chancel" in the church of Wittersham, and mentions the manor of Palster, along with Wittersham, being given to Christ Church, Canterbury, in 1032 and 1035. From which circumstances it would appear, that Palestrei was an important property in early times; wherefore the church, though described as belonging to Palestrei, within the limits of which manor it might stand not improbably perhaps occupied the site of the existing parish church of Wittersham.
255. Peckhams, The—(D.B.) estimates one portion of Peckham manor as belonging to the monks of the archbishop, the other as the property of the Bishop of Bayeux. The former, which possessed a church, is easily recognised as East Peckham, which benefice is at this day in the gift of the dean and chapter of Canterbury.
East Peckham.—Brasses: Rich. Etclesley, rector (consecrating a chalice), 1526; man and woman. (Reg. Roff.)
256. Peckham, West.—Brass: Eliz. wife of Will. Culpeper (husband lost), 1460. (Reg. Roff.) (Val. Eccl.) notices a preceptory, then existing in West Peckham, which was founded A.D. 1408, according to Kilburne.
257. Pembury.—The church consists of western tower, nave, chancel, and south porch. The south door is perfectly plain Norm., and there is one small very plain Norm, window in the south wall of the nave, partly cut off by the roof of the church. The chancel and tower are Dec., the former early, but with only one original window.—Harris broaches the somewhat absurd supposition, that the name of this parish, "Pepenbury, Pipingbury," came "very likely from the quantity of pepins which anciently grew here, and for which formerly the place hath been famous." Perhaps, judging from the soil, which is not very favorable for delicate fruits, the last assertion originated only in the imagination of the writer; beside that it militates against Lambarde's (erroneous) report, which is adopted by Dr. Harris himself, that orchards were first introduced into England during the reign of K. Henry VIII. See this subject discussed below under Teynham. The Pimpes were a family of consideration in early times, who gave their name to more than one residence in the neighbourhood (Pimpe's Court), though to none in Pembury; and property called "Pinpa" is mentioned in (D.B.), as in Twyford hundred, which brings it near Pembury. It is far more probable than the above conjecture, that the place, when first cleared and settled, might have been "Pimpe's Bury," and so denominated.
