Stansted, Kent, England

Stansted Manor

Stansted Manor was held by several generations of the la Zouch family, and Henry la Zouch owned it at his death circa 1447. Soon after it appears to have passed to Sir William Culpeper^8a, son of Sir John Culpeper^7a of Oxen Hoath. At Sir William's death, it passed to his eldest son, Sir Richard Culpeper^9a of Oxen Hoath. Sir Richard had no sons, and at his death in 1484, Stansted Manor passed to Richard's three daughters: (1) Margaret Culpeper, wife of William Cotton of Oxen Hoath; (2) Joyce Culpeper, wife of Edmund Lord Howard (one of their daughters was Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII); and (3) Elizabeth Culpeper, wife of Henry Barham, Esq. They sold it to Thomas Leigh of Sibton in Liminge. (Hasted's Kent, Vol. V, pp 2-3)

St. Mary the Virgin Church

Ancient Parish
Original registers from 1564.

Connection, if any to Culpepers, not currently known. Further research needed.

Stansted, Kent

Location: East of the M20/A20 intersection, 18 miles NW of Goudhurst, and 10 miles WNW of Maidstone.
National Grid Coordinates: TQ 607 621

Both the M20 and A20 pass within about a mile of Stansted, and yet the village manages to convey a sense of remoteness and tranquility. It has a lovely setting of undulating hills of the North Downs, with broad views either looking north towards Gravesend and the Thames Estuary or southwards towards Wrotham Hill and the Weald in the distance. A campsite located about a mile south of the town is popular with spectators at Brands Hatch, which is about 3 miles north of Stansted, but a million miles away in terms of noise and commotion.

Source: Sean Connolly, Ed., "Stansted", The Hidden Places of Kent, Travel Publishing, Ltd., 1998., pages 15.