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Otford (St. Bartholomew)

OTFORD (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in the union of Seven-Oaks, hundred of Codsheath, lathe of Sutton-at-Hone, W. division of Kent, 3 miles (N.) from Seven-Oaks; containing 798 inhabitants. This place is memorable as the scene of an important victory obtained in 773, by Offa, King of Mercia, over Ealhmund, King of Kent; and also of a sanguinary battle in which Edmund Ironside, in 1016, defeated the Danes with great slaughter. The parish is pleasantly situated on the river Darent, and was formerly the residence of the archbishops of Canterbury, who had a palace here, the favourite abode of Thomas à Becket. In the reign of Henry VII., Archbishop Wareham expended more than £33,000 in repairing this stately structure, of which one of the square towers yet remains, in a state of ruin. Near it is a well, 30 feet deep and 15 in diameter, inclosed by a wall, and said to have been used by Becket as a bath. The parish comprises 2852 acres, of which 180 are in wood. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £129; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. The church was burnt down about two centuries since, and on its being rebuilt, wooden pillars were used to separate the aisles; the eastern window, of a very elegant design, has been renewed in strict imitation of the original, at the expense of Lord Willoughby de Broke, lessee of the great tithes. The edifice contains some handsome monuments, one of which, to the memory of Charles Polhill, Esq., by Sir William Cheer, of seven different specimens of marble, is well worthy of attention. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. An hospital for lepers was founded here in the reign of Henry III.

Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.

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