Dear All, I came across this extract from the Vestry Minutes held at CKS, Maidstone, a few days ago, and thought I'd send it to the list as it contains so many names being researched by different members of the list. Basically it's a partial record of a Vestry meeting held to discuss ways of providing work for the very many unemployed labourers in the village at that time. The Vestry was originally a meeting room in a Church. This gave its name to the 'Governing body' of the Parish. It consisted of the Rector (often an absentee in Woodchurch) churchwardens, and some of the more substantial parishioners. It appointed the Overseers of the Poor, Constable, Surveyors of Highways etc . I'd love to know why those who voted against, or for it, did so, but I don't know of any way of finding out!!! By the way, Richard Hukins owned a piece of land where the Mill View houses now stand, so I should imagine the land referred to is from the junction with Susan's Hill up to the Mill entrance. best wishes, Josie 7 Feb 1822 Notice the Churchwardens and Overseers will hold a vestry at The Bonny Cravat on Thursday evening the 7th February inst at the hour of six o'clock to take into consideration the grubing the hedge from Rich Hukins' field up to John Parton's mills and level and sloop down the banks and make the ground in an husbandlike manner fit to be laid into grass, the Churchwardens and Overseers are to have a just claim to the roots on the said ground, also to grub up the footpath hedge from the entrance of Stone lane leading to Mr Parton's mill on the same conditions as the former. Voted in favour: William Worger Gorge Bourne Thomas Fullagar Malt Thomas Crampton William Wells Jun Nath Newman Richrd Illenden John Fullagar William Huntley Daniel Ditton Thomas Fullagar Sen John Butler Dive Owen John Cassingham Samuel Hixson John Parton Jer Morphett Shadr Pearce Against: John Coomber Stephen Hook William Kingsland James Hukins Thomas Samson William Holyer Bart Bishopp

Just wanted to say what an interesting piece this was about the Vestry meeting. And I wonder if one of the many unemployed , would have been my husbands ancestor. Who knows, wouldn't we all like to know more about those times. I've often wondered where on Upper Green, the family would have lived, it surely wouldn't look like Woodchurch today. Lyn Latimer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josie Mackie" <josie.mackie@tesco.net> To: <eng-ken-woodchurch@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:20 AM Subject: [ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH] Vestry Meeting > Dear All, > I came across this extract from the Vestry Minutes held at CKS, Maidstone, > a few days ago, and thought I'd send it to the list as it contains so many > names being researched by different members of the list. > Basically it's a partial record of a Vestry meeting held to discuss ways > of providing work for the very many unemployed labourers in the village at > that time. > The Vestry was originally a meeting room in a Church. This gave its name > to the 'Governing body' of the Parish. It consisted of the Rector (often > an absentee in Woodchurch) churchwardens, and some of the more substantial > parishioners. It appointed the Overseers of the Poor, Constable, > Surveyors of Highways etc . > I'd love to know why those who voted against, or for it, did so, but I > don't know of any way of finding out!!! By the way, Richard Hukins owned > a piece of land where the Mill View houses now stand, so I should imagine > the land referred to is from the junction with Susan's Hill up to the Mill > entrance. > best wishes, Josie > 7 Feb 1822 > > Notice the Churchwardens and Overseers will hold a vestry at The Bonny > Cravat on Thursday evening the 7th February inst at the hour of six > o'clock to take into consideration the grubing the hedge from Rich Hukins' > field up to John Parton's mills and level and sloop down the banks and > make the ground in an husbandlike manner fit to be laid into grass, the > Churchwardens and Overseers are to have a just claim to the roots on the > said ground, also to grub up the footpath hedge from the entrance of Stone > lane leading to Mr Parton's mill on the same conditions as the former. > > Voted in favour: > > William Worger > > Gorge Bourne > > Thomas Fullagar Malt > > Thomas Crampton > > William Wells Jun > > Nath Newman > > Richrd Illenden > > John Fullagar > > William Huntley > > Daniel Ditton > > Thomas Fullagar Sen > > John Butler > > Dive Owen > > John Cassingham > > Samuel Hixson > > John Parton > > Jer Morphett > > Shadr Pearce > > Against: > > John Coomber > > Stephen Hook > > William Kingsland > > James Hukins > > Thomas Samson > > William Holyer > > Bart Bishopp > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-KEN-WOODCHURCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >