Introduction
to the Survey -
In about 1950, when I had the run of
the fine collection of documents kept in the Vestry at Chelsfield parish
church, I found and transcribed a leather-bound volume containing a
survey of the parish of Chelsfield and Farnborough, taken in 1798. Later
on this was among a few items which were deposited at Bromley Local
Studies Library, reference P86/3/1, unfortunately dated to 1817 rather
than 1798. This confusion has arisen because the volume later belonged
to Thomas Waring, and bears on the fly-leaf his signature and the date
1817.
Spurred on by the efforts made by the Kent
Archaeological Society to publish transcripts of such material on its
website, I recently checked through my own work, and have now put on
computer the part referring to Chelsfield – I hope to add the
Farnborough section in due course. I have corrected a few obvious
errors, and have added in square brackets some farm names not included
in the original, but otherwise this is a literal transcript.
The survey is similar to the Tithe surveys of 40 years
later, although less detailed; the accompanying map is described only as
an "eye sketch" and the parish is shown divided into 15
sections, to which reference is made in the terrier. The introductory
page reads –
CHELSFIELD – The Number of Acres in the following
Terrier, is generally ascertained by Computation. In a few Instances,
however, it will appear that the Contents are stated, in Acres, Roods,
and Perches, which were, in such Cases, where the Owner, produced a Map
of the Estate – Each Piece was nevertheless viewed, previous to its
Quantity being set down.
I have included photographs of the map and of
specimen pages from the survey, and a tracing of the map for ease of
reference.
Geoffrey Copus October 2005
17 Oakdale Road,
Tunbridge Wells,
Kent TN4 8DS
The Schedule
(155KB) With names of landowners,
occupiers, fieldnames and field uses with acreages
The
Maps
To view individual pictures click on the thumbnail picture.
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1798
Survey of Chelsfield |
Tracing
of 1798 Survey of Chelsfield |
Page
of 1798 Survey of Chelsfield |
Back to
Chelsfield Maps etc
Back to List of Kent Maps, Tithe
awards/schedules