As there was a large district, comprehending a manor, forest, or chase, with a park inclosed with pales within it, at the northern part of the lowy [of Tonbridge], called North-frith; so there was a like district, though of much larger extent, called SOUTH-FRITH, at the opposite or southern side of it, with a park likewise inclosed with pale within the bounds of it.

This district was, no doubt, part of the demesnes of the family of Clare, earls of Gloucester and Hertford, possessors of the castle and manor of Tunbridge, with whom it continued till Gilbert de Clare, the only son and heir of Gilbert, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, dying without surviving issue, in the 8th year of king Edward II. his three sisters became his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, though Hugh de Audley, in right of his wife Margaret, the second daughter and coheir, had the castle and manor of Tunbridge allotted to him, yet Elizabeth, the youngest of them, widow of John de Burgh, seems to have possessed this district of South-frith, and the honor of Clare, in Suffolk, as part of her share of it. She had by her husband, above-mentioned, a son, named William, who on his grandfather's death became earl of Ulster, bearing for his arms, Or, a cross gules, and on his mother's death inherited this estate. He left an only daughter and heir Elizabeth, who married Lionel, third son of king Edward III. and duke of Clarence, and was in her right created earl of Ulster, and lord of Conaught and Trime.

The duke died in the 43rd year of that reign, at Alba Pompeia, in Italy, being then possessed of this estate of South-frith, leaving an only daughter and heir Philippa, who, about the time of her father's death, by the king's command, was married to Edmund Mortimer, the third earl of March, and lord of Wigmore, who died in Ireland in the 5th year of king Richard II. anno 1381, possessed of this estate, which afterwards descended to his grandson Edmund, earl of March, who dying in the 3rd year of king Henry VI. without issue, his nephew Richard, duke of York, the only son of Richard, earl of Cambridge, by Anne Mortimer, his eldest sister, became by his uncle's will heir to his estates, and to this chase of South-frith among them, which he did not gain possession of till the countess's death, anno 10 Henry VI. He had became on the death of his father's elder brother without issue, anno 3 king Henry V. duke of York, and being both on his father's and mother's side, descended from king Edward III. he began to think of aspiring to the crown; and to crush the house of Lancaster. But in the 37th year of king Henry VI. being deserted by his army, he fled to Ireland, and was soon afterwards, in the parliament attainted, with his son the earl of March; upon which this estate became forfeited to the crown, where it did not remain long, for on the turn of fortune, which happened to him soon afterwards, the duke of York regained the possession of it, and died possessed of this chase with its appendages, in the 3rd year of king Edward IV. After which Cecillie, dutchess of York, his widow, mother of king Edward IV. continued in the possession of it till her death, which happened in the 10th year of king Henry VIII. when this estate reverted to the crown, after which king Henry VIII. granted to George, lord Cobham, the office of master, manager, and supervisor of all the beasts, of what fort soever, of his park of South-frith, and of keeper of all his ponds and waters within them ..... but the fee of it remained in the crown till king Edward VI. in his 4th year granted the manor of South-frith, with the forest or chase, and the park of it, to John Dudley, earl of Warwick, together with the manor and castle of Tunbridge, and other premises, as has been already noticed before, to hold in capite by knights service.

All which the earl, by the title of duke of Northumberland, he having been so created, re-conveyed in the 7th year of that reign, to the king, this estate in exchange. After which queen Mary granted them to cardinal Reginald Pole, archbishop of Canterbury, to hold during his life, and one year after as he should by his will determine. He died in 1558, without any particular devise of them; upon which they came to the crown

This forest or chase, manor, &c. were granted by queen Elizabeth, in her 14th year, to one of her chief favorites, Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, for a term of years, at the expiration of which she granted the fee of them to Frances, widow of Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, who was the sole daughter and heir of that great stateman, Sir Francis Walsingham, and had first married Sir Philip Sydney; the countess of Essex, afterwards re-married Richard Burgh, earl of Clanrickard, and it is no wonder this lady married him when Smollet says he was a very handsome gallant young nobleman, and very like the late earl of Essex; insomuch, that the queen, then far advanced in years, made some advances to him, which he declined. He became by this marriage possessed of this estate, and built a noble mansion at a very large expence, on a pleasant eminence on the northern part of it, which he did not finish till the latter end of king James I.'s reign, and gave it the name of SOMERHILL. In the 22d year of that reign he was created baron of Somerhill, viscount Tunbridge; and in the 4th year of king Charles I. earl of St. Albans, at which time he had likewise other Irish honors conferred on him, as baron of Imaudy, in Conaught, and viscount of Galloway, bearing for his arms, Or, a cross gules, in the dexter canton, a lion rampant sable. He resided much at Somerhill, and dying in 1636 was buried in Tunbridge church.

Ulick, his son and heir, was long in arms for king Charles I. in Ireland, whence being obliged to fly, he took refuge in England, with the king, who in 1645 created him marquis of Clanrickard. His attachment to the king was a sufficient reason for the parliament to declare him a delinquent, and to sequester his estate, which they did, and by their ordinance of that year granted, among other premises, the manor, lands, &c. parcel of the estate of the earl of St. Albans, before seized and sequestered into the hands of the parliament, as being a papist, called Somerhill, alias Tunbridge, and all his goods there, to Robert, earl of Essex, in recompence of his heroic valour, prudent conduct, and unspotted fidelity in that high and important command of captain-general of their army, to hold during his life, in part of the yearly sum of £10,000 which they had voted to him. The earl of Essex died possessed of this estate, with the seat belonging to it, in 1646, not without suspicion of poison, and had a most magnifisicent funeral, at the charge of the parliament, with a grand procession of state to the place of his burial, in St. Paul's chapel, in Westminster abbey.

Upon which it came again into the hands of the parliament, who, soon after the king's death, granted it to John Bradshaw, serjeant at law, president of their high court of justice, for his great service, as they termed it, to his country. He died possessed of it in 1659, and was buried with much solemnity in St. Peter's church, in Westminster; but next year his body was taken up again, and hanged on the gallows at Tyburn, under which it was afterwards buried, and the head being cut off was set on Westminster-hall. He was succeeded in it by a natural son, but the restoration of king Charles II. happening a few months afterwards, this estate of South-frith, with the seat and park of Somerhill, returned to its lawful owner in the person of Margaret, only daughter and heir of Ulick, marquis of Clanrickard, above mentioned, who had deceased in 1659, and was buried in the church of Tunbridge.

The above lady [Margaret] was then the wife of Charles M'Carty, viscount Muskerry, eldest son of Donough, earl of Clancarty, who in her right became entitled to this seat and estate. He was killed in the great engagement with the Dutch in Solebay, in 1665, being then in the duke of York's ship, by a cannon ball, which at the same time killed the earl of Falmouth, and Richard Boyle, second son of the earl of Burlington. He died without issue, and she afterwards re-married John Villiers, viscount Purbeck, eldest son of Sir John Villiers, viscount Purbeck, the elder brother of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, the great favorite of king James and king Charles I.

John, viscount Purbeck, the son, possessed this estate in his wife's right, and on the death of his mother Mary, countess of Buckingham, claimed the title of earl of Buckingham before the house of lords in 1667; which was not allowed, notwithstanding which he continued to take the title, and always subscribed himself, Buckingham. He died, leaving by Margaret his wife, one son John, who on his death, assumed likewise the title of earl of Buckingham. Which Margaret, surviving her husband, again possessed this estate in her right, and afterwards remarried for her third husband, Mr. commonly called Beau, Fielding; having by her expensive way of life wasted her estate, she by piece-meals sold off a great part of the demesne lands, lying mostly on the southern side of South-frith to different persons, and dying in great distress, was buried accordingly, about the year 1698.

A subscription was opened in 1676, to raise a fund for building a chapel; which subscription was continued till 1684, when … this was judged sufficient … and a chapel dedicated to King Charles the Martyr was accordingly built on ground given for that purpose by Lady Purbeck of Somerhill … it was afterwards greatly enlarged and beautified

Adjoining to the chapel is a charity school, for fifty or more poor boys and girls, … supported by a contribution collected at the chapel doors, at two or three different times in the season.

On her death, her son John Villiers, calling himself earl of Buckingham, became possessed of Somerhill house and park, which last had been let to a warrener, and those demesnes of South frith which remained unsold by his mother. Soon after which, he alienated the manor of South-frith, with the seat and park of Somerhill, and all the lands whatever inclosed within the pales of it to Dekins; and all the rest of the demesne lands whatsoever possessed by him here, which amounted to upwards of twelve hundred acres of land and wood ground, adjoining to the high road from Tunbridge to Rye, opposite to Somerhill parkpales, and extending from thence almost to Pembury church), to Abraham Hill, esq. of Sutton at Hone, in whose name and family they continued till William Hill, esq. of Carwithenick, in Cornwall, about the year 1768, alienated them to Mr. Edward Whatmore, of Salisbury, who quickly afterwards sold them to James Templer, esq. of the city of Westminster, since deceased, whose son the Rev. John Templer, is the present possessor of them. But THE MANOR OF SOUTH-FRITH, with the house and park of Somerhill, was devised by Dekins, who died without issue, to Cave, who about 1712 conveyed this estate to Mr. John Woodgate, of Chepsted, in Penshurst.