Drainage of Romney Marsh and Maintenance of the Dymchurch Wall in the early 17th century

This paper consists of a transcription of a large part of an l l-page manuscript recently found in the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone, classified as U21 13 El. Its source is the papers of the Dering family, which were received from the firm of London solicitors Eland, Hore, Pattersons on 24th October 1977.

It comes from one of a number of collections received from London solicitors in the 1960s and 1970s, listed in the Guide to the Kent County Archives Office, Second Supplement 1969-80. The Centre holds other similar collections which have not yet been classified, and it is therefore possible that further Romney Marsh material lies unrecognised and untapped in these collections.

The catalogue attributes this document to c.1630. However, the text shows that the contemporary outlet of the Five Waterings Sewer was the Arrowhead Gutt, and since it is known that the Arrowhead only fulfilled that function between 1544 and 1624 (Eddison this volume, 159), this document must date from before 1624. The document itself could be a copy, possibly made for a member of the family preparing a legal case concerning their contributions to the wall scot, and the original text may have been earlier than that date.

This systematic and detailed account describes the drainage arrangements of Romney Marsh proper (the area north of the Rhee Wall), and of the Dymchurch Wall which protected it against the sea. It gives an account of the administration and the labour force, and of the day to day and year by year procedure of maintaining the wall and building the groynes, or knocks, needed to protect the wall. (A number of these groynes are shown on Poker's map of 1617.) It also conveys, most unusually, the spirit in which the work was carried out on site, by giving details about how men finished work for the day or were called together in an emergency, and a vivid picture is conjured up of co-operative work under what must often have been gruelling conditions.

The document explains that the arrangement by which each landowner or tenant contributed to the upkeep of walls and sewers in proportion to the acreage held was officially formulated in 1257 by Henrye of Bathon (Cal. Pat. Rolls, 1247-58, 592). The Dictionary of National Biography outlines his career, as Henry de Bathe or Bathonia. Believed to have been born in Devon, and first heard of as an attorney in 1226, he was judge of the common pleas from 1238 to 1250. As an itinerant judge, he worked in that period throughout the southern counties and in Lincolnshire. In 1250 he was charged with extortion and with raising the barons in revolt against the king, but his life was saved by John Manse1 and the bishop of London. He was restored to favour in 1253, and died in 1260.

The practice of proportional contribution is, however, recorded as being in existence considerably earlier. Early in the 12th century grants of land included specific drainage obligations (Teichman Derville 1936, 5). Of particular interest, this document explains the procedures in case of non-payment of the scot: the bills of wanes and the impounding, and later selling, of the cattle of any land- owners or tenants who defaulted. It was a precise and very detailed procedure, which had been in force for a very long time.

Bell ringing terminology in the section dealing with the organisation of the pile-driving team is still in use today. The ringer who pulls the tenor church bell is sometimes referred to as the "tenor man". Similarity can also be found to the ringing ropes mentioned in the document, as a heavy tenor bell can have extra tail ropes attached to the main rope which enable other ringers to assist with its operation.

The manuscript was written as a continuous tract, characteristic of its period, with very little punctuation. To assist the present-day reader, some modem punctuation has been inserted. A few words have been inserted in square brackets to aid understanding. In the original, sums of money are given in roman figures: in this transcription this is followed by the sum in arabic figures in square brackets. Spellings, including place names, have been left as in the original, and a few words not now in common use are explained below.

Glossary

A beetle: an implement consisting of a heavy weight or 'head', usually of wood, with a handle or stock, used for driving wedges or pegs, or for crushing, beating, flattening or smoothing. Benching: a raised conformation of earth, stone, etc., with a flat top.

A bond: a tie, e.g. round a bundle or faggot.

A boorne: a small stream or brook.

Edders: osiers, hazel rods or other light flexible wood used for interlacing stakes.

A faggot: a bundle of sticks or small branches of trees, bound together.

To frapp: to strike or beat.

A goad: a rod or stick pointed at one end or fitted with a sharp spike.

Ingreat: in gross, i.e. piece work.

Lustre faggots: possibly a bundle of edders.

Rice: twigs, small branches, or brushwood.

Sleech: mud deposited by the sea or a river; or soil composed of this.

Tynger, tinger: a workman employed in raising and making fast the body of a cart after it has been emptied by tipping.

Towling: obscure form of toll: the action of a single stroke made as in tolling a bell, or the sound made by such a stroke.

Untinger: the reverse of Tynger, see above.

Waste, waist: most central, in the middle.

Wythe, withe: tough, flexible branch, especially of willow or osier.

"A description of Romneymarshe with the manners and usages of the officers and workmen defending the sayd marshe from surrounding of the sea by a walle called Dymchurch Walle and by the several1 sewars and gutts therein placed and made for conveighing the freshe waters out of the sayd Marshe.

Romneymarshe is a territorye of land beeing levell, conteyning 23354 acres dimi [and a half] of freshe marshe and lyeth in the Countye of Kent towards the sea, as it were straight by a lyne by the space of sixe miles between Westhieth went [way] and Newe Romney southeast, likewise right out by the space of seaven miles from Newe Romney to Appledoore upon Walland Marshe southwest, and from Appledoore to Westhieth went under the foote of the hill by the space of 12 miles north. And conteyneth in the Levell 12 parishes, viz Burmarshe Dymchurche Orgasweeke Eastbridge Newchurch St Marychurche Hope of All Saints Ivichurche Blackmanstone Brenzett Snave and Snargate, and parte of Appledoore Kenardington Warehorne Orlanstone Rucking Bilzington Bonington Allinton [Aldington] Hurst Lympne Westhieth Newe Romney and Old Romney.

This Marshe is defended from the inundation of the sea (which at the full is higher then the sayd marshe by fower yards) by a walle of earth conteyning in length 1060 rodds commonlye called by the name of Dymchurche Walle, which is armed and fenced against the washe and rage of the sea by bushes and thornes made in faggots and fastened to the walle with oken stakes commonlye called needles. And the walle is defended with knocks or groynes made with piles and stones all at the charge of the hole levell.

And the sayd marshe is saved from surrounding and overflowing of freshe waters by certaine watercourses which for the better conveighance and shorter passage of the water out of the sayd levell are appointed to have their vent or issue into the sea twoe sundrye wayes, and that each by diverse armes and principall sewars conducing the waters to either of the sayd issues. The one of the said vents laboureth eastward unto Dymchurche Walle where it falleth into the sea by three several passages, to witt Willop and Hoornes, Marshland and Clobsden Gutts. The other vent or issue tendeth westward by five principall courses with ther armes beeing commonlye called the Five Watrings, which conveigh their waters thorough Arrowhedd and soe in one maine course thoroughe Woodruffe into Appledoore Chanell at a place called Cheriton Barres with in one mile of Rye. All which watercourses are mainteyned at the chardges of the landholders occupiers and tenants of the lands within every severall watring according to their severall limits and divisions.

The ancient Customs and Orders observed by the officers woorkmen about the walle aforesayd called Dymchurche Walle which is continuallye in reparacons are these. The Lords of the Manors within Romneymarshe doe yearlye at their general1 Lathe houlden at Dymchurche on Thursdaye in Whitson weeke elect and choose one sufficient landholder within Romneymarshe, he to be Common Expenditor to the sayd walle to receive paye and true accompt to make of all such matters as shall come to his hands concerning his sayd office. This Expenditor with the assistance of the Baylif of Romneymarshe and the Juratts doth daylye appoint woorkemen, buye the stuffe for the walle, hire carriags and courts to carrye earth and sleech for the makeing and repayring the sayd walle when and as often as occasion or necessitie shall requyre, which woorkemen are payed every night with readie money such dayes as they woorke. Their wages [are] every common woorkeman xd [lOd] per diem, and every chiefman, which are the aunciest and of most experience, beeing not above iiii [4] or v [5] at the most xiid [12d] per diem, and doe worke from sixe of the clocke in the morning till sixe at night in the sommer, and in winter as the tides will suffer them all daye.

Everye court ought to be by custome five foote long, three foote broad and xiiii [l41 inches deepe, and the wages for one courte, an horse and a boye to drive the sayd court one daye is xd [lod]. Everye filler doth fill twoe courts a daye and is allowed vd [5d] a peece for filling them. And the maner of their working with courts: they doe devide all their courts, which may be commonlye about the number of 140, sometyme more sometyme lesse, according to the proportion of the walle they doe intend to repayre or make that sommer, into twoe equal1 parts to the intent that whilest one parte goeth about with their loads to the walle where they woorke, the other part shalbe fillyng so that they goe continuallye round, for still when the emptie courts come 166 Dorothy Beck in the full courts are going out. Every boye is allowed by the owner of the court iid [2d] a daye for one court and one boye leadeth twoe courts so the boyes have each of them iiiid [4d] a daye. And there are certaine of the woorkemen which are appointed to keepe the boyes and courts in order, which are called goadmen because they stand with goads at every corner of the walle where any danger is, to guide the horses that they runne not over the boyes or downe the walle at the suddaine turning of the corner, they also as the rest beeing allowed xd [lOd] per diem. And yf at any tyme any court breake his wheales or be overthrowne, or any horse doe breake his harnesse so that the rest of the courts cannott keepe their course nor passe by it, the boyes presentlye make a most exceeding and sudden noise crying out A Coye, A Coye, A Coye, by which the goadmen know what the matter is and runne to the place where the coye is made and mendeth the defaults and sett the courts in their former order againe.

Then next there is an untinger which is one that doth nothing all daye but as the full courts come round pulleth awaye a little rope or withe (withy) that doth staye the court from shelving or falling downe before it come to the worke. Next are two shelvers which cast downe the loads and empty every court at the worke. Then there is another which so soone as they have done, heaveth and lifteth up every court againe after they be emptied, that they make no staye at the worke, and he is called the heaver up. And another called the tynger which tingeth or putteth on againe and fasteneth that rope that the untinger pulled of, that stayeth the court from falling backe againe. And all the rest of the companye of labourers beeing sometyme more sometyme lesse doe continuallye spread abroad the loads of earth brought by the courts and doe fashion up the walle and make all levell against the next courts shall come with their loads to the work.

Then there is an order at night when they leave worke (because they worke at severall places and the Expenditor himself cannot be at every place) he or some other by him appointed holdeth up his hatt upon a goade (which the workemen call makeing Harrye), for then the boyes at the first sight of the hatt crye out most exceedinglye Harrye Harye Harrye, in remembrance of Henrye of Bathon whoe was the first maker and ordayner of the lawes and orders of the sayd worke, and then wheresoever the courts be at the makeing Harrye they all presentlye unyoke and leave woorke and the woorkemen come all to the place where the Expenditor is for their paye.

The stuffe wherewith the walle is armed and fenced against the washe and rage of the sea is faggotts made of bushes and thome, which by custome are sized to be as bigg about at the bond as a reasonable man maye compas under his arme. And certaine of the longest of the sayd thorne is made into edders which be like rodds some sixe or seaven foote long or longer, beeing stripped five foote beside the topp, and three faggots which they terme luster faggotts. And one bundle of the edders aforesayd reckning xiiii [l41 edders to the bundle are tolde [to hold] allwaye five which they call an heape and twentie heape maketh an hundred, for which the makers are allowed by the expenditor xiiiid [14d] for every hundred they make, every maker beeing sworne to deliver a trewe tale of such stuffe as he shall make or to bring a sufficient man to passe his word to the Bailif of Romneymarshe for the tyme beeing or his sufficient deputye, that they shall receive money of the expenditor for no more stuffe then they shall have made.

The carryers likewise of thorne which bring it to the walle when it is made are also sworne (yf they dwell within the Levell) to give up true tale of all the faggotts they carrye and bring to the walles, and are allowed for the carridge of every hundred xiid [12d], and some xiiiid [14d]. Every carryer beeing also appointed by the bailif or juratts his station from whence and to what place he shall carrye his loades, and yf at any tyme the expenditor shall cause the sayd carryer to laye his loades at any other further place of the walle then his aforesayd station or place appointed (as often tymes he doth) then he to be allowed for his paynes over and above the common rate of xiid [12d] aforesayd as the expenditor and he can agree.

All owners of any bushes or thornes growing within the Levell of Rornneymarshe are allowed for every hundred of faggotts aforesayd iiis ivd [3s 4d], and yf they growe upon the hill and out of the libertie then the owners thereof are allowed as the baylif or expenditor and they can agree, but the description of the thorne is more at large sett downe in the booke of the lawes, orders, ordinances and decrees for Romneymarshe. The stakes or needles wherewith the sayd bushes are fastened to the walles by custome are some five, some fower, and some three foote long, but most commonly and usually fower foote, and use more store of them than of three and five foote. And the expenditor payeth for every thowsand of the sayd needles delivered at the walle xls [40s] and for some but xxxvis viiid [36s 8d1, accounting to every thowsand, VC [500] of fower foote, iiic [300] of three foote and iic [200] of five foote.

The manner of the arming of the walle with the said stuffe is thus: first, after they have unragged and pulled awaye all the old stuffe, then all such old needles as will drive and serve again they lett stand, and the others they pull or cutt up. And then they digg it and levell it and beat the earth close togither with beetles as hard as possible they can. Then there are some appointed to laye the faggotts in courses one close to another upon the earth and also other some doe tread downe the sayd faggotts to make them lye the closer to the walle. Then there are others which sett the neeedles in courses, driving them thorouge the faggotts about half the length of the needles, which the workemen call towling. Then come others and edder the same, that is wreathe [weave] the edders or long rodds aforesayd about the sayd needles (like to the topp of an hedge). Then are others which keye that worke and they putt wodden pynnes about ten or eleaven inches long which they call keyes thoroughe the eye of the needles, and then others drive downe the needles verye close to the worke as hard as the keyes will suffer without breaking. And for every thowsand of the sayd keyes the expenditor doth paye iiis.ivd [3s 4d].

And the expenditor doth cause the labourers and woorkemen to doe this manner of worke either by the daye or by the perche as he shall think most fitting for the best benefitt and profitt for the countrye and as the tyme requyreth, but most commonlye and usuallye they worke by the perche which is a rodd of walle square, and are allowed for the same as the expenditor shall agree with them, sometymes iis [2s], sometyme more sometymes lesse, as the worke shall fall out troblesome to b6 made as when it is filled with gravel1 or bache [beach], which they must first cast out to come to a firme foundation before they laye the faggotts, and also The Drainage of Romney Marsh and Maintenance of the Dymchurch Wall when it is hard ground and the needles will not easilie drive.

The groynes or knocks which defend and preserve this walle are made with pile and stone, every pile beeing viii [8] foote at the least in length, some nyne, ten, eleaven, twelve and thirteen foot and the longest not above xiiii [l41 foot, which piles are driven for the most part directlye downe from the topp of the walle into the sea in twoe ranks, some fower foote distance the one ranke from the other, and between the sayd ranks are placed and conveighed the rocks and stones, some of a tunne waight, some more, some lesse, under which stones are laid bushes, rice, and wood about a foote thick to keepe the stones from sinking into the sand. And the sayd rocks or stones are layd level1 or higher then the topp of the piles, and in the waste or middest of the walle the groynes or knocks are under sett with a lower ranke of shorter piles at either syde, which they calle benching the knocks, the sayd lower piles beeing driven some twoe foote and a half from the maine groyne or knocke, and stones and rockes also placed between them, the which benching is a verye great help and succour to the innermost and longest piles, to save and keepe them from tearing or blowing up by the force and rage of the sea which allwayes doth labour, beate and swell, and doe most hurt in that parte of the walle. One groyne maye conteyne in it about v or vic [S00 or 6001 piles, and every pile delivered at the walle doth cost the country viiid [8d]. The rocks or great stones do cost some iis. viiid 12s 8d], some iiis iiiid 13s 4d] the tunne according as they be in distance from the walle to carrye.

In driving of which piles aforesayd they use a certaine ingine which they calle aramme, which weigheth about viiic waight [8 cwt.], made of iron and fastened with 4 strong iron bolts to a frame about eighteen foote high with a great wheele about ii [2] foote and a half over standing in the topp and with one maine rope running in that wheele, which rope hath about xxiiii [24] small ringing ropes fastened unto it. They pull the sayd ramme up and downe upon the piles, the sayd frame beeing kept steddie by levermen and the pile which they drive beeing fast bound to the standerd or middle post of the frame, which usuallye they terme fraping the pile. Which rope one man continuallye attendeth slacking or tithing the same as occasion shall serve, and yf at any tyme they purpose to cease before the pile be driven altogether downe then the tenour man, which is he that ringethat the maine rope, cryeth holt [halt] and they all presentlye staye 167 shillings twoe pence halfpenny farthing, and proclamacion is made by the appointment of the serjeant of Romneymarshe in five severall churches on the Sundaye viz Newe Rornney Burmarshe Newchurche Ivichurche and Snargate churches and in Hiethe markett on the Saterdaye fowerteen dayes before the sayd scote shalbe due. And at the dayes of payment of the sayd scote, which allwayes are Mondaye and Tuesdaye, the owners, tenants and occupiers of land within Romneymarshe aforesayd doe bring or send their severall scotes unto Dymchurche to the commons house there called Newhalle where the common clarke of Romneymarshe or his suffycient deputie doth sitt the Mondaye and Tuesdaye to receive the same, and on the Wednesdaye following doth deliver and paye over all such money as he shall have received to the aforesayd common expenditor. And the sayd expenditor payeth it unto those which have served or brought in any stuffe for the countrye to the walles. And the Wednesdaye next after the scote is on the Mondaye is generallye known to be paye daye, that then the makers and carriers of thorne and such to whome the expenditor is indebted maye come to the sayd paye and receive such money as shalbe due unto them.

And yf it shall happen that any the sayd landholders occupiers or tenants doe not paye their severall scotes on the Mondaye or Tuesdaye to the common clarke or his deputye as aforesayd, then the sayd clarke on the Wednesdaye draweth a bill of the names of all such as have made default (which is called bill of wanes, and those which have made such default and have not payd their sayd scotes are sayd to runne in the wanes), and he delivereth the same bill to the Baylif of Romneymarshe whoe payeth the sayd scotes or summes of money so left unpayd by the occupier or landholder on the Wednesdaye to the common Expenditor, so that the expenditor receaveth his full scote of Exlviii xiis. iid ob. qr. [E48 12s 2 3/4d], and this scote is commonly called the walle scote or marshland scote. And the sayd baylif maye lawfullye take receive and levye the full doble valewe by waye of distresse or otherwise of such landholders or occupiers which have made default and pull againe whensoever he giveth warning . So that when they worke or drive piles with the ramme they use about xxviii [28] or xxx [30] men. Which men will drive some dayes Ix [60] piles, some dayes more where the foundation is soft, but some dayes where the foundation is stonye and bachie they cannott drive hardlye xx [20] piles in one daye, for it is as the ground will suffer them, in the harder ground the fewer and in the softer ground the more in a daye. This worke also the expenditor most tymes putteth out to the workemen ingreat by the pile, allowing them sometymes vid [6d], viid [7d], viiid [8d], xd [10d] or xiid [12d] for every pile according as the ground shall fall out where he rnaketh the knock or groyne, and as he shall thinke meetest for the most advantage of the countrye.

The chardges of all the aforesayde works are borne generallye by the whole Levell. The common expenditor when he wanteth any money for the use of the countrye calleth a scote of an halfpenny every acre in Romneymarshe, which scote ammounteth to the summe of fortye eight pound twelve as aforesayd upon any [ofj their lands within the libertie of Romneymarshe, and of those whose names are returned by the sayd clarke in the aforesayd bill of wanes. And yf the sayd baylif or his sufficient deputye shalbe compelled to distraine for the sayd scotes or sumes of money so behind and unpayd, and the partye which shall owe the cattell distrayned shall refuse to paye the same, the custome and order is that the sayd cattell be kept in the common pounde for Romneymarshe three dayes and then to be apprised to the most valewe and worth by some of the jurats of Romneymarshe for the tyme beeing. And after such apprisement so made, yf the partye or partyes distrained as aforesayd shall still remaine obstinate and unwilling to paye the scotes aforesayd, then the cattell of every such partie or parties so distrayned are ymediatlie without delaie sold by the sayd baylif or his deputye according to the rate of the apprisement aforesayd,and they repaye themselves the doble valewe of the scote they dispursed and do deliver and render the overplus thereof, yf any be, to the partie to whome it belongeth."

The document continues with detailed information about each of the waterings, the direction taken by its main sewer, the acreage, and the amount it contributed at every half scot. It includes interesting information on the 168 Appledore Dowels, which are described as:

"certaine wett lands called the Dowles, conteyning by estimacion 4 or 5 hundred acres adjoyning neere unto Appledoore, which allwayes winter and sommer lye drowned by reason the lands lying between the Arrowhead and them are a great deale higher then the sayd Dowles, and 12 boornes are contiuallye falling from the hill into them between Appledoore aforesayd and a certaine place called Burland Gate."

It is reported that the main sewer and other watercourses in each watering were "continuallye surveyed from tyme to tyme" by their local collector and two sworn men. The bailiff and jurats of Romney Marsh themselves also surveyed these sewers and watercourses twice a year, in June and January, and made assessments of the scots needed to keep those waterways clear. Proclamation of a second set of scots, internal to each watering, was made in the adjacent churches, 14 days before they were due, and the money was received by the Common Clerk of Rornney Marsh.

Acknowledgments

Christopher Whittick of East Sussex Record Office kindly made suggestions on an early draft of this transcription.

References

Published Sources

Calendar of the Patent Rolls

Dictionary of National Biography

Eddison, J. 1995: Attempts to clear the Rother Channel, 1613- 1624. In Eddison, J. (editor), Romney Marsh: the Debatable Ground. OUCA Monograph 41, 148-163.

Teichrnan Derville, M. 1936: The Level and Liberty of Romney Marsh (Ashford, Kent)

Unpublished Source

Poker, Matthew, 1617: Map of Romney and Walland Marshes. CKS U1823 P2.