Cyril Cooper

Only really of interest to locals but has a few interesting bits. Not even sure if it's the best book on Maidstone history but it has a large amount of good photos and a couple of fascinating maps (including one of ownership/building purpose in 1650 in decent size) so. The writing does tend to just jam a bunch of random facts together in a paragraph even when they have no connection, which is a bit frustrating - there's definitely no like consistent narrative. It's understandable because it's tough to write like that especially given the patchy records available but it still makes a kind of jerky read. Glad that the facts are there anyway.

Few things that stuck out at me because they're my interests

Apparently at the start of the 19th century prospective mayors would bribe electors to lose because being a mayor was so expensive - £5 given in expenses but it cost £100-200 a big expense being the expected big breakfast for all the towns respectable inhabitants on the final day of office

In 1385 the two nominees for portreeve both refused appointment to the office and so their property was seized for 2 months until one of them agreed to accept the office

Wat Tyler who famously led the peasant's revolt is traditionally held to have come from Maidstone. There were also a couple of large peasant groups recorded as visiting farm owners to demand money during the Swing riots - an unnamed source is reported as telling the Home Office Maidstone was "infested with radicals". The government was spooked enough to order 2 pieces of artillery sent to Maidstone.

In 1715 the mayor and jurats decided they had the authority to elect the jurats alone, cutting the common council out. The council got this overturned in the courts in 1730, with all the jurats being forced out due to improper election in 1740. This led to the town charter being dissolved until it was regranted in 1747.

Interesting to see a brief mention of a successful strike in 1825 among all building workers, getting a wage increase. There was a Papermaker's Union from at least 1796, which succeeded in obtaining wage increases. There's a report from the master papermakers (the employer's association) priaising the Combination Act of 1801 and talking about their intention to stamp out the union using the provisions of the act but they obviously failed because the union succeeded in getting another wage increase that same year haha. Apparently one of the town MPs was a radical from 1790-1796 (clement taylor)

Benjamin Disraeli was elected here as MP for the first time but he moved to Shrewsbury because he found elections too expensive due to what he called the inhabitants' "cupidity". It was long associated with electoral malpractice and bribery with the successful Liberal candidate in 1900 being found guilty of bribery and had his election voided... and was then returned with an increased majority in the by election. (Also unusual as one of very few non tory mps ever elected here).

In 1920 there were 3 cinemas, one of which had a 7 piece orchestra. There were also 83 public houses. There were 5 in 1945 for a borough which had 54 thousand people in 1951. Certainly not absurd but it's odd to think about now.… (mais)