DARENT.

EASTWARD from Sutton lies Darent, sometimes spelt Darenth, and usually called Darne.

The name of this parish is spelt, in some antient writings, Darente and Deorwent; and in Domesday, and some others, Tarent. It takes its name from the river Darent, which runs through it. This place was sometimes called North Darent, to distinguish it from the neighbouring parish or hamlet of South Darent.

This parish, as to its soil, is not very fertile; great part of it is light and chalky, and much covered with flint stones, and it may be said to be more healthy than it is pleasant. The river Darent takes its course in its antient and proper channel, along the western boundaries of it, but great part of the waters of it having been turned, for the sake of private interest, along another stream, through the adjoining parish of Sutton, the old river has been neglected, and at the passage across it here, is not only in a most silthy state, but is frequently dangerous to travellers. Near the eastern banks of it is situated the village of Da rent; at the northern part of which is a house, which was for some time possessed and inhabited by the family of Taylor, but it has been for some years occupied calico printers; a little higher up, on the side of a hill, having the church opposite to it, is a seat, which was rebuilt by William Lee, esq. surveyor of the navy in queen Anne's reign. He resided here, and having married Catharine, daughter of William Johnson, esq. died, s. p. in 1757; he devised this seat to his kinsman, rear admiral Ward, of Greenwich, whose daughter, some years ago, sold it to Edward Fowke, esq. and he sold it to Mr. Nathaniel Hodges, in whose assignees it is at present vested. Behind the church, southward, stands the court lodge, being a good old timbered farm house, occupied by the lessee of the manor. Hence, towards the east, the hill rises, extending quite across the parish; on it, southward, is the manor house of St. Margaret's, with the ruins of the chapel belonging to it. In the valley, on the opposite side of the hill, is a long common, called Green-street green, of more than a mile in length, having houses interspersed along the whole of it, especially at the south end, where they form a hamlet, in which there is a mansion, commonly called the Clock-HOUSE, which, at the latter end of the last century, was the property and residence of Edmund Davenport, esq who kept his shrievalty for the county here, in 1694, and was a good benefactor to the church of Darent, where he lies buried. He was succeeded here by a family of the name of Bedford, the last of whom, Joseph Bedford, esq. sold it to Sir Timothy Waldo, of London, since deceased; whose daughter married George Medley, esq. and his heirs are now intitled to it.

A little to the northward of the Clock-house, on the green, are the remains of several small barrows or tumuli, and near them the remains of several breastworks thrown up. Perhaps this might be the place where the battle was fought, near the banks of the Darent, by Vortimer and his Britons with his Saxon enemies; and there is a fortification thrown up, in the wood, about three quarters of a mile eastward from this place, where it is probable the Saxons lay, expecting this rencounter.

At the opposite or northern end of the green, towards Dartford brent, stands a house, called THE Gore, formerly a gentleman's residence, once belonging to William Lee, esq. above mentioned, who left it to rear admiral Ward, and it is now the property of his son, Edward Vernon Ward, esq. A little beyond is Trundle-down, or, more properly, Tyrling-down, which was formerly the estate of the Cobhams, as appears by the Escheat rolls of the 38th year of king Edward III. (fn. 1)

There was a younger branch of the family of Dixon of Hilden, in Tunbridge, for some generations, settled in this parish, as appears by the Heraldic Visitation, anno 1619; they held lands of St. Margaret's manor.

ATHELSTANE, king of England, gave the perpetual inheritance of Darent to duke Eadulf, who, in the year 940, with the king's consent, gave it to Christ church, Canterbury, in the presence of archbishop Wlselm, free from all secular service and regal tribute, excepting the trinoda necessitas, of repelling invasions, and the repair of castles and highways. (fn. 2) Soon after this, whilst Ælsstane was bishop of Rochester, who came to the see in 945, and died in 984, one Birtrick, a rich and potent man, who then resided at Meophum, devised his land at Darent, with the consent of Ælfswithe his wife, by his will and testament (a most curious record of the customs of those times,) to one Byrware, for his life, and afterwards to the priory of St. Andrew, in Rochester, for the good of himself and his ancestors. This estate seems to have been wrested from the church of Rochester, in the troublesome times which followed soon after. (fn. 3) But the manor of Darent remained, according to duke Eadulf's gift, among the possessions of Christ church at the consecration of archbishop Lanfranc, in the 4th year of the Conqueror's reign; who, among many other regulations which he made, after the custom of foreign churches, for the benefit of his monastery, separated the manors of his church (for before this, the archbishop and his monks lived together, as one family, and had their revenues in common) allotting one part for himself and his successors in the archbishopric, and the other to the monks, for their subsistance, cloathing, and other necessary uses of the monastery.

In this partition, Darent fell to the share of the archbishop, and it is accordingly thus entered in the record of Domesday, under the title of, Terra Archiepi' Cantuariensis, i.e. land of the archbishop of Canterbury.

In Achestan hundred the archbishop of Canterbury holds Tarent in demesne. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is In demesne there is one carucate, and 22 villeins, with 7 cottagers, having 7 carucates. There are six servants, and two mills of 50 shillings. To this manor belong five burgesses in Rochester, paying six shillings and eight-pence. There are eight acres of meadow, wood for the pannage of 20 hogs. In the whole value, in the time of king Edward the Consessor, it was worth 14 pounds, when he received it, 10 pounds, now 15 pounds, and 10 shillings, nevertheless, he that holds this manor pays 18 pounds.

Archbishop Hubert, in the year 1195, anno 7th king Richard I. with that king's consent, and for the mutual benefit of the churches of Canterbury and Rochester, exchanged, for the manor of Lambeth, with its appurtenances there, in Southwark and in London, then belonging to the monks of St. Andrew's priory, in Rochester, his manor of Darent, with the church and the chapel of Helles, with all liberties and free customs, and all other things belonging to the manor, saving to the archbishop, and his successors, all spiritual jurisdiction in the church of Darent, until he or they should, of their mere bounty, grant it to the bishop of Rochester, so that the monks should possess it to the use of their refectory, in the same manner as they before had the manor and church of Lambeth, saving to the bishop of Rochester, in this exchange, the right he before had within the manor of Lambeth. And it was declared, that the manor of Lambeth should continue unalienable from the archbishopric, as well as the manor of Darent, and other premises so exchanged, from the church of Rochester. (fn. 4)

The manor of Darent after this appears to have been part of the possessions of the priory of Rochester; but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, who came to the see in 1185, disputing with his monks for the recovery of several manors and possessions, formerly belonging to the see of Rochester, which bishop Gundulp, his predecessor, had given them, claimed this manor and church, with its appurtenances, as having been given in exchange for Lambeth; notwithstanding which, the prior and convent still continued in possession of them.

In the 15th year of king Edward I. this manor was valued at 16l. 8s. In the 21st year of king Edward I. a Quo warranto was brought against the prior, on account of certain liberties which he claimed, when he was allowed to have, in this manor, view of frank pledge, and all of right belonging to it; infangthefe; and in consequence of that, gallows, chattels of condemned persons and fugitives, and amerciaments of his tenants, a fair and toll, and weif, as appurtenances to it; he also claimed to have free warren here, but the jury did not allow it him.

King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted them free warren in their demesne lands of this manor, among others. (fn. 5)

The manor continued part of the possessions of the priory and convent of Rochester, till the dissolution of the priory, in the 32d year of king Henry VIII. when it was surrendered into the king's hands, and was two years afterwards settled by that king on his new erected dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose possessions it remains at this time.

A court leet and court baron is held yearly for this manor.

In 1649, there was a survey taken, by order of the state of the manor of Darenth, with the rectory or parsonage appendant to it, belonging to the late dean and chapter; which latter, with the scite and demesnes of the manor, had been let, anno 16 king Charles I. by the dean and chapter, to Elizabeth and Helen Harvey, daughters of William lord Harvey, at the yearly rent of 20l. 8s. but were returned to be worth together, over and above that rent, 169l. 13s. 6d. per annum. (fn. 6) They continued many years in the family of Harvey, till George earl of Bristol, about thirty-five years ago, sold his interest in them to the occupier, Mr. William Farrant, since the death of whose son of the same name in 1788, Mr.Christopher Chapman is become the present lessee of them.

Jeffry Haddenham, about the year 1300, bought lands in Darent, and gave the rents of them to the use of the altar of St. Edmund in Criptis, which he had lately made in the church of Rochester. (fn. 7)

About a mile south-eastward from Darent church is the HAMLET of Helles St. Margaret, commonly called St. MARGARET HILLS. This appears by the court-rolls of it, to have been once a parish of itself, to which belonged the hamlets of Gills, Greensted-green, and South Darent. How it came to be annexed to Darent, will be mentioned in the ecclesiastical state of this parish. St. Margaret's, with the above mentioned hamlets appendant to it, are thus described in the general survey of Domesday, under the title of the lands of the bishop of Baieux, who was at that time owner of them.

Anschil de Ros holds Tarent of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at half a suling. The arable land is one carucate and a half. In demesne there is one, and four villeins, with four borderers having one carucate. There are three acres of meadow, and two mills of 18 shillings. Wood for the pannage of three hogs. The king has from this manor, lately given him by the bishop, as much as is worth 10d. The whole manor was, and is worth 100 shillings. Aluric held it of king Edward.

And a little farther, in the same record, under the like title:

In the same parish, the same A. (viz. Anschitill de Ros) holds one manor of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at half a suling. The arable land is one carucate and an half. There are 5 villeins, and 5 borderers, and one mill of 20 shillings. There are 3 acres of meadow, and 1 servant. The whole manor was worth 60 shillings, and now 70. Osurt held it of king Edward the Consessor.

This manor afterwards came into the possession of a family called Hells, who had much land besides at Dartford and Ash, near Sandwich; and from them this place acquired the additional name of Hells, or more vulgarly called Hilles. One of these, Thomas de Helles, had a charter of free warren granted to him and his heirs, for his lands here, and at Dartford, in the 17th year of king Edward I. (fn. 8) One of his descendants, Richard Hills, (fn. 9) for so the name was then spelt, about the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, was possessed of this manor. He left one sole daughter and heir, Anne, who carried it in marriage to Henry Melhard, and he left two daughters and coheirs, Alice and Joane, who divided it between them.

These moieties having afterwards continued separated in the hands of different owners, for some length of time, became at last united in the person of Mr. Thomas Rolt, who was become possessed of the entire manor a few years before the restoration of king Charles II. He married Catharine, daughter of Thomas Perye, gent. and died in 1661, leaving her surviving, who sold the manor of St. Margaret's to George Gifford, of Fawkham, esq. on whose death, in 1704, it came to his son, Thomas Gifford, esq. whose three daughters and coheirs, viz. Margaret, married to Thomas Petley, esq. Mary to John Selby, esq. and Jane married first to Finch Umfrey, gent. and afterwards to Francis Leigh, esq. of Hawley, possessed this manor in undivided thirds, till 1718, when they agreed to a partition of this estate. About the year 1722, Francis Leigh and Jane his wife joined in the conveyance of their interest in it, in which was included the mansion house, to John Hayward, esq. of Woolwich, who next year purchased a second third part of Thomas Petley, and Ralph his only son.

In 1725, John Hayward, who was then possessed of two-thirds of this manor, and John Selby, and Mary his wife, who were the possessors of the other third part of it, joined in the conveyance of the whole of it to John Lane, leatherseller, of London, who resided here for several years; he left two sons, John and Richard, and a daughter, married to Richard Hamman, and at his death devised this manor, with the mansion and part of the demesne lands, to his two sons, and a small portion of the latter to his daughter and her husband; the former part became again divided, so that three fourths of it became vested in Mr. Richard Lane, son of Richard above mentioned, who in 1788, alienated his interest in it to Mr. Christopher Chapman, who having purchased the other fourth part, now possesses the whole of it, and resides in the manor house.

A court baron is held for this manor, and several lands in the hamlets of Hills, Greensted, Gills, and South Darent, are held of it. The manor is held of the manor of Darent, by the yearly rent of 1l. 18s.

There is an estate in Darent, which, though now of little account, was once reputed a manor, called Cleyndon; which, in early times, had proprietors of its own name, but in the reign of Edward III. (fn. 10) was owned by the family of Hastings. John de Hastings, earl of Pembroke, died possessed of it in the 49th of that reign, and was succeeded by John de Hastings, his son, who was unfortunately killed at a tournament at Woodstock, in the 13th of king Richard II. On his death, without issue, his wife, Philippa, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, earl of March, possessed Cleyndon, as she did at the time of her decease, which happened in the 2d year of king Henry IV. In the 11th year of king Edward IV. Roger Rothele, of Dartford, owned this estate; (fn. 11) who sold it to Thomas Crephedge, in the 22d year of that reign; and his grandson, John Crephege, conveyed it by sale to Sir Robert Blage, one of the barons of the exchequer; his widow carried it again in marriage to Sir Richard Walden; at her death, in the 35th of Henry VIII. her son, by her former husband, Robert Blage, esq. possessed it, as he did land in Darent and Dartford, late parcel of the chantry of Stampitts, and late in the tenure of John Rogers, of Dartford, holding it of the king, in capite, by knights service. (fn. 12) On his death, in the 5th year of king Edward VI. his son, Henry Blage, possessed both these estates, and sold them, in the 24th year of queen Elizabeth, to Richard Burden, yeoman; who, the next year, parted with the land, late belonging to Stampitt's chantry, to Thomas and Andrew Ashley, and afterwards conveyed Cleyndon to Robert Filmer, esq. who left it at his death, in 1585, to his son, Sir Edward Filmer, and he gave it to his second son, Edward Filmer, who possessed it in the reign of king Charles I. His heirs sold it to Mr. Leigh, (fn. 13) who was the owner of it in 1691; but I can find nothing of it since, who owns it, or where it is situated.

Charities.

SIR THOMAS SMITH, by will, in 1621, gave 4l. 6s. 8d. per annum, payable out of several tenements in London, devised to the Skinners company for divers charitable uses, to be distributed weekly in bread, by the minister and churchwardens, unto five poor resident housekeepers, and in the last clause of his will, he directed, that on the expiration of the leases and the increase of the revenues, the distribution among the poor should be increased likewise among the poor of those parishes so named, or of any other parish wherein he should have lands at the time of his death. Darent is one of those parishes expressly named in it.

..........Ellis gave by will 12s. per annum to the poor; and BERNARD ELLIS, esq. by his will, in 1713, confirmed his father's gift above mentioned, to be paid out of a messuage, called the Cock, in Dartford, and he added to it a further gift of 12s. to be annually paid to the vicar and churchwardens, for the benefit of the poor of this parish, in like manner as his father had directed his gift to be paid; the above messuage having since been converted into three private tenements belongs to the heirs of John Mumford, esq. who distribute in bread yearly both the above sums.

DARENT is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICION of the diocese of Rochester. It is a peculiar, of the archbishop of Canterbury, and as such is in the deanry of Shoreham.

The church, which is a small building, is dedicated to St. Margaret. It consists of two isles and a chancel, both which seem very antient, especially the latter, which terminates with three small lancet windows, and is with respect to its construction perhaps unique in this diocese. The steeple, which is pointed, stands at the west end of the south isle; there are three bells in it. The chancel is divided into two parts of different widths, by steps, the upper one is vaulted, and is paved with black marble of the gift of Mr. Edmund Davenport, in 1680, who gave some silver plate likewise for the altar. The lower chancel is not, but the two isles are ceiled, the church was new pewed in 1737. The font bears high marks of antiquity, it is a single stone rounded and excavated, composed of eight compartments, with columns alternately circular and angular, and semicircular arches, the figures and objects on the compartments are in high relief, and are rudely carved; some of the figures appear to be chimerical, and others symbols of the sacraments and other religious offices. (fn. 14)

Among other monuments and inscriptions in this church, are the following: On the south side, a monument and inscription, shewing, that in a vault underneath, lies Catherine, late wife of John Elliston, of London, merchant, obt. 1729; arms, per pale gules and azure, an eagle displayed argent, impaling gules, three salmons naiant, argent. In the chancel, on the south side, a small monument and inscription, shewing that in the church yard lies John Weaver, esq. of North Lussenham, in Rutlandshire, obt. 1728; on the north side, a mural monument for Catharine, wife of Wm. Lee, esq. ob. 1746, she was daughter of Wm. Johnson, esq. M. P. for Aldborough, in Suffolk; above the arms of Lee, Gules, a cross or, between four unicorns heads, erased of the se cond, impaling Johnson or, a water bouget sable, on a chief sable three torteauxes or. A memorial for Humphry Taylor, rector of Ifield and Nutsted, son of the Rev. Rich. Taylor, vicar of this parish, obt. Dec. 12, 1732, and for others of this family. A memorial for Mrs. Dorothy Johnson, one of the daughters of Wm. Johnson, esq. M.P. obt. 1763, æt. 78. Another for Mrs. Catharine Lee, for whom the monument mentioned above is erected; another for Wm. Lee, esq. of this parish, husband to Catharine above mentioned, surveyor of the navy, in the reign of queen Anne, ob. 1757, æt. 87, s.p. A stone within the rails for Rich. Taylor, vicar of this parish, obt. Aug. 29, 1712, æt. 57. On the upper stone step, next the rails, before the altar, which, together with the pavement, was the gift of Mr. Davenport, are these words, Ex dono Edmund Davenport, 1680. On the south wall is a brass plate and inscription for Mary, the wife of Andrew Bridges, parson of Nutsted fifteen years; sometime the wife of Henry Farbrace, vicar of Farmingham, and parson of Halsted, and first parson of Ightham, daughter of Simon Clarke, sometime parson of Murston, and one of the six preachers of the church of Canterbury, obt. 1617; another very antient brass plate, placed in the south isle against the wall, but formerly over the remains of John Crepehege, and Jane his wife, of this parish, who lived in the reign of king Edward III. (fn. 15)

The church of Darent was exchanged with the manor, as has been mentioned before, by Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, with the monks of Rochester, for the manor of Lambeth, in 1195. and was soon afterwards, by the archbishop, appropriated to their use, Nicholas, then parson of it, resigning it into the archbishop's hands for that purpose.

In the 15th year of king Edward I. the church of Darent was valued at ten marcs, and in the reign of king Richard II. at the same.

The prior and convent of Rochester, in the year 1290, augmented this vicarage by the donation of half an acre of land, called Muriel Land, formerly belonging to John, son of Edward le Bedle; eighteen days work of land, formerly Ancell de Snodland's; one rood of land, formerly Stacy the cook's; and five days work of land, called Cottland, which had escheated to the prior and convent on the death of Bartholomew Fitz Eastrilde, lying according to the bounds described in the instrument. After a long dispute between Elias, vicar of this church, and the prior and convent, concerning the portions with which this vicarage was endowed, and the burthens to be borne by it, both parties agreed to leave the decision of it to John Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury; who, in 1292, decreed, that the prior and convent should take for the future the tythe of all sheaves, as well of land dug with the spade, as ploughed, within this parish, and also the tythe of hay as their portion, and the tythe of lambs, pigs, calves, cheese, pidgeons, mills, fisheries, rushes, herbage, cheese, milk, flax, hemp, and all other tythes whatsoever, great and small, arising from their own de mesne lands, because they had possessed peaceably, and without interruption, all tythes of this kind in their demesnes in Derenth, and elsewhere, where they had lands in demesne for sixty years and more, as had legally been made to appear by the diligent enquiries of creditable persons, examined for that purpose, in the archbishop's visitations.

The archbishop decreed likewise, that the burthen of procurations due to the dean of Shoreham, and also the finding of ornaments, vestments, and books, which were not found by the parish, and the reparation of them, if it exceeded in one year the sum of two shillings, and the building and repairing of the chancel of the church, when necessary, should belong to the said religious, and that the tythes of lambs, calves, pigs, geese, pidgeons, fisheries, mills, rushes, herbage, cheese, milk, flax, hemp, and all other small tythes, except in the demesnes of the religious, the oblations and obventions belonging, or accruing in any kind whatsoever, to the said church, and not assigned as above to the religious, should belong to the vicar and his successors in future, and he decreed, that the small pieces of land, and the mansion, which then or before had been assigned by the religious to the use of the vicarage, and the whole burthen of the repair and maintenance of the houses and mansion of the vicarage, and of the books, vestments, and ornaments, to be maintained by the religious, so far as the repairing and maintaining them did not exceed the sum of two shillings, and also the providing bread and wine, and other necessaries for divine rites, such as were not provided by the parishioners of the church, or mentioned before, should belong to the vicar and his successors, and that the vicar for the time being should find two chaplains to celebrate, one in the church of Darent, and the other in the chapel of Helles,

In this state the church and vicarage of Darent continued, till the general dissolution of monasteries, in the reign of king Henry VIII. in the 32d year of which the priory of Rochester, and the possessions of it, were surrendered into the king's hands; who, two years after, settled the church with the vicarage of Darent on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, whose inheritance it now remains.

In the reign of queen Elizabeth, the dean and chapter of Rochester, having refused the payment of the old accustomed stipend payable yearly by them to the vicar of this parish, he commenced a suit against them in the archbishop's consistorial court, in 1564, and had a decree prouounced in his favor. The dean and chapter made a pretence of appealing from this sentence, but did not prosecute it; on which the decree was confirmed two years afterwards, with 8l. 10s. costs, and the archbishop granted his letters testimonial of the same. (fn. 16)

The survey of this parsonage, by order of the state in 1649, has been already mentioned in the account of the manor of Darent. There was one made likewise of the vicarage, by virtue of the commission of enquiry, in 1650, out of chancery, in which it was returned, that Darenth was a vicarage, having an old house, and two acres of glebe land, worth thirty pounds per annum; that master Cockett then enjoyed it, who preached and taught every Lord's day, but to little edisication. (fn. 17)

Darent is a discharged living, of the clear yearly value, as returned, of forty-five pounds. The yearly tenths were 19s. 104d. (fn. 18)

THE HAMLET OF ST. MARGARET HILLES seems, from several antient evidences and court rolls, as to its temporal jurisdiction, to have been once a parish of itself, distinct from that of Darent, having, within its bounds, the several hamlets of Hilles, Grensted, South Darent, and Gills. However, as to its ecclesiastical jurisdiction, it was always accounted but as a chapel to Darent, having the above hamlets within its precinct. (fn. 19)

The north-west view of the chapel of St Margaret Hilles

By the decree of archbishop Peckham, mentioned before, the vicar of Darent was to find one chaplain to celebrate divine offices in this chapel of Helles. In the reign of king Henry VIII. there was a composition entered into between the vicar of Darent, and the inhabitants of the precinct of this chapel, which was confirmed by archbishop Warham in 1522, in which it was decreed, that the vicar of Darent should celebrate divine offices, either himself or by substitute in it, at certain times, and in manner as is therein mentioned, the inhabitants nevertheless resorting to the parish church of Darent on certain days therein specified; that he should administer extreme unction, and the holy sacrament if desired, to the sick inhabitants of this precinct within it; that he should bury the bodies of the deceased inhabitants either in this chapel, or the yard belonging to it, and baptize the children, and church the mothers of them within the chapel, and to prevent the inconveniencies that might arise from carrying the sacrament so far to the sick, the archbishop decreed, that it should be kept for the future in a decent pyx, to be provided by the inhabitants for that purpose in this chapel; who should bear and sustain all the burthens of the chapel; and also the payment of the reparation and maintenance of the parish church of Darent, and all other burthens, ordinary and extraordinary, in common with the rest of the parishioners of Darent, according to their abilities; and lastly, that all the inhabitants of the precinct of this chapel should pay yearly to the vicar of Darent, for the time being, all tythes accruing, and howsoever arising, within the precinct of it, as well real as personal, and all oblations whatsoever due of right or of custom, and should acknowledge the parish church of Darent as their own parish church. (fn. 20)

Notwithstanding this decree, the chapel of St. Margaret soon afterwards became neglected, and fell to decay; insomuch, that cardinal Pole, archbishop of Canterbury, in the year 1557, united the precinct of St. Margaret to the parish of Darent. And the chapel of it being thus desecreated, fell into immediate ruin, the only remains of it at this time being part of the tower of the steeple, which stands amidst a large heap of rubbish and stones, on an eminence in a field a small distance south-westward from the mansion of the manor: in the remains of this building there are many Roman bricks, and part of an arch is turned entirely with them.

Church Of Darent.

Footnotes