Black plaque № 58814

Bilsington Monument William Cosway bought the Bilsington Priory Estate in 1825. He was knighted in 1829. Although Sir William lived near Folkestone he was said to be an excellent landlord. He was concerned by the poverty of the villagers living just above starvation level, and lent money for four families to emigrate to America in search of work. In 1833 he built a small school in Bilsington. He took great interest in the Reform Act and intended to stand for Parliament. In June 1834, Sir William was fatally injured when he was thrown from the roof of a horse drawn coach which overturned in London. The monument stands 52ft (16m) high and was built in 1835 by C. Cooper, stonemason of Canterbury. In the late 19th century it was repaired by the Cosway family. It became a landmark for shipping, and was nearly removed in WWII. In 1948 the village made further repairs with much help from Mr Pratt Boorman, then owner of Bilsington Priory. The monument was struck by lightning in 1967. The cost of rebuilding at that time was $5,000 and the village decided to let it naturally deteriorate. However, Mary Webb, daughter of Mr Pratt Boorman, set up a committee in 1996 to save it. That committee is now the Bilsington Monument Trust, a registered charity Heritage Lottery funding enabled complete restoration, including a time capsule detailing village life. Landscaping was completed in time for the work to qualify as Bilsington's Millenium project. On a clear day you can see much of the Romney Marsh and its coastline from here. 2004

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