Oxenhoth Manor

( 64 ) OXENHOTH MANOE. SIB FRANCIS GEARY has kindly favoured us with the following interesting statement drawn up hy his son, Mr. W. N. T. Geary. It relates to Sir Francis Geary's manor of Oxenhoth in West Peckham. "Among the Dalison Documents communicated hy Canon Scott Eobertson, and inserted in Vol. XV. of the Archceologia Cantiana, I find a sentence on p. 388 which might lead into error the incautious reader. "The settlement of the 11th August 1606, as there stated, begins with a recital, the 9th line from the bottom: " 'That Oxenhoth was purchased from Anthony Tuttesham of Nordiham in Sussex, by John Stanley, of Oxenhoth in West Peckham, who married Dorothy Tuttesham.' " I have under my eyes a memorial dated the 11th September 1607, of a Court Baron held by Sir George Chowne, Kt., for the manor of Oxonhofch, at which John Stanley appeared and did homage, and was admitted a tenant. "Sir George Chowne had by various conveyances from Sir Thomas Cotton, and his sons William and Eobert, acquired inter alia the manor of Oxonhoth about or previous to the year 1597. " Sir George Chowne, by indentures of lease and release dated respectively the 1st and 2nd July 1626, sold the manor of Oxon Hoath to Nicholas Miller, from whom the present proprietor is lineally descended. " The above facts, which I state from originals at the moment of writing before my eyes, make it plain that John Stanley did not own the Manor of Oxon Hoath, but, as above stated, was a copyholder of the manor. "W. N. T. GBART. " INNEE TEMPLE, May 29,1885." OXENHOTH MANOR. 65 The parcel of land (also called Oxenhoth) which was purchased by John Stanley from Anthony Tuttesham, was not a manor. It consisted of no more than 50 acres, lying in two parishes; 30 being in West Peckham, and 20 in Wrotham. It is thus described in the marriage settlement, dated August 11, 1606: . . . . " Whereas the said John Stanley is and now standeth lawfully seised in his demesne as of Fee of and in one messuage or tenement wherin he late dwelt, soituate and being at Oxenhoth in West Peckham aforesaid, together with the barnes, stables, edifices, oloses, gardens, hemplotts, oroharde lands, meadows, and pastures therunto belonging, or therwith used or occupied, conteyning in the whole by estimacon thirtie acres more or lesse, soituate and being at Oxenhoth in West Peckham aforesaid; and allso of and in nine severalls or parcells of land, meadow, and pasture belonginge unto or used or occupied with the said messuage, soituate and being in Wrotham in the said Countie of Kent, conteyning by estimacon twentie aores more or lesse, All whioh premisses he the said John Stanley heretofore had and purchased of the said Anthony Tuttesham''.... John Stanley's granddaughter, Frances Stanley (born in 1635), married Maximilian Dalison, Esq., whose descendants are still possessed of this land, and reside at Hamptons in West Peckham. W. A. S. E. VOL. XVI. F