Cottage Gardens of Wateringbury's Peasants Excel (1850)

Post date: Apr 24, 2011 2:44:35 PM

The following is an extract from 'The South-Eastern Railway Manual' of April 1850 (available on Google books):

''...the great attraction of Wateringbury is the truly English village, which is well worthy of a visit. For this the Tourist is indeed indebted to the late Mr. Alderman Lucas, who had very extensive property in this neighbourhood, and who rebuilt the greater portion of the village in the old rustic character. To every cottage is attached a small garden, cultivated with much care and even elegance by the humble and industrious occupants. The taste, simplicity, and neatness, displayed in these most comfortable homesteads, give to this spot that air of domestic cheerfulness which is so eminently characteristic of the better part of the English peasantry, and which endears to them those homes and blazing hearths, where ' The busy housewife plies her evening care'.

In their display of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, the cottages of Wateringbury may safely challenge competition with any part of England.''

However, there was tension behind this idyllic picture as can be seen from this report by the West Kent Guardian of 10 July 1841.

WEST KENT QUARTER SESSIONS. This Session commenced on Thursday last, before J. Berens, Esq., Chairman, and a full bench of magistrates. The appeal cases were few and unimportant, the calendar contained the names of 105 prisoners. April, 1841. ......... Benjamin Streaton, labourer, for stealing four geranium plants, in pots, the property of William Featherstone, at Wateringbury. Six weeks' hard labour.

Many others in this session were sentenced to transportation, some for life, so Benjamin with only 6 weeks hard labour must have considered himself lucky! William Featherstone lived in Lime Tree Cottage, now Lime Tree House, and is recorded by George Newman in his 'Wateringbury Revisited' as having come to the village as a working man and by 'sturdy perseverance' become a prominent figure in the parish-'principal village boot and shoemaker, parish constable, florist, and fruit and hop grower in a small way'. He died in 1863 aged 65 and is buried in the churchyard.

The picture conveyed above by the Manual is in stark contrast to the description in a report 24 years later by a Medical Officer of Health: see Wateringbury smells abominably (1874).