Our first investigation at whitstable castle. The history of Whitstable Castle goes back much further, however, to the medieval manor of Tankerton. Whitstable was a centre for 'copperas', a mineral extract used in fixing dyes in cloth, and Tankerton Manor owned much of the land on which the profitable processing of minerals took place.

In 1773 Elizabeth Radford inherited Tankerton Manor and bought up still more land in the area. When she married a wealthy London merchant named Charles Pearson in 1780 he bought up several copperas works. Unfortunately, Pearson's timing was poor, for the once-thriving industry was in decline. Pearson set about tearing down the copperas works and using the stone to build an octagonal tower called The Manor House, which forms the core of the current Castle.

Pearson was always a man with an eye for an opportunity, and he helped launch the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, with the planned terminus of the line at land he owned near the harbour. After Pearson's death, the Manor House was used as a summer home by the Pearson family and then sold to a cousin named Wynn Ellis.

Ellis was a fascinating character; a successful silk merchant, MP, and friend of Prime Minister Robert Peel. Though married to a great-niece of the first Charles Pearson, Ellis also kept a mistress.

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