Villare cantianum, or, Kent surveyed and illustrated being an exact description of all the parishes, burroughs, villages and other respective mannors included in the county of Kent : and the original and intermedial possessors of them ... / by Thomas Philipott ... : to which is added an historical catalogue of the high-sheriffs of Kent, collected by John Phillipot, Esq., father to the authour.

The Preface to the READER.

ANtiquity is the great Luminary of Time, which dispels those Clouds, that like a gloomy Skreen, interposing between the object and the understanding, cast it into Error and Misapprehension: And not onely of Time but of Histo∣ry too; History, that faithful Register of things past, That great Informer of the present, and certain Prophet of the Future; By it we may discover the Print which former Ages made, and treading that, know how to decline the crooked and Irregular Paths of Danger and Misfortune. Antiquity is like the lamp in Tullia's Urne, that representing to our view by Grains and by Scruples the Re∣liques and dust of our long-since expired Ancestors, which perhaps lay scatter'd in the Wilderness of their own Dispersion, erects a Monument to their Re∣membrance, so inaccessable to all the onsets and impressions of age and oblivi∣on, that then onely it shall languish into Decay and dissolution when Nature her self, and Time, the moth of Nature, shall lye gasping in their own ruines, and the Universe it self shall confess its Ashes.

And certinly, amongst all those Trophies which antiquity hath fix'd upon the face of this Island, there is none more Copious, if we consider them for quan∣tity; nor more Conspicuous, if we represent them in their quality, than those that it hath left scatter'd upon the Continent of Kent: and this must be obvious to the most easie Intellect, when it shall discover that in all the Eruptions of forain Invaders upon this Island, the first track of that Thorough-fair hath been laid in, or very near, this County, by which they have farther penetrated into the Bowels of this Nation. We will wave that fiction of Brute and a partie of Fugitives (originally) as the Legend insinuates of Trojan Extraction, and dis∣carded from Italy for some Misdemeanor there acted) fixing here, as likewise that Series of the Kings Subsequent to him, being wholy obtruded upon us by seduced and misguided Histories; the brain indeed of Jeffrey of Monmouth being both the Forge and the Anvill from whence those sparks brake forth at first, which made up that Ignis Fatuus after which the world so long hath wandered.

First then the Roman Eagles endevoured to surprize and seise on the Domi∣nion of this Island, though they were once or twice so rudely grip'd by the Britains neare Chilham in Kent, and some of their noblest Plumes torn from them, that they were forc'd to fly back into Gaule to new impe their Feathers but breaking in again with a recolected and multiplied strength, the Liberty of this Nation stoop'd, and became a prey to their victorious Tallons, And now it was ordered that all Pleas, Escripts, Decrees, Edicts, and other things of publique Cognisance should be issued out in the Roman Dialect, that so the roughness of the Britains, which their warlike inclinations had so long entitled them to, might not onely by degrees be fil'd off, but that likewise being suppled and softned by the Roman Culture, they might without any regret or resent∣ment

support that load of slavery that sat so heavy on their shoulders, and so at last become wholy riveted and incorporated into the Roman Empire.

But this was onely in intention, for the accomplishment and perfection of it, was superseded by the Inroad of the Goths and Vandals into Italy, which like an Inundation in many signal conflicts had almost swept away the Imperial dignitie, and so torn the whole Bulk of the Roman Empire, that its very Spirit was ready to ebb out at those breaches. So that in fine, the Emperour was forced to re∣trive the Guards and Stationary Legions scattered o're this Island, with these like a new stock of spirits to improve and fortifie the Heart of the Roman Em∣pire, which was ready to bleed out its life at those wounds that the hands of these Barbarous Nations had inflicted on it.

And now the spirits of the Britains (a stronger Butteress against the Eruptions of the Picts than the Wall erected by the Romans) being by the Engines of a long and habituated Servitude, cowed and broken into a degenerate Effe∣minacie, they lay open to all the Assaults and impressions of the insolent In∣vader; so that they were forced either to resign up themselves to the fury and inclemency of the Sea, or else offer themselves up to the Rage and Bar∣barity of a Savage enemie: And now, being devested of all protection at home, and all hope of supply from abroad, being forelaid and intercepted by the In∣vasion of the Goths on the Empire, they made their addresses to the Saxons, a Martial People then inhabiting that nether part of Germany, which is washed by the Rivers of Elve, Weaser, and Rhine, who instantly upon Covenant and as∣surance of a vast Guerdon to ballance their services, under the conduct of Hengist and Horsa, embarqued for Britain and landed in the Isle of Thanet, and shortly after with such vigour and animosity repressed the insolencies of the Picts, that they shut them up within the Cloisters and Recesses of their own Mountains. But it might be said of them, as it was anciently of Religion; Religion brought forth Riches, and the Daughter devoured the Mother: So these Saxons, from Assertors and Protectors of the Britains, became at last Invaders of them; for they representing to the other Saxons the health∣fulness of the Air, and the temperateness of the British Clime, who were over-stocked and cloyed with excess of People, and were willing to evacuate that surcharge of Inhabitants into forain Colonies, they instantly attaqued any advantage that might put them into Hostilitie with the Britains; and pre∣tending that that Compact so solemnely stipulated and transacted between them and Hengist was infringed and violated, they poured themselves in like a Cataract upon this Island, so that the Britains to secure themselves from the fury of this Deluge, after many vigorous attempts to make it flow back a∣gain, shut up themselves within the Solitudes and Recesses of Wales and Corn∣wall, whilest on their ruines their adversaries erected and fixed their Saxon Heptarchie; which again, after many mutual encounters, wherein almost every Turfe of this Island was bespatter'd and bedewed with Blood, found a publique Tombe in the West-Saxon Monarchie.

But scarce was the Basis of it established, whose Ciment was so much Blood and Tears; But God, who corrects the Ambitious by retaliation and chastises the insolencies of one Invader by casting another into Competion with him, put the Dane into Ballance with the Saxon, who like a whirlewind threw himself upon this Island so that all blooming Glories of the Saxon Greatness did wither and shrivell up, being suddenly nipt and blasted by this Northern tempest. I shall not discypher the long, many, and impetuous encounters between these two fierce Nations, with the effusion of Blood

and the ruine and Depredation that discomplexioned every part of the Land; indeed, they are of so disordered a Memory, and then so blended and con∣founded in the Persons, Times, and Places, upon which the Scene of these de∣formed Tragedies is intricately fixt, that it would be (as one well observes) ano∣ther war to the Reader to over-look them. In brief, after a signal combat per∣sonally commenced between Edmund Ironside and Canutus, in the Isle of Atheleny, both armies on either shore, being Spectators, the Saxon Diadem was by reciprocall compact to be devided between them: which after the decease of Edmund Ironside at Oxford; which, whether it were Naturall or Artificiall, is yet a controversie, wholly invested the Temples of Canutus.

But alas! upon what a frail and incertain Pedestal is all humane greatness setled? For the lustre of this new erected Monarchy had no sooner displayed its beams in Canutus, but like an unthrifty Taper it began to glimmer in Har∣old, and absolutely expired in Hardiknute, who dying issueless, the current of Royalty ran back again into the chanel of the Saxon Blood, which flow'd in the veins of Edward Sirnamed the Confessor; who likewise deceasing with∣out Issue, William Duke of Normandy upon a pretended Donation from the last Edward entitles himself to the right and interest of the English Diadem.

But this certainly was invail'd, for no Testamentary collation can ravell or disorder succession, which with an indissolueble link is chain'd and fastned to the nearest of Blood, and of which the Nation is to take the sole and proper Cognisance:) And to assert his title (which was fixt on the point of his sword) he arives in Sussex with a numerous Army, to check whose farther Progress in this Island, Harold advances likewise with a considerable Army (whose body had before evapourated its best and noblest Spirits at those wounds which it before had received in a bloody encounter comenc'd with Harold Harsanger King of Norwey:) And nere that place where afterwards was founded the Abby of Battell, puts his claim to the Scepter, likewise to the Decision and Umpirage of the Sword, and after a fierce dispute found the Tombe of his new purchas'd Royalty in the carriage of this Field, upon whose ruines, William now a Con∣querour, climbs up the Ascent of the English Throne.

His first design (after he had scatter'd all those clouds of discontent that might have possibly have enwrapt the rays of acquired Majesty in some new umbrage,) was to take a Survey of each mans particular interest and Patrimony, which was inroll d and recorded in a publique Register commonly called Dooms∣day Book; upon pretence, that from a generall computation of the Revenue of the Nation, he might discern what strength might be collected to intercept the violent attempts of any forain Invader upon this Island. But indeed to make a strict inquisition into the Forfeitures of the Lands of those that had been in Hostility under the Ensignes of Harold against him, that with those he might not onely endear and gratifie his Partisans, but likewise by reinvesting the chiefest of his adversaries in those possessions which were by their Enmity escheated, oblige them to maintain his Title and Scepter. Yet it is observe∣able, that he engag'd all those that had receiv'd any Lands or Demeasnes of him, either by any new concession or re-investiture to hold them in Escuage, that is by Knight Service, by which they were oblig'd whensoever either publique necessity or his Commands did exact it of them, to attend his Person, either actually or virtually, that is by Proxie with Horse and Armes; and by this art he had always a power in reserve to repress and scatter all Solleviations or sud∣den Insurrections at home, and contradict all the Attempts and Animosities of Adversaries from abroad; that so he might become considerable to his enemies,

and usefull to his Friends. Thus have I compendiously wound up the severall Invasions made on this Island, in which Kent was so much concern'd. But there is another Invasion that I have not yet numbred, which hath been more ruinous and distructive to the noblest Families of this Island than any of those above recited: and that is the Riot and Excess, that like an Infectious Cloud, whose noysome wombe drops nothing but disease and Pestelence, hath lately broke in upon this Nation, and so withered the Root of the most ancient Gentry, that they have shrunk into their own ruines, and faln negelcted and forgotten: Indeed our modern Luxury is like the Poyson of the Viper, it blasts invisibly, and distroys insensibly, and they that are softned with it are like a Tree, that feeds those wormes that must devoure it; or like Iron, that supplyes that rust which will corode it. Indeed 'tis observable, that those Families have continued in their splendor longer whose seats and habitations have engag'd them to a remoter distance from the Verge and Sphere of the City, than those whose Revenue and Patrimonie hath confin'd upon a place infected with so much Debaucherie, and let loose into so great excess. Yet, 'tis remarkable that the cadets, or younger slips issued out from some of those stems, who by their own vitious exorbitancie have crumbled into an inreparable decay, by being inoculated upon other Families, have by this transplantation contracted newsap and verdure, and again sprouted out and florish'd. For Families are like the River of Arethusa, they sometimes sink in one place or County, and again rise in another.

I shall now take the County of Kent under Survey or Prospect, and repre∣sent to the publique view, those several Antiquities which in my search I found to lie wrapt up either in common Records, or shut up in the private Muniments, Escripts, and Registers of particular Families; from whom I have endevour'd to pluck off the veil that they may for the future stand as an Alpha∣bet to point out those Families that are yet in being, that are totally exinguish'd or that lye entomb'd in other Names and Extractions, which by Mariage have swallowed up the Heir generall: In the pursuit of which I confess I have not cloister'd my self up in the nice restraints of any precise or particular Method, because that flood, both of private and publique inteligence, which like a Torrent broke in upon me, swept away whatsoever my busie fancy had built upon the sands of any curious or Methodical invention; But 'tis here, as in some Rivers who though they wander in a crooked and irregular chanell, yet are they the same Streames still, as long as they hold correspondence with their first Fountain and original.

I shall remit all to the Justice and Candor of the Reader, with the first he may arraigne and censure, with the last absolve and excuse

Thomas Philipott.