Chronological Notes
600, church built at Lilliechurch
600, monks from St. Andrews build church at Old Rectory- farming fields stayed the same until 1853
742 - 824, church councils, Cloveshoo, supposedly held at Cliffe
774, charter by Offa - King of Mercia- giving land to Canterbury
774, Saxon charter shows that Cliffe church was founded by King Offa who also choses the dedicatory saint of St. Helen
961, Queen Eadgfiu gives land to Christ Church, Canterbury
1100, sea walls to built to control the Thames
1151, King Stephen founds a nunnery at Lillechurch
1275-88, Prioress Amfelisia reprimanded for not keeping the causeway to the crossing up to scratch
1247, Royal charter to hold a fair lasting three days – St. Aigidius’s Day
1250, marshes begin to be ‘reclaimed’
1260, present church built
1275-88, Prioress Amfelisia reprimanded for not keeping the causeway to the crossing up to scratch
1247, Royal charter to hold a fair lasting three days – St. Aigidius’s Day
1250, marshes begin to be ‘reclaimed’
1260, present church built
1260, the Saxon church was replaced by one of stone
1270, Prioress Acelina in dispute with her nuns – King Henry III had to be called in
1290, King Edward directed the maintenance of the sea walls should be shared
1301, ship sent to aid King Edward I in Scottish waters
1310, the building of the hall at the Old Rectory
1326, Cliffe port mentioned again
1337, repairs to the nunnery
1346, just prior to this date - King Edward III assembled a fleet of 1500+ ships – 2 came from Cliffe
1350, modernisation of the church
1380, 80 ton vessel stationed at Cliffe
1417, two ships were ordered by Henry V against the French
1520, the supposed ‘Great Fire of Cliffe’
1585, single bell hung at St. Helen’s Church
1679, John Browne leaves money so that 12 poor children should be educated
1730, roof of nave destroyed
1824, cutting of canal
1840, Redham Mead is referred to as the great mead and not as marshland
1845, railway arrived
1845, population of Cliffe down to 877 from a high of c. 3000 in 1520
1854, first national school built in Cliffe
1862, bells cast for church
1864, two more bells added to church
1864, wall paintings in Cliffe church uncovered during restoration work
1868, cement works opened by West Street
1882, railway line and station opened
1894, first meeting of Cliffe Parish Council
1901, construction of explosive works
1901, population over 3000
1904, first fire engine for Cliffe village
1914, another cement works opened –in Salt Lane
1914, first ever dog-fight over Kent was above Cliffe
1914, Cliffe first village to be bombed in Kent - on Christmas Day
1930, Jessop locates wharf + quality of Roman pottery
1931, electricity powers street lighting
1942, crash of a Stirling bomber in Rye Street
1946, De Havilland DH108 Swallow crashes ay Eygpt Bay killing test pilot Geoffrey De Havilland Jnr.
1964, Ordnance Survey team find Roman salterns by Cliffe Creek
1968, the building of the Cliffe Memorial Hall
1969, final part of Prior’s Hall manorial lands sold the Port of London Authority