Index
Pluckley Manor
The Manor of Pluckley
Originally a manor owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury for lords of the fee and is thus entered in the record of Domesday.
The archbishop himself holds in demesne, Pluchelei. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are two carucates and an half, and sixteen villeins, with seven borderers having eleven carucates. There are eight servants, and twelve acres of meadow and an half. Wood for the pannage of one hundred and forty hogs. In the whole, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, it war worth twelve pounds; when he received it, eight pounds; and now fifteen pounds, and yet it pays twenty pounds.
Archbishop Lanfranc (1070-1089) gave it to William of Cobham to hold in knight’s service of him and his successors. In gratitude William altered his name from Cobham to Pluckley.
A descendant of William, Osbert de Pluckley died possessed of it in the reign of King John (1189-1199), after which, from three coheirs of this name and family the manor became divided into three parts and became three distinct manors. These were Pluckley, Malmains and Shurland.
The male line of William concluded with William de Pluckley, one of the coheirs whose daughter and heir Agnes married John Surrenden which entitled him to the possession of the manor. Their son John de Surrenden living there in 1371 upon the old site of this manor house erected a new mansion. To distinguish this manor from the other two, it was called from him the manor of Surrenden.
(See also Old Surrenden Manor, Bethersden Buildings)
Sources: Villare Cantianum by John Phillpot; History of Kent by Edward Hasted
Pixon Street
Pixon Street. I first came across Pixon Street in a Will of 1723. I had never heard of this street and wondered where it was. I asked around but could not find anyone who had heard of it. I then looked through the Census returns and found references to Pixon Street. From these returns I was able to establish that Pixon Street is in fact what is now called Lambden Road (or part of it).
In the 19th Century and before, Lambden Road was probably known as Pixon Street.
Pevington
Pevington was formerly a Parish in its own right. In about 1583, its church being in ruins for several years, it was united to Pluckley Parish. There is Tradition that the Parish was divided between Egerton, Little Chart and Pluckley (There is no proof of this but it would explain why the Monday Bois area being part of Little Chart {detached} until fairly recently). The Church which was dedicated to St Mary, was converted into a stable.
THE MANOR OF PEVINGTON was parcel of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in the survey of Domesday:
In Caleheve hundred, Ralph de Curbespine holds Piventone of the see of the bishop, and Hugh of him. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there is one and an half, and seven villeins, with seven borderers having three carucates and an half. There is a church, and nine servants, and one mill of fifty-five pence, and twenty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of sixty hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth eight pounds, and afterwards one hundred shillings, now six pounds. Shern Biga held it of king Edward.
The same Ralph held three dennes, which remained without the division of Hugo de Montfort of Pistinges manor; and there is one yoke of arable land and one road, and there are two villeins. It was and is worth sepaparately fifteen shillings.
Sources: History of Kent by Edward Hasted
Stanford Bridge
For a long period I had wondered as to the origins of “Stanford” in Stanford Bridge. Was it from a person’s name or some association with Stanford near Westenhanger? Then, recently, I had an abstract made from a Will of 1488 that was translated from the Latin. In the Will, the Testator was “of Stonford in the parish of Pluckley”. This led me to believe the original name was “Stone Ford”. I then did some further research and found that the Old English word for stone was “stán”. This, I believe proves that Stanford was originally Stone Ford. It would appear from the 1488 Will that the bridge had not been built then. A later Will of 1602 refers to a mansion at Stanford Bridge. This indicates the bridge was built at some time between 1488 and 1602.
Lost Places
A number of places appear in old Wills of Pluckley people, the location of which we are unable to ascertain. They are mostly in the Pluckley, Bethersden and Little Chart area. These places are listed below with the year in which the will was made in brackets. If anyone knows about these places and where they were we would be grateful if they could contact us.
- Kengerst (1503)
- Heylondfeld (1503)
- Newlond (1503)
- Rischet (1503)
- The Srode (1503)
- The Merlying (1503)
- Reed (1503)
- Halfreed (1503)
- Holemere (1503)
- Salmon Feelds (1506)
- Crokerede (1506)
- Northfeldes (1506)
- Leseydater Valtey (1506) with the ways to the same belonging with the lands called Wuste Bygottyn.
- Manfield (1506). one messuage with all the lands to the same belonging containing approximately 14 acres in the parishes of Pluckley, Little Chart and Pevington. – This is most likely the same place as Moonfield.
- Milne Felde (1506) with watermill.
- Pilchet Street (1506) with 2 gardens + 23 acres in Little Chart, Pluckley and Pevington.
- Stonebreg Mede (1506)
- Crochefelde (1506)
- Croch Grove (1506)
- Pyvlid Croft (1506)
- Hyefeilde (1603)
- Knock at Hames (1603)
- The Lake (1603)
- Willfeilde (1603)
- Stone Feilde (1603)
- Lyefeilde (1603)