diately dismiss both, as arising solely from the mere unsupported assertion of those who could know but very little of the matter, and who, most probably considered it, as it really was, a thing unworthy of serious consideration and enquiry; for is it reasonable to suppose, that at a time when this district was of so little importance as scarcely to have had any known owner, that much, or any pains should have been taken to determine with accuracy even, its length and breadth, and while so many points of consequence in the history of those times, were either slightly touched on, or provokingly disregarded altogether? Before Sir Edward's first conjecture is taken into consideration; it may not be improper to state here another opinion that has been advanced on this subject, though on what authority is not known, that the pilgrim's road, which beginning at Croydon in Surry, entered this county at Westerham, taking a direction to Chevening and thence over Wrotham-hill to Rochester, and along the high road to Canterbury, marks the boundary of the Weald northward, and determines the tythe of wood: the importance of this notion may be collected from what has been already said and what follows.

In support of Sir Edward Dering's first statement, which makes the rag-stone hills the northern boundary of this district, many arguments readily present themselves, with one of the most important he has himself furnished us; that, within the bounds here laid down, scarce any remains of antiquity. have been found; and it may be added, that within these limits, history is silent as to any settlement of man, prior to the conquest, with the exception of the Roman station, Anderida, and those of the Danes in the neighbourhood of Appledore (anno 893); both on its frontiers. On the contrary between the Quarry and Chalk hills, many Roman, British, and Saxon remains have been found* and there is abundant reason

At Ightham the remains of a camp supposed either Roman or British,

1

to believe that these parts were not only partially but generally peopled long before the conquest. Another argument may be drawn from the termination of the names of places here, which as Dr. Harris justly observes, "relate to woods and low situations; such as Den, Hyrst or Harst, Ford, Well, &c. but scarce any express the habitation of men there, or the situation of towns, &c. such as Chester, Burgh, Don or Dun, Thorp, Ton, Wic, Hall or Ham. And to this rule of judging there are but few exceptions, though some there are.” * Yet even these exceptions are strongly corroborative of the opinion that confines the Weald to the Quarry hills, which opinion is still further strengthened by the following passage from Lambarde, (whose authority in this instance is really important) "I thinke verely, says he, that it cannot be shewed out of the auncient chronicles, that there is remayning in Weald of Kent, or Sussex, any one monument of great antiquitie.+ (Peram. p. 169).

b

At Allington, a castle (called the castle of the Medway) in the time of the Saxons, which was destroyed by the Danes. At Leeds, a castle in the time of Ethelbert II. and probably a Roman station from the antiquities found there. Maidstone supposed by Camden in the Vagniacæ mentioned by Anto ninus in his 2d Iter. in which work, Dr. Gale observes, that coins of the Romans have been found at Newington near Hythe, and at Stowting, &c.

* Instances of some of these latter terminations (expressive of the habitations of men), are numerous between the Quarry and Chalk hills; among them are the following; Cheriton, Newington, Horton, Kennington, Har rietsham, Lenham, Otham, Offham, Wrotham, and Ightham, &c. With in the other boundary we have the following; Bonnington, Boughton, Kennardington, Linton, Sutton, Wittersham, Hunton, Egerton, AldingTM ton, Bilsington and Peckham East and West; but observe that the latter. are invariably on the borders of the Weald, and consequently furnish a powerful argument in favor of our hypothesis.

How this agrees with the extension of the boundary to the Chalk hills, will be readily seen; and the following passage from the same author, clear

This first position of Sir Edward Dering, then, if not ab solutely established, is supported by such plausible arguments, that until they can be proved unfounded, it should be main tained; it is admitted as highly reasonable by Dr. Harris and Mr. Hasted, and though contradictory opinions are still maintained by interested persons, yet we believe, that nothing like an opposing argument has been published since Sir Ed ward's time; or any thing transpired which can in the least operate against it.

NAME, EARLY STATE, AND CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS CONDITION. By the Saxon word Weald or Walda,* is meant a woody tract; hence, the robbers and other persons of dissolute and abandoned life, with which such places were usually infested, were named Weald Genga; and if associated in companies Weald Hlothas. In very early. times it was called Andred, Andredslege, Andredswald and Andredsbergh, probably, after the Roman station Anderida." The Britons termed it Coit-Andred, the great or large wood; and during the Saxon heptarchy it was entitled Salutis Regalis, Sylva Communis, &c. (the royal chase, or common wood). Though the Weald, as early as the Saxon heptarchy was divided into Dens, Denberæ or Wealdbera; and grants of pannage for hogs within the Weald, were added to royal grants and lordships elsewhere; yet there is no reason to believe that prior to the conquest, any independent manors existed here, or that it was parceled into parishes, until that time. In the

ly demonstrates the uncertainty attached to the subject in his time: “and yet" says he "if question in lawe should fortune to be moved, concerning the limits of the Weald, (as in deede it maye happen upon the statute of woods, and otherwise) I am of opinion, that the same ought to be decided1 by the verdite of twelve men, grounded upon the common reputation of the countrey there aboutes, and not by any other means." Per. 170.

Hence, according to Dr. Harris, came the old barbarous latin word guulda, a wood or grave massaj k

donations of lands lying out of the Weald, to the convents of Canterbury and Rochester, and other religious houses, there is: frequent mention made of pannage for hogs in Andred. If a prædium or a possession were given to any one out of the Weald, in the nature of what we call now a manor, or a lord ship, it was usually the way to accommodate it by an additional grant of a common of pannage, which was mentioned in the deed; and after, it had a limitation to one or more Dens. Thus in the grant of King Offa, of Frindsbury and Estling ham to the priory of Rochester (anno 764) there is added to wards the end: Adjectis iv Denberis in communi saltu, hoc est Weald se Westra; viz. Billingden, Cealchbyras, Meosden and Rindigsell. And the same kind of gift is made by King Egbert to the same convent, in his grant of Halling."*

"And as the learned SPELMAN shews from Domesday book; these dens were of no determinate bigness nor extent: In Tarentforde vij Dena Parva, and iij Magnæ. Episcopus 'Baiocensis in Manerio de Ow habit tres denas quæ valient xx sol. And in another place cited by him are these words: et tres denæ de Sylva reddunt xxx porcos. The word Denu comes from the Saxon Dene, which signifies a valley, low en closed place, or den. And doubtless they were sometimes enclosures taken out of the great royal wood or Weald, and granted by the sovereign to particular convents, places or persons. For perhaps at first the liberty of pannage was granted in common; but very great trouble and difficulty arising, in finding out their own hogs, it is likely they got leave by degrees to inclose and divide it into partitions within a hedge: and these partitions or enclosures doubtless. were what is above mentioned, under the name of Dens, Denberies,

b 2

Text. Roffens. fo. 126 and 128 as quoted by Dr. Harris:

or Wealdberies; which had also particular names assigned them, to distinguish them one from another, as appears by very numerous instances in our old charters. And no doubt but in process of time also, they cultivated and tilled some part of the land within the districts of their Denberies: and these being dependent on manors elsewhere situated, did not, when let out to tenants, exempt them from paying services and customs, in proportion to their tenancies." This opinion is confirmed by the following passage of Somner (Roman ports and forts, p. 111 and 117). “Albeit there were of old no manors in the Weald, yet the lands lying there, when once cultivated and manured, being appendant to and depending on manors elsewhere; the tenants in respect of, and proportion to their holdings and tenancies, might be and were lyable to the lord of the manor whereof they held, for services and customs, as other tenants elsewhere; for beside, fealty, suit of court, and reliefs there, among other local customs and services heretofore obtaining, there do frequently occur, gavel swine, scot ale, pannage, gate peny, summer-hus silver, corredy, and danger.* Thus, he continues, the Weald as other places, yielded quit rents, customs, and services of old, as

* Ist. Gavel Swine, a custom so called when they paid swine in kind; but if redeemed with money, then it was called Swine Peny and Swine Money; and was a rent for the lord's leave and sufferance to his tenant, that he might keep and feed swine of his own, or take in other men's to feed within his denbery. Thus also there was Gavel bord, Gavel timber and Gavel refter; in order to repair the lord's house, charged upon the woodlands, after the agreement above mentioned, to take a rent of assize in money for the wood.

2d. Scot Ale, which was a shott or contribution from the tenants, to make a provision of ale, to entertain the lord or his bayliff or beadle, whenever he held a parrock; i. e. a court which was anciently held in the Weald : and was something like the swainmote in the forest: here an account was taken of the swine gavel, and swine money, due from the tenants; and of other customary services. And our author (Somner) judges probably enough, that the word paddock is but a corruption from paroc; which word