The Victorians lived over one hundred and fifty years ago during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901).

At the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign, most people travelled by road, either on horseback, in horse-drawn vehicles or on foot. There were no cars or aeroplanes. Instead stagecoaches were used for long-distance travel between major towns. Wealthier people could afford to buy their own horse-drawn carriages. In towns people travelled in horse-drawn buses.

Tonbridge during Victorian times

Towards the end of the Victorian period the Horseless carriage (motor car) started appearing on roads.

The very first petrol driven "horseless carriage" appeared in 1865 however, these first cars were rarely seen until the 1880s and 1890s. Only the very wealthy could afford to buy them.

In 1896 the UK's first speeding fine was handed to a Mr Walter Arnold of East Peckham who was fined one shilling for speeding at eight miles an hour in a two mile an hour zone in Paddock Wood, in his Karl Benz powered car. Mr Arnold was caught by a policeman who had given chase on his bicycle!

Tonbridge

Before the Victorian times, Tonbridge lay mainly to the north of the river Medway on a sloping well drained site. Most of the houses lay on either side of a single main street and along short streets. South of the river was subject to frequent flooding.

Tonbridge was originally spelt 'Tunbridge' until 1870, but it was changed to avoid confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells

The photograph above is a black and white photo that has been coloured in.

The Railway

The railway arrived in Tonbridge in May 1842 when the Redhill to Folkestone line was laid and the station was built on the site of Tonbridge Priory.

1845 - a line to Tunbridge Wells and Hastings.

1868 - a line to London via Sevenoaks.

How did the railway change Tonbridge ?

• Rail travel was 50% cheaper than coach travel.
• It was also a lot quicker. Day trips to the sea side became common.
• Farmers could get their perishable products to market quicker and cheaper and so food was cheaper.
• Tonbridge could now get fresh fish from the sea!
• Tonbridge was transformed from a farming village to market town and a centre for commerce and light industry.
• New houses were built at the south end of the town near the station
• The river became less important as a means of transporting goods.
  

Population

The Church census of 1851 for Tonbridge and Hildenborough showed the population to be 6,289.

From Census Returns:

A manor house was added next to the castle gate.

The original police station in Pembury Road was built in 1864

Between 1861 and 1881 ( twenty years) the population of Tonbridge grew by 3,500 people.

1873 Public Hall built. It was used for dances, exhibitions, concerts and various town meetings.

The big bridge was widened in 1888 to accommodate the increase in horse-drawn traffic through the town.

The buildings near the railway station were built around the time of the station being built. These buildings are therefore mostly Victorian.

The Library in the High Street was built in 1900.

Notable Events in Tonbridge

October 1853 - Hartlake bridge, a few miles downstream of the town, was the scene of tragedy when a wagon carrying over 30 hop pickers toppled off the bridge into the river, which was in flood due to heavy rain. Thirty of the wagon's occupants including entire families drowned.

1879 - River Medway frozen solid for over two weeks. People enjoyed ice skating on it.

1880 - Great Flood

Jobs in 1894