LORDSHIP TITLES
LORD/LADY OF THE MANOR OF HOUGHAM, OTHERWISE CALLED THE ELMS
at times called by the names of Great Hougham, alias Chilverton; and likewise Southcourt
COMES WITH COURT BARON
IN THE PARISH OF HOUGHAM
IN THE COUNTY OF KENT.
Parishes: Hougham
The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 9. Originally published by W Bristow, Canterbury, 1800.
HOUGHAM,
OR Huffam, as it is called, and frequently written in Domesday, Hicham, being so denominated from its high situation, lies the next parish eastward from Polton. Part of it only is within this hundred of Bewsborough; another part is within the hundred of Folkestone; and the residue is within the jurisdiction of the cinque ports, and of the corporation of the town and port of Dover. A borsholder, for that part of this parish which is within the hundred of Bewsborough, is chosen at the court leet of the hundred.
THE PARISH of Hougham lies among the high eastern hills of Kent, in a healthy though a very rude and wild country. In the midst of it are two streets, called Church Hougham, and East Hougham; in the former of which the church stands, and at the south-west part of it, a hamlet called West Hougham. Great part of this parish is full of small inclosures, interspersed with frequent coppice wood, and much rough ground. The soil is but poor and barren, consisting of either chalk or a red earth, covered with a rotten slint stone, with which the narrow roads here abound. Towards the eastern part of it the ground lies high, being an open uninclosed down, across which the high road leads from Folkestone to Dover, quite to the sea-shore, over which the chalk cliffs here rise to a great height; from hence there is a most beautiful prospect over the channel, and the Bologne hills on the coast of France. Near the bottom of these cliffs are three holes, called Lydden Spouts, through which the subterraneous waters empty themselves continually on the beach of the shore; and the belief of the country is, that the waters of the Nailborne, at Drelingore, in Alkham, at least four miles distant, communicate subterraneously with these spouts, which increase as the springs heighten by wind and weather. Over these spouts, in the middle of the cliff, are two large square rooms cut out of the chalk, one within the other; they are called the Coining-house, and have a very difficult way to come at them, the cliff here being upwards of four hundred feet high.
When the plague raged in London in the year 1665, it was brought to Dover, and great numbers died there of the pestilence in that and the following years, for the burial of whom a piece of ground was bought in this parish, on the side of the hill fronting the pier fort, and consecrated for that purpose. It is computed that upwards of nine hundred of those who died of this pestilence were buried in it, since which it has been constantly known by the name of the Graves.
Henry Benger, gent. was of Hougham, and resided here anno 1619, and descended from John Benger, of Maningford, in Wiltshire. They bore for their arms, Or, a cross vert, surmounted by a bendlet, gules.
THE PARISH OF HOUGHAM was part of those lands which were given to Fulbert de Dover, for the desence of Dover castle, which made up together the barony of Fulbert, or Fobert, as it was usually called, being held in capite by barony, of which Chilham became the chief seat, or caput baroniæ of which this place, as appears by the book of Dover castle, was afterwards held by knight's service.
Among these lands was included THE MANOR OF HOUGHAM, otherwise called THE ELMES, at times called by the names of Great Hougham, alias Chilverton; and likewise Southcourt, from its situation in regard to the manor of Northcourt, alias Little Hougham, in this parish.
The lineage of holders of the manor and dignity title.
1./ The First Lord: Following the 1066 Norman Conquest, William, Duke of Normandy granted the manor to William d'Avranches (a relative of the Earl of Chester) to serve as a defensive holding for Dover Castle.
2./ The De Hougham Family: The prominent local De Hougham family held the lands for generations, producing several Crusader knights and local church rebuilders.
3./ Robert de Hougham held it in king Richard I’s reign.
4./ Upon his death the manor passed to one of his daughters who married Waretius de Valoignes who became entitled to the manor upon his death.
5./ Upon his death his daughter Maud, who was married Thomas de Aldeyn, she became possessed of the manor and the title.
6./ Before her death she had infeoffed William Tapaline and others of the manor and title.
7./ They passed the manor to Stephen, Richard and John de Combe, the latter of whom was of Hastengligh and afterwards became sole possessor of the manor and title.
8./ In the 10th year of king Richard III the manor and title was sold to Heron in which it remained at the end of king Henry IV’s reign which after some time it was alienated to William Fineux of Swingfield,
9./ William Fineux died in 1534 and by will the manor was given to William, the eldest son of his brother Richard – deceased.
10./ The manor continued down to Thomas Fineux.
11./ It later was passed to Robert Breton.
12./ It passed to his great-grandson M. Breton
13./ M. Breton alienated the manor and title to Robert Lacy.
14./ Robert Lacy died in 1746 and the manor passed to Mr Pheneas Stringer of Dover who died in 1749.
15./ It passed to his eldest son George Stringer.
16./ His daughter was heir and she was married to Mr Edwaard Broadrip of Dover in the year 1800 and the manor and title continued in the family.
17./ It was held by Major R.B. Lawes in 1901.
The Lawes family's influence in the area continued for decades. His son, Robert Murray Lawes, became a co-founder of the National Playing Fields Association, and eventually gifted the estate to the Ministry of War just prior to World War II
The title then became extinct.
The title name of Lord of the Manor of Hougham has been established by legal process and not by a re-grant or re-issue by the Crown. This is a ‘Possessory Title in Name with the Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment and its two associated rights’.
With this title package comes more history on a USB Flash Drive:
The legal documents that come with this title are:
¨ Deed of Conveyance (signed & stamped by a UK registered solicitor)
¨ Solicitors letter confirming the new holders legal right to use the manorial name in quiet enjoyment.
¨ Deed of Creation
¨ Deed of Assignment
¨ Manorial Certificate
¨ Verification Certificate
¨ Statement of Truth with respect to the ‘cross-referenced’ research
¨ A ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter (in triplicate) which enables you to register this title on your official documents/papers.
Registration on the Manorial Documents Register
All the ‘legal-documents detail the laws and section of laws used for the acquisition of this title and the laws covering its sale.
This title is being sold by Private Treaty.
The Private Treaty price, inclusive of shipping of the legal package (Worldwide) and registration on the Manorial Documents Register
£900
This title and its new holder/s can be registered on the Official Gazette as well as the Manorial Documents Register, however the Private Treaty price would be £2,750
The new holder/s can call himself/herself:
Lord/Lady of the Manor of Hougham - this title in name also comes with the title of Court Baron
The alias names of the manor, Elms, Great Hougham, alias Chilverton; and likewise Southcourt can also be used.
info@lordshiptitlesforsale.com
