SOUTHWARD from Loose, on the opposite side
of Cocks heath, lies the parish of Linton, antiently
written LYLLYNGTON, and in Latin, Lilintuna, which
probably took its name from the old English word,
lytlan, signifying little or small, and stane, a stone, the
upper part of this parish abounding with the quarry
THIS PARISH lies adjoining to Cocks-heath, upon
the ridge of quarry hills, the summit of which is the
northern boundary of the weald of Kent, consequently
almost the whole of it is within that district, only a
small part of the heath being beyond it. Cocks-heath
is a beautiful, and for this inclosed part of the country,
an extensive plain, being about three miles in length,
and in some places more than a mile in width. It is
esteemed a most healthy spot, and being well watered,
is generally preferred, as a situation for large encampments, it being equally commodious for the troops to
march from it, on an emergency, either into the county
of Sussex, or into Essex. In 1778 there were fifteen
thousand men encamped on it, which did not occupy
more than two thirds of the whole extent of it. Over
this heath the high road from Maidstone goes through
this parish and village into the Weald. The village is
situated about half a mile from the heath, on the declivity of the hill, having the church and place-house
on the east side of it, the prospect from which southward over the Weald, like the other situations on these
hills, is very beautiful, and of great extent. The air
is very healthy, the soil on the hill a loam, with the
quarry stone close beneath, and below the hill a stiff
strong clay, in a very miry country, and thick hedgerows interspersed with quantities of spreading oaks.
About a mile below the hill the road crosses the river
ON COCKS-HEATH there grows THE PLANT, called
Lunaria, or small moonwort.
The greatest part of this parish is within the bounds
of the manor of East Farleigh, though the manor of
Loose extends over some small part of it. The free
holders of the former holding their lands in free socage
This place is not mentioned in Domesday, being
most probably included in the description there given
of the manor of East Farleigh.
LINTON-PLACE, antiently called Capell's-court, is
the only place of consequence in this parish. It took
its name originally from the family of Capell, who were
proprietaries of it. They were usually called according to the custom of the time at Capell, and in Latin,
De Capella, their principal residence being at Capell'scourt, in Ivechurch, in Romney-marsh, though they
had large estates in several other parishes in this county. (fn. 1)
One of them, John de Capella, in the reign of king
Henry III. held lands in Boxley, as appears by the
charter of inspeximus granted by that king to the
Richard de Capell, his successor, died in the 15th
year of king Richard II. in whose descendants this
place remained till the reign of king Henry VI. when
it was alienated by one of them to Richard Baysden,
from which name in the reign of queen Elizabeth, it
was sold to Sir Anthony Maney, of Biddenden, whose
ancestors had resided there many generations. He removed his seat hither, and at his death was buried in
this church, as was his son Walter Maney, esq. whose
son, John Maney, was a person of great loyalty to king
Charles I. in his troubles, in consideration of which he
was first knighted, and afterwards created a baronet.
After which he suffered much for his attachment to the
king, having his estate plundered and sequestered. He
bore for his arms, Party per pale, argent and sable;
three chevronels between as many cinquefoils counterchanged. He passed away this seat and estate in the
reign of king Charles II. to Sir Francis Withens, one
of the justices of the king's bench, whose only daugh
ter and heir Catherine, in 1710 carried it in marriage
to Sir Thomas Twysden, bart. of East Peckham, and
he died in 1712, leaving by her two daughters his coheirs. On his death his widow became intitled to this
estate, and soon afterwards again carried it in marriage
to brigadier-general George Jocelyn, who was a younger son of Sir Robert Jocelyn, bart. of Hertfordshire,
and died in 1727; leaving by lady Twysden, three sons.
The family of Jocelyn bore for their arms, Azure, a
wreath, argent and sable, with four hawks bells towards
the corners of the escutcheon, or. He alienated it to
Robert Mann, esq. who built a small but elegant seat
here, partly on the scite of the old mansion of Capell'scourt, which he pulled down, and resided in it till his
death, in 1751. By his will he devised Linton place,
with the parsonage and the advowson of the vicarage
of Linton, among his other estates in this county, to
his eldest son Edward Louisa, in tail male, with divers
remainders over. He resided here and died unmarried in 1775, on which, by the above entail, it came
to his next brother, Sir Horatio Mann, K. B. and baronet, envoy extraordinary at Florence, where he died
in 1786, and his body being next year brought over
to England, was interred in this church. In his lifetime he made over this seat, with his other estates in
this parish, to his nephew Sir Horace Mann, who
succeeded him likewise in the title of baronet, and he
is the present possessor of it, and at times resides here.
THERE were formerly some lands in this parish
which belonged to a family named Welldish, who had
a chapel in this church called Welldish's chapel. Their
arms were, as appears by their seals to some antient
deeds, Argent, three talbots passant azure on a chief, or,
a fox passant gules, which coat they bore, as is reported
by tradition, to perpetuate the memory of one of their
ancestors having been huntsman to William the Conqueror. After this estate had been many generations
in this family, the greatest part of it was alienated to
Walter Maney, esq. whose son, Sir John Maney,
bart. of Linton, sold it, with the rest of his estate in
this parish, in the reign of king Charles II. to Sir
Francis Withins, since which it has passed in like manner as Linton-place, above-mentioned, to the Mann's,
and is now in the possession of Sir Horace Mann, bart.
One of the family of MANEY, owners of Capell's-court, built
and endowed an alms-house here for four poor families. Robert Mann, esq. of Linton-place, in 1749, rebuilt it, and encreased the original stipends of 13s. 4d. to each family to 20s.
LINTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of
The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, is
a small building with a spire steeple, situated on the
east side of the village. The patronage of it was part
of the antient possessions of the crown, and remained
so till it was given to the college or hospital for poor
travellers, in the west borough at Maidstone, founded
by archbishop Boniface in the reign of Henry III. (fn. 2)
Archbishop Walter Reynolds, about 1314, appropriated it to the use and support of the above hospital.
In the 19th year of king Richard II. archbishop
Courtney, on his making the parish church of Maidstone collegiate, with the king's licence, gave and assigned among other estates, the advowson and patronage
of this church of Lyllyngton, to that hospital appropriated, and of the king's patronage, held of the king
in capite, to the master and chaplains of the abovementioned new collegiate church of Maidstone, to hold
in free, pure, and perpetual alms for ever, for its better maintenance, to which appropriation Adam Mottrum, archdeacon of Canterbury, gave his assent. The
collegiate church of Maidstone was dissolved by the act
of the 1st year of king Edward VI. anno 1546, and
was surrendered into the king's hands accordingly.
In the 8th year of king Richard II. this church was
valued at 106s. 8d. per annum. In the year 1640,
the vicarage of it was valued at thirty pounds per annum. In the year 1751, the clear yearly certified value
of it was 61l. 7s. 8d. yearly income.
This vicarage is valued in the king's books at
7l. 13s. 4d. and the yearly tenths at 15s. 4d. The
parsonage, as well as the advowson of the vicarage,
were held by grant from the crown in the reign of
queen Elizabeth, by Alexander Grygsby, gent. in
which name they continued in 1640. In 1681, Francis Martin, gent. held them. About the year 1710,
they were held by Wallace, and afterwards by Oliver,
who died possessed of them in 1728; soon after which
they were purchased by Robert Mann, esq. of Lintonplace. Since which they have passed in like manner as
that seat to Sir Horace Mann, bart. the present owner
CHURCH OF LINTON.
Or by whom presented.
Nicholls, ejected. (fn. 3)
Executors of Francis Martin, gent. of Islington, deceased.
Phineas Corbey, A. M. ind. Sept.
11, 1670, obt. Dec. 1676.
Andrew Reyney, 1676, deprived
Francis Martin, gent. of Langley.
William Wing, A. B. ind. Feb.
17, 1679, deprived 1681.
Basil Richards, A. M. July 12,
1681, obt. May 15, 1729.
John Pattenden, gent.
John Fuller, A.M. 1729, obt.
1751. (fn. 4)
Robert Mann, esq.
Francis Hender Foote, B. L. 1751,
obt. Jan. 27, 1773. (fn. 5)
Edward Louisa Mann, esq.
William Polhill, A. M. 1773
resig. April 1779. (fn. 6)
Sir Horace Mann, Bart.
Edward Beckingham Benson, Sept.
1779, resig. 1782.
Robert Foote, A. M. ind. 1782,
the present vicar. (fn. 7)