TONBRIDGE, or TUNBRIDGE, a market-town and
parish in the lowey of TONBRIDGE, lathe of AYLESFORD,
county of KENT, 14 miles (W. S.W.) from Maidstone,
and 30 (S. E.) from London, containing, with part
of the chapelry of Tonbridge-Wells, 7406 inhabitants.
This place is supposed to have been originally called
"Town of Bridges,"from the stone bridges crossing the
five streams into which the river Medway here branches,
of which the present name is a contraction. A castle
(by some supposed to have been built before the Conquest,
but generally believed to have been erected shortly
after, early in the eleventh century, by Richard, Earl, of
Clare, a relation of the Conqueror) j which was on a very
large scale, and a frequent scene of warfare, stood near,
the town, to which it probably gave origin: it was
besieged by William Rufus, soon after his accession to
the throne, the proprietor having declared in favour of
Robert, Duke of Normandy: it was afterwards taken
by King John, in his war with the barons; and subsequently
was besieged by Prince Edward, son of Henry III.,
on which occasion the town was burned by the garrison,
to prevent-its giving shelter to the assailants. .Having
ascended the throne, Edward was sumptuously
entertained  here by Gilbert, Earl of Clare j and during
his absence in Flanders, his son, afterwards Edward II.,
when administering the government of the kingdom,
resided in this castle, and, having been crowned king,
took possession of it, in consequence of the rebellion of
its owner, after which: it became, with three others, the
depository of the records of the kingdom. The lordship,
gome time after, was the property of the family of
Stafford;' and, on the attainder of the Duke of Buckingham
(the last powerful member of that family), in
the reign of Henry VIII.,' it was seized by the crown,
with his other possessions, and the castle suffered to
fall into decay.
The town consists principally of one long and spacious
street, containing some good houses, and its situation,
on the declivity pf a bill, contributes greatly to its
cleanliness; it is partially lighted and paved: the only
public buildings are the town hall and market-house.
A stone causeway, at its entrance from London, was
constructed, in 1528, by John Wilfordj and the principal
bridge was erected, in 1775, at an expense of
£1100. The chief articles' manufactured are Tonbridge:
ware and gunpowder, but both to a less extent than
formerly. The river Medway was made navigable to',
this town about the middle of. the last century, and a
considerable quantity of coal and timber is brought
by it from Maidstone. The weekly market is dn Friday,
and there is a cattle market on the first Tuesday in
every month, which is very numerously attended: a
fair is held on the 12th of October.' The county magistrates
meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays
in each month; and a high constable and borsholder
are appointed, every third year, at the court leet of the
lord of the manor. A court of requests, for the recovery
of debts under £5, is held on the third Monday in
the month, comprehending within its jurisdiction the
hundreds of Brenchley. and Horsemonden,'Codsheath,
Somerden, Washlingstone, Westerham, and Wrothama.
the lowey of Tonbridge, and the ville and liberty of
Brasted. Two representatives were sent to parliament
from this town in the 23rd of Edward I., but it has
not since exercised the elective franchise.
The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and
diocese of Rochester, rated in the king's books > at
£20.3.4., and in the patronage of -Deacon, Esq.
The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is a
spacious and handsome structure, and has been recently
repaired and enlarged, with the addition of four hundred
and twenty-seven sittings, of which three hundred
and eight are free, the Incorporated Society for
building and repairing churches and chapels having
contributed £ 550 towards defraying the expense. There
are places of worship for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists.
The free grammar school was founded by Sir Andrew.
Judd, alderman of London, in the 7th of Edward VI. j
and, by letters patent of that monarch, it was ordained
that, after the death of the founder, the management
pf the school should be vested in the ..' Master, Wardens,
and Commonalty of the Mystery of Skinners, of
London," who should appoint the master, and, withthe
advice of the Warden and Fellows of All Souls' College,
Oxford, should make statutes and ordinances for the
due government of the school. The rental of the estates,
with some small additional bequests, amounting, in-
1819, to upwards of £4500 per annum, a suit was instituted
in Chancery, respecting its application, when,
it was referred to a master to. approve of a schema
for the future regulation of the school, whose report
being sanctioned by the Lord Chancellor, in 1825, hislordship
decreed, that the Skinners' Company might,
with the advice of the Society of All Souls' College,
Oxford, make such alterations as they should think fit,
provided they did not interfere with the plan of suchscheme,
under authority of which a salary of £500 per
annum is paid to the head-master, and £200 per annum
to the under-master, both;of them having also rent-free
residences. Sixteen exhibitions, of £100 a year each,
to continue for four years, were also founded from the
income for,boys going to either of the Universities.
The school is open to boys residing in the town, or,
within ten miles of it, free of charge, and to boys from
any part of the United Kingdom, on payment of £7. 10.
per annum to the master, and £3 per annum to the
under-master; and the exhibitions are open to all the
boys in the school, with preference to those on the foundation,
provided they are equally qualified. An examiner,
of seven years' standing, and a resident, at one of the
Universities, who must have taken the degree of master
of arts, or bachelor of civil law, is appointed by
the Warden and Fellows of All Souls'College, Oxford;,
he publicly examines, at an annual visitation, all the boys
in the school, to ascertain their progress; and subsequently
examines, in the school-room, the candidates
for the exhibitions; reporting to the governors and master
the names of such as are qualified. The masters are
allowed to take boarders, and any housekeeper of the
town, having a license from the Skinners' Company,
which is granted on testimonials as to ,their character
from the master, may receive scholars, as boarders, the
number not to exceed thirty. In addition to the exhibitions
founded from the endowments, the pupils are
also eligible to a fellowship at St. John's College;,
Oxford, founded by Sir Thomas Whyte; to six exhibitions,
of £10 per annum each, tenable at any college
in either University, founded by Sir Thomas Smith; to
a scholarship of £17. 9. 6. per annum, at Brasenose
College, Oxford, founded by Mr. Henry Fisher; to an
exhibition of £2. 13. 4. per annum, at either of the
Universities, founded by Mr. Thomas Lampard j to two
exhibitions, of £6 per annum each, at St. John's College,
Cambridge, founded by Mr. Worrall; to an exhibition,
originally £4, now £8, per annum, at either University
{in default of scholars from Seven-Oaks school), founded
by Mr. Robert Holmedon; and to two exhibitions, of
£75 per annum each, at Jesus' College, Cambridge (also
in default of scholars from Seven-Oaks school), founded
by Lady Mary Boswell. The National school, for one
hundred and fifty boys and one hundred and fifty girls,
is supported by voluntary contributions; and the boys
who were educated from the funds of the town charity
school, which amounted to about £36, are now instructed
in this school. The remains of the once celebrated
castle consist only of the entrance gateway,
which is flanked by two round towers, and an artificial
mount, on which the keep stood; but these
serve to show the surpassing strength which it once
possessed. Near it are the ruins of a priory of Black
canons, founded by Richard de Clare, about the end of
the reign of Henry I.; at its dissolution, in 1525, the
revenue,- amounting to £169. 10. 3., was intended to
form a part of the endowment of Wolsey's colleges
at Ipswich and Oxford; but the cardinal's disgrace
occurring before the grant was confirmed, it became
vested in the crown: the foundation is still visible, but
little remains besides the refectory, or hall, which has
been converted into a barn.