NUTSTED.

ADJOINING to the eastern boundary of Northfleet southward, lies Nutsted, written in Domesday, Notestede, and in the Textus Roffensis, Hnutstede, and at this time commonly called Nursted.

NUTSTED is a small parish, being not quite a mile in extent each way. It lies most of it on high ground, and has a great variety of soils, having in it arable, orchard, and hop ground, and some woodland towards the north boundary of it, next to Northfleet parish; it joins to Meopham southward. There are but five houses in it, viz. Nursted-court, Nurstedhill farm, at the west end of the parish, belonging to Mr. John Colyer of Southfleet; Copthall, at the east end; and two cottages. It is a place not much frequented, and is therefore but little known.

At the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, Nutsted was part of the vast possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, and half brother to the Conqueror, and it is accordingly described in it, under the general title of that prelate's lands, as follows:

Wardard holds Notestede of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed for two sulings. The arable land is two carucates. In demesne there is one, and there are four borderers, and a church, and four servants, and wood for the pannage of three bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, when he received it three pounds, now five pounds. Ulstan held it of king Edward.

On the disgrace of bishop Odo, in the year 1083, this place most probably escheated to the crown.

In the 13th year of king John, Nutstede was held, as one knight's fee, of the barony of Arsic, being part of those lands assigned for the defence of Dover castle, which lands were again held of the king by barony, as of his castle of Dover, to which the tenant of Nutsted was bound to perform ward. (fn. 1) After this, Nutsted came into the possession of the family of De Gravesend, one of whom, Sir Stephen De Gravesend, was owner of it in the 7th year of king Edward I. and in the 26th year of that reign accompanied the king to the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, and was present at the taking of that strong fortress. Before which year, Richard de Gravesend, who was made bishop of London, in 1280, appears to have possessed this manor, for he obtained a charter of free warren to it in the 27th year of the above reign; he died at Fulham, in 1303, and was buried in his own cathedral. He was succeeded by his nephew and heir, Stephen de Gravesend, who was also, in 1318, made bishop of London; (fn. 2) he died possessed of it in the 12th of king Edward III. and was buried in his own cathedral likewise. His kinsman, Sir Thomas de Gravesend became his heir in this manor, and paid aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. as one knights see, which the bishop of London before held in Nutsted. He died in the 49th year of the above reign, but it seems he was not then possessed of the whole of this estate, for Sir John de Beaumont, or De bello Monte, as this family was called in Latin, had some share in it. After both these names were extinct here, this manor came into the possession of the Frowicks, in which it continued till Thomas Frowick, by a fine, levied in the 38th year of king Henry VI. conveyed it to Hugh Brent, in whose descendants it continued until the reign of Henry VII. and then it was alienated to John Marten, whose descendant, William, dying without issue male, his two daughters and coheirs, Alice and Margaret, the former of whom married John Middleton, and the latter John Rogers, entitled their respective husbands to this manor. John Middleton alienated his moiety to William Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, sheriff of this county in the 1st year of king Edward VI. whose grandson, William Sedley, of the Friers, in Aylesford, was afterwards created a baronet in 1611. (fn. 3) He purchased the other moiety of this manor in the 20th year of king James I. of George Rogers, M. D. (a descendant of John Rogers before mentioned) and Elizabeth Weston his wife, and so became possessed of the whole see of it. (fn. 4) His son, Sir John Sedley, bart. in 1631, conveyed this manor to the trustees of John Adye, esq. of Doddington, who died in 1660. His grandson, James, son of Edward Adye, esq. of Barham, in this county, afterwards became entitled to the inheritance of it, but dying unmarried, he left his four sisters his coheirs, Susannah married to Ruish Wentworth, esq. Elizabeth married to William Hugessen, esq. of Provender in Norton; Dorothy; and Rosamond married to George Elcock, esq. of Barham; and on the partition of his estates among them, Elizabeth entitled her husband, William Hugessen, to this manor. He had by her three sons, William, who was of Provender; John, who was afterwards of Stodmarsh; and Edward.

William Hugessen, esq. by settlement, gave one moiety of this manor, with Nutsted-court and the advowson, to his wife Elizabeth, who settled it on their youngest son, Edward, in see, and he dying without issue and intestate, his moiety became vested in his two brothers, William and John, who were before entitled, as heirs in gavelkind, to the other moiety of these premises on their father's death; the former of whom, about 1731, conveyed his interest in them to his brother John, who became thereby possessed of the entire see of this manor, estate, and advowson.

John Hugessen, esq. of Stodmarsh-court, by his second wife, Amy, daughter of William Courthope, esq. of Stodmarsh, had two sons, William, now of Stodmarsh, esquire; and John, since deceased; and two daughters, Amy and Elizabeth; he, together with Amy his wife, William and John, his sons, and Amy and Elizabeth, his two daughters, as parties to the deed, settled this estate, in 1759, on his second son John, who on his father's death possessed it, (fn. 5) and in 1767, conveyed the whole see of it to Mr. Henry Edmeads, the present possessor of them, who now resides here.

Adjoining to the Court-lodge, at the west end, are the ruins of an old chapel.

There are no parochial charities.

NUTSTED is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.

The church, which stands about a quarter of a mile southward from Nutsted-court, is a small building, with a square tower at the west end of it. It is dedicated to St. Mildred.

Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, in the north wall, a monument with the arms of Wentworth, a mullet for difference, impaling Adye, for Susan, wife of Ruish Wentworth, esq. sister of James Adye, of Barham, obt. 1681. An inscription for Richard Wentworth, esq. above mentioned, obt. 1686, leaving an only daughter and heir. A mural monument for John Adye, esq. of Dodington, who had by Elizabeth his first wife, daughter of Thomas Waller, esq. of Beaconsfield, three sons and four daughters; and by his second wife, Mary, daughter of Solomon Cole, esq. (who lies buried at Dodington) two sons and two daughters, obt. 1660. An inscription for Nicholas Cragg, rector of this church. (fn. 6)

In an antient valuation of the churches in this diocese, taken in the 15th year of king Edward I. this church of Nutsted was valued at one hundred shillings. In the survey of ecclesiastical livings within this diocese, taken in 1650, it was returned, that there was in this parish a parsonage presentative, worth thirty-five pounds per annum, Mr. Adye, patron, and Mr. Jones incumbent, placed there by the committee of plundered ministers. (fn. 7) This rectory is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths being 9s. 6d. This rectory was augmented, about twenty years ago, jointly with Ifield, with 200l. from queen Anne's bounty, and the like sum from the Boteler family, which money was laid out in the purchase of lands, &c. at Nash-street, adjoining to this parish, though within that of Northfleet. The advowson of this rectory has always been appendant to the manor of Nutsted, and continues so at this time.

Church of Nutsted.

Footnotes