Ide Hill Saint Mary the Virgin burial register 1853-1918

As part of the southern area of Sundridge parish the district of Ide Hill, Goathurst Common, Toys Hill was recognised as being sufficiently distant over hilly terrain as to require a chapel to serve the needs of the district. The Bishop of London who lived in nearby Sundridge built a small chapel at Ide Hill in 1807 and years later on his demise  Reverend Matthew Bloxham Incumbent of Ide Hill Chapel was interred in the floor of the Chapel aged 71.
The chapel was demolished in the 1860's and the much larger present day Church of Saint Mary The Virgin was built in 1865. It  has been described as the highest church in Kent
The history and images of the highest point in the County of Kent are captured in this Kent Churches video.

The burial register for the parish commences in1853 and continues to 1918. It therefore records the last year of the chapel use and continues during the construction of the more modern parish church.
As with many parts of  the Kent Weald close to East-West corridors there is evidence of traveller populations. Goathurst Common and the predominantly agricultural settlements provided seasonal work. The register contains burials of travellers found in tents and people from Chiddingstone and Hever travelling on foot to the Union Workhouse at Sundridge to the north of Ide Hill.
The hamlet of Toys Hill is within the neighbouring parish of Brasted but many residents of the ridge which links them chose to be buried at Ide Hill, Some burials from Bough Beech and Chiddingstone are also found and the occasional burial from Hever to the south.
Octavia Hill donated land at Toys Hill and this is now managed by the National Trust. Ide Hill also includes Emmetts Garden which until 1860 was farmed land. In 1890 the land was purchased by Frederick Lubbock a banker and plantsman. His borther Sir John Lubbock who became the first Baron Avebury was an acknowledged expert on ants and was no doubt fascinated by the large anthills which gave rise to the "Emmetts" (ants)  name. This is also part of the National Trust land and forms a footpath through Toys Hill to the Chartwell National Trust estate which attracts many visitors.
My transcript of the burial register is being prepared for publication at Kent Online Parish Clerks website for publication on a newly formed Ide Hill parish page in due course.
Researchers for Ide Hill burials are strongly urged to consult the transcript for Sundridge burial registers at Kent Online Parish Clerks as Ide Hill burials were frequently held at Sundridge before 1853 and there is therefore the possibility of burials at Sundridge.

© Henry Mantell Downe and Farnborough Online Parish Clerk 2013-2020