FAVERSHAM BOROUGH RECORDS

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FAVERSHAM BOROUGH RECORDS

1252-1974

The Faversham corporation records form one of the largest collections held by any ancient borough in Kent. The main series of corporation, or 'wardmote' minutes, of chamberlains accounts, and of the papers of Quarter Sessions, of the view of frankpledge, and the borough court of record all begin in the sixteenth century, largely in the reign of Elizabeth I. The collection is also distinguished by a small, but unusual, group of legal documents mainly concerning the dispute between the community and the abbey of Faversham, and the privileges of the Cinque Ports, temp. Edward I and Edward II, a large collection of papers concerning the dispute about the Hatch bequest in the 1570's and the powers of the Corporation in such matters as the collection of the town droits in the eighteenth century, a full series of leases and deeds concerning Corporation property, and a few deeds and rapers concerning the Grammar School from 1526.

Many of the documents were calendared by F.F. Giraud, Esq., Town Clerk, at the end of the last century, the author of several papers relating to the records in Archaeologia Cantiana, and a general list was prepared by Miss K.M.E. Murray in the 1930's. At the time of deposit in the Archives Office most of the papers were contained in 135 numbered bundles.

English

80 series

The Borough of Faversham was reformed in 1835. Its liberties covered only part of the Parish of Faversham, but in addition included a small detached part of the Parish of Ospringe.

The area administered by the Pavement Commissioners, established in 1789, comprised the liberties of the Borough, plus part of the Parish of Preston next Faversham.

In 1883 the detached part of Ospringe was transferred to Faversham Parish.

In November 1889 the powers of the Pavement Commissioners were transferred to the Borough Council and the part of Preston which had come under them became part of the Borough, it remained however, part of Preston Parish.

In 1894 Faversham and Preston Parishes were split for civil purposes ; Faversham Within and Preston Within being the areas within the Borough.

By the Kent Review Order 1935 the Borough was enlarged by the addition of North Preston Without and parts of Davington, Faversham Without, Luddenham, Ospringe and South Preston Without. The division of the borough into Faversham Within and Preston Within was abolished at this time.

The Pavement Commissioners were made Port Sanitary Authority for part of the Port of Faversham by an order of the Local Government Board in July 1873. These powers were transferred to the Borough Council in 1889.