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Local history

up arrow : go up one level Medway timeline
Medway in the 20th century 1901 - 2000

In 1903 the Borough of Gillingham was created. Rainham was added to its area of jurisdiction in 1928. Several times since the early 19th century, proposals had been considered to amalgamate the Medway Towns under a single local authority but it was not until the reorganisation of local government in 1974 that any major changes took place. In that year, the City of Rochester, the Borough of Chatham and Strood Rural District joined together to form Medway District Council. The name of this new body was changed to the City of Rochester-upon-Medway in 1982. Finally, in 1998, Medway Council was created when this authority merged with Gillingham Borough Council.

Short Brothers started their aeroplane building business at Leysdown, on the Isle of Sheppey, in 1909. They moved to Rochester in 1914, when the new factory was set up on the Esplanade. The years in Rochester saw production of some of the firm’s best known aircraft, including the Stirling bomber and the Empire and Sunderland flying boats. Short’s long association with Rochester ended in 1946, when it transferred to Belfast.

The presence of the aircraft factory, the Dockyard and the barracks in Brompton led to those areas of the towns being targeted for enemy bombs during both World Wars. On several occasions, bombs and aerial mines missed these targets and devastated civilian housing nearby.

After the Second World War, the Dockyard was restricted to building submarines and refitting ships. Despite the opening of facilities for nuclear submarines, the Dockyard closed in 1984, resulting in many thousands of dockyard workers being put out of work and leading to a period of adjustment for Medway. Houses continued to appear at an increasing rate throughout the area. Industrial estates were developed in all the towns. Medway, despite its green spaces, became the largest conurbation in the south-east outside London. The demand for housing remained high and much open land in north Kent was under threat.

Related pages

Resources

A Century of Chatham: Events, People and Places Over the Last 100 Years by Philip MacDougall. W H Smith, 2002.

Shorts Aircraft by Mike Hooks. Chalford Publications (Archive Photographs Series), 1995.

The Fireman’s Wedding Tragedy. Kent County Library, Gillingham, 1976.

Medway at War: for wartime memories of Medway people see the BBC People's War web site (www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/categories/c1135).

Prehistoric Medway
350,000 BC – 43AD

Roman Medway
43 – 410

Anglo-Saxon Medway
410 – 1066

Medieval Medway
1066 – 1485

Tudor Medway
1485 – 1603

Medway in the 17th century
1603 – 1700

Georgian Medway
1714 – 1830

Victorian Medway
1837 – 1901

Medway in the 20th century
1901 – 2000

Medway in the 21st century

For further information contact:
email icon Email : local.studies@medway.gov.uk
Telephone icon Telephone :

Fax
01634 332714
01634 297060
Mail icon Write to : Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre
Civic Centre
Strood
Rochester
Kent ME2 4AU
Minicom icon Minicom : 01634 333111

Related A-Z index
Prehistoric Medway 350,000 BC - 43AD | Roman Medway 43 - 410 | Anglo-Saxon Medway 410 - 1066 | Medieval Medway 1066 - 1485 | Tudor Medway 1485 - 1603 | Medway in the 17th century 1603 - 1700 | Georgian Medway 1714 - 1830 | Victorian Medway 1837 - 1901 | Medway in the 21st century | Village histories | Local history links | The estate and its tenants | Servants and estate workers | Leisure, pastimes and cricket at Cobham | Places to visit | Parish records | Cricket at Cobham | What resources does MALSC hold? | Planning your visit to MALSC | Enquiry service | all related items »

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