Historical Atlas

Members and Affiliated Societies will have received their free copy of An Historical Atlas of Kent, the production of which was sponsored by the KAS. The Society funded a substantial part of the cartographic costs of the project. Work began in late 2000 spurred by the appearance of An Historical Atlas of Sussex a year earlier, also published by Phillimore and accepted as the model for the Kent Atlas.

Terry Lawson, Honorary Editor of the Society, had long supported the idea of a comprehensive historical atlas devoted to Kent and was delighted to discover that another member of the KAS Publications Committee, Professor David Killingray, was very much of the same mind. They were appointed as joint editors and with the help of contacts in the academic world were able to enlist the expertise of over 50 contributors. A particular stroke of luck for the editors was being put in contact with the Geography Department at Canterbury Christ Church University College, whose cartographic technician, John Hills, subsequently played such an important role in the successful completion of the project. Drs Elizabeth Edwards and Sheila Sweetinburgh, both of the University of Kent, greatly helped the editors by taking over responsibility for the coordination of the Early Modern and Medieval sections of the Atlas.

"...a lasting benefit to Kent historians."
Mrs. Margaret Sparks

"...a very important addition to the printed collections here."
Stuart Bligh, Manager CKS

The Kent Atlas is twenty per cent longer than the Sussex example as it necessarily covers a wider range of topics, not only because of the various unique aspects of Kentish history but also because David Killingray was [pg3]determined to deal adequately with important developments in the
"... excellently designed and full of fascinating information ..."
Christopher & Katharine Draper

Modern period, e.g., the growth of utilities, leisure pursuits, newspapers, etc., generally neglected in most county atlases and other histories.

The launch of the Atlas, hosted by the KAS, took place on the evening of November 18 at Darwin College, University of Kent, presided over by its Master, Dr. Anthony Ward — who also took the accompanying photograph. He introduced speeches from John Whyman (Vice President of the Society, deputising for the President), Peter Vujakovic (Head of Geographical and Life Sciences Dept, CCCUC), and David Killingray. Noel Osborne, Managing Director of Phillimore, spoke of the series of county historical atlases which his company is planning to produce.

[fg]jpg|Peter Vujakovic, Elizabeth Edwards, John Hills, Terry Lawson, John Whyman, Sheila Sweetinburgh, and David Killingray.|Image[/fg]