Place Names in Kent

by J. W. Horsley

Originally there were seven Lathes in Kent—Borowart, Estrei, Middletune, Wiwarlet, Limowart, Sudtone, and Elesford, of which the first five covered East Kent and the last two West Kent. Each derived its name from the chief town in each. Those in East Kent had previously been Roman Villas or towns, while Sutton-at-Hone and Aylesford were of great antiquity.

Later Borowart and Estrei were united under the name of S. Augustine’s, and Middletune and Wiwarlet together formed the Lathe of Sherwinhope, which again, by the addition of the Seven Hundreds of the Weald and the Hundred of Marden, received its present territory and name of the Lathe of Scray.

One finds also a Lestus de Hedelynge containing the three Hundreds of Eastry, Quernilo and Beawesberghe. In this district an old wood in Waldershare is still Hedlinge.

Since the time of Henry the Third there have been but five Lathes, named S. Augustine’s, Shepway, Scray, Aylesford, and Sutton-at-Hone.

Now as to their names.

Borowart, Boro-wara-lest, was named from Canterbury, the chief borough in Kent, and so means the people of the borough, the chief one. Later it was named from S. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, to which a great part of the land in the Lathe belonged.

Estrei, or Estre Last, named from the ancient town of Eastry (which may enshrine the name of the Saxon goddess of Spring, Eastre—whence our Easter, from the Christian festival coinciding in time with the heathen festival) was absorbed into the Lathe of S. Augustine.

Middletune (Middeltuna both in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and in Domesday) is our Milton by Sittingbourne, and is said to be named from being the central town of Kent, as it was then populated and of importance.

Wiwarlet (Wi-wara-lest), the lest of the people of Wye, together with Middletune, became later part of the Lathe of Sherwinhope (Scrawynghop, temp. Hen. 3, and Shewynghope 1347). This name was later changed into that of Scray. What is the meaning of Sherwinhope? Hope in Saxon denotes a river valley, and Sands, in his Memorials of Old Kent, speaks of the brook Sherway, which falls into the Beult. But what of Scray?

Limowart, or Limea, denotes the people of Lymne, the old Roman Portus Lemanis, called Limene in 1291, then Lymene, Lymen 1396, Limne 1475, and Lymne 1480. I do not find the intrusive and erroneous p in the name earlier than 1504. The name was changed to Shippeway or Shipway, temp. Henry III., and a place in Lymne is still called Shipway Cross.