| Tonge | |
|---|---|
 Tonge Pond and Mill | |
  Tonge Location withinKent | |
| OS grid reference | TQ9363 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sittingbourne |
| Postcode district | ME9 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| 51°20′19″N0°46′33″E / 51.3385°N 0.7758°E /51.3385; 0.7758 | |
Tonge (listenⓘ) is a village nearSittingbourne inKent, England.The hamlet is north ofBapchild (where at the 2011 Census the population was included), close toMurston Marshes besidethe Swale.
It is mainly farmland with one road (Church Road and Blacketts Road) passing through it towards Blacketts Farm.
In 1798,Edward Hasted records that it was once called 'Thwang' (aSaxon name).[1]
Vortigern, King of Saxon Britain, rewarded two Saxon chiefsHengist and Horsa after his victory over theScots andPicts. Hengist requested, as a pledge of the king's affection, only as much land as on ox-hide could surround. This being granted, he cut the whole hide into small thongs (long, thin strips, generally of sturdy fiber or leather, typically used for binding), and inclosed within them a space of ground, this was large enough to contain a castle, which he accordingly built on it, and named itThwang-ceastre (i. e. Thong-castle). The castle later became a ruin in the later years of the Saxon age.[1]
Some writers record it at Thong Castle, nearGrimsby, inLincolnshire, others place it atDoncaster.[1]Leland,Richard Kilburne (A Topographie, or Brief Survey of the County of Kent) and John Philipott (Visitation of the County of Kent, 1619) all record it near Sittigbourne.[1] These events happened in 461,Bede andGildas mention nothing of it in their writings, and Malmsbury tells it only as a report.[1]
Leland also records apoor hospital called Pokeshaulle (during KingRichard III of England's reign). In 1662, duringQueen Mary's reign it became the hospital of St. James, of Puckleshall. It was given to Sir John Parrot.[1]
After theDomesday Survey, the village belonged toOdo, Earl of Kent, (as theBishop of Bayeux). After Odo's trial for fraud, the lands were then granted to 'Hugh de Port' (an English feudal barony) for the defence ofDover Castle. In 1306Bartholomew de Badlesmere became the owner of the manor. It passed toGiles de Badlesmere, 2nd Baron Badlesmere, and then toElizabeth de Badlesmere, Countess of Northampton, then toRoger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, then toRichard, Duke of York. When he died at theBattle of Wakefield in 1460, the manor was granted by KingHenry VI toThomas Browne, esquire ofBeechworth Castle. His sonsir George Brown in 1472, surrendered the manor toCecily Neville, Duchess of York. In 1547, it passed toSir Ralph Fane. He then transferred it in 1558, to Sir Rowland Clerke (whose wife was Grisold the 3rd daughter ofWilliam Paget. Who then passed it on through various private hands.[1]
Also in the parish is the estate of Cheeks Court (which was anciently recorded asChicks-court). One owner in 1444, Sir William Cromer (aHigh Sheriff of Kent)[1] This survives as theGrade II listed Cheke Court.[2]
Also the estate of Newburgh, commonly called Newbarrow (which was on the southern portion of the parish (close toLynsted). Before 1524, John Roper, esq. ofEltham had possession of it. He wasattorney-general to KingHenry VIII. In 1616, another owner,Sir John Roper becameLord Teynham.[1]
In the nineteenth century the village was sometimes referred to as Tong - see for example the dedication stone on the original building of Bapchild and Tonge primary school.
The village has a parish church. The Church of St Giles, which is in thediocese of Canterbury, and deanery of Sittingbourne.This is Grade I listed.[3]
