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Kent Archives

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A nationally accredited archive repository for Kent, established in 1933 and based in Maidstone at the Kent History and Library Centre.

Get involved and keep up-to-date with the latest news and events from the Kent Archives and local history service. We hold the largest collection of historic material relating to the ancient county of Kent dating back to 699 AD, from the earliest charters written on sheepskin to the present state of the art digital images. Our archive and local history collections tell the story of Kent and beyond, and are a focal point for the county’s heritage and culture, most of which you can access when you visit the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone. While the archives consist of original records, often handwritten and unique, created in the course of human activities, the local history collection consists largely of printed material and includes published original records, as well as printed books. The collections tell the stories of people’s lives and their communities through diaries, eyewitness accounts, records of crime and punishment, titles to property, newspapers, photographs, maps and posters, and more. Please visit www.kentarchives.org.uk for more information.

08/10/2026

Are you attending our lunchtime talk next Monday?
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'Captain Swing in Kent, 1830-1831: Revolt and Repression' presented by Dr John Bulaitis
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To increase audience capacity owing to popular demand, this event will now take place in the Lecture Theatre at Sessions House, County Hall (opposite Maidstone East Station) from 1-2pm.
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If you've yet to reserve a seat, there's still time! Contact us today:
📧 [email protected]
☎️ 03000 42 06 73
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Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

30/09/2026

📣 Announcing our next lunchtime talk: Monday 12th October, 1-2pm:
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'Captain Swing in Kent, 1830-1831: Revolt and Repression' presented by Dr John Bulaitis
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📍 Venue: Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone, ME14 1LQ
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About the talk:
On Christmas Eve of 1830, a huge crowd assembled on Penenden Heath to witness the ex*****on of William and Henry Packman, two young brothers from Blean (near Canterbury), and William D**e, from Bearsted. The same day, seven prisoners were removed from Dover Town Gaol and taken to a convict ship for transportation to Australia.
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The draconian sentences were part of attempts to repress a massive movement of agricultural labourers that was sweeping southern, eastern and central England. Known today as Captain Swing – the signature on menacing letters sent to farmers and landowners – the movement was a rebellion against poverty, unemployment, threshing machines and the workhouse. In this talk, John Bulaitis outlines events in Kent which were crucial in the genesis and evolution of the Swing revolt.
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John Bulaitis was senior lecturer in History at Canterbury Christ Church University. His book, The Tithe War in England and Wales, 1881-1936 (Boydell & Brewer, 2024) won the 2025 Joan Thirsk Memorial Prize for the best book on British and Irish rural history.
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Free to attend – reserve your seat today:
📧 [email protected]
☎️ 03000 42 06 73
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📸 Image ID: Shown here is a scene of a barn engulfed in flames. Reproduced from a postcard held in Kent Archives' Local History Reference Collection.
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Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

25/09/2026

Now on view: 'Every Day's a School Day: Learning and Literacy in Bygone Kent and Beyond'
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Unveiled last Saturday for our Heritage Open Day event, there's still plenty of time to stop by Kent Archives and view our latest document display 📜 👀
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🔎 Among the exhibits are...
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· Books formerly owned by Horatia Nelson, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Nelson, early 19th century [refs. U4254/1-4]

· The rather witty and occasionally unsparing ‘Smeeth Cricket Chronicle’ by Eva Knatchbull-Hugessen, 1875 [refs. U951/C232/1-2]

· A printed bill and letters written by Matthias Buchinger – a German calligrapher, artist and magician who was born without hands or feet, 1733 [ref. U120/Z10]

· A volume titled 'An Illustrated Vocabulary for the Use of the Deaf and the Dumb' by Thomas James Watson, head of the London Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, 1857 [ref. Ch192/T1/3/1]

· Copy of 'Transaction of a Congress held with the chiefs of the Ottawaws and Chippewaw Nations with several others' bearing their pictorial signatures, 1764 [ref. U1350/O48/4]
ㅤ..and so much more!
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Find our cabinets in the Community History Area, just outside the Search Room.
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Heritage Open Days | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

16/09/2026

Another month, another fascinating lunchtime talk! 🧑🏻‍🏫
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Thank you to our speaker, Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh, and all those who attended her talk earlier this week, 'Kent’s medieval hospitals: from Conquest to Reformation'.
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We hope you'll join us in October for the penultimate presentation in our 2026 programme – details to be announced soon…
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📸 Image ID: Shown here is Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh presenting her lunchtime talk in the Lecture Theatre at Sessions House – part of County Hall, Maidstone.
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Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) | University of Kent | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

08/09/2026

Will you be celebrating Heritage Open Days with us this year?
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Every September, thousands of heritage organisations across the nation open their doors to the public for England's largest festival of history and culture — and we'll be doing the same!
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Join us on Saturday 19th September to enjoy...
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🗝️ Behind-the-scenes tours of the archives at 10am and 2pm, including a display of documents in our Conservation Studio (limited capacity – pre-booking required)
📜 A mini exhibition titled 'Every Day's a School Day: Learning and Literacy in Bygone Kent' in the Community History Area, just outside the Search Room
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Encountering Kent’s archives during a behind-the-scenes tour can make a lasting impression. Seeing vast quantities of original records gathered together in our strongrooms; experiencing a closeness to documents that are hundreds of years old; watching our reprographics team digitise records using advanced imaging equipment; hearing an archivist describe the process of collecting, accessioning and cataloguing historical material; learning about the tools and treatments employed in the conservation studio to preserve our collections: all of this, we are confident, will enlighten visitors about how our day-to-day practice facilitates access to and ensures the survival of Kent’s recorded history.
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To reserve your place on a tour, contact us today:
📧 [email protected]
☎️ 03000 420 673
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(...and be sure to mention your preferred time!)
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Find our official event listing at:
www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/heritage-open-day-at-the-kent-history-library-centre.html
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Heritage Open Days | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

28/08/2026

🔔 Opening Hours - August Bank Holiday

Our libraries, registration offices and the Kent Archives Search Room at Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone will be closed all day on Monday 31 August for the Summer Bank Holiday.

🔎 Access our resource and collection guides, request research and find out more about Kent Archives from home over at kentarchives.org.uk

We'll see you all again after the Bank Holiday

Kent County Council Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives

27/08/2026

📣 Announcing our next lunchtime talk: Monday 14th September, 1-2pm:
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'Kent's medieval hospitals: from Conquest to Reformation' presented by Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh (Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, University of Kent)
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📍 UPGRADED VENUE: Lecture Theatre, County Hall (opposite Maidstone East Station)
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About the talk:
Among Kent’s over seventy medieval hospitals and almshouses are some of the oldest in the country and a considerable number, compared to many counties, are still functioning today. This talk will explore the different types of medieval hospital – from l***r hospitals to those which accommodated poor pilgrims, as well as how hospitals developed in the later Middle Ages to meet the changing circumstances of the world after the Black Death. Moreover, medieval hospitals are often seen as extensions of monasteries, but we’ll see just how important the civic authorities were in the management of ‘their’ hospitals, and the way the civic records provide insights into the lives of the brothers and sisters at hospitals such as St John’s in Sandwich.
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Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh is a Specialist Associate Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent. She has worked extensively on medieval and Tudor Kent, from women in late medieval Appledore and Hythe to the lives of immigrants in 15th-century Canterbury. She has published books and articles on Kent’s medieval hospitals as well as on other social and cultural topics linked to the period.
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Free to attend – reserve your seat today:
📧 [email protected]
☎️ 03000 42 06 73
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📸 Image ID: Shown here is an engraved depiction of the Chapel at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Sandwich. G. Maxwell del., A. Bannerman sculp. Published by William Boys, 1787.
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Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS) | University of Kent | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Visit Maidstone | Maidstone Borough Council | Kent County Council | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

22/08/2026

Join us tomorrow (Sunday 23rd August) at Kent Miners' Festival, taking place at Betteshanger Park near Deal, from 10:30am - 4pm 👷🏻‍♂️⛏️
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Stop by our stall to learn about our collections and services, view a selection of original mining-related documents, and celebrate East Kent's mining heritage with us at this free-to-attend event.
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You'll also be able to enjoy...
🎼 Live music
🚌 Vintage buses and classic vehicles
🏰 A bouncy castle, games and crafts for younger visitors
🐐 Pygmy goats
🍔 Food and drink stalls
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Vintage buses will be running between Betteshanger Park and surrounding villages, free of charge.
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Plan your visit: www.betteshanger-park.co.uk/plan-your-visit
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Kent Miners Festival | Kent Mining Museum | Betteshanger Park | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Deal Town Council | Dover District Council | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

12/08/2026

We'll be looking skyward tonight to enjoy the much-anticipated solar eclipse — safely, of course…
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…unlike Major Alexander Ruthven Pym, who viewed the "Titanic" eclipse of April 1912 using 'smoked glass and a telescope'. Some methods are best left in the archives! 🌒🔭😵‍💫
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The "Titanic" eclipse acquired its nickname owing to the tragic sinking of the famous ocean liner only two days prior. It was a hybrid solar eclipse: a rare astronomical event in which the Sun appears completely hidden by the Moon from some locations, whereas from others, a thin ring of sunlight remains visible. The area on Earth from which a total eclipse could be seen in April 1912 was extremely narrow, measuring only around 1.3 km (0.8 miles) wide at its maximum, and the Sun was completely covered for just two seconds.
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We hope you have an enjoyable and safe ocular experience this evening. For those of you who might have missed the chance to secure some solar-safe glasses, why not make a pinhole camera or put your colander to work as a scientific instrument?

For safe ways to watch the eclipse: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gdxyjnz3do
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📸 Image ID: Shown here is a diary entry documenting the “Titanic” Eclipse of Wednesday 17th April 1912 [ref. U2500/F1/6]. Comprising a phase diagram and an amateur photograph of the event, the entry was penned by Major Alexander Ruthven Pym; a British Army officer, farmer, and Chairman of Kent County Council. It’s one of several diaries we hold by Pym, collectively spanning 1906-1971 (with the exception of 1908).
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British Astronomical Association | Royal Astronomical Society | Royal Observatory Greenwich | UK Space Agency | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | British Association For Local History - BALH | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

30/07/2026

We have recently catalogued records relating to Maidstone and Canterbury prisons [collection ref. PR] 🏛️⚖️
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The main part of the collection comprises more than 50 nominal registers which contain information about each inmate (male and female) as they entered the prisons. Covering 1881 to 1953 for Maidstone [ref. PR/Md/3/2] and 1882 to 1922 for Canterbury [ref. PR/Ca/3/2], the registers note the prisoner’s offence, sentence, age, occupation, religion, and place of birth, among other details.
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These registers will provide a wealth of information for historians researching penal institutions and criminal justice, as well as for individuals undertaking genealogical research. Careful study of the registers will allow researchers to identify patterns and trace changes in the criminal justice system over a considerable period of time.
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A small number of the registers have already been indexed but with the help of our wonderful volunteers, we're working to index the remaining volumes to make the records easier to access.
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The collection also includes a number of other fascinating items relating to Maidstone Prison, including...
• A convicts book, 1805–1833 [ref. PR/Md/3/1/1] with details of those who were transported or executed
• Calendars of prisoners tried at Maidstone assizes, 1837–1853 [ref. PR/Md/3/5/1]
• A record of ex*****ons, 1897–1930 [ref. PR/Md/3/3/1]
• Architectural plans and drawings of the prison, 1908–1979 [ref. PR/Md/5]
• Various journals and minute books kept by the gaoler, keeper, inspector, director and governor [refs. PR/Md/1/1, 2, 4, 5, 8] which provide an insight into the day-to-day running of the prison and a wide range of incidents.
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🔎 Visit our online catalogue today to explore the Prison Commission collection:
www.kentarchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/GB51_PR
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Kent Police Museum | Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge | Kent Police | Metropolitan Police Museum | British Association For Local History - BALH | Kent Family History Society | North West Kent Family History Society | The Kent Archaeological Society | Maidstone Museums | Maidstone Libraries | Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives | The National Archives | Explore Your Archive

Address

James Whatman Way
Maidstone
ME141LQ

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+443000420673

Website

https://www.kentarchives.org.uk/, http://facebook.com/KentLibrariesArchives

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