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Queenborough in Kent County England History and GeographyQUEENBOROUGH, a borough and parish (formerly a market town) having exclusive jurisdiction, though locally in the liberty of the Isle of Sheppy, lathe of SCRAY, county of KENT, 15 miles (N.E.) from Maidstone, and 45 (E. by S.) from London, containing 881 inhabitants. This place, then called Cyning-burgh, was a residence of the Anglo-Saxon kings; their castle was near the entrance of the Swale, and afterwards received the name of the castle of Sheppy: in the reign of Edward III., it was entirely rebuilt, on a magnificent scale, from a plan by William of Wykeham, afterwards Bishop of Winchester. That king, on visiting it for a few days, made the place a free borough, and, in honour of his Queen Philippa, conferred its present name: in 1366, he incorporated it by charter, and three years afterwards gave it the staple of wool. The castle was repaired by Henry VIII., in 1536, at which time he erected several others for the defence of the coasts; but, on a survey made by order of parliament, in 1650, being found unserviceable as a fortress in modern warfare, it was soon afterwards demolished. The town is situated near the West Swale, which is here navigable, and consists principally of one wide street; the houses in general are modern; and the inhabitants are supplied with water from the Castle well. The chief source of employment is fishing and oyster-dredging, and the lobster trade, large supplies being brought from Norway and Sweden and sent to the London market: there is also a copperas manufactory. Two weekly markets and two annual fairs were granted by Edward III., but at present only one fair is held, on the 5th of August. The first charter of incorporation was granted by the same monarch, and that now in force by Charles I., under which the corporation consists of a mayor, four jurats, and two bailiffs, with a recorder, chamberlain, town clerk, and other officers. The mayor and senior jurat are justices of the peace, and have exclusive jurisdiction within the borough: a court of session, half-yearly, is held before the recorder and magistrates. The mayor and the steward, who are elected by the select body of mayor, jurats, and bailiffs, are empowered under their charter to hold a court of record 'on Monday, from three weeks to three weeks,' for pleas to an unlimited amount, but it has fallen into disuse. The guildhall is a neat edifice near the centre of the town. The freedom is obtained by the eldest son of a freeman, being a native of the borough, and by servitude under freemen residing within it. This borough first sent representatives to parliament in the 13th of Elizabeth, since which it has continued to return two: the right of election is vested in the mayor, jurats, bailiffs, and burgesses: the number of voters is about four hundred: the mayor is the returning officer. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Canterbury, endowed with £600 private benefaction, £200 royal bounty, and £1600 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Mayor and Corporation. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, has an ancient tower at the west end. There is a place of worship for Independents. A school for the education of one hundred children of freemen is principally supported by the voluntary contributions of the corporation and the representatives of the borough: the schoolmaster receives £2 per annum, out of the dividends of £1000 three per cent. consols., bequeathed to the corporation for this and other purposes, in 1813, by Mr. Richard Webb. The only remains of the old castle are the moat and a very deep well, which latter was cleared out by order of the commissioners of the Navy, on account of the want of water at Sheerness. Here was anciently an hospital, dedicated to St. John. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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