Graveyard Memorial Inscriptions

Welcome to the Elham Historical Society database website. Feel free to browse and uncover the history of Elham. Our dedicated team of historians has recently finished recording the details on all the memorials in the graveyard. Our chairman Derek Boughton has overseen the operation, correlating the data and checking for errors. The results of their labours can be seen on the burials page.

Elham beat off stiff competition for the title of Kent Village of the year 2011 organised by Action with Communities in Rural Kent.

Censuses for outlying communities in the parish will be rolled out gradually. Check out the stats page for interesting facts and

trivia about the village. We still need your help so please send us any information relating to Elham that may be of interest.

Les Ames hits out

Elham resident Les Ames in action for England against the West Indies in 1939. He was one of the finer wicketkeeper - batsmen and played for Kent CCC.

Abbot's Fireside c 1450

The Abbot's Fireside is one of the older buildings in the village and probably dates back to the mid fifteenth century.

Audrey attends school

Audrey Hepburn (neé Rushton) lived in Orchard Cottage (Five Bells) for five years in her childhood (1935-1940) and attended the local village schools. She took ballet lessons and dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina. I wonder what became of her?

George V Playing Field

Dave Lee opens Elham's brand new playground with a sensory garden and a pretty flower meadow created by the Play for Elham charity. 21st November 2010

Swing Riots of 1830

The machine breaking that led to the riots of August 1830 onwards started in the Elham Parish, writes our historian Derek Boughton, who has made a lifetime's study of the subject.

Elham residents were prominent in the gangs that sought out the new fangled threshing machines and destroyed them. Some of them cost the not inconsiderable sum for the day of £100. Full Story

SHOCKING DEATH AN OLD WOMAN 1873

Mr. Coroner Delasaux held an inquest at Elham, on the body of Mary Ann Hogben, aged 83 years. It appears that the deceased was subject to fits, and on the 8th June last she was sitting before the fire in her son's house at Elham, no one being with her but a grandson of the age of eight years, when she fell into the fire. The boy screamed so as to attract the attention of Mr. Clayson, a neighbour, who went into the house, and found the unfortunate old woman’s head on the fire. She was extricated, and Mr. Bishop, surgeon, was called. in He found the deceased suffering from severe burning about the head, neck and hands, from the effects of which she died on Tuesday, the 9th July, he having attended her up to the time of her death. The jury found a verdict of accidental death. Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald - Saturday 19 July 1873

Tragic accident at Three Tuns 1802

Monday se’nnight as a daughter of Mr Rigden at the Three Tons in Elham, was standing near the fire, a spark flew upon her clothes, which immediately caught into a flame, and burnt her in so dreadful a manner that she died in the course of the day. K.G., 23 April 1802, 4d

WHISKY WITHOUT DOCTOR'S CERTIFICATE 1921

At the Seabrook Hythe Petty Sessions on Thursday a summons under the Liquor Control Regulations was heard against Mr. H. W. Selby Lowndes, Master of the East Kent Fox Hounds, and Mr. Donald Murdoch, of the Kennels, for consuming intoxicating liquor on licensed premises at 11.20 a.m., and against Mr. J. D. Law licensee of the “ New " Inn, Elham and his wife for supplying the same. Mr. Rutley Mowll appeared for the defence and stated that Mr. and Mrs. Law were too old to appear. Mr. Selby Lowndes did not appear. P.C. King, stationed at Elham, said that at 11.20 a.m. on 29th March, he visited the "New Inn," Elham, and went in, by the back door, into the bar parlour where he saw Mr. Lownes and Mr. Murdoch each with a glass of whisky in their hands. As he stepped into the room Mr. Lowndes drank up his whisky. Witness said " What is the meaning of this?" Mrs. Law, who had followed him into the room, said I am so sorry Mr. King," and began to cry. She said Mr. Selby Lowndes asked her to serve him because he felt so poorly after the races the day before. She asked witness not to report the matter and added that her husband was not well. She also said Mr. Selby Lowndes was looking so queer that she felt he ought to be given something. Witness pointed out that he should have had a doctor's certificate and Mrs. Law said there was not time. Mr. Lowndee then said: "It is entirely my fault King, I asked her to serve me. I felt so poorly and I asked for a whisky and soda. Be a good fellow and do not report it. I will give something to the hospital." Mr. Murdoch had placed his glass of whisky inside his coat and pulled his jacket over it. He had to more his right hand to get to his handkerchief and witness asked him what was the matter. He replied: 'All right King, I had one also; you can have one also." Mrs. Law made the remark "King does not drink." Mr. Murdoch then drank the rest of his whisky and asked witness not to report it. Mr. Ridley Mowll, addressing the Bench, said that the licensee was in bed ill at the time. There was no proof that the defendants were drinking whisky. P.C. King did not smell the contents of the glasses and there was such a thing as "pulling a man's leg..." The Bench retired to consider their decision, and on their return, the Chairmen said that Mr. Lowndes and Mr. Murdoch would be fined £'10 each, Mrs. Law £1, and Mir Law 5s. They did not think the case should be brought up by the Police at the next Annual Licensing Sessions. Dover Express - Friday 22 April 1921

EHS Database

Swing Riots of 1830 recounted by Derek Boughton our local expert historian.

Les Ames for England v West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica 1930 or 1935. WK Ivan Barrow watches on.

Audrey Hepburn attended private schools in the village and dreamed of being a ballerina. I wonder what became of her?

What's in the database? Find the latest additions here.

1905 Les Ames CBE

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Les Ames (1905 - 1990)

Former Elham resident Leslie Ethelbert George Ames CBE; who died suddenly at his home in Canterbury on February 26 1990 - aged 84 - was without a doubt the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman the game has so far produced; and yet - at the time he was playing - it used to be said there were better wicketkeepers than Ames - and that he was in the England team because of his batting. If this was so would Jardine - for example - have preferred him to Duckworth in Australia in 1932-33?

Surely not. When fully fit - Ames was England's first-choice wicketkeeper from 1931 to 1939 - when he virtually gave up the job. For Kent - he was an integral part of their Championship side from 1927 to the first match of 1951 - when a sharp recurrence of back trouble - which had dogged him for so long - brought his career to an end while he was actually at the crease. By this time he had amassed 37248 runs - average 43.51 - made 102 hundreds - including nine double-hundreds - and passed 1000 runs in a season seventeen times - going on to 3000 once and 2000 on five occasions. He had had a direct interest in 1121 dismissals - of which more than 1000 were effected when he was keeping wicket. His total of 418 stumpings is easily a record.

In Test cricket - Ames played 47 matches - scoring 2434 runs with a batting average of 40.56 - and taking 74 catches - and 23 stumpings. Record 8th wicket partnership in all tests of 246 with GO Allen :Made 123 in the pre-lunch session of the 1923 test against South Africa (a record for runs in a session): Scored centuries against every first-class county apart from Kent. Unusually for a wicket-keeper - he also bowled over 200 overs - taking 24 first-class wickets with a bowling average of 33.37.

Ames was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929. He was a pupil at the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone and he also played five times for Gillingham FC.

EHS Database

Swing Riots of 1830 recounted by Derek Boughton our local expert historian.

Les Ames for England v West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica 1930 or 1935. WK Ivan Barrow watches on.

Audrey Hepburn attended private schools in the village and dreamed of being a ballerina. I wonder what became of her?

What's in the database? Find the latest additions here.

1905 Les Ames CBE

EHS Database

Swing Riots

Les Ames (1905 - 1990)

Audrey Hepburn (1929 - 1993)

She came to village with her mother Dutch Baroness Ella van Heemstra. She lived at Orchard Cottage (now the Five Bells) and attended the private schools in the village square.

Stats

1905 Les Ames CBE

Kent and England cricketer born in Elham.