THE fine old mansion called Crippenden, or Crittenden,* in the parish of Cowden, was built by Mr. Richard Tichbourne, in 1607. The annexed view, of the interior of its panelled Hall, is reduced from an admirable drawing made by Mr. J. F. Wadmore, and kindly contributed by him to Archaeologia Cantiana.
   Over the mantlepiece there are two series of inscriptions. One, which ran closely beneath the cornice of the ceiling, is now imperfect; it commenced thus: "These be the names of ye children of Richard Tichbourn, born before ye building of this house, 1607 ...." The names have disappeared. The other inscription runs immediately above the mantelshelf, and is arranged in double lines, regardless of the rhymes which ought to terminate each line.
                {WHEN WE ARE DEAD | AND
                {LAYD IN GRAVE | AND THAT
                {OURE BONNES BE ROTTEN |
                {BY THIS SHALL WE | REMEMBRED
                {BE | WHER ELSE WE WHER
                {FORGOTTEN | ANO DOM. 1607.
   Within the spandrels of the carved mantelpiece are the 

initials R.T. and D. T., for Richard Tichbourne and Dorothy his wife.
   The fire-back was made at the Tichbournes' iron foundry here, during the lifetime of John Tichbourne (the father of Richard), whose initials appear upon it in the left-hand corner at the top, while the initials of Richard and Dorothy are twice repeated, in the corners at the bottom. A cannon, cast at the foundry of John Tichbourne, here, is still preserved on land adjacent to the Rectory.
Over the centre of the fireplace, is carved the armorial coat of
   * Hasted, History of Kent (8vo ed.), iii., 206, says, "The Manor of St. John of Jerusalem ......... is now with the ancient mansion of Crittenden, in the possession of Mrs. Sophia Streatfeild, the widow of Thomas Streatfeild of Oxted, Esq." The Post Office Directory of Kent for 1862 likewise spells this place Crittenden. On the Tithe Map of the parish, however, and on that of the Ordinance Survey, the name is spelt Crippenden. It may be identical with the Manor of Grippindenne which was purchased by Godfrey le Waleys in A.D. 1311. (Arch. Cant., XI., 347). Perhaps it came to Richard Martin as the portion of his wife, a Wallis; and passed with Martin's daughter to her husband John Tichbourne of Edenbridge.