A perambulation of Kent conteining the description, hystorie, and customes of that shyre. Collected and written (for the most part) in the yeare. 1570. by William Lambard of Lincolnes Inne Gent. and nowe increased by the addition of some things which the authour him selfe hath obserued since that time.

Rumney, called in Saxon, Rumen ea; that is to say, The large watrie place, or Marishe: It is written in the Records corruptly, Rume∣nal, and Ro∣mual.

THE participation of like Priuilege, might wel haue moued me to haue pla∣ced the Portes together, but the purpose of myne order already taken, calleth me another way, and byndeth me to prose∣cute them, as they lye in order of my iourney.

There be in Kent therfore, two townes of this name, the Olde and the New Rumney, as touching the latter whereof I minde not to speake, hauing not hitherto founde eyther in Recorde or Hystorie, any thing pertai∣ning therevnto: but that little whiche I haue to say, must be of olde Rumney, whiche was long since a prin∣cipal Port, and giueth cause of name to the new towne, as it selfe first tooke it, of the large leuell, and territorie of Marishe grounde that is adioyning.

This Towne (sayth the Recorde of Domesday) was of the possession of one Robert Rumney, and holden of Odo (then Bishop of Borieux, Earle of Kent, and bro∣ther to King William the Conquerour) in the which the same Robert had thirteene Burgesses, who for their seruice at the Sea, were acquitted of all exactions, and custome•• of charge, excepte fellonie, breache of the peace, and forstalling. It was sometyme a good, sure, and commodious Hauen, where many ves∣sels

vsed to lye at Roade: For Henrie (the Arche∣deacon [ 1053] of Huntingdon) maketh report, that at suche time as Godwine (Earle of Kent) and his Sonnes were exiled the Realme (vpon suche cause of displeasure, as hathe alreadie appeared in Douer) they armed vessels to the Sea, and sought by disturbing the quiet of the people, to compell the King to their reuocation: And therfore, (among sundry other harmes that they did on the Coast of this Shyre) they entred the hauen at Rum∣ney, and lead away all suche shippes, as they found in the Harborow.

Thomas Becket (the Archebishop) hauing by fro∣ward [ 1168] disobedience and stuborne pertinacitie, prouoked King Henrie the second to indignation against him, and fearing to abide the triall of ordinarie Iustice at home, determined to appeale to the Popes fauour at Rome, for whiche purpose he secretly tooke boate at Rumney, minding to haue escaped ouer: but he was driuen backe by a contrary wynde, and so compelled to land againste his will. The vnderstanding of whiche matter, so ex∣asperated the King against him, that foorthwith he sea∣sed his goods, and gaue commaundement by his writte to the Sheriffes of all coastes, to make arrest of al such, as for any cause prouoked to the Pope. He caused al∣so his subiectes (from twentie yeares of age vpward) through out the whole Realme, to renounce by othe, all wonted obedience to the Sée of Rome, and sollicited ear∣nestly the Emperour Frederic, and Lewes the Frenche King, to haue ioyned with him in deposing Pope Alex∣ander, for that he so commonly receaued runnegates, and suche as rebelled against their lawfull Princes.

But suche was eyther the enimitie of Lewes the Frenche King, againste King Henrie the second, or his dull sight in discerning the profit of the whole Christian

common weale, that he refused to assist the other twain, by meanes whereof, both Frederic the Emperour, was afterward compelled to yéelde him to the Pope, & King Henrie the second glad (withall submission) to reconcile himselfe to the Archebishops fauour.

Rumney Marshe is famous throughout the Realme, as wel for the fertilitie & quantitie of the soile & leuell, as also for the auncient and holesome ordinances there vsed, for the preseruation and maintenance of y^e bankes, and walles, against the rage of the Sea.

It conteineth (as by due computation it may ap∣peare) 24000. Acres: For the taxation of Rumney Marshe onely (not accompting Walland Marshe, Guil∣ford Marshe. &c. amounteth to 50. pounds, after the rate of one halfe peny the Acre) and it is at this day gouerned by certaine lawes, made by one Henrie Bathe, a Iustice and Commissioner for that purpose in the time of King Henrie the third. Of whiche his statutes, experi∣ence in time hath begotten suche allowance, and liking, that it was afterward not onely ordered, that all the lowe groundes betwéene Tanet in Kent, and Pemsey in Sussex, should be guided by the same: But they are also nowe become a paterne, and exemplar to all the like places of the whole Realme, to be gouerned by. The place is not muche inhabited, bycause it is Hyeme malus, Aestate molestus, Nunquam bonus, Euil in Winter, grie∣uous in Sommer, and neuer good. As Hesiodus (y^e olde Poet) somtime saied of the Countrie where his Father dwelt. And therefore, very reasonable is their con∣ceite, whiche doe imagine, that Kent hathe thrée steps, or degrées, of whiche the first (say they) offereth Wealth without healthe, the second giueth bothe Wealth and healthe, and the third afoordeth healthe onely, and no Wealthe. For, if a man, minding to passe through

Kent toward London, should arriue, and make his first step on land in Rumney Marshe, he shall rather finde good grasse vnder foote, then holesome Aire aboue the head: againe, if he step ouer the Hylles, and come into the Weald, he shall haue at once the commodities, bothe Caeli, & Soli, of the Aire, and the Earth: But if he leaue that, and climbe the next step of hilles, that are betwéene him, and London, he shall haue woode, and corne, for his wealthe, and (toward the increase of his healthe) if he séeke, he shal finde, Famem in agro lapidoso, a good stomake in the stonie field. No marueile it is therefore, if Rumney Marshe be not thicke peopled, séeing most men be yet still of Porcius Cato his minde, who helde them starke madde, that would dwell in an vnholsome Aire, were the soyle neuer so good and fertile. And this thing being well vnderstood to the estates of the Realme, they vsed in Parleamentes, to allure men hither, by exemp∣tion from paiment of Subsidies, and suche like charges, wherewith the inhabitants of other places be burde∣ned.

Notes

• Thomas Becket.
• The Popes authoritie was aboli∣shed in Eng¦land, in the time of King Hen∣rie the se∣cond.
• Rumney Mar••he.
• The three steppes of Kent.