Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-02-18
THE OLD KENT MANOR-HOUSE.

OF Sermons, 90 c0ntS efecn. nOVll-0S
THE OLD KENT MANOR.HOUSE.
rFrom Robert Dale OWENS "FoOtfalls on the Doun-
dairy of Another World"I
a CONCLUDED.
But as all this afforded no clue either
to the Christian name, or the date of
occupation, or the year of Mr.. Children's
death, visited, in search of these, the
church and graveyard at Leigh, the near
est to the Ramlurst property, and the old
church at Turnbridge; making inquiries
in both places on the subject But TO no
purpose All could learn was, that n
certain George Children left, in the year
l7l8, weekly gift of bread to the poor,
and that descendant of the family, also
named George, dying some forty years
ago, and not residing at Rsmhurst, had
marble tablet, iu the Tunbridge church,
erected to his memory.
Sections and tombstOnes having failed
me, n friend suggested that might possi-
bly, obtain the information l sought by
visiting ncighboring Clergyman. did
SO, and with the most fortunate result
Simply stating to him that had taken
the liberty to call in search of some par
ticulars touching the carly history of a
Kcntish family of the name of Children,
lie replied that, singularly enough, he was
in possession of document, coming to
him through private source, and contain
ing, he thought likely, the very details of
which was inlsearch. Hekindly entrust-
ed it to me; and l found in it, among
numerous particulars regarding another
member of the family, not many years
since deceased certain extracts from the
"Hastcd Papers," preserved in the British
Museum; these being contained in letter
addressed by ono of the members of the
Children family to Mr.. Hasted. OF this
document, which may be consulted in the
Museum library, l here transcribc por-
tion, rs follows:
s'The family of Children were settled
for great many generations at a house
called, from their own name, Childrens,
situated at place called Neither street,
otherwise Lower street, in Hildenborough,
in the parish of Tunbridge. George Chill
dren, of Lower street, who was High
Sheriff of Kent in 1893, died without
issue in l7l9, and by will devised the
bulk of his estate to Richard Children, eldest
son of his late uncle, William Children, of
Hedcorn, and his heirs. This Richard
Children, who settled himselfat RNmhurst,
in the parish of Leigh, married Anne,
daughter of John Saxby, in the parish of
and two daughters" &c. -ss
Thus ascertained that the first of the
Children family who occupied Ramhurst
as residence was named Richard, and
that he settled there i the early part of
the reign of George 1. Tho year of his
death, however, was net given. This last
particular did not ascertain till several
months afterwards, when friend versed
in antiquarian lore, to which mentioned
my desire to obtain it, suggested that the
same TIasted, an extract from whose work
/ have given, had published, in lTTS,
history of Kent, and that i'll that work
might possibly obtain the information
sought. In effect, after considerable
| search, there found the following para
graph:
Lighc, mot Leigh, near the river Midway,
stands an ancient mansion called Ram
hurst, once repntcd manor, and held of
| the honor of Gloucester. 1t
continued in the Culpcpper family for sew
sale into that of Saxby, and Mr.. William
Saxby conveyed it, by sale, to Children.
Richard Children, Esq, resided here, and
died possessed of it in 1853, aged eighty
three years. He was succeeded by his
eldest son, John Children, of Tunbridge.
Esq, whose son, George Children, of Tun-
bridge, Esq, is the present Possessor."
Thus verified the last remaining par
ticular, the date of Richard Children's
death 1t appears from the above, also,
that Richard Children was the only repre-
sentative of the family who lived and died
at Ramhurst; but as of Tunhridge. From
i the private memoir above referred to, had
previously ascertained that the family seat,
| after Richards time, was Ferox Hall, near
Tunbridge.
1t remains to be added that in 1916, in
consequence of events rejecting no dis
credit on the family, they lost all their
property, and were compelled to sell RAM
hurst, which has since been occupied,
though spacious mansion, not as family
residence, but as farm house. / visited
it; snd the occupant assured me that moth
ling worse than nts or mice disturbed it
now.
am not sure that have found on re-
cord, among what are usually termed ghost
stories, any narrative better authenticated
that the foregoing. 1t involves, indeed,
no startling or romantic particulars, no
warning of death, no disclosure of murder,
no circumstances of terror or danger, but
is all the more reliable on that account;
since those passions whichare wont to e1-
cite and misIead the imaginations of men
were not called into play.
1t was communicated to me about four
teen months only after the events occurred,
by both the chief witnesses, and inciden-
tally confirmed, shortly afteward by n third.
The cialsposition and personal char
acter of the two ladies to whom the fig
ures appeared preclude, at the outset, all
idea whatever of wilful mis-statement or
deception. The sight and sounds to which
thcv testified c1jcl Dresent themselves 10
their senses Whether.their senses played
-. c.I.a ;n a..n41,nr nmnstinn Tho thnn-