Erith, Kent

Historical Description

Erith, a township and a parish in Kent. The town stands on the river Thames, has a station on the S.E.R. 13 miles from London, and 3¼ NW of Dartford; was known to the Saxons as jErre-hythe, signifying the old haven; was once a market and corporate town; consists chiefly of one irregular street, but includes many recent villas and other good houses; presents an agreeable rural appearance, with environments of green lanes and pleasant paths. It has a steamboat pier, and is governed by a local board of nine members. The parish contains also the hamlets of Beadonwell, Lessness Heath, Picardy, and Northumberland Heath. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office (S.O.) The area is 3851 acres of land, and 762 of water and foreshore; population of the civil parish, 13,414; of the ecclesiastical parish of Christchnrch, 3821; of St John the Baptist, 5806. The manor belonged at Domesday to Bishop Odo, and passed through the De Lucys, the Badlesmeres, the Waldens, the Comptons, and others, to the Wheatleys. Much of the land along the Thames, above the town, is low and flat, and bears the name of Erith Marshes. A vast sandpit, with about 40 feet of vertical frontage, situated W of the town, shows formations and has yielded fossils which render it highly interesting to geologists. Two powder magazines in the parish, said to contain 30,000 barrels, exploded on 1 Oct., 1864; with an effect reaching so far as London; it was momentarily mistaken there for an earthquake stroke, and was distinctly felt even at Maidstone. Much damage was done to property, but surprisingly few lives were lost. Erith Reach, in the Thames, extends to Jenningtree Point, is 1½ mile long, and has anchorage in from 3 to 5 fathoms, but shoals toward the Essex side. Erith is a favourite station for various yacht clubs, and is the headquarters of the Corinthian Yacht Club. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Canterbury; net value, £3 67. Patron, Lord Wynford. The church is partly Early English, partly Perpendicular, consists of nave and chancel, with low tower and spire, and contains some good brasses, an altar-tomb of the Countess of Shrewsbury who died in 1568, and a monument by Chantrey to Lord Eardley. A meeting, supplementary to the signing of Magna Charta, and designed to effect a final peace between King John and his barons, was held in this church. It was completely restored and a north aisle added in 1877. Christ church, erected in 1874, is a building of brick in the Early English style, and has about 700 sittings. The living is a vicarage; net value, £166. Patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury. There are Congregational, Baptist, Wesleyan, and Roman Catholic chapels. Weaver, the antiquary, was lay rector. There are also a public hall, hospital, science and art school, and several good educational establishments. There are a large iron foundry, some factories, and extensive brickfields.

Administration

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

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

Church Records

Findmypast have the following online for Erith, Cemetery: burials 1894-1962

Findmypast have the following online for Erith, St John: baptisms 1801-1873, marriages 1625-1908, burials 1813-1845

Civil Registration

For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Erith from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Erith (St. John the Baptist))

Maps

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

• Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• Google Streetview.
• National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
• OpenStreetMap.
• old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
• Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)

Newspapers and Periodicals

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

• Kent & Sussex Courier
• Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald
• Dover Express
• Kentish Gazette
• Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald
• Kentish Chronicle
• Maidstone Telegraph

Villages, Hamlets, &c

Visitations Heraldic

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