A Survey made of the Manor of Crofton in Kent by James Bacon, Richard Goldstone and Thomas Pierson for the Governors of St Thomas’s Hospital 22 May 1561 ” as followeth upon report of John Staple farmer there and of John Beveridge one of the customary Tenants there”.
1. First there is no house builded upon the said Manor but these parcels of land pasture and wood ground do belong to the said manor that is to say –
2. Arable: one field called Upper Worleys containing by estimation 16 acres, adjoining land called Gravely Crofte appertaining to Mr. Dalton and Andrewe Shott North, and the wood ground of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. South.
3. Arable: item one other field called Neither Worleys with a coneyborowe in the same, containing by estimation 18 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Farnborough East, the lands of Mr. Dalton North and the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt.South.
4. Pasture: item one croft called Dodwyk containing by estimation 4 acres, abutting upon the lands of Richard Smale North and the lands of the said Manor East, West and South.
5. Pasture: item one field called Chalke containing by estimation 14 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon North and the lands of Master Dalton East.
6. Pasture: item one other field called Acres lande containing by estimation 10 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading to Cudham East and also upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Farnborough West, and the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt.South.
7. Item a field called Neyther Brodefeld with a hedgerow in the same, containing by estimation 12 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Farnborough to Orpington South, to the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. North, to a field called the Four Acres belonging to the heirs of John Staple deceased to the East and to the lands of the Manor West.
8. Arable: item another field called the Upper Brode Feilde containing by estimation 16 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon South and the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. North.
9. Arable: item three fields lying together called the Medler Feilde crofte and Ote Crofts containing together by estimation 6 acres, lying near the Lord’s pound there.
10. Arable: item a field called Pownde Feilde containing by estimation 8 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon South and the lands of Mr. Dalton North.
11. Pasture: item another field called Little Clayes containing by estimation 3 acres, abutting upon the lands of John Staple called Sandcrofte North and the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte East.
12. Pasture: item a field lying at Crofton Hethe Gate containing by estimation 6 acres, abutting upon the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon East, the lands of John Staple North and the Lord’s wood called Crofton Heath Wood south and West.
13. Arable: item a rough field called the Stockland containing by estimation 17 acres, abutting upon the lands of Walter Staple East, the lands of Robert Knyghte North and West and the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. South.
14. Pasture: item a little parcel of ground called Poonde Feilde containing by estimation 2 acres, abutting upon the lands of Walter Staple North, the lands of John Staple East and the wood ground of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. North.
15. Item one parcel of rough ground called Dodwyik alias Bushey Close containing by estimation 3 acres, abutting upon the lands of Walter Staple and Richard Smale West, the lands of Andrewe Shott North and the lands of the Manor called Dodwyok Crofte South.
Sum of all the acres of pasture and arable ground – 135 acres.
Meadow ground.
16. Item one meadow called Crofton Heath Meade containing by estimation 8 acres, abutting upon the demesne lands of the Manor round about.
Sum – 8 acres.
Woods and woodground.
17. Item a wood called Dodwick Wood of 5 years growth with a coney grove in the same containing 7 acres, abutting upon the wood of Sir Percyvall Kt. South and the woodground of Richard Smale North and West.
18. Item a grove or hedgerow called Chalke Grove of the age of 2 years growth containing by estimation 5 acres, abutting upon the lands of Mr. Dalton East, the wood ground of Robert Staple South and the lands of Richard Clerke West.
19. Item a wood of 4 years growth called Crokthorne containing by estimation 8 acres, abutting upon the wood of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. South and the woods and lands of the Manor East, West and South.
20. Item a parcel of wood of 5 years growth called Little Clayes containing by estimation 2 acres, abutting upon the wood ground of John Staple and the lands of the Manor East, South and North.
21. Item another wood called the Brome of 4 years growth, containing by estimation 5 acres, abuttng upon the lands of Mr. Dalton South and West, the lands of John Staple North and a field bleonging to the Manor called Pownde Felde East.
22. Item one other wood called Cowpers Hawe of 2 years growth, containing by estimation 4 acres, abutting upon the lands of John Staple called Sand Crofte East and North, the lands of Robert Staple West and a landway leading to Sandcrofte South.
23. Item one wood called Chapmans Heath of 5 years growth, containing by estimation 11 acres, abutting upon the lands of Robert Staple West, the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte North and the King’s Highway there East.
24. Item one other wood called Crofton Heath of 4 years growth and more, containing by estimation 30 acres, abutting upon the land called Pynkneys belonging to William Knight South, the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon East, the woodground of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. North and the lands of Thomas Pope West.
25. Item a little wood called Highbrooke of 2 years growth containing by estimation 3 acres, bounding against the King’s Highway leading from Orpington to Croydon North, the wood ground of Richard Smale East, the lands of Sir Percyvall Harte Kt. West and the lands of Robert Staple South.
Sum of the acres of woodground – 81 acres.
Sum total of all the acres of land, pasture, meadow and woodground – 206 [sic] acres ” over and beside the rents of assize which been yearly 35s. good money “.
The which said Manor with the said Rents of assize are leased and granted by the late Master and Chaplains of the Savoy to John Staple for the term of 40 years and for the yearly rent of £8.13s.4d.
Contributed by Geoffrey Copus. Transcribed from a photocopy of the original, in Essex Record Office, kindly given to Geoffrey Copus by Professor Brian Berry.