The number of knight’s fees in Kent was probably about 16, slightly below one-third of the total number. Most of these fees are accounted for by two second-tier baronies. One was based at Cooling: it belonged to a family which used the surname le Botiller (pincerna in Latin), already established here in about 1090 (doc. 14). The other was based at Leybourne: its early history is obscure, but its owners became important men in the thirteenth century. In 1242 the honour belonged to Margeria de Reviers (d. 1252), the daughter of Warin fiz Gerold (d. 1216). (The surname she used was that of her first husband, Baldwin de Reviers (d. 1216), the father of her son. As for her second husband, she seems to have preferred to forget him.) Apart from the manors which were held directly from the king, some part of Eltham (I do not know which part) was held from the earl of Gloucester, and Eccles was held from Warin de Montchenesi (below, Talebot). Cooling was waiting to be inherited by the heir of Willelm le Botiller; Leybourne belonged to Roger de Leiburne (d. 1250).
The realistic documents that come with this title are:
¨ Deed of Conveyance (5 pages and with the payment shown as a Peppercorn Value)
¨ Manorial Certificate
¨ Certificate of Entitlement
The holder has the right to call himself/herself:
Feudal Baron/Baroness of Leybourne (Honour of Leybourne)