Industry then moved in and the tourists out. Cement, papermaking, power stations and other factories replaced the stately buildings – river pollution stopped the shrimp boats working.

At the time of the Domesday Book the population of Kent was between 40,000 and 50,000. In the 1980s the population of Gravesend was twice this figure.

Gravesend is believed to be the resting place of Princess Pocahontas, daughter of the Red Indian Chief, Powhatan, as she was taken ill here and died in March 1617 at the age of 22. It is said that she saved the life of Captain John Smith and was baptised into the Christian faith and named Rebecca. She married John Rolfe in 1614 and they had a son, Thomas. There is a statue of her outside St George's Church. For more information on Pocahontas see article by Brian Relf, #001, called 'Are You Related to Pocahontas' in The Wolfpack Vol. 8, Ed. 1, January 1999.

Hopefully a visit to St George's Church will be organised for the reunion on Saturday 18th September. Details of the venue and booking forms for the 14th AGM and Reunion will be in the July issue of The Wolfpack. The church of SS Peter & Paul, Milton Next Gravesend, where we will be meeting, is said to be one of the oldest complete buildings in the Borough and was first mentioned c975AD. It is three quarters of a mile east of the town centre.

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Page last revised June 2004.