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Hythe in Kent County England History and GeographyHYTHE, a borough, parish, and one of the cinque-ports, having separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Hythe, lathe of SHEPWAY, county of KENT, 33 miles (S.E. by E.) from Maidstone, and 67 (S.E. by E.) from London, containing 2181 inhabitants. This place, which is of great antiquity, was noted for the security of its haven, from which circumstance it appears to have derived its Saxon name, signifying harbour. In 456, a sanguinary battle took place on this part of the coast, between the Britons and the Saxons, and many were slain on both sides: their bones, whitened by long exposure on the sea-shore, having been collected, were deposited in one large pile, twenty-eight feet long, eight feet broad, and eight feet high, in the crypt under the chancel of the parish church: in many of the skulls are deep incisions, probably made by a battle-axe, or other heavy military weapon. Hythe, from its maritime importance, was constituted one of the cinqueports, rated at five ships, with a complement of twenty-one men each, for the service of the king, and invested with ample privileges. In 1036, the town, with the manor of Saltwood, was given to the see of Canterbury, the archbishops of which had a castle at Saltwood, about a mile to the northward. In the early part of the reign of Henry IV., according to Lambard, 'Hythe was grievously afflicted, in so much, beside the furie of the pestilence which raged all over, there were in one day two hundred of the houses consumed by fire, and five of the ships with one hundred men drowned:' the inhabitants, impoverished and dispirited by this calamity, had thoughts of abandoning the town, but were prevented by the interposition of the king, who released them for a time from their services as inhabitants of a cinque-port. At the Reformation, Archbishop Cranmer exchanged the manor of Saltwood, and the town of Hythe, with Henry VIII., and they continued vested in the crown until the 17th of Elizabeth, who granted the town at a fee farm rent of £3 to the inhabitants, whom she incorporated, by the style of 'the mayor, jurats, and commonalty, of the town and port of Hythe.' Since the maritime survey made in that reign, the haven has been entirely choked up with sand, and the beach is at present nearly three quarters of a mile from the town. Hythe consists principally of one long street, running parallel with the sea, and intersected nearly at right angles by several smaller streets: the houses are irregularly built, but those on the higher grounds command a fine view of the sea, Romney Marsh, and the adjacent country, which abounds with romantic scenery, and affords numerous pleasing walks and rides. At the entrance into the town from the London road are the barracks of the royal staff corps, which is permanently stationed here. The theatre, a small but neat and well-arranged building, is opened occasionally, and the public library and reading-rooms are under good regulations and well attended. The town is much frequented during the season for sea-bathing, and there are several machines on the beach. The coast is defended by a range of strong forts and a line of martello towers, erected during the late war with France. The Royal Military canal from Hythe to Appledore affords a facility of conveyance for goods and merchandise; and a passage-boat plies daily between this place and Rye. The market is on Saturday: the fairs are, July 10th and December 1st. The government, by charter of Elizabeth, is vested in a mayor, two chamberlains, twelve jurats, and twenty-four common council-men, assisted by a town clerk and other officers: the mayor and jurats are justices of the peace within the borough and liberties, and hold a general court of session and gaol delivery in July, which is continued by adjournment on the Saturday in every month. The corporation have power to try for all offences except high treason, and to determine all pleas and civil actions; they also hold a court of record monthly, for the recovery of debts to any amount. The county magistrates for the division hold a meeting in the town on the third Monday in every month. The court-hall is a convenient building in the centre of the town; and the market-place was formed by Viscount Strangford in the reign of Charles II. The borough gaol and house of correction is a small building, containing three wards for the classification of prisoners. The borough has returned two members to parliament since the 42nd of Edward III., who are called barons: the right of election is vested in the corporation and burgesses generally, of whom the number is about one hundred and thirty: the mayor is the returning officer. The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the rectory of Saltwood, in the peculiar jurisdiction and patronage of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The church; dedicated to St. Leonard, is a spacious and handsome structure, partly in the Norman, and partly in the early English, style of architecture, with a tower at the west end in the former style, and a central tower of the latter character: the whole building displays remarkably good and well-executed designs in each of these styles, and under the chancel is a very fine crypt, beautifully groined, and having a door on each side, with highly enriched mouldings: over the porch is a large apartment used as the town-hall, in which the mayor and other officers of the corporation are annually chosen. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyan Methodists. National schools are supported by subscription, and there are also Sunday schools in connexion with the established church and the dissenting congregations. St. Bartholomew's hospital, for five poor men and five women, natives of Hythe, was founded by Haimo, Bishop of Rochester, about 1336, and is endowed with land near the town, producing a considerable revenue, which is vested in the corporation. Another almshouse, for six poor persons, called St. John's hospital, is endowed with landed property, vested in six trustees, usually members of the corporation: there are some other charitable benefactions for the relief of the poor. Near the end of Stane-street, the Roman road from Canterbury, is the ancient port Lemanus, or Limne, where the remains of the walls of that station are still visible. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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