Letters

Dear Editor
The Early History of the St Clere Estate: unpublished researches of the Revd Lambert Blackwell Larking

In 1928, the late Dr Gordon Ward wrote a short article for Arch. Cant. Vol XL on the early history of the families of de Aldeham and St.Clere, who held land in Ightham and Kemsing. Ward seems to have been unaware though, that the Revd Lambert Larking, the Kent Archaeological Society’s first Hon Secretary, had conducted research into these and later holders of the lands some 60 years earlier.

Larking’s work, which survives as 164 loosely bound folio manuscript sheets, was entitled “Evidences to prove that a Part of the Estates of the late Mrs Evelyn of St Clere are not in Gavelkind Tenure”. Larking seems to have been writing between 1856 and the date of his death in 1868. Although with later land tenure reforms, the intense nineteenth century interest in Gavelkind seems to have died away, this material may be of interest to any modern reader researching the history of the St Clere estate.

I acquired the Larking MSS when it came up for sale recently and have donated it to the Society’s Library. Copies of a DVD containing 200 page images of the MSS will also be available from the Library for the convenience of readers.

R.Cockett

Dear Editor
This image is the frontispiece of a book called The Living House by George Oldish, published in 1959. It is a house called Bartons End, Ashwell, in the Weald of Kent, which the book describes, with a summary of the ownership and the various things done by the owners to the house, from 1556 onwards, when it was built.

I am having some trouble locating the house and its inhabitants. It is slightly similar to a house in Images of England called Barton Cottage, Ashford, but is clearly not the same house. I wonder if any of your Newsletter readers might recognise the house, or know something about the book?

Dr Nat Alcock

Please contact newsletter@kentarchaeology.org.uk if you have any information and I will pass it on to Dr Alcock. Ed.