Edward’s will, made on 22 March 1797 and proved on 10 January 1807, made the following provisions:

•Howletts Farm to be divided between his surviving six sons
•£400 to be paid to each of his surviving daughters, Catherine and (Mary) Jane, funded from revenues from Howletts
•Farm stock, crop and utensils, money and personal assets to be shared equally between all eight surviving children
•Wife and eldest son Edward appointed as executors; the will was witnessed by Edward’s sister, Sarah Smith, and J Plummer,presumably a relative of his wife (brother?).

A marble plaque on the south wall of Chilham church carries a memorialto Edward, his wife Jane, his parents William and Mary,his brother William, and his sisters Mary and Sarah, and is positioned above a vault containing their remains. Whilst the date ofthis plaqueis not known, it seems likely to have been sponsored by Edward’s children, perhaps after his estate was settled in 1812/13. It shows acrest including a stag at bay, a feature of Denne family crests through the ages.

Howlett’s Farm

Howlett’s Farm is located at Shottendon, near Chilham. The farm, oratleast a dwelling in its location, is believed to date from atleast 1327, being connected with/named after a William Hughelot.

The 100-acre farm, which wills show had been in the Denne family for up to two hundred years, was purchased from Edward Denne’s family by Mr Wildman, owner of Chilham Castle, in 1812/3. In the Kelly’sdirectoryfor 1871, it was shown as occupied by John Day, fruit andhop grower.In 1910 it was let to the Messrs Colthup for seven years at a rent of£260.15.0, and in sales particulars dating from several years later was described as “a superior brick and tiled house” together with an oast-house and three cottages, sitting on 227 acres used for fruit- and hop-growing. It may be presumed that it was purchased by the Colthup family, as their descendants were still farming there in 2004.