Think you know about Kent's past?

From murder most foul to life-saving cats and early inventions to hop picking memories Angela Cole has gone on an alphabetical journey through the county's curious history – and we're quietly confident you'll learn something new.

A is for Arden of Faversham - a lost play thought to be by William Shakespeare

The play was written in 1592 and even today no-one knows for sure whether it is a work by Shakespeare or not. Some think it is a collaboration between the Bard, Christopher Marlowe and others.

The story, however, is based on a true tale. Thomas Arden lived in Arden and was murdered by his wife and her lover but things didn't go to plan as he refused to drink the poisoned milk he was offered and also survived a strangling attempt, a blow to the head and a cut throat.

There are other grim details of the real case, which happened in 1551, in the play. Scholars believe there are many similarities to Shakespeare's writing and there is even a character called Shakebag that features.

The primary author, alongside Shakespeare, has recently been suggested as Thomas Watson, who once saved Marlowe's life in a street brawl, in research by Professor Gary Taylor.

B is for Bert Turner - an FA first

Poor Bert made his name in the 1946 FA Cup Final when he became the first player in the history of the game to score for both sides.

He knocked the ball into his own goal while trying to kick it out of the way, but went on to score for his own team, Charlton Athletic, minutes later.

The 35-year-old was born in Wales but later took over the Jolly Farmer in Manston and ran it from 1957 to 1980.

C is for - a cat sent from god

Sir Henry Wyatt of Allington Castle, while locked in the Tower of London by King Richard II, was befriended by the prison cat, who brought him birds to eat and slept with him at night.

When Richard was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry was released and never forgot the cat. The family memorial in Boxley Church includes the note: "God sent him a cat to feed and warm him."

D is for - Daddlums or Kentish Skittles

A Kentish form of skittles played in pubs and bars throughout the county – though few have a board now.

It is played on a 5ft long rectangular table surrounded on three sides.

Nine small pins 3ins high are set up in a diamond pattern on the table and players throw three wooden 'cheese' from 9ft away.

E is for - Erle Drax, the Mad Major

John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge of Olantigh Towers in the Wye valley, changed his name to Erle-Drax after marrying Jane Erle-Drax, and was known locally as the Mad Major from his rank with the East Kent Volunteers.

Before his death he dictated every aspect of his funeral and arranged a dry run which included the dummy body being flung into a nearby hedge.

He was the first owner of the Hubert Fountain, now at Victoria Park, Ashford.

F is for - Folkestone and the very first beauty pageant

The very first international beauty pageant was the brainchild of the managing director of Folkestone's Victoria Pier, Robert Forsyth back in 1908.

It aimed to attract visitors to the newly-opened venue, which is now long gone. The winner was Miss Nellie Jarman of London.

G is for - goal running

The old Kentish sport has now died out and although teams disbanded for the First World War and reformed between the wars they had disappeared by the Second World War.

The adult form of tag rugby, the runner had to run towards a turning post in the middle of the pitch and return without being caught or "tagged".

H is for - the Holy Maid of Kent

Elizabeth Barton was a servant at Court Lodge Farm near Aldington which had been bought by Henry VIII.

In 1525 she became ill and would fall intro trances that reportedly contained religious visions and hence became known as the Holy Maid of Kent.

Her visions included that if Henry divorced Katherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn the vengeance of God would fall upon him and he would die.

When this failed to come true, she downgraded her prophecy to him being removed from the throne. She was tried for treason, found guilty and hanged in 1534, becoming the only woman whose head was displayed on a spike on London Bridge.

I is for - the inventor of the fireman's helmet and diving suit

In the 1820s John Deane of Whitstable witnessed a stable fire, so grabbed a suit of armour and asked the firemen to pump air into it instead of pumping water at the fire.

He was able to then rescue the horses and patented his invention as an "Apparatus or Machine to be worn by Persons entering Rooms or other places filled with Smoke or other Vapour, for the purpose of extinguishing Fire, or extracting Persons or Property therein."

He worked on it further and it became the first diving helmet.

J is for - James II

In 1688 William of Orange came to England to take the throne from James II.

William proved more popular with locals, including a group of Faversham fishermen who captured James before he could leave the country.

The king had disguised himself as a servant to board a fishing boat at Elmley Island but bad weather forced a delay and the fishermen set upon it.

After robbing the king, the group was taken to the Queen's Head pub where they were recognised and treated to dinner by the Mayor.

James was then taken to Rochester and London and eventually boarded a ship at Shellness on Sheppey and escaped quietly to France.

K is for - Kit Marlowe and Knife Crime in Deptford

Christopher Marlowe - aka Kit Marlowe - was born in Kent and educated in Canterbury, the son of a shoemaker.

He wrote seven major works of literature before his death – he was stabbed in Deptford at just 29.

Besides his works, there have also been rumours that he was a spy, none of which are substantiated.

However, he was arrested for blashphemy, bailed and then stabbed by Ingram Frizer who claimed self-defence and was pardoned by Elizabeth I two weeks later. Make of those facts what you will.

L is for - Little Hoppers Hospital

Hop pickers used to head down to the county for a summer of hop picking with all the family in tow and in 1898 Father Richard Wilson of Stepney decided to go with his congregation. He gave over his rented cottage in Five Oak Green to be used as a hospital for the sick children of hop pickers. But by 1910 it was overflowing, so he bought the Rose and Crown pub and converted it into 12 wards for women and children. The Mission, as it was called, also held Sunday services.

M is for - Mary Carleton, con-artiste extraordinaire

Born in Canterbury, Mary Moders married young and had two children, but when they both died she left and turned to con artistry.

She married bigamously and when that was discovered she fled to Cologne, returning at the age of 21 as a German princess and living on the wealth of a German nobleman.

She then married John Carleton and was by now notorious. Known as beautiful and witty, she even acted in a play about her life. In 1670 after being found guilty of stealing a silver tankard, she was transported to Jamaica - but returned two years later, only to be arrested for returning from penal servitude without permission. This was the crime that saw her hanged.

N is for - Nicholas Wood, the Great Kent Eater

Born in Hollingbourne in the early 1600s, Nicholas moved to Harrietham where he became well known as a celebrity eater. He once won a bet against Sir Warham St Leger of Leeds Castle, who wagered he couldn't eat a dinner for eight. He is also said to have scoffed a whole sheep followed by three pecks of damsons - a peck held more than 2 gallons. He also ate enough for 30 men once and afterwards servants rubbed his stomach with grease to allow the skin to expand. It is not known what became of him.

O is for - OXO

The iconic beef extract brand was born in Hawkhurst by Charles Gunther, who moved to the village's Tongswood Estate. He was the chairman of German company Leibigs and was keen to make the product in liquid form and sell it to the general population for a penny, which he did in 1910. There is a plaque in the village to him.

P is for - Pudding Pans

North of Herne Bay is Pudding Pan Rock, close to the site of the wreck of a Roman ship. It was carrying red Samian tableware and although the ship itself hasn't been recovered many of the dishes have been dredged up by oyster fishermen or washed ashore. They are now in museums and in some private homes, where they became known as good pudding pans.

Q is for – Quintain, used for jousting

There is one quintain post still standing in Kent - and possibly in the country - and it is in Offham. The post, erected during the reign of Elizabeth I, had a target on a rotating arm at the top which the player rode at and had to avoid.

R is for - the Rattling Cat

There were many ways communities used to signal the arrival of the Riding Officers looking for contraband in days gone by, but at the now-closed Rattling Cat pub in Walmer legend has it that the landlord, who was involved in smuggling - like most others, kept several cats who had bones attached to their collars which rattled when they walked. Their collars would jangle as they scurried for home when the Excise Men rode into town.

S is for - Sea Forts

They're a photogenic backdrop for many an arty photo, but do you know what the sea forts around the Whitstable and Herne Bay coast were originally for?

The Mansell Sea Forts were installed in 1942 to counteract attacks from the Luftwaffe, and were built in Northfleet and floated along the river to their home, where they acted as platforms for anti-aircraft guns. They were used for pirate radio in the 1960s but are now abandoned.

T is for - Treacle Mines

Not many counties can lay claim to being the home of treacle mines, but legend has it that there were mines in them there hills of Tovil in Maidstone, Frittenden, and possibly other areas of Kent. A myth, some folk in Tovil can talk about to such an extent you'd be forgiven for thinking they went down them.

U is for - Unconquered

You may have seen references to 'Invicta' around the county, but do you know what it means?

It refers to a stand the county took under Stigande, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Egelsine, the Abbot of Augustine, after the Norman invasion in 1066.

After a three-day battle at Swanscombe, William negotiated a settlement with Kent becoming a County Palatine, and as such remained unconquered. The Kentish motto Invicta means unconquered and refers to this.

V is for - the Velocipede

The first professional maker of a man-powered vehicle, William Sawyer, had a workshop and factory in St James Street, Dover in the 19th century.

His four-wheeled vehicle, rather like a bicycle, looked similar to a Penny Farthing. The Emperor of Russia even placed an order, but it was later overtaken by the Penny Farthing, and is now mostly forgotten.

W is for - West Malling Workhouse

There are many authors whose associations with the county are well documented, but did you know George Orwell used West Malling as inspiration in his novel Down and Out in Paris and London?

He stayed at the workhouse in 1931 and drew on his experiences in several books, including his Hop Picking Diaries and in The Clergyman's Daughter – West Accrington Station is thought to be West Malling. There is a blue plaque mentioning his visit near the station.

X is for - flint eXports (sort of)

The chalky Kent soil contains lots of flint which was used for two centuries to supply flintlock guns for armies at home and overseas. Once mined, it was dried and "napped" into flakes before being worked into a wedged square shape for the gun flint.

There was a brisk export trade until the early 19th century.

Y is for - Yellow-tailed scorpions

The 2ins creatures hitched a lift on trading ships and came aboard Britain's ports, living in the walls of Sheerness Docks for hundreds of years.

Their numbers tend to swell when there's warm weather and there are thought to be thousands of them living in the cracks and crevices.

Z is for - a Zombie Apocalypse

Pfizer's factory in Sandwich - the "birthplace" of Viagra - closed in 2011 and is now home to Discovery Park, but the year after it closed Brad Pitt and Hollywood moved in with hundreds of zombies for filming World War Z, as Brad's character tries to find a cure for a zombie pandemic.

* These stories are inspired by extracts from the new book, The A-Z of Curious Kent, written by Susan McGowan, with illustrations by Colin McGowan. It costs £14.99 in hardback.

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