BEXLEY

bexley, an urban district in the dartford parliamentary division of kent, england, 12 m. s.e. by e. of london by the south-eastern & chatham railway. pop. (1901) 12,918. bexley, which is mentioned in domesday book, has had a church since the 9th century. the present church of st mary is early english and later. with the rental of the manor of bexley, william camden, the antiquary, founded the ancient history professorship at oxford. hall place, which contains a fine jacobean staircase and oak-panelled hall, is said to occupy the site of the dwelling-place of the black prince. the course of watling street may be traced over bexley heath, where, too, there exist deep pits, widening into vaults below, and probably of british origin. bey (a modern turk, word, the older form being _beg_, cf. pers. _baig_), the administrator of a district, now generally an honorific title throughout the turkish empire; the granting of this in egypt is made by the sultan of turkey through the khedive. in tunis "bey" has become the hereditary title of the reigning sovereigns (see tunisia).