Historic Book

Extract from “A History of the Weald of Kent, with an Outline of the Early History of the County – Volume 3” by Robert Furley and Henry B. Mackeson

Published in 1874

Page 703

ROLVENDEN , originally a dene , [ contracted Rounden , ” named from the rolling
valley ” -Philipott ] as well as Benenden , is mentioned in Domes
day , but with this distinction : -Rolvenden is returned as a
Hundred , while Benenden is noticed as a manor held by Robert
de Romenel of the Bishop of Baieux , and possessing a church .

Thus Benenden , originally a dene , was a manor when Domesday
was completed . With Rolvenden , it made up the Hundred , and
the Norman scribe having returned Rolvenden as a Hundred ,
might deem it unnecessary to notice it again .

Rolvenden after
wards formed one of the Seven Hundreds which claimed to be
paramount over it .

Aldington possessed no less than ten denes or
parts of denes here , viz . : -Rolvenden ( part ) , Little Rolvenden ,
Fordesham , Mileham , Devenhurst , Frencham ( part ) , Standen
( part ) , Dingledene , Keinsham , or Cassingham , and Hole ( part ) :
Dulveredenne , or Deverdenne , was in Brook ; Rustwell , in
Halling ; Frensham ( part ) , in Swanscombe ; Midsell , and Holin
den , in Lambin .

The other denes here were Hixdene , Thorn
dene , Maplesden , Iden , Lodendene , Orlovingdene , Great May
tham , and Lowden or Little Maytham .

Seven of these ancient
denes afterwards became manors , and were held by knight
service .
I have referred above to a manor in this parish called Lambin or
Halden , and Hasted ( without giving any authority ) says there
were twelve denes which held of it , and there were twelve
beadles appointed on the Court – day to collect the quit – renta .

Only two of these denes , however , are in Rolvenden ; the other
ten are in Benenden , Sandhurst , High Halden , Woodchurch ,
Tenterden , and Wittersham .

There may be similar cases , but
this is the only one I have met where a manor situate wholly
in the Weald possessed denes in other parishes .

Somner says that Domesday gives no account of any one entire
independent manor in the Weald . The Prior of Robertabridge ,
in Sussex , possessed denes here .

Pages 653 – 654

In 1822 an ancient vessel was found in the old bed
of the river Rother , in the Level of East Maytham , near
Maytham Wharf , Rolvenden , under the bank of a sewer
running into the present course of the river Rother to the
west of the Isle of Oxney .

She was dug out of ten feet of
sea – sand by a labourer in the employ of the late Mr. J.
Pomfret , the owner of the adjoining land .

Her length
was about sixty – three feet , and her breadth fifteen feet :
She was built entirely of oak , perfectly sound and very
hard , but much blackened . The caulking material was
moss . The rudder appeared to have been curiously man
aged .

She was floated on the 27th of August , when a
small boat ( or rather , the wreck of one ) was also dis
covered . The late Earl of Romney was present at an in
spection of the vessel , and agreed with Mr. Rice , of the
College of Naval Architecture ( who was also present ) ,
that she was a Dutch vessel , which was confirmed by
the fact that several articles of Dutch manufacture were
found in her ; but beyond the handle or hilt of a
sword there was nothing to lead to the conclusion that
she had been a vessel of warfare .

Human and other
bones were found in the cabin , and part of the skull of a
child .

The loss of mast , bowsprit , anchor , and cable ,
were sufficient proofs that she had been wrecked , and
there was a hole stove through her bottom forward .

No
thing could be discovered to fix the age of the vessel , or
probable period when it was wrecked . I have referred to
the great storm , A.D. 1287 , which altered the course of

the Rother . The vessel might have perished then , or at
a later period ; but certainly before 1623 , from which
time the river here was not navigable .

Another vessel ,
supposed to be Danish , was discovered in 1860 , in the
bed of the Rother , near Rolvenden .

Page 652, about William Cobbett’s observations in 1822

” Rolvenden was my next village , and thence I could see the lofty
church of Tenterden on the top of a hill at three miles distance .

This
Rolvenden is a very beautiful village ; and , indeed , such are all the places
along here . Here the houses have gardens in front of them as well as
behind ; and there is a good deal of show and finery about them and their
gardens .

The high roads are without a stone in them ; and everything
looks like gentility .

At this place I saw several arbutuses in one garden ,
and much finer than we see them in general ; though , mind , this is no
proof of a mild climate , for the arbutus is a native of one much colder
than that of England , and , indeed , than that of Scotland . “

” Coming from Benenden to Rolvenden , I saw some Swedish turnips ,
and strange as the reader will think it , the first I saw after leaving
Worth ! The reason I take to be this : -The farms are all furnished with
grass – fields , as in Devonshire , about Honiton . These grass – fields give hay
for the sheep and cattle in winter , or at any rate , they do all that is not
done by the white turnips . It may be a question whether it would be
more profitable to break up and sow Swedes ; but this is the reason of
their not being cultivated along here . White turnips are more easily got
than Swedes ; they may be sown later ; and with good hay they will fat
cattle and sheep ; but the Swedes will do this business without hay . “