Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/54

24 the Medway, a short distance below the church, was formerly an iron-foundry, and in a wood southwards from the church are pits, whence ore was obtained.

14. . Now merely a farm, called Aldington, in the parish of Thornham, and the original endowment of Audintone is attached to that church. It continued a separate parish till united to Thornham, 24th August 1583, by agreement between Henry Brockhull, lord of the manor and patron, and William Merrick, vicar of Thornham; which agreement was confirmed by authority the following year. (Hasted.)

In (A.D. 1291) appears "Ecclia de Tornham Aldinton:" the latter is also mentioned, together with Thornham, in (Val. Eccl.) In the (Clergy List) we still find "Thornham, R., with Ailingham, V;" the last name no doubt signifying Aldington.

15. . The church of Aylesford is named in a deed of K. Henry I. (Textus Roffensis. E codicibus MSS. descripsit ediditque Tho. Hearnius, Oxonii, 1720, 169.) Brass: John and Sarra Cosyngton, 1426. (Reg. Roff.) At Cosington, or Codington, in this parish, a chapel was standing in A.D. 1293, it being named as the chapel of Dominus Stephen Cosingtone, miles. (Reg. Roff.) Cosington chapel is mentioned in a document without date, but perhaps earlier than the above. (Text. Roff. 229, 231.) There was another chapel, annexed to Tottington, an estate here, founded by Richard, Lord Poynings, 2d of K. Richard II. (Harris.) A house of Carmelite friars was established at Aylesford, by Richard, Lord Grey, of Codnor, temp. K. Henry III. (Lambarde.)—A.D. 1240, 25th K. Henry III: said to have been the first Carmelite foundation in England. (Monast., VI, 1571.) In the Domesday description of the royal manor of "Elesford," this entry occurs : "The bishop of Rochester also, in exchange for the ground on which the castle stands, holds as much of the estate as is worth seventeen shillings and four pence. Episcopus etiam de Rovecestria pro excambio terre in qua castellum sedet tantum de hac terra tenet quod xvii solidos et iiii denaria valet." (D. B.) I am informed that there are, or were lately, at Aylesford, the remains of a Norm. keep or tower, with walls about eight or ten feet high, and used as a dog kennel. It is possible, certainly, that the notice in (D. B.) may refer to this building, and if any choose so to apply it, there seems to be no positive proof to the contrary; still the internal evidence of the passage appears to point rather to the castle of Rochester.