ench and Scotch were especially keen to hurl the epithet at their
hereditary foes. Even in the sixteenth century John Bale says, "that an
Englyshman now can not travayle in an other land by waye of merchandyce
or any other honest occupyenge, but yt ys most contumelyouslye throwne
in his tethe that all Englishmen have tayles." The name "Kentish
Longtails" seems to have been early current, and in Drayton's
"Polyolbion" we find "Longtails and Liberty" given almost as a motto for
the county.

We are not told whether it was due to this miracle of the "tails," but
it is certain that the conversion of the townspeople of Rochester must
have been rapid, for we know that a see was founded here as early as
604. The diocese placed under its bishop's care was a small one,
including no more than the western part of the ancient kingdom of Kent,
the dividing line being roughly the course of the Medway, or, more
precisely, that of its tributary, the Teise. The whole diocese formed
only a single archdeaconry, which was divided into four deaneries, and
of this small number one was subject, as a peculiar, to the jurisdiction
of the Archbishop of Canterbury, "who holdeth his prerogative
wheresoever his lands do lye."

Not only "hath the See at Rochester well holden her owne: for during the
whole succession of ... Bishops, which in right line have followed
Justus, she hath continually mainteined her Chaire at this one place,
whereas in most partes of the Realme besides, the Sees of the Bishops
have suffred sundry translations," but it was long also before the
ancient limits of the diocese were changed. In 1845 it was enlarged so
as to include Essex and Hertfordshire, and was then divided into the
four archdeaconries of Rochester, Colchester, Essex and St. Alban's. The
old palace at Bromley, which had been since Cardinal Fisher's time the
chief home of the bishops, was at the same time quitted for Danbury in
Essex. In 1863 the archdeaconries of Rochester and St. Albans were
joined into one, and in 1867 the total number of archdeaconries was
reduced to two: Rochester and St. Albans forming one, and Essex the
other. The extent and composition of the diocese was again entirely
changed in 1877, when the new diocese of St. Albans was formed. Since
that time the diocese of Rochester has included West Kent and part of
Surrey, and has comprised three archdeaconries: Rochester, Kingston, and
Southwark. In 1877 Danbury Palace had to be given up and Se