a town of the county of Kent, in the Isle of Sheppey, at the mouth of the river Medway, forty-five miles from London. It was an ancient borough, and returned two members to the House of Commons till 1832, when it was disfranchised. It is governed by a mayor and jurats. The chief employment is the oyster fishery. The population amounted in 1801 to 345, in 1811 to 805, in 1821 to 881, and in 1831 to 786.