Kingsdown Society

KINGSDOWN (near Sittingbourne) is a village and small straggling parish, 4 miles south-by-east from Sittingbourne station on the South Eastern and Chatham railway, and 7 south-west from Faversham, in the North Eastern division of the county, Milton hundred and union, lathe of Scray, Sittingbourne petty sessional division, country court district of... Sittingbourne and in the rural deanery of Sittingbourne, archdeaconry of Maidstone and diocese of Canterbury. This place gave the title of baron (28th August 1858) to the Rt. Hon. Thomas Leigh-Pemberton Q.C. 1st and only Baron Kingsdown, who died unmarried 7th October 1867, when the title became extinct. The church of St. Catherine is of Kentish rag, with Bath stone dressings, in the Early English style, and was rebuilt on the old site in 1865, at the expense of the late Lord Kingsdown, from designs by E.W. Pugin esq.; it has a tower with spire containing 2 bells, and affords sittings. The register dates from the year 1560. The living is a rectory, net yearly value about £110, with 18 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Robert Leigh-Pemberton esq and held since 1912 by the Rev. Cuthbert Ellidge Owtram M.A. of Worcester College, Oxford, who is also rector of Milstead. Robert Leigh-Pemberton esq. of Torry Hill, is lord of the manor and principal land-owner. The soil is rich; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are hops, fruit and wheat. The area is 705 acres; rateable value, £702; in 1911 the population was 52.Read More