Troy Town Stories

Jacob Cazeneuve Troy's parents, Thomas Troy and Mary Cazeneuve, were married at Wilmington, near Dartford in Kent, on 24 June 1744. It is not known why they married there; neither is known to have had any connection with Wilmington. A marriage in 1744 would suggest a birthdate for Thomas of 1715-1720.  Nothing is known of his family or origins.   Thoma s and Mary Troy are known to have had three children. Susannah, baptised at St Margaret's Rochester in April 1746 and buried at St Mary's Chatham on 8 July the same year; Mary, baptised at St Margaret's in May 1747 and Jacob Cazeneuve, baptised at St Margaret's 12 March 1748 (Old Style, by the New Style or present day calendar 1749).  Thomas Troy's wife Mary, formerly Cazeneuve, was buried at Chatham on 12 August 1760. The transcript of the marriage entry in the Wilmington parish registers states that Thomas Troy was an 'Officer in rm' (sic) . In the record of his daughter Mary's baptism in 1747, his ...

Title deeds held by the Medway Archives Centre reveal the names of some of the men who contracted with Jacob Cazeneuve Troy to build houses in Troy Town. They included: John Bigelston, carpenter  John Hooker of Chatham, house carpenter Samuel Paine of Chatham, house carpenter William Manneringe, house carpenter (was also involved in the development of New Road Chatham). Richard West of Strood, bricklayer Thomas Winter, bricklayer House carpenter or bricklayer was the occupation normally given by these builders. Later historians sometimes describe them as    artisan builders .  Study of one of them, John Hooker, shows that they were much more substantial men than the terms house carpenter or bricklayer would seem to suggest.  John Hooker was originally from Ashford. Ashford Manorial records describe various pieces of land held by him and his wife Ann, formerly Matthews, including ' land with cottage & 2 stables & necessary house' and  'shop, prev...

When the development of Troy Town was underway, Britain, and Europe, were undergoing rapid change. In 1786, when the building of Troy Town began, King George III was not yet half way through his long reign. He had begun to suffer from the periods of 'madness' that would eventually incapacitate him permanently and lead to the establishment of the Regency.  Men still wore knee-breeches and stockings. Powdered hair and wigs became less popular after a hair powder tax was introduced in 1795. Women's fashions were becoming simpler, as they moved towards the high-waisted styles associated with the Regency period.  The French Revolution broke out in 1789. It was initially welcomed by many in Britain, who recognised the need to limit the power of the French monarchy, to introduce a genuinely representative assembly or parliament, and to end the condition of serfdom under which many French peasants still lived.  However, the mood in Britain changed in 1792 with the execution of...

Jacob Cazeneuve Troy inherited substantial amounts in money and property from his grandfather Jacob Cazeneuve and his uncle John Cazeneuve. His first wife, Mary, was also a considerable heiress; she inherited one thousand pounds from her father Richard Cooke.  It's not known how successful any of Jacob's own business ventures were, but at the time of his death in 1798 he seems to have been a well-to-do man. J acob's will was made on 14 April 1798 and proved on 18 April 1799. In his will, Jacob described himself as 'distiller and wine merchant'.  The will is long, verbose and repetitive, to take account of all the eventualites that could arise.  The principal provisions were: His freehold estates were to be sold and the proceeds invested in government stock or other secure stock by the trustees, William Lovell Ruffin, surgeon of Chatham, and Stephen Simson, gentleman of Deptford.  One half of the proceeds or income were to be paid to 'his dear wife' Smart Bra...