OCTOBER 1928
H I S T O R Y OF:
OLD MILL HOUSE, Al UNION ROAD, BRIDGE
AND THE LEMAR FAMILY
Notes written by Gwen Herbert (nee Lemar)
In the 18th Century some Huguenot families escaped from France
during the French Revolution and came to settle in Kent.
One of those families was "US" - the leMar family — (later to
be written as Lemar). Out Ancestors were Market Gardeners.
Two centuries later, our family, Mr. & Mrs. G.F. Lemar and
daughters, Gladys, Margaret and Gwen,moved from Canterbury to Bridge.
The reason for this was that Mr. H.E. Burniston, Coal Merchant in
Canterbury, for whom my father worked, had asked my father to move to
Bridge to expand the coal trade in Bridge and surrounding villages.
So, on 28th February 1955, we came to live in Old Mill House,
Union Road, Bridge (later to be numbered No.Ml).
Old Mill House was built c.1750 and when we moved in, in 1955,
there were very few houses in Union Road. There were none between
Old Mill House and the Coal Yard (where my father worked) which was
situated at the top of Union Road (where the Oil Distribution Depot
is today). In the Coal Yard stood a Mill and in earlier times the
Miller lived in Old Mill House. This is the reason why Old Mill
House faces up Union Road; the Miller always kept an "eye" on
his Mill! A Mill-stone is still in the front porch at Old Mill
House. The Mill was demolished in 1955.
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hollands were the previous occupants of
Old Mill House and they moved to No. lh Union Road, Bridge.