Launched 09/04/2011
Latest update
Elham beat off stiff competition for the title of Kent Village of the year 2011 organised by Action with Communities in Rural Kent.
Censuses for outlying communities in the parish will be rolled out gradually. Check out the stats page for interesting facts and
trivia about the village. We still need your help so please send us any information relating to Elham that may be of interest.
Elham resident Les Ames in action for England against the West Indies in 1939. He was one of the finer wicketkeeper - batsmen and played for Kent CCC.
The Abbot's Fireside is one of the older buildings in the village and probably dates back to the mid fifteenth century.
Audrey Hepburn (neé Rushton) lived in Orchard Cottage (Five Bells) for five years in her childhood (1935-1940) and attended the local village schools. She took ballet lessons and dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina. I wonder what became of her?
Dave Lee opens Elham's brand new playground with a sensory garden and a pretty flower meadow created by the Play for Elham charity. 21st November 2010
The machine breaking that led to the riots of August 1830 onwards started in the Elham Parish, writes our historian Derek Boughton, who has made a lifetime's study of the subject.
Elham residents were prominent in the gangs that sought out the new fangled threshing machines and destroyed them. Some of them cost the not inconsiderable sum for the day of £100. Full Story
Will of Webb Foreman of Elham, beer brewer, in good health, dated 2nd March 1747/8, proved 18th March 1748/9. Mess. or t. in Elham commonly called or known by the name or sign of the Cock, now occupied by Jane Glasier, my mother-in-law, brewhouse and malthouse also in Elham and in my own occupation, unto and among my three children Edward, George, and Richard Foreman. Jane Glasier, executrix, with advice and assistance of Mr Richard Giles of Pluckley (trustee) to carry on business of brewing and making malt till youngest son 21, when personal estate to be divided. CKS: PRC 16/93 F.42
Press Bureau, Saturday. The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement: During the night of 28th-29th inst. H.M.S Hythe, auxiliary sweeper (Lieutenant-Comander Arthur H. Bird, R.N.R.) was sunk after being in collision with another of H.M..ships off the Gallipoli Peninsula. At the time of the collision she had on board about 250 men in addition to her crew‘; 100 are reported missing. Western Times 1st November 1915
John File, sen., and John File, jun., appeared to summonses, the former for assaulting Mr. Thomas Bourne, of Elham, and the latter for assaulting Mr. D. S. Cresswell, of the same place.—The evidence shewed that on the 18th June, about half-past 10 at night, Mr. Bourne was on his horse near the Rose and Crown Inn, Elham, when John File, sen., went up to him, and after referring to some reports alleged to have been circulated by Bourne, he began to abuse him, and caught hold of him, and pulled him off his horse on to the ground, and thumped him on the ground; he cut his head upon, and both his hands and bruised him. Just at that time Cresswell came up and going up to File pushed him off Bourne. File then tried to strike Cresswell, and as the latter was endeavouring to ward off his blows, File's son came behind him and struck him on the side of the head and knocked him down.—The bench fined the elder defendant 5s. and 13s. 6d. costs, and the younger one 10s. and 13s. 6d. costs.—An application by John File, sen., that Bourne should find a sureties to keep the peace, was dismissed. Kentish Gazette - Tuesday 14 July 1863