Reposted by North West Kent Family History Society
To increase audience capacity owing to popular demand, next Monday's lunchtime talk will now take place in the Lecture Theatre at Sessions House, County Hall (opposite #Maidstone East Station).
There's still time to reserve your seat…
📧 archives@kent.gov.uk
☎️ 03000 420 673
![Shown here is the right-hand display cabinet outside the Search Room at Kent Archives, Maidstone.
It currently contains a mini exhibition titled 'Every Day's a School Day: Learning and Literacy in Bygone Kent and Beyond', including:
· A letter from Fanny Austen, aged ten, to her ex-governess Miss Dorothy Chapman, 1803 [ref. U951/C102/4]
· Books formerly owned by Horatia Nelson, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Nelson, early 19th century [refs. U4254/1-4]
· ‘The Smeeth Cricket Chronicle’ by Eva Knatchbull-Hugessen, 1875 [refs. U951/C232/1-2]
· Marriage Bonds signed with autograph marks, 1660 [refs. DCb/PRC/24/1 and DCb/J/X/11/3]
· A printed bill and letters written by Matthias Buchinger – a German calligrapher, artist and magician who was born without hands or feet, 1733 [ref. U120/Z10]
· Copy of 'Transaction of a Congress held with the chiefs of the Ottawaws and Chippewaw Nations with several others' bearing their pictorial signatures, 1764 [ref. U1350/O48/4]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o3vof7rjobhzoxvub42zxtot/bafkreib77h35dxkxbtg24r6wbrfyjv7m6gatn3b3sak4gsmwaz55wno5ie)
![Shown here is the left-hand display cabinet outside the Search Room at Kent Archives, Maidstone.
It currently contains a mini exhibition titled 'Every Day's a School Day: Learning and Literacy in Bygone Kent and Beyond', including:
· A memorisation activity from the “Welbent” Reading Scheme designed by teacher Augusta Monteith, c.1930 [Local History Collection]
· A volume titled 'An Illustrated Vocabulary for the Use of the Deaf and the Dumb' by Thomas James Watson, head of the London Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, 1857 [ref. Ch192/T1/3/1]
· Loose Pages from a Sunday School lessons book, 18th century [ref. P152/12/3]
· Photographs showing open air reading at Mayplace Road Council School in Crayford, 1937 [ref. KHLC-IMG/AL/2/30/1]; children collecting books from the County Mobile Library, c.1930-1940 [Local History Photographs Collection]; and students reading whilst using audiological equipment at the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate, 1957 [ref. Ch192/S11/1/5]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o3vof7rjobhzoxvub42zxtot/bafkreid3oc6s7qrmwjzfh7poh5svhm2nkxdsef3556bmw7qjkem2qsxu4e)
![Shown here is an albumen photograph capturing young and senior members of Maidstone Swimming Club. It lists the club's captain as F. Griffin and the sub-captain as A. Hastie. Created by the London Photographic Co. (Maidstone and Sittingbourne), 1893 [ref. U3360/P2/2]
[Archives@Kent] is the quarterly newsletter published by Kent Archives and Local History Service, Maidstone. From publicising newly catalogued material to exploring documents in detail and sharing information about upcoming events, our newsletters can be delivered straight to your email inbox or accessed at www.kentarchives.org.uk/archive-newsletter
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Email: archives@kent.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 420 673](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o3vof7rjobhzoxvub42zxtot/bafkreifrrnuwrefkml34myhv6teimevnvqyzcguioypprgxyepyfgd4v34)
![Shown here are entries from a nominal register recording male and female admissions to Maidstone Prison [ref. PR/Md/3/2/2]
Among those offending on the 21st July 1884:
- Ellen, a 16 year old fieldworker. In Chatham, she committed the offence of being drunk and was sentenced to 5 days of hard labour or pay 9/-.
- John, a 52 year old gardener. In Malling, he committed the offence of stealing potatoes and was sentenced to 14 days of hard labour or pay 18/6.
- John, a 28 year old soldier. In Sheerness, he committed the offence of murder and was 'detained during Her Majesty's pleasure'. A note states that he was later 'removed to Broadmoor'.
- David, a 30 year old labourer. In Tunbridge Wells, he committed the offences of vagrancy/neglecting his family and was sentenced to 1 month of hard labour.
- William, a 57 year old labourer. In Tunbridge Wells, he committed the offence of being drunk and disorderly and was sentenced to 10 days of hard labour.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o3vof7rjobhzoxvub42zxtot/bafkreicuwtghv6vvnxwimvkosbv3b6e2lunvbaatid23t5ws7cjutpocri)
![Shown here is Dr Mark Bateson (Engagement Officer) showing an attendee the 1392 Act of the Brodhull, with its six wax seals of the ports of Hastings, Winchelsea, Rye, Romney, Hythe and Sandwich [ref. Do/CPb1]
Saturday 27th June 2026](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o3vof7rjobhzoxvub42zxtot/bafkreib7ekh3jslabjj5wsk5kyunzztc6ibq4thev3cmhi4nh73h77mfda)
