The World's Greatest Composer Visits          Return to Chronology Index
	John Wesley	Between 1750 and 1789 Wesley made frequent visits to Canterbury and Dover as they were regarded as some of the less fruitful parts of his mission.   It is possible that, in view of Barham's position on the Dover Road, he may have visited the village but there is no actual record of such.
	Black Robin	The notorious highwayman terrorised travellers along the Dover Road.   He was caught and hung on the gallows erected at Barham Cross Roads.
1730	Barham Church	Present 33½" 3rd and 36½" 4th bells recast by Samuel Knight.
1750s	Henry Elgar	Henry Elgar (the 3 x great-uncle of the composer Sir Edward Elgar) - a Yeoman and farmer at Breach, lived in the Parish of Barham about this time. More information about Elgar can be found at www.elgar.org.
1758	Human Remains	On 28th October at Breach Down, workmen widening the road found skeletons of eight warriors together with beads, a scimitar and a spear.
1765	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	The composer watched a horse race on Barham Downs at the end of July on his way back to Dover from London where the family had stayed for about a year.
1769	Valley Road (B2065)	First mapped record of the road following the present route.
1799	Helder Campaign	18,000 troops assembled on Barham Down before embarking for Holland.   Barham church records that 38 infants were born at the camp.