BEXLEY, urban district, Kent, England, I2m. S.E. by E. of London by the Southern railway. Pop. (1931) 32,94o. Bexley is mentioned in Domesday Book and 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. The course of Watling Street may be traced over Bexley Heath. Agriculture is still important, but the industrialization of the region during the present century has greatly increased the population (12,918 in 1901) . Metal workers, including fitters, engineers and tool makers, are the most impor tant elements in the population. Chemical industries are also carried on.