Between the Conquest and the 14th century the earldom of Kent was held successively by Odo, bishop of Bayeux, William of Ypres and Hubert de Burgh (sheriff of the county in the reign of Henry III.), and it was bestowed by Edward I. on his youngest son, Edmund of Woodstock, and subsequently passed to the fami lies of Holland and Neville (see KENT, EARLS AND DUKES OF). The chief local events under the Norman and Plantagenet kings were the capture of Rochester by William Rufus during the rebellion of Odo of Bayeux; the capture of Dover and Leeds castles by Stephen ; the murder of Thomas a Becket at Canter bury in I I 70 ; the submission of John to the pope's legate at Dover in 1213, and the capture of Rochester castle by the king in the same year. Rochester castle was, in 1216, captured by the dauphin of France, to whom nearly all Kent submitted, and during the wars of Henry III. with his barons was captured by Gilbert de Clare. In the peasants' rising of 1381 the archbishop's palace at Canterbury was plundered. In 1450 Kent took a leading part in Jack Cade's rebellion; and in 1554 the insurrection of Sir Thomas Wyat, who was born at Allington castle, began at Maid stone. Greenwich was the birthplace of three Tudor sovereigns. Sir Philip Sidney was born at Penshurst. Bocton Malherbe was the seat of the Wottons, and Hever castle of the Boleyns. Sir Francis Walsingham was born at Chislehurst, where his family had long flourished. On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion feeling was much divided, but after capturing Dover castle the parliament soon subdued the whole county. In 1648, however, a widespread insurrection was organized on behalf of Charles, and was sup pressed by Fairfax. The county was among the first to welcome back Charles II. In 1667 the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter lev elled the fort at Sheerness and burnt the ships at Chatham.
In 1290 Kent returned two members to parliament for the county, and in 1295 Canterbury, Rochester and Tonbridge were also represented; Tonbridge, however, made no returns after this date. In 1552 Maidstone acquired representation, and in 1572 Queenborough. Under the act of 1832 the county returned four members in two divisions, Chatham was represented by one mem ber and Greenwich by two, while Queenborough lost its mem ber. Under the act of 1868 the county returned six members in three divisions, and Gravesend returned one member. By the act of 1885 the county returned eight members in eight divisions, and the representation of Canterbury, Maidstone and Rochester was reduced to one member each. By the London Government Act of 1892 the borough of Greenwich was taken out of Kent and made one of the 28 metropolitan boroughs of the county of London. By the Representation Act of 1918 the county was di vided into II divisions. Rochester was maintained as a parlia mentary borough with 2 members, and Bromley and Hythe with one each.
Architecture.—As was to be expected from its connection with the life of the Continent, Kent possessed a larger than aver age number of monastic foundations. The earliest were the priory of Christ's Church and the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, now called St. Augustine's, both at Canterbury, founded by Augustine
and the monks who accompanied him to England. Other Saxon foundations were the nunneries at Folkestone (63o), Lyminge (633, nunnery and monastery), Reculver (669), Minster-in-Thanet (67o), Minster-in-Sheppey (675), and the priory of St. Martin at Dover (696), all belonging to the Benedictine order. Some of these were refounded, and the principal monastic remains now existing are those of the Benedictine priories at Rochester (1089), Folkestone (1 o95), Dover (1 i40) ; the Benedictine nunneries at Malling (time of William Rufus), Minster-in-Sheppey (113o), Higham (founded by King Stephen), and Davington (1153) the Cistercian abbey at Boxley (1146) ; the Cluniac abbey at Faversham (1147) and priory at Monks Horton (time of Henry II.) ; the preceptory of Knights Templars at Swingfield (time of Henry II.); the Premonstratensian abbey of St. Radigund's, near Dover (119i) ; the first house of Dominicans in England at Canterbury (1221) ; the first Carmelite house in England, at Aylesford (I 240) ; and the priory of Augustinian nuns at Dart ford (1355).
Other houses of which there are slight remains are Lesnes ab bey, near Erith, and Bilsington priory near Ashford, established. in 1178 and 1253 respectively, and both belonging to the Augustin ian canons; and the house of Franciscans at Canterbury (1225). But no remains exist of the priories of Augustinian canons at Canterbury (St. Gregory's, 1084), Leeds, near Maidstone (I119), Tonbridge (middle of 12th century), Combwell, near Cranbrook (time of Henry II.) ; the nunnery of St. Sepulchre at Canterbury (about oo), and Langdon abbey, near Walmer (1192), both belonging to the Benedictines; the Trinitarian priory of Motten den near Headcorn, the first house of Crutched Friars in England (1224), where miracle plays were presented in the church by the friars on Trinity Sunday: the Carmelite priories at Sandwich (1272), and Losenham, near Tenterden (1241) ; and the precep tory of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem at West Peckham near Tonbridge (1408).
Even apart from the cathedral churches of Canterbury and Rochester, the county possesses a number of churches of the highest interest. In the church of Lyminge, apart from the mon astic remains, there may be seen portions of the church founded by Aethelburga, and rebuilt, with considerable use of Roman material, in 965 by St. Dunstan. There is similar early work in the church of Paddlesworth. Among Norman examples are the small but important church at Barfreston. The churches of St. Margaret-at-Cliff, Patrixbourne and Darenth, and the tower of New Romney church are notable. Early English churches are Hythe church, SS. Mary and Eanswith, Folkestone, Minster-in Thanet, Chalk, Faversham and Westwell. Stone church, near Dartford, is a late example of this style, transitional to Decorated; and among Decorated buildings we have Chartham church. Per pendicular churches are numerous, and the fine glass of this period in Nettlestead church may be noticed. The church of Cobham contains one of the richest collections of ancient brasses in England.