Some of these references are to Charles Darwin's butler Joseph Parslow, and some to Dr. F. Darwin.

1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 
1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 
1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 
1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 
1881, 1882
 

1844 Return to top of the page

April 9th

Sir J.W. Lubbock and Charles Darwin Esq. were appointed Surveyors of the Roads for the ensuing year

1845 Return to top of the page

March 25th

Sir J. Lubbock and C. Darwin Esq. were appointed Surveyors of the Roads for the ensuing year

July 15th

CD present at a Vestry Meeting which agreed matters concerning: expenses of the repairs for the chancel (for which the Rector of Chislehurst was responsible); erecting slate tablets over the communion table; the Parish contributing £10 out of £50 towards painting, whiting and other repairs.

1846 Return to top of the page

March 24th

CD present at a Vestry Meeting, appointing surveyors (but not CD) and discussing other matters of parish business.

1848 Return to top of the page

March 24th

CD Present at a Vestry Meeting which agreed "that one years' rent be forgiven to the widow Osborne - on condition of her paying the remaining arrear, and in future the rent be £5 a year to be paid weekly."

April 25th

CD seconded a motion by Sir John Lubbock "that it is the opinion of the vestry that the rating on the small tithe be reduced £20 on the prop value, and a further reduction of £5 making the prop value £70 and the rateable value £65." carried.

1850 Return to top of the page

March 28th

CD present at Vestry meeting which examined and passed accounts and set a highways rate of 6d in the pound.

1852 Return to top of the page

September 10th

CD proposed a motion (which was passed) requesting the overseers "to ascertain from the poor law commissioners if they have the power of selling the old workhouse by private contract to be held in trust for the site of a school for poor children ....."

1853 Return to top of the page

May 27th

CD present at Vestry meeting (signature in book) which consented "to the Guardian of the poor of the Bromley Union selling the premises consisting of an old house of wood & tile twenty four foot square opposite the church..."

October 21st

Sir John Lubbock moved and CD seconded that the Guardians of the Poor of the Bromley Union convey the old Poor House and the land, and that the site be used for a school.

1855 Return to top of the page

April 13th

CD and four others requested to consider and report on the present state of Tromer pond. and the wish of a villager to remove part of his wall abutting on the road.

April 24th

This committee recommended fencing the pond, making a tank in which to filter the water, and repairing the road where it had been worn away by the pond, but did not agree the alteration to the wall which would have involved diverting a footpath.

May 25th

The vestry meeting which followed agreed the repairs to the pond, asked the committee to look at improving the supply and quality of water, but also considered that the wall could be moved, provided it was rebuilt to the same height.
 

1856 Return to top of the page

March 25th

Mr Parslow appointed one of the overseers.

June 10th

Because of an outbreak of smallpox, a vestry meeting requested the churchwardens and overseers "to take the most stringent steps in their power to prevent any person from Hemings house communicating with others". Also to ascertain the state of vaccination in the parish. Letter sent to Charles Heming warning that he would be punished according to law in they showed themselves outside their premises.

September

Mrs Darwin (amongst a number of others) subscribed £5 towards a new organ (John Lubbock £7 12s 8d; Lady Lubbock £5; Mrs Lubbock £2). Mr Parslow gave 5 shillings.

1858 Return to top of the page

April/May

CD and Mr Parslow involved in a dispute between the churchwardens and a Mr Ainslie about his non-payment of the church rate. CD moved that "no further legal proceedings be taken in the matter of the Church rate which Mr Ainslie refuses to pay".

1859 Return to top of the page

March 25th

CD (signature in book) present at vestry meeting.

April 26th

Joseph Parslow present at a vestry meeting which agreed to renew churchyard gate and part of wall, and repair and whitewash the church ceiling and walls. They set a rate of 9d. (50% increase!) to do the repairs.

1860 Return to top of the page

March 29th

Joseph Parslow appointed one of the overseers for the year (and for a number of the years following, inc. 1871).

1871 Return to top of the page

November 24th

CD proposed "that it is desirable to form a School board for the parish of Downe, Kent, and that the Education Department be applied to for the necessary powers". Carried by a majority of six.

1872 Return to top of the page

January 19th

The previous motion was unanimously rescinded (!). Another motion was unanimously passed (but not apparently with CD present!): "that with the view to provide the necessary funds for carrying on the Parochial Schools a voluntary rate at eight pence in the pound for the current year payable in January and June .... and the following ratepayers hereby pledge themselves each to contribute their proportion of the same." (CD was not among those who pledged support.)

However the Vicar proposed that certain named ratepayers be constituted a committee for the management of the School - the third name on the list after the Vicar and Sir J Lubbock was Mr Darwin! The motion was carried unanimously.

1873 Return to top of the page

January 21st

A Vestry meeting at the Boys School Room unanimously agreed that the School Committee (including CD) be requested to retain their offices for the current year. Among those at the Vestry meeting was Joseph Parslow.

1874 Return to top of the page

January 3rd

The Vestry meeting held at the School re-appointed CD (among others) to the School Committee.

1875 Return to top of the page

January 2nd

The Vestry Meeting did not include CD in the list of ratepayers appointed to the School Management Committee.

1876 Return to top of the page

January 1st

Dr F. Darwin was included in the list of ratepayers appointed to the School Management Committee.

March 25th

Mr Joseph Parslow appointed again as one of the overseers.

1877 Return to top of the page

January 6th

F. Darwin again appointed to School Management Committee. The committee was given the powers to move the Infant School children to a room to be built at the National School. The Infant Schoolroom would probably be taken over by the Workmen's Club.

1878 Return to top of the page

5th January

Mr Joseph Parslow was added to the School Committee.

1879 Return to top of the page

4th January

The present School Committee (including F. Darwin and J. Parslow) were appointed for a further year.

1880 Return to top of the page

10th January

The present School Committee (including F. Darwin and J. Parslow) were appointed for a further year.

1881 Return to top of the page

8th January

The present School Committee (including F. Darwin and J. Parslow) were appointed for a further year.

1882 Return to top of the page

5th January

The present School Committee (including F. Darwin and J. Parslow) were appointed for a further year.

(There is no mention in the Vestry minutes of the death of Charles Darwin)

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