Bibliography of Useful Kent Sources

Note: all of these books (except where marked *) are from our own private collection. Some are, unfortunately, long out of print, and may be hard to obtain, especially outside the UK. Where possible, I have added links to Amazon.co.uk which you can use to obtain copies.  Please use these links to help support the maintenance of this site.  If you experience difficulty getting hold of copies of books in our collection, we will gladly look up any specific information for you and e-mail the results. Please e-mail us at books<at>eastkent.freeuk.com.

Hover over the text or image book links on this page for information; click to buy.

DEAL

Broady, June. 1989. Deal in Old Photographs. Allan Sutton. 0 86299 675 9 A collection of old photographs of Deal, mainly drawn from the Will Honey Collection in Deal's Maritime and Local History Museum, with brief descriptions by June Broady.
Foley-Fisher, Beryl. 1989. Bygone Deal and Walmer. Phillimore. 0 85033 690 2 Another collection of photographs of old Deal and Walmer, with descriptions and maps of the areas where the pictures were taken.
Lane, Andrew. 2000. Royal Marines Deal - a Pictorial History. Halsgrove. 1 84114 081 3 "The story of the Royal Marines at Deal is told in this unique book by over 200 photographs from the extensive library at the Royal Marines Museum."  A must for anyone interested in the Royal Marines.
Roy, John & Thompson, Tony. 1987. Picture Palaces Remembered. Glenton. 0 9512825 0 6 "An affectionate look at the cinemas of Dover, Deal and Folkestone"  from the beginnings of moving pictures through two world wars, with reminiscences from those who fondly remember the golden days of cinema.

DOVER

Green, Ivan. 1978. The Book of Dover. Barracuda Books. 0 86023 060 0 A history of Dover from Roman times, written by a local author and historian. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and illustrations. This book was printed in a limited subscription edition and is therefore likely to be difficult to find and rather expensive Other books by Ivan Green available from Ancestry.co.uk: Book of the Cinque Ports (Town Books)
Green, Ivan. 1980. Yesterday's Town: Dover. Barracuda Books. 0 86023 109 7 A second history of Dover from the same author, covering the period 1780 -1914, with over 200 illustrations. Other books by Ivan Green from Ancestry.co.uk: Dover: A Pictorial History (Pictorial History Series)
Harley, Robert J. 1993. Dover's Tramways. Middleton Press. 1 873793 243 Lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs showing the trams, their crews and the routes, from River to the Docks Other books on Dover Tramways from Amazon.co.uk: Tramway Routes of Dover: Past and Present, 1897-1994 - A Pictorial History
Hollingsbee, Bob. 2000. Images of England - Dover. Tempus. 0 7524 1622 7 A compilation of over 220 photographs and other illustrations from the author's extensive collection and from the archives of the Dover Express. Other recommended Dover books by Bob Hollingsbee available from Amazon.co.uk: Dover in Old Picture Postcards: v. 1 Dover in Old Picture Postcards: v. 2 Dover Tribute in Photographs to Budge Adams
Humphreys, Roy. 1993. Dover at War, 1939-45. Allan Sutton. 0 7509 0208 6 Written in the form of a journal. this book charts the course of the war in Dover, illustrated with official notices and personal memories of the people who lived through it.
Peverley, John. 1996. Dover's Hidden Fortress. The Dover Society. 0 906124 12 3 A brief illustrated history of the Western Heights fortifications.
Scott, Rivers. 1957. The Gateway of England. Dover Harbour Board. "A short survey of the activities of the Port of Dover, past and present, and of the Dover Harbour Board, the modern Port Authority, which in 1956 celebrated its 350th anniversary". You may have difficulty obtaining copies of this publication, which was apparently produced for employees and ex-employees of the Board.
Searle, Muriel V. 1988. Down the Line to Dover. Bloomsbury Books. 1 870630 41 6 Not strictly a book about Dover - this book documents the history of the "Land 'em, Smash 'em and Over" (London, Chatham and Dover) Railway in a lively, readable text, illustrated with maps and photographs.
Smith, Mark P. 1988. Dover in Old Photographs. Alan Sutton. 0 86299 512 4 A compilation of over 250 photographs culled from the Dover Museum collection, illustrating the history of the town from the early days of photography to 1936.
Vine, Jessie Elizabeth. 1984. Dover Remembered. Meresborough Books. Recollections of a childhood in old Dover, written by an old Dover resident and illustrated by Thomas George Vine.
Welby, Douglas E. 1991. The History of Archcliffe Fort Dover, Kent. Polar Bear Press. 0 906124 11 5 "This short account traces the history of one of the lesser known forts and is intended to enlighten the reader about the social and domestic happenings of this small but important garrison".
Hasenson, Alec 1980. The History of Dover Harbour. Aurum Special Editions. 0 906053 17 X * A very interesting and informative book about the harbour and the many ships that have sailed the short sea route to France. If anybody has a copy of this book that they no longer require, I would be delighted to give it a home! Other books on Dover Harbour available from Ancestry.co.uk: Dover Harbour, Royal Gateway Dover Harbour

KENT

Armstrong, Alan. 1995. The Economy of Kent 1640-1914. Boydell Press.* One of a series of books produced for Kent County Council as part of the Kent History Project.  Much of the information for our Mining in Kent page was taken from this book (pp 122-123).
Crouch, Marcus & Bergess, Wyn. 1974. Victorian and Edwardian Kent From Old Photographs. Batsford. 0 7134 2886 4 Fairly self-explanatory!
Garrett, Richard. 1972. Cross Channel. Hutchinson. 0 09 111910 3 "... tells the story of this fascinating and, sometimes, tempestuous stretch of water."
Glover, Judith. 1976. The Place Names of Kent. Meresborough Books. 0905 270 614 A dictionary of almost 3000 Kentish place names and their probable derivations.
Knatchbull-Hugessen, Sir Hughe. 1960. Kentish Family. Methuen. The family history of one of Kent's most famous families. Contains "... portraits of selected members of the Knatchbull family, heads of which have, with few exceptions, represented Kent, or after 1832 a Kentish Constituency in the House of Commons since the time of James I." with "16 halftone plates and 3 folding family trees".
Larn, Richard. 1977. Goodwin Sands Shipwrecks. David & Charles. 0 7153 7202 5 A "... detailed study of shipwrecks around the Goodwin Sands and includes a comprehensive coverage of incidents from the early 16th century to the present day." Lists over 1000 vessels.
Major, Alan. 1981. A New Dictionary of the Kent Dialect. Meresborough. 0 905270 274 Ever wondered about the origin and meaning of some of the words in those old documents? This "augmented and updated edition" of the Paris and Shaw dictionary of 1888 will help you find the answer.
Morris, John. 1983. Domesday Book - Kent. Phillimore. 0 85033 153 6 One of a series of Domesday Book volumes for each county, giving the original Norman text with English translation and notes.
Reay, Barry. 1990. The Last Rising of the Agricultural Labourers - Rural Life and Notes in 19th Century England. OUP Clarendon Press. * An account of the events leading up to the Battle of Bossenden Wood (nr Hernehill) - the last battle to take place on English soil.
1961. Battle in Bosenden Wood. Oxford Press. * Sadly no longer in print, this is another account of the battle.   Both this and the previous book give details of those involved in the events and what happened to them in the aftermath.
Ritchie, A.E. 1919. The Kent Coalfield - its evolution and development. The Iron and Coal Trades Review. * An excellent resource for anyone researching the early development of the Kent coalfield.  This book gives details of the companies and individuals involved in the exploration and exploitation of the coalfield., as well as the borings and pit workings from the earliest speculation in the 1840s.
Sherren, Richard Tilden. 1990. The Industrial Eden. Channel Publications. 0951565400 * Written by a grandson of one of the early pioneers of coal at Tilmanstone, this book mainly concentrates on that colliery, but also gives information on the earlier pit at Shakespeare Cliff.
Tubbs, T.B. 1966. Kent Pubs. Batsford. If you are looking for information on pubs in Kent, this might just provide a clue, but don't plan any trips without referring to more up-to-date sources! A selection of recommended pubs in Kent, with details of their location, brewery allegiance, and telephone number. Complete with descriptions of the locality, the facilities offered, and even the name of mine host. Unfortunately, since this book was published many of these fine hostelries have disappeared. For example, in Deal only 2 of the three listed pubs remain (The Pelican is now a private residence) and in Dover, not only have some of the pubs gone, but the streets and lanes where they stood no longer exist.

Home Counties

Clunn, Harold P. The Face of the Home Counties. Spring Books. A look at the home counties (Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, Essex, Hertfordshire) and the "shires" (Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire), plus Sussex and parts of Suffolk, "portrayed in a series of eighteen week-end drives from London", illustrated with 103 black-and-white photographs. Each journey is described in detail, with a commentary on the various sights and buildings of historic interest. This book was published in the more romantic era of Dennis single-decker buses, when you occasionally had to step out of the road to avoid a passing Morris, and you could still walk up to the stones at Stonehenge!

 

Miscellaneous

Burn, John S. 1976. The History of Parish Registers in England.  E.P.Publishing. 0 7158 1202 5 A reprint of the second edition (1862) of a text originally published in 1829.
Duncan, David E. The Calendar.  Fourth Estate. 1 85702 721 3 The 5000-Year Struggle to Align the Clock and the Heavens - and What Happened to the Missing Ten Days. This is a fascinating account of how the modern-day calendar has evolved, including the changes from the Julian to the Gregorian throughout most of the world.
Griffin, A.R. 1982. The Collier. Shire Album 82. 0 85263 590 7 Although mainly concerned with mining in the Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire coalfields, Griffin provides "... an illustrated history of coal mining looked at from the standpoint of the people who worked in the industry and their families who were dependent on it."  This little booklet gives a view of mining from the earliest times, illustrated with a number of line drawings and early photographs.
Humphery-Smith, Cecil. The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers. Phillimore. 0 85033 398 9 The essential book for family history researchers in England and Wales.  Contains county maps showing pre-1832 parochial boundaries, colour-coded probate jurisdictions, positions of churches and chapels and starting dates of surviving registers.  In addition, contemporary maps showing roads and other local features help to deduce likely movements of people across parish boundaries. The index gives references to where copies of each parish's records are held, including various marriage indexes. (New edition now available)
If you are outside the UK, why not use our Amazon.com bookstore?

This page last revised: August 29, 2007.

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