Simon Chesney of Cralle, Sussex ¹

  Events

• Manorial Estate: Goodnestone Manor, Goodnestone, Canterbury, Kent, CT3, GB. ² THE MANOR OF GOODNESTON, perhaps so called from its having been the property of Goodwyne, earl of Kent, who might have secured himself here at Bayford castle, in the year 1052, when having taken up arms against king Edward the Consessor, he raised an army, and ravaged the king's possessions, and among them the town of Milton, which he burnt to the ground.

On his death it most probably came to his son king Harold, and after the battle of Hastings into the hands of the crown, whence it seems to have been granted to the eminent family of Leyborne, of Leyborne, in this county. William, son of Roger de Leyborne, died possessed of it in the 3d year of king Edward II.

His grand-daughter Juliana, daughter of Thomas de Leyborne, who died in his life-time, became her grandfather's heir, and succeeded in this manor, to which she entitled her several husbands successively, all of whom she survived, and died S. P. in the 41st year of king Edward III. when no one being found, who could make claim to any of her estates, this manor, among the rest of them, escheated to the crown.

After which this manor of Goodneston, as it was then called, seems to have been granted by the crown to Robert de Nottingham, who resided at a seat adjoining to this manor, called Baysford Castle.

• Manorial Estate, 1374, Great Higham Manor, Milstead, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9, GB. ³ HIGHAM-COURT, now usually called Great Higham, is a manor in this parish, which was antiently the property of a family of the name of Nottingham, whence it acquired, as appears by antient writings, the name of Nottingham-court.

They resided at Bayford, in Sittingborne, so early as the reign of king Edward I. Robert de Nottingham, owner of this estate in the reign of Edward III. was sheriff in the 48th year of it, and kept his shrievalty at Bayford, in which year he died, and was found at his death to hold lands in Doddington, Tenham, Milsted, Tong, Bredgar, and Sittingborne, all which descended to his only son John Nottingham, who died s. p. leaving his daughter his sole heir, who marrying Simon Cheney, of Cralle, in Sussex, second son of Sir Richard Cheney, of Shurland, he became entitled to this manor. The Nottinghams bore for their arms, as Philipott says, Gules, two pales wavy, argent; which coat, impaled with Cheney, was in one of the windows of Milsted church. On the roof of the cloysters of Canterbury cathedral, are carved the arms of Nottingham, Gules, on a bend, argent, three escallops, azure; but of what kindred to these of Milsted, I have not found. In his descendants this manor continued down till Richard Cheney, esq. and his son John, in the year 1676, joined in the conveyance of it to Mr. Thomas Lushington, of Sittingborne, whose great-grandson, the Rev. Mr. James Stephen Lushington, is the present owner of this manor.

• Manorial Estate: Ufton Manor, Tunstall, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10, GB. ⁴ UFTON is a reputed manor, the house of which stands at the northern extremity of this parish, next to Sittingborne. It was antiently the property of the family of Shurland. Sir Robert de Shurland, of Shurland, in Shepey, possessed it in the reign of Edward I. having attended that prince into Scotland, to the siege of Carlaverock, where he was knighted, and in the 29th year of it, he obtained a charter of free warren for his manor of Ufton.

He left an only daughter and heir Margaret, who carried it in marriage to William de Cheney, afterwards of Shurland, who died possessed of it in the 8th year of king Edward III. His descendant Richard Cheney, of Shurland, left issue two sons, William, who was of Shurland, and ancestor of the lords Cheney; and Simon, who seems to have inherited the manor of Ufton. He married Eleonora, daughter and heir of John Nottingham, of Higham, in Milsted, at which place his descendants resided. The Cheneys bore for their arms, Ermine, on a bend, azure, three martlets, or, and quartered the arms of Shurland, Cralle, and Nottingham. They continued owners of this manor, (during which time William Maries resided here in the reign of king Henry VI. as their tenant; in the 21st year of which reign he was sheriff, and kept his shrievalty here) till John Cheney, esq. of Sittingborne, in the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, gave it in marriage with his daughter Frances to John Astley, esq. of Norfolk, the only son of Thomas Astley, esq. of Hill Morton and Melton Constable, in Norfolk, by his first wife Anne; by whose second wife was de scended Sir John Astley, of Maidstone.

Simon married Eleanor Nottingham, daughter of John Nottingham and Unknown.