1 2 ROBERT POCOCK. 



It is hoped that it may not prove too wearisome to 

 give the preface to this volume, which was one endeared 

 to Pocock by many ties, though it would have been 

 superseded by the fuller and complete work which he 

 afterwards decided upon, and in copiousness and 

 character would have been surpassed by his later pro- 

 jected " History of Dartford and Wilmington/' pro- 

 jects, each of which was arrested in publication by 

 the want of means. 



The preface is as follows : 



" To know the history of our native place should 

 be the first desire of every person possessed, in the 

 smallest degree, of literary knowledge : under this idea, 

 the compiler of the following work thought of col- 

 lecting together (for his private amusement) all the 

 materials he possibly could proper to give such infor- 

 mation. In this he succeeded beyond his utmost 

 expectations, by having access to the libraries of two 

 gentlemen in the neighbourhood of Gravesend, to 

 whom he returns his sincere thanks, and likewise to 

 the Rev. Mr. Denne of Wilmington, for the list of 

 ministers, and to Mr. Tracy of Brompton, for the kind 

 communication of his intelligence. 



" Being thus in possession of manuscripts hitherto 

 unknown, and of a sufficient number of quotations from 

 the laborious and topographical writers upon the 

 County of Kent, by the persuasions of a few friends he 

 puts the same in print ; flattering himself that the 

 ' History of the Town and Parishes of Gravesend and 

 Milton J will be instructive, entertaining, and useful, 

 not only to the resident inhabitants of the town and 

 of its environs, but likewise to every person occasion- 

 ally visiting the place. 



