Aspects of Kentish Local History

THE modern town of Whitstable is composed of parts of three ancient centres of occupation. Its name is derived from a white post which probably marked the point at which the boundaries of the ancient settlements met together, and which was certainly the site of open-air Courts at the time of the Norman conquest. These three places were called Seasalter, Harwich and Dodeham alias Northwood.

   SEASALTER.—This is first mentioned in two charters of 785 (B.C.S. 247, 248), both being original charters. Firstly it is described as "silvam afundantur ad coquendam sal"—wood sufficient for evaporating salt. The name of Sealsalter and the site of the salt pans is not specified. The wood, of course, would be in the Blean adjacent to Seasalter. The second description is rather more precise—"sealterna steallas thaer bi uban et in Blean uuidiung thaer to", i.e. the salt place stalls there to the north (lit. above) and in the Blean wooding for them. In those far-off days salt was a very important commodity. It was the only available preservative for meat. The Saxons killed off much of their stock on the approach of winter because they had no winter feed for it, and the preservation of this winter meat supply was essential. Seasalter was a borough and a place of no small importance. The original church and the salt 

pans have long since vanished beneath the sea but the borough extended as far east as the High Street through Whitstaple, which must then have been a road over waste ground on which the white staple or post stood out as a landmark. The existing Salts to the west of this road are the last reminder of what was once a famous industry; their site was probably far inland when Seasalter was flourishing in the days of King Offa.

   HARWICH.—In the year 858 (B.C.S. 496) King Aethelberht gave to a thane a place called Wasyngwelle together with marshes and other possessions attached to it. These included "et Febresham i sealtern et ii wena gang mid cyninges wenum to Blean them wiada", i.e. at Faversham one salt works and two wain-goings with the King's wains to Blean wood. In 863 (B.C.S. 507) the same king gave to another thane an important estate at Mersham and "unam salis coquinariam hoc est i sealternsteall et ther cota to in illa loco ubi nominature Herewic et iiii carris transductionem in silba regis sex ebdomades a die pentecosten hubi alteri homines silbam cedunt hoc est in regis communione", i.e. one salt evaporator, i.e. a salt works, and its cottage, in the place called Herewic (Harwich), and the leading of four carts in the king's