Edward Hasted, the author of "The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent" was born in London on the 31st of December 1732, the son of Edward Hasted by his wife Ann of Sutton-at-Hone near Dartford.

His grandfather, Joseph Hasted (1662-1732), had been employed as chief painter in the Royal Navy at Chatham dockyard, but he was also a skilled financier and as such was able to establish an annual income of £1000/~. His son Edward was to become a wealthy barrister, and Edward, his son, was educated at the Kings School, Rochester between 1740-1744. From there he went to Eton College and Esher. After completing his education he begun life following in his father's legal profession, spending a short time as a member of Lincolns Inn.

Edward moved to his parent's home in Sutton-at-Hone and in July 1755 married the daughter of a neighbour, Anne Dorman. They acquired The Knights Hospitaller's manor house of St John's; and it was here that he wrote his magnum opus. He attended the local church regularly and also sat on the West Kent Quarter Sessions bench at Maidstone. The couple had five sons and two daughters. In 1770 they moved to Canterbury where they lived until 1789, by which time his finances were in total confusion, and although he sold of some of his estates, he sank deeper into debt. In 1790 he left his wife Anne and fled to France with another woman.

There he remained until the war with Napoleon drove him back home and into debtor's prison for almost seven years.

Released 1802, he lived in poverty for five years until he was given the Mastership of Lady Hungerford's Almshouse (see Note 1) in Corsham in Wiltshire, by his good friend William Bouverie, who was the Earl of Radnor, having become so in 1765.

Hasted lived in Wiltshire until his death aged 79 in 1812, leaving behind his son, the Reverend Edward Hasted.

Hasted's works

His great work on the history of Kent was first published between 1788-99. He also published separate books on other places in the county. They are listed below.

• History of the Ancient and Metropolitical City of Canterbury (1799)
• History of Bexley
• History of Brasted
• History of Gravesend
• History of Lamberhurst
• History of Lewisham
• History of Sandhurst
• History of Tenterden

Notes

• Note 1. The recently restored Lady Margaret Hungerford Almshouses were erected in 1668 and were founded and endowed by Lady Margaret, widow of Sir Edward Hungerford. She was a Puritan and a very strong Christian who was wealthy in her own right. It originally took six poor people and this was later increased to a maximum of eight. Part of the structure was a school which provided free education for ten needy children. Between 1807, when he was aged 75, and 1812, Edward Hasted, author of a twelve volume work on the history of Kent, was Master of Corsham Almshouse.
• Note 2 Some of the informatiopn above is taken from Kent 1800-1899: A Chronicle of the Nineteenth Century Bob Ogley (Froglets Publications, 2003) ISBN 1-872337-51-1