A small streamlet, rises in the woods near Bromley-green, and flows along the eastern part of this parish, in a direction northward, joining the postling branch of the STOUR, near Sevington. LELAND in his itinerary says, vol. VII. p. 145. "That river of Cantorbury now cawled Sture, springeth at King's Snode, the which standeth southe and a lytle be west fro Cantorbury, and ys distant of Cant. a xiili or xv myles." But this is evidently an error of Leland's, the above being merely a small tributary stream to the STOUR.

The

The manor of Wye claims paramount over this parish. lord of that manor, George Finch Hatton, Esq. holds a court-leet here for the borough of East-Kingsnorth, which claims over this parish, and at this court a borsholder is yearly appointed; subordinate to this is THE MANor of KingsNORTH, which in early times was the residence of a family of the same name; of whom John de Kingsnorth resided here towards the latter end of the reign of Edward I. On the attainder of Bartholemew de Badlesmore about the 17th year of Edward II. he appears to have possessed that part of this estate, since called THE MANOR OF EAST-KINGSNORTH, for on his conviction, this portion escheated to the crown and remained there until Richard II. granted it to Sir Robert Belknap the Judge, who not long previous had purchased that part of the manor of Kingsnorth which belonged to the family of that On his attainder and banishment in the 11th year of the same reign, the former part again reverted to the crown, but that which had been purchased of the family of Kingsnorth. (the greatest part, and since called the manor of KINGSNORTH) was on the petition of Hamon de Belknap (his son) to parliament restored to him, and in his possession it continued untill his death in the 7th year of Henry VI. After his death it

name.

defence, but to drain off the water from the miry soil on which they were built, which was no doubt the principal reason why so many of the antient ones, in this and the like situations were moated round. Hasted.

came into the possession of Sir Thomas Brown of Beechworth Castle, treasurer to the King's household, who in the 27th year of that reign, obtained licence for a fair in this parish, on the feast of St. Michael, and grants to embattle his mansion here, to enclose a park, and for free-warren in all his demesne lands within this manor. In 1690 Alexander Andrews executor and devisee of William Andrews, conveyed this ma nor with the farm called the Park, the manor of Moorhouse, and other lands in this parish, (being enabled so to do bý act of parliament) to the company of haberdashers of London, as trustees, for the support of the hospital at Hoxton, called Aske's hospital, in whom they are now vested.

The other part, since called the MANOR OF EAST KINGSNORTH, appears to have been granted, together with the manors of West Kingsnorth, in Pluckley; Moorhouse, in this parish; and Wathenden, in Biddenden, to the abbot and convent of Battle in Sussex, with whom they remained until the dissolution of that abbey, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. In the same year they were granted to Sir Edward Ringsley for his life, and the reversion of them, was four years afterwards, sold by the King to Sir John Baker, to hold in capite by Knight's service. In his descendants, this manor and the adVowson of the church continued down to Sir John Baker, Bart. in the reign of Charles I.

THE MANOR OF MONTFORT's, or as it is now called Mumfords, was once the property of the family of le Clere, of whom, Henry le Clere died possessed of this manor, in the

A material alteration must have taken place since Philipott's time, as he mentions a town here, whereas it is now difficult to find a village. He says, (speaking of the manor of Kingsnorth,) "Henry VI. in the 27th year of his reign, granted some part of it to Sir Thomas Brown of Beechworth castle, in Surry, and with it a charter to enclose a park, which had liberty of free-warren annexed to it; and likewise, the more to endear him, licenced this town to hold a fair yearly on Michaelmas day."

This in Harris and Philipoft is written Munfidde.

reign of Edward I. and leaving no issue male, it was carried in marriage by Susan his only daughter to Sir Simon de Woodchurch, whose descendants afterwards assumed the name of Clerke.

WEST HALKS,* commonly and perhaps most properly called West Hawks, is a manor situated near the western bounds of this parish, and subordinate to that of Kenardington; it was formerly the property and residence of a family of that name, and according to Philipott was, "a family of no contemptible estimate, or shallow antiquity in this track, as appears by old escripts, pedigrees, and other venerable muniments, which represent this family under the character of gentlemen, for above three hundred years."

The church (dedicated to ST. MICHAEL) is small, consisting of one aisle and one chancel. At the west end, it has a square tower steeple containing five bells. In the aisle is an ancient grave-stone, coffin shaped, with old french capitals round it, now illegible, and against the north wall the tomb of Humphrey Clarke, Esq. of Bethersden marble, with the effigies of himself and wife in brass, and below, of his four sons and five daughters; above is an inscription to his memory, set up by his daughter's son, Sir Martin Culpeper. In the chancel is a brass with an inscription, but without date, for Thomas Umfrey, rector. t The north chancel, which belonged to the manor of Mumfords, fell down some years ago and has not since been rebuilt; in it were interred the Wightwicks, owners of that manor; their grave-stones nine in number yet remain, and on

T

This is the name ascribed to it by Philipott, Harris and Hasted, though from the arms of the family (a fess, between there Hawks) the latter appears the more proper appellation.

+ Probably the immediate predecessor of Thomas Dunscome, A. M. who was inducted in 1592.

one adjoining to these, and also formerly within the north chancel, is the figure of a Knight in armour, with a lion under his feet, and an inscription on brass for Sir William Parker, son of William Parker, Esq. citizen and mercer of London, 1421.

The advowson of this rectory was annexed to the manor of East-Kingsnorth in the reign of Henry VIII. (as before observed) and has so continued to the present time; the right of presentation therefore to the living rests with the owner of There are about seventeen acres of glebe land attached to it, and in 1640 the whole was valued at only 501. No tythe of woodland below the hill southward is taken, this part of the parish being considered within the Weald.

that manor.

L.

LAMBERHURST, probably from the saxon words Lam

*

and hurst, in reference to its soil, and situation; the former signifying a soft loam or clay, and the latter a wood.

The greater portion of this parish, lies in the adjoining county of Sussex, the two counties being here separated by one of the principal tributary streams to the Medway, which rising in Waterdown forest, crosses this parish in a direction nearly east and west. The Kentish part, or that which lies on the north of the stream is about two miles across in extent, and agreeably diversified with alternate hill and dale; the surface

In the Textus Roffensis it is written Lamberherste, and Philipott derives it from a Saxon of the name of Lambert, formerly owner of this place; but this supposition is not admitted by succeeding writers. Harris says, "I find it written Lambherste often in the reign of King Edward I. which allowing for the usual intersertion of the b in such pronunciations by the vul gar, will make the very word Lam-herst." Harris's opinion on this point is adopted by Hasted.

soil near the village is light and sandy, lying on a rock of sand-stone, and the remainder consists principally of a stiff tenacious clay. It contains large tracks of coppice wood, interspersed with oak and other forest trees; but these have been much reduced of late years, owing to the great increase in the price of timber, and the unusual demand for oak of the larger size in particular, for the purposes of ship building. The woods in this and some of the neighbouring parishes abound generally with iron ore, and until within these few years, furnaces for melting and manufacturing the ore, have been in use here; the last of these, was that known by the name of the Lamberhurst or Gloucester furnace, the latter name having been given to it, on occasion of a visit made here, by the Duke of Glouces ter (son of Queen Anne) in the year 1698. At this furnace great quantities of cannon, as well for the use of government, as the merchants, have been cast, besides backs for stoves, &c.. bar-iron has also been worked here, and it is worthy of note, that the iron railing which encompasses St. Paul's cathedral was cast at this place: according to the furnace books, this railing with the gates (seven in number) weighed two hun-dred tons and eighty one pounds, and cost the sum of 11,2021. Os. 6d. This furnace, though much business was at times done at it, was never a very profitable one, and latterly, must from the increase in the price of timber have yielded little or no advantage to the proprietors. When this undertaking was commenced, the average price of oak timber did not ex-t ceed 20s. per ton, and that extensive competition which the system of canal navigation has fortunately introduced was then unknown and unthought of. The first project of this kind in England was that of rendering the SANKEY brook or river, navigable from the Mersey, up its three branches, in the year 1755, a period of nearly sixty years subsequent to the establishment of the above concern, and to this source, united