POLHILL FAMILY HISTORY PAGE
<< Previous Next >>THE KENTISH POLHILLS. Supplement No. 1
CHIPSTEAD PLACE
It is recorded on page 42 that GEORGE POLHILL, who succeeded his father Charles and inherited the family estates in 1805, sold the Chipstead property in 1829.
The reason for this step may be sought in the possibility that, like his ancestor Thomas, he disliked the house and desired a more congenial residence. There is a suggestion in the Woodgate correspondence (Appendix D) that this might have been the case, for he chose Bradbourne House, near Malling; an equally large establishment for his temporary home until he was able to secure the house at Sundridge.
One must not exclude consideration of another reason. It can be found in the financial state of the country at the time. In 1825 an inordinate passion for speculation, even by level-headed business men had led to a great crisis, so serious that in December of that year the Bank of England sought Government authority to suspend cash payments. There was a run on every bank in the country and no fewer than 77 banks failed. As if this was not crisis enough a scanty harvest in 1826 led to the importation of foreign corn for sale in the open market; much to the disadvantage of the landed interests. In 1827 war broke out with Turkey. (Cambridge Modern History, Vol 10). It is more than likely that George Polhill was forced to retrench and to sell not only Chipstead Place but a great amount of land, including Broughtons and the estates in Otford, Shoreham and Kensing.
The Kent County Archives at Maidstone (U438.E36/12) furnish a clue. The Marquess of Conyngham, already the owner of vast estates in the eastern part of the county, betrayed an interest in the sale of Chipstead, and commissioned H.C. Wright to survey the property and to furnish a valuation. His report dated 31st December 1827 is lodged in the county archives under the reference quoted.
The surveyor's detailed report gives such information about the Polhill estates at the time.
Of CHIPSTEAD PLACE, in the parish of Chevening, Co. Kent, he states that the mansion is substantial, brick-built and roomy, principally covered with lead but part with tile and erected about the time of William and Mary. (Hasted confirms the accuracy of this estimate, for he tells that William Emerton of the Temple bought the old mansion at Chipstead from the widow of Sir Nicholas Strode in July 1693 and pulled it down for rebuilding before it was again sold by his widow to David Polhill in May 1711.)
The at Tacthed offices include excellent cellarage, a spacious brewhouse, large washhouse, laundry with ironing and drying rooms over, dairy, limehouses, coal house, gardener's room, wood house, pigeon house, a double coach house, stable for horses, a six-stall stable for coach and riding horses, harness house, and another six-stall stable with hayloft and granaries. There is an excellent supply of piped water. The adjacent farm buildings comprise a brick-built two-bayed barn, implement house, cow house, calf pens, bullock shed, hop-oast, hay barn, wagon and cart lodge, carpenter's shop, etc. He valued the Mansion with 272 acres of land forming the HOME ESTATE (gardens, park, watered meadows, arable land, plantation woods and walks,) with a small house 'Shrubbery House' and the village public house and 23 tenements at the net figure of L21,978
He mentioned that the public road to Chipstead Village runs through the park just in front of the mansion, but is screened from it by plantations. The land is said to be of good quality, diversified with hill and dale, but too much encumbered with timber for agricultural purposes. The surveyor recommends the felling of much of the Fir and the introduction of more Ash and Chestnut.
There are two outlying estates.
That of WEST HILL lies in the parishes of Knockholt, Halstead, Shoreham and Otford, and includes the manors or reputed manors of Cheapstead, Sepham and Broughtons. An no courts have been kept for many years there are no copyholds or customary lands held of them, nor any rents or profits arising from them.
This estate includes Curry Farm, (94 acres let to an 'industrious tenant), Sepham farm (400 acres), Twitton Farm (41 acres), and part of Little Dunton Farm (81 acres). This last four, 522 acres in all, are leased for 14 years from 1822 to William Tongs, described as a very wealthy man occupying also the adjacent Morant's Court Estate. The surveyor regards the rent as surprisingly moderate and to be accounted for probably by the fact that the previous tenant had quitted the farm insolvent, leaving the land in a bad condition. The West Hill estate also includes Great Dunton Farm and the remainder of Little Dunton Farm (87 acres), Broughtons Farm (365 acres), a Chalk-pit and Limekiln and some miscellaneous holdings in Otford, and 579 acres of Woodland. The woodland lies at the top of the hill in all four parishes and has been much improved by Mr. Polhill's planting of Ash and Chestnut.
Strangely enough, he makes no mention of the architectural qualities of Broughton Manor House. In all 1683 acres, valued at L40,205.
The other estate is EAST HILL and lies in the parishes of Otford, Kemsing and Shoreham. It includes Warren Farm (85 acres), Paynes Farm (383 acres), Monks' in the Hole Farm (87 acres) and Woodlands (180 acres). The surveyor is not so favourably inclined toward this estate, either to the land or the timber and values the 650 acres at L10,690.
Allowing L2.340.15.0 for rents and land tax, the total value is assessed at L70,453.1.0, exclusive of the timber and underwood which he values at L20,000 and furniture, stocks and crops at L3,000
Included in the survey are the Rectorial Tithes of Shoreham Parish, held on lease from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster for a term of 21 years from Lady Day 1822 at a reserved rent of L60 per ann. The usage has been to renew the lease every 7 years. The net income from the tithes in the year 1812, after allowing the payment of Poor Rate L100, rent L60 and expenses of collection, amounted to L572.9.0. The surveyor regards this was derived from a fair course of cropping and values the tithes at present money at L5,867.12.6.
SUMMARY.
Home Estate 271 ac. L21,978
West Hill 1683 ac. L40,205.16.0
East Hill 650 ac. L10,590
Gross 2604 ac. L72,773.16.0
less outgoings 2,340.15.0
Net L70,433. 1.0
Timber and Underwood L20,000
Furniture, stock and L 5,000
crops
Tithe L 5,867.12.6
Grand Total L99,300 13.6
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This sum exceeds by more than L4,000 the offer which Yates Peel is reported to have made in the Woodgate correspondence. (Appendix D). Assuming that his offer included the purchase of the Shoreham Rectorial tithes and that the surveyor's valuation was reasonable, George Polhill was not unwise to have declined his offer. As it was, he sold in lots over a period, some before 1828, Chipstead in 1829 and Broughtons in 1830, and he may not have done so badly after all.
One outstanding revelation of this survey concerned the Shoreham tithes. That the Dean and Chapter should have been satisfied with the periodical renewal of the lease at L60 per ann when the leaseholder was able to make over L500 is surprising enough; but the diversion to the laity of such a large amount originally intended for the ecclesiastical purposes of Shoreham Parish makes one hope that the affairs at Shoreham were not typical of the financial arrangements generally of the Anglican Church.
It must be acknowledged that in 1824 the Dean and Chapter augmented the living of Shoreham by L200. (see pages 26-27).
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