Thomas Polhill, of Wrotham

Thomas, the second son of Thomas and Joan, is regarded as the founder of the Wrotham line, but all his roots and those of his family seem to have remained in Shoreham. In the centre of this front step to the chancel of Shoreham Church is a brass plate which reads:-

"Here lyeth Thomas Polhyll who deceased the xxth. daye of February 1588 and Annes his wife, daughter of William Plumly of Otford and had issue five by her one sonne and four daughters, which Annes deceased the -- daye of--whose soule is in God."

Stowe records that in 1593 'there is a space for the daye and yeare of her death because she was now lyving when I took this'. The well-meant effort of economy which Anne attempted when she honoured her husband's memory rebounded upon herself, for the gaps have never been filled. The registers contain an entry for Agnes, widowe of Thomas Polhill, deceased, under date December 28, 1602, which might very well refer to her. In addition to the brass strip there are two indentations in the stone which suggest that the inscription was once accompanied by a figured and an armorial shield, both of which have since disappeared. source http://polhill.info/book.php?p=1

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The Kentish Polhills. Supplementary Paper No. 9

INQUISITION POST MORTEM. THOMAS POLHILL. 1589

of SHOREHAM CASTLE and OTFORD.

Public Record Office reference C. 142/220 No. 80

Elizabeth by the grace of Good Queen of England France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith to her escheator in the county of Kent greeting, WHEREAS THOMAS POLHILL yeoman who held of us in chief has closed his last day as we have heard, we order you to take into our hand without delay all the lands and tenements of which the same Thomas was seised in his demesne as of fee in your bailiwick on the day on which he died and to cause them to be kept safely until we shall have ordered you otherwise and to enquire diligently by the oath of good and lawful men of your same bailiwick by whom the truth of the matter can better be known how much lands and tenements the aforesaid Thomas held of us in chief as well as in demesne as in service in your said bailiwick on the said day on which he died and how much of others and by what service and how much those lands and tenements are worth by the year in all their issues and on what day the same Thomas died and who is his nearer heir and of what age and to send the inquisition thereof distinctly and openly made to us in our Chancery under your seal and the seals of those by whom it shall have been made without delay and this writ. Witness myself at Westminster the fourteenth day of June in the thirty-first year of our reign.

Sudley.

It was delivered into court on the third day of December in the thirty second year of the queen below written by the hands of Michael Berisford, gentleman.

(In the margin.) Transcripts thereof are sent to the courts of Wards and Exchequer by Hawley.

Kent. INDENTED INQUISITION taken at Maidstone in the aforesaid county on the seventh day of July in the thirty first year of the reign of Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc. before Nicholas Dereing esquire escheator of the aforesaid lady the Queen of the aforesaid county by virtue of a writ of the same lady the Queen of diem clausit extremum directed to the same escheator and shewn to this inquisition to enquire after the death of THOMAS POLHILL yeoman deceased by the oath of Thomas Reynolds Robert Hodges William Boote Henry Hauncellett Robert Baker William Barlinge Robert Barlinge George Charleton James Everinden John Burbage William Burbage William Marten Henry Hunte Philip Joyce John Harkedge and Edward Weldyshe good and lawful men of the aforesaid county, who being sworn and charged say upon their

oaths that the aforesaid Thomas Polhill named in the said writ long before his death and on the day of his death was seised in his demesne as of fee of and in the manor of Lullingston Castle otherwise SHOREHAM CASTLE with the appurtenances four messuages 450 acres of arable land 150 acres of pasture 24 acres of meadow 200 acres of wood 8 acres of moor 100 acres of broom and heath and 30 shillings of rent with the appurtenances lying and being in the parishes of SHOREHAM and EYNSFORD in the said county of Kent now in the tenure of Thomas Cawston yeoman and of and in one tenement and 150 acres of land lying and being in the parish of SHOREHAM aforesaid called TYMBERDEN in the tenure of John Campe and also of and in one messuage called DRYDEN with the appurtenances in which the aforesaid Thomas Polhill lately dwelt 8 acres of meadow 80 acres of arable land and 20 acres of pasture pertaining to the same messuage lying and being in the parish of SHOREHAM aforesaid, the which messuage and the other premises last recited the aforesaid Thomas Polhill lately held to him and his heirs in fee farm rendering yearly to John Lennarde esquire £4.6.8 at the feast of St. Michael the Archangel every year, and also he was likewise seised in his demesne as of fee of and in one messuage and 120 acres of arable land meadow and pasture lying and being in the parishes of SHOREHAM and OTFORD in the said county of Kent now in the tenure of Clement Dennys yeoman and of and in one tenement with the appurtenances in the aforesaid parish of OTFORD now in the tenure (blank space) and of and in one messuage or tenement with the appurtenances thereof in SHOREHAM aforesaid now in the tenure of AGNES POLHILL widow and of and in 60 acres of wood and woodland called BEWMANS and 20 acres of woodland called PECKHAMS SHORTWOODE and 20 acres of arable land called PLEXSTOOLE in the parish of SHOREHAM aforesaid, and he was also likewise seised in his demesne as of fee of and in the manor of MORTYMERS with the appurtenances 142 acres of land 10 acres of meadow 40 acres of pasture 32 acres of wood 13 acres of salt marsh and 6 shillings and 8 pence of rent belonging to the same manor lying and being in the parishes of CLYVE and HIGHAM now in the tenure of (blank space) Smythe widow AND THE AFORESAID Thomas Polhill being seised in form aforesaid of the premises died so seised thereof on the eighteenth day of February last past before the taking of this inquisition and that the aforesaid THOMAS POLHILL the YOUNGER is his son and nearer heir and is of the age on the day of the taking of this inquisition of fifty years and more AND FURTHER the aforesaid jurors say upon their oaths that the aforesaid manor of Lullingstone Castle otherwise SHOREHAM CASTLE with the appurtenances are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas Polhill were held of the said Lady the Queen as of her manor of OTFORD by the service of one knight's fee and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises £13.6.8 and that

the aforesaid tenement with the appurtenances called TYMBERDEN are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas were held of the said lady the Queen as of her said manor of OTFORD in socage by fealty and a rent of 26/- and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises 40/- and that the aforesaid messuage called DIPDEN with the appurtenances are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas were held of the said lady the Queen as of her said manor of Otford in socage by fealty and a rent of 30/- and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises £3.6.8 and that the aforesaid messuage with the appurtenances in the tenure of Clement Dennys are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas Polhill were held of the said lady the Queen as of her said manor of OTFORD in socage by fealty and a rent (the amount is omitted) and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises £4 and that the aforesaid tenement in the parish of Otford aforesaid is held of the said lady the Queen as of her manor of OTFORD in socage by fealty and rent and is worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises 6/8 and that the aforesaid messuage in SHOREHAM in the tenure of Agnes Polhill widow is held of the said lady the Queen as of her manor of OTFORD aforesaid in socage by fealty and a rent of 13d and is worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises 6s/8d and that the aforesaid lands called BEWMANS and PECKHAMS SHORTWOODE and the aforesaid lands called PLEXSTOOLE are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas were held of the said lady the Queen as of herbafore said manor of OTFORD in socage by fealty and a rent of 5s/5d and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises 53s/4d and that the aforesaid manor of MORTYMERS and the appurtenances are held and on the day of the death of the said Thomas were held of William Brooke knight of the most noble order of the garter Lord Cobham as of his manor of WESTCLYVE by the half of one knight's fee and a rent of 21s/6d and are worth by the year in all issues beyond reprises £6. AND FURTHER the aforesaid jurors say upon their oaths that the aforesaid THOMAS POLHILL named in the said writ had or held no other or more manors messuages lands tenements or hereditaments, or any other person had or held to his use, held of the said lady the Queen in chief by military service or otherwise than is aforesaid to the knowledge of the aforesaid jurors. IN WITNESS WHEREOF to one part of this inquisition remaining with the aforesaid jurors the said escheator has set his seal and to the other part remaining with the aforesaid escheator both the aforesaid escheator and the aforesaid jurors have set their seals.

GIVEN on the day and year and at the place aforesaid.

(here follow the signatures and seals of the

escheator and the jurors).

SUMMARY. In Lullingstone, Shoreham and Eynsford *

4 messuages Value

450 ac. arable

150 ac pasture Thomas Cawston 1 Knight'

24 ac meadow 30/- fee

200 ac wood £13.6.8

8 ac moor

100 ac broom and heath

Timberden * John Campe

1 tenmt. 150 ac land 26/- £2

Dryden or Dipden *

8 ac meadow

80 ac arable John Lennard £3.6.8

20 ac pasture £4.6.8

In Shoreham and Otford *

1 mess.120 ac arable, Clement Dennys £4

meadow and pasture

1 tenement Agnes Polhill 6/8

Bewmans * 13d.

60 ac wood

Peckhams Shortwoode*

20 ac wood 5/5 £2.13.4

Plexstole*

20 ac arable

• all of the Queen of her manor of Otford, by fealty in socage

In Clyve and Higham

Mortymers

142 ac land

10 ac meadow

40 ac pasture Smyth, widow. Lord

32 ac wood 6/8 Cobham

13 ac salt marsh 1/2 Knight's fee £6

21/6

This IQM is into the estate of THOMAS POLHILL son of the third son of John Polley and concerns none of the property brought into the family by Alice Buckland except such as was not of the manor of South Buckland. It is a tribute to the acument of the Polhill yeomen, as they are called in these IQMs, and accounts for the description 'gentleman' granted to the next generation.

The confusion between Lullingstone and Shoreham is perpetuated by Hasted:- actually they are two separate buildings of which remains exist to this day.

The death of THOMAS is given by the jurors as 18th February 1589, which is the date registered at Shoreham Church. The brass plate in the chancel step gives the date 20th day February 1588, and perhaps it would be better written 1588/9. The date of birth of son Thomas, who married Elizabeth Daniel of Farningham is seen to be 1539.

source http://polhill.info/book.php?p=22