Past

A History of Our Villages

• Introduction
• Genesis
• The Years 1000 to 1400
• Growth and Reform - 1400 to 1600
• The 17th & 18th Centuries
• Towards the Present Day
• Epilogue

Genesis

Roman Britain	43 - 450 AD
Coming of the English	450 - 613 AD
Division into Kingdoms	613 - 1017 AD

Why did our little villages spring up where they are in the first place? The answer to that takes us back well over a thousand years. Sheldwich is recorded back in the 8th Century, by which time Faversham already had a long and varied history which stretched back way beyond the time that invading Romans built a by-pass to the town (now the A2 Watling Way). Indeed, by the time our story begins, the Romans had left about 400 years earlier, and the Watling way of which they were rightly proud was pot-holed and in need of repair (so what’s new?!)

My own belief is that Sheldwich in its earliest days was probably a sort of outpost of Faversham. Remember that when Sheldwich Church was first built soon after the start of the second millennium, it was a chapel to Faversham Church - served no doubt by Faversham staff. When Faversham first had its vicarage endowed by Archbishop Peckham as late as 1305, it was the responsibility of ‘the 13 householders in the hamlet of Sheldwich’ who were required to pay that vicar with ‘the oblations made at the first mass’. At the heart of Faversham was its port, busy with trade and needing surrounding areas of housing, trades and shops to support its workers. But when you are bordered by an estuary on one side and what is now the A2 on the other, there is only room at first to spread sideways, as it were. On one side is Ospringe which was to develop the natural power of its water courses to drive mills as part of the Maison Dieu complex. So Faversham crossed the main Roman-built thoroughfare to access that area down ‘Water Lane’. On the other side is Macknade, where earlier the sea is known to have encroached very much closer to our villages. Perhaps there was the development of a facility to ‘catch’ the sea water in shallows which, on drying in the sun provided the much needed salt which would be carted along ‘Salters Lane’. But ports need physical connections with other ports by land as well as sea. In particular Faversham was to build a strong link with Hythe and both ports were to trade their wares in the important market and distribution centre established at Ashettisford (Ashford). So I believe the current A251 was built for that trade. Now straining under the load of fast moving juggernaughts, then the track would be busy with bullock carts. It was natural that Faversham should burst out along the ‘A251’ and dwellings were built either side of it, first at Sheldwich, then Leaveland, then Badlesmere. Some might serve the travellers on their journey, others grow food and so on. It would be a few hundred years before these outposts became villages in their own right, and we have never to this day sought independence from mother Faversham who birthed us. She is still our preferred place for everyday shopping and other needs.

We shall look at some of the early etymology to shed light on those otherwise misty times.

Sheldwich is first recorded in the year 784 as ‘Scilduuic’. Given that Old English ‘Scild’ means a low hill, and ‘wic’ is a dwelling place or shelter, we have a good description of this dwelling place on a low hill. (If you want confirmation of the fact, try cycling from Faversham and you soon notice the hill even though it’s only 240 feet!) It was much wooded then, and probably did indeed provide shelter for travellers on their way to and from Faversham. By Domesday in 1086 it was thought it has no particular mention as it is still considered a chapelry of Faversham. Modern scholars however think Sheldwich might be the place peculiarly named as Cildresham. If so the Domesday Book entry reads as follows:

Ansfrid (he was Bishop Odo’s liegeman, or one who served his lord under a solemn obligation in return for protection) holds Cildresham from the Bishop. It answers for I sulung (a measure of land - some suggest it may have been about 200 acres). Land for three ploughs. In lordship one. Four villagers with two smallholders have 1 ½ ploughs. Five slaves; meadow, two acres; woodland, but it pays nothing. Of this manor a man-at-arms holds land for one plough. In total, value before 1066, 60s (£3 in today’s money!); now £4.

This entry suggests that Sheldwich was primarily agricultural. The Domesday Book would have listed other sources of work such as a mill or a fishpond. In another place (under the name Schildricheham) it is listed as a place where the king had a right to any penalties charged for housebreaking, breach of the peace and highway robbery ( - how little we change over a thousand years!!) This last is important: if there was a fine for highway robbery, there must have been an important highway which made it worthwhile for villains to ply their trade. All villages have their rogues and eventually the village stocks were erected where a house now carries that name: we can imagine villagers having their fun with rotten fruit (and worse) at the expense of some poor individual chained there. Certainly King William the Conqueror was stern in his lawmaking. For instance in cases of adultery both man and woman were fined - the King took the man’s fine, the Archbishop of Canterbury the woman’s.

In that year 1086 Leaveland is ‘Levelant’ which had become ‘Levelande’ by 1175: it would be the land belonging to Leofa (a personal name). Domesday notes that it consists of a wood for the pannage of five hogs! Pannage would be the privilege of pasturing pigs, probably in a wooded area. By 1086 Badlesmere was Badelesmere! - given that ‘mere’ is a pool, here was the pool of Beadel (a personal name). Domesday records two and a half carucates arable, a fishery of 12 pence and wood for the pannage of four hogs. A carucate was an area of land, probably about 120 acres.

Unusually, there are no other places called Sheldwich or Leaveland or Badlesmere in all England.

The villages were divided into Manors which had often been the gift of rulers such as William the Conqueror to relatives, though in the year 784 it would appear that some of Sheldwich was owned by Reculver Convent. Remember that England as we know it did not exist and the country was ruled by ‘area’ kings each with their own kingdom. So it was that the Kentish King Alkmund gave Sheldwich to the Abbot and Convent of Reculver. By the time of the Domesday Book (compiled for William the Conqueror to list the property in the kingdom, and its economics) it is owned by William’s half-brother (and villain!) Bishop Odo of Bayeaux who was eventually packed off home to Normandy in disgrace. Incidentally Odo, Earl of Kent is reckoned to be the fourth richest person in Britain since 1066 - in today’s money he had £43.2 billion! Leaveland belonged before 1086 to the Archbishop of Canterbury who, in that year put Richard in charge. At that time Badlesmere belonged to Odo the Bishop of Bayeux and to the crown from 1090.

Those readers interested in getting an idea of local landowners might like the following summary, which is taken from the notes given by Faversham local historian Arthur Percival in his series of lectures on local villages.

SHELDWICH. What we know now as Lees Court (but not the current building which rose on the site in 1652) was, not surprisingly owned by the family ‘atte Lese’ in the late 13th Century. So we have for instance Sampson Atte Lese in Edward I reign. By the mid 14th Century Reginald de Dike (or Dyke) lived there, holding the position of sheriff - you can see his memorial in church today. Sir Richard At-Lese who died in 1394 was also sheriff following a time as MP. In the north chancel of the church (where the organ is) is a magnificent brass to Sir Richard At Lese and his wife Dionisia. So the ownership passes on through John Dane, William Norton (buried in Faversham Church), Reginald Norton, Sir John Norton during the reign of Henry VIII and Sir Thomas Norton, until the Sondes dynasty took up residence in the form of Sir Richard Sondes KB in James I reign. But more of that family later. It is not unusual for me to find on a Saturday, groups of motorists coming into Sheldwich Church car park and rushing off into the graveyard to look at the Sondes tombs: they are trying to answer questions on a ‘treasure hunt’ such as finding how many Sondes are buried there. Of course the last male was The Rt Hon Henry George Herbert 5th Earl Sondes, Viscount Throwley, Baron Sondes, who we laid to rest with his family after his early death on 2 December 1996.

The Manor of Lords was held by the Lords family until Richard II (late 14th Century), then the Giles family until 1678, after which the Hilton family took up residence. Lords was burned to the ground a few decades ago, but of course the name is retained in the barn on the estate (now a residence) and Lords Cottages nearby.

Another ancient manor is Littles where, in the early 14th Century lived Richard At-Lese (above). Ownership moved to the Chapman family, then the Vane family (such as Lord Barnard who died 1723, and William, Viscount Vane of Ireland) and David Papillon of Acrise in 1798.

Many local place names have their own stories to tell. Akhurst Farm (mentioned in the year 993) means a stubble field (Old English ac + ersc). Cobrahamsole Farm is from ‘Scobba + sol’ - the muddy pool belonging to Scobba. My own home Halke House is mentioned in 1278 - the word means a nook or hiding place. I sometimes wonder if any of that original building is still around - wings of the house were regularly rebuilt up to 1500 and the oldest part now is about 1380. But at one end of our living room are some insect eaten beams which were once outside the house forming a shelter for fuel or animals: those beams still have the carpenter’s marks scratched on them but the end numbers are missing. Were they salvaged from the 1278 building? Who knows - but this is an illustration showing how, all around us in the villages, is physical evidence of very ancient times, if we are able to recognise it. Harewell once had a ‘har’ (grey) or ‘hara’ (hare) well to source its water. So the story goes on, with each of the 42 listed buildings in the village waiting to reveal secrets of the past.

LEAVELAND. Nathaniel of Leveland, a descendent of Margaret of Leveland in Richard I time owned Fleet Prison. The area was later owned by Giles de Badlesmere, killed during a battle with the Welsh in 1256. We have Fulk de Payforer a former sheriff who died around 1277 and various other ‘de Levelands’ until the Shenche family moved in. Then the de Northwoods and the de Poynings - Robert was killed at the Seige of Orleans in the mid 15th Century. Sir Henry Percy came, Lord Percy, Earl of Northumberland and so on until the Sondes family took over as at Sheldwich.

In addition to its fine church (more later) there are four listed buildings in Leaveland.

BADLESMERE. This village has Woods Court - Robert At Wood of Badlesmere died in 1382. However what is now Woods Court was formerly Godislands which is likely to be derived from ‘God’ (personal name) ‘his land’ - a lovely title. Stringman’s Farm is manorial and the place where the last of the Sondes family chose to live following their departure from Lees Court in Sheldwich.

In all, Badlesmere boasts about a dozen listed buildings.

So let us try to trace a few of the threads which make up the tapestry of our villages over the last millennium.

Welcome | Past