What was at Cale Hill?

[jibba]

Evening

I may have already answered this query myself, but a second pair of eyes would be useful!

In the burial register for St Mary Ashford my ancestors' abode, as well as many others, is given as Cale Hill. However I know that she died at the West Ashford union house, which I believe is where the Lakeside retirement village in Hothfield is now based.

I checked against the http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ site for the West Ashford union house, but it makes no mention of Cale Hill.

I did find this reference in Melvilles 1858 Directory of Kent regarding the nearby village Little Chart 'Cale Hill is half a mile east'. Although the union house was north-east of Little Chart, the distance is rough 2 miles from the village

There is though an area to the north west of the village called Calehill Park, including a property called Calehill Farm. There was also an ancient manor house which was demolished in the 1960's

Could it simply be the workhouse came under Calehill Park boundaries?

[Top-of-the-hill]

    A connection of my family died in Bridge workhouse, but was buried in Bishopsbourne, where he had lived for many years, and his abode was given as Bishopsbourne. It sounds like a similar case to yours. I should think you have found Cale Hill.

[grouse]

Would it be possible for you to supply a name and date for your ancestor so as to ascertain what was happening around Ashford/Calehill at the time?

[ShaunJ]

Calehill was also the name of the ancient "Hundred" which had still had two High Constables in the mid-19th century (one for each half-hundred), and retained some administrative functions. 

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63436

[Christine53]

My Great Grandmother and 3 boys were in the Westwell Union workhouse in 1891. The Registration Sub District at the time was called Calehill .

[Kayehelen]

Calehill is the name of the hundred and is also the name of the estate of the Darrell family. The workhouse was near westwell/hothfield which is within this hundred. People from all the local villages and ashford were placed in it. It later became a hospital and old peoples home and is now private housing.