General Notes

"This estate (Kevingtown of St. Mary Cray parish) was for some generations the residence of the Mannings.... He speaks of John Manning as settled in the parish of Cowdham in the reign of King Henry IV.,his son of the same name, was also of that parish and died anno 14 King Henry VI leaving by Juliana his wife, daughter and heir of Richard Brockhill relict of William Wallys, one son, Hugh Manning, who was of St. Mary Cray and married the daughter of Sir William Brandon, knt. kinswoman to Charles, Duke of Suffolk, by whom he had two sons, John, who settled at Downe, from whom descended the Mannings of Downe, Halsted and Westerham- and Richard, who continued at St. Mary Cray, and had three sons."

"Through the removal of John Manning (the elder son of Hugh Manning of St. Mary Cray above mentioned) to Downe the interest of our New Englanders becomes transferred to that parish, since it is from this John Manning that so many New England families are descended, through female lines;e.g. the families of Whitfield, Higginson, Lee and others, through one alliance and the families of Waters (of Milbury), Proctor, Felton, Porter, Putnam, Shillaber, Poole, Benson, Whittredge and others through another alliance. "

"The parish of Downe immediately adjoins Cowdham, to the west and northwest. The manor of Downe Court, in this parish, was, we are told by Hasted (History of Kent vol.I,p116) in the reigns of King Henry I and II, the property of Richard de Downe, who lies buried, with his wife Margery, in the chancel of this church, but without any inscription on his gravestone, the brass having been torn from it.This family becoming extinct here before the middle of the reigh of King Edward III. the family of Petle (later Petley) appear as lords of the fee. According to Hasted, John Petle, the ancestor of this family was settled at Downe in the reign of King Henry III and bore for his arms-Argent, 2 bends iugrailed,a canton sable. His son Richard left issue two sons, John and Richard. John, the elder son, was possessor of Downe manor, as above, and died possessed of it in the 18th year of King Richard II. By Juliana, daughter and heir of William Troumer of Downe, he had issue Thomas Petle, who died in the 9th year of King Henry V and lies buried, with Isobel his wife, in the church of Downe. His son John Petle married Alice, daughter and coheir of James Brampton, by whom he had John Petley, who lived in the reign of King Henry VIII. He died without male issue, leaving by Christiana his wife, daughter and heir of Thomas Philipott, four daughters, his coheirs, of whom Agnes, the eldest, was married to John Manning of Downe...On the division of their inheritance the manor of Downe was allotted to the eldest daughter, Agnes; and her husband, John Manning, in her right, became entitled to it. He died possessed of it, in the 35th year of King Henry VIII, and lies buried, with Agnes, his wife, in this church. His descendant (grandson) Peter Manning, of Trowmer, in the reign of King James I alienated this manor to Palmer...It is from Phebe, sister of the said Peter Manning and wife of James Waters of London, and from her cousin Fortuna Mildreda, daughter of the said Henry Manning and wife of Thomas Whitfield of Mortlake, that th New England families I have mentioned are descended."

John and Juliana Mannings grandfather, Simon, is also mentioned; "Simon Manning of Codham Kent and Katherine his wife convey lands to Robert Attewode etc. This must have been that Simon Manning whose wife Katherine, according to the pedigree, was a sister of Geoffrey Chaucer."

Phebe Manning, the daughter of Richard Manning (son of John and Agnes Petley Manning), married James Water of St. Buttolph, Algate, London. Phebe's cousin Phebe, daughter of George Manning, married a Jacob Waters. James and Phebe had at least six children, John , Phebe (bapt. Dec.6, 1602), Richard, Judith, Elizabeth, and Mary. James Waters died in 1617 and his widow, Phebe, married William Plasse in 1618 and later moved with him to New England.

Source: "Genealogical Gleanings in England" by Henry Waters NEHG Vol 51 July 1897