On friday 23rd August 1833, between eleven and twelve o’clock in the evening, a fire broke out in the farm buildings of the Shernold Pond farm, part of the Boughton Mount Estate, near Maidstone, belonging to the trustees of the late John Braddick and entirely consumed the barn, oasthouse, cattle lodges and fruit room. The fire originated in part of the buildings where some new charcoal had during the day, been deposited, and there was no doubt it started from latent fire in the charcoal. Mr Kemp, the tenant of the farm and a lad, about 16 or 17 years old, were out on the land and amongst the buildings, watching the fruit plantation, which were constantly being robbed and the lad’s master told him to go and lie down for a short time, whilst he went round the grounds. In less than half an hour, he saw the buildings, in which the charcoal was deposited on fire and gave the alarm, but so rapid was the progress of the flames, that before the engines from Maidstone could arrive, the whole range of buildings were on fire. The poor boy was found lying in a sleeping position, dead in the lodge, at a considerable distance from the point where the fire started, he was burnt and disfigured and there was little doubt that he had suffocated long before the fire reached him.The house and stables were saved and it was miraculous that the thatched farm buildings belonging to the Swan public house, close by, escaped the fire. The buildings destroyed were insured in the Kent Fire office for £250. The tenant who was a young industrious man, lost four pigs, two quarters of oats in the straw and various farming implements, none of which were insured, but was fortunate in saving his horses, cows, some pigs and his waggons and carts. A play fellow of the lad who was burnt, was discovered dead in the orchard, suspended from one of the trees, and afterwards fell to the ground. It was rumoured that his suicide, was in some way connected with the fire, but this was not the case, as the suicide was committed some time, before the fire broke out.