Robert Parris 1677 - 1707
Robert Parris was born roughly 1677 in Dymchurch
He married Ann Virgoe in East Hoathly, Sussex on the 24 Apr 1707. East Hoathly church is pictured here.
East Hoathly is to the West of Dymchurch as shown in the map below:
East Hoathly
The origin of the village name is said to be from the family name of De Hodleigh, landowners in the 12th century. The village was the home of Thomas Turner (1729–1793), a local diarist, in the 18th century. In more modern times it was the birthplace of founding member/keyboard player of the progressive rock band Genesis, Tony Banks.
Robert and Ann’s children can be seen below, all were born and baptised in Dymchurch:
Dymchurch
Dymchurch and the Romney Marsh area originally introduced the Scot tax, which funded the maintenance of the sea wall. Anyone living outside of the taxable area was said to have got away ‘Scott free’
During the 17th and 18th centuries, smuggling was rife all along the south east coast of England. Due to its remote location Romney Marsh and the surrounding areas were amongst the busiest locations for illicit trade.
Dymchurch was once the headquarters for law and order on the Marsh and its name derives from Deme, mediaeval English for judge or arbiter.
Robert Parris was a Blacksmith who owned a shop and a Brew House.
There were x2 forges in Dymchurch at the time. Details of these are below
110 High Street
This was one of two blacksmiths forges in Dymchurch and, in 1670, a man named Andrew Clifford worked here. Andrew issued his own coinage due to the lack of small change. The site of the old forge is pictured below. Sadly, the original building no longer exists:
Tesco Express - High Street
This forge was on the site of what is now Tesco Express
The sites are marked on the below map of Dymchurch, the tearoom to the North and Tesco Express to the South.
Robert’s Smithy may have looked like the one below,...