A Seventh Century Survey of the Estates of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury in East Kent

( 29 ) A SEVENTEENTH - CENTURY SURVEY OE THE ESTATES OE THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OE CANTERBURY IN EAST KENT. BY REV. C. EVELEIGH WOODRUFF. THE following Survey, though of no very remote antiquity nor abstruse archEeological interest, gives so many particulars relating to houses in the eastern part of the county which have long since been demolished or rebuilt that it seemed worth transcribing for publication in Archceologia Cantiana. The original is contained in a small octavo note-book preserved amongst the archives of the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, and is in the handwriting of Dr. John Bargrave, who occupied the fifth prebendal stall from 1662 to 1680. Canon Bargrave was the second son of John Bargrave, Esq., of Patrixbourne, and a nephew of Isaac Bargrave, Dean of Canterbury (1625—1643). Dean Boys—Isaac Bargrave's predecessor in the Deanery—was also his uncle by marriage, his wife being a sister of the said Isaac. Canon Bargrave was educated at the King's School, Canterbury, and at Cambridge, where he became a fellow of St. Peter's College. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was ejected from his fellowship, and spent several years on the continent— principally in Italy. When in Rome he compiled a curious account of Pope Alexander VII. and the College of Cardinals, which was edited by the late Canon J. Cragie Robertson for the Camden Society in 1867, with a memoir of the author and a descriptive catalogue of the curiosities he had acquired on his travels. These curiosities, which include a valuable collection of coins and medals, Bargrave bequeathed to the Dean and Chapter, and they are still 3 0 SURVEY OE THE ESTATES OF THE preserved in their library. It was as Receiver-General of the revenues of the " Great Church " that Bargrave set out to make a survey of its estates in 1675. He had acted in the same capacity four years earlier, but his pilgrimage on this occasion did not extend beyond the eastern division of the county of Kent, whereas in 1671 he had had to visit the Church's estates in Sussex.* The latter journey had been performed on horseback, but Bargrave was an older man now and in failing health, and doubtless was ready enough to exchange the saddle for a seat in the family coach. He left Canterbury on 22 July accompanied by Dr. Tillotson, the Dean, Dr. John Aucher, Canon of the sixth stall, and by two mounted servants who acted as outriders. On the first day the two Canons visited Boughton Blean rectory, Copton manorhouse in Preston, Preston rectory and Faversham rectory. At Boughton they were met by the tenant, one Alexander Chapman, himself a grand-nephew of a former Canon of Canterbury, who on that account perhaps, or more probably with an eye to creating a favourable impression upon his landlords, gave them " very noble entertainment.'" That the survey was not very carefully taken so far as the chancel of the church was concerned is clear from the naive confession that the dignitaries were content to view it at a •distance of half a mile, at which distance " it seemed to be in very good repair" ! Copton was approached with difficulty, since, though it was the middle of summer, the coach was " laid up in a base lane," and it was found easier to return to the high road through the fields. Bargrave says there was a tradition that the house once belonged to King Stephen. Possibly the king may have stayed at Copton when Faversham Abbey (of which he was the founder) was in building, but the manor had been part of the possessions of Christ Church since the first quarter of the ninth century. From Copton the party went on to Preston * An account of the Sussex Survey was communicated by the present writer to the fifty-third volume of the Journal of the Sussex Archseological Society. BEAN AND CHAPTER OF CANTERBURY. 31 rectory, where they found the chancel of the church in very bad repair both within and without, for which, of course, the lessee of the great tithes was responsible. It is interesting to note that the parish, which at the present time has a population of upwards of 1100—excluding the detached ecclesiastical district known as the Brents— had only six or seven houses within its boundaries when this survey was taken. At Faversham things were better, the chancel, which Bargrave describes as arranged " collegiatewise with stalls," being in excellent repair. It is probable that the party spent the night at Faversham. At any rate, on the next day they went on first to Elverton manor-house in the parish of Stone near Luddenham, where the only thing mentioned worth noticing is the state of the roads in this locality even in summer time, and then to Milton next Sittingbourne. Bargrave did not feel equal to the walk across the fields from the town to the church, so he stayed in the coach while Canon Aucher and his man made an inspection of the chancel, which they found in good order. At the time of their visit a new vicarage was being built, " a pretty brick house," principally at the charge of the Vicar—one Mr. Turner, a Scotchman. Berksore manor-house in the parish of Lower Halstow was the next place on the list, but the state of the road leading thither was such that it was not thought prudent to attempt the journey in a wheeled vehicle, so Dr. Aucher's man rode thither with a guide, and brought back an account of the condition of the premises. The coach, however, seems to have reached Halstow Church, where the chancel was found to be in good repair, but mention is made of a building adjoining the chancel which had fallen down, "how long since we could not learn." No further proceedings are mentioned for several days. Probably from Halstow the party returned to Canterbury, and it was not until July 30th that they again sallied forth, this time to Chartham, where they viewed the Fulling Mill, the Corn Mill, the Manor-house and the Deanery. Here the most interesting part of the survey is the description of the 32 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OF THE Deanery. The house had been used formerly as a country retreat by the Prior of Christ Church. After the suppression of the monastery it had been appropriated (not without protest on the part of the Chapter) by the Dean of the new foundation. Dean Bargrave spent much of his time at Chartham, as also did his predecessor Dean Boys, whose week-end hospitality young John Bargrave often enjoyed when a schoolboy. He found the house and its surroundings a good deal changed iii 1675. He tells us regretfully how " the large pond and handsome moat round about the house," which he remembered "full of trouts, with a boat and a net to fish the pond," was now nearly dry and " all grown over with tall weeds." The old house, too, had been badly used during the troublous times thirty years earlier. A portion of it had actually been taken down by the lessee and carted to London, where it was used to build the Falcon Inn in Purple Lane near Gray's Inn. Nevertheless some relics of its former owners survived in the painted glass of its windows, notably the initials and rebus of Thomas Goldwell, the last Prior of Christ Church, and the rebus of Archbishop Morton—a maw (hawk) seated upon a cask or tun. The latter Bargrave misinterpreted altogether, describing the maw as an eagle and the hooped cask as a " tricircled stone " ; the word " t u n " he reads "dun," and takes it to be the rebus of " John Dunstoane, prior," who is unknown to the annalists of the monastery. The next place visited was Littlebourne—it could hardly have been on the same day as Chartham, but the date is not given. Here the Dean and Chapter were the owners of the great tithes, so the chancel of the church was inspected and the rectory house. In the east window of the former Bargrave notes some stained glass representing, he says, " the story of St. Hubert the huntsman " ; in all probability it really represented scenes in the life of St. Vincent, the patron saint of the church, but the note is interesting, as the glass has long since disappeared. On 23rd August a report of the manor and fishery of Seasalter was supplied by Mr. Foach, auditor to the Dean DEAN AND CHARTER OF CANTERBURY. 33 and Chapter; the particulars relating to the fishery are of some interest. On 3rd September a report concerning the condition of the buildings belonging to the rectory of Cranbrook was furnished by the head bailiff. Amongst other defects he mentions that the fence which formerly enclosed the Quakers' burial ground near the church was down and that the ground lay open. Ickham Manor appears to have been visited by Bargrave on September 14th and Adisham Manor on September 16th, but as the Dean and Chapter were not the rectors of either church, the chancels were not inspected. Somewhat full reports of Eastry rectory and manor follow, but the exact date is not given. The rectory is described as a handsome house having a good hall, "with a marble fine-worked chimney-piece with two pillars, at each side one; down some steps was a fair long parlour and above very neat lodging rooms in genteel repair." The chancel of the church is said to be in good repair with the exception of the east window, which was " much plaistered with mortar instead of being mended with glass." The lessee excused this defect on the ground that it was done to keep the pigeons out, but Bargrave pointed out to him that the inefficiency of the method was patent from the fact that ehurch and chancel were "all over most shamefully fouled with pigeons." At Eastry Manor, in connection with an alleged act of waste on the part of the lessee, we have a very interesting note. Thirty years before the date of this survey Bargrave "says that his cousin Thomas Bargrave (son of the Dean), who had spent some years in Holland, noticed there the quick growth of the Abele or white poplar trees; that he afterwards imported about two hundred of these trees and planted them in this manor, where they flourished so amazingly that in less than thirty years some of the trees had produced above a ton of timber. These trees had been felled by the tenant, who had, however, used the trees for repairs, but claimed the right to burn them if he should be VOL. xxxyra. n 34 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OF THE so minded, on the' ground that they were not timber trees. Possibly Bargrave's importation marks the first introduction of these trees into Kent, where they have since been used extensively as a protective shelter for hop gardens. The Canon's spelling is very strange, but I have thought it better to preserve its peculiarities. MANNERS, FARMES, RECTORIES, MILLES, &C, ON THIS SIDE OP MEDWAY, BELONGING TO THE DEANE AND CHAPTER OE1 CANTERBURY, VISITED 1675. July 22. Boughton Rectory. There is a fayre large Tymber House well brick waled abowt, with a hansome Terras walke at the entrance as like wise in the gardens with severall stayres and ascents very hansom. Mr. Alexander Chapman, grand nephew to Dr. Chapman,* is our tenant there and liveth in it himselfe and keepeth it in very genteele repaire. There are two Barnes partly tyled partly thatched, a Coach howse and fayre bricke stables, no pigeon howse, that w'ch standeth neere it belonging not to it, but to the next neighbour, Mr. Kenrick, on the Archbishop's land. Before the house standeth 12 or 14 greate elmes, good Tymber. The Gleabe he told us was but 12 acres. A cherry orchard grub'd up, which Mr. Chapman promised to replant this year with good fruit trees. The Church standeth almost half a mile off up a hill, and at that distance the Chancell seemed to be, as Mr. Chapman assured us it was, in very good repaire. Here Mr. Deane and wee that were with him had very noble entertainment, and we left a ginny with Mr. Chapman to be given to the poore of the Parish. July 22. Copton Manner. That Manner standeth abowt halfe a mile out of London high way on the left hand over against Preston Church neere Feversham, and that halfe mile hath no coach way to the * Canon in the Eleventh Prebend 1618—1629. DEAN AND CHAPTER OF CANTERBURY. 35 howse except the gates into the fields be ordered to be opened. Our Coaches being layed up in the base lane as we went, but we returned well by the fields. The house is said to have been formerly King Steven's. It is now an old ruinous house built upon old thick stoane walls. There are 2 large barnes, one tyled and the other partly tyled and partly thatched. They, as the tyles decay and blow off, thatch the place instead of tyling it. They pleading for it that thatched barnes keep owt the snow from the corne better than tyles. There were Carpenters and Masons at worke abowt the Pigeon howse, which is raised all up newe from the grounde. The manner howse and much of the land are in the Parish of Preston. But is in itself a very greate thing (as we were tolde), havin g many under-Tenants to it. Lieutenant Portage (Pordage) liveth in the manner howse, and useth that land abowt it. And one Mr. Butler, a Powderman of London, we were told, payde above a 100" p' annu' for what he holdeth. The land being in three parishes and downe in marshes to the waterside, being in Feversham, Ospringe and Preston. Mr. Crocker, the vicar of Preston, promised me to inquire into it and to give me an aceompt of it. Preston Rectory Juxta Feversham. There is no howse or. barne on the place. The Chancell is very badd both within and without, being partly ledded, partly shingled and partly tyled, and the seeling of wenscoate within almost all downe. The ledd is only over the Tomb of the Boy les Family marryed to the Naylors, now the Family of the Earle of Burlington. Mr. Ruck, our Tenant, keepeth the Rectory in his owne hands, He living in Boughton streete, where I spoke to him abowt the Chancell, who said that he had bought wenscot for the Roofe and the Carpenter had binn abowt it, butcould not as yet goe forward with it by reason that he had broake his legg and he was loath to imploy another. Mr. Crocker is vicar "there. There being but 6 or 7 howses in the Parish, wherof Copton manner is one. Given to the poore 10s. D 2 36 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OF THE Feaversham Rectory. Our Tenant is Mr. Christopher Darrell. The under Tenant is Mr. Sheering, the Schoolmaster of the Toune and Vicar of Ludenham. There is 8 acres of Gleabe parteiy arable, parteiy planted with Cherries, and a parte with other fruite. There is but a little howse and a small barne with two floores. Dr. Hinton the Vicare (in our guift) hath a very neate howse and garden neere the Church, which is the fay rest I know in Kent, double cross isled all with the chancell collegeatwise with staules in excellent repaire- Given the Dr. (Doctor) a Ginny for the poore. July 23. Elverton Manor. Mr. Henry Sydney, brother to the Earl of Lester, our tenant; one Mr. Ashbey, an ancient man that liveth at Feversham, the under tenant. Very bad or rather no Coach way thither from Feversham. There is a small brick house, tyled, in indifferent good repair, and so the thatched barnes. Mr. Sydney having last year layde owt a good deal of moneyes about the reparations. Given Mr. Ashby to the poor 2s 6'1. Middleton Rectory. (Milton.) It is a small market Towne. It lyeth a mile wide of Sittingborne, beyond w'ch you turn to it on the right hand towards the Sea. Fisher boates come up to it by the tydes in a narrow crick of salt water. The Church layeth half a mile off from the Towne in the feilds, to which my brother visitor Dr. Aucher and his man walked, I not being able to goe by reason of my sickness. The Chancell he found in good repaire, as likewise two tyled barnes. We were told that abowt thirty years agoe there was a small Parsonage howse, but now there is none. The Clarke sayde that there were abowt 16 acres of .Gleabe. And one Mr. Jues that liveth at Sittingborne, the under Tenant, told that he payde 160 Rent p' an'. Mr. Turner, a Scotch man, to whom we gave the Vicarage, DEAN AND CHAPTER OF CANTERBURY. 37 finding no Vicarige howse there, sued the executors of Mr. Hirst, his prsedicesser, and recovered 30", with w'ch and his own charge he was then in building a pretty brick Vicarige howse. Mr. Turner being not at home we gave to Mr. Taylor, a barbar that was Churchwarden, 10s for to be distributed to the poore. Berkesore Manner. Sr. John Dorrell is our Tenant to it, it is vulgarly by the people there abowts caled Barsor. It is abowt 3 miles beyond Milton, and it being very ill or no Coach way to it Dr. Aucher's man went with a guide thither, in Halstow Parish, and he brought us this aceompt. The howse in very good ordinary repair, one half tyled and the other thatched. One barn, one stable, a fatting howse for Cattle, a lodge for wagons, all in good repair. The Inhabitant was Will Barrows, coming thither but last Michaelmas. But one Mr. Tilden, living at Rayneham, is the under Tenant. He colde get no Intelligence of the valewe. Halstow Rectory. The Chancell is in good repair, onely wanteth a little paving over a grave. There is a place that is falen downe, that seemeth to bee some Vestry belonging to the Chauncell, but we cold not learn how long since it went to ruin.* The barn is in very good repair, being well tyled. They say there abowts that there is but 3 acres of gleabe at present, but that 3 more were sold by Sir John Dorrell to one John Lake of Kingsdown 14 years agoe. One Daniell Taylor, living at Maidstone, holdeth the parsonage under Mr. Christopher Dorrell. July 30th. Chartham Fulling Mill. The Mill and house newly ript and tyled is very tyght and strong, great tymber being lately putt in wheare it was necessary. The Stable cross the way with the Hogg howse is parteiy tyled and parteiy thatched. There belongeth to it a narrow slipp of land up the River, and abowt halfe an # See Archaoloyia Cantiana, Vol. XXXIII., p. 159. 38 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OF THB .acre of poore land between the Mill howse and the next brige. Goodman Dunkin, our Tenant, said that he had lately layde owt above 40" abowt it. Chartham Corne Mill. Halfe a mile farther up streame beyond the Church to the Corne Mill, Goody Dunkin, mother to the other Dunkin, being our Tenant. She was this year at a great charge to turne the streame of the River. To new Planke a Floore by the streame at the mill. The howse is well tyled. The thatched stable owt of repair. There is an acre and an half of land medow below, and as much above the mill. Chartham Manner. Sr. Anthony Aucher, our Tenant, met us there to entertaine us. One Goodman Hills being under-Tenant there. There was a faire, high, long earthen wall before the Gardens and howse well covered with Tymber and Tyles, which is now gone allmost all to Ruine, part of it being quite fallen downe. And Sr. Anthony talked of pulling it all downe and setting up a pale in the Roome of it, if we thought it fitt. I told him that it was the cheaper way indeede for him, but that wold lay the Howse unsalve and open to the high way that goeth by it, and therefore I was for the setting of a brick wall instead of that w'ch is there ready to fall. The Floore of the Hall is full of hoales. The Parler beyond it well boarded. The Chamber above wants boarding. And all along the back doore the posts stand where there were Rayles and pales'. There lay severall batts of Tymber before the howse, w'ch Sr. Anthony told us were for the Reparations. The Roofe is well, being lately new ripped. There is a long, large, stout Tymber Barne of 2 Floores, all well Tyled but over the greate doores. The Stables are thatched. The large Pigeon howse tyled and a grainery by it. Sr. Anthony sayd that he lett it for 110!1 p' an', but we heard that the medowes which are let to other under Tenants make the whole thing worth 200" p' an'. DEAN AND CHAPTER OE CANTERBURY. 39 Chartham Mantion or Deanery. It is a Pallace for a Prior, as formerly it hath binn, as by the paynted glass windowes one may reade a T and a G, with a Gouldwell and P for Thomas Gouldwell, Prior. As the other Munckish Rebus is- likewise frequent in our howses. An Eagle, the word Dun, and a Tricircled Stoane P for John Dunstoane, Prior. The large howse on the owtside looketh well, but the Bridge that leadeth into it over the moate is all to peeces, so that we went in by a little back doore neer the kitchin. The large windowe in the fayre Hall giveth way to the waith of the Roofe. Three long beames that formerly went cross the hall to strengthen it, being for decencie onely taken away, as one may see theire but ends where they were sawn off. The walls are thereby weakened, and nothing can keepe it up but 2 stowt Butteresses, at each side of the window one, and that speedely. Dr. Aucher went all abowt the howse and. sayd that he founde 4 or 5 drips, and much of the Roofe wanteth Ripping. When my uncle Deane Boyne lived there, I used to goe thither on Saturday night and come back to School on Munday mornings. Then there was a large Pond and a handsome Moate rownd abowt the howse full of Trowfs, with a boate and a nett to fish the ponde, in which was kept 2 Swans that had their nest among the Reeds, now that and the Moate is allmost all quite dry. The foundation and walls of the Moate being Ruinous, and the bottome growne all over with tall weeds. There was to my knowledge pulld downe (whether by leave or no I know not) a good part of the building w'ch joyned to the mayne howse, and that part of it w'ch hath since bin made a kinde of Pigeon howse, where there is now between the howse and it a garden. All the very good Tymber of that building was sent by James Kent (our now Tenant's Father) by water to London, and carried to Purpole lane neere Grayes Inn lane. And there with it he built the Falconn Inn, and an other Tenement or two upon his own grownde there, which buildings have ever 40 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OE THE since brought in considerable Rent unto that famely. The owt howses very badd. It will cost 100" at least to Repair it. Littlebourne Rectory. Our Tenant is Mr. Tho. Hales of Beaksborn. The Chancell wanteth all new ripping, the Tyles being good but the laths naught. The East window with the story of St. Hubert the Huntsman St. and other Sts. is broke at the topp, a foote or two, so that pigeons may come in. The other windows are most of them covered with Ivy. Of all which I complayned to Goodman Bax, the under Tenant, who promised to mend it and pull dowu the Ivy. There are 8 or 9 \ery tall, great Elines in the east part of the Church yarde hedge, Quaere whose they be ? The Rectory howse is tyled, and half of it new ripped. The other part to the eastward is bad. The long barne but of one floore, half tyled, half thatched, pretty well but under propt for fear of falling. There are two thatched Pother (sic) howses and stables, and an owthouse with a chymny in it in good repaire. The Pigeon house belongeth not to it. Bramblin Court. Goodman Honis, our Tenant, liveth in it himself. The howse is in very good repaire, he having the last year layd owt above 60" in making a brick wall and 2 Chimnies to the Parler and the chamber over it. There is a long barne of 2 floores well tyled. A fayre Pigeon howse tyled. The other owt howses and stable well thatched. But the Grainarie is like to fall for want of underpinning, and the well howse,. which was tyled, standeth all uncovered, which he promised to repair after harvest. The tunn and half of tymber that the Church gave him this year is very will disposed of there in new posts and rayles and paling. August 23. Seasalter Manor. Mr. Foach, our Auditor, gave me this aceompt of it,. That the Howse, one Barn, one Stable, all covered with tyle, are in very good repaire. The Mantion howse havingDEAN AND CHAPTER OF CANTERBURY. 41 binn lately enlarged by the building up of a new kitchen tort. The yards abowt it are well fenced with a sufficient pale. As to the Fishing there in our Royalty, upon my desire Mr. Coppin put it in his charge when he kept Court there the xi of October, and brought mee this aceompt. Upon inquiry there are no Gold Stoanes or otherwise called Copperess stoanes cast up or gathered upon the shoares of our Royalty there. Tho. Holloway hath 3 kedles* and Steaven Milsted hath 5 or 6 kedles, to take flatt fish there. Richard Treadcrof t and his wife, Gregorie Kemp and hiswife, Jo. Gilford and Steaven Milstead take oisters at a place in our manner caled the Pollard. George Marlowe, under Tenant to the manner howse from Mr. Paul Eps our Tenant, did affirm the Fishing in the Pollard onlely to be worth neere upon 10u per an. But others valued it at a farr lower rate. Mr. Holloway informed me that he payde yearely to Mr. May, our former Steward, for every keddle 4d and that he had payd it within 3 or 4 yeares last past. Cranbrook Rectory. Richard Harrison, our Head Bayly, going that way for me, gave me this aceompt of it Setptem 3rd. Item the Parsonage howse and one barne belonging to it are very tyght. I t ' 2 Tenements made owt of an olde malt-howse are very tight. The other ruinus Barne, promised by the Tenant now in possession, to be speedely made up very tenanteable. It' Tbe Buriall place for the Quakers, that was upon our grownd neere the Churchyard and fenced abowt, is now unfenced and layd open. It' Eleven small Tenements at the left-hand of the way leading to the Church are very well in repaire. And all * Kiddle, an arrangement of stake nets for catching fish, Oxford Dictionary* A wicker engine for catohing fish, Cotgraoe. Probably the latter at Seasalter. 4 2 SURVEY OF THE ESTATES OF THE •othe tenements there are in good condition. The Chancell was all repaired abowt three years since. Sept. 14th. Ickham Manor. Counselor Barret our Tenant, Goodman Honis (brother to Honis of Bramblin Court) the under tenant. The howse I found all indifferent well tyled, but at one end of it next to the barne, theire is fallen downe an old stoane wall, which hath left a chymny standing in an upper roome in the ayre without a foundation, so that one may dayly expect the faling of both chymny and that parte of the howse. Of which I have since my visitation spoken to Mr. Barret, and he promised to take care of it. The long tyled Barne of 3 Floores is all-most all new ripped. The thatched Stables and Owthowses indifferent well. The Pigeon howse, pownd' and hoggyard all in good condition. Adisham Manner. Sept. 16. Our Tenant Mr. Dancy is the Inhabitant. The howse is old and ruinous, the tymber being very much decayed, yet for the most part pretty well tyled. The Hall on the left hand, and the Parler on the right are very well, and so are the owthouses for Brewing, Baking, and Washing, &c. But that end of the howse over the seller and kitchin next to the Churchyard is ready to fall down, being under propt with tymber posts at the end and at one side to keep it from falling. I shewed it to Mr. Dancy whose answer was, that i t was his own interest as well as ours to take care of it. The Posts, Rayles and Payles to keep out the hoggs and •Cattle from the Foare doore are almost all gone. The great brick barne of 2 Floores is in excellent case. The other •owt howses thatched and ruinous. The large pownde without the Gate is useless, being much broken and rotten. Mr. Dancy said that in the troublesome times his mother built it (for quietness sake) in her own wrong, being forced to it. But that it is the Churches pownde' and not his, and that the church is to rebuild it and not He, but he seemed to be content to bear a share. DEAN AND CHAPTER OF CANTERBURY. 43 Eastry Rectory. Sr. George Sondys our Tenant keepeth it in his own hands, one Mr. Pittock an old man. being his Bayly there, living in the handsome howse where there is a good Hall with a marble fine-worked chymny peece with 2 pillars, at each side one. Down some stepps is a fayre long Parlor, and above very neat lodging Roomes in Genteele repaire with a Belcony owt of one of them not long since built. There was then a drip in the Hall by reason of a gutter that was stopped, which Mr. Pittock said shall sodenly be mended, as like the well howse and a hovell wanted repairing. The Chancell is in good repair except the east window, which is so much plaistered with morter instead of being new mended with glass. They say that they cannot otherwise keep owt the Pigeons, neither doth it now, that Fayre Church and Chancell being all over most shamefully fowled with pigeons, they flying many of them abowt whilst Mr. Deane and I were there. I gave order to take better care to keep them owt and to mend the windows, which was promised to be done. By Mr. Deane's order I gave Mr. Whisson (Whiston) the Minister a Ginny for the poor. Eastry Manner. It (the lease) was purchased by my uncle Deane Bargrave of Sr. Roger Nethersole, and the widow of Mr. Tho. Bargrave the Deane's eldest sonn marryed with Mr. Joseph Roberts, who liveth in the Manner howse by virtue of his wive's joynture, and occupieth the land himself, paying owt of it about 100" per annum to Mr. Henry Palmer and 501' per an. to my kinsman Mr. Charles Bargrave, who are the two lives in being that are in the Lease. An old useless kitchen being by leave pulled down, all the rest of a handsome howse is in good repair, with a handsome paling above the forecourt where standeth an unseemly ruined old henn howse, a little one and ready to fall. Mr. Deane being with me gave way to the pulling of it down, and to imploy the old t;ymber else wheare, on the stables w'ch are but in ill 44 SURVEY OF ESTATES. condicion, Mr. Roberts desiring tymber of us to repair them, saying that at the next audit he wold come to us, about it, the Church being to allow or not allow tymber as they think fitt. About 30 yeares since my Cosen and Puple Mr. Tho. Bargrave having lived in Holland observed there the great growth of the Abealle Trees, and (^ere)upon sent for abowt 200 of them into the low Countries, and Jonathan Best, then a servant there, and now one of our Porters, fetched them from Dover and helped to plant them in this Manner (manor), whereof most of them thrived, and in 30 yeares some of them (as Mr. Roberts told us) had above a Tunn of Tymber in a Tree. Most of all those Trees Mr. Roberts hath felled, for which I told him it was a waste, and his answer was, that if he pleased he might not only have cutt them down but have burnt them too, they being no tymber Trees, but, however, he had imployed those Trees in the building a large new Barne upon the Premisess, and so we found he had, that wood making an excellent sort of Deale boards with which all the Barne was excellently boarded round abowt. He sayd that he had layd owt above 100" abowt it in workmanship, and yet the barne is thatched. He told us likewise that he had preserved above 500 young Abeale trees abowt the grounds springing owt of the roots of the old trees w'ch Mr. Deane and I found to be when we walked to see them well grown owt of the reach of Cattle. Now the Quare is whether those Trees (of above a Tunn of wood in a tree) be Tymber or Tymberlike trees or no ? or whether the Tenant may for the future cutt the new growth down and sell them, or dispose of them as he pleaseth. It is a great improvement, and will be every year more and more. The Gatehowse with Chimnies in it at the coming in is new repaired and inhabited. The 2 old tyled barnes well. The Pigeon howse is all new built, being lately removed; it is a large one. [Short surveys of the manors of Appledore, Monkton and Hollingbourne follow, but they contain nothing of interest.}