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Launched 09/04/2011

Latest update

21/02/2025 03:58

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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
Les Ames in action

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
Abbot's Fireside

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

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
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
Swing Riots

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

New Inn 1834

Manor Rental. Mesrs Flint & Co., owners, Margaret Marsh, tenant. Messuage or tenement formerly called the Three Tuns now the New Inn, etc., in the Upper Market in Elham formerly occupied by John Rigden senior now Margaret Marsh, Kings street west, mess. and premises William Noble north, land of William Noble east and premises next mentioned south. One piece of land on which a stable is now erected(formerly a messuage) abutting New Inn north, stable of William Noble south, street west, land of William Noble east. All above John Rigden the elder then Thomas Fenner and his heirs now Messrs Flint & Co. CKS: U47/3

This wasn't our final Boxing Day meet 2002

A MASTER of the East Kent Hunt is confident its future is secure despite mounting pressure to ban the bloodsport. David Potter was speaking after the traditional Boxing Day meet at Elham to which countryside supporters turned out in force. They considerably outnumbered about 30 hunt protestors who waved placards and hurled abuse at the huntsmen and women. KM ID7725 Kent Messenger

William d'Aubigny II 1086

He accompanied William the Conqueror into England, and acquired extensive territorial possessions by royal grants in Norfolk and other counties. Of these grants was the lordship of Bokenham, to be held by the service of being Butler to the Kings of England on the day of their coronation, and in consequence we find this William styled in divers charters "Pincerna Henrici Regis Anglorum." William de Albini founded the Abbey of Wymondham in Norfolk. William de Albini also gave to the monks of Rochester the tithes of his manor of Elham; as also one carucate of land in Achestede, with a wood called Acholte. He likewise bestowed upon the Abbey of St. Etienne at Caen, in Normandy, all his lands lying in Stavell, which grant he made in the presence of King Henry and his barons. He married Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod, with whom he obtained ten knight's fees in Norfolk.


What's in the database
11820 People
6789 Demography entries
2422 Events
1299 Marriages
415 Properties
427 Photographs
Completed projects ...
  • Properties 1841-1911
  • Demography records 1841-1911 (village only)
  • Cemetery & Graveyard burials
  • Memorial and graveyard inscriptions
Work in progress ...
  • Demography records 1841-1911 (parish)
  • Marriages within the Elham parish
  • Audio/verbal accounts by Elham residents
Coming soon ...
  • Mapping of all properties within the Elham parish
  • List of artefacts
Future projects ...
  • Audio village tour
  • Complete list of shops - past and present
What's new!
Michael Hayes
Doctor Who Producer
Arthur Frederick Broadbridge
Elham resident and diplomat
Charles Alfred Fortin
Elham assistant surgeon
William Lewis Cowley
Elham resident and author
George W Palmer
Graveyard burials
John Midgeley
Henry Clayson
STATS - Facts & Trivia
Windlass Cottage Title Deeds
Church Cottage history back to 1720
Anthony Eden
Prime Minister and Elham resident

EHS
Swing Riots
Les Ames in action
Audrey Hepburn
Letters

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.

1874 Hodges Swain