Hello I wonder if anyone can give me more information about the above family and their business?   William Brook LEEMING was living in Nevill House, Meopham in 1886. His mother, Frances LEEMING, is living with him in 1891 after the death of her husband, Thomas LEEMING. Prior to this, they had been living in Essex. Also in the household is another son, Thomas Nelson LEEMING.   Thomas and William were varnish makers - Thomas describing himself as employer and his brother employee, in 1891 census. Their father had been varnish maker too, as had 3 previous generations, in Essex and before that, in Ripon, Yorkshire.   Frances was still in Nevill House in 1901 & 1911 and living with her was a William MURRELL, described as manager, varnish makers, suggesting he was running the firm by then.   Their varnish making business - Messrs Leeming & Co (Cobham) Ltd - was situated in Sole Street, close to the railway. There was a major fire at the factory in 1928 which caused considerable damage to the railway as well as gutted the factory, which was reported in The Times of the day. The business was still going in 1978 (although I do not know if there was still a Leeming connection with the firm then). I understand that the company is now dissolved.   The earliest connection I can find between the LEEMING family and Meopham is 1886, however, I have a newspaper article (thanks to the efforts of Gravesend Library) from the Gravesend Reporter of 20 Sept 1958, that describes the firm as one of the oldest varnishmaking companies in the country and it states the company was originally set up in 1798 "by a Mr Leeming who lived in Nevill House Meopham". My research has tracked this LEEMING family back to Thomas LEEMING who was working as a labourer in a varnish makers but in Ripon, Yorkshire not Kent, from 1794 until his death in 1839.   Could anyone shed further light on this family, the history of the firm and this statement of the Reporter?   Many thanks Jane