EYTHORNE,

COMMONLY pronounced Aytborne, lies the next parish westward from Waldershare, being written in the Saxon codicels, Hegythe Thorne, in later records Egbethorne, and now usually Eythorne.

This parish, which is divided into the two districts of Upper and Lower Eythorne, is accounted to lie in the hundred of Eastry, the constable of the upper half hundred of which exercises jurisdiction over it; notwithstanding which, the former being the southern part of this parish, within the borough of South Langdon, sometimes called Socage Langdon, is reputed to lie in the upper half hundred of Downhamford, the borsholder for which is chosen at the court leet of the manor of Adisham, within which manor it is; and the latter, or northern part is within the borough of Eythorne, and is reputed to be within the upper half hundred of Wingham.

This borough of Eythorne takes within its bounds lower Eythorne-street, comprehending the church, Elmton farm, and Eythorne court manor and lands, the whole being within the hundred last mentioned; at the court of which a borsholder is appointed for it. Neither Elmington, usually called Elmton, nor Streetend, were formerly included in this borough, both having been lately added to it, to serve particular purposes. The road between Pitfield, and Brincele, is the boundary of the demesne lands of the manor of Eythorne-court, and of the lands it claims over, being properly the line which divides the two boroughs.

EYTHORNE lies in a hilly uninclosed country, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with flints, and pretty barren for the most part of it. It contains about 1244 acres of land. The southern part, from its situation, is caried Upper Eythorne, comprehending within it the borough of South Langdon, in which is a hamlet, called the Green. Another hamlet, called Upper Eythorne street, comprehends the forstal, among the houses on it is one, which once belonged to a tolerable large farm, called Park End, now belonging to the earl of Guildford, the greatest part of which has been long since taken into Waldershare park. At a small distance southward from the above forstal, is a small seat pleasantly situated, built in 1762 by Peter Fector, esq. of Dover, who occasionally resides at it. Mr. Fector, who bears for his arms, Vert, two doves in pale, argent, beaked and legged, gules, the upper one holding an olive branch, or, is possessed of much landed property, dispersed in different parishes in this part of the county, and, as has been already noticed in the description of Dover, is a very considerable banker and merchant of that place; his mother was the daughter of Mr. Minet, who with his five brothers and three sisters, came over from France on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, in 1686, having sacrificed their situation and property in that country, for their attachment to their religion. Mr. Fector married Mary, eldest daughter of John Minet, A. M. rector of Eythorne, descended of the same family, by whom he has three sons and three daughters, John-Minet Fector, of Dover, banker and merchant, and of Updowne-place, in Ham, esq. who married Anne Worthley Montagu, the only daughter of Sir Robert Laurie, bart. of Maxwells town, in Scotland, and M. P. for Dumsries. JamesPeter, likewise of Dover, and in partnership with his father and brother, as above-mentioned, who married Frances, daughter of Thomas Bateman Lane, esq. of Dover, by whom he has issue, and William, who is unmarried. Alicia-Hughes, married to Charles Wellard, esq. of Dover, Mary and Elizabeth, both unmarried. Mr. Fector has, by the several additions he had at dif ferent times made to this seat, rendered it a most commodious retreat from his mercantile business, and by his late purchase of the Green farm, in this parish, has greatly added to his property round it. The house is beautifully situated, having a view over Waldershare park, and a fine one beyond it over the adjoining channel, and the Bologne hill on the coast of France.

Further northward is the borough of Lower Eythorne, comprehending Eythorne-court, and Lower Eythorne-street, having the church and parsonagehouse within it, the two small hamlets of Wigmore, (formerly Jenkin) and Street End. At the northern boundary of the parish is Elimington, but lately accounted within this borough, and a farm called Brimsdale, belonging to Mr. Underdowne Harvey, the son of Thomas, late of Eythorne-court. These Harveys of Eythorne-court, branched off from Richard Harvey, of West Studdal, the original ancestor, about two hundred years since, of the family of this name dispersed over this part of Kent. The father of the above-mentioned Thomas Harvey first came to Eythorne-court as tenant in 1711, and his grandson Philip Harvey still remains so.

This parish is long and narrow, being more than two miles and a half from north to south, and not more than three quarters of a mile the other way; at the south extremity of it are several lines of a Roman entrenchment, as has been already mentioned under Shebbertswell. There is a large barrow, or tumulus, about a quarter of a mile eastward from Eythorne-court wood, near the road leading to Waldershare. A fair is held here on Midsummer day, for pedlary, &c.

A branch of the family of Merriweather, formerly resided in this parish.

CUTHRED, king of Kent, about the year 807, with the consent of Cænulph, king of Mercia, gave to Æthelnoth, his minister, three plough lands, in the place which was called aet Heyghe Thorne, for a competent sum of money, that is, three thousand pence, free from all secular services, with the liberty of giving them during his life, and of leaving them after his death to whomever he would. (fn. 1)

After which, this estate appears to have come into the possession of archbishop Wulfred, who in the year 824, gave it with the lands of Langdune, (most probably the borough of South Langdon, in this parish), in exchange for Bereham, to the monks of the priory of Christ-church. How long it remained with them, I have not found, in all likelihood it was wrested from them, during the period of those troublesome times, before the Norman conquest; for not long afterwards it appears to have been in the possession of the family of Badlesmere, in which it continued till Bartholomew de Badlesmere in the 15th year of king Edward II. being attainted, this manor of Eythorne came into the hands of the crown, and it continued there till it was granted by king Edward III. to Sir John Bowdon, who in the 18th year of that reign, conveyed it to John de Goldsborough, after whose death it was passed away to Thomas Holben, and he in the 12th year of the next reign of king Richard II. alienated it to Robert Dane, who sold the reversion of it, to John Dygge, of Berham; after which this manor appears to have come into the possession of Robert Webbe, who in the 4th year of king Henry VI. alienated it to John St. Clere, and he transmitted it by sale to Sir Walter Hungerford, of Heytsbury, ancestor to those of Farley castle, whose arms were, Sable, two bars, argent, in chief three plates. He again sold it about the latter end of the last-mentioned reign, to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller and treasurer of the household, who in the 27th year of it, obtained the grant of a fair on the day of St. Peter ad vinculayearly, in this parish of Eythorne, and another soon afterwards for liberty to embattle, and impark, and for free warren likewise, within this manor, with other liberties, and in his descendants the property of this manor continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose lands were disgavelledby the acts of the 1st and 8th years of queen Elizabeth. He in the 16th year of that reign, alienated it to Francis Santon, whose son in the 28th year of the same reign, sold it to Sir William Rither, of London, during whose time, anno 42 Elizabeth, an assise was held to prove by verdict, between Forth and his wife, late wife of Santon; and Rither, alderman of London, to find if these lands were gavelkind, on a writ of dower; when there were many rolls of the archbishop produced to prove they were held of the archbishop by knight's service, and a verdict was given accordingly for the plaintiffs. Sir William Rither gave it by will to Susan, one of his daughters and coheirs, then the wife of Sir Thomas Cæsar, one of the barons of the exchequer, afterwards remarried to Mr. Thomas Philipot, second son of Sir John Philipott, of Compton Wascelin, in Hampshire, (fn. 2) whom she likewise survived, and at her death gave it to her only son by her second husband, Mr. Villiers Philipott, who at the latter end of king Charles I.'s reign, conveyed it by sale to Mr. John Brett, of London. How it passed afterwards, I have not found, only that after some intermediate owners it came into the possession of Richard Sherbrooke, esq. of London, who owned it in the beginning of the present reign, and at his death devised it to his sister, married to Mead, by whom she left an only daughter, who marrying John Wilkes, esq. entitled him to the possession of it, and his only daughter, Mrs. Mary Wilkes, is at this time owner of this manor, now usually called Eythornecourt. The house is very large and antient; it is built of stone; the walls are very thick and strong; they are much covered with ivy, the stems of which are the strongest I ever saw. In the windows are several shields of arms.

A court baron is held for this manor, which claims over the whole borough of Eythorne, excepting Elmington.

ELMINGTON, usually called Elmton, is a manor near the northern boundary of this parish, which has but lately been reputed within it, part of which at least was at the time of the taking the survey of Domesday, in the possession of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:

The same Osbert, (son of Letard) holds of the bishop, fifteen acres in Esmetone, and there belongs to it one prebend. But these in the time of king Edward the Confessor were worth thirty shillings, and afterwards twenty shillings, now thirty shillings. Sired held it of king Edward.

The bishop of Baieux was disgraced four years after this, and his estates were all consiscated to the crown.

The eminent family of Malmains appear afterwards to have held this manor, of whom it was again held in king Edward the IId's reign, by Guido de Shillingheld, and after him by Peter Condie, or Cundie, of Sandwich, descended from those of that name, seated at Condies-hall, in Whitstaple, and he was possessed of it at the beginning of king Edward the IIId.'s reign.

After which it descended to William, son of John de Condie, who died in the 42d year of that reign, without lawful issue, upon which Margaret his sister and coheir, marrying Robert Grubbe, entitled him to it, but he likewise dying without male issue, Agnes, one of his coheirs, carried it in marriage to John Isaac, esq. of Blackmanbury, in Bridge, whose descendant James Isaac, about the latter end of king Henry VII.'s reign, conveyed it to George Guldeford, esq. in whom the possession of it was but of short continuance, for from this family, about the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, it was passed away to Sir Christopher Hales, who not long after alienated it to William Boys, esq. of Nonington, whose second son Thomas Boys resided here, as he did, afterwards, at Barson, where he died in 1599; notwithstanding his residence here, he seems never to have possessed the see of it, which continued in the descendants of his eldest brother Edward, of Fredville, till Major John Boys, of that place, at the beginning of king Charles II.'s reign, sold it to William Turner, whose son of the same name, of Grays-Inn, and afterwards of the White Friars, in Canterbury, esq. died possessed of it in 1729. His son, William Turner, esq. of the White Friars, inherited this manor on his father's death, and was succeeded in it by his only surviving daughter and heir Bridget, who carried it, among other estates, in 1753, in marriage to David Papillon, esq. of Acrise, whose son of the same name is the present possessor of it.

THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the dicese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is small, consisting of a body and north isle, and two chancels, having a square tower, with battlements at the west end. In the high chancel, near the altar rails, is a memorial for Thomas Walton, thirty-seven years rector of this church, obt. 1698. Another for John Thompson, rector, who left one daughter, married to John Farnaby, son of the learned Farnaby, obt. 1661; arms, Two bars, a chief, ermine, impaling a chevron, between three balls. Within the altar rails, a memorial for Edward Monyns, second son of John Monyns, gent. and Mary his wife, obt. 1647. A marble tablet for John Minet, A. M. rector of this church, obt. 1771; arms, Erminois, quartering barry of six, argent and gules. Another tablet for Francis D'Aeth, rector of this church, youngest son of Sir Thomas D'Aeth, bart. obt. 1784; arms, D'Aeth. A memorial for William Forster, A. M. of Cambridge, son of Robert Forster, gent. of Acrise, pastor of this church for eleven years, obt. 1708. In one of the south windows, Azure, a bend cotized, between six shields, sable, each charged with a lion, rampant, or. In the east window of the other chancel, called the Elmton chancel, belonging to that estate, is a shield, Azure, a saltier engrailed, between four bears heads, erased, sable, muzzled of the field. The arms of Guldeford were formerly likewise in the windows of this church. In the last-mentioned chancel are several memorials for the Botelers, of this parish. A mural monument for John Harvey, esq. of Dane-court, obt. 1759, and Margaret his wife; arms, Harvey, impaling argent, three bars gemelles, sable, over all a lion rampant, gules, for Maud; and another for Richard Harvey, of Dane court, obt. 1732. He had five sons and four daughters, by four wives. Near the west door is a memorial for John Ruffin, gent. of Rainham, obt. 1661.

This church was esteemed as a vicarage, in archbishop Langton's time, who came to the see in the 8th year of king John, as appears by an ordination of that archbishop, concerning a pension of three marcs to be paid yearly to the vicar of it by the nuns of Harwood, in Bedfordshire. (fn. 3)

Archbishop Meopham, in the beginning of king Edward III.'s reign, made a decree, concerning the vicarage of this church, and as such it was esteemed in the 8th year of king Richard II. when it was valued only at four pounds, and as such with other small benefices, was not taxed to the tenth. But notwithstanding the above, this church has been for a great length of time accounted a rectory, most probably so at first on a vacancy of the vicarage, on a petition of the vicar of it to the archbishop, and it appears to have been so ac counted in the 26th year of king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was valued in the king's books as a rectory, of the yearly value of 15l. 12s. 6d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 11s. 6d. There are seven acres of glebe land.

In 1588 here were seventy-six communicants. In 1640 here were eighty communicants, and it was valued at one hundred pounds.

The patronage of this church has been for many years the property of the owners of Elmington manor, and the owners of Waldershare manor adjoining alternately, and as such is now the joint property of David Papillon, esq. of Acrise, and the right hon. the earl of Guildford, who present alternately to it.

Church of Eythorne.

Footnotes