Edward Hasted 1799
The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent
Vol IV.
[p. 150]
THE HAMLET OF FINGLESHAM,
containing 30 houses. It is written in the survey of Domesday, Flenguessam, in which it is thus entered, under the title of Lands of the Archbishop's knights, i.e. Lands held of the Archbishop by knight's service.
In Estrei Hund ---- Wills folet ten de archiepo Flenguessam p. dim. solin se defd. Ibi ht 6. vill cu. 1. car & dim.
Which is: In Estrei Hundred. William Folet holds of the Archbishop, Flenguessam. It was taxed at half a suling. There he has 6 villeins, with 1 carucate and an half.
After which, it is entered that the same William held Statenborough, in the adjoining parish of Eastry, and afterwards thus:
Hæ træ valeb T. R. E. 40 sol. Qdo arch recep. 10 sol. modo 30 sol.
Which is: These lands were worth, in the time of K. Edward the Confessor, 40 shillings; when the Archbishop received them, 10 shillings; now 30 shillings.
After this, I find no further mention of place for some time; but in the reign of K. Edward I, in the year 1288, the King granted licence to the Abbat and Convent of St. Augustine, to appropriate to their use, a messuage, and certain rents and lands, in different parishes, and among others, in the tenancy of Norborne, at Hoo, Herlesword, Scholdon, Betsangre, Brakespottesgore at Fenlesham (a).
In later times, I find, that William Raynold, of Finculsam, by will, proved in 1470, gave his house wherein he dwelt there, and the lands belonging to it, to John his son. William Poyshe of Norborne, by his will, proved in 1524, gave his place at Fynglisham, to John his son. Thomas Parker, late one of the Jurats of the Town and Port of Sandwich, by his will, proved in 1596, gave to Nicholas Parker, his brother's son, and
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his heirs male, his house, barns, stables, and lands, belonging to them in Fynglisham, called Fynglisham farm, situated in the street of it, containing 133 acres of land. His descendant, Valentine Parker, gent. resided here in 1669, and by his will gave his estate to his godson, Mr. Valentine Hild, or Hoile, from whom it descended to his grandson, Mr. Edward Hoile, of Northborne Court, who by his will devised it to his son, Mr. Thomas Hoile, to whom the inheritance of it belongs at this time.
TITHERY
Robert, Abbat of St. Augustine's monastery, in K. Henry III.'s reign, anno 1240, confirmed an exchange, made by the Chapter of his Convent, of all the tythes of Finglesham and Little Betshangre, as well great as small, to Eleemosinary of his monastry, which tythes had before belonged to Chamberlain of it (b). These tythes of Finglisham now belong to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and are, with those of Little Betshanger in this parish, demised on a beneficial lease, at the yearly rent of 10l.
Through Finglesham, and over Howe-bridge (c), the high road leads to Deal. From hence, the water, called the Gestling, or north stream, takes its course towards the river Stour, below Sandwich.
At a small distance southward from Finglesham, is the little hamlet of Marley, which consists of only four houses, one of which is that of
GROVE, alias MARLEY FARM,
the former of which is its proper name, though it is now usually called by the latter. It contains 140 acres of land, and formerly belonged to the family of Brett. Percival Brett, of Wye, yeoman, possessed it in 1630, whose descendant, Richard Brett, of Wye, gent. owned it in 1672, and left an only daughter Catherine, who married John Cook, formerly of Mersham, but afterwards of Canterbury, Cl. They left two daughters, Catherine, wife of Thomas Shindler, watchmaker, and Alderman of Canterbury, and Mary, and they joined in the conveyance of this estate, in 1727, to John Paramor, of Statenborough in Eastry, gent; after which, it descended in like manner as Statenborough, to his niece, Mrs. Jane Hawker, afterwards the wife of John Dilnot, esq. She died in 1790, and the property of it became vested in her husband; who in 1792 sold it, together with a farm in Finglesham, containing in the whole 160 acres, to William Boteler, of Eastry, esq; who resided here, and two years afterwards alienated these premises to Mr. James Jeken, of Oxney, the present owner of them.
There are three other small farms in this hamlet, belonging to Earl Cowper, Mr. Wise, of Chatham, surgeon, and to John and Stacy Wilson, formerly Verriers.
[p. 150 footnotes]
(a) Dec. Script. col. Thorn, 1887.
[p. 151 footnotes]
(b) Dec. Script. col. Thorn, 1921.
(c) Valentine Bowles, of Deal, died, anno 1711, possessed of Howe farm, near Finglesham.