Circa 1250 to 1260 Essewelle seems to have divided with the smaller part held by Roger de Kynardinton’ coming into the possession of the Abbey of St. Alban’s and being absorbed into their adjacent Eswalt holdings, whilst the larger part remained in the possession of the Colkyns. The Abbey may have acquired Roger de Kynardinton’s holding as a result of his debts, unfortunately no documentary evidence has yet come to light but they may have taken over the debt or lent him money which was not repaid. There may be of some relevance that both Christ Church Canterbury, and the Abbey of St. Alban’s were Benedictine foundations and that St. Alban’s abbey church suffered earthquake damage in 1250, and it is possible that Christ Church donated the forfeited land to aid in the re-building of St. Alban’s church.
This division of Essewelle into what became known as Esol (ect) and Freydevill’ (ect) has caused some confusion to historians over the centuries. The Abbey held Eswalt directly from the Crown as tenant-in-chief, apparently free of any service owed due of some astute medieval tax avoidance schemes, whilst Esol was held from the Barony of de Say with service of half a knights fee at Dover Castle.
The Abbey’s holdings in Nonington retained separate manorial identities with Esol having it own manorial court until the early 1700’s. Surviving manorial court records from 1501 have recently come to light which refer to it as the Manor of Essesole which show its jurisdiction as extending over what are now the large fields on either side of Mill Lane, then called Essosole Fields; the Beauchamps area between St. Alban’s Court house and Beauchamps Lane; the field behind the old Youth Club building and some as yet unidentified messuages and smaller pieces of land the present Easole Street area.
The Abbey’s Nonington holdings of Eswalt and Esol were often jointly referred to over the centuries as the manor of Esol (ect), although they retained separate manorial entities. These individual identities were further confused when by the 1490’s the two holdings were referred to as St. Alban, later St. Albons and then St. Albans.
That part of the Esol (ect) manor which became known as Bechams (Beauchamps) was held for long periods by the holders of Freydevyle (ect), the other part of Essewelle, and Bechans was specifically mentioned in the 1484 feet of fines when “the manors of Fredeuyle (Fredville) and Beauchamp’ and 2 messuages, 405 acres of land, 3 acres of wood and 76 shillings and 4 pence of rent and a rent of 8 cocks, 30 hens and 1 pair of gloves in Nonyngton’ and Godneston’ “ was sold by the heiress of Thomas and Ann Quadryng to William Boys of Goodnestone.
The Quadryng’ family held the manor of Fredvill’ in their own right by knights fee from Dover Castle, Beauchamps from the Abbey of St. Alban’s who held by knights fee from Dover Castle, and other land in North and South Nonington from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s manor of Wingham by suite of court.
Holding land under the manorial system often led to a land-holders land lord also being the landholders tenant when the lord of the manor “rented” land from a free holder on his manor. In such a situation the lord was owed manorial fees by the free-holder whilst owing rent or other fees for holding the land from the free-holder. It’s small wonder medieval lawyers were wealthy men and the law was seen as a suitable profession for lesser sons of the gentry.
The rights to the obligation for payments owed for service to DoverCastle continued until the 18th century. Charles II sold the rights to payments to raise money for the Crown and these rights were not extinguished until 1738 when the holder of the rights accepted a “one off” payment in final settlement. The two separate parts of Essewelle were referred to in the 1738 document as: ” Manner of Eastwell alias Essoles alias St. Albans Court [in Nonington] “ and ” Manner of Eastwell alias ffredvile [Fredville in Nonington] “.
