For centuries domestic pigeons were kept in dovecotes, also known as a columbaria; pigeonnaire; or pigeon house. They were easy to breed and provided a meat considered to be a delicacy by the wealthy and their manure was considered to be the best fertilizer available. Pigeon dung has a very high nitrogen content and has […]
Month: January 2018
Hammond, Plumptre, & Co., the Canterbury bank
William Osmund Hammond As well as being land-owners, the Hammonds of St. Alban’s Court and the Plumptres of Fredville were also partners in a Canterbury bank. In 1818, the bank was called Hammond, Plumptre, Furley, Hilton & McMaster, but was more generally known as the Canterbury Bank. However, over the years the bank was also […]
Acol, or Ackholt, in the old parish of Nonington-revised 11.01.2018
Ackholt, Acholt or Acol, Nonington. Also:1283 Ackholt; 1469 Akholte; 1626 Acholt. Ackholt is now in the Parish of Aylesham and lies just the other side of the railway-line where the Nonington to Womenswold bridle way crosses the Snowdown to Aylesham road on the southern boundary of the old parish of Nonington. Pronouced Acol (Aye-kul) with a long […]
Sir John Harleston at Esol and Freydvill’-revised 2.1.2017
The 1377 St. Alban’s Abbey manorial rental rolls for Esol record that the house, buildings and land previously held by Sir John de Beauchamp was then owned Sir John Harleston, who also had a life interest in the Manor of Freydvill’. Sir John Harleston, sometimes spelt Harlestone or Herliston, had much in common with Sir […]
The Quadryng family at Fredeuyle and Esol-revised 1.1.17
John Quadryng, a City of London mercer, aquired one half of the Manor of Fredeuyle, as Freydvill’ was by then known, in the opening years of the 15th century and the manor remained with the Quadryng, also Quadring, family for much of that century. It’s not clear when the Quadryngs acquired the Esol house and lands as […]