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Swanscombe, Kent

Historical Description

Swanscombe, a parish in Kent, on the river Thames, 1 mile from Northfleet station on the S.E.R., and 5 miles E of Dartford. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Greenhithe. Acreage, 2140; population of the civil parish, 6577; of the ecclesiastical, 5037. The manor was known at Domesday as Swede's Camp; took that name from a winter camp formed by Sweyne the Dane to protect his fleet; passed to W. de Valence and the Mortimers; was. given by Queen Elizabeth to the Weldons; went afterwards to the Childs; and passed to the Earl of Jersey. The manor house is an ancient building. Swanscombe Wood is a famous rural retreat, frequented by gipsying parties; and contains a cavern, called Clappernappers Hole, associated with much curious legend. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester; net value, £430 with residence. Patron, Sidney-Sussex College, Cambridge. The church is partly Transition Norman, but claims to be Saxon, and contains monuments to the Weldon family. There are Congregational, Wesleyan, Baptist, and Primitive Methodist chapels and some almshouses. Galleyhill is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in 1883. out of the parish of Swanscombe. The church is small. The living is a vicarage; gross value, £300 with residence. There are very extensive cement works in the neighbourhood.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Ancient CountyKent 
Ecclesiastical parishSwanscombe St. Peter and St. Paul 
HundredAxton 
LatheSutton-at-Hone 
Poor Law unionDartford 

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.


Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Swanscombe from the following:


Maps

Online maps of Swanscombe are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Kent newspapers online:


Visitations Heraldic

The Visitation of Kent, 1619 is available on the Heraldry page, as is also The Visitation of Kent, 1663-68.

DistrictDartford
CountyKent
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Postal districtDA9
Post TownGreenhithe

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