been south of Iddenden. Still another holding is at the
"Stinckinge Pittes". I should not be able to identify this
place were it not for the assistance of the late Halford Mills of
Smarden, an enthusiastic local historian, who left many manuscript notes
including one to the effect that the unpleasant pits had acquired the
compensatory name of "Rosemary Lane", which appears on the 6
inch map. Another tenancy, called High Cross Fields, was certainly
adjacent to the existing High Cross Wood through which a railway now
runs. I think there can be no doubt that the Chilham den of Marden lay
all along the west and north-west side of Smarden and that it joined
other Chilham dens, of Hay south of the river and Kingsden to the north.
But this den, thus defined, did not belong to Little Chart.
Possibly it was sold to Chilham between 843 and 1680. It may even be
that the two names erased in the charter ought to tell us of
transactions by which dens might be alienated from their parent manors
and that Marden was parted with in the ninth century. However that may
have been, I think that Little Chart did probably retain part of the den
of Marden and that Furley was right in saying that it did. This part was
probably the den which appears in the M.R. under the name of Little
Biddenden. This Little Biddenden is represented on the 6 inch map by its
own proper name, and by the names Biddenden Green and Bull Land Cottage,
and it is necessary now to show that it really |
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did adjoin the part of
Marden den in the hands of Chilham. That this was so appears
from the fact that, in the 1680 rental of Chilham, Marden is found
to have a tenancy which abuts to the lands of Widow Newenden, while the
Little Chart M.R. show that John Newenden had recently died. Moreover,
the Chilham rental records John Austen as another owner whose lands
abutted to those of Marden, and the M.R. tell us that it was John Austen
who purchased some of the Widow Newenden's land, which was doubtless the
Newenden Farm which is on the 6 inch map, and which we must also place
in the Little Chart part of the den of Marden.
There is no definite evidence, other than is quoted above,
for identifying the Little Biddenden of the M.R. with any place named in
the 843 charter but the balance of probability seems to be with the
theory set out.
UDDANHOM.
This is the next den in order and occurs regularly in the
M.R. as Odenham in Smarden. But there is nothing in the M.R. to show
whereabouts in Smarden it is to be found, indeed, there is little about
the place except its name. There comes to our help a small deed of 1673
in the writer's hands. This reports the conveyance of one acre
"near a certain place there called High Cross between a place
called Hag Hill and Uddenham Green". The owner is a certain Thomas
Drayner |