Lathe of Sutton at Hone

Sutton at Hone
History
• Origin	Jutish Kent
• Created	6th century
• Abolished	1894 (obsolete)
• Succeeded by	diverse authorities
Status	obsolete
Government	Lathe
Subdivisions
• Type	Hundreds
• Units	Blackheath, Bromley and Beckenham, Ruxley, Little and Lesnes, Dartford and Wilmington, Axstane, Codsheath, Wistram (later Westerham and Edenbridge), Somerden

The Lathe of Sutton-at-Hone historically included a large part of Kent, including the present-day boroughs of Dartford, Bexley, Greenwich, Bromley, Lewisham and Sevenoaks District.

It was named after the village and parish of Sutton at Hone in the Darent valley.

The lathe was an ancient administrative division of Kent and originated, probably in the 6th century AD, during the Jutish colonisation of the county. It was not unusual for the Anglo-Saxons to establish their juridical and administrative centres a short distance from more populous towns. In this case Sutton at Hone is about two miles from Dartford, one of only four royal manors in Kent at the time of the Domesday Book.

At that time, Sutton was ranked as a "Half Lathe", as was Milton, to which it was not connected. Alongside these two Half Lathes were five (full) Lathes: Aylesford, Borough, Eastry, Lympne (later renamed Shepway) and Wye. By 1295 Sutton had been promoted to a full lathe, while alongside it were only four other lathes. This was because Borough and Eastry had merged into the Lathe of Saint Augustine, while Milton and Wye had merged to form the Lathe of Scray.

The Lathe continued to be an important administrative, judicial and taxation unit for 600 years after the Domesday Book. The functions of Lathe and hundreds were somewhat similar, with a Lathe covering a much wider area. Although never formerly abolished, it has had no administrative functions since the end of the 19th century. The Sheriff toured the county twice yearly, visiting each lathe: in the case of Sutton, possibly at Shire Hall. The lathe was responsible for raising of aids and subsidies for the Militia. However the Lathe court became anomalous as it fell between the hundred courts below and the Justices of the County (in petty and quarter sessions) above

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