*HITH, (Kent) or HIDE, or EAST-HITH, one of the cinqueports, in the S. E. part of the Co. 49 cm. 67 mm. from London. King
Alfred gave this manor to Christchurch-Abbey in Canterbury, but afterwards it was in the hands of K. Hen. II. In this T.
were once 5 p. Chs. which are all demolished but one, for the T. has at times suffered very great losses. As its first
rise was owing to the decay of its neighbours, Limme and W. Hith, which were so choaked with sand, that ships came hither,
the same fate befel this also, and made it almost useless. In the R. of Henry IV. numbers of its inh. were cut off by a
pestilence, 200 of their houses consumed by fire, and five of their ships sunk at sea, with the loss of 100 men; so that
the people were going to abandon the T. had not the K. by his charter generously released to them, for five turns next
following, their service of 5 ships of 100 men, and 5 horse, which they were to have furnished out, and kept at their own
charge, in the K's. wars, for 15 days. It was first incorporated by the name of Barons of the T. and port of Hith; but the
government was afterwards changed, and the Abp. of Canterbury appointed a bailiff and jurats to govern it. It was
incorporated by Q. Eliz. with the name of the mayor, jurats, and commonalty of the T. and port of Hith, who, with the
freemen, elect the members of Pt. The mayor is chose yearly on Candlemas-day. Here is a Mt. on S. and 2 Fairs, viz. June
29, and November 20. Here are 2 hoss. one founded by a native of it, who was Bp. of Rochester in the R. of Edw. III. for
10 poor men, both under the government of the mayor and jurats; and here is a ch. sc. for 38 boys. From hence to
Canterbury is a paved Roman military-way, called Stony Street; and at a little distance from hence are the remains of the
walls of a castle, which included 10 acres. There is a remarkable pile of dry bones in the T. 28 feet long, 6 broad, and 8
high, they are kept in a vault under the Ch. in as good order as books in a library, consisting of several thousand heads,
arms, legs, thigh-bones, &c. some very gigantic, and appear by an inscription to be the remains of the Danes and Britons
killed in a battle near this place, before the Norman Conquest. A particular providence happened here, April 24, 1739, to
about 10 persons, who while they were waiting in the Ch.-porch for the keys, to go up into the steeple for a view, it fell
down with 6 bells in it, but they happily received no damage. From hence to Boulogne is reckoned the shortest cut to
France.