Sometimes, a single letter made the only difference from the usual, or at least the modern, version of a name, as in ‘Horton Kerby’ for ‘Horton Kirby’, ‘Hawling’ for ‘Halling’ and ‘Burling’ for ‘Birling’.⁶  In some cases, the letters were the same but their order different, as in ‘Ayelsford’ for ‘Aylesford’ and ‘Chiselhurst’ for 'Chislehurst'. A letter was occasionally added, as in ‘Fawkeham’ for ‘Fawkham’, but more often omitted, as in ‘Mepham’ for ‘Meopham’, ‘Ightam’ for ‘Ightham’ and ‘Chidingstone’ for ‘Chiddingstone’. ‘Darnth’, which appeared quite frequently, looks to be a compromise between ‘Darenth’ and the colloquial ‘Darne’. ‘Stanstead’ as opposed to ‘Stansted’,  has always been a moot point; in 1851, it nearly swept the board.
   A little further, but not all that far, from the mark were ‘Adenton’ for ‘Addington’, ‘Boughton Malard’ for ‘Boughton Malherbe’, ‘Shipborn’ for ‘Shipbourne’ and ‘Westeran’ for ‘Westerham’; the most charmingly phonetic was ‘Shareness’ for

‘Sheerness’, ‘Trottisoliffe" posed the greatest problem. 'Trottersclift' and 'Trotersclift' were brave efforts, but the more prudent settled for ‘Trosley’.
    Although the railway age was in full swing, it had only lately swung near Ash. For most of the eighteen- forties, a parishioner journeying to London would have needed, if he eschewed a long ride on horseback or an even longer walk, to go by water, from Gravesend, or by coach. Several coaches were available, notably the True Blue or the Tally Ho from Wrotham or the Commodore, which ran from Chatham and had scheduled stops at both Gravesend and Dartford. The change had come in 1849, with the opening of the South Eastern Railway’s North Kent line from Rochester, initially a euphemism for Strood, to London, via Gravesend and Dartford. It was not until 1861 that the journey could be made from Meopham or Farningham Road, on the London Chatham and Dover Railway’s new line.