Sittingbourne has no clear meaning, it has been suggested the name originated from pilgrims would sit by the bourne (stream). Other spellings, such as 'Sydyngborn' or 'Sythingborn', both in common usage in the 15th Century, may suggest a tribal or personal name of 'Sything'. Another theory is that Sittingbourne comes from the Saxon word 'Saething' meaning 'babbling brook'.
The parish church of Sittingbourne is dedicated to St Michaels and All Angels, and although there was a church on this site from the 11th Century, there is no architectural evidence which can be confidently ascribed to this date, although it is clear that elements of the chancel exhibit the earliest surviving fabric. It is in the 13th Century that the present St Michael's truly begins to take form and was largely complete by the late 14th Century with the completion of the tower attributable to the 15th Century.
The building was gutted by fire in July 1762, caused during repairs to the lead roof which was destroyed leaving only the bare walls of the church although the tower escaped the destruction. The restoration was overseen by the architect George Dacre Senior (who took out most of the tracery) and was completed in 1767. The south transept and Lady Chapel were used as a school in the early C19 and were partitioned off from the main church with access through a round-headed door in the west wall. The church was also subject to Victorian restoration by Slater and Carpenter between 1859 and 1887. The bells were re-hung in a new frame in 1896. 20th Century alterations include the addition of a First World War memorial window in the south transept in 1920. The building was extensively restored in the 1960s.
On 25th January 1858, Sittingbourne was placed on the railway map when the East Kent Railway initiated its first train service on newly-laid lines between Faversham and Chatham. Its connection to the capital was not yet physical, but a horse and cart service operated between Chatham and Strood stations, where passengers were transferred onto South Eastern Railway services.
