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| Memories of Upchurch |
The Great Plague which eventually killed over 7,000 people in South-East England had an impact on Kent with towns like Chatham and Rochester badly affected. In early August 1665 100 houses were infected in Chatham while from April to December 500 burials took place in Rochester. Rural parts of Kent were not so badly hit as the black rat which carried the disease thrived in urban areas. Although exact reasons are not recorded, the Upchurch parish registers show that while only six parishioners died in 1665 the figure increased to 14 in 1666. This rise paralleled the county trend as 1666 was the worst year in Kent for plague mortality rates. Elizabeth Foreman, John Lille, Richard Barnett, Thomas and Richard Emerton were some of the Upchurch residents to die.
Swale villages took action to combat the plague. Domestic and farm animals were kept off the streets to prevent the disease from spreading, meetings of more than 38 people except prayer meetings were prohibited and ‘Pest Houses’ were set up for the sick. Those infected in their own houses had to be quarantined for 40 days and a red cross was painted on front doors to warn others. After this infected houses were kept under observation for 20 days and the red cross was replaced with a white one to suggest caution. Headaches, sores, armpit swellings, skin blotches and sneezing were symptoms of the plague. A contemporary children’s nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o’ Roses, describes how people were affected. People carried posies in their pockets to ward off the disease, no medical cure existed and the dead had to be buried in a separate part of the churchyard and covered with lime.
Upchurch residents also suffered fatal diseases in other years with 24 deaths in 1634 and 27 in 1688. The worst figure took place in 1637/1638 when 59 died out of a total population of just over 200 people. The cause was described as a malignant fever that hit Kent and Sussex. Bouts of plague and ague, a form of malaria, caused Upchurch vicars to be non resident from the 1560s to the early 19th century.
According to hearth tax returns of 1664, at about the time of the Great Plague, Upchurch was a poor village with a church and vicarage in a state of disrepair. Four serving Upchurch vicars died during the period 1609 to 1641, the last being John Messenger who was buried in the churchyard.
The people of Upchurch were a varied bunch during the 1660s and according to existing hearth tax returns 40 occupied dwellings existed in the parish. These show that William Forby lived in the vicarage house but part of it had collapsed. Gentlemen included Joshua Coppin and Henry Frere while widows included Susannah Wood, Jane Bing, Alice Smythe and Widow Brewer from Otterham. Other residents included Edward Hadlow from Gore and Richard Hubbard from Otterham.
Although the plague lasted for 15 months during 1665/1666, diseases of various types continued to affect villages like Upchurch until the early 20th century.
David Wood, who was born and raised in Upchurch, is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village.
David Wood's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + p+p £2.
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Following the decision at Full Council on 17 February 2011 to reduce the budget for socially necessary bus services, it has proved necessary to identify a number of services for withdrawal in order to remain within budget. The following service and the journeys shown have been identified for withdrawal in accordance with Kent County Council’s policy for supporting bus services. These journeys will cease to operate from the end of December 2011.
Service 327: Chatham - Sittingbourne Days of operation: Sun
Annual Cost: £7,822.85 Average number of journeys per day: 60
Subsidy per passenger journey: £5.10
Member Wards: Swale Central (Mike Whiting & Alan Willicombe) Swale West (Keith Ferrin)
Comments: Offers direct connection to Medway Maritime Hospital and is the only public transport on Sundays for Lower Halstow & Upchurch. Monday - Saturday bus service will continue and many areas also have rail as an alternative on Sundays.
Chatham - Sittingbourne | 327 |
Sundays |
Chatham Town Centre, Pentagon Bus Station (Bay 8) | 0935 | 1135 | 1435 | 1635 | 1835 |
Gillingham, Medway Park War Memorial (adj) | 0940 | 1140 | 1440 | 1640 | 1840 |
Gillingham, Bus Depot (adj) | 0943 | 1143 | 1443 | 1643 | 1843 |
Gillingham, Medway Maritime Hospital | 0947 | 1147 | 1447 | 1647 | 1847 |
Gillingham, St Johns Road (opp) | 0951 | 1151 | 1451 | 1651 | 1851 |
Chatham, Jezreels (E-bound) | 0952 | 1152 | 1452 | 1652 | 1852 |
Gillingham, Eastcourt Lane (adj) | 0956 | 1156 | 1456 | 1656 | 1856 |
Rainham, Old Co-op (adj) | 0959 | 1159 | 1459 | 1659 | 1859 |
Rainham, The Railway (adj) | 1000 | 1200 | 1500 | 1700 | 1900 |
Rainham, Wakeley Road East end (E-bound) | 1004 | 1204 | 1504 | 1704 | 1904 |
Upchurch, Church (adj) | 1009 | 1209 | 1509 | 1709 | 1909 |
Lower Halstow, The Green (at) | 1013 | 1213 | 1513 | 1713 | 1913 |
Newington, Station Road (adj) | 1018 | 1218 | 1518 | 1718 | 1918 |
Key Street, Pearce & Batt Garage (adj) | 1021 | 1221 | 1521 | 1721 | 1921 |
Chalkwell, Coniston Hotel (adj) | 1025 | 1225 | 1525 | 1725 | 1925 |
Sittingbourne, Railway Station (Stop F) | 1028 | 1228 | 1528 | 1728 | 1928 |
Sittingbourne Town Centre, High Street (Stop J) | 1030 | 1230 | 1530 | 1730 | 1930 |
Sittingbourne Town Centre, Forum Shopping Centre | 1031 | 1231 | 1531 | 1731 | 1931 |
Sittingbourne - Chatham | 327 |
Sundays |
Sittingbourne, Plaza Court (Stop A) | 0835 | 1035 | 1235 | 1535 | 1735 |
Sittingbourne Town Centre, Forum Shopping Centre | 0836 | 1036 | 1236 | 1536 | 1736 |
Sittingbourne, Railway Station (Stop F) | 0837 | 1037 | 1237 | 1537 | 1737 |
Chalkwell, Coniston Hotel (opp) | 0840 | 1040 | 1240 | 1540 | 1740 |
Key Street, Pearce & Batt Garage (opp) | 0843 | 1043 | 1243 | 1543 | 1743 |
Newington, Station Road (opp) | 0846 | 1046 | 1246 | 1546 | 1746 |
Lower Halstow, The Green (at) | 0851 | 1051 | 1251 | 1551 | 1751 |
Upchurch, Church (opp) | 0855 | 1055 | 1255 | 1555 | 1755 |
Rainham, Wakeley Road East end (W-bound) | 0900 | 1100 | 1300 | 1600 | 1800 |
Rainham, The Railway (opp) | 0904 | 1104 | 1304 | 1604 | 1804 |
Rainham, The Cricketers (adj) | 0906 | 1106 | 1306 | 1606 | 1806 |
Gillingham, Eastcourt Lane (opp) | 0909 | 1109 | 1309 | 1609 | 1809 |
Gillingham, Jezreels (N-bound) | 0914 | 1114 | 1314 | 1614 | 1814 |
Gillingham, Medway Maritime Hospital | 0918 | 1118 | 1318 | 1618 | 1818 |
Gillingham, Duncan Road (N-bound) | 0922 | 1122 | 1322 | 1622 | 1822 |
Gillingham, Medway Park War Memorial (opp) | 0925 | 1125 | 1325 | 1625 | 1825 |
Chatham Town Centre, Pentagon Bus Station (Bay 8) | 0930 | 1130 | 1330 | 1630 | 1830
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If you wish to comment on the changes set out in this document, or indeed represent an organisation which would be in a position to provide replacement transport, you can contact KCC in writing at;
By post to : Transport Integration, Kent County Council, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill,
West Malling, Kent, ME19 4QG
Please make sure that your comments reach KCC by Friday 2 September.
Kent County council
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| Become a friend of the Twinning Group. |
Upchurch is twinned with commune of Ferques-Elinghen in Pas de Calais, France.
Do look on the Holywell School website www.holywell.kent.sch.uk and also Upchurch Matters www.upchurchmatters.co.uk for our news as well. Also, try looking at www.ferques.fr for interesting stuff ! Under Tourisme, for example, there are details of a Chambre d’hote, which we know is really good !
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Bastille Day Street Fair in Ferques – The Bastille Day Fair in Ferques was much enjoyed by a good contingent from Upchurch, although the weather was a bit mixed. Our cups of tea and coffee, beer, bread, barbequed sausages etc were in a tent. We had a wonderful stall of bric-a-brac out on the streets with all the other stalls and the Twinning Group would like to thank all those people who donated such a variety of things for us to sell on the day and all the people who came over to Ferques on the day. In the end we made over £350 from all our efforts. Sports Day – as I write this, we are eagerly anticipating a really fun day on the Recreation Ground on Saturday 27th August (from 11am + BBQ from 12 noon, in case some of you get this early!).
Diary dates for you:
Saturday 15th October – Anniversary Dinner and Dance in Ferques, again in Elinghen Village Hall. This is an evening event, to include a meal and there will be some Celtic dancing this time. Still no details yet, but do consider going over to France that weekend for a jolly good time!
Saturday 5th November – Scout Group Fireworks at Westmoor Farm – Find the Twinning Group, who will be selling their famous, delicious bacon rolls again!
And for 2012:
Saturday 27th January 2012 – Quiz night at our School – always popular, more details nearer the time!
Sunday 15th April 2012 – Upchurch Choral Society will be performing in the church at Ferques – again more details nearer the time.
FRIENDS OF THE TWINNING GROUP – we are creating a “Friends of the Upchurch Twinning Group”. These would be people willing to give practical support e.g. on stalls, or at events, giving hospitality etc etc. Nothing too formal, but they would be people with a more firm connection to the committee, although of course the whole village of Upchurch is twinned with the whole village of Ferques.
Jim Harman (Chairman) 01634 235420 Sue Rossiter (Secretary) 01634 234780
Upchurch Twinning Group
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| Catalytic converters have a high scrap value and are expensive to replace. |
There have been two reports of thefts of catalytic converters from the exhausts of vehicles in Upchurch.
Both incidents were in the Oak Lane area. One Car and one Van.
Please report any suspicious behaviour you see around vehicles to the local Police.
Upchurch Matters
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| Porch Sales take place every 2nd Saturday of the month. |
St. Mary's Church Upchurch are holding their regular Porch Sale this Saturday the 13th and every 2nd Saturday of the month.
The sale starts at 9:00am and finishes at 11:30am. There will be home-made cakes and preserves, garden and allotment produce, books, jigsaw puzzles, CDs and DVDs, bric-a-brac, coffee and chat.
All proceeds go towards the repairs and upkeep of this ancient church.
Do visit to find out what's on offer.
Pat New
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| Many Villages are being left behind now. |
Recently The Parish Council printed a report about the appalling Broadband speeds in Upchurch and asking for feedback. I contacted both the Parish Council and our MP Gordon Henderson afterwards as I feel strongly that we are getting left behind in upgrading. I heard back from Mr. Henderson that there is to be a meeting on the 6th Sept between MP's and BT representatives to discuss the need for an improved broadband connection in Kent villages and wondered if you could put an appeal for people to email the Parish Council and/or their MP complaining about the service here.
The more people who make contact the more weight it will give to those representing us. The broadband connection really is dreadful here and everyone I speak to is complaining about the speeds going down over the past few months and suffering frequent drop outs. Nothing can be done because the lines are overstretched and ancient. I know for a fact that many people are having to buy dongles just to keep some sort of connection going. We have businesses here and how they manage I cant imagine. This is 2011 after all - not the dark ages!
Thanks for your help. I would be grateful - if you decide to put an appeal - that you don't mention my name - as I might be inundated!!
Regards
Carole Griffith-Jones
