1728 Map of the lands in Eastry

In 2021, Canterbury Cathedral Archives and Library was fortunate to be able to purchase at auction a manuscript map dating from 1728 of lands in Eastry. This purchase was made possible with a bequest from the late Ken Reedie, MBE.

According to the description, the map is of the lands of the manor of Eastry Court, which belonged then to Canterbury Cathedral, leased to the heirs of Isaac Bargrave. It shows individual fields as well as the layout of the village itself, with the centre of the village around the church being of particular interest. Overall, the map provides rich evidence for field-names, the uses of the land, local family names and the history of individual buildings. It awaits further study and interpretation. It is also an item of significant artistic merit, with its two decorative cartouches, its border and its elaborate scale.

The map is by Jared Hill, who was baptised in 1687. Jared was the son of Thomas Hill, also a surveyor-mapmaker who worked for the cathedral. Another member of the family, Francis, possibly Thomas’s brother, was also a mapmaker. These three members of the Hill family can be considered part of the ‘school’ of surveying which emerged in Canterbury in the 17th century and which specialised in the production of estate maps. The Archives holds a number of maps by Jared Hill in its collections. Eleven of these form part of the cathedral’s own archive as part of a series of maps of cathedral-owned manors. Apart from one map of an estate in Suffolk, all of these are of estates in Kent. There are three further maps by Jared in other collections at the Archives.

There is a record of the payment by the cathedral to Jared for the making of this map: £9 15s 6. This is roughly the equivalent of £1500 in today’s money, so a significant sum which reflects the time and skills required to produce the map.

The previous owners of the map are not known; it is fortunate that the map has been secured for a collection to which there is public access, and returned to the institution which originally commissioned it.

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The map can be consulted at the Cathedral Archives; there is also a digital copy. Anyone interested in viewing the map or finding out more about it should email gro.lardehtac-yrubretnac|sevihcra#gro.lardehtac-yrubretnac|sevihcra or telephone 01227-865330.

Research: Cressida Williams, Archives & Library Manager, Canterbury Cathedral Archives.