Migration of Wicken Through Kent

Thomas

After crossing the channel in the mid-fifth century, the Wicken may have landed in or been granted land in Thanet, which was at that time an island. Wicken-derived place names appear to be found across Kent. In addition, several Wicken families may have driven their pigs down the Sutton-at-Hone drove, established a den, and then settled in Cowden, Kent.

CURRENT INFORMATION: This information is provided in the page of the Wickenden History section titled All the Way from Wickendorf to Wickenden.

RESEARCH NEEDED: More information is needed on Wicken-related place names across Kent. Were they derived from a settlement of Wicken? Do they indicate when the Wicken might have crossed the channel and how they moved through Kent? Did they travel with pigs down a drove to establish a den and settle in Cowden? When was the Wicken den established?

Thomas

QUESTIONS: Several specific questions that may not ever be answered, but that would serve as guidance for future research include the following:

When was the den first used as a temporary shelter for Wicken animals?
When did the Wicken begin to use the den as a permanent residence, from which their name developed?
For how many generations did the Wickendens live in the den, and then live in other residences around Cowden?
When did the first Wickendens leave Cowden and where did they settle?
What happened to the Wicken den? Did it fall into ruin? Was the land and ruins purchased and was a homestead constructed on the same site?

Thomas

Some of these questions have been answered or can be guessed at:

When was the den first used as a temporary shelter for Wicken animals? It is likely that the Wicken traveled to Britain, landing around Thanet shortly after Vortigern requested help from the Anglo-Saxons around 449 AD. They probably moved west from Canterbury after the first revolt against the British, which concluded around 500 AD. They established a number of farms, settlements and dens, including the Wicken den in Cowden, as they moved down into the Weald, stopping at the border with Sussex.
When did the Wicken begin to use the den as a permanent residence, from which their name developed? Since they moved in a step-wise fashion across Roman roads and down Jutish droves from one settlement to the next, it is likely that the den was a permanent residence for the original family rather than a temporary camp. If there were five settlements, it would be good to know which were permanent and which were temporary (but long enough to leave names). Say that three were temporary and two were permanent, it might have taken two generations to move to Cowden. At 20 years per generation, that would put the settlement of the Wicken den in Cowden in around 550 AD.
For how many generations did the Wickendens live in the den, and then live in other residences around Cowden? The page in this section on All the Way ... includes a model that predicts when the Wickendens moved across Cowden.
When did the first Wickendens leave Cowden and where did they settle? See the model in All the Way ....