If you wish to be involved in any of the projects (or have an idea of your own) please contact Richard via contact us
Digitisation Project
To digitise over 4,000 local photographs, maps, microfilm, and 6,000 artefacts currently in the possession of the group…it will make them more accessible to researchers.
For more information click here.
Clay Pipes in North Kent
To investigate various collections across Swale; to draw, catalogue and analyse clay tobacco pipes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, with a view to a publication.
For more information click here.
Street Names
Would you like to help us find out the meaning behind local street names. We currently have a list of over 1,600 streets we are investigating.
Sittingbourne War Memorials Project – WW1 and WW2
The on-going research into nearly 4,000 names commemorated locally on the war memorials of the following 46 parishes or towns:
Bapchild, Bobbing, Borden, Boughton under Blean, Bredgar, Davington, Doddington, Dunkirk, Eastchurch, Eastling, Faversham, Frinsted, Goodnestone, Graveney, Hartlip, Hernhill, Iwade, Leaveland, Leysdown, Lower Halstow, Luddenham, Lynsted, Milstead, Milton Regis, Minster, Murston, Newington, Newnham, Norton, Oare, Ospringe, Otterden, Queenborough, Rainham, Rodmersham, Selling, Sheerness, Sheldwich, Sittingbourne, Stalisfield, Stockbury, Teynham, Throwley, Tonge, Tunstall, and Upchurch.
If you have photos or stories of relatives who died or survived WW1 or WW2, and are from one of the above areas, we would be pleased to add their stories to our touch screen.
To search for a name in our database click here.
Sittingbourne and Kemsley Paper Mills
Researching and collecting stories about the history of Lloyds and Bowaters Paper Mill, over the 300 years, that it influenced Sittingbourne, Milton Regis and Kemsley. This research will then be transformed into a book and touch screen story in our exhibition.
Bredhurst Archaeological Dig
A project originally excavating the remains of a medieval manorial house dating back to the 13th century. The finds assemblage chronologically spans from the Mesolithic period through to the 20th century.
1940’s Diary
Digitise, transcribe, research the diary of David Joyce who kept a diary throughout 1940. Once the research is complete, researchers will then decide how best to tell the story that David Joyce has left us.
Archaeological Finds Review (Handling History)
To examine more than 4000 archaeological finds which had been left in one of the old cells at Milton Regis Court Hall by the dissolved Sittingbourne and Swale Archaeological Research Group in the late twentieth century. These finds need re-packaging, analysing, conserving, storing and presenting. A selection would be then available to display in the Heritage Hub in Sittingbourne, and other local heritage groups within the Swale Museum Group area.
WW1 DVD
Working in conjunction with local film animator Colin Harvey and other local groups we are proposing to produce a DVD to tell the story of the role played by the community and the significance that Swale played during WW1.
This was ‘storyboarded’ and scripted in 2019. Michael Peters has agreed to narrate it.
Famous Local People
A timeline showing notable famous people who have walked our streets over the millennium of time. A few researchers would like to create a timeline of local famous people, which will also tell us a little bit about their lives.
Transcriptions of Burial, Birth, Marriage Records
Transcribing parish records from microfilm held in the HRGS research Archives.
A Stroll Through Time
Capturing the memories of two local historians.
We are currently working on recording their recollections of how life used to be in times gone by, both along Sittingbourne High Street and Milton Regis High Street.
If you wish to be involved in any of the projects (or have an idea of your own) please Contact Us