Pigots 1840 - Kent
Penshurst, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Hever, Leigh & neighbourhoods
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Penshurst is a pleasant little village about four miles and a half west from Tonbridge; its name is derived from the ancient British word pen, signifying the “head” and hurst a “wood.” The river Medway flows by this place and its stream might be made navigable from Tonbridge to Forrest Row in Sussex. Adjoining to the village is Penshurst castle, or “place”, a noble and very ancient mansion, which in the time of the first William, was in the possession of the Penchester family; in the reign of Richard II, Sir John Devereux obtained a licence to fortify and embattle it; it has belonged to the Sydney family since the time of Edward IV. The house contains a superb collection of paintings, to an inspection of which the stranger is freely and courteously admitted; the garden extending from the house to the Medway are most tastefully laid out; and the park is esteemed one of the finest in the kingdom. The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist, is a good substantial structure of stone and contains several antique, elegant and splendid monuments of the successive proprietors of Penshurst castle, particularly those of the Sydney family, most of whom, for upwards of two hundred years, have been interred here; the benefice is a rectory, in the patronage of Sir John Shelley Sydney bart. Penshurst confers the inferior title of baron on Viscount Strangford. An annual fair is held here on the 26th of June.
About three and a half miles from Penshurst, and eight from Tonbridge Wells, is the village of Chiddingstone, so called from a remarkable stone standing in the park, near the village, upon a base of two steps. Chiddingstone lies within the Weald; the river Eden intersects it about the middle, running eastwards; and then bending to the south, joins the Medway. The church dedicated to St Mary, is handsome and commodious; the tower excites the admiration of every visiter to this place, and is considered to be unrivalled in the county; it contains a set of eight bells, famed for the melody of their tone. Within the church are some attractive monuments and at the east end is an elegant painted window; the edifice is kept remarkably clean and on the whole deserves the encomium often bestowed upon it, that of being a superior country church. The living is a rectory, in the exempt deanery of Shoreham and patronage of the see of Canterbury.
Six miles south from Westerham is the neat village Edenbridge, pleasantly situated near to the borders of Surrey, and on the banks of the Eden, which formerly was crossed by an ancient bridge, (superseded a few years since by a new one of one arch), from which and the river it derives its name. The church dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, is a fine building, furnished with a good gallery; it is surmounted by a tower, containing six bells. Edenbridge has long been noted for the excellent shoes its workmen produce. Two annual fairs, for cattle and toys are held here, one on the 6th of May and the other on the 16th of October.
Two miles from Edenbridge and three miles from Chiddingstone, is the small village of Hever, remarkable as having been the residence of Sir Thomas Boleyn, father of Ann Boleyn, one of the ill fated wives of Henry VIII. The castle is a very ancient structure, fortified in the manner prevalent in former ages, by a moat, drawbridge, portcullis and a tower. In the church, a plain antique fabric, with a lofty spire, is a monument to John de Cobham, dated 1399; also a magnificent tomb to Sir Thomas Boleyn. The living is a rectory, in the gift of the family of Streatfield.
Leigh is an inconsiderable village, four miles west from Tonbridge, situated close to the line of the South Eastern Railway, on it route from London to Dover. The church dedicated to St Mary, is built of stone, without tower, spire or turret and its exterior is far from prepossessing; the interior however, is convenient and clean, and contains some ancient monuments and considerable remains of richly stained glass. The benefice is a vicarage, in the presentation of the family of May. The houses are ranged around a pleasant rural green, and form a complete country village.
The above parishes are all locally situate in the lathe of Sutton at Hone, and their population at the census of 1831 was as follows: Penshurst 1453 inhabitants; Chiddingstone 1223; Edenbridge 1432; Hever 559; and Leigh 1011.
POST – Penshurst, Receiving House at the Leicester Arms; Edenbridge, at John CHANDLER’s grocer; and at Leigh at the Porcupine. Letters from London and all parts arrive every morning at nine in summer and ten in winter, and are despatched every afternoon at six in summer and five in winter.
GENTRY & CLERGY
ALLNUTT Mrs Frances, Penshurst
BOISSIER Rev George Richard, Penshurst
COLQUHOUN James esq, Penshurst
COWBURN Henry esq, Hever
DE PASSOW Rev John Claus, Heber
DODD Rev P Stanhope, Penshurst
GAY Rev William, Bidborough
MARSHALL Robert esq, Edenbridge
MAY Rev Thomas, Leigh
PAYLOR Rev Charles Anthony, Chiddingstone
PEEL Rev Robert, Edenbridge
POLHILL Rev, Chiddingstone
SAINT William esq, Leigh
STREATFIELD Henry esq, Chiddingstone
STREATFIELD Major Henry, Penshurst
STREATFIELD Captain Richard, Hever
SYDNEY Sir John Shelley bart. Penshurst
WELLS William esq, Penshurst
WHITTON Mrs Mary, Chiddingstone
ACADEMIES & SCHOOLS
CHAPMAN William (day), Hever
Free School, Chiddingstone, Charles CARPENTER, master
GRATWICK Elizabeth, (day), Edenbridge
National School Leigh, Thomas HUMPHREY, master
PEEL Rev Robert, (gents boarding), Edenbridge
PURSER William, Edenbridge
SAXBY William, (day), Edenbridge
AUCTIONEERS
CORKE Augustus, (& land surveyor), Edenbridge
PARSONS Robert, Edenbridge
BAKERS
CHANTLER Thomas, Edenbridge
HOLMES John, Edenbridge
MELLISH James, Edenbridge
BLACKSMITHS
BRIGDEN Joseph, Chiddingstone
BURR & BAKER, Edenbridge
CHAPMAN Thomas, Chiddingstone
CHAPMAN William, Hever
DANN Abraham, Edenbridge
HUMPHREY William, Leigh
MOORE Richard, Penshurst
SEAL William, Hever
SHOOBRIDGE William, Edenbridge
SMITH Thomas, Chiddingstone
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
AYNSCOMBE John, Chiddingstone
HILL William, Chiddingstone
MITCHENOR William, Edenbridge
NICHOLSON William, Edenbridge
NIGHTINGALE William, Chiddingstone
PAGE John, Hever
PURSER Edward, Edenbridge
SIMMONS Joseph, Edenbridge
SPARROWHAWK Thomas, Edenbridge
SPARROWHAWK William, Edenbridge
WICKING William, Leigh
BRICKLAYERS
EDWARDS George, Chiddingstone
GOODWIN William, Edenbridge
HUMPHREY James, Chiddingstone
JORDAN William, Edenbridge
BUTCHERS
BASSETT William, Edenbridge
FRY John, Leigh
LANGRIDGE George, Edenbridge
LEIGH Henry, Chiddingstone
LEIGH Henry jun. Chiddingstone
WOODHAMS Richard, Penshurst
CARPENTERS
CONSTABLE Henry, Penshurst
KIRBY John, Hever
LEIGH Charles, Chiddingstone
LEIGH Henry, Edenbridge
SEAL William, Hever
WHEATLEY William, Leigh
WICKENDEN Nicholas, Edenbridge
COOPERS
COOMBER Stephen, Chiddingstone
KILLICK John, Penshurst
MILLER Thomas, Edenbridge
CRICKET BALL & BAT MAKERS
DUKE Timothy, Penshurst
EADE Luke, Penshurst
FELLMONGERS & GLOVERS
JEFFERY John, Edenbridge
JEFFERY Thomas, Edenbridge
LAMPON Thomas, Edenbridge
FIRE &c OFFICE AGENT
Kent, William SAXBY, (& land surveyor), Edenbridge
GROCERS, DRAPERS & DEALERS INSUNDRIES
ARNOLD Nicholas, Penshurst
BROOK Richard, Chiddingstone
CHANDLER John, Edenbridge
CRANDALL John & Henry, Leigh
GOSLING & SANDERS, Edenbridge
HEASMAN James, Penshurst
HUMPHREY Robert, Leigh
KIRBY Elizabeth, Hever
SCOTT Thomas, Chiddingstone
SNASHALL William, Chiddingstone
WITHERS Nicholas, Edenbridge
INNS & PUBLIC HOUSES
Castle, Henry LEIGH, Chiddingstone
Chequers, John LAWRENCE, Tudeley
Chequers, Henry LEIGH jun, Chiddingstone
Crown, Thomas PARSONS, Edenbridge
Four Elms, Elizabeth KIRBY, Hever
Henry VIII, Thomas MOON, Hever
Leicester Arms, William TAYLOR, Penshurst
Porcupine, William MEDHURST, Leigh
White Horse, William CHRISMAS, Edenbridge
MILLERS
ARNOLD Nicholas, Bidborough
JINKENS George, Chiddingstone
PARSONS Robert, (& maltster), Edenbridge
STANFORD Frederick, Edenbridge
YOUNG James, Chiddingstone
PAINTERS, PLUMBERS & GLAZIERS
CONSTABLE & WELLER, Penshurst
SMITH William, Edenbridge
WOOD James, Edenbridge
SADDLERS
JEFFERY Thomas, Penshurst
LANGRIDGE Thomas, Edenbridge
SURGEONS
CREASY William, Edenbridge
GREGORY Charles Leigh
NASH Joseph, Edenbridge
PICKANCE William, Penshurst
SURVEYORS
CORKE Augustus, Edenbridge
SAXBY William, Edenbridge
TAILORS & DRAPERS
ALLISON Thomas, Penshurst
BOWRA Thomas, Leigh
CARPENTER Charles, Chiddingstone
EAGLETON Thomas, Chiddingstone
SMEED William, Edenbridge
WITHERS Nicholas, Edenbridge
TIMBER MERCHANT
ALEXANDER Thomas, Edenbridge
WHEELWRIGHTS
MOYCE William, Chiddingstone
WALLIS James, Edenbridge
WHITBREAD John, Hever
WINTER William, Edenbridge
MISCELLANEOUS
BONNICK William, tanner, Edenbridge
COLLINS William, stonemason, Edenbridge
CRUNDWELL John, watchmaker, Edenbridge
KING John, brewer, Edenbridge
STEDOLPH Godfrey, turner & rake maker, Edenbridge
WICKENDEN John, ironmonger, Edenbridge
COACHES
To London, a Coach, (from Tonbridge Wells), calls at the Leicester Arms Inn, Penshurst every Monday, Wednesday & Friday morning at nine.
To Tonbridge Wells, a Coach, (from London), calls at the Leicester Arms Inn, Penshurst every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday evening.
CARRIERS
To London, Edward MARCHANT, and William JEFFERY from Penshurst, every Wednesday & Jas GROVES and Stephen JENNER, from Edenbridge every Thursday.
This page was last updated on 06-Mar-2021.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason.