HUCKING

LIES the next parish from Bicknor south westward, in the hundred of Eyhorne, and western division of the county. It is called in antient records, Houkynnge, and took its name from its high situation.

HUCKING is a small unfrequented parish, but little known, lying close to the summit of the chalk hills, close to which the church stands, with two or three houses near it, the rest being interspersed over different parts of it. It lies on high ground, being much exposed to the bleak northern aspect, and joins to that part of Hollingborne above the hills southward. It has throughout a woody appearance, from the wide hedge-rows round the fields, and on the north-west side the parish joins to a large tract of woodland, which reaches up almost to the church, the whole of it is an unpleasant dreary country, the soil of which is very poor, being chalky, and much covered with flint stones. The rents of it amount to about 460l. per ann.

THE MANOR of Hollingborne, which was given to the priory of Christ-church, in Canterbury, in the year 980, claims over this parish; subordinate to which is the manor of Hucking-court, late the property of the Rev. John Davis, of Mereworth, whose widow, Mrs. Anne Davis, sold it to Baldwin Duppa Duppa, esq. of Hollingborne-hill.

HUCKING, alias RUMPSTED, is a small manor in this parish, which acquired its latter name from the antient possessors of it. Sir Edward Rumpsted held it in the reign of king Edward I. whose descendant, of the same name, was an eminent man in the reign of Edward III. How long it remained with them I do not find; but in the 3d year of Henry VI. it was in the-possession of Richard Peverell, and in the 25th year of it, Robert de Poynings died possessed of it, leaving Alianore, the wife of Sir Henry Percy, his cousin and next heir, who had thereupon possession granted of this estate, among the other lands of her inheritance, and in his father's life-time he succeeded likewise by this marriage to the baronies of Poynings, Bryan, and Fitzpain, by the former of which titles he received summons to parliament.

On his father's death, in the 33d year of that reign, he succeeded him as earl of Northumberland, and having engaged warmly in defence of Henry VI. was slain fighting on the king's part, at the battle of Towtonfield, in the 39th year of that reign, being at the time of his death possessed of this manor.

The next year, being the 1st of Edward IV. and act of attainder passed against the deceased earl, among others. After which it became the property of the Peckhams, with whom it did not remain long, for in the reign of Henry VII. the title to it was vested in Henry Vane, esq. whose son Ralph Vane, esq. with the consent of his wife, conveyed it, in the 31st year of Henry VIII. to William Taylor, of Romney, son of John Taylor, of Shadoxhurst, from which name it was not long afterwards alienated to Edmund atte Wood, who died in the 5th year of queen Elizabeth, and was buried in Hollingborne church, in which name it staid till Richard Wood leaving a sole daughter and heir Eleanor, she carried this estate in marriage to Thomas Thompson, and he, with her assent, in the 9th year of king James, alienated it to another William Taylor, whose son and heir, in the reign of Charles I. transferred his interest in it by sale to Mr. John Stringer, of Goudhurst, who gave it to his youngest son Mr. Thomas Stringer, of that place. His two sons dying s. p. his daughter Katherine married to William Belcher, of Rochester, M. D. at length entitled him to this estate. He was succeeded in it by his eldest son the Rev. Stringer Belcher, rector of Ulcomb, who died in 1739, leaving four daughters his coheirs. They possessed this estate in undivided shares, of these one fourth part, which was possessed by Benjamin Neale Bayley, esq. in right of his wife Anne, the eldest daughter and coheir was alienated by their son to Edward Belcher; esq. of Ulcomb, younger brother of Mr. Stringer Belcher beforementioned, who died possessed of it in 1778, and his only surviving son Mr. William Belcher, of Ulcomb, is at this time entitled to the fee of it.

Judith, the second daughter and coheir, on her death devised her fourth part to her sister Elizabeth Belcher, and she is now entitled to that, as well as her own fourth part, being one whole undivided moiety of it; and the remaining fourth part was carried in marriage by the other sister Sarah, to the Rev. Joseph Milner, of Aylesford, afterwards D. D. and he, in her right, still conti nued owner of it at his death in 1784, and by his will devised it to his widow, who now possesses it.

There are no parochial charities. The poor relieved constantly are about sixteen; casually six.

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

The church is dedicated to St. Margaret, and is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon. It has always been esteemed as a chapel to the church of Hollingborne; the vicar of that parish being collated to the vicarage of the church of Hollingborne, with the chapel of Hucking annexed. Both together are of the clear yearly certified value of 70l. 16s. 8d.