The hundred of Wachlingstone: Introduction (second part)

THE HUNDRED OF WACHLINGSTONE.

THE hundred of Wachlingstone encompasses the lowy of Tunbridge on the east, west, and south sides of it. It is written in the survey of Domesday, Warchelestan.

The king and the archbishop of Canterbury were lords of this hundred in the beginning of king Ed ward II's reign. How the latter came to be divested of his property in it, I have not found; but in the 15th year of that reign, the king was possessed of the intire fee of it, for he then granted it, by the consent of parliament, among other estates of greater value, to Edmund, of Woodstock, his half-brother, whom he at the same time made earl of Kent, and he died possessed of it in the 4th year of king Edward III.

After which it passed in like manner as the hundred of Littlefield, described before, till on the attaint of Henry, lord Cobham, in the first year of James I. they became forfeited to the crown, and were confirmed to it by an act passed specially for that purpose, two years afterwards; since which, these hundreds. have continued among the possessions of the crown, where they remain at present.

THIS HUNDRED CONTAINS THE PARISHES OF

1.TUDELEY in part;
2. PEMBURY in part;
3. BIDBOROUGH; and
4. ASHURST;

And the churches of those parishes; and also part of the parishes of CAPEL, PENSHURST, LYGHE, SPELDHURST, and so much of FANT as lies within this county, the churches of which parishes are not within this hundred.