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There are two Aucher monuments
in Otterden Church: John Aucher of 1502 and James Aucher of
1508.
In the mid-16 century, Otterden belonged
to Sir Anthony Aucher. After the Dissolution in 1543 he was
one of the principal recipients of Henry VIII's largesse, being
one of the Commissioners of Kent. He collected a number of manors
and other holdings, mostly in this part of Kent, one of which
was Eversley, a small Charing manor.
In 1537-1539 a State Document on the
Lands of Dissolved Religious Houses refers to
'Rents in Munketon parish'.
In 1541 the rents of the free tenants
in Monketon were 8s.10d which compares with the free tenants
of Broadfield who were paying 20s. It means that Monketon was
less than half the size of Broadfield, which itself is not thought
to have been a large parish in the south of the Otterden manor.
1552. More state papers held
at the Public Record Office have an entry headed 'Rents of the
free tenants in the parish of 'Munketon'. It records:
'And of Js.5d for the rent of certain
land called Munketon Deane which Anthony Auchyer free holds
to be paid at the said feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel equally by the year.
Total Js.5d.'
This is further proof that Munketon
was part of Otterden Manor by this date.
There is an account of Sir Anthony receiving
a Silver Table that had stood on the High Altar at Canterbury
probably under orders from Edward VI. In 1556 he was involved
in administering the late priory of Christ Church in Canterbury
for which he was paid £6.1Js.4d a year. He died at Calais in
1558.
In 1604 there was an Act in Parliament
(Harl.MSS.NO.6847) for the sale of the lands of Sir Anthony
Aucher and others, to raise money to pay their creditors. It
stated that Sir Anthony Aucher (who was surely a descendant
of the Sir Anthony who died at Calais) and Sir Thomas Hardes
had gone beyond seas to avoid their creditors, having first
fraudulently conveyed their lands to others for their own use.
The actual date when the lands were transferred is not stated
but it could well relate to the next item which indicates that
the Lewen family were at Otterden before 1602. It was a well
known ploy to transfer land to friends you could trust, to administer
the land on your behalf (or 'the use of'). The land could not
then be sold away from the first owner.
1602. A report on the Administration
of Kent Wills, lists the Wills of Anna Lewen of Otterden,
a widow and her son John, both of whose wills were administered
by Anna's brother, Sir Francis Goldsmith, on 2 November 1602.
(vol.18. p40)
In 1648 a Sir Anthony Aucher is listed
as of Bishopsbourne, a Royalist in the Kent Rising of that year.
1661. Details from a Feet of Fine
describing the extent of the Manor of Otterden
Hilary Term (begins on 20 January) 1662.
(vol.11. p.253)
Sir Justinian Lewen who, when he died
in 1620, was lord of the manor of Otterden. (Hasted, vol.V.
p537). His daughter and heiress was married to Charles, Duke
of Richmond, who sold Otterden in January 1662 to George Curteis.
The Fine registering the ownership describes the manor as "Otterenden
and Boardfield".
The Fine is in Latin but transcribed
reads as follows: "Seven houses, two (duar') cottages,
seven granaries/barns, seven stables, one dovecote, nine gardens,
eight orchards, 400 acres land (t're), 40 acres meadowland,
200 acres woodland and forest pasture and all other appurtenances
in Otterden alias Otterenden, Boardfeild, Muncton, Stallesfeild
alias stalkesfeile, Witchlinge, Doddington, Eastlinge alias
Iselinge, Newnham and Lenham and also the rectories of Otterden
alias Otterenden, Boardefeild and Munckton with appurtenances
and also of the advowsons of the churches of Otterenden alias
Otterenden, Boardfeild and Munckton."
This means that Muncton, however spelt,
belonged to Otterden in 1662, so that Hasted's statement that
Muncton was held by the Deloune (De Laune) family for "many
years" must be taken to mean for about 100 years, as Hasted
was writing in the late 18th century.
In the 18th century, Sir George Curteis
held Otterden until 1702, and his only son George Curteis died
in 1710 leaving a daughter Anne. She married Thomas Wheler,
eldest son of Sir George Wheler, prebendary of the church of
Durham, who was the son of Col.Charles Wheler of Charing.
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