Tithings were the divisions of the Hundred or Wapentake or Ward or Rape, and the term is used in most counties. But in Kent Borowe or Ton or Towne is used instead. A Tything, Freeburgh or Decennary, was a district containing ten householders, who were answerable to the King for each other’s good behaviour. Each tything formed a little commonwealth, and chose its own dean (decanus or chief man of ten) or head, who was sometimes called Alderman on account of his age and experience. Most commonly, however, he was called the Borsholder from the Anglo-Saxon Bohr a surety, and Ealder, head or chief. The members of each tything formed a court of justice in which disputes were heard. Right down to 1836 the inhabitants of an Hundred where damage was done were each liable to pay compensation for it. The tendency of small bodies to take petty and shortsighted views in social matters is evidenced in John Bunyan’s _Pilgrim’s Progress_, where, quoting a much earlier proverb, he speaks of “Mr. Penny-wise-pound-foolish,” and “Mr. Get-i’-th’ Hundred and lose i’ the Shire.” Originally there were seven Lathes in Kent—Borowart, Estrei, Middletune, Wiwarlet, Limowart, Sudtone, and Elesford, of which the first five covered East Kent and the last two West Kent. Each derived its name from the chief town in each. Those in East Kent had previously been Roman Villas or towns, while Sutton-at-Hone and Aylesford were of great antiquity. Later Borowart and Estrei were united under the name of S. Augustine’s, and Middletune and Wiwarlet together formed the Lathe of Sherwinhope, which again, by the addition of the Seven Hundreds of the Weald and the Hundred of Marden, received its present territory and name of the Lathe of Scray. One finds also a Lestus de Hedelynge containing the three Hundreds of Eastry, Quernilo and Beawesberghe. In this district an old wood in Waldershare is still Hedlinge. Since the time of Henry the Third there have been but five Lathes, named S. Augustine’s, Shepway, Scray, Aylesford, and Sutton-at-Hone. Now as to their names. Borowart, Boro-wara-lest, was named from Canterbury, the chief borough in Kent, and so means the people of the borough, the chief one. Later it was named from S. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, to which a great part of the land in the Lathe belonged. Estrei, or Estre Last, named from the ancient town of Eastry (which may enshrine the name of the Saxon goddess of Spring, Eastre—whence our Easter, from the Christian festival coinciding in time with the heathen festival) was absorbed into the Lathe of S. Augustine. Middletune (Middeltuna both in the _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_ and in Domesday) is our Milton by Sittingbourne, and is said to be named from being the central town of Kent, as it was then populated and of importance.