Journal Items

Researching the past

Then and Now

Test your knowledge !

AGM News

Your Questions

Personal Histories

Gallery

This page is for membership news, for requests for membership assistance and for general communication between the museum committee, volunteers and prospective members.

Succession Planning:

Chairman Peter Morgan writes....

For some time now I have been searching for a successor to myself as Chairman. I would very much like to hand over the reins to the next generation down and the succession completed in an orderly way to ensure the continuing life and development of the museum.

If anyone is interested in this proposition, I would be happy to call on him or her and talk it over. Please, someone, give me a ring on 423215 or drop me a line giving a CV and expressing an interest.

Peter J. Morgan

We are here !

There are still many people who do not know that we exist or where we are. We would like to know your thoughts on this !

The Plough Artefacts

In East Street, almost opposite the museum, there was until recently a public house called ‘The Plough’. The pub closed for lack of custom and was put up for sale. It was bought by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) for demolition and to be replaced with social housing. We knew that this building was over 400 years old but it had not been listed because so much of the original fabric appeared to have been changed. Just before the demolition took place a small group of our members secured permission to go in and examine the building for any signs of its history. Behind chimney breasts and under floorboards they found hidden garments plus hundreds of other significant objects. Advice was sought from the Textile Conservation Centre of the Southampton University who took a great interest in the entire cache. SEEDA gave them permission to have the entire collection for two years so that it could be incorporated in a new travelling exhibition dedicated to ‘Hidden Garments’. The two years is up and the entire find will now return home. We will provide special storage and display facilities for the garments and other objects plus interpretation boards to tell the story as far as we know it.

We will keep you posted on progress.

Socially, Swale is the 130th most deprived local authority out of 354 English authorities . It is the 2nd. most deprived district in Kent with a below average performance in terms of cultural activities. (Borough Report 2004)

Government money is available for redevelopment and we aim for a larger and more centrally situated museum. In the inevitable commercial clamour there is a danger our voice will not be heard. We must not miss this opportunity. We will keep you informed.

Museum Quiz

For children visiting the museum there are some simple quiz sheets with 8 questions about artefacts, pictures and displays in the Museum.

Bring the children and get them to put their completed sheet in the box. There will be a prize draw each month.

Group Visits

Perhaps you belong to a club or Association and would like to organise a group visit. Please contact the Secretary (details above) to arrange.

We now have a rolling display of some of our collection of pictures of Sittingbourne yesteryear.

We are preparing a computer tour of the museum which will be available in Room 1 to assist visitors with a disability.

Storyboards

As you tour the museum you will find storyboards in each room to help explain exhibits. Do use them, they will add to the Sittingbourne Experience we aim to provide.

Volunteers

Wanted:

Documentation assistants

A Chairman !

Your knowledge !

Museum receptionists

DIY skills

Your personal memories

We are always looking for volunteers to act as guides and to help out in the museum when it is open. Any members willing to help for three hours should contact the secretary, Peter Morgan.   We are especially in need of documentation assistants who are able to use a computer. Training will be given !

Don't be afraid that you lack knowledge of our history, full training will be given !

DIGGING THE PAST

We have received the records and boxes of finds from the dig at Iwade and this material is available for research. Some items are on display in the museum.

During the 19th century, excavation for brick earth in and around Sittingbourne unearthed many valuable items from the days of the Roman occupation. We are gradually building up a selection of these finds to be seen in our Roman Times display.

Museum Shop

Skills and local knowledge wanted !

Do you have skills that the museum could use ?  You might be a good communicator, a computer wizard, a keen historian, or a good carpenter !  We need Receptionists on Saturdays, Documenters on any day, Friends to help when school parties come visiting.  Please let us know if you can offer your services !

Come and Help

Your Knowledge

Can you answer any of our questions or help our readership with their research ? Click here for some questions on local history.

Do you have memories of life in Sittingbourne ? Your working life last century ? The war ? The town as it was ?  Your childhood? Please share them with us by e-mailing or sending them to us so that we can display them either in the museum or on this web site.

Click here to see the personal histories.

Recruitment

We have 440 members but we need more.  If you have a friend or neighbour who might be interested please call us. I will deliver a recruitment pack to them showing the advantages of membership and the services we have on offer. We can give conducted tours, help with homework etc.

There is always plenty going on and we would invite your help and participation. If you would like to be actively involved in the work of the museum, please ring 423215 to discuss what work needs to be done and how you can fit in. We need more volunteers to be able to expand the work of the museum and to help make local people aware of the rich heritage of our town and countryside. Do consider coming and joining us.

Yours sincerely

Peter J. Morgan

(Chairman)

Activities in the Museum

We continue to improve and to computerise our documentation, but more help is needed.

The National Youth Theatre asked us for help with details of Sittingbourne's history, so that they could write and perform a pageant, which took place at Rushenden on 11 August 2007.

The architect working on the refurbishment of the Coniston Hotel asked for some guidance and advice on themes.  We may be able to have some display space for some of our large photographs depicting such events as the Duke of York's visit to the town  and its industries in the 1930s.

Swale Borough Council is developing its cultural strategy and we have been invited to contribute to the heritage elements of this important document.

The Horace Grensted scrapbooks (all 17 of them) have been examined and we have arranged to purchase copies of the photograph of pupils at the Wesley Methodist School which was in East Street in the 1880s. This will form part of a future journal together with other details we have studied.

The Crown Quay Cache

We received a phone call from some employees of Jewson, Builders’ Merchant, who occupy the site in Crown Quay Lane, which used to be the barge building yard of Charles Burley, brick makers of Sittingbourne and barge owner. That business was sold to Wills & Packham also into bricks and barges.

In the roof space of the main barge-building shed, the Jewson employees had found four large boxes of documents. Inside were Apprentices’ Indentures, Company Minutes, land transfer records, lists of vehicles owned and even a parchment which was dated 1595 and appears to be in Latin. We went to examine the contents of the boxes and were granted permission to make a simple catalogue of what was there. Application was made to the Board of Directors of Jewson & Co. for all the documents to be donated to the Sittingbourne Heritage Museum and that was granted. They are now with us and are awaiting further detailed examination.

We will have more to report in the future of other exciting gifts the museum has received further revealing aspects of local history.

Peter J. Morgan  (Chairman)

What's New

We continue to receive an amazing range of artefacts for the museum all of which tell a story. Here are some of them

1 A reprint of Hasted's history of Kent in three volumes and boxed.  It is a valuable addition to our library, and is available to members.

2 A silver salver, a presentation to Ernest R. Smith for his services to the Home Guard as a Captain, plus photographs of Mr. Smith who was Headmaster of Borden village (1947) with his class.

3 A photographic record of the construction of the Swallows (1987) compiled by the late Mr. Rogers who worked on the building.

4 A Queen's Laundry order book of the late Mrs. Dewberry (1955).

5 A notice of dismissal from the Queen's Laundry in 1930 due to the recession from Mr. Hearnden.

6 A commemorative brochure of the abdication of King Edward and his farewell to the Nation (1936).

7 Two gasmasks (1939) in pristine condition from Mrs. Freestone.

Cleaver & Co. West Street