To J. F. Lennard from the parishioners of Down, Kent¹   3 April 1863

District Highway boards were local administrative units responsible for the public highways. This new administrative system had just been introduced under the Highway Act of 1862. Each district comprised a number of parishes; the parish of Down was part of the Bromley highway district (Return of highway districts).

George Snow was a coal dealer in Down who also ran a carrier service between Down and London (Post Office directory of the six home counties 1862).

In addition to his activities as coal dealer and carrier (see n. 2, above), Snow may have been the parish highway surveyor or district highway surveyor under the administrative system prevailing before the introduction of the District Highway boards in 1862 (see n. 1, above). See Highways (District Surveyors) Bill, and Webb and Webb 1913, pp. 29–31. Snow was unsuccessful in his candidature for district surveyor; George Golding of Chislehurst was appointed instead (Minutes of the Bromley Highway Board, 847/HB/B/1, Bromley Central Library).

At the first meeting of the Bromley District Highway Board, on 13 April 1863, John Farnaby Lennard was elected chairman (Minutes of the Bromley Highway Board, 847/HB/B/1, Bromley Central Library).