The Saxon FONT in this church, is perhaps the greatest piece of antiquity within the Weald.

ORLESTONE. The parish of Orlestone, is partly with

in this district and partly within the limits of Romney marsh, lying principally on the ridge of clay hills, which bound that rich and extensive tract on the north. The CHURCH and COURT LODGE are seated on the upland, but there is no village, the few houses contained in the parish standing insulate and dispersed throughout it.* The soil is for the most part a stiff clay, and the bye-roads such as may reasonably be anticipated on such a soil, and where but little pains are taken with them; but the high road through this parish into Romney marsh is very good, and much used, being one of the principal thoroughfares into the marsh. At Ham Street which lies on this road at the foot of the hill below the church, is a very tolerable house of entertainment; the approach to this little hamlet is pleasing, and the country generally between this place and Aldington, highly picturesque. The military canal runs just below Ham Street, and has been productive of considerable advantage already to this neighbourhood. On the article of coal, a saving of 16 or 18s. per chaldron, has accru

dunum, supposed (by Leland) to be derived from the Saxon Niwandune (the new hill). "But," says Hasted “it most probably took its name from its being raised on the scite of some more ancient town, perhaps built in the time of the Romans, of whom there are many vestigia in and about this place." (History of Kent, vol. VII. p. 164).

*

* If we except a part of HAM STREET, which lies at the foot of the hill southward, about a mile from Orlestone church, standing on the boundary of the parishes of Orlestone and Warehorne, and partly in each.

ed, and sea-beach for the roads is obtained here at the mo derate price of 2s, 4 d. per ton.

The woodlands in this parish, form the most considerable part of it, and may in a great measure account for its comparative healthiness, when opposed to those, alike situated with respect to the marsh, but containing less timber and underwood; these it is well known materially tend to purify the atmosphere and check the destructive effects of marsh miasmata.*

Soon after the Norman conquest, the MANOR OF ORLESTONE, or as it is written in the record of Doomsday, Orlavestone, was among the possessions of Huge de Montfort, on the voluntary exile of whose grandson Robert, it escheated to the crown. (temp. Henry I.) It was afterwards in the possession of a family who assumed the same surname, one of whom appears on the list of those kentish gentlemen that attended RICHARD 1. at the seige of Acon, in Palestine; whose son of the same name, (William de Orlanston) held it in the reign of Henry III. and obtained of that monarch the grant of free wurren, a weekly market, and a fair yearly for three days, viz. on holyrood day, and two days after. It appears to have been held in cupite by Knights service, subject to suit to the ward of Dover castle, being part of the barony, called the constabularie. The advowson of the church of Orlestone, has been attached to the manor from very early times.

The church of Orlestone though extremely small, appears sufficiently large for the accommodation of the inhabitants; it.

* For some ingenious experiments and observations on the atmosphere of marshes (by Adam Seybert, M. D.) see the transactions of the American philosophical Society, and the Repertory of Arts, &c. vol. XVI. p. 52. to 57. and 93. to 106. Among those who have written, or been practically engaged in an examination of the chemical qualities of atmospheric air, the following stand foremost, namely Franklin, Scheele, Priestley, Ingenhouz, Lavoisier, &c. The work by Ingenhouz is entitled “experiences sur les végétaux.”

is dedicated to ST. MARY, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a diminutive steeple at the west end, in which are contained three bells. Its situation is on the summit of the hill north of Ham Street, and a little removed eastward of the road from Snave to Kingsnorth.

THE ISLE OF OXNEY.

In old records written Oxene, Oxenel, and in the record of Domesday Oxenai, includes within its boundary the parishes of Stone, Wittersham, and part of Eboney. It lies at the south-west extremity of the county next to Sussex, being divided from the latter and the uplands of Kent (on the west and north-west) by the river Rother, and otherwise circumscribed by a small stream called the Breake.*

LELAND, in his Itinerary, vol. 7. p. 139, remarks as follows: "yet parte of Oxney ys in Kent and part in Southsax, sum say that yt is or hath bene al in Southsax. Sum caulle yt Forsworen Kent, by cause that were the inhabitants of yt were

Z

So late as the year 1509, the tide of the sea flowed up to Small-hythe on the north side of the Island, and to this place the river Rother at that time appears to have been navigable, (see Dr. Willis's two letters in the Philosophical Trans. vol. XXII. No. 275 and 276). "but" as Hasted observes "for want of a sufficient force of fresh water to repel and clear this channel of the earth and mud, which the tide from time to time lodged in it, the whole of it along the north side of the island was so swerved up, that in the year 1736 it was found necessary, for the discharge of the waters of the Rother, which then, for want of it, overflowed the adjoining marsh-lands, to make a new channel through Wittersham level, for the passage of them, whereby the course of the river, for the space of five miles or more, became inverted, and instead of running from Maytham to Small-hythe and Reding eastward, on the north side, now runs from thence to Maytham westward, and thence into the new channel above-mentioned, along the southern side of this island, into the Appledore channel, and so on to the Sea at Rye."

of Southsax they revolted to have the privileges of Kent."* THE ISLE OF OXNEY is in length (from east to west) nearly five miles and a half, and its greatest width is about two miles and three quarters. Hasted states the circumference at near ten miles, but it measures nearly fourteen.t The approach to the island formerly was by three ferries, namely at Small-hythe, Appledore, and towards Maytham, but the streams, which now flow round it, are so inconsiderable, that three small wooden bridges at these places, answer every purpose of communication. A ridge of comparatively elevated ground occupies the centre, crossing the island in a direction nearly east and west, on either side of which are tracts of rich and productive marsh-land: some few patches of underwood are scattered on the uplands, but the island is barren of timber. In some seasons of the year, and when the marshes are covered with stock, the prospects around are pleasing, especially to a stranger who has travelled through the more enclosed country to the westward, yet the ISLE OF OXNEY will seldom be selected as a place of residence by those who have the freedom of choice. DRAYTON in his Poly-albion, (song 18th) describes the island (which he personifies) as gross, black and homely, but at length makes her say of herself,

"Though I be brown, in me there doth no favour lack."

overlooking the trifling defects of bad water, and an impure atmosphere!

*The conclusion of LELAND and the hearsay alluded to above, uncorro. borated by other evidence, are alone insufficient to establish the fact of this island or any part of it, having at any distant period, førmed part of the county of Sussex; the Rother even in its present state, is a strong presumptive proof to the contrary, it compleatly embraces the island on the south and appears a natural, and reasonable barrier between the two counties.

+ Dr. Harris states the circumference of the island at about ten miles, and Hasted has probably taken it for granted on his authority, but fourteen miles will be found nigher the truth.

On the etymology of its name, there have been a variety of opinions, but the most reasonable, perhaps, is that founded on its rich pastures, and the number of oxen fatted on them; which opinion, says Hasted, may be corroborated by the figure of an Ox on the sides of the ancient altar, which for time out of mind had remained in the church of Stone, in this island. This altar has been removed, and for some time was used as a horse-block, until Mr. Gostling, a former Rector, released it from this ignoble service, and had it carefully placed in the fence of the vicarage garden, where it still remains. Mr. Hasted supposes it to have been an altar of sacrifice, from the blackness and appearance of fire in the bason or hollow at the top.

STONE. The village of STONE is situated on elevated ground nearly in the centre of the parish, at the junction of the roads from Oxney-ferry, Small-hythe, &c. and within the fork of these roads stands the church, (dedicated to ST. MARY) consisting of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a square tower containing a ring of six bells.

The see of Canterbury holds this church and the advowson of the vicarage by no legal right, for in the dotation of Henry VIII. (anno 33) the rectory and vicarage of STONE near Faversham, and not STONE in the Isle of Oxney, was granted; but agreeable to the spirit and not the letter of the charter, the latter and not the former has been held by it. The rectory appropriate, is now held on lease from the dean and chapter, by Sir Edward Hales, Bart. the lessee is bound to keep the chancel in repair, as also a farm-house standing on the glebe. The quantity of glebe land is about four acres.

For the grass lands in this parish, a modus of eighteen pence per acre, in lieu of all vicarial tythes, was established in the year 1735.

A piece of land called LAMPFIELD containing two acres,