THE GREAT FIRES OF CHATHAM - 1800 & 1820

The town of Chatham in Kent suffered two huge fires during the late Georgian period. This film tells the story of those fires, the damage they caused and the relief committees set up in their aftermath.
Researched and narrated by local historian Robert Flood and produced by Gary Weston from Spaghetti Weston www.spaghettiweston.com.
About Sun Pier House.
Sun Pier House CIC is a creative arts space and venue in North Kent, located in a former bank and commercial office block alongside the River Medway in Chatham.
The Community Interest Company was formed in 2013 to promote and support Medway’s creative industries.
Across the 3 floors we have converted the empty offices into a large exhibition Gallery, a characterful venue, 20 artist studios, 2 art workshop rooms, a meeting room available to hire, and are home to Escape Plan event games!
We’re a small family business with big ambition! Set up and run by Medway residents Heather and Ed, Sun Pier House is an evolving project that started by accident in 2012.

[@spudspuddy]

Born and raised in Chatham, remember the medway freezing over in the 60s and going down the sun pier to look at it, my family had so many pubs in chatham, my great x 3 grandad Burford and his brothers had the Gibraltar house and bred race horses there

[@spacegirl0013]

Really interesting and well made film. I live in Chatham but I'm not from here originally so finding out stuff about the town is fascinating. I hope you do more films about Medway history.

[@radiosnail]

Extremely interesting, nevr knew Chatham had suffered two fires

[@christophercawley9818]

Great work. Very glad I came across this channel

[@paulhease1007]

Very nicely produced and informative as I was born in Chatham. It seems everyone born in Medway gets BROUGHT & BOUGHT confused, as I still sometimes do when speaking, out of habit!! You made the same mistake at 7:56.

[@florence2095]

I never do. I was lucky enough to have an excellent primary school teacher @ Byron Road, Gillingham. 🐨🐨🦘

[@deanheathfield9958]

Wow this was amazing. Lived in medway all my life and never knew of this.❤️history

[@florence2095]

I don’t remember being taught it at school 🤔🐨🐨🦘

[@sandracook738]

Really interesting, thank you for your hard work producing this.

[@danny1983ish]

Our current home for the Q-ship trust, who are trying to save the last Flower Class Sloop from World War One.

[@Seansaighdeoir]

Interesting video thanks for sharing. As a once local I was unaware or at least had forgotten these 2 events. Interesting also that the Bests had a big presence in town and although the configuration may have changed it seems Best Street may have been named after them as it seems interface into Military Road close to where their brewery was located. I knew a number of Bests growing up in Rochester so wondering if they were any relation...

[@fowkes1981]

Chatham is my hometown, great video this. Thanks for sharing it.

[@rachelhowell8508]

Amazing video well done. Could I ask would you do one on the Gillingham park disaster? Very sad story but very interesting

[@florence2095]

What is the story regarding Gillingham Park disaster ❓🐨🦘

[@rachelh9914]

@florence2095 The local scouts put on a demonstration with the local fire brigade at a fair. They were in a house structure, and the fire brigade were supposed to rescue them, but it all went terribly wrong.

[@florence2095]

@@rachelh9914 what year did it happen❓ we moved to Australia 1972

[@rachelh9914]

@@florence2095 1929

[@shanewaterman4125]

Great job Rob. The style reminds me of a series LWT made in the early 1980s: The Making of Modern London. That ran to THREE series.... so best you get cracking on the rest!

[@phoebepug]

Thank you for this invaluable history of Chatham. In the credits at the end, I noticed Arthur Prosser drew the illustrations. He was my neighbor, and also the jazz journalist for the Evening Post newspaper.

[@99fruitbat94]

Thank you for this , very interesting 👍

[@joececcacci4879]

i am native of chatham ont. canada

[@sueamos3860]

Very interesting thank you

[@florence2095]

Thank you 🙏 I thoroughly enjoyed this history lesson.🐨🐨🦘

[@royeastland-drawing5505]

Thanks! That was interesting.

[@kentprepper6392]

Very cool 👍

[@jimgordon6629]

Excellent video, gave great insight into how people of that period would seek to cope with disaster

[@brianingle8883]

Excellent work

[@bobdench7536]

love Rob's films on local history

[@samanthabayliss348]

Very interesting Thank you 😊

[@michaelcousins4783]

Greetings from Australia. I note you mentioned Primark which stands where Marks and Spencer’s used to be,not British Home Stores. How do I know this? I was born directly opposite M and S in 1940. I do enjoy your films. Regards Michael Cousins

[@Clodhopping]

I remember M&S being further along the High Street towards Military Rd?

[@florence2095]

Where do you live in Oz Michael ❓🐨🐨🦘

[@michaelcousins4783]

@@florence2095 Hi,I’m just north of Perth. Kind regards

[@wendyburrows4178]

This is so interesting. We came from Rainham, but often visited Chatham. My great grandfather used to own The Old Barn pub during WWII, my mom and her cousin were about the only 2 kids left in the town during the war, all the other kids having been evacuated. I also believe they found a plague pit in Chatham too.

[@robinbourner7893]

Very interesting Robert well done

[@248burty]

Fascinating, thank you.

[@angelabah7725]

What an amazing film . Im from Chatham . Never anything of this . Thankyou

[@mikesharp3096]

Very interesting - thank you for this.

[@mattbray_studio]

great video Rob!

[@timflatus]

Fascinating. I'm not from Chatham but many of my ancestors were. This gives some great perspective on my family history. Thank you so much!

[@SunPierHouseMedway]

Our pleasure!

[@danny1983ish]

​@@SunPierHouseMedway fascinating piece of history , we are a trust based in Chatham, and hoping one day our great war flower class sloop be homed here.

[@leoniemorgan7695]

Excellent, thank you 👍

[@chrismurphy8383]

Absolutely brilliant - so clear and easy to understand and follow with the many references to the town we know today to give a great perspective to the narration

[@ralphwhittington989]

And Chatham was a shit hole then and still a shit hole now no change at all

[@robflood6654]

Thanks for your constructive comment.

[@HUDYHARYR2S]

im confused about the map of the second fire as on google maps chatham house is on the other side of the highstreet,by the river