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Edward Hasted (31 December1732–1812), the author of The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent was born in London, the son of Edward Hasted by his wife Ann of Sutton-at-Hone near Dartford, Kent. Hasted's 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 £1,000. Hasted's father, Edward, became a wealthy barrister, and the young Edward Hasted was educated at The King's School, Rochester between 1740-1744. From there he went to Eton College and Esher. After completing his education he began life following in his father's legal profession, spending a short time as a member of Lincolns Inn. Hasted returned 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, Hasted 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, leaving a son, the Reverend Edward Hasted.
Hasteds works Hasted's great work on the history of Kent was first published 1788–99. A modern printing of his much-revised, second edition (1797–1801) was published by EP Publishing and Kent County Library in 1972, ISBN 0-85409-789-9. He also published separate titles on other places in the county, listed below. Notes | ||||||||
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