Last month we discussed a Quit Rental concerning the Crowhurst estate and this month we take a look at what is probably one of the most interesting series of autographs appearing on this deed of conveyance.
If we take the "Dictionary of National Biography" as the touchstone of personages who attained National prominence in their own particular field then the two gentlemen who autographed this deed are the following:
Nicholas Hyde was the uncle of Edward Hyde, the first earl of Clarendon, he was a barrister whose chambers were Middle Temple, he was the Member of Parliament for Andover in 1601 and Christchurch 1603-4, he was knighted in 1627 whilst from 1627 until his death in 1631 was Chief Justice of England.
The other autograph on the deed is perhaps one of the most interesting from a Kentish viewpoint for it is that of no less a personage than William Lambarde, the great historian of Kent, he was born in 1536 a bencher of Lincoln's Inn 1579, his first work was a collection and paraphrase of Anglo-Saxon laws published in 1568 whilst two years later he had completed his first draft of his Perambulations of Kent printed 1574 and 1576, the earliest county history known a second edition was published in 1596, he had collected materials for a general account of England but abandoned this on learning that William Camden was engaged on a similar work. His Eirenarcha or of the office of Justices of Peace 1581 long a standard authority (reprinted seven times between 1582 and 1610) he was keeper of the records at the Rolls Chapel 1597 and keeper of the records in the Tower of London 1601. Lambardes in New Ash Green is named after him and Mr. Jeremy Scott the Patron of the Church numbers William Lambarde amongst his collateral ancestors.
But then, there are one or two others who-signed this conveyance but whose names do not appear in the D.N.B and briefly these are Hugh Morgan who is styled as Apothecary to Her Majesty, Sir Lawrence Hyde who was attorney-general to Anne of Denmark, the consort of King James I another signatory was Lawrence Hyde whose son Henry was the father of Edward Hyde the Earl of Clarendon whose daughter Ann Hyde married James, Duke of York and whose daughters were Queen Mary (1688-1694) and Queen Anne (1702-1714).
Besides William Hodsoll of South Ash, the other signatories were Anne Hyde the mother of Lawrence. Nicholas and Robert who also signed the deed, the final two were John Hope of Eynsford and his wife Anne Hope nee Sybill of Kingsdown, who traced her ancestry to one John Sibbell who had died in 1401.
Bibliography
West Kingsdown - Zena Bamping BA, South Ash Manor muniments, Dictionary of National Biography and Encyclopedia Britannica 13th edition 1911.
Leslie Morgan