90-679: The East Kent Militia , later the 3rd Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was an auxiliary regiment raised in Kent in South East England . From its formal creation in 1760 the regiment served in home and colonial defence in all of Britain's major wars until 1918, seeing active service in the Second Boer War and supplying thousands of reinforcements to the Buffs during World War I . The universal obligation to military service in
180-751: A former CO of the 3rd (R) Bn, it was to be part of 95th Brigade in 32nd Division and began training for active service. On 10 April 1915 the War Office decided to convert the K4 units into 2nd Reserve battalions to train reinforcement drafts for the K1–K3 battalions, in the same way that the SR did for the regular battalions; 95th Brigade became 7th Reserve Brigade . In May 1915 the battalion moved to Purfleet and in July it sent out its first reinforcement draft of 300 men, who exercised
270-598: A higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared to 20% nationwide. The average hours worked per week by residents of Kent were 43.1 for males and 30.9 for females. Their industry of employment was 17.3% retail, 12.4% manufacturing, 11.8% real estate, 10.3% health and social work, 8.9% construction, 8.2% transport and communications, 7.9% education, 6.0% public administration and defence, 5.6% finance, 4.8% other community and personal service activities, 4.1% hotels and restaurants, 1.6% agriculture, 0.8% energy and water supply, 0.2% mining, and 0.1% private households. This
360-559: A prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . On the death of Col Sawbridge, Sir Narborough D'Aeth , 3rd Baronet, of Knowlton, Kent , was appointed to succeed him on 3 March 1795. In the summer of 1798 the Irish Rebellion became serious, and
450-639: A renewed period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: The position of colonel
540-587: A view to forming a new unified authority for East Kent, although remaining within the auspices of Kent County Council. This idea was eventually dropped. For almost nine centuries, a small part of present-day East London (the North Woolwich , London E16 area), formed part of Kent. Kent is in the southeastern corner of England. It borders the Thames Estuary and the North Sea to the north, and
630-632: Is a rich sequence of Bronze Age , Celtic Iron Age , and Britto- Roman era occupation, as indicated by finds and features such as the Ringlemere gold cup and the Roman villas of the Darent valley . Julius Caesar described the area as Cantium , or the home of the Cantiaci , in 51 BC. The extreme west of the modern county was by the time of Roman Britain occupied by a Celtic Iron Age tribe known as
720-477: Is higher than the whole of England for construction and transport/communications and lower for manufacturing. Kent is sometimes known as the "Garden of England" for its abundance of orchards and hop gardens. In particular the county produces tree-grown fruits, strawberries and hazelnuts. Distinctive hop-drying buildings called oasts are common in the countryside, although many have been converted into dwellings. Nearer to London, market gardens also flourish. Kent
810-534: Is the main area for hazelnut production in the UK. However, in recent years, there has been a significant drop in agriculture, and industry and services are increasing their utilisation of the area. This is illustrated by the following table of economic indicator gross value added (GVA) between 1995 and 2003 (figures are in £ millions): North Kent is heavily industrialised, with cement-making at Northfleet and Cuxton , brickmaking at Sittingbourne, shipbuilding on
900-464: Is under Liberal Democrat control (Tunbridge Wells), and six are under no overall control and are administered by coalitions (Tonbridge and Malling, Maidstone, Swale, Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe). Notably, Thanet is the only council in the United Kingdom to have come under UK Independence Party (UKIP) control, which it did in 2015 . At the national level, Kent is represented in
990-517: The County of London was created and took over responsibility for local administration of parts of north-west Kent. These included the towns of Greenwich , Woolwich , Plumstead , Deptford , Lee , Eltham , Charlton , and Kidbrooke . In 1900, however, Kent absorbed the district of Penge . Some of Kent is contiguous with the Greater London sprawl, notably parts of Dartford . Originally,
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#17327827450451080-685: The English Civil War . The Militia was re-established in 1662 after the Restoration of the Monarchy , and was popularly seen as the 'Constitutional Force' in contrast to the 'Standing Army' that was tainted by association with the New Model Army that had supported the military dictatorship of The Protectorate . The militia were kept up during the wars against Louis XIV , when Kent's contingent consisted of six regiments. However,
1170-513: The Greensand Ridge span the length of the county and in the Vale of Holmesdale in between and to the south are most of the county's 26 castles . The county has agriculture, haulage, logistics and tourism industries. As the land between the capital and the wider continent, it is a high-income county. Agriculture of the county is a notable sector: "The Garden of England" is a nickname for
1260-595: The House of Commons by eighteen Members of Parliament (MPs). The county has historically been dominated by the Conservative Party at general elections. Prior to 2024, the party had won a majority of Kentish seats in every election since the local government reforms of 1974, including during Labour's landslide victories of 1997 and 2001 . In both 2010 and 2015 , the Conservatives won every seat in
1350-640: The Leeds Castle peace talks of 1978 and 2004. England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 10th –14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover . Hills in the form of the North Downs and
1440-773: The Local Government Act 1972 , Kent County Council has been under Conservative Party control; the exception was between 1993 and 1997 when the party came under no overall control with Labour Party leadership. At the most recent county council election in 2021 , the Conservatives won 62 out of 81 seats. Also elected were seven Labour councillors, six Liberal Democrats , four from the Green Party , one Swale Independent and one residents' association representative. Of Kent's thirteen districts, two are under Conservative control (Sevenoaks, Dartford), four are under Labour control (Gravesham, Medway, Thanet, Dover), one
1530-555: The Regni . Caesar wrote that the people of Kent were 'by far the most civilised inhabitants of Britain'. Following the withdrawal of the Romans, large numbers of Germanic speakers from mainland Europe settled in Kent, bringing their language, which came to be Old English . While they expelled the native Romano-British population, some likely remained in the area, eventually assimilating with
1620-832: The River Darent , tributaries of the River Medway, and on the River Stour . Two 18th century mills were on the River Len and at Tovil on the River Loose . In the late 19th century huge modern mills were built at Dartford and Northfleet on the River Thames and at Kemsley on The Swale. In pre-industrial times, almost every village and town had its own windmill or watermill , with over 400 windmills known to have stood at some time. Twenty-eight survive within
1710-527: The River Medway in 1547. By the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) a small dockyard had been established at Chatham . By 1618, storehouses, a ropewalk , a drydock , and houses for officials had been built downstream from Chatham. By the 17th century, tensions between Britain and the powers of the Netherlands and France led to increasing military build-up in the county. Forts were built all along
1800-543: The River Medway , rises near East Grinstead in Sussex and flows eastwards to Maidstone . Here it turns north and breaks through the North Downs at Rochester, then joins the estuary of the River Thames near Sheerness . The Medway is some 70 miles (112 km) long. The river is tidal as far as Allington lock, but in earlier times, cargo-carrying vessels reached as far upstream as Tonbridge . The Medway has captured
1890-607: The Shire levy was long established in England and its legal basis was updated by two acts of 1557 ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. cc. 2 and 3), which placed selected men, the ' Trained Bands ', under the command of Lords Lieutenant appointed by the monarch. This is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England. The Kent Trained Bands were on high alert during the Armada crisis in 1588 and saw some active service during
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#17327827450451980-817: The Straits of Dover and the English Channel to the south. France is 21 miles (34 km) across the Strait. The major geographical features of the county are based on a series of ridges and valleys running east–west across the county. These are the results of erosion of the Wealden dome, a dome across Kent and Sussex created by alpine movements 20–10 million years ago. This dome consists of an upper layer of chalk above successive layers of Upper Greensand , Gault Clay , Lower Greensand , Weald Clay , and Wealden sandstone. The ridges and valleys formed when
2070-663: The War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant. Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the regular army. Although often referred to as brigades, the sub-districts were purely administrative organisations, but in a continuation of the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned regular and militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for
2160-640: The 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The East Kent Militia's assigned war station was in the Dover defences as part of the Garrison Army. The Cardwell organisation envisaged two militia battalions to each sub-district, and the East Kent Militia formed a 2nd Battalion on 29 July 1876, though it was never fully formed. The Childers Reforms took Cardwell's reforms further, with
2250-425: The 19th and 20th centuries. Cement came to the fore in the 19th century when massive building projects were undertaken. The ready supply of chalk and huge pits between Stone and Gravesend bear testament to that industry. There were also other workings around Burham on the tidal Medway. Chalk, gravel and clay were excavated on Dartford Heath for centuries. Kent's original paper mills stood on streams like
2340-610: The Buffs' ancient privilege of marching through the City of London with fixed bayonets. In September the battalion moved to Shoreham-by-Sea , before returning to Dover in April 1916. Most drafts went to the Regular battalions of the Buffs, but one very large one of 40 officers and 500 men was sent to the 8th (Service) Bn after its terrible casualties at the Battle of Loos . On 1 September 1916
2430-691: The French were sending help to the rebels. The East Kent was one of the militia regiments that volunteered to serve in Ireland but its offer was not accepted. The war ended with the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802 and all the militia were stood down. However, the Peace of Amiens was short-lived and the regiments, whose training commitment had been increased from 21 to 28 days a year, were embodied again in 1803. During
2520-502: The K4 battalions became part of the Training Reserve (TR), and 9th Buffs became 29th Training Reserve Battalion in 7th Reserve Bde. In January 1917 it was given responsibility for training 'A4 Boys' (18-year-olds who were fit for service but too young to be sent overseas), which took the battalion to a strength of nearly 3000 with four additional companies. On 4 July 1917 the 29th was redesignated 255th (Infantry) Battalion of
2610-658: The Kent Militia the positions were: The militia order of precedence balloted for in 1793 (Kent was 1st) remained in force throughout the French Revolutionary War: this covered all the regiments in the county. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War, when Kent was 57th.This order continued until 1833. In that year the King drew the lots for individual regiments and
2700-645: The Medway and Swale , engineering and aircraft design and construction at Rochester, chemicals at Dartford, papermaking at Swanley , and oil refining at Grain . There is a steel mini mill in Sheerness and a rolling mill in Queenborough . There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness , although the older one, Dungeness A, built in 1965, was decommissioned in 2006. Cement-making, papermaking, and coal-mining were important industries in Kent during
2790-537: The Militia was replaced by the Special Reserve (SR), a semi-professional force whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime, rather like the earlier Militia Reserve. The battalion became the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) , on 28 June 1908. The 3rd (SR) Battalion was embodied under the command of Lt-Col Harry Hirst (CO since 30 June 1912) on
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2880-756: The Richter Scale. It was centred in the Sandwich area of east Kent at about ten miles below the surface. There was little if any damage reported. The coastline of Kent is continuously changing, due to tectonic uplift and coastal erosion . Until about 960, the Isle of Thanet was an island, separated by the Wantsum channel , formed around a deposit of chalk; over time, the channels silted up with alluvium . Similarly Romney Marsh and Dungeness have been formed by accumulation of alluvium. Kent's principal river,
2970-563: The SS Moor . Arriving at Cape Town on 28 March the battalion was sent to Bethany in the Orange Free State (OFS), where it joined 22nd Brigade of 3rd Division on 2 April. Next day the brigade marched out to re-occupy Reddersburg , which it had done by 11 April. The battalion then worked with 1st (Guards) Brigade of 11th Division and with 8th Division (commanded by the battalion's Honorary Colonel, Lt-Gen Sir Leslie Rundle ) in
3060-523: The TR. On 14 October 1917 it was transferred to the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) as 52nd (Graduated) Battalion at Colchester , when most of the original officers and non-commissioned officers returned to the 3rd (R) Bn Buffs. The 52nd (G) Bn Queen's served in 214th Brigade of 71st Division , later moving to 213th Bde . On 18 February 1918 it moved to 192nd Brigade in 64th Division at Norwich , and at
3150-741: The West Kents, it was not embodied for fulltime service during the war. The Militia was called out after the outbreak of the War of American Independence when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. This time the East Kent Militia was embodied on 31 March 1778. That summer the regiment was at Warley Camp in Essex , training alongside other Militia and Regular regiments. John Sawbridge of Olantigh , Kent, Member of Parliament (MP) and former Lord Mayor of London ,
3240-577: The Western Front and then from November 1915 spent the rest of the war at Salonika ). Once the pool of reservists had dried up, the 3rd Bn trained thousands of raw recruits for the active service battalions. One draft for the 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Bn , then serving in Palestine , was travelling aboard HM Transport Aragon when it was torpedoed and sunk off Alexandria on 30 December 1917. Although hundreds of men died in
3330-800: The Westphalian Sandstone are about 820–1,310 ft (250–400 m) deep, and are subject to flooding. They occur in two major troughs, which extend under the English Channel. Seismic activity has occasionally been recorded in Kent, though the epicentres were offshore. In 1382 and 1580 there were two earthquakes exceeding 6.0 on the Richter Scale . In 1776, 1950, and on 28 April 2007 there were earthquakes of around 4.3. The 2007 earthquake caused physical damage in Folkestone. A further quake on 22 May 2015 measured 4.2 on
3420-411: The White Horse in silver, with a scroll above inscribed 'East Kent' and a scroll beneath inscribed Invicta , the whole on a gilt crowned eight-pointed star. After 1881 the battalion adopted the insignia of the Buffs, including its traditional buff coloured facings and Dragon badge. During the War of American Independence the counties were given an order of precedence determined by ballot each year. For
3510-407: The area is called Cantia or Cantium , while the Anglo-Saxons referred to it as Cent , Cent lond or Centrice . The area was first occupied by early humans , intermittently due to periods of extreme cold, during the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), as attested by an early Neanderthal skull found in the quarries at Swanscombe . The Medway megaliths were built during the Neolithic era. There
3600-489: The area is required to achieve these objectives; it has been opposed by environmental groups. Kent is one of the warmest parts of Britain. On 10 August 2003, in the hamlet of Brogdale near Faversham the temperature reached 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), at that time the highest temperature ever officially recorded in the United Kingdom. The record still stands as the hottest August day ever recorded. Kent County Council and its twelve district councils administer most of
3690-410: The area's military importance, the first Ordnance Survey map ever drawn was a one-inch map of Kent, published in 1801. Many of the Georgian naval buildings still stand. In the early 19th century, smugglers were very active on the Kent coastline. Gangs such as The Aldington Gang brought spirits, tobacco and salt to the county, and transported goods such as wool across the sea to France. In 1889,
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3780-447: The battalion was reduced by sickness to a strength of just three companies, which were used to garrison Kroonstad and Lindley. For the next year the battalion was used for convoy escorts and to man the lines of blockhouses that were constructed to restrict the Boers' freedom of movement. On 1 August 1901 six men of the 3rd Buffs under Sergeant Pincott were manning Blockhouse 493/1 when they were attacked by 250–300 Boers. Sergeant Pincott
3870-424: The battalion. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953. As early as 1778 the Kent Militia regiments are reported to have worn red coats with grey facings , but a 1780 source suggests this was light blue. In the 19th Century both Kent Militia regiments wore facings described as 'Kentish Grey'. The badge for both regiments was the White Horse of Kent with the motto Invicta . The Shako plate of 1840 carried
3960-631: The border between Kent and Sussex (later East Sussex ) ran through the towns of Tunbridge Wells and Lamberhurst . In 1894, by the Local Government Act , the parts of these towns that lay in East Sussex were absorbed by Kent. During the Second World War, much of the Battle of Britain was fought in the skies over Kent. Between June 1944 and March 1945, more than 10,000 V1 flying bombs , or "Doodlebugs", were fired towards London from bases in Northern France . Although many were destroyed by aircraft, anti-aircraft guns and barrage balloons , both London and Kent were hit by around 2,500 of these bombs. After
4050-427: The branch railway between Wolverhoek and Heilbron and on 3 October took part in engagements between the two towns as De Wet crossed the railway. On 10 October the battalion joined a column under Lt-Gen Sir Archibald Hunter on a sweep through north-west OFS, returning on 26 October. Two companies then accompanied Hunter to Ventersdorp , which he entered on 30 October. He wrote to Roberts that 'The 3rd Bn of The Buffs
4140-428: The capital such as commutes and transport connections to the capital. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty : the North Downs and The High Weald . Kent was one of the first British territories to be settled by Germanic tribes, most notably the Jutes , following the withdrawal of the Romans. Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, the oldest cathedral in England, has been
4230-486: The coast following the raid on the Medway , a successful attack by the Dutch navy on the shipyards of the Medway towns in 1667. The 18th century was dominated by wars with France, during which the Medway became the primary base for a fleet that could act along the Dutch and French coasts. When the theatre of operation moved to the Atlantic , this role was assumed by Portsmouth and Plymouth , with Chatham concentrating on shipbuilding and ship repair. As an indication of
4320-418: The county (3352 km ), whilst the Medway Council administers the more densely populated Medway unitary authority (192 km ), independently of the county council. Together they have around 300 town and parish councils . Kent County Council's headquarters are in Maidstone , while Medway's offices are at Gun Wharf, Chatham . For most of its history since the local government reforms instituted by
4410-556: The county (including Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, and Sevenoaks) has less than 50% of the average claimant count for low incomes or worklessness as the coastal districts of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, and Thanet (chiefly three resorts: Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Margate). West and Central Kent have long had many City of London commuters . Kent's geographical location between the Straits of Dover and London has influenced its architecture, as has its Cretaceous geology and its good farming land and fine building clays. Kent's countryside pattern
4500-427: The county today, plus two replica mills and a further two in that part of Kent now absorbed into London. All the major rivers in the county were used to power watermills. From about 1900, several coal pits operated in East Kent. The Kent Coalfield was mined during the 20th century at several collieries, including Chislet, Tilmanstone, Betteshanger, and the Snowdown Colliery, which ran from 1908 to 1986. The west of
4590-411: The county was granted similar powers to those granted in the areas bordering Wales and Scotland . During the medieval and early modern period, Kent played a major role in several of England's most notable rebellions, including the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, led by Wat Tyler , Jack Cade 's Kent rebellion of 1450, and Wyatt's Rebellion of 1554 against Queen Mary I . The Royal Navy first used
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#17327827450454680-405: The county, which has multiple orchards and allotments. In north-west Kent, industries include aggregate building material extraction, printing and scientific research. Coal mining has also played its part in the county's industrial heritage. The name is of Celtic origin, and dates back to at least the 4th century BC. It is one of the earliest names recorded in Britain, known to the Greeks since
4770-441: The county. The 2024 election saw a sharp decline in support for the Conservatives, and the county is currently represented by eleven Labour MPs, six Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat. At the 2011 census , Kent, including Medway, had 1,727,665 residents (18.0% of which in Medway); had 711,847 households (17.5% of which in Medway) and had 743,436 dwellings (14.8% of which in Medway). 51.1% of Kent's population excluding Medway
4860-411: The end of the war was stationed at Cromer . Postwar it was converted into a service battalion on 8 February 1919, and it was finally absorbed into the 11th (Lambeth) Bn of the Queen's on 17 April 1919. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but like most militia units the 3rd Buffs remained in abeyance after World War I. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, no officers remained listed for
4950-435: The entire estuary of the River Thames to the north; the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover to the south-east; East Sussex to the south-west; Surrey to the west and Greater London to the north-west. The county town is Maidstone . It is the fifth most populous county in England, the most populous non-metropolitan county and the most populous of the Home Counties , an area influenced by
5040-404: The explorer Pytheas recorded it as Kantion during his voyage around the British Isles in about 325 BC. As such, it has been claimed as the "oldest recorded name still in use in England." The meaning has been explained as 'coastal district,' 'corner-land' or 'land on the edge' (Welsh cant 'bordering of a circle, tyre, edge;' Breton cant 'circle;' Dutch kant 'side, edge'). In Latin sources
5130-419: The exposed clay eroded faster than the exposed chalk, greensand, or sandstone. Sevenoaks , Maidstone , Ashford , and Folkestone are built on greensand, while Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are built on sandstone. Dartford , Gravesend , the Medway towns, Sittingbourne , Faversham , Canterbury , Deal , and Dover are built on chalk. The easterly section of the Wealden dome has been eroded away by
5220-521: The first Archbishop of Canterbury . In the previous year, Augustine successfully converted the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity. The Diocese of Canterbury became England's first Episcopal See with first cathedral and has since remained England's centre of Christianity. The second designated English cathedral was for West Kent at Rochester Cathedral . Kent was traditionally partitioned into East and West Kent, and into lathes and hundreds . The traditional border of East and West Kent
5310-449: The head waters of other rivers such as the River Darent . Other rivers of Kent include the River Stour in the east. A 2014 study found that Kent shares significant reserves of shale oil with other neighbouring counties, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil , which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in
5400-426: The men were actually called out each year. The militia was already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. The French Revolutionary Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in the British Isles ), which the regular army increasingly saw as
5490-424: The militia declined in the years after the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. Kent
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#17327827450455580-408: The militia formally joining their linked regiments as their 3rd and 4th Battalions on 1 July 1881. Although the 2nd Bn East Kent Militia was designated to be the 4th Bn Buffs, it was only at cadre strength, and was absorbed by the 1st Bn (now 3rd Buffs) on 1 April 1888 The 3rd Bn Buffs was embodied from 9 March to 30 September 1885 during the Panjdeh Crisis . After the disasters of Black Week at
5670-432: The motto Invicta , meaning "undefeated" or "unconquered". The adoption of this motto followed the invasion of Britain by William of Normandy , as he was unable to subdue the county and they negotiated favourable terms. The continued resistance of the Kentish people against the Normans led to Kent's designation as a semi-autonomous county palatine in 1067. Under the nominal rule of William's half-brother Odo of Bayeux ,
5760-444: The newcomers. Of the invading tribes, the Jutes were the most prominent, and the area became a Jutish kingdom recorded as Cantia in about 730 and Cent in 835. The early medieval inhabitants of the county were referred to as the Cantwara , or Kentish people. The city of Canterbury was the largest in Kent. In 597, Pope Gregory I appointed the religious missionary (who became Saint Augustine of Canterbury after his death) as
5850-525: The operations from 16 April to seize Dewetsdorp , 15 miles (24 km) south of Bloemfontein . The battalion reached Dewetsdorp on 29 April. On 9 June the battalion was rushed to reinforce the garrison at Kroonstad , and on 23 June five of its companies were included in a 2000-strong column sent 55 miles (89 km) to relieve Maj-Gen Arthur Paget , besieged at Lindley . The column met considerable opposition, with two days' hard fighting at Doornkloof and Paardeplats, but succeeded in its object and entered
5940-422: The outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 and four days later moved to its war station at Dover, where it remained in garrison for the whole war. From its base at the Citadel , its role was to equip the Reservists and Special Reservists of the Buffs and send them as reinforcement drafts to the Regular battalions serving overseas (the 1st on the Western Front , the 2nd, after its return from India , also served briefly on
6030-403: The previous colonel, was appointed on 14 April 1808. He had been first commissioned into the regiment as an ensign in 1790, and retained the command until his own death in 1850. Legislation was passed in 1811 permitting English militia regiments to serve in Ireland for two years, and the East Kent Militia served there from 13 September 1811 to 8 October 1813. It was disembodied in June 1814, and
6120-449: The regiment: Colonel Honorary Colonel The regiment was awarded the following Battle Honours : Under Army Order 251 of 1910, the Special Reserve were to bear the same battle honours as their parent regiments, so the Mediterranean honour, which was peculiar to militia units, was extinguished. Kent Kent is a county in the South East England region, the closest county to continental Europe . It borders Essex across
6210-414: The regimental depots. The SR battalions also swelled with new recruits and were soon well above their establishment strength. On 8 October 1914 each SR battalion was ordered to use the surplus to form a service battalion of the 4th New Army ('K4'). Accordingly the 3rd Reserve Bn formed the 9th Reserve Bn, Buffs at Dover, where it was accommodated in the South Front Barracks . Commanded by Lt-Col R.A. Reith,
6300-490: The resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places (West Kent was 37th); presumably because the East Kents were not embodied until 1778, it was placed in the second group as 49th. Formally, the regiment became the '49th, or East Kent Militia', but most regiments paid little notice to the additional number. The following served as Colonel or (after 1852) Honorary Colonel of
6390-463: The sea, and cliffs such as the White Cliffs of Dover are present where a chalk ridge known as the North Downs meets the coast. Spanning Dover and Westerham is the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The Wealden dome is a Mesozoic structure lying on a Palaeozoic foundation, which can often create the right conditions for coal formation. This is found in East Kent roughly between Deal, Canterbury, and Dover. The Coal Measures within
6480-603: The seat of the Archbishops of Canterbury since the conversion of England to Christianity that began in the 6th century with Saint Augustine . Rochester Cathedral in Medway is England's second-oldest cathedral. Located between London and the Strait of Dover , which separates England from mainland Europe, Kent has been the setting for both conflict and diplomacy, including the Battle of Britain in World War II and
6570-542: The sinking, the draft from the 3rd Buffs was praised for its discipline in parading on deck and then launching life rafts, with the loss of only one man missing from the draft. 3rd (Reserve) Battalion was disembodied on 12 September 1919, when the remaining personnel were drafted to the 1st Bn. After Lord Kitchener issued his call for volunteers in August 1914, the battalions of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd New Armies ('K1', 'K2' and 'K3' of ' Kitchener's Army ') were quickly formed at
6660-615: The start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of the regular army was sent to South Africa, and many militia units were embodied to replace them for home defence and to garrison certain overseas stations. Some were then permitted to volunteer for active service in South Africa. The 3rd Buffs was embodied on 18 January 1900. After volunteering, 16 officers and 551 other ranks under the command of Lt-Col Theodore Brinckman sailed from Southampton to Cape Town on 10 March aboard
6750-842: The summer of 1805, when Napoleon was massing his 'Army of England' at Boulogne for a projected invasion, the East Kents were stationed at Dover until relieved by the Hereford Militia on 1 July. By 1 September that year the regiment (426 men in 10 Companies under Lt-Col William Pennell) had moved to Chelmsford Barracks, which it shared with the Royal Buckinghamshire Militia (King's Own) in Maj-Gen Duncan Campbell 's brigade. Sir Narborough D'Aeth died in 1808 and Samuel Elias Sawbridge of Olantigh , former MP for Canterbury and son of
6840-480: The town on 27 June. Afterwards, Lt-Gen Thomas Kelly-Kenny , commanding the Lines of Communication , wrote to Lord Roberts , commanding in South Africa, that 'he was pleased to observe that a Militia Battn (the 3rd Buffs) distinguished itself on this occasion'. The battalion then returned to Kroonstad, escorting the convoy of wounded and sick. On 25 September the 3rd Buffs left as escort to a construction train repairing
6930-630: The war, Kent's borders changed several more times. In 1965, the London boroughs of Bromley and Bexley were created from nine towns formerly in Kent. In 1998, Rochester, Strood, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham left the administrative county of Kent to form the Unitary Authority of Medway . Plans for another unitary authority in north-west Kent were dropped, but in 2016 consultations began between five Kent local authorities (Canterbury, Thanet, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe, and Ashford) with
7020-498: Was abolished in militia regiments, the commanding officer in future holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel , although the regiment could appoint an honorary colonel . War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to the Crimea , the militia began to be called out for home defence. The East Kent Militia was embodied in 1854 and was stationed at Chichester by 9 June, moving to Portsmouth by 8 September, and
7110-576: Was again stationed at Woolwich, by December 1857, then at Aldershot from July 1858 to July 1859. It moved to Portsmouth by 1 August, where it stayed until February 1860. Then by 5 March 1860 it had been sent to Weymouth , where it guarded convicts at Portland Prison working on the stone breakwaters of Portland Harbour ., where there had been disturbances. It was relieved by the King's Own (1st Staffordshire) Militia in May before returning to Portsmouth where it
7200-510: Was commissioned as Colonel of the regiment in 1779 and held the command until his death in 1795. In the summer of 1782 the regiment joined the Bedfordshire and West Suffolk regiments in a militia camp at Danbury, Essex , under Maj-Gen St John. The militia was disembodied at the conclusion of the war in 1782. From 1784 to 1792 the regiments were supposed to assemble for 28 days' annual training, even though to save money only two-thirds of
7290-634: Was determined by a gavelkind inheritance system that generated a proliferation of small settlements. There was no open-field system, and the large tracts were owned by the two great abbeys, Christ Church, Canterbury and St Augustine's Abbey , that did not pass into the hands of the king during the Reformation . Canterbury Cathedral is the United Kingdom's metropolitan cathedral ; it was founded in AD 598 and displays architecture from all periods. There are nine Anglo-Saxon churches in Kent. Rochester Cathedral
7380-744: Was disembodied in June. Thereafter the militia regiments were called out for their annual training. Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local regular and Volunteer battalions – for the East Kent Militia this was with the two battalions of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) in Sub-District No 45 (County of Kent) at Canterbury. The militia now came under
7470-590: Was female — as to Medway, this proportion was 50.4%. The tables below provide statistics for the administrative county of Kent, that is, excluding Medway. At the 2001 UK census , employment statistics for the residents in Kent, including Medway, were as follows: 41.1% in full-time employment, 12.4% in part-time employment, 9.1% self-employed, 2.9% unemployed, 2.3% students with jobs, 3.7% students without jobs, 12.3% retired, 7.3% looking after home or family, 4.3% permanently sick or disabled, and 2.7% economically inactive for other reasons. Of residents aged 16–74, 16% had
7560-591: Was finally disembodied on 17 July 1902. After the Boer War, the future of the Militia was called into question. There were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteers) to take their place in the six Army Corps proposed by the Secretary of State for War , St John Brodrick . However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under the more sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908,
7650-522: Was given a quota of 960 men to raise, and quickly formed the West Kent Militia , which received its weapons on 20 November 1758 and was embodied for service the following year. The East Kent Militia followed, its weapons being dispatched from the Tower of London on 25 February 1760, when it had reached 60 per cent of its establishment strength. Its headquarters was at Canterbury. However, unlike
7740-495: Was hotly engaged and behaved with conspicuous steadiness'. Until 15 December the battalion was employed in guarding the railway, but Hunter requested it for Maj-Gen Hector MacDonald 's march through the Springfontein area into Cape Colony to deal with a tBoer invasion. It took part in engagements at Bethulie Bridge, Olive Siding and Colesberg , returning to Kroonstad on 30 December. The weather had been extremely bad and
7830-471: Was not called out during the short Waterloo Campaign . After Waterloo there was another long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during
7920-475: Was soon killed, but the garrison held out until only one was left unwounded and the Boers forced their way in. The Boers then withdrew having suffered heavy casualties. Skirmishes along the blockhouse lines were constant throughout the year. The 3rd Buffs were relieved and embarked on 21 January 1902, but only as far as Saint Helena . Here they spent a further six months guarding Boer prisoners of war . The battalion
8010-589: Was the county's main river, the Medway . Men and women from east of the Medway are Men (or Maids) of Kent, those from the west are Kentishmen or Kentish Maids. The divide has been explained by some as originating in the Anglo-Saxon migrations, with Jutes mainly settling east of the Medway and Saxons settling west of it. In the 11th century, the people of Kent (or Chenth , per the Domesday Book ) adopted
8100-542: Was then at Woolwich from November to Marc 1855. The regiment then volunteered for overseas garrison service and was sent to Malta , arriving by May and remaining for a year. The regiment was disembodied in 1856, and was awarded the Mediterranean Battle Honour . The East Kents were among the small number of militia regiments embodied during the Indian Mutiny to relieve Regular troops. It
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