Brocket (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Brockle

In the civil parish of Tenterden/Stone-cum-Ebony.
In the historic county of Kent.
Modern Authority of Kent.
1974 county of Kent.
Medieval County of Kent.

OS Map Grid Reference: TQ922304
Latitude 51.04155° Longitude 0.74149°

Brocket has been described as a probable Fortified Manor House.

There are no visible remains.

Description

In 1487 John Guldeford received a licence to 'crenellate the manors or tenements of Halden, Tenterden, Brockle and Hertrigge, in the parishes of Rolvenden, Tenderden, Crambroke and Ebney, co. Kent'.

BROCKET is another small manor here, which had antiently owners of the same name, who were of sufficient note to have their arms carved, among those of the rest of the nobility and gentry of this county, on the roof of the cloysters in Canterbury, being, Or, a cross flory, sable; and they seem to have continued owners of it till king Henry IV.'s reign, when it was alienated to William Guldeford, in whose descendants it remained till Sir John Guldeford sold it in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. to Sir John Hales, baron of the exchequer, who at his death gave it to his youngest son Edward Hales, esq. who was seated at Tenterden, in whose descendants, as I am informed, it has continued down to Sir Edward Hales, bart. of St. Stephen's, the present owner of it. (Hasted)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1487 Oct 6 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Comments

There is no manor called Brockle recorded in Hasted's history in Cranbrook parish. Hasted does recount a Guldeford Shield of Arms, quarted with Halden, in the church but does not associated Guldeford with any of the many Cranbrook manors although he does state John Guildford was a 'neighbour' to Walter Roberts of Glassenbury Manor 3 miles NW of the church. It is entirely possible that 'Brockle' is a mistranscribing of roll entry. Brocket, in Ebney parish, was held by the Guldeford's. Hartridge was a manor in Cranbrook and it seems the last two parish names have been swapped in order. On this bases this licenced house is identified as Brocket Manor in Ebney.

The location of the medieval manor of Brocket is uncertain but a Brocket Farm exists at TQ922304. This is in the modern CP of Tenterden, but on the boundary with Stone cum Ebony CP and the site of St Mary's, the parish church of Ebony (Ebney, Ebeney) was on Chapel Hill at TQ928297. Given the nature of the land in the era before large scale field drainage the area for a manor house would be restricted and it seems probably that Brocket Farm (which, despite not being listed, may well date to C17) represents the site of the Guldeford manor house.

Sources of information, references and further reading

Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record.

Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 440
  Hasted, Edward, 1798 (2edn), The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 8 p. 493- (tenurial history of Ebeney) online transcription
  Seymour, C., 1776, A new topographical, historical, and commercial survey of the cities, towns and villages of the county of Kent p. 85 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Coulson, Charles, 2007-8, 'On Crenellating, in Kent and Beyond - A Retrospection' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 21 p. 189-201 esp p. 200
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1914, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VII (1485-94) Vol. 1 p. 150-1 online copy

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