Page 14 - Frittenden Parish Mag - July - 2021

Historical Society Historical Society

From and farmers along his route. Second, he was combined the roles of innkeeper and carrier,
often the only means by which bulky parcels
particularly as The Bell also had stables.
and goods could be despatched from the
Carriers to nearest town or railhead to their country The 1867 Kelly’s Directory for Kent records
that William Brakefield was now a Butcher
destination. Third, the village carrier’s
and Carrier at The Bell. The 1871 Census
cart was the only form of public passenger
Hauliers transport, so his vehicle also acted as a kind confirmed that Brakefield lived there with his
wife Louisa, 51, and an extensive household of
of primitive country bus. Fourth, he would
5 men, all described as servants.
convey country produce to town for sale to
Phil Betts merchants, primarily poultry, game, rabbits, By the time of the 1891 Census, the role of
carrier had moved from the Bell Inn to The
eggs and dairy produce, but he was also an
Chmn. Frittenden Historical Society important source of local fruit and vegetables. New Inn, which was later to become the John Frittenden House who wrote in a newspaper
Jorrocks. It was here that Benjamin Hodges, article that ‘In the 1880s and 90s ... the sole
Carriers frequently called at three or four 46, was recorded as Publican, Carrier and link with the outside world was the carrier.’
The function of village carriers was to villages before reaching town. The routes Coal Merchant, reflecting the continued habit
take and fetch from the local market town varied greatly in length but seldom exceeded of multi-occupation publican tenants. The 1938 Kelly’s Directory records that
goods of all kinds, as well as to provide, to a 15 or 20 miles (Frittenden is 12 miles from Frittenden continued to support a Carrier.
degree, passenger transport. It was because Maidstone). Even so, at a pace of only three The Cranbrook Almanac for 1813 and Kelly’s William Gibson served Staplehurst,
of these important functions that carrier to five miles per hour, many carriers must Directory both list Benjamin Hodges as the presumably the station, and Maidstone.
services tended to be bunched to coincide have started very early in the morning to carrier from Frittenden to Staplehurst and He advertised departures on Mondays,
with market day in their principal local reach town in time and a working day of 16 Maidstone every Monday and Thursday, Tuesdays and Thursdays, returning the same
town and this concentration often made it or 17 hours was not uncommon on the longer returning the same day. This service left day. However, by this time, ‘carriers’ were
possible, and necessary, for carriers to have routes. Some 85 carriers served Maidstone Benjamin’s house, The Poplars, adjacent to the beginning to face competition from ‘hauliers’.
an additional occupation. making about 1200 scheduled calls weekly. crossroads in the centre of the village. The first recorded haulier in Frittenden
The arrival of the railway in the 1840s appeared in 1938, when John James
The village carrier was almost invariably a enhanced the role of the country carrier, while As there was no bus service in the village, Maybourne & Sons, at Sunnyside, described
villager himself, usually operating on quite effectively undermining that of the long- it was possible to ride with the carrier. themselves as Haulage Contractors,
a humble scale, setting out in the morning distance carrier who became redundant. Opportunities to leave the village, other than Livestock Transporters, Jobmasters and
and returning home at night, and running a by foot or private carriage, were very limited, Coal & Coke Merchants.
comparatively light vehicle - a cart rather than At Frittenden, we can identify a number of as was noted by Major Edward Oakeley of
a wagon. His basic functions were fourfold. individuals who acted as carriers. The earliest
First, he was a shopping agent, purchasing a record is of Joseph Gurr who described From the kitchen
wide variety of retail goods for the villagers himself as a carrier in the baptismal record
for November 1824, as did Samuel Southon of the Old Dragon.
in 1830.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY VILLAGE We can offer you a large range
TREASURE TRAIL An 1848 Directory notes that James Barten of homemade preserves, jams,
(sic) operated a carrier service between marmalades, chutneys, sauces
If you’re staying at home this summer, why
not join us on the parish field for a family Frittenden and The Ship at Maidstone on and curds.
friendly, walking trail around the village on Monday and Thursday. The census of 1841 Free from preservatives. We
Saturday 29th August at 2pm? There will and 1851 both recorded Barton as a carrier, use locally sourced fruit and
be a series of questions on historical points operating latterly from Hollenden Cottage,
around the village and the winning group close to The Bell. A decade later, the 1861 vegetables whenever possible.
will receive a Bell & Jorrocks voucher. The Census records him as both Innkeeper and Call Jenny & Tim anytime
Womens Institute are providing tea and cake Carrier at The Bell Inn. As the local inn was on 01580 852 468
to fuel and re-fuel everyone. often the meeting/pick up point for a carrier,
it would have made sense for Barton to have

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