A Meopham Chronology up to 1955 was compiled by James Carley for Kent County Library in 1982. This mini chronology extends this and adds a few additional items not included in the original work. It is believed the entries are accurate although sometimes sources have conflicted over exact dates and a choice has been made. Information regarding potential additional entries or errors in existing ones would be appreciated.
1246 Pardon granted to Nicholas de Frankenham over the death of William de Meopham as it appeared he had been killed by misadventure.
1318 Stephen de Gravesend (Lord of the Manor of Parrock and Nurstead) consecrated Bishop of London
1338 Sir Stephen de Gravesend died at Stortford
1447 Charter granted by the Lords of the Manor allowed the holding of a four day annual fair on Meopham Green
1598 Thomas Harrison, a Meopham labourer, stole from the house of James Boghurst four pillowberee, a woman's kerchief and a jerkin valued at 10 shillings. He was caught, convicted and sentenced to be hanged.
1776 West Kent Hunt founded meeting twice a year on Meopham Green
1794 Cricketers Inn built
1799 The Reverend Sharpe, curate of Meopham, with two other gentlemen, caused a brawl. Reverend Sharpe challenged Mr. Henry Cleverly (grandson of William Cleverly, shipbuilder) to a duel but the Mayor prevented this taking place and imposed a fine upon the Reverend Sharpe. The Amicable Society established to assist members in times of need, meeting at the Cricketers (now The Long Hop)
1828 Mount Zion Baptist Chapel built just south of Meopham Green
1839 South Street House opened as The Two Brewers
1842 First National School built in Meopham
1872 Harvel Cricket Club founded
1879 Verdict of accidental death recorded at inquest on David Simpson who had come to Meopham for the harvest from Newcastle on Tyne and wandered into a pond while drunk and drowned (The Times, 22nd September)
1880 Resident horse bus operator, Alfred Clarke, ran two routes to Gravesend via Wrotham Road and via Sole Street. Reward offered for the return of opera glasses thought to have been left in first class rail carriage between Meopham and Victoria Station(The Times October 2nd)
1887 Meopham Church gave a donation of £6 - 7shillings to the famine relief fund in India (The Times February 26th)
1890 Fire destroys grocery store at the junction of Station Rd and Wrotham Rd
1894 Meopham Parish Magazine first published
1895 Sir Sydney Waterlow of Green Farm asked to remove an obstruction to a footpath between Cadley Hill and Priestwood, and a fence enclosing part of Pitfield (Meopham) Green.
First by-law relating to village greens preventing assembling on the greens on a Sunday and acting in a noisy or indecorous manner.
The Independent Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society held a Church Parade in Meopham.
About 200 copies of the Parish Magazine published.
Mr Robert Body fined for occupying Hook Green and Meopham Green with roundabouts, traction engines and the like without permission. Sir Sydney and Lady Waterlow invited all the children and staff of Culverstone School to a treat "tea" at Trosley Towers
1896 The George Slate and Benefit Club formed, giving benefits to members when sick and an annual share-out. Melliker included in the list of Meopham Greens
1897 Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrated by a fete in Camer Park, fireworks on the Green and the illumination of the Church tower with lamps
1897 Pitfield House built. Lower part of chancel walls and over chancel door decorated with coloured glass tiles at the expense of Mrs Tweddell of Meopham Court in memory of her husband, the late R.H. Tweddell. Sunday school outing to Regents Park Zoo
1898 New flag acquired to fly over the Church tower to mark days of national importance. New pulpit stairs constructed in the Church. Mr Smith-Masters elected to Strood R.D.C. Meopham Football Club formed. Parish Council took action against two families with horses, carts and tents occupying Harvel Green.
1904 Three year old Cecil Zimmer was run over in Meopham and killed by a motorcar while playing in the road with friends near a corner after leaving Church (The Times, August 23rd)
1907 Ancient Yew tree on Melliker Green protected by a fence. Thomas Ledward of Meopham, described as a gentleman of independent means, was charged at Chatham Police Court with using threats, firing a gun over the head of and striking with a swordstick his gardener William Blackman. The accused was said to be addicted to morphia (The Times September 14th)
1911 George V Coronation celebrations including sports, teas and coronation mugs
1913 Traction engine backed into Harvel Pond damaging both the pond and the green. Annual Southern Counties Cross Country Championship race held over a course of 10 miles at Camer Park (The Times March 3rd).
1914 Last year that flour was milled at Meopham Windmill
1917 Clerk to the Parish Council given authority to deal with local arrangements for National Service. For the funeral at Ridley of William Mckenzie Bradley of Calcutta (tea industry) and Meopham (farmer) carriages met the 12.35 train at Meopham Station (The Times August 7th pgs 1 and 8)
1919 Permission granted for a cricket pavilion on Meopham Green. Official Peace celebrations including children's events, sports, bonfires, fireworks and a dinner for "the men"
1921 General Motor Coaches ran a tour, The Dickens Coach, leaving London at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesdays passing Eltham, Wrotham, West Malling, Maidstone and Rochester returning via Gads Hill, Cobham, Meopham, Ightham, Sevenoaks and Knockhall (The Times July 7th pg 9)
1922 Cooks Farm with 55 acres sold by auction for £1,000 (The Times November 16th, pg 22 )
1923 Meopham windmill generated its own electricity when a gas engine was installed
New churchyard, opposite St. John's donated to the Parish for the use of all residents irrespective of religious denomination
1924 Telephone first reached Harvel
1927 Meopham Assembly Hall Baptist Church Founded
Harvel cut off four nine days by snow
1928 Wrotham to Meopham Rd. closed due to Great Snowstorm (The Times, Jan 2nd, pg 16)
After being dismissed, Frederick Gower, motor driver of Gravesend, sentenced to 3 years penal servitude for maliciously shooting at Mrs Catherine Seymour, wife of Captain Seymour, a King's Messenger, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Horns Oak (The Times June 23rd pg16)
Meopham Church contributed £4-1s-10d to the St. Pauls Cathedral restoration fund (The Times February 4th pg19)
1931 First consideration of a bypass scheme for Meopham at the Annual Parish Meeting
London Telephone area extended to 1,000 square miles including Meopham and a single telephone directory was issued in 1932 (The Times November 13th pg 16 and February 16th 1932 pg18)
1933 St. Christopher's (Catholic) Ramblers Club - later the St Francis of Assissi Club- bought seven and a half acres of land on a hillside at Foxendown, Dean Lane, Harvel for organised camps and holidays
Culverstone Silver Band Hut became home of the former Harvel Band
Gravesend Doctor was to have appeared in court on a charge of being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle after crashing his car at Hook Green Meopham but died of narcotic poisoning before the set date (The Times August 11th)
1934 Radiators were installed in St. John's with a boiler in the cellar below the vestry by G. Haden at a cost of £225
Trosley Towers Estate sold by direction of Sir Edgar L. Waterlow Bart.(The Times, January 17th pg7)
1935 King's Silver Jubilee celebrated by tea and a visit to the cinema in Gravesend for the children
Local telephone directory for Gravesend and villages published to be distributed alongside the London Directory (The Times, July 6th, pg18)
Flying Officer Lawrence Pilkington Hirsh from Cheshire, the manager of Gravesend Airport, received fatal injuries when his motor car overturned at Meopham (The Times September 4th pg 9
1936 Holly Hill Lodge, a six bedroomed bungalow with a cottage, outbuildings and 11 acres 0n the market for £3,200 with offers considered (The Times September 2nd pg 220
1937 Three lady members were elected to the Parish Council. Mrs Barber having the most votes was deemed to be the first lady councillor to be elected and she was also the first councillor to be elected from outside the Parish
The County Council took over the primary schools of Culverstone and Meopham from the Church of England
1938 The silver chalice was stolen from the vestry cupboard at St. John's
Waller Engineering Works established in Harvel
Application to Malling R.D.C. to quarry chalk, erect a washmill with a pipeline to convey the slurried chalk to a cement factory in Ightham on the Trosley Towers Estate
1939 SS Meopham, along with other ships, was sold to a German buyer, the sale was subject to questions in the House of Commons (The Times April 20th pg8)
1940 Evacuees in Meopham en-route to Wales
Culverstone Silver Band contributed £5 - 2shillings to the Lord Mayor's Red Cross and St. John Fund for the sick and wounded in the war ( The Times, January 26th pg 11)
Air Ministry confirmed that one of its own planes was shot down over open farm land in Happy Valley Meopham as a result of mistaken identity (The Times, March 4th, pg6)
Messerschmitt 109 shot down during a fight over North West Kent and crashed in flames at Meopham. The 24 year old pilot bailed out and was only slightly injured (The Times November !st pg 2)
1941 Many explosive bombs were dropped on the Parish, there were some fatal and some less serious injuries, and St. John's church and the vicarage were severely damaged
Evacuees in Culverstone
1942 Establishment of Wrotham pre-officer cadet training unit, Wrotham(Vigo)
1943 First building "Central Hall" (later known as Erskine Hall named after Brigadier Erskine, the commanding officer of the 148 training brigade and remembered in the name Erskine Road, Vigo) completed at pre-officer cadet training unit and first concert held, followed by a Church parade. Visit to the camp by H.M. the King.
1944 Sole-Street/ Meopham considered for housing expansion by Strood Rural District Council
After 600 years, water was laid on at St. Johns at a cost of £11 17s 6d
Serious fire at Green Farm when a flying bomb destroyed the large barn
1945 Meopham Players first performed
Victory celebrations included a fete on the green with sports, sideshows, fireworks, entertainments and teas for all
Soldiers from neighbouring camp and land girls helped with cherry picking at Meopham (The Times June 30th pg 8 photo)
1946 Strood Rural District Council considered a scheme for 24 additional houses at Meopham
Intakes to the pre-officer cadet training unit ceased
A squatters camp at Harvel was a constant topic of discussion at Meopham Parish Council and Strood Rural District Council meetings over health and rehousing problems
Major Arnold retired after 39 years as a Parish Councillor and 36 years as Chairman. Mr Strand gave up the clerkship after 20 years
1947 The Wrotham Camp Site at Meopham was renamed "Vigo Village". The provision of a school for the children of the village was proposed, as the distance to travel to other schools in the area was too far. The Church Army community centre was opened by the Bishop of Rochester in November
Neighbours and German P.O.W.s helped to fight a fire in a 15th century cottage at Harvel. Antiques and furniture were rescued while the fire was restricted to the top storey
Snowdrifts on Gravesend to Meopham Rd (The Times Jan 28th pg 6 photo).
1948 Meopham Church bells were rung for an hour to celebrate the birth of Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales
A community centre was opened at Vigo
First issue of Meopham Review
Thieves stole a large amount of lead from the church roof
Parish divided into three wards - North, Central and South, the latter including the camps at Vigo
1949 P.B.H. May visited Meopham Cricket Club
Seven silver instruments were stolen from Culverstone silver band
1950 Playing field bequeathed to the children of Meopham by the late Mr. Judson of Norwood Lane
Hope Hill Scout camp ground purchased
The St Francis of Assissi campsite was sold, most of the proceedings going to the Southwark Travelling Mission for the Meopham Church building fund contributing to the building of St. Pauls, Meopham
1950/51/52 Learie Constantine brought West Indian Wanderers to play at Meopham
1951 Wing Commander Arthur Donaldson DSO, DFC, AFC, Commanding Officer of Biggen Hill, who deputised for Group Captain Douglas Barder who was called away overseas, unveiled the War Memorial to the men of Meopham, a special window in Meopham Parish Church
Festival of Britain celebrations included an exhibition of village arts and crafts, the performance of "Badgers Green" by R. C. Sheriff on Meopham Green and the provision of public seats and play equipment at Judson's
Outline planning permission granted for an industrial estate to the east of Meopham Station
1952 Shorne, Higham, Cobham, Meopham and Luddesdowne all supported Strood Rural District Council in its objection to a proposal by Rochester City Corporation to annex large parts of the rural area
Harvel W.I. founded
Parish Council required to record all rights of way in the Parish resulting in the first Definitive Rights of Way Map
Meopham's Summer Fete was opened by Andrew Stuart Hibberd, the BBC radio announcer who is particularly remembered for his broadcasts announcing the imminent death of King George V in 1936 and the fall of Berlin and the death of Hitler in 1945
Outline planning permission granted for residential development of the Trosley Towers Estate
1953 Coronation celebrations included a procession of floats and midnight fireworks at Meopham
3 cases of poliomyelitis confirmed in Kent including a 20 year old girl from Meopham (The Times June 30th pg3)
1954 Judson's recreation ground opened
Outbreak of myxomatosis in Meopham (The Times April 28th pg8)
1954-1963 The Cricketers was one of the pubs where the Taverners, a band of modern strolling players performed around four times a year
1955 Cricketers Inn sign changed from whiskered cricketers to depictions of Sir Jack Hobbs, Herbert Strudwick, Leslie Ames and Frank Woolley
1956 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 stopped off at Meopham station en-route to engagements in the Medway towns
Two crew of an R.A.F. helicopter were killed when it crashed in White Horse Woods, near Harvel. ( The Times December 14th pg 6)
Reverend Frank Mitchell became vicar of Meopham
The wooden church of St. Francis, used by the troops at Vigo and situated at the corner of Whitepost Lane, moved to the South end of St. Francis Rd, Harvel where it was dedicated by the Bishop of Rochester
First bus shelter built at Ridley Turning at a cost of £60
Public convenience opened at Meopham Green
1958 Mrs Adela Newton became Chairman of the Parish Council with Mr E. Northay as Parish Clerk
Waller Engineering Company taken over by Calor Gas Holding Company Ltd (The Times Oct 8 pg18)
Gravesend to Meopham Rd blocked when storms washed a haystack into the road (The Times September 6th pg 3)
1959 Culverstone School in Wrotham Road built
Mr Frank Strand elected Chairman of the Parish Council
Van driver remanded in custody charged with attempting to commit suicide with a motor vehicle at Longfield Hill (The Times January 23rd pg 7)
1960 Culverstone W.I. founded
Bus shelters at Culverstone and near the station erected and a grant of £10 given to Ash-cum-Ridley towards cost of shelter at Woodlands
Meopham man killed when he fell 40ft from the top of a telephone exchange in Gravesend during a gale (The Times February 7th pg 10)
1961 Derek W. Baker elected Chairman of the Parish Council
1962 Meopham Evening W.I. founded
Mains drainage came to Meopham
Restoration of Meopham Windmill by Messrs E. Hole and Son of Burgess Hill, Sussex at a cost of £4,375
Formation of Culverstone, Harvel and Meopham(North) footpath groups which later amalgamated to form a single group
Permanent site found for gypsies near the old sewage works at Meopham (The Times July 31st pg4)
An 80year old woman was killed when the car in which she was a passenger was in collision with a goods vehicle on Longfield Hill (The Times December 5th pg 12)
1963 The Nurstead part of Cobham parish was transferred to the parish of Meopham
1964 Foundation stone laid of Roman Catholic Church (St. Paul's) laid in August
Establishment of first Parish Council Committees
Peter Park elected Chairman of the Parish Council
1965 The first resident moved into Timberbank at the new Vigo village
First mass celebrated at St Paul's by Archbishop Cowderoy with Fr.Patrick Zammit as the first Parish Priest
1966 Reverend Brian Birchmore became vicar of Meopham
Part of the parish of Trottiscliffe was handed over to Meopham when Vigo was brought under Strood R.D.C.
The football pavilion at Judson's recreation ground was badly damaged by fire
Meopham Windmill Trust bought for £3,500 the lease of Meopham Windmill(owned by K.C.C.) and the freehold of the surrounding land
1967 Appointment of first lady Parish Clerk, Mrs Melda White, with Mr P. Shirley Coston as Chairman
Plans for large scale development at Lomer Farm rejected by Strood R.D.C. and Meopham Parish Council
Gales caused fallen trees at Meopham
1969 Population of Meopham 6,789 in 2,411 dwellings in an area of 5,200 acres
Erksine Hall demolished to make way for Vigo village school playing field
Three residents of Culverstone went missing on a fishing trip off the Kent coast. Air-sea rescue helicopters failed to find them(The Times April 1st pg2)
c1969 Mobile Home site created at Southfield Shaw to house the remaining inhabitants of the Highview Caravan Camp to enable the completion of Vigo
1970 Meopham Society prepared the Broadwalk Report on the A227 through Meopham as preparation for changes to the road
Young Yew tree planted on Melliker Green as an ultimate replacement of the ancient one
1971 Opening of Camer Park
First opening of Meopham Windmill to the public
1972 Stained glass window panes of St. Mildred's Church, Nurstead were destroyed by vandals at an estimated cost of £1,000
Scouts Hall on Gunn's field opened
1973 Distribution of Meopham Review about 1200 copies
3 Edward III gold coins found in garden in Cheyne Walk
Parish Council acquired Edmund Green
James Carley elected Chairman of the Parish Council
Base of the Windmill converted to a Council Chamber so the Parish Council had a permanent meeting place of its own with a Parish office adjoining
1974 New Borough of Gravesham formed, which combined the Municipal Borough of Gravesend, with the Urban District of Northfleet and the five Parishes of Cobham, Higham, Luddesdowne, Meopham and Shorne. The new Coat of Arms incorporated parts of the previous two Coats of Arms granted to the Borough, as well as the new symbols of the East Indiaman in full sail, the sails of a windmill, crossed quill pens and the white horse of Kent. These Armorial Bearings were fully granted to the Borough on 15th July 1975
Fears that Channel tunnel rail link proposals would destroy Cobham, Sole Street, Nash Street and Nurstead
Chinnery Court warden supervised flats on Wrotham Rd, next to the Catholic Church, opened
1975 Meopham Secondary school opened incorporating a Branch Library, which serves both the needs of the community and the school
Reverend David Giles became vicar of Meopham
Road widening on part of the A227 south of Longfield
Three men from Meopham and Harvel were cleared at Greenwich magistrates court over charges related to a £1m.betting fraud (The Times, November 15th pg3)
1976 Trosley Country Park opened
Small hoard of 11 gold coins found between Meopham and Harvel estimated to have been buried between 1395 and 1411
Vigo Primary School officially opened in June
Purchase or Harvel Rd. allotment site
Parish Council adopted its current " logo" or crest, designed by Mrs Burgh of Harvel who won the design competition for local residents. The logo is registered at Stationers Hall, heads correspondence and features on the badges of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Council
1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations included the erection of a flagpole in the Windmill grounds and floodlights for the mill
1978 Meopham gained a licence to run their Community Bus, becoming the first Community Bus in Kent to hold one
A rural bus service between Meopham and Luddesdowne villages began operating once a week
1979 Following replacement of stocks, sails and other necessary parts, the sails on Meopham windmill turned under their own power for the first time in 50 years
1980 Culverstone Community Hall opened. This was one result of a tripartite agreement made between Strood R.D.C., Culverstone Community Association and Messrs R&C Waters, the landowners, whereby they got permission to build houses on largely Green Belt land (Mountfield Close) shops and a pub (which didn't happen) and the community got an open space(Culverstone Recreation Ground) and the Hall. Culverstone Silver Band Hut was also relocated and rebuilt to make way for the development.
1981 Camer House went up for sale at £165,000
Vigo branch library opened in the newly built village hall
Press on the Green established at Norwood House
Population of Meopham over 8,500
1983 A 9 foot 6 inch python escaped from a house in Culverstone, but was found later the same day
James Paffard elected Chairman of the Parish Council
1984 Meopham Good Neighbour Scheme started
1985 South Street Baptist Chapel new building opened
John Palfreyman elected Chairman of Parish Council
Meopham Secondary School affected by first 3 day selective action by NUT (The Times February 20th pg 5)
1986 Meopham awarded European Flag of Honour for its "friendship links" with the Netherlands
Reverend David Williams became vicar of Meopham
Meopham Parish Fete opened by the well known comedian, the late Billy Dainty
Meopham student jailed for 3 and a half years for supplying hard drugs to fellow students at the Royal College of Agriculture (The Times May 13th )
1987 Brand new Community Bus purchased
Some 3,000 Kentish peg tiles stolen from the vestry roof of St. Mildred's Church
Hurricane flattened many trees in Trosley Country Park and resulted in much property damage
1988 Gas came to Meopham
John Walliker elected Chairman of the Parish Council
Old Vicarage extended and converted into luxury flats
1989 Acid House Party in Happy Valley (The Times September 11th)
1990 Vigo village celebrated its silver jubilee. Spanish dignitaries from the village's namesake attended the celebrations
1991 The Medical Centre was opened in the grounds of Meopham School
Population of Meopham 8,864
Helen Allison School for children and young adults with an autism spectrum disorder moved to Meopham infant school site from Gravesend
Meopham Valley Vineyard began operations
Counterfeit cheque for £265,000 used to buy a rare 1934 Rolls- Royce open tourer from a vendor in Meopham (The Guardian June 15th)
John Michael Smithyman given a life sentence for the murder in a wood near Meopham of 22 year old April Sheridan from Catford (the mother of his child) who he believed had informed on him to police about criminal activities
1993 Post bus routes in Gravesham were launched including a service to Fairseat
The new church rooms, known as the St John's Centre dedicated by the Rt. Revd. Michael Turnball, Bishop of Rochester
William T. Richardson elected Chairman of the Parish Council
Police "Operation Sweet" resulted in the arrest of 11 people associated with one of the biggest illegal drug factories ever discovered in Britain following a raid on a house on the Wrotham Rd near Meopham (Sunday Times July 25th)
1994 Meopham Sports and Leisure Centre opened at the rear of Meopham School
Centenary of Meopham Parish Council marked by wide variety of entertainments, exhibitions, social events and celebrations. A centenary wood was planted at Meopham school in 1993
1995 The Local Government Commission recommended against the merger of Dartford and Gravesham boroughs following the local government review. Local opposition to the proposed merger was very strong
1996 Barbara Lee elected Chairman of the Parish Council
Reverend Struan Dunn became vicar of Meopham
1997 The Royal Coat of Arms which hung over the door of St Mildred's Church at Nurstead for 282 years was stolen over the Easter week-end
Teenager dies after climbing into a clothes recycling bin at Meopham (The Guardian, Oct 29 pg6)
1998 Meopham village sign made and erected on Hook Green to commemorate 25th Anniversary of Meopham Historical Society
1999 The total eclipse on 11th August was observed in Gravesham
Meopham man dies after being struck by lightening on Chigwell Golf Course, Essex (The Times, August 20th)
Teenager dies after stepping on a live rail at Meopham Railway Station (The Sun, September 13th)
Dennis Freere elected Chairman of the Parish Council
2000 Millenium celebrations included the erection of Parish boundary stones
2001 Meopham resident won a contest for the world's fastest face painter, decorating 50 faces in an hour (The Sun February 2nd)
Cynthia Barnes elected Chairman of the Parish Council
2003 Meopham greyhounds donated to a blood bank for dogs (The Times November 3rd pg5)
2004 Teen shelter erected at Judson's
A peace light service held at Meopham Village Hall when members of the Guide movement lit candles or lamps from the flame of a lamp holding the light of peace brought from Bethlehem (Sevenoaks Chronicle 2nd December pg 13)
Grieving widow found dead, curled up on the grave of her husband in Meopham cemetery (The Sun, July 30th)
2005 Monthly Farmers market started at rear of Meopham Secondary School
New Parish Website launched
Residents claim phone mast is affecting remote control key fobs preventing them accessing their cars (News of the World May 1st)
2006 First affordable housing properties completed in Evenden Road
Peter Hasler elected Chaiman of Parish Council
Camer Parade improvements scheme completed
Self-management of allotments at Southdown Shaw began
Costcutter Supermarket and Post Office opened in Wrotham Rd. Culverstone
Meopham Secondary School teacher suspended from teaching for 6 months for selling imported cigarettes to pupils under 16 at a school sports day
2007 Service of Commemoration at Nurstead Fete, including flypast of a Hurricane and a Spitfire, in memory of New Zealand Pilot Officer David Malloch who crashed his Spitfire MK2B (Who's Afeared) at Camer Farm in 1942 during a cross country navigation exercise (Meopham Review, August 2007)
A life ASBO was given to a Meopham builder preventing him from working in the building trade after admitting a series of cons against elderly people (Evening Standard, April12th)
Sam Burgoine-Smith appointed Parish Clerk
Village Design Statement completed
2008 Parish Plan presented to the Parish Council by the Parish Plan Steering Group
Bryan Rayner appointed Parish Clerk
Harvel House Farm Shop opened