The BFI have a given access to an amateur film made in Cobham, Kent in 1944.
“You’d never know there was a war on in sleepy Cobham until you see the soldiers – otherwise life goes on at a slow pace in this beautifully bucolic corner of Kent…”
Click here to view – https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-village-life-in-wartime-cobham-1944-online
The family of Vyaundes (with various spellings) was in London and Cobham from at latest 1299 and Margery, the last of them, seem to have died about 1370. After that date, their land appears as a small manor, which Lord Cobham gave to the College of Cobham. It continued as a manor until by 1572 it had become a farm, with a lay owner. By 1803 it had become Fiance farm. Nowadays it is buried in the orchards to the south of Cobham College. We have good hopes of finding the site if the farmer allows it.
1299: Wlword, clerk of Cobham confirms a tenement in Cobham to Robert Wyande. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p57]
1302: Alice widow of Ralph Carectar confirms a messuage with house to Robert Wyande. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p57]
1307/1322: [temp Ed II] Sir Henry de Cobham jun. confirms land in Cobham to Robert Vyaund. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p57]
1322 Sep 27: Grant to Emma Viande, widow of Robert Viande of Cobham, of houses in London. Cart Bart H para 189
1322 Sep 28: Grant to Emma Viande, widow of Robert Viande of Cobham, of a brewhouse, shops & houses near the Red Cross in London. Cart Bart H para 448
1324 Sep 20: Grant by Emma Vyaunde, widow of Robert Vyaunde of Cobbeham, of houses in Smethefeld, London. Cart Bart H para 190
1324 Sep 20: Grant by Emma Vyaunde, widow of Robert Vyaunde of Cobbeham, of a brewhouse, shops & houses near the Red Cross in London. Cart Bart H para 449
1325: John, son of John Thomas confirms all his wood in Cobham to Robert Vyaund. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p57]
1338: Sir John de Cobham exchanges land in Cobham with Robert Vyaunde. [entered twice]. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p58]
1362: John Vyaunde lets to fee farm a curtilage at Plot in Cobham, to John Berket. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p59]
1369: John son of John de Ideleghe grants to Margery widow of John son of Robert Vyaunde, an annuity of 6s for her life for her surrender to him of her life interest in 50 acres in Cobham & Luddesdowne, which revert to him at her death. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p60]
1370: John de Cobham, Lord Cobham releases a rent charge for Vyaundys to Cobham Chantry. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p61]
1370: Hen. Hauk & others confirm to Reg de C[obham] & others a right of way between the Chantry & Vyaunds. Dering Colln deeds & charters [StvNb p61]
1375 Aug 6: Lease from Thos Buynton Bishop of Rochester to the Master & Chaplains of Cobham College of 5½ acres of land, parcel of Cobhambury manor, between the land of the Bishop of Rochester towards the S. & W. & the moat (fossatum) about the mans[e] of Cobham College; the cemetery of Cobham Church; the road from the College to Vyanndys towards the & the land of ye College called Poppynnefeld towards the E. at a rental of 2/6. BM Harl. Charter 43 I 31, dated at Trottysclyve [StvNb p27]
1435-6: Taxation of the parish of Cobham for one whole fifteenth 14 Henry VI taken by John Hale & Wm Skeper:
From the lordship of Cobham xxxiii s viii d
From the lordship of Horhurst [Henhurst] xx s
from the Master of the College for the tenement of Vianndez vii s
from the same for Northcourt manor iiii s
and 58 individual payments from ii d to v s
Harl Roll D5 [StvNb p28]
146: Vyands is mentioned as a manor belonging to Cobham College. Cecil MSS Court Rolls 14/6. Arch. Cant. Vol XXVII 1905 p.120
1517: Mentions of the court rolls of the manor. Cecil MSS Accounts 116/39. Arch. Cant. Vol XXVII 1905 p.120
1537 Jul 1: Rental of the lands of Cobham College: From Joan Girdler for the farm of le Viandes with its appurtenances v li iij s iiii d per annum. Arch. Cant. Vol XXVII 1905 p.96
1572 A terr’or [terrier] of the landes belonginge to the late dissolved College of Cobham:
IN THE TENURE OF GYLBERTE YONGE:
One tenement cawled the Vyance, wt. the Barnes stabelles and other owt howses and one yearde.
One Crofte cawled payntors Bowndethe uppon a Lane leadinge from the Vyance to Cobham streate towardes the Easte, uppon the longe garden in the tenure of John Melsham towardes the Sowthe, uppon the Landes of the Lorde Cobham and Robert Spryver towardes the northe, and uppon the Landes of theyres of Clynke towardes the weste, and conteynth iiij acres.
One other Crofte called Culver Crofte, Bowndeth uppon the highe waye leading from Rochester to Cobham towardes the northe, uppon the Landes of Wyllm. Russe towardes the Easte, uppon the Tenement cawled the vyance towardes the Sowthe, and uppon the Lane leadinnge from the sayed Vyance to Cobham streate towardes the west, and conteyne vij acres.
One other Crofte cawled Skryveners, Bowndethe uppon the Landes of Willm. Russe and Robert Spryver towardes the northe, uppon the Landes belonginnge to the Busshoppe off Rochester towardes the Sowthe, uppon the Landes of the sayed Robert Spryver and the sayed Busshopps Landes towardes the Easte, and uppon the sayed Tenement cawled the Vyance towardes the west and conteyneth x acres.
One other Crofte cawled Hogge crofte, Bowndeth uppon the Landes belonginnge o the Busshopp of Rochester towardes the Sowthe, uppon the Lane called the Vyance Lane towardes the nothe and East, and uppon the foresayed long garden and the Busshops Landes towardes the west and conteyneth ii acres.
Somma off the acres 18.
IN THE TENURE OF JOHN EVESDONE:
One fylde cawled Askyns wt. a grove, Bowndethe uppon the Landes of… Ryccarde and henery Jarmyne towardes the Sowthe, uppon the highe waye leadinnge from Luddesdowne to the viance towardes the East uppon the Landes of the sayed … Ryccarde towardesthe northe and uppon the Landes of the L. Cobham towardes the west, and conteynethe xij acres…
CERTEYNE OF THE COLLEDGE OF COBHAM LANDES LETTEN TO MR. SERGEANT BARHAM. IN THE OCCUPATION OFF NICLAS BARHAM BY INDENTURE:
One Crofte called Vyance Brome Lyeth to the Landes of the Lorde Cobham called Lyttell pooreriche northe. To the landes of the sayed nyclas Barham called penFylde Easte. To the Landes of the sayed John Jarmyne Sowthe and west, and payethe for the same per ann. Iiij bz barley and conteynethe 3 acres.
One Crofte called Lyttell pooreriche Lyethe to the Landes of nyclas Barham called greatt pooreriche northe. To the Landes called upper churche Fylde East. To the Landes of the sayed Lorde Cobham called Vyance Brome and to the Landes of the sayede Nyclas Barham called pennffyld Sowthe. And to a certeyne lande waye leadinge to the Tennants landes there weste, and conteynethe 2 acres and payethe per ann. ijs. …
IN THE TENURE OF JO. MELSHAM:
…. The longe garden Lyethe to the Landes of the Busshoppe of Rochester weste and Sowthe. To the common Fote pathe leadinnge betwene the sayed Colledge and the Vyannce northe and to Hogges crofte east and conteynethe iij acres and vij dayeworkes.
Arch. Cant. Vol XXVII 1905 p.101-106
1803 May 20: That it is in the memory of several persons when there was not any Stile Footpath or Way leading from Churchfield part of Fiance Farm now belonging to the Earl of Darnley & in the occupation of — Fenner Widow by the Paymaster’s house to the back of the College. That there is not any public foot path or way there. And that the erection of such Stile & the use of such footpath or way is an encroachment upon & an infringement of the rights of the College. (This was arranged with Mr Stevenson, Lord Darnley’s Steward May 20th 1803 Stile removed). Cobham College Account Book [StvNb p73]
Article by Roger Cockett, February 2018.
Arch. Cant. Vol XXVII containing an article on the Cobham Manors.
Cart Bart H is the cartulary of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, a calendar prepared by Nellie J. M. Kerling, which was published in 1973 (with City of London funding).
StvNb is a small notebook compiled by Miss E J Stevens who lived at Cobham Parsonage with her sister in the earlier part of the last century. She transcribed a number of original documents relating to Cobham from various sources. She wrote in ink (before c.1960) and occasionally in pencil.
The A2 Bean and Ebbsfleet road consultation has opened. Page 11 of the consultation booklet indicates that local archaeology may be affected if option 2 of the Ebbsfleet junction slip road proposals is taken forward.
If you want to have your say on this proposal then please go to this link – https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/a2-bean-and-ebbsfleet-statutory-consultation/consultation/intro/
The brochure that outlines the details can be found here – https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/he/a2-bean-and-ebbsfleet-statutory-consultation/supporting_documents/Statutory20Consultation20Brochure.pdf
The consultation will run from 21 February to 4 April 2018.
In the mid 18th Century, Cobham Village’s water was supplied from a number of ponds and a parish pump with an underground cistern located in Cobham’s The Street, close to the Leather Bottle. The parish pump being the sole supply of clean water at that time.
Looking after the various springs, ponds and the parish pump was proving to be troublesome as the ponds were liable to silting up, overflowing onto The Street and/or freezing over in winter. Also the parish pump needed constant maintenance and repair.
In 1778 the parish pump was moved from near the Leather Bottle to its current location, on land then owned by Bonham Hayes.
On the 3rd July 1783 Bonham Hayes (then living at Meadow House) gave the land, water cistern and enclosed ponds in trust to the Rev. James Jones, officiating Minister in the Parish of Cobham, John Baker and Thomas Morris, Churchwardens and their successors.
It was a condition of the gift that ‘a person shall be appointed’ (by the inhabitants paying towards the support of the water works) ‘to have care and superintend the said cistern and water works there to belonging for one year’. The voting and appointment was to take place on the second Tuesday in July each year.
Notice of the yearly vote was to be given the two previous Sundays (presumably during the Sunday Church Service).
John Huggins was duly elected on the 29th July 1783 to take up the post of Water Superintendent for the remainder of the first year.
Two years later, at the meeting held on 12th July 1785, Bonham Hayes was elected Superintendent of the Cistern and the Works for the year. At the same meeting it was agreed that, ‘on consideration (of) expenses incurred in reparations of the said works, that a rate amounting to one half of the original rate should be made and collected in the said thereof by (Mr) Crowhurst the Superintendent for the last year’.
What the expenses incurred were, or why the water works benefactor, Bonham Hayes thought it necessary to put himself forward for the post of Superintendent is not recorded.
For the next 63 years the yearly election meetings were held and various men appointed to the post of Superintendent. But, by 1848 the condition of the cistern and water works had deteriorated to such an extent that it was estimated it would cost between four and five hundred pounds to make the necessary repairs and that there were insufficient funds available to cover the substantial sum.
Fortunately, at a meeting of the Trustees held on the 17th February 1848, Robert Foster, informed those present that the Right Honourable the Earl of Darnley was ‘generously disposed at his own expense on completing his minority to put the said works in complete repair, or otherwise provide the means of supplying the Village water’. The Earl of Darnley’s offer was eagerly accepted and the repair work undertaken.
It is not clear what works were necessary for the cistern’s refurbishment, but the cistern we see today is believed to be largely unaltered since that refurbishment.
The cistern is constructed out of brick, and lined with a coating of pitch, for waterproofing. It has 4 vaults supported by Iron pillars on a brick bases and measures 12m X 8.8m X 3.86 high (to top of vaulting). Assuming that the water level was kept to an average depth of 3 meters it is estimated that the cistern would have held approximately 317,000 litres (70,000 gallons) of water.
Trust records show that in 1896, 2,318 litres (510 gallons) of water a day were being pumped from the cistern.
Over time, expenditure on maintenance etc. was outstripping the income from the rate. The accounts for 1884 show that the Water Rate amounted to £7-14s-6d, yet expenditure for the year amounted to £9-3s-0d.
In response to the shortfall in income the Trustees agreed to increase the 3s/ rate to 4s/ and the 1s/6d to 2s/-.
At the beginning of the 20th Century properties in Cobham were being connected to mains water supply. As these works were taking place, the Reservoir became contaminated and unfit for use (cause unknown) resulting in the Trustees of the Cobham Water Supply to hold a meeting to decide the how to best deal with the situation.
The trustees published the following note informing the villagers that:
‘At a recent meeting of the Trustees of the Cobham Water Supply, it was decided to ask all ratepayers for half a year’s rate (to be collected in January), which they considered would cover the period to the completion of the New Water Works.
They are aware that some few of the ratepayers are now using the water from the main, but as the rate is a very small one, the Trustees have no doubt that all will accede to their very reasonable suggestion, with a view to meeting the half year’s expenses, and winding up the trust.
As they find that in some way or other the water in the Reservoir has become contaminated and unfit for use, they have arranged with the Water Company for the erection of a stand pipe near the Village Pump, where water can be obtained in the usual manner. This will incur some extra expenditure.’
The works connecting the Villagers to the mains water supply was completed by the Higham and Hundred of Hoo Water Company by April 1902 and an application made by the Trusties to the Charities Commission for ‘winding up’ the Bonham Hayes Charitable Trust and for permission to sell the’ reservoir and pipes by which the water was supplied’ to the Earl of Darnley for the sum of £10.
The Charitable Trust was finally wound up 25/08/1902.
The photos above (provided by the author) were taken of the cistern’s roof during the 2017 Cobham Big Dig.
Article by Donald Blackburn, 15 Feb 2018
We’ve had a poem sent to us that celebrates the joys of digging test pits!
Many thanks to our anonymous contributor:
Looking into a test pit
Looking into a test pit, almost square
Searching intently but there’s nothing there
Next is the question, deeper, wider, where do we go
We need something to show to our ever eager FLO
Who do we turn too, Andrew’s the man
He’ll tell us what we can’t do and what we can
We get our instruction, ‘though Trevor disagrees
To go deeper and wider but avoid the trees
Eureka, there’s a wall but Andrew is hesitant
But Pauline reassures and is VERY insistent
By the end of the day, the stories unfold
It’s a wall but of what remains to be told
Back to the café for a coffee and cake
And roll on next year for more walls real or fake!
Anon.
