Hartley-Kent

This is a summary of a deed held in the Kent Archives. Thomas Walter of Pennis was a wealthy landowner and decided to divide his estate between his 3 sons in 1590. John was to get two blocks of land - one stretching from Fairby Lane to Chapelwood Road on the west side of Ash Road, and the other roughly equating to the land between Castle Hill and Parkfield. The names of some of the fields suggest that they may have been digging for chalk to burn as lime. A house named Ryecroft once stood where the field used to be, this was demolished when Chantry Avenue was built. Thomas left Hartley Manor Farm to another son Thomas, but he was to outlive him, so John Walter also inherited that. We know what John looked like because there is his wall monument in Fawkham Church.

Made between

(1) Thomas Walter of Fawkham, yeoman
(2) John Walter of Grayes Inn, his son

Whereas Thomas Walter has sons viz, said John Walter (eldest), Thomas Walter (2nd) and Robert Walter (3rd), and is seised of lands in Hartley, Fawkham and elsewhere. To avoid problems after his death he had decided to partition his land.

John Walter to get:

6 acres of land and wood in Hartley called Chantry in the occupation of John Hadlowe. Abbutting the Ash to Longfield highway (west), lands of Richard Overy (N and E), and lands of James Lance (S).

11 parcels adjoining in Hartley called Lymekills Grove (3 acres), Lymekells Crofte (3a), 4 parcels called Netherfeilde Hylls (3a), Shrimpling Grove (3a), Rye Crofte (12a), Chaulkenfeilde (10a), Chaulkenfeild Woold (10a), Ellenden Gosse (10a), abutting the foresaid premises (S and W), highway and lands of Richard Overy (E, W and N), in the occupation of Thomas Walter his father, ? William Cano or one of them.

4 parcels of land in Hartley called Westlands, Westlands Wooldes and Harteley Holde, containing 26 acres. In the occupation of Thomas Walter the father, William Cano or one of them. Bounded by highway and lands of Richard Overy (S and E), land and wood of parsonage (N and E), and the foresaid premises (W and S).

Presumably separate deeds were executed for the shares of the other two brothers.