Tales of Forgotten Kent

Tales of Forgotten Kent by Malcolm Horton, published by the History Press, is a collection of twenty two essays about the people and events that have largely been neglected by historians, but are part of Kent’s rich tapestry as the “Garden of England” and its location as the gateway to Europe and the New World.

Selling’s Mesolithic past (10000 to 8000 BC) and the so called Pulpit are examined. And in complete contrast the story is told about the famous racing car Chitty Bang Bang, built by the flamboyant racing driver Count Louis Zborowski at his home Highams Court, Bridge near Canterbury, which led to Ian Fleming, of James Bond fame, writing his wonderful children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Who would have thought that the cradle of British aviation was the unfashionable Isle of Sheppey home to the Royal Aero Club and Britain’s first licensed pilots C.S. Rolls and Lord Moore-Brabazon and the place where the Wright Brothers came and granted the Short Brothers a licence to build the Wright Flyer and thus making them the world’s first aircraft manufactures.

Another story features Rowley Atterbury, who in the small town of Westerham, in 1965, introduced the greatest technological change in printing since Caxton, computer typesetting. Did you know that the first and only recognised, American Princess, Pocahontas, is buried in Gravesend and that the poet who wrote the first sonnet was not Shakespeare but Sir Thomas Wyatt of Allington Castle near Maidstone and who was a reputed lover of Anne Boleyn The legend is related about the the evil Thurnor advisor to the King of Kent whose assassination of the Kings two two nephews, Kentish princes, was the catalyst that led to the foundation of Minster Abbey on Thanet in 670AD and named after St Mildred the niece of the two princes, in recompense.

The story is told of the first experiments in perhaps the greatest invention ever, the transmission of electricity which took place in Otterden above Charing by Canterbury born Stephen Gray. Britain’s oldest school is Kings, Canterbury whose alumni include the controversial Playwright Christopher Marlowe. The story is told of the tragic Cuthbert Ottaway who, in 1872, was England’s first football captain in the worlds first international against Scotland. He also opened the batting for the MCC with the legendary W.G. Grace, who also scored the first triple century at the St Lawrence cricket ground at Canterbury home to Kent Cricket.

Other places featured include Benenden, Bethersden, Pluckley, Little Chart, Wye, Westwell, Barham, Ashford, Norton, Snargate and Romney Marsh.
Read and discover Kent’s best kept secrets.

About the Author

Malcolm Horton after qualifying as a chartered accountant spent fifteen years in industry with Esso Petroleum. BOC International and Beck and Pollitzer and  then worked in the printing industry with Williams Lea Group, Maxwell Communications and Westersham Press, before becoming a turnaround specialist, sorting out loss making printing companies.

He then set up his own accountancy practice and a specialist fine art fund raising publisher. Contemporary Watercolour, working closely with Oxford and Cambridge Universities colleges and all the major Independent Schools in the British Isles.

He has, for the last twenty five years, been a regular contributor to Bygone Kent, This England and Kent Life.

He has written eight previous books including “Oxbridge Watercolours”, “Potraits of British Schools”, “Sauntering through Kent”, a biography of Sir Charles Igglesden, “The Williams Lea Legacy”, “Ken Howard Watercolours in Academe” and “Unknown Oxford”.

He is married with three children and four step children and lives with his wife Lenny in Charing, Kent, just off the Pilgrims Way.

He regularly lectures to local History Societies and broadcast on Radio Oxford.