The recorded history of Boughton Monchelsea begins before the Norman Conquest. It was then called Boltone, later Bacton meaning clearing in a beech wood. Before the Conquest it belonged to the Saxon Earl Godwin. William the Conqueror granted the manor together with many others in Kent to his half-brother Odo Bishop of Bayeux. The Bishop then fell into disgrace and all his property was confiscated. At the end of the 12c Boughton came into the possession of the Montchensies (a Norman family) from whom the second part of the name of the village derives.
The Montchensies were an important family, with large possession in Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent. The Montchensies died out when William de Montchensie was killed in a mining operation at the siege of Dryslwyn Castle near Carmarthen in 1287. Williams Daughter Dionysia married Hugh de Vere, son of the Earl of Oxford.
From the Montchensies the ownership of the manor passed by inheritance through various Kent families, including the Harpurs and Peckhams, until in 1551 it was bought by Thomas Wyatt the son of the poet of the same name who lived in nearby Allington Castle. Wyat sold it in 1551 to Robert Rudston. The price paid for it together with the manor of Palster in Wittersham was £1.730. Rudstons descendants occupied the Manor until 1888.
Robert Rudston, son of Sir John Rudston (d.1531), scion of a Yorkshire landowning family had come South, made a fortune as a draper, bought more land and was Lord Mayor of London. As a boy Robert was bought up not far away , his mother now widowed married Sir Edward Wotton of Boughton Malherbe (Wotton was Treasurer of Calais and an executor of King Henry VIII). Robert Rudston then married Anne Wotton (his Step-Father's daughter by his first marriage). Anne Wottons and Rudstons arms appear on the righthand side of the southernmost window in the Entrance Hall).
In January 1554 - Rudston had only lived at Boughton for 3 years, he joined the revolt against Catholic Queen Mary. This revolt led by his friend Thomas Wyatt was crushed, Wyatt was beheaded, Rudston was locked in the Tower, his land confiscated . He was released in 1555 and allowed to lease Boughton from the Crown and then in the later part of 1555 was allowed to re-purchase the lands for £1,000.
In 1575 Rudston had recovered enough to have the House lengthened eastwards and added the present east wing and two more wings to enclose the Courtyard. An inventory of 1613 shows it contained 14 bedrooms a hall, a gallery, two dining rooms, three other living rooms and a large number of other rooms connected with the storage and preparation of food.
Robert Rudston was a man of culture, but a difficult character. Sir Francis Barnham described him as a 'brave gentlemen and of a very loving disposition,m but so furiously cholericks as required a great deal of discretion to avaoide the incounter of that humour'.
Rudston died in 1590, he left Boughton to his younger son Belknap Rudston. On Belknaps death in 1613 the male line of the Rudstons came to an end, and Boughton passed to Sir Francis Barnham (son of Belknaps older sister who had married Sir Martin Barnham)
Robert Barnham was created a Baronet in 1663, was MP of Maidstone from 1660 - 1679. He and his father before him had represented Maidstone for 43 years. Robert was a Royalist at heart and took part in the Kentish Rising of 1648 - this rising was sparked off by Parliament clamping down on religious and traditional observances at Christmas.
Robert Barnham died in 1685 and passing over his daughters of his first marriage left Boughton to his only child by his second marriage - a daughter Philadelphia, who was married to Thomas Rider from Essex.
The Riders came to Boughton in 1685 and the first alterations were made since Rudston's time., The Tudor staircase did not fit in with the more gracious way of life and the wide shallow staircase to the first floor was put in.
Little is known of the first Thomas Rider, (d 1698) or of his son Sir Barnham Rider (d 1728) Both were however hard drinkers - Philadelphia who died in 1730 left £400 to her grandson another Thomas (aged now 12) to 'educate him as a gentleman so that he might be sensible. How fatal intemperance had been to his Father and Grandfather'.
Young Thomas inherited the property which he enlarged. He was High Sherrif. Thomas was knighted but never married, in fact for a period of 175 years between 1728 and 1903 there were children in the House for only 30 years.
It was possibly during Thomas's time that the north and west wings of the House were pulled down. At 30 years of age and a Batchelor Thomas probably thoguht the house too big and dilapidated (due to his father and grandfathers money having been spent on drink) Sir Thomas died in 1786 and was succeeded by his cousin Ingram Rider.
Ingram Rider had lived at Yalding (Buston Manor) and produced 14 children. He and his son Thomas carried out important alterations to the house before and after 1800, and it was possibly during the second Thomas' time that the north and west wings of the house were pulled down.
It was also a time when the taste for 'gothik' had superseded the 18c admiration for classic line. About 1790 the windows on the east front were given a gothik air. The Regency Gothic pillars were placed in the Red Dining Room and Entrance Hall, this was done by Ingram Rider.
The turret clock was moved to its present position. The bell of the clock bears Sir Robert Barnhams name and the date 1647.
In 181 the formal gardens were swept away, by the third Thomas Rider, he replaced the entrance through the Stable Yard and laid the present main drive, creating a romantic approach to the House.
Thomas Rider died childless in 1847 he left Boughton to his nephew's younger brother the fourth Thomas. In 1868 this Thomas married a Welsh girl and left Boughton for her village in Wales. When he died in 1887 leaving only a Daughter Boughton went to the son of his elder brother in American. The young man came home to have a look and decided not to stay here. The house remained empty for many years. The fact that the property remined empty explains the absence of Victorian additions.
In 1903 Lt. Col George B Winch came to Boughton (Chairman of Style & Winch- Maidstone Brewers) His only son having been killed in the First World War and his adopted son was killed in the Second World War, the house passed on his death to his nephew Mr Michael Bluett Winch. On 11 November 1990, Michael Winch having never married, passed the house to his Godson Mr Charlie Gooch the present owner.
LICENSED PREMISES FOR CIVIL MARRIAGE CEREMONIES. EXQUISITE MARQUEE SITE FOR RECEPTIONS, SMALLER RECEPTIONS CAN BE HELD IN THE HOUSE.
PRIVATE DINING, CORPORATE DAYS
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