CHILHAM, a parish (formerly a market-town) in
the hundred of FELBOROUGH, lathe of SCRAY, county
of KENT, 6 miles (W. S.W.) from Canterbury, contain*
ing 1025 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, with the.
perpetual curacy of Moldash annexed, in the archdea-i
conry and diocese of Canterbury, rated in the king's
books at £13. 6. 8., and in the patronage of J. S,
Wildman, Esq. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is
a spacious cruciform structure, exhibiting'portions in
various styles of architecture, of which the early En-*
glish predominates, and some painted glass: it contains
several sepulchral memorials, the principal of which are,
the sumptuous mausoleum of the Colebrooks, erected
in 1755, on the site of an ancient chantry chapel, and
that of Sir Dudley Digges, of earlier date, with his
splendid monument in the centre. Here are eight
almshouses, which have been converted into a poorhouse.
The market has fallen into disuse; a cattle fab?
is held on the 8th of November: the river Stour flows
through the parish. Chilham is supposed to have been,
a post of the ancient Britons, and afterwards a military
station of the Romans, there being evident proofs of the
latter in the discovery of coins, foundations of houses,
and other remains. The castle is of great antiquity, and
was a strong fortress and palace of ,the kings of Kent, till,
destroyed by the Danes in the middle of the ninth cen-.
turyj but at the Conquest it was rebuilt by one Fulbert,
on whom it had been bestowed. The present stately
edifice was erected by Sir Dudley Digges, in 1616, and
the Norman keep converted into offices; on the northwest
side there are traces of a deep fosse, enclosing an
area of eight acres. It is asserted that Caesar, on his
second invasion, defeated the Britons here, who retreated
and intrenched themselves in an adjoining wood,
where vestiges of their rude and extensive works are
still visible; and on a hill at the south-east side of the
river, and eastward from the castle, is a tumulus, termed
Julabers Grave, supposed to be the place of sepulture
of Quintus Laberius Durus, a tribune, who was slain in
the conflict.