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Erith
Nestled amongst the mud flats of north Kent is the town of Erith with only a thin strip of buildings separating the high street from the river. The local archives hold a range of documents of interest to local and family historians, including details of marsh drainage and property transfers to supplement the photographic record.
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Conveyance of Crown Wharf, 1909 |
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Conveyance of Crown Wharf, 1875 |
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Property transfers (conveyances) over the centuries allow us to understand in detail the local history of the area. This map from 1875 shows the area covered by Crown Wharf and the adjacent buildings.
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Vestry minutes show that the wonderful new sewage system designed for London, was not as popular where it would pour out into the Thames. Erith vestry minutes for 1856 state 'that we are convinced by the plan adopted by the Metropolitan Board of Works, that a continuous surface of excrement ..... as well as other kinds of filth ...... would be moving upon the face of the water and so become a noisome pestilence engendering fever, cholera and other diseases amongst the inhabitants of Erith.'
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Erith Vestry minutes, 1856 |
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Deep Wharf, Erith |
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A photographic record covering the buildings, people and events is available. Some archives are lucky enough to inherit the output from local papers. This photograph of deep wharf makes an interesting contrast to the gentle countryside of the upper Thames.
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