BILSINGTON, is a parish partly within the Liberty of Romney Marsh and partly in the Hundred of Newchurch, and is intersected by the Royal Military Canal. The village is pleasantly situated at a place called Bilsington Cross, about 6 miles S.S.E. from Ashford, and in 1841 there were 70 houses and 385 inhabitants. Population in 1801, 213; in 1831, 322: rateable value, £3,068. The parish contains 2, 843 acres of land, of which about 500 acres are in woods. The soil is chiefly a stiff clay, but there is some little sand in different places. The landownders in this parish are Lady Cosway, Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bart., William Deedes, Esq., M.P., Rev. Thomas Pearce, E.D. Brockman, Esq., Richard Onslow, Esq., Frederick Giraud, Esq., Mr. Richard Gurr, Sir Edward Hamilton, Rev. George Simpson, and Sir Thomas Neave. The former is lady of the manor and impropriator.
THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a small fabric with nave and chancel, having a low wooden turret on the roof, in which are two bells. In the chancel are several ancient stalls, but there are no memorials worthy of notice. The living is a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the owners of the impropriate tithes, and enjoyed by the Rev. Thomas Clarke. There is a modus of 1s. per acre upon all grass land. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £615. A national school was built in 1833 by the late Sir Wm. Cosway, to whose memory a monumental column, 52 feet high, was erected in 1835, a short distance west of the Church. He was killed in London by a fall from a coach in the year 1834.
BILSINGTON, soon after the Doomsday survey was held by the Albeni family, who had come over with the Conqueror, and was held by the performance of sergeantry at the King’s coronation. At length it became divided into two manors, one called Bilsington Inferior, alias Bilsington Court Lodge, and the other called Bilsington Superior or Bilsington Priory.
The MANOR OF BILSINGTON INFERIOR in 1289 was held by the Earl of Arundel, in sergeantry, by the service of presenting three maple cups at the King’s coronation, and at the time of the coronation of Charles II, by the additional service of carrying the last dish of the second course to the King’s table. Thomas Rider, Esq., performed the above service at the coronation of George III, and was shortly after knighted.
THE MANOR OF BILSINGTON PRIORY, in the reign of Richard III, was held by John Mansell Clerk, a man of considerable abilities, and in great favour with the King, he at first made him his chaplain, and then his chief-councellor, and afterwards conferred other offices upon him, till his income amounted to 4,000 marcs per annum. About the year 1253 he founded here a priory of black canons, of the order of St. Augustine, and gave this part of the manor of Bilsington for the endowment of it. The PRIORY OF BILSINGTON thus founded, was built about 1 mile N. from the church, on the height of the clay hills among the woods. The priors of it were installed by the Archdeacon, who for his perquisite had the liberty of staying at the priory two nights and a day, and receive both victuals and drink there. On the dissolution of this priory in the 27th year of King Henry the VIII, it then had a revenue of £81.1s.6d. and the last prior had a pension of £10 per annum. Considerable remains of the priory are still to be seen, forming a ruin of picturesque beauty, the tower and a portion of the chapel are in a good state of preservation; a part of the premises are used a farm dwelling.
Bates, Thos., Carpenter, builder, millwright and painter and glazier.
Brooks, Edw. Blacksmith.
Gurr, Jas. Pribble, grocer & draper
Stokes, J. shopkeeper & Victualler, White Horse
Williams, John & Mary, National School
FARMERS
Bartholomew, Thos
Goddard, Samuel
Godden, Wm. Fagg Farm
Gurr, Richard
Mittle, Wm.
Nash, Robt. Honey Pot
Rolfe, Chas. & coal director
Sibery, Edward, Court Lodge
Sillibourne, J. New Farm
Sutton, Thos. Priory
Swain, John
Waddell, P. Stone crss.(?)
Waddell, Thomas
From Bagshaw’s History, Gazetteer & Directory of Kent
