A butler’s tragic demise and his subsequent ghostly reappearance is just one tale recalled in a book about a Kentish village.

Boxley, near Maidstone, may be small – even today it has a population of only 7,000 – but that hasn’t stopped it proving a veritable treasure trove of anecdotes for one local author.

Butler Thomas Sales’ story mixes with tales of courage and compassion and a bygone age of opulence in the painstakingly researched Boxley Village Memories, by Robin Ambrose, who lives in Penenden Heath.

Robin spent 18 months collecting photographs and recollections from locals, for his fourth book. His speciality is drawing out quirky and previously untold tales.

The story of Thomas Sales stretches back to the late 1800s.

As butler at the imposing Boxley House he used to sleep in the pantry. One evening, there was a burglary and a lot of wine was stolen, although there was no sign of forced entry.

Remaining tight-lipped but troubled, two days later, Mr Sales was found, having shot himself, sitting in a chair in the pantry.

Letters were found after his death saying a group of seven men had forced their way in and threatened to kill him if he revealed the truth. The strain had led to him taking his own life.

But his presence at the house had apparently not ended and years later in the 1960s, the then owner and a woman were in the pantry, which was being converted into a cloakroom and toilet, when a ghostly figure appeared and then vanished.

On another occasion, the owner’s wife, Mrs Knowlden, and her mother saw the strange figure in the lounge bar. Mr Ambrose wrote: “Both of them watched as the figure moved towards the stairs. Later Mrs Knowlden described the figure as quite short, with black hair brushed back and wearing a dark jacket.”

There were also a number of incidents where people felt forcibly pushed down the stairs there – but no-one was there.

Boxley House still survives and is now a popular wedding venue surrounded by 17 acres of parkland, but another jewel in the village’s crown, Park House, was demolished in the 1950s. Its furniture was sold off over two days in 1955, and the sale programme gives an insight into some of its opulent contents, including a grand piano and library.

Its grandeur had included a mahogany bath with three steps up and an array of brass taps, while its grounds were extensive, including two lakes and a kitchen garden.

Despite its demolition, the coach house and stables remained and were converted into homes – with a surprise for the purchaser.

“Inside, the new owner found both a Rolls-Royce and Daimler with flat tyres and looking very sad,” Robin reveals.