The History of Sittingbourne & Milton Fire Brigade

[@JoseighBlogs]

What an astonishing history? ~ and, what 'gets you' is the volunteering aspect of an early firefighting service that people of good will offered their time freely for others alongside benevolent and Union fundraising to improve firefighting and for assisting those who had suffered in fires.

[@melcockell45]

Really good video my name is Mel Cockell my fathers father was reeler forman in 1900 at Sittingbourne mill and as such had one of the best houses in Kemsley in The Crescent it was a large 4 bedroom house set aside for the higher grade workers/Managers and foreman at the time My Great grandfather lived there for many years and had its own private garage with its own driveway entrance My father had a contract at Kemsley mill and used to transport ash to the mill My great grandfathers brother owned the green dragon pub at the bottom of King street milton that would have been Milton Hill this is an interesting video which i enjoyed very much so thanks for that M P Cockell

[@SittingbourneHeritageMuseum]

Thanks Mel - great to your story. We welcome such information.

[@colinwinn8806]

Extremely Interesting video, thanks. At 10.13, you can see The George Inn. This was owned by my Great Grandfather, George Buggs, also part of the Milton fire team. I’m pretty sure he appears in the Milton Team photos, too. The horses for the team were stabled at The George and family anecdote has it he broke his neck when running the horses out for the team, having whacked his head on some protrusion or other. He survived . . . ! My other grandfather and grand Uncle were bargemasters, running Smead Dean goods from Milton Creek. "Sailing Bargemaster" by Chaffcutter books is an edited book taken directly from my Great Grandfather’s memoires. A rare thing at the time, from one who had no schooling.

[@SittingbourneHeritageMuseum]

All noted - thanks Colin