A Virtual Museum - Your Town, the Borough and its History

1903
• “Catherine” added to the Gravesend to Tilbury Ferry Service.
• New tram routes opened from Pelham Road to Perry Street, Windmill Street to Old Road and a connection to the Leather Bottle, Northfleet.
• Man fatally injured by tramcar No. 12 near the Clock Tower.
• Bat and Ball Ground sold to a local builder for building development. The Ground was then rented by the Cricket club on an annual basis with the option to purchase. (See 1906)
• Colchester trading steamer “Gem” sank after a collision with S.S. Batavia III, off Northfleet.
• Corporation Electricity Works completed. First electric street lighting installed with 12 arc lights situated in the main road.
• Collision in Northfleet Hope between S.S. “Florence” and S.S. “Baron Selborn”. The latter had to be beached, the former sank but the crew saved.
• Claim by F.E. Davey (builders of electricity works) against the Corporation for breach of contract - awarded £2,544 damages.
• Old guns removed from New Tavern Fort - to be sold as scrap.
• Severe thunderstorm with several houses damaged. Also a yacht, tramway, telephone and electricity cables struck by lightning.
• Andrew Carnegie offered £3000 to Northfleet Council for a library building but the offer was not taken up, although Northfleet Council adopted the Public Libraries Act in August.
• It was announced that Gravesend and Northfleet Tramway Co. had carried 2,479,329 passengers during the year.
• Rosherville Gardens re-opened under new management of Mr. Radcliffe and there were 37,600 visitors on Bank Holiday, 3rd August.
• Gravesend Corporation accepted Andrew Carnegie’s offer of £6000 for a library building. A number of local subscribers purchased the site in Windmill Street and the plans were approved by Carnegie the following year.
• A boy drowned when the barge “Earl of Grays” sank in a storm in Lower Hope.
• Clifton Baths were sold and subsequently closed and demolished some time later. (See 1835)

1904
• Gravesend and Northfleet Electric Tramways Ltd. purchased two new demi-cars. The previous cars being too large for the system.
• St. Mary’s Church, Dashwood Road was built.
• West Street premises of Nettleingham and Co., Corn & Fodder Merchants was completely destroyed by fire.
• Mayor Naylor entertained to luncheon at the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor, Prince of Wales other Royalty and the elder brethren of Trinity House.
• 25,000 visitors to Rosherville Gardens on Whit Monday.
• Bawley boat “Lass O’ Gourie” sunk in collision with the barge “Band of Hope” in Gravesend Reach.
• King of Belgians yacht “Alberta” arrived from Ostend in June.
• House building commenced on the site of Terrace Gardens.
• A tram car collided with a landau (horse drawn carriage). The horse pulling the carriage put his head through an open window of the tram.
• New automatic tram cars commenced regular service.
• Official welcome to Scott’s Antarctic exploration ship “Discovery” which arrived off Gravesend in September.
• Rosherville Gardens put up for auction but there were no bidders.
• Thick fog paralysed river traffic for several days in December.
• High Court fixed purchase price of Gravesend and Milton cemetery at £8305.
• Flooding in East and West Streets caused by high tide and gales in December.
• Passengers from boats were rowed to a point 20 feet up the High Street.
• The barge “Frank” capsized in Lower Hope with 2 drowned.
• Shorne Village Hall was built.

1905
• Barge “Gordon” sank after a collision with barge “Louisa” in Lower Hope near powder hulks. The crew was saved.
• Gravesend Cemetery purchased by the Corporation.
• Gravesend Corporation were authorised to extend the supply of electricity to Northfleet.
• The roof of St. Botolph’s Church, Northfleet collapsed after the service on Easter Day.
• Ruckland House, Wrotham Road was purchased for £2100 for the Masonic Temple. It continues to be the site of the Masonic Hall today. (See 1845)
• Walkers Brewery in Wellington street bought by Charringtons, although it continued to trade as Walker & Son until 1908. (See1893, 1928)
• Open air concerts commenced on Windmill Hill in June.
• Two balloons from Crystal Palace landed near Chalk after one had touched down at Wombwell Park.
• Final service at Gravesend Wesleyan Chapel before demolition and rebuilding. (See 1812) The stone laying ceremony of the new Wesleyan Church took place in September.
• New branch of the Capital and Counties Bank opened in New Road, Gravesend.
• The official opening of the Gravesend Public Library took place in September.
• Mayoral reception and public inspection of Gravesend Hospital on completion of improvements.
• Dode Church, Luddesdown, restored by G. M. Arnold (Mayor). (See 1349, 1947, 1954, 1991, 1992, 1999)
• Gravesend Education Committee decided no more children under five to be admitted to schools.
• On Christmas Day at the Gravesend Workhouse the Master and Matron catered for 273 residents and 42 non-residents.

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1906
• Henley’s Cable Factory built in the grounds of Crete Hall, Northfleet. Crete Hall was demolished in 1937 when the factory was expanded. (See 1800, 1945, 1985, 1989, 1990)
• Balloon from Crystal Palace landed at Cobham.
• Bryant and Rackstraw Ltd. formed a new company, taking over the adjoining King Street premises, formerly Jackson Bros., drapers in Gravesend.
• Andrew Carnegie was made Honorary Freeman of Gravesend. (See 1903)
• South of England Champion Band Festival held at Rosherville Gardens.
• New Methodist Church, Milton Road, Gravesend was opened on the site of the old chapel.
• First British Motor Boat Club Race to Cowes started from Gravesend.
• 85 applicants for the post of Wrotham Road School caretaker. The salary was 24 shillings per week.
• Clara Butt, operatic singer, gave a grand concert at the public Hall to a “fashionable audience”.
• Bat and Ball Ground was “saved” following a public meeting at the Town Hall, organised by Earl of Darnley.
• Denehole discovered by workmen in Singlewell Road, Gravesend. There have been many deneholes discovered over the years. These holes, made in previous centuries, were the result of excavations for chalk, carried out via a vertical shaft. The chalk was then spread onto the fields as a fertilizer and is known as chalking or marling. (See 1948)

1907
• Company formed to purchase Bat and Ball Ground. It was named “Gravesend,
• Northfleet and North Kent Cricket and Sports Co. Ltd.” and would revive cricket, sports, tennis and bowls at the Bat & Ball ground.
• S.S. “T.E. Forster” sank after a collision with S.S. “J.M. Smith” off Terrace Pier. The Captain drowned.
• Gravesend Electricity Works extension opened in March.
• Pulpit erected in St. George’s Church as memorial to Rev. J.H. Haslam.
• Foundation stone of the new Mission Church, Ferndale Road, (St. Faith’s), laid by the Bishop of Rochester in September and opened the following year.
• Gravesend Corporation went ahead with the Northfleet Electricity extension in October.
• Singlewell Road Gospel Hall, Gravesend opened for services.

1908
• S.S. “Beira” with a cargo of coal caught fire off Gravesend. It burned for six and a half hours with 2 crew killed and 3 badly burned.
• Infants Department of King Street School, Gravesend was closed in February after nearly 59 years.
• George M. Arnold (former Mayor) died at Milton Hall in March aged 81. (See 1874)
• Extension to Gravesend Post Office, Milton Road opened in May.
• Gravesend Coastguard station abolished and the duties taken over by Customs Department.
• Motor coaches replaced horse drawn coaches for carrying the mail.
• Memorial to William Tingey, (President of Gravesend Hospital, cement manufacturer and philanthropist) who died in 1907, unveiled in Windmill Gardens, Gravesend.
• Mayor Davis gave a breakfast in the Market for the poor men of Gravesend.
• Over 200 poor children queued each morning for breakfast at the Gravesend Ragged School. Funds no longer sufficient and an appeal made.
• Thames Conservancy Board commenced legal proceedings against the Gravesend Corporation for permitting sewage to flow into the Thames.
• Electric lighting of Northfleet main road from Gravesend Corporation Electricity Works.

1909
• Old Age Pensions Act commenced in January with 270 claims at Gravesend and 131 at Northfleet.
• Goods train collided with an empty passenger train at Gravesend’s West Street Station.
• Russell’s Gravesend Brewery Co. opened new premises at King Street.
• Snow Carnival and tobogganing took place on Windmill Hill in March.
• Over 150 local unemployed men, armed with shovels and picks, staged a peaceful demonstration through Gravesend.
• Lord Darnley became the first President of the newly formed Chamber of Commerce for the district from Dartford to Cliffe.
• Rosherville Gardens re-opened at Easter under the ownership of Edward Smith with electric fairy lights. Admission 6d.
• The building of the new Harmsworth printing works at Clifton Marine Parade, Gravesend began in April.
• Gravesend tug “Britannia” sank after a collision in Northfleet Hope. 5 were drowned and a relief fund was started.
• Big fire at Bevan’s Cement Works, Northfleet. Arson was suspected and a reward of £25 was offered for information. Two men were charged on 27 July.
• Ebbsfleet Pleasure Ground, Northfleet was opened in May by Lady Parker. Only one week later the council were concerned about the serious vandalism that had occurred there
• Solomon’s livery stable, Darnley Road destroyed by fire. 14 horses burnt to death.
• Cecil Road School opened in June. Kempthorne Street School closed and the pupils transferred.
• General Steam Navigation Company’s new vessel “Golden Eagle” made its inaugural trip down the Thames.
• Springfield Road, Northfleet was re-named Park Avenue.
• Mayor Davis gave a meat tea at Gravesend Market Hall to over 600 unemployed of the district.
• Official opening of Gravesend’s Mid Kent Golf Course in November by A.J. Balfour, ex Prime Minister.
• Severe gales. Many vessels adrift. Steamship “Dundee” run down by S.S. “Thames”- beached and later sank in Gravesend Reach.