militia units were embodied to replace them for home defence and to garrison certain overseas stations. Some were then permitted to volunteer for active service in South Africa. The 3rd Buffs
5610-417: The Upper Division to East Kent. Scray was the only Lathe that was divided between the two major divisions of the county. For the purpose of Petty Sessions the Hundreds of Calehill, Chart And Longbridge, Felborough, and Wye were attached to Shepway . When by the Great Reform Act of 1832 the parliamentary representation of the county of Kent was increased and the county was divided in two, the above division of
SECTION 50
#17328580769545720-541: The Westphalian Sandstone are about 820–1,310 ft (250–400 m) deep, and are subject to flooding. They occur in two major troughs, which extend under the English Channel. Seismic activity has occasionally been recorded in Kent, though the epicentres were offshore. In 1382 and 1580 there were two earthquakes exceeding 6.0 on the Richter Scale . In 1776, 1950, and on 28 April 2007 there were earthquakes of around 4.3. The 2007 earthquake caused physical damage in Folkestone. A further quake on 22 May 2015 measured 4.2 on
5830-407: The area is called Cantia or Cantium , while the Anglo-Saxons referred to it as Cent , Cent lond or Centrice . The area was first occupied by early humans , intermittently due to periods of extreme cold, during the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), as attested by an early Neanderthal skull found in the quarries at Swanscombe . The Medway megaliths were built during the Neolithic era. There
5940-489: The area is required to achieve these objectives; it has been opposed by environmental groups. Kent is one of the warmest parts of Britain. On 10 August 2003, in the hamlet of Brogdale near Faversham the temperature reached 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), at that time the highest temperature ever officially recorded in the United Kingdom. The record still stands as the hottest August day ever recorded. Kent County Council and its twelve district councils administer most of
6050-410: The area's military importance, the first Ordnance Survey map ever drawn was a one-inch map of Kent, published in 1801. Many of the Georgian naval buildings still stand. In the early 19th century, smugglers were very active on the Kent coastline. Gangs such as The Aldington Gang brought spirits, tobacco and salt to the county, and transported goods such as wool across the sea to France. In 1889,
6160-631: The border between Kent and Sussex (later East Sussex ) ran through the towns of Tunbridge Wells and Lamberhurst . In 1894, by the Local Government Act , the parts of these towns that lay in East Sussex were absorbed by Kent. During the Second World War, much of the Battle of Britain was fought in the skies over Kent. Between June 1944 and March 1945, more than 10,000 V1 flying bombs , or "Doodlebugs", were fired towards London from bases in Northern France . Although many were destroyed by aircraft, anti-aircraft guns and barrage balloons , both London and Kent were hit by around 2,500 of these bombs. After
6270-428: The capital such as commutes and transport connections to the capital. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty : the North Downs and The High Weald . Kent was one of the first British territories to be settled by Germanic tribes, most notably the Jutes , following the withdrawal of the Romans. Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, the oldest cathedral in England, has been
6380-486: The coast following the raid on the Medway , a successful attack by the Dutch navy on the shipyards of the Medway towns in 1667. The 18th century was dominated by wars with France, during which the Medway became the primary base for a fleet that could act along the Dutch and French coasts. When the theatre of operation moved to the Atlantic , this role was assumed by Portsmouth and Plymouth , with Chatham concentrating on shipbuilding and ship repair. As an indication of
6490-456: The colonels were Sir Stephen Lennard, 2nd Baronet , Henry Oxenden , Sir Philip Boteler, 3rd Baronet , Sir Francis Head, 2nd Baronet and Henry Lee . However, musters and training were in decline: in Kent there were complaints that the various troops and companies had never been mustered simultaneously, allowing men to appear in more than one unit, making them seem stronger than they actually were. The Militia passed into virtual abeyance during
6600-418: The county (3352 km ), whilst the Medway Council administers the more densely populated Medway unitary authority (192 km ), independently of the county council. Together they have around 300 town and parish councils . Kent County Council's headquarters are in Maidstone , while Medway's offices are at Gun Wharf, Chatham . For most of its history since the local government reforms instituted by
6710-470: The county (at one point Major-General Lord George Sackville was besieged at Knole Park by an angry mob) the West Kent Militia was quickly formed at Maidstone . The regiment's weapons were issued from the Tower of London on 20 November 1758 when it had reached 60 per cent of its establishment strength – one of the first units in the country to achieve this. It was embodied for fulltime service on 23 June 1759. The East Kent Militia followed in 1760, but
SECTION 60
#17328580769546820-556: The county (including Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, and Sevenoaks) has less than 50% of the average claimant count for low incomes or worklessness as the coastal districts of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, and Thanet (chiefly three resorts: Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Margate). West and Central Kent have long had many City of London commuters . Kent's geographical location between the Straits of Dover and London has influenced its architecture, as has its Cretaceous geology and its good farming land and fine building clays. Kent's countryside pattern
6930-427: The county today, plus two replica mills and a further two in that part of Kent now absorbed into London. All the major rivers in the county were used to power watermills. From about 1900, several coal pits operated in East Kent. The Kent Coalfield was mined during the 20th century at several collieries, including Chislet, Tilmanstone, Betteshanger, and the Snowdown Colliery, which ran from 1908 to 1986. The west of
7040-437: The county twice yearly attending on the lathes. The lathe was responsible for raising of aids and subsidies for the Militia. However the Lathe court became anomalous as it fell between the hundredal courts below and the Justices of the County (in petty and quarter sessions) above The Lathe and division of the Lathe were the basis for meetings of local justices of the peace in monthly or petty sessions. These were established on
7150-411: The county was granted similar powers to those granted in the areas bordering Wales and Scotland . During the medieval and early modern period, Kent played a major role in several of England's most notable rebellions, including the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, led by Wat Tyler , Jack Cade 's Kent rebellion of 1450, and Wyatt's Rebellion of 1554 against Queen Mary I . The Royal Navy first used
7260-405: The county, which has multiple orchards and allotments. In north-west Kent, industries include aggregate building material extraction, printing and scientific research. Coal mining has also played its part in the county's industrial heritage. The name is of Celtic origin, and dates back to at least the 4th century BC. It is one of the earliest names recorded in Britain, known to the Greeks since
7370-441: The county. The 2024 election saw a sharp decline in support for the Conservatives, and the county is currently represented by eleven Labour MPs, six Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat. At the 2011 census , Kent, including Medway, had 1,727,665 residents (18.0% of which in Medway); had 711,847 households (17.5% of which in Medway) and had 743,436 dwellings (14.8% of which in Medway). 51.1% of Kent's population excluding Medway
7480-410: The earlier Militia Reserve. The battalions became the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) respectively. The Artillery Militia was disbanded. On the outbreak of World War I the two battalions were embodied and went to their war stations at Dover (Buffs) and Chatham (West Kents). As well as defence tasks, their role
7590-435: The entire estuary of the River Thames to the north; the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover to the south-east; East Sussex to the south-west; Surrey to the west and Greater London to the north-west. The county town is Maidstone . It is the fifth most populous county in England, the most populous non-metropolitan county and the most populous of the Home Counties , an area influenced by
7700-404: The explorer Pytheas recorded it as Kantion during his voyage around the British Isles in about 325 BC. As such, it has been claimed as the "oldest recorded name still in use in England." The meaning has been explained as 'coastal district,' 'corner-land' or 'land on the edge' (Welsh cant 'bordering of a circle, tyre, edge;' Breton cant 'circle;' Dutch kant 'side, edge'). In Latin sources
7810-419: The exposed clay eroded faster than the exposed chalk, greensand, or sandstone. Sevenoaks , Maidstone , Ashford , and Folkestone are built on greensand, while Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are built on sandstone. Dartford , Gravesend , the Medway towns, Sittingbourne , Faversham , Canterbury , Deal , and Dover are built on chalk. The easterly section of the Wealden dome has been eroded away by
7920-521: The first Archbishop of Canterbury . In the previous year, Augustine successfully converted the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity. The Diocese of Canterbury became England's first Episcopal See with first cathedral and has since remained England's centre of Christianity. The second designated English cathedral was for West Kent at Rochester Cathedral . Kent was traditionally partitioned into East and West Kent, and into lathes and hundreds . The traditional border of East and West Kent
8030-449: The head waters of other rivers such as the River Darent . Other rivers of Kent include the River Stour in the east. A 2014 study found that Kent shares significant reserves of shale oil with other neighbouring counties, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil , which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in
8140-715: The inconclusive Second Battle of Newbury . After attending a rendezvous at Romsey , Kentish troops may have been involved in the Siege of Basing House , which surrendered in October 1645. Although the New Model Army was kept in being after the First Civil War ended in 1646, Parliament disbanded its local forces and the Trained Bands were again the main military force to deal with local uprisings. An outbreak in Canterbury at Christmas 1647
8250-479: The lathe of Scray. The placename "Scray" is recorded in 1278 as Scherewynghop , derived from Old English sċrēawa ( pronounced [ˈʃræ͜ɑː.wɑ] ), " shrew " or "devil", and hop ("'a small enclosed valley" or "piece of enclosed land in the midst of marshes"). The lathe was bordered on the west by the Lathe of Aylesford and on the east by the Lathes of Shepway and St. Augustine . According to Hasted,
8360-715: The long peace after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1712, although a few counties were called out during the Jacobite Rising of 1745 . In Kent, which hourly expected a French invasion in support of the Jacobites in December 1745, all that could be done was for the Deputy Lieutenants to ask anyone willing to fight to assemble with whatever arms they had – a reversion to the shire levy or posse comitatus . Under threat of French invasion during
8470-508: The men and arms described as 'utterly unserviceable'. Morton's Regiment took part in the abortive expedition, suffering serious casualties from an outbreak of smallpox before the army was dispersed to its homes. Kent's quota in 1640 was another 700, not including the Cinque Ports' 300, to be sent by sea to join the army assembling on the Scottish border. Kent however was notably uncooperative and
8580-531: The men were actually called out each year. The militia was already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. The French Revolutionary Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as
8690-434: The militia became a priority. From 1583 counties were organised into groups for training purposes, with emphasis on the invasion-threatened 'maritime' counties including Kent. In 1584, Kent had 2500 trained men, of which 1000 were equipped with firearms, 500 with bows and 1000 were 'corslets' (armoured pikemen). The Armada Crisis in 1588 led to the mustering of the trained bands in April and they were called out on 23 July as
8800-644: The militia began to be called out for home defence. The East Kent Militia was embodied by June 1854 and in 1855 it volunteered for overseas garrison service, being sent to Malta for a year. The West Kent LI was embodied in January 1855 and served in Ireland. The Kent Militia Artillery was also embodied in January 1855 and served in the Dover defences. After the war the militia was disembodied in June and July 1856. The East Kents were among
8910-638: The militia received pay when called out, and operated alongside the New Model Army to control the country. Large numbers of Trained Band units were called out across England in 1650 during the Scottish invasion of the Third English Civil War , including those of Kent. Twistleton's Kent Dragoons were ordered to join a concentration at Oxford , before the Scots army was defeated at the Battle of Worcester . After
9020-481: The motto Invicta , meaning "undefeated" or "unconquered". The adoption of this motto followed the invasion of Britain by William of Normandy , as he was unable to subdue the county and they negotiated favourable terms. The continued resistance of the Kentish people against the Normans led to Kent's designation as a semi-autonomous county palatine in 1067. Under the nominal rule of William's half-brother Odo of Bayeux ,
9130-487: The neighbouring county of Sussex if the Spanish landed there. But the Armada was defeated at sea and was unable to land any troops: the trained bands were stood down shortly afterwards. With the passing of the threat of invasion, the trained bands declined in the early 17th Century. Later, King Charles I attempted to reform them into a national force or 'Perfect Militia' answering to the king rather than local control. In 1638
9240-541: The newcomers. Of the invading tribes, the Jutes were the most prominent, and the area became a Jutish kingdom recorded as Cantia in about 730 and Cent in 835. The early medieval inhabitants of the county were referred to as the Cantwara , or Kentish people. The city of Canterbury was the largest in Kent. In 597, Pope Gregory I appointed the religious missionary (who became Saint Augustine of Canterbury after his death) as
9350-477: The numbers had to be made up with pressed men. Control of the trained bands was one of the major points of dispute between Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War . However, with a few exceptions neither side made much use of the trained bands during the war beyond securing the county armouries for their own full-time troops, many of whom were recruited from the trained band ranks. However,
9460-525: The outbreak of the Third Dutch War , the Lord Lieutenant of Kent , Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchilsea , warned of the danger of invasion before the Royal Navy could be fully mobilised, and set up a system of guards along the coast. He had the whole county militia ready to march at an hour's notice, and hoped to be given command of any regular troops in the county. Again, the whole militia of England
9570-493: The provisions of the Act of 9 Geo. IV were invoked to re-examine the whole structure The Lower Division of Scray, which formed the southernmost part of the Lathe, consisted of the following Hundreds: The remainder of the Lathe formed the Upper Division. The Quarter Sessions of the county were held at both Canterbury, for East Kent and at Maidstone for West Kent . The Lower Division of Scray belonged to West Kent and
9680-450: The remainder of the later lathe of Scray, except for the hundreds of Blackbourne, Rolvenden and Selbrittenden (Silverden), then being in Limen ( Lympne ) (later renamed Shepway) lathe. By 1295 the lathe of Scray was in existence, based on a merger of Milton and Wye. In the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries the hundreds of Barkley, Cranbrook, East Barnfield, Marden, and Tenterden were established within
9790-572: The sea, and cliffs such as the White Cliffs of Dover are present where a chalk ridge known as the North Downs meets the coast. Spanning Dover and Westerham is the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The Wealden dome is a Mesozoic structure lying on a Palaeozoic foundation, which can often create the right conditions for coal formation. This is found in East Kent roughly between Deal, Canterbury, and Dover. The Coal Measures within
9900-587: The seat of the Archbishops of Canterbury since the conversion of England to Christianity that began in the 6th century with Saint Augustine . Rochester Cathedral in Medway is England's second-oldest cathedral. Located between London and the Strait of Dover , which separates England from mainland Europe, Kent has been the setting for both conflict and diplomacy, including the Battle of Britain in World War II and
10010-457: The small number of militia regiments embodied during the Indian Mutiny , again serving at Portsmouth and Woolwich from December 1857. In March 1860 it was sent to Weymouth , where it guarded convicts at Portland Prison working on the stone breakwaters of Portland Harbour . It was disembodied in June 1860. Thereafter the militia regiments were only assembled for their annual training. Under
10120-646: The summer of 1643. The Sutton at Hone TB Volunteers were represented in the Parliamentary army that relieved the Siege of Gloucester and fought the First Battle of Newbury on their return, and a number of Kentish TB units joined the Sir William Waller 's Southern Association army for the successful Siege of Arundel from December 1643 to January 1644. Later in 1644 the Aylesford TB Volunteers were at
10230-525: The turned back collars and cuffs), except his own regiment, which was to be clothed in yellow. By 1684 militia captains throughout the country were directed to provide cavalry with a buff coat and infantry with a coat of one colour. In 1697 the Kent Militia (independent of the Cinque Ports) consisted of six regiments: These totalled 37 companies of Foot (3550 men) and four Troops of Horse (231 men). Among
10340-569: The war, Kent's borders changed several more times. In 1965, the London boroughs of Bromley and Bexley were created from nine towns formerly in Kent. In 1998, Rochester, Strood, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham left the administrative county of Kent to form the Unitary Authority of Medway . Plans for another unitary authority in north-west Kent were dropped, but in 2016 consultations began between five Kent local authorities (Canterbury, Thanet, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe, and Ashford) with
10450-612: The whole burden of home defence and internal security was entrusted to the militia. In 1666, Charles II called out the Kent Militia to defend against a threatened Dutch and French invasion (the Second Dutch War ), and in September that year it sent a contingent to help fight the Great Fire of London . The militia were again assembled in May 1667, Kent supplying its men with a month's pay. In June
10560-492: Was called out to repel a possible invasion after the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690. Armour was going out of use and the militia were not otherwise supplied with uniforms. The acting Lord Lieutenant of Kent, the Duke of Richmond , caused an upset among taxpayers in Kent in 1668 when he directed that the Kent Militia should abandon armour and the men were to have red soldiers' coats down to the knees, lined with black (which would show at
10670-670: Was commissioned as captain of the Sevenoaks and Bromley Regiment on 27 April 1813, then on 26 July the same year he was promoted to Lt-Col Cmdt after Viscount Whitworth resigned. The Cranbrook and Woodsgate Regiment had become the Weald of Kent Regiment by March 1814. The militia was disembodied at the end of the Napoleonic War and the Local Militia Ballot was suspended and their remaining permanent staff were paid off. The West Kent Militia
10780-625: Was determined by a gavelkind inheritance system that generated a proliferation of small settlements. There was no open-field system, and the large tracts were owned by the two great abbeys, Christ Church, Canterbury and St Augustine's Abbey , that did not pass into the hands of the king during the Reformation . Canterbury Cathedral is the United Kingdom's metropolitan cathedral ; it was founded in AD 598 and displays architecture from all periods. There are nine Anglo-Saxon churches in Kent. Rochester Cathedral
10890-416: Was embodied again in June 1815 during the short Waterloo Campaign . They were finally disembodied in May 1816. After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. The Militia of the United Kingdom
11000-491: Was embodied on 18 January 1900 and after volunteering were sent to South Africa in March. It saw a good deal of action in the Orange Free State and in the pursuit of Christiaan de Wet , then spent most of 1901 as convoy escorts and to man the lines of blockhouses . The 3rd Buffs were relieved and embarked in January 1902 for Saint Helena where they spent a further six months guarding Boer prisoners of war . The battalion
11110-590: Was female — as to Medway, this proportion was 50.4%. The tables below provide statistics for the administrative county of Kent, that is, excluding Medway. At the 2001 UK census , employment statistics for the residents in Kent, including Medway, were as follows: 41.1% in full-time employment, 12.4% in part-time employment, 9.1% self-employed, 2.9% unemployed, 2.3% students with jobs, 3.7% students without jobs, 12.3% retired, 7.3% looking after home or family, 4.3% permanently sick or disabled, and 2.7% economically inactive for other reasons. Of residents aged 16–74, 16% had
11220-578: Was finally disembodied on 17 July 1902. 3rd Battalion of the West Kents also volunteered and served in garrison in Malta. The Kent Artillery was embodied from 3 May to 13 October 1900. Although the unit volunteered for overseas service it was not accepted, though some officers did serve in South Africa as volunteers. After the Boer War, the future of the Militia was called into question. There were moves to reform
11330-510: Was not embodied for fulltime service during the war. The regiment only served in Kent during the Seven Years War, with detachments guarding French prisoners of war . It was disembodied in December 1762 as the war was ending and reverted to a peacetime training routine. The militia was called out after the outbreak of the War of American Independence when the country was threatened with invasion by
11440-653: Was quelled by the St Augustine Volunteers. However, the trial of those arrested led to further protests in May 1648, which former Royalist officers turned into an organised revolt, sparking off the Second English Civil War . The Royalists seized numerous towns in Kent and the Prince of Wales landed at Sandwich to put himself at the head of the rebellion. Many of the gentleman of Kent joined and trained bandsmen could not be relied upon, but Sir Thomas Fairfax led
11550-516: Was raised at Dover in May 1853. The Artillery Militia was reorganised into 11 divisions of garrison artillery in 1882, and the Kent unit became the 2nd Brigade, Cinque Ports Division, RA . When the Cinque Ports Division was abolished in 1889 the title was altered to Kent Artillery (Eastern Division) RA . War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea ,
11660-541: Was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under
11770-517: Was the county's main river, the Medway . Men and women from east of the Medway are Men (or Maids) of Kent, those from the west are Kentishmen or Kentish Maids. The divide has been explained by some as originating in the Anglo-Saxon migrations, with Jutes mainly settling east of the Medway and Saxons settling west of it. In the 11th century, the people of Kent (or Chenth , per the Domesday Book ) adopted
11880-530: Was then billeted in Essex and Hertfordshire . At the end of May 1780 it was ordered to Portsmouth for the sumer, but diverted to Tottenham and Highgate , north of London, to assist in quelling the Gordon Riots in the city. The militia was stood down at the conclusion of the war and from 1784 to 1792 the regiments were supposed to assemble for 28 days' annual training, even though to save money only two-thirds of
11990-537: Was to equip the Reservists and Special Reservists of their regiments and send them as reinforcement drafts to the Regular battalions serving overseas. Once the pool of reservists had dried up, the 3rd Bns trained thousands of raw recruits for the active service battalions, and reserve battalions were established alongside them to carry out the same role for the ' Kitchener's Army ' battalions. They continued this role until after
12100-609: Was within the jurisdiction of one constable, appointed for it at the court-leet held for the manor and hundred of Milton, and this part of the hundred of Milton was styled the Liberty of Sheppey. See map. The Lathe was an important administrative, judicial and taxation unit for 600 years after the Domesday Book. The functions of Lathe and hundreds were somewhat similar, with a Lathe covering a much wider area. Although not abolished, it has no administrative functions today. The Sheriff toured
#953046