Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MARGATE

MARGATE, a town, a parish, and a sub-district in Thanet district, Kent. The town stands on the N shore of the Isle of Thanet, on a branch of the Southeastern railway, and on a branch of the London, Chatham, and Dover railway, 3 miles WNW of the North Foreland, 5 NNW of Ramsgate, and 72 E by S of London. It was originally a small village called Meregate or Margate, signifying "an opening or gate into the sea; ''it includes the site of another and later small village, called St. John or Lucas-Dane; and it long continued, even after the junction of the two villages, to be only a small fishing-town and small seaport. It had a wooden pier long before the time of Henry VIII.; and it was often an embarking point from England to Holland. The ElectorPalatine and his wife, the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I., embarked at it; William III. more than once sailed from it, and landed at it; George I. and George II. landed at it; the Duke of Marlborough selected it as his place of embarking and of landing to and from his several campaigns; and the Princess to the Prince of Wales, landed at it in 1863. It is recorded to have been in repute "for fishery and coasting trade; ''but, in the time of Henry VIII., when Leland wrote, it was "sore decayed." Its houses, even at a later date, like those of Flemish and Scotch fishingtowns, were generally mere cottages. But it began, toward the middle of last century, to be frequented as a bathing-place; it gradually attracted an increase of visitors by its firm and smooth bathing-beach; it acquired, about 1790, by invention of one of its own inhabitants, the first bathing-machines ever used in England; and it has gone on to have increasing attraction till, for many years past, it has been annually frequented by a temporary population of from 50,000 to 100,000. The influx to it from the metropolis, both by steamers and by railway, is very great, insomuch as to render it practically a suburb of London. It is muchless aristocratic than some other great bathing resorts; and, on that very account, has great multitudes both of temporary residents and of flying visitors. A few Roman coins and an urn were found in the cliffs adjacent to it in 1791; but neither these relics nor any records give it a claim to high antiquity.

The town stands on the declivities of two hills, and along low ground at their base. It is well laid out; and has good streets, paved and lighted. A sea-wall, about a mile in length, extends along the coast, to defend the town from the sea. The Marine-terrace lies along the shore, contiguous to the sea-wall; was originally 1,500 feet long; was recently extended, about 1,000 feet, in front of the Royal-crescent; and forms a favourite walk for residents and visitors. The Esplanade runs parallel to the Marine-terrace, and is about ¼ of a mile long. A pier of Whitby stone, 901 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 20 feet high, was built in 1810-5, by Rennie, at a cost of more than £100,000; forms a grand promenade; and has, at the extremity, a lighthouse in the form of a Doric pillar, open to the public, and commanding fine seaviews. A new landing-place, a platform supported by iron pillars, and extending several hundred feet from the shore, was constructed in 1854, for enabling steamers to land their passengers at any time of tide; and this also is used as a public promenade. The streets came to be offensive from deficiency of sanitary arrangements; but measures for improving them by drainage and otherwise, were in progress in the latter part of 1866. The market was erected in 1820; and is enclosed by Tuscan porticoes and iron railings. The town hall, near the market, is a plain building, and contains some portraits. The droitoffice, at the end of the pier, is a handsome structure with a portico, and has an illuminated clock. A waitingroom, for the convenience of passengers by the steamvessels, adjoins the droit-house, and was built at a cost of £500. The assembly-rooms have an exterior colonnade, are handsomely fitted up, and include billiard-rooms and coffee-rooms. The theatre was built in 1787, and is a convenient structure. The literary and scientific institution, in Hawley-square, was established in 1 839; maintains lectures on scientific subjects during winter; and contains a library with about 2,500 volumes, a wellsupplied reading-room, and an interesting museum. The Clifton baths are excavated out of solid chalk rock; comprise a series of subterranean passages; and include a library, a news-room, a billiard-table, and an organ. Bathing-rooms also are in High-street, and have readingrooms attached. A bathing-house likewise is on the Lower Marine-terrace. St. John's church dates from 1050; retains some Norman portions; is constructed of rough flint; consists of nave and aisles, with a tower; and contains numerous brasses. Trinity church was built in 1825; is in the pointed style, of brick with Bath stone dressings; comprises nave, aisles, and chancel; and has a tower 135 feet high, erected partly at the expense of the Trinity House, and serving as a landmark. An Independent chapel is in Union-crescent; a Calvinistic chapel, in Love-lane; a chapel of Lady Huntingdon s Connexion, in Addington-square; a Baptist chapel, near Cross-street; a Wesleyan chapel, and a Brethren's chapel, In Hawley-square; and a Roman Catholic chapel, in Princes-crescent. A building contiguous to the pier, to serve as a place of worship on Sunday and as a readingroom during the week, was projected, under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1862. A charity school gives education to about 400 children. A national school is connected with St. John's church; an infant school, with new building erected in 1866, adjoins the national school; a Church of England school is in Church-square; a British school is in New Cross-street; and there is a Roman Catholic boys', girls', and infants' school. The Royal National hospital stands at Westbrook; is a neat building; has accommodation for 250 patients; and is supported by legacies and donationsYoakley's Drapers alms houses have an endowed income of £591. The Alexandra alms houses, in memorial of the Princess Alexandra's landing in 1863, were built by public subscription in 1866, and have an elevation somewhat in the Italian style. The total of endowed charities is about £800.

The town has a head post office,‡ a railway station with telegraph, a banking office, and seven chief inns; and is a seat of petty sessions and county courts. Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays; and have a good supply of meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Fishing for skate, haddock, soles, and flat fish is carried on; some little commerce exists with the Netherlands; and a coasting trade is conducted in corn, timber, and coal. All the amusements common to a watering-place, and all appliances for them, row-boats, sailing-boats, donkeys, donkey-chaises, telescopes, and bazaars, aboundThe Tivoli gardens, though at a little distance, may be considered as belonging to the town; and they resemble, on a small scale, the quondam Vauxhall gardens of the metropolis. Races and a regatta are held in September. Many interesting places, with features either of beauty or of antiquity, are in the near neighbourhood, or within easy distance, and contribute much to variety of recreation. The water-works are at Tivoli, were opened in 1859, and have a reservoir in St. Peter's footpath. The town was made a municipal borough in 1 857; and is governed by a mayor, 4 aldermen, and 12 councillors. Pop. in 1861, 8,874. Houses, 1,827.

The parish contains also the hamlets of Garlinge and Woodchurch; and comprises 3,802 acres of land, and 770 of water. Real property, £50,538; of which £470 are in gas-works. Pop. in 1851,10,099; in 1861,10,019. Houses, 2,055. Dentdelion, or Dandelyon, 1½ mile W of the town, was an ancient manor-house belonging to a family of its own name; retains a fine castellated gateway, of about the time of Henry IV.; and was long used as a tea-garden. Hartsdown House, now occupied byT. Hatfield, Esq., is a farm-edifice, commanding a fine sea-view. Upwards of twenty ancient tools, resembling adzes or chisels, and formed of a sort of bronze, were found in 1724 near Garlinge. A section of the parish, containing a pop. of 4,818 in 1861, was constituted a separate charge, under the name of Trinity, in 1847. The living of St. John is a vicarage, and that of Trinity is a vicarage, in the diocese of Canterbury. Value of the former, £681; * of the latter, £450. Patron of the former, the Archbishop of Canterbury; of the latter, Trustees. A small church, serving also as a school-house, is at Garlinge. A chapel was formerly at Dane, but has gone to ruin.—The sub-district is conterminate with the parish.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Margate CP       Margate St John the Baptist CP/Ch/AP       Margate SubD       Thanet RegD/PLU       Kent AncC
Place: Margate

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