Plumstead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Plumstead is a district in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England, United Kingdom with the eastern end of the site of the former Royal Arsenal at its northern boundary and Shooters Hill to the south.
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[edit] History
Much of the early history of Plumstead can be found in Edward Hasted's extensive history of Kent.[2] Plumstead was first created in 960 when King Edgar gave four plough lands, collectively called Plumstede, to a monastery - St Augustine's Abbey near Canterbury, Kent. These were subsequently taken from the monastery by Godwyn, Earl of Kent for his fourth son, Toftan.
King Edward the Confessor restored them again to the monastery on taking power, however Toftan saw the opportunity to take possession of them once again after Edward's death in 1066 when King Harold seized his brother's estates.
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror gifted Plumfted to his half-brother Odo, Bishop of Baieux whom he also titled Earl of Kent. Archbishop Lanfrance and the Norman abbot of St Austin's successfully interceded to reclaim a portion of the land on behalf of the monastery. In 1074 Odo then granted by deed the remainder of the parish and also the right of the abbot to be "Chief Lord of the Fee".[3]
However, the Domesday book[4] of 1080 holds the details of Plumstead as two separate entries. Under the title of the land of the church of St. Augustine it reads
"In Litelai hundred. The abbot of St. Auguftine has 1 manor, named Plumftede, which was taxed at 2 fulings and 1 yoke. The arable lands is ... In demefne there is 1 carucate and 17 villeins, with 6 cottagers, having 6 carucates, there is wood for the pannage of 5 hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confeffor, and afterwards it was worth 10 pounds, now 12 pounds, and yet it pays 14 pounds and 8 fhillings and 3 pence."
while under the general title of the Bifhop of Baieux's lands
"The abbot of St. Auguftine holds of the bifhop of Baieux, Plumfted. It was taxed at 2 fulings and 1 yoke. The arable land is 5 carucates. In demefne there is 1 carucate and 17 villeins, with 3 boarderers, having 4 carucates. There is wood for the pannage of 5 hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confeffor it was worth 10 pounds, when he received it 8 pounds, and now as much, and yet he who holds it pays 12 pounds. Brixi Cilt held it of king Edward."
Around this time Reginald, son of Gervafe de Cornhill, released to the abbot and convent all claims in this manor from David and Robert de Cornhill who had rented it from them.[5] By 1273 Nicholas de Spina was elected abbot of the monastery and by the following year he was receiving eleven pounds from Plumstead residents.[6]
Lora de Ros, lady of Horton, gave her right to two carucates of land and fifty acres of woods in Plumstead to the abbot, Thomas, in return for the rights of her and her heirs to partake of prayers performed in the church during 1287.[7] It appears that Robert, the last abbot but one, had recovered a share of this land from her ancestor, Richard de Ros. It was found by a jury of grand assizes that his ancestors held this land in tenancy from the abbot and convent at a rent of twelve pound per annum.
In 1314, during the reign of Edward II of England, the abbot was summoned before Hervey de Stanton, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was asked to show by what right he claimed sundry liberties and free warren on the manor of Plumstead amongst others. Other questions included the right for a weekly market in Plumstead on a Wednesday and a fair yearly for three days "on the Eve day, and morrow of St. Nicholas".
For reasons that remain unclear, King Edward III exempted the men and tenants of the manor of Plumstead from providing four men from the borough for the sheriff as was the requirement elsewhere. A writ to Roger de Reynham, Sheriff of Kent in 1332 directed and commanded him that the residents of Plumstead should be allowed to send one man only. By 1363 Edward also decreed to the monastery in his charter of infpeximus that he released all manors and possessions given to it by former kings, including William the Conqueror. He also confirmed all the grants of liberties previously bestowed on the abbot and monastery.
By the time of Richard II of England the taxes from Plumstead were valued at 69 pounds, 10 shillings and sixpence,[8] and Henry VI of England reconfirmed the liberties and rights of the monastery.[9]
Plumstead manor, together with the church of Plumstead and the chapel of Wickham annexed to it remained part of the possessions of the monastery until its final disolution in 1539, the 30th year of the reign of Henry VIII, when the abbey and all its revenues were surrendered into the King's hands by the then abbot, John Essex and its thirty members.[10]
[edit] Further information
Plumstead expanded rapidly in the 1880s with housing developed for Arsenal workers, two-up two-down terraced housing was common in the area close to the river and Arsenal, larger and smarter properties were developed uphill from the Thames, around Plumstead Common.
Plumstead was also the home of the Peculiar People and a fascinating account of this Protestant sect is recorded in 'Unorthodox London' by the journalist Dr Davis. Being near to the military town of Woolwich there have never been any Quaker meeting houses but the Plymouth Brethren have had numerous meeting rooms in the area since about 1845. The present Brethren meeting places are at Plum Lane (1865), Willenhall Road (ca 1910) and Brewery Road (Richmond Gospel Hall).
Arsenal Football Club (then known as Royal Arsenal or Woolwich Arsenal) played in Plumstead between 1886 and 1913, at various grounds in the Plumstead area, but mainly at the Manor Ground, on the north side of Plumstead High Street and the Invicta Ground, were the Royal Ordnance Factories F.C. also played.
Celebrity gangster Dave Courtney lives in "Camelot Castle", an elaborately styled Victorian semi in Chestnut Rise, Plumstead.
If Crossrail is ever built in a way that serves the Isle of Dogs and the ExCeL exhibition centre then the railway's tracks are likely to emerge from a tunnel beneath the River Thames at Plumstead sidings. This would permit a choice of an eastern terminus at Abbey Wood, Dartford or Gravesend; the further east these trains ran, the greater would be the impact upon the existing level of services emanating from Cannon Street to or from Slade Green.
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] Nearest railway station
- Plumstead railway station (located in the north-west corner of the town)
[edit] Notable people
Notable people from Plumstead
- Shampoo, female pop duo responsible for early 1990s single "Trouble"
- Lee Ryan, formerly of boyband Blue
- Steve Davis, British snooker player
- Paul Walsh, former Liverpool and Manchester City player
- Kevin Horlock, Scunthorpe United FC player
- Bill Whitehouse, formula 1 racing driver
- Michael Bradshaw, actor
- Charlie Collier
- Dave Courtney
- Chris Dickson , Charlton Athletic F.C Striker
- Gavin Brocker - Actor
- Don Angry - Football expert, Adviser to Football Managers
[edit] References
- ^ Census, 2001. Pre-boundary change Glyndon, Herbert, Lakedale, Plumstead and Plumstead Common wards
- ^ Hasted, Edward: "History and Topgraphical Survey of the County of Kent - Second Edition - Volume II", pages 203-227. Bristow, Canterbury, 1798
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart 163 & 200, Decim Script col 1779, 1787. Canterbury.
- ^ Various: "Domesday/The Book of Winchester". 1080
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart 247, Decim Script col 1788, 1863. Canterbury.
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart 325, Decim Script col 1921. Canterbury.
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart 311 & 370, Decim Script col 1942, 1949. Canterbury.
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart ?, Decim Script col 2054,2123,2129,2163. Canterbury.
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Rot. Cart. de 21 ufq. ad 24 anni ejus regi. Canterbury.
- ^ Anon: "Registry of the Monastery of St Augustine", Cart ?, Decim Script col 2293. Canterbury.
[edit] External links
[edit] Government and politics
[edit] Local bloggers
- Greenwich Phantom - This Greenwich blogger has lots of local info on the Greenwich
- Plumsteadshire - Visit this informative blog for lively local chat and info about Plumstead Common and the local area.
- Sibonetic - Visit this site for a view into life in Plumstead Common, from a blogger who's lived in the area for over 20 years.
- Planet Plumstead - Providing local project updates - special interest Plumstead High Street. Plus observations about life in Plumstead.
[edit] Local community groups
- Plumstead Common Environment Group - Visit this site to find out about the PCEG, which is a group of local Plumstead Common residents who are concerned about the natural environment of Plumstead Common and its environs, and do a range of work to improve and preserve the area's beauty, local character and history.
- The Slade Church, Plumstead This web site offers a comprehensive DVD of the history of the Slade Evangelical Church on Plumstead Common. Featuring numerous original documents, photographs and sound recordings, the DVD is a wonderful souvenir record of the amazing faithfulness of God to the church over more than 126 years of witness and ministry.
[edit] Resources
- Green Chain - details of the Green Chain Walk which passes through Plumstead
- Plumstead-Suburbia in Focus is a history of the creation of the modern Plumstead.
- For photos of the Plumstead, Plumstead Common and Woolwich areas, visit: Plumstead on Geocities and Plumstead London Blog
- Plumstead-Stories is a collection of stories and photos of people who grew up in the area, primarily around WWII and beyond.
- Google Earth satellite view of Plumstead
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