Special session at Maidstone, 16th May, 1600

Order that, since the Style Bridge, Hersfelde Bridge and Churche Bridge at Headcorn are decayed and are necessary bridges, and no persons or places are known to be responsible for their repair; first, in the case of Style Bridge, where the repairs will cost £40, the seven hundreds of the lathe of Scray with the hundred of Marden (except Tenterden and those parts of the seven hundreds which are in Headcorn) which have the most use of the bridge, shall pay £26. 13s. 4d., and the hundred and town of Maidstone shall pay the rest, i.e. £13. 6s. 8d. And in the case of Hersfilde Bridge, where the repairs will cost £20, the seven hundreds with the hundred of Marden, except Tenterden and Headcorn, shall pay £10, and the hundred of Eyhorne, except Headcorn, shall pay £10. And in the case of Church Bridge at Headcorn, where the new building of the bridge will cost £10 or £12, the seven hundreds with the hundred of Marden, except Tenterden and Headcorn, all lying near the bridge and having continual recourse that way, shall pay £6, the hundred of Eyhorne, except Headcorn, shall pay 40s., and the parish of Headcorn the remainder; and that all the money be levied by St. John the Baptist next [24th June 1600], and any extra money for Style and Hersfelde Bridges to be levied pro rata; the money for Style Bridge to be paid to John Walter and Edward Maplesden of Marden, John Basden of Linton and William Turner of Loddington; for Hersfilde Bridge to Richard Wood of Chart, Thomas Rabbett of Boughton Monchelsea, William Turner the elder and Hastlyn Batherst of Staplehurst; and for Churche Bridge to Brian Lee, gentleman, Robert Curlinge, John Wenborne and Mathew Borden of Headcorn, where are to supervise the repairs and building. Whereas on 9th April, 1594, at the sessions at Maidstone, a similar order was made, being not well considered of, and a presentment was wrongly made of the decay of Hersfilde Bridge and process issued against the inhabitants of Eyhorne hundred, who have always been willing to obey the order, and were thus wronged; it is ordered that no process henceforth issue against them, and that they be discharged of the consequences of the presentment.

General session of the peace at Canterbury Castle on Tuesday before St. James, 22nd July, 1600, before Moile Fynch and Michael Sondes, knights, John Smyth, Peter Manwood, John Boys, Mathew Hadd, Henry Fynche, Thomas Peyton, Thomas Palmer, Edward Boys, James Crowmer, Henry Paramore and John Johnson, esqs., and others.

Precept of venire facias to the sheriff, Roger Twisenden, esq., ........... returned................. defaulters fines assessed at 10s. Certain of the constables, Vincent Austen, John Terrey, John Welby, William Allen, Edward Maxsted, Robert Rugley, Stephen Gibbes, John Quilter, Edward Pyper, Francis Cornwell, John Bachaler, John Spencer, Thomas Page, William Binge, Thomas Pellant, James Stammer, and John Elver, present:

1 By statute of 8 Henry VI [1429-30] it is forbidden to enter upon land unless according to law, and peacably, and it is ordered that whosoever does the contrary shall be imprisoned and ransomed from prison at the King's pleasure; John Acrouch of Great Chart, husbandman, Thomas Acrouch of Ashford, yeoman, and Jervase Shintinge of Ashford, labourer, on 14th July, 1600, between eight and eleven o'clock in the morning, made entry by force without leave of the law, into a close of meadow belonging to Thomas Engeham, gentleman, called Le Strake, in Ashford, and carried off hay to the value of 5s.

Writ of venire facias for them to appear at the next session at Maidstone on Tuesday before Michaelmas [23rd September, 1600]. On which day they did not come; the sheriff, Roger Twisenden returns nichil habent therefore writ of capias to have them at next session here at Canterbury on Tuesday after Epiphany [6th January, 1600/1] to answer. At session at Maidstone on 21st April, 1601, Thomas Acrouche comes by Herbert Cadman, his attorney, and claims that the indictment is insufficient in law, pleads not guilty, and puts himself on the country. John Webbe, gentleman, clerk of the peace, prosecutes. Writ of non omittas........... quin venire facias to summon a jury for the session at Canterbury on Tuesday before St. James [21st July, 1601].