- This article is about the district in London. For
other places names Plumstead, see Plumstead
Plumstead is a place and
electoral ward 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.
History
10th and 11th century
Much of
the early history of Plumstead can be found in Edward Hasted's extensive history of Kent
.
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
Earl Godwin for his fourth son,
Tostig.
King
Edward the Confessor
restored them again to the monastery on taking power, however
Tostig 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 Bayeux whom he also
titled Earl of Kent. The
Archbishop of Canterbury
Lanfranc of Pavia 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".
Domesday book
However, the
Domesday book 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.
13th century
By 1273 Nicholas de Spina was elected abbot of the monastery and by
the following year he was receiving eleven pounds from Plumstead
residents.
Lora de Ros, lady of Horton, gave her right to two carucates of
land and 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. 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.
14th century
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, and
Henry VI
of England reconfirmed the liberties and rights of the
monastery.
16th century
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 dissolution 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.
19th century
Plumstead
expanded rapidly in the 1880s with housing developed for workers at
the Royal
Arsenal; two-up two-down terraced housing was common in the
area close to the river and the Arsenal, whereas 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).
Sport
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
, where the Royal Ordnance Factories F.C.
also played.
Transport
The
nearest railway station is Plumstead railway station
, located in the north-west corner of the
town. It is on the
North Kent
line, and was opened in 1849.
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
.
Notable people
Notable people from Plumstead include:
- Shampoo, female pop duo
responsible for early 1990s single "Trouble"
- Lee Ryan, formerly of boyband Blue
- Steve Davis, British snooker
player
- Paul Walsh, former
Charlton Athletic F.C.,
Liverpool
and Manchester City
player
- Kevin Horlock, Scunthorpe United FC player
- Bill Whitehouse, formula 1
racing driver
- Charlie Buchan, English
footballer and writer
- Michael Bradshaw, actor
- Charlie Collier
- Dave Courtney, Actor and self
styled celebrity gangster, lives in "Camelot Castle", an
elaborately styled Victorian semi in Chestnut Rise
- Chris Dickson ,
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Striker
- Chris McGahan twice winner of the Junior Classic Manx Grand
Prix
- Terry McGahan 2006 Drag race champion of Paraguay
Nearest places
References
- 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.
External links
Government and politics
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.
- Plumstead Zone 4 Community Life - A blog by Dr Marta
Rabikowska detailing her thoughts and activities in the local
area.
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.
- PiP
Plumstead Intergration Project - Home of PiP - Plumstead
Inergration Project: Creativity, Empowerment, Education. A group
dedicated to integration through creativity.
Resources
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
