LINTON.

SOUTHWARD from Loose, on the opposite side of Cocks heath, lies the parish of Linton, antiently written LYLLYNGTON, and in Latin, Lilintuna, which probably took its name from the old English word, lytlan, signifying little or small, and stane, a stone, the upper part of this parish abounding with the quarry stone.

THIS PARISH lies adjoining to Cocks-heath, upon the ridge of quarry hills, the summit of which is the northern boundary of the weald of Kent, consequently almost the whole of it is within that district, only a small part of the heath being beyond it. Cocks-heath is a beautiful, and for this inclosed part of the country, an extensive plain, being about three miles in length, and in some places more than a mile in width. It is esteemed a most healthy spot, and being well watered, is generally preferred, as a situation for large encampments, it being equally commodious for the troops to march from it, on an emergency, either into the county of Sussex, or into Essex. In 1778 there were fifteen thousand men encamped on it, which did not occupy more than two thirds of the whole extent of it. Over this heath the high road from Maidstone goes through this parish and village into the Weald. The village is situated about half a mile from the heath, on the declivity of the hill, having the church and place-house on the east side of it, the prospect from which southward over the Weald, like the other situations on these hills, is very beautiful, and of great extent. The air is very healthy, the soil on the hill a loam, with the quarry stone close beneath, and below the hill a stiff strong clay, in a very miry country, and thick hedgerows interspersed with quantities of spreading oaks. About a mile below the hill the road crosses the river at Style-bridge.

ON COCKS-HEATH there grows THE PLANT, called Lunaria, or small moonwort.

The greatest part of this parish is within the bounds of the manor of East Farleigh, though the manor of Loose extends over some small part of it. The free holders of the former holding their lands in free socage tenure.

This place is not mentioned in Domesday, being most probably included in the description there given of the manor of East Farleigh.

LINTON-PLACE, antiently called Capell's-court, is the only place of consequence in this parish. It took its name originally from the family of Capell, who were proprietaries of it. They were usually called according to the custom of the time at Capell, and in Latin, De Capella, their principal residence being at Capell'scourt, in Ivechurch, in Romney-marsh, though they had large estates in several other parishes in this county. (fn. 1) One of them, John de Capella, in the reign of king Henry III. held lands in Boxley, as appears by the charter of inspeximus granted by that king to the abbey there.

Richard de Capell, his successor, died in the 15th year of king Richard II. in whose descendants this place remained till the reign of king Henry VI. when it was alienated by one of them to Richard Baysden, from which name in the reign of queen Elizabeth, it was sold to Sir Anthony Maney, of Biddenden, whose ancestors had resided there many generations. He removed his seat hither, and at his death was buried in this church, as was his son Walter Maney, esq. whose son, John Maney, was a person of great loyalty to king Charles I. in his troubles, in consideration of which he was first knighted, and afterwards created a baronet. After which he suffered much for his attachment to the king, having his estate plundered and sequestered. He bore for his arms, Party per pale, argent and sable; three chevronels between as many cinquefoils counterchanged. He passed away this seat and estate in the reign of king Charles II. to Sir Francis Withens, one of the justices of the king's bench, whose only daugh ter and heir Catherine, in 1710 carried it in marriage to Sir Thomas Twysden, bart. of East Peckham, and he died in 1712, leaving by her two daughters his coheirs. On his death his widow became intitled to this estate, and soon afterwards again carried it in marriage to brigadier-general George Jocelyn, who was a younger son of Sir Robert Jocelyn, bart. of Hertfordshire, and died in 1727; leaving by lady Twysden, three sons. The family of Jocelyn bore for their arms, Azure, a wreath, argent and sable, with four hawks bells towards the corners of the escutcheon, or. He alienated it to Robert Mann, esq. who built a small but elegant seat here, partly on the scite of the old mansion of Capell'scourt, which he pulled down, and resided in it till his death, in 1751. By his will he devised Linton place, with the parsonage and the advowson of the vicarage of Linton, among his other estates in this county, to his eldest son Edward Louisa, in tail male, with divers remainders over. He resided here and died unmarried in 1775, on which, by the above entail, it came to his next brother, Sir Horatio Mann, K. B. and baronet, envoy extraordinary at Florence, where he died in 1786, and his body being next year brought over to England, was interred in this church. In his lifetime he made over this seat, with his other estates in this parish, to his nephew Sir Horace Mann, who succeeded him likewise in the title of baronet, and he is the present possessor of it, and at times resides here.

THERE were formerly some lands in this parish which belonged to a family named Welldish, who had a chapel in this church called Welldish's chapel. Their arms were, as appears by their seals to some antient deeds, Argent, three talbots passant azure on a chief, or, a fox passant gules, which coat they bore, as is reported by tradition, to perpetuate the memory of one of their ancestors having been huntsman to William the Conqueror. After this estate had been many generations in this family, the greatest part of it was alienated to Walter Maney, esq. whose son, Sir John Maney, bart. of Linton, sold it, with the rest of his estate in this parish, in the reign of king Charles II. to Sir Francis Withins, since which it has passed in like manner as Linton-place, above-mentioned, to the Mann's, and is now in the possession of Sir Horace Mann, bart.

CHARITIES.

One of the family of MANEY, owners of Capell's-court, built and endowed an alms-house here for four poor families. Robert Mann, esq. of Linton-place, in 1749, rebuilt it, and encreased the original stipends of 13s. 4d. to each family to 20s.

LINTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a small building with a spire steeple, situated on the east side of the village. The patronage of it was part of the antient possessions of the crown, and remained so till it was given to the college or hospital for poor travellers, in the west borough at Maidstone, founded by archbishop Boniface in the reign of Henry III. (fn. 2) Archbishop Walter Reynolds, about 1314, appropriated it to the use and support of the above hospital.

In the 19th year of king Richard II. archbishop Courtney, on his making the parish church of Maidstone collegiate, with the king's licence, gave and assigned among other estates, the advowson and patronage of this church of Lyllyngton, to that hospital appropriated, and of the king's patronage, held of the king in capite, to the master and chaplains of the abovementioned new collegiate church of Maidstone, to hold in free, pure, and perpetual alms for ever, for its better maintenance, to which appropriation Adam Mottrum, archdeacon of Canterbury, gave his assent. The collegiate church of Maidstone was dissolved by the act of the 1st year of king Edward VI. anno 1546, and was surrendered into the king's hands accordingly.

In the 8th year of king Richard II. this church was valued at 106s. 8d. per annum. In the year 1640, the vicarage of it was valued at thirty pounds per annum. In the year 1751, the clear yearly certified value of it was 61l. 7s. 8d. yearly income.

This vicarage is valued in the king's books at 7l. 13s. 4d. and the yearly tenths at 15s. 4d. The parsonage, as well as the advowson of the vicarage, were held by grant from the crown in the reign of queen Elizabeth, by Alexander Grygsby, gent. in which name they continued in 1640. In 1681, Francis Martin, gent. held them. About the year 1710, they were held by Wallace, and afterwards by Oliver, who died possessed of them in 1728; soon after which they were purchased by Robert Mann, esq. of Lintonplace. Since which they have passed in like manner as that seat to Sir Horace Mann, bart. the present owner of them.

CHURCH OF LINTON.

Footnotes