Genealogy Chat

thanks everyone. I wonder if that ferry was working before 1820, because my Walfords were born in Gravesend but I can't find the generation before. There are lots of Walford's in Essex though.

I'd already figured that the old ferry is most likely how my grandfather's parents travelled from Gravesend, where he was born in 1888, to Chalfont St Mary near Grays in Essex, where they were living in 1901.

Ian is correct in that there are 2 Milton in North Kent. However the Milton near Gravesend is a suburb of Gravesend now, but may have been a small settlement back in 1850's. Gravesend is on the River Thames, and this Milton is looking across the River Thames to Tilbury on the Essex side. There used to be a ferry boat from Gravesend to Tilbury, which I had forgotten about and Karen this one may be of more interest to you. I seem to vaguely remember a church there but not sure as the main church in Gravesend is famous for the story of Princess Pocahontas and is in the centre of Gravesend overlooking the river. The Milton near Sittingbourne is indeed Milton Regis and is on the River Medway but when I lived in the area it was a mouthful to say Milton Regis all the time so we used to just call it Milton. Janet

Karen, There are two different Miltons in Kent. Milton-next-Gravesend (which is on the outskirts of Gravesend in the direction of Rochester) and there is a Milton close to Sittingbourne (Milton Regis). Ian

Thanks Janet, that's very interesting. I've copied for reference.

Karen Back in the mid 1800's there was a very good railway line going through from CharingX London and amidst other stations calling at Gravesend, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham and Sittingborne so there would have been no problem connecting Gravesend with Sittingbourne (Milton was a village close to Sittingbourne, probably a big town now!!) This area was and presumably still is known as North Kent, quite an industrial area with Papermills at Northfleet and Gravesend, Dockyards and Shipping at Chatham and Gillingham with agriculture, and apple and cherry orchards and hops around Rainham and Sittingbourne. Sittingbourne was also industrial and had paper mills so maybe he felt at home coming from the papermill area of Gravesend! Worth looking into the history of the area if your folk are from here. Many books written about the area. Janet

thanks Nell, I thought Milton was next to Gravesend, must be mistaken.

Karen The registration district often has the name of a specific place, but it covers a wide area. Genuki says this: Milton Created 1st July 1837. Sub-district : Milton. GRO volumes : V (1837-51); 2a (1852-1930). Bapchild, Bobbing, Borden, Bredgar, Hartlip, Iwade, Kingsdown, Lower Halstow, Milsted, Milton, Murston, Newington, Rainham, Rodmersham, Sittingbourne, Tonge, Tunstall, Upchurch. Registers now in Canterbury with Swale district. If you go to www*streetmap*uk*co [replace * with .] you can find the places you want on a map - you can zoom in or out to see how far apart they are. If this vicar is related to you he will probably be in a list of clergy in a directory somewhere, though not necessarily online. You could google to find a list of churches in Sittingbourne and see if any of them have a list of previous incumbents. nell

well....... My Walford family came from Gravesend & Milton in Kent. They have been to only ones there whenever I have searched in Census'. Checked the 1861 census & it said he was in Milton. BUT...he wasn't born there...(can't work out what it says ).....& he was really in Sittingbourne. This 1861 census on 1837 is confusing me with different place names.

Kaz Firstly, Sittingbourne is in the Milton registration district for certs, and I think the same system is used in the census. Secondly, to find out if he's related is to prove it by certificates etc just as you would any one else. Apart from the name, is his birthplace familiar to you - why do you think he is related? nell

thanks. I must have deciphered his name correctly if it pops up in Google !! That's good. I'll go & check on that. I guess there is no way of know if he was related really is there??

Sittingbourne is a fair old distance from Gravesend, same county though. Kent.

He was probably Church of England, Anglican. His name in Google search has a few hits.

I just found a possible relative on 1861 census. I think his name is Humphrey Thomas Walford. He is living at the vicarage in Milton Kent. OK..........firstly.....what religion would that make him?? Also, is Sittingbourne near Gravesend??? On the search result if said they were in Milton, but the image says Sittingbourne. It also says he is called something completely different to what is on the image. Is it possible to research vicars??