From the Kentish Gazette, February 1814.

EXTRAORDINARY SALE.

A few days since, the following extraordinary sale took place at the "White Hart," Sittingbourne.

A woman by the name of Coveney, was led by a halter into one of the rooms, and sold to the highest bidder, with her five children, a horse and cart, and all her household furniture.

A man at Newington was the purchaser, for the sum of ten pounds.

From the Kentish Gazette, 14 February 1843.

WHITE HART, SITTINGBOURN.

JOHN BROOK, HAVING taken the above House and Bowling Green, leading to Crown Quay, takes leave to inform the Public and Subscribers to the Green, that he hopes by assiduity, attention, and moderate charges, to merit a share of the public favour, and also that of his friends and the neighbourhood.
 

From the Southeastern Gazette, 13 March 1866.

SITTINGBOURNE. Fatal Boiler Explosion.

On Friday morning, about half-past sis o’clock, a boiler exploded at the cement works of Messrs. Cleaver and Co., Crown Quay, Sittingbourne, with fatal results. William Lambert, the engine-driver, was killed on the spot. He was the only man in the engine-house at the time of the explosion, but a number of other men on the works were injured by the falling timber, &o., viz., James Blandfleld, seriously injured about the back, neck, and arms; Robert Blandfield, injury to leg; Thomas Johnson, hurt in the back; Edward Johnson, slightly injured; George Outing, slightly injured; and another was reported to be badly hurt in the loins and hips.

An Inquest on the body of the engine-driver took place at the “White Hart Inn,” Crown Quay, before the coroner, T. Hills, Esq., the same evening.

The first witness was the manager of the works, Mr. Bullivant, who said it was a mystery to him how the accident occurred. No one at all on the premises had any right to touch the engine but the deceased, who must have accumulated more steam than the safety valves could discharge. In answer to the Coroner, the witness stated that safety valves in proper order ought to discharge any amount of steam.

A labourer named Smith deposed that he was at work at 20 past 6. He went to the engine-house, and deceased was there, getting the steam up. It was blowing off a little. He was sober. The fire was a good one. He put in some coal just as witness got there. There were five other men besides witness then in front of the boiler. They all went out when witness did, except a boy, who left shortly after. Witness had been at work five or six minutes when he heard the explosion. On going to the engine-house he found it in ruins. The boiler was all to pieces, and everything down. Deceased’s body was lying alongside one of the Portland kilns. It was about ten yards from where he left him, in front of the stoke-hole. Believed deceased was a competent man. He was capable of almost any sort of work. The engine was not “started.”

The Coroner observed that if it had been, in all probability the accident would not have happened. If there had been any mismanagement it must have been on the part of the deceased himself.

A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.

Deceased leaves a widow, whom the company will provide for. The unfortunate man was formerly foreman at the Maidstone Gas Works.

From the Southeastern Gazette, 12 June 1866.

SITTINGBOURNE. Sad Accident to a Volunteer.

A painful feeling was created in this neighbourhood yesterday (Monday) week, by the intelligence that Mr. John Bates, grocer, of the High-street, Milton, had accidentally shot himself. The facts of the occurrence were elicited at the inquest held the following evening, before T. Hills, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of which Mr. F. Hartridge was foreman, when the following evidence was given:—

William Wilson, living at the “White Hart," next door to the residence of the deceased, who was married to the witness’s sister, said deceased was 41 years of age, and had been a member of the local volunteer corps for six years. He had never said or done anything that would at all lead witness to suspect that he would commit suicide. About twenty minutes past six on Monday morning, he heard his sister exclaim, “What shall I do ?” He immediately went from Mr. Worthy’s shop adjoining to deceased’s back room, when he saw deceased in a half- kneeling and half-silting position in the corner, with his back against a cupboard, close to the window. He was quite dead. There was a large quantity of blood, and the top of his head was completely blown off. His rifle was lying over his right leg, and the muzzle pointing to his body. Having stated that he instantly called in Mr. Ray, surgeon, the witness proceeded. The materials for cleaning the rifle were in the room. The cleaning rod laid across his leg, parallel with the rifle; the rags for cleaning lay on the table; the screw driver, wrench, muzzle stopper, and reflector were on the table, as if he had been preparing to clean his rifle. Deceased was in the habit of cleaning his rifle early in the morning on inspection days, and the annual inspection of the battalion took place at Canterbury later in the day of Monday. Witness believed deceased recently went to Rainham to shoot, but he could not tell whether he brought his rifle home loaded or not.

P.C. Watson, who was called in, gave confirmatory testimony.

The Coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

Deceased, who leaves a widow and six children, was much respected, as was evinced by the fact that over fifty of his comrades attended the interment in the parish churchyard on Friday. The procession was formed at the Corn Exchange, at five o’clock, and was composed of Lieut.-Col. Dyke, Capt. Lake, Ensign Knight, Surgeon Grayling, Assistant-Surgeon Penfold, 10 non-commissioned officers, and 40 privates, besides the band. The “Dead March” was performed on the way to the churchyard, where the service was impressively read by the Rev. W. English, vicar, who delivered an address. The firing party discharged three volleys over the grave. The deceased was the son of Mr. John Bates, of Union-street, Maidstone.