Egypt Bay - feedback from Mervyn King

Following my recent posts asking if anyone knew how Egypt Bay came to get its name, I have received another interesting suggestion, this time from Mervyn King. 

Mervyn told me about a reference to Egypt Bay in a book called ‘The Thames’ by A. P. Herbert, which was published in 1966 by Weidenfield & Nicholson (pictured below).

A. P. Herbert (Sir Alan Patrick Herbert) says: ‘Egypt Bay, a strange sandy indent, so named, I suppose, because of the sand’.

I recently looked online for some old maps of the area, and there’s a really good website called Old Maps. A very useful commercial site that contains many old maps of the area, dating back to 1872, all of which can be easily viewed online.

The 1872 map itself shows Egypt Bay to have been joined by a sizable stretch of marshland known as Egypt Saltings – with ‘The Kite, Coast Guard Station’ located near its mouth with the Thames. The indent of the bay was much bigger in those days, with most of what was Egypt Saltings having long since silted over.

Any more ideas? Use the contact page to let me know if you have any views on how Egypt Bay got its name.
 

Cement, Mud and Muddies, Frank G. Willmott

I had a stroll around Rochester yesterday and spent considerable time rummaging around the plethora of books and other interesting items at City Books (41 High Street, Rochster, ME1 1LN). I found a copy of the book 'Cement, Mud and Muddies' by Frank Willmott, which was first published by Meresborough Books in 1977. Although more than thirty years old, this book accurately explains the history of Medway's cement industry and includes many fascinating photographs and illustrations. Due to my own clay-digging family heritage in Stoke, I am particularly drawn to the section about the Muddies from Stoke and Hoo.

On the subject of Medway's cement history, there is an excellent section about this on the website of Berengrave Local Nature Reserve (the Friends of Berengrave), which can be viewed by clicking here.

Who was 'Stumpy' Watson?

I recently re-read 'Hoo's Who' by Kathy Evans and Douglas Marsh. This book contains memories of local people and provides an insight into how life used to be on the Hoo Peninsula. There are two references to a 'Stumpy Watson'. The first is by Frank Hammond, whose uncle was a blacksmith in Lower Stoke. The second by Pauline Plewis, who was a school secretary at Stoke Primary.

Talking about helping his uncle Albert at the Forge in Lower Stoke, Frank Hammond states "I used to pump the flue and the old boy, little old Stumpy Watson, used to sit and watch me. All the old boys used to sit there (in the forge) if they couldn't get into the Ship Inn or if they couldn't afford a drink."

 

Pauline Plewis also talks about the village characters. "They had all sorts of nicknames and I used to hear older villagers talking about these weird people, including Stumpy Watson, who had a wooden leg. Stumpy used to play the drums in a little band they got-up for a fete. They would form outside the Nags Head and march along and up by the Methodist Church, but Stumpy would go the other way because he couldn't see over the drum."

These memories paint an intriguing picture of Stumpy Watson. And who was he exactly? I might be wrong (and I probably am), but I am starting to think that he must have been Stephen Watson, who was my Great-Grandfather's brother. Stephen was born in Stoke and died in 1945, aged 83. Stephen married Eliza Frances Weller (from Borstal) in 1893, but she died in 1927. I don’t know if they ever had any children.

Stephen Watson's death certificate, pictured below, is dated 2 May 1945 and shows his address as Lathbury Cottages, Stoke Road, Lower Stoke.

I would like to find out if Stumpy Watson and Stephen Watson are in fact the same person. So it would be great to find a surviving photograph of Stumpy, as I have so many weird and wonderful images running through my mind at the moment.
 

Hoo Hundred in old picture postcards, Des Worsdale

This book was difficult to find, but worth the effort! I finally managed to get a copy from Amazon, after searching 'Des Worsdale' - the author. This book contains lots of information about the local area (from Upnor to Grain), including many photographs of notable landmarks, buildings and people (many of which list the names of those photographed as well). An essential purchase for anyone interested in the area and its history.  ISBN10:  90-288-4858-4

New Book - Medway Tales: Life on the Dividing River, Wilf Lower

Further to an earlier post, I have now purchased a copy Wilf Lower's new book (Medway Tales - Life on the Dividing River). I popped along to Baggins Book Bazaar in Rochester High Street and got myself a signed copy, which is great! Having had a quick browse through, the book looks very interesting, so I will read it in more detail in the coming days.

Visit the Baggins website.

Medway Tales: Life of the Dividing River, Wilf Lower

Published last month (May), this new 160-page book includes a lively collection of articles from people connected to the River Medway, as well as many previously unpublished photographs. Written by Wilf Lower, the RRP is £14.99.

Hoo's Who - A Century of Memories, Kathy Evans and Douglas Marsh

Published in 2008, by Running Dog Press, this book came into my collection early last year. Essentially, the book is a compilation of memories from people that either lived, or who are still living, on the Hoo Peninsula. The book contains many very detailed and personal accounts of family life on the Peninsula, but also includes interesting stories about local shops, buildings, characters and the difficulties of daily life. At 189 pages, I hoped there would be more pages to read, but I felt happy that these personal accounts, at least, will be kept for all to read and not forgotten. The ISBN for this book is '978-0-9558560-0-6'.

Peninsula Round, Des Worsdale

I found this item on eBay last week and simply had to buy it! This 48-page booklet, written (and drawn) by Des Worsdale, features a collection of drawings and historical information about the Hoo Peninsula. Published in the 1980's, by Meresborough Books, this is a decent guide for anyone interested in the the area. The ISBN is '0905270 568'. Although a small publication, this booklet is packed full of history, walks, maps and drawings!

The Story of the Hoo Peninsula, Philip MacDougall

I have finally managed to get a copy of Philip MacDougall's book 'The Story of the Hoo Peninsula', which was published in 1979.  I have been trying to buy this book for quite a while, so I am pleased to have my own copy at long last!  This book is said to be the 'first complete historical account ever written about the entire Hoo Peninsula', so I look forward to reading every page in the coming days and, hopefully, to learn more interesting facts about our local history.

Philip MacDougall has written many books.  To find out more about these publications, visit his website.