Inevitably, it is not as simple as that. If you are from Kent, you probably already know the distinction – and for some people it is a very important distinction. You are either a ‘Man or Maid of Kent’ or a ‘Kentish Man’ or ‘Kentish Maid’. Is this just semantics? Nope – when used properly, it denotes a clear demarcation between two halves of the county.
Kent was traditionally subdivided between East Kent and West Kent. The division is based on the River Medway, with those living to the east of the river known as Men or Maids of Kent whilst those to the west are Kentish Men and Kentish Maids.
