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Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
DIG, WE MUST!
layers cracked open
that time will cover again
with final context
———————————————
This is the archaeological dig site near the intersection of
Flinders and Swanston Street in Melbourne, undertaken as part of the construction of the new Metro Tunnel, in 2018. It’s a big new addition to the city’s infrastructure and a great opportunity to get in some dig-dig sciencin’ across the sprawling project sites.
It occurred to me that the historical angle lent itself to the
Aussiemandius theme, as in a sense time has already laid low the works previously built on the site, which encompassed four ‘lots’ along Swanston Street (Numbers 9-11, 13, 15-19, 21-25, 27-29) as well as the Port Phillip Shopping Arcade that ran along the back of the site, connecting Flinders Street with Flinders Lane via Scott Alley. (The Arcade ran about where the blue fence is.)
The fast food outlets along Swanston Street were no great loss (mind you, that’s just my opinion!) and included a McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken, although they’ve assuredly taken a financial hit losing such a prime location. Ditto the cheap souvenir shop and the Commonwealth Bank. I was pleased that one upstairs shop, Metro Hobbies (a model kit store) that was on the first floor of one of the two to three storey buildings has successfully relocated to Bourke Street.
Essentially, the project compulsorily acquired everything between the famous Young & Jackson Hotel and the mammoth Nicholas Building, and then demolished it all. Unlike the junk food outlets, the loss of Port Phillip Arcade, is much lamented, especially its popular cooking supplies store, stamp and coin shop and several hardworking eateries. (Some have since relocated and reopened, though.) There were also a number of ‘hidden’ businesses that were squirreled away upstairs, which I’m sure had interesting histories of their own.
Back in 1837 Melbourne’s founder, John Batman, purchased from the British Crown, for 100 pounds, several parcels of land, including a half-acre on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets. On his part of Allotment 8 in Section 3 he built Roxburgh Cottage, a seven room timber dwelling. By 1838 this had become the first school for girls in Melbourne, and was known as Miss Cooke’s Seminary for Ladies, where three of Batman’s daughters were enrolled with his Governess, the incredibly plucky and resourceful Nichola Anne Cooke, as headmistress.
The enterprising Miss Cooke had survived the loss of her family when they were lost at sea in Bass Strait on a voyage from Launceston to Melbourne as they tried to join their successful daughter in the other fledgling Australian colony. Cooke also had to later battle eviction when the executors of Batman’s estate tried to oust her from the property after his death. At a time when women did not have the right to vote, Cooke was able to fight her case and eventually become a property owner herself, returning to her birth country of Ireland, in modest style by the middle of the 19th Century.
After the school was razed, that century, the area housed a number of small businesses including a liquor store, a hotel, and an ironmonger.
Before the Colonial occupation, of course, there were indigenous, traditional owners of the land. The pre-European level should reveal some interesting traces of habitation and usage.
Along with a better understanding of the concrete, brick and bluestone foundations of older buildings, at this writing 500,000 artifacts had been excavated across all the tunnel related sites. On this specific site, 1000 individual teeth told the tale of a dentist formally operating in Swanston Street. Bone gambling discs and dice have also been recovered here, probably in conjunction with activities related to the hotels. Ditto corks, corkscrews, glass tumblers, wine glasses, swizzle sticks and alcohol bottles. Other discoveries cross the sites, include glass discs, suggestive of opium lamp manufacturing. An expensive jet earring was found, perhaps lost through a crack in a floorboard, and there have been many coins uncovered as well as childrens’ toys.
St Mary, Diss, Norfolk
If I was asked which town out of all of those I have visited is most typical of Norfolk, then I would certainly say Diss. It is ancient, quirky, predominantly working class. Its people are friendly yet reticent, politically conservative, socially liberal, welcoming but uncompromising. Its architecture is utilitarian, with glimpses of sudden loveliness that make you gasp.
Betjeman loved Diss above all East Anglian towns, and often said he was more proud of being president of the Diss Society than of being Poet Laureate. His friend Mary Wilson, a minor poet and wife of the Prime Minister of the day, had been brought up in Diss; he wrote to her: Dear Mary, yes, it will be bliss, to go with you by train to Diss...
In the 1970s, there was a local lobby for Diss to be the centre of regional government in the east of England, sitting as it does exactly halfway between Norwich and Ipswich. Whitehall smiled and nodded, and then sensibly opted for Cambridge, reasonably considering that one shouldn't allow such things as regional government to get too far out of ones grasp.
Diss became a backwater in the 17th and 18th centuries, and no major fire led to its rebuilding like Bungay, Beccles and other places in the Waveney valley. Because of this, Diss is second only to Sudbury in having more surviving medieval houses than any other town in East Anglia of its size. The other feel of the place is 19th century, because Diss was a railway town, and still is. Tudor and Victorian architecture is a happy combination, and Diss retains narrow streets and cobbled yards that have been bulldozed elsewhere.
More recently, European money has funded a major refurbishing of the Mere area (did I mention that Diss is the only market town in England built around a large lake?) and the town is also taking part in CittaSlow, a European-led project for small towns which aims to keep fast cars and fast food out, making the streets safe for pedestrians, pavement cafes and good food. And right in the heart of the town, hemmed in by narrow streets and leaning 16th century buildings, is the great church of St Mary.
The massive rebuilt Victorian chancel detracts from the nave, but this is also huge, and largely the product of the late 15th century. The attention to detail on the buttresses is remarkable. Every one has a pedestal in the form of an animal that once supported an image of a Saint. It must have been quite a sight. The 14th century tower has a processional archway through the base, as at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, and like that church this one also has a wooden fleche turret surmounting the tower, dating from 1906.
This, then, is a grand, urban church, central and essential to the townscape. Its churchyard is crossed by pathways that lead between the market square and the houses beyond the church; there is constant pedestrian traffic. Like all great urban churches St Mary is open all day, everyday, and is well-used. Not once have I ever been alone inside.
Being a grand, urban church, I am afraid that St Mary is almost entirely Victorianised. I do not know who the architect was, but I thought I detected the hand of Richard Phipson, responsible for the refurbishment of St Peter Mancroft and the complete rebuilding of St Mary le Tower in Ipswich. He would have been diocesan architect at the time, so whatever plans were made here would have passed through his hands in any case. There are a few medieval survivals - but very few. They are exquisite little panels of 15th and 16th century glass, handily set in the west window of the south aisle so you can get them out the way before you enter into the Victorianism of it all. A pretty girl wears a garland of flowers. A bearded man sits in a chair. A crowned woman in a kennel headdress gazes up piously. A Madonna and child, so faded as to be transparent, to be barely there. They are the ghosts of medieval Diss.
There are two piscinas in the south aisle, one of them 13th century, about four metres short of the east end, and a 15th century one further east. The first piscina obviously marks the end of the original aisle before the 15th century extension.
Everything else is post-Reformation. This is essentially an Anglican church. There is a remarkable decalogue board on the west wall which I take to be 18th century, but the overwhelming impression here is of the 1860s and 1870s, which brought the grand sanctuary and east window, the furnishings and, most of all, the glass. Every window in the nave is filled with the work of Ward & Hughes at their most imposing. Pevsner thought it was terrible, but actually there are a few details that are worth selecting, for taken in isolation they look like illustrations in a Victorian children's book, and are quite charming.
The glass in the chancel is quite something else. It is by Francis Oliphant, and Pevsner considered it an important work, the scenes of the nativity and the entombment in particular. There are a couple of other very interesting 19th century windows in the chancel and south aisle chapel, but unfortunately some of the best, including another Oliphant, were removed in 1980 in an attempt to make the chancel lighter.
A couple of curiosities. There are a number of late 19th and early 20th century brasses around the walls, as if this was a significant local industry in those days. The Camden Society at Cambridge had assumed that there would be a memorial brass revival on the scale of the stained glass revival. This of course did not happen, but two of the best are here, one signed by Weyer & Co of Norwich.
There is a large early 18th century tombchest in the north aisle to one Richard Burton. The lengthy inscription is worth a read. Basically, it says that he left a hundred pounds, and the interest of this was to go to the parish for the work of maintaining his tomb. Any money left over was to be given to the poor of Diss. However, if his executors felt that the tomb was not being maintained, then the job and the money were to default to the parish and poor of neighbouring Roydon instead. Hedging his bets still further, Burton's inscription then goes on to say that if Roydon isn't up to the job, then the benefit will fall to Bressingham, the next parish out.
To finish, it is worth saying that Diss is as proud as any small town is of its famous son and daughters. An expansion in housing around the town in the last fifteen years has left plenty of scope for naming new roads. The aforementioned Betjeman, Wilson, Manning and Burton have all been immortalised. Other commemorated Diss people include another Poet Laureate, John Skelton, probably the most idiosyncratic voice of 16th century poetry. He was renowned for his compassion, and his enthusiasm for inventing words; Keats and Auden both claimed debts. He was Catholic parish priest here for thirty years in pre-Reformation days. He once stood in the pulpit and held up what the church guide charmingly calls a 'love-child', claiming it as his own, and defying the congregation to find fault with it, its mother or with him.
John Wilbye, the Elizabethan composer of madrigals, came from Diss. Thomas Paine is more usually associated with Thetford where he was born, but he lived in Diss for twenty years, and perhaps learned his radical politics here, for Diss in the 18th century was a hotbed of non-conformism. A mark of how civilised this town is can be seen even out in the anonymous roads of the new estates, where many of the street signs include a brief explanation of the person or event the road is named after. Living in Diss must be an education in itself.
The tomb of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox
She was born on 8th October 1515 at Harbottle Castle in Northumberland. Her mother was Margaret Tudor (1489-1541), daughter of Henry VII and widow of James IV of Scotland, who had married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 (they divorced in 1527). The young Margaret, who was very beautiful, lived for a time with her aunt Princess Mary and then became a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn and led an eventful life, being imprisoned in the Tower of London on several occasions.
On 6th July 1544 at St James' Palace in London she married Matthew Stewart, 13th Earl of Lennox, who was a descendant of James I of Scotland. Their second son Henry, Lord Darnley married Mary, Queen of Scots and was murdered in 1567. Matthew died after being shot in the back in a skirmish at Stirling Castle in 1571. None of her eight children survived her and she died, in poverty, on 9th March 1578 (New Style dating). In the Abbey archives an order for her funeral shows that the coffin was to be met at the west door by the ministers and choir and during the procession to the hearse "I am the resurrection and the life" was to be said or sung. Two or three psalms are suggested and after the sermon there was the commemoration at the Communion Table with the epistle and gospel being read. At the offering some parts of Scripture were to be sung. The service then proceeded according to the prayer book.
Her grandson James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England, is said to have erected the fine monument, which was in place by 1600 (the monument to Mary Queen of Scots was later erected to the east of Margaret's). Her recumbent effigy, made of alabaster, wears a French cap and ruff with a red fur-lined cloak, over a dress of blue and gold. On either side of the tomb chest are weepers (small kneeling statues) of her four sons (Charles and Henry and two who died young) and four daughters (all died young). The inscription panels read:
HEER LYETH THE NOBLE LADY MARGARET, COUNTESSE OF LEVENOX, DAUGHTER AND SOLE HEIRE OF ARCHIBALD EARLE OF ANGUISE [Angus], BY MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTES HIS WIFE THAT WAS ELDEST DAUGHTER TO KING HENRY THE 7, WHOE BARE UNTO MATHEW EARLE OF LEVENOX HER HUSBAND 4 SONNES AND 4 DAUGHTERS. THIS LADY HAD TO HER GREAT GRANDFATHER K.EDWARD THE 4, TO HER GRANDFATHER K.HENRY THE 7, TO HER UNCLE K.HENRY THE 8, TO HER COUSIN GERMANE K.EDWARD THE 6, TO HER BROTHER K.JAMES OF SCOTLAND THE V, TO HER SONNE KING HENRY THE FIRST [ie.Lord Darnley], TO HER GRANDCHILD K.JAMES THE 6. HAVINGE TO HER GREATE GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER 2 QUEENES BOTH NAMED ELIZABETH, TO HER MOTHER MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTS, TO HER AUNT MARYE THE FRENCHE Q, TO HER COUSYNS GERMANES MARY AND ELIZABETH QUEENES OF ENGLAND, TO HER NEECE AND DAUGHTER IN LAW MARY Q.OF SCOTTS. HENRY SECOND SONNE TO THIS LADY WAS K. OF SCOTTS AND FATHER TO JAMES THE 6 NOW KING. THIS HENRY WAS MURTHERED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES. CHARLES HER YOUNGEST SONNE WAS EARLE OF LEVENOX FATHER TO THE LADIE ARBELL. HE DYED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES AND IS HERE INTOMBED.
On the ledge at the east end was a Latin inscription, translated as:
This work was completed at the charge of Thomas Fowler, the executor of this lady, 24 Oct 1578
The inscription at the west end is also in Latin and can be translated:
Sacred to the memory of MARGARET DOUGLAS, wife of Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, granddaughter to Henry VII, King of England, by his daughter (Margaret Tudor): joined by the closest ties of kinship to most puissant kings, grandmother to James VI of Scotland, a lady of most pious character, invincible spirit, and matchless steadfastness. She died the tenth of March, year of Our Lord 1577. Margaret, mighty in virtue, mightier yet in lineage: ennobled by kings and by her forebears; descended from Scottish and English princes, she was also a progenitor of princes. Those things that belong unto death, she released to death most joyfully, and sought God, for she belonged to God before.
The monument was restored in the 1960s. At her feet is a crowned lion. Sculpted and painted coats of arms adorn the tomb chest: Darnley impaling Scotland at the east end; a lozenge of Angus and Douglas at the west end and at the sides Lennox impaling Angus and Douglas.
[Westminster Abbey]
Inside the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor) established his royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960A.D. This monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the "west minster" to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated on 28th December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of Edward's monastery to be seen today are in the round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber in the cloisters. The undercroft was originally part of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the Abbey at this period was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the "translation" or moving of King Edward's body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward's Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on 13th October 1269. Unfortunately the king died before the nave could be completed so the older structure stood attached to the Gothic building for many years.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII (who abdicated) who were never crowned. The ancient Coronation Chair can still be seen in the church.
It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar in his new church. This shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and Henry V.
There are around 3,300 burials in the church and cloisters and many more memorials. The Abbey also contains over 600 monuments, and wall tablets – the most important collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country. Notable among the burials is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of pilgrimage. Heads of State who are visiting the country invariably come to lay a wreath at this grave.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady chapel built by King Henry VII, first of the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. This has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano can be seen in Henry's fine tomb. The chapel was consecrated on 19th February 1516. Since 1725 it has been associated with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the banners of the current Knights Grand Cross surround the walls. The Battle of Britain memorial window by Hugh Easton can be seen at the east end in the Royal Air Force chapel. A new stained glass window above this, by Alan Younger, and two flanking windows with a design in blue by Hughie O'Donoghue, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished from medieval times) were completed in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Little remains of the original medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey's chief glories. Some 13th century panels can be seen in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The great west window and the rose window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass is from the 19th century onwards. The newest stained glass is in The Queen Elizabeth II window, designed by David Hockney.
History did not cease with the dissolution of the medieval monastery on 16th January 1540. The same year Henry VIII erected Westminster into a cathedral church with a bishop (Thomas Thirlby), a dean and twelve prebendaries (now known as Canons). The bishopric was surrendered on 29th March 1550 and the diocese was re-united with London, Westminster being made by Act of Parliament a cathedral church in the diocese of London. Mary I restored the Benedictine monastery in 1556 under Abbot John Feckenham.
But on the accession of Elizabeth I the religious houses revived by Mary were given by Parliament to the Crown and the Abbot and monks were removed in July 1559. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel, refounded the Abbey by a charter dated 21 May 1560 as a Collegiate Church exempt from the jurisdiction of archbishops and bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. Its Royal Peculiar status from 1534 was re-affirmed by the Queen and In place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster School (one of the country's leading independent schools). In addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only fully relinquished in the early 20th century.
[Westminster Abbey]
One of the weepers, the crown is believed to indicate the father of the future King.
From the tomb of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox
She was born on 8th October 1515 at Harbottle Castle in Northumberland. Her mother was Margaret Tudor (1489-1541), daughter of Henry VII and widow of James IV of Scotland, who had married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 (they divorced in 1527). The young Margaret, who was very beautiful, lived for a time with her aunt Princess Mary and then became a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn and led an eventful life, being imprisoned in the Tower of London on several occasions.
On 6th July 1544 at St James' Palace in London she married Matthew Stewart, 13th Earl of Lennox, who was a descendant of James I of Scotland. Their second son Henry, Lord Darnley married Mary, Queen of Scots and was murdered in 1567. Matthew died after being shot in the back in a skirmish at Stirling Castle in 1571. None of her eight children survived her and she died, in poverty, on 9th March 1578 (New Style dating). In the Abbey archives an order for her funeral shows that the coffin was to be met at the west door by the ministers and choir and during the procession to the hearse "I am the resurrection and the life" was to be said or sung. Two or three psalms are suggested and after the sermon there was the commemoration at the Communion Table with the epistle and gospel being read. At the offering some parts of Scripture were to be sung. The service then proceeded according to the prayer book.
Her grandson James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England, is said to have erected the fine monument, which was in place by 1600 (the monument to Mary Queen of Scots was later erected to the east of Margaret's). Her recumbent effigy, made of alabaster, wears a French cap and ruff with a red fur-lined cloak, over a dress of blue and gold. On either side of the tomb chest are weepers (small kneeling statues) of her four sons (Charles and Henry and two who died young) and four daughters (all died young). The inscription panels read:
HEER LYETH THE NOBLE LADY MARGARET, COUNTESSE OF LEVENOX, DAUGHTER AND SOLE HEIRE OF ARCHIBALD EARLE OF ANGUISE [Angus], BY MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTES HIS WIFE THAT WAS ELDEST DAUGHTER TO KING HENRY THE 7, WHOE BARE UNTO MATHEW EARLE OF LEVENOX HER HUSBAND 4 SONNES AND 4 DAUGHTERS. THIS LADY HAD TO HER GREAT GRANDFATHER K.EDWARD THE 4, TO HER GRANDFATHER K.HENRY THE 7, TO HER UNCLE K.HENRY THE 8, TO HER COUSIN GERMANE K.EDWARD THE 6, TO HER BROTHER K.JAMES OF SCOTLAND THE V, TO HER SONNE KING HENRY THE FIRST [ie.Lord Darnley], TO HER GRANDCHILD K.JAMES THE 6. HAVINGE TO HER GREATE GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER 2 QUEENES BOTH NAMED ELIZABETH, TO HER MOTHER MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTS, TO HER AUNT MARYE THE FRENCHE Q, TO HER COUSYNS GERMANES MARY AND ELIZABETH QUEENES OF ENGLAND, TO HER NEECE AND DAUGHTER IN LAW MARY Q.OF SCOTTS. HENRY SECOND SONNE TO THIS LADY WAS K. OF SCOTTS AND FATHER TO JAMES THE 6 NOW KING. THIS HENRY WAS MURTHERED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES. CHARLES HER YOUNGEST SONNE WAS EARLE OF LEVENOX FATHER TO THE LADIE ARBELL. HE DYED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES AND IS HERE INTOMBED.
On the ledge at the east end was a Latin inscription, translated as:
This work was completed at the charge of Thomas Fowler, the executor of this lady, 24 Oct 1578
The inscription at the west end is also in Latin and can be translated:
Sacred to the memory of MARGARET DOUGLAS, wife of Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, granddaughter to Henry VII, King of England, by his daughter (Margaret Tudor): joined by the closest ties of kinship to most puissant kings, grandmother to James VI of Scotland, a lady of most pious character, invincible spirit, and matchless steadfastness. She died the tenth of March, year of Our Lord 1577. Margaret, mighty in virtue, mightier yet in lineage: ennobled by kings and by her forebears; descended from Scottish and English princes, she was also a progenitor of princes. Those things that belong unto death, she released to death most joyfully, and sought God, for she belonged to God before.
The monument was restored in the 1960s. At her feet is a crowned lion. Sculpted and painted coats of arms adorn the tomb chest: Darnley impaling Scotland at the east end; a lozenge of Angus and Douglas at the west end and at the sides Lennox impaling Angus and Douglas.
[Westminster Abbey]
Inside the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor) established his royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960A.D. This monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the "west minster" to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated on 28th December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of Edward's monastery to be seen today are in the round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber in the cloisters. The undercroft was originally part of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the Abbey at this period was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the "translation" or moving of King Edward's body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward's Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on 13th October 1269. Unfortunately the king died before the nave could be completed so the older structure stood attached to the Gothic building for many years.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII (who abdicated) who were never crowned. The ancient Coronation Chair can still be seen in the church.
It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar in his new church. This shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and Henry V.
There are around 3,300 burials in the church and cloisters and many more memorials. The Abbey also contains over 600 monuments, and wall tablets – the most important collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country. Notable among the burials is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of pilgrimage. Heads of State who are visiting the country invariably come to lay a wreath at this grave.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady chapel built by King Henry VII, first of the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. This has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano can be seen in Henry's fine tomb. The chapel was consecrated on 19th February 1516. Since 1725 it has been associated with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the banners of the current Knights Grand Cross surround the walls. The Battle of Britain memorial window by Hugh Easton can be seen at the east end in the Royal Air Force chapel. A new stained glass window above this, by Alan Younger, and two flanking windows with a design in blue by Hughie O'Donoghue, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished from medieval times) were completed in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Little remains of the original medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey's chief glories. Some 13th century panels can be seen in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The great west window and the rose window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass is from the 19th century onwards. The newest stained glass is in The Queen Elizabeth II window, designed by David Hockney.
History did not cease with the dissolution of the medieval monastery on 16th January 1540. The same year Henry VIII erected Westminster into a cathedral church with a bishop (Thomas Thirlby), a dean and twelve prebendaries (now known as Canons). The bishopric was surrendered on 29th March 1550 and the diocese was re-united with London, Westminster being made by Act of Parliament a cathedral church in the diocese of London. Mary I restored the Benedictine monastery in 1556 under Abbot John Feckenham.
But on the accession of Elizabeth I the religious houses revived by Mary were given by Parliament to the Crown and the Abbot and monks were removed in July 1559. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel, refounded the Abbey by a charter dated 21 May 1560 as a Collegiate Church exempt from the jurisdiction of archbishops and bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. Its Royal Peculiar status from 1534 was re-affirmed by the Queen and In place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster School (one of the country's leading independent schools). In addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only fully relinquished in the early 20th century.
[Westminster Abbey]
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler).
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater at Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, that means 2013, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European one, as well as the greatest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater at Saint Michael's square was utilized from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house in 1945 burnt down completely as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher serving as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered as Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was bearing different names, first Imperial-Royal Theater next to the Castle, then to 1918 Imperial-Royal Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater (Castle Theater). Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)", the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler).
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, ruling after the death of her father, which had ordered a general suspension of the theater, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor (Carinthian gate), Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters, the Burgtheater structurally being connected with them. At the old venue at Saint Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the stage plays should not deal with sad events for not bring the Imperial audience in a bad mood. Many theater plays for this reason had to be changed and provided with a Vienna Final (Happy End), such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794 on, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 October 1888 took place the last performance in the old house. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue at the Ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Saint Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) at the Ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14 October 1888 with Grillparzer's Esther and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task after similar commissioned work in the city theaters of Fiume and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase on the side facing the café Landtmann of the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of the ancient theater in Taormina on Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor) the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized himself in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper's Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus above the Isar. Above the middle section there is a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Above the center house there decorates a statue of Apollo the facade, throning between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Above the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. At the exterior facade round about, portrait busts of the poets Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel can be seen. The masks which also can be seen here are indicating the ancient theater, furthermore adorn allegorical representations the side wings: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although the theater since 1919 is bearing the name of Burgtheater, the old inscription KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits have been hung up in the new building and can be seen still today - but these images were originally smaller, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The points of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received by Viennese people due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting, but soon criticism because of the poor acoustics was increasing. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon it was situated among the "sanctuaries" of Viennese people. In November 1918, the supervision over the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. On 8th May 1925, the Burgtheater went into Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza.
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. In 1939 appeared in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic characterized book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Burgtheater a Don Carlos production of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the sentence in direction of Joseph Goebbels box vociferated: "just give freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 the Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus the Jew Shylock clearly anti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused in pure fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jews ", were quickly imposed stage bans, within a few days, they were on leave, fired or arrested. The Burgtheater ensemble between 1938 and 1945 did not put up significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the repertoire was heavily censored, only a few joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the People's Theatre engaged) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater at the end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the decreed general theater suspension. From 1 April 1945, as the Red Army approached Vienna, camped a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned down on 12th April 1945 completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to launch Vienna's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council summoned on 23 April (a state government did not yet exist) a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the Town Hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 Sappho by Franz Grillparzer directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Also other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a few days ago as Nazi prisoner still in mortal danger, was shown the play of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre could be played (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott from the year 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took place performances. Aslan the Ronacher in the summer had rebuilt because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the enlarged stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Everyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel in Nazi times seemed to have been fallen into oblivion.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years in exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations on the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition for the reconstruction was tendered: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, according to which the house was to be rebuilt into a modern gallery theater. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintained, the central royal box but has been replaced by two balconies, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the shortcoming of the house, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house at the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this play, which the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria makes a subject of discussion and Ottokar of Horneck's eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince bow to it! / where have you yet seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts of Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard was as a successor of Klingenberg mentioned, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater which was appointed director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel to the then politically separated East and took the the public taste more into consideration.
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the by short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk brought to Vienna Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the programme and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for critical contributions in the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program within sections of the audience met with rejection. The greatest theater scandal in Vienna since 1945 occurred in 1988 concerning the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama which was fiercly fought by conservative politicians and zealots. The play deals with the Vergangenheitsbewältigung (process of coming to terms with the past) and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard after the premiere dared to face on the stage applause and boos.
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann, to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his plays precisely in his homeland not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard play Before retirement by the first performance director Peymann. The plays by Bernhard are since then continued on the programme of the Burgtheater and they are regularly newly produced.
In 1993, the rehearsal stage of the Castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl). Since 1999, the Burgtheater has the operation form of a limited corporation.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
Peymann was followed in 1999 by Klaus Bachler as director. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available)
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of him under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat (December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer's King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this play. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves with a as natural as possible facial expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto of this season served a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater on the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was at the Burgtheater was remembered. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera on the occasion of the Vienna Festival in May 2006 a new production (directed by Karin Beier) of this opera on stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
From September 2009 to 2014, Matthias Hartmann was Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the stage houses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Bösch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer, came actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came permanently to the Burg. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the Castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama Live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
Since 2014, Karin Bergmann is the commander in chief.
It seems incredible to me that there are any churches in East Kent, at least parish churches, that I had yet to visit and photograph. Especially along Stone Street, which I thought that nks to churches and orchids I knew very well. And yet as I cross-referenced between John Vigar's book and the county A-Z, I saw more and more churches I had to visit.
And that brings us to Elmstead.
Elmstead is less a viallage and more a dog leg in a single track lane, and the church sits in the dog leg. Being a small place, surely it would have a small church? No, the church is large with two leat to chapels, and an extraordinary timber topped tower.
You reach Elmstone by taking tiny fork off Stone Street and following the narrowest of lanes, which has high banks and hedges both sides with few passing places. Down through woods, down steep hills crossing streams and up hills the other side, and all the while the road coated with a thick layer of mud, so that one hoped you were still on the road not having driven into a field.
In time I passed the village sign, and no missing the church, a large flint built church, and the triple gabled east end facing towards the road. Behind the tower was partially hidden, but I could already see the wooden upper part.
And it was open, and filled with much of interest, especially the stone altar in the south aisle.
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An extremely worthwhile church in remote countryside. The tower is an unusual shape, being almost twice as wide as it is deep and capped by a wooden upper storey with stumpy spire. The church consists of nave, aisles, chancel and equal length chapels. The nave is Norman: the original arch to the tower is still recognisable although a fourteenth-century replacement has been built inside it. At the same time the present arcade was built on the existing piers. In the north aisle is a medieval vestry screen, in front of which is a Norman font. There are very fine altar rails, each baluster looking like an eighteenth-century candlestick. Between the main altar and chapel is a simple thirteenth-century sedilia. The south chapel altar has a twelfth-century mensa which was discovered in the churchyard in 1956. The east window (1880) commemorates Arthur Honeywood who was killed in the Afghan war - only a dog survived and was given an award by Queen Victoria! Honeywood's ancestor, Sir John (d. 1781), is also remembered in the church by a splendid marble bust signed by Scheemakers
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Elmsted
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Parish Church. Late Cll or C12, C13 and C14, restored in 1877. Flint
with stone dressings. Plain tile roofs. West tower, nave with north
and south aisles, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels.
West tower: C13, with late Cll or C12 base: Medieval belfry. Single
stage, but north and south sides reduce in width about half way up
with plain-tile shoulders. Large stone north-west and south-west
quoins to lower half. Diagonal south-west buttress. Shingled timber-
framed belfry jettied to west. Splay-footed octagonal spire. Two
louvred three-light trefoil-headed windows to each face of belfry.
No tower windows to north or east. Broadly-pointed plain-chamfered
lancet towards top of west face, and another to south. Taller plain-
chamfered lancet West window. Plain-chamfered pointed-arched west doorway.
Nave: south elevation: continuous with south wall of tower base. C19
traceried three-light window. South aisle: C14 possibly with late Cll
or early C12 origins. Narrow and gabled, stopping short of west end nave.
Plinthless. Buttress towards east end. C14 or early C15 pointed west window
of two cinquefoil-headed lights, with tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould.
One straight-headed C15 or C16 south window to east of porch, with two
cinquefoil-headed lights and rectangular hoodmould. South porch: medieval,
restored in C19. Coursed knapped flint. Gabled plain-tile roof.
Window with cambered head, to each side. Crown-post roof; two outer crown
posts plain. Broadly-chamfered rectangular central crown post with broach
stops and head braces. Chamfered tie-beams. Pointed-arched plain-chamfered
inner doorway with broach stops. Unchamfered pointed-arched outer doorway.
South chancel chapel: early C14. Continuous with south aisle, but with
chamfered stone plinth and lower eaves and ridge. East end flush with
chancel. Diagonal south-east buttress. Large straight-headed south window
with three cinquefoil-headed lights and moulded hoodmould. Similar two-
light east window. Chancel: C13, probably with late Cll or C12 origins.
Slightly narrower than nave. No plinth. Two buttresses. C15 or C16
untraceried east window with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. North chancel chapel: early C14. Flush with east end
of chancel. Plinthless. Diagonal north-east buttress. C14 pointed-arched
east window with three cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of cusped intersecting
glazing bars with trefoils and quatrefoils, and with hoodmould. Pointed-
arched C14 north window with Y tracery and trefoil, without hoodmould.
North aisle: C14. More stone mixed with flint. Continuous with north
chancel chapel, and slightly overlapping tower. Plinthless. One untraceried
C15 or C16 north window, with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. Straight-headed west window with two cinquefoil-headed
lights and hoodmould. Small blocked plain-chamfered pointed-arched north
doorway. Rainwater heads dated 1877. Interior: Structure: two-bay early
C14 south arcade to nave, with doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches and
octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Two-bay C14 north
arcade, similar to south arcade, but extending further to west and with
more intricately-moulded capitals. East end of south arcade rests on
late Cll or C12 pier of large ashlar blocks on plain-chamfered plinth,
and with top heavily corbelled to south side. Footings for further structure
to east and south. Small, probably pre-C14, stone quoins to east pier
of north arcade, capped by single block from which arch springs. Doubly
plain-chamfered pointed early C14 chancel arch, springing from moulded
rectangular capitals which break forwards unusually. Plain-chamfered
piers with broach stops. Two-bay early C16 north and south arcades to
chancel, with doubly hollow-chamfered four-centred arches and octagonal
columns with moulded capitals and bases. Early C14 pointed arch between
south chancel chapel and south aisle, with plain-chamfered inner order
and slightly ovolo-moulded outer order. Moulded rectangular capitals
slightly different from chancel-arch capitals, but similarly breaking
forwards under inner order of arch, each on image corbel. Piers slightly
hollow chamfered, with cushion stops to base and undercut trefoil to tops.
Doubly plain-chamfered pointed arch between north chancel chapel and north
aisle, springing from chamfered imposts which break forwards to centre
with rounded corbel under. Low, pointed C14 tower arch, with plain-chamfered
inner order springing from moulded semi-octagonal piers, and hollow-chamfered
outer order descending to ground with cushion and broach stops. Above
arch, exposed voussoirs of taller, broader, blocked, round-headed late
Cll or C12 tower arch. Roof: C19 crown-post roof to nave and north aisle.
Chancel and north chancel chapel roofs boarded in five cants. Plastered
barrel vault to south chancel chapel. Medieval crown-post roof to south,
with three cambered plain-chamfered tie-beams, with moulded octagonal
crown posts, sous-laces and ashlar pieces. Fittings: piscina in rectangular
recess towards east end of south chancel chapel. C13 piscina in moulded
recess with trefoiled head and moulded hoodmould, towards east end of
south wall of chancel. Image corbel to north wall of north chancel chapel.
Late Cll or C12 font, low, deep, octagonal, with two panels of blind
arcading to each side, circular central pier and eight slender perimeter
columns. Small C17 altar table. Hexagonal C17 pulpit with sunk moulded
panels, strapwork, fleur-de-lys frieze, and enriched cornice. Medieval
screen, probably of domestic origin, with close-studded partition under
moulded and brattished beam, across west end of north aisle. Laudian
altar rails with turned balusters. Monuments: Cartouche on south wall
of south chancel chapel, to Sir William Honeywood, d. 1748. Monument
on same wall, to Thomas Honeywood, d. 1622; grey-painted chalk in form
of triptych. Central section has moulded and pulvinated base, scrolled
base-plate and shield, and raised and moulded inscription panel in eared
surround, flanked by Composite columns. Above it, a recessed panel
with inverted scrolls, and triangular pediment with cherubs head and
achievements. Recessed flanking sections, each carved with angel in
husked surround, and with scrolled base plate and corniced pediment
with shields. Tablet on same wall, to Mary Honeywood, d. 1708, lettered
on a shroud with gilded fringe, cherubs' heads, and shield surmounted
by urn. Brass of a lady, part of a brass to Christopher Gay, d. 1507.
Monument on north wall of north chancel chapel, to William Honeywood,
d. 1669. Black marble inscription panel in a frame which breaks forwards
twice. Each back panel eared, the outer with inverted scrolls to base
and festoon to return sides. Festooned rectangular panel flanked by
acanthus consoles and with scrolled acanthus base plate under inscription
panel. Moulded cornice over oak-leaf frieze, breaking forwards three
times. Segmental pediment with achievements over central break. Monument
by Thomas Scheemakers on same wall, to Sir John Honeywood, d. 1781.
White marble. Rectangular inscription panel, flanked by reeded pilasters
which curve out at top to form consoles under flower paterae. Shaped
base plate, also with inscription. Moulded cornice surmounted by -sarcophagus
with bust above it, against grey marble obelisk back plate. (J. Jewman,
Buildings of England Series, North-east and East Kent, 1983 edn.)
Listing NGR: TR1178645546
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-440965-church-of-st-j...
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ELMSTED
IS the next parish northward from Hastingligh lastdescribed, taking its name, as many other places do, which are recorded in the survey of Domesday, from the quantity of elms growing in it, elm signifying in Saxon, that tree, and stede, a place. The manor of Hastingligh claims over some part of this parish, which part is within the liberty of the duchy of Lancaster.
THIS PARISH is situated in a lonely unfrequented part of the country, above the down hills, in a healthy air. It lies mostly on high ground, having continued hill and dale throughout it. The soil is but poor, and in general chalk, and much covered with flints, especially in the dales, where some of the earth is of a reddish cast. The church stands on a hill in the middle of it, having a green, with the village near it, among which is the court-lodge: and at a small distance westward, Helchin-bouse, belonging to Sir John Honywood, but now and for some time past inhabited by the Lushingtons. Lower down in the bottom is Evington-court, in a dull ineligible situation, to which however the present Sir John Honywood has added much, and laid out some park-grounds round it. At a small distance is a small heath, called Evington-lees, with several houses round it. At the southern bounds of the parish lie Botsham, and Holt, both belonging to Sir John Honywood. At the north-east corner of it, near Stone-street, is a hamlet called Northlye, the principal farm in which belongs to Mr. Richard Warlee, gent. of Canterbury, about half a mile from which is Deane, or Dane manor-house; and still further Dowles-farm, belonging to Mr. John Rigden, of Faversham; near Stone-street is the manor of Southligh, now called Mizlings, by which name only it is now known here; and near the same street is Arundel farm, belonging to Thomas Watkinson Payler, esq. and at the southern extremity of the parish, the manor-house of Dunders, with the lands belonging to it, called the Park, formerly belonging to the Graydons, of Fordwich, of whom they were purchased, and are now the property of the right hon. Matthew Robinson Morris, lord Rokeby, who resides at Horton. There are but two small coppice woods in this parish, lying at some distance from each other, in the middle part of it.
There is a fair kept yearly in this parish on St. James's day, the 25th of July.
THE MANOR OF ELMSTED was in the year 811 bought by archbishop Wlfred, of Cenulf, king of Mercia, for the benefit of Christ-church, in Canterbury, L. S. A. which letters meant, that it should be free, and privileged with the same liberties that Adisham was, when given to that church. These privileges were, to be freed from all secular services, excepting the trinoda necessitas of repelling invasions, and the repairing of bridges and fortifications. (fn. 1)
There is no mention of this manor in the survey of Domesday, under the title of the archbishop's lands, and of those held of him by knight's service, and yet I find mention of its being held of him in several records subsequent to that time; for soon afterwards it appears to have been so held by a family who assumed their name from it, one of whom, Hamo de Elmested, held it of the archbishop, by knight's service. But they were extinct here before the middle of king Henry III,'s reign, when the Heringods were become possessed of it, as appears by the Testa de Nevil, bearing for their arms, Gules, three herrings erect, two and one, or; as they were formerly in the windows of Newington church, near Sittingborne. John de Heringod held it at his death in the 41st year of that reign. His grandson, of the same name, died in the next reign of king Edward I. without male issue, leaving three daughters his coheirs, of whom, Grace married Philip de Hardres, of Hardres, in this county; Christiana married William de Kirkby; and Jane married Thomas Burgate, of Suffolk: but he had before his death, by a deed, which bears the form of a Latin will, and, is without a date, settled this manor, with the other lands in this neighbourhood, on the former of them, Philip de Hardres, a man of eminent repute of that time, in whose successors the manor of Elmsted remained till the 13th year of King James I. when Sir Thomas Hardres sold the manor of Dane court, an appendage to this of Elmsted, in the north-east part of this parish, to Cloake, and the manor of Elmsted itself to Thomas Marsh, gent. of Canterbury, whose son ton, whose great-grandson of the same name, at his death left it to his two sons, Richard and John, the former of whom was of Faversham, and left an only daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. James Taylor, of Rodmersham, who in right of his wife became possessed of his moiety of it, and having in 1787 purchased the other moiety of John Lushington, of Helchin, in this parish, (son of Richard above-mentioned) became possessed of the whole of this manor, and continues owner of it at this time.
THE MANOR OF DANE, now called Deane-court, above-mentioned, remained in the name of Cloake for some time afterwards, and in 1652 Mr. Samuel Cloake held it. It afterwards passed into the name of Elwes, in which it continued down to John Elwes, esq. of Marcham, in Berkshire, who died in 1789, and by will gave it to his nephew Thomas Timms, esq. the present owner of it.
THE YOKE OF EVINGTON is an estate and seat in the south-west part of this parish, over which the manor of Barton, near Canterbury, claims jurisdiction. The mansion of it, called Evington-court, was the inheritance of gentlemen of the same surname, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sess between three burganetts, or steel caps, azure; and in a book, copied out from antient deeds by William Glover, Somerset herald, afterwards in the possession of John Philipott, likewise Somerset, there was the copy of an old deed without date, in which William Fitzneal, called in Latin, Filius Nigelli, passed over some land to Ruallo de Valoigns, which is strengthened by the appendant testimony of one Robert de Evington, who was ancestor of the Evingtons, of Evington-court, of whom there is mention in the deeds of this place, both in the reigns of king Henry III. and king Edward I. After this family was extinct here, the Gays became possessed of it, a family originally descended out of France, where they were called Le Gay, and remained some time afterwards in the province of Normandy, from whence those of this name in Jersey and Guernsey descended, and from them again those of Hampshire, and one of them, before they had left off their French appellation, John le Gay, is mentioned in the leiger book of Horton priory, in this neighbourhood, as a benefactor to it. But to proceed; although Evington-court was not originally erected by the family of Gay, yet it was much improved by them with additional buildings, and in allusion to their name, both the wainscot and windows of it were adorned with nosegays. At length after the Gays, who bore for their arms, Gules, three lions rampant, argent, an orle of cross-croslets, fitchee, or. (fn. 2) had continued owners of this mansion till the beginning of the reign of king Henry VII. Humphry Gay, esq. alienated it to John Honywood, esq. of Sene, in Newington, near Hythe, and afterwards of St. Gregory's, Canterbury, where he died in 1557, and was buried in that cathedral.
The family of Honywood, antiently written Henewood, take their name from the manor of Henewood, in Postling, where they resided as early as Henry III.'s reign, when Edmund de Henewood, or Honywood, as the name was afterwards spelt, of that parish, was a liberal benefactor to the priory of Horton, and is mentioned as such in the leiger book of it. After which, as appears by their wills in the Prerogative-office, in Canterbury, they resided at Hythe, for which port several of them served in parliament, bearing for their arms, Argent, a chevron, between three hawks heads erased, azure; one of them, Thomas Honywood, died in the reign of king Edward IV. leaving a son John, by whose first wife descended the elder branch of this family, settled at Evington, and baronets; and by his second wife descended the younger branch of the Honywoods, seated at Petts, in Charing, and at Markshall, in Effex, which branch is now extinct. (fn. 3) John Honywood, esq. the eldest son of John above-mentioned, by his first wife, was the purchaser of Evington, where his grandson Sir Thomas Honywood resided. He died in 1622, and was buried at Elmsted, the burial place of this family. (fn. 4) He left by his first wife several sons and daughters; of the former, John succeeded him at Evington and Sene, and Edward was ancestor of Frazer Honywood, banker, of London, and of Malling abbey, who died s. p. in 1764. (fn. 5) Sir John Honywood, the eldest son, resided during his father's time at Sene, in Newington, and on his death removed to Evington. He served the office of sheriff in the 18th, 19th, and 20th years of king Charles I. Sir Edward Honywood, his eldest son, resided likewise at Evington, and was created a baronet on July 19, 1660. His great grandson Sir John Honywood, bart. at length in 1748, succeeded to the title and family estates, and afterwards resided at Evington, where he kept his shrievalty in 1752. On the death of his relation Frazer Honywood, esq. banker, of London, in 1764, he succeeded by his will to his seats at Malling abbey, and at Hampsted, in Middlesex, besides a large personal estate; after which he resided at times both here and at Hampsted, at which latter he died in 1781, æt. 71, and was buried with his ancestors in this church. He had been twice married; first to Annabella, daughter of William Goodenough, esq. of Langford, in Berk shire, whose issue will be mentioned hereafter; and secondly to Dorothy, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, by whom he had two sons, Filmer Honywood, esq. of Marks-hall, in Essex, to which as well as other large estates in that county, and in this of Kent, he succeeded by the will of his relation Gen. Philip Honywood, and lately was M. P. for this county, and is at present unmarried; and John, late of All Souls college, Oxford, who married Miss Wake, daughter of Dr. Charles Wake, late prebendary of Westminster; and Mary, married to Willshire Emmett, esq. late of Wiarton. By his first wife Sir John Honywood had two sons and four daughters; William the eldest, was of Malling abbey, esq. and died in his father's life time, having married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Clack, of Wallingford, in Berkshire, by whom he had three sons and one daughter Annabella, married to R. G. D. Yate, esq of Gloucestershire; of the former, John was heir to his grandfather, and is the present baronet; William is now of Liminge, esq. and married Mary, sister of James Drake Brockman, esq. of Beechborough, and Edward married Sophia, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Long, of Suffolk. Edward, the second son, was in the army, and died without issue. The daughters were, Annabella, married to Edmund Filmer, rector of Crundal; and Thomasine, married to William Western Hugessen, esq. of Provenders, both since deceased. On Sir John Honywood's death in 1781, he was succeeded by his eldest grandson abovementioned, the present Sir John Honywood, bart. who resides at Evington, to which he has made great improvements and additions. He married Frances, one of the daughters of William, viscount Courtenay, by whom he has three daughters, Frances-Elizabeth, Charlotte-Dorothea, and Annabella-Christiana, and one son John, born in 1787. (fn. 6).
BOTTSHAM, antiently and more properly written Bodesham, is a manor in the western part of this parish. About the year 687 Swabert, king of Kent, gave among others, three plough-lands in a place called Bodesham, to Eabba, abbess of Minister, in Thanet, and in the reign of king Edward the Consessor, one Ælgeric Bigg gave another part of it to the abbey of St. Augustine, by the description of the lands called Bodesham, on condition that Wade, his knight, should possess them during his life. (fn. 7) The former of these continued in the monastery till the reign of king Canute, when it was plundered and burnt by the Danes. After which the church and lands of the monastery of Minster, and those of Bodesham among them, were granted to St. Augustine's monastery, and remained, together with those given as above-mentioned by Ælgeric Bigg, part of the possessions of it at the taking of the survey of Domesday, in which record it is thus described:
In Limowart left, in Stotinges hundred, Gaufrid holds Bodesham of the abbot. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates, and there are, with eight borderers, wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards twenty shillings, now four pounds, A certain villein held it.
Hugh, abbot of St. Augustine, and his chapter, in the year 1110, granted to Hamo, steward of the king's houshold, this land of Bodesham, upon condition that he should, if there should be occasion, advise and assist him and his successors in any pleas brought against him by any baron, either in the county or in the king's court.
Hamo above-mentioned, whose surname was Crevequer, had come over into this kingdom with the Conqueror, and was rewarded afterwards with much land in this county, and was made sheriff of it during his life, from whence he was frequently stiled Hamo Vicecomes, or the sheriff. He lived till the middle of king Henry I.'s reign; and in his descendants it most probably remained till it came into the possession of the family of Gay, or Le Gay as they were sometimes written, owners of the yoke of Evington likewise, in which it continued till it was at length sold with it, in the beginning of Henry VII.'s reign, to Honywood, as has been fully mentioned before; in whose descendants it still remains, being now the property of Sir John Honywood, bart. of Evington.
IN THE REIGN of king Edward I. Thomas de Morines held half a knight's fee of the archbishop in Elmsted, which estate afterwards passed into the family of Haut, and in the reign of king Edward III. had acquired the name of the Manor Of Elmsted, alias SOUTHLIGH. In which family of Haut it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Bishopsborne, who lived in the reign of king Henry VIII. and left two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to Thomas Culpeper, of Bedgbury; and Jane, to Thomas Wyatt. The former of whom, in the division of their inheritance, (fn. 8) became possessed of it; from his heirs it passed by sale to Best, and from thence again to Rich. Hardres, esq. of Hardres, whose descendant Sir Tho. Hardres, possessed it in king James I.'s reign; at length, after some intermediate owners, it passed to Browning, whose descendant M. John Browning, of Yoklets, in Waltham, is the present owner of this manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually seventeen.
Elmsted is within the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Elham.
The church, which is dedicated to St. James, is a handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels, having a low pointed wooden steeple at the west end, in which are six bells. The chancels are open, one towards the other, the spaces between the pillars not being filled up, which gives the whole a light and airy appearance. In the middle chancel, which is dedicated to St. James, are memorials for the Taylors, who intermarried with the Honywoods, and for the Lushingtons, of Helchin; one for John Cloke, gent. of Northlye, obt. 1617. In the east window is a shield of arms, first and fourth, A lion rampant, or; second, On a fess, argent, three eros-croslets; third, obliterated. In another compartment of the window is the figure of an antient man sitting, in robes lined with ermine, a large knotted staff in his left hand. The north chancel is called the parish chancel, in which is an elegant monument, of white marble, with the bust of the late Sir John Honywood, bart.(a gentleman whose worthy character is still remembered with the highest commendation and respect, by all who knew him). He died much lamented by his neighbours and the country in general in 1781; and on the pavement are numbers of gravestones for the family of Honywood and their relatives. The south chancel, dedicated to St. John, belongs to Evington, in which there are several monuments, and numbers of gravestones, the pavement being covered with them, for the Honywood family, some of which have inscriptions and figures on brasses remaining on them. Underneath this chancel is a large vault, in which the remains of the family lie deposited. On the north side of this chancel is a tomb, having had the figures on it of a man between his two wives: and at each corner a shield of arms in brass for Gay. On the capital of a pillar at the east end of this tomb is this legend, in old English letters, in gold, which have been lately repaired: Pray for the sowlys of Xtopher Gay, Agnes and Johan his wifes, ther chylder and all Xtian sowlys, on whose sowlys Jhu have mcy; by which it should seem that he was the founder, or at least the repairer of this chancel. Underneath is carved a shield of arms of Gay. In the east window are two shields of arms, of modern glass, for Honywood. In the south isle is a monument for Sir William Honywood, bart. of Evington, obt. 1748. In the middle isle are several old stones, coffin shaped. William Philpot, of Godmersham, by will anno 1475, ordered that the making of the new seats, calledle pewis, in this church, should be done at his expence, from the place where St. Christopher was painted, to the corner of the stone wall on the north side of the church.
The church of Elmsted belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, in Canterbury, perhaps part of its original endowment by archbishop Lanfranc, in the reign of the Conqueror. It was very early appropriated to it, and was confirmed to the priory by archbishop Hubert, among its other possessions, about the reign of king Richard I. at which time this church, with five acres of arable, and five acres of wood, and the chapel of Dene, appear to have been esteemed as chapels to the adjoining church of Waltham, and the appropriation of it continued part of the possessions of the priory till the dissolution of it in king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, where this appropriation remained but a small time, for an act passed that year, to enable the king and the archbishop to make an exchange of estates, by which means it became part of the revenues of the see of Canterbury, and was afterwards demised by the archbishop, among the rest of the revenues of the above-mentioned priory, which had come to him by the above-mentioned exchange, in one great lease; under which kind of demise it has continued from time to time ever since. Philip, earl of Chesterfield, as heir to the Wottons, was lessee of the above estates, in which this parsonage was included; since whose decease in 1773, his interest in the lease of them has been sold by his executors to Geo. Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, who is the present lessee, under the archbishop, for them.
But the vicarage of this church seems never to have belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, and in the 8th year of Richard II. anno 1384, appears to have been part of the possessions of the abbot of Pontiniac, at which time it was valued at four pounds. How long it staid there, I have not found; but it became afterwards part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, and remains so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.
¶The vicarage of Elmsted is endowed with the tenths of hay, silva cedua, mills, heifers, calves, chicken, pigs, lambs, wool, geese, ducks, eggs, bees, honey, wax, butter, cheese, milk-meats, flax, hemp, apples, pears, swans, pidgeons, merchandise, fish, onions, fowlings, also all other small tithes or obventions whatsoever within the parish; and also with all grass of gardens or other closes, vulgarly called homestalls, although they should be at any time reduced to arable; and the tithes of all and singular feedings and pastures, even if those lands so lot for feedings and pastures should be accustomed to be ploughed, as often and whensoever they should at any time be let for the use of pasture; which portion to the vicar was then valued at twelve marcs. (fn. 9)
It is valued in the king's books at 61. 13s. 4d. It is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-five pounds. In 1587 it was valued at thirty pounds, communicants one hundred and eighty. In 1640 it was valued at ninety pounds, the same number of communicants. There was an antient stipend of ten pounds, payable from the parsonage to the vicar, which was augmented with the like sum by archbishop Juxon, anno 15 Charles II. to be paid by the lessee of the parsonage; which sum of twenty pounds continues at this time to be paid yearly by the lesse. There was a yearly pension of 1l. 6s. payable from the vicar of Elmsted to the priory of St. Gregory; which still continues to be paid by him to the archbishop's lessee here.
It seems incredible to me that there are any churches in East Kent, at least parish churches, that I had yet to visit and photograph. Especially along Stone Street, which I thought that nks to churches and orchids I knew very well. And yet as I cross-referenced between John Vigar's book and the county A-Z, I saw more and more churches I had to visit.
And that brings us to Elmstead.
Elmstead is less a viallage and more a dog leg in a single track lane, and the church sits in the dog leg. Being a small place, surely it would have a small church? No, the church is large with two leat to chapels, and an extraordinary timber topped tower.
You reach Elmstone by taking tiny fork off Stone Street and following the narrowest of lanes, which has high banks and hedges both sides with few passing places. Down through woods, down steep hills crossing streams and up hills the other side, and all the while the road coated with a thick layer of mud, so that one hoped you were still on the road not having driven into a field.
In time I passed the village sign, and no missing the church, a large flint built church, and the triple gabled east end facing towards the road. Behind the tower was partially hidden, but I could already see the wooden upper part.
And it was open, and filled with much of interest, especially the stone altar in the south aisle.
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An extremely worthwhile church in remote countryside. The tower is an unusual shape, being almost twice as wide as it is deep and capped by a wooden upper storey with stumpy spire. The church consists of nave, aisles, chancel and equal length chapels. The nave is Norman: the original arch to the tower is still recognisable although a fourteenth-century replacement has been built inside it. At the same time the present arcade was built on the existing piers. In the north aisle is a medieval vestry screen, in front of which is a Norman font. There are very fine altar rails, each baluster looking like an eighteenth-century candlestick. Between the main altar and chapel is a simple thirteenth-century sedilia. The south chapel altar has a twelfth-century mensa which was discovered in the churchyard in 1956. The east window (1880) commemorates Arthur Honeywood who was killed in the Afghan war - only a dog survived and was given an award by Queen Victoria! Honeywood's ancestor, Sir John (d. 1781), is also remembered in the church by a splendid marble bust signed by Scheemakers
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Elmsted
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Parish Church. Late Cll or C12, C13 and C14, restored in 1877. Flint
with stone dressings. Plain tile roofs. West tower, nave with north
and south aisles, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels.
West tower: C13, with late Cll or C12 base: Medieval belfry. Single
stage, but north and south sides reduce in width about half way up
with plain-tile shoulders. Large stone north-west and south-west
quoins to lower half. Diagonal south-west buttress. Shingled timber-
framed belfry jettied to west. Splay-footed octagonal spire. Two
louvred three-light trefoil-headed windows to each face of belfry.
No tower windows to north or east. Broadly-pointed plain-chamfered
lancet towards top of west face, and another to south. Taller plain-
chamfered lancet West window. Plain-chamfered pointed-arched west doorway.
Nave: south elevation: continuous with south wall of tower base. C19
traceried three-light window. South aisle: C14 possibly with late Cll
or early C12 origins. Narrow and gabled, stopping short of west end nave.
Plinthless. Buttress towards east end. C14 or early C15 pointed west window
of two cinquefoil-headed lights, with tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould.
One straight-headed C15 or C16 south window to east of porch, with two
cinquefoil-headed lights and rectangular hoodmould. South porch: medieval,
restored in C19. Coursed knapped flint. Gabled plain-tile roof.
Window with cambered head, to each side. Crown-post roof; two outer crown
posts plain. Broadly-chamfered rectangular central crown post with broach
stops and head braces. Chamfered tie-beams. Pointed-arched plain-chamfered
inner doorway with broach stops. Unchamfered pointed-arched outer doorway.
South chancel chapel: early C14. Continuous with south aisle, but with
chamfered stone plinth and lower eaves and ridge. East end flush with
chancel. Diagonal south-east buttress. Large straight-headed south window
with three cinquefoil-headed lights and moulded hoodmould. Similar two-
light east window. Chancel: C13, probably with late Cll or C12 origins.
Slightly narrower than nave. No plinth. Two buttresses. C15 or C16
untraceried east window with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. North chancel chapel: early C14. Flush with east end
of chancel. Plinthless. Diagonal north-east buttress. C14 pointed-arched
east window with three cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of cusped intersecting
glazing bars with trefoils and quatrefoils, and with hoodmould. Pointed-
arched C14 north window with Y tracery and trefoil, without hoodmould.
North aisle: C14. More stone mixed with flint. Continuous with north
chancel chapel, and slightly overlapping tower. Plinthless. One untraceried
C15 or C16 north window, with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. Straight-headed west window with two cinquefoil-headed
lights and hoodmould. Small blocked plain-chamfered pointed-arched north
doorway. Rainwater heads dated 1877. Interior: Structure: two-bay early
C14 south arcade to nave, with doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches and
octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Two-bay C14 north
arcade, similar to south arcade, but extending further to west and with
more intricately-moulded capitals. East end of south arcade rests on
late Cll or C12 pier of large ashlar blocks on plain-chamfered plinth,
and with top heavily corbelled to south side. Footings for further structure
to east and south. Small, probably pre-C14, stone quoins to east pier
of north arcade, capped by single block from which arch springs. Doubly
plain-chamfered pointed early C14 chancel arch, springing from moulded
rectangular capitals which break forwards unusually. Plain-chamfered
piers with broach stops. Two-bay early C16 north and south arcades to
chancel, with doubly hollow-chamfered four-centred arches and octagonal
columns with moulded capitals and bases. Early C14 pointed arch between
south chancel chapel and south aisle, with plain-chamfered inner order
and slightly ovolo-moulded outer order. Moulded rectangular capitals
slightly different from chancel-arch capitals, but similarly breaking
forwards under inner order of arch, each on image corbel. Piers slightly
hollow chamfered, with cushion stops to base and undercut trefoil to tops.
Doubly plain-chamfered pointed arch between north chancel chapel and north
aisle, springing from chamfered imposts which break forwards to centre
with rounded corbel under. Low, pointed C14 tower arch, with plain-chamfered
inner order springing from moulded semi-octagonal piers, and hollow-chamfered
outer order descending to ground with cushion and broach stops. Above
arch, exposed voussoirs of taller, broader, blocked, round-headed late
Cll or C12 tower arch. Roof: C19 crown-post roof to nave and north aisle.
Chancel and north chancel chapel roofs boarded in five cants. Plastered
barrel vault to south chancel chapel. Medieval crown-post roof to south,
with three cambered plain-chamfered tie-beams, with moulded octagonal
crown posts, sous-laces and ashlar pieces. Fittings: piscina in rectangular
recess towards east end of south chancel chapel. C13 piscina in moulded
recess with trefoiled head and moulded hoodmould, towards east end of
south wall of chancel. Image corbel to north wall of north chancel chapel.
Late Cll or C12 font, low, deep, octagonal, with two panels of blind
arcading to each side, circular central pier and eight slender perimeter
columns. Small C17 altar table. Hexagonal C17 pulpit with sunk moulded
panels, strapwork, fleur-de-lys frieze, and enriched cornice. Medieval
screen, probably of domestic origin, with close-studded partition under
moulded and brattished beam, across west end of north aisle. Laudian
altar rails with turned balusters. Monuments: Cartouche on south wall
of south chancel chapel, to Sir William Honeywood, d. 1748. Monument
on same wall, to Thomas Honeywood, d. 1622; grey-painted chalk in form
of triptych. Central section has moulded and pulvinated base, scrolled
base-plate and shield, and raised and moulded inscription panel in eared
surround, flanked by Composite columns. Above it, a recessed panel
with inverted scrolls, and triangular pediment with cherubs head and
achievements. Recessed flanking sections, each carved with angel in
husked surround, and with scrolled base plate and corniced pediment
with shields. Tablet on same wall, to Mary Honeywood, d. 1708, lettered
on a shroud with gilded fringe, cherubs' heads, and shield surmounted
by urn. Brass of a lady, part of a brass to Christopher Gay, d. 1507.
Monument on north wall of north chancel chapel, to William Honeywood,
d. 1669. Black marble inscription panel in a frame which breaks forwards
twice. Each back panel eared, the outer with inverted scrolls to base
and festoon to return sides. Festooned rectangular panel flanked by
acanthus consoles and with scrolled acanthus base plate under inscription
panel. Moulded cornice over oak-leaf frieze, breaking forwards three
times. Segmental pediment with achievements over central break. Monument
by Thomas Scheemakers on same wall, to Sir John Honeywood, d. 1781.
White marble. Rectangular inscription panel, flanked by reeded pilasters
which curve out at top to form consoles under flower paterae. Shaped
base plate, also with inscription. Moulded cornice surmounted by -sarcophagus
with bust above it, against grey marble obelisk back plate. (J. Jewman,
Buildings of England Series, North-east and East Kent, 1983 edn.)
Listing NGR: TR1178645546
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-440965-church-of-st-j...
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ELMSTED
IS the next parish northward from Hastingligh lastdescribed, taking its name, as many other places do, which are recorded in the survey of Domesday, from the quantity of elms growing in it, elm signifying in Saxon, that tree, and stede, a place. The manor of Hastingligh claims over some part of this parish, which part is within the liberty of the duchy of Lancaster.
THIS PARISH is situated in a lonely unfrequented part of the country, above the down hills, in a healthy air. It lies mostly on high ground, having continued hill and dale throughout it. The soil is but poor, and in general chalk, and much covered with flints, especially in the dales, where some of the earth is of a reddish cast. The church stands on a hill in the middle of it, having a green, with the village near it, among which is the court-lodge: and at a small distance westward, Helchin-bouse, belonging to Sir John Honywood, but now and for some time past inhabited by the Lushingtons. Lower down in the bottom is Evington-court, in a dull ineligible situation, to which however the present Sir John Honywood has added much, and laid out some park-grounds round it. At a small distance is a small heath, called Evington-lees, with several houses round it. At the southern bounds of the parish lie Botsham, and Holt, both belonging to Sir John Honywood. At the north-east corner of it, near Stone-street, is a hamlet called Northlye, the principal farm in which belongs to Mr. Richard Warlee, gent. of Canterbury, about half a mile from which is Deane, or Dane manor-house; and still further Dowles-farm, belonging to Mr. John Rigden, of Faversham; near Stone-street is the manor of Southligh, now called Mizlings, by which name only it is now known here; and near the same street is Arundel farm, belonging to Thomas Watkinson Payler, esq. and at the southern extremity of the parish, the manor-house of Dunders, with the lands belonging to it, called the Park, formerly belonging to the Graydons, of Fordwich, of whom they were purchased, and are now the property of the right hon. Matthew Robinson Morris, lord Rokeby, who resides at Horton. There are but two small coppice woods in this parish, lying at some distance from each other, in the middle part of it.
There is a fair kept yearly in this parish on St. James's day, the 25th of July.
THE MANOR OF ELMSTED was in the year 811 bought by archbishop Wlfred, of Cenulf, king of Mercia, for the benefit of Christ-church, in Canterbury, L. S. A. which letters meant, that it should be free, and privileged with the same liberties that Adisham was, when given to that church. These privileges were, to be freed from all secular services, excepting the trinoda necessitas of repelling invasions, and the repairing of bridges and fortifications. (fn. 1)
There is no mention of this manor in the survey of Domesday, under the title of the archbishop's lands, and of those held of him by knight's service, and yet I find mention of its being held of him in several records subsequent to that time; for soon afterwards it appears to have been so held by a family who assumed their name from it, one of whom, Hamo de Elmested, held it of the archbishop, by knight's service. But they were extinct here before the middle of king Henry III,'s reign, when the Heringods were become possessed of it, as appears by the Testa de Nevil, bearing for their arms, Gules, three herrings erect, two and one, or; as they were formerly in the windows of Newington church, near Sittingborne. John de Heringod held it at his death in the 41st year of that reign. His grandson, of the same name, died in the next reign of king Edward I. without male issue, leaving three daughters his coheirs, of whom, Grace married Philip de Hardres, of Hardres, in this county; Christiana married William de Kirkby; and Jane married Thomas Burgate, of Suffolk: but he had before his death, by a deed, which bears the form of a Latin will, and, is without a date, settled this manor, with the other lands in this neighbourhood, on the former of them, Philip de Hardres, a man of eminent repute of that time, in whose successors the manor of Elmsted remained till the 13th year of King James I. when Sir Thomas Hardres sold the manor of Dane court, an appendage to this of Elmsted, in the north-east part of this parish, to Cloake, and the manor of Elmsted itself to Thomas Marsh, gent. of Canterbury, whose son ton, whose great-grandson of the same name, at his death left it to his two sons, Richard and John, the former of whom was of Faversham, and left an only daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. James Taylor, of Rodmersham, who in right of his wife became possessed of his moiety of it, and having in 1787 purchased the other moiety of John Lushington, of Helchin, in this parish, (son of Richard above-mentioned) became possessed of the whole of this manor, and continues owner of it at this time.
THE MANOR OF DANE, now called Deane-court, above-mentioned, remained in the name of Cloake for some time afterwards, and in 1652 Mr. Samuel Cloake held it. It afterwards passed into the name of Elwes, in which it continued down to John Elwes, esq. of Marcham, in Berkshire, who died in 1789, and by will gave it to his nephew Thomas Timms, esq. the present owner of it.
THE YOKE OF EVINGTON is an estate and seat in the south-west part of this parish, over which the manor of Barton, near Canterbury, claims jurisdiction. The mansion of it, called Evington-court, was the inheritance of gentlemen of the same surname, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sess between three burganetts, or steel caps, azure; and in a book, copied out from antient deeds by William Glover, Somerset herald, afterwards in the possession of John Philipott, likewise Somerset, there was the copy of an old deed without date, in which William Fitzneal, called in Latin, Filius Nigelli, passed over some land to Ruallo de Valoigns, which is strengthened by the appendant testimony of one Robert de Evington, who was ancestor of the Evingtons, of Evington-court, of whom there is mention in the deeds of this place, both in the reigns of king Henry III. and king Edward I. After this family was extinct here, the Gays became possessed of it, a family originally descended out of France, where they were called Le Gay, and remained some time afterwards in the province of Normandy, from whence those of this name in Jersey and Guernsey descended, and from them again those of Hampshire, and one of them, before they had left off their French appellation, John le Gay, is mentioned in the leiger book of Horton priory, in this neighbourhood, as a benefactor to it. But to proceed; although Evington-court was not originally erected by the family of Gay, yet it was much improved by them with additional buildings, and in allusion to their name, both the wainscot and windows of it were adorned with nosegays. At length after the Gays, who bore for their arms, Gules, three lions rampant, argent, an orle of cross-croslets, fitchee, or. (fn. 2) had continued owners of this mansion till the beginning of the reign of king Henry VII. Humphry Gay, esq. alienated it to John Honywood, esq. of Sene, in Newington, near Hythe, and afterwards of St. Gregory's, Canterbury, where he died in 1557, and was buried in that cathedral.
The family of Honywood, antiently written Henewood, take their name from the manor of Henewood, in Postling, where they resided as early as Henry III.'s reign, when Edmund de Henewood, or Honywood, as the name was afterwards spelt, of that parish, was a liberal benefactor to the priory of Horton, and is mentioned as such in the leiger book of it. After which, as appears by their wills in the Prerogative-office, in Canterbury, they resided at Hythe, for which port several of them served in parliament, bearing for their arms, Argent, a chevron, between three hawks heads erased, azure; one of them, Thomas Honywood, died in the reign of king Edward IV. leaving a son John, by whose first wife descended the elder branch of this family, settled at Evington, and baronets; and by his second wife descended the younger branch of the Honywoods, seated at Petts, in Charing, and at Markshall, in Effex, which branch is now extinct. (fn. 3) John Honywood, esq. the eldest son of John above-mentioned, by his first wife, was the purchaser of Evington, where his grandson Sir Thomas Honywood resided. He died in 1622, and was buried at Elmsted, the burial place of this family. (fn. 4) He left by his first wife several sons and daughters; of the former, John succeeded him at Evington and Sene, and Edward was ancestor of Frazer Honywood, banker, of London, and of Malling abbey, who died s. p. in 1764. (fn. 5) Sir John Honywood, the eldest son, resided during his father's time at Sene, in Newington, and on his death removed to Evington. He served the office of sheriff in the 18th, 19th, and 20th years of king Charles I. Sir Edward Honywood, his eldest son, resided likewise at Evington, and was created a baronet on July 19, 1660. His great grandson Sir John Honywood, bart. at length in 1748, succeeded to the title and family estates, and afterwards resided at Evington, where he kept his shrievalty in 1752. On the death of his relation Frazer Honywood, esq. banker, of London, in 1764, he succeeded by his will to his seats at Malling abbey, and at Hampsted, in Middlesex, besides a large personal estate; after which he resided at times both here and at Hampsted, at which latter he died in 1781, æt. 71, and was buried with his ancestors in this church. He had been twice married; first to Annabella, daughter of William Goodenough, esq. of Langford, in Berk shire, whose issue will be mentioned hereafter; and secondly to Dorothy, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, by whom he had two sons, Filmer Honywood, esq. of Marks-hall, in Essex, to which as well as other large estates in that county, and in this of Kent, he succeeded by the will of his relation Gen. Philip Honywood, and lately was M. P. for this county, and is at present unmarried; and John, late of All Souls college, Oxford, who married Miss Wake, daughter of Dr. Charles Wake, late prebendary of Westminster; and Mary, married to Willshire Emmett, esq. late of Wiarton. By his first wife Sir John Honywood had two sons and four daughters; William the eldest, was of Malling abbey, esq. and died in his father's life time, having married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Clack, of Wallingford, in Berkshire, by whom he had three sons and one daughter Annabella, married to R. G. D. Yate, esq of Gloucestershire; of the former, John was heir to his grandfather, and is the present baronet; William is now of Liminge, esq. and married Mary, sister of James Drake Brockman, esq. of Beechborough, and Edward married Sophia, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Long, of Suffolk. Edward, the second son, was in the army, and died without issue. The daughters were, Annabella, married to Edmund Filmer, rector of Crundal; and Thomasine, married to William Western Hugessen, esq. of Provenders, both since deceased. On Sir John Honywood's death in 1781, he was succeeded by his eldest grandson abovementioned, the present Sir John Honywood, bart. who resides at Evington, to which he has made great improvements and additions. He married Frances, one of the daughters of William, viscount Courtenay, by whom he has three daughters, Frances-Elizabeth, Charlotte-Dorothea, and Annabella-Christiana, and one son John, born in 1787. (fn. 6).
BOTTSHAM, antiently and more properly written Bodesham, is a manor in the western part of this parish. About the year 687 Swabert, king of Kent, gave among others, three plough-lands in a place called Bodesham, to Eabba, abbess of Minister, in Thanet, and in the reign of king Edward the Consessor, one Ælgeric Bigg gave another part of it to the abbey of St. Augustine, by the description of the lands called Bodesham, on condition that Wade, his knight, should possess them during his life. (fn. 7) The former of these continued in the monastery till the reign of king Canute, when it was plundered and burnt by the Danes. After which the church and lands of the monastery of Minster, and those of Bodesham among them, were granted to St. Augustine's monastery, and remained, together with those given as above-mentioned by Ælgeric Bigg, part of the possessions of it at the taking of the survey of Domesday, in which record it is thus described:
In Limowart left, in Stotinges hundred, Gaufrid holds Bodesham of the abbot. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates, and there are, with eight borderers, wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards twenty shillings, now four pounds, A certain villein held it.
Hugh, abbot of St. Augustine, and his chapter, in the year 1110, granted to Hamo, steward of the king's houshold, this land of Bodesham, upon condition that he should, if there should be occasion, advise and assist him and his successors in any pleas brought against him by any baron, either in the county or in the king's court.
Hamo above-mentioned, whose surname was Crevequer, had come over into this kingdom with the Conqueror, and was rewarded afterwards with much land in this county, and was made sheriff of it during his life, from whence he was frequently stiled Hamo Vicecomes, or the sheriff. He lived till the middle of king Henry I.'s reign; and in his descendants it most probably remained till it came into the possession of the family of Gay, or Le Gay as they were sometimes written, owners of the yoke of Evington likewise, in which it continued till it was at length sold with it, in the beginning of Henry VII.'s reign, to Honywood, as has been fully mentioned before; in whose descendants it still remains, being now the property of Sir John Honywood, bart. of Evington.
IN THE REIGN of king Edward I. Thomas de Morines held half a knight's fee of the archbishop in Elmsted, which estate afterwards passed into the family of Haut, and in the reign of king Edward III. had acquired the name of the Manor Of Elmsted, alias SOUTHLIGH. In which family of Haut it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Bishopsborne, who lived in the reign of king Henry VIII. and left two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to Thomas Culpeper, of Bedgbury; and Jane, to Thomas Wyatt. The former of whom, in the division of their inheritance, (fn. 8) became possessed of it; from his heirs it passed by sale to Best, and from thence again to Rich. Hardres, esq. of Hardres, whose descendant Sir Tho. Hardres, possessed it in king James I.'s reign; at length, after some intermediate owners, it passed to Browning, whose descendant M. John Browning, of Yoklets, in Waltham, is the present owner of this manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually seventeen.
Elmsted is within the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Elham.
The church, which is dedicated to St. James, is a handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels, having a low pointed wooden steeple at the west end, in which are six bells. The chancels are open, one towards the other, the spaces between the pillars not being filled up, which gives the whole a light and airy appearance. In the middle chancel, which is dedicated to St. James, are memorials for the Taylors, who intermarried with the Honywoods, and for the Lushingtons, of Helchin; one for John Cloke, gent. of Northlye, obt. 1617. In the east window is a shield of arms, first and fourth, A lion rampant, or; second, On a fess, argent, three eros-croslets; third, obliterated. In another compartment of the window is the figure of an antient man sitting, in robes lined with ermine, a large knotted staff in his left hand. The north chancel is called the parish chancel, in which is an elegant monument, of white marble, with the bust of the late Sir John Honywood, bart.(a gentleman whose worthy character is still remembered with the highest commendation and respect, by all who knew him). He died much lamented by his neighbours and the country in general in 1781; and on the pavement are numbers of gravestones for the family of Honywood and their relatives. The south chancel, dedicated to St. John, belongs to Evington, in which there are several monuments, and numbers of gravestones, the pavement being covered with them, for the Honywood family, some of which have inscriptions and figures on brasses remaining on them. Underneath this chancel is a large vault, in which the remains of the family lie deposited. On the north side of this chancel is a tomb, having had the figures on it of a man between his two wives: and at each corner a shield of arms in brass for Gay. On the capital of a pillar at the east end of this tomb is this legend, in old English letters, in gold, which have been lately repaired: Pray for the sowlys of Xtopher Gay, Agnes and Johan his wifes, ther chylder and all Xtian sowlys, on whose sowlys Jhu have mcy; by which it should seem that he was the founder, or at least the repairer of this chancel. Underneath is carved a shield of arms of Gay. In the east window are two shields of arms, of modern glass, for Honywood. In the south isle is a monument for Sir William Honywood, bart. of Evington, obt. 1748. In the middle isle are several old stones, coffin shaped. William Philpot, of Godmersham, by will anno 1475, ordered that the making of the new seats, calledle pewis, in this church, should be done at his expence, from the place where St. Christopher was painted, to the corner of the stone wall on the north side of the church.
The church of Elmsted belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, in Canterbury, perhaps part of its original endowment by archbishop Lanfranc, in the reign of the Conqueror. It was very early appropriated to it, and was confirmed to the priory by archbishop Hubert, among its other possessions, about the reign of king Richard I. at which time this church, with five acres of arable, and five acres of wood, and the chapel of Dene, appear to have been esteemed as chapels to the adjoining church of Waltham, and the appropriation of it continued part of the possessions of the priory till the dissolution of it in king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, where this appropriation remained but a small time, for an act passed that year, to enable the king and the archbishop to make an exchange of estates, by which means it became part of the revenues of the see of Canterbury, and was afterwards demised by the archbishop, among the rest of the revenues of the above-mentioned priory, which had come to him by the above-mentioned exchange, in one great lease; under which kind of demise it has continued from time to time ever since. Philip, earl of Chesterfield, as heir to the Wottons, was lessee of the above estates, in which this parsonage was included; since whose decease in 1773, his interest in the lease of them has been sold by his executors to Geo. Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, who is the present lessee, under the archbishop, for them.
But the vicarage of this church seems never to have belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, and in the 8th year of Richard II. anno 1384, appears to have been part of the possessions of the abbot of Pontiniac, at which time it was valued at four pounds. How long it staid there, I have not found; but it became afterwards part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, and remains so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.
¶The vicarage of Elmsted is endowed with the tenths of hay, silva cedua, mills, heifers, calves, chicken, pigs, lambs, wool, geese, ducks, eggs, bees, honey, wax, butter, cheese, milk-meats, flax, hemp, apples, pears, swans, pidgeons, merchandise, fish, onions, fowlings, also all other small tithes or obventions whatsoever within the parish; and also with all grass of gardens or other closes, vulgarly called homestalls, although they should be at any time reduced to arable; and the tithes of all and singular feedings and pastures, even if those lands so lot for feedings and pastures should be accustomed to be ploughed, as often and whensoever they should at any time be let for the use of pasture; which portion to the vicar was then valued at twelve marcs. (fn. 9)
It is valued in the king's books at 61. 13s. 4d. It is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-five pounds. In 1587 it was valued at thirty pounds, communicants one hundred and eighty. In 1640 it was valued at ninety pounds, the same number of communicants. There was an antient stipend of ten pounds, payable from the parsonage to the vicar, which was augmented with the like sum by archbishop Juxon, anno 15 Charles II. to be paid by the lessee of the parsonage; which sum of twenty pounds continues at this time to be paid yearly by the lesse. There was a yearly pension of 1l. 6s. payable from the vicar of Elmsted to the priory of St. Gregory; which still continues to be paid by him to the archbishop's lessee here.
It seems incredible to me that there are any churches in East Kent, at least parish churches, that I had yet to visit and photograph. Especially along Stone Street, which I thought that nks to churches and orchids I knew very well. And yet as I cross-referenced between John Vigar's book and the county A-Z, I saw more and more churches I had to visit.
And that brings us to Elmstead.
Elmstead is less a viallage and more a dog leg in a single track lane, and the church sits in the dog leg. Being a small place, surely it would have a small church? No, the church is large with two leat to chapels, and an extraordinary timber topped tower.
You reach Elmstone by taking tiny fork off Stone Street and following the narrowest of lanes, which has high banks and hedges both sides with few passing places. Down through woods, down steep hills crossing streams and up hills the other side, and all the while the road coated with a thick layer of mud, so that one hoped you were still on the road not having driven into a field.
In time I passed the village sign, and no missing the church, a large flint built church, and the triple gabled east end facing towards the road. Behind the tower was partially hidden, but I could already see the wooden upper part.
And it was open, and filled with much of interest, especially the stone altar in the south aisle.
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An extremely worthwhile church in remote countryside. The tower is an unusual shape, being almost twice as wide as it is deep and capped by a wooden upper storey with stumpy spire. The church consists of nave, aisles, chancel and equal length chapels. The nave is Norman: the original arch to the tower is still recognisable although a fourteenth-century replacement has been built inside it. At the same time the present arcade was built on the existing piers. In the north aisle is a medieval vestry screen, in front of which is a Norman font. There are very fine altar rails, each baluster looking like an eighteenth-century candlestick. Between the main altar and chapel is a simple thirteenth-century sedilia. The south chapel altar has a twelfth-century mensa which was discovered in the churchyard in 1956. The east window (1880) commemorates Arthur Honeywood who was killed in the Afghan war - only a dog survived and was given an award by Queen Victoria! Honeywood's ancestor, Sir John (d. 1781), is also remembered in the church by a splendid marble bust signed by Scheemakers
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Elmsted
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Parish Church. Late Cll or C12, C13 and C14, restored in 1877. Flint
with stone dressings. Plain tile roofs. West tower, nave with north
and south aisles, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels.
West tower: C13, with late Cll or C12 base: Medieval belfry. Single
stage, but north and south sides reduce in width about half way up
with plain-tile shoulders. Large stone north-west and south-west
quoins to lower half. Diagonal south-west buttress. Shingled timber-
framed belfry jettied to west. Splay-footed octagonal spire. Two
louvred three-light trefoil-headed windows to each face of belfry.
No tower windows to north or east. Broadly-pointed plain-chamfered
lancet towards top of west face, and another to south. Taller plain-
chamfered lancet West window. Plain-chamfered pointed-arched west doorway.
Nave: south elevation: continuous with south wall of tower base. C19
traceried three-light window. South aisle: C14 possibly with late Cll
or early C12 origins. Narrow and gabled, stopping short of west end nave.
Plinthless. Buttress towards east end. C14 or early C15 pointed west window
of two cinquefoil-headed lights, with tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould.
One straight-headed C15 or C16 south window to east of porch, with two
cinquefoil-headed lights and rectangular hoodmould. South porch: medieval,
restored in C19. Coursed knapped flint. Gabled plain-tile roof.
Window with cambered head, to each side. Crown-post roof; two outer crown
posts plain. Broadly-chamfered rectangular central crown post with broach
stops and head braces. Chamfered tie-beams. Pointed-arched plain-chamfered
inner doorway with broach stops. Unchamfered pointed-arched outer doorway.
South chancel chapel: early C14. Continuous with south aisle, but with
chamfered stone plinth and lower eaves and ridge. East end flush with
chancel. Diagonal south-east buttress. Large straight-headed south window
with three cinquefoil-headed lights and moulded hoodmould. Similar two-
light east window. Chancel: C13, probably with late Cll or C12 origins.
Slightly narrower than nave. No plinth. Two buttresses. C15 or C16
untraceried east window with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. North chancel chapel: early C14. Flush with east end
of chancel. Plinthless. Diagonal north-east buttress. C14 pointed-arched
east window with three cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of cusped intersecting
glazing bars with trefoils and quatrefoils, and with hoodmould. Pointed-
arched C14 north window with Y tracery and trefoil, without hoodmould.
North aisle: C14. More stone mixed with flint. Continuous with north
chancel chapel, and slightly overlapping tower. Plinthless. One untraceried
C15 or C16 north window, with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. Straight-headed west window with two cinquefoil-headed
lights and hoodmould. Small blocked plain-chamfered pointed-arched north
doorway. Rainwater heads dated 1877. Interior: Structure: two-bay early
C14 south arcade to nave, with doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches and
octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Two-bay C14 north
arcade, similar to south arcade, but extending further to west and with
more intricately-moulded capitals. East end of south arcade rests on
late Cll or C12 pier of large ashlar blocks on plain-chamfered plinth,
and with top heavily corbelled to south side. Footings for further structure
to east and south. Small, probably pre-C14, stone quoins to east pier
of north arcade, capped by single block from which arch springs. Doubly
plain-chamfered pointed early C14 chancel arch, springing from moulded
rectangular capitals which break forwards unusually. Plain-chamfered
piers with broach stops. Two-bay early C16 north and south arcades to
chancel, with doubly hollow-chamfered four-centred arches and octagonal
columns with moulded capitals and bases. Early C14 pointed arch between
south chancel chapel and south aisle, with plain-chamfered inner order
and slightly ovolo-moulded outer order. Moulded rectangular capitals
slightly different from chancel-arch capitals, but similarly breaking
forwards under inner order of arch, each on image corbel. Piers slightly
hollow chamfered, with cushion stops to base and undercut trefoil to tops.
Doubly plain-chamfered pointed arch between north chancel chapel and north
aisle, springing from chamfered imposts which break forwards to centre
with rounded corbel under. Low, pointed C14 tower arch, with plain-chamfered
inner order springing from moulded semi-octagonal piers, and hollow-chamfered
outer order descending to ground with cushion and broach stops. Above
arch, exposed voussoirs of taller, broader, blocked, round-headed late
Cll or C12 tower arch. Roof: C19 crown-post roof to nave and north aisle.
Chancel and north chancel chapel roofs boarded in five cants. Plastered
barrel vault to south chancel chapel. Medieval crown-post roof to south,
with three cambered plain-chamfered tie-beams, with moulded octagonal
crown posts, sous-laces and ashlar pieces. Fittings: piscina in rectangular
recess towards east end of south chancel chapel. C13 piscina in moulded
recess with trefoiled head and moulded hoodmould, towards east end of
south wall of chancel. Image corbel to north wall of north chancel chapel.
Late Cll or C12 font, low, deep, octagonal, with two panels of blind
arcading to each side, circular central pier and eight slender perimeter
columns. Small C17 altar table. Hexagonal C17 pulpit with sunk moulded
panels, strapwork, fleur-de-lys frieze, and enriched cornice. Medieval
screen, probably of domestic origin, with close-studded partition under
moulded and brattished beam, across west end of north aisle. Laudian
altar rails with turned balusters. Monuments: Cartouche on south wall
of south chancel chapel, to Sir William Honeywood, d. 1748. Monument
on same wall, to Thomas Honeywood, d. 1622; grey-painted chalk in form
of triptych. Central section has moulded and pulvinated base, scrolled
base-plate and shield, and raised and moulded inscription panel in eared
surround, flanked by Composite columns. Above it, a recessed panel
with inverted scrolls, and triangular pediment with cherubs head and
achievements. Recessed flanking sections, each carved with angel in
husked surround, and with scrolled base plate and corniced pediment
with shields. Tablet on same wall, to Mary Honeywood, d. 1708, lettered
on a shroud with gilded fringe, cherubs' heads, and shield surmounted
by urn. Brass of a lady, part of a brass to Christopher Gay, d. 1507.
Monument on north wall of north chancel chapel, to William Honeywood,
d. 1669. Black marble inscription panel in a frame which breaks forwards
twice. Each back panel eared, the outer with inverted scrolls to base
and festoon to return sides. Festooned rectangular panel flanked by
acanthus consoles and with scrolled acanthus base plate under inscription
panel. Moulded cornice over oak-leaf frieze, breaking forwards three
times. Segmental pediment with achievements over central break. Monument
by Thomas Scheemakers on same wall, to Sir John Honeywood, d. 1781.
White marble. Rectangular inscription panel, flanked by reeded pilasters
which curve out at top to form consoles under flower paterae. Shaped
base plate, also with inscription. Moulded cornice surmounted by -sarcophagus
with bust above it, against grey marble obelisk back plate. (J. Jewman,
Buildings of England Series, North-east and East Kent, 1983 edn.)
Listing NGR: TR1178645546
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-440965-church-of-st-j...
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ELMSTED
IS the next parish northward from Hastingligh lastdescribed, taking its name, as many other places do, which are recorded in the survey of Domesday, from the quantity of elms growing in it, elm signifying in Saxon, that tree, and stede, a place. The manor of Hastingligh claims over some part of this parish, which part is within the liberty of the duchy of Lancaster.
THIS PARISH is situated in a lonely unfrequented part of the country, above the down hills, in a healthy air. It lies mostly on high ground, having continued hill and dale throughout it. The soil is but poor, and in general chalk, and much covered with flints, especially in the dales, where some of the earth is of a reddish cast. The church stands on a hill in the middle of it, having a green, with the village near it, among which is the court-lodge: and at a small distance westward, Helchin-bouse, belonging to Sir John Honywood, but now and for some time past inhabited by the Lushingtons. Lower down in the bottom is Evington-court, in a dull ineligible situation, to which however the present Sir John Honywood has added much, and laid out some park-grounds round it. At a small distance is a small heath, called Evington-lees, with several houses round it. At the southern bounds of the parish lie Botsham, and Holt, both belonging to Sir John Honywood. At the north-east corner of it, near Stone-street, is a hamlet called Northlye, the principal farm in which belongs to Mr. Richard Warlee, gent. of Canterbury, about half a mile from which is Deane, or Dane manor-house; and still further Dowles-farm, belonging to Mr. John Rigden, of Faversham; near Stone-street is the manor of Southligh, now called Mizlings, by which name only it is now known here; and near the same street is Arundel farm, belonging to Thomas Watkinson Payler, esq. and at the southern extremity of the parish, the manor-house of Dunders, with the lands belonging to it, called the Park, formerly belonging to the Graydons, of Fordwich, of whom they were purchased, and are now the property of the right hon. Matthew Robinson Morris, lord Rokeby, who resides at Horton. There are but two small coppice woods in this parish, lying at some distance from each other, in the middle part of it.
There is a fair kept yearly in this parish on St. James's day, the 25th of July.
THE MANOR OF ELMSTED was in the year 811 bought by archbishop Wlfred, of Cenulf, king of Mercia, for the benefit of Christ-church, in Canterbury, L. S. A. which letters meant, that it should be free, and privileged with the same liberties that Adisham was, when given to that church. These privileges were, to be freed from all secular services, excepting the trinoda necessitas of repelling invasions, and the repairing of bridges and fortifications. (fn. 1)
There is no mention of this manor in the survey of Domesday, under the title of the archbishop's lands, and of those held of him by knight's service, and yet I find mention of its being held of him in several records subsequent to that time; for soon afterwards it appears to have been so held by a family who assumed their name from it, one of whom, Hamo de Elmested, held it of the archbishop, by knight's service. But they were extinct here before the middle of king Henry III,'s reign, when the Heringods were become possessed of it, as appears by the Testa de Nevil, bearing for their arms, Gules, three herrings erect, two and one, or; as they were formerly in the windows of Newington church, near Sittingborne. John de Heringod held it at his death in the 41st year of that reign. His grandson, of the same name, died in the next reign of king Edward I. without male issue, leaving three daughters his coheirs, of whom, Grace married Philip de Hardres, of Hardres, in this county; Christiana married William de Kirkby; and Jane married Thomas Burgate, of Suffolk: but he had before his death, by a deed, which bears the form of a Latin will, and, is without a date, settled this manor, with the other lands in this neighbourhood, on the former of them, Philip de Hardres, a man of eminent repute of that time, in whose successors the manor of Elmsted remained till the 13th year of King James I. when Sir Thomas Hardres sold the manor of Dane court, an appendage to this of Elmsted, in the north-east part of this parish, to Cloake, and the manor of Elmsted itself to Thomas Marsh, gent. of Canterbury, whose son ton, whose great-grandson of the same name, at his death left it to his two sons, Richard and John, the former of whom was of Faversham, and left an only daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. James Taylor, of Rodmersham, who in right of his wife became possessed of his moiety of it, and having in 1787 purchased the other moiety of John Lushington, of Helchin, in this parish, (son of Richard above-mentioned) became possessed of the whole of this manor, and continues owner of it at this time.
THE MANOR OF DANE, now called Deane-court, above-mentioned, remained in the name of Cloake for some time afterwards, and in 1652 Mr. Samuel Cloake held it. It afterwards passed into the name of Elwes, in which it continued down to John Elwes, esq. of Marcham, in Berkshire, who died in 1789, and by will gave it to his nephew Thomas Timms, esq. the present owner of it.
THE YOKE OF EVINGTON is an estate and seat in the south-west part of this parish, over which the manor of Barton, near Canterbury, claims jurisdiction. The mansion of it, called Evington-court, was the inheritance of gentlemen of the same surname, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sess between three burganetts, or steel caps, azure; and in a book, copied out from antient deeds by William Glover, Somerset herald, afterwards in the possession of John Philipott, likewise Somerset, there was the copy of an old deed without date, in which William Fitzneal, called in Latin, Filius Nigelli, passed over some land to Ruallo de Valoigns, which is strengthened by the appendant testimony of one Robert de Evington, who was ancestor of the Evingtons, of Evington-court, of whom there is mention in the deeds of this place, both in the reigns of king Henry III. and king Edward I. After this family was extinct here, the Gays became possessed of it, a family originally descended out of France, where they were called Le Gay, and remained some time afterwards in the province of Normandy, from whence those of this name in Jersey and Guernsey descended, and from them again those of Hampshire, and one of them, before they had left off their French appellation, John le Gay, is mentioned in the leiger book of Horton priory, in this neighbourhood, as a benefactor to it. But to proceed; although Evington-court was not originally erected by the family of Gay, yet it was much improved by them with additional buildings, and in allusion to their name, both the wainscot and windows of it were adorned with nosegays. At length after the Gays, who bore for their arms, Gules, three lions rampant, argent, an orle of cross-croslets, fitchee, or. (fn. 2) had continued owners of this mansion till the beginning of the reign of king Henry VII. Humphry Gay, esq. alienated it to John Honywood, esq. of Sene, in Newington, near Hythe, and afterwards of St. Gregory's, Canterbury, where he died in 1557, and was buried in that cathedral.
The family of Honywood, antiently written Henewood, take their name from the manor of Henewood, in Postling, where they resided as early as Henry III.'s reign, when Edmund de Henewood, or Honywood, as the name was afterwards spelt, of that parish, was a liberal benefactor to the priory of Horton, and is mentioned as such in the leiger book of it. After which, as appears by their wills in the Prerogative-office, in Canterbury, they resided at Hythe, for which port several of them served in parliament, bearing for their arms, Argent, a chevron, between three hawks heads erased, azure; one of them, Thomas Honywood, died in the reign of king Edward IV. leaving a son John, by whose first wife descended the elder branch of this family, settled at Evington, and baronets; and by his second wife descended the younger branch of the Honywoods, seated at Petts, in Charing, and at Markshall, in Effex, which branch is now extinct. (fn. 3) John Honywood, esq. the eldest son of John above-mentioned, by his first wife, was the purchaser of Evington, where his grandson Sir Thomas Honywood resided. He died in 1622, and was buried at Elmsted, the burial place of this family. (fn. 4) He left by his first wife several sons and daughters; of the former, John succeeded him at Evington and Sene, and Edward was ancestor of Frazer Honywood, banker, of London, and of Malling abbey, who died s. p. in 1764. (fn. 5) Sir John Honywood, the eldest son, resided during his father's time at Sene, in Newington, and on his death removed to Evington. He served the office of sheriff in the 18th, 19th, and 20th years of king Charles I. Sir Edward Honywood, his eldest son, resided likewise at Evington, and was created a baronet on July 19, 1660. His great grandson Sir John Honywood, bart. at length in 1748, succeeded to the title and family estates, and afterwards resided at Evington, where he kept his shrievalty in 1752. On the death of his relation Frazer Honywood, esq. banker, of London, in 1764, he succeeded by his will to his seats at Malling abbey, and at Hampsted, in Middlesex, besides a large personal estate; after which he resided at times both here and at Hampsted, at which latter he died in 1781, æt. 71, and was buried with his ancestors in this church. He had been twice married; first to Annabella, daughter of William Goodenough, esq. of Langford, in Berk shire, whose issue will be mentioned hereafter; and secondly to Dorothy, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, by whom he had two sons, Filmer Honywood, esq. of Marks-hall, in Essex, to which as well as other large estates in that county, and in this of Kent, he succeeded by the will of his relation Gen. Philip Honywood, and lately was M. P. for this county, and is at present unmarried; and John, late of All Souls college, Oxford, who married Miss Wake, daughter of Dr. Charles Wake, late prebendary of Westminster; and Mary, married to Willshire Emmett, esq. late of Wiarton. By his first wife Sir John Honywood had two sons and four daughters; William the eldest, was of Malling abbey, esq. and died in his father's life time, having married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Clack, of Wallingford, in Berkshire, by whom he had three sons and one daughter Annabella, married to R. G. D. Yate, esq of Gloucestershire; of the former, John was heir to his grandfather, and is the present baronet; William is now of Liminge, esq. and married Mary, sister of James Drake Brockman, esq. of Beechborough, and Edward married Sophia, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Long, of Suffolk. Edward, the second son, was in the army, and died without issue. The daughters were, Annabella, married to Edmund Filmer, rector of Crundal; and Thomasine, married to William Western Hugessen, esq. of Provenders, both since deceased. On Sir John Honywood's death in 1781, he was succeeded by his eldest grandson abovementioned, the present Sir John Honywood, bart. who resides at Evington, to which he has made great improvements and additions. He married Frances, one of the daughters of William, viscount Courtenay, by whom he has three daughters, Frances-Elizabeth, Charlotte-Dorothea, and Annabella-Christiana, and one son John, born in 1787. (fn. 6).
BOTTSHAM, antiently and more properly written Bodesham, is a manor in the western part of this parish. About the year 687 Swabert, king of Kent, gave among others, three plough-lands in a place called Bodesham, to Eabba, abbess of Minister, in Thanet, and in the reign of king Edward the Consessor, one Ælgeric Bigg gave another part of it to the abbey of St. Augustine, by the description of the lands called Bodesham, on condition that Wade, his knight, should possess them during his life. (fn. 7) The former of these continued in the monastery till the reign of king Canute, when it was plundered and burnt by the Danes. After which the church and lands of the monastery of Minster, and those of Bodesham among them, were granted to St. Augustine's monastery, and remained, together with those given as above-mentioned by Ælgeric Bigg, part of the possessions of it at the taking of the survey of Domesday, in which record it is thus described:
In Limowart left, in Stotinges hundred, Gaufrid holds Bodesham of the abbot. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates, and there are, with eight borderers, wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards twenty shillings, now four pounds, A certain villein held it.
Hugh, abbot of St. Augustine, and his chapter, in the year 1110, granted to Hamo, steward of the king's houshold, this land of Bodesham, upon condition that he should, if there should be occasion, advise and assist him and his successors in any pleas brought against him by any baron, either in the county or in the king's court.
Hamo above-mentioned, whose surname was Crevequer, had come over into this kingdom with the Conqueror, and was rewarded afterwards with much land in this county, and was made sheriff of it during his life, from whence he was frequently stiled Hamo Vicecomes, or the sheriff. He lived till the middle of king Henry I.'s reign; and in his descendants it most probably remained till it came into the possession of the family of Gay, or Le Gay as they were sometimes written, owners of the yoke of Evington likewise, in which it continued till it was at length sold with it, in the beginning of Henry VII.'s reign, to Honywood, as has been fully mentioned before; in whose descendants it still remains, being now the property of Sir John Honywood, bart. of Evington.
IN THE REIGN of king Edward I. Thomas de Morines held half a knight's fee of the archbishop in Elmsted, which estate afterwards passed into the family of Haut, and in the reign of king Edward III. had acquired the name of the Manor Of Elmsted, alias SOUTHLIGH. In which family of Haut it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Bishopsborne, who lived in the reign of king Henry VIII. and left two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to Thomas Culpeper, of Bedgbury; and Jane, to Thomas Wyatt. The former of whom, in the division of their inheritance, (fn. 8) became possessed of it; from his heirs it passed by sale to Best, and from thence again to Rich. Hardres, esq. of Hardres, whose descendant Sir Tho. Hardres, possessed it in king James I.'s reign; at length, after some intermediate owners, it passed to Browning, whose descendant M. John Browning, of Yoklets, in Waltham, is the present owner of this manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually seventeen.
Elmsted is within the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Elham.
The church, which is dedicated to St. James, is a handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels, having a low pointed wooden steeple at the west end, in which are six bells. The chancels are open, one towards the other, the spaces between the pillars not being filled up, which gives the whole a light and airy appearance. In the middle chancel, which is dedicated to St. James, are memorials for the Taylors, who intermarried with the Honywoods, and for the Lushingtons, of Helchin; one for John Cloke, gent. of Northlye, obt. 1617. In the east window is a shield of arms, first and fourth, A lion rampant, or; second, On a fess, argent, three eros-croslets; third, obliterated. In another compartment of the window is the figure of an antient man sitting, in robes lined with ermine, a large knotted staff in his left hand. The north chancel is called the parish chancel, in which is an elegant monument, of white marble, with the bust of the late Sir John Honywood, bart.(a gentleman whose worthy character is still remembered with the highest commendation and respect, by all who knew him). He died much lamented by his neighbours and the country in general in 1781; and on the pavement are numbers of gravestones for the family of Honywood and their relatives. The south chancel, dedicated to St. John, belongs to Evington, in which there are several monuments, and numbers of gravestones, the pavement being covered with them, for the Honywood family, some of which have inscriptions and figures on brasses remaining on them. Underneath this chancel is a large vault, in which the remains of the family lie deposited. On the north side of this chancel is a tomb, having had the figures on it of a man between his two wives: and at each corner a shield of arms in brass for Gay. On the capital of a pillar at the east end of this tomb is this legend, in old English letters, in gold, which have been lately repaired: Pray for the sowlys of Xtopher Gay, Agnes and Johan his wifes, ther chylder and all Xtian sowlys, on whose sowlys Jhu have mcy; by which it should seem that he was the founder, or at least the repairer of this chancel. Underneath is carved a shield of arms of Gay. In the east window are two shields of arms, of modern glass, for Honywood. In the south isle is a monument for Sir William Honywood, bart. of Evington, obt. 1748. In the middle isle are several old stones, coffin shaped. William Philpot, of Godmersham, by will anno 1475, ordered that the making of the new seats, calledle pewis, in this church, should be done at his expence, from the place where St. Christopher was painted, to the corner of the stone wall on the north side of the church.
The church of Elmsted belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, in Canterbury, perhaps part of its original endowment by archbishop Lanfranc, in the reign of the Conqueror. It was very early appropriated to it, and was confirmed to the priory by archbishop Hubert, among its other possessions, about the reign of king Richard I. at which time this church, with five acres of arable, and five acres of wood, and the chapel of Dene, appear to have been esteemed as chapels to the adjoining church of Waltham, and the appropriation of it continued part of the possessions of the priory till the dissolution of it in king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, where this appropriation remained but a small time, for an act passed that year, to enable the king and the archbishop to make an exchange of estates, by which means it became part of the revenues of the see of Canterbury, and was afterwards demised by the archbishop, among the rest of the revenues of the above-mentioned priory, which had come to him by the above-mentioned exchange, in one great lease; under which kind of demise it has continued from time to time ever since. Philip, earl of Chesterfield, as heir to the Wottons, was lessee of the above estates, in which this parsonage was included; since whose decease in 1773, his interest in the lease of them has been sold by his executors to Geo. Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, who is the present lessee, under the archbishop, for them.
But the vicarage of this church seems never to have belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, and in the 8th year of Richard II. anno 1384, appears to have been part of the possessions of the abbot of Pontiniac, at which time it was valued at four pounds. How long it staid there, I have not found; but it became afterwards part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, and remains so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.
¶The vicarage of Elmsted is endowed with the tenths of hay, silva cedua, mills, heifers, calves, chicken, pigs, lambs, wool, geese, ducks, eggs, bees, honey, wax, butter, cheese, milk-meats, flax, hemp, apples, pears, swans, pidgeons, merchandise, fish, onions, fowlings, also all other small tithes or obventions whatsoever within the parish; and also with all grass of gardens or other closes, vulgarly called homestalls, although they should be at any time reduced to arable; and the tithes of all and singular feedings and pastures, even if those lands so lot for feedings and pastures should be accustomed to be ploughed, as often and whensoever they should at any time be let for the use of pasture; which portion to the vicar was then valued at twelve marcs. (fn. 9)
It is valued in the king's books at 61. 13s. 4d. It is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-five pounds. In 1587 it was valued at thirty pounds, communicants one hundred and eighty. In 1640 it was valued at ninety pounds, the same number of communicants. There was an antient stipend of ten pounds, payable from the parsonage to the vicar, which was augmented with the like sum by archbishop Juxon, anno 15 Charles II. to be paid by the lessee of the parsonage; which sum of twenty pounds continues at this time to be paid yearly by the lesse. There was a yearly pension of 1l. 6s. payable from the vicar of Elmsted to the priory of St. Gregory; which still continues to be paid by him to the archbishop's lessee here.
"My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.
I give Pirrip as my father’s family name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister — Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine — who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle — I am indebted for a belief I religiously entertained that they had all been born on their backs with their hands in their trousers—pockets, and had never taken them out in this state of existence.
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip."
So opens Great Expectations. And it is this very churchyard, although at night, and misty that those first lines were set. In the next paragraph, the criminal, Magwitch, appears.
St Mary now lies at the end of a dead end lane, leading out towards the banks of the nearby River Thames, with the freight only line to Grain passing a field length's away. In short, you don't pass this way by accident, and will be lucky to find it, as some of the locals have been spinning the road signs round.
It is yet another wonderful bright winters day here in The Garden of England, and I was out here with Jools re-doing some shots I had messed up last time was here, and anyway, on that day the church was full of scarecrows for a festival.
As we were the first ones here today, the ancient carved door was closed, so we eased it open and went inside.
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Difficult to find, but more than worth the effort. It consists of a Norman nave and chancel to which a south aisle and chapel were added in the mid-fourteenth century. The aisle and chapel are now laid out as the main nave and chancel. The exterior has wonderful striped walls, like a smaller version of nearby Cliffe, whilst the fourteenth-century south door is the highly carved original. Inside the contemporary pulpit is one of the earliest in the county with six carved traceried panels. Behind it is a fifteenth-century rood screen, which, despite the loss of its loft, is a surprising survival. In the north-east corner of the Lady Chapel is a table tomb whose top is made up from the original stone altar slab, or mensa, with its five consecration crosses showing prominently. In the south wall of the same chapel is a medieval aumbry with its original hinged door. The stained glass is all nineteenth and twentieth century - the excellent south chancel window showing the Agony in the Garden is dated 1863 unfortunately by an unidentified artist. Of the same date is the tortoise stove in the north aisle, which displays on its lid the motto 'Slow but sure combustion'. The church is excellently maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust - the congregation worshipping in a replacement church in the village, built in 1860 by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Higham+1
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THE next parish northward from Merston is HIGHAM, which in antient records is variously written Hecham, Hegham, and Heabham.
It was from the reign of king Stephen till about the reign of king Edward III. frequently called Lillechurch, alias Higham; the former of which names it took from a manor or ville in this parish, where a priory was built, but in later times it seems to have been called by its former name of Higham only, that of Lillechurch being entirely omitted.
THIS PARISH is situated on the north side of the London high road, nearly opposite to Shorne. It lies low adjoining to the marshes, the river Thames being its northern boundary, of course the air is very unhealthy, and much subject to intermittents, a satality which attends in general all those parishes, which lie on the north side of the high London road as far as Canterbury, and thence again to the uplands of the Isle of Thanet. Higham is about four miles in extent from north-west to south-east, and but little more than a mile in breadth. The surface is slat, and the soil in general very fertile, excepting towards the eastern part of it, where it is high ground and light land. The village and church stand close to, and entirely exposed to the marshes, which comprehend nearly one half of the parish. The nunnery, now called the Abbey, was situated not far from the east end of the church, where the farm-house, of which the sides and back part are built of stone, with windows of a gothic orm, discovers marks of some antiquity, and seems to have been a part of the abbey, but it is supposed to have been only a part of some of the offices, (fn. 1) there being in the field on the south side many appearances of foundations, and contiguous to the farm-yard there remains some part of the thick stone wall covered with ivy, being the inclosure of the abbey, and was carried quite round the yard. About a mile from the church, near the road to Cliff, is Lillechurch-house, where the priory or abbey of Higham, as it is now called, is supposed to have been first erected; behind the garden of which, in a field called Church-place, many human bones have been found. At the east end of the parish, in the road from Frindsbury to Cliff, is the estate of Mockbeggar, and on the submit of the hill southward, The mansion of Hermitage, below which, in the flat country, at an equal distance from the church, is the manor and hamlet of Higham-ridgeway, a name plainly derived from the antient causeway through it, leading towards the river. Plautius, the Roman general, under the emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ, 43, is said to have passed the river Thames from Essex into Kent, near the mouth of it, with his army, in pursuit of the flying Britons, who being acquainted with the firm and fordable places of the river, passed it easily. (fn. 2) This passage is considered to have been from East Tilbury, in Essex, across the river to Higham. (fn. 3) Between these places there was a ferry on the river for many ages after, the method of intercourse between the two counties of Kent and Essex for all these parts, and it continued so till the dissolution of the abbey here; before which time, Higham was likewise the place for shipping and unshipping corn and goods in great quantities from this part of the county to and from London and elsewhere. The probability of this having been a frequented ford or passage in the time of the Romans, is strengthened by the visible remains of the raised causeway, or road, near thirty feet wide, leading from the Thames side through the marshes by Higham, southward to this ridgeway before-mentioned, and thence across the London high road on Gads-hill to Shorne ridgeway, about half a mile beyond which it joins the Roman Watling-street-road, near the entrance into Cobham park.
In the pleas of the crown in the 21st year of king Edward I. the prioress of the nunnery of Higham was found liable to maintain a bridge and causeway that led from Higham down to the river Thames, in order to give the better and easter passage to such as would ferry from hence over into Essex.
This parish, among others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the ninth pier of Rochester bridge, as the manor of Okely was to the fourth pier of it. (fn. 4)
In queen Elizabeth's reign there was a fort or bulwark at Higham for the defence of the river Thames, under the direction of a captain, soldiers, &c. (fn. 5)
HIGHAM was part of the possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands, it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.
The same Adam holds Hecham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at 5 sulings. The arable land is 12 carucates. In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 24 villeins, with 12 borderers having 6 carucates and an half. There are 20 servants, and 30 acres of meadow. There is a church, and 1 mill of 10 shillings, and a fishery of 3 shillings, and in Exesle pasture for 200 sheep. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth 12 pounds, and afterwards 6 pounds, now 15 pounds.
In the time of king Edward, Goduin, the son of Carli and Toli, held this land for two manors.
These were the two manors of Higham and Lillechurch, which on the disgrace of bishop Odo, about four years afterwards, were with the rest of his estates, consiscated to the crown, where they remained till king Stephen, together with Matilda his queen, in the 14th year of his reign, gave them by the name of the manor of Lillechurch, with its appurtenances, under which name both manors seem then to have been comprehended, being part of her inheritance, with other premises, to William de Ipre, in exchange for the manor for Fauresham.
KING STEPHEN afterwards founded a NUNNERY, of the Benedictine order, at Lillechurch in Higham, (fn. 6) to which his daughter, the princess Mary, as is mentioned in a deed, retired cum monialibus suis quas tanquam in proprietate sua recepit. (fn. 7) She afterwards became abbess of Rumsey.
After the death of king Stephen, William de Ipre above mentioned, earl of Kent, was, with the rest of the Flemish, of whom he was principal, forced to abandon this kingdom, and their estates were all seized, by which this manor came again to the crown; but in the 6th year of king John, the nuns gave the king one hundred pounds for his grant of the manor of Lille cherche; after which, king Henry III. in his 11th year, granted and confirmed to the abbey of St. Mary of Sulpice, in Bourges, and to the prioress and nuns of Lillecherche, that manor, in pure and perpetual alms, with all its appurtenances, and all liberties and free customs belonging to it, by which it should seem that this house had then some dependence on that abbey; and he further granted to the prioress and nuns, to have one fair at Lillecherche for three days yearly, on the day of St. Michael, and two days afterwards; and that they should possess them, and in like manner as the grant, which they had of his father, king John, plainly testified. (fn. 8)
King Henry, in his 50th year, granted to the prioress and nuns of Lillechurch an exemption from the suit they were yearly used to make at his court of the honor of Boloigne, at St. Martin the Great in London, for their demesne lands in the manor of Lillecherche. King Edward I. in his 16th year, confirmed the above fair to the prioress and nuns there.
This monastery was subject to the visitation of the bishops of Rochester; and accordingly Hamo de Heth, bishop of Rochester, in 1320, visited it, and professed eight nuns here; as he did again in 1328, when he buried Joane de Hadloe, prioress of this house, and he afterwards confirmed Maud de Colcestre prioress in her place, at Greenwich. At what time this priory was removed from Lillechurch, where it was certainly first built, to where the ruins are still visible, near the present church of Higham, is no where mentioned, nor is there any clue leading to discover it. That it was so those ruins, as well as the change of the name of it, are convincing proofs; nor is there any thing further worth mentioning relating to it till king Henry VII's reign, at which time the manors of Higham and Lillecherche, with their lands and appurtenances, conti nued in the possession of the prioress; in the 17th year of which reign, this house was become almost deserted, for it appeared then, on the election of a prioress, that there were only a sub-prioress and two nuns belonging to it, though there had been in former times sixteen belonging to it. Soon after which, in 1548, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, having begun the foundation of St. John's college, in Cambridge, died, and left her executors to carry on the design; one of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who being himself a learned man, and greatly anxious for the increase of learning, obtained licence of king Henry VIII. to dissolve this monastery with that of Bromhall, in Berkshire, that the lands and revenues of them might be annexed towards the better support and maintenance of the above college. (fn. 9) Accordingly, about the year 1521, these nunneries were dissolved, (fn. 10) and, with their revenues, were surrendered into the hands of the crown; three years after which, the master and fellows of that college obtained, at the instance of bishop Fisher, of the king and pope Clement VII. these priories, with their appurtenances, to be transferred and confirmed for ever to their college, (fn. 11) where the inheritance of the scite of this priory, or abbey as it is now called, the manor and church of Higham, with the manor of Lillichurch, and the rest of the lands and revenues belonging to it here and elsewhere, continue at this time. The lease of these manors, with the scite of the abbey, and the lands in this parish belonging to it, were some years ago purchased by Mr. Rich. Hornsby, of Horton Kirkby in this county, of Mr. Tho. Peake. Mr. Hornsby died possessed of it within these few years, since which his interest in this estate has been sold to Mr. Thomas Williams and Mr. Thomas Smith, gent. of Dartford, the former of whom sold it to Mr. John Prebble, who is the present lessee of them.
Prioresses of Higham.
MARY, daughter of king Stephen, first prioress. (fn. 12)
ALICIA, JOANE, Named in several charters.
ACELINA, anno 50 king Henry III. (fn. 13)
AMPHELICIA, anno 16 king Edward I.
MATILDA, succeeded anno 17 king Edward I.
JOANE DE HADLOE, obt. anno 3 king Edward III. (fn. 14)
MAUD DE COLCESTRE, chosen in her room. (fn. 15)
ELIZABETH, or ISABEL, anno 18 and 31 king Edward III
CECILIA, anno 38 and 52 of the same reign.
JOANE DE COBEHAM, anno 15 and 18 of king Richard II
JOANE SOANE, succeeded anno 19 of the same reign.
ALICE PECKHAM, anno 7 king Henry V.
ISABEL, anno 25 king Henry VI.
ELIZABETA BRADFORTH, resig. anno 17 king Henry VII. (fn. 16)
AGNES SWAINE, succeeded. (fn. 17)
MARGARET HILDERDEN, anno 4 king Henry VIII.
ANCHORET UNGOTHORPE, alias OWGLETHORPE, anno 6 king Henry VIII. She died Jan. 31, anno 12 of the same reign, after which there was not another prioress elected.
GREAT and LITTLE OKELY are two reputed manors in this parish, which derive their name from ac, or ake, an oak, and ley, a field, in Saxon, Aclea, a place in which there is plenty of oaks. In the reign of king John, John le Brun held half a knight's fee in Acle, of William de Clovile, as he did of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 18)
In the 7th year of Edward I. both these estates were in the possession of William de St. Clere, (fn. 19) the former being held, as half a knight's fee, of Warine de Montchensie, as of his manor of Swanescombe; and the latter, as half a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which these estates were possessed by two different branches of this family: Great Okeley descended to Nicholas de St. Clere, from whom it passed to Walter Neile, who, as well as his descendants, were lessess to the abbey of Higham, for great part of their possessions in this parish. One of his descendants, in the reign of king Henry VII. alienated it to John Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, in this county, one of the auditors of the exchequer to that prince, whose descendant, Sir Charles Sedley, (fn. 20) bart. in the reign of king Charles II. passed away this manor by sale to Mr. Shales, of Portsmouth, who not long afterwards sold it to Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, in this county, whose descendant the Right Hon. Peter lord Gwydir is the present possessor of it.
LITTLE OKELEY manor descended from William de St. Clere, who possessed it, as has been beforementioned, in the 7th year of king Edward I. to Nicholas de Clere, and from him to John de St. Clere, who paid respective aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. at making the Black Prince a knight, as half a knight's fee, held of the bishop of Rochester. From this family it passed, after some intermission, to that of Cholmeley; one of whom, Sir Roger Cholmeley of London, died possessed of this manor, and left it to one of his daughters and coheirs, among other premises. She married Mr. Beckwith, by whom she had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Frances, She afterwards married Christopher Kenne, esq. of Kenne, in Somersetshire, who was possessed of it in her right, anno 22 queen Elizabeth; and then, having levied a fine of it, sold it to Thompson; and he, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Best, who passed it away by sale to Sir Charles Sedley, bart. from whom it went the same way to Farnham Aldersey, one of whose descendants sold it to Mr. Wm. Gates, gent. of Rochester, on whose death, in 1768, it came to his son of the same name, and his eldest son, Mr. George Gates, attorney at law and town clerk of Rochester, died possessed of it s.p. in 1792, and his sisters are now entitled to it.
There are no courts held for either Great or Little Okeley manors.
THE HERMITAGE is a pleasant seat in this parish, situated at almost the south-east extremity of it, about a mile northward from the London road to Dover. It stands on a hill, and commands a most extensive prospect both of the Medway and Thames, the Channel below the Nore, and a vast tract of country both in Kent and Essex.
This seat was new built by Sir Francis Head, bart. who inclosed a park round it (since disparked) and greatly improved the adjoining grounds. He resided here, and died possessed of it, with the manor of Higham Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, in 1768, and was buried in a vault in Higham church. He was descended from Richard Head, of Rochester, who by Anne, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrooke, in this county, had issue four sons; of whom Richard, the second, was advanced to the dignity of a baronet, on June 19, 1676. He had three wives, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester, by whom he had three sons; Francis, of whom hereafter; Henry, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Summers, esq. and Merrick, D. D. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dixon, D. D. prebendary of Rochester, by whom he left a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Theophilus Delangle; Dr. Head was rector of Leyborne and Ulcombe, in this county, and died in 1686, and lies buried in Leyborne church—And also one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Robert Faunce, of Maidstone, in this county. Secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Mr. Willey, of Wrotham, by whom he had one son, Henry, who married the daughter and coheir of John Dawes, merchant, of London, by whom he had Dawes Head, ancestor of the present baronet, now in Virginia; and also two daughters, Jane, first married to Herbert Price, esq. and afterwards to John Boys, esq. of Hode; and Frances, first married to Thomas Poley, esq. and afterwards to Adam Lawry, of Rochester. Thirdly, Anne, daughter of William Kingsley, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and relict of John Boys, esq. by whom he had no issue.
Sir Richard Head above mentioned, served several times in parliament for the city of Rochester. He died in 1689, and lies buried in Rochester cathedral, having been a good benefactor to the poor of St. Nicholas's parish, in that city.
Francis Head, esq. barrister at law, eldest son of Sir Richard, married Sarah, only daughter of Sir Geo. Ent, of London, M. D. who afterwards married Sir Paul Barrett, by whom he had six children. He died in his father's life time, in 1678, and was buried in the chancel of St. Margaret's church, Rochester; and by his will gave his house, pleasantly situated in St. Margaret's, to that see, for the residence of the bishop and his successors. Only two of his children survived him, viz. Sarah, married to John Lynch, esq. of Groves; and a son, Francis, who succeeded his grandfather in titles and estate, and resided at Canterbury, He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of James Smithbye, esq. by whom he had six sons and three daughters; he died, and was buried in St. Mildred's church, in Canterbury, in 1716. Of the above children, only four sons and one daughter survived him, viz. Sir Richard, his successor, who died unmarried, in 1721; Sir Francis, of whom hereafter; James Head, esq. barrister at law, who died unmarried in 1727, and was buried at Ickham, in this county; and Sir John Head, bart. who was D.D. and prebendary and archdeacon of Canterbury, and succeeded his brother, Sir Francis, but died in 1769, without surviving issue, though he was twice married; first, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Peter Leigh, by whom he had several children, who all died before him; secondly, in 1751, Jane, sister of Wm. Geekie, D.D. prebendary of Canterbury, who survived him, but by whom he had no issue.
Anne, the surviving daughter of Sir Francis Head, married William Egerton, LL.D. prebendary of Canterbury, and grandson of the earl of Bridgewater.
Sir Francis Head, bart. the son, succeeded his brother Richard in title and in this estate, and having new built the seat, resided here, as above mentioned.
The arms borne by the family of Head were, Argent, a chevron ermines, between three unicorns heads, couped sable. (fn. 21)
Sir Francis last mentioned, married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir William Boys, M.D. (by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant at law, who married the widow of Francis Head, esq. the eldest son of the first baronet) by whom he had three daughters and coheirs; Mary Wilhelmina, married in 1753, to the Hon. Harry Roper, eldest son of Henry lord Teynham, and died, s.p. in 1758; Anne Gabriel, married first to Moses Mendez, esq. by whom she had two sons, Francis and James, who both took the name of Head, and will be hereafter noticed; and a daughter, who became a nun prossessed in France; and secondly, in 1760, to the Hon. John Roper, next brother to Harry Roper above mentioned, by whom she had no issue, and died in 1771; and Eliza beth Campbell, married to the Rev. Dr. Lill, of Ireland, since deceased, by whom she had one son, Francis, and three daughters.
On the death of Sir Francis, this seat, with the manor of Higham, Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, devolved, by settlement, to his widow, lady Head, who died in 1792, and was buried in the same vault with her late husband; and this seat, and the manor and estates above mentioned, descended by settlement, one fourth part to the widow of Francis Head, seq. (daughter of Mr. Egerton) re-married to colonel Andrew Cowell, of the Guards, as guardian to her only daughter by Mr. Head; another fourth part to James Roper Head, esq. his younger brother, who married Miss Burgess, and now resides at the Hermitage; and the remaining half part, or moiety, to Elizabeth Campbell, the widow of Dr. Lill; in which divisions the property of these estates remain vested at this time.
SIR ANTHONY ST. LEGER, in the reign of king Edward VI. was possessed of an estate, called the BROOKES, being marsh lands, with other lands in Higham; all which, in the 4th year of that reign, he conveyed to the king. This estate afterwards came into the possession of the Stuarts, dukes of Richmond, from whom it is now come, in like manner as Cobham hall, to the Right Hon. John earl of Darnley, the present possessor of it.
Charities.
THIS PARISH of Higham has a right of nomination to one place in the New College of Cobham, for one poor person, inhabitant of this parish, to be chosen and presented so, and by such as the ordinances of the college have powder to present and elect for this parish; and if the parish of Halling make default in their turn, then the benefit of election devolves on this parish.
THOMAS SHAVE gave by will, in 1655, two dozen of bread to the poor of this parish, to be disposed of every Sunday; for which purpose he settled the Sun-house, with the yard, and three acres and three roods of land, now vested in the minister and churchwardens, feoffees in trust, and of the annual produce of 7l.
HIGHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of two isles and two chancels, with a slat tower, having two bells.
Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, a stone with a bend voided between six escallops for William Inglett, B.D. vicar of this parish, ob. Jan. 4, 1659; another, with a chevron between three leaves slipped, for Mr. Richard Pearson, forty-four years vicar here, obt. Ap. 14, 1710; under an arch, in the south wall, an altar monument for Anne, wife of Samuel Cordwell, and daughter of Richard Machan, esq. obt. 1642. In the north chancel, by the north wall, on an altar monument, a brass plate, having three cups covered, impaling on a chevron three birds heads erased, for Elizabeth Boteler, obt. 1615, wife of Wm. Boteler, esq. of Rochester, daughter of Sir William Crayford, leaving two sons and two daughters, Henry, Thomas, Anne, and Elizabeth; another like for Robert Hylton, late yeoman of the Guards to king Henry VIII. obt. 1529. A memorial for Elizabeth, wife of Robert Parker, of Shinglewell, who left two sons, Richard and Robert, ob. 1670. (fn. 22)
The church, with its appurtenances, once belonged to the Benedictine abbey of St. John, in Colchester, and was granted at the instance of queen Matilda, wife of king Stephen (that king and his son, earl Eustace, confirming it) by Hugh, abbot, and the convent of that abbey, to the convent of the nuns of Lillechirche, in exchange for land, of one hundred shillings value, at East Doniland, in Essex. (fn. 23) Not withstanding which great disputes afterwards arose between them concerning this church, which was settled by agreement in the beginning of Edward II.'s reign, when Walter, abbot of Colchester, and his convent, gave up to the nuns all their right and title to it. In consideration of which they granted to the abbot and convent certain land in Lillecherche, belonging to this church, of the yearly value of thirty shillings; and if the land, called Blunteshale, should be made over to them by the nuns, on the same terms as the above land was granted to them, then they agreed to restore the lands of thirty shillings value to the nuns, and to receive the lands of Blunteshale in exchange for it of them, which was then confirmed by Gilbert, bishop of London, and S . . . . . . . . . abbot of St. Alban's, and the abbot of Colchester above mentioned and his convent, having, for the purpose of this exchange, resigned this church into the hands of Walter, bishop of Rochester, and quitted all kind of claim to it, he granted and gave the same in alms to Mary, daughter of king Stephen, and her nuns at Lillechurch, with all its appurtenances, in as ample and full a manner as any of their predecessors ever possessed it; and at the same time, with the consent and good will of Amselice, then prioress here, endowed the vicarage of this church as follows: viz. that the chaplain ministering in it should have all obventions of the altar, exceptiog twenty-four candles, which the nuns should receive on the day of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, of the better ones made on that day; and all legacies, made as well to himself as to the church, except it was a horse, ox, or cow, which the prioress and nuns should take; and that he should have all small tithes arising from the parish, excepting those from the demesnes of the nuns, and from the food of their cattle, and except the tithe of wool arising from the parish; and that he should have yearly six seams of corn from the nuns, viz. two of wheat, two of barley, and two of oats; of which, two should be paid to him at the feast of St. Michael, two at the Nativity, and two at the feast of Easter, and forage and herbage for one horse; and that he should sustain the burthen of clerks necessary to administer in the church, of whom one should daily be present at the greater mass before the said nuns; that the prioress should pay the synodals, and sustain the other episcopal burthens, saving, nevertheless, in all matters episcopal, the right to the bishop; all which was confirmed by him.
The prioress and convent, in the reign of king Edward III. having begun the repair of this church, pope Alexander IV. in his 4th year, anno 1357, granted an indulgence of forty days remission of penance to all who should contribute to it, by his bull for that purpose, which was to continue in force for five years.
This church remained with the nunnery till the dissolution of it, about the year 1521, when it was, with the other possessions of it, surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. three years after which, the priory and church, together with all the rents and revenues belonging to them, were granted by the king, with the pope's consent, to the master and sellows of St. John's college, in Cambridge; the church, with its appurtenances, to be held by them in like manner as it was held before by the prioress and convent, and paying yearly to the bishop of Rochester, and his successors, 13s. 4d. as an annual pension; and to the archdeacon and his successors, 7s. 6d. yearly for ever, as had been accoustomed; and on the vacancy of the see of Rochester, to the archbishop and his successors, four shillings for procurations, &c. and also out of the revenues of the priory twelve pence yearly on Michaelmas day, in the priory, to the poor people dwelling and being there for ever. The instrument of the commissary of the bishop of Rochester, for the above union and appropriation of the priory and church of Higham, to the master and fellows of St. John's college, Cambridge, (fn. 24) is dated in 1523; and with them the inheritance of the appropriation and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Higham continues at this time.
The yearly rent paid by the lessee of this parsonage to the master and fellows of St. John's, is 5l. 6s. 8d. in money, six quarters of wheat, three quarters of malt, and six couple of capons.
About the time of the restoration of king Charles II. colonel Goodyer was lessee of it, and he sold his interest in it to one Page, who alienated it to Richard Pearson, A. M. vicar of this parish, who possessed the lease of it for forty years, and died in 1710, and de vised his term in it to his nephew, John Pearson, who by his will devised it to his executors, Richard Pearson and John Till, of Essex, who, in 1738, for one thousand pounds, sold it to Mr. Tho. Harris, gent. of Sutton-at-Home. He died possessed of it in 1769, and by his will devised his interest in the term of this parsonage to Stephen Dilly, yeoman, whose widow is the present lessee of it.
The vicarage of Higham is valued in the king's books at 8l. 10s. and the yearly tenths at 17s. In the year 1650, this vicarage was valued at 60l. per annum. (fn. 25) The vicar receives all tithes arising within this parish, excepting corn.
THERE ARE certain lands in Higham, in Okeleyfarm, of which the impropriator of the parsonage takes but half the tithes (the other half being part of the portion of tithes belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, of which a further account will be given) These lands are now called dominical lands, and are thus described:
The orchard, below the house, five acres; Barnfield, eight acres; Downefield, elevan acres; Cookfield, eighteen acres; in the whole, forty-two acres. The impropriator takes the whole tithes of all the rest of Okeley-farm, as well as of the rest of the parish, excepting one field, called the Homestal, which belongs to the vicar, and is compounded for at three pounds and some shillings yearly.
The portion of tithes above mentioned was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Rochester. William de Cloeville gave for ever two parts of his tithe of Acle, now Okeley, to the monks of St. Andrew's, Rochester, in consideration of their having made his son a monk there; which gift he made with the consent of Gosfrid Talbot, chief lord of the see. (fn. 26) Gundulph, bishop of Rochester, who was consecrated in 1077, confirmed this donation, as did several of the succeeding bishops of Rochester, and others. (fn. 27) On the dissolution of the priory of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry VIII. this portion of tithes was, together with the rest of the possessions of that monastery, surrendered into the king's hands in the 32d year of his reign; who presently after, in his 33d year, settled it, by his dotation charter, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it continues at this time.
¶It appears by the survey of this portion of tithes, called Odeley portion, taken by order of the state in 1650; on the dissolution of deans and chapters, &c. that the same was then valued at ten pounds per ann. improved rent, and was let, anno 6 queen Elizabeth, by the dean and chapter, to John Sedley, esq. for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d. (fn. 28) Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, died possessed of the lease of these tithes this year, 1775, and his descendant, the Right Hon. lord Gwydir, is the present lessee of them.
"My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.
I give Pirrip as my father’s family name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister — Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine — who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle — I am indebted for a belief I religiously entertained that they had all been born on their backs with their hands in their trousers—pockets, and had never taken them out in this state of existence.
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip."
So opens Great Expectations. And it is this very churchyard, although at night, and misty that those first lines were set. In the next paragraph, the criminal, Magwitch, appears.
St Mary now lies at the end of a dead end lane, leading out towards the banks of the nearby River Thames, with the freight only line to Grain passing a field length's away. In short, you don't pass this way by accident, and will be lucky to find it, as some of the locals have been spinning the road signs round.
It is yet another wonderful bright winters day here in The Garden of England, and I was out here with Jools re-doing some shots I had messed up last time was here, and anyway, on that day the church was full of scarecrows for a festival.
As we were the first ones here today, the ancient carved door was closed, so we eased it open and went inside.
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Difficult to find, but more than worth the effort. It consists of a Norman nave and chancel to which a south aisle and chapel were added in the mid-fourteenth century. The aisle and chapel are now laid out as the main nave and chancel. The exterior has wonderful striped walls, like a smaller version of nearby Cliffe, whilst the fourteenth-century south door is the highly carved original. Inside the contemporary pulpit is one of the earliest in the county with six carved traceried panels. Behind it is a fifteenth-century rood screen, which, despite the loss of its loft, is a surprising survival. In the north-east corner of the Lady Chapel is a table tomb whose top is made up from the original stone altar slab, or mensa, with its five consecration crosses showing prominently. In the south wall of the same chapel is a medieval aumbry with its original hinged door. The stained glass is all nineteenth and twentieth century - the excellent south chancel window showing the Agony in the Garden is dated 1863 unfortunately by an unidentified artist. Of the same date is the tortoise stove in the north aisle, which displays on its lid the motto 'Slow but sure combustion'. The church is excellently maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust - the congregation worshipping in a replacement church in the village, built in 1860 by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Higham+1
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THE next parish northward from Merston is HIGHAM, which in antient records is variously written Hecham, Hegham, and Heabham.
It was from the reign of king Stephen till about the reign of king Edward III. frequently called Lillechurch, alias Higham; the former of which names it took from a manor or ville in this parish, where a priory was built, but in later times it seems to have been called by its former name of Higham only, that of Lillechurch being entirely omitted.
THIS PARISH is situated on the north side of the London high road, nearly opposite to Shorne. It lies low adjoining to the marshes, the river Thames being its northern boundary, of course the air is very unhealthy, and much subject to intermittents, a satality which attends in general all those parishes, which lie on the north side of the high London road as far as Canterbury, and thence again to the uplands of the Isle of Thanet. Higham is about four miles in extent from north-west to south-east, and but little more than a mile in breadth. The surface is slat, and the soil in general very fertile, excepting towards the eastern part of it, where it is high ground and light land. The village and church stand close to, and entirely exposed to the marshes, which comprehend nearly one half of the parish. The nunnery, now called the Abbey, was situated not far from the east end of the church, where the farm-house, of which the sides and back part are built of stone, with windows of a gothic orm, discovers marks of some antiquity, and seems to have been a part of the abbey, but it is supposed to have been only a part of some of the offices, (fn. 1) there being in the field on the south side many appearances of foundations, and contiguous to the farm-yard there remains some part of the thick stone wall covered with ivy, being the inclosure of the abbey, and was carried quite round the yard. About a mile from the church, near the road to Cliff, is Lillechurch-house, where the priory or abbey of Higham, as it is now called, is supposed to have been first erected; behind the garden of which, in a field called Church-place, many human bones have been found. At the east end of the parish, in the road from Frindsbury to Cliff, is the estate of Mockbeggar, and on the submit of the hill southward, The mansion of Hermitage, below which, in the flat country, at an equal distance from the church, is the manor and hamlet of Higham-ridgeway, a name plainly derived from the antient causeway through it, leading towards the river. Plautius, the Roman general, under the emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ, 43, is said to have passed the river Thames from Essex into Kent, near the mouth of it, with his army, in pursuit of the flying Britons, who being acquainted with the firm and fordable places of the river, passed it easily. (fn. 2) This passage is considered to have been from East Tilbury, in Essex, across the river to Higham. (fn. 3) Between these places there was a ferry on the river for many ages after, the method of intercourse between the two counties of Kent and Essex for all these parts, and it continued so till the dissolution of the abbey here; before which time, Higham was likewise the place for shipping and unshipping corn and goods in great quantities from this part of the county to and from London and elsewhere. The probability of this having been a frequented ford or passage in the time of the Romans, is strengthened by the visible remains of the raised causeway, or road, near thirty feet wide, leading from the Thames side through the marshes by Higham, southward to this ridgeway before-mentioned, and thence across the London high road on Gads-hill to Shorne ridgeway, about half a mile beyond which it joins the Roman Watling-street-road, near the entrance into Cobham park.
In the pleas of the crown in the 21st year of king Edward I. the prioress of the nunnery of Higham was found liable to maintain a bridge and causeway that led from Higham down to the river Thames, in order to give the better and easter passage to such as would ferry from hence over into Essex.
This parish, among others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the ninth pier of Rochester bridge, as the manor of Okely was to the fourth pier of it. (fn. 4)
In queen Elizabeth's reign there was a fort or bulwark at Higham for the defence of the river Thames, under the direction of a captain, soldiers, &c. (fn. 5)
HIGHAM was part of the possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands, it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.
The same Adam holds Hecham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at 5 sulings. The arable land is 12 carucates. In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 24 villeins, with 12 borderers having 6 carucates and an half. There are 20 servants, and 30 acres of meadow. There is a church, and 1 mill of 10 shillings, and a fishery of 3 shillings, and in Exesle pasture for 200 sheep. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth 12 pounds, and afterwards 6 pounds, now 15 pounds.
In the time of king Edward, Goduin, the son of Carli and Toli, held this land for two manors.
These were the two manors of Higham and Lillechurch, which on the disgrace of bishop Odo, about four years afterwards, were with the rest of his estates, consiscated to the crown, where they remained till king Stephen, together with Matilda his queen, in the 14th year of his reign, gave them by the name of the manor of Lillechurch, with its appurtenances, under which name both manors seem then to have been comprehended, being part of her inheritance, with other premises, to William de Ipre, in exchange for the manor for Fauresham.
KING STEPHEN afterwards founded a NUNNERY, of the Benedictine order, at Lillechurch in Higham, (fn. 6) to which his daughter, the princess Mary, as is mentioned in a deed, retired cum monialibus suis quas tanquam in proprietate sua recepit. (fn. 7) She afterwards became abbess of Rumsey.
After the death of king Stephen, William de Ipre above mentioned, earl of Kent, was, with the rest of the Flemish, of whom he was principal, forced to abandon this kingdom, and their estates were all seized, by which this manor came again to the crown; but in the 6th year of king John, the nuns gave the king one hundred pounds for his grant of the manor of Lille cherche; after which, king Henry III. in his 11th year, granted and confirmed to the abbey of St. Mary of Sulpice, in Bourges, and to the prioress and nuns of Lillecherche, that manor, in pure and perpetual alms, with all its appurtenances, and all liberties and free customs belonging to it, by which it should seem that this house had then some dependence on that abbey; and he further granted to the prioress and nuns, to have one fair at Lillecherche for three days yearly, on the day of St. Michael, and two days afterwards; and that they should possess them, and in like manner as the grant, which they had of his father, king John, plainly testified. (fn. 8)
King Henry, in his 50th year, granted to the prioress and nuns of Lillechurch an exemption from the suit they were yearly used to make at his court of the honor of Boloigne, at St. Martin the Great in London, for their demesne lands in the manor of Lillecherche. King Edward I. in his 16th year, confirmed the above fair to the prioress and nuns there.
This monastery was subject to the visitation of the bishops of Rochester; and accordingly Hamo de Heth, bishop of Rochester, in 1320, visited it, and professed eight nuns here; as he did again in 1328, when he buried Joane de Hadloe, prioress of this house, and he afterwards confirmed Maud de Colcestre prioress in her place, at Greenwich. At what time this priory was removed from Lillechurch, where it was certainly first built, to where the ruins are still visible, near the present church of Higham, is no where mentioned, nor is there any clue leading to discover it. That it was so those ruins, as well as the change of the name of it, are convincing proofs; nor is there any thing further worth mentioning relating to it till king Henry VII's reign, at which time the manors of Higham and Lillecherche, with their lands and appurtenances, conti nued in the possession of the prioress; in the 17th year of which reign, this house was become almost deserted, for it appeared then, on the election of a prioress, that there were only a sub-prioress and two nuns belonging to it, though there had been in former times sixteen belonging to it. Soon after which, in 1548, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, having begun the foundation of St. John's college, in Cambridge, died, and left her executors to carry on the design; one of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who being himself a learned man, and greatly anxious for the increase of learning, obtained licence of king Henry VIII. to dissolve this monastery with that of Bromhall, in Berkshire, that the lands and revenues of them might be annexed towards the better support and maintenance of the above college. (fn. 9) Accordingly, about the year 1521, these nunneries were dissolved, (fn. 10) and, with their revenues, were surrendered into the hands of the crown; three years after which, the master and fellows of that college obtained, at the instance of bishop Fisher, of the king and pope Clement VII. these priories, with their appurtenances, to be transferred and confirmed for ever to their college, (fn. 11) where the inheritance of the scite of this priory, or abbey as it is now called, the manor and church of Higham, with the manor of Lillichurch, and the rest of the lands and revenues belonging to it here and elsewhere, continue at this time. The lease of these manors, with the scite of the abbey, and the lands in this parish belonging to it, were some years ago purchased by Mr. Rich. Hornsby, of Horton Kirkby in this county, of Mr. Tho. Peake. Mr. Hornsby died possessed of it within these few years, since which his interest in this estate has been sold to Mr. Thomas Williams and Mr. Thomas Smith, gent. of Dartford, the former of whom sold it to Mr. John Prebble, who is the present lessee of them.
Prioresses of Higham.
MARY, daughter of king Stephen, first prioress. (fn. 12)
ALICIA, JOANE, Named in several charters.
ACELINA, anno 50 king Henry III. (fn. 13)
AMPHELICIA, anno 16 king Edward I.
MATILDA, succeeded anno 17 king Edward I.
JOANE DE HADLOE, obt. anno 3 king Edward III. (fn. 14)
MAUD DE COLCESTRE, chosen in her room. (fn. 15)
ELIZABETH, or ISABEL, anno 18 and 31 king Edward III
CECILIA, anno 38 and 52 of the same reign.
JOANE DE COBEHAM, anno 15 and 18 of king Richard II
JOANE SOANE, succeeded anno 19 of the same reign.
ALICE PECKHAM, anno 7 king Henry V.
ISABEL, anno 25 king Henry VI.
ELIZABETA BRADFORTH, resig. anno 17 king Henry VII. (fn. 16)
AGNES SWAINE, succeeded. (fn. 17)
MARGARET HILDERDEN, anno 4 king Henry VIII.
ANCHORET UNGOTHORPE, alias OWGLETHORPE, anno 6 king Henry VIII. She died Jan. 31, anno 12 of the same reign, after which there was not another prioress elected.
GREAT and LITTLE OKELY are two reputed manors in this parish, which derive their name from ac, or ake, an oak, and ley, a field, in Saxon, Aclea, a place in which there is plenty of oaks. In the reign of king John, John le Brun held half a knight's fee in Acle, of William de Clovile, as he did of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 18)
In the 7th year of Edward I. both these estates were in the possession of William de St. Clere, (fn. 19) the former being held, as half a knight's fee, of Warine de Montchensie, as of his manor of Swanescombe; and the latter, as half a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which these estates were possessed by two different branches of this family: Great Okeley descended to Nicholas de St. Clere, from whom it passed to Walter Neile, who, as well as his descendants, were lessess to the abbey of Higham, for great part of their possessions in this parish. One of his descendants, in the reign of king Henry VII. alienated it to John Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, in this county, one of the auditors of the exchequer to that prince, whose descendant, Sir Charles Sedley, (fn. 20) bart. in the reign of king Charles II. passed away this manor by sale to Mr. Shales, of Portsmouth, who not long afterwards sold it to Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, in this county, whose descendant the Right Hon. Peter lord Gwydir is the present possessor of it.
LITTLE OKELEY manor descended from William de St. Clere, who possessed it, as has been beforementioned, in the 7th year of king Edward I. to Nicholas de Clere, and from him to John de St. Clere, who paid respective aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. at making the Black Prince a knight, as half a knight's fee, held of the bishop of Rochester. From this family it passed, after some intermission, to that of Cholmeley; one of whom, Sir Roger Cholmeley of London, died possessed of this manor, and left it to one of his daughters and coheirs, among other premises. She married Mr. Beckwith, by whom she had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Frances, She afterwards married Christopher Kenne, esq. of Kenne, in Somersetshire, who was possessed of it in her right, anno 22 queen Elizabeth; and then, having levied a fine of it, sold it to Thompson; and he, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Best, who passed it away by sale to Sir Charles Sedley, bart. from whom it went the same way to Farnham Aldersey, one of whose descendants sold it to Mr. Wm. Gates, gent. of Rochester, on whose death, in 1768, it came to his son of the same name, and his eldest son, Mr. George Gates, attorney at law and town clerk of Rochester, died possessed of it s.p. in 1792, and his sisters are now entitled to it.
There are no courts held for either Great or Little Okeley manors.
THE HERMITAGE is a pleasant seat in this parish, situated at almost the south-east extremity of it, about a mile northward from the London road to Dover. It stands on a hill, and commands a most extensive prospect both of the Medway and Thames, the Channel below the Nore, and a vast tract of country both in Kent and Essex.
This seat was new built by Sir Francis Head, bart. who inclosed a park round it (since disparked) and greatly improved the adjoining grounds. He resided here, and died possessed of it, with the manor of Higham Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, in 1768, and was buried in a vault in Higham church. He was descended from Richard Head, of Rochester, who by Anne, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrooke, in this county, had issue four sons; of whom Richard, the second, was advanced to the dignity of a baronet, on June 19, 1676. He had three wives, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester, by whom he had three sons; Francis, of whom hereafter; Henry, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Summers, esq. and Merrick, D. D. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dixon, D. D. prebendary of Rochester, by whom he left a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Theophilus Delangle; Dr. Head was rector of Leyborne and Ulcombe, in this county, and died in 1686, and lies buried in Leyborne church—And also one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Robert Faunce, of Maidstone, in this county. Secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Mr. Willey, of Wrotham, by whom he had one son, Henry, who married the daughter and coheir of John Dawes, merchant, of London, by whom he had Dawes Head, ancestor of the present baronet, now in Virginia; and also two daughters, Jane, first married to Herbert Price, esq. and afterwards to John Boys, esq. of Hode; and Frances, first married to Thomas Poley, esq. and afterwards to Adam Lawry, of Rochester. Thirdly, Anne, daughter of William Kingsley, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and relict of John Boys, esq. by whom he had no issue.
Sir Richard Head above mentioned, served several times in parliament for the city of Rochester. He died in 1689, and lies buried in Rochester cathedral, having been a good benefactor to the poor of St. Nicholas's parish, in that city.
Francis Head, esq. barrister at law, eldest son of Sir Richard, married Sarah, only daughter of Sir Geo. Ent, of London, M. D. who afterwards married Sir Paul Barrett, by whom he had six children. He died in his father's life time, in 1678, and was buried in the chancel of St. Margaret's church, Rochester; and by his will gave his house, pleasantly situated in St. Margaret's, to that see, for the residence of the bishop and his successors. Only two of his children survived him, viz. Sarah, married to John Lynch, esq. of Groves; and a son, Francis, who succeeded his grandfather in titles and estate, and resided at Canterbury, He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of James Smithbye, esq. by whom he had six sons and three daughters; he died, and was buried in St. Mildred's church, in Canterbury, in 1716. Of the above children, only four sons and one daughter survived him, viz. Sir Richard, his successor, who died unmarried, in 1721; Sir Francis, of whom hereafter; James Head, esq. barrister at law, who died unmarried in 1727, and was buried at Ickham, in this county; and Sir John Head, bart. who was D.D. and prebendary and archdeacon of Canterbury, and succeeded his brother, Sir Francis, but died in 1769, without surviving issue, though he was twice married; first, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Peter Leigh, by whom he had several children, who all died before him; secondly, in 1751, Jane, sister of Wm. Geekie, D.D. prebendary of Canterbury, who survived him, but by whom he had no issue.
Anne, the surviving daughter of Sir Francis Head, married William Egerton, LL.D. prebendary of Canterbury, and grandson of the earl of Bridgewater.
Sir Francis Head, bart. the son, succeeded his brother Richard in title and in this estate, and having new built the seat, resided here, as above mentioned.
The arms borne by the family of Head were, Argent, a chevron ermines, between three unicorns heads, couped sable. (fn. 21)
Sir Francis last mentioned, married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir William Boys, M.D. (by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant at law, who married the widow of Francis Head, esq. the eldest son of the first baronet) by whom he had three daughters and coheirs; Mary Wilhelmina, married in 1753, to the Hon. Harry Roper, eldest son of Henry lord Teynham, and died, s.p. in 1758; Anne Gabriel, married first to Moses Mendez, esq. by whom she had two sons, Francis and James, who both took the name of Head, and will be hereafter noticed; and a daughter, who became a nun prossessed in France; and secondly, in 1760, to the Hon. John Roper, next brother to Harry Roper above mentioned, by whom she had no issue, and died in 1771; and Eliza beth Campbell, married to the Rev. Dr. Lill, of Ireland, since deceased, by whom she had one son, Francis, and three daughters.
On the death of Sir Francis, this seat, with the manor of Higham, Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, devolved, by settlement, to his widow, lady Head, who died in 1792, and was buried in the same vault with her late husband; and this seat, and the manor and estates above mentioned, descended by settlement, one fourth part to the widow of Francis Head, seq. (daughter of Mr. Egerton) re-married to colonel Andrew Cowell, of the Guards, as guardian to her only daughter by Mr. Head; another fourth part to James Roper Head, esq. his younger brother, who married Miss Burgess, and now resides at the Hermitage; and the remaining half part, or moiety, to Elizabeth Campbell, the widow of Dr. Lill; in which divisions the property of these estates remain vested at this time.
SIR ANTHONY ST. LEGER, in the reign of king Edward VI. was possessed of an estate, called the BROOKES, being marsh lands, with other lands in Higham; all which, in the 4th year of that reign, he conveyed to the king. This estate afterwards came into the possession of the Stuarts, dukes of Richmond, from whom it is now come, in like manner as Cobham hall, to the Right Hon. John earl of Darnley, the present possessor of it.
Charities.
THIS PARISH of Higham has a right of nomination to one place in the New College of Cobham, for one poor person, inhabitant of this parish, to be chosen and presented so, and by such as the ordinances of the college have powder to present and elect for this parish; and if the parish of Halling make default in their turn, then the benefit of election devolves on this parish.
THOMAS SHAVE gave by will, in 1655, two dozen of bread to the poor of this parish, to be disposed of every Sunday; for which purpose he settled the Sun-house, with the yard, and three acres and three roods of land, now vested in the minister and churchwardens, feoffees in trust, and of the annual produce of 7l.
HIGHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of two isles and two chancels, with a slat tower, having two bells.
Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, a stone with a bend voided between six escallops for William Inglett, B.D. vicar of this parish, ob. Jan. 4, 1659; another, with a chevron between three leaves slipped, for Mr. Richard Pearson, forty-four years vicar here, obt. Ap. 14, 1710; under an arch, in the south wall, an altar monument for Anne, wife of Samuel Cordwell, and daughter of Richard Machan, esq. obt. 1642. In the north chancel, by the north wall, on an altar monument, a brass plate, having three cups covered, impaling on a chevron three birds heads erased, for Elizabeth Boteler, obt. 1615, wife of Wm. Boteler, esq. of Rochester, daughter of Sir William Crayford, leaving two sons and two daughters, Henry, Thomas, Anne, and Elizabeth; another like for Robert Hylton, late yeoman of the Guards to king Henry VIII. obt. 1529. A memorial for Elizabeth, wife of Robert Parker, of Shinglewell, who left two sons, Richard and Robert, ob. 1670. (fn. 22)
The church, with its appurtenances, once belonged to the Benedictine abbey of St. John, in Colchester, and was granted at the instance of queen Matilda, wife of king Stephen (that king and his son, earl Eustace, confirming it) by Hugh, abbot, and the convent of that abbey, to the convent of the nuns of Lillechirche, in exchange for land, of one hundred shillings value, at East Doniland, in Essex. (fn. 23) Not withstanding which great disputes afterwards arose between them concerning this church, which was settled by agreement in the beginning of Edward II.'s reign, when Walter, abbot of Colchester, and his convent, gave up to the nuns all their right and title to it. In consideration of which they granted to the abbot and convent certain land in Lillecherche, belonging to this church, of the yearly value of thirty shillings; and if the land, called Blunteshale, should be made over to them by the nuns, on the same terms as the above land was granted to them, then they agreed to restore the lands of thirty shillings value to the nuns, and to receive the lands of Blunteshale in exchange for it of them, which was then confirmed by Gilbert, bishop of London, and S . . . . . . . . . abbot of St. Alban's, and the abbot of Colchester above mentioned and his convent, having, for the purpose of this exchange, resigned this church into the hands of Walter, bishop of Rochester, and quitted all kind of claim to it, he granted and gave the same in alms to Mary, daughter of king Stephen, and her nuns at Lillechurch, with all its appurtenances, in as ample and full a manner as any of their predecessors ever possessed it; and at the same time, with the consent and good will of Amselice, then prioress here, endowed the vicarage of this church as follows: viz. that the chaplain ministering in it should have all obventions of the altar, exceptiog twenty-four candles, which the nuns should receive on the day of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, of the better ones made on that day; and all legacies, made as well to himself as to the church, except it was a horse, ox, or cow, which the prioress and nuns should take; and that he should have all small tithes arising from the parish, excepting those from the demesnes of the nuns, and from the food of their cattle, and except the tithe of wool arising from the parish; and that he should have yearly six seams of corn from the nuns, viz. two of wheat, two of barley, and two of oats; of which, two should be paid to him at the feast of St. Michael, two at the Nativity, and two at the feast of Easter, and forage and herbage for one horse; and that he should sustain the burthen of clerks necessary to administer in the church, of whom one should daily be present at the greater mass before the said nuns; that the prioress should pay the synodals, and sustain the other episcopal burthens, saving, nevertheless, in all matters episcopal, the right to the bishop; all which was confirmed by him.
The prioress and convent, in the reign of king Edward III. having begun the repair of this church, pope Alexander IV. in his 4th year, anno 1357, granted an indulgence of forty days remission of penance to all who should contribute to it, by his bull for that purpose, which was to continue in force for five years.
This church remained with the nunnery till the dissolution of it, about the year 1521, when it was, with the other possessions of it, surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. three years after which, the priory and church, together with all the rents and revenues belonging to them, were granted by the king, with the pope's consent, to the master and sellows of St. John's college, in Cambridge; the church, with its appurtenances, to be held by them in like manner as it was held before by the prioress and convent, and paying yearly to the bishop of Rochester, and his successors, 13s. 4d. as an annual pension; and to the archdeacon and his successors, 7s. 6d. yearly for ever, as had been accoustomed; and on the vacancy of the see of Rochester, to the archbishop and his successors, four shillings for procurations, &c. and also out of the revenues of the priory twelve pence yearly on Michaelmas day, in the priory, to the poor people dwelling and being there for ever. The instrument of the commissary of the bishop of Rochester, for the above union and appropriation of the priory and church of Higham, to the master and fellows of St. John's college, Cambridge, (fn. 24) is dated in 1523; and with them the inheritance of the appropriation and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Higham continues at this time.
The yearly rent paid by the lessee of this parsonage to the master and fellows of St. John's, is 5l. 6s. 8d. in money, six quarters of wheat, three quarters of malt, and six couple of capons.
About the time of the restoration of king Charles II. colonel Goodyer was lessee of it, and he sold his interest in it to one Page, who alienated it to Richard Pearson, A. M. vicar of this parish, who possessed the lease of it for forty years, and died in 1710, and de vised his term in it to his nephew, John Pearson, who by his will devised it to his executors, Richard Pearson and John Till, of Essex, who, in 1738, for one thousand pounds, sold it to Mr. Tho. Harris, gent. of Sutton-at-Home. He died possessed of it in 1769, and by his will devised his interest in the term of this parsonage to Stephen Dilly, yeoman, whose widow is the present lessee of it.
The vicarage of Higham is valued in the king's books at 8l. 10s. and the yearly tenths at 17s. In the year 1650, this vicarage was valued at 60l. per annum. (fn. 25) The vicar receives all tithes arising within this parish, excepting corn.
THERE ARE certain lands in Higham, in Okeleyfarm, of which the impropriator of the parsonage takes but half the tithes (the other half being part of the portion of tithes belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, of which a further account will be given) These lands are now called dominical lands, and are thus described:
The orchard, below the house, five acres; Barnfield, eight acres; Downefield, elevan acres; Cookfield, eighteen acres; in the whole, forty-two acres. The impropriator takes the whole tithes of all the rest of Okeley-farm, as well as of the rest of the parish, excepting one field, called the Homestal, which belongs to the vicar, and is compounded for at three pounds and some shillings yearly.
The portion of tithes above mentioned was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Rochester. William de Cloeville gave for ever two parts of his tithe of Acle, now Okeley, to the monks of St. Andrew's, Rochester, in consideration of their having made his son a monk there; which gift he made with the consent of Gosfrid Talbot, chief lord of the see. (fn. 26) Gundulph, bishop of Rochester, who was consecrated in 1077, confirmed this donation, as did several of the succeeding bishops of Rochester, and others. (fn. 27) On the dissolution of the priory of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry VIII. this portion of tithes was, together with the rest of the possessions of that monastery, surrendered into the king's hands in the 32d year of his reign; who presently after, in his 33d year, settled it, by his dotation charter, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it continues at this time.
¶It appears by the survey of this portion of tithes, called Odeley portion, taken by order of the state in 1650; on the dissolution of deans and chapters, &c. that the same was then valued at ten pounds per ann. improved rent, and was let, anno 6 queen Elizabeth, by the dean and chapter, to John Sedley, esq. for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d. (fn. 28) Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, died possessed of the lease of these tithes this year, 1775, and his descendant, the Right Hon. lord Gwydir, is the present lessee of them.
"My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.
I give Pirrip as my father’s family name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister — Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine — who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle — I am indebted for a belief I religiously entertained that they had all been born on their backs with their hands in their trousers—pockets, and had never taken them out in this state of existence.
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip."
So opens Great Expectations. And it is this very churchyard, although at night, and misty that those first lines were set. In the next paragraph, the criminal, Magwitch, appears.
St Mary now lies at the end of a dead end lane, leading out towards the banks of the nearby River Thames, with the freight only line to Grain passing a field length's away. In short, you don't pass this way by accident, and will be lucky to find it, as some of the locals have been spinning the road signs round.
It is yet another wonderful bright winters day here in The Garden of England, and I was out here with Jools re-doing some shots I had messed up last time was here, and anyway, on that day the church was full of scarecrows for a festival.
As we were the first ones here today, the ancient carved door was closed, so we eased it open and went inside.
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Difficult to find, but more than worth the effort. It consists of a Norman nave and chancel to which a south aisle and chapel were added in the mid-fourteenth century. The aisle and chapel are now laid out as the main nave and chancel. The exterior has wonderful striped walls, like a smaller version of nearby Cliffe, whilst the fourteenth-century south door is the highly carved original. Inside the contemporary pulpit is one of the earliest in the county with six carved traceried panels. Behind it is a fifteenth-century rood screen, which, despite the loss of its loft, is a surprising survival. In the north-east corner of the Lady Chapel is a table tomb whose top is made up from the original stone altar slab, or mensa, with its five consecration crosses showing prominently. In the south wall of the same chapel is a medieval aumbry with its original hinged door. The stained glass is all nineteenth and twentieth century - the excellent south chancel window showing the Agony in the Garden is dated 1863 unfortunately by an unidentified artist. Of the same date is the tortoise stove in the north aisle, which displays on its lid the motto 'Slow but sure combustion'. The church is excellently maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust - the congregation worshipping in a replacement church in the village, built in 1860 by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Higham+1
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THE next parish northward from Merston is HIGHAM, which in antient records is variously written Hecham, Hegham, and Heabham.
It was from the reign of king Stephen till about the reign of king Edward III. frequently called Lillechurch, alias Higham; the former of which names it took from a manor or ville in this parish, where a priory was built, but in later times it seems to have been called by its former name of Higham only, that of Lillechurch being entirely omitted.
THIS PARISH is situated on the north side of the London high road, nearly opposite to Shorne. It lies low adjoining to the marshes, the river Thames being its northern boundary, of course the air is very unhealthy, and much subject to intermittents, a satality which attends in general all those parishes, which lie on the north side of the high London road as far as Canterbury, and thence again to the uplands of the Isle of Thanet. Higham is about four miles in extent from north-west to south-east, and but little more than a mile in breadth. The surface is slat, and the soil in general very fertile, excepting towards the eastern part of it, where it is high ground and light land. The village and church stand close to, and entirely exposed to the marshes, which comprehend nearly one half of the parish. The nunnery, now called the Abbey, was situated not far from the east end of the church, where the farm-house, of which the sides and back part are built of stone, with windows of a gothic orm, discovers marks of some antiquity, and seems to have been a part of the abbey, but it is supposed to have been only a part of some of the offices, (fn. 1) there being in the field on the south side many appearances of foundations, and contiguous to the farm-yard there remains some part of the thick stone wall covered with ivy, being the inclosure of the abbey, and was carried quite round the yard. About a mile from the church, near the road to Cliff, is Lillechurch-house, where the priory or abbey of Higham, as it is now called, is supposed to have been first erected; behind the garden of which, in a field called Church-place, many human bones have been found. At the east end of the parish, in the road from Frindsbury to Cliff, is the estate of Mockbeggar, and on the submit of the hill southward, The mansion of Hermitage, below which, in the flat country, at an equal distance from the church, is the manor and hamlet of Higham-ridgeway, a name plainly derived from the antient causeway through it, leading towards the river. Plautius, the Roman general, under the emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ, 43, is said to have passed the river Thames from Essex into Kent, near the mouth of it, with his army, in pursuit of the flying Britons, who being acquainted with the firm and fordable places of the river, passed it easily. (fn. 2) This passage is considered to have been from East Tilbury, in Essex, across the river to Higham. (fn. 3) Between these places there was a ferry on the river for many ages after, the method of intercourse between the two counties of Kent and Essex for all these parts, and it continued so till the dissolution of the abbey here; before which time, Higham was likewise the place for shipping and unshipping corn and goods in great quantities from this part of the county to and from London and elsewhere. The probability of this having been a frequented ford or passage in the time of the Romans, is strengthened by the visible remains of the raised causeway, or road, near thirty feet wide, leading from the Thames side through the marshes by Higham, southward to this ridgeway before-mentioned, and thence across the London high road on Gads-hill to Shorne ridgeway, about half a mile beyond which it joins the Roman Watling-street-road, near the entrance into Cobham park.
In the pleas of the crown in the 21st year of king Edward I. the prioress of the nunnery of Higham was found liable to maintain a bridge and causeway that led from Higham down to the river Thames, in order to give the better and easter passage to such as would ferry from hence over into Essex.
This parish, among others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the ninth pier of Rochester bridge, as the manor of Okely was to the fourth pier of it. (fn. 4)
In queen Elizabeth's reign there was a fort or bulwark at Higham for the defence of the river Thames, under the direction of a captain, soldiers, &c. (fn. 5)
HIGHAM was part of the possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands, it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.
The same Adam holds Hecham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at 5 sulings. The arable land is 12 carucates. In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 24 villeins, with 12 borderers having 6 carucates and an half. There are 20 servants, and 30 acres of meadow. There is a church, and 1 mill of 10 shillings, and a fishery of 3 shillings, and in Exesle pasture for 200 sheep. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth 12 pounds, and afterwards 6 pounds, now 15 pounds.
In the time of king Edward, Goduin, the son of Carli and Toli, held this land for two manors.
These were the two manors of Higham and Lillechurch, which on the disgrace of bishop Odo, about four years afterwards, were with the rest of his estates, consiscated to the crown, where they remained till king Stephen, together with Matilda his queen, in the 14th year of his reign, gave them by the name of the manor of Lillechurch, with its appurtenances, under which name both manors seem then to have been comprehended, being part of her inheritance, with other premises, to William de Ipre, in exchange for the manor for Fauresham.
KING STEPHEN afterwards founded a NUNNERY, of the Benedictine order, at Lillechurch in Higham, (fn. 6) to which his daughter, the princess Mary, as is mentioned in a deed, retired cum monialibus suis quas tanquam in proprietate sua recepit. (fn. 7) She afterwards became abbess of Rumsey.
After the death of king Stephen, William de Ipre above mentioned, earl of Kent, was, with the rest of the Flemish, of whom he was principal, forced to abandon this kingdom, and their estates were all seized, by which this manor came again to the crown; but in the 6th year of king John, the nuns gave the king one hundred pounds for his grant of the manor of Lille cherche; after which, king Henry III. in his 11th year, granted and confirmed to the abbey of St. Mary of Sulpice, in Bourges, and to the prioress and nuns of Lillecherche, that manor, in pure and perpetual alms, with all its appurtenances, and all liberties and free customs belonging to it, by which it should seem that this house had then some dependence on that abbey; and he further granted to the prioress and nuns, to have one fair at Lillecherche for three days yearly, on the day of St. Michael, and two days afterwards; and that they should possess them, and in like manner as the grant, which they had of his father, king John, plainly testified. (fn. 8)
King Henry, in his 50th year, granted to the prioress and nuns of Lillechurch an exemption from the suit they were yearly used to make at his court of the honor of Boloigne, at St. Martin the Great in London, for their demesne lands in the manor of Lillecherche. King Edward I. in his 16th year, confirmed the above fair to the prioress and nuns there.
This monastery was subject to the visitation of the bishops of Rochester; and accordingly Hamo de Heth, bishop of Rochester, in 1320, visited it, and professed eight nuns here; as he did again in 1328, when he buried Joane de Hadloe, prioress of this house, and he afterwards confirmed Maud de Colcestre prioress in her place, at Greenwich. At what time this priory was removed from Lillechurch, where it was certainly first built, to where the ruins are still visible, near the present church of Higham, is no where mentioned, nor is there any clue leading to discover it. That it was so those ruins, as well as the change of the name of it, are convincing proofs; nor is there any thing further worth mentioning relating to it till king Henry VII's reign, at which time the manors of Higham and Lillecherche, with their lands and appurtenances, conti nued in the possession of the prioress; in the 17th year of which reign, this house was become almost deserted, for it appeared then, on the election of a prioress, that there were only a sub-prioress and two nuns belonging to it, though there had been in former times sixteen belonging to it. Soon after which, in 1548, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, having begun the foundation of St. John's college, in Cambridge, died, and left her executors to carry on the design; one of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who being himself a learned man, and greatly anxious for the increase of learning, obtained licence of king Henry VIII. to dissolve this monastery with that of Bromhall, in Berkshire, that the lands and revenues of them might be annexed towards the better support and maintenance of the above college. (fn. 9) Accordingly, about the year 1521, these nunneries were dissolved, (fn. 10) and, with their revenues, were surrendered into the hands of the crown; three years after which, the master and fellows of that college obtained, at the instance of bishop Fisher, of the king and pope Clement VII. these priories, with their appurtenances, to be transferred and confirmed for ever to their college, (fn. 11) where the inheritance of the scite of this priory, or abbey as it is now called, the manor and church of Higham, with the manor of Lillichurch, and the rest of the lands and revenues belonging to it here and elsewhere, continue at this time. The lease of these manors, with the scite of the abbey, and the lands in this parish belonging to it, were some years ago purchased by Mr. Rich. Hornsby, of Horton Kirkby in this county, of Mr. Tho. Peake. Mr. Hornsby died possessed of it within these few years, since which his interest in this estate has been sold to Mr. Thomas Williams and Mr. Thomas Smith, gent. of Dartford, the former of whom sold it to Mr. John Prebble, who is the present lessee of them.
Prioresses of Higham.
MARY, daughter of king Stephen, first prioress. (fn. 12)
ALICIA, JOANE, Named in several charters.
ACELINA, anno 50 king Henry III. (fn. 13)
AMPHELICIA, anno 16 king Edward I.
MATILDA, succeeded anno 17 king Edward I.
JOANE DE HADLOE, obt. anno 3 king Edward III. (fn. 14)
MAUD DE COLCESTRE, chosen in her room. (fn. 15)
ELIZABETH, or ISABEL, anno 18 and 31 king Edward III
CECILIA, anno 38 and 52 of the same reign.
JOANE DE COBEHAM, anno 15 and 18 of king Richard II
JOANE SOANE, succeeded anno 19 of the same reign.
ALICE PECKHAM, anno 7 king Henry V.
ISABEL, anno 25 king Henry VI.
ELIZABETA BRADFORTH, resig. anno 17 king Henry VII. (fn. 16)
AGNES SWAINE, succeeded. (fn. 17)
MARGARET HILDERDEN, anno 4 king Henry VIII.
ANCHORET UNGOTHORPE, alias OWGLETHORPE, anno 6 king Henry VIII. She died Jan. 31, anno 12 of the same reign, after which there was not another prioress elected.
GREAT and LITTLE OKELY are two reputed manors in this parish, which derive their name from ac, or ake, an oak, and ley, a field, in Saxon, Aclea, a place in which there is plenty of oaks. In the reign of king John, John le Brun held half a knight's fee in Acle, of William de Clovile, as he did of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 18)
In the 7th year of Edward I. both these estates were in the possession of William de St. Clere, (fn. 19) the former being held, as half a knight's fee, of Warine de Montchensie, as of his manor of Swanescombe; and the latter, as half a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which these estates were possessed by two different branches of this family: Great Okeley descended to Nicholas de St. Clere, from whom it passed to Walter Neile, who, as well as his descendants, were lessess to the abbey of Higham, for great part of their possessions in this parish. One of his descendants, in the reign of king Henry VII. alienated it to John Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, in this county, one of the auditors of the exchequer to that prince, whose descendant, Sir Charles Sedley, (fn. 20) bart. in the reign of king Charles II. passed away this manor by sale to Mr. Shales, of Portsmouth, who not long afterwards sold it to Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, in this county, whose descendant the Right Hon. Peter lord Gwydir is the present possessor of it.
LITTLE OKELEY manor descended from William de St. Clere, who possessed it, as has been beforementioned, in the 7th year of king Edward I. to Nicholas de Clere, and from him to John de St. Clere, who paid respective aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. at making the Black Prince a knight, as half a knight's fee, held of the bishop of Rochester. From this family it passed, after some intermission, to that of Cholmeley; one of whom, Sir Roger Cholmeley of London, died possessed of this manor, and left it to one of his daughters and coheirs, among other premises. She married Mr. Beckwith, by whom she had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Frances, She afterwards married Christopher Kenne, esq. of Kenne, in Somersetshire, who was possessed of it in her right, anno 22 queen Elizabeth; and then, having levied a fine of it, sold it to Thompson; and he, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Best, who passed it away by sale to Sir Charles Sedley, bart. from whom it went the same way to Farnham Aldersey, one of whose descendants sold it to Mr. Wm. Gates, gent. of Rochester, on whose death, in 1768, it came to his son of the same name, and his eldest son, Mr. George Gates, attorney at law and town clerk of Rochester, died possessed of it s.p. in 1792, and his sisters are now entitled to it.
There are no courts held for either Great or Little Okeley manors.
THE HERMITAGE is a pleasant seat in this parish, situated at almost the south-east extremity of it, about a mile northward from the London road to Dover. It stands on a hill, and commands a most extensive prospect both of the Medway and Thames, the Channel below the Nore, and a vast tract of country both in Kent and Essex.
This seat was new built by Sir Francis Head, bart. who inclosed a park round it (since disparked) and greatly improved the adjoining grounds. He resided here, and died possessed of it, with the manor of Higham Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, in 1768, and was buried in a vault in Higham church. He was descended from Richard Head, of Rochester, who by Anne, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrooke, in this county, had issue four sons; of whom Richard, the second, was advanced to the dignity of a baronet, on June 19, 1676. He had three wives, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester, by whom he had three sons; Francis, of whom hereafter; Henry, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Summers, esq. and Merrick, D. D. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dixon, D. D. prebendary of Rochester, by whom he left a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Theophilus Delangle; Dr. Head was rector of Leyborne and Ulcombe, in this county, and died in 1686, and lies buried in Leyborne church—And also one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Robert Faunce, of Maidstone, in this county. Secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Mr. Willey, of Wrotham, by whom he had one son, Henry, who married the daughter and coheir of John Dawes, merchant, of London, by whom he had Dawes Head, ancestor of the present baronet, now in Virginia; and also two daughters, Jane, first married to Herbert Price, esq. and afterwards to John Boys, esq. of Hode; and Frances, first married to Thomas Poley, esq. and afterwards to Adam Lawry, of Rochester. Thirdly, Anne, daughter of William Kingsley, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and relict of John Boys, esq. by whom he had no issue.
Sir Richard Head above mentioned, served several times in parliament for the city of Rochester. He died in 1689, and lies buried in Rochester cathedral, having been a good benefactor to the poor of St. Nicholas's parish, in that city.
Francis Head, esq. barrister at law, eldest son of Sir Richard, married Sarah, only daughter of Sir Geo. Ent, of London, M. D. who afterwards married Sir Paul Barrett, by whom he had six children. He died in his father's life time, in 1678, and was buried in the chancel of St. Margaret's church, Rochester; and by his will gave his house, pleasantly situated in St. Margaret's, to that see, for the residence of the bishop and his successors. Only two of his children survived him, viz. Sarah, married to John Lynch, esq. of Groves; and a son, Francis, who succeeded his grandfather in titles and estate, and resided at Canterbury, He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of James Smithbye, esq. by whom he had six sons and three daughters; he died, and was buried in St. Mildred's church, in Canterbury, in 1716. Of the above children, only four sons and one daughter survived him, viz. Sir Richard, his successor, who died unmarried, in 1721; Sir Francis, of whom hereafter; James Head, esq. barrister at law, who died unmarried in 1727, and was buried at Ickham, in this county; and Sir John Head, bart. who was D.D. and prebendary and archdeacon of Canterbury, and succeeded his brother, Sir Francis, but died in 1769, without surviving issue, though he was twice married; first, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Peter Leigh, by whom he had several children, who all died before him; secondly, in 1751, Jane, sister of Wm. Geekie, D.D. prebendary of Canterbury, who survived him, but by whom he had no issue.
Anne, the surviving daughter of Sir Francis Head, married William Egerton, LL.D. prebendary of Canterbury, and grandson of the earl of Bridgewater.
Sir Francis Head, bart. the son, succeeded his brother Richard in title and in this estate, and having new built the seat, resided here, as above mentioned.
The arms borne by the family of Head were, Argent, a chevron ermines, between three unicorns heads, couped sable. (fn. 21)
Sir Francis last mentioned, married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir William Boys, M.D. (by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant at law, who married the widow of Francis Head, esq. the eldest son of the first baronet) by whom he had three daughters and coheirs; Mary Wilhelmina, married in 1753, to the Hon. Harry Roper, eldest son of Henry lord Teynham, and died, s.p. in 1758; Anne Gabriel, married first to Moses Mendez, esq. by whom she had two sons, Francis and James, who both took the name of Head, and will be hereafter noticed; and a daughter, who became a nun prossessed in France; and secondly, in 1760, to the Hon. John Roper, next brother to Harry Roper above mentioned, by whom she had no issue, and died in 1771; and Eliza beth Campbell, married to the Rev. Dr. Lill, of Ireland, since deceased, by whom she had one son, Francis, and three daughters.
On the death of Sir Francis, this seat, with the manor of Higham, Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, devolved, by settlement, to his widow, lady Head, who died in 1792, and was buried in the same vault with her late husband; and this seat, and the manor and estates above mentioned, descended by settlement, one fourth part to the widow of Francis Head, seq. (daughter of Mr. Egerton) re-married to colonel Andrew Cowell, of the Guards, as guardian to her only daughter by Mr. Head; another fourth part to James Roper Head, esq. his younger brother, who married Miss Burgess, and now resides at the Hermitage; and the remaining half part, or moiety, to Elizabeth Campbell, the widow of Dr. Lill; in which divisions the property of these estates remain vested at this time.
SIR ANTHONY ST. LEGER, in the reign of king Edward VI. was possessed of an estate, called the BROOKES, being marsh lands, with other lands in Higham; all which, in the 4th year of that reign, he conveyed to the king. This estate afterwards came into the possession of the Stuarts, dukes of Richmond, from whom it is now come, in like manner as Cobham hall, to the Right Hon. John earl of Darnley, the present possessor of it.
Charities.
THIS PARISH of Higham has a right of nomination to one place in the New College of Cobham, for one poor person, inhabitant of this parish, to be chosen and presented so, and by such as the ordinances of the college have powder to present and elect for this parish; and if the parish of Halling make default in their turn, then the benefit of election devolves on this parish.
THOMAS SHAVE gave by will, in 1655, two dozen of bread to the poor of this parish, to be disposed of every Sunday; for which purpose he settled the Sun-house, with the yard, and three acres and three roods of land, now vested in the minister and churchwardens, feoffees in trust, and of the annual produce of 7l.
HIGHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of two isles and two chancels, with a slat tower, having two bells.
Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, a stone with a bend voided between six escallops for William Inglett, B.D. vicar of this parish, ob. Jan. 4, 1659; another, with a chevron between three leaves slipped, for Mr. Richard Pearson, forty-four years vicar here, obt. Ap. 14, 1710; under an arch, in the south wall, an altar monument for Anne, wife of Samuel Cordwell, and daughter of Richard Machan, esq. obt. 1642. In the north chancel, by the north wall, on an altar monument, a brass plate, having three cups covered, impaling on a chevron three birds heads erased, for Elizabeth Boteler, obt. 1615, wife of Wm. Boteler, esq. of Rochester, daughter of Sir William Crayford, leaving two sons and two daughters, Henry, Thomas, Anne, and Elizabeth; another like for Robert Hylton, late yeoman of the Guards to king Henry VIII. obt. 1529. A memorial for Elizabeth, wife of Robert Parker, of Shinglewell, who left two sons, Richard and Robert, ob. 1670. (fn. 22)
The church, with its appurtenances, once belonged to the Benedictine abbey of St. John, in Colchester, and was granted at the instance of queen Matilda, wife of king Stephen (that king and his son, earl Eustace, confirming it) by Hugh, abbot, and the convent of that abbey, to the convent of the nuns of Lillechirche, in exchange for land, of one hundred shillings value, at East Doniland, in Essex. (fn. 23) Not withstanding which great disputes afterwards arose between them concerning this church, which was settled by agreement in the beginning of Edward II.'s reign, when Walter, abbot of Colchester, and his convent, gave up to the nuns all their right and title to it. In consideration of which they granted to the abbot and convent certain land in Lillecherche, belonging to this church, of the yearly value of thirty shillings; and if the land, called Blunteshale, should be made over to them by the nuns, on the same terms as the above land was granted to them, then they agreed to restore the lands of thirty shillings value to the nuns, and to receive the lands of Blunteshale in exchange for it of them, which was then confirmed by Gilbert, bishop of London, and S . . . . . . . . . abbot of St. Alban's, and the abbot of Colchester above mentioned and his convent, having, for the purpose of this exchange, resigned this church into the hands of Walter, bishop of Rochester, and quitted all kind of claim to it, he granted and gave the same in alms to Mary, daughter of king Stephen, and her nuns at Lillechurch, with all its appurtenances, in as ample and full a manner as any of their predecessors ever possessed it; and at the same time, with the consent and good will of Amselice, then prioress here, endowed the vicarage of this church as follows: viz. that the chaplain ministering in it should have all obventions of the altar, exceptiog twenty-four candles, which the nuns should receive on the day of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, of the better ones made on that day; and all legacies, made as well to himself as to the church, except it was a horse, ox, or cow, which the prioress and nuns should take; and that he should have all small tithes arising from the parish, excepting those from the demesnes of the nuns, and from the food of their cattle, and except the tithe of wool arising from the parish; and that he should have yearly six seams of corn from the nuns, viz. two of wheat, two of barley, and two of oats; of which, two should be paid to him at the feast of St. Michael, two at the Nativity, and two at the feast of Easter, and forage and herbage for one horse; and that he should sustain the burthen of clerks necessary to administer in the church, of whom one should daily be present at the greater mass before the said nuns; that the prioress should pay the synodals, and sustain the other episcopal burthens, saving, nevertheless, in all matters episcopal, the right to the bishop; all which was confirmed by him.
The prioress and convent, in the reign of king Edward III. having begun the repair of this church, pope Alexander IV. in his 4th year, anno 1357, granted an indulgence of forty days remission of penance to all who should contribute to it, by his bull for that purpose, which was to continue in force for five years.
This church remained with the nunnery till the dissolution of it, about the year 1521, when it was, with the other possessions of it, surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. three years after which, the priory and church, together with all the rents and revenues belonging to them, were granted by the king, with the pope's consent, to the master and sellows of St. John's college, in Cambridge; the church, with its appurtenances, to be held by them in like manner as it was held before by the prioress and convent, and paying yearly to the bishop of Rochester, and his successors, 13s. 4d. as an annual pension; and to the archdeacon and his successors, 7s. 6d. yearly for ever, as had been accoustomed; and on the vacancy of the see of Rochester, to the archbishop and his successors, four shillings for procurations, &c. and also out of the revenues of the priory twelve pence yearly on Michaelmas day, in the priory, to the poor people dwelling and being there for ever. The instrument of the commissary of the bishop of Rochester, for the above union and appropriation of the priory and church of Higham, to the master and fellows of St. John's college, Cambridge, (fn. 24) is dated in 1523; and with them the inheritance of the appropriation and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Higham continues at this time.
The yearly rent paid by the lessee of this parsonage to the master and fellows of St. John's, is 5l. 6s. 8d. in money, six quarters of wheat, three quarters of malt, and six couple of capons.
About the time of the restoration of king Charles II. colonel Goodyer was lessee of it, and he sold his interest in it to one Page, who alienated it to Richard Pearson, A. M. vicar of this parish, who possessed the lease of it for forty years, and died in 1710, and de vised his term in it to his nephew, John Pearson, who by his will devised it to his executors, Richard Pearson and John Till, of Essex, who, in 1738, for one thousand pounds, sold it to Mr. Tho. Harris, gent. of Sutton-at-Home. He died possessed of it in 1769, and by his will devised his interest in the term of this parsonage to Stephen Dilly, yeoman, whose widow is the present lessee of it.
The vicarage of Higham is valued in the king's books at 8l. 10s. and the yearly tenths at 17s. In the year 1650, this vicarage was valued at 60l. per annum. (fn. 25) The vicar receives all tithes arising within this parish, excepting corn.
THERE ARE certain lands in Higham, in Okeleyfarm, of which the impropriator of the parsonage takes but half the tithes (the other half being part of the portion of tithes belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, of which a further account will be given) These lands are now called dominical lands, and are thus described:
The orchard, below the house, five acres; Barnfield, eight acres; Downefield, elevan acres; Cookfield, eighteen acres; in the whole, forty-two acres. The impropriator takes the whole tithes of all the rest of Okeley-farm, as well as of the rest of the parish, excepting one field, called the Homestal, which belongs to the vicar, and is compounded for at three pounds and some shillings yearly.
The portion of tithes above mentioned was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Rochester. William de Cloeville gave for ever two parts of his tithe of Acle, now Okeley, to the monks of St. Andrew's, Rochester, in consideration of their having made his son a monk there; which gift he made with the consent of Gosfrid Talbot, chief lord of the see. (fn. 26) Gundulph, bishop of Rochester, who was consecrated in 1077, confirmed this donation, as did several of the succeeding bishops of Rochester, and others. (fn. 27) On the dissolution of the priory of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry VIII. this portion of tithes was, together with the rest of the possessions of that monastery, surrendered into the king's hands in the 32d year of his reign; who presently after, in his 33d year, settled it, by his dotation charter, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it continues at this time.
¶It appears by the survey of this portion of tithes, called Odeley portion, taken by order of the state in 1650; on the dissolution of deans and chapters, &c. that the same was then valued at ten pounds per ann. improved rent, and was let, anno 6 queen Elizabeth, by the dean and chapter, to John Sedley, esq. for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d. (fn. 28) Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, died possessed of the lease of these tithes this year, 1775, and his descendant, the Right Hon. lord Gwydir, is the present lessee of them.
Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.
Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.
I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.
Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.
It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....
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"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.
I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."
- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.
You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?
Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.
And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.
Simon Knott, June 2008
www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm
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Blundeston.
There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)
By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.
On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.
Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.
¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.
William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.
William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.
In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.
These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)
On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)
The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.
The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,
¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.
Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.
Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.
The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.
¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."
he Church at Blundeston,
which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.
Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."
Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:
Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.
Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.
¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.
The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.
www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...
It seems there is little correlation between the size of a village and its church.
Throwley is a prime example: a small pretty enough village, but with a huge church, set on a rise, very imposing.
I tried to park outside, but apparently the house to the north of the church owns the land approaching the church, and tolerates no parking on the twin tracks leading to both the house and church. Not very friendly.
I did walk to the porch, guessing it would be locked, and it was. But two nearby house were listed as keyholders, including the house to the south of the church; a half timbered ancient pile of a place. I used to gate nearest the lych gate, which fell apart as I tried to open it, then walk across the well-manicured lawn to the riveted wooden door.
There was a pull-bell, that clanged in the depths of the house. But no one came.
I tried the house next door, and again no answer, so I gave up.
But I shall return, of course.
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St Michael & All Angels is the parish church of Throwley. The first church on the site was probably built between 800 and 825. This would have been a small wooden structure, barely distinguishable from a farm building.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066 this was replaced by a Romanesque stone structure.
This was still small, but as the population of the parish increased the church was enlarged, until in about 1510 it reached its present size. Since then its appearance has changed little, although an extra storey was added to the tower - now far seen - in the 1860s.
The church has an elaborate Romanesque west entrance; its east window in the chancel, by Curtis, Ward & Hughes of Soho, London, is a memorial to Throwley men who gave their lives in the First World War.
In the Harris chapel is the church's newest stained-glass window, commemorating Dorothy Lady Harris who died in 1981. It was designed and executed in the Canterbury Cathedral Workshops by Frederick Cole (see pictures on left).
The church has more than its fair share of fine 16th to 19th century monuments, mainly to members of the local Sondes and Harris families, and these are all described.
www.faversham.org/community/churches/throwley.aspx
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TQ 95 NE THROWLEY THROWLEY
ROAD
(west side)
4/181
Church of
St. Michael
and All
24.1.67 Angels
GV I
Parish Church. C12, C13 north chapel, C14 south chapel, C15
nave arcades, restored 1866 and tower heightened. Flint and
plain tiled roofs. Chancel, north and south chapels, nave and
aisles, south tower and south porch. West doorway, C12, with
attached shafts and 3 orders, the outer panelled with X's on
circles, the centre roll moulded with the blocks offset and
alternately projecting, the inner with more X's on circles,
with 2 offset buttresses either side of doorway. South aisle
with plinth, string course and parapet, 3 offset buttresses and
C15 Perpendicular windows. South tower of 2 stages with square
south-eastern stair turret and C16 moulded brick surround
sundial. Water spouts on each corner in the 4 Evangelical
symbols. Half-timbered C19 south porch, south doorway with
rolled and double hollow chamfered surround, and outer surround
with label and quatrefoil spandrels. North aisle under 1 roof
with nave, with C15 fenestration, and C19 chimney to north west.
North and south chapels with C14 cusped 'Y' tracery fenestration,
with hollow chamfered and ogee drip moulds. Chancel east
window C19 curvilinear style. Interior: 2 bay nave arcades,
double hollow chamfered arches on octagonal piers. C12 single
arches to north and south eastern bay, that to south recessed
and double chamfered through tower wall. Barrel roof.
Chamfered arch on corbels from south aisle to tower, itself
with corbel table on south wall, and triple arch through to south
chapel C19 chancel arch. Chancel with 2 bay double chamfered
arcade to north chapel with octagonal capitals on round piers, and
single double chamfered arch on round responds to south chapel.
Fittings: hollow chamfered piscina and sedile in window reveal in
chancel and cusped recess in north wall. C19 reredos and altar
rail. Cusped piscina and four centred arched wall recess in
south chapel. Choir stalls, some C19, the four on the south C15
with carved misericords. Monuments: south chapel C16 chest tomb,
with shields in panelled sides, moulded plinth, lozenge-shaped
flowers, fluting and frieze. Chest tomb, Sir George Sondes,
Earl of Faversham, d.1677. Black marble with blank panelled sides.
Inscription on the top panel (made 1728). Standing monument,
Sir Thomas Sondes, died 1592. Marble tomb chest, gadrooned with
achievements on side panels. Kneeling alabaster figures of
knight and his Lady on opposite sides of central prayer desk,
carrying inscription. Mary Sondes, died 1603. Smaller and
identical to Sir Thomas Sonde's monument, with 2 adults and 2
infant sons and daughters on either side of sarcophagus. Misplaced
scrolled and enriched carved achievement on floor to east of
those monuments. Wall plaque, Captain Thomas Sondes, died 1668.
Black and white marble, with draped apron, swagged and draped
sides with military trophies. Broken segmental pediment with male
bust. Signed W.S. (B.0.E. Kent II, p.477 suggests William Stanton).
North chapel C16 chest tomb, moulded plinth, panelled sides with
shields (1 panel reset in south chapel south wall). Early C16
tomb recess with moulded jambs, with rope work, crenellated,
with late Perpendicular motifs in spandrels, and tomb with 3
panelled recesses with 2 shields on each panel. Wall plaque,
Charles Harris, d.1814, by Flaxman. White plaque on white
background; dead soldier lifted from the grave by Victory, with
palms and cannon in background. Statue, to George, first Lord
Harris, life size soldier with sword and plans, on four foot
plinth. By George Rennie, 1835. Nave, wall plaque, Stephen
Bunce, d.1634. Black plaque on coved base and apron. Foliated
sides. Scrolled nowy cornice and pediment with achievement.
(See B.O.E. Kent II, 1983, 476-7.)
Listing NGR: TQ9883454254
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176587-church-of-st-m...
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LIES the next parish north-eastward from Stalisfield. It is called in the record of Domesday, Trevelei, in later records Truley and Thruley, in Latin ones Trulega and Truilla; it is now written both Throwley and Throwleigh.
THROWLEY is mostly situated on high ground, it is a more pleasant and open country than that last described, for though wild and romantic among the hills and woods, it is not so dreary and forlorn, nor the soil so uncomfortable, being much drier. Besides it has a more chearful and brighter aspect from the width of the principal valley which leads through it, from north to south, whence the hills rise on each side, with smaller delves interspersed among them. There is a good deal of wood-ground, mostly of beech, interspersed at places with oak and hazel, with some good timber trees of oak among them, especially in the northern and southern parts; much of the former belongs to the dean and chapter of Canterbury. The soil is mostly chalk, the rest a heavy tillage land of red cludy earth, the whole mixed with quantities of flint stones. There are some level lands, especially in the disparked grounds of Throwley park, which are tolerably good, much more so than those in the other parts of the parish; on the east side of the park are the foundations of the antient seat of the Sondes's, with the church close to them, the whole lying on high ground, with a good prospect of the surrounding country; not far from it is Town place, now only a farm-house. There is no village, excepting the few houses in Abraham-street may be so called, the rest of the houses, which are mostly cottages, standing dispersed throughout it, either single, or built round the little greens or softalls, of which there are several in different parts of the parish. On a larger one of these called Wilgate-green, there is a house belonging to the estate of Mr. Philerenis Willis's heirs, and another larger antient one, which with the estate belonging to it, was formerly the property of the Chapmans, and sold by them to Christopher Vane, lord Barnard, in 1789, gave it, with his other estates in this county, to David Papillon, esq. of Acrise, the present owner of it. (fn. 1)
There was a family named Wolgate, from whose residence here this green seems to have taken its name of Wolgate, or Wilgate-green. After they had remained here for some generations they ended in a daughter, for Mr. Ralph Wolgate dying in 1642, his daughter Anne married Mr. William Genery, and entitled him to her father's possessions here, at Posiers, in Borden, and other parts of this county. The Woodwards seem afterwards to have possessed their estate here, several of whom lie buried under a tomb in Throwley church-yard.
About half a mile distant south-westward from Wilgate-green, in Abraham-street, there is a seat, called, from its high situation and expensive prospect, BELMONT; it was built in the year 1769, by Edward Wilks, esq. storekeeper of the royal powdermills at Faversham, who inclosed a paddock or shrubbery round it, and occasionally resided here, till he alienated it in 1779 to John Montresor, esq. the present proprietor, who resides in it.
THE BEECH TREE flourishes in the greatest plenty, as well single to a large size, as in stubs in the coppice woods, which consist mostly of them, as well in these parts as they do in general on the range of chalk hills throughout this county, in some places extending two or three miles in width, and in others much more. The large tracts of ground in this and other counties, overspread with the beech-tree, the random situation of their stubs, and other circumstances which occur in viewing them, are strong proofs of their being the indigenous growth of this island, notwithstanding Cæfar's premptory assertion, in his Commentaries, of there being none here in this time. The Britons, he says, had every material for use and building, the same as the Gauls, excepting the fir and the beech. The former there is positive proof of his being grossly mistaken in, which will in some measure destroy that implicit credit we might otherwise give to his authority, as to the latter; indeed, the continued opposition he met with from the Britons, during his short stay here, assorded him hardly a possibility of seeing any other parts of this country than those near which he landed, and in the direct track through which he marched to wards Coway-stakes; too small a space for him to form any assertion of the general products of a whole country, or even of the neighbouring parts to him. Of those he passed through, the soil was not adapted to the growth of the beech tree; from which we may with great probability suppose, there were none growing on them, nor are there any throughout them, even at this time, a circumstance which most likely induced him to suppose, and afterwards to make the assertion beforementioned.
The slints, with which the cold unfertile lands in these parts, as well as some others in this county, are covered, have been found to be of great use in the bringing forward the crops on them, either by their warmth, or somewhat equivalent to it. Heretofore the occupiers of these lands were anxious to have them picked up and carried off from their grounds, but experiencing the disadvantage of it in the failure of their crops, they, never practice it themselves, and submit to the surveyors of the highways taking them off with great reluctance.
In the parish there are quantities of the great whitish ash coloured shell snail, which are of an unusual large size; they are found likewise near Darking, in Surry, and between Puckeridge and Ware, in Hertsordshire. They are not originally of this island, but have been brought from abroad, many of them are at this time observed in different parts of Italy.
MR. JACOB, in this Plantœ Favershamienses, has enumerated several scare plants observed by him in this parish, besides which, that scarce one, the Orchis myodes, or fly satrition, has been found here, growing on the side of the path, in a small wood, midway between the church and Wilgate green.
THIS PLACE, at the taking of the general survey of Domesday, about the 15th years of the Conqueror's reign, was part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, and earl of Kent, the king's half brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus described in it:
Hersrid holds Trevelai. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there is one, and twenty-four villeins, with five borderers having six carucates and an half. There is a church, and five servants. Wood for the pannage of twenty bogs, and in the city three houses of thirty-two pence. In the time of king Edward the Conssessor it was worth seven pounds, and afterwards six pounds. Ulnod held it of king Edward.
On the bishop of Baieux's disgrace, about four years afterwards, this among his other estates, became consiscated to the crown.
After which it was held of the king in capite, by barony, by Jeffry de Peverel, and together with other lands made up the barony of Peverel, as it was called, being assigned to him for the defence of Dover-castle, for which purpose he was bound to maintain a certain number of soldiers from time to time for the desence of it, and to repair and defend at this own charge a particular tower or turret there, called afterwards Turris Gattoniana, or Gatton's tower.
In the reign of king Henry III. Robert de Gatton, who took his name from the lordship of Gatton, in Surry, of which his ancestors had been some time owners, was in possession of the manor Thrule, and died in the 38th year of that reign, holding it by knight's service of the king, of the honor of Peverel, by reason of the escheat of that honor, &c. (fn. 2) He was succeded in it by this eldest son Hamo de Gatton, who resided here, and served the office of sheriff in the 14th year of Edward I. His eldest son of the same name left one son Edmund, then an instant, who afterwards dying under age, his two sisters became his coheirs, and divided his inheritance, of which Elizabeth entitled her husband William de Dene to this manor, and all the rest of the estates in Kent; and Margery entitled her husband Simon de Norwood to Gatton, and all the other estates in Surry.
William de Dene had a charter of free warren for his lands in Thurley, in the 10th year of Edward II. He died anno 15 Edward III. then holding this manor by the law of England, as of the inheritance of Elizabeth his late wife deceased, of the king in capite, as of the castle of Dover, by knight's service, and paying to the ward of that castle. His son Thomas de Dene died possessed of it in the 23d year of that reign, leaving four daughters his coheirs, of whom Benedicta, the eldest, married John de Shelving, and entitled him to this manor, on whose death likewise without male issue, his two daughters became his coheirs, of whom, Joane married John Brampton, alias Detling, of Detlingcourt, and Ellen married John de Bourne, the former of whom, in his wife's right, became possessed of this manor. He lest only one daughter Benedicta his heir, who carried it in marriage to Thomas at Town, who was possessed of much land about Charing, and bore for his arms, Argent, on a chevron, sable, three crosscrostess, ermine, which coat is in the windows of Kennington church, impaled with Ellis, of that place. He removed hither in the reign of Henry VI. and built a feat for his residence in this parish, about a quarter of a mile from the church, which he named, from himself, Town-place, soon after which he died, leaving his possessions to his three daughters and coheirs, of whom Eleanor was married to Richard Lewknor, of Challock; Bennet to William Watton, of Addington, and Elizabeth to William Sondes, of this parish and of Lingfield, in Surry, in which county his ancestors had been seated as early as the reign of Henry III. at Darking, where their seat was named, from them, Sondes-place. (fn. 3) Upon the division of their inheritance, the manor of Throwley was allotted to William Sondes, and Town-place, with the lands belonging to it in Throwley, to Richard Lewknor, who sold it to Edward Evering, the eldest son of Nicholas, third son of John Evering, of Evering, in Alkham, and his daughter and heir Mary marrying in 1565, with John Upton, of Faversham, entitled him to this estate, which he very soon afterwards alienated to Shilling, from whom it as quickly afterwards passed by sale to Anthony Sondes, esq. of this parish, whose ancestor William Sondes, on the division of the inheritance of the daughters and coheirs of Thomas at Town as before mentioned, had become possessed of the manor of Throwley, and the antient mansion of it, in which he afterwards resided, and dying in 1474, anno 15 Edward IV. was buried in the north chapel of this church, though he ordered by his will a memorial for himself to be put up in the church of Lingfield. The family of Sondes bore for their arms, Argent, three blackmores heads, couped, between two chevronels, sable, which, with the several quarterings borne by them, are painted on their monuments in this church.
His descendant, Anthony Sondes, esq. of Throwley, in the 31st year of Henry VIII. procured his lands in this county to be disgavelled, by the act then passed, and died in 1575, having married Joane, daughter of Sir John Fineux, chief justice of the king's bench, by whom he had two sons, Thomas and Michael, and two daughters.
He was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Thomas Sondes, sheriff anno 22 Elizabeth, who founded the school in this parish. He died in 1592, leaving issue only by his second wife, one daughter Frances, married to Sir John Leveson, so that on his death without male issue, his only brother Sir Michael Sondes, of Eastry, succeeded to this manor and seat of his ancestors, in which he afterwards resided. He was sheriff in the 26th year of queen Elizabeth's reign, and died in the 16th year of king James I. having had by his first wife Mary, only daughter and heir of George Fynch, esq. of Norton, six sons and six daughters.
Sir Richard Sondes, the eldest son, resided at Throwley, where he died in the 8th year of Charles I. having had by his two wives a numerous issue, of both sons and daughters. He was succeeded in this manor and seat, with the rest of his estates, by his eldest son Sir George Sondes, who was made a knight of the Bath at the coronation of king Charles I. soon after which he began to rebuild his seat of Lees-court, in Sheldwich, and fixed his residence there, under the description of which a more particular account of him and his descendants may be seen. Not long after which this seat was entirely pulled down, and the park adjoining to it disparked. The foundations of the former still remain, and the disparked lands still retain the name of Throwley park.
Sir George Sondes was afterwards created Earl of Faversham, Viscount Sondes, of Lees court, and Baron of Throwley, whose two daughters became his coheirs; Mary was married to Lewis, lord Duras, marquis of Blanquefort, and afterwards earl of Faversham, and Katherine to Lewis Watson, esq. afterwards earl of Rockingham, who each successively, in right of their respective wives, inherited this manor and estate, which has since descended in like manner as Lees-court, in Sheldwich, to the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, and he is the present possessor of this manor, with Town-place and the estate belonging to it. Acourt baron is held for this manor.
The denne of Toppenden, alias Tappenden, in Smarden, in the Weald, is an appendage to the manor of Throwley, and is held of it.
WILDERTON, alias Wolderton, called also in antient deeds Wilrinton, is a manor in this parish, which was once part of the possessions of the eminent family of Badlesmere, of which Bartholomew de Badlesmere was possessed of it in the reign of Edward II. of whom, for his services in the Scottish wars, he obtained in the 9th year of it many liberties and franchises for his different manors and estates, among which was that of free-warren in the demesne lands of this manor of Wolrington. (fn. 4) Having afterwards associated himself with the discontented barons, he was taken prisoner, and executed in the 16th year of that reign. By the inquisition taken after his death, which was not till anno 2 Edward III. at which time both the process and judgement against him was reversed, it was found that he died possessed of this manor, among others, which were then restored to his son Giles de Badlesmere, who died in the 12th year of Edward III. s. p. being then possessed of this manor. Upon which his four sisters became his comanor fell to the share of Margery, wife of William, manor fell to the share of Margery, wife of William, lord Roos, of Hamlake, who survived her husband, and died in the 37th year of Edward III. possessed of it, as did her grandson John, lord Roos, in the 9th year of Henry V. leaving no issue by Margaret his wife, who survived him, and had this manor assigned to her as part of her dower. She afterwards married Roger Wentworth, esq. whom she likewise survived, and died anno 18 Edward IV.
On the death of John, lord Roos, her first husband, s. p. the reversion of this manor, after her death, became vested in Thomas his next surviving brother and heir, whose son Thomas afterwards became a firm friend to the house of Lancaster, for which he was attainted anno 1 Edward IV. and his lands were consiscated to the crown.
On the death of Margaret, the widow of Roger Wentworth, esq. the manor of Wulrington, but whether by grant or purchase, I have not found, came into the possession of Richard Lewknor, of Challock, owner likewise of Town-place, as before-mentioned, who sold it to Edward Evering, already mentioned before, whose daughter and heir Mary marrying in 1565 with Mr. John Upton, of Faversham, entitled him to it. He joined with his brother Nicholas Upton, in 1583, in the sale of the manor-house, with all the demesne lands belonging to it, excepting one small piece called the manor-croft, and a moiety of the ma nor, which, from its situation, from that time was known by the name of NORTH-WILDERTON, to Anthony Terry, of North Wilderton, yeoman, upon whose death it came to his four sons, Arnold, William, Thomas, and George Terry, who in 1601 made a partition of their father's estates, in which this manor was allotted to Arnold Terry, and William his brother, from whom it descended to Anthony Terry, of Ospringe, who in 1689 sold it to Mr. Thomas Knowler, of Faversham, who devised it to his sister Abigail for her life, and after her death to John Knowler, gent. of Ospringe, in fee. She afterwards married John Bates, and they, together with John Knowler above-mentioned, about the year 1694, joined in the sale of it to Mr. Edward Baldock, of Aylesford, and Bennet his wife. He survived her, and by deed of gift in 1717, vested the fee of it in his son Edward Baldock, who passed it away to Mr. Thomas Greenstreet, of Norton, whose niece Elizabeth marrying with Mr. Thomas Smith, of Gillingham, entitled him to this manor, which has been since sold to John Montresor, esq. of Belmont, in this parish, the present owner of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
There was antiently a chapel at this manor of Wilrintune, as appears by a charter, dated anno 1217, lately in the treasury of St. Bertin's monastery at St. Omers, concerning the privilege of a bell to it.
BUT THE REMAINING MOIETY of the manor, with a small crost called the manor-croft, lying at the west end of Hockstet green, remained with John Upton, and thenceforward acquired the name of SOUTH, alias GREAT WILDERTON. After whose death it came to his eldest son John Upton, who died possessed of it in 1635, and was buried with his ancestors in Faversham church. They bore for their arms, Quarterly, sable, and or; in the first and fourth quarters, a cross flory, argent, each charged with a trefoil, azure. (fn. 5)
John Upton, his eldest son, inherited this manor, and at his death in 1664, by his will gave it to his daughter Anne, wife of Charles Castle, gent. who in 1688 devised it to her brother-in-law George Naylor, and George White, the former of whom becoming solely possessed of it, in 1705 devised it to his nephew Mr. John Dalton, gent. of St. Edmundsbury, for his life, and afterwards to his son Thomas Dalton, and his issue, in consequence of which it descended to Benjamin Shuckforth, of Diss, in Norfolk, who in 1741 sold it to Mr. Giles Hilton, of Lords, in Sheldwich, on whose death it descended to his three sons, John, William, and Robert Hilton, the youngest of whom, Mr. Robert Hilton, as well as by the devise of his two elder brothers, afterwards became the sole proprietor of this manor. He died in 1782, and his son Mr. John Hilton, of Sheldwich, as next in the entail, succeeded to it, and is the present possessor of it.
IN THE REIGN of king Stephen there was AN ALIEN PRIORY established in this parish, as a cell to the Benedictine abbey of St. Bertin, at St. Omers, the capital of Artois, in Flanders, William de Ipre, in 1153, having given this church, with that of Chilham, to it for that purpose; which gift was confirmed by king Stephen the same year, as it was by the several archbishops afterwards, and by the charters of Henry II. and III. The charter of this gift was till lately in the treasury of the monastery of St. Bertin, as were all the others hereafter mentioned relating to this church and priory.
There are very few formal foundations of these cells, the lands of them being usually granted to some monastery abroad, as an increase to their revenues, after which, upon some part of them they built convenient houses, for the reception of a small convent. Some of these cells were made conventual, having a certain number of monks, who were mostly foreigners, and removeable at pleasure, sent over with a prior at their head, who were little more than stewards to the superior abbey, to which they returned the revenues of their possessions annually; others were permitted to chuse their own prior, and these were entire societies within themselves, and received their revenues for their own use and benefit, paying perhaps only a yearly pension as an acknowledgement of their subjection, or what was at first the surplusage to the foreign house.
The cell at Throwley was of the former sort, for which reason, during the wars between England and France, as their revenues went to support the king's enemies, these kind of houses were generally seized on by the king, and restored again upon the return of a peace. (fn. 6)
In the 25th year of king Edward I. Peter, prior of Triwle, as it was spelt in the record, made fine to the king at Westminster, and had a privy seal for his protection, by which he had the custody of his house and possessions committed to his care, to retain them during the king's pleasure, answering to his exchequer for the profits of them, according to the directions of him and his council.
The scite of this priory was that of the parsonage of the church of Throwley, which, with that of Chilham, seems to have been all their possessions in this kingdom. These were valued in the 8th year of king Richard II. anno 1384, each at forty pounds annually, and their temporalities at 20s. 6d. at which time the parsonage of Throwley was become appropriated to this cell, and a vicarage was endowed in it. In which situation this priory remained till the general suppression of the alien priories throughout England, in the 2d year of Henry V. anno 1414, which was enacted in the parliament then held at Leicester, and all their houses, revenues, &c. were given to the king and his heirs for ever. (fn. 7)
This priory, with its possessions, seems to have remained in the hands of the crown till Henry VI. in his 22d year, settled them on the monastery of Sion, in Middlesex, founded by his father Henry V. with which they continued till the general suppression of religious houses, this being one of those greater monasteries dissolved by the act of the 31st year of king Henry VIII. How this priory was disposed of afterwards by the crown, may be further seen hereafter, under the description of the parsonage of the church of Throwley.
The only remains left of this priory are some few foundations, and two walls of flint, which support a building, standing behind the parsonage-house and garden.
THERE IS A FREE SCHOOL in this parish, the house of which is situated adjoining to the church-yard, which was founded by Sir Thomas Sondes, who died in 1592, who by his will devised a house and six poundes per annum to the master of it, to dwell in, and as a recompence for his pains; but having charged his executors and not his heirs to the fulfilling of this bequest, and charged the payment of the above sum, among other charitable legacies, on several leasehold estates, the terms of which expired in his nephew Sir Richard Sondes's time, and the house having tumbled down for want of repairs, Sir George Sondes, son of Sir Richard above-mentioned, thought it unreasonable, as he had none of the estates, that he should be bound to maintain the school; however, he voluntarily paid the master his salary, and gave him a house to live in, both which have been continued by the possessors of Throwley manor to this time, as far as I can learn, as of their own free gift.
The present right hon. lord Sondes appoints the schoolmaster as such during pleasure, and pays him a salary of twelve pounds per annum, besides which, he allots him an house and garden, worth about six pounds per annum, which his lordship repairs from time to time, and for which no parochial or church-dues are paid. There are at present fourteen boys taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, gratis, in this school, which though taken mostly from the parishes of Throwley, Badlesmere, and Leveland, are not confined to those parishes.
Charities.
CATHERINE, LADY SONDES, gave by will the sum of 40s. a year, to be received yearly on St. Barnabas's day, towards the relief of the poor, payable from a farm in it, called Bell-horn, now belonging to lord Sondes, and now of that annual produce.
THERE WERE three alms-houses in this parish, the gift of one of the Sondes family; one of them was some time since burnt down, and has not been rebuilt, but lord Sondes allows the person nominated to it the value of it in money yearly.
The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually double that number.
THROWLEY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, consists of three isles and three chancels. The steeple is a square tower, and stands in the centre of the south side of it, in which there is a peal of six bells, given in 1781, at the expence of Mr. Montresor, of Belmont. In the south isle is a memorial for Francis Hosier Hart, gent. obt. 1761, leaving three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Diana Hosier. In the middle isle is a small monument for Stephen Bunce, esq. of this parish, one of the Antients of New-Inn, who died there in 1634, and was buried in St. Clement's church, London. In the middle chancel there are two stalls of wood, which are not fixed, and in the north isle three more of the like sort, joined together, with a desk before them, which seem to have been removed from the chancel, and were both intended for the use of the religious of the priory here. In the middle of this chancel is a memorial for Dr. Thomas Horsemonden, patron and rector of Purleigh, in Essex, prebendary of Lincoln, &c. who died anno 1632. In the north and south chancel are several monuments for the family of Sondes, with their essigies, arms and quarterings; one of them in the latter, a plain altar tomb of black marble for Sir George Sondes, earl of Faversham, his lady and descendants; many more of this family, as appears by the parish register, are buried in the vault underneath, but the family of Watson burying at Rockingham, this vault has not been opened for several years. The north and south chancels above-mentioned belonged, one to the possessors of Throwley manor, the other to those of Townplace, but they both belong now to lord Sondes.
There were formerly in the windows the arms of Sondes, Finch, and Gatton, and in the north window this inscriptin, Pray for the good estate of Alice Martyn, the which did make this window, MCCCCXLV.
In the church yard, at the west end of the north isle, there is a circular door-case of stone, having several bordures of Saxon ornaments carved round it. In the church-yard is an altar tomb for William Woodward, gent. of Wilgate-green, obt. 1681, and Anne his wife.
It appears by the will of William Sondes, esq. anno 1474, that this church had then constantly burning in it lights, dedicated to St. Michael, the Holy Trinity, the Holy Cross, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Christopher, St. George, St. Katherine, St. Margaret, St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Nicholas.
An account of the antient patronage of the church of Throwley has already been given, as first belonging to the alien priory here, and then to the monastery of Sion, to the time of the dissolution of the latter in the 31st year of Henry VIII. the year after which, the king granted the rectory, with the advowson of the vicarage of the church of Throwley, to the prebendary of Rugmer, in the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, in exchange for lands belonging to that prebend, to be inclosed within the king's park of Marybone, in pursuance of an act then passed. Since which this parsonage and advowson have continued part of the abovementioned prebend. The former is leased out by the present prebendary to the right hon. lord Sondes, but the advowson of the vicarage he retains in his own hands, and is the present patron of it.
¶There was a rent of 4l. 18s. 4d. reserved from the parsonage by king Henry VIII. nomine decimœ, which was granted by queen Elizabeth, in her third year, to archbishop Parker, among other premises, in exchange for several manors, lands, &c. belonging to that see, which rent still continues part of the revenue of the archbishopric.
A vicarage was endowed here in 1367, anno 42 king Edward III. by archbishop Langham, at which time the chapel of Wylrington belonged to it. (fn. 8)
It is valued in the king's books at 7l. 11s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 15s. 2d.
In 1578 there were one hundred and eighty communicants here. In 1640 it was valued at forty-five pounds, communicants two hundred and twenty.
I was driving to Otterden, using John Vigar's book as a guide to the East Kent churches I had missed.
I was using the Sat Nav, at least to get me to the village, so I could concentrate on the roads and sights as I went along, just on the offchance I passed another church unexpectedly.
And so I came to Eastling, and across a walled field, I saw the church, so, finding there was a large car park, I pulled up.
To get into the church yeard, one could either climb over a wooden stile, one built into the wall, or through the gate a few metres further along. I chose the gate.
Through the churchyard, and under the shadow of a huge yew tree to find the porch door, and church door beyond both unlocked.
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A huge church entered across a meadow along a path which passes a huge Yew tree. The porch is high Victorian with the jazziest floor in Kent, no doubt the work of Richard Hussey who restored the church in the mid nineteenth century. This leads to a church with origins in the 12th century but owing more to the 13th and even more to the 19th century! The arcades are built in a much replaced Early English style but work well. In the centre alley is the lovely ledger slab of a man who put it there a few years before his death and inscribed lest someone else steal his pole position! In the south transept is a pretty monument showing kneeling children and a most colourful shield of arms displaying sea creatures. The chancel contains some rare blank arcading in the north wall which may have formed sedilia elsewhere or which may be part of a monument. Its arches are held up by four strong men with bulging shoulders. What a surprise it is! Next to it is one of the finest 14th century tomb recesses in the county, though the faces at either end are Victorian fantasies. This is a much-loved and rewarding Downland church, which is open daily.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Eastling
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It is widely accepted that there has been a place of worship on the site of the Parish Church of St Mary's at Eastling since Anglo-Saxon times.
The oldest surviving parts of the present building are the base of the south-west Tower, the Nave and the western part of the Chancel. All are thought to have been built by the 11th century, possibly on the foundations of an earlier church. The remainder of the Tower and the central part of the Chancel are Norman.
The North and South Aisles and the Arcades between the Aisles and the Nave were built in the 13th century. In the 14th century, the Chancel was extended eastwards to create a Sanctuary. Also in that century, the St Katherine Chapel and an Arcade was added to the south-east corner of the building.
In 1855-56, the Nave, North Aisle and the South Arcade were substantially rebuilt, the West Porch added and the Nave re-roofed.
The Nave - or central area of the church - dates from the 12th century and is notable for its unusually narrow original walls (later, the Arcade walls). Fractionally over 2ft thick, they are considered to be attributable to Saxon workmanship which favoured relatively "thin" solid walls against the Norman style of "thicker" walls comprising two leaves with a filled cavity.
The western end of the Nave is thought to be a late 12th-century extension.
The South Aisle was constructed in the early part of the 13th century and substantially rebuilt by Victorian architect R. C. Hussey in 1855. Some original 13th-century material was re-used, and the eastern respond located against the Chancel remains substantially untouched.
The North Aisle was also created in the 13th century and completely rebuilt by Hussey as part of his major "modernisation" of the building. The South Aisle incorporates a 14th-century window.
The Victorians' enthusiasm for remodelling churches also extended to the Nave which was rebuilt by Hussey in 1855-56. He also added the West Porch, constructed a Vestry and re-built the Chancel arch. It's worth comparing the ceilings of the South Aisle which is said to have escaped Hussey's attentions and that of the Nave where he left only the tie beams and principal trusses visible.
The box pews, pulpit, lectern, rector's stall and choir stalls all date from the Victorian era. The wooden wall benches pre-date the pews.
The alignment of the Tower and Chancel is considered attributable to Saxon, rather than Norman, workmanship. If you stand in front of the east window and look back to the west door you will see that the Nave and Chancel are out of alignment, and this suggests that the Chancel pre-dates the Nave.
Examples of Norman workmanship to be seen in St Mary today are:
• the upper part of the Tower;
• perhaps the belfry stage with its pairs of round-headed openings;
• the re-styling of the western part of the Chancel; and
• the west end of the Nave (possibly a late 12th century extension).
Early in the 13th century, the Chancel was re-styled and given Early English lancet windows.
A further period of rebuilding-took place during the 14th century. The Chancel was extended eastwards by a further 22ft, so creating the Sanctuary.
The stained glass in the Chancel windows are memorials to the Birch Reynardson family. The east window contains picture panels, the work of famous church glass artist Thomas Willement of Davington.
On the north wall of the Sanctuary at Eastling Church is a double Aumbry.
Built as a cupboard in the wall - usually with a wooden door - this would have been used to house the Church Plate.
A piscina is, in effect, a medieval stone bowl near the altar where a priest carried out ceremonial cleaning tasks.
The piscina in Eastling Church dates from the late 13th century and takes the form of a stone cill incorporating twin bowls - one for hand washing, the other for cleaning the chalice and other sacred vessels.
It was originally located in the Chancel. When this part of the building was extended during the 14th century, the piscina was moved to its present position on the south wall of the Sanctuary.
The sedilia at Eastling Church comprise three recessed stone seats with trefoiled canopies. By convention, sedilia were placed south of the altar and used by the priest, deacon and sub-deacon.
Created late in the 13th century, Eastling's sedilia were moved, during the 14th century, from the Chancel to their present position in the (then) new Sanctuary.
The Stone Stalls, on the north side of the Chancel, would have once served as choir stalls. These recessed seats have unusual carved stone canopies in the form of four trefoiled arches carried on caryatids (columns sculpted as female figures).
In his "Notes on the Church", Eastling Church historian Richard Hugh Perks says that a 19th century ecclesiologist, Francis Grayling, theorised that they were mural recesses. Mr Perks considers the church might once have been decorated extensively with murals - born out by the traces of wall paintings found in the 1960s when the Chancel was re-decorated. However, the paintings were in such very poor condition that they were covered over. Mr Perks also draws attention to the fragment of the former Chancel east wall which can be seen at the east end of the Stone Stalls.
The St Katherine Chapel was built around 1350. As part of the scheme, an arcade was formed on the south side of the Chancel. The fluted (concave-sided) pillars are an unusual design, also found in Faversham Parish Church and at Eastchurch, Sheppey. It is thought that the workmanship might be by masons from either Leeds Priory or Faversham Abbey.
The Chapel houses a 19th century organ, the Martin James monument and a fine oak chest with an inscription of "1664 H" carved inside. The "H" is the mark of a Michael Shilling, who was churchwarden at the time.
There is evidence that Eastling Church once had a Rood Screen, possibly extending across both the Chapel and the Chancel. On this would have stood a Cross with a carving representing a crucified Jesus. The Reformation saw the destruction of the Rood and no trace remains, apart from the base of a stairs turret at the south-east corner of the South Aisle.
The West Porch was built in 1855, by Victorian architect R.C. Hussey as part of his major alterations to the church.
However, the fine Norman west doorcase is much older, possibly dating from 1180. It is carved from chalk blocks; some of the internal wall faces are also chalk, a common feature of many Downland churches. It was partly restored by the Victorians.
The churchyard owes much to a generous bequest for its maintenance by Dorothy Long (d. 1968). It used to be part of the 'Gods Acre Project' setup by the Vicar of Eastling Parish Caroline Pinchbeck (who departed the parish in 2012) but from 2013 has been returned to previous landscaping regimes.
When the churchyard was being managed with wildlife in mind, it preserved the diversity of nature alongside well kempt areas. This means parts of the old graveyard were left to grow from springtime onwards and were cut in September. Many species of wild flowers grew in a spring meadow and were followed by grasses. This encouraged wildlife into the graveyard, owls, field mice, voles, multiple species of insects and birds. The uncut areas were managed, which means to say they were not left to grow out of control. Brambles, the majority of stinging nettles and other unwanted plants were removed by hand and the graves were always tended so that the vegetation did not disturb them.
Areas of the churchyard that were mown were done so with a petrol mower but the grass was not collected, It was left on the ground as a mulch. No pesticides were used, they damaged the graves, leaving contaminated black rings around them and killed any wild flowers or grass in the affected areas. The emphasis of the gods acre project management process, started in 2008, was balance. By maintaining the churchyard in this way it was both cost effective and beneficial to local wildlife and preservation. (N. Perkins/ Grounds man Eastling Church 2007-2012)
The original graveyard has a modern extension with spaces still available for burials and close to the entry gate is an area dedicated to the burial of ashes.
Several graves date from the 17th and 18th centuries and include memorial stones to Mary Tanner who was born in the year of the Battle of Naseby; to Christopher Giles born in 1674 and his wife Susannah born in 1691; and to Thomas Lake of Eastling Gent died February the 19th 1717.
Close to the West Porch is a 13th century stone coffin slab, in the form of a cross with a sword, a style sometimes referred to as a "Crusader Tomb".(original text) This is infact incorrect, an archaeologist has confirmed that the stone is a medieval headstone most likely from the back of the church which was once standing that has been moved and placed by the entrance for asthetic qualities. There is another stone to the left of the entrance from a sarcophagus which again has been moved and placed by the entrance.
There is a Yew Tree by the West Door and It is said to be an ancient which would put it's minimum age at 2000 years, predating the church. However dating methods for Yew Trees are inconclusive.. It is hard to reliably scientifically date a Yew Tree due to several factors.. Information on the dating process can be found here. (source: ancient-yew.org) Also Yew trees can grow fast and ages can be exaggerated, a large Yew is most likely the age of the Church but unlikely to be older than it's Anglo-Saxon predecessor. There is no firm evidence to link Yew trees to pagan religions or the theory that Church's were built on Pagan Ritual Sites. (source: Illustrated History of the Countryside, Oliver Rackham)
The circle of yews which continue around the church have been said to have sprouted from the ancient Yew Tree, however archeologists and Yew Tree Specialists have put forward that actually the Yew Trees have been landscaped to look like that. In the past Yew Trees were planted to ward of witches and evil spirits. It is clear if you measure out the trees and use dimensions for aging that the trees have been landscaped.
Work carried out on the tower in 2010 to install a compostable toilet has radically changed the dimensions and structure of the lower and middle of the tower.
The base of the south-west Tower is said to date from the early 11th century, possibly earlier. Much of the remainder of the Tower is Norman.
The Tower - five feet thick at its base - is of flint and chippings, with ragstone quoins, and is heavily buttressed. The external brick buttress to the tower is 18th century. Brick was also used in rebuilding sections of the north-west angle of the Tower, the belfry openings and the Tower doorcase. Today's slated spire would once have been clad with wooden shingles.
The door to the Tower is set in a large arch with "Articles" of the Ringing Chamber, on wooden boards above it.
Eastling has six bells, four of them made by Richard Phelps during the time he occupied the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Click here for more info. Unfortunately, the present condition of the timber bell frame with its elm headstocks (constructed around 1700) and the upper part of the Tower do not allow the bells to be rung safely.
www.eastlingvillage.co.uk/st-mary-s-church.html
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THE next parish south-eastward from Newnham, is Easling, written in old deeds likewise Esling, and Iseling.
It is situated among the hills, on very high ground, about five miles southward from Faversham, and a little more than a mile south-eastward from Newnham valley, in a healthy but cold and forlorn country, being much exposed to the north-east aspect. The village, with the church and parsonage in it, a near pretty dwelling, stands on the road leading from Otterden to Newnham valley; in it there is a large well-timbered house, called Gregories, formerly of some account, and rebuilt in 1616, it formerly belonged to Hoskins, and then to Parmeter, in which name it still continues.—Though there is some level land in the parish, yet it is mostly steep hill and dale, the soil in gen ral a red cludgy earth, poor, and much covered with flints. It is very woody, especially in the eastern parts of it.
A fair is held in the village on Sept. 14, yearly, for toys and pedlary ware. On Nov. 30, being St. Andrew's, there is yearly a diversion called squirrel bunting, in this and the neighbouring parishes, when the labourers and lower kind of people assembling together, form a lawless rabble, and being accoutred with guns, poles, clubs, and other such weapons, spend the greatest part of the day in parading through the woods and grounds, with loud shoutings, and under the pretence of demolishing the squirrels, some few of which they kill, they destroy numbers of hares, pheasants, partridges, and in short whatever comes in their way, breaking down the hedges, and doing much other mischief, and in the evening betaking themselves to the alehouses, finish their career there in drunkenness, as is usual with such sort of gentry.
THIS PLACE, at the time of the taking of the general survey of Domesday, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record:
Herbert held of the bishop of Baieux Nordeslinge. The arable land is one carucate. It was taxed at half a suling. There two borderers pay two shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty shillings, now twenty-five shillings. Turgod held it in the time of king Edward the Confessor.
These two manors, (one of which was Throwley, described immediately before in this record) Herbert, the son of Ivo, Held of the bishop of Baieux.
And a little below,
Roger, son of Ansebitil, held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is one carucate. There is in demesne . . . . and one borderer has half a carucate. There is a church, and one mill of ten shillings, and two acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth sixty shillings, and afterwards twenty shillings, now forty shillings. Unlot held it of king Edward, and could go where he pleased with his land.
Fulbert held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at five suling, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for two, and so it did after the bishop gave the manor to Hugh son of Fulbert. The arable land is six carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and thirty villeins having three carucates. There is a church, and twenty-eight servants, and one mill of ten shilings. Wood for the pannage of thirty bogs In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth ten pounds, and when he received it six pounds, now four pounds, and yet the bishop had eight pounds. Sired held it of king Edward.
The three estates described before, included North Easting and its appendages, Huntingfield and Diven manors, with others estates in this parish, then esteemed as part of them.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, all his possessions were confiscated to the crown.
Fulbert de Dover, mentioned above as tenant to the bishop of Baieux for one of these estates, appears afterwards to have held all three of them of the king in capite by barony, the tenant of them being bound by tenure to maintain a certain number of soldiers from time to time, for the defence of Dover castle, in which there was a tower called Turris dei inimica, which he was bound by his tenure likewise to repair.
Of him and his heirs these estates were held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, which they had made the caput baroniæ, or chief of their barony. (fn. 1) That part of the above-mentioned estates, called in Domesday Nordeslinge, was afterwards known by the name of THE MANOR OF EASLING, alias NORTHCOURT, which latter name it had from its situation in respect to the others, being held of the lords paramount by a family of the name of Esling, one of whom, Ralph de Esling, died possessed of it in the 26th year of king Edward I. anno 1297, then holding it by knight's service of the honor of Chilham. He left an only daughter and heir Alice, who carried this manor, with that of Denton, alias Plumford, in marriage to Sir Fulk de Peyforer, who, with Sir William de Peyforer, of Otterden, accompanied king Edward. I. in his 28th year, at the siege of Carlaverock, where, with many other Kentish gentlemen, they were both knighted. They bore for their arms, Argent, six fleurs de lis, azure.
Sir Fulk de Peyforer, in the 32d year of the above reign, obtained a grant of a market weekly on a Friday, and one fair yearly on the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross at Esling, and free-warren for his lands there. Before the end of which reign, the property of these manors was transferred into the family of Leyborne, and it appears by an inquisition taken in the 1st year of Edward III. that Juliana, the widow of William de Leyborne, who died anno 2 Edward II. was possessed of these estates at her death, and that their grand-daughter Juliana, was heir both to her grandfather and father's possessions, from the greatness of which she was usually stiled the Infanta of Kent.
She was then the wife of John de Hastings, as she was afterwards of Sir William de Clinton, created earl of Huntingdon, who paid aid for the manor of Northcourt, alias Easling. She survived him, and afterwards died possessed of this estate in Easling, together with Denton, alias Plymford, in the 41st year of king Edward III. and leaving no issue by either of her husbands, these manors, among the rest of her estates, escheated to the crown, for it appears by the inquisition taken that year, after her death, that there was no one who could make claim to her estates, either by direct or even by collateral alliance.
These manors remained in the crown till the beginning of king Richard the IId.'s reign, when they became vested in John, duke of Lancaster, and other seoffees, in trust for the performance of certain religious bequests in the will of Edward III. in consequence of which, the king Afterwards, in his 22d year, granted them, among other premises, to the dean and canons of St. Stephen's college, in Westminster, for ever. (fn. 2) In which situation they continued till the 1st year of king Edward VI. when, by the act passed that year, they were surrendered into the king's hands.
After which the king, by his letters patent, in his 3d year, granted these manors, among others lately belonging to the above-mentioned college, to Sir Thomas Cheney, privy counsellor and treasurer of his houshold, with all and singular their liberties and privileges whatsoever, in as ample a manner as the dean and canons held them, to hold in capite by knight's service. (fn. 3) whose son Henry, lord Cheney, of Tuddington, had possession granted to him of his inheritance anno 3 Elizabeth, and that year levied a fine of all his lands.
He passed these manors away by sale, in the 8th year of that reign, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, and afterwards a justice of the peace for this county, who levied a fine of them anno 17 Elizabeth, and died possessed of them in 1592, being buried in the south chancel of this church, under a monument, on which are the effigies of himself and his wife. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, first and fourth, vert, a dolphin naiant; second and third, Ermine, on a chief gules, three crosses, or. His great-grandson Walter James, esq. was possessed of them at the time of the restoration of king Charles II. whose heirs sold them in the latter end of that reign, to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of them in 1678, after which they descended down to Richard Grove, esq. of Cambridge, but afterwards of the Temple, in London, who died unmarried in 1792, and by his will devised them to Mr. William Jemmet, of Ashford, and Mr. William Marshall, of London, who continue at this time the joint possessors of them.
THE MANOR OF HUNTINGFIELD, situated in the eastern part of this parish, was, at the time of the takeing of the general survey of Domesday, part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, as has been already taken notice of before, and on his disgrace came, with the rest of his estates, to the crown, about the year 1084.
After which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle for the defence of it. Of him and his heirs it was held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, the head or chief of their barony.
Simon de Chelsfield held it of them, as lords paramount, in the reign of Henry III. but at the latter end of that reign, this manor was come into the possession of that branch of the eminent family of Huntingfield settled in this county, descended from those of Suffolk, in which county and in Norfolk they had large possessions. Hence this manor assumed the name of Huntingfield-court, and it appears by the roll of knights fees, taken at the beginning of the reign of Edward I. that Peter de Huntingfield then held it. He resided at times both here and at West Wickham, of which manor he was likewise possessed, though it seems when he was sheriff in the 11th, 12th, and 13th years of that reign, he kept his shrievalty at Huntingfield-court. In the 9th year of it he obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands at Eslynge and Stalesfeld, and in the 28th year of it attended the king at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, for which service he, with others, received the honor of knighthood. He died in the 7th year of Edward II. anno 1313, leaving by the lady Imayne his wise, who was buried in the church of the Grey Friars, London, Sir Walter de Huntingfield his son and heir, who having obtained several liberties for his manor of Wickham, and liberty to impark his grounds there, (fn. 4) seems to have deserted this place, which in the next reign of Edward III. was sold either by him or by his son, Sir John de Huntingfield, to one of the family of Sawfamere, and in the 20th year of that reign, the lady Sawfamere, Dna' de Sawsamero, as she is written in the book of aid, paid respective aid for it.
But before the end of that reign, it had passed into the name of Halden, for it appears by the escheat-rolls that William de Halden died in the 50th year of it, possessed of Easling manor, called Huntingfield, held of the castle of Chilham; soon after which it became the property of Sir Simon de Burleigh, who being attainted in the 12th year of Richard II. this manor, among the rest of his possessions, came to the crown. After which, anno 2 Henry IV. John, son and heir of Sir John de Burley, cousin and heir of Sir Simon de Burley, was, upon his petition, restored in blood, and the judgment against Sir Simon was revoked, and three years afterwards the king, with the assent of the lords, wholly restored him to all his hereditaments, except as to those excepted by him. (fn. 5) How long this manor remained in this name I have not found, but in the reign of Henry VI. it was in the possession of Sir James Fienes, who anno 25 of that reign, by reason of his mother's descent, was created Lord Say and Sele, and was afterwards made lord treasurer, but becoming unpopular, from his being so great a favorite, he was seized on in the insurrection raised by Jack Cade, and beheaded in the 29th year of that reign. He was at his death possessed of this manor, which by his will be devised to his son Sir William Fienes, who became likewise lord Say and Sele, but the unhappy contention which then subsisted between the houses of York and Lancaster, in which he risked not only his person, but his whole fortune, brought him soon afterwards into great distresses, and necessitated him to mortgage and sell the greatest part of his lands. How this manor was disposed of I have not found, but within a very few years afterwards it appears to have been in the hands of the crown, for king Richard III. in his first year, granted to John Water, alias Yorke Heraulde, an annuity out of the revenues of his lordship of Huntingfield, and afterwards by his writ, in the same year, on the resignation of John, garter, principal king at arms, and Thomas, clarencieux, king at arms, he committed to Richard Champeney, alias called Gloucestre, king of arms, the custody of this manor.
But the see of it seems to have remained in the crown till king Henry VIII. in his 35th year, granted it to John Guldford and Alured Randall, esqrs. to hold in capite by knight's service. John Guildford was the next year become the sole proprietor of it, and then alienated it to Sir Thomas Moyle; he sold it, in the 7th year of Edward VI. to John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, Canterbury, with its members and appurtenances in Esling, Sheldwich, Whitstaple, Reculver, and Ulcombe. However, it appears that he was not possessed of the entire see of it at his death in 1554, for he by his will devised his two thirds of this manor, (besides the third part due to the queen, after his wife's death) to his son Thomas Wild, then an infant, whose son John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, alienated his share, or two thirds of it, which included the courts, sines, amerciaments, and other privileges belonging to it, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, owner of the manor of North-court, alias Easling, as above-mentioned, whose great-grandson, Walter James, esq. possessed it at the restoration of Charles II. at the latter end of which reign his heirs sold it to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of it in 1678, and his great-grandson Richard Grove, esq. of London, proprietor likewise of North-court above-described, died in 1792, having by his will devised these manors (which having been for many years united in the same owners, are now consolidated, one court being held for both, the stile of which is, the manor of Easling, alias North court, with that of Huntingfield annexed, in Easling, Ulcomb, and Sheldwich) among the rest of his estates, to Wm. Jemmet, gent. of Ashford, and William Marshall, of London, and they continue at this time the joint possessors of these manors.
BUT THE REMAINING THIRD PART of the manor of Hunting field, in the hands of the crown in the reign of Philip and Mary, as before-mentioned, in which was included the mansion of Huntingfield court, with the demesne lands adjoining to it, continued there till it was granted, in the beginning of the next reign of queen Elizabeth, to Mr. Robert Greenstreet, who died possessed of it in the 14th year of that reign, holding it in capite by knight's service. His descendant Mr. Mathew Greenstreet, of Preston, leaving an only daughter Anne, she carried this estate in marriage to Mr. Richard Tassell, of Linsted, and he alienated it in 1733 to Edward Hasted, esq. barrister-at law, of Hawley, near Dartford, whose father Mr. Joseph Hasted, gent. of Chatham, was before possessed of a small part of the adjoining demesne lands of Huntingfield manor, which had been in queen Elizabeth's reign become the property of Mr. Josias Clynch.
The family of Hasted, or as they were antiently written, both Halsted and Hausted, was of eminent note in very early times, as well from the offices they bore, as their several possessions in different counties, and bore for their arms, Gules, a chief chequy, or, and azure. William Hausted was keeper of the king's exchange, in London, in the 5th year of Edward II. from whom these of Kent hold themselves to be descended, one of whom, John Hausted, clerk, or as his descendants wrote themselves, Hasted, born in Hampshire, is recorded to have been chaplain to queen Elizabeth, and a person much in favor with her, whom he so far displeased by entering into the state of marriage, which he did with a daughter of George Clifford, esq. of Bobbing, and sister of Sir Coniers Clifford, governor of Connaught, in Ireland, that he retired to the Isle of Wight, where he was beneficed, and dying there about the year 1596, was buried in the church of Newport. His great grandson Joseph Hasted, gent. was of Chatham, and dying in 1732, was buried in Newington church, as was his only son Edward, who was of Hawley, esq. the purchaser of Huntingfield court as before-mentioned. He died in 1740, leaving by his wife Anne, who was descended from the antient and respectable family of the Dingleys, of Wolverton, in the isle of Wight, one son, Edward Hasted, esq. late of Canterbury, who has several children, of whom the eldest, the Rev. Edward Hasted, late of Oriel college, in Oxford, is now vicar of Hollingborne. He bears for his arms the antient coat of the family of Halsted, or Hausted, as mentioned before, with the addition in the field, of an eagle displayed,ermine,beaked and legged, or, with which he quarters those of Dingley, Argent, a fess azure, in chief, two mullets of the second between two burts, which colours Charles, the third son of Sir John Dingley, of Wolverton, in James the 1st.'s reign, changed from those borne by his ancestors and elder brothers, i.e. from sable to azure.
Edward Hasted, esq. of Canterbury, above-mentioned, succeeded his father in this estate, which he, at length, in 1787, alienated to John Montresor, esq. of Throwley, who continues the possessor of it.
The foundations of slint and stone, which have continually been dug up near this house, shew it to have been formerly much larger that it is at present. There was once a chapel and a mill belonging to it, the fields where they stood being still known by the name of chapel-field and mill-field, which answers the description of this estate given in Domesday.
DIVEN is A MANOR, situated almost adjoining to the church of Easting, which is so corruptly called for Dive-court, its more antient and proper name. This estate was likewise one of those described before in Domesday, as being part of the possessions of the bishop of Baieux, on whose disgrace it was, among, the rest of his estates, forfeited to the crown; after which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish therein-mentioned, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover cattle, and of him and his heirs it was held, as half a knight's fee, of the honor of Chilham, the caput barouiæ, or head of their barony.
In the reign of Henry III. John Dive held this estate as before-mentioned, of that honor; and his descendant Andrew Dive, in the 20th year of king Edward III. paid aid for it as half a knight's fee, held of the above barony, when it paid ward annually to Dover castle. In this name the manor of Diven continued till the beginning of the next reign of king Richard II. when it was alienated to Sharp, of Ninplace, in Great Chart, in which it remained till the latter end of Henry VII. when it was conveyed to Thurston, of Challock, from which, some year after, it was passed by sale to John Wild, esq. who, before the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Gates, and he alienated it to Norden, who conveyed it to Bunce, where it remained after the death of king Charles I. in 1648; soon after which this manor was sold to John Adye, esq of Down court, in Doddington, who died possessed of it in 1660, and his two sons, Edward and Nicholas, seem afterwards to have possessed it in undivided moieties.
Edward Adye, esq. was of Barham, and left seven daughters his coheirs, of whom Susanna, married to Ruishe Wentworth, esq. son and heir of Sir George Wentworth, a younger brother to Thomas, the noted but unfortunate earl of Strafford, entitled her husband to the possession of her father's moiety of this manor, with other lands in Doddington, upon the division of his estates among them. He left an only daughter and heir Mary, who married Thomas, lord Howard, of Essingham, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in 1725, and leaving no male issue, he was succeeded in this estate by Francis his brother and heir, who was in 1731 created Earl of Essingham, and died in 1743. His son Thomas, earl of Effingham, afterwards alienated this moiety of Divencourt to Oliver Edwards, esq. of the six clerks office, as will be further mentioned hereafter.
The other moiety of this manor, which, on the death of his father, came into the possession of Nicholas Adye, esq. of Down-Court, in Doddington, was devised by him to his eldest son John Adye, esq. of Down court, who anno 23 Charles II. suffered a recovery of it. (fn. 6)
He left an only daughter and heir Mary, married to Henry Cullum, sergeant-at-law; but before that event, this estate seems to have been passed away by him to Thomas Diggs, esq. of Chilham castle, Whose descendant of the same name, in 1723, conveyed it, with Chilham-castle, and the rest of his estates in this county, to Mr. James Colebrook, citizen and mercer of London, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in the year 1752, after which it passed in like manner with them, till it was at length sold by his descendants, under the same act of parliament, in the year 1775, to Thomas Heron, esq. of Newark upon Trent, afterwards of Chilham-castle, who about the year 1776, joined with Oliver Edwards, esq. the proprietor of the other moiety, as has been mentioned beforce, to Mr. Charles Chapman, of Faversham, who then became possessed of the whole of it, which, at his death in 1782, he devised by his will to his nephews and nieces, of the name of Leeze, two of whom are now entitled to the fee of it.
THE MANOR OF ARNOLDS, which is situated about a mile eastward from the church of Easling, was likewise part of the estates of the bishop of Baieux, mentioned before, and on his disgrace came with the rest of them, to the crown, of which it was held afterwards in capite by barony, by Fulbert de Dover, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle, and of him and his heirs it was again held, as half a knight's fee, as of the honor of Chilham, the head of their barony.
Of them it was held by Arnold de Bononia, whence it acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Esling. His son John Fitzarnold afterwards possessed it in the reign of Edward III. after which Peter de Huntingfield was owner of it, but in the 20th year of Edward III. the lady Champaine, or Champion, and the earl of Oxford paid aid for it, as half a knight's fee, held of the barony above-mentioned. How it passed afterwards I have not seen, but in the next reign of Richard II. it was become part of the endowment of the dean and canons of the collegiate free chapel of St. Stephen's, Westminster, with whom it remained till the suppression of it in the 1st year of Edward VI. when it came into the hands of the crown; after which it became the property of Gates, and after that of Terry, in which it continued several years, and by that acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Terrys, from which name it was sold, in the reign of queen Anne, one part to the Rev. William Wickens, rector of this parish, who bore for his arms, Party, per pale, or, and sable, a chevron coupee, between three trefoils, all counter changed, whose son Mr. William Wickens, succeeded to it on his death in 1718. He died without male issue, and by his will devised it to his two daughters, one of whom marrying Elvy, he bought the other sister's share in it, and his widow surviving him now possesses both of them; another part was sold to Chapman, and a third to Avery. Since which it has become more inconsiderable, by the two parts last-mentioned having been again parcelled out, so that now it is sunk into that obscurity, as hardly to be worthy of notice, but the manerial rights of the manor are claimed by John Wynne and Lydia his wife.
Charities.
EDWARD GRESWOLD, by his will in 1677, gave 20l. for the benefit of the poor not receiving alms, to be laid out in land or otherwise, by his executors, who in 1680 purchased a piece of land, called Pinkes-cross, in Easling, containing two acres, in trust, for this purpose, the rent of it is now 154. per annum, vested in the minister and parish officers.
The poor constantly relieved are about twelve, casually twenty-five.
EASLING is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of three isles and a south chancel, called St. Katherine's. The steeple, which is a low pointed one, stands at the west end; there are six bells in it.
Alicia de Esling, wife of Robert de Eschequer, and lady of the manor of Esling, with the consent of archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen, granted the church of Elinges, situated on her estate, to the priory of Ledes, in perpetual alms, together with the temporalities, or appropriation of it, to be possessed by them for ever after the death of Gervas then incumbent of it. Which gift was confirmed by archbishop Hubert, in the reign of Richard I.
Notwithstanding which, there was no vicarage endowed here, nor did the canons of Ledes ever enjoy the parsonage of it; but archbishop Stephen Langton, who succeeded archbishop Hubert, with the consent and approbation of William de Eslinges, patron of this church, granted to the canons of Ledes twenty shillings yearly, to be received from it in the name of a benefice; and he ordained, that beyond that sum, they should not claim any thing further from it, but that whenever it should become vacant, the said William de Esling should present to it. But it should seem that after this, they had not given up all pretensions to it, for they obtained, seventy years after this, viz. in 1278, of the prior, and the convent of Christchurch, Canterbury, a confirmation of the archbishops Theobald and Hubert's charters to them, in which this church is particularly mentioned. (fn. 7) How long it continued in the hands of the family of Esling I do not find, or in those of private patronage; but before the 22d year of Edward III. it was become part of the possessions of the college founded by Sir John Poultney, in the church of St. Laurence, Canon-street, London, with which it remained till the suppression of the college, in the reign of Edward VI. when it came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the hands of the crown.
After which it seems to have been granted to Sir Thomas Moyle, of Eastwell, whose sole daughter and heir Catherine married Sir Thomas Finch, of that place, and afterwards Nicholas St. Leger, esq. who in her right presented to this rectory in 1574; after which Sir Moyle Finch, knight and baronet, the eldest son of Sir Thomas and lady Catherine, succeeded to it, in whose descendants, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, this advowson continued down to Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who died possessed of it in 1769, without male issue, leaving his four daughters his coheirs. He was succeeded in titles by his nephew George Finch, esq. only son of his next brother William; but this advowson, with Eastwell, and the rest of his Kentish estates, he gave by his will to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. only son of his third brother the hon. Edward Finch Hatton, (fn. 8) who is the present owner of it.
The pension of twenty shillings payable from this church to the priory of Ledes, at its suppression in the reign of Henry VIII. came into the hands of the crown; after which it was settled, among other premises, by the King, in his 33d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to it.
¶This rectory is valued in the king's books at sixteen pounds, and the yearly tenths at 1l. 12s. In 1587 the communicants here were eighty-seven.
In 1640 it was valued at 120l. Communicants one hundred. It is now worth upwards of 200l. per annum.
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
The tomb of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox
She was born on 8th October 1515 at Harbottle Castle in Northumberland. Her mother was Margaret Tudor (1489-1541), daughter of Henry VII and widow of James IV of Scotland, who had married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 (they divorced in 1527). The young Margaret, who was very beautiful, lived for a time with her aunt Princess Mary and then became a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn and led an eventful life, being imprisoned in the Tower of London on several occasions.
On 6th July 1544 at St James' Palace in London she married Matthew Stewart, 13th Earl of Lennox, who was a descendant of James I of Scotland. Their second son Henry, Lord Darnley married Mary, Queen of Scots and was murdered in 1567. Matthew died after being shot in the back in a skirmish at Stirling Castle in 1571. None of her eight children survived her and she died, in poverty, on 9th March 1578 (New Style dating). In the Abbey archives an order for her funeral shows that the coffin was to be met at the west door by the ministers and choir and during the procession to the hearse "I am the resurrection and the life" was to be said or sung. Two or three psalms are suggested and after the sermon there was the commemoration at the Communion Table with the epistle and gospel being read. At the offering some parts of Scripture were to be sung. The service then proceeded according to the prayer book.
Her grandson James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England, is said to have erected the fine monument, which was in place by 1600 (the monument to Mary Queen of Scots was later erected to the east of Margaret's). Her recumbent effigy, made of alabaster, wears a French cap and ruff with a red fur-lined cloak, over a dress of blue and gold. On either side of the tomb chest are weepers (small kneeling statues) of her four sons (Charles and Henry and two who died young) and four daughters (all died young). The inscription panels read:
HEER LYETH THE NOBLE LADY MARGARET, COUNTESSE OF LEVENOX, DAUGHTER AND SOLE HEIRE OF ARCHIBALD EARLE OF ANGUISE [Angus], BY MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTES HIS WIFE THAT WAS ELDEST DAUGHTER TO KING HENRY THE 7, WHOE BARE UNTO MATHEW EARLE OF LEVENOX HER HUSBAND 4 SONNES AND 4 DAUGHTERS. THIS LADY HAD TO HER GREAT GRANDFATHER K.EDWARD THE 4, TO HER GRANDFATHER K.HENRY THE 7, TO HER UNCLE K.HENRY THE 8, TO HER COUSIN GERMANE K.EDWARD THE 6, TO HER BROTHER K.JAMES OF SCOTLAND THE V, TO HER SONNE KING HENRY THE FIRST [ie.Lord Darnley], TO HER GRANDCHILD K.JAMES THE 6. HAVINGE TO HER GREATE GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER 2 QUEENES BOTH NAMED ELIZABETH, TO HER MOTHER MARGARET Q. OF SCOTTS, TO HER AUNT MARYE THE FRENCHE Q, TO HER COUSYNS GERMANES MARY AND ELIZABETH QUEENES OF ENGLAND, TO HER NEECE AND DAUGHTER IN LAW MARY Q.OF SCOTTS. HENRY SECOND SONNE TO THIS LADY WAS K. OF SCOTTS AND FATHER TO JAMES THE 6 NOW KING. THIS HENRY WAS MURTHERED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES. CHARLES HER YOUNGEST SONNE WAS EARLE OF LEVENOX FATHER TO THE LADIE ARBELL. HE DYED AT THE AGE OF 21 YEARES AND IS HERE INTOMBED.
On the ledge at the east end was a Latin inscription, translated as:
This work was completed at the charge of Thomas Fowler, the executor of this lady, 24 Oct 1578
The inscription at the west end is also in Latin and can be translated:
Sacred to the memory of MARGARET DOUGLAS, wife of Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox, granddaughter to Henry VII, King of England, by his daughter (Margaret Tudor): joined by the closest ties of kinship to most puissant kings, grandmother to James VI of Scotland, a lady of most pious character, invincible spirit, and matchless steadfastness. She died the tenth of March, year of Our Lord 1577. Margaret, mighty in virtue, mightier yet in lineage: ennobled by kings and by her forebears; descended from Scottish and English princes, she was also a progenitor of princes. Those things that belong unto death, she released to death most joyfully, and sought God, for she belonged to God before.
The monument was restored in the 1960s. At her feet is a crowned lion. Sculpted and painted coats of arms adorn the tomb chest: Darnley impaling Scotland at the east end; a lozenge of Angus and Douglas at the west end and at the sides Lennox impaling Angus and Douglas.
[Westminster Abbey]
Inside the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St Peter)
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor) established his royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960A.D. This monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the "west minster" to distinguish it from St Paul's Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated on 28th December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of Edward's monastery to be seen today are in the round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber in the cloisters. The undercroft was originally part of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the Abbey at this period was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the "translation" or moving of King Edward's body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward's Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on 13th October 1269. Unfortunately the king died before the nave could be completed so the older structure stood attached to the Gothic building for many years.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII (who abdicated) who were never crowned. The ancient Coronation Chair can still be seen in the church.
It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar in his new church. This shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia and Henry V.
There are around 3,300 burials in the church and cloisters and many more memorials. The Abbey also contains over 600 monuments, and wall tablets – the most important collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country. Notable among the burials is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of pilgrimage. Heads of State who are visiting the country invariably come to lay a wreath at this grave.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady chapel built by King Henry VII, first of the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. This has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Pietro Torrigiano can be seen in Henry's fine tomb. The chapel was consecrated on 19th February 1516. Since 1725 it has been associated with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and the banners of the current Knights Grand Cross surround the walls. The Battle of Britain memorial window by Hugh Easton can be seen at the east end in the Royal Air Force chapel. A new stained glass window above this, by Alan Younger, and two flanking windows with a design in blue by Hughie O'Donoghue, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished from medieval times) were completed in 1745, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Little remains of the original medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey's chief glories. Some 13th century panels can be seen in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries. The great west window and the rose window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass is from the 19th century onwards. The newest stained glass is in The Queen Elizabeth II window, designed by David Hockney.
History did not cease with the dissolution of the medieval monastery on 16th January 1540. The same year Henry VIII erected Westminster into a cathedral church with a bishop (Thomas Thirlby), a dean and twelve prebendaries (now known as Canons). The bishopric was surrendered on 29th March 1550 and the diocese was re-united with London, Westminster being made by Act of Parliament a cathedral church in the diocese of London. Mary I restored the Benedictine monastery in 1556 under Abbot John Feckenham.
But on the accession of Elizabeth I the religious houses revived by Mary were given by Parliament to the Crown and the Abbot and monks were removed in July 1559. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel, refounded the Abbey by a charter dated 21 May 1560 as a Collegiate Church exempt from the jurisdiction of archbishops and bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. Its Royal Peculiar status from 1534 was re-affirmed by the Queen and In place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster School (one of the country's leading independent schools). In addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only fully relinquished in the early 20th century.
[Westminster Abbey]
Altar of the Sacred Heart, St. Annes R. C. Cathedral, Leeds designed by Greenslade and executed by Nathaniel Hitch in 1904. The gift of Peter O'Hara a wholesale grocer from Leeds. Moses is seen in the panel on the left and The Crucifixion on the right.
Underneath is an alabster panel depicting the Last Supper, The statue of the Sacred Heart is by Cesare Formilli, (1860 -1942) - 1922
From the London Gazette July 4th 1902
"PETER JOSEPH O'HARA, Deceased; Pursuant to the Statute, 22 and 23 Vic., cap. 35. ALL persons- having claims against. the estate of Peter .Joseph. O'Hara, late-of .5, Coburg-street, in the city of Leeds, trading as a Wholesale Provision Merchant, under the-name of O'Hara and Company, at 6 and 7, Wade-street, in Lee Is aforesaid (who died on the 16th April last), are required to send written particulars thereof 'before 9th August next to the undersigned Solicitor for his executors, the Very Reverend .Canon Roger O’Hara, the Reverend Denis O'Hara, Patrick Wyms, and Martin Casey, who will, after such date, distribute the deceased's assets, having regard only to the claims of which they shall then have had notice. —Dated 3rd July, 1902. RICHARD FELIX MORGAN-, Victoria-chambers, South Parade, Leeds."
More on Cesare Formilli - www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra-magazine/blog/review-amongst-h...
www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/reading-the-ch...
Translated by Google
"Formilli, Cesare. - He was born in Rome to Alessandro and Medosi Carolina and was baptized on 1 August 1860 (Rome, Arch stor. Vicariate, S. Andrea delle Frate, Baptisms, 1860 f. No. 65. 565). Student at the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome, F. later attended the courses of the pictorial decoration of the School of Drawing Application to the industrial arts, industrial annexed to the Museum of Art, edited by D. Bruschi.
On the occasion of the exhibitions organized at the end of the course of the school year in which students were exposed to the wise, F. In 1878 he exhibited drawings for a piece of furniture and a mirror painted the following year won the second prize for the design of a cabinet in the Renaissance style (Raimondi, 1984-85).
Still very young F. was part of the group of artists "gathered spontaneously" around John (Nino) Costa (Italy ... 1885, p. 46) that, since the early years of his career, was a fundamental point of reference. The F. In fact, before he joined the Golden Club, then the Circle of Italian artists, both founded by Costa (1876, 1879) with the express purpose of promoting the renewal of painting in Italy. In subsequent years, the F. continued to support the efforts of the teacher, including the formation of the Etruscan School, a group of considerable importance for the Roman artistic environment created by the French between 1883 and 1884, not coincidentally the first works of F., and Le Fiumicino early morning hours (Jervis, 1991), were exhibited in 1885 along with the other "Etruscan", as part of the usual exhibitions organized by the Society of amateurs and connoisseurs of fine arts. Of them, as most of the works of F., the current location is unknown.
The work early in the morning we can know the subject as it was reproduced in photogravure signed Corticelli and designed by F., of Italy ... 1885 (p. 65): a smooth running of naked cherubs on a lawn wrapped in the fog.
Always appear on the same periodic two photogravures, probably the first tests of F. as an illustrator. The first is a drawing, engraved by E. Ballarini, which reproduces a fragment of the entablature of the Baths of Agrippa, described in an article by A. Capannari (1882, p. 3 s.) And which serves as a frontispiece to the first issue of the magazine (1882, p. 1). The second, entitled Funiculì Funiculà, it is only signed by F. as a designer, and according to what was stated in a short anonymous article, plays the part of "a watercolor painting on silk done by a fan from the young Mr. Formilli" (1883, p. 160).
The F. was a member of the group "In Arte Libertas" (Rossetti Agresti, 1904, p. 218), born at the initiative of the painters A. Morani and A. Ricci and strongly inspired by the innovative programs of the Coast. The F. not participated in the first exhibition of the association held in 1886, but in the same year, together with the artists themselves, was among the authors of the graphic works intended to illustrate the "founder of Italian art books" (I. de Guttry - MP Maino - M. Quesada, The minor arts copyright in Italy from 1900 to 1930, Rome-Bari 1985, p. 136), the poetry collection of G. D'Annunzio Isaotta Guttadauro, for this F. executed an engraving illustrating some verses of the poem Hyla! Hyla! (Frandini, 1972, p. XXXII). At the second exhibition of the group took place in 1887, at the studio of S. Vannutelli Pamphili palace in Piazza Navona, F. participated with a work of which it is known the title in English: Sabine Hills (Jervis, 1991). The links of the association, as those of the School Etruscan (which among other things were part of many British artists), with England were, in fact, very solid in the same year, the artist exhibited two landscapes at the Grosvenor Gallery London (Graves, 1969), which for many years was the stronghold of the "Etruscan", later replaced by the New Gallery. During the exhibition held in London in 1888, the artists of the "Art In Libertas" was reserved for a particular room.
On this occasion the F. presented to the public the following works: River Farfa Sabina, Morning Mountain juniper (which is perhaps to be identified with the Sabine Hills), First hour of the night, Trees Ludovisi Villa, Villa Medici, S. Pietro seen from the Tiber, after the hurricane, Ostia, Villa Adriana, Tivoli, costume worn by Charlemagne at his coronation in Rome in 801, carried out in collaboration with G. Vannicola (Esposiz. ital., London, 1888).
The F. appears also among the signatories of the Statute of the "Art In Libertas", drawn up in 1890 (Rossetti Agresti, 1904, p. 220). Even in this first phase of activity of F. could go back to the two watercolors, Villa Borghese in Rome and Older homes Piperno (Rome, coll. S. Raskovic: Raskovic, 1989; De Rosa PA - PE Trastulli, '800 Lazio, Rome 1994, p. 43).
Since 1894, F. permanent resident in London, and in this same year, he was able to exhibit the manifestations of the Royal Academy. The F. began by presenting a design for the decoration of a house in Lisbon the following year, the design for a living, in 1896 the preparatory panels with female figures and peacocks for a room in Walsingham House, decoration that was to be performed in multi-colored graffiti, a particular technique developed by the artist (Graves, 1905 The Studio, 1897 n. 56, p. 119-121). Of the other works exhibited at the Royal Academy in the following years we only know the English titles reported by Graves (1905): 1899 Closing the link, depicting a blacksmith's forge (The Athenaeum, May 27, 1899, p. 664) 1902 Surprised , 1903 My son's regiment. Between 1887 and 1913, again in England, F. participated in several art exhibitions in which he exhibited a total of 85 works of which, however, do not know the titles (Johnson - Greutzner, 1976).
The contacts with Italy were kept, though: on the occasion of the great International Exhibition held in Rome in 1911 were commissioned to F. reproductions casts of the tombs of Edward the Confessor and Henry III and his daughter, performed by masters cosmateschi to Westminster Abbey; these works, exhibited in this circumstance in the Castel Sant'Angelo, are now part of the collections of the Museum of Rome (Nos. 397, 400, 399; Calosso Bertini, 1911 Dangers Ridolfini, 1963).
A sign of the esteem that the F. he earned with his appointment to London was the Commander of the Crown of Italy, an honor of which he could boast on the title page of his first literary work, The stones of Italy, published in London in 1927. In this work, illustrated with 32 photographs from his watercolors F. remember having held the position of Commissioner of the English section at the Rome Biennale II, which also took part as an exhibitor (catal., p. 174 ff.).
The purpose of the book was to propose a "journey" in particular places of the peninsula, not necessarily among the best known, of which the author refers impressions, suggestions, with frequent digressions on episodes of the past history. The F. chose mostly little-known buildings and monuments, most of the Middle Ages. We recall in this connection a few titles: The Genoa side entrance of the Cathedral of St. Lorenzo and Port Sovereign with the house of C. Columbus; Viterbo The balcony of the beautiful Galiana, in Venice The antique shop at the bridge of the Dai and the square of S. Geronimo. The original watercolors of Palazzo Bevilacqua in Bologna and 'wing of the cathedral of Milan with the tower of St. Gottardo are currently located at the collection Raskovic (Raskovic, 1989).
Characters quite similar has the second test of literary F., The castles of Italy, published in London in 1933, with 24 illustrations taken from watercolors (see also The Connoisseur, April 1934, p. 271) the artist himself. This is the last track so far known of the many-sided activity of F.: The premise of the book is dated March 20, 1933 and was written in Rome. No known neither the place nor the date of death of Formilli.
Sources and Bibl.: A. Capannari, About ancient Corinthian entablature nell'efebeo discovery of the Baths of Agrippa, in Italy and artistic shows, I (1882-83), p. 1, 3 s.; Funiculì Funiculà, ibid., II (1883), p. 158, 160, G. Cantalamessa, Giovanni Costa, ibid., III (1885), p. 46 s., C., Our engravings, ibid., P. 63, 65; Italian Exhibition in London, Report, London, 1888, p. 459, 478, 495 s., O. Rossetti Agresti, Giovanni Costa. His life, work and times, London 1904, p. 202, 211 s., 218, 220; A. Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts. A complete dictionary of contributors and their work From its foundation in 1769 to 1904, London 1905, II, p. 140, A. Bertini Calosso The retrospective exhibitions in the Castel Sant'Angelo, in Art, XIV (1911), p. 462 n. 2; General Guide of retrospective exhibitions in the Castel Sant'Angelo, Bergamo, 1911, p. 76-80; F. Hermanin, The retrospective exhibitions in the Castel Sant'Angelo, New Anthology, April 1911, p. 535, P. Misciattelli, The Life and Art in Castel Sant'Angelo, Life in Art, IV (1911), p. 110, E. Somare, History of Italian painters 800, Milan, 1928, II, p. 77, A. Muñoz, Museum of Rome, Rome, 1930, p. 12-15, C. Dangers Ridolfini, Visit to the Museum, in the Museum of Rome. Itinerary, Rome 1963 p. 23, P. Frandini, Nino Costa and the Roman art scene between 1870 and 1890, in aspects of art in Rome from 1870 to 1914 (catal.), Rome 1972, p. XXX-XXXII, G. Posts, the "Byzantine Chronicle," "The Banquet" and the luck of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in Rome, ibid., P. XXXVI, The Etruscan School. Centenary 1876-1976 (catal.), London 1976, pp.. nn, The Etruscan School from 1870 to 1900. Inglese artists working in Rome (catal.), Carlisle, 1978, p. 3, 7 AM Damsel, The Symbolist painting in Italy from 1885 to 1890, Turin 1981, p. 81 n. 86 D. Sources, Cellini, Rome, 1981, p. 10, 13, 18 s.; Nino Costa and his English friends (catal.), edited by S. Berresford - P. Nicholls, Milan 1982, p. nn, G. Seedlings, Costa, John, in Diz. biogr. the Italians, XXX, Rome 1984, p. 193 G. Raimondi, The Museum of Industrial Art, thesis, University of the Studies of Rome "La Sapienza", aa 1984-1985, p. 8, 201, 225, P. Pallottino, History of Illustration Italian, Bologna 1988, p. 189; painters dell'Immaginifico. D'Annunzio and illustrators of his works, edited by R. Mammuccari - R. Langella (catal., Rome), Velletri, 1989, p. 30, S. Raskovic, A sentimental artistic painter. CF, ibid., P. 160 s.; Hufschmidt TF - L. Jannattoni, Ancient Greek coffee. History environments collections, Rome 1989, p. 50; Marabottini TA, Nino Costa, Turin 1990, p. 40 s.; C. Bon Valsassina, Painting in Rome in the second half of the nineteenth century, painting in Italy. The nineteenth century, Milan 1991 I, p. 447, 460, AV Jervis, ibid., II, p. 830 s., H. Vollmer, Künstlerlexikon des XX. Jahrh., II, p. 133, A. Graves, A Dictionary of artists who have Exhibited works in the principal London exhibitions from 1760 to 1893, Bath 1969, p. 101 J. Johnson - A. Greutzner, The Dictionary of British artists 1880-1940, Suffolk 1976, p. 181 J. Busse, aller Maler und Internationales Handbuch des Bildhauer 19. Jahrhunderts, Wiesbaden 1977, p. 422."
and
"Caesar Formilli (Rome 1860 -? 1935)
Caesar Formilli, watercolourist and writer on art, was born August 1, 1860 in Rome.
He attended the Museum of Industrial Art, where he studied decorative painting. During his studies, receiving awards for school furniture designs. He goes to Nino Costa, which suffers strongly influence, and joined in 1879 in the Artists' Club, founded by Costa in response to criticism of Italian art at the Paris Exposition of 1878. In 1884 part of the founding group of the "School Etruscan", an association, commissioned by Costa, landscape painters of Italian and English, which is still raised in the painting to identify the sentiment of nature. Formilli participates with the artists of this association to the exhibitions of the Society of Amateurs and Connoisseurs Rome in 1885 with two paintings, Fiumicino and the first hours of the morning. In 1886, together with other artists, called by Joseph Cellini, collaborates illustration of 'Isaotta Guttadauro of Gabriele D'Annunzio. In 1887 Formilli participate in the Show group "In Arte Libertas" with the landscape Sabine Hills, Anglophiles expression of the feelings of the artist, which led him towards the end of the century to move to London. Here you can take part in the exhibitions of the Royal Academy and with twenty-four color plates illustrating the book, The Castles of Italy, published in 1934. He died in London on December 8, 1942.
Pasqualina Di Gaeta
REFERENCES:
Painters and Painting nineteenth century Italian De Agostini, Novara 1997-1998
Thieme-Becker, Allge meines bildenden Lexikon der Künstler, Leipzig 19 92
Various Authors: Painting in Italy - The nineteenth century - Electa, Milan 1991
AM Comanducci, Visual Dictionary of painters and engravers modern Italian, Milan 1962"
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
I headed north out of Acle, en route to Trunch, but with the intention of investigating any towers or signs pointing to a church I might come across. And in only a few minutes there was a sign pointing to a church, which turned out to be St Peter.
There was a young chap, younger than me anyways, attending to the churchyard, pruning an errant bush, and we passed the time remarking what a fine day it was to be about, and nothing could be better on such a day than a bit of churchcrawling.
As far as Norfolk churches go, I suppose St Peter isn't remarkable. It would be easy to pass by on the bend of the main road and not see it at all. But it has some nice tiles, and traces of wall painting which is always good to see, and in general is a small and tidy church, well looked after, and on this day, welcoming.
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St Peter at Clippesby may well be one of the less-visited churches of Norfolk, especially in comparison with many others in the Broads area, because it is not easily visible until you are actually upon it, and neither is it well-signposted. It is set down a scrubby lane off at a dangerous bend in the busy Acle to Stalham road, and the secretive and beautifully overgrown churchyard comes as a surprise. St Peter is one of Norfolk's 120-odd round-towered churches, although the tower here is a complete rebuilding of the 1870s. Despite the major restoration of this time, the church still presents a fine Norman doorway to the north. Curiously, the 19th Century south porch which is hidden from the road appears to have two Norman doorways, the outer and the inner; it is not impossible that one was brought from elsewhere, but it seems more likely that they both incorporate parts of what was once a single doorway. There is some intriguing graffiti on both doorways, the most fascinating of which is a roundel which seems to show a Norman woman praying.
So the church is obviously a Norman building elaborated later then, as many are around here. But there seems to have been another considerable restoration in the early 13th Century, presumably obviating a need for anything major to happen in the late medieval period. This pretty little aisleless church must have looked very much as it does now, in its lovely churchyard, for almost a millennium.
If there is one good reason for coming to Clippesby it is to see one of the major works of the early 20th Century East Anglian Arts and Crafts revival, the south nave window by Margaret Edith Rope. The Rope family produced several fine artists, but the most significant were Margaret Edith Rope and Margaret Agnes Rope, two cousins who produced some of the finest English stained glass work of the first half of the Century. The Clippesby window is important because it was, in 1919, Margaret Edith Rope's first commission. It depicts the scene of Christ allowing the children to come to him, 'for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven'. It is full of bright colours, the drawing owing something to the contemporary work of Anning Bell, but the scene full of the little details which would become the Rope Cousins' trademarks: here, the doll held by one of the little girls, the toy Noah's ark which bobs in the stream with tigers and elephants coming off of it, the frog which sits on a lilypad. An upper light depicts a priest baptising a baby, and the round window behind him becomes a cruciform nimbus, because the window remembers Alfred Rivett, Rector here 1897-1917, and his wife Anna. It is utterly enchanting.
With such a dramatic highlight the rest of the interior pales somewhat, but this is a simple, well-kept church with the character of its 1870s restoration. The reredos is a fine piece, suggesting a considerable Anglo-Catholic sympathy here at that time. The 15th Century font is a curiosity, appearing to have had the top quarter or so sliced off the bowl, possibly to even it up after vandalism in the 16th and 17th Centuries. I couldn't help thinking that, in proportion, it is very similar to some of the Seven Sacrament series, and it would be fascinating to know what the panels depicted before they were smoothed clean.
Clippesby church has two sets of pairs of brasses from each end of the 16th Century, and thus either side of the great Reformation divide. The earlier ones are to Thomas Pallyng and his wife, he in the costume of a rich merchant. The later ones depict John Clippesby and his wife. He is very much the Tudor gentleman, and with them are their three daughters, and a chrysom child, a baby who did not survive into childhood. The only jarring note in the whole building is a window depicting the Resurrection, probably of the 1870s, in garish ice cream parlour colours.
As you may be able to tell, I liked Clippesby church very much indeed. I sat there, soaking it all in, feeling the warmth of the sunshine falling through Margaret Edith Rope's masterpiece behind me, when I heard - or thought I heard - a slight movement behind me. I had left both porch doors open, and as I turned I saw two young black cats, who had overcome their nervousness and were poking their heads around the doorway to see what I was up to. Well, when I turned they were gone like a flash, as you may imagine, no doubt fearful lest their inquisitiveness should prove their downfall. I went and sat outside in the churchyard, watching them explore and tumble in the long grass. Again, a noise behind me, and this time a large, adult male peacock was thrusting like a battleship through the undergrowth. What an extraordinary place. I took my leave respectfully, and headed on, pausing only to notice the new headstone on the south side of the chancel to one lovingly remembered as an inspiring Choir trainer, Artist, Poet, Thinker and a wise and caring friend.
Simon Knott, June 2011
www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/clippesby/clippesby.htm
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In the reign of the Confessor, 4 freemen, two of them being under the commendation of Almar Bishop of Elmham, one under Alsi, and one under the abbey of St. Bennet, held 100 acres, 10 of meadow, and there were under them 6 borderers, with a carucate and an half.
William Beaufoe Bishop of Thetford, on their deprivation, had a grant of it, and was lord at the survey, when it was valued at 20s. but in Edward's time at 5s. It was 3 furlongs long, and 5 broad, and paid 12d. gelt. (fn. 1)
The abbey of St. Bennet at Holm had also one freeman. (fn. 2)
Bishop Beaufoe, at his death, gave this lordship which he held by a lay fee, to his successours; and on the exchange of lands between King Henry VIII. and Bishop Rugg, what the abbot of Hom held came likewise to the see of Norwich, and so continues at this time.
Osbert de Salicibus, alias de Willows, was lord in the reign of Henry II. and in the 9th of King John, Henry was lord and patron of the church of Clippesby, (as the jury find,) and that his father Osbert presented the last, rector, and William was son of Henry.
In the 10th of Henry III. John de Salicibus held half a fee of the Bishop of Norwich; and in the 19th of that king, Hugh Pickering granted lands by fine to William de Salicibus.
Nicholas de Salicibus was found in the 20th of that reign, to hold here and in Repps, half a fee of Ralph Holeback, and he of the Bishop; and William de Salicibus granted to Henry de Billakeby half a fee, to be held of him and his heirs for ever.
In the reign of Henry III. Mathew de Bukeskyn conveyed to Walter, son of William de Bukeskyn, and his heirs, a messuage, and 50 acres of land, with a windmill in this town, Rolesby and Thurne; and Walter granted to Matthew, a messuage called Kamesworth, with lands, &c.
The said Walter granted to Willium de Bukeskyn and Julian his wife, the aforesaid mill, messuages and 50 acres in the 44th of that King.
Peter Buxkyn, in the first of Edward I. settled on himself for life, 18 messuages, and tenements, with lands here in Askeby, Oby, Repps, &c. remainder on Robert his son and Alice, his wife, in tail.
In the 35th of that King, Robert de Glenham and Alice his wife, settled by fine, on Mr. Walter de Pykering, and Walter son of Robert de Pikering; and John de Billokeby granted a messuage, &c. to Nicholas de Salicibus and Elen his wife, in the 9th of Edward II.
Peter Buxkyn, as lord, presented to this church in 1320, &c. and in 1338; and in the 17th of the said King Edward II. Walter parson of the church of Clopton, granted to Walter, son of William de Pickering, messuages, lands and rents here, &c. for life.
William de Stanton and Julian his wife, granted in the 19th of that King, lands here, &c. to Peter Buckskyn; and in the 3d of Edward III. John Hibberd released to William Bukeskyn a messuage, &c.
In the 19th of Edward III. Sir John Buxskyn claimed a moiety of 6 messuages, 30 acres of land, 10 of meadow, 8 of furze, one of moor, and 30s. rent, a hen, and 4 — in this town, &c. by the grant of John de Pickering, and William his brother, late Peter de Pickering's, and another of John and William de Pickering's; and it appears that the Pickerings had a lordship here, and what was held of it was partible between the heirs male.
In 1361, Edmund Pickering, John his brother, and Catherine, presented to this church.
In 1389, Edmund de Clipesby, John Pickering and Jeffrey Curteys, presented; and in 1390, John Pykering and Jeffrey Curteys, in right of their wives; and John son of John de Pickering, and John, son of Edmund de Clipesby, held here and in Repps, half a fee of Robert de Martham, of the fee of the Bishop of Norwich.
In the 20th of Henry VII. Ralph Fupson and Elizabeth his wife, convey the manor of Buxkyns, with lands in this town, &c. to Sir Henry Collet, alderman of London, and mayor in 1405, on whose death, in the 21st of the said King, John Collet, D. D. dean of St. Paul's, his son by Christian his wife, daughter of Sir John Knevet of Ashwell-Thorp, and Elizabeth, sister and heiress of Sir John Clifton, Knt. of New Buckingham in Norfolk, inherited it; who by his will, dated August 22d, 1519, appoints that after his death, and of Dame Christian his mother, an estate should be made to John Nele his servant, of all his lands, tenements, rents, services, wards, &c. in the towns of Clippesby, Rollesby, Burgh, Billokby, Ouby, Repps, Bastwick, Martham, Askeby, and Thurne in Norfolk.
This came afterwards to the Clipesbys, lords also of a manor, and by the heiress of that family to Sir Randolph Crew, and his son, Sir Clipesby Crew. From the Crews it came to Sir John Potts, Bart. of Manington, who settled it on his 2d wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Samuel Brown, one of the judges of the Common Pleas.
Sir Algernon Potts, Bart. sold the reversion of it to George England, Esq. who was lord in 1720; and England conveyed it to Capt. Clark; Mrs. Clark's heirs are said to have had it in 1740.
In the time of the Confessor, Earl Guert, brother of King Harold, had a freeman under his protection, who possessed 20 acres of land, and 4 of meadow, and 3 other freemen of his had 17 acres of land, and 3 of meadow, with a carucate, valued at 2s. 6d.
In Clipesby a freeman of the Confessor's had 20 acres, and half a carucate, and three acres of meadow, valued at 2s.
All this was in the Conqueror's hands at the time of the survey; and Godric also took care of 4 acres and an half of land for the Conqueror, of which a freeman was owner, and deprived. The Conqueror had also 46 acres of land, and 5 of meadow, the part of a saltwork, and one carucate, which 5 freemen were deprived of, valued at 3s. at the survey. On Almar's deprivation, Godric took care of it for the King.
These tenures were granted from the Crown to a family who took their name from the town; the first that I meet with is Hugh de Clipesby, living in the reign of King Henry II. whose son Richard conveyed by fine to Stephen de Rolvesby 60 acres of land here, and in Burgh, Stephen granting to him 10s. per ann.
Richard, son of Hugh de Clipesby let lands to William, son of Alan de Reppes, and Scientia his wife, in Reppes, for 30 years.
In the abuttals of the land, mention is made of the lands of John, son of Osbert de Clipesby; and for this grant William de Reppes and Scientia his wife, gave to Richard, 39s. two swords of the price of 9s. one bearded arrow of 2s. and one of 15d. with a pound of pepper.
This deed is sans date, but was about the first year of King John. The witnesses were Reginald Prest, de Askeby, Wimer de Sypa, Roger de Suffield, Stephen de Rollesby, Wimer de Burgh, Henry de Askeby, Hugh, son of Richard de Clipesby, &c.
About this time was also living, John, son of Elfred de Clipesby, who gave to William, son of Algar de Clipesby, lands here; witness William de Salicibus, also Ralph, son of Osbert de Clipesby, who gave lands to William de Sparham, who gave to Ralph 35 marks of silver.
¶Richard de Clipesby by deed, sans date, grants to Hugh his son, by Mabel his wife, 30 acres of land here, belonging to the fee of the King, with several villains, with all their progeny, and all the homages belonging to the fee of William de Owby, and villains, &c. and Hugh gave to Richard a palfrey, and a gold ring, in gersuma; witnesses, Ralph de Somerton, Robert de Malteby, Simon de Ormesby, William and Thomas, sons of Richard de Clipesby, &c.
In the 5th of Henry III. John, parson of Burgh, conveyed to Hugh de Clipesby 5 acres and a half of land here; and in this family this lordship continued, till the death of the last heir male John Clipesby, Esq.
a) The old pedigrees of this family are (as far as I can see) very faulty, and supported by no proofs or evidence; Algar and Osbert de Clipesby are made sons of Morcarius, and placed at the head of the pedigree, and made brothers to Ralph de Clipesby, who is therein said to be grandfather to this Hugh; whereas it appears by undoubted evidences, that Algar and Odbert were living in the reign of King John; and that Hugh, father of Richard de Clipesby, was living in the reign of Henry II. and what is yet more unpardonable there are 15 descents made between the 10th of King Richard I. and the reign of Richard II.
Sir Richard de Clipesby was witness to a deed of Robert, son of Richard de Mautebi, sans date.
In an assise of last presentation to this church, the pedigree stands thus, Ao. 9 of King John:
(b) Sir Robert de Clipesby was lord of this town, and had rents, free tenants and villains, in Repps, Bastwick, Martham, Skow, Rollesby, Billockly, Burgh, &c.
This Robert is said to have married Agnes, daughter and heir of John de Salicibus, or de Willows, and John de Salicibus and Agnes the daughter and coheir of William de Stalham.
(c) Edmund de Clipesby, Esq. married Eva, daughter and coheir of Sir William Caley of Oby, and was lord in the 48th of Edward III.
Some pedigrees make this Edmund to be father of John, and some say John was son of Edmund de Clipesby, junior, son of Edmund, senior, which Edmund, junior, was outlawed, for the murder of Walter Cooks, husband of Julian Cooks, in the 16th of Richard II. then aged 26.
In the 10th of Richard II. Edmund de Clipesby enfeoffed Sir John Jenny in this lordship and advowson.
(d) In the 3d of Henry IV. John Clipesby, Esq. son of Edmund, and John, son of John Pickering, senior, were found by an inquisition taken at Norwich on Thursday after St. Michael, to hold here, and in Repps, half a fee of Robert de Martham, of the Bishop of Norwich; and in the 2d of Henry V. John de Clipesby, son of Edmund, released to John Derby, Esq. all his right in the lands, villains, wards, marriages, in the village of Stalham, &c.
In the 12th of Henry VI. John settled on William de Clipesby his son, by Alice his wife, a moiety of this lordship, &c. on his son's marriage with Alice his wife; John was returned in the 7th of Henry VI. to be a gentleman of ancient coat-armour, and to serve the King with his lance, for the defence of the kingdom.
John Clipesby of Owbey, Esq. made his will April 26, in 1454, to be buried in Owby church, and it was proved July 8, following.
William Clipesby, Esq. (fn. 3) son of John, living in the 10th and 22d of Henry VI. when he enfeoffed John Fitz Ralph, and William Grey, Esq. of this manor, &c.
Catherine, his wife, remarried Edmund Paston, Esq. died April 18, 1491, and was buried at Askkeby; William died in 1355, when William Yelverton, Esq. jun. and this Catherine his wife, presented to this church. Yelverton died in 1481, and she after married Edmund Paston, Esq.
(e) John de Clipesby, Esq. in the 8th of Edward IV. enfeoffed Newent, &c. in his lands, tenements, &c. and advowson of the church of Plumstede Parva. John presented to Clipesby in 1507.
In the 6th of Henry VIII. Thomas Duke of Norfolk, great marshal, and treasurer of England, granted to William Paston, Esq. and Constance, widow of John Clipesby, Esq. the wardship, and custody of the lands of William Clipesby, son and heir of John Cliespby, Esq. deceased, and held of the Duke, and on February 14, in the 17th of that King, they grant to the said William, the benefit of his marriage, for the virtuous manners and good conditions which he according to his duty hath used to the said Constance his mother.
(f) William Clipesby, Esq. of Oby, by his will dated November 28, 1540, orders his body to be buried on the north side of the chancel of this church, appoints Lettice his wife, and John his son executors, proved October, 29, 1541.—Reg. Haydon. Norw.—Lettice after married William Cardinal, Esq. of Bromley Magna, in Essex, and presented here in 1561.
(g) By an inquisition taken in the 37th of Elizabeth, Audrey, Frances, and Julian were found to be the daughters and coheirs of John Clipesby, Esq. Audrey married Thomas Guybon, Esq. son and heir of Humphrey Guybon, Esq. of North Lynn, and had with her the manor of Oby,—Frances died single, and Julian married Sir Randolf Crew, lord chief justice of the King's Bench, in the reign of King James I. by whom he had Sir Clipesby Crew, lord of this town, by the inheritance of his mother; from the Crews, it came to Sir John Potts of Mannington in Norfolk.
Sir Algernon Potts, Bart. held it, and conveyed it to William Clarke, Esq. who presented in 1721.
(h) Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, had the lands of a freeman of St. Bennet, and was part of this manor of Oby; this came to the Clipsby's, by the heir of Sir William Caly, lord of Oby, and so was united to this manor of Clipesby, and held of the manor of Forncett in Norfolk. (fn. 4)
(i) The abbot of St. Bennet had a freeman here at the survey; what he held came on the exchange of land, between King Henry VIII. and Bishop Rugg, to the see of Norwich, and so was united to the Bishop's manor before mentioned. (fn. 5)
And the Conqueror had at the survey, the lands of 5 freemen, which Almarus took care of for him, they belonging to no particular fee, who held 46 acres of land, 5 of meadow, the fourth part of a salt pit, with a carucate, valued at 3s. but at the survey at 4s. these were added by the Conqueror to the lordship of Causton. (fn. 6)
George Knightley, Esq. was lord in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and in her 10th year had a præcipe to deliver it to Edmund Pirton, Esq.
The tenths were 5l.
The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Peter. the ancient valor was 12 marks, Peter-pence 12d.
Rectors.
In 1320, Thomas de Spyney, instituted, presented by Peter Buxkyn.
1326, Peter de Pagefield, by William, rector of Askeby, &c.
1338, Ralph de Depham. Ditto.
1338, John Urri.
1338, Ralph de Urri.
1352, Edmund de Fresingfeld.
1361, Henry Gottes, by Edmund Pykering, John, his brother, and Catherine Pres.
1389, Henry Waggestaff, by Edmund de Clipesby, John Pykering, and Jeff. Curteys, in right of their wives.
1409, John Dynynton, by John Clipesby, domicellus, Robert Kent, &c.
1432, Barth. Fuller. Ditto.
1433, Walter Drury, by John Clippesby, Esq.
1440, John Heroun. Ditto.
1459, John Dalton, by William Yelverton, junior, and Catherine his wife.
1471, Thomas Hauley, by William Clipesby, Esq.
1473, Richard Foo. Ditto.
1477, Roger Grenegrass. Ditto.
1490, Thomas Foulsham, by Edmund Paston, Esq. and Catherine his wife.
1507, John Owdolf, by John Clippesby, Esq.
1513, John Makins, by the Bishop, a lapse.
1542, William Smith, by the assignees of William Clippesby, Esq.
Richard Crowder, rector.
1561, Edward Sharpe, by William Cardinal, Esq.
1593, John Nevinson, by John Clipsby of Oby, Esq.
1602, William Parry, by Thomas Guybon of West Lynn, and Ralph Crew, Esq.
—, Thomas Dockwra, presented by William Clark, Gent.
Isaac Laughton died rector in 1718.
1719, George Hill. Ditto.
1721, Charles Trimnell. Ditto.
1723, William Adams. Ditto.
1742, Robert Goodwyn, by John Goodwyn, Esq.
The present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged; the advowson goes with the lordship, and the heirs of Mr. Clark were patrons in 1740.
On a gravestone in the church, the pourtraiture of a man and wife in brass, and
Orate === Tho. Pallinge et Emme uxoris ej. qui. obt. 20 die Augusti, 1503.
On one in the chancel,
Orate === Will'mi Clypesbye, Armig. qui obt. 10 die Januarij, 1511: and the arms of Clipesby, quarterly, argent and sable, on a bend, gules, three mullets of the first.
On a raised altar tomb, on the south side of the chancel, are the pourlraitures of a man and his wife in brass,
¶Here layes the bodyes of John Clipesbye, Esq. and Julian his wife, who had issue William deceased, and left Audrey, Francis, and Julian his daughters and coheirs, which John died 31st of March, 1594; and these shields of arms, Clypesbye, impaling Jerningham; — Clypesbye, impaling Woodhouse of Kimberley;—also a shield containing 12 coats quarterly;—the first, is Clypesby;—2d, sable, three martlets in a bordure ingrailed, argent;—3d, vert, an eagle displayed, argent, bruised with a bendlet, or;—4th, azure, a chevron, between three herns, argent;—5th, azure, a pike hauriant, argent;—6th, or, a saltire between four cross crosslets, sable;—7th, Clipsbye;—8th, gules, on a chief or, three torteaux;—9th, gules, a lion rampant, argent;— 10th, argent, a chevron between three lioncels rampant, gules;—11th, barry of eight, or and sable;— 12th, Clipsbye; all these are above the epitaph, and below are the following shields;—Clipsbye, impaling quarterly, in the 1st and 4th, ermin, in the 2d and 3d quarter, paly of six, or and gules, Knightley;—Clipsbye, impaling sable, on a chevron between three women's heads, argent, crowned and crined, or, as many roses, gules; —Clypsbye, and Spilman;—Clipsbye, and Paston.
In memory of the Rev. Mr. Geo. Hill, rector, who died Oct. 22, 1721, aged 66.
On an old brass,
D'nj. Joh. Heron, quo'da' rectoris, isti. eccle qui obt. xxvo. die mens. Sept. Ao. Dnj. M. CCCCLXXIIo.
The lady Julian abovementioned, who married Sir Rand. Crew, died at Kewe in Surry, in 1603, and was buried in the chancel of the church of Richmond, on her monument, was
Antiquá fuit orta domo, pia vixit, inivit Virgo pudica thorum, sponsa pudica polum.
The temporalities of Hickling priory were 6s.—of St. Bennet at Holm 6s. 10d.— of Weybridge 11s.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol1...
By mistake I ended up in West Malling, but it was a good thing, as the village is chocolate box pretty, and the church very fine indeed. The only church I visited that had no wardens to welcome (I think, sorry if I have mis-remembered). Anyway, a fine church, amazing coat of arms, and glad I visited.
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A story of all's well that ends well. A Norman tower and thirteenth-century chancel are linked by a twentieth-century nave that had in its turn replaced one erected to replace its medieval predecessor in the eighteenth century! The west window and those in the south aisle are by C.E. Kempe and Co. Ltd, and of special note is the one depicting the Three Kings. On the south side of the chancel, backing on to a medieval lean-to vestry, is the splendid tomb of Sir Robert Brett (d. 1620), which has recently been restored. The colours are superb and show how churches must have looked when these monuments were new. In the north aisle is a large painting of the Last Supper by Francis Slater, the eighteenth-century artist who painted the ceilings of nearby Mereworth Castle. Hanging on the front of the west gallery are the outstanding Royal Arms of James II, of carved and painted wood. The twentieth-century rebuilding of the church was financed by the sale of an Elizabethan stoneware jug (now in the British Museum), the transaction being recorded on an inscribed stone in the north porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=West+Malling
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WESTWARD from East Malling lies the town and parish of West Malling, now most commonly called Town Malling.
It is written in Domesday, MALLENGETIS, and in the Textus Roffensis, MELLINGES. In many deeds after the conquest, it is stiled MILLINGES PARVA, to distinguish it from East Malling, then the larger and more noted village of the two.
The town and parish of West Malling, excepting the borough of St. Leonard, which is under the jurisdiction of the constables of the hundred of Larkfield, is under the jurisdiction of its own constables, of which there are two chosen yearly.
THE PARISH of Town Malling, as it is usually called, is situated equally pleasant and healthy. It lies on high ground, and though dry is well watered, the soil of it being in the northern part a sand, the rest of it a loam, covering the quarry rock, which is very fertile, as has been frequently noticed before in the like situations. The high road from London through Wrotham to Maidstone, at the twenty-ninth mile stone leads along the northern boundaries of the parish, being called in king Edmund's grant of this place to the bishop of Rochester, the military way, no doubt from its having been used as such by the Romans, southward of it the ground gently rising; at less than a quarter of a mile's distance is the town of Malling, which is well built, having many genteel houses in it, the streets of a handsome width, and well paved. At the east end of it is the abbey, to which the approach is by a venerable antient gateway. Although the house itself was almost all of it pulled down and rebuilt by Mr. Honywood, yet many of the antient buildings and offices be longing to it are still remaining, and are made use of as such at present. A handsome tower of the church, the front of which is decorated with intersecting arches and zig-zag ornaments, similar to those on the west front of Rochester cathedral, built by the same founder, bishop Gundulph, is still remaining, as is an antient chapel or oratory, now made use of as a dwellinghouse.
From the foundations discovered in levelling the ground by Mr. Honywood, it appears, that this abbey consisted of two quadrangles or courts, with cloysters, and a spacious hall; and that the church had another tower, of the like size to that now standing. The burying-place seems to have been on the south side of the church, as in digging there, great quantities of human bones have been thrown up, and two stone coffins with skeletons in them, the lids of them had no inscriptions on them, but were ornamented each with a cross, having a quaterfoil pierced at the upper end, the stem of which was crossed more than once with foliage, several rings and trinkets, and some old coins have likewise been found at different times in cleaning away the rubbish.
Over the west end of the grand gateway, which stands at the entrance into the precinct of the abbey from the town, at the west end of the building, there is carved in stone, a heart distilling drops of blood, and on the other side, in a shield, Ermine, a crozier in bend sinister, on a chief three annulets.
In the meadows above the gardens, are large square excavations still visible, where the fish ponds of the aunnery formerly were.
The precinct of this monastery is washed by a rivulet of excellent clear water, which rising in the hamlet of St. Leonard, runs by the house, and through the gardens of it, whence gushing through the wall with a cascade, it crosses the road towards the Rev. Mr. Brooke's gardens. There is a view of this abbey in its present state published by Mr. Grose, in his Antiquities of England.
Near the abbey gate there is a good house, with a large garden, canal, and pleasure grounds, behind it, reaching down to the London road. It has been many years the residence of the Brooke's, from whom it passed by the will of Joseph Brooke, esq. who died in 1792, after the decease of his widow in 1796, to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, brother of Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. who has since, in pursuance of the above will, and by the king's licence, taken the name of Brooke, and now resides in it. A little further westward there is a very antient stone building, called the Old Gaol, having narrow gothic windows, and the walls of great thickness. It is reported to have been the prison belonging to the abbey, and is now used as an oast for the drying of hops. About the middle of the street stands the church, and a little distance from it a good house, late the residence of Benjamin Hubble, esq. whose family have been inhabitants of this town for some length of time, several of them lying buried in this church. He died in 1780, leaving his widow, sister of Richard Savage, esq. of Boughton Monchelsea, surviving, and two daughters, his coheirs, one of whom having married Thomas Augustus Douce, esq. he now resides in it; further southward is the hamlet of St. Leonard, now making part of the town, and called St. Leonard's-street, in which is an antient seat, some years ago the residence of Charles Stewart, esq. whose father admiral Stewart purchased it of judge Twisden. This district had once a cell in it, belonging to the abbey, with a chapel. It was given at the time the manor and church was to it, as has been already mentioned. The whole of it has been long since desecrated, and in ruins; the square tower of the chapel which stands in the next field south-west from the late Mr. Stewart's house, is all that remains of it. It was purchased by him some years ago, of Sir John Honywood, in exchange for other premises near the abbey, and is now made use of as a stowage for hops. Mr. Stewart died in 1780, and was buried near his father in this church, and he was succeeded here by the hon. admiral John Forbes, who lately died posfessed of it. A market is held in the principal highstreet every Saturday, which is plentifully supplied and well frequented. There are three fairs, which are held by the alteration of the stile on August 12, October 2, and November 17, yearly, for horses, cattle, toys, &c. The whole town is excellently well watered with fine springs, which having supplied the town and abbey, collect themselves into one stream, and passing northward through Mr. Brooke's grounds, cross the high Maidstone road, and runs from thence into the Addington brook, just above Leyborne mill.
About half a mile south-east from the abbey there is a good modern-built house, called New Barne, which formerly belonged to Mr. Alchin, from whom it passed to Graham, the present possessor, who resides in it.
Above St. Leonard's street is the high road from Teston over East-Malling-heath, and through this parish to Offham, southward of which this parish extends into the large tract of coppice woods which reach to West Peckham and Mereworth.
Dr. William Briggs, an eminent physician, resided at the latter end of the last century at Town Malling, where he died, Sept. 1704, æt. 64, and was buried in this church, He was a great traveller into foreign countries, and was greatly esteemed for his skill in his profession, as well as for his learning, of which the several writings he published are sufficient testimonies. He was physician in ordinary to king William, and to St. Thomas's hospital, and bore his arms, Gules, three bars gemelles, or, a canton sable. (fn. 1)
THIS PLACE was given, about the year 945, by Edmund, king of the Angles and of Mercia, to Burhric, bishop of Rochester, by the description of a small portion of his land, called Meallingas, containing three plough lands; and he granted it to him, for the good of his soul, in perpetual inheritance, in augmentation of the revenues of his monastery of St. Andrew, with all its rights, liberties, members, and appurtenances, and this he did with the consent of his nobles and princes, whose names were subscribed to it. After the names of king Edmund, Edred his brother, and Eadgife his mother, are those of the archbishops and bishops, and then that of Ælgifu, the king's concubine, Ego Ælgifu Concubina Regis affui, and after her the dukes, &c. The bounds of this land are thus described in Saxon, viz. from the south part of it to the king's plaine, and from thence to the bounds of the parish of Offaham, and thence to the military way, and so along the said way over Lilleburne to the bounds of the parish of Est Meallinges, and so directly southward from the east of the cross or gallows to the broad way towards the south, in a direct line along the said way to the king's plaine. To which the king added certain denberies for the pannage of hogs.
This land did not continue long in the possession of the church of Rochester, being wrested from it in the time of the Danish wars; and when William the Conqueror had attained the crown, he gave it to Odo, bishop of Baieux, his half brother, from whom it was recovered, together with the church of Mallinges, in the solemn assembly of the whole county held on this occasion, by the king's command, at Pinenden heath, in 1076, by archbishop Lanfrance, who afterward restored it to bishop Gundulph, and the church of St. Andrew; which gift was confirmed by archbishops Anselm and Boniface. (fn. 2)
In the survey of Domesday, taken about four years afterwards, this manor is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The same bishop (of Rochester) holds Mellingetes, it was taxed, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, at three sulings, and now at one and an half. The arable land is three carucates. In demesne there is one, and five villeins, with fix borderers, having two carucates. There is a church, and one mill of two shillings, wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth forty shillings, and now four pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, in the 4th year of the reign of king William Rufus, anno 1090, having founded an abbey of Benedictine nuns in this parish, to the honor of the Virgin Mary, gave this manor and church to it, with other possessions for the endowment of it; (fn. 3) and although it was, about one hundred years after its being first erected, with the adjoining village, destroyed by fire, yet it was again soon afterwards re-edified, and continued to increase in a flourishing state.
In the 7th year of king Edward I. anno 1278, the abbess of Malling claimed sundry liberties in this parish, by grant from king Henry III. and a market weekly throughout the year on a Saturday and Wednesday; and she claimed by grant from king John to have warren in all her lands at Malling, by grant from king Henry, from time beyond memory; and to have fairs in the parish on the eve, day, and morrow of St. Matthew the apostle, and the like on the eve, and day of St. Leonard, and the like on the eve, and day of St. Peter, ad vincula.
By which, and such like favours granted to it, this place, which at the first foundation of the monastery was plain fields, and almost without an inhabitant, became notwithstanding its former calamity mentioned before, exceedingly populous from the numbers who flocked to it from all parts, who building themselves houses here, increased the village to a large size, well suited for trade, to the no small emolument of the nuns; whence it soon lost its name of Malling Parva, which was for some time transferred to the neighbouring parish of East Malling, as appears by some grants, &c. of this time, and king Edward III. (fn. 4)
In the 15th year of king Edward I. the temporalities of the abbess of Malling in this parish and East Malling were valued at forty-five pounds.
There was an annual pension of ten pounds of wax, and one boar, paid by the abbess to the bishop of Rochester, as an acknowledgment of her subjection to that see.
In the year 1321, the bishop of Rochester, at the king's request, to whom the nuns had made a complaint, that their monastery was ruined by the bad management of their abbess, sister of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, visited it, and heard the complaints against her; in consequence of which she resigned, and the lady Agnes de Leyborne, was chosen in her room. Three years after which she died, and the bishop, at the unanimous request of the nuns, appointed Lora de Retling abbess here, though much against his will, knowing her to be very ignorant, and unfit for the office. However, he inhibited her giving a corredy to her maid servant, as had been the custom, and sequestered their common seal, inhibiting her from using it without his licence.
A great pestilence raging in the year 1348, the bishop made two abbesses here, who presently died; nor were there more than four nuns professed, and four not professed, remaining in this monastery; and he com mitted the custody of the spirituals and temporals to two of them, as there was not a proper person for the office of abbess.
In the year 1493, anno 9 Henry VII. Joane Moone was abbess of this monastery. (fn. 5)
This abbey was surrendered into the king's hands, with all its possessions, (fn. 6) among which were the manors of East and West Malling, with the precincts of Ewell and Parrock annexed to the latter, by Margaret Vernon, abbess, and the convent of it, in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. at which time it was valued at 245l. 10s. 2½d. annual rent, according to Speed, and 218l. 4s. 2½d. clear value, according to Dugdale, and there was granted to the abbess a pension of forty pounds yearly, and to eleven nuns from 31. 6s. 8d. down to 2l. 13s. 4d. yearly pensions, each for their lives.
After which that king, by his letters patent, in his 31st year, granted and sold, in exchange, among other premises, to Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, the scite of the abbey, with the precinct and circuit of it, and the manors of West Malling, Ewell, and Parocke, and the parsonage of West Malling, late appropriate to it, excepting to the king all advowsons, presentations, &c. to hold by knight's service, at the yearly rent therein mentioned; and as the king was entitled to the tenths of these premises, he discharged the archbishop of them, and all other outgoings whatsoever, except the rent therein mentioned. Which grant was in consequence of an indenture made between the king and the archbishop, inrolled in the Augmentation-office.
These manors and premises were again exchanged with the crown in the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, in the 12th year of which she granted them in lease to Sir Henry Brooke, alias Cobham, fifth son of Sir George Brooke, lord Cobham; after which they were held by the same possessors, as the manor of East Malling before described, till at length, after the death of Sir Robert Brett, anno 1621, king James granted the manor of West, alias Town Malling, with the precinct of Ewell annexed, the scite of the late monastery, with the house, buildings, and ground within the precinct of it with all their appurtenances, late parcel of the possessions of the late monastery, in fee, to John Rayney, esq. which was further confirmed to Sir John Rayney, his eldest son, in the 2d year of king Charles I. He was of Wrothamplace, in this neighbourhood, and was created a baronet of Nova Scotia, in 1641, and his son of the same name, about the time of the restoration, conveyed these premises to Isaac Honywood, gent. of Hampsted, Middlesex, who was the only son of Edward, third son of Sir Thomas Honywood, of Elmsted, ancestor likewise of the present Sir John Honywood, of Elmsted, baronet, and he continued to bear the same coat of arms; whose second son, Isaac Honywood, esq. of Hampsted, succeeded him in this manor and estate. Frazer Honywood, esq. of Hampsted and London, his only son and heir, rebuilt the abbey house of Malling in the antient gothic taste, at a very great expence, making it one of the seats of his residence, and having thus greatly improved it, he died possessed of this seat and manor, with the estate belonging to it, in 1764, leaving no issue by his wife, the daughter of Abraham Atkins, of Clapham. He gave them, as well as the rest of his estates here and elsewhere, by will, to his kinsman, Sir John Honywood, bart. of Elmsted, and his heirs male, with divers remainders over to the family of Honywood. Sir John Honywood, bart. is since deceased, and his grandson of the same name is the present owner of this manor, with the precinct of Ewell annexed, and the seat of Malling abbey, with the lands and appurtenances in this parish belonging to it, but Mr. Foote resides in it.
The family of Say antiently possessed THE MANOR of CLEMENTS IN EWELL, in this parish. Geoffry de Say held it in the 7th year of king Edward II. as half a knight's fee. His son, Geoffry de Say, paid aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. as half a knight's fee, which John at Forde held before in Ewell, in Malling, of the bishop of Rochester. This manor was afterwards in the name of Coveney, (fn. 7) and in the latter end of king Henry VIII. it was in the possession of Mr. William Fowle. Since which it has sunk into such obscurity, that neither the scite nor the owners of it can be traced out even by the most diligent enquiries.
CHARITIES.
THERE is a lecture founded in this church of a sermon every fortnight, on the Saturday; two of the preachers to be the ministers of East and West Malling, who are to be paid 10s. for every sermon they preach; the other preachers are appointed at the will of the trustees.
FRANCIS TRESSE, gent. of this town, who died in 1632, by his will gave a piece of land, and 40l. towards the building of a free school in this parish; and he charged one of his houses in Town Malling with the sum of 13s. 4d. per annum, for the keeping of it in repair; and appointed that four principal freeholders of this parish should be trustees for the execution of this part of his will for ever. This school was accordingly erected, and was made use of for the teaching of boys writing and arithmetic. The charity is veisted in the minister and tour substantial freehold inhabitants, and the estate out of which it is paid in Mr. Robert Sutton, of this parish, but there being no master, the school-house is at present let to the late master's widow at 2gs. perannum, which with the 13s. 4d. is applied towards the maintaining of the building. He also gave two silver cups for the use of the holy communion, and 6s. 8d. payable yearly out of a piece of land, called Cousin's Plat, now vested in Mary Brome, widow.
SIR ROBERT BRETT, by will in 1620, gave land sufficient to pay yearly 10s. per week, to be bestowed in bread and meat to twenty poor persons, or else to be distributed in money to them. His executors accordingly conveyed lands in Tewksbury, in Gloucestershire, for this purpose, which is now vested in lord Romney, and twenty-three others, trustees, of the annual produce of 26l. but of late years the annual produce has been but 19l. 14s.
TOWN MALLING is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURIDISCTION of the diocese of Rochester, and gives name to the deanry of Malling, in which it is situated.
The church, which is a handsome building, with an elegant spire steeple, is dedicated to St. Mary.
At the latter end of the year 1778, some of the main pillars of the body of it giving way, the whole roof of it fell in, leaving only the steeple and chancel at the two extremities of it standing. It has since been repaired, and thoroughly finished by a brief, which was obtained for that purpose.
The church of West Malling was given, with the manor, to the church of Rochester, by king Edmund, in 945; and having afterwards been taken from it, was again restored by archbishop Lanfranc to bishop Gundulph, in the time of the Conqueror, who gave it to the monastery here, at his foundation of it, and this gift was confirmed by several succeeding kings, archbishops of Canterbury, bishops of Rochester, &c. as has been already mentioned.
It was appropriated to the abbess and convent by bishop Gundulph, at the time it was given to them; which appropriation was specially confirmed by Simon, archbishop of Canterbury, in the year 1351.
In the reign of king Edward III. great discutes arising between the abbess and nuns of this monastery, and Robert de Beulton, perpetual vicar of this church, especially concerning the receiving of the tithes of flax and hemp, and the payment of archidiaconal procurations, they were at last settled by Hamo, bishop of Rochester, who in the year 1339, decreed, that, saving the due and accustomed portion of the prebend of the great mass in the conventual church of Malling, and the portion of the vicar, as undermentioned, the religious should take all tithes of corn within the parish, and all oblations and obventions belonging to their conventual church, and the cell of St. Leonard; and that they should not be bound to pay to the vicar the tithes of their hay, woods, or mills. And whereas the bishop was informed, and it was allowed, that the above-mentioned prebendary, and other domestics, serving in the monastery, or in the houses of the prebendary, or perpetual chaplain, celebrating for the dead, as also the brothers and sisters, and other persons dwelling in the monastery, or house of the prebendary, who, when they were without the monastery and houses, were not housekeepers in the parish, were wont to receive the sacraments and sacramentals, in life and in death, and to be buried there, if they happened to die within the monastery or houses, unless by chance they chose to be buried elsewhere; in which case, the religious had the first mass for the body before them, in their monastery, and received all the oblations then and there made, so that no portion was left for the vicar of the parish church. And further, that the prebendary for the time being had been used to receive antiently, and to that time, in part of the portion due to him, all the great and small tithes of the demesne lands of the religious, and of the food of their cattle, and also the great tithes arising from many of the crofts of their tenants situated in the said parish, and also the small tithes of his house, and of the house and land of the perpetual chaplain aforesaid, and all the predial tithes arising from the houses or messuages, curtilages and gardens, late of Thomas atte Shoppe and William Cake, in the street, called Holirode-strete, of this parish of Malling, situated above the house of the prebendary; and of all the houses, messuages, curtilages, and gardens whatsoever, from thence towards the east and north in Holirode-street, and in the street, called Tan-street, as far as the end of the parish of Malling on that side; and that the religious and prebendary had possessed all and singular the premises aforesaid, in certain distinct portions, peaceably and without contradiction, from the time beyond memory. (fn. 8)
The bishop, therefore, that none of the premises should be altered, decreed, saving all and every matter as aforesaid, that the vicar should receive for his portion all other small tithes, oblations, obventions and profits belonging to the parish church more especially, viz. the tithe of herbage, silva cedua, apples, pears, flax, hemp, wool, milk, cheese, calves, lambs, pigs, pidgeons, geese, ducks, bees, eggs, merchandizings, fowlings, fishings, swans, pulse, and other fruits, and also of corn growing in orchards or gardens, as he had-been accustomed to receive them.
¶And that the vicar should also receive the personal tithes of the inhabitants of the houses or messuages of Thomas atte Shoppe and William Cake, and of others, inhabiting in the houses or messuages situated in the streets, called Holirode-strete and Tan-strete, and the oblations due and accustomed to the parish church, and should administer ecclesiastical rights to them, and should have the burial of them in the parish church; and that the vicar should have for his habitation, as assigned to him by the religious, the dwelling with its precinct, which the vicar then inhabited, and his predecessors used to inhabit, which he should repair at his own expence, and preserve in a decent state, and should pay the yearly rents and services, due and accustomed from thence; all which the bishop adjudged to be a sufficient portion for the vicar for the time being. And he further decreed, that the vicar should cause the books to be bound, the vestments to be washed; and the same, and the rest of the ornaments of the parish church, which belonged to the religious to find, as often as need should require, to be repaired, and should cause them to be safely and honestly kept; and that he should provide and find bread, wine, processional tapers, and other lights necessary and accustomed in the chancel, the necessary and accustomed ministers, rochets, surplices, napkins, unconsecrated vessels, basons, and also green rushes to strow the church, if they had been so accustomed, and did not belong to the parishioners to find; and that he should pay the dues to the bishop, and the archidiaconal procurations, and that the vicar should acknowledge and undergo, according to the rate of the taxation of his portion as under-mentioned, all ordinaries and extraordinaries, which, although it might amount to five marcs, being near the moiety of the value of the whole church, according to the estimation then had, he decreed should remain according to the antient taxation of it, as often as burthens of this kind were to be borne, and paid from small benefices. And he decreed, that the religious should acknowledge and undergo all and singular other burthens happening to the parish church, by reason of their portion, which he estimated at twelve marcs, according to the antient taxation of it, notwithstanding this assignation, which was made with the consent of both parties, and which by his episcopal authority, he corroborated and confirmed, &c. and that it might not be called in doubt in future times, or be litigated, he had caused it to be entered in his register, and to be reduced into three different writings, of which he decreed one to remain in the hands of the religious, another in the hands of the vicar, and the third in the hands of the prebendary aforesaid, to perpetuate the memory of it, and had caused it to be authenticated with his seal, &c.
This parsonage, prebend, and the advowson of the vicarage, were, on the dissolution of the abbey in the 30th year of king Henry VIII. surrendered into the king's hands. After which the king, next year, granted this parsonage, with the manor of West Malling, and other premises, to Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, to hold by knight's service, at the yearly rent therein mentioned. After which it passed, with the manor of West Malling, in a like succession of ownership, down to Sir John Rayney, bart. who sold these premises, about the time of the restoration, to judge Twisden, and his descendant, Sir John Papillon Twisden, bart. is the present possessor of this parsonage, and the advowson of the vicarage of West or Town Malling.
The vicarage is valued in the king's books at ten pounds, and the yearly tenths at one pound.
"My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.
I give Pirrip as my father’s family name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister — Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine — who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle — I am indebted for a belief I religiously entertained that they had all been born on their backs with their hands in their trousers—pockets, and had never taken them out in this state of existence.
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip."
So opens Great Expectations. And it is this very churchyard, although at night, and misty that those first lines were set. In the next paragraph, the criminal, Magwitch, appears.
St Mary now lies at the end of a dead end lane, leading out towards the banks of the nearby River Thames, with the freight only line to Grain passing a field length's away. In short, you don't pass this way by accident, and will be lucky to find it, as some of the locals have been spinning the road signs round.
It is yet another wonderful bright winters day here in The Garden of England, and I was out here with Jools re-doing some shots I had messed up last time was here, and anyway, on that day the church was full of scarecrows for a festival.
As we were the first ones here today, the ancient carved door was closed, so we eased it open and went inside.
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Difficult to find, but more than worth the effort. It consists of a Norman nave and chancel to which a south aisle and chapel were added in the mid-fourteenth century. The aisle and chapel are now laid out as the main nave and chancel. The exterior has wonderful striped walls, like a smaller version of nearby Cliffe, whilst the fourteenth-century south door is the highly carved original. Inside the contemporary pulpit is one of the earliest in the county with six carved traceried panels. Behind it is a fifteenth-century rood screen, which, despite the loss of its loft, is a surprising survival. In the north-east corner of the Lady Chapel is a table tomb whose top is made up from the original stone altar slab, or mensa, with its five consecration crosses showing prominently. In the south wall of the same chapel is a medieval aumbry with its original hinged door. The stained glass is all nineteenth and twentieth century - the excellent south chancel window showing the Agony in the Garden is dated 1863 unfortunately by an unidentified artist. Of the same date is the tortoise stove in the north aisle, which displays on its lid the motto 'Slow but sure combustion'. The church is excellently maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust - the congregation worshipping in a replacement church in the village, built in 1860 by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Higham+1
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THE next parish northward from Merston is HIGHAM, which in antient records is variously written Hecham, Hegham, and Heabham.
It was from the reign of king Stephen till about the reign of king Edward III. frequently called Lillechurch, alias Higham; the former of which names it took from a manor or ville in this parish, where a priory was built, but in later times it seems to have been called by its former name of Higham only, that of Lillechurch being entirely omitted.
THIS PARISH is situated on the north side of the London high road, nearly opposite to Shorne. It lies low adjoining to the marshes, the river Thames being its northern boundary, of course the air is very unhealthy, and much subject to intermittents, a satality which attends in general all those parishes, which lie on the north side of the high London road as far as Canterbury, and thence again to the uplands of the Isle of Thanet. Higham is about four miles in extent from north-west to south-east, and but little more than a mile in breadth. The surface is slat, and the soil in general very fertile, excepting towards the eastern part of it, where it is high ground and light land. The village and church stand close to, and entirely exposed to the marshes, which comprehend nearly one half of the parish. The nunnery, now called the Abbey, was situated not far from the east end of the church, where the farm-house, of which the sides and back part are built of stone, with windows of a gothic orm, discovers marks of some antiquity, and seems to have been a part of the abbey, but it is supposed to have been only a part of some of the offices, (fn. 1) there being in the field on the south side many appearances of foundations, and contiguous to the farm-yard there remains some part of the thick stone wall covered with ivy, being the inclosure of the abbey, and was carried quite round the yard. About a mile from the church, near the road to Cliff, is Lillechurch-house, where the priory or abbey of Higham, as it is now called, is supposed to have been first erected; behind the garden of which, in a field called Church-place, many human bones have been found. At the east end of the parish, in the road from Frindsbury to Cliff, is the estate of Mockbeggar, and on the submit of the hill southward, The mansion of Hermitage, below which, in the flat country, at an equal distance from the church, is the manor and hamlet of Higham-ridgeway, a name plainly derived from the antient causeway through it, leading towards the river. Plautius, the Roman general, under the emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ, 43, is said to have passed the river Thames from Essex into Kent, near the mouth of it, with his army, in pursuit of the flying Britons, who being acquainted with the firm and fordable places of the river, passed it easily. (fn. 2) This passage is considered to have been from East Tilbury, in Essex, across the river to Higham. (fn. 3) Between these places there was a ferry on the river for many ages after, the method of intercourse between the two counties of Kent and Essex for all these parts, and it continued so till the dissolution of the abbey here; before which time, Higham was likewise the place for shipping and unshipping corn and goods in great quantities from this part of the county to and from London and elsewhere. The probability of this having been a frequented ford or passage in the time of the Romans, is strengthened by the visible remains of the raised causeway, or road, near thirty feet wide, leading from the Thames side through the marshes by Higham, southward to this ridgeway before-mentioned, and thence across the London high road on Gads-hill to Shorne ridgeway, about half a mile beyond which it joins the Roman Watling-street-road, near the entrance into Cobham park.
In the pleas of the crown in the 21st year of king Edward I. the prioress of the nunnery of Higham was found liable to maintain a bridge and causeway that led from Higham down to the river Thames, in order to give the better and easter passage to such as would ferry from hence over into Essex.
This parish, among others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the ninth pier of Rochester bridge, as the manor of Okely was to the fourth pier of it. (fn. 4)
In queen Elizabeth's reign there was a fort or bulwark at Higham for the defence of the river Thames, under the direction of a captain, soldiers, &c. (fn. 5)
HIGHAM was part of the possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands, it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.
The same Adam holds Hecham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at 5 sulings. The arable land is 12 carucates. In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 24 villeins, with 12 borderers having 6 carucates and an half. There are 20 servants, and 30 acres of meadow. There is a church, and 1 mill of 10 shillings, and a fishery of 3 shillings, and in Exesle pasture for 200 sheep. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth 12 pounds, and afterwards 6 pounds, now 15 pounds.
In the time of king Edward, Goduin, the son of Carli and Toli, held this land for two manors.
These were the two manors of Higham and Lillechurch, which on the disgrace of bishop Odo, about four years afterwards, were with the rest of his estates, consiscated to the crown, where they remained till king Stephen, together with Matilda his queen, in the 14th year of his reign, gave them by the name of the manor of Lillechurch, with its appurtenances, under which name both manors seem then to have been comprehended, being part of her inheritance, with other premises, to William de Ipre, in exchange for the manor for Fauresham.
KING STEPHEN afterwards founded a NUNNERY, of the Benedictine order, at Lillechurch in Higham, (fn. 6) to which his daughter, the princess Mary, as is mentioned in a deed, retired cum monialibus suis quas tanquam in proprietate sua recepit. (fn. 7) She afterwards became abbess of Rumsey.
After the death of king Stephen, William de Ipre above mentioned, earl of Kent, was, with the rest of the Flemish, of whom he was principal, forced to abandon this kingdom, and their estates were all seized, by which this manor came again to the crown; but in the 6th year of king John, the nuns gave the king one hundred pounds for his grant of the manor of Lille cherche; after which, king Henry III. in his 11th year, granted and confirmed to the abbey of St. Mary of Sulpice, in Bourges, and to the prioress and nuns of Lillecherche, that manor, in pure and perpetual alms, with all its appurtenances, and all liberties and free customs belonging to it, by which it should seem that this house had then some dependence on that abbey; and he further granted to the prioress and nuns, to have one fair at Lillecherche for three days yearly, on the day of St. Michael, and two days afterwards; and that they should possess them, and in like manner as the grant, which they had of his father, king John, plainly testified. (fn. 8)
King Henry, in his 50th year, granted to the prioress and nuns of Lillechurch an exemption from the suit they were yearly used to make at his court of the honor of Boloigne, at St. Martin the Great in London, for their demesne lands in the manor of Lillecherche. King Edward I. in his 16th year, confirmed the above fair to the prioress and nuns there.
This monastery was subject to the visitation of the bishops of Rochester; and accordingly Hamo de Heth, bishop of Rochester, in 1320, visited it, and professed eight nuns here; as he did again in 1328, when he buried Joane de Hadloe, prioress of this house, and he afterwards confirmed Maud de Colcestre prioress in her place, at Greenwich. At what time this priory was removed from Lillechurch, where it was certainly first built, to where the ruins are still visible, near the present church of Higham, is no where mentioned, nor is there any clue leading to discover it. That it was so those ruins, as well as the change of the name of it, are convincing proofs; nor is there any thing further worth mentioning relating to it till king Henry VII's reign, at which time the manors of Higham and Lillecherche, with their lands and appurtenances, conti nued in the possession of the prioress; in the 17th year of which reign, this house was become almost deserted, for it appeared then, on the election of a prioress, that there were only a sub-prioress and two nuns belonging to it, though there had been in former times sixteen belonging to it. Soon after which, in 1548, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, having begun the foundation of St. John's college, in Cambridge, died, and left her executors to carry on the design; one of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who being himself a learned man, and greatly anxious for the increase of learning, obtained licence of king Henry VIII. to dissolve this monastery with that of Bromhall, in Berkshire, that the lands and revenues of them might be annexed towards the better support and maintenance of the above college. (fn. 9) Accordingly, about the year 1521, these nunneries were dissolved, (fn. 10) and, with their revenues, were surrendered into the hands of the crown; three years after which, the master and fellows of that college obtained, at the instance of bishop Fisher, of the king and pope Clement VII. these priories, with their appurtenances, to be transferred and confirmed for ever to their college, (fn. 11) where the inheritance of the scite of this priory, or abbey as it is now called, the manor and church of Higham, with the manor of Lillichurch, and the rest of the lands and revenues belonging to it here and elsewhere, continue at this time. The lease of these manors, with the scite of the abbey, and the lands in this parish belonging to it, were some years ago purchased by Mr. Rich. Hornsby, of Horton Kirkby in this county, of Mr. Tho. Peake. Mr. Hornsby died possessed of it within these few years, since which his interest in this estate has been sold to Mr. Thomas Williams and Mr. Thomas Smith, gent. of Dartford, the former of whom sold it to Mr. John Prebble, who is the present lessee of them.
Prioresses of Higham.
MARY, daughter of king Stephen, first prioress. (fn. 12)
ALICIA, JOANE, Named in several charters.
ACELINA, anno 50 king Henry III. (fn. 13)
AMPHELICIA, anno 16 king Edward I.
MATILDA, succeeded anno 17 king Edward I.
JOANE DE HADLOE, obt. anno 3 king Edward III. (fn. 14)
MAUD DE COLCESTRE, chosen in her room. (fn. 15)
ELIZABETH, or ISABEL, anno 18 and 31 king Edward III
CECILIA, anno 38 and 52 of the same reign.
JOANE DE COBEHAM, anno 15 and 18 of king Richard II
JOANE SOANE, succeeded anno 19 of the same reign.
ALICE PECKHAM, anno 7 king Henry V.
ISABEL, anno 25 king Henry VI.
ELIZABETA BRADFORTH, resig. anno 17 king Henry VII. (fn. 16)
AGNES SWAINE, succeeded. (fn. 17)
MARGARET HILDERDEN, anno 4 king Henry VIII.
ANCHORET UNGOTHORPE, alias OWGLETHORPE, anno 6 king Henry VIII. She died Jan. 31, anno 12 of the same reign, after which there was not another prioress elected.
GREAT and LITTLE OKELY are two reputed manors in this parish, which derive their name from ac, or ake, an oak, and ley, a field, in Saxon, Aclea, a place in which there is plenty of oaks. In the reign of king John, John le Brun held half a knight's fee in Acle, of William de Clovile, as he did of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 18)
In the 7th year of Edward I. both these estates were in the possession of William de St. Clere, (fn. 19) the former being held, as half a knight's fee, of Warine de Montchensie, as of his manor of Swanescombe; and the latter, as half a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which these estates were possessed by two different branches of this family: Great Okeley descended to Nicholas de St. Clere, from whom it passed to Walter Neile, who, as well as his descendants, were lessess to the abbey of Higham, for great part of their possessions in this parish. One of his descendants, in the reign of king Henry VII. alienated it to John Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, in this county, one of the auditors of the exchequer to that prince, whose descendant, Sir Charles Sedley, (fn. 20) bart. in the reign of king Charles II. passed away this manor by sale to Mr. Shales, of Portsmouth, who not long afterwards sold it to Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, in this county, whose descendant the Right Hon. Peter lord Gwydir is the present possessor of it.
LITTLE OKELEY manor descended from William de St. Clere, who possessed it, as has been beforementioned, in the 7th year of king Edward I. to Nicholas de Clere, and from him to John de St. Clere, who paid respective aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. at making the Black Prince a knight, as half a knight's fee, held of the bishop of Rochester. From this family it passed, after some intermission, to that of Cholmeley; one of whom, Sir Roger Cholmeley of London, died possessed of this manor, and left it to one of his daughters and coheirs, among other premises. She married Mr. Beckwith, by whom she had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Frances, She afterwards married Christopher Kenne, esq. of Kenne, in Somersetshire, who was possessed of it in her right, anno 22 queen Elizabeth; and then, having levied a fine of it, sold it to Thompson; and he, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Best, who passed it away by sale to Sir Charles Sedley, bart. from whom it went the same way to Farnham Aldersey, one of whose descendants sold it to Mr. Wm. Gates, gent. of Rochester, on whose death, in 1768, it came to his son of the same name, and his eldest son, Mr. George Gates, attorney at law and town clerk of Rochester, died possessed of it s.p. in 1792, and his sisters are now entitled to it.
There are no courts held for either Great or Little Okeley manors.
THE HERMITAGE is a pleasant seat in this parish, situated at almost the south-east extremity of it, about a mile northward from the London road to Dover. It stands on a hill, and commands a most extensive prospect both of the Medway and Thames, the Channel below the Nore, and a vast tract of country both in Kent and Essex.
This seat was new built by Sir Francis Head, bart. who inclosed a park round it (since disparked) and greatly improved the adjoining grounds. He resided here, and died possessed of it, with the manor of Higham Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, in 1768, and was buried in a vault in Higham church. He was descended from Richard Head, of Rochester, who by Anne, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrooke, in this county, had issue four sons; of whom Richard, the second, was advanced to the dignity of a baronet, on June 19, 1676. He had three wives, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester, by whom he had three sons; Francis, of whom hereafter; Henry, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Summers, esq. and Merrick, D. D. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dixon, D. D. prebendary of Rochester, by whom he left a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Theophilus Delangle; Dr. Head was rector of Leyborne and Ulcombe, in this county, and died in 1686, and lies buried in Leyborne church—And also one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Robert Faunce, of Maidstone, in this county. Secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Mr. Willey, of Wrotham, by whom he had one son, Henry, who married the daughter and coheir of John Dawes, merchant, of London, by whom he had Dawes Head, ancestor of the present baronet, now in Virginia; and also two daughters, Jane, first married to Herbert Price, esq. and afterwards to John Boys, esq. of Hode; and Frances, first married to Thomas Poley, esq. and afterwards to Adam Lawry, of Rochester. Thirdly, Anne, daughter of William Kingsley, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and relict of John Boys, esq. by whom he had no issue.
Sir Richard Head above mentioned, served several times in parliament for the city of Rochester. He died in 1689, and lies buried in Rochester cathedral, having been a good benefactor to the poor of St. Nicholas's parish, in that city.
Francis Head, esq. barrister at law, eldest son of Sir Richard, married Sarah, only daughter of Sir Geo. Ent, of London, M. D. who afterwards married Sir Paul Barrett, by whom he had six children. He died in his father's life time, in 1678, and was buried in the chancel of St. Margaret's church, Rochester; and by his will gave his house, pleasantly situated in St. Margaret's, to that see, for the residence of the bishop and his successors. Only two of his children survived him, viz. Sarah, married to John Lynch, esq. of Groves; and a son, Francis, who succeeded his grandfather in titles and estate, and resided at Canterbury, He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of James Smithbye, esq. by whom he had six sons and three daughters; he died, and was buried in St. Mildred's church, in Canterbury, in 1716. Of the above children, only four sons and one daughter survived him, viz. Sir Richard, his successor, who died unmarried, in 1721; Sir Francis, of whom hereafter; James Head, esq. barrister at law, who died unmarried in 1727, and was buried at Ickham, in this county; and Sir John Head, bart. who was D.D. and prebendary and archdeacon of Canterbury, and succeeded his brother, Sir Francis, but died in 1769, without surviving issue, though he was twice married; first, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Peter Leigh, by whom he had several children, who all died before him; secondly, in 1751, Jane, sister of Wm. Geekie, D.D. prebendary of Canterbury, who survived him, but by whom he had no issue.
Anne, the surviving daughter of Sir Francis Head, married William Egerton, LL.D. prebendary of Canterbury, and grandson of the earl of Bridgewater.
Sir Francis Head, bart. the son, succeeded his brother Richard in title and in this estate, and having new built the seat, resided here, as above mentioned.
The arms borne by the family of Head were, Argent, a chevron ermines, between three unicorns heads, couped sable. (fn. 21)
Sir Francis last mentioned, married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir William Boys, M.D. (by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant at law, who married the widow of Francis Head, esq. the eldest son of the first baronet) by whom he had three daughters and coheirs; Mary Wilhelmina, married in 1753, to the Hon. Harry Roper, eldest son of Henry lord Teynham, and died, s.p. in 1758; Anne Gabriel, married first to Moses Mendez, esq. by whom she had two sons, Francis and James, who both took the name of Head, and will be hereafter noticed; and a daughter, who became a nun prossessed in France; and secondly, in 1760, to the Hon. John Roper, next brother to Harry Roper above mentioned, by whom she had no issue, and died in 1771; and Eliza beth Campbell, married to the Rev. Dr. Lill, of Ireland, since deceased, by whom she had one son, Francis, and three daughters.
On the death of Sir Francis, this seat, with the manor of Higham, Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, devolved, by settlement, to his widow, lady Head, who died in 1792, and was buried in the same vault with her late husband; and this seat, and the manor and estates above mentioned, descended by settlement, one fourth part to the widow of Francis Head, seq. (daughter of Mr. Egerton) re-married to colonel Andrew Cowell, of the Guards, as guardian to her only daughter by Mr. Head; another fourth part to James Roper Head, esq. his younger brother, who married Miss Burgess, and now resides at the Hermitage; and the remaining half part, or moiety, to Elizabeth Campbell, the widow of Dr. Lill; in which divisions the property of these estates remain vested at this time.
SIR ANTHONY ST. LEGER, in the reign of king Edward VI. was possessed of an estate, called the BROOKES, being marsh lands, with other lands in Higham; all which, in the 4th year of that reign, he conveyed to the king. This estate afterwards came into the possession of the Stuarts, dukes of Richmond, from whom it is now come, in like manner as Cobham hall, to the Right Hon. John earl of Darnley, the present possessor of it.
Charities.
THIS PARISH of Higham has a right of nomination to one place in the New College of Cobham, for one poor person, inhabitant of this parish, to be chosen and presented so, and by such as the ordinances of the college have powder to present and elect for this parish; and if the parish of Halling make default in their turn, then the benefit of election devolves on this parish.
THOMAS SHAVE gave by will, in 1655, two dozen of bread to the poor of this parish, to be disposed of every Sunday; for which purpose he settled the Sun-house, with the yard, and three acres and three roods of land, now vested in the minister and churchwardens, feoffees in trust, and of the annual produce of 7l.
HIGHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of two isles and two chancels, with a slat tower, having two bells.
Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, a stone with a bend voided between six escallops for William Inglett, B.D. vicar of this parish, ob. Jan. 4, 1659; another, with a chevron between three leaves slipped, for Mr. Richard Pearson, forty-four years vicar here, obt. Ap. 14, 1710; under an arch, in the south wall, an altar monument for Anne, wife of Samuel Cordwell, and daughter of Richard Machan, esq. obt. 1642. In the north chancel, by the north wall, on an altar monument, a brass plate, having three cups covered, impaling on a chevron three birds heads erased, for Elizabeth Boteler, obt. 1615, wife of Wm. Boteler, esq. of Rochester, daughter of Sir William Crayford, leaving two sons and two daughters, Henry, Thomas, Anne, and Elizabeth; another like for Robert Hylton, late yeoman of the Guards to king Henry VIII. obt. 1529. A memorial for Elizabeth, wife of Robert Parker, of Shinglewell, who left two sons, Richard and Robert, ob. 1670. (fn. 22)
The church, with its appurtenances, once belonged to the Benedictine abbey of St. John, in Colchester, and was granted at the instance of queen Matilda, wife of king Stephen (that king and his son, earl Eustace, confirming it) by Hugh, abbot, and the convent of that abbey, to the convent of the nuns of Lillechirche, in exchange for land, of one hundred shillings value, at East Doniland, in Essex. (fn. 23) Not withstanding which great disputes afterwards arose between them concerning this church, which was settled by agreement in the beginning of Edward II.'s reign, when Walter, abbot of Colchester, and his convent, gave up to the nuns all their right and title to it. In consideration of which they granted to the abbot and convent certain land in Lillecherche, belonging to this church, of the yearly value of thirty shillings; and if the land, called Blunteshale, should be made over to them by the nuns, on the same terms as the above land was granted to them, then they agreed to restore the lands of thirty shillings value to the nuns, and to receive the lands of Blunteshale in exchange for it of them, which was then confirmed by Gilbert, bishop of London, and S . . . . . . . . . abbot of St. Alban's, and the abbot of Colchester above mentioned and his convent, having, for the purpose of this exchange, resigned this church into the hands of Walter, bishop of Rochester, and quitted all kind of claim to it, he granted and gave the same in alms to Mary, daughter of king Stephen, and her nuns at Lillechurch, with all its appurtenances, in as ample and full a manner as any of their predecessors ever possessed it; and at the same time, with the consent and good will of Amselice, then prioress here, endowed the vicarage of this church as follows: viz. that the chaplain ministering in it should have all obventions of the altar, exceptiog twenty-four candles, which the nuns should receive on the day of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, of the better ones made on that day; and all legacies, made as well to himself as to the church, except it was a horse, ox, or cow, which the prioress and nuns should take; and that he should have all small tithes arising from the parish, excepting those from the demesnes of the nuns, and from the food of their cattle, and except the tithe of wool arising from the parish; and that he should have yearly six seams of corn from the nuns, viz. two of wheat, two of barley, and two of oats; of which, two should be paid to him at the feast of St. Michael, two at the Nativity, and two at the feast of Easter, and forage and herbage for one horse; and that he should sustain the burthen of clerks necessary to administer in the church, of whom one should daily be present at the greater mass before the said nuns; that the prioress should pay the synodals, and sustain the other episcopal burthens, saving, nevertheless, in all matters episcopal, the right to the bishop; all which was confirmed by him.
The prioress and convent, in the reign of king Edward III. having begun the repair of this church, pope Alexander IV. in his 4th year, anno 1357, granted an indulgence of forty days remission of penance to all who should contribute to it, by his bull for that purpose, which was to continue in force for five years.
This church remained with the nunnery till the dissolution of it, about the year 1521, when it was, with the other possessions of it, surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. three years after which, the priory and church, together with all the rents and revenues belonging to them, were granted by the king, with the pope's consent, to the master and sellows of St. John's college, in Cambridge; the church, with its appurtenances, to be held by them in like manner as it was held before by the prioress and convent, and paying yearly to the bishop of Rochester, and his successors, 13s. 4d. as an annual pension; and to the archdeacon and his successors, 7s. 6d. yearly for ever, as had been accoustomed; and on the vacancy of the see of Rochester, to the archbishop and his successors, four shillings for procurations, &c. and also out of the revenues of the priory twelve pence yearly on Michaelmas day, in the priory, to the poor people dwelling and being there for ever. The instrument of the commissary of the bishop of Rochester, for the above union and appropriation of the priory and church of Higham, to the master and fellows of St. John's college, Cambridge, (fn. 24) is dated in 1523; and with them the inheritance of the appropriation and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Higham continues at this time.
The yearly rent paid by the lessee of this parsonage to the master and fellows of St. John's, is 5l. 6s. 8d. in money, six quarters of wheat, three quarters of malt, and six couple of capons.
About the time of the restoration of king Charles II. colonel Goodyer was lessee of it, and he sold his interest in it to one Page, who alienated it to Richard Pearson, A. M. vicar of this parish, who possessed the lease of it for forty years, and died in 1710, and de vised his term in it to his nephew, John Pearson, who by his will devised it to his executors, Richard Pearson and John Till, of Essex, who, in 1738, for one thousand pounds, sold it to Mr. Tho. Harris, gent. of Sutton-at-Home. He died possessed of it in 1769, and by his will devised his interest in the term of this parsonage to Stephen Dilly, yeoman, whose widow is the present lessee of it.
The vicarage of Higham is valued in the king's books at 8l. 10s. and the yearly tenths at 17s. In the year 1650, this vicarage was valued at 60l. per annum. (fn. 25) The vicar receives all tithes arising within this parish, excepting corn.
THERE ARE certain lands in Higham, in Okeleyfarm, of which the impropriator of the parsonage takes but half the tithes (the other half being part of the portion of tithes belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, of which a further account will be given) These lands are now called dominical lands, and are thus described:
The orchard, below the house, five acres; Barnfield, eight acres; Downefield, elevan acres; Cookfield, eighteen acres; in the whole, forty-two acres. The impropriator takes the whole tithes of all the rest of Okeley-farm, as well as of the rest of the parish, excepting one field, called the Homestal, which belongs to the vicar, and is compounded for at three pounds and some shillings yearly.
The portion of tithes above mentioned was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Rochester. William de Cloeville gave for ever two parts of his tithe of Acle, now Okeley, to the monks of St. Andrew's, Rochester, in consideration of their having made his son a monk there; which gift he made with the consent of Gosfrid Talbot, chief lord of the see. (fn. 26) Gundulph, bishop of Rochester, who was consecrated in 1077, confirmed this donation, as did several of the succeeding bishops of Rochester, and others. (fn. 27) On the dissolution of the priory of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry VIII. this portion of tithes was, together with the rest of the possessions of that monastery, surrendered into the king's hands in the 32d year of his reign; who presently after, in his 33d year, settled it, by his dotation charter, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it continues at this time.
¶It appears by the survey of this portion of tithes, called Odeley portion, taken by order of the state in 1650; on the dissolution of deans and chapters, &c. that the same was then valued at ten pounds per ann. improved rent, and was let, anno 6 queen Elizabeth, by the dean and chapter, to John Sedley, esq. for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d. (fn. 28) Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, died possessed of the lease of these tithes this year, 1775, and his descendant, the Right Hon. lord Gwydir, is the present lessee of them.
"My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.
I give Pirrip as my father’s family name, on the authority of his tombstone and my sister — Mrs. Joe Gargery, who married the blacksmith. As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s, gave me an odd idea that he was a square, stout, dark man, with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the inscription, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly. To five little stone lozenges, each about a foot and a half long, which were arranged in a neat row beside their grave, and were sacred to the memory of five little brothers of mine — who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle — I am indebted for a belief I religiously entertained that they had all been born on their backs with their hands in their trousers—pockets, and had never taken them out in this state of existence.
Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried; and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip."
So opens Great Expectations. And it is this very churchyard, although at night, and misty that those first lines were set. In the next paragraph, the criminal, Magwitch, appears.
St Mary now lies at the end of a dead end lane, leading out towards the banks of the nearby River Thames, with the freight only line to Grain passing a field length's away. In short, you don't pass this way by accident, and will be lucky to find it, as some of the locals have been spinning the road signs round.
It is yet another wonderful bright winters day here in The Garden of England, and I was out here with Jools re-doing some shots I had messed up last time was here, and anyway, on that day the church was full of scarecrows for a festival.
As we were the first ones here today, the ancient carved door was closed, so we eased it open and went inside.
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Difficult to find, but more than worth the effort. It consists of a Norman nave and chancel to which a south aisle and chapel were added in the mid-fourteenth century. The aisle and chapel are now laid out as the main nave and chancel. The exterior has wonderful striped walls, like a smaller version of nearby Cliffe, whilst the fourteenth-century south door is the highly carved original. Inside the contemporary pulpit is one of the earliest in the county with six carved traceried panels. Behind it is a fifteenth-century rood screen, which, despite the loss of its loft, is a surprising survival. In the north-east corner of the Lady Chapel is a table tomb whose top is made up from the original stone altar slab, or mensa, with its five consecration crosses showing prominently. In the south wall of the same chapel is a medieval aumbry with its original hinged door. The stained glass is all nineteenth and twentieth century - the excellent south chancel window showing the Agony in the Garden is dated 1863 unfortunately by an unidentified artist. Of the same date is the tortoise stove in the north aisle, which displays on its lid the motto 'Slow but sure combustion'. The church is excellently maintained by The Churches Conservation Trust - the congregation worshipping in a replacement church in the village, built in 1860 by E.W. Stephens of Maidstone.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Higham+1
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THE next parish northward from Merston is HIGHAM, which in antient records is variously written Hecham, Hegham, and Heabham.
It was from the reign of king Stephen till about the reign of king Edward III. frequently called Lillechurch, alias Higham; the former of which names it took from a manor or ville in this parish, where a priory was built, but in later times it seems to have been called by its former name of Higham only, that of Lillechurch being entirely omitted.
THIS PARISH is situated on the north side of the London high road, nearly opposite to Shorne. It lies low adjoining to the marshes, the river Thames being its northern boundary, of course the air is very unhealthy, and much subject to intermittents, a satality which attends in general all those parishes, which lie on the north side of the high London road as far as Canterbury, and thence again to the uplands of the Isle of Thanet. Higham is about four miles in extent from north-west to south-east, and but little more than a mile in breadth. The surface is slat, and the soil in general very fertile, excepting towards the eastern part of it, where it is high ground and light land. The village and church stand close to, and entirely exposed to the marshes, which comprehend nearly one half of the parish. The nunnery, now called the Abbey, was situated not far from the east end of the church, where the farm-house, of which the sides and back part are built of stone, with windows of a gothic orm, discovers marks of some antiquity, and seems to have been a part of the abbey, but it is supposed to have been only a part of some of the offices, (fn. 1) there being in the field on the south side many appearances of foundations, and contiguous to the farm-yard there remains some part of the thick stone wall covered with ivy, being the inclosure of the abbey, and was carried quite round the yard. About a mile from the church, near the road to Cliff, is Lillechurch-house, where the priory or abbey of Higham, as it is now called, is supposed to have been first erected; behind the garden of which, in a field called Church-place, many human bones have been found. At the east end of the parish, in the road from Frindsbury to Cliff, is the estate of Mockbeggar, and on the submit of the hill southward, The mansion of Hermitage, below which, in the flat country, at an equal distance from the church, is the manor and hamlet of Higham-ridgeway, a name plainly derived from the antient causeway through it, leading towards the river. Plautius, the Roman general, under the emperor Claudius, in the year of Christ, 43, is said to have passed the river Thames from Essex into Kent, near the mouth of it, with his army, in pursuit of the flying Britons, who being acquainted with the firm and fordable places of the river, passed it easily. (fn. 2) This passage is considered to have been from East Tilbury, in Essex, across the river to Higham. (fn. 3) Between these places there was a ferry on the river for many ages after, the method of intercourse between the two counties of Kent and Essex for all these parts, and it continued so till the dissolution of the abbey here; before which time, Higham was likewise the place for shipping and unshipping corn and goods in great quantities from this part of the county to and from London and elsewhere. The probability of this having been a frequented ford or passage in the time of the Romans, is strengthened by the visible remains of the raised causeway, or road, near thirty feet wide, leading from the Thames side through the marshes by Higham, southward to this ridgeway before-mentioned, and thence across the London high road on Gads-hill to Shorne ridgeway, about half a mile beyond which it joins the Roman Watling-street-road, near the entrance into Cobham park.
In the pleas of the crown in the 21st year of king Edward I. the prioress of the nunnery of Higham was found liable to maintain a bridge and causeway that led from Higham down to the river Thames, in order to give the better and easter passage to such as would ferry from hence over into Essex.
This parish, among others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the ninth pier of Rochester bridge, as the manor of Okely was to the fourth pier of it. (fn. 4)
In queen Elizabeth's reign there was a fort or bulwark at Higham for the defence of the river Thames, under the direction of a captain, soldiers, &c. (fn. 5)
HIGHAM was part of the possessions with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother, Odo, bishop of Baieux and earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands, it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken in the year 1080.
The same Adam holds Hecham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at 5 sulings. The arable land is 12 carucates. In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 24 villeins, with 12 borderers having 6 carucates and an half. There are 20 servants, and 30 acres of meadow. There is a church, and 1 mill of 10 shillings, and a fishery of 3 shillings, and in Exesle pasture for 200 sheep. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth 12 pounds, and afterwards 6 pounds, now 15 pounds.
In the time of king Edward, Goduin, the son of Carli and Toli, held this land for two manors.
These were the two manors of Higham and Lillechurch, which on the disgrace of bishop Odo, about four years afterwards, were with the rest of his estates, consiscated to the crown, where they remained till king Stephen, together with Matilda his queen, in the 14th year of his reign, gave them by the name of the manor of Lillechurch, with its appurtenances, under which name both manors seem then to have been comprehended, being part of her inheritance, with other premises, to William de Ipre, in exchange for the manor for Fauresham.
KING STEPHEN afterwards founded a NUNNERY, of the Benedictine order, at Lillechurch in Higham, (fn. 6) to which his daughter, the princess Mary, as is mentioned in a deed, retired cum monialibus suis quas tanquam in proprietate sua recepit. (fn. 7) She afterwards became abbess of Rumsey.
After the death of king Stephen, William de Ipre above mentioned, earl of Kent, was, with the rest of the Flemish, of whom he was principal, forced to abandon this kingdom, and their estates were all seized, by which this manor came again to the crown; but in the 6th year of king John, the nuns gave the king one hundred pounds for his grant of the manor of Lille cherche; after which, king Henry III. in his 11th year, granted and confirmed to the abbey of St. Mary of Sulpice, in Bourges, and to the prioress and nuns of Lillecherche, that manor, in pure and perpetual alms, with all its appurtenances, and all liberties and free customs belonging to it, by which it should seem that this house had then some dependence on that abbey; and he further granted to the prioress and nuns, to have one fair at Lillecherche for three days yearly, on the day of St. Michael, and two days afterwards; and that they should possess them, and in like manner as the grant, which they had of his father, king John, plainly testified. (fn. 8)
King Henry, in his 50th year, granted to the prioress and nuns of Lillechurch an exemption from the suit they were yearly used to make at his court of the honor of Boloigne, at St. Martin the Great in London, for their demesne lands in the manor of Lillecherche. King Edward I. in his 16th year, confirmed the above fair to the prioress and nuns there.
This monastery was subject to the visitation of the bishops of Rochester; and accordingly Hamo de Heth, bishop of Rochester, in 1320, visited it, and professed eight nuns here; as he did again in 1328, when he buried Joane de Hadloe, prioress of this house, and he afterwards confirmed Maud de Colcestre prioress in her place, at Greenwich. At what time this priory was removed from Lillechurch, where it was certainly first built, to where the ruins are still visible, near the present church of Higham, is no where mentioned, nor is there any clue leading to discover it. That it was so those ruins, as well as the change of the name of it, are convincing proofs; nor is there any thing further worth mentioning relating to it till king Henry VII's reign, at which time the manors of Higham and Lillecherche, with their lands and appurtenances, conti nued in the possession of the prioress; in the 17th year of which reign, this house was become almost deserted, for it appeared then, on the election of a prioress, that there were only a sub-prioress and two nuns belonging to it, though there had been in former times sixteen belonging to it. Soon after which, in 1548, Margaret, countess of Richmond and Derby, having begun the foundation of St. John's college, in Cambridge, died, and left her executors to carry on the design; one of these was John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who being himself a learned man, and greatly anxious for the increase of learning, obtained licence of king Henry VIII. to dissolve this monastery with that of Bromhall, in Berkshire, that the lands and revenues of them might be annexed towards the better support and maintenance of the above college. (fn. 9) Accordingly, about the year 1521, these nunneries were dissolved, (fn. 10) and, with their revenues, were surrendered into the hands of the crown; three years after which, the master and fellows of that college obtained, at the instance of bishop Fisher, of the king and pope Clement VII. these priories, with their appurtenances, to be transferred and confirmed for ever to their college, (fn. 11) where the inheritance of the scite of this priory, or abbey as it is now called, the manor and church of Higham, with the manor of Lillichurch, and the rest of the lands and revenues belonging to it here and elsewhere, continue at this time. The lease of these manors, with the scite of the abbey, and the lands in this parish belonging to it, were some years ago purchased by Mr. Rich. Hornsby, of Horton Kirkby in this county, of Mr. Tho. Peake. Mr. Hornsby died possessed of it within these few years, since which his interest in this estate has been sold to Mr. Thomas Williams and Mr. Thomas Smith, gent. of Dartford, the former of whom sold it to Mr. John Prebble, who is the present lessee of them.
Prioresses of Higham.
MARY, daughter of king Stephen, first prioress. (fn. 12)
ALICIA, JOANE, Named in several charters.
ACELINA, anno 50 king Henry III. (fn. 13)
AMPHELICIA, anno 16 king Edward I.
MATILDA, succeeded anno 17 king Edward I.
JOANE DE HADLOE, obt. anno 3 king Edward III. (fn. 14)
MAUD DE COLCESTRE, chosen in her room. (fn. 15)
ELIZABETH, or ISABEL, anno 18 and 31 king Edward III
CECILIA, anno 38 and 52 of the same reign.
JOANE DE COBEHAM, anno 15 and 18 of king Richard II
JOANE SOANE, succeeded anno 19 of the same reign.
ALICE PECKHAM, anno 7 king Henry V.
ISABEL, anno 25 king Henry VI.
ELIZABETA BRADFORTH, resig. anno 17 king Henry VII. (fn. 16)
AGNES SWAINE, succeeded. (fn. 17)
MARGARET HILDERDEN, anno 4 king Henry VIII.
ANCHORET UNGOTHORPE, alias OWGLETHORPE, anno 6 king Henry VIII. She died Jan. 31, anno 12 of the same reign, after which there was not another prioress elected.
GREAT and LITTLE OKELY are two reputed manors in this parish, which derive their name from ac, or ake, an oak, and ley, a field, in Saxon, Aclea, a place in which there is plenty of oaks. In the reign of king John, John le Brun held half a knight's fee in Acle, of William de Clovile, as he did of Warine de Montchensie. (fn. 18)
In the 7th year of Edward I. both these estates were in the possession of William de St. Clere, (fn. 19) the former being held, as half a knight's fee, of Warine de Montchensie, as of his manor of Swanescombe; and the latter, as half a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which these estates were possessed by two different branches of this family: Great Okeley descended to Nicholas de St. Clere, from whom it passed to Walter Neile, who, as well as his descendants, were lessess to the abbey of Higham, for great part of their possessions in this parish. One of his descendants, in the reign of king Henry VII. alienated it to John Sedley, esq. of Southfleet, in this county, one of the auditors of the exchequer to that prince, whose descendant, Sir Charles Sedley, (fn. 20) bart. in the reign of king Charles II. passed away this manor by sale to Mr. Shales, of Portsmouth, who not long afterwards sold it to Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, in this county, whose descendant the Right Hon. Peter lord Gwydir is the present possessor of it.
LITTLE OKELEY manor descended from William de St. Clere, who possessed it, as has been beforementioned, in the 7th year of king Edward I. to Nicholas de Clere, and from him to John de St. Clere, who paid respective aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. at making the Black Prince a knight, as half a knight's fee, held of the bishop of Rochester. From this family it passed, after some intermission, to that of Cholmeley; one of whom, Sir Roger Cholmeley of London, died possessed of this manor, and left it to one of his daughters and coheirs, among other premises. She married Mr. Beckwith, by whom she had one son, Roger, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Frances, She afterwards married Christopher Kenne, esq. of Kenne, in Somersetshire, who was possessed of it in her right, anno 22 queen Elizabeth; and then, having levied a fine of it, sold it to Thompson; and he, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Best, who passed it away by sale to Sir Charles Sedley, bart. from whom it went the same way to Farnham Aldersey, one of whose descendants sold it to Mr. Wm. Gates, gent. of Rochester, on whose death, in 1768, it came to his son of the same name, and his eldest son, Mr. George Gates, attorney at law and town clerk of Rochester, died possessed of it s.p. in 1792, and his sisters are now entitled to it.
There are no courts held for either Great or Little Okeley manors.
THE HERMITAGE is a pleasant seat in this parish, situated at almost the south-east extremity of it, about a mile northward from the London road to Dover. It stands on a hill, and commands a most extensive prospect both of the Medway and Thames, the Channel below the Nore, and a vast tract of country both in Kent and Essex.
This seat was new built by Sir Francis Head, bart. who inclosed a park round it (since disparked) and greatly improved the adjoining grounds. He resided here, and died possessed of it, with the manor of Higham Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, in 1768, and was buried in a vault in Higham church. He was descended from Richard Head, of Rochester, who by Anne, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrooke, in this county, had issue four sons; of whom Richard, the second, was advanced to the dignity of a baronet, on June 19, 1676. He had three wives, first, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester, by whom he had three sons; Francis, of whom hereafter; Henry, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Summers, esq. and Merrick, D. D. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dixon, D. D. prebendary of Rochester, by whom he left a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Theophilus Delangle; Dr. Head was rector of Leyborne and Ulcombe, in this county, and died in 1686, and lies buried in Leyborne church—And also one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Robert Faunce, of Maidstone, in this county. Secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Mr. Willey, of Wrotham, by whom he had one son, Henry, who married the daughter and coheir of John Dawes, merchant, of London, by whom he had Dawes Head, ancestor of the present baronet, now in Virginia; and also two daughters, Jane, first married to Herbert Price, esq. and afterwards to John Boys, esq. of Hode; and Frances, first married to Thomas Poley, esq. and afterwards to Adam Lawry, of Rochester. Thirdly, Anne, daughter of William Kingsley, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and relict of John Boys, esq. by whom he had no issue.
Sir Richard Head above mentioned, served several times in parliament for the city of Rochester. He died in 1689, and lies buried in Rochester cathedral, having been a good benefactor to the poor of St. Nicholas's parish, in that city.
Francis Head, esq. barrister at law, eldest son of Sir Richard, married Sarah, only daughter of Sir Geo. Ent, of London, M. D. who afterwards married Sir Paul Barrett, by whom he had six children. He died in his father's life time, in 1678, and was buried in the chancel of St. Margaret's church, Rochester; and by his will gave his house, pleasantly situated in St. Margaret's, to that see, for the residence of the bishop and his successors. Only two of his children survived him, viz. Sarah, married to John Lynch, esq. of Groves; and a son, Francis, who succeeded his grandfather in titles and estate, and resided at Canterbury, He married Margaret, daughter and coheir of James Smithbye, esq. by whom he had six sons and three daughters; he died, and was buried in St. Mildred's church, in Canterbury, in 1716. Of the above children, only four sons and one daughter survived him, viz. Sir Richard, his successor, who died unmarried, in 1721; Sir Francis, of whom hereafter; James Head, esq. barrister at law, who died unmarried in 1727, and was buried at Ickham, in this county; and Sir John Head, bart. who was D.D. and prebendary and archdeacon of Canterbury, and succeeded his brother, Sir Francis, but died in 1769, without surviving issue, though he was twice married; first, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Peter Leigh, by whom he had several children, who all died before him; secondly, in 1751, Jane, sister of Wm. Geekie, D.D. prebendary of Canterbury, who survived him, but by whom he had no issue.
Anne, the surviving daughter of Sir Francis Head, married William Egerton, LL.D. prebendary of Canterbury, and grandson of the earl of Bridgewater.
Sir Francis Head, bart. the son, succeeded his brother Richard in title and in this estate, and having new built the seat, resided here, as above mentioned.
The arms borne by the family of Head were, Argent, a chevron ermines, between three unicorns heads, couped sable. (fn. 21)
Sir Francis last mentioned, married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir William Boys, M.D. (by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Paul Barrett, sergeant at law, who married the widow of Francis Head, esq. the eldest son of the first baronet) by whom he had three daughters and coheirs; Mary Wilhelmina, married in 1753, to the Hon. Harry Roper, eldest son of Henry lord Teynham, and died, s.p. in 1758; Anne Gabriel, married first to Moses Mendez, esq. by whom she had two sons, Francis and James, who both took the name of Head, and will be hereafter noticed; and a daughter, who became a nun prossessed in France; and secondly, in 1760, to the Hon. John Roper, next brother to Harry Roper above mentioned, by whom she had no issue, and died in 1771; and Eliza beth Campbell, married to the Rev. Dr. Lill, of Ireland, since deceased, by whom she had one son, Francis, and three daughters.
On the death of Sir Francis, this seat, with the manor of Higham, Ridgway, and other estates in this parish, devolved, by settlement, to his widow, lady Head, who died in 1792, and was buried in the same vault with her late husband; and this seat, and the manor and estates above mentioned, descended by settlement, one fourth part to the widow of Francis Head, seq. (daughter of Mr. Egerton) re-married to colonel Andrew Cowell, of the Guards, as guardian to her only daughter by Mr. Head; another fourth part to James Roper Head, esq. his younger brother, who married Miss Burgess, and now resides at the Hermitage; and the remaining half part, or moiety, to Elizabeth Campbell, the widow of Dr. Lill; in which divisions the property of these estates remain vested at this time.
SIR ANTHONY ST. LEGER, in the reign of king Edward VI. was possessed of an estate, called the BROOKES, being marsh lands, with other lands in Higham; all which, in the 4th year of that reign, he conveyed to the king. This estate afterwards came into the possession of the Stuarts, dukes of Richmond, from whom it is now come, in like manner as Cobham hall, to the Right Hon. John earl of Darnley, the present possessor of it.
Charities.
THIS PARISH of Higham has a right of nomination to one place in the New College of Cobham, for one poor person, inhabitant of this parish, to be chosen and presented so, and by such as the ordinances of the college have powder to present and elect for this parish; and if the parish of Halling make default in their turn, then the benefit of election devolves on this parish.
THOMAS SHAVE gave by will, in 1655, two dozen of bread to the poor of this parish, to be disposed of every Sunday; for which purpose he settled the Sun-house, with the yard, and three acres and three roods of land, now vested in the minister and churchwardens, feoffees in trust, and of the annual produce of 7l.
HIGHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of two isles and two chancels, with a slat tower, having two bells.
Among other monuments and memorials in it are the following: In the chancel, a stone with a bend voided between six escallops for William Inglett, B.D. vicar of this parish, ob. Jan. 4, 1659; another, with a chevron between three leaves slipped, for Mr. Richard Pearson, forty-four years vicar here, obt. Ap. 14, 1710; under an arch, in the south wall, an altar monument for Anne, wife of Samuel Cordwell, and daughter of Richard Machan, esq. obt. 1642. In the north chancel, by the north wall, on an altar monument, a brass plate, having three cups covered, impaling on a chevron three birds heads erased, for Elizabeth Boteler, obt. 1615, wife of Wm. Boteler, esq. of Rochester, daughter of Sir William Crayford, leaving two sons and two daughters, Henry, Thomas, Anne, and Elizabeth; another like for Robert Hylton, late yeoman of the Guards to king Henry VIII. obt. 1529. A memorial for Elizabeth, wife of Robert Parker, of Shinglewell, who left two sons, Richard and Robert, ob. 1670. (fn. 22)
The church, with its appurtenances, once belonged to the Benedictine abbey of St. John, in Colchester, and was granted at the instance of queen Matilda, wife of king Stephen (that king and his son, earl Eustace, confirming it) by Hugh, abbot, and the convent of that abbey, to the convent of the nuns of Lillechirche, in exchange for land, of one hundred shillings value, at East Doniland, in Essex. (fn. 23) Not withstanding which great disputes afterwards arose between them concerning this church, which was settled by agreement in the beginning of Edward II.'s reign, when Walter, abbot of Colchester, and his convent, gave up to the nuns all their right and title to it. In consideration of which they granted to the abbot and convent certain land in Lillecherche, belonging to this church, of the yearly value of thirty shillings; and if the land, called Blunteshale, should be made over to them by the nuns, on the same terms as the above land was granted to them, then they agreed to restore the lands of thirty shillings value to the nuns, and to receive the lands of Blunteshale in exchange for it of them, which was then confirmed by Gilbert, bishop of London, and S . . . . . . . . . abbot of St. Alban's, and the abbot of Colchester above mentioned and his convent, having, for the purpose of this exchange, resigned this church into the hands of Walter, bishop of Rochester, and quitted all kind of claim to it, he granted and gave the same in alms to Mary, daughter of king Stephen, and her nuns at Lillechurch, with all its appurtenances, in as ample and full a manner as any of their predecessors ever possessed it; and at the same time, with the consent and good will of Amselice, then prioress here, endowed the vicarage of this church as follows: viz. that the chaplain ministering in it should have all obventions of the altar, exceptiog twenty-four candles, which the nuns should receive on the day of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, of the better ones made on that day; and all legacies, made as well to himself as to the church, except it was a horse, ox, or cow, which the prioress and nuns should take; and that he should have all small tithes arising from the parish, excepting those from the demesnes of the nuns, and from the food of their cattle, and except the tithe of wool arising from the parish; and that he should have yearly six seams of corn from the nuns, viz. two of wheat, two of barley, and two of oats; of which, two should be paid to him at the feast of St. Michael, two at the Nativity, and two at the feast of Easter, and forage and herbage for one horse; and that he should sustain the burthen of clerks necessary to administer in the church, of whom one should daily be present at the greater mass before the said nuns; that the prioress should pay the synodals, and sustain the other episcopal burthens, saving, nevertheless, in all matters episcopal, the right to the bishop; all which was confirmed by him.
The prioress and convent, in the reign of king Edward III. having begun the repair of this church, pope Alexander IV. in his 4th year, anno 1357, granted an indulgence of forty days remission of penance to all who should contribute to it, by his bull for that purpose, which was to continue in force for five years.
This church remained with the nunnery till the dissolution of it, about the year 1521, when it was, with the other possessions of it, surrendered into the hands of king Henry VIII. three years after which, the priory and church, together with all the rents and revenues belonging to them, were granted by the king, with the pope's consent, to the master and sellows of St. John's college, in Cambridge; the church, with its appurtenances, to be held by them in like manner as it was held before by the prioress and convent, and paying yearly to the bishop of Rochester, and his successors, 13s. 4d. as an annual pension; and to the archdeacon and his successors, 7s. 6d. yearly for ever, as had been accoustomed; and on the vacancy of the see of Rochester, to the archbishop and his successors, four shillings for procurations, &c. and also out of the revenues of the priory twelve pence yearly on Michaelmas day, in the priory, to the poor people dwelling and being there for ever. The instrument of the commissary of the bishop of Rochester, for the above union and appropriation of the priory and church of Higham, to the master and fellows of St. John's college, Cambridge, (fn. 24) is dated in 1523; and with them the inheritance of the appropriation and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Higham continues at this time.
The yearly rent paid by the lessee of this parsonage to the master and fellows of St. John's, is 5l. 6s. 8d. in money, six quarters of wheat, three quarters of malt, and six couple of capons.
About the time of the restoration of king Charles II. colonel Goodyer was lessee of it, and he sold his interest in it to one Page, who alienated it to Richard Pearson, A. M. vicar of this parish, who possessed the lease of it for forty years, and died in 1710, and de vised his term in it to his nephew, John Pearson, who by his will devised it to his executors, Richard Pearson and John Till, of Essex, who, in 1738, for one thousand pounds, sold it to Mr. Tho. Harris, gent. of Sutton-at-Home. He died possessed of it in 1769, and by his will devised his interest in the term of this parsonage to Stephen Dilly, yeoman, whose widow is the present lessee of it.
The vicarage of Higham is valued in the king's books at 8l. 10s. and the yearly tenths at 17s. In the year 1650, this vicarage was valued at 60l. per annum. (fn. 25) The vicar receives all tithes arising within this parish, excepting corn.
THERE ARE certain lands in Higham, in Okeleyfarm, of which the impropriator of the parsonage takes but half the tithes (the other half being part of the portion of tithes belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, of which a further account will be given) These lands are now called dominical lands, and are thus described:
The orchard, below the house, five acres; Barnfield, eight acres; Downefield, elevan acres; Cookfield, eighteen acres; in the whole, forty-two acres. The impropriator takes the whole tithes of all the rest of Okeley-farm, as well as of the rest of the parish, excepting one field, called the Homestal, which belongs to the vicar, and is compounded for at three pounds and some shillings yearly.
The portion of tithes above mentioned was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Rochester. William de Cloeville gave for ever two parts of his tithe of Acle, now Okeley, to the monks of St. Andrew's, Rochester, in consideration of their having made his son a monk there; which gift he made with the consent of Gosfrid Talbot, chief lord of the see. (fn. 26) Gundulph, bishop of Rochester, who was consecrated in 1077, confirmed this donation, as did several of the succeeding bishops of Rochester, and others. (fn. 27) On the dissolution of the priory of Rochester, in the reign of king Henry VIII. this portion of tithes was, together with the rest of the possessions of that monastery, surrendered into the king's hands in the 32d year of his reign; who presently after, in his 33d year, settled it, by his dotation charter, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it continues at this time.
¶It appears by the survey of this portion of tithes, called Odeley portion, taken by order of the state in 1650; on the dissolution of deans and chapters, &c. that the same was then valued at ten pounds per ann. improved rent, and was let, anno 6 queen Elizabeth, by the dean and chapter, to John Sedley, esq. for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of 13s. 4d. (fn. 28) Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, died possessed of the lease of these tithes this year, 1775, and his descendant, the Right Hon. lord Gwydir, is the present lessee of them.
I have been to Throwley on at least three previous occasions, the fourth was going to be during Ride and Stride in September, but another crawler told me it had failed to open as per the list.
St Michael and All Angles is a large and from the outside and interesting looking church, looked like it had a story to tell. So, last week, I contacted the wardens through the CofE A church Near You website, I got a reply and a date and time agreed for Saturday morning.
We arrived 15 minutes early, and it was as locked as ever, but on a fine if frosty morning took the time to study the church ad churchyard, and saw yet more fine details we had missed previously.
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St Michael & All Angels is the parish church of Throwley. The first church on the site was probably built between 800 and 825. This would have been a small wooden structure, barely distinguishable from a farm building.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066 this was replaced by a Romanesque stone structure.
This was still small, but as the population of the parish increased the church was enlarged, until in about 1510 it reached its present size. Since then its appearance has changed little, although an extra storey was added to the tower - now far seen - in the 1860s.
The church has an elaborate Romanesque west entrance; its east window in the chancel, by Curtis, Ward & Hughes of Soho, London, is a memorial to Throwley men who gave their lives in the First World War.
In the Harris chapel is the church's newest stained-glass window, commemorating Dorothy Lady Harris who died in 1981. It was designed and executed in the Canterbury Cathedral Workshops by Frederick Cole (see pictures on left).
The church has more than its fair share of fine 16th to 19th century monuments, mainly to members of the local Sondes and Harris families, and these are all described.
www.faversham.org/community/churches/throwley.aspx
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TQ 95 NE THROWLEY THROWLEY
ROAD
(west side)
4/181
Church of
St. Michael
and All
24.1.67 Angels
GV I
Parish Church. C12, C13 north chapel, C14 south chapel, C15
nave arcades, restored 1866 and tower heightened. Flint and
plain tiled roofs. Chancel, north and south chapels, nave and
aisles, south tower and south porch. West doorway, C12, with
attached shafts and 3 orders, the outer panelled with X's on
circles, the centre roll moulded with the blocks offset and
alternately projecting, the inner with more X's on circles,
with 2 offset buttresses either side of doorway. South aisle
with plinth, string course and parapet, 3 offset buttresses and
C15 Perpendicular windows. South tower of 2 stages with square
south-eastern stair turret and C16 moulded brick surround
sundial. Water spouts on each corner in the 4 Evangelical
symbols. Half-timbered C19 south porch, south doorway with
rolled and double hollow chamfered surround, and outer surround
with label and quatrefoil spandrels. North aisle under 1 roof
with nave, with C15 fenestration, and C19 chimney to north west.
North and south chapels with C14 cusped 'Y' tracery fenestration,
with hollow chamfered and ogee drip moulds. Chancel east
window C19 curvilinear style. Interior: 2 bay nave arcades,
double hollow chamfered arches on octagonal piers. C12 single
arches to north and south eastern bay, that to south recessed
and double chamfered through tower wall. Barrel roof.
Chamfered arch on corbels from south aisle to tower, itself
with corbel table on south wall, and triple arch through to south
chapel C19 chancel arch. Chancel with 2 bay double chamfered
arcade to north chapel with octagonal capitals on round piers, and
single double chamfered arch on round responds to south chapel.
Fittings: hollow chamfered piscina and sedile in window reveal in
chancel and cusped recess in north wall. C19 reredos and altar
rail. Cusped piscina and four centred arched wall recess in
south chapel. Choir stalls, some C19, the four on the south C15
with carved misericords. Monuments: south chapel C16 chest tomb,
with shields in panelled sides, moulded plinth, lozenge-shaped
flowers, fluting and frieze. Chest tomb, Sir George Sondes,
Earl of Faversham, d.1677. Black marble with blank panelled sides.
Inscription on the top panel (made 1728). Standing monument,
Sir Thomas Sondes, died 1592. Marble tomb chest, gadrooned with
achievements on side panels. Kneeling alabaster figures of
knight and his Lady on opposite sides of central prayer desk,
carrying inscription. Mary Sondes, died 1603. Smaller and
identical to Sir Thomas Sonde's monument, with 2 adults and 2
infant sons and daughters on either side of sarcophagus. Misplaced
scrolled and enriched carved achievement on floor to east of
those monuments. Wall plaque, Captain Thomas Sondes, died 1668.
Black and white marble, with draped apron, swagged and draped
sides with military trophies. Broken segmental pediment with male
bust. Signed W.S. (B.0.E. Kent II, p.477 suggests William Stanton).
North chapel C16 chest tomb, moulded plinth, panelled sides with
shields (1 panel reset in south chapel south wall). Early C16
tomb recess with moulded jambs, with rope work, crenellated,
with late Perpendicular motifs in spandrels, and tomb with 3
panelled recesses with 2 shields on each panel. Wall plaque,
Charles Harris, d.1814, by Flaxman. White plaque on white
background; dead soldier lifted from the grave by Victory, with
palms and cannon in background. Statue, to George, first Lord
Harris, life size soldier with sword and plans, on four foot
plinth. By George Rennie, 1835. Nave, wall plaque, Stephen
Bunce, d.1634. Black plaque on coved base and apron. Foliated
sides. Scrolled nowy cornice and pediment with achievement.
(See B.O.E. Kent II, 1983, 476-7.)
Listing NGR: TQ9883454254
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176587-church-of-st-m...
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LIES the next parish north-eastward from Stalisfield. It is called in the record of Domesday, Trevelei, in later records Truley and Thruley, in Latin ones Trulega and Truilla; it is now written both Throwley and Throwleigh.
THROWLEY is mostly situated on high ground, it is a more pleasant and open country than that last described, for though wild and romantic among the hills and woods, it is not so dreary and forlorn, nor the soil so uncomfortable, being much drier. Besides it has a more chearful and brighter aspect from the width of the principal valley which leads through it, from north to south, whence the hills rise on each side, with smaller delves interspersed among them. There is a good deal of wood-ground, mostly of beech, interspersed at places with oak and hazel, with some good timber trees of oak among them, especially in the northern and southern parts; much of the former belongs to the dean and chapter of Canterbury. The soil is mostly chalk, the rest a heavy tillage land of red cludy earth, the whole mixed with quantities of flint stones. There are some level lands, especially in the disparked grounds of Throwley park, which are tolerably good, much more so than those in the other parts of the parish; on the east side of the park are the foundations of the antient seat of the Sondes's, with the church close to them, the whole lying on high ground, with a good prospect of the surrounding country; not far from it is Town place, now only a farm-house. There is no village, excepting the few houses in Abraham-street may be so called, the rest of the houses, which are mostly cottages, standing dispersed throughout it, either single, or built round the little greens or softalls, of which there are several in different parts of the parish. On a larger one of these called Wilgate-green, there is a house belonging to the estate of Mr. Philerenis Willis's heirs, and another larger antient one, which with the estate belonging to it, was formerly the property of the Chapmans, and sold by them to Christopher Vane, lord Barnard, in 1789, gave it, with his other estates in this county, to David Papillon, esq. of Acrise, the present owner of it. (fn. 1)
There was a family named Wolgate, from whose residence here this green seems to have taken its name of Wolgate, or Wilgate-green. After they had remained here for some generations they ended in a daughter, for Mr. Ralph Wolgate dying in 1642, his daughter Anne married Mr. William Genery, and entitled him to her father's possessions here, at Posiers, in Borden, and other parts of this county. The Woodwards seem afterwards to have possessed their estate here, several of whom lie buried under a tomb in Throwley church-yard.
About half a mile distant south-westward from Wilgate-green, in Abraham-street, there is a seat, called, from its high situation and expensive prospect, BELMONT; it was built in the year 1769, by Edward Wilks, esq. storekeeper of the royal powdermills at Faversham, who inclosed a paddock or shrubbery round it, and occasionally resided here, till he alienated it in 1779 to John Montresor, esq. the present proprietor, who resides in it.
THE BEECH TREE flourishes in the greatest plenty, as well single to a large size, as in stubs in the coppice woods, which consist mostly of them, as well in these parts as they do in general on the range of chalk hills throughout this county, in some places extending two or three miles in width, and in others much more. The large tracts of ground in this and other counties, overspread with the beech-tree, the random situation of their stubs, and other circumstances which occur in viewing them, are strong proofs of their being the indigenous growth of this island, notwithstanding Cæfar's premptory assertion, in his Commentaries, of there being none here in this time. The Britons, he says, had every material for use and building, the same as the Gauls, excepting the fir and the beech. The former there is positive proof of his being grossly mistaken in, which will in some measure destroy that implicit credit we might otherwise give to his authority, as to the latter; indeed, the continued opposition he met with from the Britons, during his short stay here, assorded him hardly a possibility of seeing any other parts of this country than those near which he landed, and in the direct track through which he marched to wards Coway-stakes; too small a space for him to form any assertion of the general products of a whole country, or even of the neighbouring parts to him. Of those he passed through, the soil was not adapted to the growth of the beech tree; from which we may with great probability suppose, there were none growing on them, nor are there any throughout them, even at this time, a circumstance which most likely induced him to suppose, and afterwards to make the assertion beforementioned.
The slints, with which the cold unfertile lands in these parts, as well as some others in this county, are covered, have been found to be of great use in the bringing forward the crops on them, either by their warmth, or somewhat equivalent to it. Heretofore the occupiers of these lands were anxious to have them picked up and carried off from their grounds, but experiencing the disadvantage of it in the failure of their crops, they, never practice it themselves, and submit to the surveyors of the highways taking them off with great reluctance.
In the parish there are quantities of the great whitish ash coloured shell snail, which are of an unusual large size; they are found likewise near Darking, in Surry, and between Puckeridge and Ware, in Hertsordshire. They are not originally of this island, but have been brought from abroad, many of them are at this time observed in different parts of Italy.
MR. JACOB, in this Plantœ Favershamienses, has enumerated several scare plants observed by him in this parish, besides which, that scarce one, the Orchis myodes, or fly satrition, has been found here, growing on the side of the path, in a small wood, midway between the church and Wilgate green.
THIS PLACE, at the taking of the general survey of Domesday, about the 15th years of the Conqueror's reign, was part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, and earl of Kent, the king's half brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus described in it:
Hersrid holds Trevelai. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there is one, and twenty-four villeins, with five borderers having six carucates and an half. There is a church, and five servants. Wood for the pannage of twenty bogs, and in the city three houses of thirty-two pence. In the time of king Edward the Conssessor it was worth seven pounds, and afterwards six pounds. Ulnod held it of king Edward.
On the bishop of Baieux's disgrace, about four years afterwards, this among his other estates, became consiscated to the crown.
After which it was held of the king in capite, by barony, by Jeffry de Peverel, and together with other lands made up the barony of Peverel, as it was called, being assigned to him for the defence of Dover-castle, for which purpose he was bound to maintain a certain number of soldiers from time to time for the desence of it, and to repair and defend at this own charge a particular tower or turret there, called afterwards Turris Gattoniana, or Gatton's tower.
In the reign of king Henry III. Robert de Gatton, who took his name from the lordship of Gatton, in Surry, of which his ancestors had been some time owners, was in possession of the manor Thrule, and died in the 38th year of that reign, holding it by knight's service of the king, of the honor of Peverel, by reason of the escheat of that honor, &c. (fn. 2) He was succeded in it by this eldest son Hamo de Gatton, who resided here, and served the office of sheriff in the 14th year of Edward I. His eldest son of the same name left one son Edmund, then an instant, who afterwards dying under age, his two sisters became his coheirs, and divided his inheritance, of which Elizabeth entitled her husband William de Dene to this manor, and all the rest of the estates in Kent; and Margery entitled her husband Simon de Norwood to Gatton, and all the other estates in Surry.
William de Dene had a charter of free warren for his lands in Thurley, in the 10th year of Edward II. He died anno 15 Edward III. then holding this manor by the law of England, as of the inheritance of Elizabeth his late wife deceased, of the king in capite, as of the castle of Dover, by knight's service, and paying to the ward of that castle. His son Thomas de Dene died possessed of it in the 23d year of that reign, leaving four daughters his coheirs, of whom Benedicta, the eldest, married John de Shelving, and entitled him to this manor, on whose death likewise without male issue, his two daughters became his coheirs, of whom, Joane married John Brampton, alias Detling, of Detlingcourt, and Ellen married John de Bourne, the former of whom, in his wife's right, became possessed of this manor. He lest only one daughter Benedicta his heir, who carried it in marriage to Thomas at Town, who was possessed of much land about Charing, and bore for his arms, Argent, on a chevron, sable, three crosscrostess, ermine, which coat is in the windows of Kennington church, impaled with Ellis, of that place. He removed hither in the reign of Henry VI. and built a feat for his residence in this parish, about a quarter of a mile from the church, which he named, from himself, Town-place, soon after which he died, leaving his possessions to his three daughters and coheirs, of whom Eleanor was married to Richard Lewknor, of Challock; Bennet to William Watton, of Addington, and Elizabeth to William Sondes, of this parish and of Lingfield, in Surry, in which county his ancestors had been seated as early as the reign of Henry III. at Darking, where their seat was named, from them, Sondes-place. (fn. 3) Upon the division of their inheritance, the manor of Throwley was allotted to William Sondes, and Town-place, with the lands belonging to it in Throwley, to Richard Lewknor, who sold it to Edward Evering, the eldest son of Nicholas, third son of John Evering, of Evering, in Alkham, and his daughter and heir Mary marrying in 1565, with John Upton, of Faversham, entitled him to this estate, which he very soon afterwards alienated to Shilling, from whom it as quickly afterwards passed by sale to Anthony Sondes, esq. of this parish, whose ancestor William Sondes, on the division of the inheritance of the daughters and coheirs of Thomas at Town as before mentioned, had become possessed of the manor of Throwley, and the antient mansion of it, in which he afterwards resided, and dying in 1474, anno 15 Edward IV. was buried in the north chapel of this church, though he ordered by his will a memorial for himself to be put up in the church of Lingfield. The family of Sondes bore for their arms, Argent, three blackmores heads, couped, between two chevronels, sable, which, with the several quarterings borne by them, are painted on their monuments in this church.
His descendant, Anthony Sondes, esq. of Throwley, in the 31st year of Henry VIII. procured his lands in this county to be disgavelled, by the act then passed, and died in 1575, having married Joane, daughter of Sir John Fineux, chief justice of the king's bench, by whom he had two sons, Thomas and Michael, and two daughters.
He was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Thomas Sondes, sheriff anno 22 Elizabeth, who founded the school in this parish. He died in 1592, leaving issue only by his second wife, one daughter Frances, married to Sir John Leveson, so that on his death without male issue, his only brother Sir Michael Sondes, of Eastry, succeeded to this manor and seat of his ancestors, in which he afterwards resided. He was sheriff in the 26th year of queen Elizabeth's reign, and died in the 16th year of king James I. having had by his first wife Mary, only daughter and heir of George Fynch, esq. of Norton, six sons and six daughters.
Sir Richard Sondes, the eldest son, resided at Throwley, where he died in the 8th year of Charles I. having had by his two wives a numerous issue, of both sons and daughters. He was succeeded in this manor and seat, with the rest of his estates, by his eldest son Sir George Sondes, who was made a knight of the Bath at the coronation of king Charles I. soon after which he began to rebuild his seat of Lees-court, in Sheldwich, and fixed his residence there, under the description of which a more particular account of him and his descendants may be seen. Not long after which this seat was entirely pulled down, and the park adjoining to it disparked. The foundations of the former still remain, and the disparked lands still retain the name of Throwley park.
Sir George Sondes was afterwards created Earl of Faversham, Viscount Sondes, of Lees court, and Baron of Throwley, whose two daughters became his coheirs; Mary was married to Lewis, lord Duras, marquis of Blanquefort, and afterwards earl of Faversham, and Katherine to Lewis Watson, esq. afterwards earl of Rockingham, who each successively, in right of their respective wives, inherited this manor and estate, which has since descended in like manner as Lees-court, in Sheldwich, to the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, and he is the present possessor of this manor, with Town-place and the estate belonging to it. Acourt baron is held for this manor.
The denne of Toppenden, alias Tappenden, in Smarden, in the Weald, is an appendage to the manor of Throwley, and is held of it.
WILDERTON, alias Wolderton, called also in antient deeds Wilrinton, is a manor in this parish, which was once part of the possessions of the eminent family of Badlesmere, of which Bartholomew de Badlesmere was possessed of it in the reign of Edward II. of whom, for his services in the Scottish wars, he obtained in the 9th year of it many liberties and franchises for his different manors and estates, among which was that of free-warren in the demesne lands of this manor of Wolrington. (fn. 4) Having afterwards associated himself with the discontented barons, he was taken prisoner, and executed in the 16th year of that reign. By the inquisition taken after his death, which was not till anno 2 Edward III. at which time both the process and judgement against him was reversed, it was found that he died possessed of this manor, among others, which were then restored to his son Giles de Badlesmere, who died in the 12th year of Edward III. s. p. being then possessed of this manor. Upon which his four sisters became his comanor fell to the share of Margery, wife of William, manor fell to the share of Margery, wife of William, lord Roos, of Hamlake, who survived her husband, and died in the 37th year of Edward III. possessed of it, as did her grandson John, lord Roos, in the 9th year of Henry V. leaving no issue by Margaret his wife, who survived him, and had this manor assigned to her as part of her dower. She afterwards married Roger Wentworth, esq. whom she likewise survived, and died anno 18 Edward IV.
On the death of John, lord Roos, her first husband, s. p. the reversion of this manor, after her death, became vested in Thomas his next surviving brother and heir, whose son Thomas afterwards became a firm friend to the house of Lancaster, for which he was attainted anno 1 Edward IV. and his lands were consiscated to the crown.
On the death of Margaret, the widow of Roger Wentworth, esq. the manor of Wulrington, but whether by grant or purchase, I have not found, came into the possession of Richard Lewknor, of Challock, owner likewise of Town-place, as before-mentioned, who sold it to Edward Evering, already mentioned before, whose daughter and heir Mary marrying in 1565 with Mr. John Upton, of Faversham, entitled him to it. He joined with his brother Nicholas Upton, in 1583, in the sale of the manor-house, with all the demesne lands belonging to it, excepting one small piece called the manor-croft, and a moiety of the ma nor, which, from its situation, from that time was known by the name of NORTH-WILDERTON, to Anthony Terry, of North Wilderton, yeoman, upon whose death it came to his four sons, Arnold, William, Thomas, and George Terry, who in 1601 made a partition of their father's estates, in which this manor was allotted to Arnold Terry, and William his brother, from whom it descended to Anthony Terry, of Ospringe, who in 1689 sold it to Mr. Thomas Knowler, of Faversham, who devised it to his sister Abigail for her life, and after her death to John Knowler, gent. of Ospringe, in fee. She afterwards married John Bates, and they, together with John Knowler above-mentioned, about the year 1694, joined in the sale of it to Mr. Edward Baldock, of Aylesford, and Bennet his wife. He survived her, and by deed of gift in 1717, vested the fee of it in his son Edward Baldock, who passed it away to Mr. Thomas Greenstreet, of Norton, whose niece Elizabeth marrying with Mr. Thomas Smith, of Gillingham, entitled him to this manor, which has been since sold to John Montresor, esq. of Belmont, in this parish, the present owner of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
There was antiently a chapel at this manor of Wilrintune, as appears by a charter, dated anno 1217, lately in the treasury of St. Bertin's monastery at St. Omers, concerning the privilege of a bell to it.
BUT THE REMAINING MOIETY of the manor, with a small crost called the manor-croft, lying at the west end of Hockstet green, remained with John Upton, and thenceforward acquired the name of SOUTH, alias GREAT WILDERTON. After whose death it came to his eldest son John Upton, who died possessed of it in 1635, and was buried with his ancestors in Faversham church. They bore for their arms, Quarterly, sable, and or; in the first and fourth quarters, a cross flory, argent, each charged with a trefoil, azure. (fn. 5)
John Upton, his eldest son, inherited this manor, and at his death in 1664, by his will gave it to his daughter Anne, wife of Charles Castle, gent. who in 1688 devised it to her brother-in-law George Naylor, and George White, the former of whom becoming solely possessed of it, in 1705 devised it to his nephew Mr. John Dalton, gent. of St. Edmundsbury, for his life, and afterwards to his son Thomas Dalton, and his issue, in consequence of which it descended to Benjamin Shuckforth, of Diss, in Norfolk, who in 1741 sold it to Mr. Giles Hilton, of Lords, in Sheldwich, on whose death it descended to his three sons, John, William, and Robert Hilton, the youngest of whom, Mr. Robert Hilton, as well as by the devise of his two elder brothers, afterwards became the sole proprietor of this manor. He died in 1782, and his son Mr. John Hilton, of Sheldwich, as next in the entail, succeeded to it, and is the present possessor of it.
IN THE REIGN of king Stephen there was AN ALIEN PRIORY established in this parish, as a cell to the Benedictine abbey of St. Bertin, at St. Omers, the capital of Artois, in Flanders, William de Ipre, in 1153, having given this church, with that of Chilham, to it for that purpose; which gift was confirmed by king Stephen the same year, as it was by the several archbishops afterwards, and by the charters of Henry II. and III. The charter of this gift was till lately in the treasury of the monastery of St. Bertin, as were all the others hereafter mentioned relating to this church and priory.
There are very few formal foundations of these cells, the lands of them being usually granted to some monastery abroad, as an increase to their revenues, after which, upon some part of them they built convenient houses, for the reception of a small convent. Some of these cells were made conventual, having a certain number of monks, who were mostly foreigners, and removeable at pleasure, sent over with a prior at their head, who were little more than stewards to the superior abbey, to which they returned the revenues of their possessions annually; others were permitted to chuse their own prior, and these were entire societies within themselves, and received their revenues for their own use and benefit, paying perhaps only a yearly pension as an acknowledgement of their subjection, or what was at first the surplusage to the foreign house.
The cell at Throwley was of the former sort, for which reason, during the wars between England and France, as their revenues went to support the king's enemies, these kind of houses were generally seized on by the king, and restored again upon the return of a peace. (fn. 6)
In the 25th year of king Edward I. Peter, prior of Triwle, as it was spelt in the record, made fine to the king at Westminster, and had a privy seal for his protection, by which he had the custody of his house and possessions committed to his care, to retain them during the king's pleasure, answering to his exchequer for the profits of them, according to the directions of him and his council.
The scite of this priory was that of the parsonage of the church of Throwley, which, with that of Chilham, seems to have been all their possessions in this kingdom. These were valued in the 8th year of king Richard II. anno 1384, each at forty pounds annually, and their temporalities at 20s. 6d. at which time the parsonage of Throwley was become appropriated to this cell, and a vicarage was endowed in it. In which situation this priory remained till the general suppression of the alien priories throughout England, in the 2d year of Henry V. anno 1414, which was enacted in the parliament then held at Leicester, and all their houses, revenues, &c. were given to the king and his heirs for ever. (fn. 7)
This priory, with its possessions, seems to have remained in the hands of the crown till Henry VI. in his 22d year, settled them on the monastery of Sion, in Middlesex, founded by his father Henry V. with which they continued till the general suppression of religious houses, this being one of those greater monasteries dissolved by the act of the 31st year of king Henry VIII. How this priory was disposed of afterwards by the crown, may be further seen hereafter, under the description of the parsonage of the church of Throwley.
The only remains left of this priory are some few foundations, and two walls of flint, which support a building, standing behind the parsonage-house and garden.
THERE IS A FREE SCHOOL in this parish, the house of which is situated adjoining to the church-yard, which was founded by Sir Thomas Sondes, who died in 1592, who by his will devised a house and six poundes per annum to the master of it, to dwell in, and as a recompence for his pains; but having charged his executors and not his heirs to the fulfilling of this bequest, and charged the payment of the above sum, among other charitable legacies, on several leasehold estates, the terms of which expired in his nephew Sir Richard Sondes's time, and the house having tumbled down for want of repairs, Sir George Sondes, son of Sir Richard above-mentioned, thought it unreasonable, as he had none of the estates, that he should be bound to maintain the school; however, he voluntarily paid the master his salary, and gave him a house to live in, both which have been continued by the possessors of Throwley manor to this time, as far as I can learn, as of their own free gift.
The present right hon. lord Sondes appoints the schoolmaster as such during pleasure, and pays him a salary of twelve pounds per annum, besides which, he allots him an house and garden, worth about six pounds per annum, which his lordship repairs from time to time, and for which no parochial or church-dues are paid. There are at present fourteen boys taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, gratis, in this school, which though taken mostly from the parishes of Throwley, Badlesmere, and Leveland, are not confined to those parishes.
Charities.
CATHERINE, LADY SONDES, gave by will the sum of 40s. a year, to be received yearly on St. Barnabas's day, towards the relief of the poor, payable from a farm in it, called Bell-horn, now belonging to lord Sondes, and now of that annual produce.
THERE WERE three alms-houses in this parish, the gift of one of the Sondes family; one of them was some time since burnt down, and has not been rebuilt, but lord Sondes allows the person nominated to it the value of it in money yearly.
The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually double that number.
THROWLEY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, consists of three isles and three chancels. The steeple is a square tower, and stands in the centre of the south side of it, in which there is a peal of six bells, given in 1781, at the expence of Mr. Montresor, of Belmont. In the south isle is a memorial for Francis Hosier Hart, gent. obt. 1761, leaving three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, and Diana Hosier. In the middle isle is a small monument for Stephen Bunce, esq. of this parish, one of the Antients of New-Inn, who died there in 1634, and was buried in St. Clement's church, London. In the middle chancel there are two stalls of wood, which are not fixed, and in the north isle three more of the like sort, joined together, with a desk before them, which seem to have been removed from the chancel, and were both intended for the use of the religious of the priory here. In the middle of this chancel is a memorial for Dr. Thomas Horsemonden, patron and rector of Purleigh, in Essex, prebendary of Lincoln, &c. who died anno 1632. In the north and south chancel are several monuments for the family of Sondes, with their essigies, arms and quarterings; one of them in the latter, a plain altar tomb of black marble for Sir George Sondes, earl of Faversham, his lady and descendants; many more of this family, as appears by the parish register, are buried in the vault underneath, but the family of Watson burying at Rockingham, this vault has not been opened for several years. The north and south chancels above-mentioned belonged, one to the possessors of Throwley manor, the other to those of Townplace, but they both belong now to lord Sondes.
There were formerly in the windows the arms of Sondes, Finch, and Gatton, and in the north window this inscriptin, Pray for the good estate of Alice Martyn, the which did make this window, MCCCCXLV.
In the church yard, at the west end of the north isle, there is a circular door-case of stone, having several bordures of Saxon ornaments carved round it. In the church-yard is an altar tomb for William Woodward, gent. of Wilgate-green, obt. 1681, and Anne his wife.
It appears by the will of William Sondes, esq. anno 1474, that this church had then constantly burning in it lights, dedicated to St. Michael, the Holy Trinity, the Holy Cross, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. Christopher, St. George, St. Katherine, St. Margaret, St. Mary Magdalen, and St. Nicholas.
An account of the antient patronage of the church of Throwley has already been given, as first belonging to the alien priory here, and then to the monastery of Sion, to the time of the dissolution of the latter in the 31st year of Henry VIII. the year after which, the king granted the rectory, with the advowson of the vicarage of the church of Throwley, to the prebendary of Rugmer, in the cathedral church of St. Paul, London, in exchange for lands belonging to that prebend, to be inclosed within the king's park of Marybone, in pursuance of an act then passed. Since which this parsonage and advowson have continued part of the abovementioned prebend. The former is leased out by the present prebendary to the right hon. lord Sondes, but the advowson of the vicarage he retains in his own hands, and is the present patron of it.
¶There was a rent of 4l. 18s. 4d. reserved from the parsonage by king Henry VIII. nomine decimœ, which was granted by queen Elizabeth, in her third year, to archbishop Parker, among other premises, in exchange for several manors, lands, &c. belonging to that see, which rent still continues part of the revenue of the archbishopric.
A vicarage was endowed here in 1367, anno 42 king Edward III. by archbishop Langham, at which time the chapel of Wylrington belonged to it. (fn. 8)
It is valued in the king's books at 7l. 11s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 15s. 2d.
In 1578 there were one hundred and eighty communicants here. In 1640 it was valued at forty-five pounds, communicants two hundred and twenty.
It has been many years since we were last here in Tenterden. So long ago that I fear the Kent church project had not yet started. Because, I had not visited St Mildred's before. It towers above to attractive town, which is stretched along the main road. A narrow turning to the right brings you into Church Road, and to the entrance to St Mildred.
Tenterden is the start of the Kent and East Sussex Railway, I think we were last here for a beer festival on the railway some years ago, maybe 5 years. And after riding for the first service from the day, I remember thinking ten in the morning was too early to be supping my first pint.
Tenterden is West Kent, go west a few miles and you are in Sussex, but the town and whole area is attractive; clapboard houses, oast houses, ancient churches, hop farms, steam trains, marshes. Its all here.
St Mildred is on a grand scale, lots of nooks and crannies to explore and snap.
Most wonderful feature is the 15th century roof, which is really special. Good glass, a nice alabaster memorial.
A great start to the day.
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A superb church, which despite a heavy-handed restoration by G.M. Hills (see also Newenden) in 1864 still has much of interest. The nave ceiling is exceptional fifteenth-century work, rather more domestic in feel than is normal in an ecclesiastical building. There are two blocked thirteenth-century windows above the chancel arch - an unusual position to find windows in Kent. The five bay aisles are extremely narrow. The glass in the south aisle windows by Hughes of 1865 are rather fun. In the north chapel is a fine alabaster standing monument to Herbert Whitfield (d. 1622) and his wife. This monument cuts off the base of the north-east window and displays many colourful coats of arms. The chancel screen and pulpit are late nineteenth century and fit in with the medieval architecture better than most works of that period.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Tenterden
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The history of Tenterden itself is lost in time, as is the origin of St. Mildred’s church. Perhaps all that can be said with any confidence is that the story of the town and the story of St. Mildred’s are bound together with each other, with the story of pre-conquest Kent, with the story of Christianity in Kent, and with the story of the ancient Kentish royal house.
Tenet-wara-den (the den of the Thanet folk) was the Wealden area used by the abbey of Minster-in-Thanet for Autumn pig-forage (acorns and beech mast to fatten the pigs for Winter). That abbey was founded by Domne Aefa (“the lady Aebba”?) of the Kentish royal family, and either she herself or her daughter, St. Mildred, was the first abbess. This is within the first century after the arrival in Canterbury of St. Augustine’s mission from Rome. Mildred’s holy reputation was an international one, and there can be no doubt that a church in her name was here from some point in the eighth to tenth centuries. The reign of Canute is the latest possible period and it was almost certainly much earlier. However, we have no record of any incumbent before 1180, and the oldest perceptible fabric of the church is of about that time too.
When you stand in the middle of St. Mildred’s, you see a large building reflecting the prosperity of the town in the later middle ages. The north arcade of the chancel is probably around 1200, but most of the chancel, nave, and aisles is work of the 13th to 15th centuries. The fine wagon-vault ceiling of the nave has been variously stated to be 14th or 15th century (with some Victorian additions). The tower of the church, a prominent Kentish landmark, was probably built by architect Thomas Stanley. This major building work was undertaken in the middle of the 15th century, at the height of Tenterden’s prosperity, it being no coincidence that the town gained a charter and Cinque Port status in support of Rye, at about the same time.
The town’s prosperity was reflected also in the presence of important shipbuilding yards at both Reading Street and Smallhythe, both on the tidal River Rother at that time. The settlement at Smallhythe was sufficiently large to gain its own chapel sometime in the middle ages, but we know nothing of that building, though it was probably dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Smallhythe itself was burnt in a huge fire in 1514, and we know that rebuilding of the chapel began virtually straight away. The current church of St. John the Baptist is a beautiful example of a brick-built Tudor church, box-like (so with an excellent acoustic). It has, during its history, had varying levels of dependence or independence from the town church of St. Mildred.
By the middle of the 19th century, the population was growing fast, and attitudes to worship were changing too. St. Mildred’s lost its box pews, and had the organ moved to its present position. A new church was planned for the hamlet of Boresisle at the northern end of Tenterden, the neat and small Gothic revival church being dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels. Two consequences were, firstly, the acquisition by Kent of another prominent landmark – the graceful spire, and secondly, the name Boresisle fell out of usage and the hamlet itself has ever since been known as “St. Michael’s”.
I do feel it important to append to this account of the Anglican church buildings a brief comment on the other churches of the town. There was always a Roman Catholic presence here, but after the Reformation, there was no church building until the Catholic priest in Tenterden, Canon Currie began, in the 1930s, a determined attempt to put that right, culminating in the building of St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic church in Ashford Road.
The history of “non-conformity” in Tenterden is a major and extensive one. Within a few decades of the development around the 1370s, by John Wyclife at Oxford, of the doctrines later known as “Lollardy”, there were significant numbers of people in Tenterden who ascribed to doctrines regarded as unorthodox. Moreover, following the Reformation of the 1540s to 1560s, there were many who rejected not only Roman ways, but were unhappy with the English church. We know that Tenterden families joined the 17th century exodus to the New World (notably to Massachusetts), and Tenterden acquired its first “non-conformist” chapel around 1700, that building now being the Unitarian church in Ashford Road, and one of Tenterden’s most interesting ancient relics. The nineteenth century saw the building of the Methodist church at West Cross, and two of the three Baptist churches – Zion in the High Street, and the Strict Baptist Jireh Chapel at St. Michael’s. Trinity Baptist in Ashford Road was built in 1928.
Those interested to pursue their enquiries further will find a guide in St. Mildred’s, and there is much information in standard texts of Kent history and architecture.
www.tenterdencofe.org/?page_ref=265
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THIS hundred contains within its bounds THE TOWN AND PARISH OF Tenterden, and part of the parish of Ebeney, containing the borough of Reading, the church of which is in another hundred.
This hundred was antiently accounted one of the Seven Hundreds, and was within the jurisdiction of the justices of the country, from which it was separated by Henry VI. who, on account of the impoverishment of the port and town of Rye, in Sussex, by his letters patent, in his 27th year, incorporated the town and hundred of Tenterden, by the name of the bailiff and commonaltie of the town and hundred of Tenterden, and granted that the same should be a member annexed and united to that town and port, and separated from the county of Kent, and that the bailiff and commonalty of this town and hundred should have for ever, on their contributing to the burthens and exigencies of that port and town from time to time, (fn. 1) many franchises, privileges, and freedoms, and all other liberties, freedoms, and free customs which the barons of the five ports had before that time enjoyed. In which state this town and hundred remained till the 42d year of queen Elizabeth's reign, when the name of their incorporation was changed to that of the mayor, jurats, and commonalty of the town and hundred of Tenterden, by which it continues to be governed at this time.
THE CORPORATION consists of a mayor, twelve jurats, and as many common-councilmen, a chamberlain, and town clerk; the jurisdiction of it being exclusive from the justices of the county. The mayor is chosen yearly on August 29. The election used to be in the town-hall; but that being burnt down by some prisoners in the prison-room over it, it was afterwards made under one of the great old oaks, which are not far from the place, on the other side of the street, where it stood. A neat and elegant hall was finished in 1792, adjoining the Woolpack Inn, in which the mayor has been elected as heretofore, and it is occasionally used as an assembly room by the inhabitants. The mayor is coroner of both the town and hundred; there is no sheriff; the commoners must be resciants, and are chosen by the mayor and two of the jurats; the jurats are all justices of the peace. They hold sessions of oyer and terminer, but cannot try treason. At the sessions holden at Tenterden, August 10, 1785, two men were convicted of burglary, and executed near Gallows-green the 27th following. Both the charters of this corporation being destroyed by the fire of the court-hall in 1660, an exemplification of them was procured anno 12 George III.
The liberty of the court of the bailiwic of the Seven Hundreds, claimed a paramount jurisdiction over this hundred, till the incorporation of the town of Tenterden, and the annexing this hundred to it in the reign of Henry VI. since which the mayor and jurats have been lords of the royalty of it, and continue so at this time.
The parish is divided into six boroughs, each having a borsholder chosen yearly, these are Town Borough, Castweasle, Boresile, Shrubcote, Dumborne, which includes all Smallhyth, and Reading, which is wholly in the parish of Ebene.
THE PARISH of Tenterden lies too near the marshes to be either healthy or pleasant, excepting that part where the town is situated near the northern boundaries of it, on what may be called for this country, high ground; it is about five miles across each way. The soil of it is various, the northern part being sand, towards the east it is a wet stiff clay, and towards the south and west towards the marshes a deep rich mould. The generality of the lands in it are pasture, but there are about one hundred acres of hop-ground dispersed in different parts of it; there is very little wood, and that mostly between the town and Smallhyth, a hamlet formerly of much more consequence, as will be further mentioned hereafter, situated at the southern boundary of it, on the road into the Isle of Oxney, close to the river Rother, which separates that part of this parish from the island. About a mile and a half eastward is the hamlet of Reading-street, built adjoining the high road to Apledore, close to the marshes below it, on the passage over the Rother into Ebeney, and the Isle of Oxney.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, 1755, between ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon (being at the same time that the great bason at Portsmouth was disturbed) several ponds in this parish and neighbourhood, without any sensible motion of the earth, were greatly agitated, the water of them being forced up the banks with great violence, fretting and foaming with a noise similar to the coming in of the tide, so as to terrify many who were near them; some of these waters flowed up three times in this manner, others circled round into eddies, absorbing leaves, sticks, &c. and it was observed that only those ponds were affected, that had springs to supply the waters of them.
THE TOWN OF TENTERDEN is situated nearly in the centre of the parish and hundred. It stands on high ground, neither unpleasant nor unhealthy; the greatest part of it is built on each side of the high road leading from the western parts of Kent and Cranbrooke through this parish south-east to Apledore. A small part of it is paved, where there is a small antient market-place, built of timber; but the market, which is still held on a Friday, is but little frequented, only two millers, and seldom any butchers attending it. It is a well-built town, having many genteel houses, or rather seats, interspersed throughout it, among which are those of the Curteis's, a numerous and opulent family here, who bear for their arms, Argent, a chevron between three bulls heads, caboshed; (fn. 2) the Haffendens, who have been long resident here, and in Smarden and Halden, in this neighbourhood. Bugglesden, in the north part of Boresile borough, in this parish, was very antiently, and till within these few years, their property and residence. Richard Haffenden now resides in a new house, built by his father, called Homewood, at the west end of this town, and in the south part of Boresile borough. They bear for their arms, Chequy, sable and argent, on a bend, sable, three mullets, or; the Staces, who have been resident here from the beginning of the last century, as appears by their wills in the Prerogative-office, Canterbury, in several of which they are stiled gentlemen; the Blackmores, possessed of Westwell house, a handsome seat at the south east end of the town, built by James Blackmore, esq. in 1711, one of whose descendants afterwards becoming possessed by gift of the seat of Briggins, in Hertfordshire, removed thither, where they have continued ever since, and this of Westwell-house is now occupied by Mr. James Blackmore, the uncle of Thomas Blackmore, esq. of Briggins, who died possessed of it in 1789, having been thrice married. He left by his two first wives three sons and two daughters; his third. wife Anne, daughter of Mr. Tatnall, of Theobalds, now survives him. They bear for their arms, Argent, a fess between three balckmoors heads sideways, couped at the neck, sable; and several others, most of whose wealth, as well as that of the inhabitants of this town in general, has arisen from its near neighbourhood to Romneymarsh, where most of them have some occupation in the grazing business.
The church stands on the north side of the town, which, with the rest of the parish, consists of about three hundred houses, and two thousand inhabitants, of which about five hundred are diffenters, who have two meeting-houses here, one of Presbyterians, the other of Methodistical Baptists.
At the east end of the town is Craythorne-house, which formerly belonged to the Bargraves, and then to the Marshalls, who sold it to the late Mr. John Sawyer, who built a new house here, in which he afterwards resided, and his assigns now possess it. A branch of the family of Whitfield had once their residence in a large house at the east end likewise of this town. John Whitfield resided here, as did his son Herbert, who died in 1622; they were descended from an antient family in Northumberland, and bore for their arms, Argent, on a bend, plain, between two cotizes, ingrailed sable, a mullet, or. At length the heirs of Sir Herbert Whitfield, sold this seat to Wil liam Austen, esq. of Hernden, in this parish. Sir Robert Austen, bart. the last of that name, resided in it, and it now belongs to his heirs, and is made use of as a boarding school for young ladies.
There is a large fair held in this town on the first Monday in May yearly, for cattle, wool, merchandize, and shop goods of all sorts, to which there is a great resort from all the neighbouring country. Most of the road, leading from the town to Smallhyth, particularly the upper part of it, known by the name of Broad Tenterden, is said to have been lined with buildings on each side, and to have been the most populous part of the parish.
THERE ARE several places in this parish worthy notice, the first of them is HALES-PLACE, at the northwest end of this town, which was for many generations the residence of a branch of the family of Hales, who removed hither from their original seat, of the same name, in the adjoining parish of Halden. Henry Hales, who lived in the reign of Henry VI. was born here, and married Juhan, daughter and heir of Richard Capel, of Tenterden, by which he greatly increased his estate in this parish. He had by her two sons, of whom John Hales, the eldest, was of the Dungeon, in Canterbury, esq. and was one of the barons of the exchequer. He had four sons, Sir James Hales, one of the justices of the common pleas, who was of the Dungeon, where his descendants continued many generations afterwards; Thomas, who was seated at Thanington, whose descendant Robert was created a baronet in 1666, and was ancestor of the present Su Philip Hales, bart. Edward, the third son, inherited this seat and his father's possessions in this parish; and William, the fourth son, was of Recolver and Nackington, in this county. Edward Hales, esq. the third son, who inherited this seat and estate at Tenterden, resided at it, and left a son Sir Edward Hales, who was created a baronet on the 29th of June, 1611. He removed his residence from hence to the neighbouring parish of Woodchurch, in which parish he possessed the antient seat of the Herlackendens, in right of his wife Deborah, only daughter and heir of Martin Herlackenden, esq. of that place. His son Sir John Hales, having married Christian, one of the daughters and coheirs of Sir James Cromer, of Tunstal, became possessed of the antient seat of the Cromers in that parish, where he resided, and died in his father's life-time, in 1639, whose son Edward Hales succeeded to the title of baronet on his grandfather's death, in 1654 whose heir he was, and resided at Tunstal. His son Sir Edward Hales, bart. having purchased the mansion of St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, resided there, as his descendants have ever since; and from him this seat and estate at Tenterden at length descended down to his great-grandson Sir Edward Hales, bart. now of St. Stephen's, who about forty-eight years ago pulled down the greatest part of this antient seat, and fitted up a smaller dwelling or farm-house on the scite of it, which, together with the antient offices or out-buildings of the mansion still remaining, continues part of his possessions.
HERNDEN, formerly spelt Heronden, was once an estate of considerable size in this parish, though it has been long since split into different parcels. The whole of it once belonged to a family of the name of Heronden, whose arms, as appears by the antient ordinaries in the Heralds-office, were, Argent, a heron volant, azure. At length one part of this estate was alienated by one of this family to Sir John Baker, of Sissinghurst, whose descendant Sir John Baker, knight and baronet, died possessed of it in 1661; but the capital mansion and other principal parts of it remained some time longer in the name of Heronden, one of whom, in the reign of Charles I. alienated some part of it, now called Little Hernden, to Short, a family whose ancestors had resided at Tenterden for some time. In the Heraldic Visitation of this county, anno 1619, is a pedigree of this family, beginning with Peter Short, of Tenterden, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. They bore for their arms, Azure, a griffin passant, between three estoiles, or. At length one of them sold this part of it to Curteis, whose grandson Mr. Samuel Curteis is now in the possession of it. But the remainder of Hernden, in which was included the principal mansion, situated about a quarter of a mile southward of the town, was at the same time conveyed by sale to Mr. John Austen, the second son of William Austen, esq. of this parish, and elder brother of Robert, created a baronet anno 1660. He afterwards resided here, and dying in 1655, s. p. gave it by will to his nephew Robert Austen, esq. the second son of Sir Robert above-mentioned, by his second wife. He afterwards resided here, and had two sons, Robert and Ralph; the eldest of whom, Robert Austen, esq. resided here, and left three sons, William, of whom hereafter, and Edward and Robert, both of whom afterwards succeeded to the title of baronet. William Austen, esq. the eldest son, inherited Hernden, and in 1729, suffered a recovery of this, as well as all other the Kentish estates comprised in his grandfather's settlement of them, to the use of him and his heirs. He died in 1742, and by will devised it to Mr. Richard Righton, who afterwards resided here, and died possessed of it in 1772, and was buried, as was his wife afterwards, under a tomb on the south side of the church-yard; upon which it came into the hands of his son Benjamin Righton, esq. of Knightsbridge, who in 1782 conveyed Hernden, a farm called Pixhill, and other lands in this parish and Rolvenden, to Mr. Jeremiah Curteis, gent. of Rye, in Sussex, who finding this antient mansion, which seems, by a date remaining on it, to have been built in the year 1585, being the 28th of queen Elizabeth's reign, in a ruinous condition, pulled it down; but the scite of it, together with the lands belonging to it, still remain in his possession.
PITLESDEN, or Pittelesden, as it was antiently spelt, is situated near the west end of this town. It was once a seat of some note, being the residence of a family of that name, who bore for their arms, Sable, a fess, between three pelicans, or, in whose possession it continued till Stephen Pitlesden, (fn. 3) about the reign of Henry VI. leaving an only daughter and heir Julian, she carried it in marriage to Edward Guldeford, esq. of Halden, whose descendant Sir Edward Guldeford, warden of the five ports, leaving an only daughter and heir Jane, she entitled her husband Sir John Dudley, afterwards created Duke of Northumberland, to the possession of this manor, and they, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. joined in the conveyance of it to Sir Thomas Cromwell, lord Cromwell, afterwards created Earl of Essex, who passed it away by sale to that king, and it remained in the hands of the crown till king Edward VI. in his 7th year, granted it, with the pend of water, wear and fishery, with the dove-house belonging to it, and all its appurtenances, to Sir John Baker, one of the privy council, to hold in capite by knight's service, in whose family it continued till Sir John Baker, bart. of Sissinghurst, in the reign of king Charles I. conveyed it by sale to Mr. Jasper Clayton, mercer, of London. At length, after some intermediate owners, it came into the possession of Mr. William Blackmore, gent. of this place, who at his death devised it to his daughter Sarah, who entitled her husband Mr. John Crumpe, of Frittenden, to the possession of it for her life, but the remainder, on her death, is vested in her brother Mr. Thomas Blackmore, gent. now of Tenterden.
LIGHTS, formerly called Lights Notinden, is a small manor here, which together with another called East Asherinden, the name of which is now almost forgotten, though there was a family of this name of Asherinden, or Ashenden, as it was afterwards spelt, who were resident in this parish, and were, as appears by their wills, possessed of lands here called Ashenden, so late as the year 1595. These manors belonged partly to a chantry founded in this parish, and partly to the manor of Brooke, near Wye, which was part of the possessions of the priory of Christ-church, in Canterbury; in which state they continued till the reign of Henry VIII. when, on the suppression both of that priory and of the chantry likewise, they were granted by that king to Sir John Baker, his attorneygeneral, whose descendant Sir John Baker, of Sissinghurst, knight and baronet, died possessed of them in 1661. How long they continued in his descendants, I do not find; but the former is now-become the property of Mr. William Mantell, and the latter belongs to Mr. William Children, who has lately built a house on it, in which he resides.
FINCHDEN is a seat here, situated on the denne of Leigh, at Leigh-green, which was formerly in the possession of a family, who were ancestors of the Finch's, whose posterity still continued till very lately in the possession of it. They were antiently called Finchden, from their seat here; one of them, William de Fyncheden, was chief justice of the king's bench in the 45th year of the reign of Edward III. (fn. 4) though his name in some old law books, which appear to be of that time, is written contractedly Finch, which probably was the original name, though I do not find any connection between this family and the descendants of Vincent Herbert, alias Finch, seated at Eastwell and elsewhere in this county; excepting that they hear the same coat of arms. In later times I find William Finch, gent. of this place, died possessed of it in 1637, and in his direct descendants this seat continued down to Mr. William Finch, gent. who resided in it, and died possessed of it in 1794, s. p. leaving his brother Mr. Richard Finch, of Tenterden, his next heir.
ELARDINDEN is an estate, which was formerly of some account here, and is parcel of the manor of Frid, or Frith, in Bethersden. It was antiently part of the possessions of the noble family of Mayney. Sir John de Mayney, of Biddenden, died possessed of it in the 50th year of Edward III. and in his descendants it continued till the reign of Henry VI. when it was alienated by one of them to William Darell, esq. whose descendant George Darell, esq. conveyed it by sale in the 17th year of king Henry VIII. to Sir John Hales, of the Dungeon, in Canterbury, one of the barons of the exchequer, who gave it to his third son Edward Hales, esq. of Tenterden, in whose descendants it has continued down to Sir Edward Hales of St. Stephens, near Canterbury, the present possessor of it.
THE MANORS OF GODDEN AND MORGIEU are situated in the south-west part of this parish. The former of them was once in the possession of a family of that name, one of whom, Roger de Godden, paid aid for it in the 20th year of king Edward III. as one knight's fee, which he held here of Stephen de la Hey. Soon after which it seems to have passed into the possession of the family of Aucher. How long it continued in this name I have not seen; but in the 36th year of Henry VI. the executors of Walter Shiryngton, clerk, chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, having founded a chantry in the chapel near the north door of St. Paul's cathedral, London, which, from the founder, bore the name of Shiryngton's chantry, they purchased both these manors towards the endow ment of it. (fn. 5) These manors remained part of this foundation till the suppression of it, in the 1st year of Edward VI.when coming into the hands of the crown, they were granted by the king, the year afterwards, to Sir Miles Partridge, to hold in capite by knight's service, and he sold them, in the 6th year of that reign, to Thomas Argal; and from his descendant they passed into the possession of Sir John Colepeper, afterwards created lord Colepeper, who died possessed of them in 1660; upon which they came to his second son John, who on his elder brother's death without male issue, succeeded to the title of Lord Colepeper, and dying in 1719 without issue, bequeathed these manors to his wife Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Colepeper, of Hollingborne, who by will devised them to her nephew John Spencer Colepeper, esq. of the Charter-house, being the last of the vast possessions of the different branches of this family dispersed over this whole county. He, in 1781, alienated them to Mr. Richard Curteis, of Tenterden, the present possessor of them.
KENCHILL is a seat in this parish, which was formerly the property of the family of Guldeford, one of whom, Sir Richard Guldeford, knight-banneret, and of the garter, possessed it in the reign of Henry VIII. His son Sir Edward Guldeford, warden of the five ports, leaving an only daughter Jane, she carried it in marriage to Sir John Dudley, afterwards duke of Northumberland, and he, about the 30th year of king Henry VIII.'s reign, conveyed it to that king, who, in his 36th year, granted it to Thomas Argal, to hold in capite by knight's service, on whole decease his son Thomas Argal had possession granted of it, in the 6th year of queen Elizabeth. At length, after some intermediate owners, it came into the possession of Robert Clarkson, esq. of London, who sold it in 1687 to Mr. John Mantell, grazier, of Tenterden, who was one of the instances of the quick accumlation of riches from Romney-marsh; for in fourteen year she had acquired sufficient to become the purchaser of this and other estates, which rented at 800l. per annum. He devised Kenchill by will, together with the manor of East Asherinden, already mentioned before, Dumborne, and other lands in this parish, to his son Reginald, who died possessed of them in 1743, and lies buried in this church-yard. They bear for their arms, Argent, a cross between four martlets, sable, as borne by the family of Horton Monks, excepting, that the latter bore the cross engrailed; and leaving no issue, he gave them to his nephew Mr. Edward Mantell, of Mersham, who left several sons and daughters, who afterwards joined in the sale of their respective interests in them to Mr. William Mantell, the then elder brother; by which means he became entitled to the entire see of Kenchill, with the manor of East Asherinden, and resided at the former of them. He married Anne Marshall, of Mersham, and died in 1789, leaving issue several children. The Rev. Mr. Thomas Mantell, the younger brother, re-purchased Dumborne, of which he is now possessed, having married in 1788 Miss S. Horne, by whom he has one daughter.
THE HAMLET OF SMALLHYTH, commonly called Smallit, is situated somewhat more than three miles from the town of Tenterden, at the southern boundary of this parish, close to the old channel of the river Rother, over which there is a passage from it into the Isle of Oxney. The inhabitants were formerly, by report, very numerous, and this place of much more consequence than at present, from the expressions frequently made use of in old writings of those infra oppidum and intra oppidum de Smallhyth; the prevalent opinion being, that the buildings once extended towards Bullen westward; no proof of which, however, can be brought from the present state of it, as there remain only three or four straggling farm-houses on either side, and a few cottages in the street near the chapel. The sea came up to this place so lately as the year 1509, as is evident by the power then given of burying in this chapel-yard the bodies of those who were cast by shipwreck on the shore of the sea infra predictum oppidum de Smalhyth; which are the very words of the faculty granted for that purpose.
At this place A CHAPEL was built, and was soon afterwards licensed by faculty from archbishop Warham, anno 1509, on the petition of the inhabitants, on account of the distance from their parish church of Tenterden, the badness of the roads, and the dangers they underwent from the waters being out in their way thither; and was dedicated to St. John Baptist. The words of it are very remarkable: And we William, archbishop aforesaid, of the infinite mercy of Almighty God, and by the authority of St. Peter and St. Paul the apostles, and also of our patrons St. Alphage and St. Thomas, remit, &c.
Divine service still continues to be performed in this chapel, which is repaired and maintained, and the salary of the chaplain paid out of the rents of lands in this parish and Wittersham, which are vested in trustees; who pay him the annual produce of them, the rents of them being at this time 52l. 10s. per annum, though it is set down in Bacon's Liber Regis, as only of the clear yearly certified value of forty five pounds. The present curate is Thomas Morphett, appointed in 1773.
Charities.
JOHN WOOD, by will in 1560, gave an annuity of 40s. per annum, out of certain lands in Tenterden, now belonging to Sir Edward Hales, bart. payable to the churchwardens, towards the repair of the church; which gift is confirmed by a decree of the court of chancery; the lands being in the occupation of Richard Farby.
LADY JANE MAYNARD GAVE by will in 1660, thirty acres of land in Snave and Rucking, let at 24l. per annum, for putting out poor children apprentices, whose fathers are dead or otherwise disabled by sickness; the overplus to be given to poor, honest and aged widows of this parish, that have not been nor are likely to become chargeable to it.
MR. ANNE SHELTON, widow, by will in 1674, gave nine acres of land in Brookland and Brenset, now let at twelve guineas per annum, to the vicar and churchwardens to put out one or more children, born in Tenterden, apprentices to some honest handicrast trade.
DAME FRANCES NORTON, widow, sister of Judith, wife of Robert Austen the elder, of Heronden, esq. gave by deed in 1719, an estate, of 35l. per annum, in Hollingborne, for the joint benefit in equal moieties of this parish and Hollingborne. Since which, by a commission of charitable uses, in 1748 a farm of 15l. per annum, in Hucking, has been purchased and added to it; the division of the profits of which between them, and the application of them, has been already fully related under the description of the parish of Hollingborne, in the fifth volume of this history, p. 473.
AN ANCESTOR of the family of Heyman, of Somerfield, many years since founded the free school in this town, for teaching the Latin tongue gratis, to so many poor children of this parish as the mayor and jurats should think proper, who are trustees of it, and appoint the master; but at present there are no children on this foundation.
WILLAIM MARSHALL, clerk, about the year 1521, gave 10l. per ann. to be paid the master of this school, out of a messuage and twelve acres of land, in this parish, now belonging to Sir Edward Hales, bart. which was confirmed by a decree in the Exchequer, anno 4 queen Anne, and then in the occupation of Thomas Scoone.
JOHN MANTELL,gent in 1702, gave 200l. which was laid out in the purchasing of a piece of fresh marsh land, containing ten acres, in St. Maries, let at 10l. per annum, to be paid to the master of this school.
The south chancel of the church is appropriated to the use of this school.
TENTERDEN is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Charing.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mildred, is a large handsome building, consisting of two isles and three chancels, having a lofty well-built tower at the west end, which standing on high ground is seen from the country for many miles around it. There are eight bells in it, and a set of musical chimes. The two isles and chancels are all ceiled; the north isle is curiously ceiled with oak and ornamented. There are three galleries in the church. On the front of the steeple are the arms of St. Augustine's monastery, and likewise on a beam over the altar. In the north window a coat, Two chevrons, gules, on a canton, gules, a lion passant, or. In the south window, at the bottom, Or, a saltier, between four mullets, sable; and another, Gules, a bend sinister azure, fretted argent. The monuments and gravestones in this church, as well as the tomb-stones in the church-yard, are so numerous as to be far beyond the limits of this volume. Among them are those belonging to the families of the Austens, Curteis's, Blackmores, Haffendens, and other families mentioned before, as the modern possessors of estates and manors in this parish.
Thomas Petlesden, esq. by will in 1462, appears to have been buried in the chancel of St. Catherine, and gave one hundred marcs to the steeple here, to be paid out of his land, &c. as long as it was a werking. (fn. 6)
Till within these few years there hung a beacon, (a very singular instance remaining of one) over on the top of this steeple. It was a sort of iren kettle, holding about a gallon, with a ring or hoop of the same metal round the upper part of it, to hold still more coals, rosin, &c. It was hung at the end of a piece of timber, about eight feet long. The vanes on the four pinnacles were placed there in 1682. There was formerly a noted dropping stone, in the arch of the door-way going into the bell-lost, which has ceased to drop for many years. By the dropping of it, part of a stone, or two stones rather, were carried off, leaving a considerable rist or hollow where the stones were joined. Upon the water drying in 1720, where it fell underneath, the stone hardened and grew slippery, being probably of the nature of the stelastical water in the Peak of Derbyshire, at Poolshole.
There is a noted saying, that Tenterden steeple was the cause of the Goodwin Sands—which is thus accounted for: Goodwin, earl of Kent, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, was owner of much flat land in the eastern part of it, near the isle of Thanet, which was desended from the sea by a great wall, which lands afterwards became part of the possessions of the abbot of St. Augustine's, near Canterbury still retaining the name of Goodwin, their former owner; and the abbot being at the same time owner of the rectory of Tenterden, the steeple of which church he had then began building, had employed during the course of it so much of his care and attention to the finishing of that work, that he neglected the care and preservation of that wall, insomuch, that on Nov. 3, 1099, the sea broke over and ruined it, drowning the lands within it, and overwhelming it with a light sand, still remaining on them, the place retaining to this time the name of the Goodwin Sands, and becoming dreadful and dangerous to navigators. Thus this steeple is said to be the cause of the Goodwin Sands. This is the common tradition; how far consistent with truth, so far as relates to these sands, will be taken notice of in its proper place. (fn. 7)
THE CHURCH of Tenterden was part of the antient possessions of the monastery of St. Augustine, to which it was appropriated in 1259, on condition of a proper portion being assigned for the maintenance of a perpetual vicar of it; and the official of the archbishop, on an inquisition concerning this vicarage, made his return that it then consisted in all tithes, obventions, and oblations belonging to the church; except the tithes of sheaves, corn, and hay, of which latter the vicar should receive yearly four loads from the abbot and convent, and that it was then valued at eighteen marcs and more per annum.
The abbot of St. Augustine took upon himself, about the year 1295, to constitute several new deanries, and apportioned the several churches belonging to his monastery to each of them, according to their vicinity; one of these was the deanry of Lenham, in which this church of Tenterden was included, but this raising great contests between the archbishops and them, it ended in stripping the abbot of these exemptions, and he was by the pope declared to be subject to the archbishop's jurisdiction in all matters whatsoever, which entirely dissolved these new deanries. (fn. 8)
This church had a manor antiently appendant to it, and on a quo warranto in the iter of H. de Stanton, and his sociates, justices itinerant, anno 7 Edward II. the abbot was allowed year and waste, and cattle called weif, in his manor of Tentwardenne among others; and those liberties, with all others belonging to the abbot and convent, were confirmed by letters of inspeximus by Edward III. in his 36th year, and likewise the additional privilege of the chattels of their own tenants condemned and sugitive, within their manor here.
¶In which state this church continued till the general suppression of religious houses, when it came with the rest of the possessions of the abbey of St. Augustine, anno 30 Henry VIII. into the hands of the crown, after which the king, by his dotation charter in his 33d year, settled both the church appropriate of Tenterden, with the manor appendant and all its rights and appurtenances, and the advowson of the vicarage, among other premises, on his new-founded dean and chapter of Canterbury, with whom the inheritance of the parsonage remains. After the death of Charles I. on the dissolution of deans and chapters, this parsonage was surveyed in order for sale; when it appears to have consisted of one great barn, newly erected, on a close of pasture of five acres; together with all the tithes of corn within the parish; and several rents, out of lands and tenements in Tenterden, amounting to 26s. 8d. taken in right of the parsonage, which had been let in 1640 to Sir Edward Hales, at the yearly rent of 20l. 6s. 8d. but that they were worth over and above that rent seventy-eight pounds. That the lessee was bound to repair the premises, and the chancel of the church, and provide for the dean and officers, or pay the sum of 33s. 4d. The present lessee of it is Sir Edward Hales, bart. of St. Stephens, but the advowson of the vicarage the dean and chapter retain in their own hands.
In 1259 this vicarage was valued at thirty marcs, and in 1342 at forty-five marcs. It is valued in the king's books at 33l. 12s. 11d.and the yearly tenths at 3l. 7s. 3½d. In 1588 there were communicants five hundred and eighty-six. In 1640 it was valued at 120l. per annum. Communicants six hundred. It is now double that value.
There is a modus claimed throughout the parish, in the room of small tithes.
I was driving to Otterden, using John Vigar's book as a guide to the East Kent churches I had missed.
I was using the Sat Nav, at least to get me to the village, so I could concentrate on the roads and sights as I went along, just on the offchance I passed another church unexpectedly.
And so I came to Eastling, and across a walled field, I saw the church, so, finding there was a large car park, I pulled up.
To get into the church yeard, one could either climb over a wooden stile, one built into the wall, or through the gate a few metres further along. I chose the gate.
Through the churchyard, and under the shadow of a huge yew tree to find the porch door, and church door beyond both unlocked.
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A huge church entered across a meadow along a path which passes a huge Yew tree. The porch is high Victorian with the jazziest floor in Kent, no doubt the work of Richard Hussey who restored the church in the mid nineteenth century. This leads to a church with origins in the 12th century but owing more to the 13th and even more to the 19th century! The arcades are built in a much replaced Early English style but work well. In the centre alley is the lovely ledger slab of a man who put it there a few years before his death and inscribed lest someone else steal his pole position! In the south transept is a pretty monument showing kneeling children and a most colourful shield of arms displaying sea creatures. The chancel contains some rare blank arcading in the north wall which may have formed sedilia elsewhere or which may be part of a monument. Its arches are held up by four strong men with bulging shoulders. What a surprise it is! Next to it is one of the finest 14th century tomb recesses in the county, though the faces at either end are Victorian fantasies. This is a much-loved and rewarding Downland church, which is open daily.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Eastling
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It is widely accepted that there has been a place of worship on the site of the Parish Church of St Mary's at Eastling since Anglo-Saxon times.
The oldest surviving parts of the present building are the base of the south-west Tower, the Nave and the western part of the Chancel. All are thought to have been built by the 11th century, possibly on the foundations of an earlier church. The remainder of the Tower and the central part of the Chancel are Norman.
The North and South Aisles and the Arcades between the Aisles and the Nave were built in the 13th century. In the 14th century, the Chancel was extended eastwards to create a Sanctuary. Also in that century, the St Katherine Chapel and an Arcade was added to the south-east corner of the building.
In 1855-56, the Nave, North Aisle and the South Arcade were substantially rebuilt, the West Porch added and the Nave re-roofed.
The Nave - or central area of the church - dates from the 12th century and is notable for its unusually narrow original walls (later, the Arcade walls). Fractionally over 2ft thick, they are considered to be attributable to Saxon workmanship which favoured relatively "thin" solid walls against the Norman style of "thicker" walls comprising two leaves with a filled cavity.
The western end of the Nave is thought to be a late 12th-century extension.
The South Aisle was constructed in the early part of the 13th century and substantially rebuilt by Victorian architect R. C. Hussey in 1855. Some original 13th-century material was re-used, and the eastern respond located against the Chancel remains substantially untouched.
The North Aisle was also created in the 13th century and completely rebuilt by Hussey as part of his major "modernisation" of the building. The South Aisle incorporates a 14th-century window.
The Victorians' enthusiasm for remodelling churches also extended to the Nave which was rebuilt by Hussey in 1855-56. He also added the West Porch, constructed a Vestry and re-built the Chancel arch. It's worth comparing the ceilings of the South Aisle which is said to have escaped Hussey's attentions and that of the Nave where he left only the tie beams and principal trusses visible.
The box pews, pulpit, lectern, rector's stall and choir stalls all date from the Victorian era. The wooden wall benches pre-date the pews.
The alignment of the Tower and Chancel is considered attributable to Saxon, rather than Norman, workmanship. If you stand in front of the east window and look back to the west door you will see that the Nave and Chancel are out of alignment, and this suggests that the Chancel pre-dates the Nave.
Examples of Norman workmanship to be seen in St Mary today are:
• the upper part of the Tower;
• perhaps the belfry stage with its pairs of round-headed openings;
• the re-styling of the western part of the Chancel; and
• the west end of the Nave (possibly a late 12th century extension).
Early in the 13th century, the Chancel was re-styled and given Early English lancet windows.
A further period of rebuilding-took place during the 14th century. The Chancel was extended eastwards by a further 22ft, so creating the Sanctuary.
The stained glass in the Chancel windows are memorials to the Birch Reynardson family. The east window contains picture panels, the work of famous church glass artist Thomas Willement of Davington.
On the north wall of the Sanctuary at Eastling Church is a double Aumbry.
Built as a cupboard in the wall - usually with a wooden door - this would have been used to house the Church Plate.
A piscina is, in effect, a medieval stone bowl near the altar where a priest carried out ceremonial cleaning tasks.
The piscina in Eastling Church dates from the late 13th century and takes the form of a stone cill incorporating twin bowls - one for hand washing, the other for cleaning the chalice and other sacred vessels.
It was originally located in the Chancel. When this part of the building was extended during the 14th century, the piscina was moved to its present position on the south wall of the Sanctuary.
The sedilia at Eastling Church comprise three recessed stone seats with trefoiled canopies. By convention, sedilia were placed south of the altar and used by the priest, deacon and sub-deacon.
Created late in the 13th century, Eastling's sedilia were moved, during the 14th century, from the Chancel to their present position in the (then) new Sanctuary.
The Stone Stalls, on the north side of the Chancel, would have once served as choir stalls. These recessed seats have unusual carved stone canopies in the form of four trefoiled arches carried on caryatids (columns sculpted as female figures).
In his "Notes on the Church", Eastling Church historian Richard Hugh Perks says that a 19th century ecclesiologist, Francis Grayling, theorised that they were mural recesses. Mr Perks considers the church might once have been decorated extensively with murals - born out by the traces of wall paintings found in the 1960s when the Chancel was re-decorated. However, the paintings were in such very poor condition that they were covered over. Mr Perks also draws attention to the fragment of the former Chancel east wall which can be seen at the east end of the Stone Stalls.
The St Katherine Chapel was built around 1350. As part of the scheme, an arcade was formed on the south side of the Chancel. The fluted (concave-sided) pillars are an unusual design, also found in Faversham Parish Church and at Eastchurch, Sheppey. It is thought that the workmanship might be by masons from either Leeds Priory or Faversham Abbey.
The Chapel houses a 19th century organ, the Martin James monument and a fine oak chest with an inscription of "1664 H" carved inside. The "H" is the mark of a Michael Shilling, who was churchwarden at the time.
There is evidence that Eastling Church once had a Rood Screen, possibly extending across both the Chapel and the Chancel. On this would have stood a Cross with a carving representing a crucified Jesus. The Reformation saw the destruction of the Rood and no trace remains, apart from the base of a stairs turret at the south-east corner of the South Aisle.
The West Porch was built in 1855, by Victorian architect R.C. Hussey as part of his major alterations to the church.
However, the fine Norman west doorcase is much older, possibly dating from 1180. It is carved from chalk blocks; some of the internal wall faces are also chalk, a common feature of many Downland churches. It was partly restored by the Victorians.
The churchyard owes much to a generous bequest for its maintenance by Dorothy Long (d. 1968). It used to be part of the 'Gods Acre Project' setup by the Vicar of Eastling Parish Caroline Pinchbeck (who departed the parish in 2012) but from 2013 has been returned to previous landscaping regimes.
When the churchyard was being managed with wildlife in mind, it preserved the diversity of nature alongside well kempt areas. This means parts of the old graveyard were left to grow from springtime onwards and were cut in September. Many species of wild flowers grew in a spring meadow and were followed by grasses. This encouraged wildlife into the graveyard, owls, field mice, voles, multiple species of insects and birds. The uncut areas were managed, which means to say they were not left to grow out of control. Brambles, the majority of stinging nettles and other unwanted plants were removed by hand and the graves were always tended so that the vegetation did not disturb them.
Areas of the churchyard that were mown were done so with a petrol mower but the grass was not collected, It was left on the ground as a mulch. No pesticides were used, they damaged the graves, leaving contaminated black rings around them and killed any wild flowers or grass in the affected areas. The emphasis of the gods acre project management process, started in 2008, was balance. By maintaining the churchyard in this way it was both cost effective and beneficial to local wildlife and preservation. (N. Perkins/ Grounds man Eastling Church 2007-2012)
The original graveyard has a modern extension with spaces still available for burials and close to the entry gate is an area dedicated to the burial of ashes.
Several graves date from the 17th and 18th centuries and include memorial stones to Mary Tanner who was born in the year of the Battle of Naseby; to Christopher Giles born in 1674 and his wife Susannah born in 1691; and to Thomas Lake of Eastling Gent died February the 19th 1717.
Close to the West Porch is a 13th century stone coffin slab, in the form of a cross with a sword, a style sometimes referred to as a "Crusader Tomb".(original text) This is infact incorrect, an archaeologist has confirmed that the stone is a medieval headstone most likely from the back of the church which was once standing that has been moved and placed by the entrance for asthetic qualities. There is another stone to the left of the entrance from a sarcophagus which again has been moved and placed by the entrance.
There is a Yew Tree by the West Door and It is said to be an ancient which would put it's minimum age at 2000 years, predating the church. However dating methods for Yew Trees are inconclusive.. It is hard to reliably scientifically date a Yew Tree due to several factors.. Information on the dating process can be found here. (source: ancient-yew.org) Also Yew trees can grow fast and ages can be exaggerated, a large Yew is most likely the age of the Church but unlikely to be older than it's Anglo-Saxon predecessor. There is no firm evidence to link Yew trees to pagan religions or the theory that Church's were built on Pagan Ritual Sites. (source: Illustrated History of the Countryside, Oliver Rackham)
The circle of yews which continue around the church have been said to have sprouted from the ancient Yew Tree, however archeologists and Yew Tree Specialists have put forward that actually the Yew Trees have been landscaped to look like that. In the past Yew Trees were planted to ward of witches and evil spirits. It is clear if you measure out the trees and use dimensions for aging that the trees have been landscaped.
Work carried out on the tower in 2010 to install a compostable toilet has radically changed the dimensions and structure of the lower and middle of the tower.
The base of the south-west Tower is said to date from the early 11th century, possibly earlier. Much of the remainder of the Tower is Norman.
The Tower - five feet thick at its base - is of flint and chippings, with ragstone quoins, and is heavily buttressed. The external brick buttress to the tower is 18th century. Brick was also used in rebuilding sections of the north-west angle of the Tower, the belfry openings and the Tower doorcase. Today's slated spire would once have been clad with wooden shingles.
The door to the Tower is set in a large arch with "Articles" of the Ringing Chamber, on wooden boards above it.
Eastling has six bells, four of them made by Richard Phelps during the time he occupied the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Click here for more info. Unfortunately, the present condition of the timber bell frame with its elm headstocks (constructed around 1700) and the upper part of the Tower do not allow the bells to be rung safely.
www.eastlingvillage.co.uk/st-mary-s-church.html
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THE next parish south-eastward from Newnham, is Easling, written in old deeds likewise Esling, and Iseling.
It is situated among the hills, on very high ground, about five miles southward from Faversham, and a little more than a mile south-eastward from Newnham valley, in a healthy but cold and forlorn country, being much exposed to the north-east aspect. The village, with the church and parsonage in it, a near pretty dwelling, stands on the road leading from Otterden to Newnham valley; in it there is a large well-timbered house, called Gregories, formerly of some account, and rebuilt in 1616, it formerly belonged to Hoskins, and then to Parmeter, in which name it still continues.—Though there is some level land in the parish, yet it is mostly steep hill and dale, the soil in gen ral a red cludgy earth, poor, and much covered with flints. It is very woody, especially in the eastern parts of it.
A fair is held in the village on Sept. 14, yearly, for toys and pedlary ware. On Nov. 30, being St. Andrew's, there is yearly a diversion called squirrel bunting, in this and the neighbouring parishes, when the labourers and lower kind of people assembling together, form a lawless rabble, and being accoutred with guns, poles, clubs, and other such weapons, spend the greatest part of the day in parading through the woods and grounds, with loud shoutings, and under the pretence of demolishing the squirrels, some few of which they kill, they destroy numbers of hares, pheasants, partridges, and in short whatever comes in their way, breaking down the hedges, and doing much other mischief, and in the evening betaking themselves to the alehouses, finish their career there in drunkenness, as is usual with such sort of gentry.
THIS PLACE, at the time of the taking of the general survey of Domesday, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record:
Herbert held of the bishop of Baieux Nordeslinge. The arable land is one carucate. It was taxed at half a suling. There two borderers pay two shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty shillings, now twenty-five shillings. Turgod held it in the time of king Edward the Confessor.
These two manors, (one of which was Throwley, described immediately before in this record) Herbert, the son of Ivo, Held of the bishop of Baieux.
And a little below,
Roger, son of Ansebitil, held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is one carucate. There is in demesne . . . . and one borderer has half a carucate. There is a church, and one mill of ten shillings, and two acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth sixty shillings, and afterwards twenty shillings, now forty shillings. Unlot held it of king Edward, and could go where he pleased with his land.
Fulbert held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at five suling, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for two, and so it did after the bishop gave the manor to Hugh son of Fulbert. The arable land is six carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and thirty villeins having three carucates. There is a church, and twenty-eight servants, and one mill of ten shilings. Wood for the pannage of thirty bogs In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth ten pounds, and when he received it six pounds, now four pounds, and yet the bishop had eight pounds. Sired held it of king Edward.
The three estates described before, included North Easting and its appendages, Huntingfield and Diven manors, with others estates in this parish, then esteemed as part of them.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, all his possessions were confiscated to the crown.
Fulbert de Dover, mentioned above as tenant to the bishop of Baieux for one of these estates, appears afterwards to have held all three of them of the king in capite by barony, the tenant of them being bound by tenure to maintain a certain number of soldiers from time to time, for the defence of Dover castle, in which there was a tower called Turris dei inimica, which he was bound by his tenure likewise to repair.
Of him and his heirs these estates were held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, which they had made the caput baroniæ, or chief of their barony. (fn. 1) That part of the above-mentioned estates, called in Domesday Nordeslinge, was afterwards known by the name of THE MANOR OF EASLING, alias NORTHCOURT, which latter name it had from its situation in respect to the others, being held of the lords paramount by a family of the name of Esling, one of whom, Ralph de Esling, died possessed of it in the 26th year of king Edward I. anno 1297, then holding it by knight's service of the honor of Chilham. He left an only daughter and heir Alice, who carried this manor, with that of Denton, alias Plumford, in marriage to Sir Fulk de Peyforer, who, with Sir William de Peyforer, of Otterden, accompanied king Edward. I. in his 28th year, at the siege of Carlaverock, where, with many other Kentish gentlemen, they were both knighted. They bore for their arms, Argent, six fleurs de lis, azure.
Sir Fulk de Peyforer, in the 32d year of the above reign, obtained a grant of a market weekly on a Friday, and one fair yearly on the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross at Esling, and free-warren for his lands there. Before the end of which reign, the property of these manors was transferred into the family of Leyborne, and it appears by an inquisition taken in the 1st year of Edward III. that Juliana, the widow of William de Leyborne, who died anno 2 Edward II. was possessed of these estates at her death, and that their grand-daughter Juliana, was heir both to her grandfather and father's possessions, from the greatness of which she was usually stiled the Infanta of Kent.
She was then the wife of John de Hastings, as she was afterwards of Sir William de Clinton, created earl of Huntingdon, who paid aid for the manor of Northcourt, alias Easling. She survived him, and afterwards died possessed of this estate in Easling, together with Denton, alias Plymford, in the 41st year of king Edward III. and leaving no issue by either of her husbands, these manors, among the rest of her estates, escheated to the crown, for it appears by the inquisition taken that year, after her death, that there was no one who could make claim to her estates, either by direct or even by collateral alliance.
These manors remained in the crown till the beginning of king Richard the IId.'s reign, when they became vested in John, duke of Lancaster, and other seoffees, in trust for the performance of certain religious bequests in the will of Edward III. in consequence of which, the king Afterwards, in his 22d year, granted them, among other premises, to the dean and canons of St. Stephen's college, in Westminster, for ever. (fn. 2) In which situation they continued till the 1st year of king Edward VI. when, by the act passed that year, they were surrendered into the king's hands.
After which the king, by his letters patent, in his 3d year, granted these manors, among others lately belonging to the above-mentioned college, to Sir Thomas Cheney, privy counsellor and treasurer of his houshold, with all and singular their liberties and privileges whatsoever, in as ample a manner as the dean and canons held them, to hold in capite by knight's service. (fn. 3) whose son Henry, lord Cheney, of Tuddington, had possession granted to him of his inheritance anno 3 Elizabeth, and that year levied a fine of all his lands.
He passed these manors away by sale, in the 8th year of that reign, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, and afterwards a justice of the peace for this county, who levied a fine of them anno 17 Elizabeth, and died possessed of them in 1592, being buried in the south chancel of this church, under a monument, on which are the effigies of himself and his wife. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, first and fourth, vert, a dolphin naiant; second and third, Ermine, on a chief gules, three crosses, or. His great-grandson Walter James, esq. was possessed of them at the time of the restoration of king Charles II. whose heirs sold them in the latter end of that reign, to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of them in 1678, after which they descended down to Richard Grove, esq. of Cambridge, but afterwards of the Temple, in London, who died unmarried in 1792, and by his will devised them to Mr. William Jemmet, of Ashford, and Mr. William Marshall, of London, who continue at this time the joint possessors of them.
THE MANOR OF HUNTINGFIELD, situated in the eastern part of this parish, was, at the time of the takeing of the general survey of Domesday, part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, as has been already taken notice of before, and on his disgrace came, with the rest of his estates, to the crown, about the year 1084.
After which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle for the defence of it. Of him and his heirs it was held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, the head or chief of their barony.
Simon de Chelsfield held it of them, as lords paramount, in the reign of Henry III. but at the latter end of that reign, this manor was come into the possession of that branch of the eminent family of Huntingfield settled in this county, descended from those of Suffolk, in which county and in Norfolk they had large possessions. Hence this manor assumed the name of Huntingfield-court, and it appears by the roll of knights fees, taken at the beginning of the reign of Edward I. that Peter de Huntingfield then held it. He resided at times both here and at West Wickham, of which manor he was likewise possessed, though it seems when he was sheriff in the 11th, 12th, and 13th years of that reign, he kept his shrievalty at Huntingfield-court. In the 9th year of it he obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands at Eslynge and Stalesfeld, and in the 28th year of it attended the king at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, for which service he, with others, received the honor of knighthood. He died in the 7th year of Edward II. anno 1313, leaving by the lady Imayne his wise, who was buried in the church of the Grey Friars, London, Sir Walter de Huntingfield his son and heir, who having obtained several liberties for his manor of Wickham, and liberty to impark his grounds there, (fn. 4) seems to have deserted this place, which in the next reign of Edward III. was sold either by him or by his son, Sir John de Huntingfield, to one of the family of Sawfamere, and in the 20th year of that reign, the lady Sawfamere, Dna' de Sawsamero, as she is written in the book of aid, paid respective aid for it.
But before the end of that reign, it had passed into the name of Halden, for it appears by the escheat-rolls that William de Halden died in the 50th year of it, possessed of Easling manor, called Huntingfield, held of the castle of Chilham; soon after which it became the property of Sir Simon de Burleigh, who being attainted in the 12th year of Richard II. this manor, among the rest of his possessions, came to the crown. After which, anno 2 Henry IV. John, son and heir of Sir John de Burley, cousin and heir of Sir Simon de Burley, was, upon his petition, restored in blood, and the judgment against Sir Simon was revoked, and three years afterwards the king, with the assent of the lords, wholly restored him to all his hereditaments, except as to those excepted by him. (fn. 5) How long this manor remained in this name I have not found, but in the reign of Henry VI. it was in the possession of Sir James Fienes, who anno 25 of that reign, by reason of his mother's descent, was created Lord Say and Sele, and was afterwards made lord treasurer, but becoming unpopular, from his being so great a favorite, he was seized on in the insurrection raised by Jack Cade, and beheaded in the 29th year of that reign. He was at his death possessed of this manor, which by his will be devised to his son Sir William Fienes, who became likewise lord Say and Sele, but the unhappy contention which then subsisted between the houses of York and Lancaster, in which he risked not only his person, but his whole fortune, brought him soon afterwards into great distresses, and necessitated him to mortgage and sell the greatest part of his lands. How this manor was disposed of I have not found, but within a very few years afterwards it appears to have been in the hands of the crown, for king Richard III. in his first year, granted to John Water, alias Yorke Heraulde, an annuity out of the revenues of his lordship of Huntingfield, and afterwards by his writ, in the same year, on the resignation of John, garter, principal king at arms, and Thomas, clarencieux, king at arms, he committed to Richard Champeney, alias called Gloucestre, king of arms, the custody of this manor.
But the see of it seems to have remained in the crown till king Henry VIII. in his 35th year, granted it to John Guldford and Alured Randall, esqrs. to hold in capite by knight's service. John Guildford was the next year become the sole proprietor of it, and then alienated it to Sir Thomas Moyle; he sold it, in the 7th year of Edward VI. to John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, Canterbury, with its members and appurtenances in Esling, Sheldwich, Whitstaple, Reculver, and Ulcombe. However, it appears that he was not possessed of the entire see of it at his death in 1554, for he by his will devised his two thirds of this manor, (besides the third part due to the queen, after his wife's death) to his son Thomas Wild, then an infant, whose son John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, alienated his share, or two thirds of it, which included the courts, sines, amerciaments, and other privileges belonging to it, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, owner of the manor of North-court, alias Easling, as above-mentioned, whose great-grandson, Walter James, esq. possessed it at the restoration of Charles II. at the latter end of which reign his heirs sold it to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of it in 1678, and his great-grandson Richard Grove, esq. of London, proprietor likewise of North-court above-described, died in 1792, having by his will devised these manors (which having been for many years united in the same owners, are now consolidated, one court being held for both, the stile of which is, the manor of Easling, alias North court, with that of Huntingfield annexed, in Easling, Ulcomb, and Sheldwich) among the rest of his estates, to Wm. Jemmet, gent. of Ashford, and William Marshall, of London, and they continue at this time the joint possessors of these manors.
BUT THE REMAINING THIRD PART of the manor of Hunting field, in the hands of the crown in the reign of Philip and Mary, as before-mentioned, in which was included the mansion of Huntingfield court, with the demesne lands adjoining to it, continued there till it was granted, in the beginning of the next reign of queen Elizabeth, to Mr. Robert Greenstreet, who died possessed of it in the 14th year of that reign, holding it in capite by knight's service. His descendant Mr. Mathew Greenstreet, of Preston, leaving an only daughter Anne, she carried this estate in marriage to Mr. Richard Tassell, of Linsted, and he alienated it in 1733 to Edward Hasted, esq. barrister-at law, of Hawley, near Dartford, whose father Mr. Joseph Hasted, gent. of Chatham, was before possessed of a small part of the adjoining demesne lands of Huntingfield manor, which had been in queen Elizabeth's reign become the property of Mr. Josias Clynch.
The family of Hasted, or as they were antiently written, both Halsted and Hausted, was of eminent note in very early times, as well from the offices they bore, as their several possessions in different counties, and bore for their arms, Gules, a chief chequy, or, and azure. William Hausted was keeper of the king's exchange, in London, in the 5th year of Edward II. from whom these of Kent hold themselves to be descended, one of whom, John Hausted, clerk, or as his descendants wrote themselves, Hasted, born in Hampshire, is recorded to have been chaplain to queen Elizabeth, and a person much in favor with her, whom he so far displeased by entering into the state of marriage, which he did with a daughter of George Clifford, esq. of Bobbing, and sister of Sir Coniers Clifford, governor of Connaught, in Ireland, that he retired to the Isle of Wight, where he was beneficed, and dying there about the year 1596, was buried in the church of Newport. His great grandson Joseph Hasted, gent. was of Chatham, and dying in 1732, was buried in Newington church, as was his only son Edward, who was of Hawley, esq. the purchaser of Huntingfield court as before-mentioned. He died in 1740, leaving by his wife Anne, who was descended from the antient and respectable family of the Dingleys, of Wolverton, in the isle of Wight, one son, Edward Hasted, esq. late of Canterbury, who has several children, of whom the eldest, the Rev. Edward Hasted, late of Oriel college, in Oxford, is now vicar of Hollingborne. He bears for his arms the antient coat of the family of Halsted, or Hausted, as mentioned before, with the addition in the field, of an eagle displayed,ermine,beaked and legged, or, with which he quarters those of Dingley, Argent, a fess azure, in chief, two mullets of the second between two burts, which colours Charles, the third son of Sir John Dingley, of Wolverton, in James the 1st.'s reign, changed from those borne by his ancestors and elder brothers, i.e. from sable to azure.
Edward Hasted, esq. of Canterbury, above-mentioned, succeeded his father in this estate, which he, at length, in 1787, alienated to John Montresor, esq. of Throwley, who continues the possessor of it.
The foundations of slint and stone, which have continually been dug up near this house, shew it to have been formerly much larger that it is at present. There was once a chapel and a mill belonging to it, the fields where they stood being still known by the name of chapel-field and mill-field, which answers the description of this estate given in Domesday.
DIVEN is A MANOR, situated almost adjoining to the church of Easting, which is so corruptly called for Dive-court, its more antient and proper name. This estate was likewise one of those described before in Domesday, as being part of the possessions of the bishop of Baieux, on whose disgrace it was, among, the rest of his estates, forfeited to the crown; after which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish therein-mentioned, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover cattle, and of him and his heirs it was held, as half a knight's fee, of the honor of Chilham, the caput barouiæ, or head of their barony.
In the reign of Henry III. John Dive held this estate as before-mentioned, of that honor; and his descendant Andrew Dive, in the 20th year of king Edward III. paid aid for it as half a knight's fee, held of the above barony, when it paid ward annually to Dover castle. In this name the manor of Diven continued till the beginning of the next reign of king Richard II. when it was alienated to Sharp, of Ninplace, in Great Chart, in which it remained till the latter end of Henry VII. when it was conveyed to Thurston, of Challock, from which, some year after, it was passed by sale to John Wild, esq. who, before the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Gates, and he alienated it to Norden, who conveyed it to Bunce, where it remained after the death of king Charles I. in 1648; soon after which this manor was sold to John Adye, esq of Down court, in Doddington, who died possessed of it in 1660, and his two sons, Edward and Nicholas, seem afterwards to have possessed it in undivided moieties.
Edward Adye, esq. was of Barham, and left seven daughters his coheirs, of whom Susanna, married to Ruishe Wentworth, esq. son and heir of Sir George Wentworth, a younger brother to Thomas, the noted but unfortunate earl of Strafford, entitled her husband to the possession of her father's moiety of this manor, with other lands in Doddington, upon the division of his estates among them. He left an only daughter and heir Mary, who married Thomas, lord Howard, of Essingham, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in 1725, and leaving no male issue, he was succeeded in this estate by Francis his brother and heir, who was in 1731 created Earl of Essingham, and died in 1743. His son Thomas, earl of Effingham, afterwards alienated this moiety of Divencourt to Oliver Edwards, esq. of the six clerks office, as will be further mentioned hereafter.
The other moiety of this manor, which, on the death of his father, came into the possession of Nicholas Adye, esq. of Down-Court, in Doddington, was devised by him to his eldest son John Adye, esq. of Down court, who anno 23 Charles II. suffered a recovery of it. (fn. 6)
He left an only daughter and heir Mary, married to Henry Cullum, sergeant-at-law; but before that event, this estate seems to have been passed away by him to Thomas Diggs, esq. of Chilham castle, Whose descendant of the same name, in 1723, conveyed it, with Chilham-castle, and the rest of his estates in this county, to Mr. James Colebrook, citizen and mercer of London, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in the year 1752, after which it passed in like manner with them, till it was at length sold by his descendants, under the same act of parliament, in the year 1775, to Thomas Heron, esq. of Newark upon Trent, afterwards of Chilham-castle, who about the year 1776, joined with Oliver Edwards, esq. the proprietor of the other moiety, as has been mentioned beforce, to Mr. Charles Chapman, of Faversham, who then became possessed of the whole of it, which, at his death in 1782, he devised by his will to his nephews and nieces, of the name of Leeze, two of whom are now entitled to the fee of it.
THE MANOR OF ARNOLDS, which is situated about a mile eastward from the church of Easling, was likewise part of the estates of the bishop of Baieux, mentioned before, and on his disgrace came with the rest of them, to the crown, of which it was held afterwards in capite by barony, by Fulbert de Dover, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle, and of him and his heirs it was again held, as half a knight's fee, as of the honor of Chilham, the head of their barony.
Of them it was held by Arnold de Bononia, whence it acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Esling. His son John Fitzarnold afterwards possessed it in the reign of Edward III. after which Peter de Huntingfield was owner of it, but in the 20th year of Edward III. the lady Champaine, or Champion, and the earl of Oxford paid aid for it, as half a knight's fee, held of the barony above-mentioned. How it passed afterwards I have not seen, but in the next reign of Richard II. it was become part of the endowment of the dean and canons of the collegiate free chapel of St. Stephen's, Westminster, with whom it remained till the suppression of it in the 1st year of Edward VI. when it came into the hands of the crown; after which it became the property of Gates, and after that of Terry, in which it continued several years, and by that acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Terrys, from which name it was sold, in the reign of queen Anne, one part to the Rev. William Wickens, rector of this parish, who bore for his arms, Party, per pale, or, and sable, a chevron coupee, between three trefoils, all counter changed, whose son Mr. William Wickens, succeeded to it on his death in 1718. He died without male issue, and by his will devised it to his two daughters, one of whom marrying Elvy, he bought the other sister's share in it, and his widow surviving him now possesses both of them; another part was sold to Chapman, and a third to Avery. Since which it has become more inconsiderable, by the two parts last-mentioned having been again parcelled out, so that now it is sunk into that obscurity, as hardly to be worthy of notice, but the manerial rights of the manor are claimed by John Wynne and Lydia his wife.
Charities.
EDWARD GRESWOLD, by his will in 1677, gave 20l. for the benefit of the poor not receiving alms, to be laid out in land or otherwise, by his executors, who in 1680 purchased a piece of land, called Pinkes-cross, in Easling, containing two acres, in trust, for this purpose, the rent of it is now 154. per annum, vested in the minister and parish officers.
The poor constantly relieved are about twelve, casually twenty-five.
EASLING is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of three isles and a south chancel, called St. Katherine's. The steeple, which is a low pointed one, stands at the west end; there are six bells in it.
Alicia de Esling, wife of Robert de Eschequer, and lady of the manor of Esling, with the consent of archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen, granted the church of Elinges, situated on her estate, to the priory of Ledes, in perpetual alms, together with the temporalities, or appropriation of it, to be possessed by them for ever after the death of Gervas then incumbent of it. Which gift was confirmed by archbishop Hubert, in the reign of Richard I.
Notwithstanding which, there was no vicarage endowed here, nor did the canons of Ledes ever enjoy the parsonage of it; but archbishop Stephen Langton, who succeeded archbishop Hubert, with the consent and approbation of William de Eslinges, patron of this church, granted to the canons of Ledes twenty shillings yearly, to be received from it in the name of a benefice; and he ordained, that beyond that sum, they should not claim any thing further from it, but that whenever it should become vacant, the said William de Esling should present to it. But it should seem that after this, they had not given up all pretensions to it, for they obtained, seventy years after this, viz. in 1278, of the prior, and the convent of Christchurch, Canterbury, a confirmation of the archbishops Theobald and Hubert's charters to them, in which this church is particularly mentioned. (fn. 7) How long it continued in the hands of the family of Esling I do not find, or in those of private patronage; but before the 22d year of Edward III. it was become part of the possessions of the college founded by Sir John Poultney, in the church of St. Laurence, Canon-street, London, with which it remained till the suppression of the college, in the reign of Edward VI. when it came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the hands of the crown.
After which it seems to have been granted to Sir Thomas Moyle, of Eastwell, whose sole daughter and heir Catherine married Sir Thomas Finch, of that place, and afterwards Nicholas St. Leger, esq. who in her right presented to this rectory in 1574; after which Sir Moyle Finch, knight and baronet, the eldest son of Sir Thomas and lady Catherine, succeeded to it, in whose descendants, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, this advowson continued down to Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who died possessed of it in 1769, without male issue, leaving his four daughters his coheirs. He was succeeded in titles by his nephew George Finch, esq. only son of his next brother William; but this advowson, with Eastwell, and the rest of his Kentish estates, he gave by his will to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. only son of his third brother the hon. Edward Finch Hatton, (fn. 8) who is the present owner of it.
The pension of twenty shillings payable from this church to the priory of Ledes, at its suppression in the reign of Henry VIII. came into the hands of the crown; after which it was settled, among other premises, by the King, in his 33d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to it.
¶This rectory is valued in the king's books at sixteen pounds, and the yearly tenths at 1l. 12s. In 1587 the communicants here were eighty-seven.
In 1640 it was valued at 120l. Communicants one hundred. It is now worth upwards of 200l. per annum.
I was driving to Otterden, using John Vigar's book as a guide to the East Kent churches I had missed.
I was using the Sat Nav, at least to get me to the village, so I could concentrate on the roads and sights as I went along, just on the offchance I passed another church unexpectedly.
And so I came to Eastling, and across a walled field, I saw the church, so, finding there was a large car park, I pulled up.
To get into the church yeard, one could either climb over a wooden stile, one built into the wall, or through the gate a few metres further along. I chose the gate.
Through the churchyard, and under the shadow of a huge yew tree to find the porch door, and church door beyond both unlocked.
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A huge church entered across a meadow along a path which passes a huge Yew tree. The porch is high Victorian with the jazziest floor in Kent, no doubt the work of Richard Hussey who restored the church in the mid nineteenth century. This leads to a church with origins in the 12th century but owing more to the 13th and even more to the 19th century! The arcades are built in a much replaced Early English style but work well. In the centre alley is the lovely ledger slab of a man who put it there a few years before his death and inscribed lest someone else steal his pole position! In the south transept is a pretty monument showing kneeling children and a most colourful shield of arms displaying sea creatures. The chancel contains some rare blank arcading in the north wall which may have formed sedilia elsewhere or which may be part of a monument. Its arches are held up by four strong men with bulging shoulders. What a surprise it is! Next to it is one of the finest 14th century tomb recesses in the county, though the faces at either end are Victorian fantasies. This is a much-loved and rewarding Downland church, which is open daily.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Eastling
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It is widely accepted that there has been a place of worship on the site of the Parish Church of St Mary's at Eastling since Anglo-Saxon times.
The oldest surviving parts of the present building are the base of the south-west Tower, the Nave and the western part of the Chancel. All are thought to have been built by the 11th century, possibly on the foundations of an earlier church. The remainder of the Tower and the central part of the Chancel are Norman.
The North and South Aisles and the Arcades between the Aisles and the Nave were built in the 13th century. In the 14th century, the Chancel was extended eastwards to create a Sanctuary. Also in that century, the St Katherine Chapel and an Arcade was added to the south-east corner of the building.
In 1855-56, the Nave, North Aisle and the South Arcade were substantially rebuilt, the West Porch added and the Nave re-roofed.
The Nave - or central area of the church - dates from the 12th century and is notable for its unusually narrow original walls (later, the Arcade walls). Fractionally over 2ft thick, they are considered to be attributable to Saxon workmanship which favoured relatively "thin" solid walls against the Norman style of "thicker" walls comprising two leaves with a filled cavity.
The western end of the Nave is thought to be a late 12th-century extension.
The South Aisle was constructed in the early part of the 13th century and substantially rebuilt by Victorian architect R. C. Hussey in 1855. Some original 13th-century material was re-used, and the eastern respond located against the Chancel remains substantially untouched.
The North Aisle was also created in the 13th century and completely rebuilt by Hussey as part of his major "modernisation" of the building. The South Aisle incorporates a 14th-century window.
The Victorians' enthusiasm for remodelling churches also extended to the Nave which was rebuilt by Hussey in 1855-56. He also added the West Porch, constructed a Vestry and re-built the Chancel arch. It's worth comparing the ceilings of the South Aisle which is said to have escaped Hussey's attentions and that of the Nave where he left only the tie beams and principal trusses visible.
The box pews, pulpit, lectern, rector's stall and choir stalls all date from the Victorian era. The wooden wall benches pre-date the pews.
The alignment of the Tower and Chancel is considered attributable to Saxon, rather than Norman, workmanship. If you stand in front of the east window and look back to the west door you will see that the Nave and Chancel are out of alignment, and this suggests that the Chancel pre-dates the Nave.
Examples of Norman workmanship to be seen in St Mary today are:
• the upper part of the Tower;
• perhaps the belfry stage with its pairs of round-headed openings;
• the re-styling of the western part of the Chancel; and
• the west end of the Nave (possibly a late 12th century extension).
Early in the 13th century, the Chancel was re-styled and given Early English lancet windows.
A further period of rebuilding-took place during the 14th century. The Chancel was extended eastwards by a further 22ft, so creating the Sanctuary.
The stained glass in the Chancel windows are memorials to the Birch Reynardson family. The east window contains picture panels, the work of famous church glass artist Thomas Willement of Davington.
On the north wall of the Sanctuary at Eastling Church is a double Aumbry.
Built as a cupboard in the wall - usually with a wooden door - this would have been used to house the Church Plate.
A piscina is, in effect, a medieval stone bowl near the altar where a priest carried out ceremonial cleaning tasks.
The piscina in Eastling Church dates from the late 13th century and takes the form of a stone cill incorporating twin bowls - one for hand washing, the other for cleaning the chalice and other sacred vessels.
It was originally located in the Chancel. When this part of the building was extended during the 14th century, the piscina was moved to its present position on the south wall of the Sanctuary.
The sedilia at Eastling Church comprise three recessed stone seats with trefoiled canopies. By convention, sedilia were placed south of the altar and used by the priest, deacon and sub-deacon.
Created late in the 13th century, Eastling's sedilia were moved, during the 14th century, from the Chancel to their present position in the (then) new Sanctuary.
The Stone Stalls, on the north side of the Chancel, would have once served as choir stalls. These recessed seats have unusual carved stone canopies in the form of four trefoiled arches carried on caryatids (columns sculpted as female figures).
In his "Notes on the Church", Eastling Church historian Richard Hugh Perks says that a 19th century ecclesiologist, Francis Grayling, theorised that they were mural recesses. Mr Perks considers the church might once have been decorated extensively with murals - born out by the traces of wall paintings found in the 1960s when the Chancel was re-decorated. However, the paintings were in such very poor condition that they were covered over. Mr Perks also draws attention to the fragment of the former Chancel east wall which can be seen at the east end of the Stone Stalls.
The St Katherine Chapel was built around 1350. As part of the scheme, an arcade was formed on the south side of the Chancel. The fluted (concave-sided) pillars are an unusual design, also found in Faversham Parish Church and at Eastchurch, Sheppey. It is thought that the workmanship might be by masons from either Leeds Priory or Faversham Abbey.
The Chapel houses a 19th century organ, the Martin James monument and a fine oak chest with an inscription of "1664 H" carved inside. The "H" is the mark of a Michael Shilling, who was churchwarden at the time.
There is evidence that Eastling Church once had a Rood Screen, possibly extending across both the Chapel and the Chancel. On this would have stood a Cross with a carving representing a crucified Jesus. The Reformation saw the destruction of the Rood and no trace remains, apart from the base of a stairs turret at the south-east corner of the South Aisle.
The West Porch was built in 1855, by Victorian architect R.C. Hussey as part of his major alterations to the church.
However, the fine Norman west doorcase is much older, possibly dating from 1180. It is carved from chalk blocks; some of the internal wall faces are also chalk, a common feature of many Downland churches. It was partly restored by the Victorians.
The churchyard owes much to a generous bequest for its maintenance by Dorothy Long (d. 1968). It used to be part of the 'Gods Acre Project' setup by the Vicar of Eastling Parish Caroline Pinchbeck (who departed the parish in 2012) but from 2013 has been returned to previous landscaping regimes.
When the churchyard was being managed with wildlife in mind, it preserved the diversity of nature alongside well kempt areas. This means parts of the old graveyard were left to grow from springtime onwards and were cut in September. Many species of wild flowers grew in a spring meadow and were followed by grasses. This encouraged wildlife into the graveyard, owls, field mice, voles, multiple species of insects and birds. The uncut areas were managed, which means to say they were not left to grow out of control. Brambles, the majority of stinging nettles and other unwanted plants were removed by hand and the graves were always tended so that the vegetation did not disturb them.
Areas of the churchyard that were mown were done so with a petrol mower but the grass was not collected, It was left on the ground as a mulch. No pesticides were used, they damaged the graves, leaving contaminated black rings around them and killed any wild flowers or grass in the affected areas. The emphasis of the gods acre project management process, started in 2008, was balance. By maintaining the churchyard in this way it was both cost effective and beneficial to local wildlife and preservation. (N. Perkins/ Grounds man Eastling Church 2007-2012)
The original graveyard has a modern extension with spaces still available for burials and close to the entry gate is an area dedicated to the burial of ashes.
Several graves date from the 17th and 18th centuries and include memorial stones to Mary Tanner who was born in the year of the Battle of Naseby; to Christopher Giles born in 1674 and his wife Susannah born in 1691; and to Thomas Lake of Eastling Gent died February the 19th 1717.
Close to the West Porch is a 13th century stone coffin slab, in the form of a cross with a sword, a style sometimes referred to as a "Crusader Tomb".(original text) This is infact incorrect, an archaeologist has confirmed that the stone is a medieval headstone most likely from the back of the church which was once standing that has been moved and placed by the entrance for asthetic qualities. There is another stone to the left of the entrance from a sarcophagus which again has been moved and placed by the entrance.
There is a Yew Tree by the West Door and It is said to be an ancient which would put it's minimum age at 2000 years, predating the church. However dating methods for Yew Trees are inconclusive.. It is hard to reliably scientifically date a Yew Tree due to several factors.. Information on the dating process can be found here. (source: ancient-yew.org) Also Yew trees can grow fast and ages can be exaggerated, a large Yew is most likely the age of the Church but unlikely to be older than it's Anglo-Saxon predecessor. There is no firm evidence to link Yew trees to pagan religions or the theory that Church's were built on Pagan Ritual Sites. (source: Illustrated History of the Countryside, Oliver Rackham)
The circle of yews which continue around the church have been said to have sprouted from the ancient Yew Tree, however archeologists and Yew Tree Specialists have put forward that actually the Yew Trees have been landscaped to look like that. In the past Yew Trees were planted to ward of witches and evil spirits. It is clear if you measure out the trees and use dimensions for aging that the trees have been landscaped.
Work carried out on the tower in 2010 to install a compostable toilet has radically changed the dimensions and structure of the lower and middle of the tower.
The base of the south-west Tower is said to date from the early 11th century, possibly earlier. Much of the remainder of the Tower is Norman.
The Tower - five feet thick at its base - is of flint and chippings, with ragstone quoins, and is heavily buttressed. The external brick buttress to the tower is 18th century. Brick was also used in rebuilding sections of the north-west angle of the Tower, the belfry openings and the Tower doorcase. Today's slated spire would once have been clad with wooden shingles.
The door to the Tower is set in a large arch with "Articles" of the Ringing Chamber, on wooden boards above it.
Eastling has six bells, four of them made by Richard Phelps during the time he occupied the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Click here for more info. Unfortunately, the present condition of the timber bell frame with its elm headstocks (constructed around 1700) and the upper part of the Tower do not allow the bells to be rung safely.
www.eastlingvillage.co.uk/st-mary-s-church.html
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THE next parish south-eastward from Newnham, is Easling, written in old deeds likewise Esling, and Iseling.
It is situated among the hills, on very high ground, about five miles southward from Faversham, and a little more than a mile south-eastward from Newnham valley, in a healthy but cold and forlorn country, being much exposed to the north-east aspect. The village, with the church and parsonage in it, a near pretty dwelling, stands on the road leading from Otterden to Newnham valley; in it there is a large well-timbered house, called Gregories, formerly of some account, and rebuilt in 1616, it formerly belonged to Hoskins, and then to Parmeter, in which name it still continues.—Though there is some level land in the parish, yet it is mostly steep hill and dale, the soil in gen ral a red cludgy earth, poor, and much covered with flints. It is very woody, especially in the eastern parts of it.
A fair is held in the village on Sept. 14, yearly, for toys and pedlary ware. On Nov. 30, being St. Andrew's, there is yearly a diversion called squirrel bunting, in this and the neighbouring parishes, when the labourers and lower kind of people assembling together, form a lawless rabble, and being accoutred with guns, poles, clubs, and other such weapons, spend the greatest part of the day in parading through the woods and grounds, with loud shoutings, and under the pretence of demolishing the squirrels, some few of which they kill, they destroy numbers of hares, pheasants, partridges, and in short whatever comes in their way, breaking down the hedges, and doing much other mischief, and in the evening betaking themselves to the alehouses, finish their career there in drunkenness, as is usual with such sort of gentry.
THIS PLACE, at the time of the taking of the general survey of Domesday, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record:
Herbert held of the bishop of Baieux Nordeslinge. The arable land is one carucate. It was taxed at half a suling. There two borderers pay two shillings. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twenty shillings, now twenty-five shillings. Turgod held it in the time of king Edward the Confessor.
These two manors, (one of which was Throwley, described immediately before in this record) Herbert, the son of Ivo, Held of the bishop of Baieux.
And a little below,
Roger, son of Ansebitil, held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is one carucate. There is in demesne . . . . and one borderer has half a carucate. There is a church, and one mill of ten shillings, and two acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth sixty shillings, and afterwards twenty shillings, now forty shillings. Unlot held it of king Edward, and could go where he pleased with his land.
Fulbert held of the bishop, Eslinges. It was taxed at five suling, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for two, and so it did after the bishop gave the manor to Hugh son of Fulbert. The arable land is six carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and thirty villeins having three carucates. There is a church, and twenty-eight servants, and one mill of ten shilings. Wood for the pannage of thirty bogs In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth ten pounds, and when he received it six pounds, now four pounds, and yet the bishop had eight pounds. Sired held it of king Edward.
The three estates described before, included North Easting and its appendages, Huntingfield and Diven manors, with others estates in this parish, then esteemed as part of them.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, all his possessions were confiscated to the crown.
Fulbert de Dover, mentioned above as tenant to the bishop of Baieux for one of these estates, appears afterwards to have held all three of them of the king in capite by barony, the tenant of them being bound by tenure to maintain a certain number of soldiers from time to time, for the defence of Dover castle, in which there was a tower called Turris dei inimica, which he was bound by his tenure likewise to repair.
Of him and his heirs these estates were held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, which they had made the caput baroniæ, or chief of their barony. (fn. 1) That part of the above-mentioned estates, called in Domesday Nordeslinge, was afterwards known by the name of THE MANOR OF EASLING, alias NORTHCOURT, which latter name it had from its situation in respect to the others, being held of the lords paramount by a family of the name of Esling, one of whom, Ralph de Esling, died possessed of it in the 26th year of king Edward I. anno 1297, then holding it by knight's service of the honor of Chilham. He left an only daughter and heir Alice, who carried this manor, with that of Denton, alias Plumford, in marriage to Sir Fulk de Peyforer, who, with Sir William de Peyforer, of Otterden, accompanied king Edward. I. in his 28th year, at the siege of Carlaverock, where, with many other Kentish gentlemen, they were both knighted. They bore for their arms, Argent, six fleurs de lis, azure.
Sir Fulk de Peyforer, in the 32d year of the above reign, obtained a grant of a market weekly on a Friday, and one fair yearly on the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross at Esling, and free-warren for his lands there. Before the end of which reign, the property of these manors was transferred into the family of Leyborne, and it appears by an inquisition taken in the 1st year of Edward III. that Juliana, the widow of William de Leyborne, who died anno 2 Edward II. was possessed of these estates at her death, and that their grand-daughter Juliana, was heir both to her grandfather and father's possessions, from the greatness of which she was usually stiled the Infanta of Kent.
She was then the wife of John de Hastings, as she was afterwards of Sir William de Clinton, created earl of Huntingdon, who paid aid for the manor of Northcourt, alias Easling. She survived him, and afterwards died possessed of this estate in Easling, together with Denton, alias Plymford, in the 41st year of king Edward III. and leaving no issue by either of her husbands, these manors, among the rest of her estates, escheated to the crown, for it appears by the inquisition taken that year, after her death, that there was no one who could make claim to her estates, either by direct or even by collateral alliance.
These manors remained in the crown till the beginning of king Richard the IId.'s reign, when they became vested in John, duke of Lancaster, and other seoffees, in trust for the performance of certain religious bequests in the will of Edward III. in consequence of which, the king Afterwards, in his 22d year, granted them, among other premises, to the dean and canons of St. Stephen's college, in Westminster, for ever. (fn. 2) In which situation they continued till the 1st year of king Edward VI. when, by the act passed that year, they were surrendered into the king's hands.
After which the king, by his letters patent, in his 3d year, granted these manors, among others lately belonging to the above-mentioned college, to Sir Thomas Cheney, privy counsellor and treasurer of his houshold, with all and singular their liberties and privileges whatsoever, in as ample a manner as the dean and canons held them, to hold in capite by knight's service. (fn. 3) whose son Henry, lord Cheney, of Tuddington, had possession granted to him of his inheritance anno 3 Elizabeth, and that year levied a fine of all his lands.
He passed these manors away by sale, in the 8th year of that reign, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, and afterwards a justice of the peace for this county, who levied a fine of them anno 17 Elizabeth, and died possessed of them in 1592, being buried in the south chancel of this church, under a monument, on which are the effigies of himself and his wife. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, first and fourth, vert, a dolphin naiant; second and third, Ermine, on a chief gules, three crosses, or. His great-grandson Walter James, esq. was possessed of them at the time of the restoration of king Charles II. whose heirs sold them in the latter end of that reign, to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of them in 1678, after which they descended down to Richard Grove, esq. of Cambridge, but afterwards of the Temple, in London, who died unmarried in 1792, and by his will devised them to Mr. William Jemmet, of Ashford, and Mr. William Marshall, of London, who continue at this time the joint possessors of them.
THE MANOR OF HUNTINGFIELD, situated in the eastern part of this parish, was, at the time of the takeing of the general survey of Domesday, part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, as has been already taken notice of before, and on his disgrace came, with the rest of his estates, to the crown, about the year 1084.
After which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle for the defence of it. Of him and his heirs it was held by knight's service, of the honor of Chilham, the head or chief of their barony.
Simon de Chelsfield held it of them, as lords paramount, in the reign of Henry III. but at the latter end of that reign, this manor was come into the possession of that branch of the eminent family of Huntingfield settled in this county, descended from those of Suffolk, in which county and in Norfolk they had large possessions. Hence this manor assumed the name of Huntingfield-court, and it appears by the roll of knights fees, taken at the beginning of the reign of Edward I. that Peter de Huntingfield then held it. He resided at times both here and at West Wickham, of which manor he was likewise possessed, though it seems when he was sheriff in the 11th, 12th, and 13th years of that reign, he kept his shrievalty at Huntingfield-court. In the 9th year of it he obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands at Eslynge and Stalesfeld, and in the 28th year of it attended the king at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, for which service he, with others, received the honor of knighthood. He died in the 7th year of Edward II. anno 1313, leaving by the lady Imayne his wise, who was buried in the church of the Grey Friars, London, Sir Walter de Huntingfield his son and heir, who having obtained several liberties for his manor of Wickham, and liberty to impark his grounds there, (fn. 4) seems to have deserted this place, which in the next reign of Edward III. was sold either by him or by his son, Sir John de Huntingfield, to one of the family of Sawfamere, and in the 20th year of that reign, the lady Sawfamere, Dna' de Sawsamero, as she is written in the book of aid, paid respective aid for it.
But before the end of that reign, it had passed into the name of Halden, for it appears by the escheat-rolls that William de Halden died in the 50th year of it, possessed of Easling manor, called Huntingfield, held of the castle of Chilham; soon after which it became the property of Sir Simon de Burleigh, who being attainted in the 12th year of Richard II. this manor, among the rest of his possessions, came to the crown. After which, anno 2 Henry IV. John, son and heir of Sir John de Burley, cousin and heir of Sir Simon de Burley, was, upon his petition, restored in blood, and the judgment against Sir Simon was revoked, and three years afterwards the king, with the assent of the lords, wholly restored him to all his hereditaments, except as to those excepted by him. (fn. 5) How long this manor remained in this name I have not found, but in the reign of Henry VI. it was in the possession of Sir James Fienes, who anno 25 of that reign, by reason of his mother's descent, was created Lord Say and Sele, and was afterwards made lord treasurer, but becoming unpopular, from his being so great a favorite, he was seized on in the insurrection raised by Jack Cade, and beheaded in the 29th year of that reign. He was at his death possessed of this manor, which by his will be devised to his son Sir William Fienes, who became likewise lord Say and Sele, but the unhappy contention which then subsisted between the houses of York and Lancaster, in which he risked not only his person, but his whole fortune, brought him soon afterwards into great distresses, and necessitated him to mortgage and sell the greatest part of his lands. How this manor was disposed of I have not found, but within a very few years afterwards it appears to have been in the hands of the crown, for king Richard III. in his first year, granted to John Water, alias Yorke Heraulde, an annuity out of the revenues of his lordship of Huntingfield, and afterwards by his writ, in the same year, on the resignation of John, garter, principal king at arms, and Thomas, clarencieux, king at arms, he committed to Richard Champeney, alias called Gloucestre, king of arms, the custody of this manor.
But the see of it seems to have remained in the crown till king Henry VIII. in his 35th year, granted it to John Guldford and Alured Randall, esqrs. to hold in capite by knight's service. John Guildford was the next year become the sole proprietor of it, and then alienated it to Sir Thomas Moyle; he sold it, in the 7th year of Edward VI. to John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, Canterbury, with its members and appurtenances in Esling, Sheldwich, Whitstaple, Reculver, and Ulcombe. However, it appears that he was not possessed of the entire see of it at his death in 1554, for he by his will devised his two thirds of this manor, (besides the third part due to the queen, after his wife's death) to his son Thomas Wild, then an infant, whose son John Wild, esq. of St. Martin's hill, alienated his share, or two thirds of it, which included the courts, sines, amerciaments, and other privileges belonging to it, to Martin James, esq. prothonotary of the court of chancery, owner of the manor of North-court, alias Easling, as above-mentioned, whose great-grandson, Walter James, esq. possessed it at the restoration of Charles II. at the latter end of which reign his heirs sold it to Mr. John Grove, gent. of Tunstall, who died possessed of it in 1678, and his great-grandson Richard Grove, esq. of London, proprietor likewise of North-court above-described, died in 1792, having by his will devised these manors (which having been for many years united in the same owners, are now consolidated, one court being held for both, the stile of which is, the manor of Easling, alias North court, with that of Huntingfield annexed, in Easling, Ulcomb, and Sheldwich) among the rest of his estates, to Wm. Jemmet, gent. of Ashford, and William Marshall, of London, and they continue at this time the joint possessors of these manors.
BUT THE REMAINING THIRD PART of the manor of Hunting field, in the hands of the crown in the reign of Philip and Mary, as before-mentioned, in which was included the mansion of Huntingfield court, with the demesne lands adjoining to it, continued there till it was granted, in the beginning of the next reign of queen Elizabeth, to Mr. Robert Greenstreet, who died possessed of it in the 14th year of that reign, holding it in capite by knight's service. His descendant Mr. Mathew Greenstreet, of Preston, leaving an only daughter Anne, she carried this estate in marriage to Mr. Richard Tassell, of Linsted, and he alienated it in 1733 to Edward Hasted, esq. barrister-at law, of Hawley, near Dartford, whose father Mr. Joseph Hasted, gent. of Chatham, was before possessed of a small part of the adjoining demesne lands of Huntingfield manor, which had been in queen Elizabeth's reign become the property of Mr. Josias Clynch.
The family of Hasted, or as they were antiently written, both Halsted and Hausted, was of eminent note in very early times, as well from the offices they bore, as their several possessions in different counties, and bore for their arms, Gules, a chief chequy, or, and azure. William Hausted was keeper of the king's exchange, in London, in the 5th year of Edward II. from whom these of Kent hold themselves to be descended, one of whom, John Hausted, clerk, or as his descendants wrote themselves, Hasted, born in Hampshire, is recorded to have been chaplain to queen Elizabeth, and a person much in favor with her, whom he so far displeased by entering into the state of marriage, which he did with a daughter of George Clifford, esq. of Bobbing, and sister of Sir Coniers Clifford, governor of Connaught, in Ireland, that he retired to the Isle of Wight, where he was beneficed, and dying there about the year 1596, was buried in the church of Newport. His great grandson Joseph Hasted, gent. was of Chatham, and dying in 1732, was buried in Newington church, as was his only son Edward, who was of Hawley, esq. the purchaser of Huntingfield court as before-mentioned. He died in 1740, leaving by his wife Anne, who was descended from the antient and respectable family of the Dingleys, of Wolverton, in the isle of Wight, one son, Edward Hasted, esq. late of Canterbury, who has several children, of whom the eldest, the Rev. Edward Hasted, late of Oriel college, in Oxford, is now vicar of Hollingborne. He bears for his arms the antient coat of the family of Halsted, or Hausted, as mentioned before, with the addition in the field, of an eagle displayed,ermine,beaked and legged, or, with which he quarters those of Dingley, Argent, a fess azure, in chief, two mullets of the second between two burts, which colours Charles, the third son of Sir John Dingley, of Wolverton, in James the 1st.'s reign, changed from those borne by his ancestors and elder brothers, i.e. from sable to azure.
Edward Hasted, esq. of Canterbury, above-mentioned, succeeded his father in this estate, which he, at length, in 1787, alienated to John Montresor, esq. of Throwley, who continues the possessor of it.
The foundations of slint and stone, which have continually been dug up near this house, shew it to have been formerly much larger that it is at present. There was once a chapel and a mill belonging to it, the fields where they stood being still known by the name of chapel-field and mill-field, which answers the description of this estate given in Domesday.
DIVEN is A MANOR, situated almost adjoining to the church of Easting, which is so corruptly called for Dive-court, its more antient and proper name. This estate was likewise one of those described before in Domesday, as being part of the possessions of the bishop of Baieux, on whose disgrace it was, among, the rest of his estates, forfeited to the crown; after which, Fulbert de Dover appears to have held it, with others in this parish therein-mentioned, of the king in capite by barony, by the tenure of ward to Dover cattle, and of him and his heirs it was held, as half a knight's fee, of the honor of Chilham, the caput barouiæ, or head of their barony.
In the reign of Henry III. John Dive held this estate as before-mentioned, of that honor; and his descendant Andrew Dive, in the 20th year of king Edward III. paid aid for it as half a knight's fee, held of the above barony, when it paid ward annually to Dover castle. In this name the manor of Diven continued till the beginning of the next reign of king Richard II. when it was alienated to Sharp, of Ninplace, in Great Chart, in which it remained till the latter end of Henry VII. when it was conveyed to Thurston, of Challock, from which, some year after, it was passed by sale to John Wild, esq. who, before the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Gates, and he alienated it to Norden, who conveyed it to Bunce, where it remained after the death of king Charles I. in 1648; soon after which this manor was sold to John Adye, esq of Down court, in Doddington, who died possessed of it in 1660, and his two sons, Edward and Nicholas, seem afterwards to have possessed it in undivided moieties.
Edward Adye, esq. was of Barham, and left seven daughters his coheirs, of whom Susanna, married to Ruishe Wentworth, esq. son and heir of Sir George Wentworth, a younger brother to Thomas, the noted but unfortunate earl of Strafford, entitled her husband to the possession of her father's moiety of this manor, with other lands in Doddington, upon the division of his estates among them. He left an only daughter and heir Mary, who married Thomas, lord Howard, of Essingham, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in 1725, and leaving no male issue, he was succeeded in this estate by Francis his brother and heir, who was in 1731 created Earl of Essingham, and died in 1743. His son Thomas, earl of Effingham, afterwards alienated this moiety of Divencourt to Oliver Edwards, esq. of the six clerks office, as will be further mentioned hereafter.
The other moiety of this manor, which, on the death of his father, came into the possession of Nicholas Adye, esq. of Down-Court, in Doddington, was devised by him to his eldest son John Adye, esq. of Down court, who anno 23 Charles II. suffered a recovery of it. (fn. 6)
He left an only daughter and heir Mary, married to Henry Cullum, sergeant-at-law; but before that event, this estate seems to have been passed away by him to Thomas Diggs, esq. of Chilham castle, Whose descendant of the same name, in 1723, conveyed it, with Chilham-castle, and the rest of his estates in this county, to Mr. James Colebrook, citizen and mercer of London, who died possessed of this moiety of Diven-court in the year 1752, after which it passed in like manner with them, till it was at length sold by his descendants, under the same act of parliament, in the year 1775, to Thomas Heron, esq. of Newark upon Trent, afterwards of Chilham-castle, who about the year 1776, joined with Oliver Edwards, esq. the proprietor of the other moiety, as has been mentioned beforce, to Mr. Charles Chapman, of Faversham, who then became possessed of the whole of it, which, at his death in 1782, he devised by his will to his nephews and nieces, of the name of Leeze, two of whom are now entitled to the fee of it.
THE MANOR OF ARNOLDS, which is situated about a mile eastward from the church of Easling, was likewise part of the estates of the bishop of Baieux, mentioned before, and on his disgrace came with the rest of them, to the crown, of which it was held afterwards in capite by barony, by Fulbert de Dover, by the tenure of ward to Dover castle, and of him and his heirs it was again held, as half a knight's fee, as of the honor of Chilham, the head of their barony.
Of them it was held by Arnold de Bononia, whence it acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Esling. His son John Fitzarnold afterwards possessed it in the reign of Edward III. after which Peter de Huntingfield was owner of it, but in the 20th year of Edward III. the lady Champaine, or Champion, and the earl of Oxford paid aid for it, as half a knight's fee, held of the barony above-mentioned. How it passed afterwards I have not seen, but in the next reign of Richard II. it was become part of the endowment of the dean and canons of the collegiate free chapel of St. Stephen's, Westminster, with whom it remained till the suppression of it in the 1st year of Edward VI. when it came into the hands of the crown; after which it became the property of Gates, and after that of Terry, in which it continued several years, and by that acquired the name of Arnolds, alias Terrys, from which name it was sold, in the reign of queen Anne, one part to the Rev. William Wickens, rector of this parish, who bore for his arms, Party, per pale, or, and sable, a chevron coupee, between three trefoils, all counter changed, whose son Mr. William Wickens, succeeded to it on his death in 1718. He died without male issue, and by his will devised it to his two daughters, one of whom marrying Elvy, he bought the other sister's share in it, and his widow surviving him now possesses both of them; another part was sold to Chapman, and a third to Avery. Since which it has become more inconsiderable, by the two parts last-mentioned having been again parcelled out, so that now it is sunk into that obscurity, as hardly to be worthy of notice, but the manerial rights of the manor are claimed by John Wynne and Lydia his wife.
Charities.
EDWARD GRESWOLD, by his will in 1677, gave 20l. for the benefit of the poor not receiving alms, to be laid out in land or otherwise, by his executors, who in 1680 purchased a piece of land, called Pinkes-cross, in Easling, containing two acres, in trust, for this purpose, the rent of it is now 154. per annum, vested in the minister and parish officers.
The poor constantly relieved are about twelve, casually twenty-five.
EASLING is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of three isles and a south chancel, called St. Katherine's. The steeple, which is a low pointed one, stands at the west end; there are six bells in it.
Alicia de Esling, wife of Robert de Eschequer, and lady of the manor of Esling, with the consent of archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen, granted the church of Elinges, situated on her estate, to the priory of Ledes, in perpetual alms, together with the temporalities, or appropriation of it, to be possessed by them for ever after the death of Gervas then incumbent of it. Which gift was confirmed by archbishop Hubert, in the reign of Richard I.
Notwithstanding which, there was no vicarage endowed here, nor did the canons of Ledes ever enjoy the parsonage of it; but archbishop Stephen Langton, who succeeded archbishop Hubert, with the consent and approbation of William de Eslinges, patron of this church, granted to the canons of Ledes twenty shillings yearly, to be received from it in the name of a benefice; and he ordained, that beyond that sum, they should not claim any thing further from it, but that whenever it should become vacant, the said William de Esling should present to it. But it should seem that after this, they had not given up all pretensions to it, for they obtained, seventy years after this, viz. in 1278, of the prior, and the convent of Christchurch, Canterbury, a confirmation of the archbishops Theobald and Hubert's charters to them, in which this church is particularly mentioned. (fn. 7) How long it continued in the hands of the family of Esling I do not find, or in those of private patronage; but before the 22d year of Edward III. it was become part of the possessions of the college founded by Sir John Poultney, in the church of St. Laurence, Canon-street, London, with which it remained till the suppression of the college, in the reign of Edward VI. when it came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the hands of the crown.
After which it seems to have been granted to Sir Thomas Moyle, of Eastwell, whose sole daughter and heir Catherine married Sir Thomas Finch, of that place, and afterwards Nicholas St. Leger, esq. who in her right presented to this rectory in 1574; after which Sir Moyle Finch, knight and baronet, the eldest son of Sir Thomas and lady Catherine, succeeded to it, in whose descendants, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, this advowson continued down to Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who died possessed of it in 1769, without male issue, leaving his four daughters his coheirs. He was succeeded in titles by his nephew George Finch, esq. only son of his next brother William; but this advowson, with Eastwell, and the rest of his Kentish estates, he gave by his will to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. only son of his third brother the hon. Edward Finch Hatton, (fn. 8) who is the present owner of it.
The pension of twenty shillings payable from this church to the priory of Ledes, at its suppression in the reign of Henry VIII. came into the hands of the crown; after which it was settled, among other premises, by the King, in his 33d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to it.
¶This rectory is valued in the king's books at sixteen pounds, and the yearly tenths at 1l. 12s. In 1587 the communicants here were eighty-seven.
In 1640 it was valued at 120l. Communicants one hundred. It is now worth upwards of 200l. per annum.
79 Northgate Street.
Valdarno is a town in Tuscany not too far from Florence but there is no known relationship with the early owners of this house and Valdarno. The house is constructed in pillow faced sandstone with a corrugated iron roof and a square tower to the eastern end, tall masonry chimneys and a bull-nose veranda with a timber spindle frieze. Sydney Alfred Warman, a salesman, grocer and storekeeper bought land at the corner of Elm and Northgate Streets in 1901. The property was transferred to his wife Lydia May Warman in 1902 and the house erected in 1903. In March 1905 a son was born at Valdarno to the Warmans. As the Warmans moved interstate the house was put up for sale in 1917 at £3,250. Louis and Edith Leppinus acquired the title when the house was described as 8 large rooms, scullery, pantry, bathroom, storeroom, cellar and sleeping quarters for staff on the grounds. The Warmans asked £3,250. Louis Leppinus died in November 1940 and Edith Leppinus died in 1963 when her executors transferred the title to Alfred Lawrence Raw, an accountant and Dorothy Mary Noye, a ballet teacher. This pair married in 1964. Valdarno sold last year with 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms when its estimated value was $4.2 million. It sold in 2006 for $3.3 million.
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
Elenco: Cristo - Thiago Lacerda, Maria - Fafá de Belém, Pilatos - Sidney Sampaio, Madalena - Vanessa Lóes, ELENCO DA PAIXÃO DE CRISTO 2011
Ordem de aparição em cena
Os Profetas: Moisés e EliasRICARDO MOURÃO
EDNALDO LUCENA
Jesus
THIAGO LACERDA
Os Demônios do Deserto:ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CLEONES FRANÇA e RENATO JÚNIOR
Pedro
SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO
AndréGILBERTO TRINDADE
Tiago MaiorEDUARDO FILHO
JoãoROBERTO BRANDÃO
FelipeALBERTO BRIGADEIRO
BartolomeuALEXANDRE FARIAS
ToméEDNILSON LEITE
MateusZÉ BARBOSA
Tiago MenorFERNANDO BORGES
TadeuSÉRGIO BRAZ
SimãoIRAN SÉRGIO
JudasJÚLIO ROCHA
HomemJONES MELO
Os Cegos:JOÃO FERREIRA e VICENTE MONTEIRO
Mulher
JULIANA AZEVEDO
As Crianças da Galiléia:JOÃO VICTOR, LETHÍCIA MARINHO, MARIA EDUARDA GOMES, MARIA CLARA GOMES, MIGUEL PACHECO, PEDRO HENRIQUE GOMES e SOPHIA PACHECO.
O Emissário de João BatistaSEBASTIÃO ALVES
Os Vendilhões do Templo:JALL DE OLIVEIRA, JOÃO FERREIRA e WAGNNER SALES.
O Fariseu IANDRÉ RICCARI
O Príncipe ILUCIO LOMBARDI
CaifásRICARDO MOURÃO
AnásEDNALDO LUCENA
José de ArimatéiaVICENTE MONTEIRO
NicodemosJONES MELO
A AdúlteraMARINA PACHECO
Os Escribas do Sinédrio:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI e PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
Os Fariseus do Sinédrio:JALL DE OLIVEIRA e WAGNNER SALES
Os Príncipes do Sinédrio:CARLOS PINTO e LUCAS NEVES
Os Anciões do Sinédrio:
GIDERSON TENÓRIO, JOÃO FERREIRA e MORSE SAMENTO
Os Guardas Templários:
FABIANO MARANHÃO, JOSÉ RAMOS, JOSÉ DOS SANTOS, MARCELO JOSÉ, ROBERTO CARLOS, e WELTON TIAGO.
Os Soldados Judeus:ADOLFO JOSÉ, ALEXANDRE SOARES, DANILO FRANCISCO, EDIMILSON MARQUES e LUIZ CARLOS LEMOS.
O Demônio do HortoARNALDO SIQUEIRA
Os Guardas Herodianos
CARLOS ANDRÉ, GIDELSON FLORÊNCIO, ISMAEL SILVA e MACIEL ANTONIO.
Os Escravos de HerodesJALL DE OLIVEIRA, GILVAN CÂNDIDO, ROANY CÉZAR ALVES e WELLINGTON ZAMYR
As Escravas de Herodes
ANA PAULA SANTANA, CLÉCIA LIMA e MÉRCIA CORDEIRO.
Os Músicos da Corte:
EDUARDO FILHO, JOÃO FERREIRA, SEBASTIÃO ALVES, IRAN SÉRGIO, JOSÉ EMANOEL, JOSÉ FÁBIO VALENTIM, JOSÉ VULTEMBRG e RONALDO GOMES
O RomanoCARLOS PINTO
HerodesCARLOS REIS
HerodíadesROSEANE TACHILITSKY
As Dançarinas:
FERNANDA SPINDOLA, OBAILÊ SANTANA e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Os Dançarinos:CLEONES FRANÇA, LUZIEL COSTA e RENATO JÚNIOR.
As Damas da Corte de Herodes:
ADRIANA BORBA, CAMILLA RIOS, CLAUDIA SOARES, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, LARA PACHECO, MARINA PACHECO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, RENATA FALCÃO, SUELLEN DESIRÉE, THAYSA ZOOBY, VANINA LUCENA e WILMA GOMES.
Os Convidados de Herodes:
ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, ALEXANDRE FARIAS, ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, ARNALDO SIQUEIRA, EDNILSON LEITE, EDUARDO FILHO, GILBERTO TRINDADE, LUCAS NEVES, RENATO BRANDÃO, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO, VICENTE MONTEIRO, WAGNNER SALES e ZÉ BARBOSA.
Os Soldados Romanos:
ARISTON ORLANDO, ANDRÉ ALVES, ANTONIO BATISTA, ANTONIO EDSON, ANTONIO FLORÊNCIO, CARLOS ANDRÉ MOURA, CRISTIANO MARCELO, DENYS MOAB PEREIRA, EDINALDO ARAUJO, EDUARDO JOSÉ, EMANOEL DA SILVA, GILBERTO HIGINO, JOSÉ ADEILSON, JOSÉ ANTONIO BATISTA, JOSÉ CLÁUDIO DE LIMA, JOSÉ CLEYTON, JOSÉ EVERALDO, JOSÉ FLORÊNCIO, JOSÉ JEFFERSON, LUCINALDO PEREIRE, MARCONDES CAVALCANTI, MANOEL LEANDRO, MIZAEL CARNEIRO, NIVALDO COSTA, ROBSON ZEFERINO e ROBSON RODRIGUES.
Os Centuriões:ALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, GILBERTO TRINDADE e JALL DE OLIVEIRA
Os Trombeteiros RomanosARNALDO SIQUEIRA, CRISTIANO ARAÚJO, EDUARDO FILHO e IRAN SÉRGIO
Os Tambores RomanosJOSÉ VULTEMBERG e RONALDO GOMES.
Os Decuriões:LUCIANO LOPES e VALDECI JÚNIOR
Os Cavaleiros Romanos:RAFAEL BRAZ, RONALDO PEREIRA, RENÊ RODRIGUES e SEVERINO AGUIAR.
O Tribuno da Biga RomanaJOSÉ RONALDO PEREIRA
Pilatos
SIDNEY SAMPAIO
Os Executores de Jesus:JULIO ROCHA e WAGNNER SALES
BarrabásSÉRGIO BRAZ
O Escravo de PilatosPLÍNIO PACHECO NETO
O Mau LadrãoALEXANDRE FARIAS
O Bom LadrãoEDNILSON LEITE
MariaFAFÁ DE BELÉM
MadalenaVANESSA LÓES
As Mulheres das Lamentações:ADRIANA BORBA, ANA PAULA SANTANA, CAMILLA RIOS, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, FERNANDA SPÍNDOLA, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, OBAILÊ SANTANA, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RAFAELA DE FÁTIMA, ROSEANE TACHLITSKY e VALESCA TEIXEIRA.
Simão CireneuJOSÉ RAMOS
Os Transeuntes:ANDRÉ LOMBARDI, DANIELA TRAVASSOS, ISABELLA PASCHOAL, JOÃO FERREIRA, JONES MELO, JULIANA AZEVEDO, KARLA MARTINS, MARINA PACHECO, PLÍNIO PACHECO NETO, RAFAELLA CARVALHO, RENATA DE FÁTIMA, SEVERINO FLORÊNCIO e ZÉ BARBOSA.
A Consciência de JudasCARLOS PINTO
Os Servos de Arimatéia
CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
Maria SaloméDANIELA TRAVASSOS
Maria de CleofasROSEANE TACHLITSKY
Os Servos de ArimatéiaALBERTO BRIGADEIRO, CLEONES FRANÇA, EDUARDO FILHO, FERNANDO BORGES, GILBERTO TRINDADE, JOSÉ RAMOS, LUCAS NEVES, LUZIEL COSTA, RENATO JÚNIOR e SÉRGIO BRAZ.
AnjoANDRÉ RICCARI
E O POVO DE FAZENDA NOVA E ARREDORES
In sacred memory of Cecily wife of Edward Dixon, esquire, daughter of Sir James Whitlocke, gent,.justice of the peace in the reign of King Charles .(.it praises her piety and her devotion to reading the scriptures, her generosity to the poor and her friendship......the spotless wife of a spotless husband to whom she gave 10 children .. She died 20th July 1647 aged 40 . Edward Dixon, armiger, erected this monument, to himself, his wives and children. so that the tomb should bring together those whom life separated".
The monument with white alabaster figures of Edward Dixon clad in armour, kneeling between his 2 wives, Cecily Whitlocke & Anne Dickins, was erected c1655 after the death of Cecily & after his 2nd marriage
Above the arch is a panel inscribed Domus viventium " (the home of the living)
The heraldic arms on the shield above the monument are those of Dixon, Blower and \Vhitelocke
Cecily was the daughter of Judge Sir James Whitlocke 1632 of Fawley Court, Bucks by Elizabeth daughter of Edward son of Thomas Bulstrode of Hedgeley Bulstrode by Cecily daughter of Speaker John Croke of Chilton flic.kr/p/6mkdJB
Her father records her birth "Cecill my daughter was born in Fleet Street house, 10 March, 1607, in the 5th year of King James . She was christened in St.Dunstan's church, 26 March being Easter even. Her godfather was Sir John Harrington, Knighte of the Bathe, sun and heir to the lord Harrington, and on of the prince's gentlemen ordinarye; her godmothers, my wifes sisters Cecill and Dorothy Bulstrodd, gentlewomen of the queen's bed chamber."
Her brother Bulstrode Whitlocke 1675 Lord Keeper of the Great Seal m2 Frances Willoughby 1649 daughter of Frances Manners d1643 flic.kr/p/HCbaQa daughter of John Manners 4th Earl of Rutland 1588 & Elizabeth Charlton www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/55857n
She m 1632 (1st wife) Edward 1601 - 1659 son of Henry Dixon 1644 of Hilden Park Tunbridge Kent (bought by his grandfather Humphrey Dixon) , Wandsworth & Braughing, Herts, by Mary 1646 co- heiress daughter of William Blower 1597 & 2nd wife Mary 1619 heiress of Zachary Bucat / Bewchet / Brancate from Eeklo in Flanders. Mary who brought "a greate porcion in moneyes 'was also to be heiress of her brother William Blower who died unmarried in 1618 , bringing the manor here to the Dixons. More money came after her mother's death in 1619)
Children - 7 sons & 3 daughters
1 Henry Dixon of Hilden 1634-1669 m 1662 …. having 2 heiress daughters Jane & Sarah who inherited half of the manor each - Jane m 1699 Nathaniel Booth of Grays Inninl 1699 but died childless : Sarah m 1689 Percival Hart of Lullingstone Castle 3 x great grandson of Sir Percival Hart 1580, flic.kr/p/sVtjjh having 1 daughter Anne Dyke (d. 1763) flic.kr/p/sToCnN who inherited the whole manor and her son Sir John Dixon Dyke sold the manor in 1767 to Sir John Reade of Shipton Court, Shipton.under Wychwood. flic.kr/p/4Q4SuH bringing to an end the Dixons' I 50 year tenure
2 James b/d 1635
2. John
1. Elizabeth 1668 m Wiliam Barker of Tonbridge
(Their fathers had been friends for some years. Her brother Bulstrode Whitlocke signed a bond to Edward for £2,000, conditioned for payment of £1,400, June 1632, Dixon in due course, borrowed from Whitelocke and, in return settled land in Wandsworth and Braughing on Whitelocke's son Willoughby)
(In his diary, her brother Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke's records "Mr Dixon desired the consumation of his marryage & to see the Judges Will how the portion might be secured, butt Whitelocke told his the Will was not materiall, bicause the Judge had by deed of guift (which he produced) conveyed all his personall estate to his son, & for the portion Whitelocke offered to secure to them £1,300 to make up the £1,200 they had already received, [to] the summe of £2,500 being the portion agreed uppon, with which they then seemed to be satisfyed, & preparations for the wedding went on, the writings for settlement of Mr.Dixons estate & for the jointure were sealed, & old Mr.(Henry) Dixon with his sons and friends, & Whitelocke with his sister & friends were ready to goe into the Chappell att Fawley Court, to see the marryage solemnised betwixt them." The issue here was that the Judge had put his daughter's inheritance into his will at £2,500. The wedding plans were underway and £1,200 had been paid over to Mr.Dixon when the Judge died in June 1632 When the will was read the son refused to pay his sister £2,500 as £1,200 had already been paid. The wedding would not proceed until Bulstrode had secured the remaining £1,300 and his sister and her fiance had signed that was their full inheritance. The couple were married July 2nd 1632 at Fawley in Buckinghamshire.
One of the items held in the archives at Longleat House is the bills for Cecily' wedding. Ruth quotes . "Her 'milliner's' bill before the wedding amounted to £46.18s.3d. which included rolls of taffeta to line, £1.1s.0d.; 'Left unpaid of the last workinge £7.3s.3d.'; binding for petticoats 2s.; making petticoats and waistcoats 3s.6d.; 20½ yards of straw-yellow satins £15.7s.6d.; 3 rolls of taffeta to line, 'at 14d the elle', £1.4s.6d.; 16 yards of material for Lady Muston / Mostyn, Cecilia's elder sister)
Ruth Spalding in her Contemporaries of Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke 1605-1675 quotes papers at Longleat House showing Anne Bowers (d.1660) wife of Henry Dixon resented her husband's generosity towards the Whitelocke family, - She and her son Whitelocke were joint executors to her husband's estate;
Cecily & Edward spent their first years at Hilden until 1636 when their house building at Little Rollright was finished.
After her death her brother Bulstrode described her as " a good woman of a plain & tender heart, loving to her husband. children, & relations. carefull in her household afcayres, kind to her neighbors & very religious". She had great troubles living in the country in the Lime of the war. the soldiers on both sides being most injurious & insolent. A troupe of the Parlements quartered all her housee in her husbands absence, she then lying in, having bin brought to bed about 14 dayes before. Yet the barbarous domineering soldiers, would not admit this for an excuse, nor be content with their quarters, though fit for better men, but compelled her (though in that condition) to rise out of her bed. to make better preparations for them. with which, she tooke cold, fell into a feaver & dyed"
Edward and his family remained at Lillie Rollright for several years after Cecilia's death.
By 1654 Edward had moved his household back to Hilden
He also had remarried by 1655 to Anne widow of William Dickins esq
When Edward died, 'sicke and weake in body' in March 1660, his will betrayed some anxiety about his financial affairs. Much of his real and personal property was earmarked for the payment of his debts, annuities for his widow Anne and his unmarried daughter Elizabeth and £2,000 for Elizabeth's marriage portion. Edward did not make his son Henry his executor, nominating his daughter instead, and the hint of paternal disapproval is strengthened by a bequest of £ I0 to Dr Thomas ' Walker, 'further desireing my sonne Henry Dixon ... to bee advised by him uppon all occasions'. On 15 March 1660 Edward was buried in Tonbridge church near his father, as he had requested, and a stone in the chancel floor commemorates him there:-.
"Near this place lyeth the body of Edward Dixon of Hllden, esq; having been the tender husband of two wives; the former Cecilia the daughter of Sir James Whitlock; the second Anne (widow of William Dickins esq) of the ancient familie of the Bickertons of Leicester; who surviving, hath set up this memoriall. He exchanged this life for a better the 9th of March, anno redemptionis 1659 aged 58
oxoniensia.org/volumes/2005/rosen.pdf
- Church of St. Philip, Little Rollright Oxfordshire
The first records of Braunstone are found in the Doomsday Book of 1086 where it is referred to as Brantestone or Brant’s Tun. Braunstone was a daughter settlement of nearby Glenfield and was established in the late 8th or early 9th Century, sited at the southern edge of Leicester Forest. As a result of the Norman Conquest much of England was divided amongst William’s 1st noblemen. Braunstone was given to Hugh de Grantemesnil, one of his most trusted Barons and the son of Robert Burdet is named as holding the land. The village consisted of eight households and was worth about 60 shillings. Over the centuries many noble families were connected with the Manor and lands of Braunstone, either as owners or as tenants. In 1246 Roger de Queney is named as owning the land, on his death it passed through the female line to the Ferres of Groby. At one time it appears that the Hastings held the land jointly with the Greys and by 1299 Hugh de Braunstone gave a life interest to William de Herle. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the Harecourts held an overriding interest in the estate. In the late 16th century several portions of Braunstone were sold off. 150 acres of arable land were sold to the Manners family in 1579 and a further 100 acres went to the Bennett family ten years later. In 1596 over 240 acres of land was converted to pasture by the Hastings’ family.
- The Winstanley Family -
During the civil war (1642-1649) Sir Henry Hastings a younger son of the Earl of Huntingdon held allegiance to the royal forces of King Charles I. After the war his estates were confiscated by the parliamentarians and the fine of £2072 led to bankruptcy. The Winstanleys’ came to Braunstone in the mid 17th century. James Winstanley purchased the estate from the executors of the Hastings family after the death of Henry Hastings’ in 1649, for the sum of £6,000. A quitclaim in 1651 gave him freehold interest in the estate of Braunstone. The Winstanley’s played a vital role in determining the future economic and social history of their properties in and around Braunstone and Kirby Muxloe for the next 275 years. They had a reputation for being fair-minded and judicious, holding important roles as leading dignitaries in The Leicester Corporation. Their decisions influenced the lives of the communities of both Braunstone and Leicester. James Winstanley was a puritan and a lawyer by profession in the service of the Duchy of Lancaster before taking up residence in Braunstone. He and his wife Catherine had three children. Their home was an old Elizabethan Manor built in approximately 1480 and is thought to have stood south of Braunstone Lane, close to the site of Old Hall Farm that was demolished in 1967.
The Manor had stonewalled cellars and above the ground floor, two upper overhanging storeys of oak frame infilled with daub and wattle or brick. James Winstanley was a member of Grey’s Inn and the Recorder of Leicester, a position he held until his failure to conform in 1662. While in office he Proclaimed Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. He died in 1666 and the estate passed to his eldest son Clement. Clement like his father was a member of Grays Inn and his wife was also called Catherine. Clement died in 1672 and was buried in the family vault under the alter of the 12th century church of St. Peter’s in Braunstone village. Their eldest son James became the third Winstanley to inherit the estate. He was also a member of Grays Inn and M.P. for Leicester. James married Frances, daughter of James Holt of Castleton and their only son, also named James, took over on the death of his father in 1719. He was elected to the post of High Sheriff of Leicester and married his cousin Mary Prideaux. In 1750 he bored for coal near the lakes on Braunstone Park, hoping to cash in on the lucrative trade. But one night after two weeks of hard work by his estate hands, saboteurs, thought to be from the Leicestershire Colliers, filled the bore hole with rocks and stones. With his attempt to find coal thwarted he never continued with the venture. He died in 1770. James was succeeded by his son, another Clement.
In 1775 he commissioned the local architect and builder William Oldham (who later became the Lord Mayor of Leicester) to construct the present hall. The design typical of the period, a solid Georgian residence. The Hall was built on a rise with views overlooking charnwood forest and set in one hundred acres of fine parkland. During its construction scaffolding from the top floor collapsed, killing a labourer and a stonemason with many more badly injured. This may have led to the first stories of the Hall being haunted. A water head made of lead still exists, inscribed with the date 1776. Clement also held the Office of High Sheriff of Leicester and in 1774 a remarkable procession took place. It was the custom to accompany the Judge to the Assizes Court at the Leicester Castle. The procession left from Braunstone Hall in military fashion. Thirty gentlemen wearing blue coats with crimson collars, white waistcoats and breeches formed the main escort, with a further 400 horsemen in attendance. The spectacle drew large crowds of bystanders who cheered them on their way. His wife was Jane Parkins sister of the First Baron Rancliffe of Bunny, Nottinghamshire. He died in 1808. The next to become heir was their eldest son Clement, J.P. Lieutenant – Colonel of the Leicestershire Militia from 1802-9. He was also the Chairman of the Leicester and Swanington Railway, which opened in 1832. He died unmarried in 1855.
The estate passed to his nephew James Beaumont, High Sheriff of Leicester. He was only thirty when he mysteriously disappeared while abroad in Europe. When a body was found floating in the river Moselle in Germany the Winstanley family hired the private detective “Tanky Smith” to go to Germany to identify the body. A butler from the hall accompanied him and on the evidence of some clothing and a pair of cufflinks the body was identified as James Beaumont. The year was 1862. James was unmarried so for the first time the succession went to a female member of the family, his sister, Anna Jane Pochin. Anna Jane was married to Commander Ralph George Pochin R.N. of Barkby. In 1904 she relinquished the estate in favour of her son Richard Norman. Anna Jane and her husband are buried side by side in St. Peter’s churchyard, Jane’s memorial entwined with flowers, his with a chain and anchor. Richard Norman Pochin, changed his name by deed poll to Winstanley. In 1911 he extended the south side of the Hall by adding a wing with toilets and bathrooms. The initials R & K can be seen in decorative brickwork. It was in 1925 while he, his wife Kitty and six children were still in residence that the Leicester Corporation compulsory purchased his land in Braunstone for much needed housing. A stone tablet in the family church of St Peters reads; “To the memory of Major Richard Norman Winstanley of the East Surrey Regiment, born at Braunstone Hall and died in Hampshire 25th August 1954”.
- The Sale -
The seeds of demise for the Winstanleys’ and their reign in Braunstone was set in progress by a harmless but rousing speech made by David Lloyd George on 13th November 1918 only two days after the end of the first World War. “What is our task?” he said, “To make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in.” Over the years the passage evolved into the quote, “Land fit for Heroes”. From the speech echoed the call for land to build new houses to replace the squalid and cramped conditions many of the working class lived in. Light airy rooms and most importantly provision for proper sanitary conditions were to be incorporated in the plans. Under the Housing Acts of 1890–1924, Councils all over the country were bound by law to provide land and to build houses, bringing about the modern housing estates of today. The process of breaking up country estates gathered momentum. In Leicester amongst the larger estates to be effected were Braunstone and the nearby estate of Westcotes. Allotments held by various small holders in the immediate district also came under the notice of the compulsory purchase order. Major Richard Norman Winstanley objected to the compulsory purchase of his land on the grounds that his family still lived in the Hall, pointing out that the remaining park and Hall would be completely surrounded by land that the Leicester Corporation had earmarked for housing.
He explained he had recently improved and modernised the Hall at great expense. He felt the housing scheme would affect the value of his remaining property and the quality of life of his family whose forbears had lived in Braunstone since 1650. A Ministry of Health Inquiry on the Compulsory Acquisition of land in Braunstone District was held in the Town Hall on Tuesday, 18th November 1924. Amongst those present were the Mayor of Leicester Mr. Cllr. Hallam, Chairman of the Housing Committee, Mr. Millard, Medical Officer of Health, Major Richard Norman Winstanley, his Land Agent Mr. Joyce and other interested persons who had reason to contest the compulsory order. The Town Clerk opened the proceedings with the case for the Corporation. There was 1,091 acres of land of which 219 acres were in the city and 872 acres in the county. Major Winstanley owned 949.174 acres all of which came under the compulsory order. During the debate Major Winstanley stated “I do not think the land a goodish lump is required. I should like to point out that I have in no way held up building.
I have attempted during the past two years to make arrangements for the erection of houses on the Narborough Road, but these could not be built because the width of the road had not been settled, then when I got leave to build the compulsory order was thrown at my head’’. It was not only the well known landowners who were affected by the order. Mr. William Wathen wrote objecting on behalf of his fellow allotment owners, in his letter he writes, “..thus robbing the working man of years of toil, to say nothing of the real necessity of an allotment to the average working man’’. He even has a solution to the problem of the housing shortage “instead of robbing us of our gardens why not turn a few of the empty villas into flats and so solve the housing question. There are plenty standing empty”. He concludes, “ Now, I beg you as the representative of the working man not to consent to the robbing of the working man of his one bit of pleasure’’. The protestations were overruled and by November/December 1925 Major Winstanley had agreed to sell the “Mansion House and Parklands and Plantations known as Braunstone Hall”, as well as “Farmhouses, Messages tenements buildings and cottages – together with closes or parcels of land, plantations and allotments”. The purchase price was £116,500. The land surrounding Braunstone Hall was opened as a public park in the early 1930s. In 1932, after refurbishment, Braunstone Hall opened as a ‘Senior School’. However as younger families moved into the new housing estate the need for a Junior School was more essential and in 1933 The Braunstone Hall Junior School was opened. It served the community as a school until it was closed in 1996.
- The War Years -
During the Second World War Braunstone Park was put to agricultural use. Wheat, barley and potatoes were some of the crops grown while sheep grazed the remaining pastureland. The Local Home Guard was based in Braunstone Hall, the park keeper being amongst their detachment. Mr. D.C. Hamilton remembers being on sentry duty when a land mine was dropped and exploded on the park. The park keeper was on duty at the time of the incident and was duly dispatched to locate the mine, which he did when he fell into the crater in the pitch black of night! Between 1943 and 1945 the 168 Battery of the Royal Artillery and the 52nd/53rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery were stationed on the park. The 53rd Regiment coming directly from active service in Italy in June 1945. Throughout this period Braunstone Hall School remained open coping with the many difficulties that arose from being surrounded by a “friendly invasion”. A letter sent to the parents of children attending the school on 27th September 1943, reads as follows:-
Dear Sir or Madam,
The camp on the Braunstone Park is now occupied by an English Anti-Air Craft Regiment of the Royal Artillery. The following arrangements have been made to pass the children safely through or past the camp.
1.All the children who are able to do so are expected to enter the park by the entrance near the shelter on the south side and then pass up by the cornfield.
2.Children who wish to use the Priory path will meet a member of staff at 8.40 or 1.40 outside the gate. They will then be marshalled through the camp in convenient groups. The teacher will leave this post at 8.50 and 1.50 and any child arriving after this time must follow the course of Para. 1 (above) Children who are very early may also go round if they prefer to do so.
3.On leaving school a member of the staff will be on duty at 12 and 4.30 at the spinney entrance to the camp and the children will again be marshalled through in convenient batches.
4.The bus children leaving early will be taken by their own prefect.
5.I have been asked to discourage the use of the Main Path to the Hinckley Road. On account of the number of vehicles etc. parked on the left.
6.Children leaving early or coming late for some special reason must go round. No child will be allowed to use the path through the camp unless with a party.
These arrangements have been made in the interests of the children and I confidently ask for your support in seeing them carried out.
Yours faithfully, John W. Ofield
On 14th February 1944, the American 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Braunstone with Major General Mathew B. Ridgeway as their Divisional Commander. Victoria Park was the major camp in Leicester with the Divisional Headquarters on Braunstone Park. The War Room was set up and staffed twenty four hours a day. The nissen huts, erected in advance of their arrival, were to be their home for the coming months. The 82nd Airborne Division was formed on the 15th August 1942 for service in North Africa. They had been on active service in Sicily and Italy before the troops were pulled out to come to England in preparation for “Overlord” and the D Day Landings in Normandy. During their stay in Braunstone, General Gavin was appointed Commander of the 82nd, becoming the youngest General since the American Civil War. After the war, due to the severe housing shortage the camp was used to house displaced families until permanent homes could be found for them.
- The Ghosts -
Braunstone Hall and the park have long been associated with ghost stories with too many sightings for them to be dismissed or ignored. Stories of ghostly carriages drawn by black horses that disappear into the bleak spinney at the dead of night, a forlorn boy dressed in Victorian clothing whose shady figure stares out of an upstairs window. The young groom who died a tragic lonely death hanging from a beam in a room above the stables. One of the most famous stories relates to a young girl in white who walks the corridors of the hall. Her appearance was so regular that the apparition was almost thought of as normal. The apparition frightened the young Winstanleys and their servants. They would have had nothing but a candle for light as they made their way along murky corridors to their quarters on the top floor passing the governess room where most of the sightings occurred. The young girl could be one of two sisters who left the Hall to join a Roman Catholic convent, tragically the youngest, May, died of tuberculosis at the age of 18 while still a novice. Her sister Georgina died thirty-four years later in 1933.
- The Walled Garden -
The Walled Garden is approached through an arched gateway from the stableyard and has a long and varied history. Originally the kitchen garden for the Winstanley household, the first reference to it was as early as 1792, when it was described as having hot houses of considerable magnitude, and the garden walls planted with choice fruit trees. The hot houses provided a large and diverse range of fruit and vegetables; nectarines, peaches, cherries, apricots and melons, all benefiting from the close proximity of the stables! The garden also had a vinery and orchard filled with a variety of fruit trees. In later years after the land had been acquired by the Leicester Corporation the garden was used as holding beds for trees and shrubs before they were distributed to the various parks in the city. In the early 1980’s the garden was cleared, re-designed and opened to the public on 22nd May 1983 by Councillor R.A. Flint, JP. Formal floral displays encompassed by a parterre and sweeping lawns have taken the place of vegetables and fruit, presenting a riot of colour throughout the year. The old walls provide shelter for a rich variety of herbaceous plants and colourful shrubs under planted with spring flowering bulbs. Braunstone Park achieved an award for horticultural excellence within parks from the East Midlands in Bloom Committee in 1996 when it was “Highly Commended”.
- The Park Today -
The park covers 168 acres of beautiful open parkland, ancient spinneys, wooded areas and meadow land with evidence of ridge and furrow cultivation. Two lakes on the southern boundary attract migrating birds and a wide variety of wildlife. Braunstone Hall stands proudly in the centre of the park along side the refurbished stable block accommodating offices and a Visitor/Information Centre that was opened 4th June 1989 by Councillor David Taylor. Part of the stables have been left unaltered and still retain many period features including hefty wooden stalls, hay troughs and the original stone flooring. The Hall and stable block are a Grade 11 listed building. Written by Pat Varman, Parks Information Officer.
Reproduced by L.Clarke, for and on behalf of the Restore Braunstone Hall campaign group.
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater on the Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European, as well as the largest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz was recorded from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house was completely on fire in 1945 as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was wearing different names, first kk Theater next to the castle, then to 1918 K.K. Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater. Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)" , the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler). Director of the House since 2009, Matthias Hartmann.
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, who after the death of her father ruled a general theater lock order, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor, Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters with them the Burgtheater was structurally connected. At the old venue at Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer were premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the pieces should not treat sad events to bring the imperial audience in a bad mood. Many pieces had changed and therefore a Vienna Final (Happy End) is provided, such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 In October 1888 the last performance in the old house took place. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue on the ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) on the ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14th in October 1888 with Esther of Grillparzer and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, it was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task order for similar work in the city of Fiume theaters and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase at the café Landtmann side facing the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of ancient theater in Taormina in Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor), the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's " Romeo and Juliet" . Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus on the Isar. Above the middle section, a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Across the center house is decorated with a statue of Apollo, the facade, the towers between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Over the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. On the exterior round busts can be seen the poet Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel. The masks are also to be seen here, indicating the ancient theater, also adorn the side wings allegories: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although since 1919, the theater was named the Burgtheater, the old saying KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits having been hung in the new building are still visible today - but these images were originally small, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The locations of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting of the Viennese, but soon criticism of the poor acoustics was loud. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon counted among the "sanctuaries" of the Viennese. In November 1918, the supervision on the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. 8th May 1925 was the Burgtheater in Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza .
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. Appeared in 1939 in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic embossed book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was the 50th anniversary of the opening of Burgtheater a production of Don Carlos of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served the Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who 'railed in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the set direction of Joseph Goebbels box: "Enter the freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus Shylock the Jew clearlyanti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing 's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused out of fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jewis ", were quickly imposed banned from performing, they were on leave, fired or arrested within days. The Burgtheater ensemble made between 1938 and 1945 no significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the game plan was heavily censored, actively just joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the National Theatre committed ) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the general arranged theater lock. From 1 April 1945 as the Red Army approached Vienna, outsourced a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned on 12th April 1945 it burned completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to bring Vienna 's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council called for 23 April (a state government did not yet exist), a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the town hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This Venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 by Franz Grillparzer, Sappho, directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a Nazi prisoner a few days ago still in mortal danger, was shown the piece of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre was recorded (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott in 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took performances place. Aslan had the Ronacher rebuilt in the summer because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the larger stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Anyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel to Nazi times seemed to be forgotten.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years of exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations of the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition was announced for the reconstruction: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, after which the house into a modern theater rank should be rebuilt. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative, but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintaining the central royal box has been replaced by two ranks, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the weakness of the home, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house on the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 In October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this piece, which explores the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria and Ottokar of Hornecks eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince among thread! / where have you already seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts by Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard Klingenberg's successor was talking, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater, was appointed Director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel in the then politically separated East and took more account of the public taste .
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the from short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk to Vienna fetched Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the match schedule and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for words for critical messages to the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program met with sections of the audience's rejection. The largest theater in Vienna scandal since 1945, this when in 1988 conservative politicians and zealots fiercely fought the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama. The play deals with the past and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard raised after the premiere to a challenge on the stage to applause and boos .
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann , to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his pieces precisely in his home not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the Schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard piece Before retirement by the opening night director Peymann. The pieces by Bernhard are since continued on the board of the Burgtheater and they are regularly re-released.
In 1993, the sample stage of the castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl) . Since 1999, the castle theater has been run as a limited liability.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
On Peymann followed in 1999 as director Klaus Bachler. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the Directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available only to visit )
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of it under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat ( December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg ) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this piece. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves as a natural expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto this season was a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barn-helm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater to the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was thought at the Burgtheater. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Festival in May 2006, a new production (directed by Karin Beier ) of this opera to the stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the playhouses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Boesch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer and actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came firmly to the castle. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over ", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
www.mariachiproductions.org/basel2012/index.php/tournamen...
The Burgtheater at Dr.-Karl -Lueger-Ring (from now on, 2013, Universitätsring) in Vienna is an Austrian Federal Theatre. It is one of the most important stages in Europe and after the Comédie-Française, the second oldest European one, as well as the greatest German speaking theater. The original 'old' Burgtheater at Saint Michael's square was utilized from 1748 until the opening of the new building at the ring in October, 1888. The new house in 1945 burnt down completely as a result of bomb attacks, until the re-opening on 14 October 1955 was the Ronacher serving as temporary quarters. The Burgtheater is considered as Austrian National Theatre.
Throughout its history, the theater was bearing different names, first Imperial-Royal Theater next to the Castle, then to 1918 Imperial-Royal Court-Burgtheater and since then Burgtheater (Castle Theater). Especially in Vienna it is often referred to as "The Castle (Die Burg)", the ensemble members are known as Castle actors (Burgschauspieler).
History
St. Michael's Square with the old K.K. Theatre beside the castle (right) and the Winter Riding School of the Hofburg (left)
The interior of the Old Burgtheater, painted by Gustav Klimt. The people are represented in such detail that the identification is possible.
The 'old' Burgtheater at St. Michael's Square
The original castle theater was set up in a ball house that was built in the lower pleasure gardens of the Imperial Palace of the Roman-German King and later Emperor Ferdinand I in 1540, after the old house 1525 fell victim to a fire. Until the beginning of the 18th Century was played there the Jeu de Paume, a precursor of tennis. On 14 March 1741 finally gave the Empress Maria Theresa, ruling after the death of her father, which had ordered a general suspension of the theater, the "Entrepreneur of the Royal Court Opera" and lessees of 1708 built theater at Kärntnertor (Carinthian gate), Joseph Karl Selliers, permission to change the ballroom into a theater. Simultaneously, a new ball house was built in the immediate vicinity, which todays Ballhausplatz is bearing its name.
In 1748, the newly designed "theater next to the castle" was opened. 1756 major renovations were made, inter alia, a new rear wall was built. The Auditorium of the Old Burgtheater was still a solid timber construction and took about 1200 guests. The imperial family could reach her royal box directly from the imperial quarters, the Burgtheater structurally being connected with them. At the old venue at Saint Michael's place were, inter alia, several works of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Franz Grillparzer premiered .
On 17 February 1776, Emperor Joseph II declared the theater to the German National Theatre (Teutsches Nationaltheater). It was he who ordered by decree that the stage plays should not deal with sad events for not bring the Imperial audience in a bad mood. Many theater plays for this reason had to be changed and provided with a Vienna Final (Happy End), such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. From 1794 on, the theater was bearing the name K.K. Court Theatre next to the castle.
1798 the poet August von Kotzebue was appointed as head of the Burgtheater, but after discussions with the actors he left Vienna in 1799. Under German director Joseph Schreyvogel was introduced German instead of French and Italian as a new stage language.
On 12 October 1888 took place the last performance in the old house. The Burgtheater ensemble moved to the new venue at the Ring. The Old Burgtheater had to give way to the completion of Saint Michael's tract of Hofburg. The plans to this end had been drawn almost 200 years before the demolition of the old Burgtheater by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.
The "new" K.K. Court Theatre (as the inscription reads today) at the Ring opposite the Town Hall, opened on 14 October 1888 with Grillparzer's Esther and Schiller's Wallenstein's Camp, was designed in neo-Baroque style by Gottfried Semper (plan) and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer (facade), who had already designed the Imperial Forum in Vienna together. Construction began on 16 December 1874 and followed through 14 years, in which the architects quarreled. Already in 1876 Semper withdrew due to health problems to Rome and had Hasenauer realized his ideas alone, who in the dispute of the architects stood up for a mainly splendid designed grand lodges theater.
However, created the famous Viennese painter Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch 1886-1888 the ceiling paintings in the two stairwells of the new theater. The three took over this task after similar commissioned work in the city theaters of Fiume and Karlovy Vary and in the Bucharest National Theatre. In the grand staircase on the side facing the café Landtmann of the Burgtheater (Archduke stairs) reproduced Gustav Klimt the artists of the ancient theater in Taormina on Sicily, in the stairwell on the "People's Garden"-side (Kaiserstiege, because it was reserved for the emperor) the London Globe Theatre and the final scene from William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Above the entrance to the auditorium is Molière's The Imaginary Invalid to discover. In the background the painter immortalized himself in the company of his two colleagues. Emperor Franz Joseph I liked the ceiling paintings so much that he gave the members of the company of artists of Klimt the Golden Cross of Merit.
The new building resembles externally the Dresden Semper Opera, but even more, due to the for the two theaters absolutely atypical cross wing with the ceremonial stairs, Semper's Munich project from the years 1865/1866 for a Richard Wagner Festspielhaus above the Isar. Above the middle section there is a loggia, which is framed by two side wings, and is divided from a stage house with a gable roof and auditorium with a tent roof. Above the center house there decorates a statue of Apollo the facade, throning between the Muses of drama and tragedy. Above the main entrances are located friezes with Bacchus and Ariadne. At the exterior facade round about, portrait busts of the poets Calderon, Shakespeare, Moliere, Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Halm, Grillparzer, and Hebbel can be seen. The masks which also can be seen here are indicating the ancient theater, furthermore adorn allegorical representations the side wings: love, hate, humility, lust, selfishness, and heroism. Although the theater since 1919 is bearing the name of Burgtheater, the old inscription KK Hofburgtheater over the main entrance still exists. Some pictures of the old gallery of portraits have been hung up in the new building and can be seen still today - but these images were originally smaller, they had to be "extended" to make them work better in high space. The points of these "supplements" are visible as fine lines on the canvas.
The Burgtheater was initially well received by Viennese people due to its magnificent appearance and technical innovations such as electric lighting, but soon criticism because of the poor acoustics was increasing. Finally, in 1897 the auditorium was rebuilt to reduce the acoustic problems. The new theater was an important meeting place of social life and soon it was situated among the "sanctuaries" of Viennese people. In November 1918, the supervision over the theater was transferred from the High Steward of the emperor to the new state of German Austria.
1922/1923 the Academy Theatre was opened as a chamber play stage of the Burgtheater. On 8th May 1925, the Burgtheater went into Austria's criminal history, as here Mentscha Karnitschewa perpetrated a revolver assassination on Todor Panitza.
The Burgtheater in time of National Socialism
The National Socialist ideas also left traces in the history of the Burgtheater. In 1939 appeared in Adolf Luser Verlag the strongly anti-Semitic characterized book of theater scientist Heinz Kindermann "The Burgtheater. Heritage and mission of a national theater", in which he, among other things, analyzed the "Jewish influence "on the Burgtheater. On 14 October 1938 was on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Burgtheater a Don Carlos production of Karl-Heinz Stroux shown that served Hitler's ideology. The role of the Marquis of Posa played the same Ewald Balser, who in a different Don Carlos production a year earlier (by Heinz Hilpert) at the Deutsches Theater in the same role with the sentence in direction of Joseph Goebbels box vociferated: "just give freedom of thought". The actor and director Lothar Müthel, who was director of the Burgtheater between 1939 and 1945, staged 1943 the Merchant of Venice, in which Werner Kraus the Jew Shylock clearly anti-Semitic represented. The same director staged after the war Lessing's parable Nathan the Wise. Adolf Hitler himself visited during the Nazi regime the Burgtheater only once (1938), and later he refused in pure fear of an assassination.
For actors and theater staff who were classified according to the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 as "Jews ", were quickly imposed stage bans, within a few days, they were on leave, fired or arrested. The Burgtheater ensemble between 1938 and 1945 did not put up significant resistance against the Nazi ideology, the repertoire was heavily censored, only a few joined the Resistance, as Judith Holzmeister (then also at the People's Theatre engaged) or the actor Fritz Lehmann. Although Jewish members of the ensemble indeed have been helped to emigrate, was still an actor, Fritz Strassny, taken to a concentration camp and murdered there.
The Burgtheater at the end of the war and after the Second World War
In summer 1944, the Burgtheater had to be closed because of the decreed general theater suspension. From 1 April 1945, as the Red Army approached Vienna, camped a military unit in the house, a portion was used as an arsenal. In a bomb attack the house at the Ring was damaged and burned down on 12th April 1945 completely. Auditorium and stage were useless, only the steel structure remained. The ceiling paintings and part of the lobby were almost undamaged.
The Soviet occupying power expected from Viennese City Councillor Viktor Matejka to launch Vienna's cultural life as soon as possible again. The council summoned on 23 April (a state government did not yet exist) a meeting of all Viennese cultural workers into the Town Hall. Result of the discussions was that in late April 1945 eight cinemas and four theaters took up the operation again, including the Burgtheater. The house took over the Ronacher Theater, which was understood by many castle actors as "exile" as a temporary home (and remained there to 1955). This venue chose the newly appointed director Raoul Aslan, who championed particularly active.
The first performance after the Second World War was on 30 April 1945 Sappho by Franz Grillparzer directed by Adolf Rott from 1943 with Maria Eis in the title role. Also other productions from the Nazi era were resumed. With Paul Hoerbiger, a few days ago as Nazi prisoner still in mortal danger, was shown the play of Nestroy Mädl (Girlie) from the suburbs. The Academy Theatre could be played (the first performance was on 19 April 1945 Hedda Gabler, a production of Rott from the year 1941) and also in the ball room (Redoutensaal) at the Imperial Palace took place performances. Aslan the Ronacher in the summer had rebuilt because the stage was too small for classical performances. On 25 September 1945, Schiller's Maid of Orleans could be played on the enlarged stage.
The first new productions are associated with the name of Lothar Müthel: Everyone and Nathan the Wise, in both Raoul Aslan played the main role. The staging of The Merchant of Venice by Müthel in Nazi times seemed to have been fallen into oblivion.
Great pleasure gave the public the return of the in 1938 from the ensemble expelled Else Wohlgemuth on stage. She performaed after seven years in exile in December 1945 in Clare Biharys The other mother in the Academy Theater. 1951 opened the Burgtheater its doors for the first time, but only the left wing, where the celebrations on the 175th anniversary of the theater took place.
1948, a competition for the reconstruction was tendered: Josef Gielen, who was then director, first tended to support the design of ex aequo-ranked Otto Niedermoser, according to which the house was to be rebuilt into a modern gallery theater. Finally, he agreed but then for the project by Michael Engelhardt, whose plan was conservative but also cost effective. The character of the lodges theater was largely taken into account and maintained, the central royal box but has been replaced by two balconies, and with a new slanted ceiling construction in the audience was the acoustics, the shortcoming of the house, improved significantly.
On 14 October 1955 was happening under Adolf Rott the reopening of the restored house at the Ring. For this occasion Mozart's A Little Night Music was played. On 15 and on 16 October it was followed by the first performance (for reasons of space as a double premiere) in the restored theater: King Ottokar's Fortune and End of Franz Grillparzer, staged by Adolf Rott. A few months after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty was the choice of this play, which the beginning of Habsburg rule in Austria makes a subject of discussion and Ottokar of Horneck's eulogy on Austria (... it's a good country / Well worth that a prince bow to it! / where have you yet seen the same?... ) contains highly symbolic. Rott and under his successors Ernst Haeusserman and Gerhard Klingenberg the classic Burgtheater style and the Burgtheater German for German theaters were finally pointing the way .
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Burgtheater participated (with other well-known theaters in Vienna) on the so-called Brecht boycott.
Gerhard Klingenberg internationalized the Burgtheater, he invited renowned stage directors such as Dieter Dorn, Peter Hall, Luca Ronconi, Giorgio Strehler, Roberto Guicciardini and Otomar Krejča. Klingenberg also enabled the castle debuts of Claus Peymann and Thomas Bernhard (1974 world premiere of The Hunting Party). Bernhard was as a successor of Klingenberg mentioned, but eventually was appointed Achim Benning, whereupon the writer with the text "The theatrical shack on the ring (how I should become the director of the Burgtheater)" answered.
Benning, the first ensemble representative of the Burgtheater which was appointed director, continued Klingenberg's way of Europeanization by other means, brought directors such as Adolf Dresen, Manfred Wekwerth or Thomas Langhoff to Vienna, looked with performances of plays of Vaclav Havel to the then politically separated East and took the the public taste more into consideration.
Directorate Claus Peymann 1986-1999
Under the by short-term Minister of Education Helmut Zilk brought to Vienna Claus Peymann, director from 1986 to 1999, there was further modernization of the programme and staging styles. Moreover Peymann was never at a loss for critical contributions in the public, a hitherto unusual attitude for Burgtheater directors. Therefore, he and his program within sections of the audience met with rejection. The greatest theater scandal in Vienna since 1945 occurred in 1988 concerning the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's Heldenplatz (Place of the Heroes) drama which was fiercly fought by conservative politicians and zealots. The play deals with the Vergangenheitsbewältigung (process of coming to terms with the past) and illuminates the present management in Austria - with attacks on the then ruling Social Democratic Party - critically. Together with Claus Peymann Bernhard after the premiere dared to face on the stage applause and boos.
Bernard, to his home country bound in love-hate relationship, prohibited the performance of his plays in Austria before his death in 1989 by will. Peymann, to Bernhard bound in a difficult friendship (see Bernhard's play Claus Peymann buys a pair of pants and goes eating with me) feared harm for the author's work, should his plays precisely in his homeland not being shown. First, it was through permission of the executor Peter Fabjan - Bernhard's half-brother - after all, possible the already in the schedule of the Burgtheater included productions to continue. Finally, shortly before the tenth anniversary of the death of Bernard it came to the revival of the Bernhard play Before retirement by the first performance director Peymann. The plays by Bernhard are since then continued on the programme of the Burgtheater and they are regularly newly produced.
In 1993, the rehearsal stage of the Castle theater was opened in the arsenal (architect Gustav Peichl). Since 1999, the Burgtheater has the operation form of a limited corporation.
Directorate Klaus Bachler 1999-2009
Peymann was followed in 1999 by Klaus Bachler as director. He is a trained actor, but was mostly as a cultural manager (director of the Vienna Festival) active. Bachler moved the theater as a cultural event in the foreground and he engaged for this purpose directors such as Luc Bondy, Andrea Breth, Peter Zadek and Martin Kušej.
Were among the unusual "events" of the directorate Bachler
* The Theatre of Orgies and Mysteries by Hermann Nitsch with the performance of 122 Action (2005 )
* The recording of the MTV Unplugged concert with Die Toten Hosen for the music channel MTV (2005, under the title available)
* John Irving's reading from his book at the Burgtheater Until I find you (2006)
* The 431 animatographische (animatographical) Expedition by Christoph Schlingensief and a big event of him under the title of Area 7 - Matthew Sadochrist - An expedition by Christoph Schlingensief (2006).
* Daniel Hoevels cut in Schiller's Mary Stuart accidentally his throat (December 2008). Outpatient care is enough.
Jubilee Year 2005
In October 2005, the Burgtheater celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its reopening with a gala evening and the performance of Grillparzer's King Ottokar's Fortune and End, directed by Martin Kušej that had been performed in August 2005 at the Salzburg Festival as a great success. Michael Maertens (in the role of Rudolf of Habsburg) received the Nestroy Theatre Award for Best Actor for his role in this play. Actor Tobias Moretti was awarded in 2006 for this role with the Gertrude Eysoldt Ring.
Furthermore, there were on 16th October 2005 the open day on which the 82-minute film "burg/private. 82 miniatures" of Sepp Dreissinger was shown for the first time. The film contains one-minute film "Stand portraits" of Castle actors and guest actors who, without saying a word, try to present themselves with a as natural as possible facial expression. Klaus Dermutz wrote a work on the history of the Burgtheater. As a motto of this season served a quotation from Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm: "It's so sad to be happy alone."
The Burgtheater on the Mozart Year 2006
Also the Mozart Year 2006 was at the Burgtheater was remembered. As Mozart's Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1782 in the courtyard of Castle Theatre was premiered came in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera on the occasion of the Vienna Festival in May 2006 a new production (directed by Karin Beier) of this opera on stage.
Directorate Matthias Hartmann since 2009
From September 2009 to 2014, Matthias Hartmann was Artistic Director of the Burgtheater. A native of Osnabrück, he directed the stage houses of Bochum and Zurich. With his directors like Alvis Hermanis, Roland Schimmelpfennig, David Bösch, Stefan Bachmann, Stefan Pucher, Michael Thalheimer, came actresses like Dorte Lyssweski, Katharina Lorenz, Sarah Viktoria Frick, Mavie Hoerbiger, Lucas Gregorowicz and Martin Wuttke came permanently to the Burg. Matthias Hartmann himself staged around three premieres per season, about once a year, he staged at the major opera houses. For more internationality and "cross-over", he won the Belgian artist Jan Lauwers and his Need Company as "Artists in Residence" for the Castle, the New York group Nature Theater of Oklahoma show their great episode drama Live and Times of an annual continuation. For the new look - the Burgtheater presents itself without a solid logo with word games around the BURG - the Burgtheater in 2011 was awarded the Cultural Brand of the Year .
Since 2014, Karin Bergmann is the commander in chief.
It seems incredible to me that there are any churches in East Kent, at least parish churches, that I had yet to visit and photograph. Especially along Stone Street, which I thought that nks to churches and orchids I knew very well. And yet as I cross-referenced between John Vigar's book and the county A-Z, I saw more and more churches I had to visit.
And that brings us to Elmstead.
Elmstead is less a viallage and more a dog leg in a single track lane, and the church sits in the dog leg. Being a small place, surely it would have a small church? No, the church is large with two leat to chapels, and an extraordinary timber topped tower.
You reach Elmstone by taking tiny fork off Stone Street and following the narrowest of lanes, which has high banks and hedges both sides with few passing places. Down through woods, down steep hills crossing streams and up hills the other side, and all the while the road coated with a thick layer of mud, so that one hoped you were still on the road not having driven into a field.
In time I passed the village sign, and no missing the church, a large flint built church, and the triple gabled east end facing towards the road. Behind the tower was partially hidden, but I could already see the wooden upper part.
And it was open, and filled with much of interest, especially the stone altar in the south aisle.
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An extremely worthwhile church in remote countryside. The tower is an unusual shape, being almost twice as wide as it is deep and capped by a wooden upper storey with stumpy spire. The church consists of nave, aisles, chancel and equal length chapels. The nave is Norman: the original arch to the tower is still recognisable although a fourteenth-century replacement has been built inside it. At the same time the present arcade was built on the existing piers. In the north aisle is a medieval vestry screen, in front of which is a Norman font. There are very fine altar rails, each baluster looking like an eighteenth-century candlestick. Between the main altar and chapel is a simple thirteenth-century sedilia. The south chapel altar has a twelfth-century mensa which was discovered in the churchyard in 1956. The east window (1880) commemorates Arthur Honeywood who was killed in the Afghan war - only a dog survived and was given an award by Queen Victoria! Honeywood's ancestor, Sir John (d. 1781), is also remembered in the church by a splendid marble bust signed by Scheemakers
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Elmsted
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Parish Church. Late Cll or C12, C13 and C14, restored in 1877. Flint
with stone dressings. Plain tile roofs. West tower, nave with north
and south aisles, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels.
West tower: C13, with late Cll or C12 base: Medieval belfry. Single
stage, but north and south sides reduce in width about half way up
with plain-tile shoulders. Large stone north-west and south-west
quoins to lower half. Diagonal south-west buttress. Shingled timber-
framed belfry jettied to west. Splay-footed octagonal spire. Two
louvred three-light trefoil-headed windows to each face of belfry.
No tower windows to north or east. Broadly-pointed plain-chamfered
lancet towards top of west face, and another to south. Taller plain-
chamfered lancet West window. Plain-chamfered pointed-arched west doorway.
Nave: south elevation: continuous with south wall of tower base. C19
traceried three-light window. South aisle: C14 possibly with late Cll
or early C12 origins. Narrow and gabled, stopping short of west end nave.
Plinthless. Buttress towards east end. C14 or early C15 pointed west window
of two cinquefoil-headed lights, with tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould.
One straight-headed C15 or C16 south window to east of porch, with two
cinquefoil-headed lights and rectangular hoodmould. South porch: medieval,
restored in C19. Coursed knapped flint. Gabled plain-tile roof.
Window with cambered head, to each side. Crown-post roof; two outer crown
posts plain. Broadly-chamfered rectangular central crown post with broach
stops and head braces. Chamfered tie-beams. Pointed-arched plain-chamfered
inner doorway with broach stops. Unchamfered pointed-arched outer doorway.
South chancel chapel: early C14. Continuous with south aisle, but with
chamfered stone plinth and lower eaves and ridge. East end flush with
chancel. Diagonal south-east buttress. Large straight-headed south window
with three cinquefoil-headed lights and moulded hoodmould. Similar two-
light east window. Chancel: C13, probably with late Cll or C12 origins.
Slightly narrower than nave. No plinth. Two buttresses. C15 or C16
untraceried east window with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. North chancel chapel: early C14. Flush with east end
of chancel. Plinthless. Diagonal north-east buttress. C14 pointed-arched
east window with three cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of cusped intersecting
glazing bars with trefoils and quatrefoils, and with hoodmould. Pointed-
arched C14 north window with Y tracery and trefoil, without hoodmould.
North aisle: C14. More stone mixed with flint. Continuous with north
chancel chapel, and slightly overlapping tower. Plinthless. One untraceried
C15 or C16 north window, with cambered head, three cinquefoil-headed lights,
and hoodmould. Straight-headed west window with two cinquefoil-headed
lights and hoodmould. Small blocked plain-chamfered pointed-arched north
doorway. Rainwater heads dated 1877. Interior: Structure: two-bay early
C14 south arcade to nave, with doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches and
octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Two-bay C14 north
arcade, similar to south arcade, but extending further to west and with
more intricately-moulded capitals. East end of south arcade rests on
late Cll or C12 pier of large ashlar blocks on plain-chamfered plinth,
and with top heavily corbelled to south side. Footings for further structure
to east and south. Small, probably pre-C14, stone quoins to east pier
of north arcade, capped by single block from which arch springs. Doubly
plain-chamfered pointed early C14 chancel arch, springing from moulded
rectangular capitals which break forwards unusually. Plain-chamfered
piers with broach stops. Two-bay early C16 north and south arcades to
chancel, with doubly hollow-chamfered four-centred arches and octagonal
columns with moulded capitals and bases. Early C14 pointed arch between
south chancel chapel and south aisle, with plain-chamfered inner order
and slightly ovolo-moulded outer order. Moulded rectangular capitals
slightly different from chancel-arch capitals, but similarly breaking
forwards under inner order of arch, each on image corbel. Piers slightly
hollow chamfered, with cushion stops to base and undercut trefoil to tops.
Doubly plain-chamfered pointed arch between north chancel chapel and north
aisle, springing from chamfered imposts which break forwards to centre
with rounded corbel under. Low, pointed C14 tower arch, with plain-chamfered
inner order springing from moulded semi-octagonal piers, and hollow-chamfered
outer order descending to ground with cushion and broach stops. Above
arch, exposed voussoirs of taller, broader, blocked, round-headed late
Cll or C12 tower arch. Roof: C19 crown-post roof to nave and north aisle.
Chancel and north chancel chapel roofs boarded in five cants. Plastered
barrel vault to south chancel chapel. Medieval crown-post roof to south,
with three cambered plain-chamfered tie-beams, with moulded octagonal
crown posts, sous-laces and ashlar pieces. Fittings: piscina in rectangular
recess towards east end of south chancel chapel. C13 piscina in moulded
recess with trefoiled head and moulded hoodmould, towards east end of
south wall of chancel. Image corbel to north wall of north chancel chapel.
Late Cll or C12 font, low, deep, octagonal, with two panels of blind
arcading to each side, circular central pier and eight slender perimeter
columns. Small C17 altar table. Hexagonal C17 pulpit with sunk moulded
panels, strapwork, fleur-de-lys frieze, and enriched cornice. Medieval
screen, probably of domestic origin, with close-studded partition under
moulded and brattished beam, across west end of north aisle. Laudian
altar rails with turned balusters. Monuments: Cartouche on south wall
of south chancel chapel, to Sir William Honeywood, d. 1748. Monument
on same wall, to Thomas Honeywood, d. 1622; grey-painted chalk in form
of triptych. Central section has moulded and pulvinated base, scrolled
base-plate and shield, and raised and moulded inscription panel in eared
surround, flanked by Composite columns. Above it, a recessed panel
with inverted scrolls, and triangular pediment with cherubs head and
achievements. Recessed flanking sections, each carved with angel in
husked surround, and with scrolled base plate and corniced pediment
with shields. Tablet on same wall, to Mary Honeywood, d. 1708, lettered
on a shroud with gilded fringe, cherubs' heads, and shield surmounted
by urn. Brass of a lady, part of a brass to Christopher Gay, d. 1507.
Monument on north wall of north chancel chapel, to William Honeywood,
d. 1669. Black marble inscription panel in a frame which breaks forwards
twice. Each back panel eared, the outer with inverted scrolls to base
and festoon to return sides. Festooned rectangular panel flanked by
acanthus consoles and with scrolled acanthus base plate under inscription
panel. Moulded cornice over oak-leaf frieze, breaking forwards three
times. Segmental pediment with achievements over central break. Monument
by Thomas Scheemakers on same wall, to Sir John Honeywood, d. 1781.
White marble. Rectangular inscription panel, flanked by reeded pilasters
which curve out at top to form consoles under flower paterae. Shaped
base plate, also with inscription. Moulded cornice surmounted by -sarcophagus
with bust above it, against grey marble obelisk back plate. (J. Jewman,
Buildings of England Series, North-east and East Kent, 1983 edn.)
Listing NGR: TR1178645546
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-440965-church-of-st-j...
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ELMSTED
IS the next parish northward from Hastingligh lastdescribed, taking its name, as many other places do, which are recorded in the survey of Domesday, from the quantity of elms growing in it, elm signifying in Saxon, that tree, and stede, a place. The manor of Hastingligh claims over some part of this parish, which part is within the liberty of the duchy of Lancaster.
THIS PARISH is situated in a lonely unfrequented part of the country, above the down hills, in a healthy air. It lies mostly on high ground, having continued hill and dale throughout it. The soil is but poor, and in general chalk, and much covered with flints, especially in the dales, where some of the earth is of a reddish cast. The church stands on a hill in the middle of it, having a green, with the village near it, among which is the court-lodge: and at a small distance westward, Helchin-bouse, belonging to Sir John Honywood, but now and for some time past inhabited by the Lushingtons. Lower down in the bottom is Evington-court, in a dull ineligible situation, to which however the present Sir John Honywood has added much, and laid out some park-grounds round it. At a small distance is a small heath, called Evington-lees, with several houses round it. At the southern bounds of the parish lie Botsham, and Holt, both belonging to Sir John Honywood. At the north-east corner of it, near Stone-street, is a hamlet called Northlye, the principal farm in which belongs to Mr. Richard Warlee, gent. of Canterbury, about half a mile from which is Deane, or Dane manor-house; and still further Dowles-farm, belonging to Mr. John Rigden, of Faversham; near Stone-street is the manor of Southligh, now called Mizlings, by which name only it is now known here; and near the same street is Arundel farm, belonging to Thomas Watkinson Payler, esq. and at the southern extremity of the parish, the manor-house of Dunders, with the lands belonging to it, called the Park, formerly belonging to the Graydons, of Fordwich, of whom they were purchased, and are now the property of the right hon. Matthew Robinson Morris, lord Rokeby, who resides at Horton. There are but two small coppice woods in this parish, lying at some distance from each other, in the middle part of it.
There is a fair kept yearly in this parish on St. James's day, the 25th of July.
THE MANOR OF ELMSTED was in the year 811 bought by archbishop Wlfred, of Cenulf, king of Mercia, for the benefit of Christ-church, in Canterbury, L. S. A. which letters meant, that it should be free, and privileged with the same liberties that Adisham was, when given to that church. These privileges were, to be freed from all secular services, excepting the trinoda necessitas of repelling invasions, and the repairing of bridges and fortifications. (fn. 1)
There is no mention of this manor in the survey of Domesday, under the title of the archbishop's lands, and of those held of him by knight's service, and yet I find mention of its being held of him in several records subsequent to that time; for soon afterwards it appears to have been so held by a family who assumed their name from it, one of whom, Hamo de Elmested, held it of the archbishop, by knight's service. But they were extinct here before the middle of king Henry III,'s reign, when the Heringods were become possessed of it, as appears by the Testa de Nevil, bearing for their arms, Gules, three herrings erect, two and one, or; as they were formerly in the windows of Newington church, near Sittingborne. John de Heringod held it at his death in the 41st year of that reign. His grandson, of the same name, died in the next reign of king Edward I. without male issue, leaving three daughters his coheirs, of whom, Grace married Philip de Hardres, of Hardres, in this county; Christiana married William de Kirkby; and Jane married Thomas Burgate, of Suffolk: but he had before his death, by a deed, which bears the form of a Latin will, and, is without a date, settled this manor, with the other lands in this neighbourhood, on the former of them, Philip de Hardres, a man of eminent repute of that time, in whose successors the manor of Elmsted remained till the 13th year of King James I. when Sir Thomas Hardres sold the manor of Dane court, an appendage to this of Elmsted, in the north-east part of this parish, to Cloake, and the manor of Elmsted itself to Thomas Marsh, gent. of Canterbury, whose son ton, whose great-grandson of the same name, at his death left it to his two sons, Richard and John, the former of whom was of Faversham, and left an only daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. James Taylor, of Rodmersham, who in right of his wife became possessed of his moiety of it, and having in 1787 purchased the other moiety of John Lushington, of Helchin, in this parish, (son of Richard above-mentioned) became possessed of the whole of this manor, and continues owner of it at this time.
THE MANOR OF DANE, now called Deane-court, above-mentioned, remained in the name of Cloake for some time afterwards, and in 1652 Mr. Samuel Cloake held it. It afterwards passed into the name of Elwes, in which it continued down to John Elwes, esq. of Marcham, in Berkshire, who died in 1789, and by will gave it to his nephew Thomas Timms, esq. the present owner of it.
THE YOKE OF EVINGTON is an estate and seat in the south-west part of this parish, over which the manor of Barton, near Canterbury, claims jurisdiction. The mansion of it, called Evington-court, was the inheritance of gentlemen of the same surname, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sess between three burganetts, or steel caps, azure; and in a book, copied out from antient deeds by William Glover, Somerset herald, afterwards in the possession of John Philipott, likewise Somerset, there was the copy of an old deed without date, in which William Fitzneal, called in Latin, Filius Nigelli, passed over some land to Ruallo de Valoigns, which is strengthened by the appendant testimony of one Robert de Evington, who was ancestor of the Evingtons, of Evington-court, of whom there is mention in the deeds of this place, both in the reigns of king Henry III. and king Edward I. After this family was extinct here, the Gays became possessed of it, a family originally descended out of France, where they were called Le Gay, and remained some time afterwards in the province of Normandy, from whence those of this name in Jersey and Guernsey descended, and from them again those of Hampshire, and one of them, before they had left off their French appellation, John le Gay, is mentioned in the leiger book of Horton priory, in this neighbourhood, as a benefactor to it. But to proceed; although Evington-court was not originally erected by the family of Gay, yet it was much improved by them with additional buildings, and in allusion to their name, both the wainscot and windows of it were adorned with nosegays. At length after the Gays, who bore for their arms, Gules, three lions rampant, argent, an orle of cross-croslets, fitchee, or. (fn. 2) had continued owners of this mansion till the beginning of the reign of king Henry VII. Humphry Gay, esq. alienated it to John Honywood, esq. of Sene, in Newington, near Hythe, and afterwards of St. Gregory's, Canterbury, where he died in 1557, and was buried in that cathedral.
The family of Honywood, antiently written Henewood, take their name from the manor of Henewood, in Postling, where they resided as early as Henry III.'s reign, when Edmund de Henewood, or Honywood, as the name was afterwards spelt, of that parish, was a liberal benefactor to the priory of Horton, and is mentioned as such in the leiger book of it. After which, as appears by their wills in the Prerogative-office, in Canterbury, they resided at Hythe, for which port several of them served in parliament, bearing for their arms, Argent, a chevron, between three hawks heads erased, azure; one of them, Thomas Honywood, died in the reign of king Edward IV. leaving a son John, by whose first wife descended the elder branch of this family, settled at Evington, and baronets; and by his second wife descended the younger branch of the Honywoods, seated at Petts, in Charing, and at Markshall, in Effex, which branch is now extinct. (fn. 3) John Honywood, esq. the eldest son of John above-mentioned, by his first wife, was the purchaser of Evington, where his grandson Sir Thomas Honywood resided. He died in 1622, and was buried at Elmsted, the burial place of this family. (fn. 4) He left by his first wife several sons and daughters; of the former, John succeeded him at Evington and Sene, and Edward was ancestor of Frazer Honywood, banker, of London, and of Malling abbey, who died s. p. in 1764. (fn. 5) Sir John Honywood, the eldest son, resided during his father's time at Sene, in Newington, and on his death removed to Evington. He served the office of sheriff in the 18th, 19th, and 20th years of king Charles I. Sir Edward Honywood, his eldest son, resided likewise at Evington, and was created a baronet on July 19, 1660. His great grandson Sir John Honywood, bart. at length in 1748, succeeded to the title and family estates, and afterwards resided at Evington, where he kept his shrievalty in 1752. On the death of his relation Frazer Honywood, esq. banker, of London, in 1764, he succeeded by his will to his seats at Malling abbey, and at Hampsted, in Middlesex, besides a large personal estate; after which he resided at times both here and at Hampsted, at which latter he died in 1781, æt. 71, and was buried with his ancestors in this church. He had been twice married; first to Annabella, daughter of William Goodenough, esq. of Langford, in Berk shire, whose issue will be mentioned hereafter; and secondly to Dorothy, daughter of Sir Edward Filmer, bart. of East Sutton, by whom he had two sons, Filmer Honywood, esq. of Marks-hall, in Essex, to which as well as other large estates in that county, and in this of Kent, he succeeded by the will of his relation Gen. Philip Honywood, and lately was M. P. for this county, and is at present unmarried; and John, late of All Souls college, Oxford, who married Miss Wake, daughter of Dr. Charles Wake, late prebendary of Westminster; and Mary, married to Willshire Emmett, esq. late of Wiarton. By his first wife Sir John Honywood had two sons and four daughters; William the eldest, was of Malling abbey, esq. and died in his father's life time, having married Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Clack, of Wallingford, in Berkshire, by whom he had three sons and one daughter Annabella, married to R. G. D. Yate, esq of Gloucestershire; of the former, John was heir to his grandfather, and is the present baronet; William is now of Liminge, esq. and married Mary, sister of James Drake Brockman, esq. of Beechborough, and Edward married Sophia, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Long, of Suffolk. Edward, the second son, was in the army, and died without issue. The daughters were, Annabella, married to Edmund Filmer, rector of Crundal; and Thomasine, married to William Western Hugessen, esq. of Provenders, both since deceased. On Sir John Honywood's death in 1781, he was succeeded by his eldest grandson abovementioned, the present Sir John Honywood, bart. who resides at Evington, to which he has made great improvements and additions. He married Frances, one of the daughters of William, viscount Courtenay, by whom he has three daughters, Frances-Elizabeth, Charlotte-Dorothea, and Annabella-Christiana, and one son John, born in 1787. (fn. 6).
BOTTSHAM, antiently and more properly written Bodesham, is a manor in the western part of this parish. About the year 687 Swabert, king of Kent, gave among others, three plough-lands in a place called Bodesham, to Eabba, abbess of Minister, in Thanet, and in the reign of king Edward the Consessor, one Ælgeric Bigg gave another part of it to the abbey of St. Augustine, by the description of the lands called Bodesham, on condition that Wade, his knight, should possess them during his life. (fn. 7) The former of these continued in the monastery till the reign of king Canute, when it was plundered and burnt by the Danes. After which the church and lands of the monastery of Minster, and those of Bodesham among them, were granted to St. Augustine's monastery, and remained, together with those given as above-mentioned by Ælgeric Bigg, part of the possessions of it at the taking of the survey of Domesday, in which record it is thus described:
In Limowart left, in Stotinges hundred, Gaufrid holds Bodesham of the abbot. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates, and there are, with eight borderers, wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was worth four pounds, and afterwards twenty shillings, now four pounds, A certain villein held it.
Hugh, abbot of St. Augustine, and his chapter, in the year 1110, granted to Hamo, steward of the king's houshold, this land of Bodesham, upon condition that he should, if there should be occasion, advise and assist him and his successors in any pleas brought against him by any baron, either in the county or in the king's court.
Hamo above-mentioned, whose surname was Crevequer, had come over into this kingdom with the Conqueror, and was rewarded afterwards with much land in this county, and was made sheriff of it during his life, from whence he was frequently stiled Hamo Vicecomes, or the sheriff. He lived till the middle of king Henry I.'s reign; and in his descendants it most probably remained till it came into the possession of the family of Gay, or Le Gay as they were sometimes written, owners of the yoke of Evington likewise, in which it continued till it was at length sold with it, in the beginning of Henry VII.'s reign, to Honywood, as has been fully mentioned before; in whose descendants it still remains, being now the property of Sir John Honywood, bart. of Evington.
IN THE REIGN of king Edward I. Thomas de Morines held half a knight's fee of the archbishop in Elmsted, which estate afterwards passed into the family of Haut, and in the reign of king Edward III. had acquired the name of the Manor Of Elmsted, alias SOUTHLIGH. In which family of Haut it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Bishopsborne, who lived in the reign of king Henry VIII. and left two daughters his coheirs, Elizabeth, married to Thomas Culpeper, of Bedgbury; and Jane, to Thomas Wyatt. The former of whom, in the division of their inheritance, (fn. 8) became possessed of it; from his heirs it passed by sale to Best, and from thence again to Rich. Hardres, esq. of Hardres, whose descendant Sir Tho. Hardres, possessed it in king James I.'s reign; at length, after some intermediate owners, it passed to Browning, whose descendant M. John Browning, of Yoklets, in Waltham, is the present owner of this manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about thirty, casually seventeen.
Elmsted is within the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Elham.
The church, which is dedicated to St. James, is a handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels, having a low pointed wooden steeple at the west end, in which are six bells. The chancels are open, one towards the other, the spaces between the pillars not being filled up, which gives the whole a light and airy appearance. In the middle chancel, which is dedicated to St. James, are memorials for the Taylors, who intermarried with the Honywoods, and for the Lushingtons, of Helchin; one for John Cloke, gent. of Northlye, obt. 1617. In the east window is a shield of arms, first and fourth, A lion rampant, or; second, On a fess, argent, three eros-croslets; third, obliterated. In another compartment of the window is the figure of an antient man sitting, in robes lined with ermine, a large knotted staff in his left hand. The north chancel is called the parish chancel, in which is an elegant monument, of white marble, with the bust of the late Sir John Honywood, bart.(a gentleman whose worthy character is still remembered with the highest commendation and respect, by all who knew him). He died much lamented by his neighbours and the country in general in 1781; and on the pavement are numbers of gravestones for the family of Honywood and their relatives. The south chancel, dedicated to St. John, belongs to Evington, in which there are several monuments, and numbers of gravestones, the pavement being covered with them, for the Honywood family, some of which have inscriptions and figures on brasses remaining on them. Underneath this chancel is a large vault, in which the remains of the family lie deposited. On the north side of this chancel is a tomb, having had the figures on it of a man between his two wives: and at each corner a shield of arms in brass for Gay. On the capital of a pillar at the east end of this tomb is this legend, in old English letters, in gold, which have been lately repaired: Pray for the sowlys of Xtopher Gay, Agnes and Johan his wifes, ther chylder and all Xtian sowlys, on whose sowlys Jhu have mcy; by which it should seem that he was the founder, or at least the repairer of this chancel. Underneath is carved a shield of arms of Gay. In the east window are two shields of arms, of modern glass, for Honywood. In the south isle is a monument for Sir William Honywood, bart. of Evington, obt. 1748. In the middle isle are several old stones, coffin shaped. William Philpot, of Godmersham, by will anno 1475, ordered that the making of the new seats, calledle pewis, in this church, should be done at his expence, from the place where St. Christopher was painted, to the corner of the stone wall on the north side of the church.
The church of Elmsted belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, in Canterbury, perhaps part of its original endowment by archbishop Lanfranc, in the reign of the Conqueror. It was very early appropriated to it, and was confirmed to the priory by archbishop Hubert, among its other possessions, about the reign of king Richard I. at which time this church, with five acres of arable, and five acres of wood, and the chapel of Dene, appear to have been esteemed as chapels to the adjoining church of Waltham, and the appropriation of it continued part of the possessions of the priory till the dissolution of it in king Henry VIII.'s reign, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, where this appropriation remained but a small time, for an act passed that year, to enable the king and the archbishop to make an exchange of estates, by which means it became part of the revenues of the see of Canterbury, and was afterwards demised by the archbishop, among the rest of the revenues of the above-mentioned priory, which had come to him by the above-mentioned exchange, in one great lease; under which kind of demise it has continued from time to time ever since. Philip, earl of Chesterfield, as heir to the Wottons, was lessee of the above estates, in which this parsonage was included; since whose decease in 1773, his interest in the lease of them has been sold by his executors to Geo. Gipps, esq. of Canterbury, who is the present lessee, under the archbishop, for them.
But the vicarage of this church seems never to have belonged to the priory of St. Gregory, and in the 8th year of Richard II. anno 1384, appears to have been part of the possessions of the abbot of Pontiniac, at which time it was valued at four pounds. How long it staid there, I have not found; but it became afterwards part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, and remains so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.
¶The vicarage of Elmsted is endowed with the tenths of hay, silva cedua, mills, heifers, calves, chicken, pigs, lambs, wool, geese, ducks, eggs, bees, honey, wax, butter, cheese, milk-meats, flax, hemp, apples, pears, swans, pidgeons, merchandise, fish, onions, fowlings, also all other small tithes or obventions whatsoever within the parish; and also with all grass of gardens or other closes, vulgarly called homestalls, although they should be at any time reduced to arable; and the tithes of all and singular feedings and pastures, even if those lands so lot for feedings and pastures should be accustomed to be ploughed, as often and whensoever they should at any time be let for the use of pasture; which portion to the vicar was then valued at twelve marcs. (fn. 9)
It is valued in the king's books at 61. 13s. 4d. It is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-five pounds. In 1587 it was valued at thirty pounds, communicants one hundred and eighty. In 1640 it was valued at ninety pounds, the same number of communicants. There was an antient stipend of ten pounds, payable from the parsonage to the vicar, which was augmented with the like sum by archbishop Juxon, anno 15 Charles II. to be paid by the lessee of the parsonage; which sum of twenty pounds continues at this time to be paid yearly by the lesse. There was a yearly pension of 1l. 6s. payable from the vicar of Elmsted to the priory of St. Gregory; which still continues to be paid by him to the archbishop's lessee here.
Ash is a large village, now almost a town, now bypassed by the Canterbury to Sandwich road.
St Nicholas is a large church, and sits on a low mound above the High Street and houses.
The church itself is cruciform in shape, and previously stated, large.
It is furnished with serval monuments and brasses, all of a very high standard.
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A large and impressive church of mainly thirteenth century date over restored in 1847 by the irrepressible William Butterfield. The scale of the interior is amazing - particularly in the tower crossing arches which support the enormous spire. They are an obvious insertion into an earlier structure. The best furnishing at Ash is the eighteenth century font which stands on an inscribed base. For the visitor interested in memorials, Ash ahs more than most ranging from the fourteenth century effigy of a knight to two excellent alabaster memorials to Sir Thomas Harfleet (d 1612) and Christopher Toldervy (d 1618). Mrs Toldervy appears twice in the church for she accompanies her husband on his memorial and may also be seen as a `weeper` on her parents` memorial! On that she is one of two survivors of what was once a group of seven daughters - all her weeping brothers have long since disappeared.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Ash+2
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ASH
LIES adjoining to the last-described parish of Staple northward. It is written in Domesday, Ece, and in other antient records, Aisse, and is usually called Ash, near Sandwich, to distinguish it from Ash, near Wrotham.
The parish of Ash is very large, extending over a variety of soil and country, of hill, dale, and marsh lands, near four miles across each way, and containing more than six thousand acres of land, of which about one half is marsh, the river Stour being its northern bounday, where it is very wet and unwholesone, but the southern or upland part of the parish is very dary, pleasant and healthy. The soil in general is fertile, and lets on an average at about one pound an acre; notwithstanding, there is a part of it about Ash-street and Gilton town, where it is a deep sand. The village of Ash, commonly called Ash-street, situated in this part of it, on high ground, mostly on the western declivity of a hill, having the church on the brow of it, is built on each side of the road from Canterbury to Sandwich, and contains about fifty houses. On the south side of this road, about half a mile westward, is a Roman burial ground, of which further mention will be taken hereaster, and adjoining to it the hamlet of Gilton town, formerly written Guildanton, in which is Gilton parsonage, a neat stuccoed house, lately inhabited by Mr. Robert Legrand, and now by Mrs. Becker. In the valley southward stands Mote farm, alias Brooke house, formerly the habitation of the Stoughtons, then of the Ptoroude's and now the property of Edward Solly, esq. of London.
There are dispersed throughout this large parish many small hamlets and farms, which have been formerly of more consequence, from the respective owners and in habitants of them, all which, excepting East and New Street, and Great Pedding, (the latter of which was the antient residence of the family of solly, who lie buried in Ash church-yard, and bore for their arms, Vert, a chevron, per pale, or, and gules, between three soles naiant, argent, and being sold by one of them to dean Lynch, is now in the possession of lady Lynch, the widow of Sir William Lynch, K. B.) are situated in the northern part of the parish, and contain together about two hundred and fifty houses, among them is Hoden, formerly the residence of the family of St. Nicholas; Paramour-street, which for many years was the residence of those of that name, and Brook-street, in which is Brook-house, the residence of the Brooke's, one of whom John Brooke, esq. in queen Elizabeth's reign, resided here, and bore for his arms, Per bend, vert and sable, two eagles, counterchanged.
William, lord Latimer, anno 38 Edward III. obtained a market to be held at Ash, on a Thursday; and a fair yearly on Lady-day, and the two following ones. A fair is now held in Ash-street on Lady and Michaelmas days yearly.
In 1473 there was a lazar house for the infirm of the leprosy, at Eche, near Sandwich.
¶The manor of Wingham claims paramount over this parish, subordinate to which there were several manors in it, held of the archbishop, to whom that manor belonged, the mansions of which, being inhabited by families of reputation and of good rank in life, made this parish of much greater account than it has been for many years past, the mansions of them having been converted for a length of time into farmhouses to the lands to which they belong.
f this manor, (viz. Wingham) William de Acris holds one suling in Fletes, and there he has in demesne one carucate and four villeins, and one knight with one carucate, and one fisbery, with a saltpit of thirty pence. The whole is worth forty shillings.
This district or manor was granted by archbishop Lanfranc, soon after this, to one Osberne, (fn. 7) of whom I find no further mention, nor of this place, till king Henry III.'s reign, when it seems to have been separated into two manors, one of which, now known by the name of the manor of Gurson Fleet, though till of late time by that of Fleet only, was held afterwards of the archbishop by knight's service, by the family of Sandwich, and afterwards by the Veres, earls of Oxford, one of whom, Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, who died anno 3 Edward III. was found by the escheat-rolls of that year, to have died possessed of this manor of Fleet, which continued in his descendants down to John de Vere, earl of Oxford, who for his attachment to the house of Lancaster, was attainted in the first year of king Edward IV. upon which this manor came into the hands of the crown, and was granted the next year to Richard, duke of Gloucester, the king's brother, with whom it staid after his succession to the crown, as king Richard III. on whose death, and the accession of king Henry VII. this manor returned to the possession of John, earl of Oxford, who had been attainted, but was by parliament anno I Henry VII. restored in blood, titles and possessions. After which this manor continued in his name and family till about the middle of queen Elizabeth's reign, when Edward Vere, earl of Oxford, alienated it to Hammond, in whose descendants it continued till one of them, in the middle of king Charles II.'s reign, sold it to Thomas Turner, D. D. who died possessed of it in 1672, and in his name and descendants it continued till the year 1748, when it was sold to John Lynch, D. D. dean of Canterbury, whose son Sir William Lynch, K. B. died possessed of it in 1785, and by his will devised it, with the rest of his estates, to his widow lady Lynch, who is the present possessor of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
Archbishop Lanfranc, on his founding the priory of St. Gregory, in the reign of the Conqueror, gave to it the tithe of the manor of Fleet; which gift was confirmed by archbishop Hubert in Richard I.'s reign. This portion of tithes, which arose principally from Gurson Fleet manor, remained with the priory at its dissolution, and is now part of Goldston parsonage, parcel of the see of Canterbury, of which further mention has been made before.
The other part of the district of Fleet was called, to distinguish it, and from the possessors of it, the manor of Nevills Fleet, though now known by the name of Fleet only, is situated between Gurson and Richborough, adjoining to the former. This manor was held in king John's reign of the archbishop, by knight's service, by Thomas Pincerna, so called probably from his office of chief butler to that prince, whence his successors assumed the name of Butler, or Boteler. His descendant was Robert le Boteler, who possessed this manor in king Ed ward I.'s reign, and from their possession of it, this manor acquired for some time the name of Butlers Fleet; but in the 20th year of king Edward III. William, lord Latimer of Corbie, appears to have been in the possession of it, and from him it acquired the name of Latimers Fleet. He bore for his arms, Gules, a cross flory, or. After having had summons to parliament, (fn. 8) he died in the begening of king Richard II.'s reign, leaving Elizabeth his sole daughter and heir, married to John, lord Nevill, of Raby, whose son John bore the title of lord Latimer, and was summoned to parliament as lord Latimer, till the 9th year of king Henry VI. in which he died, so that the greatest part of his inheritance, among which was this manor, came by an entail made, to Ralph, lord Nevill, and first earl of Westmoreland, his eldest, but half brother, to whom he had sold, after his life, the barony of Latimer, and he, by seoffment, vested it, with this manor and much of the inheritance above-mentioned, in his younger son Sir George Nevill, who was accordingly summoned to parliament as lord Latimer, anno 10 Henry VI. and his grandson Richard, lord Latimer, in the next regin of Edward IV. alienated this manor, which from their length of possession of it, had acquired the name of Nevill's Fleet, to Sir James Cromer, and his son Sir William Cromer, in the 11th year of king Henry VII, sold it to John Isaak, who passed it away to Kendall, and he, in the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, sold it to Sir John Fogge, of Repton, in Ashford, who died possessed of it in 1533, and his son, of the same name, before the end of it, passed it away to Mr. Thomas Rolfe, and he sold it, within a few years afterwards, to Stephen Hougham, gent. of this parish, who by his will in 1555, devised it to his youngest son Rich. Hougham, of Eastry, from one of whose descendants it was alienated to Sir Adam Spracklin, who sold it to one of the family of Septvans, alias Harflete, in which name it continued till within a few years after the death of king Charles I. when by a female heir Elizabeth it went in marriage to Thomas Kitchell, esq. in whose heirs it continued till it was at length, about the year 1720, alienated by one of them to Mr. Thomas Bambridge, warden of the Fleet prison, upon whose death it became vested in his heirs-at-law, Mr. James Bambridge, of the Temple, attorney at-law, and Thomas Bambridge, and they divided this estate, and that part of it allotted to the latter was soon afterwards alienated by him to Mr. Peter Moulson, of London, whose only daughter and heir carried it in marriage to Mr. Geo. Vaughan, of London, and he and the assignees of Mr. James Bambridge last mentioned, have lately joined in the conveyance of the whole fee of this manor to Mr. Joseph Solly, gent. of Sandwich, the present owner of it. There is not any court held for this manor.
In this district, and within this manor of Fleet lastmentioned, there was formerly a chapel of cose to the church of Ash, as that was to the church of Wingham, to which college, on its foundation by archbishop Peckham in 1286, the tithes, rents, obventions, &c of this chapel and district was granted by him, for the support in common of the provost and canons of it, with whom it remained till the suppression of it, anno I king Edward VI. The tithes, arising from this manor of Fleet, and the hamlet of Richborough, are now a part of the rectory of Ash, and of that particular part of it called Gilton parsonage, parcel of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, of which further mention will be made hereafter. There have not been any remains left of it for a long time part.
Richborough is a hamlet and district of land, in the south-east part of this parish, rendered famous from the Roman fort and town built there, and more so formerly, from the port or haven close adjoining to it.
It was in general called by the Romans by the plural name of Rutupiæ; for it must be observed that the æstuary, which at that time separated the Isle of Thanet from the main land of Kent, and was the general passage for shipping,had at each mouth of it, towards the sea, a fort and haven, called jointly Rutupiæ. That at the northern part and of it being now called Reculver, and that at the eastern, being the principal one, this of Richborough.
The name of it is variously spelt in different authors. By Ptolemy it is written [Patapiaia (?)] urbem; by Tacitus, according to the best reading, Portus, Rutupensis; by Antonine, in his Itinerary, Ritupas, and Ritupis Portum; by Ammianus, Ritupiæ statio; afterwards by the Saxons, Reptacester, and now Richborough.
The haven, or Portus Rutupinus, or Richborough, was very eminent in the time of the Romans, and much celebrated in antient history, being a safe and commodious harbour, stationem ex adverso tranquillam, as Ammianus calls it, situated at the entrance of the passage towards then Thamas, and becoming the general place of setting sail from Britain to the continent, and where the Roman fleets arrived, and so large and extensive was the bay of it, that it is supposed to have extended far beyond Sandwich on the one side, almost to Ramsgate cliffs on the other, near five miles in width, covering the whole of that flat of land on which Stonar and Sandwich were afterwards built, and extending from thence up the æstuary between the Isle of Thanet and the main land. So that Antonine might well name it the Port, in his Itinerary, [Kat exochin], from there being no other of like consequence, and from this circumstance the shore for some distance on each side acquired the general name of Littus Rutupinum, the Rutupian shore. (fn. 9) Some have contended that Julius Cæsar landed at Richborough, in his expeditions into Britain; but this opinion is refuted by Dr. Hasley in Phil, Trans. No. 193, who plainly proves his place of landing to have been in the Downs. The fort of Richborough, from the similarity of the remains of it to those of Reculver, seems to have been built about the same time, and by the same emperer, Serveris, about the year 205. It stands on the high hill, close to a deep precipice eastward, at the soot of which was the haven. In this fortress, so peculiarly strengthened by its situation, the Romans had afterwards a stationary garrison, and here they had likewise a pharos, of watch tower, the like as at Reculver and other places on this coast, as well to guide the shipping into the haven, as to give notice of the approach of enemies. It is by most supposed that there was, in the time of the Romans, near the fort, in like manner as at Reculver, a city or town, on the decline of the hill, south-westward from it, according to custom, at which a colony was settled by them. Prolemy, in his geography, reckons the city Rutpia as one of the three principal cities of Kent. (fn. 10) Orosius. and Bede too, expressly mention it as such; but when the haven decayed, and there was no longer a traffic and resort to this place, the town decayed likewise, and there have not been, for many ages since, any remains whatever of it left; though quantities of coins and Roman antiquities have been sound on the spot where it is supposed to have once stood.
During the latter part of the Roman empire, when the Saxons prevented all trade by sea, and insefted these coasts by frequent robberies, the second Roman legion, called Augusta, and likewise Britannica, which had been brought out of Germany by the emperor Claudius, and had resided for many years at the Isca Silurum, in Wales, was removed and stationed here, under a president or commander, præpositus, of its own, who was subordinate to the count of the Saxon shore, and continued so till the final departure of the Romans from Britain, in the year 410, when this fortress was left in the hands of the Britons, who were afterwards dispossessed of it by the Saxons, during whose time the harbour seems to have began to decay and to swerve up, the sea by degrees entirely deserting it at this place, but still leaving one large and commodious at Sandwich, which in process of time became the usual resort for shipping, and arose a flourishing harbour in its stead, as plainly appears by the histories of those times, by all of which, both the royal Saxon fleets, as well as those of the Danes, are said to sail for the port of Sandwich, and there to lie at different times; (fn. 11) and no further mention is made by any of them of this of Rutupiæ, Reptachester, or Richborough; so that the port being thus destroyed, the town became neglected and desolate, and with the castle sunk into a heap of ruins. Leland's description of it in king Henry VIII.'s reign, is very accurate, and gives an exceeding good idea of the progressive state of its decay to that time. He says, "Ratesburg otherwyse Richeboro was, of ever the ryver of Sture dyd turn his botom or old canale, withyn the Isle of the Thanet, and by Iykelyhod the mayn se came to the very foote of the castel. The mayn se ys now of yt a myle by reason of wose, that has there swollen up. The scite of the town or castel ys wonderful fair apon an hille. The walles the wich remayn ther yet be in cumpase almost as much as the tower of London. They have bene very hye thykke stronge and wel embateled. The mater of them is flynt mervelus and long brykes both white and redde after the Britons fascion. The sement was made of se sand and smaul pible. Ther is a great lykelyhod that the goodly hil abowte the castel and especially to Sandwich ward hath bene wel inhabited. Corne groweth on the hille yn bene mervelous plenty and yn going to plowgh ther hath owt of mynde fownd and now is mo antiquities of Romayne money than yn any place els of England surely reason speketh that this should be Rutupinum. For byside that the name sumwhat toucheth, the very near passage fro Cales Clyves or Cales was to Ratesburgh and now is to Sandwich, the which is about a myle of; though now Sandwich be not celebrated by cawse of Goodwine sandes and the decay of the haven. Ther is a good flyte shot of fro Ratesburg toward Sandwich a great dyke caste in a rownd cumpas as yt had bene for sens of menne of warre. The cumpase of the grownd withyn is not much above an acre and yt is very holo by casting up the yerth. They cawle the place there Lytleborough. Withyn the castel is a lytle paroche chirch of St. Augustine and an heremitage. I had antiquities of the heremite the which is an industrious man. Not far fro the hermitage is a cave wher men have sowt and digged for treasure. I saw it by candel withyn, and ther were conys. Yt was so straite that I had no mynd to crepe far yn. In the north side of the castel ys a hedde yn the walle, now fore defaced with wether. They call it queen Bertha hedde. Nere to that place hard by the wal was a pot of Romayne mony sownd."
The ruins of this antient castle stand upon the point of a hill or promontory, about a mile north-west from Sandwich, overlooking on each side, excepting towards the west, a great flat which appears by the lowness of it, and the banks of beach still shewing themselves in different places, to have been all once covered by the sea. The east side of this hill is great part of it so high and perpendicular from the flat at the foot of it, where the river Stour now runs, that ships with the greatest burthen might have lain close to it, and there are no signs of any wall having been there; but at the north end, where the ground rises into a natural terrace, so as to render one necessary, there is about 190 feet of wall left. Those on the other three sides are for the most part standing, and much more entire than could be expected, considering the number of years since they were built, and the most so of any in the kingdom, except Silchester. It is in shape an oblong square, containing within it a space of somewhat less than five acres. They are in general about ten feet high within, but their broken tops shew them to have been still higher. The north wall, on the outside, is about twice as high as it is within, or the other two, having been carried up from the very bottom of the hill, and it seems to have been somewhat longer than it is at present, by some pieces of it sallen down at the east end. The walls are about eleven feet thick. In the middle of the west side is the aperture of an entrance, which probably led to the city or town, and on the north side is another, being an entrance obliquely into the castle. Near the middle of the area are the ruins of some walls, full of bushes and briars, which seem as if some one had dug under ground among them, probably where once stood the prætorium of the Roman general, and where a church or chapel was afterwards erected, dedicated to St. Augustine, and taken notice of by Leland as such in his time. It appears to have been a chapel of ease to the church of Ash, for the few remaining inhabitants of this district, and is mentioned as such in the grant of the rectory of that church, anno 3 Edward VI. at which time it appears to have existed. About a furlong to the south, in a ploughed field, is a large circular work, with a hollow in the middle, the banks of unequal heights, which is supposed to have been an amphitheatre, built of turf, for the use of the garrison, the different heights of the banks having been occasioned by cultivation, and the usual decay, which must have happened from so great a length of time. These stations of the Romans, of which Richborough was one, were strong fortifications, for the most part of no great compass or extent, wherein were barracks for the loding of the soldiers, who had their usual winter quarters in them. Adjoining, or at no great distance from them, there were usually other, buildings forming a town; and such a one was here at Richborough, as has been already mentioned before, to which the station or fort was in the nature of a citadel, where the soldiers kept garrison. To this Tacitus seems to allude, when he says, "the works that in time of peace had been built, like a free town, not far from the camp, were destroyed, left they should be of any service to the enemy." (fn. 12) Which in great measure accounts for there being no kind of trace or remains left, to point out where this town once stood, which had not only the Romans, according to the above observation, but the Saxons and Danes afterwards, to carry forward at different æras the total destruction of it.
The burial ground for this Roman colony and station of Richborough, appears to have been on the hill at the end of Gilton town, in this parish, about two miles south-west from the castle, and the many graves which have been continually dug up there, in different parts of it, shew it to have been of general use for that purpose for several ages.
The scite of the castle at Richborough was part of the antient inheritance of the family of the Veres, earls of Oxford, from which it was alienated in queen Elizabeth's reign to Gaunt; after which it passed, in like manner as Wingham Barton before-described, to Thurbarne, and thence by marriage to Rivett, who sold it to Farrer, from whom it was alienated to Peter Fector, esq. of Dover, the present possessor of it. In the deed of conveyance it is thus described: And also all those the walls and ruins of the antient castle of Rutupium, now known by the name of Richborough castle, with the scite of the antient port and city of Rutupinum, being on and near the lands before-mentioned. About the walls of Richborough grows Fæniculum valgare, common fennel, in great plenty.
It may be learned from the second iter of Antonine's Itinerary, that there was once a Roman road, or highway from Canterbury to the port of Richborough, in which iter the two laft stations are, from Durovernum, Canterbury, to Richborough, ad portum Rutupis, xii miles; in which distance all the different copies of the Itinerary agree. Some parts of this road can be tracted at places at this time with certainty; and by the Roman burial-ground, usually placed near the side of a high road, at Gilton town, and several other Roman vestigia thereabouts, it may well be supposed to have led from Canterbury through that place to Richborough, and there is at this time from Goldston, in Ash, across the low-grounds to it, a road much harder and broader than usual for the apparent use of it, which might perhaps be some part of it.
Charities.
A person unknown gave four acres and an half of land, in Chapman-street, of the annual produce of 5l. towards the church assessments.
Thomas St. Nicholas, esq. of this parish, by deed about the year 1626, gave an annuity of 11. 5s. to be paid from his estate of Hoden, now belonging to the heirs of Nathaniel Elgar, esq. to be distributed yearly, 10s. to the repairing and keeping clean the Toldervey monument in this church, and 15s. on Christmas-day to the poor.
John Proude, the elder, of Ash, yeoman, by his will in 1626, ordered that his executor should erect upon his land adjoining to the church-yard, a house, which should be disposed of in future by the churchwardens and overseers, for a school-house, and for a storehouse, to lay in provision for the church and poor. This house is now let at 1l. per annum, and the produce applied to the use of the poor.
Richard Camden, in 1642, gave by will forty perches of land, for the use of the poor, and of the annual produce of 15s. now vested in the minister and churchwardens.
Gervas Cartwright, esq. and his two sisters, in 1710 and 1721, gave by deed an estate, now of the yearly value of 50l. for teaching fifty poor children to read, write, &c. vested in the minister, churchwardens, and other trustees.
The above two sisters, Eleanor and Anne Cartwright, gave besides 100l. for beautifying the chancel, and for providing two large pieces of plate for the communion service; and Mrs. Susan Robetts added two other pieces of plate for the same purpose.
There is a large and commodious workhouse lately built, for the use of the poor, to discharge the expence of which, 100l. is taken yearly out of the poor's rate, till the whole is discharged. In 1604, the charges of the poor were 29l. 15s. 11d. In 1779. 1000l.
There is a charity school for boys and girls, who are educated, but not cloathed.
The poor constantly relieved are about seventy-five, casually fifty-five.
This parish is within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the dioceseof Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a handsome building, of the form of a cross, consisting of two isles and two chancels, and a cross sept, having a tall spire steeple in the middle, in which are eight bells and a clock. It is very neat and handsome in the inside. In the high or south chancel is a monument for the Roberts's, arms, Argent, three pheons, sable, on a chief of the second, a greybound current of the first; another for the Cartwrights, arms, Or, a fess embattled, between three catherine wheels, sable. In the north wall is a monument for one of the family of Leverick, with his effigies, in armour, lying cross-legged on it; and in the same wall, westward, is another like monument for Sir John Goshall, with his effigies on it, in like manner, and in a hollow underneath, the effigies of his wife, in her head-dress, and wimple under her chin. A gravestone, with an inscription, and figure of a woman with a remarkable high high-dress, the middle part like a horseshoe inverted, for Jane Keriell, daughter of Roger Clitherow. A stone for Benjamin Longley, LL. B. minister of Ash twenty-nine years, vicar of Eynsford and Tonge, obt. 1783. A monument for William Brett, esq. and Frances his wife. The north chancel, dedicated to St. Nicholas, belongs to the manor of Molland. Against the north wall is a tomb, having on it the effigies of a man and woman, lying at full length, the former in armour, and sword by his side, but his head bare, a collar of SS about his neck, both seemingly under the middle age, but neither arms nor inscription, but it was for one of the family of Harflete, alias Septvans; and there are monuments and several memorials and brasses likewise for that family. A memorial for Thomas Singleton, M. D. of Molland, obt. 1710. One for John Brooke, of Brookestreet, obt. 1582, s. p. arms, Per bend, two eagles.—Several memorials for the Pekes, of Hills-court, and for Masters, of Goldstone. A monument for Christopher Toldervy, of Chartham, obt. 1618. A memorial for Daniel Hole, who, as well as his ancestors, had lived upwards of one hundred years at Goshall, as occupiers of it. In the north cross, which was called the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr, was buried the family of St. Nicholas. The brass plates of whom, with their arms, are still to be seen. A tablet for Whittingham Wood, gent. obt. 1656. In the south cross, a monument for Richard Hougham, gent. of Weddington, and Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Edward Sanders, gent. of Norborne. An elegant monument for Mary, wife of Henry Lowman, esq. of Dortnued, in Germany. She died in 1737, and he died in 1743. And for lieutenant colonel Christopher Ernest Kien, obt. 1744, and Jane his wife, their sole daughter and heir, obt. 1762, and for Evert George Cousemaker, esq. obt. 1763, all buried in a vault underneath, arms, Or, on a mount vert, a naked man, bolding a branch in his hand, proper, impaling per bend sinister, argent and gules, a knight armed on borjeback, holding a tilting spear erect, the point downwards, all counterchanged. On the font is inscribed, Robert Minchard, arms, A crescent, between the points of it a mullet. Several of the Harfletes lie buried in the church-yard, near the porch, but their tombs are gone. On each side of the porch are two compartments of stone work, which were once ornamented with brasses, most probably in remembrance of the Harfleets, buried near them. At the corner of the church-yard are two old tombs, supposed for the family of Alday.
In the windows of the church were formerly several coats of arms, and among others, of Septvans, alias Harflete, Notbeame, who married Constance, widow of John Septvans; Brooke, Ellis, Clitherow, Oldcastle, Keriell, and Hougham; and the figures of St. Nicholas, Keriell, and Hougham, kneeling, in their respective surcoats of arms, but there is not any painted glass left in any part of the church or chancels.
John Septvans, about king Henry VII.'s reign, founded a chantry, called the chantry of the upper Hall, as appears by the will of Katherine Martin, of Faversham, sometime his wife, in 1497. There was a chantry of our blessed Lady, and another of St. Stephen likewise, in it; both suppressed in the 1st year of king Edward VI. when the former of them was returned to be of the clear yearly certified value of 15l. 11s. 1½d. (fn. 13)
The church of Ash was antiently a chapel of east to that of Wingham, and was, on the foundation of the college there in 1286, separated from it, and made a distinct parish church of itself, and then given to the college, with the chapels likewise of Overland and Fleet, in this parish, appurtenant to this church; which becoming thus appropriated to the college, continued with it till the suppression of it in king Edward VI.'s reign, when this part of the rectory or parsonage appropriate, called Overland parsonage, with the advowson of the church, came, with the rest of the possessions of the college, into the hands of the crown, where the advowson of the vicarage, or perpetual curacy of it did not remain long, for in the year 1558, queen Mary granted it, among others, to the archbishop. But the above-mentioned part of the rectory, or parsonage appropriate of Ash, with those chapels, remained in the crown, till queen Elizabeth, in her 3d year, granted it in exchange to archbishop Parker, who was before possessed of that part called Goldston parsonage, parcel of the late dissolved priory of St. Gregory, by grant from king Henry VIII. so that now this parish is divided into two distinct parsonages, viz. of Overland and of Goldston, which are demised on separate beneficial leases by the archbishop, the former to the heirs of Parker, and the latter, called Gilton parsonage, from the house and barns of it being situated in that hamlet, to George Gipps, esq. M. P. for Canterbury. The patronage of the perpetual curacy remains parcel of the possessions of the see of Canterbury.
¶At the time this church was appropriated to the college of Wingham, a vicarage was endowed in it, which after the suppression of the college came to be esteemed as a perpetual curacy. It is not valued in the king's books. The antient stipend paid by the provost, &c. to the curate being 16l. 13s. 4d. was in 1660, augmented by archbishop Juxon with the addition of 33l. 6s. 8d. per annum; and it was afterwards further augmented by archbishop Sheldon, anno 28 Charles II. with twenty pounds per annum more, the whole to be paid by the several lessees of these parsonages. Which sum of seventy pounds is now the clear yearly certified value of it. In 1588 here were communicants five hundred; in 1640, eight hundred and fifty. So far as appears by the registers, the increase of births in this parish is almost double to what they were two hundred years ago.