Hoo St Werburgh
Encyclopedia
Hoo St Werburgh is one of several village
s on the Hoo Peninsula
in Kent
, England
, to bear the name Hoo. It constitutes a civil parish in the borough
of Medway
, with a population of 7,356 at the 2001 census
.
was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia
, and niece of King Æthelred, his brother and successor. She was born between 640 and 650.
The first church of Hoo St Werburgh may have been built in the reign of the 8th century King Æthelbald of Mercia, though presumably a monastery
existed nearby at an earlier time. This, together with land at Hoo All Hallows
, is likely to have been placed under the rule of the leading Mercia
n monastery of Medeshamstede
, now known as Peterborough
.
A feature which is found in the church, and is considered to be unique, are the two royal coats of arms
belonging to King James I
and Queen Elizabeth I
. Recently these have been restored, and they can be seen in the church.
The parish records of 1851 give the population as 1,065.
Thomas Aveling, of Aveling and Porter
, the first British manufacturer of steamroller
s, is buried in the cemetery.
A workhouse
was in use here until the 1930s, and the secondary school bears the name "Hundred of Hoo School
".
Broad Street appeared as Brodestrete in 1478. Jacobs Lane is named after the family of Stephen Jacobe of Hoo (1480).
.
Hoo St Werburgh Primary School is for pupils aged 4 – 11 years of age. There are a total of 386 pupils arranged into 14 classes with two classes per year group in the main school. Attached to the school is the Marlborough Centre which caters for children diagnosed as autistic. The centre has 54 children arranged into six classes.
The Hundred of Hoo Comprehensive School is for pupils aged 11 – 18 years of age. There are a total of 1,600 pupils. The school caters for secondary aged pupils from various villages on the Hoo peninsula.
Hoo Saint Werburgh Parish Council http://www.hoosaintwerburgh-pc.gov.uk/
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s on the Hoo Peninsula
Hoo Peninsula
The Hoo Peninsula is a peninsula in England separating the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway. It is dominated by a line of sand and clay hills, surrounded by an extensive area of marshland composed of alluvial silt. The name Hoo is the Old English word for spur of land.-History:The Romans...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to bear the name Hoo. It constitutes a civil parish in the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
, with a population of 7,356 at the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
.
History
St. WerburghWerburgh
Werburh or Wærburh is an English saint and the patron saint of Chester....
was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia
Wulfhere of Mercia
Wulfhere was King of Mercia from the end of the 650s until 675. He was the first Christian king of all of Mercia, though it is not known when or how he converted from Anglo-Saxon paganism. His accession marked the end of Oswiu of Northumbria's overlordship of southern England, and Wulfhere...
, and niece of King Æthelred, his brother and successor. She was born between 640 and 650.
The first church of Hoo St Werburgh may have been built in the reign of the 8th century King Æthelbald of Mercia, though presumably a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
existed nearby at an earlier time. This, together with land at Hoo All Hallows
Allhallows, Kent
Allhallows is a village and civil parish on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, England. Situated in the northernmost part of Kent, and covering an area of 23.99 km², the parish is bounded on the north side by the River Thames, and in the east by the course of Yantlet creek, now silted up...
, is likely to have been placed under the rule of the leading Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n monastery of Medeshamstede
Medeshamstede
Medeshamstede was the name of Peterborough in the Anglo-Saxon period. It was the site of a monastery founded around the middle of the 7th century, which was an important feature in the kingdom of Mercia from the outset. Little is known of its founder and first abbot, Sexwulf, though he was himself...
, now known as Peterborough
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
.
A feature which is found in the church, and is considered to be unique, are the two royal coats of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
belonging to King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
and Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Recently these have been restored, and they can be seen in the church.
The parish records of 1851 give the population as 1,065.
Thomas Aveling, of Aveling and Porter
Aveling and Porter
Aveling and Porter was a British agricultural engine and steam roller manufacturer. Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, developed a steam engine three years later in 1865 and produced more steam rollers than all the other British manufacturers combined.-The...
, the first British manufacturer of steamroller
Steamroller
A steamroller is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for levelling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine...
s, is buried in the cemetery.
A workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
was in use here until the 1930s, and the secondary school bears the name "Hundred of Hoo School
Hundred of Hoo School
The Hundred of Hoo School is a comprehensive secondary school located in the Hoo Peninsula, in the village of Hoo in Kent, England.The school provides standard secondary education as well as offering advanced media facilities. The complex also includes a nursery, a conference centre and sports...
".
Broad Street appeared as Brodestrete in 1478. Jacobs Lane is named after the family of Stephen Jacobe of Hoo (1480).
Education
Hoo is served by two schools. These are Hoo St Werburgh Primary School and The Hundred of Hoo Comprehensive SchoolHundred of Hoo School
The Hundred of Hoo School is a comprehensive secondary school located in the Hoo Peninsula, in the village of Hoo in Kent, England.The school provides standard secondary education as well as offering advanced media facilities. The complex also includes a nursery, a conference centre and sports...
.
Hoo St Werburgh Primary School is for pupils aged 4 – 11 years of age. There are a total of 386 pupils arranged into 14 classes with two classes per year group in the main school. Attached to the school is the Marlborough Centre which caters for children diagnosed as autistic. The centre has 54 children arranged into six classes.
The Hundred of Hoo Comprehensive School is for pupils aged 11 – 18 years of age. There are a total of 1,600 pupils. The school caters for secondary aged pupils from various villages on the Hoo peninsula.
External links
The History And Topographical Survey Of Kent Volume 4: Survey Of Hoo St. Werburgh (1798)- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53793
Hoo Saint Werburgh Parish Council http://www.hoosaintwerburgh-pc.gov.uk/