Gravesend was granted, allowing the men of the town to operate boats between London and the town; these became known as the "Long Ferry". It became the preferred form of passage, because of the perils of road travel (see below). On Gravesend's river front are the remains of a Tudor fort built by command of King Henry VIII in 1543. On 21 March 1617, John Rolfe and Rebecca (aka Princess Pocahontas) with their two-year-old son, Thomas, boarded a ship in London bound for the Commonwealth of Virginia; the ship had only sailed as far as Gravesend before Rebecca fell fatally ill,
Gravesend United F.C. Gravesend United F.C. Gravesend United Football Club was a football club based in Gravesend, Kent. The club was founded in 1893 and played at the Overcliffe Ground. The club was a founder member of the Kent League in 1894–95 before moving to join the Southern League in 1896–97. It rejoined the Kent League for a single season in 1901–02. It was a member of the Kent League between 1905–06 and 1913–14. It reformed in 1932 joining the Kent Amateur League, now the Kent County League. It played in the Kent League between 1933 and 1935 before returning to the Kent