Walter Hendley, the parsonage and advowson of Tudeley were carried in marriage to Sir Thomas Fane of Burston in Hunton, in which family it continued until the year 1762, when together with Badsell and the whole of the Kentish estates of John Earl of Westmoreland, they came by will, to the Right Hon. Lord le Despencer, the present owner.

The parsonage pays a fee-farm rent to the crown of 6s. 31d. yearly.

TUNBRIDGE

Is situated thirty miles S. E. of London, within an extensive tract called the Lowy* of Tunbridge, in old latin records Districtus Leueæ de Tunbridge and in the records of Domesday Leuea Ricardi de Tonebrige; being at the period of that survey in the possession of Richard Fitz Gilbert, who had assumed the appellation of 'Richard de Tonebrige' on becoming possessed of this estate. These lands had been wrested from the see of Canterbury, during the vacancy that followed the deposition of Archbishop Stigand, by the rapacious Odo, Bishop of Baieux; but on the promotion of Lanfranc, that indefatigable prelate and 'rigid defender of the prerogatives of his station' and zealous promoter of the interests of papacy, framed and forwarded an earnest remonstrance on the encroachnents of Odo to the King, then in Normandy, who aware of the rapacious and impetuous disposition of his brother, heard the complaint favourably, and immediately ordered it to be brought to trial, which accordingly took place in 1076 on Pennenden heath. On this occasion the eloquence of

* The term is derived from the Norman-french, and signifies an exempt jurisdiction round the castle, chief mansion, or religious house, to which it appertained.' Brayley's Hist. of Kent.

+ Lambarde gives the following account of the trial between Lanfrane, and Odo:

Lanfranc, aided by the justice of his cause, prevailed against the power and influence of his opponent; but as Odo had given the town aud castle of Tunbridge to his kinsman Rich

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Odo was found to be of a nature so busie, greedie and ambitious, that he moved many tragedies within this realme, and was in the end throwen from the stage, and driven into Normandie. During his abode in Kent, he so incroached upon the lands and privileges of the Archbishoprieke of Canterbury, and Bishopricke of Rochester, that Lanfranc (being promoted to that see of dignitie, and finding the want) complained to the King, and obtained, that with his good pleasure they might make trial of their right with him. To the which end also, the same King gave commission to Goiffrid (then Bishop of Constance in Normandie) to represent his own person, for hearing of the controversie: caused Egelric, the Bishop of Chichester, (an aged man, singularly commended for his skill in the laws and customes of the realme), to be brought thether in a wagon, for his assistance in counsell; commanded Haymo (the Sheriffe of Kent) to sommon the whole countie to give in evidence; and charged Odo, his brother, to be present at such time and place as should be notified unto him. Pinnenden heath (lying almost in the midst of the shyre, and therefore very indifferent for the assembly of the whole countie) was the appointed place, and thereunto not only the whole num ber of the moste expert men of this Shyre, but of sundry other countries also, came in great frequencie, and spent three whole days in debate of these Bishops' controversies, concluding in the end, that Lanfranc and the Bishop of Rochester, should be restored to the possession of Detling, Stoce, Preston, Danitune, and sundrie other lands that Odo had withholden: and that neyther the Earl of Kent, nor the King himself, had right to claim any thing in any of the landes of the Archbishop, saving only these three customes, which concerne the King's highe waies that leade from one citie to another: that is to say, that if any of the Archbishop's tenants should digge in such a highe way, or fell a tree crosse the same, to the hindrance of comon passage, and be taken with the ma ner, or convinced thereof by Lawe, hee should make amendes to the King therefore. And likewise when he did commit blood-shed, man-slaughter, or any other criminal of. fence in such a way, and were deprehended doing the fault, that the a mends thereof belonged to the King also: but in this latter case, if hee were not taken with the manner, but departed without pledge taken of him, that then the trial and the amends, perteined to the Archbishop himself, and

ard Fitz Gilbert, who was unwilling to resign them to the Archbishop, a compromise was entered into through the mediation of the King, by which the Archbishop received in lieu of these possessions the castle and demesnes of Brionne in Normandy, of which Fitz Gilbert was Earl.* The expedient adopted on this occasion to satisfy both parties, was, to girt the demesnes of Brionne with a string and apply the same to the lands round the castle of Tunbridge. Though there is reason to believe this fortress was not erected prior to the Domesday Survey, it is evident it must have been built shortly after, as on the death of the Conqueror, Richard de Tonbridge having favored the cause of Robert (eldest son of the deceased monarch) was besieged in his castle of Tunbridge by William Rufus, and on its surrender, swore allegiance to the young King. This nobleman fell at length in the defence of the usurper Stephen, in Wales, and was succeeded in his English possessions by Gilbert de Tonbridge, whose eldest son and successor (Richard) assumed the surname of CLARE, and was the first of his family on whom the Earldom of Hertford was conferred. His second brother was created Earl of Pembroke, in the 3d year of King Stephen; and Walter, another brother, was founder of the abbey of Tintern, in Wales. The above Richard, Earl of Clare, founded the priory of Tunbridge for monks of the premonstratensian order, and dedicated it to St.

that the King had not to medle therewith. On the other side also, they agreed, that the Archbishop had many privileges throughout all the landes of the King, and of the Earle, as namely, the amerciament of bloodshed from such time as they cease to say Alleluia in the church service, till the octaves of Easter; and at the least one half of everie amerciament due for the unlawful begiting of children. Per. p. 178. edit. 1576.

*The above rests on the authorities of Dugdale and Hasted, but the circumstance is differently related both as to time and persons by Lambarde in his peramb. of Kent, p. 329 and 330.

Mary Magdalen; * his son Gilbert gave the church of Tonebridge to the monks of Lewes, in Sussex; and Roger his brother was also a liberal benefactor to the clergy; facts among others, which shew the consideration in which the clergy were held in these times, and the influence they had acquired over the minds and conduct of men. In the person of Gilbert de Clare, (grandson of the above Roger) the Earldoms of Glou- ́ cester and Hertford were united, and continued with his descendants until the reign of Edward II. when by the death of Gilbert de Clare, in the 7th year of that reign, without issue, the titles became extinct and a partition of his estates was made between his three sisters, his coheirs. +

"A constant contest subsisted between these potent chieftains and the see of Canterbury, from the time of that haughty prelate Becket, until the reign of Henry III. when an accord was made; by which it was agreed, that the Earls of Clare and Gloucester should hold Tunbridge and its Lowy by the grand sergeantcy of being chief butlers and high stewards at the instalment of the metropolitans, and grant them wardship of their children. Whenever one of them attended upon the solemnization of inthronization, he was to receive, for the service of steward, seven robes of scarlet,

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* "Richard de Clare, by his foundation-charter to this priory situated within his manor of Tonebrigge, gave to the canons regular in it, ten marcs, to be received yearly from his manor of Tonebrigge, and 51s. and 5d. to be received from all the assarts, old as well as new, of his land called Dennemannes-brock, in Yalding, and likewise yearly one hundred and twenty hogs in his forest of Tunbridge, free from pannage; and that the canons should have two horses (summarios) every day, to carry the deadwood home to them, from out of his woods nearest and most convenient to them; and one stag yearly to be taken by the Earl's men." Hasted's Hist. vol. V. p. 238.

+ He fell at the battle of Bannocksbourne, near Strivelin, while commanding the vanguard of the King's army, and was buried in the Abbeychurch of Tewksbury.

thirty gallons of wine, fifty pounds of wax for the use of his own lights on the feast, the livery of hay and corn for eighty horses for two nights, and the dishes and salts which should be placed before the prelate at the first course of the feast; and when the nobleman should take his leave, entertainment for three days, at the expense of the Archbishop and his successors, at their nearest manors by the four quarters of Kent, wheresoever the peer should make his election, so that he did not go thither with more than fifty horse; and when the castle went into the hands of the Stafford family, we find that these services were retained; but instead of provisions, it was, in the fourteenth century, both to the De Clares and the Staffords, compounded for a sum of money, generally two hundred marks, and the silver-gilt cup wh which the Earl should serve before the Archbishop. S late as the reign of Henry VIII. we find Edward, Duke of Buckingham, executing in person the office of Steward at the inthronization of Archbishop Warham; and the butlership by his deputy, Sir Thomas Bouchier. These are traits of character in our history that may be deemed worthy preservation, as they mark the customs of former periods.

"Tunbridge castle was alternately the scene of war, and the abode of pleasure, but ever of consequence. Gilbert sur named Rufus, Earl of Clare, Gloucester and Hertford, joining the rebellious Barons against their sovereign Henry III. was besieged by prince Edward, the King's son, during which the garrison set fire to and burnt the town, to prevent its being useful to the Prince; who, however, took the castle, and the Countess of Gloucester, but gave her liberty: he nevertheless put a garrison in the castle. Some time afterwards, Gilbert, convinced of the badness of the cause in which he was engag ed, joined the royal standard; and in reward for his returning loyalty, received again the possession of this castle. Here it was that he entertained Edward, then become his sovereign, upon his return from Palestine, The reception was splendid;