Mersham

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Mersham
Coordinates: 51.1187° N 0.9345° E
Population	1022[1]
OS grid reference	TR053396
Parish	Mersham
District	Ashford
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TONBRIDGE
Postcode district	TN25
Dial code	01233
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Ashford
European Parliament	South East England
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Mersham is a small village and civil parish, three miles east of Willesborough and the Kentish town of Ashford.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Knatchbulls 2 Local Facilities 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] History

Historically Mersham has been a farming community with close ties to the local market town of Ashford. The small village dates back to Saxon times and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The village was owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury for over 500 years. The beautiful Church of St. John the Baptist, which stands on the site of a Saxon church, is part Norman. There are two water mills on the East Stour river, one of which, Swanton, is still working. Part of Hatch Park, an ancient deerpark and SSSI, is within the parish.

It is thought that the village gives rise to the surname Marshman.

[edit] The Knatchbulls

The village has been the home of the Knatchbull family since the times of Henry VIII. In 1638 Sir Norton Knatchbull founded Ashford Grammar School, to which pupils were not admitted until they could read the bible in English, he was also the Member of Parliament for Romney. In the early 1800s Edward Knatchbull served under Robert Walpole in the Whig government and in 1830 another Sir Edward Knatchbull became M.P. for Romney and served under Sir Robert Peel in his government of 1841.

[edit] Local Facilities

• Mersham Primary School
• 2 Public Houses - The Royal Oak & The Farriers Arms
• Village Hall
• Local Shop & Post Office
• Playing Fields & Play Areas

[edit] See also

• Marshman
• HMS Mersham, a Ham class minesweeper

[edit] External links

• VillageNet
• Map sources for Mersham

[edit] References

1. ^ Ashford Borough Council Census 2001

view • talk • edit  The town of Ashford in Kent, South East England with the surrounding suburbs, villages, towns and parishes:
Aldington • Appledore • Bethersden • Biddenden • Bilsington • Bilting • Bonnington • Boughton Aluph • Boughton Aluph and Eastwell • Boughton Lees • Brabourne • Brabourne Lees • Brook • Challock • Charing • Cheeseman's Green • Chilham • Chilmington Green • Crundale • Eastwell • Ebony • Egerton • Evegate • Godinton • Godmersham • Great Chart • Great Chart with Singleton • Hamstreet • Hastingleigh • High Halden • Hinxhill • Hothfield • Isle of Oxney • Kenardington • Kennington • Kingsnorth • Little Chart • Mersham • Molash • Newenden • Newtown • Orlestone • Park Farm • Pluckley • Rolvenden • Rolvenden Layne • Ruckinge • Sellindge • Sevington • Shadoxhurst • Singleton • Smarden • Smeeth • Stanhope • Stonebridge Green • Stone-cum-Ebony • Stone in Oxney • Snave • Tenterden • Warehorne • Westwell • Willesborough • Wittersham • Woodchurch • Wye • Wye with Hinxhill
The borough of Ashford List of places in Kent