Turnpike (1765)

Post date: Apr 03, 2018 1:29:56 PM

Tonbridge to Maidstone Turnpike Road

(Kent archives T2/1)

First meeting of trustees of turnpike (to repair and widen road from Tonbridge to Maidstone and Wats Cross to Cowden) held at George Taplow’s house, Buffalo‘s Head , Mereworth, 22nd May 1765. Long list of trustees present, including William and Roger Twisden, Sir Phillip Boteler, etc. etc. Thomas Swayne appointed clerk and treasurer and Thomas Collis appointed surveyor for one year for 2 days a week for 75 guineas.

Turnpike Gates to be established between Maidstone Bridge and Bower House, at Mereworth Cross, and at the Tyler Barn Corner. Toll houses to be built to same plan as those on Wrotham Road.

Clerk to take Attorney General’s opinion as to whether a toll paid at one gate valid at others on the same day.

Clerk to give notice that £1,100 to be borrowed at 4% p.a. on the security of the tolls to be collected. Mortgage to be effected to Mr. Lawrence Foster.

Second meeting of trustees 10th June 1765. Inter alia Rev, Robert Style present. Toll hoses to be erected at each toll-gate . Appointment of toll collectors (Thomas Alchin at Mereworth Cross) at 8 shillings a week each. Approval of sum of £205-13s-0d to William ?Hupole? for getting act passed. Swayne to call meeting of parishes through which road runs to agree a composition re their statutory duty.

Third meeting of trustees 25th June 1765. Inter alia William and Roger Twisden, Rev, Robert Style and Charles Style present. Toll house and gate at Red Cow in Tonbridge to be erected. Agreed compositions to be paid before next meeting for this year with parishes as follows: Tonbridge £3; Hadlow £16?; East Peckham £6; West Peckham £1; Mereworth £ 10; Wateringbury £6 (Wateringbury surveyor William Boaglo); Teston £3; Barming £5; Maidstone £6; Extra-parochial district of Barn Jet £1. Half an acre of hop garden land near Tonbridge occupied by John Hooker to be acquired for road.

Fourth meeting

Fifth meeting

Sixth Meeting of trustees 5th September 1765. Clerk reported “that many people went with horses and carriages from Mereworth and other places on this road to Barming Heath and from there through the woods into the turnpike road from to Maidstone into Maidstone town Larkfield and thereby avoided the toll gates on both the roads”. To meet with trustees of Larkfield to Maidstone turnpike.

Seventh meeting New tollgate across ?Taylors Lane, Mereworth.

Fifteenth meeting 19th May 1766 attached to minutes is an account of the valuation of 4 pieces of land “laid into the Turnpike Road between Tonbridge and Maidstone" which inludes 23 ¾ rods of land owned by Sir Thomas Style in Wateringbury valued at 3s-9d. per rod totalling £4-7s 6d.

Sixteenth meeting 30th June 1766 agrees various compositions including one with Henry Hosmer “for passing of his own cattle and carriages thro the gates at Mereworth Cross for one year from this day for two pounds and two shillings he not claiming any exemption at any other gate on account of paying thro the first mentioned gate.”

Seventeenth meeting 4th August 1766 orders toll keepers not to allow waggons or other 4 wheel carriages with a wheel breadth greater than 9 inches. Land in Teston to be acquired from Sir Philip Boteler [a trustee] to enable new section of road to be a public road, Boteler having previously improved it at his own expense.[v. complex arrangement ]

Eighteenth meeting 15th September 1766 whereas several ?barloes ? and chains stolen from Trustees in Hadlow a reward of one guinea to be offered for information leading to conviction. Agreed compound with Harry Twort at 8s. for his cattle and carriages to pass toll gate near Mill Lane, Tonbridge. 105 rods of land owned by William Twysden (occupied by Thomas Barton) at 3s. 9D. per rod acquired by Turnpike in Hadlow.

Nineteenth meeting 15th November 1766 John Johnson to appear at next meeting to answer charge that he drove a vehicle with wider than permitted wheels on road. Dispute whether a toll paid (to collector’s wife) or not. Various compound agreements . Amongst various bills paid one for £25-18s-0d. from Thomas Perrin for carpentry work done.

Twentieth meeting 12th January 1767  Ongoing dispute over whether an individual toll paid or not.

Twenty first meeting 9th February 1767. Individual parish surveyors to attend next meeting to agree composition. Agreed to pay to Medway Navigation Company £64-6s.0d. for stones and carriage thereof.

Twenty second meeting 9th March 1767.£3,500 to be borrowed on credit of tolls. Agreement of compositions with parish surveyors: Tonbridge £3; Hadlow £16 ; East Peckham £6; West Peckham £1; Mereworth £5-5s.; Wateringbury £6 (Wateringbury surveyor Hosmer); Teston £3; Barming £5; Maidstone £6; Extra-parochial district of Barn Jet £1.

Twenty third meeting 13th March 1767 adjoined.

Twenty fourth meeting 1st June 1767. Request to Lord Despencer to acquire 8 rods of his hedgerow. Bridge to be erected in Tonbridge. To pay Rev. Whitaker £979-14s-1d in respect of principal and interest due to him under security. List of just under 200 rods of land acquired including 3 rods 22 perch of Sir Thomas Styles’ fields occupied by Mr. Hosmer at price of 3ds 9d. per rod.

Twenty fifth meeting 29th June 1767. Agreed composition with Henry Hosmer for Mereworth turnpike at £2  2s. for a year.

Twenty sixth meeting 3rd August 1767. Agreed with proposal from William Daniel Master for road to run across his land (near Mereworth Cross) to a breadth of no more than 40 feet including ditches. Complaint from trustees of the Larkfield Road that they pay half the salary of the toll collector at Maidstone Bridge toll gate.

Twenty seventh meeting 7th September 1767. Agreed that John Walter (Maidstone toll collector) be paid 2s. 6d. a week by trustees of Larkfield Road and 5s 6d. a week by trustees of this road. Acquisition of 54 rods of land in Hadlow.

Meeting 11th April 1768. Acquisition of 20 rods of land in Hadlow reported.

Meeting 11th July 1768. Approval of interest payment of: inter alia £4 to Sir Roger Twisden (on his secured loan of £100); £12 to Sir Philip Boteler (on his secured loan of £300), £32 to William Daniel Haver (on his secured loan of £800), Henry Woodgate £40 (on his secured loan of £1000), John Saxby £20 (on his secured loan of £500),[total interest bill of £108 i.e 4% on £2,700]. 

[for article on Kentish Turnpikes by B. Keith-Lucas see Archaeologia Cantiana (1984) Vol 100]