Mascalls Court and Badsell Manor
Brenchley, Kent, England
These 14th century Culpeper home sites belonged to
direct ancestors of the modern-day Culpeppers and are the oldest known
Culpeper sites with homes still standing.
Mascalls Court
One researcher
says (without citation) that land in Brenchley was owned by Sir
John Culpeper2. His son, Sir Thomas3 was known as Sir
Thomas Colepeper de Brenchesle (Brenchley). Hasted* notes that Mascalls Manor (in Brenchley) was owned by the
Culpepers during the reign of Edward II (1307-1327) and that one of Sir Thomas's sons, Walter4 died
possessed of it in 1327. All of these Culpepers were direct
ancestors of the modern-day Culpeppers. Mascalls
Court is believed by Culpepper Connections to be the
oldest of all the Culpeper home sites for which a home still exists
on the site today. Of course, the current home may bear
little resemblance to the dwelling that would have stood there
in the 14th century. * History of Kent, Vol. V, pages 284-285. Location:
On Mascalls Court Road, SE of Paddock Wood and N of Brenchley
National Grid Coordinates: TQ
678 439
Photograph taken by Warren Culpepper, March 2000. |
Badsell Manor
Badsell Manor belonged to direct ancestors of the modern day
Culpeppers, and the modern home found there in March 2000 still
has a moat around it (see lower photo). It is thought to be the second oldest
site of an old Culpeper home where a home still exists on the site
today.
Sir Thomas Culpeper6
will of 1428: "Touching the manor of Badeselle it is to
remain to Walter7 my son and his heirs male, with
remainder to the heirs male of myself and Joyce my wife."
Location: On Badsell Road (B-2017), 1 mile W of Paddock
Wood, and just E of the A228.
National Grid Coordinates: TQ
658 447
Photographs by Warren Culpepper, March 2000. |
Brenchley
Village
Location: 4 miles NW of Goudhurst
National Grid Coordinates: TQ
677 418
1831 Topographical
Dictionary:
Brenchley, a parish in the hundred of Brenchley and
Horsemonden, lathe of Aylesford, county of Kent, 4¼ miles N
from Lamberhurst, containing 2264 inhabitants. The church, dedicated to
All Saints, is an ancient cruciform structure, built chiefly
of sand-stone, with a lofty tower. |
All Saints Church, Brenchley
There are no memorials in evidence to the
Culpepers, and since the Culpepers appeared to have left the
Brenchley area prior to the 1560 date of the earliest extant
parish registers, there is no evidence at all of their involvement
at Brenchley Church.
Location: 4 miles NW of
Goudhurst, on Fairman's Lane
National Grid Coordinates: TQ
679 412
Photograph by Warren Culpepper,
March 2000. |
Last Revised:
02 Jan 2015
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