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I had been to Mettingham once before. Well, other than passing through. Back in the 80s Mettingham had a fine trucker's cafe, which I seem to remember won awards, and nearby was the Tally Ho pub.
The Tally Ho are now tearooms, and the greasy spoon long gone.
I had gone to Mettingham to visit the village show, many of my friends at the chicken factory lived on farms and for them it was a major event. I took my whole family in our Ford Cortina. It was a low key thing, as you would imagine, but at the same time very enjoyable.
I drove out of Bungay, back up the hill past where the old Harley Davidson shop used to be, past where another pub used to stand, that was the Watch House if I remember. That has been knocked down and more houses built. Up the hill out of Bungay and I could see the Tally Ho ahead, but just after that there was a sign saying 'church open'. I didn't know there was a church on the road.
Later, as I drove further along, I saw another church at Shipmeadow, but that I discovered later is now a private house.
Anyway, back to Mettingham. I turned round and found a place to park just off the road, not knowing if private vehicles would be allowed up the lane.
The lane was very narrow, and curved to the left about 50 yards up, thus hiding the church completely.
I walked up and found a perfect small round-towered church, once again like in Bungay with a window set in the base of the tower.
Despite its rural setting, it was very tidy inside, cool and welcoming. A church I rather liked.
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There was a church at Mettingham in Saxon times, but the present edifice, though a very ancient structure, is of Norman foundation. It exhibits a very elegant doorway, on the north side of the nave, profusely ornamented with the chevron mouldings. The stone employed in this elaborate portal is of the very finest quality, and has braved the corroding blasts of our north-eastern gales for above seven centuries with little injury. The hand of man, however, has despoiled it of its columns, and failed to spare what time would have left unscathed.
The church comprises a nave, with a south aisle, a chancel, and a round tower, with a large porch on the south side, in the west wall of which is a fire-place and chimney. The tower is girded, about midway of its height, with a strong band of iron; but an examination of its interior presents no visible rent or decay, requiring such a singular appendage. It was put on about half a century ago, by the then churchwarden; who, as he was also the village blacksmith, has exemplified the truth of the fable, that there is nothing like leather. In the south aisle is an inarched monument, with a handsome canopy: there is also a good octagonal font of stone, with the remains of some very rich stalls, and portions of a once elegant screen.
The interior is kept in a very neat and reputable state, but is sadly disfigured by a barbarous east window. Besides the arms of De Norwich, which yet remain, the windows of this church formerly contained the following cognizances. Ufford quartering Becke; France and England quartered; and, sab. an eagle displayed or.
Having been early appropriated to Bungay Nunnery, this benefice became a vicarage. Upon the suppression of religious houses, the appropriation and advowson were granted, in the twenty-ninth of Henry VIII., to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk; but they were soon afterwards conveyed to Sir Nicholas Bacon, and united with the castle estates; the Rev. James Cutting Safford being the present impropriator, and patron of the vicarage.
The registers of this parish commence in the time of the Commonwealth; and I quote the first page from them to show what advantages were gained by the nation in consequence of the Act of Parliament which deprived the parochial clergy of their custody, and transferred it to laymen.
"Mettingham Register Booke.
"Wherein are written all the Mariages, Burths, and Burialls, accordinge to the late Act of Parlament made the 22 day of September, 1653.
"Richard Stannard, of the same towne, in the Countie of Suff., Gent., approved by us, whose handes are here under subscribed accordinge to the choice of him made by the Inhabitants of the said Parish, to have the keeping of the Booke, and sworne to performe the Office of a Register accordinge to an Act of Parlament made in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe hundred fifty and three.
Simon Suckbottle
Nasty Nan
John Gingerbread
Halfbrickt Man
Jumping Jones
Bounty Bridg
Dick Devill
Inhabitants of Utopia.
Monuments.—William Gooch, Esq., died 1685. Thomas Gooch, Gent., 1688. Attached to the monument are the arms of Gooch; party per pale, arg. and sab., a chevron between 3 talbots pass., counterchanged; on a chief gules 3 leopards' faces or. These gentlemen were ancestors of the present Sir Thomas Gooch, Bart., of Benacre Hall, whose family appears to have sprung from this village. In 1537, I meet with the name of Thomas Gooch, as witness to a deed, now preserved in the parish chest.
Jacob Twiss, Gent., died 1706. George Robinson, died 1808, aged 79.
There are many monuments of the Belwards, a family of ancient descent; being derived from Hugh de Belward, who came over with the Conqueror. Their arms, which are placed over some of the monuments here, are party per pale gules and argent, 3 pheons reversed, counterchanged.
In the reign of William the Conqueror, Robert Fitz-Hugh was Baron of Malpas in Cheshire, and held above thirty manors under Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, as appears by Domesday Book; but leaving no issue male, this barony, at length, by marriage of the heir female, came into the famous and knightly family of the Belwards, as Camden styles it, of which was John le Belward de Malpas, who lived in Rufus's time: to him succeeded William his son, who was Baron of Malpas in right of his mother, who was Lætitia, daughter and heiress of Robert Fitz-Hugh, and bore for arms 3 pheons, or dart heads. William, who was Baron of Malpas, left no legitimate issue; but Philip, his next brother, and then possessed of the manor of Egerton near Malpas, took, according to the custom of that age, the surname of Egerton from the place of his residence, and spread into many eminent and flourishing families, one of whose posterity is the Duke of Bridgewater.
Viscount Malpas and Earl of Cholmondeley, 1706, descended from William le Belward, Baron Malpas. Robert, by the gift of his father, had the lordship of Cholmondeley, settled there, and assumed the name of the place.
Thomas Cholmondeley, created Earl Delamere, 1821.
Thomas Egerton, Earl of Wilton, descended from William le Belward, who assumed the name of Egerton. The twelfth in descent was Sir Rowland Egerton, created a Baronet in 1617.
The Rev. Henry Belward Belward, of Mettingham (1845) assumed the name of his mother Esther, by the will of Dr. Richard Fisher Belward, who left him his estates.
Maria, daughter of William Belward, Gent., died 1731. Anna, fourth daughter of William Belward, died 1736. William Belward, Gent., died 18th August, 1700, aged 54. Hannah, his fifth daughter, died 1753, aged 58. Susanna, widow of the Rev. Charles Cock, A.M., died of the small-pox, 1738, aged 72. Edmund Purdy, died 1618. William Hayward, died 1753, aged 68. John Youngs, died 1671.
Elizabeth, relict of the Rev. James Chartres, formerly fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and vicar of Godmanchester, and West Haddon, obt. March 20, 1840, æt. 76.
James Cutting, eldest son of the Rev. James Cutting, and Louisa Safford, obt. July 9th, 1842, æt. 16.
The town estate of Mettingham produces a rental of about £100 per annum, and is under the management of feoffees chosen by the parishioners. The lands which produce this fine income were devised some centuries ago for parochial purposes; but the exact intentions of the benefactors are not clearly understood. The proceeds of their bequests are applied to the reparation of the church; in a distribution of coals to the poor; and to other parish purposes, which are, perhaps, not altogether legitimate. Laurence Skete, of Mettingham, and others, gave several pieces of land and meadow ground for the use of the poor. Among the deeds preserved in the office of the Bishop of Norwich is the following record. "Villuta de Mettingham tenet 3 ac: et dim: terræ nativæ tenem'ti Stambornes Manerij in una pecia de Metyngham. Idem tenet 3 rodas terræ liberæ pertinentis gilde, et jac: in Metyngham inter unam semitam."
Richard Umfrey, or Humfrey, Clerk, vicar of Mettingham in 1517, gave to the poor of this parish, lands, now let at £32. 7s. 6d. The original deed is—or was lately—in the parish chest, and is dated "apud Metyngham, ultimo die mensis Maij Anno regni Regis Henrici septimo."
As the above Richard Umfrey was also a liberal benefactor to the parish in other ways, I transcribe his short will, which contains many very curious and interesting particulars, illustrative of the manners and customs of his period.
"In nōie Dei, Amen. in the yere of our Lorde God MCCCCCXVij, the first day of Marche, I Richarde Umfrey, Clerke, Vicar of the church of All Seynts of Metyngh'm, beying in good and hool mynde, make my testamente and laste wille undre this fourme followyng. First, I come'nde my soule to Almyghtie God, to our blyssed Ladye, and to the celestyall Courte in Hevyn. And my Bodye to be buryed in the chauncell of Metyngh'm forsad byfor the sepultur and grave of Syr John Arcente, my predecessor. And at the daye of my buryeng I will that the maist' of the College in Metyngh'm forsad shall have xxd. And every brodre of the same College, xijd. And ev'y yoman servaunte abidyng in the said College shall have iiijd, and ev'y other servaunte and childe of the Almouse ther ijd. Also I will that ev'y other priste that shalbe at my buryeng shall have iiijd. Also I will that at the same daye of my buryeng the Ladye Prioresse of the monast'ye in Bongey shall have xijd. And ev'y other Lady of the same monast'ye vjd, and their convente priste viijd. to praye for my soule. Also I bequeath to ev'y houssolder in the said p'ysshe of Metyngh'm wheras arn man and wiff, viijd. And to ev'y other p'son jd at the sad daye to praye for my soule and all crysten soules. Also I gyff and bequeth to the maist' of the forsad College and to his brodren all that my Tēnt called Pyrtewell in Metyngh'm wt the gardeyn and the cloos to the sad tēnt belongyng wt thapp'tenents, undre this condic'on, that the said maist' and his brodren shall hold my annyv'sary yerly wt placebo and dirige and masse of Requiem for my soule, my fadres and modres soules, for my fryndes soules, and all cristen soules. And moreov' the sad maist' and his brodren shall gyff to thoos p'sones that shall rynge at Metyngh'm Church forsaid in the tyme of saying or syngyng of placebo and dirige at the said daye of my annyv'sary oon caste of brede and oon gallon of drynk. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Tounesshippe of Metyngh'm forsaid oon acr of londe lyeng among the londes of the said tounesshippe, undre this condison, that the Churchwardeyns of the same p'ysshe shall gyffe yerly at the daye of my annyv'ssary to the Vicar of the sad church of Metyngh'm, or to his Depute ther saying or syngyng placebo and dirige for my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all crysten soules, iiijd. And to offer jd. at Masse. Also I will that my cooffeoffes shall dely' or cause to be delyv'ed a state and seisyne of the forsaid te'nt, and all other landes forsade to the p'fourmaunce of this my laste will, when so ev' ther shall be required by my Executors. Also I will have an honest seculer priste to syng and praye for my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all crysten soules, by the space of twoo yers and longer yf yt may extende of my Goodes. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Cathedrall Church of the hooly Trinite of Norwych, vjs viijd. Also I bequeth to the forsaid Church of Metyngh'm my vestymente of blewe Velvett powdered wt flowres. And my chalice for to remayn to the same church as long as ther shall endur. And to the gyldyng of the Tabernacle of Seynt Mychael in the sad church, xxs. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Ladye Prioresse of the monast'ye in Bongay oon Goun wt the hoode. And to Dame Anne Page oon goun wt the hoode and vjs viijd. Also I bequeth to Mr. Thomas Wylkynes wiff a goun wt the hoode: to Mr. Reeves wiff a Goun wt the Hood: to Hamonde Lynstedes wife a Goun with the Hood. And to John Rooses wife a Goun wt the Hood: Also I bequeth to Robte Arwarde my lesser ffedrebedde with the bolster. The residue of all my Goodes wt my detts not bequethed I gyff and bequeth to the Disposicon and orderyng of Mayster Richarde Shelton, Clerk, and Sir Richard Wyburgh, priste, whom I ordeyn and make my Executors of this my Testamente and lastwille, thei to distrisbute and dispose them in Dedys of Charite to the most laude and praysyng of Allmyghty God for the welth and p'fyte of my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all cristen soules.
www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...
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, 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
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is 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 .
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.
I began the Kent church project back in 2008, and Barham was one of the first dozen I visited. I took a few shots, and from then I remember the window showing a very fine St George and a balcony from where the bells are rung giving great views down the church.
I have not stepped foot inside a Kent church since the end of September, and so I felt I needed to get back into it, as the orchid season is possibly just four months away, and then I will be lost for months.
Barham is like an old friend; it lies on a short cut from the A2 to the Elham Valley, so I pass down here many times a year, zig-zaggin at its western end as the road heads down towards the Nailbourne.
You can see the spire from the A2, nestling in the valley below, and yet being so close to a main road, the lane that winds it way through the timber framed and clapboard houses is wide enough to allow just one car to pass at a time.
Unusually, there is plentiful parking on the south side of the church, and from there there is a great view of the southern face of the church with its magnificent spire.
As hoped, it was open, and the church has so much more than I remember from what, eight years back.
Rows of modern chairs have replaced pews, but it looks good like thet. The church has a good collection of Victorian glass, some better than others, and there is that St George window at the western end of the north wall.
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A long and light church, best viewed from the south. Like nearby Ickham it is cruciform in plan, with a west rather than central, tower. Sometimes this is the result of a later tower being added, but here it is an early feature indeed, at least the same age (if not earlier) than the body of the church. Lord Kitchener lived in the parish, so his name appears on the War Memorial. At the west end of the south aisle, tucked out of the way, is the memorial to Sir Basil Dixwell (d 1750). There are two twentieth century windows by Martin Travers. The 1925 east window shows Our Lady and Child beneath the typical Travers Baroque Canopy. Under the tower, affixed to the wall, are some Flemish tiles, purchased under the will of John Digge who died in 1375. His memorial brass survives in the Vestry.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barham
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Many churches in Kent are well known for their yew trees but St. John the Baptist at Barham is noteworthy for its magnificent beech trees.
The Church guide suggests that there has been a Church here since the 9th Century but the present structure was probably started in the 12th Century although Syms, in his book about Kent Country Churches, states that there is a hint of possible Norman construction at the base of the present tower. The bulk of the Church covers the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular periods of building. Many of the huge roof beams, ties and posts are original 14th Century as are the three arches leading into the aisle..
In the Northwest corner is a small 13th Century window containing modern glass depicting St. George slaying the dragon and dedicated to the 23rd Signal Company. The Church also contains a White Ensign which was presented to it by Viscount Broome, a local resident. The Ensign was from 'H.M.S. Raglan' which was also commanded by Viscount Broome. The ship was sunk in January, 1918 by the German light cruiser 'Breslau'.
The walls contain various mural tablets. Hanging high on the west wall is a helmet said to have belonged to Sir Basil Dixwell of Broome Park. The helmet probably never saw action but was carried at his funeral.
The floor in the north transept is uneven because some years ago three brasses were found there. According to popular medieval custom engraved metal cut-outs were sunk into indented stone slabs and secured with rivets and pitch. In order to save them from further damage the brasses were lifted and placed on the walls. The oldest dates from about 1370 is of a civilian but very mutilated. The other two are in good condition and dated about 1460. One is of a woman wearing the dress of a widow which was similar to a nun. The other is of a bare headed man in plate armour. These are believed to be of John Digges and his wife Joan.
At the west end of the church is a list of Rectors and Priests-in-Charge - the first being Otho Caputh in 1280. Notice should be made of Richard Hooker (1594), the author of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. The tiles incorporated into the wall were originally in place in the Chancel about 1375. They were left by John Digges whose Will instructed that he was to be buried in the Chancel and "my executors are to buy Flanders tiles to pave the said Chancel".
The 14th century font is large enough to submerse a baby - as would have been the custom of the time. The bowl is octagonal representing the first day of the new week, the day of Christ's resurrection. The cover is Jacobean.
The Millennium Window in the South Transept was designed and constructed by Alexandra Le Rossignol and was dedicated in July 2001. The cost of the project (approximately £6,500) was raised locally with the first donation being made by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey.
The porch contains two wooden plaques listing the names of men from the village who were killed in the Great Wars - among them being Field Marshall Lord Kitchener of Broome Park.
www.barham-kent.org.uk/landmark_church.htm
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ANTIENTLY written Bereham, lies the next parish eastward. There are five boroughs in it, viz. of Buxton, Outelmeston, Derrington, Breach, and Shelving. The manor of Bishopsborne claims over almost the whole of this parish, at the court of which the four latter borsholders are chosen, and the manors of Reculver and Adisham over a small part of it.
BARHAM is situated at the confines of that beautiful country heretofore described, the same Nailbourne valley running through it, near which, in like manner the land is very fertile, but all the rest of it is a chalky barren soil. On the rise of the hill northward from it, is the village called Barham-street, with the church, and just beyond the summit of it, on the further side Barham court, having its front towards the downs, over part of which this parish extends, and gives name to them. At the foot of the same hill, further eastward, is the mansion of Brome, with its adjoining plantatious, a conspicuous object from the downs, to which by inclosing a part of them, the grounds extend as far as the Dover road, close to Denne-hill, and a costly entrance has been erected into them there. By the corner of Brome house the road leads to the left through Denton-street, close up to which this parish extends, towards Folkestone; and to the right, towards Eleham and Hythe. One this road, within the bounds of this parish, in a chalky and stony country, of poor barren land, there is a large waste of pasture, called Breach down, on which there are a number of tumuli, or barrows. By the road side there have been found several skeletons, one of which had round its neck a string of beads, of various forms and sizes, from a pidgeon's egg to a pea, and by it a sword, dagger, and spear; the others lay in good order, without any particular thing to distinguish them. (fn. 1)
In the Nailbourne valley, near the stream, are the two hamlets of Derrington and South Barham; from thence the hills, on the opposite side of it to those already mentioned, rise southward pretty high, the tops of them being covered with woods, one of them being that large one called Covert wood, a manor belonging to the archbishop, and partly in this parish, being the beginning of a poor hilly country, covered with stones, and enveloped with frequent woods.
BARHAM, which, as appears by the survey of Domesday, formerly lay in a hundred of its own name, was given anno 809, by the estimation of seven ploughlands, by Cenulph, king of Kent, to archbishop Wlfred, free from all secular demands, except the trinoda necessitas, but this was for the use of his church; for the archbishop, anno 824, gave the monks lands in Egelhorne and Langeduna, in exchange for it. After which it came into the possession of archbishop Stigand, but, as appears by Domesday, not in right of his archbishopric, at the taking of which survey, it was become part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Berham hundred, Fulbert holds of the bishop Berham. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is thirty two carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and fifty two villeins, with twenty cottagers having eighteen carucates. There is a church, and one mill of twenty shillings and four pence. There are twentlyfive fisheries of thirty-five shillings all four pence. Of average, that is service, sixty shilling. Of herbage twenty six shillings, and twenty acres of meadow Of pannage sufficient for one hundred and fifty hogs. Of this manor the bishop gave one berewic to Herbert, the son of Ivo, which is called Hugham, and there be has one carucate in demesne, and twelve villeins, with nine carucates, and twenty acres of meadow. Of the same manor the bisoop gave to Osberne Paisforere one suling and two mills of fifty sbillings, and there is in demesne one carucate, and four villeins with one carucate. The whole of Barbam, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, was worth forty pounds, when be received it the like, and yet it yielded to him one hundred pounds, now Berhem of itself is worth forty pounds, and Hucham ten pounds, and this which Osberne bas six pounds, and the land of one Ralph, a knight, is worth forty shillings. This manor Stigand, the archbishop held, but it was not of the archbishopric, but was of the demesne ferm of king Edward.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, and his estates being confiscated to the crown, the seignory of this parish most probably returned to the see of Canterbury, with which it has ever since continued. The estate mentioned above in Domesday to have been held of the bishop by Fulbert, comprehended, in all likelihood, the several manors and other estates in this parish, now held of the manor of Bishopsborne, one of these was THE MANOR AND SEAT OF BARHAM-COURT, situated near the church, which probably was originally the court-lodge of the manor of Barham in very early times, before it became united to that of Bishopsborne, and in king Henry II.'s time was held of the archbishop by knight's service, by Sir Randal Fitzurse, who was one of the four knights belonging to the king's houshould, who murdered archbishop Becket anno 1170; after perpetrating which, Sir Randal fled into Ireland, and changed his name to Mac-Mahon, and one of his relations took possession of this estate, and assumed the name of Berham from it; and accordingly, his descendant Warin de Berham is recorded in the return made by the sheriff anno 12 and 13 king John, among others of the archbishop's tenants by knight's service, as holding lands in Berham of him, in whose posterity it continued till Thomas Barham, esq. in the very beginning of king James I.'s reign, alienated it to the Rev. Charles Fotherbye, dean of Canterbury, who died possessed of it in 1619. He was eldest son of Martin Fotherby, of Great Grimsby, in Lincolnshire, and eldest brother of Martin Fotherby, bishop of Salisbury. He had a grant of arms, Gules, a cross of lozenges flory, or, assigned to him and Martin his brother, by Camden, clarencieux, in 1605. (fn. 2) His only surviving son Sir John Fotherbye, of Barham-court, died in 1666, and was buried in that cathedral with his father. At length his grandson Charles, who died in 1720, leaving two daughters his coheirs; Mary, the eldest, inherited this manor by her father's will, and afterwards married Henry Mompesson, esq. of Wiltshire, (fn. 3) who resided at Barhamcourt, and died in 1732, s. p. and she again carried this manor in marriage to Sir Edward Dering, bart. of Surrenden, whose second wife she was. (fn. 4) He lest her surviving, and three children by her, Charles Dering, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Farnaby, bart. since deceased, by whom he has an only surviving daughter, married to George Dering, esq. of Rolling, the youngest son of the late Sir Edw. Dering, bart. and her first cousin; Mary married Sir Robert Hilyard, bart. and Thomas Dering, esq. of London. Lady Dering died in 1775, and was succeeded by her eldest son Charles Dering, esq. afterwards of Barhamcourt, the present owner of it. It is at present occupied by Gen. Sir Charles Grey, bart. K. B. commanderin chief of the southern district of this kingdom.
THE MANORS OF BROME and OUTELMESTONE, alias DIGGS COURT, are situated in this parish; the latter in the valley, at the western boundary of it, was the first residence in this county of the eminent family of Digg, or, as they were asterwards called, Diggs, whence it gained its name of Diggs-court. John, son of Roger de Mildenhall, otherwise called Digg, the first-mentioned in the pedigrees of this family, lived in king Henry III.'s reign, at which time he, or one of this family of the same name, was possessed of the aldermanry of Newingate, in Canterbury, as part of their inheritance. His descendants continued to reside at Diggs-court, and bore for their arms, Gules, on a cross argent, five eagles with two heads displayed, sable, One of whom, James Diggs, of Diggs-court, died in 1535. At his death he gave the manor and seat of Outelmeston, alias Diggs-court, to his eldest son (by his first wife) John, and the manor of Brome to his youngest son, (by his second wife) Leonard, whose descendants were of Chilham castle. (fn. 5) John Diggs, esq. was of Diggs-court, whose descendant Thomas Posthumus Diggs, esq. about the middle of queen Elizabeth's reign, alienated this manor, with Diggs-place, to Capt. Halsey, of London, and he sold it to Sir Tho. Somes, alderman of London, who again parted with it to Sir B. Dixwell, bart. and he passed it away to Sir Thomas Williams, bart. whose heir Sir John Williams, bart. conveyed it, about the year 1706, to Daniel and Nathaniel Matson, and on the death of the former, the latter became wholly possessed of it, and his descendant Henry Matson, about the year 1730, gave it by will to the trustees for the repair of Dover harbour, in whom it continues at this time vested for that purpose.
BUT THE MANOR OF BROME, which came to Leonard Diggs, esq. by his father's will as above-mentioned, was sold by him to Basil Dixwell, esq. second son of Cha. Dixwell, esq. of Coton, in Warwickshire, then of Tevlingham, in Folkestone, who having built a handsome mansion for his residence on this manor, removed to it in 1622. In the second year of king Charles I. he served the office of sheriff with much honour and hospitality; after which he was knighted, and cveated a baronet. He died unmarried in 1641, having devised this manor and seat, with the rest of his estates, to his nephew Mark Dixwell, son of his elder brother William, of Coton above-mentioned, who afterwards resided at Brome, whose son Basil Dixwell, esq. of Brome, was anno 12 Charles II. created a baronet. He bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron, gules, between three sleurs de lis, sable. His only son Sir Basil Dixwell, bart. of Brome, died at Brome,s. p. in 1750, and devised this, among the rest of his estates, to his kinsman George Oxenden, esq. second son of Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. of Dean, in Wingham, with an injunction for him to take the name and arms of Dixwell, for which an act passed anno 25 George II. but he died soon afterwards, unmarried, having devised this manor and seat to his father Sir George Oxenden, who settled it on his eldest and only surviving son, now Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. who is the present owner of it. He resides at Brome, which he has, as well as the grounds about it, much altered and improved for these many years successively.
SHELVING is a manor, situated in the borough of its own name, at the eastern boundary of this parish, which was so called from a family who were in antient times the possessors of it. John de Shelving resided here in king Edward I.'s reign, and married Helen, daughter and heir of John de Bourne, by whom he had Waretius de Shelving, whose son, J. de Shelving, of Shelvingborne, married Benedicta de Hougham, and died possessed of this manor anno 4 Edward III. After which it descended to their daughter Benedicta, who carried it in marriage to Sir Edmund de Haut, of Petham, in whose descendants, in like manner as Shelvington, alias Hautsborne, above-described, it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Hautsborne, in king Henry VIII's reign, whose eldest daughter and coheir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Tho. Colepeper, esq. of Bedgbury, who in the beginning of king Edward VI.'s reign passed it away to Walter Mantle, whose window carried it by a second marriage to Christopher Carlell, gent. who bore for his arms, Or, a cross flory, gules; one of whose descendants sold it to Stephen Hobday, in whose name it continued till Hester, daughter of Hills Hobday, carried it in marriage to J. Lade, esq. of Boughton, and he having obtained an act for the purpose, alienated it to E. Bridges, esq. of Wootton-court, who passed away part of it to Sir George Oxenden, bart. whose son Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. of Brome, now owns it; but Mr. Bridges died possessed of the remaining part in 1780, and his eldest son the Rev. Edward Timewell Brydges, is the present possessor of it.
MAY DEACON, as it has been for many years past both called and written, is a seat in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to Denton-street, in which parish part of it is situated. Its original and true name was Madekin, being so called from a family who were owners of it, and continued so, as appears by the deeds of it, till king Henry VI's reign, in the beginning of which it passed from that name to Sydnor, in which it continued till king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Paul Sydnor, who upon his obtaining from the king a grant of Brenchley manor, removed thither, and alienated this seat to James Brooker, who resided here, and his sole daughter and heir carried it in marriage, in queen Elizabeth's reign, to Sir Henry Oxenden, of Dene, in Wingham, whose grandson Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. sold it in 1664, to Edward Adye, esq. the second son of John Adye, esq. of Doddington, one of whose daughters and coheirs, Rosamond, entitled her husband George Elcock, esq. afterwards of Madekin, to it, and his daughter and heir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Capt. Charles Fotherby, whose eldest daughter and coheir Mary, entitled her two successive husbands, Henry Mompesson, esq. and Sir Edward Dering, bart. to the possession of it, and Charles Dering, esq. of Barham-court, eldest son of the latter, by her, is at this time the owner of it. The seat is now inhabited by Henry Oxenden, esq.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly maintained are about forty, casually fifteen.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanryof Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. John Baptist, is a handsome building, consisting of a body and side isle, a cross or sept, and a high chancel, having a slim tall spire at the west end, in which are four bells. In the chancel are memorials for George Elcock, esq. of Madeacon, obt. 1703, and for his wife and children; for Charles Bean, A. M. rector, obt. 1731. A monument for William Barne, gent. son of the Rev. Miles Barne. His grandfather was Sir William Barne, of Woolwich, obt. 1706; arms, Azure, three leopards faces, argent. Several memorials for the Nethersoles, of this parish. In the south sept is a magnificent pyramid of marble for the family of Dixwell, who lie buried in a vault underneath, and inscriptions for them. In the north sept is a monument for the Fotherbys. On the pavement, on a gravestone, are the figures of an armed knight (his feet on a greyhound) and his wife; arms, A cross, quartering six lozenges, three and three. In the east window these arms, Gules, three crowns, or—Gules, three lions passant in pale, or. This chapel was dedicated to St. Giles, and some of the family of Diggs were buried in it; and there are memorials for several of the Legrands. There are three tombs of the Lades in the church-yard, the inscriptions obliterated, but the dates remaining are 1603, 1625, and 1660. There were formerly in the windows of this church these arms, Ermine, a chief, quarterly, or, and gules, and underneath, Jacobus Peccam. Another coat, Bruine and Rocheleyquartered; and another, Gules, a fess between three lions heads, erased, argent, and underneath,Orate p ais Roberti Baptford & Johe ux; which family resided at Barham, the last of whom, Sir John Baptford, lest an only daughter and heir, married to John Earde, of Denton.
¶The church of Barham has always been accounted as a chapel to the church of Bishopsborne, and as such is included in the valuation of it in the king's books. In 1588 here were communicants one hundred and eighty; in 1640 there were two hundred and fifty.
I visit Stockbury a lot in the spring and early summer, to see the local orchids and other wild flowers. But have only been inside the church once before, and only taken wide angle shots.
So, long overdue for a return.
Stockbury overlooks the northern end of the A249, just before it reaches the Medway towns and the M2, but is set high on the wooded down above the traffic, and although the noise never quite fades away, it is a distant hum.
St Mary sits on the very edge of the down, as the lane tumbles down to join the main road below, but the churchyard, and church are an oasis of calm and tranquility.
Looking at this shot especially, I see that the roof supports seem to have been built into the former clerestory windows?
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A fire of 1836 and a restoration of 1851 have left their marks on this prominent Downland church. The east wall of the chancel contains three lancets, of nineteenth-century origin, which contain some lovely glass of the early years of the twentieth century. To the north and south of the chancel are transepts separated by nicely carved screens. The southern transept is the more picturesque, for its roof timbers are exposed and below, in its east wall, are three sturdy windows of which the centre one is blocked. The west end of the nave is built up to form a platform upon which stands the organ. On either side of the chancel arch are typical nineteenth-century Commandment Boards, required by law until the late Victorian era, with good marble shafting to mirror the medieval work in the chancel.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Stockbury
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STOCKBURY
IS the next parish northward from Hucking. It is called in the survey of Domesday, Stochingeberge, in later records, Stockesburie, and now Stockbury.
The western, which is by far the greatest part of it, lies in the hundred of Eyhorne, and division of West Kent, the remainder of it in that of Milton, and division of East Kent, over which part that manor claims, but the church and village being in the former district, the parish is esteemed as being in the former division of the county.
This parish lies on each side of the valley, called from it Stockbury valley, along which the high road leads from Key-street to Detling-hill, and thence to Maidstone; hence it extends on the hills on each side, for more than a mile. It lies mostly on high ground, and though exposed to the northern aspect, is not, especially on the northern side of the valley, near so bleak and cold as the parishes on the hills, lately before-described, nor is the soil, though much like them, and very flinty in general, quite so poor; and on the north side next to Hartlip and Newington, there is some land much more fertile, partaking more of the loam, and much less mixed with flints; the sides of the valley are covered with coppice woods, which extend round the western boundary of the parish, where there is some uninclosed. downe, being poor ruffit land, and a wild and dreary country.
On the north side of the valley, close to the summit of the hill, is the church, with the court-lodge near it, and a small distance further, on the north side of the parish, the village called Stockbury-street, in which stands the parsonage, and a little further Hill-greenhouse, the residence of William Jumper, esq. having an extensive prospect northward over the neighbouring country, and the channel beyond it, the former owners of which seat will be mentioned in the description of Yelsted manor hereafter; at a small distance southward from hence are the two hamlets of Guilsted and South-streets, situated close to the brow of the hill adjoining to the woods.
On the south side of the valley the woodland continues up the hills, westward of which is the hamlet of Southdean-green adjoining the large tract of woodland called Binbury wood. The manor of Southdean belongs to Mr. John Hudson, of Bicknor. On the eastern side of the woodland first mentioned is the hamlet of Pett, at the south-east boundary of the parish, which was formerly the property and residence of a family of that name, Reginald atte Pett resided here, and by his will in 1456 gave several legacies to the church towards a new beam, a new bell called Treble, the work of the new isle, and the making a new window there. Near it is a small manor called the Yoke of Hamons atte Deane, and upon these hills the small manors are frequently called Yokes.
There is a fair for pedlary, toys, &c. formerly on St. Mary Magdalen's day, July 22, but now by the al teration of the style, on August 2, yearly, which is held by order of the lord of the manor on the broad green before the Three Squirrels public-house in Stockbury valley.
On June 24, 1746, hence called the Midsummer storm, the most dreadful tempest happened that was ever remembered by the oldest man then living. The chief force of it was felt in the northern part of the middle of the county, and in some few parts of East Kent. It directed its course from the southward, and happily spread only a few miles in width, but whereever it came, its force was irresistible, overturning every thing in its way, and making a general desolation over every thing it passed. The morning was very close and hot, with a kind of stagnated air, and towards noon small, bright, undulated clouds arose, which preceded the storm, with a strong south wind; it raised a torrent, and the flashes of lightning were incessant, like one continued blaze, and the thunder without intermission for about fifteen or twenty minutes. When the tempest was over, the sky cleared up, and the remainder of the day was remarkably bright and serene. From an eminence of ground the passage of the storm might easily be traced by the eye, by the destruction it had made, quite to the sea and the waters of the Swale to which it passed. Neither the eastern or western extremities of the county felt any thing of it.
This place, at the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, in the year 1080, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the Conqueror's half brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus described:
The same Ansgotus, de Rochester, holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Stockingeberge. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is. In demesne there are two carucates, and five villeins, with nine borderers having two carucates. There is a church, and two servants, and one mill of sixty-four pence. Wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth four pounds, now six pounds. Elveva held it of king Edward.
After the bishop's forfeiture of all his lands, which happened about four years afterwards, this place came into the possession of the family of Auberville, being held by them of Roger de St. John, as one knight's fee. Roger de Aubervill, for de Albrincis, was a man who held large possessions at the time of the general survey before-mentioned. William de Aubervill, his descendant, in 1192, anno 4 Richard I. founded the priory of Langdon, in this county, and his descendant of the same name died possessed of the manor of Stokinburie in the 36th year of Henry III. holding it by knight's service.
He left an only daughter and heir Joane, who carried it in marriage to Nicholas de Criol, a man of eminence in his time, who attending Edward I. at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, was there made a knight banneret for his services performed at it, and in the 21st year of it he was allowed, by the justices itinerant, to have free-warren for all his estate here, except one plough-land, which was called Stannerland. He died possessed of this manor in the 31st year of that reign, and Philipott says many of their deeds bore teste, from their castle of Stockbury, which means no more, than its being one of the castellated seats of the family, as did his grandson John, in the 9th year of king Edward III. at which time he spelt his name Keryell.
After which it remained in his descendants down to Sir Thomas Kiriell, knight of the garter, eminent for his services to the house of York, during the reign of Henry VI. but being taken prisoner at the battle of Bernards-heath, near St. Albans, sought anno 38 king Henry VI. in which the Yorkists were defeated, he was, by the queen's order, beheaded, notwithstanding the king had granted him his life, when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor of the king in capite by knight's service, by homage, and paying to the ward of Rochester castle yearly, and to the king's court of Mylton. He died without male issue, leaving two daughters his coheirs, one of whom, Elizabeth, carried this manor in marriage to John Bourchier, whom she survived, and afterwards died possessed of it in the 14th year of Henry VII. holding it in manner as before-mentioned. Soon after which it appears to have been alienated to Robert Tate, who died possessed of it in the 16th year of that reign, holding it by the like service. His descendant William Tate, who in the reign of James I. alienated it to Sir Edward Duke, of Cosington, in Aylesford, whose widow held it in jointure at the time of the restoration of king Charles II.
Her son, George Duke, esq. alienated it to John Conny, surgeon, and twice mayor of Rochester, and son of Robert Conny, of Godmanchester, in Huntingdonshire. John Conny, together with his son Robert Conny, of Rochester, M. D. conveyed it in 1700 to Thomas Lock, gent. of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Parted per fess, azure, and or, a pale counterchanged, three falcons, volant of the second, and his widow Prudentia, together with her three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, Robert, Thomas, and Henry, in 1723, passed it away by sale to Sir Roger Meredith, bart. of Leeds-abbey, who dying s.p. in 1738, left it by will to his niece Susanna Meredith, in tail general, with divers remainders over, in like manner as Leedsabbey before-described, with which it came at length, by the disposition of the same will, the intermediate remainders having ceased, to William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green-house, in this parish, who resided at Leeds-abbey, and afterwards joined with Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. in whom the fee of it, after Mr. Jumper's death without male issue, was become vested, in the conveyance of this manor in fee to John Calcraft, esq. of Ingress, who died in 1772, and by his will devised it to his son John Calcraft, and he sold it in 1794 to Flint Stacey, esq, of Maidstone, the present owner of it.
YELSTED, or as it is spelt, Gillested, is a manor in this parish, which was formerly part of the possessions of the noted family of Savage, who held it of the family of Auberville, as the eighth part of one knight's fee. John de Savage, grandson of Ralph de Savage, who was with Richard I. at the siege of Acon, obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands here in the 23d year of Edward I. Roger de Savage, in the 5th year of Edward II. had a grant of liberties for his demesne lands here, and Arnold, son of Sir Thomas Savage, died possessed of it in the 49th year of king Edward III. and left it to his son Sir Arnold Savage, of Bobbing, whose son Arnold dying s.p. his sister Elizabeth became his heir. She was then the wife of William Clifford, esq. who in her right became possessed of this manor among the rest of her inheritance, and in his descendants it continued till the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Lewis Clifford, esq. alienated it to Knight, whose descendant Mr. Richard Knight, gent, of Helle-house, in this parish, died possessed of it in 1606, and was buried in this church; his descendant William Knight leaving an only daughter and heir Frances, widow of Mr. Peter Buck, of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Argent, on a bend, azure, between two cotizes, wavy, sable, three mullets, or. He died soon after the death of Charles I. when she entered into the possession of this manor, after whose death her heirs passed it away by sale to Sir William Jumper, commissioner of his Majesty's navy at Plymouth. He had been knighted in 1704, for his services, as well at he taking of Gibraltar, as in the naval engagement with the French afterwards, being at both commander of the Lenox man of war, who died at Plymouth, where he was buried in 1715. He bore for his arms, Argent, two bars gemelles, sable, between three mullets of six points, pierced, gules. His son, William Jumper, esq. was of Hill-green-house, as it is now called, and died in 1736, leaving by Jane his wife, daughter of Thomas Hooper, gent. one son, William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green, likewise, who sold it, about 1757, to the Rev. Pierce Dixon, master of the mathematical free school at Rochester, and afterwards vicar of this parish, who died possessed of it in 1766, leaving it in the possession of his widow, Mrs. Grace Dixon, (daughter of Mr. Broadnax Brandon, gent. of Shinglewell), who soon afterwards remarried with Mr. Richard Hull, of London, who resided at Hill-green-house, and afterwards sold this manor, together with that seat, to William Jumper, esq. the former owner of it, who now resides here, and is the present possessor of both of them.
COWSTED is another manor in Stockbury, which was antiently written Codested, and was possessed by a family who took their surname from it, and resided here. They bore for their arms, Gules, three leopards heads, argent; which coat was afterwards assumed by Hengham. William de Codested died possessed of this manor in the 27th year of Edward I. holding it of the king in capite by the service of one sparrow-hawk, or two shillings yearly at the king's exchequer, as did his son William de Codestede in the 3d year of king Edward III. when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor by the above-mentioned service, and likewise a burgage in Canterbury, of the king, of the serme of that city, and that Richard de Codestede was his brother and next heir, whose son John de Codestede, vulgarly called Cowsted, about the beginning of king Richard II.'s reign, leaving an only daughter and heir, married to Hengham, he became in her right possessed of it, and assumed her arms likewise.
His descendant, Odomarus de Hengham, resided here, who dying in 1411, anno 13 Henry IV. was buried in Christ-church, Canterbury, and it continued in his name till the reign of Henry. VI. when it was car ried, partly by marriage and partly by sale, by Agnes, a sole daughter and heir to John Petyte, who afterwards resided here, and dying in 1460, lies buried with her within the Virgin Mary's chapel, or south chancel, in this church. One of his descendants, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Osborne, and Edward Osborne, gent. died possessed of it in 1622, and lies buried in the north chancel of this church. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, argent, and azure, in the first and fourth quarter, an ermine spot, sable; over all, on a cross, or, five annulets, sable; whose son, of the same name, leaving an only daughter and heir Mary, she entitled her husband, William Fagg, to the possession of it.
His descendant, John Fagg, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, was created a baronet on December 11, 1660, and died in 1700, leaving three sons, Sir Robert, his successor; Charles, ancestor of the present baronet, of whom an account will be given under Chartham; and Thomas, who married Elizabeth, widow of John Meres, esq. by whom he left a son John Meres Fagg, esq. of whom an account will be given under Brenset. (fn. 1) Sir Robert Fagg, bart. his successor, left one son Robert, and four daughters, one of whom married Gawen Harris Nash, esq. of Petworth, in Sussex, and Elizabeth, another daughter, was the second wife of Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. of that county. Sir Robert Fagg, bart. the son, dying s.p. in 1740, devised this manor, with that of Cranbrooke, in Newington, and other estates in these parts, and in Sussex, to his sister Elizabeth, who entitled her husband Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. above-mentioned, to the possession of them. He left by her a son Charles Goring, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, who sold this manor, with his other estates in this parish and Newington, to Edward Austen, esq. who is the present possessor of them.
IT APPEARS by the antient ledger book of the abbey of St. Austin's; near Canterbury, that the abbot and convent were antiently possessed of A PORTION OF TITHES issuing from the manor of Cowsted in Stockbury, which portion continued part of the possessions of the monastery till the dissolution of it, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when the abbey, with all its revenues, was surrendered up into the king's hands.
This portion of tithes, or at least part of it, consisting of the great tithes of two hundred and thirty five acres of land, was afterwards granted in fee to Petytt, from which name it was alienated, with the manor of Cowsted, to Osborne, and it passed afterwards with it in like manor down to Sir Robert Fagg, bart. on whose death s. p. in 1740, one of his sisters entitled her husband Gawen Harris Nash, esq. by his will, to the possession of it, whose son alienated it to Charles Goring, esq. before-mentioned, and he sold it to Edward Austen, esq. the present owner of it.
NETTLESTED is an estate here, which by the remains of the antient mansion of it, situated in Stockburystreet, appears to have been once a seat of some note. The family of Plot, ancestors to that eminent naturalist Dr. R. Plot, possessed it, at least as early as the reign of Edward IV. when William Plot resided here, where his descendants continued till Robert Plot, gent. of Nettlested, having, in the 2d year of queen Elizabeth, purchased Sutton barne in the adjoining parish of Borden, removed thither. His heirs alienated Nettlested to Mr. Richard Allen, of Stockbury, whose descendant Thomas Allen, afterwards, with Gertrude his wife, anno 9 George I. alienated it to Mr. John Thurston, of Chatham, whose son Mr. Thomas Thurston, of that place, attorney-at-law, conveyed it to that learned antiquary John Thorpe, M. D. of Rochester, who died possessed of it in 1750, and was buried in the chancel belonging to this estate, on the north side of Stockbury church. He left one son John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, whose two daughters and coheirs, Catherina-Elizabeth married to Thomas Meggison, esq. of Whalton near Morpeth, in Northumberland, and Ethelinda-Margaretta married to Cuthbert Potts, esq. of London, are the present possessors of it. (fn. 2)
THERE is a portion of tithes, which consists of those of corn and hay growing on forty acres of the lands belonging to the estate of Nettlested, which formerly belonged to the almonry of St. Augustine's monastery, and is called AMBREL TANTON, corruptly for Almonry Tanton. After the dissolution of the above-mentioned monastery, this portion was granted by Henry VIII. in his 36th year, to Ciriac Pettit, esq. of Colkins, who anno 35 Elizabeth, passed it away to Robert Plot; since which it has continued in the same succession of owners, that Nettlested, above-described, has, down to the two daughters and coheirs of John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, before-mentioned, who are the present owners of it.
Charities.
A PERPETUAL ANNUITY of 2l. 10s. per annum was given in 1721, by the will of Mrs. Jane Bentley, of St. Andrew's, Holborne, and confirmed by that of Edward Bentley, esq. (fn. 3) her executor, payable out of an estate in the parish of Smeeth. which was, in 1752, the property of Mrs. Jane Jumper, and now of Mr. Watts; to be applied for the use of three boys and three girls, to go to school to some old woman in this parish, for four years, and no longer, and then 40s. more from it to buy for each of them a bible, prayer-book, and Whole Duty of Man.
MR. JAMES LARKIN, of this parish, gave by will an annuity, payable out of the lands of Mr. James Snipp, to the poor of this parish, of 1l. per annum produce.
SIX ACRES OF LAND, near South-street, were given by a person unknown to the like use, of the yearly produce of 2l. 8s. vested in the minister and churchwardens.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the use of the poor a cottage on Norden green, in this parish, vested in the same, of the annual produce of 1l.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the like use a field; containing between two and three acres, lying near Dean Bottom, in Bicknor, now rented by Robert Terry, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 12s.
A COTTAGE in the street was given for the use of the poor, by an unknown person, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 1l.
The number of poor constantly relieved are about thirty-six, casually fifteen.
STOCKBURY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sittingborne.
The church, which is both large and losty, is very antient, and consists of a middle and two narrow side isles, a high chancel, and two cross ones. The pillars and arches in it are more elegant than is usual in country churches, and the former, on the north side, are of Bethersden marble, rude and antient. It has a square tower at the west end, in which hangs a peal of six bells, and is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. In the great chancel lie buried several of the Hoopers, Knights, Bentleys, and Jumpers. The south chancel belongs to the Cowsted estate, in which lie buried the Pettits and Osbornes, and in the north chancel belonging to the Nettlested estate, Dr. Thorpe and his wife, formerly owners of it.
The church of Stockbury was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Leeds, to which it was given, soon after its foundation, by William Fitzhelt, the patron of it.
Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, in the reign of king Richard I. confirmed this gift, and appropriated this church to the use of the priory, reserving, nevertheless, from the perpetual vicar of it, the annual pension of one marc, to be paid by him to the prior and convent. Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, confirmed the above in 1237, anno 22 Henry III. and granted to them the further sum of ten marcs from it, to be paid half yearly by the vicar of it, (fn. 4) which grants were further confirmed by the succeeding archbishops.
The church and vicarage of Stockbury remained part of the possessions of the above-mentioned priory till the dissolution of it, in the reign of Henry VIII. when it came, with the rest of the revenue of that house, into the king's hands.
After which, the king, by his donation-charter, in his 33d year, settled both the parsonage and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Stockbury on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they now remain.
¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed, by order of the state, in 1649, when it was returned, that the rectory or parsonage of Stockbury, late belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, consisted of a fair dwelling-house, dove house, and other necessary buildings, yards, &c. and the tithes belonging to it, all which were valued at eighty pounds per annum, and the glebe-lands, containing one hundred and forty-four acres, were worth, with the above, 132l. 10s. all which premises were let by the dean and chapter, anno 16 king Charles I. to John Hooper, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 14l. 5s. 4d. That the lesse was bound to repair the chancel; and that the vicarage was excepted, worth fifty pounds per annum. (fn. 5)
The presentation to the vicarage of this church is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands; (fn. 6) but the parsonage continued to be leased out to the family of Hooper, who resided there; several of whom lie buried in this church, particularly John, son of James Hooper, gent. of Halberton, in Devonshire, which John was receiver of the fines, under king Philip and queen Mary, for the Marches, of Wales, and died in 1548. He married Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Roberts, of Glassenbury. At length, by marriage of one of the daughters of Walter Hooper, esq. it passed to William Hugessen, esq. eldest son of John Hugessen, esq. of Stodmarsh. He resided here till his father's death, when he removed to Stodmarsh, and he is the present lessee of this parsonage, under the dean and chapter.
305 Broadway, Civic Center, Downtown Manhattan, New York City, United States of America
Civic Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
The 13-story (plus basement) Mutual Reserve Building (1892-94), located on the northwest corner of Broadway and Duane Street, is one of New York City's most significant examples of a tall late-19th-century office building designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style. The two designed facades feature granite and limestone cladding, rusticated piers, foliate carving, and arcaded base and upper sections. The architect, William H. Hume, was best known in his day for commercial and institutional work, and this is his most important extant commission.
The building is notable as an early steel cage- framed structure in New York, constructed just prior to the full development of the skyscraper. The builder was the eminent Richard Deeves, while the prominent consulting structural engineer was Frederick H. Kindl, chief engineer of the Carnegie Steel Co. The Mutual Reserve Building was owned, until 1920, by the grandchildren of the immensely wealthy Boston merchant shipping magnate and shipbuilder, William F. Weld.
The initial principal tenant of the building was the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association, launched in 1881 with the intention of offering life insurance at cost and called by King's Handbook of New York in 1892 "the largest purely mutual natural-premium life-association in the world." Mutual Reserve only lasted until 1909, however,
and the structure was re-named the Langdon Building. It has housed many other tenants, including firms and organizations associated with the publishing and paper trades, as well as many lawyers' offices, and was the first long-term home of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (1967-80). The original main and auxiliary entrances on Broadway were altered and eliminated, respectively (c. 1923). The Mutual Reserve Building is also significant as a survivor among the 19th-century insurance industry buildings along Broadway in this vicinity, which include the Home Life Insurance Co. Building (1892-94, Napoleon le Brun & Sons), No. 256, and New York Life Insurance Co. Building (1894-99, Stephen Decatur Hatch with McKim, Mead & White), No. 346.
DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS
William F. Weld Estate
The Mutual Reserve Building was commissioned by the Estate of William F. Weld. One of America's most successful merchant shipping magnates and shipbuilders, William Fletcher Weld (1800-1881), the proprietor of William F. Weld & Co. in Boston, operated one of the largest fleets in the country, including the Senator (1833), one of the largest ships of its era. His trade was centered in the Canary Islands, East and West Indies, Manila, and Singapore. Merchants in both Boston and New York City had created immense wealth based on commerce with Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia starting in the 18th century - participation in the trans-Atlantic "triangular trade" became an integral part of both cities' economies. These merchants were significant in this highly lucrative Europe-Africa-Americas shipping network that traded enslaved workers from Africa and the Caribbean, manufactured goods, and products from the Caribbean, such as sugar, rum, molasses, tobacco, rice, and cotton. Located closer to the West Indies, New York eventually surpassed Boston in the domination of the northern Atlantic coastal trade. This trade, in turn, spurred a number of profitable local industries, such as shipbuilding and food processing, particularly sugar refining, distilling molasses into rum, and the conversion of tobacco into snuff.
William F. Weld also invested in the construction of railroads, and became sole agent of the English firm of Thompson & Forman, producer of iron rails. After he retired from business in 1861, according to a biographical sketch, he "devoted himself largely to real estate, purchasing and building stores and warehouses in Boston and New York, a policy he directed, in his will, should be carried out by his trustees." He left an estate estimated to be about $21 million which, after various family and charitable bequests, was left to his four grandchildren (the two granddaughters when they reached the age of 25): William Fletcher Weld, Jr. (1855-1893), Charles Goddard Weld (18571911), Mary Bryant Pratt (later Sprague, then Brandegee)(1871-1956), and Isabel Weld Perkins (later Anderson)(1876-1948). His son, William Gordon Weld (1827-1896), grandson William F. Weld, Jr., and Samuel Johnson were the original executors of the estate.
In May 1888, the Weld Estate (on behalf of the four Weld grandchildren) purchased a lot for $350,000 at the northwest corner of Broadway and Duane Street, and in 1890 acquired a tiny adjacent interior lot. The Estate commissioned the construction of a speculative office building (the Mutual Reserve Building) in 1892. Following the death of William F. Weld, Jr., in 1893 and the transferral of Charles G. Weld's interest in 1901, this property was held by the trustees of Mary Bryant Pratt Sprague and Isabel Weld Perkins Anderson. It was transferred solely to Mary Bryant Pratt Brandegee in 1907. In 1891, Mary Bryant Pratt had married Charles Franklin Sprague (18571902), a wealthy Boston lawyer who, after his marriage, was said to have been the wealthiest man to serve in Congress. In 1904, Mary (called by the New York Times "one of the richest young widows in the country") married Edward Deshon Brandegee, a wholesale clothing manufacturer from Utica, New York. Mary Brandegee retained the 305 Broadway property until 1920.
The Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association
The original principal tenant of the Weld Estate's office building at 305 Broadway was the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association, which signed a 40-year lease for its home office that officially began on June 1, 1894. The Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide reported in January 1892 that the rent would be "on a per cent basis of the total cost of the building, together with a percentage of the valuation -- $500,000 we believe -- of the land." According to an 1894 report, Mutual Reserve had contributed $408,297 towards the lease and the building's construction and furnishing. William H. Hume, the architect selected to design their headquarters, was listed as a director of the Association in an obituary.
Incorporated in 1875 and launched in 1881 with the intention of offering life insurance at cost, the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association was called by King's Handbook of New York in 1892 "the largest purely mutual natural-premium life-association in the world." Offering reduced premiums that allowed many people to be able to afford the cost of insurance, Mutual Reserve became one of the largest and most popular life insurance companies, with branches in Canada and Europe. The Association was previously located in the Potter Building on Park Row, and its founder and president was Edward Bascom Harper (1842-1895), who was succeeded in 1895 in the new building by Frederick A. Burnham. In 1892, the firm had $225 million worth of insurance coverage "in force", and by 1895 its coverage rose to $300 million.
Reports began to circulate by 1896, however, about a significant decrease in business, the depletion of reserves, rapid losses due to death benefit payouts, and excessive executive salaries, and the affairs of the Association were under investigation for several years. In 1902, the firm was re-incorporated as the Mutual Reserve Life Insurance Co., a "purely mutual life insurance institution" and New York's third largest. Complaints continued about the company's solvency, and after further investigations, indictments were made against Mutual Reserve's president and vice-president. The lease at 305 Broadway was renewed in 1908 at $60,000 a year, but the company was placed under receivership that year, then-president Archibald C. Haynes filed for bankruptcy, and former president Burnham was found dead, a possible suicide. The Mutual Reserve Life Insurance Co. was fully defunct by 1911.
The Mutual Reserve Building
Plans for the 13-story (plus basement) Mutual Reserve Building were filed by architect William H. Hume in June 1892, to cost an estimated $730,000. Construction began at the end of that month, but was ultimately greatly delayed due to steel and granite strikes. The builder, the eminent Richard Deeves, stated that "the Mutual Reserve Building... was about a year and a half under construction, but then we lost at least eight months in consequence of the strike at the Carnegie Iron and Steel Works." The Mutual Reserve Building was steel cage framed: the prominent consulting structural engineer, Frederick H. Kindl chief engineer of the Carnegie Steel Co., wrote that "this method of construction, that is, using steel beams and columns for framework, and supporting the walls at each floor level, has only of late been introduced extensively. ... Mutual Reserve Building... [is] of similar construction...." The stone contractor, Hanlein & Co., also executed the extensive Romanesque style ornamental carving. Dedicated on June 14, 1894, the building was officially completed in September.
Hume's design for the Mutual Reserve Building was comparable to, and undoubtedly influenced by, architect R.H. Robertson's first tall commercial structure completed two years earlier, the nine-story Lincoln Building (1889-90), 1-3 Union Square West. The architectural vocabulary of both buildings was influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque style, named after one of America's greatest architects, Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), who created an American interpretation of the Romanesque based on French and Italian prototypes. His Trinity Church (187377), Boston, as well as his many libraries and other buildings, firmly established Richardson's professional reputation and launched the popularity and influence of the style.
Following Richardson's precedent, many architects employed it in the 1880s and 90s for a wide variety of building types, ranging from mansions to courthouses, university structures, and railroad stations, and including some tall office buildings. The style was characterized by its appearance of massiveness and such features as rockfaced masonry and round-arched fenestration. In this period, as architects in New York City were still grappling with appropriate ways to design tall office structures and early skyscrapers, two features were commonly employed: multiple-story arcades on facades, and a tripartite base-shaft-capital arrangement associated with the classical column. The designs of both the Lincoln and Mutual Reserve Buildings merged these features through a horizontal layering of sections (an effect criticized by some contemporary architectural critics).
The Mutual Reserve Building's two designed granite- and limestone-clad facades are arranged with a six-story base, with arcades up to the fifth story, and rusticated piers; a six-story planar mid-section; and a one-story rusticated upper section with an arcade of windows and a tall balustraded parapet. Intricate Romanesque style foliate carving appears on such areas as the arches, column capitals, and cornices. King's Handbook (1892) had speculated that the proposed structure "will be one of the finest office-buildings in the city... the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association... is contributing a masterpiece of architecture to its artistic aspect." An observer at the New York Herald-Tribune in November 1893 expounded on the "model new office building" and its amenities:
The handsome new building of the Mutual Reserve Fund Life Association... has aroused the admiration of all who have seen it. ... The exterior of the building is of a dignified and attractive Romanesque style of architecture. The material employed is Indiana limestone, which has given a rich architectural effect. The building is one of the best types of the new steel buildings, and is built in the most substantial manner. It is, in fact, a tremendous steel frame inclosed in a handsome stone casing, while the partitions and floors are of fire-proof brick. ... The building is provided with every convenience that skill and modern invention can give. Four swift-running Otis elevators will give the most rapid communication between the highest and lowest parts of the building. The offices will be heated by steam and lighted by electricity throughout, while the plumbing, ventilating and sanitary arrangements have received the most careful study. The unusually desirable situation of this building has enabled the architect, William H. Hume, to make all the offices light and well ventilated from the street, while large courts give good light to the other rooms in the building. All the windows of the building are the largest size.
After its completion, the New York Times in 1895 touted "this massive and impressive structure" as "an instance of genuinely fire-proof construction" that "closely approached the ideal of safe construction," while the National Cyclopaedia of American Biography (1897) noted that "towering above all the other buildings in its vicinity, its stately walls fittingly represent the solidity and permanence of the business for which it was erected." Mutual Reserve's slogan, "Founded Upon a Rock," seemed to mimic the solid Romanesque style of its home office. The firm occupied the second through fourth stories.
Not only is the Mutual Reserve Building one of New York City's most significant examples of a tall office building designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style, the structure is also notable as a survivor among the 19th-century insurance industry buildings along Broadway in
this vicinity, which also include the Home Life Insurance Co. Building (1892-94, Napoleon le Brun & Sons), No. 256, and New York Life Insurance Co. Building (1894-99, Stephen Decatur Hatch with McKim, Mead & White), No. 346.
Architect: William H. Hume
William Henry Hume (1834-1899), born in New York City, began an architectural practice here in 1855. Examples of his early commercial work in contemporary styles may be seen at 62 and 66 Perry Street (1866); 53 Lispenard Street (1867-68); 313 Church Street (1868-70); and 83-87, 89, and 66 Grand Street (1872, 1877, 1885), in the Greenwich Village, SoHo-Cast Iron, and Tribeca East Historic Districts. By the 1880s, Hume was receiving some highly noteworthy commercial and institutional commissions, including: the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society Asylum (1881-84; demolished), Broadway and West 136th Street; B. Altman Store addition (1887), 615-629 Sixth Avenue; Hotel Normandie (1887; demolished), Broadway and 38th Street; Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank (1887-89; demolished), 49-51 Chambers Street; Masonic Home and School (c. 1890; demolished), Utica, New York; H.C.F. Koch & Co. Store (1890-91), 132-140 West 125th Street; North River Savings Bank (1892; demolished), 266 West 34th Street; and Lotus Club (1893; demolished), 556 Fifth Avenue.
Hume designed William Waldorf Astor's 17-story New Netherland Hotel (1891-93; demolished), Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, touted as the world's tallest hotel at the time and an early steel cage-framed structure. The firm of William H. Hume & Son, formed in 1894 with Frederick Thomas Hume (1859-1934), was responsible for the Scotch Presbyterian Lecture Hall (1895; demolished), Central Park West and 95th Street; First Church of Christ Scientist (1896; demolished), 137 West 48th Street; Spingler Building (1896-97), 5 Union Square West; and Simpson, Crawford & Simpson Co. Store (1900-02), 635-649 Sixth Avenue. The firm continued until around 1910. The Mutual Reserve Building was one of the Hume's finest commissions and is his most important extant work.
Builder Richard Deeves and Consulting Engineer Frederick H. Kindl
The builder of the Mutual Reserve Building, Richard Deeves (1837-1919), was born in Dublin, Ireland, came to the United States in 1850, apprenticed as a mason with George S. Dixon, and soon became a builder, establishing his own firm in 1869. An early specialty was gasworks structures. He was responsible for the construction of countless notable residences, commercial buildings, and skyscrapers, examples of which included the Temple Court Building (1881-83, Silliman & Farnsworth), 3-9 Beekman Street (where he maintained an office); Randall Memorial Chapel and Music Hall (1890-92, Robert W. Gibson; chapel demolished), Sailors' Snug Harbor, Staten Island; and the Manhattan Life Insurance Co. Building (1893-94, [Francis H.] Kimball & [G. Kramer] Thompson, with engineer Charles Sooysmith; demolished), 64-66 Broadway. Richard Deeves & Son, with J[ohn]. Henry Deeves, "mason builders and general contractors," was formed by 1895. One of its projects was the American Seamen's Friend Society Sailors' Home and Institute (1907-08, William A. Boring), 505-507 West Street. Richard Deeves had his office in the Mutual Reserve Building from its completion until at least 1914.
Frederick Henry Kindl (1863-1914), born in Austria, immigrated to the United States as a boy in 1873, and graduated from the Case School of Applied Science (1884), Cleveland. After working as an engineer in Chicago for several years, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he became Structural and Chief Engineer of the Carnegie Steel Co. Kindl is considered one of the seminal
pioneers of the American steel-framed tall building and skyscraper, a field in which he specialized as a consulting engineer nationally.
The Tall Office Building in New York City in the 1880s-90s
During the 19th century, commercial buildings in New York City developed from four-story structures modeled on Italian Renaissance palazzi to much taller skyscrapers. Made possible by technological advances, tall buildings challenged designers to fashion an appropriate architectural expression. Between 1870 and 1890, nine- and ten-story buildings transformed the streetscapes of lower Manhattan between Bowling Green and the City Hall area. During the building boom following the Civil War, building envelopes continued to be articulated largely according to traditional palazzo compositions, with mansarded and towered roof profiles.
Beginning in the later 1870s, tall buildings were characterized by flat roofs and a free, varied grouping of stories, often in the form of multi-storied arcades, within the facades. The period of the late 1870s into the 1890s was also one of stylistic experimentation in which commercial and office buildings in New York incorporated diverse influences, such as the Queen Anne, Victorian Gothic, Romanesque, and neo- Grec styles, French rationalism, and the German Rundbogenstil, under the leadership of such architects as Richard M. Hunt and George B. Post. Beginning around 1890, architects began producing tall building designs that adhered to the tripartite base-shaft-capital arrangement associated with the classical column, a scheme that became commonly employed in New York.
New York's early tall buildings -- including the seven-and-one-half-story Equitable Life Assurance Co. Building (1868-70, Gilman & Kendall and George B. Post) at Broadway and Cedar Street, the ten-story Western Union Building (1872-75, George B. Post) at Broadway and Liberty Street, and the ten-story Tribune Building (1873-75, Richard M. Hunt) on Park Row (all now demolished) -- incorporated passenger elevators, iron floor beams, and fireproof building materials. Fireproofing was of paramount concern as office buildings grew taller, and by 1881-82 systems had been devised to "completely fireproof' them. Cage construction, employed in the 1880s in tall buildings in New York and Chicago, was characterized by the Record and Guide as
a frame work of iron or steel columns and girders which carry the floors only, and do not carry the outer walls. In the cage construction the outer walls are independent walls, from the foundation to the extreme top, sustaining themselves only, and therefore, the walls are made less in thickness than if they had to bear the floors as in ordinary buildings such walls would have to do.
Ever taller skyscrapers were permitted by the increasing use and refinement of the metal skeleton frame, in which the metal columns and girders support both the floors and the outer (curtain) walls. In addition, several hybrid structural forms were used in tall buildings, such as the combination of both masonry and metal for interior vertical supports.
In 1888-89, New York architect Bradford Lee Gilbert used iron skeleton framing for the first seven stories of the 11-story Tower Building at 50 Broadway (demolished). As steel skeleton framing was adopted for tall buildings in New York, architects and engineers introduced caisson foundations which carried the weight of the skeleton frame down to bedrock. Kimball & Thompson's seminal 17-story (plus tower) Manhattan Life Insurance Co. Building (1893-94, with engineer Charles Sooysmith; demolished) was the tallest building yet constructed in the city and is credited with being the first skyscraper with a full iron and steel frame, set on pneumatic concrete caissons.
This was followed by the American Surety Co. Building (1894-95, Bruce Price, also with Sooysmith), 100 Broadway, which was the first New York skyscraper with a full steel frame, set on pneumatic concrete caissons. The cage-framed Mutual Reserve Building utilized the successful design and construction techniques of its predecessors, just prior to the full development of the skyscraper. It is interesting to note that, while the Mutual Reserve Building was nearing completion, the building committee of the American Surety Co. visited the structure and expressed the intention to construct something similar.
Other Early Tenants
The Arkwright Club, for drygoods merchants, was one of the earliest Mutual Reserve Building tenants, having signed a lease in 1893 for one of the top stories at $90,000 (to 1899). Undoubtedly drawn to the location nearby the then-center of New York's publishing and newspaper industries, the Mutual Reserve Building drew a number of firms and organizations associated with the publishing and paper trades, such as Hubbell Publishing Co. (c. 1894-1915), West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. (1894-1909), Hollingsworth & Whitney Co., paper manufacturer (c. 1899-1911), Marcus S. Bulkley, paper buyer (1901), American Paper & Pulp Association (c. 1906-08), and Stationers Association ofNew York (c. 1907-11). Other tenants included the Co-Operative Building Bank (1894), Spanish Benevolent Society of New York (c. 1896-1902), Mutual Mercantile Agency (pre-1901), Miller Bros. Cutlery Co., pocket cutlery and pens (c. 1903-15), and Hapgoods, "National Organization of Brain Brokers" (c. 1905-14).
The Langdon Building and Later Ownership History and Tenants
By 1909, with the demise of the Mutual Reserve company, No. 305-309 Broadway was renamed the Langdon Building, most likely after the owner's son, the stockbrocker John Langdon Brandegee. In 1920, the Times announced the purchase of the property (from Mary Brandegee) for about $2 million by the Broadway-John Street Corp. (Elias A. Cohen, president), which intended to remodel it to lease as "high-grade offices for lawyers" who, according to the Real Estate Record & Builders' Guide, "are being crowded out of the financial district by the insistent demand from banks and business concerns willing to pay rentals which are prohibitive to lawyers." Lawyer tenants already in the building formed the Office Tenants League to protest eviction and expected exorbitant rents. The building was transferred in 1921 to a group of investors that included Isidor and Charlotte Mishkind, Fred and Cecilia Mishkind Broverman, Joachim S. Van Wetzel, Warren and Marguerite Watson, and Edward J. and Beatrice Lewis. In 1923, the central auxiliary entrance on Broadway was removed (Schwartz & Gross, architects). The building was conveyed in 1940 to the Downtown Renting Co. (Elias A. Cohen, president) and in 1945 to the Broaduane Corp. (Elias A. Cohen, president).
Two authors mentioned the building's unsavory reputation within the legal profession, one referring to it as "the 'Den of Forty Thieves,' reflecting the appearance... and the snobbish opinion of lawyers located elsewhere on lower Broadway... [and] because the structure was regarded as a law office slum." The other called the building one of the centers in the 1920s of the faked American "personal injury underworld." Various other tenants included Herman J. Hegt, Inc., metals dealer (c. 1919-20); George F. Hardy, mill architect and consulting engineer (c. 1914-20); Lithographers International Protective and Beneficial Association of the United States & Canada (c.
1914-15); Earle E. Liederman/ Progressive Exerciser Co., one of America's early physical culture mail-order businesses (1922-30); Wall Street Synagague (1929); and Jewish Forum Association, publisher of The Jewish Forum (1944). By 1950, the building began to house a number of state government agencies.
In 1957, the property was conveyed to the 305 Broadway Co. (Sylvan Lawrence and Seymour Cohn, partnership), and was purchased in 1959 by Broadway Duane Associates (Louis and Joseph Lefkowitz, general partners) and leased back to the 305 Broadway Co. The building was transferred in 1969 to the 305 Broadway Corp. (Louis Lefkowitz, president), then in 1975 back to the 305 Broadway Co., which merged the lease and fee of the property. It was owned in 1980 by 305 Broadway, Limited Partnership (Herman Abbott, president, of Abbott Corp., general partner), and since 1982 by Reade Broadway Associates. The former Mutual Reserve Building has housed a number of New York City agencies, including the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (1967-80) as its first long-term home.
Description
Historic: 13-story (plus basement) corner Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style office building clad in granite and limestone on main facades, with carved foliate ornament; six-story base, with arcades up to the fifth story, and rusticated piers; six-story planar mid-section; one-story rusticated upper section with arcade of windows and tall balustraded parapet; paired windows on Broadway and end bays on Duane Street, and tripartite windows on the rest of Duane Street facade, divided by stone piers, columns, or colonnettes; small rectangular windows inserted at top of building (1909, William H. Hume & Son)
Alterations: shopfronts (originally single-pane glass with bulkheads and sign bands), signage, and rolldown gates; two-story main Broadway entrance (originally elaborately ornamental with round-arched entrance) re-built in flattened form, with rectangular entrance and transom, non- historic doors, and rectangular second-story window bay (c. 1923); two-story central auxiliary Broadway entrance (originally with steps and round-arched transom) eliminated and replaced with shopfront and rectangular second-story window bay (1923); windows with anodized aluminum sash (originally one-over-one double-hung wood sash)
Western and Northern Side Elevations: unarticulated brick cladding, pierced by windows
- From the 2011 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
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.
The days drag and the weeks fly by.
It has been a grim week at work, and yet the weekend is here once again.
The cold snap is still here; thick frosts and icy patches, but Sunday afternoon storms will sweep in from the west and temperatures will soar by day to 13 degrees.
But for now it is cold, and colder at nights, the wood burner makes the living room toasty warm, though the rest of the house seems like a fridge in comparison.
Even though we went to bed at nine, we slept to nearly half seven, which meant we were already later than usual going to Tesco.
We had a coffee first, then got dressed and went out into the winter wonderland.
Tesco was more crowded mainly because we were an hour later. There were no crackers for cheese, a whole aisle empty of cream crackers and butter wafers.
There is only so much food you can eat even over Christmas, so the cracker-shortage won't affect us, we have two Dundee cakes, filling for two lots of mince pies and pastry for five lots of sausage rolls.
We won't starve.
We buy another bag of stuff for the food bank, try to get two weeks of stuff so we wont need to go next weekend, just to a farm shop for vegetables, and the butcher for the Christmas order, though on the 25th we are going out for dinner to the Lantern.
Back home for fruit, then bacon butties and another huge brew. Yes, smoked bacon is again in short supply, with just the basic streaky smoked available, but we're not fussy, so that does the trick.
Also, Jools picked up her inhalers for her cough, and so, we hope, the road to recovery begins.
What to do with the day?
Although a walk would have been good, Jools can do no more than ten minutes in freezing conditions before a coughing fits starts, so a couple of churches to revisit and take more shots of.
First on the list was St Leonard in Upper Deal. A church I have only have been inside once. As it was just half ten, there should have been a chance it was open, but no. We parked up and I walked over the road to try the porch door, but it was locked.
No worries, as the next two would certainly be open.
Just up the road towards Canterbury is Ash.
Ash is a large village that the main roads now bypass its narrow streets, and buses call not so frequently.
The church towers over the village, its spire piercing the grey sky. We park beside the old curry hours than burned down a decade ago, is now a house and no sign of damage.
indeed the church was open, though the porch door was closed, it opened with use of the latch, and the inner glass door swung inwards, revealing an interior I had forgotten about, rich Victorian glass let in the weak sunlight, allowing me to take detailed shots. It was far better and more enjoyable than I remembered.
Once I took 200 or so shots, we went back to the car, drove back to the main road, and on to Wingham, where the church there, a twin of Wingham, would also be open too.
And it was.
The wardens were just finishing trimming the church up, and putting out new flowers, it was a bustle of activity, then one by one they left.
got my shots, and we left, back to the car and to home, though we did stop at he farm shop at Aylsham, and all we wanted was some sweet peppers for hash.
We went in and there was the bakery: I bought two sausage rolls, four small pork pies and two Cajun flavours scotch eggs. We got cider, beer, healthy snacks (we told ourselves) and finally found the peppers.
Three peppers cost £50!
Then back home, along the A2.
And arriving back home at one. We feasted on the scotch eggs and two of the pork pies.
Yummy.
There was the third place play off game to watch on the tellybox, the Football league to follow on the radio. We lit the woodburner and it was soon toasty warm.
At half five, Norwich kicked off, and hopes were high as Blackburn had not beaten us in over a decade.
And, yes you guessed it, Norwich lost. Played poorly, and in Dad's words, were lucky to get nil.
Oh dear.
Oh dear indeed.
We have Christmas cake for supper, and apart from the football, as was well with the world.
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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.
The news was that Jools' cough was little better. She got a mail back from the surgery on Friday saying her (non-urgent) appointment with the doctor was on December 14th. But as we were going to Tesco, she would have a chat with the pharmasist and see about some of the behind the counter stuff.
Winter has arrived, though no snow as yet, but the wind is set in the east, its cloudy and feels raw outside.
I would spend part of the day churchcrawling.
After shopping.
We go to Tesco, Jools really only coming so she could get something for her cough.
With a few bottles of tripel and cider we managed to spend £140. A bag of rice, not white easy cook rice I'll admit, but that's £4.50 now.
Wow.
Back home with the shopping and a bottle of serious cough syrup, we put the shopping away and have breakfast.
No surprise then that Jools wasn't coming out with me, she wanted to get the cough under control, would only take the new syrup when needed as it can make you drowsy.
I had a list of churches, and first up was our local one, St Margaret.
They were having a craft day. I thought it might be a fayre, but was a kid's craft day. Anyway, the church would be open and I could take shots of the memorials and windows.
There were pagan heads at the top of each column, and as corbel stones. The more I looked, the more pagan heads, even at the top of two of the columns, but not all.
No real ancient glass, but good quality Victorian.
The church itself is the triumph, being an early Norman and well preserved.
Although, sadly, the tower is in poor repair and needs reroofing, which is why it is currently encased in scaffolding.
I am sure when we called in at Barham last week, a sign said there was a craft fayre on, so would be open. I would go back, and get some shots, I thought.
Its a half hour drive, if that out of Dover down the A2 and off at the Wingham turning, down the valley and parking outside the church, its spire pointing to heaven.
Inside the church there was no fayre again, just a warden showing a lady round. We all said "hello", and I went about getting shots.
I have been here at least three times, but now take the big lens to get details of the windows and memorials high up, so there are always new details to reveal.
Star item is the window of St George and the dragon, though is hidden in the north-west corner, and best viewed from the stairs to the belltower.
After 20 minutes, the visitor left and the warden turned off the lights, forgetting I was there, but I had my shots.
From Barham its a short drive to Bridge, then along the Nailbourne to Patrixbourne, where I see the door was open, but I had another target: Bekesbourne, the next village along, crossing the dry bed of the bourne, stopping on the lane outside the church. I look left to the Old Palace, but there were no cars parked there, so no point of even knocking, I drove on.
Instead of turning left back to Bridge, I turn right towards Littlebourne, no real idea where I was going.
Littlebourne could wait for another time, I only went back there in 2020, I went to Wingham, driving on towards Sandwich.
I thought, it's a long time since I was at Woodnesborough, I could cut through Ash and go there.
Which is what I did.
I could have stopped at Ash too, that's usually open, but there'll be other times. I have been there twice and got good shots last time for sure.
From Ash, the road climbs, leading to Woodnesborough, Woden's Hill, where there was a hill fort in antiquity. The church is on the highest point, overlooking the marshes of the old Wantsum Channel, and on to Sandwich which when the Channel was still flooded, was on a spit of land.
The church is a marker for miles around due to its cupola, something is shares with Ringwould near to home.
Inside it was so dark, I thought I would need to find the lights, but I could not find them. So, I hoped the camera would cope without.
It did.
But again, I was here really to record the windows, which were rich in detail. I took 215 shots here, 560 in a morning at three churches.
Not bad.
But I was done, what light there was, was fading, even though it was only just after one. I would go home.
Once home I got busy.
I have a taste for beans. Not baked beans, but Boston Beans. I had a recipe, and we got the ingredients that morning, so went about making a huge panful. Three tins of haricot beans, tomatoes, stock, spices, bacon, pork belly, mustard, and black treacle.
Cooked on the hob for an hour, then cooked long and low in the oven for four hours.
What came out looked and tasted like fine Boston Beans. We will be eating these for weeks.
At the same time I make fritters.
The plan was to be all cooked and eaten before the football began at three.
I did it with half an hour to spare, the leftover wine drunk too, meaning I would struggle to stay awake for Holland v USA game. Netherlands win pretty comfortably.
And in the evening, with a soundtrack of funk and soul thanks to Craig, I watch Argentine v Australia, which was a stunning game.
Even better, I sat on the sofa to watch, Cleo eyed me as if to say how dare you take my chosen sleeping place. But she came over, paced around, then lay between the arm of the sofa and my leg. Scully lay on the other side. I had 50% of the household cats.
Happier than I have been for ages.
Best of all was that the syrup worked, stopped the coughing, and Jools fell asleep right off.
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A morning out, revisiting some familiar fairly local churches.
Final visit was to Woodnesborough, aka Woden's Hill, near to Sandwich.
It was open, but no light switch that could be found meant that the church was dark, but the camera coped well.
Woodnesborough sits on the highest point near to the coast, its cupola marking the spot, and visible for miles in all directions.
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The tower makes this church one of the easiest in Kent to identify. It is capped by a little cupola and wooden balustrade of eighteenth-century date that replaced a medieval spire. During the Middle Ages the church was owned by Leeds Priory which invested heavily in the structure, and was no doubt responsible for the excellent sedilia built in about 1350. The canopy is supported by a quadripartite vault in turn supported by angry little heads. Above the sedilia is the cut-off end of a prickett beam. The east window, of Decorated style stonework, has a thirteenth-century hangover in the form of a shafted rere-arch. There are two excellent modern stained glass windows designed by F.W Cole, which show the Creation (1980) and St Francis (1992). The good altar rails are of Queen Anne's reign, as are the splendid Royal Arms.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Woodnesborough
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WOODNESBOROUGH,
¶OR Winsborough, as it is usually called, lies the next parish northward from Eastry, being written in the survey of Domesday, Wanesberge. It took its name according to Verstegan, from the Saxon idol Woden, (and it is spelt by some Wodensborough) whose place of worship was in it; however that may be, the termination of the word berge, or borough, shews it to be of high antiquity.
art of this parish, over which the manor of Boxley claims, is within the jurisdiction of the justices of the town and port of Sandwich, and liberty of the cinque ports; and the residue is in the hundred of Eastry, and jurisdiction of the county of Kent.
There are three boroughs in this parish, viz. Cold Friday, Hamwold, and Marshborough; the borsholders of which are chosen at the petty sessions of the justices, acting at Wingham, for the east division of the lath of St. Augustine.
THIS PARISH is large, being two miles and an half one way, and upwards of a mile and an half the other. The church stands nearly in the centre of it, on high ground. At a small distance from the church is Woodnesborough hill, both of which are sea marks. This hill is a very high mount, seemingly thrown up by art, and consisting of a sandy earth, it has been thought by some to have been the place on which the idol Woden from whom this place is supposed to have taken its name) was worshipped in the time of the Saxons; by others to be the burial place of Vortimer, the Saxon king, who died in 457, whilst others suppose this mount was raised over those who fell in the battle fought between Ceoldred, king of Mercia, and Ina, king of the West Saxons, in the year 715, at Woodnesbeorb, according to the Saxon chronicle, which name Dr. Plot supposes to be Woodnesborough. Vortimer, as our historians tell us, at his death, desired to be buried near the place where the Saxons used to land, being persuaded that his bones would deter them from any attempt in future. Though authors differ much on the place of his burial, yet this mount at Woodnesborough is as probable, or more so, perhaps, than any other, for it was near to, and was cast up so high as to be plainly seen from the Portus Rutupinus, which at that time was the general landing place of the Saxon fleets. Some years ago there were found upon the top of it sundry sepulchral remains, viz. a glass vessel (engraved by the Rev. Mr. Douglas, in his Nænia;) a fibula, (engraved by Mr. Eoys, in his collections for Sandwich;) the head of a spear, and some fragments of Roman vessels. Much of the earth of sand has been lately removed round the sides of it, but nothing further has been found.
At a small distance northward from hence, at the bottom of a short steep hill, lies the village called Woodnesborough-street, and sometimes Cold Fridaystreet, containing thirty four houses. The vicaragehouse is situated in the middle of it, being a new handsome building; almost contiguous to it is a handsome sashed house, belonging to the Jull family, now made use of as a poor-house; through this street the road leads to Sandwich. West ward of the street stands the parsonage-house, late the seat of Oliver Stephens, esq. deceased, and now of his window, as will be further noticed hereafter. Besides the manors and estates in this parish, particularly described, in the western parts of it there are several hamlets, as Somerfield, Barnsole, Coombe, with New-street, Great and Little Flemings, Ringlemere, and the farm of Christians Court.
In the north east part of the parish, the road from Eastry, by the parsonage of Woodnesborough northwestward, divides; one road, which in antient deeds is called Lovekys-street, going towards Ash-street; the other through the hamlet of Marshborough, formerly called Marshborough, alias Stipins, to Each End and Sandwich, the two windmills close to the entrance of which are with in the bounds of this parish. Each, Upper Each, called antiently Upriche, and Each End, antiently called Netheriche, were both formerly accounted manors, and are mentioned as such in the marriage settlement of Henry Whyte, esq. in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign. After the Whytes, these manors passed in like manner as Grove, in this parish, to the James's. Upper Each, or Upriche, has for many years belonged to the family of Abbot, of Ramsgate, and is now the property of John Abbot, esq. of Canterbury. Each End, or Netheriche, belongs, one moiety to the heirs or devisees of the late earl of Strafford, and the other moiety to John Matson, esq. of Sandwich.
¶It cannot but occur to the reader how much this parish abounds with Saxon names, besides the name of Wodens borough, the street of Cold Friday, mentioned before, is certainly derived from the Saxon words, Cola, and Friga, which latter was the name of a goddess, worshipped by the Saxons, and her day Frige-deag, from whence our day of Friday is derived; other places in this parish, mentioned before likewise, claim, surely, their original from the same language.
This parish contains about 3000 acres, the whole rents of it being about 3373l. yearly value. It is very bare of coppice wood; the Old Wood, so called, in Ringleton, being the only one in it. The soil of this parish is very rich and fertile, equal to those the most so in this neighbourhood, particularly as to the plantations of hops, which have much increased within these few years past. The middle of the parish is high ground, and is in general a flat open country of arable common fields. West and south-westward the lands are more inclosed with hedges. North and north-westward of the parsonage, towards Sandwich, they are low and wet, consisting of a large level of marsh land, the nearness of which makes the other parts of this parish rather unhealthy, which is not otherwise very pleasant in any part of it. There was a fair held here yearly, on Holy Thursday, but it has been for some time disused.
In Ringleton field, in this parish, there was found about the year 1514, a fine gold coin, weighing about twelve shillings, with a loop of the same metal to hang it by; on one side was the figure of a young man in armour, a helmet on his head, and a spear over his right shoulder; on the reverse, the figure of Victory, with a sword in her hand, the point downwards.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of a nave, and two isles, having a square tower steeple at the west end, with a modern wooden turret and vane at the top of it, in which are five bells, made in 1676. It had a high spire on the tower, which was taken down some years ago. At the east end of the chancel is a marble tablet for John Cason, esq. of this place, justice of the peace, obt. 1718; John Cason, esq. his son, obt. 1755; arms,Argent, a chevron, sable, between three wolves heads, erased, gules, on an escutcheon of pretence, sable, a chevron, between three fleurs de lis, of the field; another for Thomas Blechenden, of the antient family of that name, of Aldington, in Kent, obt. 1661; arms, Azure, a fess nebulee, argent, between three lions heads erased, or, attired, gules, impalingBoys. On the south side, an antient altar monument with gothic pillars and arches, having had shields and arms, now obliterated. Against the wall, under the canopy, two brass plates, which have been removed to this place, from two grave-stones in the chancel; the first for Sir John Parcar, late vicar of this church, who died the v.day of May, a°o dni m° v° xiij° on the second are Latin verses to the memory of Nichs Spencer, esq. obt. 1593. In the middle of the chancel, a gravestone for William Docksey, esq. of Snellston, in Derbyshire, a justice of the peace, obt. 1760; Sarah his wife, youngest daughter of John Cason, esq. obt. 1774; arms,Or, a lion rampant, azure, surmounted of a bend, argent. On a gravestone on the north side of the chancel, on a brass plate, On a chevron, three quatersoils, between three annulets, quartering other coats, now obliterated, for Master Myghell Heyre, sumtyme vicar of this churche, who dyed the xxii day of July, m° v° xxviii. In the north isle are several memorials for the family of Gillow, arms, A lion rampant, in chief, three fleurs de lis. At the entrance into the chancel, on a grave-stone, on a brass plate, John Hill, gent. of the parish of Nassall, in Staffordshire, obt. 1605. A mural monument for William Gibbs, of this parish, obt. 1777; arms,Argent, three battle axes, in fess, sable. In the church-yard are altar tombs to the memory of the Julls, and for Sladden; one for John Verall, gent. sometime mayor of Sandwich, obt. 1610; and another for John Benchkin, of Pouton, obt. 1639.
There were formerly painted in the windows of this church,Or, a chief indented, azure, for John de Sandwich. Several coats of arms, among which were those of Valence and St. Leger,Argent, three leaves in sinster bend, their points downward, proper.— On a canton, azure, three crescents, or, for Grove.— Argent, three escallops in chief, or, in base a crescent, gules, for Helpestone, usually called Hilpurton, bailiff of Sandwich, in 1299. A shield, being Helpeston's badge, another On a fess engrailed, three cinquefoils, between three garbs, for John Hill, of Nasall, in Staffordshire, who lies buried in this church. —A fess engrailed, three lions rampant, in chief, on the fess, a crescent for difference, for Spencer, customer, of Sandwich. — Quarterly, four coats; first, On a chevron, three quaterfoils; second, Per pale, ermine and argent; third, A cross, between four pomegranates, slipped; sourth,Three bars, wavy, for Michael Heyre, vicar here in 1520.
The church of Woodnesborough was given, in the reign of king Henry I. by a religious woman, one Ascelina de Wodensberg, to the priory of Ledes, soon after the foundation of it; to which deed was witness Robert de Crevequer, founder of the priory, Elias his son, and others; which gift was confirmed by the said Robert, who by his charter, released to the priory all his right and title to it. It was likewise confirmed by archbishop Theobald, and several of his successors, and by king Henry III. by his charter of inspeximus in his 41st year.
Archbishop William Corboil, who came to the see of Canterbury, three years after the foundation of Ledes priory, at the instance and petition of Ascelina above mentioned, who resigned this church into his hands for this purpose, appropriated it to the prior and convent, for the finding of necessary cloaths, for the canons there; and a vicarage was accordingly endowed in it.
There was a controversy between the prior and convent, and Adam, vicar of this church, in 1627, anno 14 Henry II. concerning the great tithes arising from the crofts and curtilages within this parish, which was referred to the prior of Rochester, who was the pope's delegate for this purpose, who determined that the prior and convent of Ledes, as rectors of this church, should receive, without any exception, all the great tithes of wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas, and of every fort of corn arising, or to arise from all lands, crofts, curtilages, or other places whatever, situated within the bounds, of this parish; and that the prior and convent should yearly pay to the said vicar, and his successors, half a seam of barley, and half a seam of beans, at the nativity of our Lord. (fn. 10)
¶After which, this parsonage appropriate,(which appears to have been esteemed as a manor) together with the advowson of the vicarage, remained with the prior and convent of Ledes, till its dissolution in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when it was, with all its lands and possessions, surrendered into the king's hands, who by his dotation charter, in his 33d year, settled both parsonage and advowson on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they remain at this time. On the dissolution of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed in 1649, when is appeared that the manor or parsonage of Woodnesborough, with the scite thereof, and all manner of tithes belonging to it, with a garden and orchard of one acre, was valued all together at 300l. that the lessee was to repair the premises, and the chancel of the church; that the vicarage was worth fifty pounds per annum. The then incumbent was under sequestration, and there was none to serve the cure; and that the church was then quite ruinated, and in great decay. (fn. 11)
www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol10/pp121-144
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A long and light church, best viewed from the south. Like nearby Ickham it is cruciform in plan, with a west rather than central, tower. Sometimes this is the result of a later tower being added, but here it is an early feature indeed, at least the same age (if not earlier) than the body of the church. Lord Kitchener lived in the parish, so his name appears on the War Memorial. At the west end of the south aisle, tucked out of the way, is the memorial to Sir Basil Dixwell (d 1750). There are two twentieth century windows by Martin Travers. The 1925 east window shows Our Lady and Child beneath the typical Travers Baroque Canopy. Under the tower, affixed to the wall, are some Flemish tiles, purchased under the will of John Digge who died in 1375. His memorial brass survives in the Vestry.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barham
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Many churches in Kent are well known for their yew trees but St. John the Baptist at Barham is noteworthy for its magnificent beech trees.
The Church guide suggests that there has been a Church here since the 9th Century but the present structure was probably started in the 12th Century although Syms, in his book about Kent Country Churches, states that there is a hint of possible Norman construction at the base of the present tower. The bulk of the Church covers the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular periods of building. Many of the huge roof beams, ties and posts are original 14th Century as are the three arches leading into the aisle..
In the Northwest corner is a small 13th Century window containing modern glass depicting St. George slaying the dragon and dedicated to the 23rd Signal Company. The Church also contains a White Ensign which was presented to it by Viscount Broome, a local resident. The Ensign was from 'H.M.S. Raglan' which was also commanded by Viscount Broome. The ship was sunk in January, 1918 by the German light cruiser 'Breslau'.
The walls contain various mural tablets. Hanging high on the west wall is a helmet said to have belonged to Sir Basil Dixwell of Broome Park. The helmet probably never saw action but was carried at his funeral.
The floor in the north transept is uneven because some years ago three brasses were found there. According to popular medieval custom engraved metal cut-outs were sunk into indented stone slabs and secured with rivets and pitch. In order to save them from further damage the brasses were lifted and placed on the walls. The oldest dates from about 1370 is of a civilian but very mutilated. The other two are in good condition and dated about 1460. One is of a woman wearing the dress of a widow which was similar to a nun. The other is of a bare headed man in plate armour. These are believed to be of John Digges and his wife Joan.
At the west end of the church is a list of Rectors and Priests-in-Charge - the first being Otho Caputh in 1280. Notice should be made of Richard Hooker (1594), the author of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. The tiles incorporated into the wall were originally in place in the Chancel about 1375. They were left by John Digges whose Will instructed that he was to be buried in the Chancel and "my executors are to buy Flanders tiles to pave the said Chancel".
The 14th century font is large enough to submerse a baby - as would have been the custom of the time. The bowl is octagonal representing the first day of the new week, the day of Christ's resurrection. The cover is Jacobean.
The Millennium Window in the South Transept was designed and constructed by Alexandra Le Rossignol and was dedicated in July 2001. The cost of the project (approximately £6,500) was raised locally with the first donation being made by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey.
The porch contains two wooden plaques listing the names of men from the village who were killed in the Great Wars - among them being Field Marshall Lord Kitchener of Broome Park.
www.barham-kent.org.uk/landmark_church.htm
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ANTIENTLY written Bereham, lies the next parish eastward. There are five boroughs in it, viz. of Buxton, Outelmeston, Derrington, Breach, and Shelving. The manor of Bishopsborne claims over almost the whole of this parish, at the court of which the four latter borsholders are chosen, and the manors of Reculver and Adisham over a small part of it.
BARHAM is situated at the confines of that beautiful country heretofore described, the same Nailbourne valley running through it, near which, in like manner the land is very fertile, but all the rest of it is a chalky barren soil. On the rise of the hill northward from it, is the village called Barham-street, with the church, and just beyond the summit of it, on the further side Barham court, having its front towards the downs, over part of which this parish extends, and gives name to them. At the foot of the same hill, further eastward, is the mansion of Brome, with its adjoining plantatious, a conspicuous object from the downs, to which by inclosing a part of them, the grounds extend as far as the Dover road, close to Denne-hill, and a costly entrance has been erected into them there. By the corner of Brome house the road leads to the left through Denton-street, close up to which this parish extends, towards Folkestone; and to the right, towards Eleham and Hythe. One this road, within the bounds of this parish, in a chalky and stony country, of poor barren land, there is a large waste of pasture, called Breach down, on which there are a number of tumuli, or barrows. By the road side there have been found several skeletons, one of which had round its neck a string of beads, of various forms and sizes, from a pidgeon's egg to a pea, and by it a sword, dagger, and spear; the others lay in good order, without any particular thing to distinguish them. (fn. 1)
In the Nailbourne valley, near the stream, are the two hamlets of Derrington and South Barham; from thence the hills, on the opposite side of it to those already mentioned, rise southward pretty high, the tops of them being covered with woods, one of them being that large one called Covert wood, a manor belonging to the archbishop, and partly in this parish, being the beginning of a poor hilly country, covered with stones, and enveloped with frequent woods.
BARHAM, which, as appears by the survey of Domesday, formerly lay in a hundred of its own name, was given anno 809, by the estimation of seven ploughlands, by Cenulph, king of Kent, to archbishop Wlfred, free from all secular demands, except the trinoda necessitas, but this was for the use of his church; for the archbishop, anno 824, gave the monks lands in Egelhorne and Langeduna, in exchange for it. After which it came into the possession of archbishop Stigand, but, as appears by Domesday, not in right of his archbishopric, at the taking of which survey, it was become part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Berham hundred, Fulbert holds of the bishop Berham. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is thirty two carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and fifty two villeins, with twenty cottagers having eighteen carucates. There is a church, and one mill of twenty shillings and four pence. There are twentlyfive fisheries of thirty-five shillings all four pence. Of average, that is service, sixty shilling. Of herbage twenty six shillings, and twenty acres of meadow Of pannage sufficient for one hundred and fifty hogs. Of this manor the bishop gave one berewic to Herbert, the son of Ivo, which is called Hugham, and there be has one carucate in demesne, and twelve villeins, with nine carucates, and twenty acres of meadow. Of the same manor the bisoop gave to Osberne Paisforere one suling and two mills of fifty sbillings, and there is in demesne one carucate, and four villeins with one carucate. The whole of Barbam, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, was worth forty pounds, when be received it the like, and yet it yielded to him one hundred pounds, now Berhem of itself is worth forty pounds, and Hucham ten pounds, and this which Osberne bas six pounds, and the land of one Ralph, a knight, is worth forty shillings. This manor Stigand, the archbishop held, but it was not of the archbishopric, but was of the demesne ferm of king Edward.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, and his estates being confiscated to the crown, the seignory of this parish most probably returned to the see of Canterbury, with which it has ever since continued. The estate mentioned above in Domesday to have been held of the bishop by Fulbert, comprehended, in all likelihood, the several manors and other estates in this parish, now held of the manor of Bishopsborne, one of these was THE MANOR AND SEAT OF BARHAM-COURT, situated near the church, which probably was originally the court-lodge of the manor of Barham in very early times, before it became united to that of Bishopsborne, and in king Henry II.'s time was held of the archbishop by knight's service, by Sir Randal Fitzurse, who was one of the four knights belonging to the king's houshould, who murdered archbishop Becket anno 1170; after perpetrating which, Sir Randal fled into Ireland, and changed his name to Mac-Mahon, and one of his relations took possession of this estate, and assumed the name of Berham from it; and accordingly, his descendant Warin de Berham is recorded in the return made by the sheriff anno 12 and 13 king John, among others of the archbishop's tenants by knight's service, as holding lands in Berham of him, in whose posterity it continued till Thomas Barham, esq. in the very beginning of king James I.'s reign, alienated it to the Rev. Charles Fotherbye, dean of Canterbury, who died possessed of it in 1619. He was eldest son of Martin Fotherby, of Great Grimsby, in Lincolnshire, and eldest brother of Martin Fotherby, bishop of Salisbury. He had a grant of arms, Gules, a cross of lozenges flory, or, assigned to him and Martin his brother, by Camden, clarencieux, in 1605. (fn. 2) His only surviving son Sir John Fotherbye, of Barham-court, died in 1666, and was buried in that cathedral with his father. At length his grandson Charles, who died in 1720, leaving two daughters his coheirs; Mary, the eldest, inherited this manor by her father's will, and afterwards married Henry Mompesson, esq. of Wiltshire, (fn. 3) who resided at Barhamcourt, and died in 1732, s. p. and she again carried this manor in marriage to Sir Edward Dering, bart. of Surrenden, whose second wife she was. (fn. 4) He lest her surviving, and three children by her, Charles Dering, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Farnaby, bart. since deceased, by whom he has an only surviving daughter, married to George Dering, esq. of Rolling, the youngest son of the late Sir Edw. Dering, bart. and her first cousin; Mary married Sir Robert Hilyard, bart. and Thomas Dering, esq. of London. Lady Dering died in 1775, and was succeeded by her eldest son Charles Dering, esq. afterwards of Barhamcourt, the present owner of it. It is at present occupied by Gen. Sir Charles Grey, bart. K. B. commanderin chief of the southern district of this kingdom.
THE MANORS OF BROME and OUTELMESTONE, alias DIGGS COURT, are situated in this parish; the latter in the valley, at the western boundary of it, was the first residence in this county of the eminent family of Digg, or, as they were asterwards called, Diggs, whence it gained its name of Diggs-court. John, son of Roger de Mildenhall, otherwise called Digg, the first-mentioned in the pedigrees of this family, lived in king Henry III.'s reign, at which time he, or one of this family of the same name, was possessed of the aldermanry of Newingate, in Canterbury, as part of their inheritance. His descendants continued to reside at Diggs-court, and bore for their arms, Gules, on a cross argent, five eagles with two heads displayed, sable, One of whom, James Diggs, of Diggs-court, died in 1535. At his death he gave the manor and seat of Outelmeston, alias Diggs-court, to his eldest son (by his first wife) John, and the manor of Brome to his youngest son, (by his second wife) Leonard, whose descendants were of Chilham castle. (fn. 5) John Diggs, esq. was of Diggs-court, whose descendant Thomas Posthumus Diggs, esq. about the middle of queen Elizabeth's reign, alienated this manor, with Diggs-place, to Capt. Halsey, of London, and he sold it to Sir Tho. Somes, alderman of London, who again parted with it to Sir B. Dixwell, bart. and he passed it away to Sir Thomas Williams, bart. whose heir Sir John Williams, bart. conveyed it, about the year 1706, to Daniel and Nathaniel Matson, and on the death of the former, the latter became wholly possessed of it, and his descendant Henry Matson, about the year 1730, gave it by will to the trustees for the repair of Dover harbour, in whom it continues at this time vested for that purpose.
BUT THE MANOR OF BROME, which came to Leonard Diggs, esq. by his father's will as above-mentioned, was sold by him to Basil Dixwell, esq. second son of Cha. Dixwell, esq. of Coton, in Warwickshire, then of Tevlingham, in Folkestone, who having built a handsome mansion for his residence on this manor, removed to it in 1622. In the second year of king Charles I. he served the office of sheriff with much honour and hospitality; after which he was knighted, and cveated a baronet. He died unmarried in 1641, having devised this manor and seat, with the rest of his estates, to his nephew Mark Dixwell, son of his elder brother William, of Coton above-mentioned, who afterwards resided at Brome, whose son Basil Dixwell, esq. of Brome, was anno 12 Charles II. created a baronet. He bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron, gules, between three sleurs de lis, sable. His only son Sir Basil Dixwell, bart. of Brome, died at Brome,s. p. in 1750, and devised this, among the rest of his estates, to his kinsman George Oxenden, esq. second son of Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. of Dean, in Wingham, with an injunction for him to take the name and arms of Dixwell, for which an act passed anno 25 George II. but he died soon afterwards, unmarried, having devised this manor and seat to his father Sir George Oxenden, who settled it on his eldest and only surviving son, now Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. who is the present owner of it. He resides at Brome, which he has, as well as the grounds about it, much altered and improved for these many years successively.
SHELVING is a manor, situated in the borough of its own name, at the eastern boundary of this parish, which was so called from a family who were in antient times the possessors of it. John de Shelving resided here in king Edward I.'s reign, and married Helen, daughter and heir of John de Bourne, by whom he had Waretius de Shelving, whose son, J. de Shelving, of Shelvingborne, married Benedicta de Hougham, and died possessed of this manor anno 4 Edward III. After which it descended to their daughter Benedicta, who carried it in marriage to Sir Edmund de Haut, of Petham, in whose descendants, in like manner as Shelvington, alias Hautsborne, above-described, it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Hautsborne, in king Henry VIII's reign, whose eldest daughter and coheir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Tho. Colepeper, esq. of Bedgbury, who in the beginning of king Edward VI.'s reign passed it away to Walter Mantle, whose window carried it by a second marriage to Christopher Carlell, gent. who bore for his arms, Or, a cross flory, gules; one of whose descendants sold it to Stephen Hobday, in whose name it continued till Hester, daughter of Hills Hobday, carried it in marriage to J. Lade, esq. of Boughton, and he having obtained an act for the purpose, alienated it to E. Bridges, esq. of Wootton-court, who passed away part of it to Sir George Oxenden, bart. whose son Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. of Brome, now owns it; but Mr. Bridges died possessed of the remaining part in 1780, and his eldest son the Rev. Edward Timewell Brydges, is the present possessor of it.
MAY DEACON, as it has been for many years past both called and written, is a seat in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to Denton-street, in which parish part of it is situated. Its original and true name was Madekin, being so called from a family who were owners of it, and continued so, as appears by the deeds of it, till king Henry VI's reign, in the beginning of which it passed from that name to Sydnor, in which it continued till king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Paul Sydnor, who upon his obtaining from the king a grant of Brenchley manor, removed thither, and alienated this seat to James Brooker, who resided here, and his sole daughter and heir carried it in marriage, in queen Elizabeth's reign, to Sir Henry Oxenden, of Dene, in Wingham, whose grandson Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. sold it in 1664, to Edward Adye, esq. the second son of John Adye, esq. of Doddington, one of whose daughters and coheirs, Rosamond, entitled her husband George Elcock, esq. afterwards of Madekin, to it, and his daughter and heir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Capt. Charles Fotherby, whose eldest daughter and coheir Mary, entitled her two successive husbands, Henry Mompesson, esq. and Sir Edward Dering, bart. to the possession of it, and Charles Dering, esq. of Barham-court, eldest son of the latter, by her, is at this time the owner of it. The seat is now inhabited by Henry Oxenden, esq.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly maintained are about forty, casually fifteen.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanryof Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. John Baptist, is a handsome building, consisting of a body and side isle, a cross or sept, and a high chancel, having a slim tall spire at the west end, in which are four bells. In the chancel are memorials for George Elcock, esq. of Madeacon, obt. 1703, and for his wife and children; for Charles Bean, A. M. rector, obt. 1731. A monument for William Barne, gent. son of the Rev. Miles Barne. His grandfather was Sir William Barne, of Woolwich, obt. 1706; arms, Azure, three leopards faces, argent. Several memorials for the Nethersoles, of this parish. In the south sept is a magnificent pyramid of marble for the family of Dixwell, who lie buried in a vault underneath, and inscriptions for them. In the north sept is a monument for the Fotherbys. On the pavement, on a gravestone, are the figures of an armed knight (his feet on a greyhound) and his wife; arms, A cross, quartering six lozenges, three and three. In the east window these arms, Gules, three crowns, or—Gules, three lions passant in pale, or. This chapel was dedicated to St. Giles, and some of the family of Diggs were buried in it; and there are memorials for several of the Legrands. There are three tombs of the Lades in the church-yard, the inscriptions obliterated, but the dates remaining are 1603, 1625, and 1660. There were formerly in the windows of this church these arms, Ermine, a chief, quarterly, or, and gules, and underneath, Jacobus Peccam. Another coat, Bruine and Rocheleyquartered; and another, Gules, a fess between three lions heads, erased, argent, and underneath,Orate p ais Roberti Baptford & Johe ux; which family resided at Barham, the last of whom, Sir John Baptford, lest an only daughter and heir, married to John Earde, of Denton.
¶The church of Barham has always been accounted as a chapel to the church of Bishopsborne, and as such is included in the valuation of it in the king's books. In 1588 here were communicants one hundred and eighty; in 1640 there were two hundred and fifty.
Tomb chest under a carved canopy along the south wall of the south Mohun chapel with the stairs to the now lost rood loft to the right www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/X88hfAdwW3
"Here lie Thomas de Mohun and John his father, son and heir of Reginald de Mohun, Knight, and Elizabeth, his wife, daughter and heiress of John FitzWilliam, Knight, who indeed Reginadlus was the second brother +++ of John, the last lord of Mohun, And the said Thomas died the . . . day. . . Of the month of. . .in the year of our Lord 14 . . on whose souls may God have mercy'
( Hic jacent Thomas de Mohun ac Johannes pater ejus filius et heres Reginaldi di Mohun militis et Elizabethe uroris sue, filie et heredis Johannis Fitzwilliam militis, qui [quidem Reginadlus fuit] secundus frater Johannis ultimi Domini de Mohun. Et predictus Thomas obiit ... die mensis ... anno Domini millesimo CCCC.... Quoram animabus propicietur Deus. Amen." )
As the date of his death is not engraved, it looks like this monument was made in the lifetime of Thomas. Sadly his executors did not take the trouble to supply the exact date of his death which is thought to be in 1440
+++ The inscription is wront - Sir Reginald was not brother, but the uncle, of the last Mohun of Dunster, and that, according to the contemporary chronicler at Newenham, he was the fourth son, not the second.
On the grave slab below surrounded by the inscription is the brass effigy of Thomas dressed in plate armour www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/BR0fCRxg43 surrounded by 3 surviving coats of arms above left: three stag's heads cabossed the antlers drooping downwards; top right: bendy of seven; bottom left: missing, matrix only remaining; bottom right: Mohun : or, a cross engrailed Sable a label of three points Under his feet is a lion and the words "Pervideant cuncti sic transit gloria mundi". (Let them all see that the glory of the world passes away) www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/BpMBAwF166
The tomb base has carved shields, once all colourfully painted with more coats of arms
Over his tomb chest, under the canopy was a painting showing the resurrected Christ emerging from the tomb , displaying his wounds. On either side were flying angels with incense burners. This tomb was painted to resemble a stack of books (Gospels ?) placed between scrolls with sadly unreadable texts. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/j14020vZDY
The tomb painting was defaced during the 16c Reformation and has possibly survived because the paint became absorbed into the stone rather than plaster in the manner of a fresco.
Thomas was the son of John de Mohun of Hall 1381 & Joan St Aubyn
He was the grandson of Reginald de Mohun by Elizabeth
heiress daughter of William FitzWilliam and Isabel daughter of Sir Edmund 8th Lord Eyncourt and Isabel daughter of Reginald de Mohun and Isabella de Ferrers,
His grandfather Sir Reginald / Reynold de Mohun was a younger son of Sir John 1st Baron de Mohun of Dunster by Ada Tibetot & uncle of the 2nd baron son of his brother John who predeceased their father flic.kr/p/2edipyG
Thomas was a minor when his father died
He m Elizabeth daughter and heiress of Elizabeth & Richard Hayre / Eyre / Haire
Children
1. John 1381 - 1420
2. William of Hall m Joan Cavell (grandparents of John Mohun 1508 www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/2Jj385nSYY )
Thomas was still in possession of some of the Fitzwilliam inheritance of his grandmother in 1428.
- Church of St Wyllow, Lantaglos by Fowey. Cornwall
www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mohun-84
www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Mohun-of-Hall/6000000006150406955
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, 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.
I visit Stockbury a lot in the spring and early summer, to see the local orchids and other wild flowers. But have only been inside the church once before, and only taken wide angle shots.
So, long overdue for a return.
Stockbury overlooks the northern end of the A249, just before it reaches the Medway towns and the M2, but is set high on the wooded down above the traffic, and although the noise never quite fades away, it is a distant hum.
St Mary sits on the very edge of the down, as the lane tumbles down to join the main road below, but the churchyard, and church are an oasis of calm and tranquility.
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A fire of 1836 and a restoration of 1851 have left their marks on this prominent Downland church. The east wall of the chancel contains three lancets, of nineteenth-century origin, which contain some lovely glass of the early years of the twentieth century. To the north and south of the chancel are transepts separated by nicely carved screens. The southern transept is the more picturesque, for its roof timbers are exposed and below, in its east wall, are three sturdy windows of which the centre one is blocked. The west end of the nave is built up to form a platform upon which stands the organ. On either side of the chancel arch are typical nineteenth-century Commandment Boards, required by law until the late Victorian era, with good marble shafting to mirror the medieval work in the chancel.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Stockbury
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STOCKBURY
IS the next parish northward from Hucking. It is called in the survey of Domesday, Stochingeberge, in later records, Stockesburie, and now Stockbury.
The western, which is by far the greatest part of it, lies in the hundred of Eyhorne, and division of West Kent, the remainder of it in that of Milton, and division of East Kent, over which part that manor claims, but the church and village being in the former district, the parish is esteemed as being in the former division of the county.
This parish lies on each side of the valley, called from it Stockbury valley, along which the high road leads from Key-street to Detling-hill, and thence to Maidstone; hence it extends on the hills on each side, for more than a mile. It lies mostly on high ground, and though exposed to the northern aspect, is not, especially on the northern side of the valley, near so bleak and cold as the parishes on the hills, lately before-described, nor is the soil, though much like them, and very flinty in general, quite so poor; and on the north side next to Hartlip and Newington, there is some land much more fertile, partaking more of the loam, and much less mixed with flints; the sides of the valley are covered with coppice woods, which extend round the western boundary of the parish, where there is some uninclosed. downe, being poor ruffit land, and a wild and dreary country.
On the north side of the valley, close to the summit of the hill, is the church, with the court-lodge near it, and a small distance further, on the north side of the parish, the village called Stockbury-street, in which stands the parsonage, and a little further Hill-greenhouse, the residence of William Jumper, esq. having an extensive prospect northward over the neighbouring country, and the channel beyond it, the former owners of which seat will be mentioned in the description of Yelsted manor hereafter; at a small distance southward from hence are the two hamlets of Guilsted and South-streets, situated close to the brow of the hill adjoining to the woods.
On the south side of the valley the woodland continues up the hills, westward of which is the hamlet of Southdean-green adjoining the large tract of woodland called Binbury wood. The manor of Southdean belongs to Mr. John Hudson, of Bicknor. On the eastern side of the woodland first mentioned is the hamlet of Pett, at the south-east boundary of the parish, which was formerly the property and residence of a family of that name, Reginald atte Pett resided here, and by his will in 1456 gave several legacies to the church towards a new beam, a new bell called Treble, the work of the new isle, and the making a new window there. Near it is a small manor called the Yoke of Hamons atte Deane, and upon these hills the small manors are frequently called Yokes.
There is a fair for pedlary, toys, &c. formerly on St. Mary Magdalen's day, July 22, but now by the al teration of the style, on August 2, yearly, which is held by order of the lord of the manor on the broad green before the Three Squirrels public-house in Stockbury valley.
On June 24, 1746, hence called the Midsummer storm, the most dreadful tempest happened that was ever remembered by the oldest man then living. The chief force of it was felt in the northern part of the middle of the county, and in some few parts of East Kent. It directed its course from the southward, and happily spread only a few miles in width, but whereever it came, its force was irresistible, overturning every thing in its way, and making a general desolation over every thing it passed. The morning was very close and hot, with a kind of stagnated air, and towards noon small, bright, undulated clouds arose, which preceded the storm, with a strong south wind; it raised a torrent, and the flashes of lightning were incessant, like one continued blaze, and the thunder without intermission for about fifteen or twenty minutes. When the tempest was over, the sky cleared up, and the remainder of the day was remarkably bright and serene. From an eminence of ground the passage of the storm might easily be traced by the eye, by the destruction it had made, quite to the sea and the waters of the Swale to which it passed. Neither the eastern or western extremities of the county felt any thing of it.
This place, at the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, in the year 1080, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the Conqueror's half brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus described:
The same Ansgotus, de Rochester, holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Stockingeberge. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is. In demesne there are two carucates, and five villeins, with nine borderers having two carucates. There is a church, and two servants, and one mill of sixty-four pence. Wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth four pounds, now six pounds. Elveva held it of king Edward.
After the bishop's forfeiture of all his lands, which happened about four years afterwards, this place came into the possession of the family of Auberville, being held by them of Roger de St. John, as one knight's fee. Roger de Aubervill, for de Albrincis, was a man who held large possessions at the time of the general survey before-mentioned. William de Aubervill, his descendant, in 1192, anno 4 Richard I. founded the priory of Langdon, in this county, and his descendant of the same name died possessed of the manor of Stokinburie in the 36th year of Henry III. holding it by knight's service.
He left an only daughter and heir Joane, who carried it in marriage to Nicholas de Criol, a man of eminence in his time, who attending Edward I. at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, was there made a knight banneret for his services performed at it, and in the 21st year of it he was allowed, by the justices itinerant, to have free-warren for all his estate here, except one plough-land, which was called Stannerland. He died possessed of this manor in the 31st year of that reign, and Philipott says many of their deeds bore teste, from their castle of Stockbury, which means no more, than its being one of the castellated seats of the family, as did his grandson John, in the 9th year of king Edward III. at which time he spelt his name Keryell.
After which it remained in his descendants down to Sir Thomas Kiriell, knight of the garter, eminent for his services to the house of York, during the reign of Henry VI. but being taken prisoner at the battle of Bernards-heath, near St. Albans, sought anno 38 king Henry VI. in which the Yorkists were defeated, he was, by the queen's order, beheaded, notwithstanding the king had granted him his life, when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor of the king in capite by knight's service, by homage, and paying to the ward of Rochester castle yearly, and to the king's court of Mylton. He died without male issue, leaving two daughters his coheirs, one of whom, Elizabeth, carried this manor in marriage to John Bourchier, whom she survived, and afterwards died possessed of it in the 14th year of Henry VII. holding it in manner as before-mentioned. Soon after which it appears to have been alienated to Robert Tate, who died possessed of it in the 16th year of that reign, holding it by the like service. His descendant William Tate, who in the reign of James I. alienated it to Sir Edward Duke, of Cosington, in Aylesford, whose widow held it in jointure at the time of the restoration of king Charles II.
Her son, George Duke, esq. alienated it to John Conny, surgeon, and twice mayor of Rochester, and son of Robert Conny, of Godmanchester, in Huntingdonshire. John Conny, together with his son Robert Conny, of Rochester, M. D. conveyed it in 1700 to Thomas Lock, gent. of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Parted per fess, azure, and or, a pale counterchanged, three falcons, volant of the second, and his widow Prudentia, together with her three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, Robert, Thomas, and Henry, in 1723, passed it away by sale to Sir Roger Meredith, bart. of Leeds-abbey, who dying s.p. in 1738, left it by will to his niece Susanna Meredith, in tail general, with divers remainders over, in like manner as Leedsabbey before-described, with which it came at length, by the disposition of the same will, the intermediate remainders having ceased, to William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green-house, in this parish, who resided at Leeds-abbey, and afterwards joined with Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. in whom the fee of it, after Mr. Jumper's death without male issue, was become vested, in the conveyance of this manor in fee to John Calcraft, esq. of Ingress, who died in 1772, and by his will devised it to his son John Calcraft, and he sold it in 1794 to Flint Stacey, esq, of Maidstone, the present owner of it.
YELSTED, or as it is spelt, Gillested, is a manor in this parish, which was formerly part of the possessions of the noted family of Savage, who held it of the family of Auberville, as the eighth part of one knight's fee. John de Savage, grandson of Ralph de Savage, who was with Richard I. at the siege of Acon, obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands here in the 23d year of Edward I. Roger de Savage, in the 5th year of Edward II. had a grant of liberties for his demesne lands here, and Arnold, son of Sir Thomas Savage, died possessed of it in the 49th year of king Edward III. and left it to his son Sir Arnold Savage, of Bobbing, whose son Arnold dying s.p. his sister Elizabeth became his heir. She was then the wife of William Clifford, esq. who in her right became possessed of this manor among the rest of her inheritance, and in his descendants it continued till the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Lewis Clifford, esq. alienated it to Knight, whose descendant Mr. Richard Knight, gent, of Helle-house, in this parish, died possessed of it in 1606, and was buried in this church; his descendant William Knight leaving an only daughter and heir Frances, widow of Mr. Peter Buck, of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Argent, on a bend, azure, between two cotizes, wavy, sable, three mullets, or. He died soon after the death of Charles I. when she entered into the possession of this manor, after whose death her heirs passed it away by sale to Sir William Jumper, commissioner of his Majesty's navy at Plymouth. He had been knighted in 1704, for his services, as well at he taking of Gibraltar, as in the naval engagement with the French afterwards, being at both commander of the Lenox man of war, who died at Plymouth, where he was buried in 1715. He bore for his arms, Argent, two bars gemelles, sable, between three mullets of six points, pierced, gules. His son, William Jumper, esq. was of Hill-green-house, as it is now called, and died in 1736, leaving by Jane his wife, daughter of Thomas Hooper, gent. one son, William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green, likewise, who sold it, about 1757, to the Rev. Pierce Dixon, master of the mathematical free school at Rochester, and afterwards vicar of this parish, who died possessed of it in 1766, leaving it in the possession of his widow, Mrs. Grace Dixon, (daughter of Mr. Broadnax Brandon, gent. of Shinglewell), who soon afterwards remarried with Mr. Richard Hull, of London, who resided at Hill-green-house, and afterwards sold this manor, together with that seat, to William Jumper, esq. the former owner of it, who now resides here, and is the present possessor of both of them.
COWSTED is another manor in Stockbury, which was antiently written Codested, and was possessed by a family who took their surname from it, and resided here. They bore for their arms, Gules, three leopards heads, argent; which coat was afterwards assumed by Hengham. William de Codested died possessed of this manor in the 27th year of Edward I. holding it of the king in capite by the service of one sparrow-hawk, or two shillings yearly at the king's exchequer, as did his son William de Codestede in the 3d year of king Edward III. when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor by the above-mentioned service, and likewise a burgage in Canterbury, of the king, of the serme of that city, and that Richard de Codestede was his brother and next heir, whose son John de Codestede, vulgarly called Cowsted, about the beginning of king Richard II.'s reign, leaving an only daughter and heir, married to Hengham, he became in her right possessed of it, and assumed her arms likewise.
His descendant, Odomarus de Hengham, resided here, who dying in 1411, anno 13 Henry IV. was buried in Christ-church, Canterbury, and it continued in his name till the reign of Henry. VI. when it was car ried, partly by marriage and partly by sale, by Agnes, a sole daughter and heir to John Petyte, who afterwards resided here, and dying in 1460, lies buried with her within the Virgin Mary's chapel, or south chancel, in this church. One of his descendants, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Osborne, and Edward Osborne, gent. died possessed of it in 1622, and lies buried in the north chancel of this church. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, argent, and azure, in the first and fourth quarter, an ermine spot, sable; over all, on a cross, or, five annulets, sable; whose son, of the same name, leaving an only daughter and heir Mary, she entitled her husband, William Fagg, to the possession of it.
His descendant, John Fagg, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, was created a baronet on December 11, 1660, and died in 1700, leaving three sons, Sir Robert, his successor; Charles, ancestor of the present baronet, of whom an account will be given under Chartham; and Thomas, who married Elizabeth, widow of John Meres, esq. by whom he left a son John Meres Fagg, esq. of whom an account will be given under Brenset. (fn. 1) Sir Robert Fagg, bart. his successor, left one son Robert, and four daughters, one of whom married Gawen Harris Nash, esq. of Petworth, in Sussex, and Elizabeth, another daughter, was the second wife of Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. of that county. Sir Robert Fagg, bart. the son, dying s.p. in 1740, devised this manor, with that of Cranbrooke, in Newington, and other estates in these parts, and in Sussex, to his sister Elizabeth, who entitled her husband Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. above-mentioned, to the possession of them. He left by her a son Charles Goring, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, who sold this manor, with his other estates in this parish and Newington, to Edward Austen, esq. who is the present possessor of them.
IT APPEARS by the antient ledger book of the abbey of St. Austin's; near Canterbury, that the abbot and convent were antiently possessed of A PORTION OF TITHES issuing from the manor of Cowsted in Stockbury, which portion continued part of the possessions of the monastery till the dissolution of it, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when the abbey, with all its revenues, was surrendered up into the king's hands.
This portion of tithes, or at least part of it, consisting of the great tithes of two hundred and thirty five acres of land, was afterwards granted in fee to Petytt, from which name it was alienated, with the manor of Cowsted, to Osborne, and it passed afterwards with it in like manor down to Sir Robert Fagg, bart. on whose death s. p. in 1740, one of his sisters entitled her husband Gawen Harris Nash, esq. by his will, to the possession of it, whose son alienated it to Charles Goring, esq. before-mentioned, and he sold it to Edward Austen, esq. the present owner of it.
NETTLESTED is an estate here, which by the remains of the antient mansion of it, situated in Stockburystreet, appears to have been once a seat of some note. The family of Plot, ancestors to that eminent naturalist Dr. R. Plot, possessed it, at least as early as the reign of Edward IV. when William Plot resided here, where his descendants continued till Robert Plot, gent. of Nettlested, having, in the 2d year of queen Elizabeth, purchased Sutton barne in the adjoining parish of Borden, removed thither. His heirs alienated Nettlested to Mr. Richard Allen, of Stockbury, whose descendant Thomas Allen, afterwards, with Gertrude his wife, anno 9 George I. alienated it to Mr. John Thurston, of Chatham, whose son Mr. Thomas Thurston, of that place, attorney-at-law, conveyed it to that learned antiquary John Thorpe, M. D. of Rochester, who died possessed of it in 1750, and was buried in the chancel belonging to this estate, on the north side of Stockbury church. He left one son John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, whose two daughters and coheirs, Catherina-Elizabeth married to Thomas Meggison, esq. of Whalton near Morpeth, in Northumberland, and Ethelinda-Margaretta married to Cuthbert Potts, esq. of London, are the present possessors of it. (fn. 2)
THERE is a portion of tithes, which consists of those of corn and hay growing on forty acres of the lands belonging to the estate of Nettlested, which formerly belonged to the almonry of St. Augustine's monastery, and is called AMBREL TANTON, corruptly for Almonry Tanton. After the dissolution of the above-mentioned monastery, this portion was granted by Henry VIII. in his 36th year, to Ciriac Pettit, esq. of Colkins, who anno 35 Elizabeth, passed it away to Robert Plot; since which it has continued in the same succession of owners, that Nettlested, above-described, has, down to the two daughters and coheirs of John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, before-mentioned, who are the present owners of it.
Charities.
A PERPETUAL ANNUITY of 2l. 10s. per annum was given in 1721, by the will of Mrs. Jane Bentley, of St. Andrew's, Holborne, and confirmed by that of Edward Bentley, esq. (fn. 3) her executor, payable out of an estate in the parish of Smeeth. which was, in 1752, the property of Mrs. Jane Jumper, and now of Mr. Watts; to be applied for the use of three boys and three girls, to go to school to some old woman in this parish, for four years, and no longer, and then 40s. more from it to buy for each of them a bible, prayer-book, and Whole Duty of Man.
MR. JAMES LARKIN, of this parish, gave by will an annuity, payable out of the lands of Mr. James Snipp, to the poor of this parish, of 1l. per annum produce.
SIX ACRES OF LAND, near South-street, were given by a person unknown to the like use, of the yearly produce of 2l. 8s. vested in the minister and churchwardens.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the use of the poor a cottage on Norden green, in this parish, vested in the same, of the annual produce of 1l.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the like use a field; containing between two and three acres, lying near Dean Bottom, in Bicknor, now rented by Robert Terry, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 12s.
A COTTAGE in the street was given for the use of the poor, by an unknown person, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 1l.
The number of poor constantly relieved are about thirty-six, casually fifteen.
STOCKBURY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sittingborne.
The church, which is both large and losty, is very antient, and consists of a middle and two narrow side isles, a high chancel, and two cross ones. The pillars and arches in it are more elegant than is usual in country churches, and the former, on the north side, are of Bethersden marble, rude and antient. It has a square tower at the west end, in which hangs a peal of six bells, and is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. In the great chancel lie buried several of the Hoopers, Knights, Bentleys, and Jumpers. The south chancel belongs to the Cowsted estate, in which lie buried the Pettits and Osbornes, and in the north chancel belonging to the Nettlested estate, Dr. Thorpe and his wife, formerly owners of it.
The church of Stockbury was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Leeds, to which it was given, soon after its foundation, by William Fitzhelt, the patron of it.
Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, in the reign of king Richard I. confirmed this gift, and appropriated this church to the use of the priory, reserving, nevertheless, from the perpetual vicar of it, the annual pension of one marc, to be paid by him to the prior and convent. Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, confirmed the above in 1237, anno 22 Henry III. and granted to them the further sum of ten marcs from it, to be paid half yearly by the vicar of it, (fn. 4) which grants were further confirmed by the succeeding archbishops.
The church and vicarage of Stockbury remained part of the possessions of the above-mentioned priory till the dissolution of it, in the reign of Henry VIII. when it came, with the rest of the revenue of that house, into the king's hands.
After which, the king, by his donation-charter, in his 33d year, settled both the parsonage and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Stockbury on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they now remain.
¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed, by order of the state, in 1649, when it was returned, that the rectory or parsonage of Stockbury, late belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, consisted of a fair dwelling-house, dove house, and other necessary buildings, yards, &c. and the tithes belonging to it, all which were valued at eighty pounds per annum, and the glebe-lands, containing one hundred and forty-four acres, were worth, with the above, 132l. 10s. all which premises were let by the dean and chapter, anno 16 king Charles I. to John Hooper, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 14l. 5s. 4d. That the lesse was bound to repair the chancel; and that the vicarage was excepted, worth fifty pounds per annum. (fn. 5)
The presentation to the vicarage of this church is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands; (fn. 6) but the parsonage continued to be leased out to the family of Hooper, who resided there; several of whom lie buried in this church, particularly John, son of James Hooper, gent. of Halberton, in Devonshire, which John was receiver of the fines, under king Philip and queen Mary, for the Marches, of Wales, and died in 1548. He married Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Roberts, of Glassenbury. At length, by marriage of one of the daughters of Walter Hooper, esq. it passed to William Hugessen, esq. eldest son of John Hugessen, esq. of Stodmarsh. He resided here till his father's death, when he removed to Stodmarsh, and he is the present lessee of this parsonage, under the dean and chapter.
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...
I spotted the sign for the church from a nearby crossroads, I don't seem to recall the name, so we take the turning and drive across the fields.
The road came to a 90 degree bend, and from out of the corner of my eye, I spot a gravestone and a glimpse of a tower.
I park dangerously near to the corner, there was no where else really, but then the road wasn't busy, so should be alright.
The exterior of the church looked modern and not at all promising, it seemed to have been coated, skimmed, in something like concrete, giving the feeling of a village hall.
Inside it was a delight, clearly an ancient building, recesses in the east wall showing where the original windows had sat, now replaced, and above, sturdy roof kept up by large kingposts.
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The land between the North Downs and the north Kent marshes was once wealthy through agriculture and country estates grew as hubs of thriving communities. One such was Badlesmere which gave its name to a family whose peak of power occurred in the early fourteenth century. Their fall was almost as quick as their rise, the family falling foul of political intrigues in the reign of Edward II. They would have known the tiny church of St Leonard, although its character is now an unusual hybrid of medieval woodwork, box pews from the time of Jane Austen and stained glass of the present time. There is fine Royal Arms of George I and a hatchment to the First Earl Sondes. By far the most important furnishings are the medieval bench ends to be found in the chancel. One shows the frequently illustrated carving of the Trinity, represented by a triangle. The two west windows by Frederick W. Cole represent St Francis of Assisi and The Sower. Apart from that the church is very simple - just nave and chancel, and so beautifully cared for that it is obviously a building which excites great passion. Indeed it should do, for as the north Kent corridor gets ever covered with concrete, it is little pockets like this bring us closer to our ancestors.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Badlesmere
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BADLESMERE.
THE next adjoining parish to Leveland, still further eastward, is Badlesmere, usually called Basmere.
It is a parish but little frequented, and with hardly any thoroughfare, lying on the opposite side of the high road from Faversham to Ashford, which runs along its western boundaries; it is situated about six miles from the former, mostly on high ground, the soil of it in this part of it is tolerable good and level, much like the part of Leveland adjoining to it, but the eastern side of the parish is very hilly and chalky, a poor soil covered with flints, a very forlorn rough country, with much woodland in it. At a field's distance from the above road stands the court-lodge, called Basmerecourt, a mean farm-house, with the church almost adjoining to it northward.
In the next field south-eastward of the church, the foundations of the antient seat of the Badlesmeres are easily traced out, by the different colours of the corn, and from the number of apartments in it appears to have been a very large and noble mansion; among them is a large pond, called the Cellar pond, which, as its name implies, was no doubt the place where the cellars of this seat were formerly. At the south-west extremity of the parish is Basmere-lees, over which the Ashford road passes. There are several houses round it, those on the north-east side only, one of which is the parsonage, are in this parish, the rest being in those of Leveland and Sheldwich.
A fair is held here on St. Leonard's day, now by the alteration of the stile on Nov. 17, yearly.
Sir Thomas Randolph, an eminent statesman in queen Elizabeth's reign, son of Avery Randolph, of Badlesmere, was born in this parish in 1523, and was much favored and distinguished by the queen, being employed in no less than eighteen different embassies. He died in 1590, and was buried in St. Peter's church, Paul's wharf, in London, leaving a numerous issue by one of his wives, a sister of Sir Francis Walsingham. (fn. 1)
BARTHOLOMEW DE BADLESMERE was by writ summoned to parliament, in the 3d year of king Edward II. among the barons of this realm, by the title of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, of Badlesmere, chevalier. This barony, by the death of Giles, lord Badlesmere, his son, s. p. devolved by the marriage of Maud, the eldest of his four sisters and coheirs, to John de Vere, earl of Oxford, and it continued in his descendants down to John de Vere, the fourteenth earl of Oxford, and baron of Badlesmere in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, who dying s. p. the earldom descended to the heir male of the Vere's, but the barony of Badlesmere descended to the three sisters of the earl John last-mentioned, viz. Ursula, married to George Windsor, and afterwards to Edward Knightly, of Northamptonshire; Dorothy to John Nevil, lord Latimer, and Elizabeth to Sir Anthony Wingfield, but this dignity being entire, and not divisable, they became incapable of it, otherwise than by gift from the crown, and it in strictness of law reverted to, and was in the king's disposition, but the crown seemingly dispensed with this, for the four several earls of Oxford successively after this, assumed and used among their titles, that of baron of Badlesmere. At length, after the death of Henry, earl of Oxford, and baron of Badlesmere, in 1625, there arose a dispute concerning these titles, which was in 1626, by solemn adjudication of parliament, determined, that the earldom belonged to the heir male of the Vere's, and that the barony of Badlesmere was wholly vested in the king to dispose of at his pleasure, which judgment the king approved of, at which time the office of great chamberlain of England, which had for so many descents been vested in the Vere's, earls of Oxford, was claimed by Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, as heir male, and by Robert, lord Willoughby, of Eresby, as heir-general, and by the adjudication of the house of lords, though the earldom was adjudged to the heir male, yet the office of chamberlain was adjudged to the lord Willoughby. (fn. 2)
THIS PLACE, in the 15th year of the reign of William the Conqueror, was part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, accordingly it is thus entered, under the general title of that prelate's lands, in the survey of Domesday, taken about that time:
The same Anfrid holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Badelesmere. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates and an half. In demesne there is one, and ten villeins, having one carucate and an half. There is a church, and two servants, and a fishery of twelve-pence. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixty shillings, and afterwards sixty shillings, now four pounds. The abbot of St. Augustine's claimed this manor, because he had it in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and the hundred witnessed for him, but the son of the tenant said, his father could turn himself over wherever he would, and this the monks did not deny.
Four years after this, the bishop of Baieux fell into disgrace, and the king seized on this estate among the rest of his possessions.
After which the manor of Badlesmere was granted by the king to Hamo de Crevequer, and together with other lands made up the barony of Crevequer, as it was called, being held of the king in capite by barony, as of his castle of Dover, for the desence of which he was bound by his tenure. (fn. 3)
Of his heirs this manor was held by the eminent family of Badlesmere, who took their surname from their possessing it. Guncelin de Badlesmere, with his brother Ralph, accompanied king Richard I. to the siege of Acon, in Palestine. Guncelin de Badlesmere held this manor, 2s before-mentioned, in the reign of king John, and was a justice itinerant, as was his brother Giles de Badlesmere, who was slain in a conflict with the Welsh in the 43d year of Henry III. anno 1248. The former left one son Bartholomew, and two daughters, Joane, married to John de Northwood, and another to John de Coningsby.
Bartholomew de Badlesmere afterwards possessed this manor, and on his death was succeeded in it by his son Guncelin, who was chief justice of Chester in the 2d year of Edward I. He died in the 29th year of that reign, and was buried in Badlesmere church, where his effigies lying cross-legged, cut in wood, was remaining in Philipott's time, then holding this manor of the king in capite, as of the barony of Crevequer, by knight's service, and paying to the ward of Dover castle, and making suit to the king's court of Ledes. He left by Margaret his wife, heir of Ralph Fitzbernard, one son Bartholomew de Badlesmere, who from the greatness of his wealth and possessions, afterwards acquired the title of the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes, of which castle, in the 5th year of Edward II. he was appointed constable, and obtained a grant in see of the castle and manor of Chilham, among other lands; after which, in the 9th year of that reign, he obtained several more grants of lands, and a special charter of liberties within his manors, and free-warren in all his demesne lands in this manor of Badlesmere among others; in the 11th year of Edward II. he was once more made governor of Ledes-castle, two years after which he obtained the king's licence to found a priory within his manor here, which was held in capite, for canons regular; and that he might, of the demesnes of the manor, grant to them twenty-four acres, to be possessed by them in pure and perpetual alms, for their inhabiting and building there a church, and other buildings, with a non-obstante to the statute of mortmain. But by the troubles which immediately after this ensued to the lord Badlesmere, nothing further was done towards it till the 4th year of Edward III. when the king confirmed this endowment, together with the advowsons of this church of Badlesmere, with those of Whitstaple, Redlingweld, Old Romney, Northfield, and Charleton, in this county; Northmyms, in Hertfordshire, and Luddington, in Huntingdonshire; notwithstanding which, it appears by their afterwards continuing in the possession of lay proprietors, and by no further mention being to be found of this priory, that the design of erecting it fell to the ground, and that nothing further was afterwards done towards it. The year after king Edward the IId.'s granting this licence to Bartholomew de Badlesmere, he was constituted governor of Tunbridge castle, and having been for several years steward of the king's houshold, he had, in reward for his services, the grant of the castle of Ledes in fee, in exchange for other lands which he had purchased.
But this great and powerful baron, after having had such continual favors heaped on him, and having been summoned to parliament till the 14th year of that reign, then withdrew his allegiance, and joined with the earl of Lancaster and the other discontented barons; for which he had a full pardon granted next year, but within a small time afterwards, queen Isabel being denied entrance into his castle of Ledes, the king became highly incensed against him, and immediately besieged and took it, with Margaret his wife, Giles his infant son, and all his children in it, who were sent prisoners to the Tower, and all his lands were seized into the king's hands. (fn. 4) After which, flying into the north, and being overtaken at Burrowbridge, he received a total defeat, and being sent to Canterbury, was hanged at the gallows of Blean, near that city, and his head being cut off, was set on a pole at Burgate, and his body buried in the White Friars church, in that city. The Badlesmeres bore for their arms, Azure, a sess between two gemelles, gules; which coat was afterwards quartered by the Veres, earls of Oxford, Manners's, dukes of Rutland, the lord Scroope, Nevill lord Latimer, the lord Wentworth of Nettlested, and other noble families.
The inquisition of his lands was not taken till the 2d year of Edward III. when the king directed his writs to the several sheriffs of Kent, and many other counties, (by which the wide extent of his possessions in different parts of the kingdom may be seen) (fn. 5) to restore to Margaret his widow, all manors, lands, &c. forfeited in those counties, &c. By this it appears that he died possessed, among others, of this manor of Badlesmere, leaving by Margaret his wife, sister and coheir of Richard de Clare, who survived him, and died anno 5 Edward III. a son Giles, and four daughters, Maud, married first to Roger Fitzpain, and secondly to John de Vere, earl of Oxford; Margery to William, lord Roos, and afterwards to Sir Thomas Arundel; Elizabeth first to Edmund Mortimer, and secondly to William Bohun, earl of Northampton; and Margaret to Sir John Tibetot.
Giles de Badlesmere, the son, the process and judgment against his father having been reversed, had his manors and lands restored to him, and having been much trusted and employed by the king in his wars, and having received summons to parliament, he died s. p. in the latter of them, and was buried near his father in the same church, being then possessed of this manor, and leaving his four sisters his coheirs; upon the division of their inheritance, this manor among others was assigned to Maud, the eldest sister, wife of John de Vere, earl of Oxford, who in her right became possessed of it, and he accordingly paid aid for it, in the 20th year of Edward III. He was descended of a family which took its name from the town of Vere, in Zealand, where they had flourished as earls of Guisne for several generations, of whom Alberic, or Aubrey de Vere, came over into England with William the Conqueror, as appears by the roll of Battle-abbey, and was rewarded by him with divers lordships, which are recorded in Domesday. After which he married Beatrix, the Conqueror's sister. (fn. 6) They bore for their arms, Gules, and or, in the first quarter, a mullet, argent; which arms are in several places on the roof of the cloysters, and in the windows of the cathedral of Canterbury.
He was a nobleman of high courage, and performed great and exemplary services in the wars in France, during which he died in the English army encamped before Rheims, anno 34 Edward III.
In his descendants, earls of Oxford, and barons of Badlesmere likewise, by their descent from Maud, the sister and coheir of Giles, lord Badlesmere, beforementioned, men illustrious not only from their high birth and alliances, but from the noble actions they performed, and the highest offices of state which they held from time to time, among which was the hereditary office of lord chamberlain, this manor continued down to John, earl of Oxford and baron of Badlesmere, who in king Henry the VIth.'s reign, being firmly attached to the house of Lancaster, was, on Edward IV. attaining the crown, attainted in parliament, being then far advanced in years, and with Aubrey his eldest son, afterwards beheaded on Tower-hill. (fn. 7) By this act of attainder the manor of Badlesmere became vested in the crown, and it appears to have been granted by the king next year, being the second of his reign, to Richard, duke of Gloucester, his uncle, on whose obtaining the crown by the title of king Richard III. it became part of the royal possessions. After which the king having in his first year, constituted John Howard, duke of Norfolk, lord high admiral, granted to him, among many others, in special tail, the manor of Badlesmere; but the duke did not long enjoy those great possessions, for next year he was slain, with the king, at the battle of Bosworth, on August 22, 1485, from whence he was conveyed to Thetford, and there buried, after which he was attainted in parliament, in the 1st year of the next reign of Henry VII. (fn. 8)
After which the manor of Badlesmere having been granted in special tail as before-mentioned, came into the possession of the duke's only son and heir Thomas Howard, earl of Surry, who after having been confined in the tower for near four years, was in the 4th year of that reign restored in parliament to the title of earl of Surry, and wholly to the king's favor, and having served him with great honor and fidelity, he had, in the 22d of that reign, a special grant of all the manors and lands of which the duke of Norfolk his father died possessed. In the next reign of Henry VIII. he continued highly in the king's favor, and in the 4th year of that reign, having by his prudence and valour, gained the memorable victory over the Scots at Floden-field, he had for that eminent service an augmentation added to his arms, to him and his heirs male, and was advanced to the title of duke of Norfolk, with a grant of divers lands in special tail. He died in the 16th year of that reign, and was succeeded in titles and estates by his eldest son Thomas, who had been in his life-time created earl of Surry, and was intrusted by the king in great and high offices of state, but notwithstanding his performing signal services both as a soldier and a statesman, he was through the king's jealousy of his greatness, which was not a little somented by several of the new raised nobility, in the 38th year of that reign, committed to the Tower, and both he and his son the earl of Surry were attainted by special bills in parliament; the earl was soon afterwards beheaded, and a warrant was signed for the execution of the duke, but the king dying the same day, his executors did not venture to enforce the sentence at so critical a juncture.
This manor, thus coming to the crown, among the rest of the duke's possessions, seems to have been granted to Sir Robert Southwell, master of the rolls, whose brother Sir Richard had been the chief accuser of the late earl of Surry. This family of Southwell, according to Mr. Camden, takes its name from the town of Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, where they were first seated; the descendants of which in king Henry the VIth.'s reign had spread themselves into Norfolk, Suffolk, and other counties, at which time John Southwell, M. P. for Lewes, in Sussex, had two sons, John, of Norwich, who was ancestor of the lords Southwell, of the kingdom of Ireland, and of those seated at Kings-Weston, in Gloucestershire; and Robert, who was ancestor of Sir Robert Southwell, master of the rolls above-mentioned, who bore for his arms, Argent, three cinquefoils, gules, charged with six annulets, or. He immediately afterwards, anno 2 king Edward VI. alienated this manor of Badlesmere, with 2000 acres of land in Badlesmere, and the adjoining parishes, to Sir Anthony Aucher, of Otterden, who died anno 4 and 5 king Philip and queen Mary, possessed of this manor, held in capite by knight's service. His eldest son John Aucher, of Otterden-place, by his first wife, daughter of Sir William Kellawny, left an only daughter and heir Anne, who in queen Elizabeth's reign marrying with Sir Humphry Gilbert, entitled him to the possession of this manor. Sir Humphry Gilbert was equally distinguished in the reign of queen Elizabeth, by his eminent abilities and great courage, being usually stiled in the Latin writers of that time egregius Miles. He was descended of an antient family in Devonshire, and was second son of Otho Gilbert, esq. of Greenway, by his wife Katherine, daughter of Sir Philip Champernon, of Modbury, in that county, who afterwards married Walter Raleigh, esq. of Fardel, and by him was mother of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh. They bore for their arms, Argent, on a chevron, sable, three roses of the first, seeded, or. Sir Humphry's genius led him to the studies of cosmography, navigation, and the art of war. He by his merit acquired the honorable post of commander in chief, and governor of the province of Munster, in Ireland; but what rendered him most famous was his great skill in mathematics, which induced him to undertake a voyage for the discovery of the northwest passage to the East-Indies, and to plant unknown countries, to facilitate which he published more than one discourse; for these adventurous designs he procured a patent from the queen in 1578, wherein he had full powers to undertake such discoveries, and to inhabit and possess any lands which were at that time unsettled by Christian princes, or their subjects. With this view he made two voyages to Newfoundland, and made several discoveries; but whilst in those seas, the vessel in which he was being too small to resist the swell of them, about midnight on Sept. 9, 1583, she was swallowed up and never seen more, Sir Humphry and all the crew perishing in her. (fn. 9) Before his death however, he sold this manor in the 23d year of that reign to Sir Michael Sondes; (fn. 10) afterwards of Throwley, whose grandson Sir George Sondes, of Lees-court, in Sheldwich, K. B. was in the reign of king Charles II. created earl of Faversham. He left two daughters his coheirs, of whom Mary was married to Lewis, lord Duras, afterwards earl of Faversham, and Katherine to Lewis Watson, earl of Rockingham, each of whom successively, in right of their respective wives, inherited this manor, which has since descended in like manner as Lees-court, in Sheldwich, (to the account of which the reader is referred) down to the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, who is the present possessor of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
WOODS-COURT is a manor in the north-east part of this parish, which was antiently, from the possessors of it, called Godislands. William de Godisland held it in the reign of Edward I. by knight's service, as did his descendant Richard de Godisland at his death in the 19th year of Edward III. then holding it of the king in capite, by the service of one sparrow-hawk, or two shillings at the king's exchequer yearly. He was succeeded in it by his son and heir William de Godisland, but before the end of that reign, this family seems to have been extinct here, for Robert at Wood died possessed of it in the 6th year of Richard II. anno 1382, as was then found by inquisition, at which time it had acquired from him the name of the manor of Atwoods, and was held of the king in capite, as of his castle of Dover, by rent to the ward of that castle yearly, and that William Attwood, his uncle, was his next heir.
Guido atte Wode, of the parish of Bocton, was possessed of it in the reign of Edward IV. in the 6th year of which he died, and was buried in Bocton church, before the high cross. By his will he gave this manor, called Woodys court, to his wife Joane for life, and afterwards to his brother Thomas atte Wode, except one piece of land called Geroldysdane, which he ordered to be sold. Thomas atte Wode above-mentioned was of Ickham, and died possessed of this manor three years afterwards, as appears by his will that year.
¶After this name was gone from hence, this manor was become the property of Sayer, one of whom, John, son of Henry Sayer, of Faversham, in 1517, conveyed it to John Cheney, gent. of Eastchurch, in Shepey, who in the 14th year of that reign, sold it to Reynold Snode, gent. of Sheldwich, descended of a family of good account in these parts of Kent so early as king Henry III.'s reign. Isabella de Snode is mentioned, among the gentry of this neighbourhood, as living at that time, in the leiger-book of Davington priory, and there is yet, not far from hence, a hamlet of houses, called from them, Snode-street. His son Samuel Snode became possessed of it on his father's death in the 11th year of queen Elizabeth; he sold it to Gabriel Giles, of Sheldwich, who in the 25th year of it alienated it to Thomas and Henry Unkle, the former of whom, in 1591, conveyed it to Mildred, widow of the latter, and sister of Nicholas Pemble, and she, in the 41st year of queen Elizabeth, marrying with Arthur Franklyn, gent. of Badlesmere, he, in her right, became possessed of it, and by fine levied in 1599, settled it upon their issue, which was Arthur Franklyn, from whom it descended to Mr. John Franklyn, who dying intestate it came to his kinsman Mr. James Franklin, who in 1743 devised it by his will to his eldest son Mr. Arthur Franklyn, gent. who resided in it, and in the year 1764 passed it away by sale to Lewis, lord Sondes, whose son the right hon Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, is the present owner of it.
BADLESMERE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of O'pringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Leonard, is but a very small mean building, consisting of one isle and one chancel, with a small turret at the west end, in which is one bell; there were formerly three bells here, but two were taken down and sold many years ago, towards the repair of the church.
In the chancel is a memorial, in old English letters, for Barbara, late wife of John Writhe, alias Dict, garter king at arms, daughter and heir of John Castlecombe, of Cricklade, in Wiltshire, who died in 1483.
There was formerly a small chapel adjoining to the south side of it, the foundations of which still remain, but it was fallen to ruin before the middle of the last century; in this chapel or chancel, which had a door opening into the middle of the isle of the church, were the tombs of several of the family of Badlesmere.
This church has ever been an appendage to the manor of Badlesmere, for though Bartholomew de Badlesmere, and his son Giles, assigned it as part of the endowment of the priory they intended to erect in this parish, yet as that design never took place, this church has continued in the possession of the several proprietors of the manor from that time to the present, and as such is now become vested in the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes.
It is a rectory, and a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-six pounds, the yearly tenths being 10s. 2¼d.
In 1578 there were communicants here thirty-four; in 1640 it was valued at eighty pounds per annum, communicants forty.
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.
The Shipley Art Gallery is an art gallery in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, located at the south end of Prince Consort Road. It has a Designated Collection of national importance.
The Shipley Art Gallery opened to the public in 1917. This was made possible by a bequest from wealthy local solicitor and art collector, Joseph Ainsley Davidson Shipley (1822–1909).
Shipley was a rather enigmatic person about whom little is known. He was born in Gateshead, near High Street. He was a solicitor in the Newcastle firm of Hoyle, Shipley and Hoyle. From 1884 until his death, he leased Saltwell Park House, now known as Saltwell Towers. Shipley's main passion was art and collecting paintings. He bought his first painting when he was sixteen and by the time he died he had amassed a collection of some 2,500 paintings.
On his death, Shipley left £30,000 and all his pictures to the City of Newcastle, which was to build a new gallery to house the collection. This was to be known as "The Shipley Bequest". Current belief within local history circles is that Shipley’s will expressly banned Newcastle’s art gallery as a recipient of the bequest, but this assertion must be dismissed: since the foundation stone of the Laing Art Gallery was laid only in August 1901 and the gallery opened in October 1904, the institution did not yet exist in 1900, when Shipley’s will was compiled. Shipley’s will did, in fact, declare that ‘the Art Gallery to be erected in Higham Place will not be and shall not be regarded as an Art Gallery within this trust’, owing to its being ‘too small’, but he conceded that if it ‘shall be capable of being enlarged so as to render it capable of holding all, then I direct my Trustees to raise the sum of £30,000 out of my residuary estate and pay the same to the treasurer of the gallery to be applied in or toward such enlargement as aforesaid’. It was only following a lengthy process that the County Borough of Gateshead was offered the collection. As it was impossible to house all of the paintings, 359 of the pictures recommended by the executors of Shipley's will were selected. A further group was then added by the Gateshead Committee, bringing the total to 504.
In 1914, after the sale of the remaining paintings, work began on the new art gallery. The building, which was designed by Arthur Stockwell, M.S.A. of Newcastle, opened on 29 November 1917. The stone entrance portico is distyle in antis – four Corinthian-style stone columns flanked by solid pilasters. These are surmounted by two sculptured figures, one representing the Arts and the other Industry and Learning, by W. Birnie Rhind, RSA. of Edinburgh.
Pevsner described the art gallery as a "bold arrangement of a brick central block and lower wings containing galleries". The building was designated as Grade II listed in 1982.
The original 504 paintings represented all the main European schools from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Since 1917, the collection has been added to, and now comprises some 10,000 items.
The gallery holds a strong collection of 16th- and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, as well as 19th-century British works, watercolours, prints, drawings and sculpture. Also featured are items of local interest, which include the popular painting by William C. Irving (1866–1943) of "Blaydon Races" (1903) and a 1970 street scene of Redheugh Crossroads by Gateshead-born Charlie Rogers.
Since 1977 the gallery has become established as a national centre for contemporary craftwork. It has built up one of the best collections outside London, which includes ceramics, wood, metal, glass, textiles and furniture. The Shipley is home to the Henry Rothschild collection of studio ceramics. In 2008, the Shipley opened its Designs for Life gallery which showcases the gallery's collections of contemporary craft and design. The Gallery also hosts a varied programme of temporary exhibitions and has a strong partnership with the V&A Museum in London.
The Shipley Art Gallery is managed by North East Museums on behalf of Gateshead Council.
Originally dating to around 1320, the building is important because it has most of its original features; successive owners effected relatively few changes to the main structure, after the completion of the quadrangle with a new chapel in the 16th century. Pevsner described it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the county", and it remains an example that shows how such houses would have looked in the Middle Ages. Unlike most courtyard houses of its type, which have had a range demolished, so that the house looks outward, Nicholas Cooper observes that Ightham Mote wholly surrounds its courtyard and looks inward, into it, offering little information externally.[9] The construction is of "Kentish ragstone and dull red brick,"[10] the buildings of the courtyard having originally been built of timber and subsequently rebuilt in stone.[11]
The moat of Ightham Mote
The house has more than 70 rooms, all arranged around a central courtyard, "the confines circumscribed by the moat."[10] The house is surrounded on all sides by a square moat, crossed by three bridges. The earliest surviving evidence is for a house of the early 14th century, with the great hall, to which were attached, at the high, or dais end, the chapel, crypt and two solars. The courtyard was completely enclosed by increments on its restricted moated site, and the battlemented tower was constructed in the 15th century. Very little of the 14th century survives on the exterior behind rebuilding and refacing of the 15th and 16th centuries.
The structures include unusual and distinctive elements, such as the porter's squint, a narrow slit in the wall designed to enable a gatekeeper to examine a visitor's credentials before opening the gate. An open loggia with a fifteenth-century gallery above, connects the main accommodations with the gatehouse range. The courtyard contains a large, 19th century dog kennel.[12] The house contains two chapels; the New Chapel, of c.1520, having a barrel roof decorated with Tudor roses. [13] Parts of the interior were remodelled by Richard Norman Shaw.[14] wikipedia
16th century-late 19th century
The house remained in the Selby family for nearly 300 years.[3] Sir William was succeeded by his nephew, also Sir William, who is notable for handing over the keys of Berwick-upon-Tweed to James I on his way south to succeed to the throne.[4] He married Dorothy Bonham of West Malling but had no children. The Selbys continued until the mid-19th century when the line faltered with Elizabeth Selby, the widow of a Thomas who disinherited his only son.[5] During her reclusive tenure, Joseph Nash drew the house for his multi-volume illustrated history Mansions of England in the Olden Time, published in the 1840s.[6] The house passed to a cousin, Prideaux John Selby, a distinguished naturalist, sportsman and scientist. On his death in 1867, he left Ightham Mote to a daughter, Mrs Lewis Marianne Bigge. Her second husband, Robert Luard, changed his name to Luard-Selby. Ightham Mote was rented-out in 1887 to American Railroad magnate William Jackson Palmer and his family. For three years Ightham Mote became a centre for the artists and writers of the Aesthetic Movement with visitors including John Singer Sargent, Henry James, and Ellen Terry. When Mrs Bigge died in 1889, the executors of her son Charles Selby-Bigge, a Shropshire land agent, put the house up for sale in July 1889.[6]
Late 19th century-21st century
The Mote was purchased by Thomas Colyer-Fergusson.[6] He and his wife brought up their six children at the Mote. In 1890-1891, he carried out much repair and restoration, which allowed the survival of the house after centuries of neglect.[7] Ightham Mote was opened to the public one afternoon a week in the early 20th century.[7]
Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson's third son, Riversdale, died aged 21 in 1917 in the Third Battle of Ypres, and won a posthumous Victoria Cross. A wooden cross in the New Chapel is in his memory. The oldest brother, Max, was killed at the age of 49 in a bombing raid on an army driving school near Tidworth in 1940 during World War II. One of the three daughters, Mary (called Polly) married Walter Monckton.
On Sir Thomas's death in 1951, the property and the baronetcy passed to Max's son, James. The high costs of upkeep and repair of the house led him to sell the house and auction most of the contents. The sale took place in October 1951 and lasted three days. It was suggested that the house be demolished to harvest the lead on the roofs, or that it be divided into flats. Three local men purchased the house: William Durling, John Goodwin and John Baldock. They paid £5,500 for the freehold, in the hope of being able to secure the future of the house.[8]
In 1953, Ightham Mote was purchased by Charles Henry Robinson, an American of Portland, Maine, United States. He had known the property when stationed nearby during the Second World War. He lived there for only fourteen weeks a year for tax reasons. He made many urgent repairs, and partly refurnished the house with 17th-century English pieces. In 1965, he announced that he would give Ightham Mote and its contents to the National Trust. He died in 1985 and his ashes were immured just outside the crypt. The National Trust took possession in that year.[8]
In 1989, the National Trust began an ambitious conservation project that involved dismantling much of the building and recording its construction methods before rebuilding it. During this process, the effects of centuries of ageing, weathering, and the destructive effect of the deathwatch beetle were highlighted. The project ended in 2004 after revealing numerous examples of structural and ornamental features which had been covered up by later additions.[1]
I had been to Mettingham once before. Well, other than passing through. Back in the 80s Mettingham had a fine trucker's cafe, which I seem to remember won awards, and nearby was the Tally Ho pub.
The Tally Ho are now tearooms, and the greasy spoon long gone.
I had gone to Mettingham to visit the village show, many of my friends at the chicken factory lived on farms and for them it was a major event. I took my whole family in our Ford Cortina. It was a low key thing, as you would imagine, but at the same time very enjoyable.
I drove out of Bungay, back up the hill past where the old Harley Davidson shop used to be, past where another pub used to stand, that was the Watch House if I remember. That has been knocked down and more houses built. Up the hill out of Bungay and I could see the Tally Ho ahead, but just after that there was a sign saying 'church open'. I didn't know there was a church on the road.
Later, as I drove further along, I saw another church at Shipmeadow, but that I discovered later is now a private house.
Anyway, back to Mettingham. I turned round and found a place to park just off the road, not knowing if private vehicles would be allowed up the lane.
The lane was very narrow, and curved to the left about 50 yards up, thus hiding the church completely.
I walked up and found a perfect small round-towered church, once again like in Bungay with a window set in the base of the tower.
Despite its rural setting, it was very tidy inside, cool and welcoming. A church I rather liked.
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There was a church at Mettingham in Saxon times, but the present edifice, though a very ancient structure, is of Norman foundation. It exhibits a very elegant doorway, on the north side of the nave, profusely ornamented with the chevron mouldings. The stone employed in this elaborate portal is of the very finest quality, and has braved the corroding blasts of our north-eastern gales for above seven centuries with little injury. The hand of man, however, has despoiled it of its columns, and failed to spare what time would have left unscathed.
The church comprises a nave, with a south aisle, a chancel, and a round tower, with a large porch on the south side, in the west wall of which is a fire-place and chimney. The tower is girded, about midway of its height, with a strong band of iron; but an examination of its interior presents no visible rent or decay, requiring such a singular appendage. It was put on about half a century ago, by the then churchwarden; who, as he was also the village blacksmith, has exemplified the truth of the fable, that there is nothing like leather. In the south aisle is an inarched monument, with a handsome canopy: there is also a good octagonal font of stone, with the remains of some very rich stalls, and portions of a once elegant screen.
The interior is kept in a very neat and reputable state, but is sadly disfigured by a barbarous east window. Besides the arms of De Norwich, which yet remain, the windows of this church formerly contained the following cognizances. Ufford quartering Becke; France and England quartered; and, sab. an eagle displayed or.
Having been early appropriated to Bungay Nunnery, this benefice became a vicarage. Upon the suppression of religious houses, the appropriation and advowson were granted, in the twenty-ninth of Henry VIII., to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk; but they were soon afterwards conveyed to Sir Nicholas Bacon, and united with the castle estates; the Rev. James Cutting Safford being the present impropriator, and patron of the vicarage.
The registers of this parish commence in the time of the Commonwealth; and I quote the first page from them to show what advantages were gained by the nation in consequence of the Act of Parliament which deprived the parochial clergy of their custody, and transferred it to laymen.
"Mettingham Register Booke.
"Wherein are written all the Mariages, Burths, and Burialls, accordinge to the late Act of Parlament made the 22 day of September, 1653.
"Richard Stannard, of the same towne, in the Countie of Suff., Gent., approved by us, whose handes are here under subscribed accordinge to the choice of him made by the Inhabitants of the said Parish, to have the keeping of the Booke, and sworne to performe the Office of a Register accordinge to an Act of Parlament made in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand sixe hundred fifty and three.
Simon Suckbottle
Nasty Nan
John Gingerbread
Halfbrickt Man
Jumping Jones
Bounty Bridg
Dick Devill
Inhabitants of Utopia.
Monuments.—William Gooch, Esq., died 1685. Thomas Gooch, Gent., 1688. Attached to the monument are the arms of Gooch; party per pale, arg. and sab., a chevron between 3 talbots pass., counterchanged; on a chief gules 3 leopards' faces or. These gentlemen were ancestors of the present Sir Thomas Gooch, Bart., of Benacre Hall, whose family appears to have sprung from this village. In 1537, I meet with the name of Thomas Gooch, as witness to a deed, now preserved in the parish chest.
Jacob Twiss, Gent., died 1706. George Robinson, died 1808, aged 79.
There are many monuments of the Belwards, a family of ancient descent; being derived from Hugh de Belward, who came over with the Conqueror. Their arms, which are placed over some of the monuments here, are party per pale gules and argent, 3 pheons reversed, counterchanged.
In the reign of William the Conqueror, Robert Fitz-Hugh was Baron of Malpas in Cheshire, and held above thirty manors under Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, as appears by Domesday Book; but leaving no issue male, this barony, at length, by marriage of the heir female, came into the famous and knightly family of the Belwards, as Camden styles it, of which was John le Belward de Malpas, who lived in Rufus's time: to him succeeded William his son, who was Baron of Malpas in right of his mother, who was Lætitia, daughter and heiress of Robert Fitz-Hugh, and bore for arms 3 pheons, or dart heads. William, who was Baron of Malpas, left no legitimate issue; but Philip, his next brother, and then possessed of the manor of Egerton near Malpas, took, according to the custom of that age, the surname of Egerton from the place of his residence, and spread into many eminent and flourishing families, one of whose posterity is the Duke of Bridgewater.
Viscount Malpas and Earl of Cholmondeley, 1706, descended from William le Belward, Baron Malpas. Robert, by the gift of his father, had the lordship of Cholmondeley, settled there, and assumed the name of the place.
Thomas Cholmondeley, created Earl Delamere, 1821.
Thomas Egerton, Earl of Wilton, descended from William le Belward, who assumed the name of Egerton. The twelfth in descent was Sir Rowland Egerton, created a Baronet in 1617.
The Rev. Henry Belward Belward, of Mettingham (1845) assumed the name of his mother Esther, by the will of Dr. Richard Fisher Belward, who left him his estates.
Maria, daughter of William Belward, Gent., died 1731. Anna, fourth daughter of William Belward, died 1736. William Belward, Gent., died 18th August, 1700, aged 54. Hannah, his fifth daughter, died 1753, aged 58. Susanna, widow of the Rev. Charles Cock, A.M., died of the small-pox, 1738, aged 72. Edmund Purdy, died 1618. William Hayward, died 1753, aged 68. John Youngs, died 1671.
Elizabeth, relict of the Rev. James Chartres, formerly fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and vicar of Godmanchester, and West Haddon, obt. March 20, 1840, æt. 76.
James Cutting, eldest son of the Rev. James Cutting, and Louisa Safford, obt. July 9th, 1842, æt. 16.
The town estate of Mettingham produces a rental of about £100 per annum, and is under the management of feoffees chosen by the parishioners. The lands which produce this fine income were devised some centuries ago for parochial purposes; but the exact intentions of the benefactors are not clearly understood. The proceeds of their bequests are applied to the reparation of the church; in a distribution of coals to the poor; and to other parish purposes, which are, perhaps, not altogether legitimate. Laurence Skete, of Mettingham, and others, gave several pieces of land and meadow ground for the use of the poor. Among the deeds preserved in the office of the Bishop of Norwich is the following record. "Villuta de Mettingham tenet 3 ac: et dim: terræ nativæ tenem'ti Stambornes Manerij in una pecia de Metyngham. Idem tenet 3 rodas terræ liberæ pertinentis gilde, et jac: in Metyngham inter unam semitam."
Richard Umfrey, or Humfrey, Clerk, vicar of Mettingham in 1517, gave to the poor of this parish, lands, now let at £32. 7s. 6d. The original deed is—or was lately—in the parish chest, and is dated "apud Metyngham, ultimo die mensis Maij Anno regni Regis Henrici septimo."
As the above Richard Umfrey was also a liberal benefactor to the parish in other ways, I transcribe his short will, which contains many very curious and interesting particulars, illustrative of the manners and customs of his period.
"In nōie Dei, Amen. in the yere of our Lorde God MCCCCCXVij, the first day of Marche, I Richarde Umfrey, Clerke, Vicar of the church of All Seynts of Metyngh'm, beying in good and hool mynde, make my testamente and laste wille undre this fourme followyng. First, I come'nde my soule to Almyghtie God, to our blyssed Ladye, and to the celestyall Courte in Hevyn. And my Bodye to be buryed in the chauncell of Metyngh'm forsad byfor the sepultur and grave of Syr John Arcente, my predecessor. And at the daye of my buryeng I will that the maist' of the College in Metyngh'm forsad shall have xxd. And every brodre of the same College, xijd. And ev'y yoman servaunte abidyng in the said College shall have iiijd, and ev'y other servaunte and childe of the Almouse ther ijd. Also I will that ev'y other priste that shalbe at my buryeng shall have iiijd. Also I will that at the same daye of my buryeng the Ladye Prioresse of the monast'ye in Bongey shall have xijd. And ev'y other Lady of the same monast'ye vjd, and their convente priste viijd. to praye for my soule. Also I bequeath to ev'y houssolder in the said p'ysshe of Metyngh'm wheras arn man and wiff, viijd. And to ev'y other p'son jd at the sad daye to praye for my soule and all crysten soules. Also I gyff and bequeth to the maist' of the forsad College and to his brodren all that my Tēnt called Pyrtewell in Metyngh'm wt the gardeyn and the cloos to the sad tēnt belongyng wt thapp'tenents, undre this condic'on, that the said maist' and his brodren shall hold my annyv'sary yerly wt placebo and dirige and masse of Requiem for my soule, my fadres and modres soules, for my fryndes soules, and all cristen soules. And moreov' the sad maist' and his brodren shall gyff to thoos p'sones that shall rynge at Metyngh'm Church forsaid in the tyme of saying or syngyng of placebo and dirige at the said daye of my annyv'sary oon caste of brede and oon gallon of drynk. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Tounesshippe of Metyngh'm forsaid oon acr of londe lyeng among the londes of the said tounesshippe, undre this condison, that the Churchwardeyns of the same p'ysshe shall gyffe yerly at the daye of my annyv'ssary to the Vicar of the sad church of Metyngh'm, or to his Depute ther saying or syngyng placebo and dirige for my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all crysten soules, iiijd. And to offer jd. at Masse. Also I will that my cooffeoffes shall dely' or cause to be delyv'ed a state and seisyne of the forsaid te'nt, and all other landes forsade to the p'fourmaunce of this my laste will, when so ev' ther shall be required by my Executors. Also I will have an honest seculer priste to syng and praye for my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all crysten soules, by the space of twoo yers and longer yf yt may extende of my Goodes. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Cathedrall Church of the hooly Trinite of Norwych, vjs viijd. Also I bequeth to the forsaid Church of Metyngh'm my vestymente of blewe Velvett powdered wt flowres. And my chalice for to remayn to the same church as long as ther shall endur. And to the gyldyng of the Tabernacle of Seynt Mychael in the sad church, xxs. Also I gyff and bequeth to the Ladye Prioresse of the monast'ye in Bongay oon Goun wt the hoode. And to Dame Anne Page oon goun wt the hoode and vjs viijd. Also I bequeth to Mr. Thomas Wylkynes wiff a goun wt the hoode: to Mr. Reeves wiff a Goun wt the Hood: to Hamonde Lynstedes wife a Goun with the Hood. And to John Rooses wife a Goun wt the Hood: Also I bequeth to Robte Arwarde my lesser ffedrebedde with the bolster. The residue of all my Goodes wt my detts not bequethed I gyff and bequeth to the Disposicon and orderyng of Mayster Richarde Shelton, Clerk, and Sir Richard Wyburgh, priste, whom I ordeyn and make my Executors of this my Testamente and lastwille, thei to distrisbute and dispose them in Dedys of Charite to the most laude and praysyng of Allmyghty God for the welth and p'fyte of my soule, my fryndes soules, and for all cristen soules.
www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...
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...
I began the Kent church project back in 2008, and Barham was one of the first dozen I visited. I took a few shots, and from then I remember the window showing a very fine St George and a balcony from where the bells are rung giving great views down the church.
I have not stepped foot inside a Kent church since the end of September, and so I felt I needed to get back into it, as the orchid season is possibly just four months away, and then I will be lost for months.
Barham is like an old friend; it lies on a short cut from the A2 to the Elham Valley, so I pass down here many times a year, zig-zaggin at its western end as the road heads down towards the Nailbourne.
You can see the spire from the A2, nestling in the valley below, and yet being so close to a main road, the lane that winds it way through the timber framed and clapboard houses is wide enough to allow just one car to pass at a time.
Unusually, there is plentiful parking on the south side of the church, and from there there is a great view of the southern face of the church with its magnificent spire.
As hoped, it was open, and the church has so much more than I remember from what, eight years back.
Rows of modern chairs have replaced pews, but it looks good like thet. The church has a good collection of Victorian glass, some better than others, and there is that St George window at the western end of the north wall.
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A long and light church, best viewed from the south. Like nearby Ickham it is cruciform in plan, with a west rather than central, tower. Sometimes this is the result of a later tower being added, but here it is an early feature indeed, at least the same age (if not earlier) than the body of the church. Lord Kitchener lived in the parish, so his name appears on the War Memorial. At the west end of the south aisle, tucked out of the way, is the memorial to Sir Basil Dixwell (d 1750). There are two twentieth century windows by Martin Travers. The 1925 east window shows Our Lady and Child beneath the typical Travers Baroque Canopy. Under the tower, affixed to the wall, are some Flemish tiles, purchased under the will of John Digge who died in 1375. His memorial brass survives in the Vestry.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barham
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Many churches in Kent are well known for their yew trees but St. John the Baptist at Barham is noteworthy for its magnificent beech trees.
The Church guide suggests that there has been a Church here since the 9th Century but the present structure was probably started in the 12th Century although Syms, in his book about Kent Country Churches, states that there is a hint of possible Norman construction at the base of the present tower. The bulk of the Church covers the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular periods of building. Many of the huge roof beams, ties and posts are original 14th Century as are the three arches leading into the aisle..
In the Northwest corner is a small 13th Century window containing modern glass depicting St. George slaying the dragon and dedicated to the 23rd Signal Company. The Church also contains a White Ensign which was presented to it by Viscount Broome, a local resident. The Ensign was from 'H.M.S. Raglan' which was also commanded by Viscount Broome. The ship was sunk in January, 1918 by the German light cruiser 'Breslau'.
The walls contain various mural tablets. Hanging high on the west wall is a helmet said to have belonged to Sir Basil Dixwell of Broome Park. The helmet probably never saw action but was carried at his funeral.
The floor in the north transept is uneven because some years ago three brasses were found there. According to popular medieval custom engraved metal cut-outs were sunk into indented stone slabs and secured with rivets and pitch. In order to save them from further damage the brasses were lifted and placed on the walls. The oldest dates from about 1370 is of a civilian but very mutilated. The other two are in good condition and dated about 1460. One is of a woman wearing the dress of a widow which was similar to a nun. The other is of a bare headed man in plate armour. These are believed to be of John Digges and his wife Joan.
At the west end of the church is a list of Rectors and Priests-in-Charge - the first being Otho Caputh in 1280. Notice should be made of Richard Hooker (1594), the author of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. The tiles incorporated into the wall were originally in place in the Chancel about 1375. They were left by John Digges whose Will instructed that he was to be buried in the Chancel and "my executors are to buy Flanders tiles to pave the said Chancel".
The 14th century font is large enough to submerse a baby - as would have been the custom of the time. The bowl is octagonal representing the first day of the new week, the day of Christ's resurrection. The cover is Jacobean.
The Millennium Window in the South Transept was designed and constructed by Alexandra Le Rossignol and was dedicated in July 2001. The cost of the project (approximately £6,500) was raised locally with the first donation being made by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey.
The porch contains two wooden plaques listing the names of men from the village who were killed in the Great Wars - among them being Field Marshall Lord Kitchener of Broome Park.
www.barham-kent.org.uk/landmark_church.htm
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ANTIENTLY written Bereham, lies the next parish eastward. There are five boroughs in it, viz. of Buxton, Outelmeston, Derrington, Breach, and Shelving. The manor of Bishopsborne claims over almost the whole of this parish, at the court of which the four latter borsholders are chosen, and the manors of Reculver and Adisham over a small part of it.
BARHAM is situated at the confines of that beautiful country heretofore described, the same Nailbourne valley running through it, near which, in like manner the land is very fertile, but all the rest of it is a chalky barren soil. On the rise of the hill northward from it, is the village called Barham-street, with the church, and just beyond the summit of it, on the further side Barham court, having its front towards the downs, over part of which this parish extends, and gives name to them. At the foot of the same hill, further eastward, is the mansion of Brome, with its adjoining plantatious, a conspicuous object from the downs, to which by inclosing a part of them, the grounds extend as far as the Dover road, close to Denne-hill, and a costly entrance has been erected into them there. By the corner of Brome house the road leads to the left through Denton-street, close up to which this parish extends, towards Folkestone; and to the right, towards Eleham and Hythe. One this road, within the bounds of this parish, in a chalky and stony country, of poor barren land, there is a large waste of pasture, called Breach down, on which there are a number of tumuli, or barrows. By the road side there have been found several skeletons, one of which had round its neck a string of beads, of various forms and sizes, from a pidgeon's egg to a pea, and by it a sword, dagger, and spear; the others lay in good order, without any particular thing to distinguish them. (fn. 1)
In the Nailbourne valley, near the stream, are the two hamlets of Derrington and South Barham; from thence the hills, on the opposite side of it to those already mentioned, rise southward pretty high, the tops of them being covered with woods, one of them being that large one called Covert wood, a manor belonging to the archbishop, and partly in this parish, being the beginning of a poor hilly country, covered with stones, and enveloped with frequent woods.
BARHAM, which, as appears by the survey of Domesday, formerly lay in a hundred of its own name, was given anno 809, by the estimation of seven ploughlands, by Cenulph, king of Kent, to archbishop Wlfred, free from all secular demands, except the trinoda necessitas, but this was for the use of his church; for the archbishop, anno 824, gave the monks lands in Egelhorne and Langeduna, in exchange for it. After which it came into the possession of archbishop Stigand, but, as appears by Domesday, not in right of his archbishopric, at the taking of which survey, it was become part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Berham hundred, Fulbert holds of the bishop Berham. It was taxed at six sulings. The arable land is thirty two carucates. In demesne there are three carucates, and fifty two villeins, with twenty cottagers having eighteen carucates. There is a church, and one mill of twenty shillings and four pence. There are twentlyfive fisheries of thirty-five shillings all four pence. Of average, that is service, sixty shilling. Of herbage twenty six shillings, and twenty acres of meadow Of pannage sufficient for one hundred and fifty hogs. Of this manor the bishop gave one berewic to Herbert, the son of Ivo, which is called Hugham, and there be has one carucate in demesne, and twelve villeins, with nine carucates, and twenty acres of meadow. Of the same manor the bisoop gave to Osberne Paisforere one suling and two mills of fifty sbillings, and there is in demesne one carucate, and four villeins with one carucate. The whole of Barbam, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, was worth forty pounds, when be received it the like, and yet it yielded to him one hundred pounds, now Berhem of itself is worth forty pounds, and Hucham ten pounds, and this which Osberne bas six pounds, and the land of one Ralph, a knight, is worth forty shillings. This manor Stigand, the archbishop held, but it was not of the archbishopric, but was of the demesne ferm of king Edward.
On the bishop's disgrace four years afterwards, and his estates being confiscated to the crown, the seignory of this parish most probably returned to the see of Canterbury, with which it has ever since continued. The estate mentioned above in Domesday to have been held of the bishop by Fulbert, comprehended, in all likelihood, the several manors and other estates in this parish, now held of the manor of Bishopsborne, one of these was THE MANOR AND SEAT OF BARHAM-COURT, situated near the church, which probably was originally the court-lodge of the manor of Barham in very early times, before it became united to that of Bishopsborne, and in king Henry II.'s time was held of the archbishop by knight's service, by Sir Randal Fitzurse, who was one of the four knights belonging to the king's houshould, who murdered archbishop Becket anno 1170; after perpetrating which, Sir Randal fled into Ireland, and changed his name to Mac-Mahon, and one of his relations took possession of this estate, and assumed the name of Berham from it; and accordingly, his descendant Warin de Berham is recorded in the return made by the sheriff anno 12 and 13 king John, among others of the archbishop's tenants by knight's service, as holding lands in Berham of him, in whose posterity it continued till Thomas Barham, esq. in the very beginning of king James I.'s reign, alienated it to the Rev. Charles Fotherbye, dean of Canterbury, who died possessed of it in 1619. He was eldest son of Martin Fotherby, of Great Grimsby, in Lincolnshire, and eldest brother of Martin Fotherby, bishop of Salisbury. He had a grant of arms, Gules, a cross of lozenges flory, or, assigned to him and Martin his brother, by Camden, clarencieux, in 1605. (fn. 2) His only surviving son Sir John Fotherbye, of Barham-court, died in 1666, and was buried in that cathedral with his father. At length his grandson Charles, who died in 1720, leaving two daughters his coheirs; Mary, the eldest, inherited this manor by her father's will, and afterwards married Henry Mompesson, esq. of Wiltshire, (fn. 3) who resided at Barhamcourt, and died in 1732, s. p. and she again carried this manor in marriage to Sir Edward Dering, bart. of Surrenden, whose second wife she was. (fn. 4) He lest her surviving, and three children by her, Charles Dering, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Farnaby, bart. since deceased, by whom he has an only surviving daughter, married to George Dering, esq. of Rolling, the youngest son of the late Sir Edw. Dering, bart. and her first cousin; Mary married Sir Robert Hilyard, bart. and Thomas Dering, esq. of London. Lady Dering died in 1775, and was succeeded by her eldest son Charles Dering, esq. afterwards of Barhamcourt, the present owner of it. It is at present occupied by Gen. Sir Charles Grey, bart. K. B. commanderin chief of the southern district of this kingdom.
THE MANORS OF BROME and OUTELMESTONE, alias DIGGS COURT, are situated in this parish; the latter in the valley, at the western boundary of it, was the first residence in this county of the eminent family of Digg, or, as they were asterwards called, Diggs, whence it gained its name of Diggs-court. John, son of Roger de Mildenhall, otherwise called Digg, the first-mentioned in the pedigrees of this family, lived in king Henry III.'s reign, at which time he, or one of this family of the same name, was possessed of the aldermanry of Newingate, in Canterbury, as part of their inheritance. His descendants continued to reside at Diggs-court, and bore for their arms, Gules, on a cross argent, five eagles with two heads displayed, sable, One of whom, James Diggs, of Diggs-court, died in 1535. At his death he gave the manor and seat of Outelmeston, alias Diggs-court, to his eldest son (by his first wife) John, and the manor of Brome to his youngest son, (by his second wife) Leonard, whose descendants were of Chilham castle. (fn. 5) John Diggs, esq. was of Diggs-court, whose descendant Thomas Posthumus Diggs, esq. about the middle of queen Elizabeth's reign, alienated this manor, with Diggs-place, to Capt. Halsey, of London, and he sold it to Sir Tho. Somes, alderman of London, who again parted with it to Sir B. Dixwell, bart. and he passed it away to Sir Thomas Williams, bart. whose heir Sir John Williams, bart. conveyed it, about the year 1706, to Daniel and Nathaniel Matson, and on the death of the former, the latter became wholly possessed of it, and his descendant Henry Matson, about the year 1730, gave it by will to the trustees for the repair of Dover harbour, in whom it continues at this time vested for that purpose.
BUT THE MANOR OF BROME, which came to Leonard Diggs, esq. by his father's will as above-mentioned, was sold by him to Basil Dixwell, esq. second son of Cha. Dixwell, esq. of Coton, in Warwickshire, then of Tevlingham, in Folkestone, who having built a handsome mansion for his residence on this manor, removed to it in 1622. In the second year of king Charles I. he served the office of sheriff with much honour and hospitality; after which he was knighted, and cveated a baronet. He died unmarried in 1641, having devised this manor and seat, with the rest of his estates, to his nephew Mark Dixwell, son of his elder brother William, of Coton above-mentioned, who afterwards resided at Brome, whose son Basil Dixwell, esq. of Brome, was anno 12 Charles II. created a baronet. He bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron, gules, between three sleurs de lis, sable. His only son Sir Basil Dixwell, bart. of Brome, died at Brome,s. p. in 1750, and devised this, among the rest of his estates, to his kinsman George Oxenden, esq. second son of Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. of Dean, in Wingham, with an injunction for him to take the name and arms of Dixwell, for which an act passed anno 25 George II. but he died soon afterwards, unmarried, having devised this manor and seat to his father Sir George Oxenden, who settled it on his eldest and only surviving son, now Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. who is the present owner of it. He resides at Brome, which he has, as well as the grounds about it, much altered and improved for these many years successively.
SHELVING is a manor, situated in the borough of its own name, at the eastern boundary of this parish, which was so called from a family who were in antient times the possessors of it. John de Shelving resided here in king Edward I.'s reign, and married Helen, daughter and heir of John de Bourne, by whom he had Waretius de Shelving, whose son, J. de Shelving, of Shelvingborne, married Benedicta de Hougham, and died possessed of this manor anno 4 Edward III. After which it descended to their daughter Benedicta, who carried it in marriage to Sir Edmund de Haut, of Petham, in whose descendants, in like manner as Shelvington, alias Hautsborne, above-described, it continued down to Sir William Haut, of Hautsborne, in king Henry VIII's reign, whose eldest daughter and coheir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Tho. Colepeper, esq. of Bedgbury, who in the beginning of king Edward VI.'s reign passed it away to Walter Mantle, whose window carried it by a second marriage to Christopher Carlell, gent. who bore for his arms, Or, a cross flory, gules; one of whose descendants sold it to Stephen Hobday, in whose name it continued till Hester, daughter of Hills Hobday, carried it in marriage to J. Lade, esq. of Boughton, and he having obtained an act for the purpose, alienated it to E. Bridges, esq. of Wootton-court, who passed away part of it to Sir George Oxenden, bart. whose son Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. of Brome, now owns it; but Mr. Bridges died possessed of the remaining part in 1780, and his eldest son the Rev. Edward Timewell Brydges, is the present possessor of it.
MAY DEACON, as it has been for many years past both called and written, is a seat in the southern part of this parish, adjoining to Denton-street, in which parish part of it is situated. Its original and true name was Madekin, being so called from a family who were owners of it, and continued so, as appears by the deeds of it, till king Henry VI's reign, in the beginning of which it passed from that name to Sydnor, in which it continued till king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Paul Sydnor, who upon his obtaining from the king a grant of Brenchley manor, removed thither, and alienated this seat to James Brooker, who resided here, and his sole daughter and heir carried it in marriage, in queen Elizabeth's reign, to Sir Henry Oxenden, of Dene, in Wingham, whose grandson Sir Henry Oxenden, bart. sold it in 1664, to Edward Adye, esq. the second son of John Adye, esq. of Doddington, one of whose daughters and coheirs, Rosamond, entitled her husband George Elcock, esq. afterwards of Madekin, to it, and his daughter and heir Elizabeth carried it in marriage to Capt. Charles Fotherby, whose eldest daughter and coheir Mary, entitled her two successive husbands, Henry Mompesson, esq. and Sir Edward Dering, bart. to the possession of it, and Charles Dering, esq. of Barham-court, eldest son of the latter, by her, is at this time the owner of it. The seat is now inhabited by Henry Oxenden, esq.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly maintained are about forty, casually fifteen.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanryof Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. John Baptist, is a handsome building, consisting of a body and side isle, a cross or sept, and a high chancel, having a slim tall spire at the west end, in which are four bells. In the chancel are memorials for George Elcock, esq. of Madeacon, obt. 1703, and for his wife and children; for Charles Bean, A. M. rector, obt. 1731. A monument for William Barne, gent. son of the Rev. Miles Barne. His grandfather was Sir William Barne, of Woolwich, obt. 1706; arms, Azure, three leopards faces, argent. Several memorials for the Nethersoles, of this parish. In the south sept is a magnificent pyramid of marble for the family of Dixwell, who lie buried in a vault underneath, and inscriptions for them. In the north sept is a monument for the Fotherbys. On the pavement, on a gravestone, are the figures of an armed knight (his feet on a greyhound) and his wife; arms, A cross, quartering six lozenges, three and three. In the east window these arms, Gules, three crowns, or—Gules, three lions passant in pale, or. This chapel was dedicated to St. Giles, and some of the family of Diggs were buried in it; and there are memorials for several of the Legrands. There are three tombs of the Lades in the church-yard, the inscriptions obliterated, but the dates remaining are 1603, 1625, and 1660. There were formerly in the windows of this church these arms, Ermine, a chief, quarterly, or, and gules, and underneath, Jacobus Peccam. Another coat, Bruine and Rocheleyquartered; and another, Gules, a fess between three lions heads, erased, argent, and underneath,Orate p ais Roberti Baptford & Johe ux; which family resided at Barham, the last of whom, Sir John Baptford, lest an only daughter and heir, married to John Earde, of Denton.
¶The church of Barham has always been accounted as a chapel to the church of Bishopsborne, and as such is included in the valuation of it in the king's books. In 1588 here were communicants one hundred and eighty; in 1640 there were two hundred and fifty.
Grand Concourse, Bronx
The Andrew Freedman Home, one of the most impressive edifices built in The Bronx during the first decades of the twentieth century, was erected in 1922-24 (and enlarged in 1928-31) as a result of a generous bequest in the will of Andrew Freedman. Freedman, a capitalist who had a close relationship with the leaders of Tammany Hall, was involved with many profitable business ventures, notably the construction of the IRT, New York City's first subway line. He left most of his fortune for the establishment of a home for "aged and indigent persons of both sexes," but with the proviso that the residents of the home be poor people who had once been in good circumstances. The Board of Trustees, led by prominent lawyer Samuel Untermyer, purchased a large plot of land on the Grand Concourse, the most prestigious street in the Bronx, and commissioned a building from two notable New York architects - Joseph H. Freedlander and Harry Allan Jacobs.
The home is an exceptional example of a monumental building which, through its symmetrical massing, fenestration, and handsome detail, recalls the tradition of the Italian Renaissance palazzo. Its design displays many handsome architectural features, including a recessed loggia, balustraded terrace, finely cut stonework, and beautifully wrought, iron detail. The elegantly appointed building functioned as a refuge for the once affluent for fifty-nine years, from its opening in 1924 until 1983 when the Andrew Freedman Home ceased to operate and the building was purchased by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council as housing for the elderly.
The Grand Concourse
In 1874, when New York City annexed the West Bronx (the area west of the Bronx River officially known as the 23rd and 24th Wards, but generally referred to by nineteenth-century New Yorkers as the "North Side" or, more commonly, as the "Annexed District"), it was a sparsely settled region with few urban amenities.^ Following the annexation, residents of both Manhattan and the new wards advocated the establishment of large parks in the undeveloped region. In 1884, the New York State Legislature approved the purchase of approximately 4000 acres of parkland, primarily in the North Bronx. ^ This land was relatively inaccessible to most residents of the city since no roads or mass transit lines linked Manhattan to the new parkland. Thus, in 1890 the legislature established the Department of Street Improvements of the 23rd and 24th Wards with a mandate to lay out streets throughout the annexed district; the department's finest achievement was the Grand Concourse which made the new Bronx parks accessible from Manhattan.
The first commissioner of the new department was Louis J. Heintz who appointed Louis Risse as his chief engineer; it was Risse who was directly responsible for the planning of the Concourse. The inspiration for the Grand Concourse was the campaign waged by the Rider and Driver Club of New York City for the construction of a speedway on which its wealthy members could run horses and carriages. After facing opposition to the idea of a speedway along the west side of Central Park, the club began to advocate a speedway along Jerome Avenue in The Bronx. Heintz asked Risse for his opinion and, according to Risse,"... I was giving serious consideration to the necessity of supplying that missing link between the upper and lower park systems [Central Park and the Bronx parks] which the Commission had failed to provide in 1884.*"* Instead of Jerome Avenue, which is located on level ground near the Harlem River, Risse proposed that a "Speedway and Concourse" be erected on the ridge to the east.
The street that Risse proposed was to be more than just a speedway for pleasure driving and a convenient connection to the Bronx parks; it was also to be a luxurious residential boulevard. Risse contended that 'the great enhancement in real estate values which the construction of the Concourse must necessarily produce will repay the City many times over the original cost of the undertaking.*^
In fact, when Risse laid out the Concourse, he planned secondary roadways adjacent to the sidewalks that could be used by local traffic servicing the villas that were expected to appear along the roadway.
Plans for the new Grand Boulevard and Concourse (the name was later shortened to Grand Concourse) were drawn up in 1893. Construction began in 1897 and progressed slowly; the Concourse was not officially opened until November 25,1909. As originally constructed, the Grand Concourse consisted of a fifty-eight-foot wide central speedway with a narrow central mall and thirty-seven-foot wide service roads separated from the main roadway by six-foot wide malls (these malls were subsequently altered). It was planned to provide pedestrian sidewalks and promenades, bicycle paths, and vehicular driveways. The roadway began at Cedar Park on East 161st Street and extended north to Mosholu Parkway. In 1924, the Concourse was extended to the south as far as East 138th Street.
The large freestanding villas that Risse had envisioned were never built. Rather, apartment houses became virtually the exclusive type of residential construction along the Concourse when real estate development began in the second decade of the twentieth century. These buildings include modest five-story walk-ups and more impressive six-story elevator buildings. In addition to the apartment houses, a few public and institutional buildings were erected along the Concourse; the Andrew Freedman Home is the largest on the original length of the street.^
Andrew Freedman
The Andrew Freedman Home was founded as a result of an unusual bequest in the will of wealthy capitalist Andrew Freedman (1860-1915). Freedman was a native New Yorker who was educated in the city's public schools before beginning employment in a local dry goods store. He dabbled in law before entering the Held of real estate. Freedman was extremely successful in his real estate ventures, "by ways," according to one biographer, "that are no longer traceable
Freedman was allied with the Democratic party and with the leadership of Tammany Hall. He was a close friend and advisor to Tammany boss Richard Croker and was intimately involved in many financially lucrative Tammany schemes, although the exact nature of most of Freedman's financial dealings remains a mystety. An example of the financial alliance between Croker and Freedman came to light in 1900 during a New York State Assembly investigation into New York City's government. Freedman was a vice-president of the United States Fidelity & Casualty Company which bonded New York City employees. He obtained this bonding contract through Croker's influence. When questioned about this arrangement, Freedman admitted that he presented a portion of his commissions to Croker though he refused to say how much money had exchanged hands, telling the investigator 'that I wouldn't care to tell you because I don't want to let you know how much money I carry on my person.'**
Freedman was also a key player in the construction of the original subway line built by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. His obituary opens by stating that he "did more perhaps than any other man to make possible the subway system in this city."*° However, Freedman's involvement was primarily behind the scenes. In a speech delivered at the opening ceremonies for the subway, August Belmont, the system's principal financial backer, commented that Freedman, although unheralded, deserved a fair share of the praise and credit since he was "among the first to appreciate the practicability of the project."**
Exactly what role Freedman played in the construction of the IRT and how this relates to Tammany Hall is not clearly understood. The story that is generally told is that it was he who brought the contractor John B. McDonald and financier August Belmont together. One version of the story recounts that Freedman urged McDonald to bid on the subway contract, promising him financial backing. He then formed a group that put up $150,000 for the bid and when additional financing was needed, persuaded August Belmont to become the project's major backer.*^ A variant has it that MacDonald went to Freedman requesting that he assist in raising the necessary deposit of $150,000. Freedman pledged $45,000 of his own money and found four friends willing to invest. On the day that the deposit was due, the group was still short $50,000 when Freedman thought of Belmont, another loyal Tammany supporter, who immediately "arranged
for the cash,. .. without reading the contract, and without any further talk."
There is probably little truth in these dramatic stories of three heroic individuals (McDonald, Freedman, and Belmont) selflessly advancing money for the great subway construction project. As Wallace B. Katz has noted in his detailed investigation of the subway's construction, "this is a wonderful story, one that deserves to be part of the folklore of American Capitalism, but it lacks plausibility."**
Freedman, Belmont, McDonald, and the other four investors were all Tammany leaders and were undoubtedly well acquainted with each other. Tammany's involvement in the bidding was well known. In January 1900, when the bids for subway construction were received, the financiers' names were not known, but it was reported in the Mm York 7vHM that McDonald was "a Tammany contractor."*^ Katz concludes that "Belmont, McDonald, and Freedman maintained their stOTy concerning the origins of their partnership during the next twenty years, through civil suits and governmental investigations.... [since] it allowed the participants to this deal to deny what was both plausible and very likely true, that Belmont, Tammany, and the RTC [Rapid Transit Commission] had prearranged the entire matter."*^ Freedman continued to be closely involved with the subway, in particular as a director of companies responsible for much of the construction work.*^
The construction of the IRT was not Freedman's only major financial project. He was, for example, involved with the Shuberts in the construction of Broadway theaters. The Booth (1912-13), Shubert (1912-13), 44th Street (1912-13; demolished), and Little (1912; now Helen Hayes) theaters are said to have been financed by a syndicate composed of Freedman, lawyer Samuel Untermyer (see below), and Cincinnati political boss George B. Cox.*^ To his contemporaries, Freedman was probably best known as the owner of the New York Baseball Club, commonly known as the "Giants," from 1894 until 1902. Freedman's tenure as owner of the Giants was not without conflict, as reported by Harold Seymour in his history of baseball:
Freedman's irascible personality,
quick temper, and aggressiveness
had him in constant trouble. . . . His turbulent years as Giant owner (many charged that he was only a front man for others) kept the League in constant turmoil, and made the New York observation that he had "an astonishing faculty for making enemies* seem like a gross understatement.
The Andrew Freedman Home
On December 8,1915, several weeks after his death, Andrew Freedman's will was made public.
Freedman left a sizable bequest to his brother Daniel, established a trust for his mother and sister, left small amounts of money to seven local homes and hospitals,^ and gave gifts to friends, including a bequest of a pair of large white pearl shirt buttons to Richard Croker. The bulk of Freedman's estate was to be used for the incorporation of the Andrew Freedman Home "for the free and gratuitous reception, shelter, nourishment, care and maintenance of aged and indigent persons of both sexes, and without regard to race or religious creed... [with the proviso that the selection of residents be confined to those].. . who have been in good circumstances but by reason of adverse fortune, have become poor and dependent, and that in case of husband and wife being received into the institution, provisions shall be made so that they may dwell together therein."^ The initial bequest to the new home totalled approximately $5,000,(XX) with additional funds to be added to the trust upon the death of his mother and sister.
Exactly why Freedman established this rather unusual charitable institution when he drew up his will in 1907 is not known. According to DeLancey Nicoll, a business associate of Freedman's, speaking at the opening ceremonies for the Andrew Freedman Home, "I always urged that he give his money to the unusual charities. He would say: 'No: the sick and the poor are cared for by everybody else now. Nobody has offered any refuge for people of this kind, and they need one even more than other unfortunates.'"^ His sister, Isabella Freedman, explained that "he believed that the worthy habits and traditions of affluence and refinement deserve recognition and
respect, and that people possessing them should not be allowed to live in penury.*^
The man most responsible for the organization of the Andrew Freedman Home and the construction of its building was Freedman's friend, business partner, and executor Samuel Untermyer (1858-1940). Untermyer, who became the first president of the Home's Board of Trustees, was one of the most prominent lawyers of his time. He was also close to the leaders of Tammany Hall and it is probably through this political connection that Untermyer and Freedman became friends.
Untermeyer developed Freedman's concept of a home for the once wealthy into one that sought to assist those who had not only been affluent, but were also cultured "gentlefolk." The qualifications for admission promulgated by the original trustees stated that, "the Home is intended for aged and indigent gentlefolk. This has been interpreted by the Board of Directors (sic) to mean that the applicants are to be persons of culture, education, and refinement."^ Although Freedman had ordered the novel requirement that couples be allowed to live together, it was Untermyer and the trustees who decided that admission to the home would be primarily for couples. Additional requirements were that new residents had to be between the ages of sixty and eighty, in good health, and had to have enough money for clothing and other personal expenses. With the exception of the personal allowance, all facilities, including room and board, were free.
In 1916, the Trustees obtained a Special Act of the Legislature that incorporated the home.^ The site, a large block bounded by the Grand Concourse, Walton Avenue, East 166th Street, and McClellan Street, was purchased by the Andrew Freedman Home in 1917.^ Construction was delayed by World War I and did not actually begin until 1922.^ The original section of the Home, the Italian Renaissance-inspired central pavilion designed by Joseph H. Freedlander and Harry Allan Jacobs, was dedicated on May 25, 1924. At the opening ceremony it was announced that "two wings would eventually be added to the present building."^ Construction of the north and south wings began in 1928. Instead of Freedlander and Jacobs, architect David Levy was commissioned to design the additions
Although an institution, the Andrew Freedman Home was planned to be as much like a private house as possible. The interiors (not subject to this designation) were decorated by the prestigious interior design firm of L. Alavoine & Co. Public facilities on the first floor included a large living room "which in its decorations and its furnishings is all that might be expected in a fine and expensively equipped private home" (it had Georgian style furniture, chandeliers, and fireplace); an oak-paneled library; card and billiard rooms; and a spacious dining room decorated with chinoiserie.^ Sleeping rooms were located on the second and third floors. Married couples could live in a double room with a private bath or in two single rooms with a shared bath; single people also had their own rooms, but two singles shared a bath. Those who lived in the home were never referred to as 'inmates* (a word often applied to people living in institutions), but were always called "members," as if they resided in a private clubhouse.
In exchange for free residence in the home, members had to abide by a series of rules. Among the rules were those that forbade tipping or reprimanding the employees, required all meals be taken in the dining room (only tea, coffee, and related snacks could be eaten in private rooms), and permitted members to take a vacation of up to four weeks per year.^
The first seventeen "members" -- five couples, five single women, and two single men - moved into the home in July, 1917. Although the contemporary press referred to the home as a retreat for former millionaires, the early residents mostly came from more modest backgrounds: jeweler, dressmaker, doctor, nurse, teacher, businessman, etc.^* Others who moved in later included engineers, politicians, actors, opera singers, and journalists. In the years before the home closed, many residents were German and Austrian Jewish refugees. At its peak, after the completion of the side wings in 1928, the home could accommodate about 130 residents.
The Architects^
The two architects who were responsible for the design of the original section of the Andrew Freedman Home, Joseph Henry Freedlander (1870-1943) and Harry Allan Jacobs (1872-1932), were, by the 1920s, well-known members of New York's architectural establishment. This is the only project on which the two collaborated, although they undoubtedly were familiar with one another. Both architects were about the same age and both had attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. They were members of many of the same professional organizations, including the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects and the Architectural League of New York.
Joseph Freedlander was the more prominent and more talented of the two designers. He was bom in New York City and studied at M.I.T. before entering the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1895 Freedlander became one of the first three Americans to actually complete the Ecole curriculum and receive a diploma.^ He retained a deep affinity for the Ecole and for Beaux-Arts practices. Shortly after returning to New York he established an afcRfr that reproduced the French system of training.^ Later, he served as president of the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects and was a founder and president of the American Soci6t4 des Architected Dipl6mes par le Gouvemement Franca is (American Group), organized by those who had received Ecole diplomas.
Freedlander was proficient in designing many different types of buildings and able to utilize diverse historic architectural styles. His Ecole training allowed him to excel in competitions, and many of his commissions were won in this manner. Among Freedlander's extant buildings in New York City are those for the New Harlem Hospital (1905, with later additions, demolished in part), the George Engel House at 17 East 74th Street (1920-21; located within the Upper East Side Historic District), the French Institute of the United States at 22 East 60th Street (1924), and the Museum of the City of New York (1928-30; a designated New York City Landmark). Outside of New York, he won competitions for the St. Louis Club (1897); the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Johnson City, Tennessee (1904); the Perry Memorial and International Peace Memorial (1912-15) at Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie near Cleveland; the Portland Auditorium, Portland Oregon (1912); and the White Plains Municipal Building (1924-26).
He was also responsible for a major expansion of the spa at Saratoga Springs (1933-36). In addition, Freedlander designed three of the largest buildings erected in the Bronx in the 1920s and early 1930s -- the Freedman Home, the Bronx County Building (1931-35), and the Bronx County Jail (1931 37), the last two designed in association with Max Hausle.
Harry Allan Jacobs was also a native New Yorker. He studied at the Columbia School of Mines and then at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and was a winner of the American Academy's Prix de Rome. Although he designed commercial buildings, his specialty was town houses, including sixteen buildings and facade alterations in what is now the Upper East Side Historic District.
Freedlander and Jacobs probably became associated on the design of the Andrew Freedman Home through their personal contacts with important members of the home's Board of Trustees. Samuel Untermyer had been one of Joseph Freedlander's earliest clients. Shortly after Freedlander opened his office, he was commissioned by Untermyer to redesign Greystone, his home in Yonkers.^ One of Harry Allan Jacobs's first town houses was the Charles S. Guggenheimer House at 129 East 73rd Street of 1907 (this house is in the Upper East Side Historic District). Guggenheimer, who was a member of the Board of Trustees, was the son of Samuel Untermyer's half-brother and law partner Randolph Guggenheimer.^
Little is known about David Levy, the architect of the wings. He was in independent practice ior a brief period between 1928 and 1933.^ His most notable commission was the Jewish Theological Seminary (1930), where he was associated with the firm of Gehron, Ross & Alley.
Design of the Andrew Freedman Home
The Andrew Freedman Home is characteristic of the traditional design found in New York during the 1920s. Almost all of the New York architects in the forefront of their profession during that decade had studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts or in American architecture schools with Beaux-Arts curricula. Many had also traveled extensively in Europe and had a first-hand knowledge of the great monuments of that continent. Freedlander and Jacobs were both well trained and well traveled, and their design for the Andrew Freedman House reflects their Beaux-Arts education and the influence of European architectural precedents.
Following principles expounded at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the Andrew Freedman Home is a building rooted in the traditions of European architecture. It is not, however, a copy of a specific building from the past. The design borrows freely from Italian Renaissance precedents, rearranging forms into a regularized and rigidly symmetrical composition. The major inspiration is the Palazzo Famese in Rome (c.1535) with its three-story massing, long thirteen-bay wide facade organization, and its ^tano ncMf articulated by rectangular windows with alternating triangular and segmentally-arched pediments.
While the Palazzo Famese was clearly the prototype, many other features of the home differ from the model: the somewhat elongated rustication of the first-story openings resembles that around the second-story windows of the Palazzo Gondi, Florence; the lamps flanking each entrance are modeled on that at the corner of the Palazzo Strozzi; and the tripartite arched loggia overlooking Walton Avenue resembles arcades, porches, and loggias found on many Italian Renaissance buildings. Not only does the design successfully combine features from a number of Renaissance precedents, but it also melds the rectilinear, balanced form of Italian Renaissance urban palazzi, such as the Palazzo Famese, with the setting and terraces of a rural villa. While the design relies on historical sources, the construction technology was modem; the Home is a steel-frame, fireproof structure with concrete floors and terracotta and brick partitions.
Description
The Andrew Freedman Home is located on a sloping site on the west side of the Grand Concourse; Walton Avenue is at a considerably lower elevation than the Concourse. The lot has a varied topography with a major rock outcropping near East 166th Street. Stone and concrete retaining walls run along the south and west sides of the lot and along the Grand Concourse just north of 166th Street. The building is sited near the west side of the lot, close to Walton Avenue, with a lawn and garden separating the home from the Concourse. The building is three stories facing the Concourse and four stories facing Walton Avenue. The structure consists of the original rectangular section dating from 1922-24 and the rectangular north and south wings added in 1928-31.
The original building is a symmetrical structure separated from the garden by a wide terrace with limestone balustrade railings. A broad flight of stone stairs, set in the center of the terrace, extends into the garden. At either end of the terrace are subsidiary stairs that connect with pedestrian walkways leading from the Concourse. Carved stone urns flank each of the stairs. The home is clad entirely in pale limestone/* The front facade of the original section is thirteen bays wide, with a rusticated ground story and smooth limestone ashlar above; quoins mark each of the comers of the building. The first story is articulated by round-arched openings, including windows with multipane wood casement sash and fixed wood transoms and a pair of entrances set into the shallow projecting fourth and tenth bays. Each entrance arch has a projecting keystone that visually supports a balustrade railing. Set within the entrances are omate iron double doors with iron transoms; pairs of iron lamps flank the entrances.
These wrought-iron elements and the iron canopies and window guards found elsewhere on the building were the work of FerTO Studio, Inc. The windows light the library (at the south end of the facade), the card room (at the north), and the living room (in the center).
Two modest beltcourses separate the first and second stories. The rectangular second-story windows, with their multipane wood sash, are alternately capped by segmentally-arched and triangular pediments, each supported on modest brackets. The rectangular, multipane, third-story windows have no enframements. The facade is crowned by a deep copper cornice with a tall parapet that hides the fourth story. Three tall chimneys rise above the slightly sloping roof.
The side elevations of the original section, which are now concealed by the wings, were originally three bays wide and continued the main design features of the front facade. Balconies projected in front of the central windows on the second and third stories of the north elevation.^
The rear facade of the original section, facing Walton Avenue, is a full four stories tall (plus the attic level set behind the parapet) and is massed with two-story projecting three-bay wide arms at either end. The ground story is the main entrance for those arriving by automobile. The driveway begins on McClellan Street, near Walton Avenue, and extends to a wide turn around in front of the central entrance. The rusticated ground story has a rectangular entrance with iron doors and a transom and an iron canopy (a wooden shelter has been constructed beneath this canopy). Flanking the entrance are pairs of rectangular windows with omate iron grilles. The focal point of this facade is a triple-arched loggia with French doors and iron railings located above the entrance. The loggia is flanked by niches and pairs of round-arched windows. The upper stories are articulated in a manner identical to that on the front.
The concrete retaining wall along Walton Avenue is pierced by the entrance to a passage that connects to the basement of the building, allowing goods to be delivered and garbage to be removed without disturbing the residents.
The north and south wings were designed in a style to match the original building. They are also clad in stone, but the stone is of a somewhat more yellow shade. The front facade of each of the two wings is six bays wide and is articulated in a manner similar to the original section. The openings of the first story of the north wing take the same form as those of the original building. In the south wing, the first story has six rectangular windows set within blind arches; three smaller rectangular openings also articulate this story. The upper stories of the wings have crisply-cut rectangular windows; there are no pediments at the second-story openings. As on the first story, each upper story of the south wing contains three smaller openings.
The rear facades of the wings are not symmetrical. The ground story of the north wing contains a mix of large and small windows and a single door. On the first story are round-arched windows (lighting the dining room) of the same type seen on the front facade. The two upper stories contain three groups of windows without enframements, each consisting of two large openings separated by a smaller window. The McClellan Street elevation of this wing is three bays wide and is articulated in a manner identical to that on the front elevation of this wing, except that the central window on the second story is capped by a pediment. On the rear facade of the south wing, the ground story also has openings of varying sizes, while the first story consists of rectangular windows set within the same type of blind stone arch seen on the wing's front elevation. Large and small windows alternate on the upper stories.
The south elevation, set on a rock outcropping high above East 166th Street, has a central door in the basement flanked by windows. The first story contains windows set in blind arches, while the central window on the second story is accented with a pediment.
The Andrew Freedman Home continued to serve its original function until 1983, when the increasing cost of maintaining the facility forced the home to close.^ The building was purchased by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council, a private not-for-profit organization that sponsors senior citizen housing projects in the Bronx. According to the Council's executive director at the time of the purchase: "our reopening of the home will insure the legacy of Andrew Freedman will continue to serve as a symbol of human dignity, but this time in a more universal sense because residents will come from different walks of life."** Although the building remained vacant for a period after its purchase by Mid-Bronx, it is now, once again, in use and its elegant rooms continue to serve the elderly.
- From the 2000 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
Heritage Weekend is more than just the Saturday. In fact its more than one weekend. And the website for the weekend listed many intersting places to go, but few in east Kent on the Sunday, but St Margaret's being open was one of them.
So, after we had left St Mildred in Canterbury, we drove up the M2, and then through the usual strip malls and urban spread that is the Medway Towns.
The sat nav took us down narrow streets, across a main road, and up a slight hill, and announced we had arrived.
Nothing churchy leaped out at me.
I thought maybe down the narrow lane in front. It was then I saw the wall.
The wall looked chuchy. And beyond was an early 19th century building that had heritage bunting strung out.
Bingo.
The first view had the tower hidden by a tree, I thought perhaps it didn't have one.
But nearer to the church I could see it did have a tower, an a medieval one at that, it looked like an unhappy coupling.
I was given a very warm welcome, and the history of the church was explained:
the original church was in a ruinous state at the start of the 19th century, and when Army and Naval officers began to have houses built in the area, they wanted a nice fashionable church.
So the nave and chancel were taken down, and the current nave put in its place.
Built before the English Gothic fervour took hold.
The east and west windows have been replaced since the church was built.
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THE PARISH OF ST. MARGARET is of large extent, and contains all the lands without the walls on the south side of the city, that are within the bounds of its jurisdiction. It is stiled in some records, St. Margaret's in Suthgate, (fn. 22) and in those of the city, the Borough of Suthgate. (fn. 23)
There are two streets of houses in this parish, the one called St. Margaret's-street, leading from Bully-hill to the church, and so on to Borstall and Woldham southward; the other at some distance from it called St. Margaret's-bank, being a long row of houses, situated on a high bank at the north-east boundary of the parish, on the south side of the great London road to Dover, between St. Catherine's hospital in Rochester, and the Victualling-office, in Chatham. These houses are within the manor of Larkhill.
THERE are SEVERAL MANORS within the bounds of this parish, the most eminent of which is that of
BORSTALL, which was given to the church of Rochester and bishop Beornmod, in the year 811, by Cænulf, king of Mercia, as three plough lands.
This manor seems to have continued part of the possessions of the church of Rochester, without any interruption, till the time of the conquest. It is thus described in the general survey of Domesday, taken in the year 1080, under the general title of Terra Epi Rovecestre, i. e. the lands of the bishop of Rochester.
In the hundred of Rochester, the same bishop (of Rochester) holds Borchetelle. In the time of king Edward the Confessor it was taxed at two sulings, and now for one suling and an half. The arable land is four carucates. In demesne there are two carucates, and six villeins with three carucates. There are 50 acres of meadow, and two mills of 20 shillings. In the time of king Edward, and afterwards, it was worth six pounds, and now 10 pounds.
In Rochester the bishop had, and yet has, 24 plats of ground, which belong to Frindsbury and Borstal, his own manors. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, they were worth three pounds, now they are worth eight pounds, and yet they yield yearly 11 pounds and 13 shillings and four-pence.
When bishop Gundulph was elected to this see in the time of the Conqueror, and after the example of his patron, archbishop Lanfranc, separated his own revenues from those of his convent, this manor in the division was allotted to the bishop and his successors.
On a taxation of the bishop of Rochester's manors, in 1255, it appears that the bishop had in the manor of Borstalle one hundred and forty acres of arable, estimated each acre at 4d. forty acres of salt meadow at 8d. each, and fourteen acres of salt pasture, each at 6d. which, with the rents of assise, made the total value of the whole manor 9l. 10s. 3d. the repair of the buildings yearly amounting to twenty shillings. (fn. 24)
This manor still continues in the possession of the bishop of Rochester; but the demesne lands are leased out by him to Mrs. Vade, of Croydon, in Surry.
By the agreement made between John Lowe, bishop of Rochester, and the bailiff and citizens of Rochester, in the 27th year of king Henry VI. concerning the limits of the jurisdiction of the city, according to the charter then lately made to them, this borough and manor of Borstall was declared to be exempt from the precinct of the hundred of Rochester, and the law-day of it, and from all payments, fines, suits forfeitures and amerciaments due on that account, as being within the liberty of the bishop, and his church. (fn. 25)
The monks of Rochester priory had several grants of TYTHES, and other premises made to them within this manor and hamlet.
Robert Ernulf and Eadric de Borstalle, gave the tithes of their lands in Borstalle to the priory, which were confirmed to it by several bishops of Rochester, and others (fn. 26) In which confirmations they are described, as the whole tithe of Borstalle of corn, and two parts of the tithes of the land of Ralph de Borstalle. (fn. 27) Eadric de Hescenden, with his wife and two sons, entered into the society of the monks of this priory, upon condition, that when they died, the monks should say a service for them, as for their brethren; and the monks were to have for ever the tithes of their lands in Borestealle and Freondesberie, but in corn only.
Several parcels of land, &c. lying within the manor or hamlet of Borstall, were likewise at times given to these monks. All these premises continued part of the possessions of the priory till the dissolution of it, in 1549, when they were surrendered into the king's hands, and were settled by him, three years afterwards, on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, where they remain at present.
This manor, with others in this neighbourhood, was bound antiently to contribute to the repair of the first pier of Rochester-bridge.
NASHENDEN is a manor in this parish, which lies about three-quarters of a mile south-eastward from Borstall. In the Textus Roffensis it is called Hescenden, and in Domesday, Essedene.
This manor was part of those vast possessions, with which William the Conqueror enriched his half-brother Odo, the great bishop of Baieux; accordingly it is thus entered, under the title of that prelate's lands, in the general survey of Domesday:
Rannulf de Columbels holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Essedene. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and 19 villeins, with three borderers having three carucates. There are three servants, and 8 acres of meadow. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth three pounds, when he received it four pounds, now five pounds. Earl Leuuin held it.
It appears by the red book of the exchequer, that this estate in the reign of king Henry II. was held by Thomas de Nessingden, of Daniel de Crevequer, as one knight's fee of the old feoffment.
In the reign of king Edward I. this manor was become the property of Jeffry Haspale, whose descendant, John de Aspale, for so the name was then spelt, died possessed of Nashenden in the 31st year of that reign, holding it of the king in capite. After which it appears to have come into the name of Basing, and from thence quickly after into that of Charles.
Richard Charles, as appears by the inquisition taken after his death, anno 1 Richard II. died possessed of the manor of Naseden, which he held of the king in capite by knight's service, excepting forty acres of pasture and wood, which he held of the lord Grey, as of his manor of Aylesford; whose nephew, Richard, son of his brother Roger Charles, died possessed of it in the 11th year of that reign, holding it of the king in capite, as of his honor of Peverel and Hagenet, by knight's service.
Nicholas Haut afterwards possessed this manor, in right of his wife Alice, who was a descendant of the above-mentioned family. She held it for the term of her life with remainder to James Peckham, who on her death, in the 1st year of king Henry IV. came into the possession of it. He obtained the king's licence two years afterwards, to give and amortize to the wardens of Rochester-bridge, and their successors, this manor, and also one hundred acres of pasture, with their appurtenances in Ellesford, the manor then being worth yearly, and above all reprises 6l. 13s. 4d. per annum. (fn. 28) Since which it has continued part of the possessions of the wardens and commonalty of the said bridge, for the support and repair of it. The present lessees of this manor are Leonard Bartholemew and Phil. Boghurst, esqrs.
An account of the tithes of this manor will be given, with those of Little Delce in this parish. (fn. 29)
There was a chapel at this place, dependent on the parish church of St. Margaret. (fn. 29)
GREAT DELCE is a manor which, with the estate now called LOWER DELCE, lies on the eastern side of this parish, about half a mile southward from Eastgate, in Rochester. It was formerly called Much Delce and Delce Magna, or Great Delce, and was given by William the Conqueror to Odo, bishop of Baieux, his halfbrother, under the title of whose lands it is thus entered in the general survey of Domesday:
In the lath of Aylesford, in Rochester hundred, the son of William Tabum holds Delce of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at one suling and one yoke. The arable land is . . . . . There is one carucate in demesne, and five villeins having five carucates. There are 12 acres of meadow, wood for the pannage of one bog. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth three pounds, and now 70 shillings. Godric held it of king Edward.
This manor afterwards came into the possession of a family, to which it gave name. Herebert, Gosfrid, and Hugo de Delce possessed it in successive generations. After which it passed to Buckerel, and the heirs of Thomas Buckerel, in the latter end of the reign of king Henry III. held it as two knights fees and a half, of Bertram de Criol. (fn. 30) After which this estate seems to have been separated into parcels, for Geoffry de Haspale held this manor as the fourth part of a knight's fee only, at the time of his death, in the 15th year of king Edward I. as appears by the inquisition taken for that purpose.
The next family who succeeded, as appears by the original deeds of this estate, was that of Molineux, descended from those of Sefton, in Lancashire; but they did not keep possession of it long, for by the evidence of an antient court roll, Benedict de Fulsham was lord of it in the 30th year of king Edward III. His descendant, Richard Fulsham, held it of the king in capite, as the fourth part of a knight's fee, at his death in the 5th year of king Henry V. Soon after which this name seems to have become extinct here; for in the 9th year of that reign, Reginald Love died possessed of it, and his successor held it till the latter end of king Henry VI's reign, when it passed by sale to William Venour, whose arms were, Argent, on a fess sable five escallops or, three and two, and who died possessed of this manor in the 1st year of king Edward IV. After which it was within a few months conveyed by sale to Markham, descended from an antient family of that name in Nottinghamshire, in which name it staid but a very short time before it was sold to Tate, who passed it away to Sir Richard Lee, citizen of London, and grocer, who served the office of lord-mayor in the 39th year of king Henry VI. and the 9th year of king Edward IV. (fn. 31) He was the eldest son of John Lee, of Wolksted, in Surry, and grandson of Symon Lee, who was descended of ancestors in Worcestershire, and bore for his arms, Azure, on a sess cotized or, three leopard's faces gules. He lies buried in the church of St. Stephen, Walbrook, his arms are remaining in East-Grinsted church, and in that of St. Dionis Backchurch, in London, with those of several marriages of his posterity; his son Richard Lee seems to have had this manor of Great Delce by gift of his father during his life-time, and kept his shrievalty at this mansion in the 19th year of the latter reign, his son Richard, who was both of Delce and of Maidstone, left two sons, the youngest of whom, Edward, was archbishop of York, (fn. 32) and the eldest Richard, was of Delce, whose only surviving son, Godfrey, in the 31st year of Henry VIII. procured his lands to be disgavelled, by the general act passed for this purpose, (fn. 33) after which his descendants continued to reside here for several generations, but Richard Lee, esq. about the latter end of queen Anne's reign, passed away the whole of this estate, excepting the manor, and forty acres of land, to Thomas Chiffinch, esq. of Northfleet, in this county, from which time this seat and estate acquired the name of Lower Delce.
Thomas Chiffinch, esq. died in 1727, and was succeeded by Thomas Chiffinch, esq. his only son and heir, who died without issue in 1775, and by his will bequeathed this, among his other estates, to his niece and heir-at-law, Mary, the daughter of his sister Elizabeth Comyns, who afterwards carried them in marriage to Francis Wadman, esq. of the Hive, in Northfleet, and he is the present possessor of Lower Delce.
THE MANOR OF GREAT DELCE, and the forty acres of land above-mentioned, together with a farm, called King's Farm, continued in the possession of Richard Lee, esq. who died possessed of them in 1724, and his grandson, Richard Lee, esq. of Clytha, in Wales, now possesses this manor; but in 1769, he alienated all the demesnes of it, together with King's farm, to Mr. Sampson Waring, of Chatham, who died possessed of them in 1769, leaving his brother, Mr. Walter Waring, and his sister, Mrs. Smith, of Lower Delce, his executors, who are at this time entitled to the profits of them. The court for the manor of Great Delce has not been held for some years.
The manor is held by castle-guard rent of Rochester castle; but when the mansion and most part of the lands were sold, as above mentioned, from Lee to Chiffinch, the former expressly charged the whole of that rent on the premises bought by Chiffinch, and entirely exonerated that part which he reserved to himself from paying any portion of it.
An account of the tithes of this manor, given to the priory of Rochester, may be seen under the following description of Little Delce manor.
LITTLE DELCE, or DELCE PARVA, now known by the name of UPPER DELCE, is a manor in this parish, situated in the high road between Rochester and Maidstone, somewhat more than a quarter of a mile from the former. This likewise, as well as that of Great Delce, was given by William the Conqueror to his half brother Odo, bishop of Baieux; under the general title of whose lands it is thus described in the book of Domesday:
In Rochester hundred, Ansgotus de Roucestre holds Delce of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates, and there are in demesne . . . . . . . with one villein, and five borderers, and six servants. There are 12 acres of meadow, and 60 acres of pasture. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, and now, it was, and is worth 100 shillings. Osuuard held it of king Edward.
This estate, on the disgrace of bishop Odo, most probably reverted again into the king's hands; and seems afterwards to have been in the possession of a family, who assumed their name, De Delce, from it, and held it of William de Say, as one knight's fee. (fn. 34)
In the reign of king John, this manor was in the possession of Jeffry de Bosco, a Norman; but when that province was seized by the king of France, the lands of the Normans, in this kingdom, became vested in the crown, by way of escheat or seizure, under the title of, Terra Normanorum; thus the manor of Little Delce was seized by king John, in the 5th year of his reign, who gave it to William de Ciriton, the sheriff, for two hundred pounds, two palfreys, and two gols hawks, (fn. 35) on condition, that if the said Jeffry should return to his allegiance, he should, without delay, again possess the same. (fn. 36) But this never happened, and this manor continued in the desendants of William de Ciriton. Odo de Ciriton died possessed of it it in the 31st year of king Henry III. holding it of the king in capite, by the service of one knight's fee. (fn. 37) This family was extinct here before the middle of the reign of king Edward I. for in the 9th year of that reign, as appears by Kirkby's Inquest. Richard Pogeys held this manor. At the latter end of the reign of king Edward III. it was possessed by the family of Basing, from which name it went into that of Charles. Richard Charles died possessed of the manor of Little Delce, in the 1st year of king Richard II. leaving his brother's sons, Richard and John, his next heirs; the former of whom died possessed of it, anno 11 Richard II. and left a son, Robert Charles, who dying without issue, his two sisters became his coheirs, viz. Alice, married to William Snayth, and Joan to Richard Ormskirk; and on the division of their estates, this manor fell to the share of William Snayth, commonly called Snette, in right of his wife, Alice, the eldest of them. Soon after which, Charles and William Snette, for so the name is spelt in the bridge archives, gave and amortized this manor of Little Delce, of the yearly value of six marcs, above all reprises, to the wardens of Rochester bridge and their successors, for the support and repair of the same. Since which it has acquired the name of Upper Delce, by which it is now only known, and it continues at this time part of the possessions of the wardens and commonalty of the said bridge, for the purposes above mentioned. The present lessees of this manor are Leonard Bartholomew and Philip Boghurst, esqrs.
The tithes of Great and Little Delce, Borstal, and Nashenden, were given, in the time of bishop Gundulph, to the priory of Rochester.
Gosfrid de Delce, together with his wife and children, on their being admitted to be partakers of the benefits received from the prayers of the monks, gave the whole of the tithes of Little Delce, both great and small, to the priory of St. Andrew.
Ansgotus de Rovecestre accepted of the like benefit from the church of St. Andrew, and the monks there, in the time of bishop Gundulph, and gave to the church and monks there, all his tithes, both great and small, of Great Delce, and in like manner the whole of his tithe mill, and of a certain piece of land included within the wall of the monks, towards the south, and five acres of land near Prestefelde, and at their request, gave them, on his death bed, cloathing, and they performed service for him as for a monk.
Uulmer, the tenant of Arnulf de Hesdine, by the advice of Adelold, brother of Baldwin, monk of St. Andrew, accepted the benefit of that society, and gave to it his whole tithe, worth ten shillings yearly. Robert de St. Armand gave his tithes of Neschendene and Borstelle to St. Andrew's priory. These several tithes were confirmed to the priory by various bishops of Rochester; by Theobald, archbishop, and Ralph, prior, and the convent of Canterbury. They remained part of the possessions of the priory till their dissolution in 1540; three years after which they were settled on the new founded dean and chapter of Roter, where they still remain.
The PARISH of St. MARGARET, is Rochester, is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester. The church is situated at the south extremity of St. Margaret's-street; it consists of one nave and two chancels on the south side of much later date than the church. That towards the east end was built and long supported by the family of Lee, of Great Delce, whose remains lie in a large vault under this chancel; but since the alienation of their mansion here, the repair of this part of the fabric has devolved on the parishioners. The chancel, at the east end of the church, belongs to the appropriator, who consequently repairs it. At the west end of the church is a tower, containing five bells; it is entirely covered with ivy to the top of it, which makes a most beautiful and picturesque appearance. Against the east wall, in the south chancel, is the antient bust of a man in robes, with a coronet on his head. (fn. 38) In the reign of king Charles II. a coronet, set round with precious stones, was dug up in this church yard; and the report of the parish has been, that one of our Saxon kings was buried here.
Among other monuments and inscriptions in this church are the following: In the chancel, a brass for Syr James Roberte Preess, obt. Sep. 24, 1540. A monument, arms, Head, impaling quarterly a chevron between three hawks belled or, for Francis Head, esq. eldest son of Sir Richard Head. bart. obt. 1678; he married the only daughter of Sir George Ent. In the north window, Argent. three crosses bottony fitchee sable, and argent on a bend quarterly, an efcallop gules. In a pew, partly in the chancel and partly in the nave, Argent on a bend gules, between two peliers, three swans proper. In the nave, a brass for Tho. Cod. vicar, a benefactor to the steeple of this church, obt. Nov. 1465. In the chancel, south of the rectors, a monument, arms, Argent, a right hand couped sable, impaling Lee, for Thomas Manly, esq the third son and heir of George Manly, of Lach, esq. he married Jane, second daughter of Richard Lee, esq. of Delce, and left one only son and two daughters, obt. 1690. In the east window, arms of Lee, Azure on a fess cotized, or three leopards heads gules. In a chapel, west of the Lee chancel, in the east wall, a bust of a person with a crown on his head, much defaced. (fn. 39)
At the time of bishop Gundulph's coming to the see of Rochester, and for almost a century afterwards, this church or chapel of St. Margaret, for it is frequently mentioned by both names, was accounted only as an appendage to the parochial altar of St. Nicholas in the cathedral, and the one underwent the same changes as the other; (fn. 40) and Walter, bishop of Rochester, in 1147, confirmed the above mentioned parochial altar, together with this church of St. Margaret, which belonged as a chapel to it, to the monks of this priory, and appropriated it to them. This grant was set aside by bishop Gilbert de Glanville, in the beginning of the reign of king Richard I. who not only separated this church from the altar of St. Nicholas, and divested the monks of all manner of right to it; but on the foundation of his hospital at Stroud about the same time, he gave, in pure and perpetual alms, among other premises, this church of St. Margaret to the master and brethren of it, and appropriated it to them, reserving only half a marc yearly to be paid to the priory, in lieu of the oblations which the monks used to receive from it. (fn. 41)
The monks by no means acquiesced in this gift, but seized every opportunity of asserting their right to this church, and after several appeals to the pope from time to time, and confirmation and decrees made in favour of each party, (fn. 42) the dispute seems to have been finally settled in 1255, when the pope adjudged, that this church of St. Margaret, with all its appurtenances, should for the future belong to the prior and chapter of Rochester; accordingly from the above time they kept possession of it.
From the time of bishop Walter's appropriation of the profits of the parochial altar of St. Nicholas, with this church appendant to it, to the prior and convent, to the divesting them of it by bishop Glanville, it is likely, instead of a curate being appointed, the duty of this parish was discharged by some member of the society, as it was probably afterwards, whilst in the possession of the hospital, by one of the priests of that foundation; however, within a few years after the convent recovered the permanent possession of St. Margaret's, a vicar was certainly appointed, for William Talevez occurs by that title in 1272.
The vicars seem to have had only a yearly stipend from the convent for their pains, for more than a century afterwards; but in 1401, the prior and chapter came into a composition with the vicar for the endowment of this church; in which they agreed, that the vicar and his successors should for the future have, for their maintenance, and the support of the burthens therein mentioned, a mansion with its appurtenances, to be assigned for the vicarage of it, and the accustomed and entire altarage of it, and all the small tithes of the three manors of Nessenden and Great and Little Delce, and of all goods and lands, except the tithes of mills, within the parish, and except the tithes, great, small, and mixed, arising from the lands, cattle, and other things belonging to the religious; and that he and his successors should have three quarters of wheat with three heaps, and three quarters of barley with three heaps, to be taken yearly at their barn, at the times therein mentioned, and the tithes of sheaves, which should arise in gardens not cultivated with the plough; and that the vicar and his suc cessors, content with the above portion, should not demand any thing further of the religious or their successors; and further, that he and they should undergo, at their own proper costs and charges, the burthens of repairing, maintaining, and new building, as often as need should be, the buildings, with their appurtenances, and all other things belonging to the said mansion, with its appurtenances, as well as all things belonging to the celebration of divine services, and the administration of the sacraments and sacramentals to the parishioners, and the finding of bread and wine, lights, books, vestments, and other ornaments necessary to the celebration of divine services, which of custom or right ought to belong to the secular rectors of this church; and also the procurations and subsidies, according to the taxation of his and their portion; but all other things whatsoever, belonging or which in future should belong to this church, as well as all tithes whatsoever, arising or to arise from the lands and possessions of the prior and convent within the parish, even though they should be let or sold to laymen, they the said prior and convent should take and have, who should likewise maintain and repair the chancel, except as before excepted, at their own proper costs and charges. Notwithstanding the stipulation of the vicar for himself and his successors, not to require any increase of their portion from the prior and convent, Edmund Harefelde, vicar of this church, did not consider this clause as obligatory upon him; for in 1488, he petitioned the bishop for an augmentation of his vicarial portion, who decreed, that the vicar and his successors should yearly receive, as the portion of his vicarage, from the prior and convent, five marcs in money; and out of the tithes and profits of this church, appropriated to the prior and convent, four quarters of wheat with four heaps, and four quarters of barley with four heaps, to be taken yearly at their barns of the Upper court, in Harreat, with liberty of entry and distress on the parsonage on non-payment; and he decreed, that the endowment of the vicarage, over and above the portion above mentioned, should be as follows, that the vicar for the time being should have the mansion of the vicarage of this church, with the garden adjoining, for his habitation, which they used to have of old time there, and then had; and all manner of oblations whatsoever within the bounds of the parish, and all manner of tithes whatsoever, as of hay, lambs, wool, mills, calves, chicken, pigs, geese, ducks, eggs, bees, honey, wax, cheese, milk, the produce of the dairy, flax, hemp, pears, apples, swans, pidgeons, merchandizes, fisheries, pastures, onions, garlics, and saffrons whatsoever arising and coming; and also the tithes of sheaves in gardens, whether cultivated with the plough or dug with the foot, increasing within the parish; and the tithes also of firewood, woods, thorns, silva cedua, as well as of all billets, faggots, and fardels whatsoever, within the limits of the parish; and he further decreed, that the burthens of repairing, amending, and new building the mansion, with every appurtenance belonging to it, and the celebration and ministration of the sacraments and the sacramentals to the parishioners, of the finding of bread and wine, and lights to the church, either of right or custom due, should belong to and be borne by the vicar and his successors, as well as all episcopal burthens of the said church, according to the taxation of his portion. But that the burthen of repairing and amending the chancel of the church, as well within as without, as also the finding and repairing of books, vestments, and other ornaments, for the celebration of those divine rights, which of old, either by right or custom, belonged to the rectors of the church, should in future be borne by the prior and convent and their successors, at their own proper charge and expence; and that all other burthens, ordinary and extraordinary, of the vicarage, and to the vicar belonging, by reason of tha same, except as before excepted, should belong to him and his successors, to be borne and supported at his and their own proper costs and charges; saving to the bishop and his successors, a right of augmenting and diminishing this vicarage, and of correcting, amending, and explaining the above decree, whenever he or they should think it expedient so to do; and saving to himself and his successors, all episcopal right, (fn. 43) &c.
The appropriation of this church, and the patronage of the vicarage, continued part of the possessions of the prior and convent till the dissolution of the monastery, in 1540, when it was surrendered into the king's hands, who three years after, by his dotation charter, settled this appropriation and vicarage on his new founded dean and chapter of Rochester, where they remain at this time.
Adjoining to the north wall of the church yard is a piece of ground, which has probably belonged to the vicars of this parish ever since their first institution here; an antient court roll mentions their being possessed of it in the year 1317.
In the 5th year of king Edward III. John de Folkstan, vicar of St. Margaret's, held a messuage, with its appurtenances, adjoining to the church yard, by the assignment of the prior and convent, with the ordination of the bishop, as belonging to the portion of his vicarage; which messuage, with its appurtenances, was held of the master and brethren of the hospital of Stroud, by fealty, and the service of two shillings yearly, and also the payment of twelvepence to them, after the death of each vicar. (fn. 44)
The vicars, I am told, now hold this piece of land of the dean and chapter, as of their manor of Ambree, on their paying a small acknowledgment.
The vicarage house being from age become irreparable, was taken down, with an intention of erecting a convenient and substantial dwelling in the room of it; for which purpose Mr. Lowth, the late vicar, for several years deposited an annual sum with the dean and chapter, towards defraying the charges of it; and about 1781, erected on this spot a neat and convenient house, built of brick and sashed, with proper offices adjoining, for the use of himself and his successors, vicars of this parish. By an agreement between John Ready, vicar of it, and the dean and chapter, the former, in consideration of several benefits and benevolences done to him by the latter, consented to take an annual payment of 5l. 6s. 8d. instead of the pension in money and corn, granted by the composition made in 1488. Some recompence indeed has since been made for this unjust bargain by the dean and chapter, who have settled on it a larger augmentation than on any other church in their patronage. The vicarage of St. Margaret is valued in the king's books at 10l. and the yearly tenths at 1l. (fn. 45)
¶In the survey, taken after the death of Charles I. in 1649, of the church livings within this diocese, by the powers then in being, on the intended abolition of deans and chapters, it was returned, that there were belonging to this rectory or parsonage, a parsonagehouse, two barns, one stable, and other houshings, and also certain tithes, profits, &c. belonging to it, together with certain glebe land, called Court-hill and Court hill marsh, containing together nine acres, and and one marsh, lying in the parish of St. Nicholas, Rochester, called Cow marsh, with the waste ground called salts, containing together seven acres, and all that piece of ground called Upper court, alias Hogshaw, containing one acre; in all seventeen acres, worth together 130l. per annum, viz. the house and lands, 12l. per annum, and the tithes 118l. per ann. all which were let, among other premises, by Henry King, late dean of the cathedral church of Rochester, by his indenture, in 1639, to George Newman, esq. for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent, for Preestfield and Stroud marsh, of 4s. 4d. per annum, and for all the other premises twelve quarters of wheat, heaped, making together the yearly rent of 31l. 1s. 8d. Next the vicarage was, in like manner surveyed, and returned at the yearly value of 30l. (fn. 46)
St Helen is probably my favourite Kent church. At least from the outside. Alternating bands of flints and local stone give it a Christmas Cake effect, but in bright sunshine it looks stunning.
Inside, its no less impressive. Part of the wall paintings survive, as do geometric patterns on some of the supporting columns.
And it is huge, with a fine wooden roof, a replacement after a fire, but still works well, and the fabric of the church seems good.
Everywhere there are fabulous things to find; Aumbries, memorials, and so much more.
And I reeived a warm welcome from the warden who was waiting for visitors. Last time I was here, there was a display of how the estuary airport-cum-Boris Johnson vanity project seemed a real possibility. Now he is back insulting foreigners, and the airport is dead. But a new Thames crossing is being mooted, and it might run across Grain, which would be a shame to have the peace and quiet shattered.
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An absolute knockout of a church. From the first glimpse of the exterior, with its zebra-like stripes of flint and stone, you know that here is a church of great interest. In plan it consists of an aisled nave, transepts, chancel and west tower - all built on a prodigious scale. Although the church was heavily restored on two occasions in the nineteenth century there is still a great deal of interest and a visit here should not be rushed. The pillars of the nave have distinctive 'V' paintings contemporary with their fourteenth-century construction. The pulpit is of 1636 and shows some excellent carved arcading. Attached to it is a contemporary hourglass stand. The north transept has wall paintings depicting the martyrdom of St Edmund, but these were over-touched-up by Professor Tristram in 1932. Further paintings exist in the south transept and probably show the martyrdom of St Margaret. The base of the rood screen is fifteenth century while the rather insubstantial traceried top is an early twentieth-century addition. There is an elaborate tie-beam high in the roof with little quatrefoil piercings in the spandrels, but this could not have supported the rood as the remains of the rood loft staircase may be seen in its usual position. Outside the north chancel wall can be found a piscina and holy water stoup - all that remains of a medieval chantry chapel or anchorite's cell which has been demolished. The blocked-up doorway that originally gave access to it may be seen both inside and out. On the inside south wall of the chancel is one of the finest sedilia in Kent which together with its double piscina dates from the early years of the fourteenth century.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Cliffe
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THE Church at Cliffe is dedicated to St. Helen and bears the distinction of being the only church in Kent dedicated to that Saint. It stands in a prominent position at the edge of the Hoo peninsula overlooking the extensive marshes which at this point stretch some two miles to the Thames.
The village seems at one time to have been of greater importance than it is to-day. Lambarde describes it as a large town in his day in spite of a disastrous fire which had destroyed many of the houses about 1520, a fire from the effects of which it appears never to have recovered.
The Manor of Cliffe belonged from very early times to the Prior and Convent of Christ Church, Canterbury, who were also the owners of the advowson, and thus became concerned with the upkeep of the church. At the Dissolution the Manor passed to George Brooke, Lord Cobham, though the Archbishop of Canterbury is still the patron of the living. Among the Rectors of Cliffe were several men of distinction, some of whom probably never visited the parish. From an early date there seems to have been a perpetual vicarage attached to the church, but when it became merged in the Rectory is uncertain.
Of the first church at Cliffe there is no definite record. It is sometimes said to have been founded by Offa, king of Mercia, in the latter part of the eighth century, though the only evidence for this appears to be the presumed identification of the place with the Cloveshoo of the Saxon Chronicle, where various synods of the Saxon Church were held in the eighth and ninth centuries. Without attempting to suggest a solution of this very debatable point, it can only be said that the evidence in favour of Cliffe appears to rest on at least as good authority as that of the rival claimants—Abingdon in Berkshire, and Clifton Hoo in Bedfordshire. There is moreover good reason to think that Cliffe was less inaccessible than might be supposed in mediaeval times. There still remain traces of a causeway across Higham Marsh, which must at one time have led to a ferry, thus affording an easy means of approach from Essex and the Midlands.
The earliest undisputed documentary reference to a church at Cliffe is in the Domesday Survey. It was evidently a building of more than usual importance for it is expressly stated that two ministers were in charge. Of this building, however, not a vestige remains, though there can be little doubt that from it the present plan has, on more or less recognised lines, been developed.
The plan as it exists to-day is complete, and consists of a nave with wide aisles, north and south transepts, chancel, western tower and south porch. The church is one of the largest in Kent, and is a striking example of a parish church whose size and splendour could have borne but little relation to the actual needs of the locality. It was the product of an age whose zeal for church building was limited only by the funds available. The total internal length from east to west is 182 feet, while the width across the transept is 82 feet. The exterior has been the subject of somewhat extensive restoration, which has robbed it of much of its ancient appearance. The south aisle differs from that on the north in having an embattled parapet, similar to that of the porch. The walls of the tower and transepts are faced with flint rubble with little attempt at regular coursing. The later work of the nave and chancel, though extensively refaced, is composed of alternate courses of dressed flints and stone ; the latter, a soft ragstone from the lower green sand formation which, quarried probably from the outcrop a few miles to the south, has weathered badly in many places. A variety of other materials is noticeable, some of which appear to have been reused from the earlier church. A block of Caen stone in the east wall of the chancel, and several pieces in the north wall, have obviously been reused, while a single piece of calcareous tufa can be seen in the north wall of the transept; Reigate stone is also fairly abundant.
It is not till one enters the church, that its size is fully realised. The absence of pews over a large part of the nave, with the fact that the nave arcade is carried past the crossing without a break, and the absence of a chancel arch, all combine to emphasise its spaciousness. The impression
gathered from a superficial survey of the interior is that of a thirteenth century church with considerable additions in the fourteenth century, but a more careful inspection shows at least one trace of an earlier building. The arch from the north aisle into the transept, which has been partially cut away when the thirteenth century nave arcade was constructed, is certainly of late twelfth century date and must therefore have survived from an earlier church. Before, however, considering the development of the ground plan, it is necessary to refer briefly to the chief features of architectural interest which call for notice.
The porch is of a fairly common type, with an upper room, approached by a stair turret from the south aisle. It measures internally 11 feet 5 inches from east to west by 16 feet from north to south, and is apparently of late fifteenth century date. On the right of the inner doorway are the remains of a holy water stoup. The room above has been considerably modernised, and there is nothing to indicate its original use. Occasionally an altar is found in the porch chamber, which, however, in this case would seem more likely to have been used for storing the church goods.
The north and south aisles of the nave are 19 feet 10 inches and 18 feet wide respectively, and are thus considerably wider than the nave itself. They contain a fine series of Decorated windows, those at the end of either aisle being particularly interesting examples of three lights. The church as a whole is very rich in windows of this period, which form in themselves an interesting study in design. The south aisle has a stone bench running along its south and west walls.
The tower is entered from the nave by a plain thirteenth century arch, and measures approximately 15 feet 6 inches from east to west by 17 feet 6 inches from north to south (interior measurements). The lower stage, which is shut off from the church by a screen, and is now used as a vestry, is lit by three narrow lancets, one in each of the disengaged walls. The roof is a simple quadripartite vault, without any boss at the intersection of the ribs, which are carried on shafts supported on corbels set in the four angles. The lower part of the tower is apparently thirteenth century work, and somewhat earlier than the transepts. The flat, clasping buttresses appear to be original, though now entirely re-faced, and might in themselves suggest a transitional date for the base of the tower. The upper part has been rebuilt at a much later date, and contains a Perpendicular window. Like most towers of the period, it is probable that there was originally no structural stairway leading to the upper stages, access to which had to be obtained by means of a ladder, though the existing doorway to the modern stair turret appears to be of fairly early date.
The transepts deserve special consideration on account of the very interesting work which they contain. Their date cannot be later than about 1260 and there are some grounds for thinking that the south transept may be slightly the earlier of the two. The east wall of the south transept is
divided into two bays by blind arches, supported on slender banded shafts, with a narrow lancet window in the centre of each arch. A somewhat similar arrangement exists on the east wall of the north transept, though in this case the central shaft is not carried to the ground, but rests midway on a moulded bracket, below which is a piscina with a trefoil head of the same date. The treatment of the west wall of the north transept is very similar to that of the east, but the arches are much narrower, and the arrangement has been somewhat interfered with by a later widening of the nave aisle. In the south transept the arcading on the west wall is somewhat plainer, and the banded shafts have been dispensed with. Although similar in general design, certain details point to the south transept being slightly the earlier. The string course below the windows, which is continued round the shafts of the mural arcading, is a plain scroll moulding, while in the north transept a fillet is substituted, and the central bands on the shafts of the arcading are of a more elaborate character. The triple lancet windows at the ends of either transept are modern, and replaced two large fifteenth-century windows, which are shown in several early views.
The north transept was formerly shut off from the rest of the church by a screen, and used for holding the Rector's Court. In mediaeval times, and down to 1845, the Rector of Cliffe had a peculiar jurisdiction within his parish. He was exempt from all ecclesiastical authority other than personal visitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The wills of parishioners were proved in the local court, and the official seal of the Peculiar is still preserved in the Rochester Museum.
The chancel, which appears to have been rebuilt entirely in the middle of the fourteenth century, is complete, save for the insertion of a modern east window, which replaced an extraordinarily ugly eighteenth-century aperture of brick. The remaining windows are all fine examples of Decorated work, the tracery of which shows a distinctly Flamboyant tendency. The eastern pair affords interesting examples of Kentish tracery. All have good hood-mouldings with
grotesques at the ends. Beneath the windows is a stringcourse, which terminates at the altar rails with a grotesque head on either side. That on the north has been renewed, but the southern one represents the battered head of a monk.
The chief interest in the chancel, however, is its fittings. In the south wall is a series of three very beautiful fourteenth century sedilia, with a piscina of uniform character, recessed in the wall and ascending eastward. They are divided by slender buttressed shafts, supporting elaborately carved ogee canopies, and surmounted by crockets and finials. Beneath the canopies are trefoiled arches, and behind these the roof is carved in imitation of sexpartite vaulting.
Opposite in the north wall is a fine late-fourteenth century tomb of early Perpendicular character, which is often referred to as an Easter sepulchre, for which purpose it may well have been used. The wide cinquefoil arch is surmounted by an elaborate embattled cornice, supported on narrow
buttressed shafts, and terminating with a carved head at either end ; circles with internal cuspings fill the spandrils of the arch.
Immediately west of this tomb is a blocked doorway which led to an adjoining building, now demolished. The exterior wall at this point is of a different character from the rest of the chancel walls, and apparently of earlier date. It is composed of a variety of material, including pieces of Caen stone, which probably came from the earlier church, and suggests that this section of wall and the chapel, of which it formed part, survived the re-building of the chancel in the fourteenth century. The two adjoining buttresses have been constructed out of sections of the eastern and western walls of the chapel, and serve to indicate its approximate size. The position of its low roof is clearly shown by the stone corbels which remain at a height of 7 feet 8 inches from the ground. The floor must have been somewhat lower than the present ground level, as the small piscina in the exterior of the chancel wall is now only two feet from the ground. In the base of the westernmost of the two buttresses is a niche, now scarcely eighteen inches from the ground, which may originally have been used as a holy water stoup, since it was close to the entrance to the chapel. This small building probably served the joint purpose of a Sacristy and Chapel. That it contained an altar there can be no doubt from the piscina already noted.
It may possibly be referred to in the will of Richard Elys, who in 1468 left 12 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary in the chapel and 4 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary near the pulpit, though one of the transepts may of course have been here intended. Such evidence as there is on the other hand seems to point to the chapel having been pulled down at the time of the rebuilding of the chancel or soon afterwards. The blocked doorway in the chancel wall was originally carried down to the present ground level on the exterior, so that there must have been some steps in the thickness of the wall leading down into the chapel. The date of this doorway, which was probably contemporary with the building to which, it led, is uncertain. It is certainly earlier than the adjoining late-fourteenth-century tomb, as parts have been cut away when the latter was inserted, and the use of somewhat small stones points to an earlier rather than a later date. Its details on the other hand include the wave moulding which is usually taken to be characteristic of the Decorated period, or one might otherwise be inclined to think that it formed part of the thirteenth century chancel. The filling on the exterior is certainly not modern, and the fact that a plinth has been inserted when the doorway was blocked up, to match that round the rest of the chancel evidently with the intention, which was never carried out, of continuing it along the section of earlier walling where the chapel stood, seems to suggest that this work was undertaken about the same time as the rebuilding of the chancel.
We are now in a position to consider the probable development of the ground plan, which, though somewhat conjectural for the earlier period, has left some interesting and unmistakable traces of its later history. In the entire absence of remains of the early Norman church, one is forced to rely for the identification of its position on analogy with other buildings of similar type. The first church of which we have any record in all probability consisted of a simple nave and square- ended chancel. The three easternmost bays of the existing nave arcade would preserve the line of
the north and south walls of the church, while the chancel would occupy the interior of the present crossing. There is nothing to show the position of the west wall, but it would have been approximately in a line with the present north and south doors. Towards the close of the twelfth century north and south aisles, about half the width of the present ones, were probably added by piercing the original walls with arches, and about the same time a small chapel or aisle appears to have been built to the north of the original chancel, and the existing arch constructed so as to give access into it. This arch, which cannot be later than about 1200, is obviously much earlier than the present transept and must therefore have communicated with an earlier building on its site. Some evidence in support of this came to light during the restoration of the north transept in 1864. The foundations of an early wall four feet thick were found beneath the present floor running parallel and close to its eastern wall. At a distance of 15 feet from the chancel wall it appears to have been met by another wall at right angles to it. Unfortunately no further record was made of this discovery, but it establishes beyond doubt the existence of a building in this position, to which the arch in question opened. It is possible that this was the chancel arch of a late twelfth century church, and that the foundations were those of the former chancel, though such a theory would be more difficult to reconcile with the later development of the plan. Moreover on the assumption that there already existed a building on the north of the original chancel when the thirteenth-century builders decided to remodel the church, it is possible to account for the hitherto unexplained fact that the north transept is wider than the south by some three feet. The normal development of the thirteenth century produced a cruciform church. A new and longer chancel, and north and south transepts, were built around the small twelfth century chancel, while the nave and aisles were lengthened by the removal of the west wall some 20 feet further west, and a tower erected to the west of this. These extensive works could not of course have been simultaneous.
The tower appears to be somewhat earlier than the transepts, so that presumably the lengthening of the west end was undertaken first, and at the same time an Early English arcade, extending an additional bay westward, was inserted in place of the twelfth century arches. Contrary to what was frequently the case in churches of this type, there was clearly never any intention to erect a central tower over the crossing, since the abutments are far too weak to have supported the weight. This weakness would account for the presence of the strainer arch of oak, which must
have been inserted sometime in the fifteenth century.
With the completion of this work the early builders grew more ambitious. Almost immediately the work on the new chancel and transepts must have begun. A temporary hoarding was probably erected, shutting off the nave and the altar, transferred there until the new works were finished. The chancel and the south transept were probably first erected, as the sites were free of buildings ; the width of the latter being determined by the size of the former chancel and the chapel on the north. When the work was completed attention was directed towards the north transept, which, according to the usual practice, would have been rebuilt round the earlier building, the foundations of which were discovered in 1864, thus accounting for its slight extra width. Probably towards the end of the century the small chapel, the remains of which have already been mentioned, was built on the north of the new chancel.
Considerable alterations were undertaken in the fourteenth century, the principal of which were the rebuilding of the thirteenth century chancel, and the widening of the nave aisles. The latter was a very frequent form of improvement at this period, and was usually occasioned by the desire
for extra space to set up additional altars so as to meet the enormous increase in the popularity of Chantry bequests. At Cliffe the effect of this widening is clearly shown on the already completed design of the transepts. In the north transept one of the lancets was cut away, and a short pointed arch springing from shafts, which do not reach the ground, inserted in its place. The apex of the original lancet still remains in the wall above. In the south transept a similar alteration in plan is treated somewhat differently. A segmental arch, here reaching to the ground, and opening into the extended aisle, was inserted within the earlier bund arch in the west wall of the transept. This also necessitated the removal of an original lancet, the head of which can be seen occupying the space between the original arch and the later insertion. The windows in the nave all appear to be of this date. Probably contemporary with this extension of the aisles, was the heightening of the nave to allow for the clerestory with its row of single splayed lancets. The junction of this work with the old can be clearly seen immediately above the arcading. The thirteenth century roof of the nave was about on a level with those of the aisles, as the small window in the east face of the tower, which now looks into the church, must originally have looked out over the roof. The line of the fourteenth roof, which was erected at the time that the clerestory was added, can be seen on the wall of the tower, passing across the window opening. Below this the position of the third roof, erected 1732, can also be seen. This roof, which was almost flat, was replaced by the present one about forty years ago.
The rebuilding of the chancel would appear to have been undertaken at the same time as extension of the aisles, to judge from the similarity of the external stonework. This would again have necessitated the use of the nave for services, and it is probable that either at this time, or during the earlier work on the interior of the transepts, the round headed arch, which can be seen on the exterior of the north wall of the north transept, was constructed for the convenience of the masons while the ordinary entrances were not available. That this arch or doorway, which has sometimes been said to be of Norman origin, was really of a much later date, and of a purely temporary character, seems to be shown by a close inspection of its construction. The position is not in the centre of the wall while the arch itself is made up of a variety of material including large flints, pieces of Beigate stone and a single block of calcareous tufa, the latter doubtless coming from the early church. Further, the fact that the filling of the arch' seems to be of much the same character as the adjoining walls points to it only having been used for a comparatively short time. Everything in fact indicates that it was a purely temporary arrangement used during the construction of the transepts, or the later chancel, and filled up as soon as the work was completed. A somewhat similar, though smaller, arch in the exterior of the south wall of the tower was probably of a similar nature, though its purpose is conjectural, and it may have had some connection with original stairs to the upper floors. By the end of the fourteenth century the church was practically complete. The porch was added early in the following century, and the large Perpendicular windows, which formerly existed at the ends of the transepts, inserted. At the same time the upper part of the west tower was rebuilt. Certain work also seems to have been in progress about this time in the chancel, for in the will of the Rector in 1413 a sum of money was left towards that object. Exactly what resulted from the bequest one cannot say.
The subsequent additions were chiefly in the nature of modern insertions. The eighteenth century saw many acts of destruction which are duly entered in the parish registers. In 1730, during the Rectorship of George Green, the old high-gabled roofs were taken down, the lead recast, and an
almost flat roof substituted. Two years later the east window was demolished and a hideous brick opening substituted, and at the same time the old timber roof of the chancel, which, since it bore his arms, had probably been erected during the time of Archbishop Arundel, who occupied the See from 1396 to 1414, was pulled down, and both the nave and chancel ceiled. During this period also the two enormous brick buttresses, which are shown in some early views, were erected on the north and south sides of the tower. The church was in this condition when Sir Stephen Glynne visited it in 1857. Subsequent restorations have been extensive, though for the most part necessary. The brick buttresses to the Tower were removed shortly after Sir Stephen Glynne's visit, and the present circular stair turret erected in the place of the southern one. The chancel was restored in 1875, when traces of the original reredos were discovered, and the jambs of the original east window, which were of Reigate stone and about 15 feet apart, were found in situ. The present window was erected in place of the eighteenth century one in 1884, and at the same time the flat lead roofs of the nave and chancel were removed, and the present high-pitched tiled roofs substituted. Finally a small building, without any communication with the church, has been erected in recent years to the east of the north transept. During these successive restorations much of the external walls has been refaced from time to time, and the whole of the upper part of the east wall of the chancel which was pulled down in 1732, was rebuilt when the present window was inserted.
It is somewhat difficult now to picture the appearance of the interior of the church in mediaeval times. A brilliant colour scheme evidently played an important part in the general effect. Many of the piers of the nave arcades, which are apparently constructed of hard chalk, still show traces of a bold chevron pattern in red and yellow, and, together with the extensive wall paintings, slight traces of which still remain in the transepts, and the brilliance of the mediaeval glass, must have combined to give a very rich effect to the interior. Of the ancient glass very little remains. Dr.
Grayling mentions some fourteenth century borders in the chancel windows, which seem to have disappeared. In the central window of the north aisle is a small piece of ancient glass representing a ship with fish in the water beneath, which is said to have been found many years ago in a shed in the churchyard. In the top of the adjoining window is a fifteenth century figure of the Virgin and Child. A coat of arms in another window is mentioned by Thorpe, but this also seems to have disappeared. The wall paintings, though now very indistinct, were evidently much clearer until
comparatively recent times. On the east wall of the north transept, in the space between the southernmost of the two lancets and the arch in which it is placed, is one of these paintings, divided into five panels, depicting the Martyrdom of St. Edmund. Very little of it can now be made out, though the whole of this transept showed traces of colour at the time of the restoration of 1864. Some remains of a painting in a similar position in the south transept can still be seen, and are said to represent the Last Judgment.
Several bequests for the provision and upkeep of lights before the various altars add a little to our knowledge of the interior in mediaeval times. Of the various saints to whom lights were dedicated in the church Our Lady was of course the most popular. We have already seen that two altars
were dedicated to her. One of these is again mentioned in 1483, when Robert Qwikerell left 20 pence "to the Parish Church of Cleue and to the ligth of Our Lady besyde the pulpett there" and also a similar amount to the lights of St. Laurence and St. George. Richard Elys in 1469 also
mentions lights of St. Christopher, St. John and St. James, while in 1509 Steven Tudor bequeathed to the high altar of St. Elyn 20 pence, and to the light of St. Elyn 12 pence.
Of the position of these various lights one cannot speak with any certainty. That to St. Christopher would have been near the main entrance to the church, while the light of the patron saint, St. Helen, would have been in the Chancel, probably over the high altar. Remains of a piscina in four other places in the church prove the former existence of altars in these positions. That in the Sacristy has already been mentioned. At least one altar stood in each of the transepts, while a small piscina, apparently constructed of broken window tracery at the east end of the south aisle, testifies to another. An altar probably stood in a corresponding position in the north aisle. This disposition would exactly account for the number of lights mentioned in early wills. Besides the lights burning before the altars, there would also be a light before the great Rood over the entrance to the chancel. Some of the lower panels of the original rood screen survive. Above, and partly supported by, the screen was the rood loft, which was already in existence as early as 1413, when it is mentioned in conjunction with the great rood itself and its attendant figures in the will of Nicholas de Ryssheton, Canon of Sarum and Rector of Cliffe. The small fifteenth century doorway with a fourcentred arch, which gave access to it, can still be seen high up in the north wall just east of the entrance of the chancel, and the original stairs remain in good condition, though the entrance from the church has been blocked up and covered over with plaster.
The furniture in the church has suffered much from “restoration" and other causes. Six of the ancient stalls remain, three on each side of the chancel, though panelling at the backs and all the seats except two are modern. The sides terminate in carved heads, some of which have been
renewed, while the two original miserecords are carved with grotesques. The Communion rails are Jacobean, though somewhat repaired. They are of the fairly common baluster type with a central bulge. The pulpit is a very fine piece of Renaissance carving, and retains the original stand for the hour glass, though the glass itself is modern; on it is the date 1636.
Besides the fragments of the original rood screen there is another screen shutting off the vestry under the tower.
The font, which has been moved from its original position, is 3 feet 4£ inches in height, and apparently of late-fourteenth century date. The perfectly plain octagonal bowl has concave sides, around the lower edge of which is a hollow chamfer. The bowl is supported by an octagonal, buttressed stem on a plain base. On the westernmost pillar of the south arcade can still be seen the bracket and chain by which the font cover was raised, indicating its original position.
The monuments in the church are few, and call for little comment. In the floor at the west end of the north aisle are two flat coffin-shaped stones with early fourteenth century French inscriptions in Lombardic capitals. The one on the north is probably the earlier, judging from the very rough
characters which are now scarcely legible. It commemorated Eleanor de Olive, of whom nothing is known. The other stone shows traces of brass, and is inscribed in memory of Joan, wife of John Earn. These stones are described in the Gentleman's Magazine, and old rubbings of them exist among the collection of the Society of Antiquaries. There are three brasses of seventeenth century date, one of which is thought to have been engraved locally.
Two wills are of interest in connection with early burials in the church. In 1376 Robert de Walton, Rector of Cliffe, desired to be buried in the church of Olyve at the entrance to the quire. Some years later, in 1387, Thomas de Lynton, a subsequent rector, directed that he should be buried in the chancel near the entrance, and between the entrance to the quire and the tomb of Master Robert Walton, late Rector, and he ordered that a handsome marble monument should be placed over his body at the discretion of his executors. It seems not unlikely however that his executors favoured a brass monument. In the chancel is the stone matrix of what must once have been a very fine brass of about this period, representing a priest under a canopy. Another smaller matrix of an ecclesiastic is close to the pulpit.
Of the church plate the most important piece is a very beautiful paten of silver gilt of the early part of the sixteenth century. In the centre, worked in coloured enamels, is a seated figure of God the Father holding before Him a figure of the crucifixion. The extreme rarity of pre-reformation
plate is not generally recognised, and the example at Cliffe is one of the finest English patens in existence. At some period or other the paten at Cliffe served as a chalice cover, and it is even said to have been used as an alms dish, which would account for its numerous signs of wear. The other plate is of seventeenth century and later date, and of no particular interest.
It remains for me to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. F. O. Blliston Erwood for several suggestions and for the photographs which illustrate this paper. The present account is intended to supplement, but not to supplant altogether, an article on Cliffe Church, by the Rev. I. Gr. Lloyd, a former Rector, which appeared in Vol. XI. of Arch. Cant., where reference should be made for further particulars.
www.cliffehistory.co.uk/martin.html
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CLIFFE (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of North Aylesford, hundred of Shamwell, lathe of Aylesford, W. division of Kent, 5 miles (N. by W.) from Rochester; containing 842 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the north by the Thames, and comprises 5660 acres, whereof 180 are woodland, about 2000 arable, and the remainder pasture, including a considerable portion of marshy land. The village, which is supposed to take its name from the cliff or rock on which it stands, was formerly of much greater extent, a great part of it having been destroyed by fire in 1520: it was the scene of several provincial councils. A pleasurefair is held on September 28th. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £50; net income, £1297; patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury: the glebe contains 20 acres. The church is considered one of the finest in the county, being a large handsome cruciform structure in the early English style, with an embattled central tower, and containing several curious monuments and remains of antiquity, together with six stalls that belonged to a dean and five prebendaries, it having been formerly collegiate.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp63...
The Burgtheater at 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 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
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is 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.
I visit Stockbury a lot in the spring and early summer, to see the local orchids and other wild flowers. But have only been inside the church once before, and only taken wide angle shots.
So, long overdue for a return.
Stockbury overlooks the northern end of the A249, just before it reaches the Medway towns and the M2, but is set high on the wooded down above the traffic, and although the noise never quite fades away, it is a distant hum.
St Mary sits on the very edge of the down, as the lane tumbles down to join the main road below, but the churchyard, and church are an oasis of calm and tranquility.
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A fire of 1836 and a restoration of 1851 have left their marks on this prominent Downland church. The east wall of the chancel contains three lancets, of nineteenth-century origin, which contain some lovely glass of the early years of the twentieth century. To the north and south of the chancel are transepts separated by nicely carved screens. The southern transept is the more picturesque, for its roof timbers are exposed and below, in its east wall, are three sturdy windows of which the centre one is blocked. The west end of the nave is built up to form a platform upon which stands the organ. On either side of the chancel arch are typical nineteenth-century Commandment Boards, required by law until the late Victorian era, with good marble shafting to mirror the medieval work in the chancel.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Stockbury
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STOCKBURY
IS the next parish northward from Hucking. It is called in the survey of Domesday, Stochingeberge, in later records, Stockesburie, and now Stockbury.
The western, which is by far the greatest part of it, lies in the hundred of Eyhorne, and division of West Kent, the remainder of it in that of Milton, and division of East Kent, over which part that manor claims, but the church and village being in the former district, the parish is esteemed as being in the former division of the county.
This parish lies on each side of the valley, called from it Stockbury valley, along which the high road leads from Key-street to Detling-hill, and thence to Maidstone; hence it extends on the hills on each side, for more than a mile. It lies mostly on high ground, and though exposed to the northern aspect, is not, especially on the northern side of the valley, near so bleak and cold as the parishes on the hills, lately before-described, nor is the soil, though much like them, and very flinty in general, quite so poor; and on the north side next to Hartlip and Newington, there is some land much more fertile, partaking more of the loam, and much less mixed with flints; the sides of the valley are covered with coppice woods, which extend round the western boundary of the parish, where there is some uninclosed. downe, being poor ruffit land, and a wild and dreary country.
On the north side of the valley, close to the summit of the hill, is the church, with the court-lodge near it, and a small distance further, on the north side of the parish, the village called Stockbury-street, in which stands the parsonage, and a little further Hill-greenhouse, the residence of William Jumper, esq. having an extensive prospect northward over the neighbouring country, and the channel beyond it, the former owners of which seat will be mentioned in the description of Yelsted manor hereafter; at a small distance southward from hence are the two hamlets of Guilsted and South-streets, situated close to the brow of the hill adjoining to the woods.
On the south side of the valley the woodland continues up the hills, westward of which is the hamlet of Southdean-green adjoining the large tract of woodland called Binbury wood. The manor of Southdean belongs to Mr. John Hudson, of Bicknor. On the eastern side of the woodland first mentioned is the hamlet of Pett, at the south-east boundary of the parish, which was formerly the property and residence of a family of that name, Reginald atte Pett resided here, and by his will in 1456 gave several legacies to the church towards a new beam, a new bell called Treble, the work of the new isle, and the making a new window there. Near it is a small manor called the Yoke of Hamons atte Deane, and upon these hills the small manors are frequently called Yokes.
There is a fair for pedlary, toys, &c. formerly on St. Mary Magdalen's day, July 22, but now by the al teration of the style, on August 2, yearly, which is held by order of the lord of the manor on the broad green before the Three Squirrels public-house in Stockbury valley.
On June 24, 1746, hence called the Midsummer storm, the most dreadful tempest happened that was ever remembered by the oldest man then living. The chief force of it was felt in the northern part of the middle of the county, and in some few parts of East Kent. It directed its course from the southward, and happily spread only a few miles in width, but whereever it came, its force was irresistible, overturning every thing in its way, and making a general desolation over every thing it passed. The morning was very close and hot, with a kind of stagnated air, and towards noon small, bright, undulated clouds arose, which preceded the storm, with a strong south wind; it raised a torrent, and the flashes of lightning were incessant, like one continued blaze, and the thunder without intermission for about fifteen or twenty minutes. When the tempest was over, the sky cleared up, and the remainder of the day was remarkably bright and serene. From an eminence of ground the passage of the storm might easily be traced by the eye, by the destruction it had made, quite to the sea and the waters of the Swale to which it passed. Neither the eastern or western extremities of the county felt any thing of it.
This place, at the time of taking the general survey of Domesday, in the year 1080, was part of the extensive possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the Conqueror's half brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus described:
The same Ansgotus, de Rochester, holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Stockingeberge. It was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is. In demesne there are two carucates, and five villeins, with nine borderers having two carucates. There is a church, and two servants, and one mill of sixty-four pence. Wood for the pannage of fifteen hogs. In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth four pounds, now six pounds. Elveva held it of king Edward.
After the bishop's forfeiture of all his lands, which happened about four years afterwards, this place came into the possession of the family of Auberville, being held by them of Roger de St. John, as one knight's fee. Roger de Aubervill, for de Albrincis, was a man who held large possessions at the time of the general survey before-mentioned. William de Aubervill, his descendant, in 1192, anno 4 Richard I. founded the priory of Langdon, in this county, and his descendant of the same name died possessed of the manor of Stokinburie in the 36th year of Henry III. holding it by knight's service.
He left an only daughter and heir Joane, who carried it in marriage to Nicholas de Criol, a man of eminence in his time, who attending Edward I. at the siege of Carlaverock, in Scotland, was there made a knight banneret for his services performed at it, and in the 21st year of it he was allowed, by the justices itinerant, to have free-warren for all his estate here, except one plough-land, which was called Stannerland. He died possessed of this manor in the 31st year of that reign, and Philipott says many of their deeds bore teste, from their castle of Stockbury, which means no more, than its being one of the castellated seats of the family, as did his grandson John, in the 9th year of king Edward III. at which time he spelt his name Keryell.
After which it remained in his descendants down to Sir Thomas Kiriell, knight of the garter, eminent for his services to the house of York, during the reign of Henry VI. but being taken prisoner at the battle of Bernards-heath, near St. Albans, sought anno 38 king Henry VI. in which the Yorkists were defeated, he was, by the queen's order, beheaded, notwithstanding the king had granted him his life, when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor of the king in capite by knight's service, by homage, and paying to the ward of Rochester castle yearly, and to the king's court of Mylton. He died without male issue, leaving two daughters his coheirs, one of whom, Elizabeth, carried this manor in marriage to John Bourchier, whom she survived, and afterwards died possessed of it in the 14th year of Henry VII. holding it in manner as before-mentioned. Soon after which it appears to have been alienated to Robert Tate, who died possessed of it in the 16th year of that reign, holding it by the like service. His descendant William Tate, who in the reign of James I. alienated it to Sir Edward Duke, of Cosington, in Aylesford, whose widow held it in jointure at the time of the restoration of king Charles II.
Her son, George Duke, esq. alienated it to John Conny, surgeon, and twice mayor of Rochester, and son of Robert Conny, of Godmanchester, in Huntingdonshire. John Conny, together with his son Robert Conny, of Rochester, M. D. conveyed it in 1700 to Thomas Lock, gent. of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Parted per fess, azure, and or, a pale counterchanged, three falcons, volant of the second, and his widow Prudentia, together with her three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, Robert, Thomas, and Henry, in 1723, passed it away by sale to Sir Roger Meredith, bart. of Leeds-abbey, who dying s.p. in 1738, left it by will to his niece Susanna Meredith, in tail general, with divers remainders over, in like manner as Leedsabbey before-described, with which it came at length, by the disposition of the same will, the intermediate remainders having ceased, to William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green-house, in this parish, who resided at Leeds-abbey, and afterwards joined with Sir Geo. Oxenden, bart. in whom the fee of it, after Mr. Jumper's death without male issue, was become vested, in the conveyance of this manor in fee to John Calcraft, esq. of Ingress, who died in 1772, and by his will devised it to his son John Calcraft, and he sold it in 1794 to Flint Stacey, esq, of Maidstone, the present owner of it.
YELSTED, or as it is spelt, Gillested, is a manor in this parish, which was formerly part of the possessions of the noted family of Savage, who held it of the family of Auberville, as the eighth part of one knight's fee. John de Savage, grandson of Ralph de Savage, who was with Richard I. at the siege of Acon, obtained a charter of free-warren for his lands here in the 23d year of Edward I. Roger de Savage, in the 5th year of Edward II. had a grant of liberties for his demesne lands here, and Arnold, son of Sir Thomas Savage, died possessed of it in the 49th year of king Edward III. and left it to his son Sir Arnold Savage, of Bobbing, whose son Arnold dying s.p. his sister Elizabeth became his heir. She was then the wife of William Clifford, esq. who in her right became possessed of this manor among the rest of her inheritance, and in his descendants it continued till the latter end of king Henry VIII.'s reign, when Lewis Clifford, esq. alienated it to Knight, whose descendant Mr. Richard Knight, gent, of Helle-house, in this parish, died possessed of it in 1606, and was buried in this church; his descendant William Knight leaving an only daughter and heir Frances, widow of Mr. Peter Buck, of Rochester, who bore for his arms, Argent, on a bend, azure, between two cotizes, wavy, sable, three mullets, or. He died soon after the death of Charles I. when she entered into the possession of this manor, after whose death her heirs passed it away by sale to Sir William Jumper, commissioner of his Majesty's navy at Plymouth. He had been knighted in 1704, for his services, as well at he taking of Gibraltar, as in the naval engagement with the French afterwards, being at both commander of the Lenox man of war, who died at Plymouth, where he was buried in 1715. He bore for his arms, Argent, two bars gemelles, sable, between three mullets of six points, pierced, gules. His son, William Jumper, esq. was of Hill-green-house, as it is now called, and died in 1736, leaving by Jane his wife, daughter of Thomas Hooper, gent. one son, William Jumper, esq. of Hill-green, likewise, who sold it, about 1757, to the Rev. Pierce Dixon, master of the mathematical free school at Rochester, and afterwards vicar of this parish, who died possessed of it in 1766, leaving it in the possession of his widow, Mrs. Grace Dixon, (daughter of Mr. Broadnax Brandon, gent. of Shinglewell), who soon afterwards remarried with Mr. Richard Hull, of London, who resided at Hill-green-house, and afterwards sold this manor, together with that seat, to William Jumper, esq. the former owner of it, who now resides here, and is the present possessor of both of them.
COWSTED is another manor in Stockbury, which was antiently written Codested, and was possessed by a family who took their surname from it, and resided here. They bore for their arms, Gules, three leopards heads, argent; which coat was afterwards assumed by Hengham. William de Codested died possessed of this manor in the 27th year of Edward I. holding it of the king in capite by the service of one sparrow-hawk, or two shillings yearly at the king's exchequer, as did his son William de Codestede in the 3d year of king Edward III. when it was found by inquisition, that he held this manor by the above-mentioned service, and likewise a burgage in Canterbury, of the king, of the serme of that city, and that Richard de Codestede was his brother and next heir, whose son John de Codestede, vulgarly called Cowsted, about the beginning of king Richard II.'s reign, leaving an only daughter and heir, married to Hengham, he became in her right possessed of it, and assumed her arms likewise.
His descendant, Odomarus de Hengham, resided here, who dying in 1411, anno 13 Henry IV. was buried in Christ-church, Canterbury, and it continued in his name till the reign of Henry. VI. when it was car ried, partly by marriage and partly by sale, by Agnes, a sole daughter and heir to John Petyte, who afterwards resided here, and dying in 1460, lies buried with her within the Virgin Mary's chapel, or south chancel, in this church. One of his descendants, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, sold it to Osborne, and Edward Osborne, gent. died possessed of it in 1622, and lies buried in the north chancel of this church. He bore for his arms, Quarterly, argent, and azure, in the first and fourth quarter, an ermine spot, sable; over all, on a cross, or, five annulets, sable; whose son, of the same name, leaving an only daughter and heir Mary, she entitled her husband, William Fagg, to the possession of it.
His descendant, John Fagg, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, was created a baronet on December 11, 1660, and died in 1700, leaving three sons, Sir Robert, his successor; Charles, ancestor of the present baronet, of whom an account will be given under Chartham; and Thomas, who married Elizabeth, widow of John Meres, esq. by whom he left a son John Meres Fagg, esq. of whom an account will be given under Brenset. (fn. 1) Sir Robert Fagg, bart. his successor, left one son Robert, and four daughters, one of whom married Gawen Harris Nash, esq. of Petworth, in Sussex, and Elizabeth, another daughter, was the second wife of Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. of that county. Sir Robert Fagg, bart. the son, dying s.p. in 1740, devised this manor, with that of Cranbrooke, in Newington, and other estates in these parts, and in Sussex, to his sister Elizabeth, who entitled her husband Sir Charles Mathews Goring, bart. above-mentioned, to the possession of them. He left by her a son Charles Goring, esq. of Wiston, in Sussex, who sold this manor, with his other estates in this parish and Newington, to Edward Austen, esq. who is the present possessor of them.
IT APPEARS by the antient ledger book of the abbey of St. Austin's; near Canterbury, that the abbot and convent were antiently possessed of A PORTION OF TITHES issuing from the manor of Cowsted in Stockbury, which portion continued part of the possessions of the monastery till the dissolution of it, in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when the abbey, with all its revenues, was surrendered up into the king's hands.
This portion of tithes, or at least part of it, consisting of the great tithes of two hundred and thirty five acres of land, was afterwards granted in fee to Petytt, from which name it was alienated, with the manor of Cowsted, to Osborne, and it passed afterwards with it in like manor down to Sir Robert Fagg, bart. on whose death s. p. in 1740, one of his sisters entitled her husband Gawen Harris Nash, esq. by his will, to the possession of it, whose son alienated it to Charles Goring, esq. before-mentioned, and he sold it to Edward Austen, esq. the present owner of it.
NETTLESTED is an estate here, which by the remains of the antient mansion of it, situated in Stockburystreet, appears to have been once a seat of some note. The family of Plot, ancestors to that eminent naturalist Dr. R. Plot, possessed it, at least as early as the reign of Edward IV. when William Plot resided here, where his descendants continued till Robert Plot, gent. of Nettlested, having, in the 2d year of queen Elizabeth, purchased Sutton barne in the adjoining parish of Borden, removed thither. His heirs alienated Nettlested to Mr. Richard Allen, of Stockbury, whose descendant Thomas Allen, afterwards, with Gertrude his wife, anno 9 George I. alienated it to Mr. John Thurston, of Chatham, whose son Mr. Thomas Thurston, of that place, attorney-at-law, conveyed it to that learned antiquary John Thorpe, M. D. of Rochester, who died possessed of it in 1750, and was buried in the chancel belonging to this estate, on the north side of Stockbury church. He left one son John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, whose two daughters and coheirs, Catherina-Elizabeth married to Thomas Meggison, esq. of Whalton near Morpeth, in Northumberland, and Ethelinda-Margaretta married to Cuthbert Potts, esq. of London, are the present possessors of it. (fn. 2)
THERE is a portion of tithes, which consists of those of corn and hay growing on forty acres of the lands belonging to the estate of Nettlested, which formerly belonged to the almonry of St. Augustine's monastery, and is called AMBREL TANTON, corruptly for Almonry Tanton. After the dissolution of the above-mentioned monastery, this portion was granted by Henry VIII. in his 36th year, to Ciriac Pettit, esq. of Colkins, who anno 35 Elizabeth, passed it away to Robert Plot; since which it has continued in the same succession of owners, that Nettlested, above-described, has, down to the two daughters and coheirs of John Thorpe, esq. of Bexley, before-mentioned, who are the present owners of it.
Charities.
A PERPETUAL ANNUITY of 2l. 10s. per annum was given in 1721, by the will of Mrs. Jane Bentley, of St. Andrew's, Holborne, and confirmed by that of Edward Bentley, esq. (fn. 3) her executor, payable out of an estate in the parish of Smeeth. which was, in 1752, the property of Mrs. Jane Jumper, and now of Mr. Watts; to be applied for the use of three boys and three girls, to go to school to some old woman in this parish, for four years, and no longer, and then 40s. more from it to buy for each of them a bible, prayer-book, and Whole Duty of Man.
MR. JAMES LARKIN, of this parish, gave by will an annuity, payable out of the lands of Mr. James Snipp, to the poor of this parish, of 1l. per annum produce.
SIX ACRES OF LAND, near South-street, were given by a person unknown to the like use, of the yearly produce of 2l. 8s. vested in the minister and churchwardens.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the use of the poor a cottage on Norden green, in this parish, vested in the same, of the annual produce of 1l.
AN UNKNOWN PERSON gave for the like use a field; containing between two and three acres, lying near Dean Bottom, in Bicknor, now rented by Robert Terry, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 12s.
A COTTAGE in the street was given for the use of the poor, by an unknown person, vested in the same, and of the annual produce of 1l.
The number of poor constantly relieved are about thirty-six, casually fifteen.
STOCKBURY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sittingborne.
The church, which is both large and losty, is very antient, and consists of a middle and two narrow side isles, a high chancel, and two cross ones. The pillars and arches in it are more elegant than is usual in country churches, and the former, on the north side, are of Bethersden marble, rude and antient. It has a square tower at the west end, in which hangs a peal of six bells, and is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. In the great chancel lie buried several of the Hoopers, Knights, Bentleys, and Jumpers. The south chancel belongs to the Cowsted estate, in which lie buried the Pettits and Osbornes, and in the north chancel belonging to the Nettlested estate, Dr. Thorpe and his wife, formerly owners of it.
The church of Stockbury was part of the antient possessions of the priory of Leeds, to which it was given, soon after its foundation, by William Fitzhelt, the patron of it.
Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, in the reign of king Richard I. confirmed this gift, and appropriated this church to the use of the priory, reserving, nevertheless, from the perpetual vicar of it, the annual pension of one marc, to be paid by him to the prior and convent. Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, confirmed the above in 1237, anno 22 Henry III. and granted to them the further sum of ten marcs from it, to be paid half yearly by the vicar of it, (fn. 4) which grants were further confirmed by the succeeding archbishops.
The church and vicarage of Stockbury remained part of the possessions of the above-mentioned priory till the dissolution of it, in the reign of Henry VIII. when it came, with the rest of the revenue of that house, into the king's hands.
After which, the king, by his donation-charter, in his 33d year, settled both the parsonage and advowson of the vicarage of the church of Stockbury on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they now remain.
¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. this parsonage was surveyed, by order of the state, in 1649, when it was returned, that the rectory or parsonage of Stockbury, late belonging to the dean and chapter of Rochester, consisted of a fair dwelling-house, dove house, and other necessary buildings, yards, &c. and the tithes belonging to it, all which were valued at eighty pounds per annum, and the glebe-lands, containing one hundred and forty-four acres, were worth, with the above, 132l. 10s. all which premises were let by the dean and chapter, anno 16 king Charles I. to John Hooper, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 14l. 5s. 4d. That the lesse was bound to repair the chancel; and that the vicarage was excepted, worth fifty pounds per annum. (fn. 5)
The presentation to the vicarage of this church is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands; (fn. 6) but the parsonage continued to be leased out to the family of Hooper, who resided there; several of whom lie buried in this church, particularly John, son of James Hooper, gent. of Halberton, in Devonshire, which John was receiver of the fines, under king Philip and queen Mary, for the Marches, of Wales, and died in 1548. He married Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Roberts, of Glassenbury. At length, by marriage of one of the daughters of Walter Hooper, esq. it passed to William Hugessen, esq. eldest son of John Hugessen, esq. of Stodmarsh. He resided here till his father's death, when he removed to Stodmarsh, and he is the present lessee of this parsonage, under the dean and chapter.
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...
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...
I spotted the sign for the church from a nearby crossroads, I don't seem to recall the name, so we take the turning and drive across the fields.
The road came to a 90 degree bend, and from out of the corner of my eye, I spot a gravestone and a glimpse of a tower.
I park dangerously near to the corner, there was no where else really, but then the road wasn't busy, so should be alright.
The exterior of the church looked modern and not at all promising, it seemed to have been coated, skimmed, in something like concrete, giving the feeling of a village hall.
Inside it was a delight, clearly an ancient building, recesses in the east wall showing where the original windows had sat, now replaced, and above, sturdy roof kept up by large kingposts.
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The land between the North Downs and the north Kent marshes was once wealthy through agriculture and country estates grew as hubs of thriving communities. One such was Badlesmere which gave its name to a family whose peak of power occurred in the early fourteenth century. Their fall was almost as quick as their rise, the family falling foul of political intrigues in the reign of Edward II. They would have known the tiny church of St Leonard, although its character is now an unusual hybrid of medieval woodwork, box pews from the time of Jane Austen and stained glass of the present time. There is fine Royal Arms of George I and a hatchment to the First Earl Sondes. By far the most important furnishings are the medieval bench ends to be found in the chancel. One shows the frequently illustrated carving of the Trinity, represented by a triangle. The two west windows by Frederick W. Cole represent St Francis of Assisi and The Sower. Apart from that the church is very simple - just nave and chancel, and so beautifully cared for that it is obviously a building which excites great passion. Indeed it should do, for as the north Kent corridor gets ever covered with concrete, it is little pockets like this bring us closer to our ancestors.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Badlesmere
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BADLESMERE.
THE next adjoining parish to Leveland, still further eastward, is Badlesmere, usually called Basmere.
It is a parish but little frequented, and with hardly any thoroughfare, lying on the opposite side of the high road from Faversham to Ashford, which runs along its western boundaries; it is situated about six miles from the former, mostly on high ground, the soil of it in this part of it is tolerable good and level, much like the part of Leveland adjoining to it, but the eastern side of the parish is very hilly and chalky, a poor soil covered with flints, a very forlorn rough country, with much woodland in it. At a field's distance from the above road stands the court-lodge, called Basmerecourt, a mean farm-house, with the church almost adjoining to it northward.
In the next field south-eastward of the church, the foundations of the antient seat of the Badlesmeres are easily traced out, by the different colours of the corn, and from the number of apartments in it appears to have been a very large and noble mansion; among them is a large pond, called the Cellar pond, which, as its name implies, was no doubt the place where the cellars of this seat were formerly. At the south-west extremity of the parish is Basmere-lees, over which the Ashford road passes. There are several houses round it, those on the north-east side only, one of which is the parsonage, are in this parish, the rest being in those of Leveland and Sheldwich.
A fair is held here on St. Leonard's day, now by the alteration of the stile on Nov. 17, yearly.
Sir Thomas Randolph, an eminent statesman in queen Elizabeth's reign, son of Avery Randolph, of Badlesmere, was born in this parish in 1523, and was much favored and distinguished by the queen, being employed in no less than eighteen different embassies. He died in 1590, and was buried in St. Peter's church, Paul's wharf, in London, leaving a numerous issue by one of his wives, a sister of Sir Francis Walsingham. (fn. 1)
BARTHOLOMEW DE BADLESMERE was by writ summoned to parliament, in the 3d year of king Edward II. among the barons of this realm, by the title of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, of Badlesmere, chevalier. This barony, by the death of Giles, lord Badlesmere, his son, s. p. devolved by the marriage of Maud, the eldest of his four sisters and coheirs, to John de Vere, earl of Oxford, and it continued in his descendants down to John de Vere, the fourteenth earl of Oxford, and baron of Badlesmere in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, who dying s. p. the earldom descended to the heir male of the Vere's, but the barony of Badlesmere descended to the three sisters of the earl John last-mentioned, viz. Ursula, married to George Windsor, and afterwards to Edward Knightly, of Northamptonshire; Dorothy to John Nevil, lord Latimer, and Elizabeth to Sir Anthony Wingfield, but this dignity being entire, and not divisable, they became incapable of it, otherwise than by gift from the crown, and it in strictness of law reverted to, and was in the king's disposition, but the crown seemingly dispensed with this, for the four several earls of Oxford successively after this, assumed and used among their titles, that of baron of Badlesmere. At length, after the death of Henry, earl of Oxford, and baron of Badlesmere, in 1625, there arose a dispute concerning these titles, which was in 1626, by solemn adjudication of parliament, determined, that the earldom belonged to the heir male of the Vere's, and that the barony of Badlesmere was wholly vested in the king to dispose of at his pleasure, which judgment the king approved of, at which time the office of great chamberlain of England, which had for so many descents been vested in the Vere's, earls of Oxford, was claimed by Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, as heir male, and by Robert, lord Willoughby, of Eresby, as heir-general, and by the adjudication of the house of lords, though the earldom was adjudged to the heir male, yet the office of chamberlain was adjudged to the lord Willoughby. (fn. 2)
THIS PLACE, in the 15th year of the reign of William the Conqueror, was part of the possessions of Odo, bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, accordingly it is thus entered, under the general title of that prelate's lands, in the survey of Domesday, taken about that time:
The same Anfrid holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Badelesmere. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is two carucates and an half. In demesne there is one, and ten villeins, having one carucate and an half. There is a church, and two servants, and a fishery of twelve-pence. Wood for the pannage of four hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth sixty shillings, and afterwards sixty shillings, now four pounds. The abbot of St. Augustine's claimed this manor, because he had it in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and the hundred witnessed for him, but the son of the tenant said, his father could turn himself over wherever he would, and this the monks did not deny.
Four years after this, the bishop of Baieux fell into disgrace, and the king seized on this estate among the rest of his possessions.
After which the manor of Badlesmere was granted by the king to Hamo de Crevequer, and together with other lands made up the barony of Crevequer, as it was called, being held of the king in capite by barony, as of his castle of Dover, for the desence of which he was bound by his tenure. (fn. 3)
Of his heirs this manor was held by the eminent family of Badlesmere, who took their surname from their possessing it. Guncelin de Badlesmere, with his brother Ralph, accompanied king Richard I. to the siege of Acon, in Palestine. Guncelin de Badlesmere held this manor, 2s before-mentioned, in the reign of king John, and was a justice itinerant, as was his brother Giles de Badlesmere, who was slain in a conflict with the Welsh in the 43d year of Henry III. anno 1248. The former left one son Bartholomew, and two daughters, Joane, married to John de Northwood, and another to John de Coningsby.
Bartholomew de Badlesmere afterwards possessed this manor, and on his death was succeeded in it by his son Guncelin, who was chief justice of Chester in the 2d year of Edward I. He died in the 29th year of that reign, and was buried in Badlesmere church, where his effigies lying cross-legged, cut in wood, was remaining in Philipott's time, then holding this manor of the king in capite, as of the barony of Crevequer, by knight's service, and paying to the ward of Dover castle, and making suit to the king's court of Ledes. He left by Margaret his wife, heir of Ralph Fitzbernard, one son Bartholomew de Badlesmere, who from the greatness of his wealth and possessions, afterwards acquired the title of the rich lord Badlesmere of Ledes, of which castle, in the 5th year of Edward II. he was appointed constable, and obtained a grant in see of the castle and manor of Chilham, among other lands; after which, in the 9th year of that reign, he obtained several more grants of lands, and a special charter of liberties within his manors, and free-warren in all his demesne lands in this manor of Badlesmere among others; in the 11th year of Edward II. he was once more made governor of Ledes-castle, two years after which he obtained the king's licence to found a priory within his manor here, which was held in capite, for canons regular; and that he might, of the demesnes of the manor, grant to them twenty-four acres, to be possessed by them in pure and perpetual alms, for their inhabiting and building there a church, and other buildings, with a non-obstante to the statute of mortmain. But by the troubles which immediately after this ensued to the lord Badlesmere, nothing further was done towards it till the 4th year of Edward III. when the king confirmed this endowment, together with the advowsons of this church of Badlesmere, with those of Whitstaple, Redlingweld, Old Romney, Northfield, and Charleton, in this county; Northmyms, in Hertfordshire, and Luddington, in Huntingdonshire; notwithstanding which, it appears by their afterwards continuing in the possession of lay proprietors, and by no further mention being to be found of this priory, that the design of erecting it fell to the ground, and that nothing further was afterwards done towards it. The year after king Edward the IId.'s granting this licence to Bartholomew de Badlesmere, he was constituted governor of Tunbridge castle, and having been for several years steward of the king's houshold, he had, in reward for his services, the grant of the castle of Ledes in fee, in exchange for other lands which he had purchased.
But this great and powerful baron, after having had such continual favors heaped on him, and having been summoned to parliament till the 14th year of that reign, then withdrew his allegiance, and joined with the earl of Lancaster and the other discontented barons; for which he had a full pardon granted next year, but within a small time afterwards, queen Isabel being denied entrance into his castle of Ledes, the king became highly incensed against him, and immediately besieged and took it, with Margaret his wife, Giles his infant son, and all his children in it, who were sent prisoners to the Tower, and all his lands were seized into the king's hands. (fn. 4) After which, flying into the north, and being overtaken at Burrowbridge, he received a total defeat, and being sent to Canterbury, was hanged at the gallows of Blean, near that city, and his head being cut off, was set on a pole at Burgate, and his body buried in the White Friars church, in that city. The Badlesmeres bore for their arms, Azure, a sess between two gemelles, gules; which coat was afterwards quartered by the Veres, earls of Oxford, Manners's, dukes of Rutland, the lord Scroope, Nevill lord Latimer, the lord Wentworth of Nettlested, and other noble families.
The inquisition of his lands was not taken till the 2d year of Edward III. when the king directed his writs to the several sheriffs of Kent, and many other counties, (by which the wide extent of his possessions in different parts of the kingdom may be seen) (fn. 5) to restore to Margaret his widow, all manors, lands, &c. forfeited in those counties, &c. By this it appears that he died possessed, among others, of this manor of Badlesmere, leaving by Margaret his wife, sister and coheir of Richard de Clare, who survived him, and died anno 5 Edward III. a son Giles, and four daughters, Maud, married first to Roger Fitzpain, and secondly to John de Vere, earl of Oxford; Margery to William, lord Roos, and afterwards to Sir Thomas Arundel; Elizabeth first to Edmund Mortimer, and secondly to William Bohun, earl of Northampton; and Margaret to Sir John Tibetot.
Giles de Badlesmere, the son, the process and judgment against his father having been reversed, had his manors and lands restored to him, and having been much trusted and employed by the king in his wars, and having received summons to parliament, he died s. p. in the latter of them, and was buried near his father in the same church, being then possessed of this manor, and leaving his four sisters his coheirs; upon the division of their inheritance, this manor among others was assigned to Maud, the eldest sister, wife of John de Vere, earl of Oxford, who in her right became possessed of it, and he accordingly paid aid for it, in the 20th year of Edward III. He was descended of a family which took its name from the town of Vere, in Zealand, where they had flourished as earls of Guisne for several generations, of whom Alberic, or Aubrey de Vere, came over into England with William the Conqueror, as appears by the roll of Battle-abbey, and was rewarded by him with divers lordships, which are recorded in Domesday. After which he married Beatrix, the Conqueror's sister. (fn. 6) They bore for their arms, Gules, and or, in the first quarter, a mullet, argent; which arms are in several places on the roof of the cloysters, and in the windows of the cathedral of Canterbury.
He was a nobleman of high courage, and performed great and exemplary services in the wars in France, during which he died in the English army encamped before Rheims, anno 34 Edward III.
In his descendants, earls of Oxford, and barons of Badlesmere likewise, by their descent from Maud, the sister and coheir of Giles, lord Badlesmere, beforementioned, men illustrious not only from their high birth and alliances, but from the noble actions they performed, and the highest offices of state which they held from time to time, among which was the hereditary office of lord chamberlain, this manor continued down to John, earl of Oxford and baron of Badlesmere, who in king Henry the VIth.'s reign, being firmly attached to the house of Lancaster, was, on Edward IV. attaining the crown, attainted in parliament, being then far advanced in years, and with Aubrey his eldest son, afterwards beheaded on Tower-hill. (fn. 7) By this act of attainder the manor of Badlesmere became vested in the crown, and it appears to have been granted by the king next year, being the second of his reign, to Richard, duke of Gloucester, his uncle, on whose obtaining the crown by the title of king Richard III. it became part of the royal possessions. After which the king having in his first year, constituted John Howard, duke of Norfolk, lord high admiral, granted to him, among many others, in special tail, the manor of Badlesmere; but the duke did not long enjoy those great possessions, for next year he was slain, with the king, at the battle of Bosworth, on August 22, 1485, from whence he was conveyed to Thetford, and there buried, after which he was attainted in parliament, in the 1st year of the next reign of Henry VII. (fn. 8)
After which the manor of Badlesmere having been granted in special tail as before-mentioned, came into the possession of the duke's only son and heir Thomas Howard, earl of Surry, who after having been confined in the tower for near four years, was in the 4th year of that reign restored in parliament to the title of earl of Surry, and wholly to the king's favor, and having served him with great honor and fidelity, he had, in the 22d of that reign, a special grant of all the manors and lands of which the duke of Norfolk his father died possessed. In the next reign of Henry VIII. he continued highly in the king's favor, and in the 4th year of that reign, having by his prudence and valour, gained the memorable victory over the Scots at Floden-field, he had for that eminent service an augmentation added to his arms, to him and his heirs male, and was advanced to the title of duke of Norfolk, with a grant of divers lands in special tail. He died in the 16th year of that reign, and was succeeded in titles and estates by his eldest son Thomas, who had been in his life-time created earl of Surry, and was intrusted by the king in great and high offices of state, but notwithstanding his performing signal services both as a soldier and a statesman, he was through the king's jealousy of his greatness, which was not a little somented by several of the new raised nobility, in the 38th year of that reign, committed to the Tower, and both he and his son the earl of Surry were attainted by special bills in parliament; the earl was soon afterwards beheaded, and a warrant was signed for the execution of the duke, but the king dying the same day, his executors did not venture to enforce the sentence at so critical a juncture.
This manor, thus coming to the crown, among the rest of the duke's possessions, seems to have been granted to Sir Robert Southwell, master of the rolls, whose brother Sir Richard had been the chief accuser of the late earl of Surry. This family of Southwell, according to Mr. Camden, takes its name from the town of Southwell, in Nottinghamshire, where they were first seated; the descendants of which in king Henry the VIth.'s reign had spread themselves into Norfolk, Suffolk, and other counties, at which time John Southwell, M. P. for Lewes, in Sussex, had two sons, John, of Norwich, who was ancestor of the lords Southwell, of the kingdom of Ireland, and of those seated at Kings-Weston, in Gloucestershire; and Robert, who was ancestor of Sir Robert Southwell, master of the rolls above-mentioned, who bore for his arms, Argent, three cinquefoils, gules, charged with six annulets, or. He immediately afterwards, anno 2 king Edward VI. alienated this manor of Badlesmere, with 2000 acres of land in Badlesmere, and the adjoining parishes, to Sir Anthony Aucher, of Otterden, who died anno 4 and 5 king Philip and queen Mary, possessed of this manor, held in capite by knight's service. His eldest son John Aucher, of Otterden-place, by his first wife, daughter of Sir William Kellawny, left an only daughter and heir Anne, who in queen Elizabeth's reign marrying with Sir Humphry Gilbert, entitled him to the possession of this manor. Sir Humphry Gilbert was equally distinguished in the reign of queen Elizabeth, by his eminent abilities and great courage, being usually stiled in the Latin writers of that time egregius Miles. He was descended of an antient family in Devonshire, and was second son of Otho Gilbert, esq. of Greenway, by his wife Katherine, daughter of Sir Philip Champernon, of Modbury, in that county, who afterwards married Walter Raleigh, esq. of Fardel, and by him was mother of the famous Sir Walter Raleigh. They bore for their arms, Argent, on a chevron, sable, three roses of the first, seeded, or. Sir Humphry's genius led him to the studies of cosmography, navigation, and the art of war. He by his merit acquired the honorable post of commander in chief, and governor of the province of Munster, in Ireland; but what rendered him most famous was his great skill in mathematics, which induced him to undertake a voyage for the discovery of the northwest passage to the East-Indies, and to plant unknown countries, to facilitate which he published more than one discourse; for these adventurous designs he procured a patent from the queen in 1578, wherein he had full powers to undertake such discoveries, and to inhabit and possess any lands which were at that time unsettled by Christian princes, or their subjects. With this view he made two voyages to Newfoundland, and made several discoveries; but whilst in those seas, the vessel in which he was being too small to resist the swell of them, about midnight on Sept. 9, 1583, she was swallowed up and never seen more, Sir Humphry and all the crew perishing in her. (fn. 9) Before his death however, he sold this manor in the 23d year of that reign to Sir Michael Sondes; (fn. 10) afterwards of Throwley, whose grandson Sir George Sondes, of Lees-court, in Sheldwich, K. B. was in the reign of king Charles II. created earl of Faversham. He left two daughters his coheirs, of whom Mary was married to Lewis, lord Duras, afterwards earl of Faversham, and Katherine to Lewis Watson, earl of Rockingham, each of whom successively, in right of their respective wives, inherited this manor, which has since descended in like manner as Lees-court, in Sheldwich, (to the account of which the reader is referred) down to the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, who is the present possessor of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
WOODS-COURT is a manor in the north-east part of this parish, which was antiently, from the possessors of it, called Godislands. William de Godisland held it in the reign of Edward I. by knight's service, as did his descendant Richard de Godisland at his death in the 19th year of Edward III. then holding it of the king in capite, by the service of one sparrow-hawk, or two shillings at the king's exchequer yearly. He was succeeded in it by his son and heir William de Godisland, but before the end of that reign, this family seems to have been extinct here, for Robert at Wood died possessed of it in the 6th year of Richard II. anno 1382, as was then found by inquisition, at which time it had acquired from him the name of the manor of Atwoods, and was held of the king in capite, as of his castle of Dover, by rent to the ward of that castle yearly, and that William Attwood, his uncle, was his next heir.
Guido atte Wode, of the parish of Bocton, was possessed of it in the reign of Edward IV. in the 6th year of which he died, and was buried in Bocton church, before the high cross. By his will he gave this manor, called Woodys court, to his wife Joane for life, and afterwards to his brother Thomas atte Wode, except one piece of land called Geroldysdane, which he ordered to be sold. Thomas atte Wode above-mentioned was of Ickham, and died possessed of this manor three years afterwards, as appears by his will that year.
¶After this name was gone from hence, this manor was become the property of Sayer, one of whom, John, son of Henry Sayer, of Faversham, in 1517, conveyed it to John Cheney, gent. of Eastchurch, in Shepey, who in the 14th year of that reign, sold it to Reynold Snode, gent. of Sheldwich, descended of a family of good account in these parts of Kent so early as king Henry III.'s reign. Isabella de Snode is mentioned, among the gentry of this neighbourhood, as living at that time, in the leiger-book of Davington priory, and there is yet, not far from hence, a hamlet of houses, called from them, Snode-street. His son Samuel Snode became possessed of it on his father's death in the 11th year of queen Elizabeth; he sold it to Gabriel Giles, of Sheldwich, who in the 25th year of it alienated it to Thomas and Henry Unkle, the former of whom, in 1591, conveyed it to Mildred, widow of the latter, and sister of Nicholas Pemble, and she, in the 41st year of queen Elizabeth, marrying with Arthur Franklyn, gent. of Badlesmere, he, in her right, became possessed of it, and by fine levied in 1599, settled it upon their issue, which was Arthur Franklyn, from whom it descended to Mr. John Franklyn, who dying intestate it came to his kinsman Mr. James Franklin, who in 1743 devised it by his will to his eldest son Mr. Arthur Franklyn, gent. who resided in it, and in the year 1764 passed it away by sale to Lewis, lord Sondes, whose son the right hon Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes, is the present owner of it.
BADLESMERE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of O'pringe.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Leonard, is but a very small mean building, consisting of one isle and one chancel, with a small turret at the west end, in which is one bell; there were formerly three bells here, but two were taken down and sold many years ago, towards the repair of the church.
In the chancel is a memorial, in old English letters, for Barbara, late wife of John Writhe, alias Dict, garter king at arms, daughter and heir of John Castlecombe, of Cricklade, in Wiltshire, who died in 1483.
There was formerly a small chapel adjoining to the south side of it, the foundations of which still remain, but it was fallen to ruin before the middle of the last century; in this chapel or chancel, which had a door opening into the middle of the isle of the church, were the tombs of several of the family of Badlesmere.
This church has ever been an appendage to the manor of Badlesmere, for though Bartholomew de Badlesmere, and his son Giles, assigned it as part of the endowment of the priory they intended to erect in this parish, yet as that design never took place, this church has continued in the possession of the several proprietors of the manor from that time to the present, and as such is now become vested in the right hon. Lewis-Thomas, lord Sondes.
It is a rectory, and a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-six pounds, the yearly tenths being 10s. 2¼d.
In 1578 there were communicants here thirty-four; in 1640 it was valued at eighty pounds per annum, communicants forty.
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.
The days drag and the weeks fly by.
It has been a grim week at work, and yet the weekend is here once again.
The cold snap is still here; thick frosts and icy patches, but Sunday afternoon storms will sweep in from the west and temperatures will soar by day to 13 degrees.
But for now it is cold, and colder at nights, the wood burner makes the living room toasty warm, though the rest of the house seems like a fridge in comparison.
Even though we went to bed at nine, we slept to nearly half seven, which meant we were already later than usual going to Tesco.
We had a coffee first, then got dressed and went out into the winter wonderland.
Tesco was more crowded mainly because we were an hour later. There were no crackers for cheese, a whole aisle empty of cream crackers and butter wafers.
There is only so much food you can eat even over Christmas, so the cracker-shortage won't affect us, we have two Dundee cakes, filling for two lots of mince pies and pastry for five lots of sausage rolls.
We won't starve.
We buy another bag of stuff for the food bank, try to get two weeks of stuff so we wont need to go next weekend, just to a farm shop for vegetables, and the butcher for the Christmas order, though on the 25th we are going out for dinner to the Lantern.
Back home for fruit, then bacon butties and another huge brew. Yes, smoked bacon is again in short supply, with just the basic streaky smoked available, but we're not fussy, so that does the trick.
Also, Jools picked up her inhalers for her cough, and so, we hope, the road to recovery begins.
What to do with the day?
Although a walk would have been good, Jools can do no more than ten minutes in freezing conditions before a coughing fits starts, so a couple of churches to revisit and take more shots of.
First on the list was St Leonard in Upper Deal. A church I have only have been inside once. As it was just half ten, there should have been a chance it was open, but no. We parked up and I walked over the road to try the porch door, but it was locked.
No worries, as the next two would certainly be open.
Just up the road towards Canterbury is Ash.
Ash is a large village that the main roads now bypass its narrow streets, and buses call not so frequently.
The church towers over the village, its spire piercing the grey sky. We park beside the old curry hours than burned down a decade ago, is now a house and no sign of damage.
indeed the church was open, though the porch door was closed, it opened with use of the latch, and the inner glass door swung inwards, revealing an interior I had forgotten about, rich Victorian glass let in the weak sunlight, allowing me to take detailed shots. It was far better and more enjoyable than I remembered.
Once I took 200 or so shots, we went back to the car, drove back to the main road, and on to Wingham, where the church there, a twin of Wingham, would also be open too.
And it was.
The wardens were just finishing trimming the church up, and putting out new flowers, it was a bustle of activity, then one by one they left.
got my shots, and we left, back to the car and to home, though we did stop at he farm shop at Aylsham, and all we wanted was some sweet peppers for hash.
We went in and there was the bakery: I bought two sausage rolls, four small pork pies and two Cajun flavours scotch eggs. We got cider, beer, healthy snacks (we told ourselves) and finally found the peppers.
Three peppers cost £50!
Then back home, along the A2.
And arriving back home at one. We feasted on the scotch eggs and two of the pork pies.
Yummy.
There was the third place play off game to watch on the tellybox, the Football league to follow on the radio. We lit the woodburner and it was soon toasty warm.
At half five, Norwich kicked off, and hopes were high as Blackburn had not beaten us in over a decade.
And, yes you guessed it, Norwich lost. Played poorly, and in Dad's words, were lucky to get nil.
Oh dear.
Oh dear indeed.
We have Christmas cake for supper, and apart from the football, as was well with the world.
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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.
MANCHESTER EARLS AND DUKES OF MANCHESTER
The Manchester title, in the English peerage, belongs to a branch of the family of Montagu (q.v.). The first earl was HENRY Morrnov (c. 1363-1642), grandson of Sir Edward Montagu, chief justice of the king's bench 1539-1545, who was named by King Henry VIII. one of the executors of his will, and governor to his son, Edward VI. Sir Henry Montagu, who was born at Boughton, Northamptonshire, about 1563, was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, and, having been called to the bar,was elected recorder of London in 1603, and in 1616 was made chief justice of the king's bench, in which office it fell to him to pass sentence on Sir Walter Raleigh in October 1618. In 1620 he was appointed lord high treasurer, being raised to the peerage as Baron Montagu of Kimbolton, Huntingdonsbire, and Viscount Mandeville. He became president of the council in 1621, in which office he was continued by Charles 1., who created him earl of Manchester1 in 1626. In 1628 he became lord privy seal, and in 1635 a commiasioner of the treasury. Although from the beginning of his public life in 1601, when he first entered parliament, Manchester had inclined to the popular side in politics, he managed to retain to the end the favour of the king. He was a judge of the Star Chamber, and one of the most trusted councillors of Charles I. His loyalty, ability and honesty were warmly praised by Clarendon. In conjunction with Coventry, the lord keeper, he pronounced an opinion in favour of the legality of ship-money in 1634. He died on the 7th of November 1642. Manchester was married three times.
One of his sons by his third wife wasfathcr of Charles Montagu, created earl of Halifax in 1699
Euwluw MoNncU, and ear] of Manchester (16o2-1671),eldest son of the rst earl by his first wife, Catherine Spencer, granddaughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe, was born in 160:, and was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He was member of parliament for Huntingdonshire 1623-1626, and in the latter year was raised to the peerage in his father's lifetime as Baron Montagu of Kimbolton, but was known generally by his courtesy title of Viscount Mandeville. ‘His first wife, who was related to the duke of Buckingham, having died in 1625 after two years of marriage, Mandeville married in 1626 Anne, daughter of the and earl of Warwick. The influence of his father-in-lnw, who was afterwards admiral on the side‘ of the parliament, drew Mandeville to the popular side in the questions in dispute with the crown, and at the beginning of the Long Parliament he was one of the recognized leaders of the popular party in the upper House, his name being joined with those of the five members of the House of Commons impeached by the king in 1642. At the outbreak of the Civil War, having succeeded his father in the earldom in November 1642, Manchester commanded a regiment in the army of the earl of Essex, and in August 1643 he was appointed major-general of the parliamentary forces in the eastern counties, with Cromwell as his second in command. Having become a member of the “ committee of both kingdoms " in 1644, he was in supreme command at Marston Moor (july 1, 1644); but in the subsequent operations his lack of energy brought him into disagreement with Cromwell, and in November 1644 he strongly expressed his disapproval of continuing the war (see Cnotrwztt, 01.1v12n). Cromwell brought the shortcomin'gs of Manchester before parliament in the autumn of 1644; and early‘ in the following year, anticipating the self-denying ordinance, Manchester resigned his command. He took a leading part in the frequent negotiations for an arrangement with Charles, was custodian with Lcnthall of the great seal 1646-1648, and frequently presided in the House of Lords. He opposed the trial of the king, and retired from public life during the Commonwealth; but after the Restoration, which he actively assisted, he was loaded with honoursby CharlesII. In 1667 he was madea general, and hedicd on the 5th of May 1671. Manchester was madea KG. in 1661, and became F.R.S. in 1667. Men of such divergent sympathies as Baxter, Bumet and Clarendon agreed in describing Manchester as a lovable and virtuous man, who loved peace and moderation both in politics and religion. He was five times married, leaving children by two of his wives, and was succeeded in the title by his eldest son, Robert, 3rd earl of Manchester (1634-1683).
Sec Lord Clarendon, Hirlory of the Rebellion and Civil War: in England (7 vols., Oxford, 1839) and Li :0 Clarendon (Oxford, 1827); S. R. Gardiner, History 0] the Great iei Wm, 1642-1649. (4 vols, London, 1886-1891); The quarrel between Manchester and Oliver Cromwell , Camden Soc., NS. 12 (Lon on. 1875); Sir Philip Warwick, Memoir: of the Reign of Charles 1. (London, 1701). '
CHARLES MONTAGU), 1st duke of Manchester (c. 1656-1721), son of Robert, 3rd earl of Manchester, was educated at- Trinity College, Cambridge, and succeeded to his father's earldom in 1683. Warmly sympathizing with the Whig revolution of 1688, he attended William and Mary at their coronation, fought under
William at the Boyne, became a privy councillor in 1698, and‘
held various important diplomatic posts between that date and 1714, when he received an appointment in the household of George 1., by whom on the 28th of April 1719 he was created duke of Manchester. He died on the 20th of January 1722, and was succeeded successively in the dukedom by his two sons, William 2nd duke of Manchester (1700-1731)), and Robert 3rd duke (c. 1710-1762),who was vice-Chamberlain to Queen Caroline, wife of George II.
GEORGE MONTAGU, 4th duke of Manchester (1737-1788), was the son of Robert, the 3rd duke. He was a supporter of Lord Rockingham, and an active opponent in the House of Lords of Lord North's American policy. In the Rockingham ministry
of 1782 Manchester became lord chamberlain, He died on
September 1788.
Whilliam Montagu Manchester, The 5th Duke of Manchester (1768-1843), second son of the preceding, was educated at Harrow, and having become a colonel in the army in 1794, was appointed governor of Jamaica. in r808. Here he remained, except for a visit to England (18rr—18t3) till 1827, administering the colony with ability in a period of considerable difliculty, and doing much to prepare the way for emancipation of the slaves. From 1827 to 1830 he was the longest standing Governor of Jamaica, And postmaster-general in the cabinet of the duke of Wellington, and died in Rome on the 18th of March 1843. His wife was Susan, daughter of the 4th duke of Gordon. He was succeeded by his son George, 6th duke (woo—1855), a captain in the navy; whose son William Drogo, 7th duke (1823-:890), married Louise, daughter of the Comte d’Alten of Hanover, who after his death married Spencer Cavendish, 8th duke of Devonshire. William was succeeded by his son George Victor Drogo, 8th duke of Manchester (r853-1892), on whose death the title devolved on his son, William Angus Drogo, 9th duke of Manchester (b.1877). (R. J. M.)
Huntingdon gives its name to a celebrated cheese that variety is now made exclusively in the counties of Lincoln and Leicester; and dairy farming is not now much followed. The milk is now chiefly used for rearing calves. Large numbers of cattle are fattened in the field or the fold-yard, and are sold when rising three years old. They are mostly of the shorthorn breed, large numbers of Irish shorthorns being wintered in the fens. Where there are no upland pastures the farmer usually purchases cattle in the autumn and sells them in the spring. The number of horses in 1879 was 11,057, or an average of 4.2 to every 100 acres under cultivation, as compared with 4.5 for England and 4.1 for the United Kingdom. Of these the number used solely for agricultural purposes was 7583. Most of the farmers breed cart-horses, and the large farmers often rear weight-carrying hunters. The number of sheep in 1879 was 157,790, or an average of 75.3 to every 100 acres under cultivation, as compared with the same average for England and 68.0 for the United Kingdom. Great improvement in the breed has lately taken place, Leicesters and Lincolns being most common; they usually attain eat weights at an early age. Lambs are occasions 1y sold at weaning time, but more frequently they are kept through the winter on the grass lands, being fed also on mangolds and other roots, with an addition of cake and corn. The number of pigs in 1879 was 19 990, or an average of 9.5 toevery 100 acres under cultivation, as compared with 7.2 for England and 6.7 for the United Kingdom. They include Berkshire, Suffolk, and Neapolitan breeds and a number of crosses. Many after having gleane the stubbles are fattened on whey and various preparations of inferior barley; but breeding is also extensively practiced.
According to the owners of lands returned for 1873 the land was divided among 3903 roprietors, holding land the gross annual value of wliich was £444,890. Of the owners 45% per cent. possessed lam than 1 acre, and the average value all over was £1, 19s. 42d. per acre. There were 13 proprietors holding upwards of 3000 acres, viz., Edward Fellowes 15,629; duke of .Manchester, 13,835' William Wells, 5792; mar11;“ of Huntly, 5711 ; iHon. G. W. Fitzwilliam, 5202;
rd Chesham, 3787; earl of Ca sfort, 3654; Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 3559 ; olonel Duncombe, 3407; W. Duberley, 3224; earl of Sandwich, 3219; G. D. Newton, 3209; Richard H. Hussey, 3135
We regret to hear that on Tuesday afternoon the death occurred of Miss Maning, daughter of the late Judge Maning, author of "Old New Zealand." Miss Maning was a half-caste, but had been educated in Hobart by her grandfather, and did not return to this colony until her girlhood was past. She was much esteemed by all classes of society, and her many acts of kindness and charity will live long after her. The death took place at Mount Eden, and was not unexpected, Miss Maning having been ailing for some years.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18920317.2.35
DEATH OF MISS MANING.
There died in Auckland on Tuesday, a lady who was well-known to a large circle of friends, who was esteemed for her abilities and amiable disposition, and also because she was the daughter of one of the notabilities of early New Zealand. Miss Maria Amina Maning was the oldest daughter of the late Mr. F. E. Maning. She was a half-caste, and was born at Onoke, Hokianga, about 1843. Just before Heke's war, she was sent in a brig to her grandfather in Hobart, where she was educated. After the death of her grandfather she returned to Hokianga, she then being of adult age. Life there was not to her taste, and she some time afterwards came to Auckland, and with some intervals which she spent at the Bay of Islands, she has resided there ever since. The celebrated chief Hauraki, who fell in Heke's war, was her uncle. The later years of Miss Maning have been devoted to writing reminiscences of early New Zealand, compiled from her own experiences and the manuscripts of her father. It is understood that these will shortly be published by an English firm.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18920317.2.20
DUE NORTH.
A TRIP TO HOKIANGA.
No. VI.
[by our special correspondent.]
Not the least pleasurable of my trips on the Hokianga River was
A DAY AT ONOKE.
As I was desirous of visiting Onoke, the old residence of the late Judge Maning, author of ''Old New Zealand, by a Pakeha-Maori," and of seeing the places rendered classic by his entertaining work, the Rev. Mr. Joughin, the resident Wesleyan missionary, kindly gave me a trip down from Rawene in his boat. Going down the harbour, on the left bank was to be seen the Omanaia native settlement. Below is the One creek, flowing into the Omanaia, and nearer the harbour, on the block facing Rawene, is the paper township of Hokianga, set out in sections, in the parish of Omanaia. It was laid out over a quarter of a century ago, and two or three allotments sold, but in view of the excellent sites for townships already existing on the harbour, it can never possibly have any commercial future. Settlers' houses were to be seen in the bays as we sailed along. At Opara is Mr. Ferguson's farm, formerly a famous meeting place of natives. At the back of Mr. Ferguson's some men who worked on the gumfields have taken up 700 acres on the Whirinaki. On the right bank of the river, opposite the paper township above referred to, is Parakau. the Catholic Mission station, where Father Becker resides, and formerly the residence of the late Very Rev. Father Jas. McDonald (Waikairo Henerario). A large white cross, seen miles away on the river, is erected there to his memory. The Catholic Missions, equally with the Protestant Missions, have suffered from the changes and decline of the Maori race. Lower down on the Lower VVaihou, the natives, urged thereto by some of their chiefs, are clearing land for sheep-farming. The output of wool in the Hokianga district is increasing, and I was informed that 800 bales had been shipped during the season.
Onoke, the former residence of Maning, is admirably situated in one of the numerous bays of the harbour. The residence is on an extensive warm alluvial flat, which will grow anything, and sheltered from the prevailing winds, while the station, which is well adapted for sheep, consists of some 500 acres. On landing at the station Colonel Noakes gave us a hearty soldier's welcome. He purchased the place over a year ago, and came from Wanganui and settled here with his family. This officer served with distinction in the Crimea, the Indian Mutiny, and in the West Coast campaigns in New Zealand, having been officer - commanding the district of Wanganui for many years. Maning had as foundations for the house curious round stones as spherical as a cannon ball, which are only to be found in the neighbourhood, and which were transported to the place by the natives with considerable labour. He had also had the house loop-holed and fortified, so as to be able to defend it in case of tribal feuds among the natives, or any attempt on their part to interfere with him. As Colonel Noakes's fighting days are over, as also those of the natives, he has had the embrasures of the residence masked. The Colonel is going in for wool-growing he has 500 sheep—mixed breeds—on the farm, and is intending to increase his flock, as he was very well pleased with the prices he got for his wool at the last Auckland wool sales. All the arrangements for yarding, branding, and dipping have been made on the place. At present everything pretty well has to be taken in and out by water, but as the land is taken up behind him, the Government will no doubt open up a good track, so as to give a connection, which is much needed, with the Rawene Herd's Point Road. I understand a Mr. Bolton has taken up several hundred acres of land below him. Colonel Noakes will prove a valued accession to the district. It is settlers of his stamp who are needed there —energetic, capable men, with some private means. There was some talk of electing him chairman of the County Council while I was passing through the district. He is greatly pleased with the district, and with his purchase, and was enthusiastic as to the climate. ''I have seen," said he, ''many parts of the world, and been in many climes, but there is nothing better in the far-famed Riviera than is to be obtained on the Hokianga river." The colonel at the time of my visit was busy making a net for fishing, for he is one of those men who believe in the maxim that ''men rust out sooner than they wear out." His man was also at work in fitting up his yacht. The gallant old soldier in social chat fought some of his battles o'er again, which to myself, who was conversant, with the West Coast campaigns, was very interesting, as the personal reminiscences of an actor in the strife. I understand that Colonel Noakes has written to India to some of his old acquaintances urging officers retiring from the army to settle in the Hokianga district as a place where they could make homes for themselves and for their children. He is very anxious to see the district go ahead, and does not care under what system the country is settled, so long as it is settled and the land brought under cultivation. As to the large area of native land lying useless, he thinks that some steps should be taken, either by purchase or lease, to get the blocks occupied, after providing ample reserves for the use of the natives. I heard with regret that he has reason to believe there is an organised system of sheepstealing going on, as there was formerly in other northern districts nearer Auckland in regard to cattle. Generally, these little eccentricities are placed on the broad back of the strolling gumdigger—l know not with what foundation or truthfulness. Colonel Noakes has been a sufferer in this respect, some people having a penchant for his mutton. He states it is not the slightest use leaving the matter in the hands of Constable Hogg, for as a uniform man his movements and identity are known, and that the only effective way to suppress the evil practices in vogue, and sheet home the offences to the culprits, would be to send up a Southern detective to the district on special duty.
Down the river I was shown the place where Maning had his redoubtable wrestling match with the Maori athlete, ''Melons"— Beef versus Melons—on his first arrival in Hokianga, and which he narrates with infinite gusto and humour, as follows, in ''Old New Zealand"
Something between a cheer, a scream, and a roar, greet our arrival on the sand. An English voice salutes me with, ''Well, you served that fellow out." One-half of my coat hangs from my right elbow, the other from my left; a small shred of the collar is still around my neck. My hat, alas my hat is gone. I am surrounded by a dense mob of natives, laughing, shouting, and gesticulating in the most grotesque manner. Three Englishmen are also in the crowd. They seem greatly amused at something, and offer repeated welcomes. At this moment up comes my old salt-water acquaintance, elbowing his way through the crowd. There is a strange serio-comic expression of anger in his face; he stoops, makes horrid grimaces, quivering at the same time his left hand and arm about in a most extraordinary manner, and striking the thick part of his left arm with the palm of his right hand. ''Hu!'' says he; ''hu! Hu!'' "What can he mean?'' said I. ''He is challenging you to wrestle,'' cried one of the Englishmen ''he wants utu." What is utu said I. ''Payment." ''I won't pay him." “Oh, that's not it, he wants to take it out of you wrestling." "Oh, I see; here's at him pull off my coat and boots; I'll wrestle him his foot is in his own country, and his name is—what? ''Sir, his name in English means, 'an eater of melons,' he is a good wrestler; you must mind." Watermelons, I suppose; beef against melons for ever. Hurrah here's at him." Here the natives began to run between us to separate us, but seeing that I was in the humour to "have it out,'' and that neither self or friend were actually out of temper, and no doubt expecting to see the pakeha floored, they stood to one side and made a ring. A wrestler soon recognises another, and my friend soon gave me some hints that showed me I had some work before me. I was a youngster in those days all bone and sinew, full of animal spirits, and as tough as leather. A couple of desperate main strength efforts soon convinced both that science or endurance must decide the contest. My antagonist was a strapping fellow of about five-and-twenty, tremendously strong, and much heavier than me. I, however, in those days, actually could not be fatigued; I did not know the sensation, and could run from morning till night. I therefore trusted to wearing him out, and avoiding his ta and wiri. All this time the mob were shouting encouragement to one or other of us. Such a row never was seen. I soon perceived I had a "party." "Well done, pakeha!" "Wow for it, Melons!" "At him again!" ''Take care, the pakeha is a taniwha, the pakeha is a tine tangata? Hooray (from the British element). "The pakeha is down!'' ''No, he is not!" (from English side). Here I saw my friend's knees beginning to tremble. I made a great effort, administered my favourite remedy, and there lay the "eater of melons" prone upon the sand. I stood victor; and like many other conquerors, a very great loser. There I stood, minus hat, coat, and pistols; wet and jaded, and transformed very considerably for the worse since I left the ship. When my antagonist fell, the natives gave a great shout of triumph, and congratulated me in their own way with the greatest good will. I could see I had got their good opinion, though I scarcely could understand how. After sitting on the sand some time my friend arose, and with a very graceful movement, and a smile of good nature on his dusky countenance, he held out his hand, and said in English, ''How do you do?" I was much pleased at this; the natives had given me fair play, and my antagonist, though defeated both by sea and land, offered me his hand, and welcomed me to the shore with his whole stock of English, ''How do you do?''
But the row is not half over yet. Some one has been off in a canoe and told the chief that "Melons and the New Pakeha" were fighting like mad on the beach. Here he comes, flourishing his mere pounamu. The chief jumps ashore; he begins his oration or rather to ''blow up" all and sundry in the tribe in general, and poor "Melons" in particular. The Englishmen were beside me and gave a running translation of what he said. ''Pretty work this," he began, "good work; killing my pakeha; look at him (Here a flourish in my direction with the mere) I won't stand this; not at all not at all! Who killed the pakeha? It was Melons. You are a nice man, are you not? (This with a sneer.) Killing my pakeha! (In a voice like thunder, and rushing savagely, mere in hand, at poor Melons but turning exactly at the end of ten steps, and coming back again.) It will be heard of all over the country; we shall be called the 'Pakeha Killers.' I shall be sick with shame; the pakeha will run away, and take all his taonga with him. What if you had killed him dead, or broken his bones? His relations would be coming across the sea for utu. (Great sensation, and I try to look as though I could say, of course, they would). What did I build this pa close to lie sea for? —was it not to trade with the pakehas and here you are killing the second that has come to stop with me (Here poor Melons burst out crying like an infant). Where is the hat?—where the koti roa—where the shoes (Boots were shoes in those days). The pakeha is robbed, he is murdered (Here a howl from Melons, and I go over and sit down by him, clap him on the bare back, and shake his hand). Look at that the pakeha does not bear malice I would kill you if he asked me; you are a bad people, killers of pakehas be off with you, the whole of you away." I will mention here that my first antagonist, “The Eater of Melons," became a great friend of mine. He was my right hand man and manager when I set up house on my own account, and did me many friendly services in the course of my acquaintance with him. He came to an unfortunate end some years later while filling cartridges for a war expedition, from a 501b barrel of gunpowder, and smoking his pipe at the time, a spark fell into the cask, and he was roasted alive in a second
Among Judge Maning's other literary works were a Maori Tradition of the Creation," The Maori Hercules: Some of His Labours;" Maori Folklore, or "The Two Dwarfs” and “Hinemoa: A Maori Love Story." Of the latter work, for some reason or other, he cancelled the proofs. He also, for some inscrutable reason, burned 200 copies of the first edition of Old New Zealand." Messrs. John Webster (of Opononi, Hokianga), and Mr. Samuel Jackson (solicitor, of Messrs. Jackson and Russell) are his literary executors. Before his death Judge Maning burned a large quantity of his papers, but Mr. John Webster showed me at Opononi a mass of the Judge's correspondence of a very interesting character—racy, witty, and trenchant —in which he gives his views on the native difficulty and the best way of solving it, which would scarcely be acceptable to the leading lights of the Philo-Maori school. A presentation copy of the first edition of "Old New Zealand'' occupies a place in Mr. Webster's library, bearing the following inscription Presented to Mr. John Webster by the author in memory of some pleasant and adventurous days passed in his company in 'The Good Old Times.' Death is still busy with the old settlers. lt was only last week that one of Judge Maning's daughters (Miss Maning) passed away, and at the time of my visit to Hokianga I was sorry to learn that another of his daughters (Mrs. Hardiman) was also ill, and her young daughter, telegraphed for from one of the Napier boarding schools to her bedside, was a fellow passenger with me from Auckland to Hokianga.
After a few hours' pleasant sojourn at Onoke, we bade adieu to our hospitable host, Colonel Noakes and his family, and with a fair breeze and the flood tide were soon bowling on our way up the river to Rawene once more.
Plot 40: Maria Amina Maning (50) 1892 – Gentlewoman
In Loving Memory
of
MARIA AMINA MANING
daughter of
“Old New Zealand”
born May 15 1942. died March 15 1892
I believe in communion of saints
The Burgtheater at 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 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
Since September 2009, Matthias Hartmann is 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 .
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...
Posting shots of churches we have visited has shown me that my photography has improved now I don't use the ultrawide angle lenses, so many churches need a revisit.
And with the orchid season now at an end, nearly, it is time to turn to churchcrawling.
And the easiest non-Kent church to revisit was Winchelsea, just over the border in East Sussex, also gave us the chance to call in at the fishmongers in Rye for some smoked haddock.
After the early morning coffee and then the rush round Tesco, back home to pack it all away and for me to make bacon butties and another brew.
And then: go west.
Traffic is not so mad now, so it was easy to drive to Folkestone then up the motorway to Ashford, before turning off, past the inland border facility, then out onto the Marsh past Hamstreet.
West of Brookland, the road meanders about, bend after bend, crossing and recrossing the railway until we reach Rye.
We stop to buy the fish, then round the river, over the bridge and out the other side, five miles to Winchelsea, turning off to go up the hill under the old town gate, parking near the village shop.
Whereas Rye was already busy, Winchelsea was quiet, and just past ten meaning the church had just opened.
We walk across the large churchyard through the ruins of the tower and into the church, where the triple wide nave was lines on the north and south walls with fine wall tombs.
I photograph each on in turn, and the corbel heads on each too.
I rephotograph the fine windows too, as despite being modern, they really are on another level.
One or two people come in, a family of three last 30 seconds before the mother and teenage son leave.
After completing the shots, I go out to meet up with Jools so we can walk to the shop to have ice cream, and sit to eat them on a bench looking at the north wall of the church.
After we had finished our ice creams, we climbed back in the car. It wasn't yet half ten. Time for some more churches!
So, after driving back through Rye and into Kent, we call into Brookland so I could check if the tower was open, as I have never found it open. The church was, but the candlesnuff tower was locked.
No worries, there's always New Romney.
I first came here with my friend, Simon, in 2014 when there was a formal dinner being prepared, and a year ago, we arrived just after one to find the building being locked for the day.
We parked opposite and I see the sign advertising a craft and record fair, along with refreshments.
Inside there were stall set up, and people in the Chancel drinking tea and eating cake.
I was able to get shots of some of the memorials and details, which is why I came back, really.
The fair happens on only one Saturday per month, just my luck to pick a day when it was on.
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A wonderful church of grand proportions, the exterior of which is best seen from the east where the three reticulated windows chancel and chapels of the Decorated period may be clearly seen. The nave is Norman, with interesting decoration on the arcades and solid circular piers. The church was owned by Potigny Abbey and in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries it invested heavily in rebuilding the east end, with fine octagonal pillars, piscinae and sedilia in each of the three eastern chapels. Between the chancel and chapels are hagioscope openings. It is interesting that the floor remains unrestored, with brick, tile and old ledger slabs. This is the result of the intervention of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings when John Oldrid Scott started over-restoring the church in 1878. The early aisles must have been very low as the Norman clerestory windows rise straight from the top of the arcade. The best place to see Norman work at New Romney is in the main west door where the zigzag decoration has few parallels in the county.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=New+Romney
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THE TOWN AND PORT OF NEW ROMNEY,
WRITTEN in the survey of Domesday, Romenel, lies the next adjoining southward from Old Romney, to distinguish it from which it was called New Romney. The greatest part of it is within the liberty of the cinque ports, and of the corporation of the town and port of New Romney; another part is within the level of Romney Marsh, and the liberty and jurisdiction of the justices of it; and the residue is within the level of Walland Marsh, and the jurisdiction of the justices of the county.
THE TOWN of New Romney is supposed to owe its origin to the decay of the antient port and haven of Old Romney, which being rendered useless by the withdrawing of the sea from it, that of New Romney became frequented in its stead, and being esteemed a large and commodious harbour for shipping, and the town adjoining to it increasing to a considerable size, and being well filled with inhabitants, it gained the privilege of being one of the cinque ports, and had annexed as members to it Lid, Old Romney, Dengemarsh, and Oswardestone, and that part of the parish of Promhill within this county, with which jointly it was bound to provide five ships, with twenty one men and one boy to each of them. After the battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror, on his march to Dover castle, passed this town, where he is said to have revenged himself on the inhabitants, for having killed some of his men, who by mistake had landed here. (fn. 1) After which this haven seems to have been in danger of ruin; and king Henry III. being informed of its danger of being destroyed, by stoppage from the river at Newenden, directed Nicholas de Handloe to re pair hither in person, with the sheriff of Kent and twenty four knights and lawful men, to examine into it. And among the patent rolls in the tower is one, in consequence of it, for the new making of this port. In this state New Romney, in all probability continued till king Edward I.'s reign, when the river Limen, or Rother, as it was afterwards called, being forced from its old channel hither, by a violent tempest, which destroyed likewise part of the town and several villages near it, and the sea at the same time retiring to a still further distance from it, the haven was soon irretrievably choaked up by the beach and became dry land, and the town itself never regained its former consequence; yet in the regin of king Edward the Confessor, it seems to have been of considerable note; for at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, which was little more than fourteen years from king Edward's death, it appears by the following mention of it, that there were in it eighty-five burgesses, which belonged to the archbishop's manor of Aldington.
In Romenel there are four times twenty and five burgesses, which belonged to the archbishop's manor of Aldington, and were, and now are worth to the lord sixpounds.
Besides which, Robert de Romenel, who held the manor of Lamport of the archbishop by knight's service, had twenty one burgesses here, which belonged to that manor, and fifty which he held of the bishop of Baieux, as may be seen by the following entries in the same record:
To this manor (viz. Lamport) belong twenty-one burgesses, which are in Romenel, of whom the archbishop has three forfeitures—theft, breach of the peace, and robbery on the highway. But the king has all service from them, and they have all customs and other forfeitures for service of the sea, and they are in the king's hands .
And further, under the general title of the bishop of Baieux's possessions:
The same Robert (de Romenel) has fifty burgesses in the burgh of Romenel, and of them the king has all service, and they are quit from the service of the sea, from all custom except in three—thest, breach of the peace, and forstel .
In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was forty shillings, now fifty shillings. Alsi held it of earl Godwin .
Robert de Romenel certainly took his name from his possessions in this place. He is mentioned several times in the record of Domesday. Albritha de Rumenel, in the reign of king John, was marshal of the king's birds by inheritance, and married William de Iarpenvile; their daughter and heir Alice, married Thomas Fitzbernard, to whom and their heirs for ever, on the petition of their mother, the king granted that office after her death. The latter afterwards gave to the abbot and convent of St. Augustine, for her sepulture there, twelve pounds sterling of Old Rumenell and Langport, to be received of Stephen deAudintune, or whomsoever should posses the same. (fn. 2) Camden, in his Remains, says, Sir Robert de Romney, for so the name was afterwards spelt, bore for his arms, in imitation of the family of Criol, Two chevrons, and a canton, to which he added, on the latter, three leopards faces; and so late as the 1st year of king James I. Sir William Rumney, was sheriff of London, and there are some of this name still remaining. But to return, so great a number of burgesses as one hundred and fifty-six, serves to give us an idea of its antient state and populousness, and even at the time of the dreadful tempest which caused its ruin in king Edward I.'s reign, as mentioned before, it is said to have been divided into twelve wards, and to have had in it five parish churches, a priory, and an hospital for the sick. But when the river, by so tremendous a convulsion of nature, which not only destroyed men and cattle, but whole towns and villages, had been driven from its proper channel, and its antient mouth here being stopped up, had opened for itself a nearer passage into the sea by Rye, then the sea began to withdraw itself from this town, which afterwards decayed apace, insomuch, that in king Henry VIII.'s reign the sea was two miles distant from it, and there was only one parish church remaining, and that scarce well maintained. Leland, who wrote his Itinerary in that reign, says, "Rumeney is one of the v portes, and hath bene a netely good haven, yn so much that withyn remembrance of men shyppes have cum hard up to the towne and cast ancres yn one of the church yardes. The se ys now a ii myles fro the towne so sore therby now decayed that where ther wher iii great paroches and chirches sumtyme, is now scant one wel mayteined."
There were certainly four other parish churches besides the present one of St. Nicholas, as will be further mentioned hereafter, to which, on the decay of the others about the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, the parishes belonging to them were, united and made one parish, as at this time. The town stands rather higher than the neighbouring country, on a soil of gravel and sand. There are about one hundred houses in it, which are mostly modern, neatly built of brick, and sashed, and about five hundred inhabitants. It consists principally of one very wide street, well paved, running the whole length of it, and a cross street, in that part of which leading to the church stands the hall, or brotherhood-house, where the mayor, jurats, and commons of the cinque ports and two antient towns usually keep their court, called a brotherhood, of late newly built in a handsome manner, but not large enough to hold the several members to sit there with them in their court, called a guestling, which is therefore kept in the church, usually on the Tuesday after the feast of St. Margaret, being the 20th of July. In the midst of the high-street is the market-place, a neat modern building, the market being kept here weekly on a Saturday; and there is a fair held yearly on the feast of St. Laurence, now, by the alteration of the stile, on August 21. There is an establishment of the customs here, under the out-port of Dover. On the east side of the town is a large common, of about three quarters of a mile in length, called Romney Warren, belonging to the corporation, the soil of which is a deep sand, and the surface of it exceedingly uneven, and thrown up in that form, as to induce us to believe the whole of it was once covered at times by the sea, and then deserted by that inconstant element. It consists of four hundred acres of land. The rest of the grounds round the town are an entire flat of marshes, very fertile; and those on the south side especialy, have a plain appearance of having been left by the sea, and since inclosed and made pasture ground of.
THE CINQUE PORTS were in very early times enfranchised with divers privileges and customs, though of what antiquity they were, or when enfranchised, has not as yet been with any certainty discovered; and therefore; they are held to enjoy all their earliest liberties and privileges as, time out of mind, by prescription, and these were confirmed to them and their members by magna charta, by the stile of, barons of the cinque ports; and again by one general charter of king Edward I. which by inspeximus received confirmation, and sometimes additions from most of the succeeding kings and queens of this realm. New Romney being one of the cinque ports, became thus a corporation by prescription, and in Edward III.'s time was incorporated, by the stile of barons of the town and port of New Romeny; afterwards by that of jurats and commonaltie of the town and port of New Romney; and lastly, by queen Elizabeth, who by her letters patent, in her 5th year, anno 1562, again incorporated this town, by the stile of the mayor, jurats, and commonaltie of the town and port of New Romney, and she by the same letters patent ratified all the privileges which they had enjoyed in the reign of king Edward the Confessor, or any other since. And likewise granted to them the soil of the river Rother, from the entrance of its haven here to Redhill beyond Apledore. The members mentioned in this charter, being a mayor, five jurats, and twentysix freemen, or commoners. But the charters of this corporation, as well as those of the other cinque ports, were in 1685, by the king's command, surrendered up to Colonel Strode, then governor of Dover castle, and were never returned again. By the above-mentioned charter of queen Elizabeth, the corporation is governed at this time. It consists at present of a mayor, ten jurats, (the mayor being one) and fifteen commoners or freemen, together with a chamberlain, recorder, and town clerk. The mayor, who is coroner by virtue of his office, is chosen on Lady-day, March 25th, yearly, and together with the jurats, who are justices within this liberty exclusive of all others, hold a court of general sessions of the peace and gaol delivery, together with a court of the record, the same as at Dover; and it has other privileges, mostly the same as the other corporations within the liberties of the cinque ports. It has the privilege of two maces. The arms of this town and port are, Azure, three lions passant-guardant, in pale, or.
The cinque ports, as well as their two antient towns of Rye and Winchelsea, have each of them the privilege of returning members, usually stiled barons, to parliament; the first returns of which, that are mentioned for any of them, are in the 42d year of king Edward III.
Charities.
MARGREAT, daughter of James Boyes, late wife of William Swan, of St. Nicholas in New Romney, by her will anno 1502, gave every year perpetual, a thousand billets, against Christmas, to be delivered among poor people. to be paid out of her principal messuage, in which the then dwelt, by the possessors of it for ever.
ADRIAN MARDEN, of the town and port of New Romney. by his will in 1554, devised his smiths shop or forge, with the garden adjoining, to the use and intent that there should yearly for ever, be distributed among the poor people of the town, in the presence of the bailiffs, jurats, and churchwardens, the yearly rent of the premises, the reparations thereof being first deducted; and in default of such distribution, or reparation, then he gave the premises to the bailiffs, &c. their successors and assigns, for ever, for the like intent and uses.
ROBERT DODD, of Lid, by his will in 1570, gave his barn and lands in the town of New Romney, to be by the mayor and three of the jurats put to farm yearly for ever, the money thereof to be bestowed upon the reparations of the church of New Romney.
JOHN SOUTHLAND, gent. of New Romney, by his will in 1610, gave all his houses, lands, and tenements, to his executor Thomas Broadnax, of Godmersham, his son-in-law, upon condition that he should make over by due course of law, to remain and continue for ever, the house wherein his schoolmaster then dwelt, and all his houses and lands in the parishes of Harrietsham, Ulcombe, and Smarden, to the only use of a schoolmaster, and the relief of two couple of poor folk, and the said houses and lands his said executor should make a body politique and incorporate, for ever to endure, for their maintenance; the schoolmaster to pay out of those lands to the poor folk, 5l. by half-yearly payments clearly, and to the churchwardens of St. Nicholas, in New Romney, 5l. by like half-yearly payments to the reparations of the church for ever; and he ordered that the schoolmaster should keep the reparations of the houses and the closures, and should teach from time to time two poor children to write and read the English tongue, and cast accoumpt, until they should come to the age of 14 years clearly; and that the poor folk and poor children should be placed and displaced by the mayor from time to time; the schoolmaster to be a scholar of Oxford or Cambridge, sufficient to teach the Latin tougue as well as the English.
This hospital and school-house is situated in St. Nicholas. and is made use of for the residence of the schoolmaster, now called the governor, and the four poor folk. It was incorporated anno 30 Elizabeth. The estates left for the support of it consist of 30 acres of land and 18 acres of wood in Smarden, and one tenement with 51 acres of land in Harrietsham, and one other tenement and 12 acres of land in Ulcombe. The Rev. William Wing Fowle, A. M. of New Romney, is now governor or schoolmaster of it.
THOMAS BAKER, by his will in 1728, gave for the benefit of the four poor persons living in Southlands hospital, to be paid half yearly for ever, the rents of 20 acres of land in Ivychurch, now of the annual product of 25l. which is given away by the mayor and jurats. Likewise 5l. per annum, being part of an annuity of IIl. per annum, out of lands formerly belonging to Epps, but now of the widow Coates, lying in Old and New Romney and Midley, to be given yearly on the 14th day of October, for the benefit of poor persons, so estimated by the mayor and jurats; the same being annually distributed by the mayor of New Romney for the time being.
The poor constantly maintained are about fifty-four.
NEW ROMNEY is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.
The church, which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon, is dedicated to St. Nicholas the bishop. It is very large and handsome, consisting of three isles and three chancels, having a square tower, with four pinnacles on it, at the west end, in which hang eight bells. The church is antient, the pillars between the isles being very large, with circular arches and Saxon ornaments. The tower at the west end seems still more so, having several ranges of small circular arches on the sides, and at the bottom is a circular arch, over a door-way, with zig-zag ornaments. The stone pinnacles on the top are of unequal sizes. On the roof is a stone work, of an octagon form, carried up a few feet only, seemingly for the purpose of continuing a spire of the same form on it. The inside of the church is fitted up exceedingly handsome and elegant. In the middle chancel, on the wainscot, on one side, are painted the arms of Furnese, with the hand of Ulster, impaling Broughe, and underneath Sir Henry Furnese beautified this chancel at his cost, and made the mayor and jurats seats, 1712. On the other side are the arms of Furnese impaling Balam, and underneath, Sir Robert Furnese, bart. combaron, completed the work of this chancel, begun by his fa ther Sir Henry Furnese, in 1713. Throughout the church and chancels are numerous monuments and memorials, mostly for those who have been mayors and jurats of the town, and their families, among which are those of Wilcocke, Martin, Wightwick, Mascall, Coates, Hassenden, Brett, Bassett, Pix, Baker, Cobbe, and Bachelor. In the middle chancel is a memorial for Arthur Kight, A. M. rector and vicar of Newchurch, obt. March 18, 1765. In the south chancel, a memorial for Joseph Philpot, gent. son of Joseph Philpot, of Worde, obt. 1768. A monument in the south chancel for Thomas Lancaster, obt. 1728, arms, Lancaster, argent, two bars, gules, on a canton of the second, a lion passant of the first . A like monument for Isaac Warguin, M. D. born in France, who fled from persecution to New Romney in 1689, where he practised physic, obt. 1725. In the north chancel is a fine tomb of Bethersden marble, with the figures in brass of a man and woman, and behind her of one daughter, for Thomas Smith, jurat, obt. 1610. A tomb of black marble for Thomas Tookey, gent. jurat, and once mayor and bailiff of Yarmouth, obt. 1653, arms at the east end, Tookey, a chevron engrailed, between three estoiles of six points , impaling ermine, on a chief dancette, three crowns . A stone, with a figure in brass, for Thomas Lambarde, of Romene, obt. 1514. Several memorials for the Tookeys. A memorial for Edward Goulstone, esq. sixth son of John, of Widdall, in Hertfordshire, esq. prothonotary of the king's bench, who married Joane, daughter and heir of Thomas Tookey, gent. of Romney; she afterwards married Mr. John Goulstone, late of Tutsham hall, who lies buried here. He died leaving Edward Goulstone, of Tutsham-hall, arms, Goulstone, two bars nebule, over them, on a bend, three balls . In the north isle, several memorials for the Normans, arms, A lion rampant; and for the Durants, arms, Argent, on a cross, gules, five fleurs de lis, or. A stone, with an inscription in brass, the figure gone, for William Holyngbroke, obt. 1375, arms, A chevron, between three estoiles; and several memorials for the Wilsons.
When this town was in its most flourishing state, there were four other parish churches in it besides the present one of St. Nicholas, named St. Laurence, St. Martin, St. John, and St. Michael, all which there is frequent mention of in the several wills in the Prerogative-office, Canterbury. The last of them I find mentioned in wills in the beginning of Henry VIII.'s reign, and the three former as late as the 25th year of it, but before the end of that reign they seem to have been all disused, and the present one of St. Nicholas to have been the only one in use, and to have been accounted the only parochial church of this town and parish of New Romney. Besides the church-yard adjoining to St. Nicholas's church, there are five others belonging to it, viz. that of St. Laurence, in Mr. Russell's land, and of St. Michael in the Hardres land, both near Old Romney; of St. John, St. Martin, and another of St. Laurence converted into a garden, all three in the town of New Romney. All which are now part of the glebe belonging to the vicar of New Romney. The church of St. Nicholas seems to have had some pre-eminence over the others; for though mention is made in the several wills in the Prerogative-office, in Canterbury, of the other churches, their church-yards, and the parish priests and curates of them, yet the several vicars of this church are always stiled in them, from the year 1458 downwards, vicars of New Romney, without any other distinction.
The church of St. Nicholas, of New Romney, was antiently part of the possessions of the abbot and convent of Pontiniac, in France, who had a cell or priory here, to which abbey this church was appropriated before the 8th year of king Richard II. anno 1384, at which time the church appropriate was valued at twenty pounds perannum, and the vicarage, among the small benefices not taxed to the tenth, at four pounds. On the suppression of the above abbey, among the rest of the alien priories, in the 2d year of Henry V. anno 1414, this church, with the advowson of the vicarage, came into the hands of the crown, where it remained till Henry VI. on the petition of archbishop Chicheley, in his 17th year, settled it on the warden and fellows of All Souls college, in Oxford, with whom the parsonage appropriate, and the advowson of the vicarage, still remain.
It appears by the valuation in the king's books, taken anno 26 Henry VIII. that the several parishes before-mentioned in this town, had been before then united to the mother church of St. Nicholas, which was at that time the only parish in it, and that the churches of St. Martin and St. Laurence were accounted but as chapels of ease to it. The vicarage of St. Nicholas, with those chapels, is valued in them at 6l. 16s. 3d. and the yearly tenths at 13s. 7½d. In 1588 it was valued at ninety pounds, communicants three hundred and sixty-one. In 1640, at 105l. the like number of communicants The parsonage is usually demised by the college of All Souls to the vicar for the time being, at the yearly rent of seven pounds, which is nearly the full annual produce of it. There are seven acres of glebe land.
The vicarage of New Romney was endowed by archbishop Arundel, in 1402, and a competent portion assigned to the vicar for his maintenance.
¶There were formerly continual controversies between the vicars of New Romney and their parishioners, concerning the payment of tithes in kind, and especially for setting aside the custom for the payment of two-pence an acre in money, in lieu of tithe-wool and pasturage in kind, other tithes being paid by composition at such rates as could be agreed on; and two suits were commenced in particular, by Knight, vicar, against Brett and Clark, on the same custom, the former in 1637, and the latter in 1640, at the king's bench bar. In the first of which, the jury gave their verdict against the vicar, and in the latter he was nonsuited; but the custom in the latter trial was so plainly proved, that it has been uniformly acquiesced in by the vicars to the present time.
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.
Highbridge, The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States
Noonan Plaza Apartments, in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, is one of the most impressive Art Deco style apartment complexes in the borough. Built in 1931 for Irish-born developer Bernard J. Noonan, it was designed by the firm of Horace Ginsberg, with the exterior credited to Marvin Fine. The prolific Ginsberg and Fine helped to provide the Bronx with one of its architectural signatures, the urban modernist apartment building, including Park Plaza Apartments (1929-31) on Jerome Avenue. Noonan and Ginsberg had previously collaborated on a number of speculative 1920s apartment buildings in Highbridge, prior to Noonan Plaza.
Situated on a large sloping site, with frontages along Ogden and Nelson Avenues and West 168th Street, the complex is six-to-eight stories with a sophisticated site plan – it is divided into units with exterior perimeter light courts and an interior garden court, an arrangement that provided for apartment layouts with multiple exposures for maximum light and air. The building is clad in tan ironspot brick, with a vertical emphasis consisting of continuous piers contrasting with brown-and-black brick spandrel panels and black brick and geometric pattern accents on the top story. The main entrance, at the corner of Nelson Avenue and West 168th Street, has an angled portico leading into the garden court, flanked by towers (originally with ornamental lanterns) with corner windows.
Apartment Buildings in the Bronx in the 1920s-30s
Noonan Plaza Apartments (1931), in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, is one of the most impressive Art Deco style apartment complexes in a borough characterized by its number of significant urban modernist apartment buildings. The enormous growth of New York City’s population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was accompanied, after World War I, by a housing shortage. As observed by Carla Breeze in New York Deco (1993),
Manhattanites turned to suburbs in Queens and the Bronx where reasonably priced apartments and houses were available, often in more pastoral surroundings. The garden apartment complex, built around a green commons, was appealing in comparison to the vertical congestion of Manhattan. ... The Bronx became a viable suburb as railroad and subway lines opened vast tracts of land to development. Open space was assiduously protected, and six major parks were within reach of the major new projects along the Grand Concourse.3
Many of these Bronx apartment buildings, for professionals and upwardly mobile middle-class families, were among the best in the city in terms of architecture, planning, size of living space, and amenities. Housing historian Richard Plunz identified the garden apartment as a short-lived phenomenon in New York City development, reaching its apogee in the 1920s. It was (and still is) among the most liveable housing in New York. It set a standard of urban housing that has remained unmatched since. Fundamental to the success of the garden apartment was the balance between building mass and open space so that a level of proximity was maintained which involved a strict definition of the public realm to be shared by neighbors.
Important to this neighboring was a sense of theater, which required use of architectural language bordering on the scenographic. The language of the “garden” of the garden apartment, together with its enclosing facades, was critical to the transformation of housing from a consequence of economic formulas to a unique environment. This entered a realm of fantasy, providing every building with an identity that called forth particular places or tenants. The garden was a critical symbol of arrival for the new middle class, while also facilitating the making of a kind of public theater in which the most joyous myths of urban existence could be acted out.
The conception and development of speculative garden apartments was influenced by two movements in New York City by the beginning of the 20th century: the “model tenement,” or improved housing, movement, and “Garden City” movement. Exemplars of these were the City and Suburban Homes Co. Estates, First Avenue (1898-1915) and Avenue A (1900-13), Manhattan, and Sunnyside Gardens (1924-28, Clarence Stein and Henry Wright), Queens. Architect Andrew J. Thomas, in the Jackson Heights neighborhood in Queens in the 1910s-20s, developed by the Queensboro Corp.,5 and elsewhere, was one of the masters of garden apartment design in a wide variety of styles. Plunz wrote that
Jackson Heights... [was] unusual for the notable concentration of a wide range of garden apartment types, but similar building was prominent throughout the city for moderate-income private housing development until the end of the 1930s. The “garden” spaces tended to become more elaborate as time went on. The Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan versions varied, however, with coverages reflecting their differing conditions of density.6
During the housing boom in the Bronx of the 1920s, the design of apartment houses evolved from simpler brick-clad buildings in historical revival styles of previous decades towards more luxurious and ornamented structures and complexes. Around 1929, influenced in part by Manhattan skyscraper, apartment, and commercial design, variations on “Art Deco,” “Moderne,” or “modernistic” styles came to dominate Bronx apartment buildings through the 1930s.
Park Plaza Apartments (1929-31, Horace Ginsberg and Marvin Fine), 1005 Jerome Avenue, is usually considered one of the first and most influential in the borough in the Art Deco style.7 Many of the apartment architects in this period were recent immigrants from Europe, and European modernist trends seen in social housing and other projects, were also incorporated in the borough’s buildings. An example is the United Workers’ Cooperative Colony second complex (1927-29, Herman Jessor with Stefan S. Sajo), 2846-2870 Bronx Park East, reflecting Northern European Expressionist influences.
Among the hallmarks of the 1930s modernist modes in apartment houses were decorative and polychrome brickwork (usually lighter in palette), vertical and horizontal patterning, abstracted decoration, streamlined elements, curved walls, recessed spandrels, corner windows, and “Machine Age” materials such as steel, chrome, and glass brick. As observed by Paul Goldberger of the New York Times,
Art deco was style built largely on the image of a new kind of elegance – sleek and streamlined. It was not so much truly modern as romantically evocative of the modern, using modernism as a decorative theme rather than as a justification for the absence of decoration. Thus the art deco buildings of the Bronx are full of striped metal ornament, abstract geometric patterns on the door and radiator grilles, and vertical stripings of brick.9
The west Bronx, like Miami Beach, became renowned for the large number and variety of apartment houses in the modernist styles of the 1930s; though there was not a distinct Bronx district of these buildings per se, many are located along the Grand Concourse and environs. Located near the Grand Concourse, Noonan Plaza, with its elaborate garden court and impressive Art Deco style, exemplifies the significant trends of this neighborhood and era.
Horace Ginsberg and Marvin Fine, Architects
Among the leading and most prolific architects of apartment house design in the Bronx were Horace Ginsberg and Marvin Fine. Ginsberg (originally Ginzberg) (c. 1897-1969),11 born near Minsk, Russia, of Jewish descent, immigrated to the U.S. as a boy. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School, attended the Cooper Union and Columbia University, and worked for the architectural firm of Jacob Gescheidt & Co. before establishing his own architectural firm by 1921. Ginsberg (he changed his name to Ginsbern c. 1933) was especially active in the design and layout of hundreds of apartments in the Bronx from 1924 to 1940.
The task of designing the facades of these buildings, however, was assigned to Marvin Fine after he joined Ginsberg in 1928. Born in Harlem and raised in Upper Manhattan, Fine (1904-1981) was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (1929), where he was influenced by the work of architect Paul Cret. Early in his career, Fine had worked as a draftsman for Cass Gilbert (1925-26) and George and Edward Blum (1927-28). After the Park Plaza Apartments (1929-31), Fine’s first major job with the Ginsberg firm, they produced designs for numerous modernist apartments on the Grand Concourse and elsewhere throughout the city. Fine is known to have been directly influenced by the contemporary work of architects Raymond Hood and William Van Alen, who were responsible respectively for the American Radiator and Daily News Buildings, and the Chrysler Building.12 Carla Breeze in New York Deco opined that the Ginsberg firm “developed a unique style featuring streamlined forms with modernistic detailing. His [sic] experiments in brick, while planer [sic] rather than three-dimensional, rival those of Ely Jacques Kahn.”13 Noonan Plaza is significant as one of the earliest Ginsberg and Fine collaborations, as one of their early works in the modernist/Art Deco vein, and as a large apartment project with a highly sophisticated planning scheme.
Ginsbern participated in the design of the Harlem River Houses (1936-37, in association with Archibald Manning Brown and other architects), Harlem River Drive and 151st - 153rd Streets, the first federally-funded, -built, and -owned housing project in New York City, constructed to house African-American residents of Harlem, and was architect of the Chock Full O’ Nuts restaurant chain. Horace Ginsbern & Assocs. was organized in 1944, with Fine; Ginsbern’s son, Frederick Morton Ginsbern (1919-1986), a graduate of New York University (1942); and Jules Kabat (1913-1991). Kabat, born in Brooklyn, graduated from New York University (1934), worked as a draftsman and designer for Ginsbern (1934-41), and practiced independently and for Kindland & Drake (1941-45). Horace Ginsbern & Assocs. lasted until 1986.
Bernard J. Noonan
Bernard J. Noonan (c. 1875-1943), the Bronx developer of Noonan Plaza Apartments (1931, Ginsberg and Fine), was born in Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Ireland. He emigrated in 1886, lived in Pennsylvania, and attended St. Bonaventure’s College in Allegany, N.Y., prior to moving to New York City, where he was first listed in a city directory, and naturalized, in 1899. From 1901 until 1918, he was a saloon proprietor, in Greenwich Village, then Hell’s Kitchen, and later, the Upper West Side. For a few years (c. 1919-21), Noonan was working as a dry goods merchant -- through relatives, he became owner of “Flood’s Department Store” on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village.
After venturing into real estate in Yonkers, he acquired several Manhattan apartment buildings, then decided to become involved in real estate full-time around 1921, both as developer and insurance broker. Noonan selected the Highbridge neighborhood in the Bronx as “the most desirable location”15 in New York City for constructing better apartment buildings, and by 1925 had moved his office to one of his buildings there.
The village of Highbridge (originally Highbridgeville) had developed on the high ridge of land along the Harlem River located to the east of High Bridge (1838-48, John B. Jervis, engineer), which was constructed as part of the Croton Aqueduct system that brought New York City its first adequate fresh water supply. The Bronx shore of the Harlem began to be subdivided in the 19th century for building lots along the main thoroughfare, Highbridge (now Ogden) Avenue.
The village was initially settled by the workers who built the Croton Aqueduct and High Bridge, as well as the railroad along the river. Almost entirely Irish originally, these workers were followed later by Jewish immigrants. Development of large apartment buildings was spurred by the Jerome Avenue elevated railroad in 1918 and the subway (with a stop at the Grand Concourse and 161st Street) in 1933. Remnants of the earlier days of Highbridge include the Union Reformed Church of Highbridge (1887-90, Alfred E. Barlow), 1272 Ogden Avenue, and Public School 91 (1889, George W. Debevoise), 1257 Ogden Avenue.16
Noonan’s apartment projects in Highbridge, at first centered in the southern portion of the neighborhood around West 162nd and 163rd Streets, appear to have mostly been collaborations with Horace Ginsberg as architect. Bernard Noonan served as president of the various real estate firms responsible for their construction, including the Manonga Realty Corp., R&B Building Corp.,
Woodycrest Building Corp., and Killsalough Realty Co., and in 1925 he also served as a director of the Broadway Central Bank. Noonan constructed Bernard Court (1921; demolished), 942-948 Woodycrest Avenue; Maryknoll Terrace (1924, Ginsberg), 957-965 Woodycrest Avenue; Wynne Terrace (1925-26, Ginsberg), 963-975 Anderson Avenue; Rose Terrace (1927, Ginsberg), 950 Woodycrest Avenue; Summit Lodge (1927, Ginsberg; demolished), 979-981 Summit Avenue; Noonan Towers and Annex (1924-28, Ginsberg), 939 Woodycrest Avenue and 930 Ogden Avenue, called by the New York Times in 1937 “one of the largest apartment properties in the Bronx;”17 and Noonan Manor (c. 1930), 1001 Woodycrest Avenue. In 1923, Noonan also purchased No. 1130 Woodycrest Avenue (demolished).
Noonan Plaza Apartments
After the mid-19th century, descendants of the James Anderson family began to sell parts of their Highbridge property, previously a farm and then an estate called “Woody Crest,” with a villa at today’s Anderson Avenue and West 164th Street. Following the death of Andrew Anderson, his executors in 1925 sold a large (312 by 288 feet) parcel on the sloping site at West 168th Street and Nelson and Ogden Avenues to real estate investor Stanley Murray for $42,500. This parcel was transferred in July 1930 to Walter J.M. Donovan, a wealthy real estate operator and stockbroker, for $100 subject to the $35,000 mortgage.
In October, the newly-chartered Nelden Corp. (Bernard J. Noonan, president; Morris E. Gallo, treasurer) acquired the property, also for $100 subject to the mortgage, of which $25,000 was due. In March 1931, a ten-year, $1 million dollar first mortgage was obtained for the construction of an apartment complex that came to be known as Noonan Plaza. The Times announced that the six-to-eight-story building, of the garden apartment type, would contain 283 apartments, including suites ranging from one-and-one-half to five rooms (the larger units having two baths), with the layout permitting “at least two exposures for each apartment,” 14 stores, and a “garden court 125 by 110 feet.” The Nelden Corp.’s prospectus, stating that “the style of architecture is modernistic,” boasted that
Noonan Plaza, as planned, represents the highest development in the art of the modern apartment house design and construction. The quality of workmanship used in the structure is unquestionably perfect, showing the finest type of craftsmanship possible. ... One may confidently choose NOONAN PLAZA as one’s permanent home, with the assurance that an attractive and perfectly planned apartment has been selected in a location destined to remain ever free from mediocrity.
A later advertisement claimed that Noonan Plaza and Noonan Towers were the “most modern apartment houses in the Bronx.” Noonan Plaza was touted as convenient to transportation, via bus, New York Central Railroad, subway, and elevated lines; nearby public and parochial schools; and “the Heights shopping and theatre section.”
With principal frontages along Ogden and Nelson Avenues and West 168th Street, Noonan Plaza is clad in tan ironspot brick with a vertical emphasis consisting of continuous piers contrasting with brown-and-black brick spandrel panels and black brick and geometric pattern accents on the top story. The complex, with a sophisticated site plan, is divided into eight units (each with an elevator) with exterior perimeter light courts and an interior garden court – this arrangement provided for apartment layouts with multiple exposures for maximum light and air.
The stores in the building were originally accessible from the interior of the complex. The main entrance, at the corner of Nelson Avenue and West 168th Street, features an angled “portico” (with cast-stone elements) with a gate lodge (“protect[ing] tenants from unwelcome passers-by”),23 and steps and a walkway leading to the interior terraced and landscaped Garden Court. Richard Plunz called the “courtyard entry at Noonan Plaza... one of the best-known examples of the [garden apartment] genre.”24 This entrance is flanked by twin towers with corner windows, intended as “an outstanding landmark of distinction,” which were originally ornamented with etched-glass lanterns (flanked by fins, according to original drawings).
The large Garden Court, onto which all of the interior apartments look and which has five building entrances, originally featured “mosaic” patterned cement walks, trees and shrubbery, statuary, a pond (with fish and swans) crossed by rustic wooden bridges, a lighthouse, and a waterfall in one corner. The complex contained a ballroom and community room, as well as a roof garden promenade (protected by a high balustrade) and playground with sand boxes, swings, and games. Noonan Plaza was assessed at $950,000 in 1931, at a reported investment of $2 million.
The New York Irish (1996), edited by Ronald H. Bayor and Timothy J. Meagher, stated that, despite Bernard Noonan’s heritage as an Irish immigrant and the fact that the Highbridge neighborhood was heavily Irish, Noonan Plaza was rented to upper-middle-class Jewish tenants until they began moving out in the 1950s.26
Later History
Noonan Plaza Apartments was continuously owned by the Nelden Corp. until 1962, when the complex was sold to Southern Assocs., Inc., an entity of what the New York Times called the “largest real estate empire in New York City,”28 that of partners Alex DiLorenzo, Jr., and Sol Goldman. The building’s mortgage (originally $1 million), held by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., was assigned to the Union Life Insurance Co. of Cincinnati, which consolidated it with a second mortgage of $580,000. At the time of DiLorenzo’s death in September 1975, the DiLorenzo-Goldman holdings encompassed over 400 apartment and office buildings just in Manhattan, including the Chrysler Building, as well as hotels, shopping centers, and industrial structures.
The partners were notorious for shielding their ownership through a variety of corporate names – Noonan Plaza was later owned by their Oxford Associates, Inc., Chatham Associates, Inc., and Avon Associates, Inc. The Times reported in May 1976 that Goldman had been “forced by financial reversals and the legal problems of Mr. DiLorenzo’s estate to relinquish more than 40 properties” and that his “setbacks have consequences not only for himself and his late partner’s heirs but also for the banks that hold mortgages on his properties, for tenants – 10,000 live in his apartment buildings and hundreds of thousands work in his office structures – and for the city government, which is owed taxes, and further affected by a drop in property values.”
At the same time as the reverses in the fortunes of the DiLorenzo-Goldman real estate empire, the west Bronx, including the area of the Grand Concourse, was suffering a severe decline that had begun after World War II. The rapid de-industrialization of the city, increasing suburbanization, heavy-handed urban renewal policies, disinvestment by area landlords, and the redlining of much of the Bronx by local banks all contributed to the economic downturn of the area. In the 1970s, many apartment buildings were abandoned by their owners and were set on fire, and the neighborhood suffered a catalogue of ills until it began to stabilize in the 1980s. The demographic composition of the Highbridge neighborhood also underwent substantial changes. The area’s residents, largely of European Jewish extraction, began to move to suburban areas, and the west Bronx became a diverse urban community as African-Americans and Latin Americans settled here.
After the DiLorenzo-Goldman interests defaulted on Noonan Plaza, in 1976 the property fell under the receivership of the Union Central Life Insurance Co., holder of the mortgage. The apartment building was featured in an exhibition that year organized by Donald G. Sullivan and Brian J. Danforth (with the Hunter College Graduate Program in Urban Planning) spotlighting the Art Deco style apartment houses of the Bronx, in which they called Noonan Plaza “nearly devastated” and “represent[ing] the worst that can happen to our fragile housing stock when it is left unprotected.”
This referred to charges of stocking the building with welfare families, followed by squatters, drug dealers, vandals, and hundreds of housing code violations. The New York Times observed that “vandalism has destroyed much of the art deco detailing that once made the building... one of the prides of the Bronx.”
A rescue of Noonan Plaza was attempted in 1976 by the Settlement Housing Fund, a nonprofit housing development corporation, with plans to rehabilitate the complex and convert it into a coop, with the participation of the Noonan Plaza Tenants Association and financing from the New York City Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development. Title to the property was taken by the Highbridge Development Corp., and in 1977 by the Highbridge Housing Development Fund Corp. By 1980, however, the situation reached its nadir, with only six families living there; the Settlement Housing Fund, too beleaguered by the project’s problems and costs, was forced to petition to sell the property, a decision followed by another round of vandalism.
In 1980, the property was acquired by Noonan Plaza Assocs., an entity of Glick Development Affiliates. A $9 million rehabilitation for federally subsidized apartments was completed in 1982 by Glick Construction Co., with the participation of Frederick Ginsbern, son of the original architect. This project received a 1982 Certificate of Merit Award from the Municipal Art Society of New York. Ownership passed in 2004 to Noonan Plaza Assocs., L.P., then in 2005 to Noonan Plaza LLC.
Description
With principal frontages along Ogden and Nelson Avenues and West 168th Street, Noonan Plaza is six to eight stories due to its sloping site, and has a sophisticated site plan, divided into units with exterior perimeter light courts (there are four sections and three light courts along Ogden Avenue; three sections and two light courts along West 168th Street; and two sections and one light court along Nelson Avenue) and an interior garden court. Storefronts are located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and West 168th Street.
The complex is clad in tan ironspot brick with a vertical emphasis consisting of continuous piers contrasting with brown-and-black-brick spandrel panels (above the third through seventh stories), brick patterning, and black brick and geometric pattern accents on the top story. The windows of the end bays of each section have polygonal-shaped heads (with brown-and-black-brick spandrels) on the second story, and historic ornamental wrought-iron railings on the third story. Some windows in the light courts on the second and uppermost stories have polygonal-shaped heads (with brown-and-black-brick spandrels). The original three-over-three double-hung metal sash were replaced by one-over-one double-hung anodized aluminum sash (1980-82). Fire escapes are placed in the light courts. Metal mesh grilles have been placed over the lower story windows. The walls are terminated by metal coping (1980-82). Ogden Avenue Facade: The base has stepped sections of brown-and-black-brick retaining walls (with concrete coping) with historic wrought-iron fencing with a geometric design.
The front of the northern light court has a low tan brick wall (with concrete coping), and non-historic wrought-iron fence and gates. The central light court has concrete steps, non-historic wrought-iron fence and gates, and concrete courtyard paving; a tunnel to the interior Garden Court has a geometric-design black-brick entrance surround. The southern section has an exterior fire escape. The southern light court and southern section of the building have five small shopfronts (all with non-historic entrances, windows, rolldown gates, and awnings); a section of historic black-brick cladding survives, with three windows (two with metal mesh grilles and one with a metal panel) and a geometric-design panel.
West 168th Street Facade: The two western sections and the western light court have continuous shopfronts (all with non-historic entrances, windows, rolldown gates, and awnings); significant portions of the historic black-brick cladding survives. There is a visible roof bulkhead above the western light court. The front of the eastern light court has a low tan brick wall with posts (all with concrete coping), and non-historic metal mesh fence and gates. A concrete ramp with metal railings leads to a basement entrance with non-historic metal doors; basement windows have been covered with metal. The eastern section has an exterior fire escape.
The openings of the base of the eastern section of the building have a non-historic metal door, four windows covered with metal, and the rest with metal mesh grilles. Nelson Avenue Facade: Many of the windows of the base have been covered with metal; the others have metal mesh grilles. The southern section has an exterior fire escape. The front of the light court has a low tan brick wall with posts (all with concrete coping), and non-historic wrought-iron and metal mesh fence and gates. Bluestone steps (with metal railings) lead to a sunken courtyard, paved with asphalt.
The upper portion of the wall of the unarticulated setback northernmost portion of the complex has been parged with concrete. North Facade: This facade, at the rear of the property, consists of four sections and three light courts (having fire escapes), as well as the northern side of a section along Nelson Avenue (which has a rubble stone base). The tan brick walls are unarticulated. There are concrete steps and a non-historic metal gate at Ogden Avenue; a concrete walkway along the building with a chainlink fence; and a concrete ramp with a metal railing leading to the basement, with a metal mesh gate and chainlink fence, at Nelson Avenue. Entrance Portico and Towers: The complex’s main entrance, at the corner of Nelson Avenue and West 168th Street, features an angled “portico” set on a concrete base with tan-brick piers and geometric-design parapets (with cast-stone elements) supported by steel plates above the openings; the red-brick edging of the parapets and piers dates from 1980-82.
There are non-historic wrought-iron security gates (1980-82). The portico has an historic geometric-patterned ceiling, a section of surviving historic concrete paving with a geometric pattern, and end walls with black-and-brownbrick geometric-patterned panels. Several signs and functional boxes have been placed on the walls. In the center of the interior side of the portico is a round gate lodge, clad in tan brick, with historic multi-pane metal windows, and (on the interior side) a curved metal door (1980-82).
The entrance portico is flanked by twin “towers” with corner windows (originally with multi-pane steel casements, now paired one-over-one double-hung anodized aluminum sash (1980-82)); the lintels of these windows have been re-built. The towers were originally terminated by etched-glass lanterns (flanked by fins, according to original drawings); the bases have been parged (1980-82). These are flanked by sections of historic ornamental wrought-iron railings. Garden Court: Beyond the entrance portico is an angled two-level forecourt, paved in concrete, with a polygonal balcony (with tan brick walls (with metal vents), concrete coping (now painted), and historic ornamental wrought-iron railings), two sets of concrete steps and a later (1980-82) concrete ramp (with metal railings) flanked by similar tan brick walls with historic railings, leading to another set of concrete steps, flanked by similar brick walls (now painted) with historic railings and lamp bases, and the central walkway, which is lined with chainlink fencing set on concrete edging and planting strips.
Originally, the landscaped Garden Court featured a large polygonal pond, crossed by rustic wooden bridges, with a lighthouse and a waterfall in one corner. Today, there is a central round planted area (edged with concrete and a chainlink fence) and a circular concrete walkway with benches, radial walks to the apartment entrances, and outer planting areas with chainlink fencing. In the northwest corner is the altered rubble stone remnant of the waterfall, with a stone archway with a metal mesh door.
Garden Court Facades: The five entrances are ornamented with geometric brown-and-black-brick surrounds with molded openings with polygonal heads, piers with brick patterning supporting historic ornamental wrought-iron balcony railings (that at the northwestern corner is missing), historic milk glass transoms with wrought-iron decoration, and historic metal-and-glass double doors. The original entrance sconces are missing; there are modern light fixtures and brick patching. The tunnel leading to Ogden Avenue has a simple geometric black-brick surround with historic wrought-iron brackets, and non-historic wrought-iron gates. The walls follow a scheme similar to those on the exterior of the complex, with continuous piers contrasting with brown-and-black-brick spandrel panels and panels between windows, brick patterning, and black brick and geometric pattern accents on the top story. There are bowed brown-and-black-brick panels below some second-story windows. Fire escapes are placed on three sides of the court.
- From the 2010 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
Always a risk, to visit a church in west Kent, on the hope it might be open.
I made a list of "most wanted" for Heritage Weened, and it stands at 33 churches, so I had to try another weekend to get the list down.
Hawkhurst was a busy town when we passed through, taken ten minutes to get past the traffic lights at the crossroads in the centre of town. We passed at least two other churches, one was surrounded by fencing and windows boarded up, the other, its tower covered in scaffolding.
So, it was a relief to arrive at St Laurence and find it in its peaceful setting, sat on a wide, lazy bend in what is now a b road.
Two ladies were talking at the churchyard gate, and when I approached one asked: "Are you a Whovian"?
Should I be?
Lots come here, an episode was shot here.
Oh.
No, I have come for the church, is it open?
Oh, let me take you inside!
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An impressive church set at `The Moor` to the south of its village. Approached from the north the façade is dominated by the two-storey porch, the parvise staircase of which is seen inside. The large nave, with four bay arcades to north and south, is very light due to the fact that most of the old glass was lost in the war. This does not, however, mean that there is no glass - in fact there is a veritable tableau of styles and subjects. Most impressive are those to early saints along the north wall, and one in the chapel depicting King Edward III who introduced the woollen industry to this part of Kent thus ensuring its later wealth. There is a fine 1957 Royal Arms of Queen Elizabeth II. Dominating the west end of the church is a huge Font Cover designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, whilst the font itself has some fine carving including a Green Man. High in the west wall is a hagioscope which allowed the Sanctus bell to be rung during medieval Mass. By the chancel arch is a modern sculpture of Our Lady and Child by Mary Cox. This is a memorial to Sir John Herschel the well-known astronomer (1792-1871). Lady Herschel is buried in the churchyard.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hawkhurst+1
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HAWKHURST
LIES the next parish southward from Cranbrooke. A small part on the southern side of it, called Haselden, consisting of two houses, and a small quantity of land to each, is in the hundred of Shoyswell, and county of Sussex, and the residue of it is in the county of Kent. So much of it as in the borough of Hawkhurst, alias South Borough, or in the North Borough, is in the hundred of Great Barnefield. So much of it as in the East Borough, is in the hundred of Sel brittenden; and the residue in the borough of Crothall, being a very small part of it, is in the hundred of Cranbrooke.
The borough of Hawkhurst above-mentioned, has a court leet of itself, where the borsholder of that borough is chosen; and the inhabitants of it owe no service to the court leet holden for the hundred of Great Barnefield: but at that court an inhabitant of this borough may be chosen constable of that hundred; the liberty of Wye claims over this borough. It is in the division of West Kent.
THE MANOR OF SLIPMILL, alias MOREHOUSE, which includes the denne of Hawkhurst, was antiently esteemed as one of the appendages belonging to the royal manor of Wye, the liberty of which extends over the greatest part of this parish, and passed as such with that manor, in the gift made of it by William the Conqueror, to the abbey of Battel, at the first foundation of it in the year 1067. (fn. 1)
In the reign of king John, Odo, abbot, and the convent of Battel, granted by charter, to which there is no date, to the owners of the lands in this parish, within the liberty of their manor of Wye, by the name of his men of Hawkhurst, the ville of Hawkhurst, at a certain rent in money, hens, and eggs. And afterwards the abbot and convent, anno 14 Edward I. granted to them, by the name of their tenants of Hawkhurst, all the tenements there which they held of his fee, in certain dennes therein mentioned, to hold at a yearly rent, reserving suit to their court of Wye, from three weeks to three weeks, by two men only.
King Edward II. in his 5th year, granted to the abbot and convent, a market to be held here weekly on a Wednesday, and a yearly fair for three days, on the vigil, the day, and the day after the feast of St. Laurence.
In which state this manor continued till the suppression of this abbey in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when it came, with the manor of Wye, into the hands of the crown, whence the royalty, with the quit-rents at Hawkhurst appendant to that manor, which still continued there, was granted, by the name of the manor of Morehouse, with its appurtenances, anno 33 Henry VIII. to Sir John Baker, of Sissinghurst, to hold in capite by knight's service. His descendant Sir Henry Baker, knight and baronet, anno 17 king James I. Conveyed his interest in it to Henry Carey, lord Hunsdon, lord of the manor of Wye, which had been granted to his grandfather of the same name, by queen Elizabeth, in her third year. He was afterwards created viscount Rochford, and earl of Dover; soon after which he sold both the manor of Wye, and this of the denne of Hawkhurst, alias Morehouse; with their appurtenances, to Sir Thomas Finch, knight and baronet, of Eastwell, who, on the death of his mother in 1633, succeeded to the titles of viscount Maidstone and earl of Winchelsea. In his descendants these manors continued down to Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who died in 1769, without issue male, and by his will devised them, among the rest of his estates in this county, to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. now of Eastwell, the present possessor of them.
At the court baron held for this manor, now stiled Slipmill, otherwise Morehouse, the alterations of tenancies, and the apportioning of the rents formerly paid to the abbey, and now to the proprietors of Wye manor, are presented; two beadles are elected, to gather the rents; and a reeve is likewise chosen. All which privileges are in consequence of the grant of the 14th of Edward I. above-mentioned.
THE WHOLE PARISH of Hawkhurst is situated exceedingly pleasant and healthy. It is in length from north to south about four miles, and in breadth three, from east to west. It is well watered by several streams, the southernmost and largest of which, called here Kent dyke, and the stream itself the river Kent, or Kennet, runs into the river Rother just below Sandhurst, separating this parish from that of Salehurst, and the counties of Kent and Sussex.
This parish, till about the time of king Charles I. was divided from Salehurst, in Sussex, by a bridge, called Kent-bridge, under which this river then ran about six rods at the narrow entering into the way beyond the present bridge; which old bridge being taken away, and the river being turned to run under the present one, the broad place between this last and the narrow place, is now accounted to be in Salehurst, in Sussex, but is really in Hawkhurst, in Kent.
The market, granted as above-mentioned, anno 5 Edward II. has been long since disused; it was formerly kept upon the green at the moor, opposite the seat of Elfords, where a market-cross once stood, and near it was a small house, called St. Margaret's cross, long since demolished, in which the corn unsold was put; and this place is yet called the marketplace. But the fair is still held yearly, near the church, on the day of St. Laurence, August 10, and the day following, for cattle and pedlary ware. There was formerly another fair kept in this parish on St. Valentine's day, Feb. 14, in the field at the next gate beyond Moor-house, at a place where once stood a pound; but it has been a long while discontinued.
In the hedge of Beaconfield, near Beacon-land, leading between Fourtrowes and Foxhole, stood a beacon and watch-house, long since taken down.
There is hardly any wood in this parish, excepting in the western part, adjoining to Goudhurst, which is entirely covered with part of the Fryth woods; the soil is in general clay, abounding with marle, and in the northern part there is much sand; though few parishes have a greater diversity of soil. It is still very populous, the present in habitants being computed to be about 1500, and formerly, whilst the cloathing manufacture flourished in this and the neighbouring parishes, was much more so. There is not one clothier left here now; but there is a worsted-marker, who constantly employs one hundred people in spinning.
There are two principal villages, one called Highgate, built on high ground on each side the great road leading from Lamberhurst and Stonecrouch through this parish southeastward to Newenden and the country of Sussex, which road is joined here by another principal one from Maidstone through Staplehurst and Cranbrooke hither. On the north side of this village are situated the school and alms-houses, founded by the will of Sir Thomas Dunk, as will be mentioned hereafter. The other village, which is the more antient one, stands about half a mile southward of the other, on another hill of equal height, having a deep valley between, most of which is a kind of heath or common, interspersed, the greatest part of it, with cotages and gardens to them, which makes a pleasing picturesque view from every part of both. In this latter village stand the church, and the minister's house, and at a very small distance eastward of the church, is the antient family seat, surrounded with pleasuregrounds, called ELFORDS, which once belonged to a family named Castleman, one of whom, Walter Castleman, anno 34 Henry VI. sold it to William Conghurst, one of whose descendants passed it away to Roberts, and John Roberts died possessed of it in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, and lies buried in this church. His son Edmund Roberts alienated it, in the 12th year of that reign, to Richard Boys, gent. who resided here, and died possessed of it in 1605. He lies buried in this church, as do most of his descendants, in whom, resident here, this seat continued down to Samuel Boys, esq. of Elfords, who died in 1772, leaving two sons, Samuel, now of Hawkhurst, esq. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Gatland; esq. of Sussex, by whom he had one daughter Elizabeth, and William, who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Richard Harcourt, esq. of Wigsell. Samuel Boys, esq. the eldest son, succeeded his father in this seat, and kept his shrievalty here in 1782, and is the present possessor of it. He bears for his arms, Or, a griffin, segreant, sable, but it appears by their gravestones, that they bore it within a bordure, being the same coat as that borne by the family of this name in East Kent; though I cannot make out any connexion between them.
AT A SMALL DISTANCE further southward is LILSDEN, which at least as early as the reign of queen Elizabeth, was the property of the Chittendens, eminent clothiers here, in which name it continued down to John Chittenden, gent. in which name it still continues.
On the great road from Lamberhurst above-mentioned, and at the western extremity of this parish, is Siccoks, commonly called Seacocks-heath. On this heath, but in the parish of Etchingham, in Sussex, is a seat lately belonging to the Rev. Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, and on the same road, a Small distance eastward, is a good house, which was formerly the property of Mr. James Pott, who in 1681 alienated it to Redford, in whose descendants it has continued down to Thomas Redford, esq. who now resides in it; and at much the same distance still further eastward, is a seat belonging to the Bakers. George Baker died possessed of it in 1740, and his son John Baker, esq. receiver-general for the county of Kent, rebuilt it, and gave it the name of Hawkhurst-lodge. He died unmarried, and by his last will devised it to his brother Mr. Geo. Baker, surgeon, of Canterbury, descended of ancestors who bore for their arms, Argent, three keys, a castle triple towered, sable. Several of whom lie buried in the church-yard here. He was succeeded in his estate here by John Baker, esq. of St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, who married one of the daughters of the Rev. Mr. Tattersal, of Stretham, in Surry, and he is the present owner of it.
At a Small distance still further eastward is the village of Highgate, in which is Hawkhurst-place, formerly a seat of good account, though now only a farm-house. It has been for many years the property of the Peckhams, of Eridge, in Suffex, and now belongs to Henry Peckham, esq. and on the north side of the road is a mansion called FOWLERS, which is particularly deserving notice, as having been the property and residence of Richard Kilburne, esq. author of the survey of this county, published in 1659. He was a man of some eminence in his prosession as a lawyer, having been five times principal of Staples-inn, and of as worthy a character, both as a magistrate and an historian. He died in 1678, and lies buried in the north chancel of this church. The Kilburnes originally were of Kilburne, in Yorkshire, whence they came into Cambridgeshire and Effex. Richard Kilburne above-mentioned, was the youngest son of Isaac Kilburne, of London, third son of John Kilburne, of Saffron Walden, in Effex. They bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, azure, between three hald cootes, proper. (fn. 2) Richard Kilburne, esq. left an only daughter and heir Anne, who entitled her husband Thomas Brewer, esq. of West Farleigh, whose second wife she was, to the possession of it. He had by her two sons John and Philip, and a daughter married to Davis. John, the eldest, succeeded him at West Farleigh; and Philip, the youngest, had this seat at Hawkhurst; but he died by a fall from his horse, unmarried, in 1721, upon which it came to his eldest brother John, of West Farleigh, who died in 1724, leaving an only daughter Jane, who surviving both her husbands, died s.p. in 1762, and by her will devised this seat, among the rest of her estates, to her kinsman John Davis, D. D. son of Davis abovementioned, who died possessed of it in 1766, and was succeeded in it by his only son Sir John Brewer Davis, knt. the present proprietor of it. (fn. 3)
NEAR the east end of Highgate, a little to the north of the high road, lies a seat called Tongs, which was formerly the seat of the Dunks, who were great clotheirs here. Simon Donke died possessed of it in 1512, anno 4 Henry VIII. as did his descendant Thomas Duncke in 1617, and from him this seat continued down to Sir Thomas Dunk, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1718, was buried in the middle isle of this church, (fn. 4) and by his will gave it to William Richards, gent. who died possessed of it in 1733, leaving by Anne his wife, daughter of Mr. John Davis, gent. of this parish, one only daughter and heir Anne, who carried it in marriage to George Montague Dunk, earl of Halifax, who, reserving the see of the mansion itself only, passed the possession of it away by lease for one thousand years, at the yearly rent of sixpence, with the see simple of the offices, as well as of the lands belonging to it, to Mr. Jeremiah Curteis, of Rye, and he soon afterwards conveyed his interest in it to William Jenkin, esq. who resided here, and died in 1784; since which it has been sold by his executor to David Langton, esq. the present owner of it.
About three quarters of a mile northward from Tongs, lies WOODSDEN, formerly the property of the Springetts, one of whom, Robert Springett, died possessed of it in 1619, and they continued here down to John Springett, who died in 1733; (fn. 5) and his son alienated it to the Norris's, of Hemsted, in Benenden, from whom it passed in like manner as that seat to Thomas Hallet Hodges, esq. the present owner of it.
CONGHURST is a manor in the southern part of this parish, next to Sandhurst, into which parish likewise it extends, which once was the property and residence of a family of the same name, whose still more antient seat, now called Old Conghurst, the moat and scite of which are still visible, was at no great distance from it, nearer to the county of Sussex, which being burnt by the Danes, they erected a mansion here, where they afterwards resided. But in the reign of king Henry VIII. Mildred, daughter and coheir of George Conghurst, esq. of Conghurst, carried this seat in marriage to Thomas Scot, who was descended from John Scot, of Halden, in the reign of Henry VI. His grandson, Henry Scot, of Halden, left two sons, Henry, the eldest, was of Halden, and ancestor of the Scots, of that place, of the parish of Hayes, and of Langley, in Beckenham; and Thomas, the second son, married the coheir of Conghurst, and had two sons. From the eldest, George, descended the Scots, of Conghurst; and from Thomas, the youngest, those of Sutton-at-Hone, and of London. They bore for their arms, Argent, a cross-croslet fitchee, sable, quartered with the arms of Conghurst, Azure, three congers heads, erased fessway, or. (fn. 6) Thomas Scot abovementioned, began to build this seat, but he died in 1533, and was buried in the Lady's chancel, in this church, leaving the finishing of it to Mildred his wife, after whose death their son George Scot Succeeded to it, and in his descendants it continued for some generations afterwards, till at length it was alienated to Weller, in which name it remained for some years, and till Capt. Weller, of Rolvenden, conveyed it by sale to Russell, of London, whose heirs sold it to Mr. John Piper, and he is the present owner of this antient seat, now occupied only as a farm-house.
There has not been any court held for this manor for many years.
A BRANCH of the family of Courthope lived at Nettershall, in the northern part of this parish. Henry Courthope, gent. died possessed of it in 1743, and lies buried in this church. By a female heir of this name this estate went in marriage to Charles Moore, esq. who gave it with one of his daughters to John Frost, esq. and he lately sold it to John Boddington, esq. since deceased, whose heirs are now entitled to it. The WOODGATES, lived at Henfill, of whom there are several tombstones remaining of them in the church-yard here. They bore for their arms, On a chevron, cotized, three trefoils slipt, between three squirrels, sejant. It was purchased of the Woodgates, by Richard Harcourt, esq. of Wigsell, and by Elizabeth, one of his daughters and coheirs, came to Wm. Boys, esq. the present possessor of it; and the Popes resided at Hockeridge. These Popes were a younger branch of those of Halden, and bore the same arms, Or, two chevrons, gules, on a canton, a mullet. It is now only a small farmhouse, though it gives name to one of the dennes of the manor of Glassenbury. It was lately the property of the Rev. Thomas Hooper, of Beckley, in Suffex, and now of Mr. William and Richard Foster. There was a branch of the family of Pix resident here a long while, who bore for their arms, Azure, a fess between three cross-croslets, fitchee, or; many of whom lie buried in this church; an elder branch to those of Crayford. They had formerly large possessions in this parish, and resided at a house called Pixes-hall, in Highgate. From this family this seat was purchased by John Russel, gent. whose only daughter and heir Mary carried it in marriage to John Knowler, esq. recorder of Canterbury, whose two daughters and coheirs, were married, Anne to Henry Penton, esq. and Mary to William, lord Digby, who in their wives right, became entitled to it. (fn. 7)
THE FAMILY OF BARRETT, from whom those of Belhouse, in Essex, descended, was possessed of lands in this parish, upon the denne of Cecele, by grant from Simon de Cecele and John Retford, anno 23 Edward III.
Charities.
HENRY PARSON and WILLIAM NELSON, by deed anno 22 Edward IV. conveyed to the use of this parish for ever, a messuage and an acre of land, adjoining to the church-yard, called the church house, the rent whereof is employed towards the reparation of the church.—Kilburne, in his Survey, p. 134, says, upon part of this land was erected an alms house, and another house, usually called the sexton's house, the same having been, from about the beginning of king James I.'s reign, used for the habitation of the sexton.
THOMAS IDDENDEN devised by will in 1556, several messuages and lands at or near Highstreet, in this parish, to be for ever employed for pious uses, and are now of about the annual value of 23l. 10s. being vested in the churchwardens and four other trustees, the produce of which is given away at Christmas yearly, in gift-money.
THOMAS GIBBON, by deed anno 15 Elizabeth, granted to trustees for ever, an annuity of 43s. 4d. per annum, out of his messuage and three pieces of land upon the denne of Amboldeshurft, containing seven acres; which annuity was purchased of him by the parishioners, to be employed towards the maintenance of the church.
SIR THOMAS DUNK, by will in 1718, gave the sum of 2000l. to be laid out in building and endowing a free school and six alms-houses at Highgate, for six decayed housekeepers, three men and three women; the schoolmaster to receive 16l. and the alms-people 6l. each per annum. The school and aims-houses were accordingly erected and endowed, by William Richards, esq. his executor; (the surplus of these sums, after the compleating of the buildings, being laid out in the purchase of a farm, now let at 70l. per annum); who, to make the building and endowment more complete, added to the 2000l. about 600l. of his own money, and further by his will ordered, that a further sum, not exceeding 250l. should be laid out in the purchase of lands, the income of which should be employed to augment the salary and pensions pavable to the master and alms-people. In pursuance of which bequest, George Dunk, earl of Halifax, who married Anne, only daughter and heir of William Richards, (as being the representative of the executor of Sir Thos. Dunk, as perpetual visitor) in 1753, in consideration of the said 250l. and 70l. raised from the sale of timber from Tilden, the estate settled before on this charity, conveyed to the trustees of it, and their successors for ever, being the minister of Hawkhurst, and ten others, a messuage and land lying near Fourtrows, in this parish and in Sandhurst, of the yearly rent of 17l by which means the salary of the scoolmaster was augmented to 20l. per annum, and the alms-people to that of 7l. per annum each.
WILLIAM BIRCHETT, of this parish, appears by his will, proved 1508, to have been a good benefactor, both to the poor and church of Hawkhurst.
The poor constantly relieved are about two hundred and fifty, casually fifty.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and dcanry of Charing.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Laurence, stands on the southern side of the village of Hawkhurst. It consists of three isles and three chancels, having a tower steeple, with a beacon turret, in which are six bells. It was founded by the abbot of Battel, in the reign of king Edward III. whose arms, as well as his son's, were in the windows of it; and the windows throughout it were filled with much curious painted glass, almost all which was demolished in the civil wars of the last century, and there are now hardly any figures left in the windows; there are two or three, much defaced, in two of them in the north isle, and two shields, one, quarterly, first and fourth, A sword, argent; second and third, A crown, or. The other, Fretty, azure, fleurs de lis, or. An account of the former state of them may be seen at large in Kilburne's state of this parish in his survey. The font seems very antient, and has four shields of arms; first, A cross; second, A saltier; third, A chevron; and the fourth is hid against the pillar.
In the church are many gravestones of the family of Boys, one of John Roberts, inlaid with brass, before the pulpit; of Thomas Iddenden, 1556; of Humphry Scot, and many others; and in the church yard several tomb-stones for the Bakers, Davis's, Woodgates, &c.
It was formerly esteemed a rectory, and the advowson of it was part of the possessions of the abbey before mentioned, the rector paying to the sacrist of it five shillings yearly, as an acknowledgment; in which state this church continued till the suppression of that abbey in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, who, within a few months afterwards in the same year, granted the patronage and presentation of it to Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, to hold in capite by knight's service, (fn. 8) and he sold it soon afterwards to Sir William Peke, who, in the 37th year of that reign reconveyed it to the king, who fettled this rectory or parsonage as an appropriation, by his dotation-charter in his 38th year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Christ-church, in Oxford, to take place after the death of Henry Simonds, then rector of it; ordering, nevertheless, by it, that they should present an able clerk to the ordinary, who should be named perpetual vicar of this church, and should bear all ordinary and extraordinary charges, except the reparation of the chancels, and that he should have a dwelling, and a yearly pension of 12l. 10s. 10d. and should pay the king yearly for his tenths 25s. 1d. and be charged with first fruits; but it does not appear that any act was done by the dean and chapter in consequence of this towards the endowment of a vicar at that time, and it has ever since been presented to by them as a donative, and served as a perpetual curacy. In which flate it continues at this time.
In the year 1534, during the time this church was a rectory, it was rated in the king's books at 36l. 13s. 4d. but since it has ceased to be so, no first fruits have been paid, and it has paid only 11s. 8d. as a stipendiary. The valuation of it in the king's books, made after the above-mentioned grant of the appropriation and advowson to Christ-church, Oxford, is, according to the provision made then by the king in it, for the support of a vicar, under the notion of which it is there rated at 12l. 10s. 10d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 5s.
After which the dean and chapter, anno 2 and 3 Philip and Mary, granted to Sir William Peter eight pounds per annum, to be paid out of the parsonage towards the support of the vicar or incumbent; and in the reign of James I. the stipendiary incumbent had of the dean and chapter a salary of twenty pounds per annum, the profits of the Easter book, then of some value, some rooms in the parsonage-house, called the vicarage-rooms, a small croft, called the vicaragecroft, and the herbage of the church-yard; all which together were of so inconsiderable a value, that upon this living being sequestered about 1642, no one could be sound who would serve it, but the place was destitute of a pastor for more than fourteen months; after which the parishioners were obliged to provide a minister themselves, which not being able to bear, the charge of an augmentation was procured from the state, which in a few years afterwards was likewise taken away, and the former allowance only left to the minister; which, by reason of the Easter book becoming of no value, was in 1659, at the most, but twenty four pounds per annum.
This slender income of the incumbent, induced Sir Thomas Dunk, an inhabitant of this parish, to make an addition to it; which he did by his will in 1718, by which he gave 200l. to be employed with the like sum of queen Anne's bounty in the purchase of lands, in see simple, to the augmentation of the living of the minister of this parish, and his successors for ever; with which sums, land lying near Seacocks-heath, of about twenty pounds per annum value, was purchased, situated in Pepper mill-lane, and at Delminden-green. And it was again augmented in 1767, by 200l. of queen Anne's bounty; to which was added 200l. more paid by Sir Philip Boteler, bart. from Mrs. Taylor's legacy, and fifty pounds given by the dean and chapter of Christ-church, Oxford; which sums, amounting to 450l. were lately laid out in the purchase of a small farm, called Roughlands, lying near the church. So that the profits of it, at the time of this donation, amounting, according to a recent certified valuation, to 27l. 2s. 6d. (which arose from the pension of twenty pounds payable by the lessee out of the parsonage and surplice-fees, the minister having no right to any tithes whatever) are now almost double to what it was heretosore, but they are yet by no means adequate to so laborious a cure of souls.
In 1578 here were communicants six hundred and eighty; in 1640 fourteen hundred.
¶The parsonage is held by lease from the dean and chapter of Christ-church, in Oxford, by Mr. Braborne. There was a suit between Sir John Wildegos, lessee of the parsonage, and John Gibbon, parishioner here, in the ecclesiastical court, touching the manner of tithing; and Gibbon, in Michaelmas term, anno 5 Jacobi regis, obtained a prohibition thereon out of the king's bench, which was tried at Lent assizes at Rochester that year, and a verdict was found for Gibbon, and in Easter term following judgment was given accordingly in Banco Regis; and the suggestion and depositions are entered Trin. 4 Jac. Regis. Rot. 692.
Always a risk, to visit a church in west Kent, on the hope it might be open.
I made a list of "most wanted" for Heritage Weened, and it stands at 33 churches, so I had to try another weekend to get the list down.
Hawkhurst was a busy town when we passed through, taken ten minutes to get past the traffic lights at the crossroads in the centre of town. We passed at least two other churches, one was surrounded by fencing and windows boarded up, the other, its tower covered in scaffolding.
So, it was a relief to arrive at St Laurence and find it in its peaceful setting, sat on a wide, lazy bend in what is now a b road.
Two ladies were talking at the churchyard gate, and when I approached one asked: "Are you a Whovian"?
Should I be?
Lots come here, an episode was shot here.
Oh.
No, I have come for the church, is it open?
Oh, let me take you inside!
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An impressive church set at `The Moor` to the south of its village. Approached from the north the façade is dominated by the two-storey porch, the parvise staircase of which is seen inside. The large nave, with four bay arcades to north and south, is very light due to the fact that most of the old glass was lost in the war. This does not, however, mean that there is no glass - in fact there is a veritable tableau of styles and subjects. Most impressive are those to early saints along the north wall, and one in the chapel depicting King Edward III who introduced the woollen industry to this part of Kent thus ensuring its later wealth. There is a fine 1957 Royal Arms of Queen Elizabeth II. Dominating the west end of the church is a huge Font Cover designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, whilst the font itself has some fine carving including a Green Man. High in the west wall is a hagioscope which allowed the Sanctus bell to be rung during medieval Mass. By the chancel arch is a modern sculpture of Our Lady and Child by Mary Cox. This is a memorial to Sir John Herschel the well-known astronomer (1792-1871). Lady Herschel is buried in the churchyard.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hawkhurst+1
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HAWKHURST
LIES the next parish southward from Cranbrooke. A small part on the southern side of it, called Haselden, consisting of two houses, and a small quantity of land to each, is in the hundred of Shoyswell, and county of Sussex, and the residue of it is in the county of Kent. So much of it as in the borough of Hawkhurst, alias South Borough, or in the North Borough, is in the hundred of Great Barnefield. So much of it as in the East Borough, is in the hundred of Sel brittenden; and the residue in the borough of Crothall, being a very small part of it, is in the hundred of Cranbrooke.
The borough of Hawkhurst above-mentioned, has a court leet of itself, where the borsholder of that borough is chosen; and the inhabitants of it owe no service to the court leet holden for the hundred of Great Barnefield: but at that court an inhabitant of this borough may be chosen constable of that hundred; the liberty of Wye claims over this borough. It is in the division of West Kent.
THE MANOR OF SLIPMILL, alias MOREHOUSE, which includes the denne of Hawkhurst, was antiently esteemed as one of the appendages belonging to the royal manor of Wye, the liberty of which extends over the greatest part of this parish, and passed as such with that manor, in the gift made of it by William the Conqueror, to the abbey of Battel, at the first foundation of it in the year 1067. (fn. 1)
In the reign of king John, Odo, abbot, and the convent of Battel, granted by charter, to which there is no date, to the owners of the lands in this parish, within the liberty of their manor of Wye, by the name of his men of Hawkhurst, the ville of Hawkhurst, at a certain rent in money, hens, and eggs. And afterwards the abbot and convent, anno 14 Edward I. granted to them, by the name of their tenants of Hawkhurst, all the tenements there which they held of his fee, in certain dennes therein mentioned, to hold at a yearly rent, reserving suit to their court of Wye, from three weeks to three weeks, by two men only.
King Edward II. in his 5th year, granted to the abbot and convent, a market to be held here weekly on a Wednesday, and a yearly fair for three days, on the vigil, the day, and the day after the feast of St. Laurence.
In which state this manor continued till the suppression of this abbey in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when it came, with the manor of Wye, into the hands of the crown, whence the royalty, with the quit-rents at Hawkhurst appendant to that manor, which still continued there, was granted, by the name of the manor of Morehouse, with its appurtenances, anno 33 Henry VIII. to Sir John Baker, of Sissinghurst, to hold in capite by knight's service. His descendant Sir Henry Baker, knight and baronet, anno 17 king James I. Conveyed his interest in it to Henry Carey, lord Hunsdon, lord of the manor of Wye, which had been granted to his grandfather of the same name, by queen Elizabeth, in her third year. He was afterwards created viscount Rochford, and earl of Dover; soon after which he sold both the manor of Wye, and this of the denne of Hawkhurst, alias Morehouse; with their appurtenances, to Sir Thomas Finch, knight and baronet, of Eastwell, who, on the death of his mother in 1633, succeeded to the titles of viscount Maidstone and earl of Winchelsea. In his descendants these manors continued down to Daniel, earl of Winchelsea and Nottingham, who died in 1769, without issue male, and by his will devised them, among the rest of his estates in this county, to his nephew George Finch Hatton, esq. now of Eastwell, the present possessor of them.
At the court baron held for this manor, now stiled Slipmill, otherwise Morehouse, the alterations of tenancies, and the apportioning of the rents formerly paid to the abbey, and now to the proprietors of Wye manor, are presented; two beadles are elected, to gather the rents; and a reeve is likewise chosen. All which privileges are in consequence of the grant of the 14th of Edward I. above-mentioned.
THE WHOLE PARISH of Hawkhurst is situated exceedingly pleasant and healthy. It is in length from north to south about four miles, and in breadth three, from east to west. It is well watered by several streams, the southernmost and largest of which, called here Kent dyke, and the stream itself the river Kent, or Kennet, runs into the river Rother just below Sandhurst, separating this parish from that of Salehurst, and the counties of Kent and Sussex.
This parish, till about the time of king Charles I. was divided from Salehurst, in Sussex, by a bridge, called Kent-bridge, under which this river then ran about six rods at the narrow entering into the way beyond the present bridge; which old bridge being taken away, and the river being turned to run under the present one, the broad place between this last and the narrow place, is now accounted to be in Salehurst, in Sussex, but is really in Hawkhurst, in Kent.
The market, granted as above-mentioned, anno 5 Edward II. has been long since disused; it was formerly kept upon the green at the moor, opposite the seat of Elfords, where a market-cross once stood, and near it was a small house, called St. Margaret's cross, long since demolished, in which the corn unsold was put; and this place is yet called the marketplace. But the fair is still held yearly, near the church, on the day of St. Laurence, August 10, and the day following, for cattle and pedlary ware. There was formerly another fair kept in this parish on St. Valentine's day, Feb. 14, in the field at the next gate beyond Moor-house, at a place where once stood a pound; but it has been a long while discontinued.
In the hedge of Beaconfield, near Beacon-land, leading between Fourtrowes and Foxhole, stood a beacon and watch-house, long since taken down.
There is hardly any wood in this parish, excepting in the western part, adjoining to Goudhurst, which is entirely covered with part of the Fryth woods; the soil is in general clay, abounding with marle, and in the northern part there is much sand; though few parishes have a greater diversity of soil. It is still very populous, the present in habitants being computed to be about 1500, and formerly, whilst the cloathing manufacture flourished in this and the neighbouring parishes, was much more so. There is not one clothier left here now; but there is a worsted-marker, who constantly employs one hundred people in spinning.
There are two principal villages, one called Highgate, built on high ground on each side the great road leading from Lamberhurst and Stonecrouch through this parish southeastward to Newenden and the country of Sussex, which road is joined here by another principal one from Maidstone through Staplehurst and Cranbrooke hither. On the north side of this village are situated the school and alms-houses, founded by the will of Sir Thomas Dunk, as will be mentioned hereafter. The other village, which is the more antient one, stands about half a mile southward of the other, on another hill of equal height, having a deep valley between, most of which is a kind of heath or common, interspersed, the greatest part of it, with cotages and gardens to them, which makes a pleasing picturesque view from every part of both. In this latter village stand the church, and the minister's house, and at a very small distance eastward of the church, is the antient family seat, surrounded with pleasuregrounds, called ELFORDS, which once belonged to a family named Castleman, one of whom, Walter Castleman, anno 34 Henry VI. sold it to William Conghurst, one of whose descendants passed it away to Roberts, and John Roberts died possessed of it in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, and lies buried in this church. His son Edmund Roberts alienated it, in the 12th year of that reign, to Richard Boys, gent. who resided here, and died possessed of it in 1605. He lies buried in this church, as do most of his descendants, in whom, resident here, this seat continued down to Samuel Boys, esq. of Elfords, who died in 1772, leaving two sons, Samuel, now of Hawkhurst, esq. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Gatland; esq. of Sussex, by whom he had one daughter Elizabeth, and William, who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Richard Harcourt, esq. of Wigsell. Samuel Boys, esq. the eldest son, succeeded his father in this seat, and kept his shrievalty here in 1782, and is the present possessor of it. He bears for his arms, Or, a griffin, segreant, sable, but it appears by their gravestones, that they bore it within a bordure, being the same coat as that borne by the family of this name in East Kent; though I cannot make out any connexion between them.
AT A SMALL DISTANCE further southward is LILSDEN, which at least as early as the reign of queen Elizabeth, was the property of the Chittendens, eminent clothiers here, in which name it continued down to John Chittenden, gent. in which name it still continues.
On the great road from Lamberhurst above-mentioned, and at the western extremity of this parish, is Siccoks, commonly called Seacocks-heath. On this heath, but in the parish of Etchingham, in Sussex, is a seat lately belonging to the Rev. Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, and on the same road, a Small distance eastward, is a good house, which was formerly the property of Mr. James Pott, who in 1681 alienated it to Redford, in whose descendants it has continued down to Thomas Redford, esq. who now resides in it; and at much the same distance still further eastward, is a seat belonging to the Bakers. George Baker died possessed of it in 1740, and his son John Baker, esq. receiver-general for the county of Kent, rebuilt it, and gave it the name of Hawkhurst-lodge. He died unmarried, and by his last will devised it to his brother Mr. Geo. Baker, surgeon, of Canterbury, descended of ancestors who bore for their arms, Argent, three keys, a castle triple towered, sable. Several of whom lie buried in the church-yard here. He was succeeded in his estate here by John Baker, esq. of St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, who married one of the daughters of the Rev. Mr. Tattersal, of Stretham, in Surry, and he is the present owner of it.
At a Small distance still further eastward is the village of Highgate, in which is Hawkhurst-place, formerly a seat of good account, though now only a farm-house. It has been for many years the property of the Peckhams, of Eridge, in Suffex, and now belongs to Henry Peckham, esq. and on the north side of the road is a mansion called FOWLERS, which is particularly deserving notice, as having been the property and residence of Richard Kilburne, esq. author of the survey of this county, published in 1659. He was a man of some eminence in his prosession as a lawyer, having been five times principal of Staples-inn, and of as worthy a character, both as a magistrate and an historian. He died in 1678, and lies buried in the north chancel of this church. The Kilburnes originally were of Kilburne, in Yorkshire, whence they came into Cambridgeshire and Effex. Richard Kilburne above-mentioned, was the youngest son of Isaac Kilburne, of London, third son of John Kilburne, of Saffron Walden, in Effex. They bore for their arms, Argent, a chevron, azure, between three hald cootes, proper. (fn. 2) Richard Kilburne, esq. left an only daughter and heir Anne, who entitled her husband Thomas Brewer, esq. of West Farleigh, whose second wife she was, to the possession of it. He had by her two sons John and Philip, and a daughter married to Davis. John, the eldest, succeeded him at West Farleigh; and Philip, the youngest, had this seat at Hawkhurst; but he died by a fall from his horse, unmarried, in 1721, upon which it came to his eldest brother John, of West Farleigh, who died in 1724, leaving an only daughter Jane, who surviving both her husbands, died s.p. in 1762, and by her will devised this seat, among the rest of her estates, to her kinsman John Davis, D. D. son of Davis abovementioned, who died possessed of it in 1766, and was succeeded in it by his only son Sir John Brewer Davis, knt. the present proprietor of it. (fn. 3)
NEAR the east end of Highgate, a little to the north of the high road, lies a seat called Tongs, which was formerly the seat of the Dunks, who were great clotheirs here. Simon Donke died possessed of it in 1512, anno 4 Henry VIII. as did his descendant Thomas Duncke in 1617, and from him this seat continued down to Sir Thomas Dunk, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1718, was buried in the middle isle of this church, (fn. 4) and by his will gave it to William Richards, gent. who died possessed of it in 1733, leaving by Anne his wife, daughter of Mr. John Davis, gent. of this parish, one only daughter and heir Anne, who carried it in marriage to George Montague Dunk, earl of Halifax, who, reserving the see of the mansion itself only, passed the possession of it away by lease for one thousand years, at the yearly rent of sixpence, with the see simple of the offices, as well as of the lands belonging to it, to Mr. Jeremiah Curteis, of Rye, and he soon afterwards conveyed his interest in it to William Jenkin, esq. who resided here, and died in 1784; since which it has been sold by his executor to David Langton, esq. the present owner of it.
About three quarters of a mile northward from Tongs, lies WOODSDEN, formerly the property of the Springetts, one of whom, Robert Springett, died possessed of it in 1619, and they continued here down to John Springett, who died in 1733; (fn. 5) and his son alienated it to the Norris's, of Hemsted, in Benenden, from whom it passed in like manner as that seat to Thomas Hallet Hodges, esq. the present owner of it.
CONGHURST is a manor in the southern part of this parish, next to Sandhurst, into which parish likewise it extends, which once was the property and residence of a family of the same name, whose still more antient seat, now called Old Conghurst, the moat and scite of which are still visible, was at no great distance from it, nearer to the county of Sussex, which being burnt by the Danes, they erected a mansion here, where they afterwards resided. But in the reign of king Henry VIII. Mildred, daughter and coheir of George Conghurst, esq. of Conghurst, carried this seat in marriage to Thomas Scot, who was descended from John Scot, of Halden, in the reign of Henry VI. His grandson, Henry Scot, of Halden, left two sons, Henry, the eldest, was of Halden, and ancestor of the Scots, of that place, of the parish of Hayes, and of Langley, in Beckenham; and Thomas, the second son, married the coheir of Conghurst, and had two sons. From the eldest, George, descended the Scots, of Conghurst; and from Thomas, the youngest, those of Sutton-at-Hone, and of London. They bore for their arms, Argent, a cross-croslet fitchee, sable, quartered with the arms of Conghurst, Azure, three congers heads, erased fessway, or. (fn. 6) Thomas Scot abovementioned, began to build this seat, but he died in 1533, and was buried in the Lady's chancel, in this church, leaving the finishing of it to Mildred his wife, after whose death their son George Scot Succeeded to it, and in his descendants it continued for some generations afterwards, till at length it was alienated to Weller, in which name it remained for some years, and till Capt. Weller, of Rolvenden, conveyed it by sale to Russell, of London, whose heirs sold it to Mr. John Piper, and he is the present owner of this antient seat, now occupied only as a farm-house.
There has not been any court held for this manor for many years.
A BRANCH of the family of Courthope lived at Nettershall, in the northern part of this parish. Henry Courthope, gent. died possessed of it in 1743, and lies buried in this church. By a female heir of this name this estate went in marriage to Charles Moore, esq. who gave it with one of his daughters to John Frost, esq. and he lately sold it to John Boddington, esq. since deceased, whose heirs are now entitled to it. The WOODGATES, lived at Henfill, of whom there are several tombstones remaining of them in the church-yard here. They bore for their arms, On a chevron, cotized, three trefoils slipt, between three squirrels, sejant. It was purchased of the Woodgates, by Richard Harcourt, esq. of Wigsell, and by Elizabeth, one of his daughters and coheirs, came to Wm. Boys, esq. the present possessor of it; and the Popes resided at Hockeridge. These Popes were a younger branch of those of Halden, and bore the same arms, Or, two chevrons, gules, on a canton, a mullet. It is now only a small farmhouse, though it gives name to one of the dennes of the manor of Glassenbury. It was lately the property of the Rev. Thomas Hooper, of Beckley, in Suffex, and now of Mr. William and Richard Foster. There was a branch of the family of Pix resident here a long while, who bore for their arms, Azure, a fess between three cross-croslets, fitchee, or; many of whom lie buried in this church; an elder branch to those of Crayford. They had formerly large possessions in this parish, and resided at a house called Pixes-hall, in Highgate. From this family this seat was purchased by John Russel, gent. whose only daughter and heir Mary carried it in marriage to John Knowler, esq. recorder of Canterbury, whose two daughters and coheirs, were married, Anne to Henry Penton, esq. and Mary to William, lord Digby, who in their wives right, became entitled to it. (fn. 7)
THE FAMILY OF BARRETT, from whom those of Belhouse, in Essex, descended, was possessed of lands in this parish, upon the denne of Cecele, by grant from Simon de Cecele and John Retford, anno 23 Edward III.
Charities.
HENRY PARSON and WILLIAM NELSON, by deed anno 22 Edward IV. conveyed to the use of this parish for ever, a messuage and an acre of land, adjoining to the church-yard, called the church house, the rent whereof is employed towards the reparation of the church.—Kilburne, in his Survey, p. 134, says, upon part of this land was erected an alms house, and another house, usually called the sexton's house, the same having been, from about the beginning of king James I.'s reign, used for the habitation of the sexton.
THOMAS IDDENDEN devised by will in 1556, several messuages and lands at or near Highstreet, in this parish, to be for ever employed for pious uses, and are now of about the annual value of 23l. 10s. being vested in the churchwardens and four other trustees, the produce of which is given away at Christmas yearly, in gift-money.
THOMAS GIBBON, by deed anno 15 Elizabeth, granted to trustees for ever, an annuity of 43s. 4d. per annum, out of his messuage and three pieces of land upon the denne of Amboldeshurft, containing seven acres; which annuity was purchased of him by the parishioners, to be employed towards the maintenance of the church.
SIR THOMAS DUNK, by will in 1718, gave the sum of 2000l. to be laid out in building and endowing a free school and six alms-houses at Highgate, for six decayed housekeepers, three men and three women; the schoolmaster to receive 16l. and the alms-people 6l. each per annum. The school and aims-houses were accordingly erected and endowed, by William Richards, esq. his executor; (the surplus of these sums, after the compleating of the buildings, being laid out in the purchase of a farm, now let at 70l. per annum); who, to make the building and endowment more complete, added to the 2000l. about 600l. of his own money, and further by his will ordered, that a further sum, not exceeding 250l. should be laid out in the purchase of lands, the income of which should be employed to augment the salary and pensions pavable to the master and alms-people. In pursuance of which bequest, George Dunk, earl of Halifax, who married Anne, only daughter and heir of William Richards, (as being the representative of the executor of Sir Thos. Dunk, as perpetual visitor) in 1753, in consideration of the said 250l. and 70l. raised from the sale of timber from Tilden, the estate settled before on this charity, conveyed to the trustees of it, and their successors for ever, being the minister of Hawkhurst, and ten others, a messuage and land lying near Fourtrows, in this parish and in Sandhurst, of the yearly rent of 17l by which means the salary of the scoolmaster was augmented to 20l. per annum, and the alms-people to that of 7l. per annum each.
WILLIAM BIRCHETT, of this parish, appears by his will, proved 1508, to have been a good benefactor, both to the poor and church of Hawkhurst.
The poor constantly relieved are about two hundred and fifty, casually fifty.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDiction of the diocese of Canterbury, and dcanry of Charing.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Laurence, stands on the southern side of the village of Hawkhurst. It consists of three isles and three chancels, having a tower steeple, with a beacon turret, in which are six bells. It was founded by the abbot of Battel, in the reign of king Edward III. whose arms, as well as his son's, were in the windows of it; and the windows throughout it were filled with much curious painted glass, almost all which was demolished in the civil wars of the last century, and there are now hardly any figures left in the windows; there are two or three, much defaced, in two of them in the north isle, and two shields, one, quarterly, first and fourth, A sword, argent; second and third, A crown, or. The other, Fretty, azure, fleurs de lis, or. An account of the former state of them may be seen at large in Kilburne's state of this parish in his survey. The font seems very antient, and has four shields of arms; first, A cross; second, A saltier; third, A chevron; and the fourth is hid against the pillar.
In the church are many gravestones of the family of Boys, one of John Roberts, inlaid with brass, before the pulpit; of Thomas Iddenden, 1556; of Humphry Scot, and many others; and in the church yard several tomb-stones for the Bakers, Davis's, Woodgates, &c.
It was formerly esteemed a rectory, and the advowson of it was part of the possessions of the abbey before mentioned, the rector paying to the sacrist of it five shillings yearly, as an acknowledgment; in which state this church continued till the suppression of that abbey in the 30th year of Henry VIII. when it came into the king's hands, who, within a few months afterwards in the same year, granted the patronage and presentation of it to Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, to hold in capite by knight's service, (fn. 8) and he sold it soon afterwards to Sir William Peke, who, in the 37th year of that reign reconveyed it to the king, who fettled this rectory or parsonage as an appropriation, by his dotation-charter in his 38th year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Christ-church, in Oxford, to take place after the death of Henry Simonds, then rector of it; ordering, nevertheless, by it, that they should present an able clerk to the ordinary, who should be named perpetual vicar of this church, and should bear all ordinary and extraordinary charges, except the reparation of the chancels, and that he should have a dwelling, and a yearly pension of 12l. 10s. 10d. and should pay the king yearly for his tenths 25s. 1d. and be charged with first fruits; but it does not appear that any act was done by the dean and chapter in consequence of this towards the endowment of a vicar at that time, and it has ever since been presented to by them as a donative, and served as a perpetual curacy. In which flate it continues at this time.
In the year 1534, during the time this church was a rectory, it was rated in the king's books at 36l. 13s. 4d. but since it has ceased to be so, no first fruits have been paid, and it has paid only 11s. 8d. as a stipendiary. The valuation of it in the king's books, made after the above-mentioned grant of the appropriation and advowson to Christ-church, Oxford, is, according to the provision made then by the king in it, for the support of a vicar, under the notion of which it is there rated at 12l. 10s. 10d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 5s.
After which the dean and chapter, anno 2 and 3 Philip and Mary, granted to Sir William Peter eight pounds per annum, to be paid out of the parsonage towards the support of the vicar or incumbent; and in the reign of James I. the stipendiary incumbent had of the dean and chapter a salary of twenty pounds per annum, the profits of the Easter book, then of some value, some rooms in the parsonage-house, called the vicarage-rooms, a small croft, called the vicaragecroft, and the herbage of the church-yard; all which together were of so inconsiderable a value, that upon this living being sequestered about 1642, no one could be sound who would serve it, but the place was destitute of a pastor for more than fourteen months; after which the parishioners were obliged to provide a minister themselves, which not being able to bear, the charge of an augmentation was procured from the state, which in a few years afterwards was likewise taken away, and the former allowance only left to the minister; which, by reason of the Easter book becoming of no value, was in 1659, at the most, but twenty four pounds per annum.
This slender income of the incumbent, induced Sir Thomas Dunk, an inhabitant of this parish, to make an addition to it; which he did by his will in 1718, by which he gave 200l. to be employed with the like sum of queen Anne's bounty in the purchase of lands, in see simple, to the augmentation of the living of the minister of this parish, and his successors for ever; with which sums, land lying near Seacocks-heath, of about twenty pounds per annum value, was purchased, situated in Pepper mill-lane, and at Delminden-green. And it was again augmented in 1767, by 200l. of queen Anne's bounty; to which was added 200l. more paid by Sir Philip Boteler, bart. from Mrs. Taylor's legacy, and fifty pounds given by the dean and chapter of Christ-church, Oxford; which sums, amounting to 450l. were lately laid out in the purchase of a small farm, called Roughlands, lying near the church. So that the profits of it, at the time of this donation, amounting, according to a recent certified valuation, to 27l. 2s. 6d. (which arose from the pension of twenty pounds payable by the lessee out of the parsonage and surplice-fees, the minister having no right to any tithes whatever) are now almost double to what it was heretosore, but they are yet by no means adequate to so laborious a cure of souls.
In 1578 here were communicants six hundred and eighty; in 1640 fourteen hundred.
¶The parsonage is held by lease from the dean and chapter of Christ-church, in Oxford, by Mr. Braborne. There was a suit between Sir John Wildegos, lessee of the parsonage, and John Gibbon, parishioner here, in the ecclesiastical court, touching the manner of tithing; and Gibbon, in Michaelmas term, anno 5 Jacobi regis, obtained a prohibition thereon out of the king's bench, which was tried at Lent assizes at Rochester that year, and a verdict was found for Gibbon, and in Easter term following judgment was given accordingly in Banco Regis; and the suggestion and depositions are entered Trin. 4 Jac. Regis. Rot. 692.
Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City, New York
Summary
The Theodore F. and Elizabeth J. De Hart House, built ca. 1850, is a rare survivor of early Tottenville, an important 19th-century town on Staten Island’s South Shore. This vernacular clapboard cottage merges older local building traditions with newer Greek and Gothic Revival modes. Its doorway is an excellent example of the Greek Revival style, while the curvilinear bargeboards are expressions of the Gothic Revival. The richly ornamented 1870s front porch (which probably replaced an earlier porch) features articulated carved posts, cutwork spandrels and an exuberant railing. The entire house is substantially intact. Sharing architectural forms with other Tottenville houses, this is one of the best-preserved houses representing South Shore Staten Island’s early building traditions.
Through its succession of owners, the house has close ties to the oyster business which created the town of Tottenville. It was built as an investment on the newly laid-out Totten Street (later called Main Street) by Henry Butler, of a Tottenville family whose ferrymen and millers went back several generations. Three years later it was owned by William H. B. Totten, a grocer, and four years after that by Joseph W. Totten, a partner in an oyster-opening firm. Theodore F. De Hart, an oyster planter, was the owner of longest duration, from 1874 to 1913. 134 Main Street is one of the two oldest houses on this important Tottenville street.
DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS
Tottenville
Tottenville is located on the shore of the Arthur Kill near Ward’s Point, the southwestern tip of Staten Island and the southernmost point in New York City and New York State. Far from the urban culture of Manhattan, Tottenville remains a small isolated village. Across the Arthur Kill lies the city of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. South of Ward’s Point is the Raritan Bay. The village of Tottenville came into being around 1840. Its economy and culture arose from oyster fishing, shipbuilding and ship repair, and agriculture. Its trade routes with New Jersey and New York City linked it to the metropolitan region and the greater world. It became the largest town in Westfield, the historic name for this quarter of Staten Island. Even today, though encroached upon by modern suburban culture, the feeling of a small coastal town prevails with characteristics unlike any other place on Staten Island. Tottenville residents prize their isolated location.
Before There Was Tottenville
Long before Europeans arrived in the New World, Native Americans of the Lenni Lenape group of the Delaware Nation were attracted to the beauty of the elevated shoreline and the abundance of oysters growing in the Arthur Kill and Raritan Bay. Major archaeological evidence of their encampments and burial grounds has been found on Ward’s Point. By 1670 the Lenape had sold their land to European colonists and had departed from Staten Island.
Christopher Billopp, an Englishman, was the first European to settle in the area. He arrived in New York harbor with Major Edmund Andros in 1674. Andros became the Royal Governor of New York and Billopp, an officer in the British navy, was commissioned Lieutenant. In 1677 Billopp laid claim to 932 acres on Staten Island, soon thereafter building an imposing two-story stone house on the shore overlooking Perth Amboy. In 1687 he was given a royal charter for 1600 acres (including the original 932 acres) and made Lord of the Manor of Bentley. The manor would include today’s Tottenville, Richmond Valley, Pleasant Plains and part of Prince’s Bay. Although Billopp stayed on Staten Island only intermittently, his wife apparently lived in the manor house and his land was improved for farming. His grandson Thomas Farmar, who changed his surname to Billopp, inherited the manor in 1732 and lived there full time. Thomas’s son Christopher Billopp (1732-1827) lived in the stone house through much of the American Revolution (known as Conference House, a designated New York City landmark). During his ownership the house was plundered both by Hessian soldiers and American patriots and Christopher sought refuge in his father-in-law’s house nearby. The Billopp House was the meeting place for the Peace Conference held on Sept. 11, 1776. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge met with Lord Howe. The conference was unsuccessful and the war continued. In 1782, Christopher Billopp began to sell portions of the manor. Among the buyers were members of the Totten family. In 1783 Billopp left Staten Island. Sixty years later, this area would become the village of Tottenville.
The Totten Family
John Totten (d. 1785), a weaver, was probably the first Totten to settle on Staten Island. In 1767 he purchased land on Prince’s Bay from the executors of Thomas Billopp. Local historians Charles Leng and William T. Davis say that he was an Englishman, who came to Staten Island from Westchester County.
Gilbert Totten (ca. 1740-1819), John Totten’s son, purchased four parcels in what would become Tottenville. Gilbert was a farmer and according to the 1790 census owned five slaves. Gilbert and Mary Butler Totten, his wife, were among the founders of the Woodrow Methodist Church, the mother church of Methodism on Staten Island. Impressive Greek Revival obelisks mark their graves in the church’s cemetery. In the 1850s two of their great-grandsons resided at different times on Totten Street (later called Main Street) in the small clapboard house that is today’s 134 Main Street.
Tottenville, the Town the Oyster Built
Gilbert Totten’s original farm was near Dissosway’s mill in the northeastern part of what would become Tottenville. Gilbert and Mary were the parents of eight children. One of their sons, John Totten, Sr. (1771-1846), who married Anne (Nancy) Cole (1773-1840), had 12 children, five of whom can be documented as significant to Tottenville’s history. They are James Totten (1797-1879), blacksmith; John Totten, Jr. (1801-1872), oysterman; Abraham C. Totten (1804-1877), “mariner”; Ephraim J. Totten (1806-1891), sea captain and merchant; and William Totten (b.1813), dock and shipyard superintendent. These vocations indicate the family’s affiliation with the oyster fishing and maritime trades.
According to one local historian, the name Tottenville may have been in use as early as 1832. The Bethel Methodist Church was built in 1841 on Amboy Road on land given by John Totten, Sr. The church was a social as well as a religious center for Tottenville. In 1852 one of their famous oyster suppers netted $275.10. The first printed reference to the name “Tottenville” is found on Butler’s Map of 1853. This map shows an unnamed Main Street with about 20 houses leading to “Totten’s Landing” on the Arthur Kill. The landing became the terminus for the ferry to Perth Amboy, superseding Billopp’s Landing at the foot of Amboy Road. By the 1870s Main Street had become the locale for homes of the elite. Oysterman John Totten, Jr. and sea captain-merchant Ephraim J. Totten lived there.
The oystermen needed ship repair facilities and the first facility, superintended by William Totten, was built at the foot of Main Street alongside Totten’s Landing. Many additional ship repair facilities would be established in the following decades. Shipbuilding was underway by 1847, with the construction of the Rutan family shipyard near the foot of Amboy Road. In 1860 Tottenville became the terminus of the Staten Island Railroad, which afforded access for commuters to Staten Island’s North Shore and Manhattan. For many decades the Staten Island Railroad operated the ferryboat Maid of Perth to Perth Amboy. Several hotels-boarding houses were located on Main Street near Totten’s Landing.
By the 1880s Tottenville had entered the golden age of oyster fishing, as the 1886 Picturesque Staten Island and Illustrated Sketch Book of Staten Island indicate:
To arrive in Tottenville is to become sensible of the importance of the oyster. Anchored out in the Kill; made fast to the little wharves; under sail in the offing, white-hulled oyster sloops meet the eye on every side. Below the bluffs, the beach is lined with oyster floats, upon which the bivalves in the fall are taken to the fresher waters of New Jersey rivers to be fattened for the market; oyster shells are everywhere. The largest and most comfortable houses in and about the village, we are told, belong to oystermen, active and retired, whose modest fortunes have been raked from the great oyster-beds covering the bottom of the Lower Bay from Staten Island to Keyport. .... Here the oyster is king.
Comfortable, tidy and sometimes elegant cottages and residences appear on every street of this thriving village. .... It is a pretty little town, and no one can help but be favorably impressed with its appearance; the location is high and dry; the streets which are regularly laid out and well kept, run on a gentle slope to the water. It has also the reputation of being healthful and salubrious.
Ship repair and shipbuilding companies flourished into the 20th century. A major new industry, Atlantic Terracotta, opened its factory in 1897. By 1906 it employed over 450 men. The Tottenville Copper Company was also established during this period, later becoming the Nassau Smelting Company.
The closing of the Raritan Bay oyster beds in 1925 marked the end of an era. Oyster beds were declared unsafe due to water pollution. About 1915 “authorities found that some shipments from the bay were making people as far away as Chicago sick with typhoid fever and intestinal diseases.... New York dealers became reluctant to purchase oysters from the bay. The industry declined, and finally in 1925 oyster planters abandoned the bay amid much negative newspaper publicity about polluted oysters being sold.”
The rise of the automobile brought suburban life and more change. The Outerbridge Crossing opened in 1928. The opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964 and the construction of interstate highways on Staten Island fostered rapid population growth on the South Shore. Tottenville has been discovered by upwardly mobile homeowners seeking a suburban retreat.
Early Owners of 134 Main Street
Henry Butler (1821-1899) built the house at 134 Main Street after he acquired the lot from John Totten, Jr., for $250 on October 11, 1849. This may be one of the first houses on the street. Butler may have been related to the Totten family through Mary Butler Totten, wife of Gilbert Totten. Isaac Butler, of an earlier generation than Henry Butler, operated the Perth Amboy ferry from 1788 to 1828. After 1803 the Butler family acquired Dissosway’s mill. The “J. J. Butler Store” appears on Main Street on Dripps’ Map of 1850. Henry Butler is listed in the Richmond County Census of Westfield for 1855 and other years, but his vocation is not given.
Dripps’ Map of 1850 shows “J. Fischer” residing in the house. The 1855 Census lists James W. Fisher, aged 30, “oysterman.” Apparently Henry Butler built the house as an investment and rented it to Fischer. Butler sold the house four years after purchasing the lot.
William H. B. Totten (b. ca. 1831) purchased the house on Nov. 28, 1853. The 1855 Census lists him as merchant, residing in a brick house valued at $3,000 and probably did not live in the 134 Main Street house. It appears that he invested in Tottenville real estate over many years. On Beers’ Atlas of 1887 “W. H. B. Totten” appears beside two Main Street buildings at the corner of Washington Street, which appear to be commercial buildings. In the 1898 atlas he owns these buildings as well as a residence on Broadway nearby and four identical houses around the corner on Butler Avenue. The 1917 atlas shows him also owning waterfront property at the foot of Butler Avenue. At some point William H. B. Totten moved to Manhattan and became a grocer, then a commission merchant and later president of the Irving Savings Bank. His wife was Mary L. Totten. He owned the house for only two and one-half years before selling it to his cousin, Joseph W. Totten.
On March 25, 1856, Joseph W. Totten (1832?-1858) purchased the house for $1,400 from W. H. B. Totten. Joseph was the son of John Totten, Jr. and Elizabeth Butler Totten. According to the 1855 Census, he was a partner in an oyster-opening firm that produced 12,000 gallons annually and employed 15 persons. He owned the house for less than three years.
On Dec. 16, 1858, the house was sold for $1200 to Mary L. Totten, wife of W. H. B. Totten, the earlier owner. In less than one year she sold the house to Cornelius Dissosway.
Cornelius Dissosway (1833-1902) purchased the house for $1,500 on Nov. 28, 1859. He was a ship captain, according to local historian B. J. Joline. He is listed, but without his vocation being given, in the 1865 Census for Westfield, with the value of his house given as $1800. His wife was Mary J. Dissosway. He was a board member of the Woodrow Methodist Church. Beers’ Atlas of 1874 reads “Capt. C. Dissosway” beside a house three doors south of 134 Main Street. He is buried in the Bethel Church cemetery. In the late 18th century his grandfather had owned Dissosway’s mill.
Theodore F. De Hart (1830-1913) purchased the house for $2,600 on March 20, 1874. He was the son of Henry De Hart, a Tottenville oysterman. Theodore’s wife was Elizabeth Jane De Hart (1834-1909), daughter of David Decker. Theodore is listed as an “oyster planter” in the 1875 Census along with three of his brothers. Oyster planters acquired oyster seed from Maryland or Virginia and planted them in the waters around Staten Island. Long poles rising from the water marked the presence of oyster beds. There the seed matured over a year’s time and were harvested. De Hart was no doubt the owner of a Staten Island skiff, a small boat designed specifically for use in the waters around the Island and perhaps another larger boat for carrying the oysters to market in Manhattan. The oyster business of the City of New York was centered on the Hudson River at the feet of West 10th and Charles Streets.
Theodore De Hart resided at 134 Main Street until his death in 1913. This is the longest residency by far of any owner. Theodore and his wife Elizabeth J. De Hart are buried in the Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery.
Mina (also called Elmina) De Hart Cole was the only child of Theodore F. De Hart and Elizabeth J. De Hart. She was residing at 134 Main Street at the time of her father’s death and inherited the house as his sole heir.
From 1849 to 1913 the owners of the De Hart House were members of Tottenville families prominent in the town’s most important industry, the oyster industry. Main Street, as its name implies, was Tottenville’s most important street.
The Design of 134 Main Street
The house at 134 Main Street was constructed around 1850 as a simple three-bay, one- and one-half story, clapboard cottage. Its rectangular plan of hall and parlor, end placement of the fireplace and straight gable roof, follows a long tradition of vernacular residential architecture on Staten Island since the first houses appeared in the late 17th century. Its newness is found in its wide Greek Revival doorway, small low second-story windows and wavy bargeboards at the gable ends. The wing on the south side may be original, or may have been added a short time after the house was built. The dramatic porch on the front and one side of the house and the bay window on the wing are clearly later additions, as are the three rear wings.
The small second-story windows probably echo the “eyebrow windows” of the Greek Revival style seen in Staten Island houses of the 1830s and 1840s. An example of eyebrow windows may be seen in the Stephens House and Store (a designated New York City Landmark) at Historic Richmond Town. Here at 134 Main Street they are not placed in the frieze, to light the attic, but are in the main wall below it. A design for a farmhouse found in Minard Lafever’s Young Builder’s General Instructor (1829) shows three small horizontally shaped windows placed below the frieze and an illustration of “an unimproved farmhouse” from A. J. Downing’s Albany Cultivator (1846) shows three windows similar to Lafever’s placed well below the frieze. Whether or not our builder knew of these designs cannot be ascertained, but this design is a free interpretation of these forms and emphasizes an older approach to a new idea.
The dramatic carved porch posts with plinths and capitals, the railing and the charming scrollwork date most likely to the 1870s, as do the large scroll brackets. Similar posts and brackets are found nearby at 7484 Amboy Road, the James L. and Lucinda Bedell House (ca. 1870), a designated New York City landmark. The teardrop centered in the spandrels is often found in Eastlake decoration. It was a form favored by Tottenville carpenters, as it is found not only on these two houses, but on at least ten other houses in the area.
The horizontality of the Main Street house, emphasized by the front wing, reflects the farmhouse tradition more than the village tradition and underscores the rural atmosphere of early Tottenville. The lot size of slightly more than one third of an acre, much wider than the usual 25-foot village lot, allowed the builder to place the wide elevation of the house across the front. This long front placement of the house is seen on several other smaller Tottenville lots.
Another house of very similar design is found nearby at 7647 Amboy Road. Here can be seen the same broad placement of the house on the lot, the Greek Revival doorway, the low second-floor windows, and the adjoining wing. In this house the original porch with square Greek Revival columns survives. The similarities of the two houses suggest a common carpenter-builder.
The Greek Revival style was first used by builders on Staten Island in the 1830s in public buildings like Sailors’ Snug Harbor (1831) and the Third County Courthouse at Richmond (1837). (The Third County Courthouse and portions of Sailors’ Snug Harbor are designated New York City Landmarks.) Private residences include simple three-bay houses from the late 1830s in Stapleton and Richmond. Jasper Cropsey (1823-1900), the Hudson River School painter who grew up in Rossville and practiced architecture briefly, designed the Greek Revival Moravian Church in New Dorp in 1843. While by 1850 this style was no longer new, its popularity continued. The Greek Revival style, chosen for the earliest buildings in Tottenville, is also exemplified in large porticoed houses such as the William H. Rutan House (ca. 1848) and the Henry Hogg Biddle House (ca. 1850, a designated New York City Landmark).
Although plan books by Asher Benjamin and Minard Lafever popularized the Greek Revival style throughout America, rarely did local builders use plans as presented, rather they chose aspects of the designs that suited their needs and mixed designs freely. Lafever presented only two complete houses in Modern Builder’s Guide (1833). Daniel D. Reiff in Houses from Books (2001) states:
Most Greek Revival houses are very different from Lafever’s two plates. In fact, one of the most popular vernacular types for farmhouses and small urban dwellings has very little in common with either Lafever design: no freestanding columns, one rather than two wings, and an abbreviated pediment with the horizontal member interrupted to allow the insertion of windows in the half-story above.
This description sounds like 134 Main Street.
The Gothic Revival style is rare in Tottenville. Staten Island’s first resident architect, William Ranlett (1806-1865), built several cottages in the Gothic style on the North Shore. Richard Upjohn (1802-1876) designed a Gothic cottage for Thomas Taylor, who owned property near Prince’s Bay, but this house was apparently never built (only a single drawing for it exists today in the collections of the Avery Library). A. J. Davis (1803-1892) designed a Gothic cottage for Mr. Hasbrouck of Concord. A drawing of this house, which still exists today, was published in The Horticulturist, March 1847. Tottenville’s buildings of the 1850s are nearly all in the Greek style and conform to the vernacular carpenter-builder tradition. They are expressive of conservative knowledge and preferences.
The wavy bargeboards at the gable ends of the house are usually associated with the Gothic Revival style. Wavy bargeboards are found on at least two other Staten Island houses of the early 1850s, namely the Dr. Samuel MacKenzie Elliott House on Delafield Place in Livingston and the Parsonage at Historic Richmond Town. These two houses (both designated New York City Landmarks) are fully within the Gothic style. The wavy bargeboards at 134 Main Street could have coexisted with the Greek doorway and may be original, making the house an early expression of eclecticism and an example of Gothic Revival details on the South Shore of Staten Island.
Later Owners of 134 Main Street
Fannie B. Decker may have inherited 134 Main Street through Elizabeth J. De Hart’s daughter, Mina Cole. No deed has been found. Fannie B. Decker may have been a relative of Elizabeth J. De Hart.
William Wilson and his wife Margery D. Wilson purchased the property on Jan. 22, 1945 from Fannie B. Decker, then residing in Hampton, Virginia. They were residing in the house at the time of the purchase. The following was written about the house during the Wilson residency:
The Cornelius Dissosway mansion ..., now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. William Wilson, was one of Tottenville’s most beautiful residences. Its spacious rooms and French windows are most attractive. Passers-by have paused to note its elegance, when lights have gleamed from within.
Maurine J. LeCato of 321 Clove Road purchased the property from the Wilsons on Jan. 26, 1950. On May 8, 1968, Benjamin F. Bedell and Marie Bedell of Tottenville purchased the property from Maurine LeCato. Benjamin Franklin Bedell (1916-ca. 1995) was the owner of a grocery store at 111 Main Street. He was born in Perth Amboy. After service in World War II he purchased the Main Street store and came to live in Tottenville. His grandfather John Bedell owned the first drug store in Tottenville.
Description
134 Main Street is a white clapboard cottage composed of five rectangular parts with a dramatic porch. It rests on a low foundation, which is hidden from view.
The main block of the house is one and one-half stories, three bays wide and two bays deep. It has a gable roof, the long side facing the street. All the roofs are clad in non-historic asphalt shingles. A single-story, ell-shaped porch with a shed roof extends across the front and north elevations. The walls are sheathed with original white-painted wide clapboard. The first floor sash windows are two-over-two panes and the front windows of the second floor are three panes wide and hinged at the top. These small windows are placed well below the frieze. The sash windows of the north side are six-over-six panes. The architraves on both the first-floor and second-floor windows are plain. There are canted wood sills. All windows have original green painted louvered shutters with wrought-iron tie backs.
On the primary façade an elaborate front porch with widely spaced carved wood posts (five along the front and three more along the north side) provides the initial impression of the house. The square white-painted posts are beveled at the edges and divided by large moldings demarcating a pedestal base and a capital. Springing from the capitals are cut-wood spandrels in an elegant scroll pattern forming a low arch. In the center of the arch is a trefoil teardrop. The posts support a plain entablature. Elongated console brackets above each capital reach up to support the cornice hiding the Yankee gutters. Two moldings decorate the cornice. The plank ceiling of the porch is painted light blue. A porch railing extends between the posts at the height of the pedestal bases. Just below the top rail is a wide board with cutouts of alternating diamonds and circles. This board and the lower rail hold turned spindles. The porch posts and rail are remarkably intact.
The porch is two steps up from the modern concrete sidewalk with the lower step being a single wide brownstone block. The front doorway sheltered by the porch is in the Greek Revival style with plain broad outer pilasters supporting the entablature and narrower pilasters directly beside the door opening. The pilasters have simple blocked bases and capitals. Between the pilasters are narrow sidelights of three glass panes. Below the panes is a coffered panel. The shallow entablature is of three parts. Dentils below a molding divide the architrave from the shallow frieze. The cornice is composed of two thick moldings. The original door is hidden by a modern wood black-painted storm door.
A shallow frieze marks the wall of the main block. Inserted into the frieze are widely spaced thin brackets holding the cornice and Yankee gutter. This cornice-gutter has a classical return at each end.
On the north façade of the main block extends a porch of the same design as that of the main façade, and contiguous with it. Two second-story windows, one on either side of the chimney, have plain architraves and sills.
A modern louvered vent is inserted into the attic wall to the right of the chimney. A dramatic curvilinear bargeboard decorates the gable end of roof. The peak of the bargeboard forms a gothic arch. A wide, stepped brick end chimney rises from the body of the house at the peak of the roof. It appears to have been enlarged on its south side and this alteration is banded to the whole with a metal strip.
The west façade is partially hidden by the two-story addition. Only the northern end of the west façade is visible. It has one two-over-two sash window on the first floor. The clapboards of the west façade are considerably wider than those of the front and sides.
The south façade is mostly hidden by the one and one-half story addition. Its curvilinear bargeboard matches that of the north façade. A large metal triangular louver is at the peak of the attic.
The south wing, also of one and one-half stories, is joined flush to the main block of the house, although the height is lower. This wing has a gable roof. On the first floor facing the street is a very large bay window composed of four sash windows, two-over-two panes. On the second floor are three-pane windows like those of the main block. The south elevation has six over six sash windows with louvered shutters. They are covered with modern aluminum storm windows.
The south wing contains a large bay window on the first floor, which spans across its entire east façade. It is composed of four, round-headed sash windows. The sash are painted black. Two large windows parallel to the street are two-over-two. Two smaller one-over-one windows are slanted to create the bay. The wall below the windowsills is decorated with moldings in a rectangular shape. The roof of the bay window has a deep cornice with molding. The cornice is supported by heavy sinuous curving brackets, placed below the cornice in the space between each of the windows.
On the second story are three small windows similar to those of the main block. Above these windows is a deep plain entablature and cornice holding a Yankee gutter. The cornice returns on each end of the wing. A modern aluminum down spout is located at the northern end of the gutter.
The south façade has one six-over-six sash window on the first floor and two on the second floor. The windows are flanked by louvered green-painted shutters. The gable end of the roof is decorated with a curvilinear bargeboard of the same type as that of the main block of the house.
The west façade is hidden by the rear wing. The north façade is hidden by the main block of the house.
Directly behind the south wing and flush with it is a one-story rear addition. It is two bays deep and two bays wide and has a shed roof. It too is clad with white painted clapboard. Two windows on its south side are obstructed by a modern fence. The one-story rear addition has a shed roof. The south façade has two two-over-two windows with shutters. They are hidden by a modern chain-link fence. The west façade is hidden by a vine-covered lattice structure. The roof of this latticework is supported by large wood cutwork brackets. Partially visible over the rear door is a hood, which is also supported by the same type bracket. The clapboard siding is twice the width of the clapboards on the front and side elevations of the house. The north façade is hidden by the two-story wing. The east façade is hidden by the south wing.
Directly behind the main block and flush with it and the second wing is a two-story rear wing. It is one bay deep and two bays wide and has a shed roof. Its roof extends over part of the roof of the main block. The windows are two panes over two panes. The two-story rear wing is joined to the main block of the house. The east façade is hidden. The roof extends over the rear slope of the roof of the main block. On the south façade the first floor is hidden by the one-story rear addition. The second floor of the south façade has one two-over-two sash window with a plain architrave. The walls are covered with wide clapboard. The shed roof has a very thin cornice. A brick chimney rises near the south edge of the roof. It has a tall metal ventilator cap. The first floor of the west façade is hidden by the west wing. The second floor has two two-over-two sash windows each flanked by green louvered shutters. These windows have modern aluminum storm windows. A Yankee gutter extends slightly beyond the wall. The north façade of the two-story rear wing is clad in wide clapboard. A single window on the first floor is composed of two frames side by side with six panes each. It has a plain architrave. There is a twoover-two sash window on the second floor. The second-floor window is spaced somewhat to the right of the lower window, not directly above it. These windows have no shutters. On this wing approximately one and one-half feet of the brick foundation is exposed.
Joined behind this two-story wing is a modern small one-story west wing of one bay by one bay. This wing is clad in modern horizontally laid broad synthetic siding painted white. It has modern aluminum windows. This modern non-historic wing extends from the rear two-story wing. The roof is a low gable with wide overhanging eaves. The gable end faces west. The walls and eaves are covered with modern siding painted white. Its east façade is hidden by the two-story wing. The south façade of the wing has one door and no windows. The door is off center, closer to the rear wing. There is a wall light fixture on the west side of the door. On the west façade a modern aluminum window is centered on the wall. The north façade also has one modern aluminum window. Like the door it is not centered on the wall, but closer to the rear wing.
The house is located on a rectangular lot with a frontage of 76 feet on Main Street and a depth of 204.60 feet. The lot slops gradually upward from the street. The house stands about 15 feet from the modern sidewalk. An agate concrete sidewalk leading to the porch is three steps up from the public sidewalk. A chain-link fence runs along the southern boundary.
A gravel driveway extends along the northern boundary, leading to a non-historic one-car garage. There is a small board and batten structure midway in the backyard near the southern boundary. It has a gable roof. The gable end of one bay faces the street. The side elevation is of two bays. It measures approximately 10 by 20 feet. The southern elevation is on the boundary line. The northern elevation has a single door and a six-over-six window.
- From the 2006 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
Second weekend of the annual Heritage event. It seems wrong to call it a weekend as it now compromises two weekends and many meedweek events too.
And scanning the events, there were some in Canterbury, so we decide to head to the city for a wander: jools would go shopping while I would go and do some snapping.
Of course there is always shopping first. Off to Tesco to fill the car, then fill the fridge and larder. I am away for three days, nearly four, so not much needed on top of some ready meals for Jools. Still came to seventy quid, mind.
A tub of cheese footballs did fall into the trolley, which helped.
Back home for breakfast of fruit and more coffee, and then off to Canterbury, parking near St Augustine's Abbey, walking to the centre via a subway. We parted, Jools went to Body Shop and a couple of other shops, while I walked down High Street, past the Eastbridge Hospital, Westgate Tower, Canterbury West station to St Dunstan's.
I could say I walked straight there, but I had a quarter of an hour to play with, so when I walked past a pasty shop, I went in for a coffee, and although wasn't really hungry, I did have a pasty anyway.
Once fed and watered, I walk on, up the hill past the station, and on the left was the church, the door already open despite it being only five to nine.
I went in, and found I had the church to myself.
Last time I was here, the Roper Chapel was being renovated and so I couldn't get inside. Important as it is in the chapel that the head of Thomas Moor, beheaded on Tower Hill on orders of Henry VIII. The windows of the chapel have several representation of him and scenes from his life. I snap them all.
I go round with the wide angle lens, now the church is fully open again.
That done, I walk back down into the centre heading for Eastbridge Hospital.
I have been here before, a decade ago, when I went round with just my wide angle lens, and go a few poor shots. So, with it being open for the Heritage Event, it seemed a good idea to go.
The hospital is ancient, it goes without saying, and is still in use.
I have walked up and down High Street in Canterbury dozens of times, and never really thought about what lay behind buildings on the west side.
At Eastbridge the ancient hospital straddles the Stour, or one branch of it, on the other is the timber framed house, Weavers, with the ducking stool further downstream.
I re-visited the hospital, and on the way out was told I could visit the gardens and Greyfriars Chapel at the same time.
A shop, former pawnbrokers, is now a charity shop for the gardens, and through the shop there is an exit to a path beside the river.
This opens out into two acres of gardens, still used to feed the patients in the hospital, and the monks who still live and work here.
There used to be a large priory church here, and there are parts of ancient walls and ruins to be seen, as well as a bridge of the same age.
Over the river, a former lodging building from the 13th century, as been converted into a chapel, Greyfriars, with pillars supporting the building as the river passes through a tunnel under it.
It was rather like walking through a wardrobe into a magical place, with the Stour gently flowing through it, and a few other visitors making their was to the Chapel and surrounding gardens.
We sat for 45 minutes in the meadow waiting for a service to end, so I could get shots. So, we people watched and delighted in Migrant Hawkers flying by.
Franciscan Gardens, Canterbury, Kent The sounds of the city seemed a hundred miles away.
I got the shots once the group of ladies left, and once I had the three shots, we followed sign to the exit, leaving the garden through a plane gate beside the old post office.
Two hundred and sixty Now what?
Well, nothing. Really.
So, we walk back slowly to the car, pay for three hours parking and drive back out of the city, down the A2 to the coast and home.
Back in time to listen to the footy, have a brew and try to avoid eating as we were going out in the evening. As, on Monday, it will be 14 years since we married, and as I will be in another country Monday, we celebrated it two days early.
Or would do come six.
Norwich were going for seven wins in a row, but never really got going against WBA, and fell a goal behind early on. Better in the second half, and drew level thanks to a deflection, but no win. But also, no defeat either.
Franciscan Gardens, Canterbury, Kent I had a shower and put on some clean clothes and a splash of aftershave.
Ready.
I drive us to Jen's, picked her up, then drove slowly to Sandwich, then over the marshes through Preston to Stourmouth.
We were not the only customers; there was a wedding reception, and there were gentlement and boys in three piece suits, and ladies and girls in glamourous gowns and neck-breaking heels. Occasionally the bride would literally sweep through the bar, the train of her dress cleaning as it went. Not sure if what was the right colour.....
We had ordered when I booked the table, a huge pan of paella with chorizo, chicken, ham and shrimp. Jen and I shared a bottle of red, and we ate and watched the comings and goings as the wedding party got ever more rauocus.
We rounded off with a cheeseboard between the three of us, and that was it.
Jools drove us back to Jen's, dropping her off, then back home.
I had decided to open the bottle of port once home, and did. This has been on the shelf since my last trip to Denmark and I saw it at the airport duty free.
It was every bit of good that I hoped it would be.
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The Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr of Eastbridge was founded in the 12th century in Canterbury, England, to provide overnight accommodation for poor pilgrims to the shrine of St Thomas Becket. It is now one of the ten almshouses still providing accommodation for elderly citizens of Canterbury[1] and is a grade I listed building.
The hospital is situated on the King's-bridge, near the Westgate, in Canterbury. It was established sometime after the death of Thomas Becket (1170), possibly as early as 1176, when Canterbury Cathedral became a site of pilgrimage; the hospital provided accommodation for the pilgrims. The earliest name recorded as founder is that of Edward FitzOdbold c. 1190, with further endowments by Archbishop Hubert Walter about 1203.[1] For many years, no special statutes were enacted, nor were any rules laid down for the treatment of pilgrims.
The original building consists of an entrance hall, undercroft, refectory and chapel, all built in around 1190. Like the ancient Entrance Hall beneath it, the Pilgrims’ Chapel dates from the twelfth century, but assumed its present proportions in the fourteenth century. The roof of the Pilgrims’ Chapel is a fine example of its kind: the style of woodwork and joinery indicate that it was built around 1285. The Undercroft's original function was as a dormitory, and architecturally shows the period of time where the round-headed arch was giving way to the Gothic style of pointed arch.
The Refectory is a large open room originally used as a dining space. On the north wall is a painting of Our Lord in Glory between the symbols of the four Evangelists dating from the thirteenth century. This fresco was only uncovered when the chimney and fireplace installed around the time of the dissolution were removed in 1879, and it has been conserved since its revelation.
Approval for the funding of a Chantry Chapel was sanctioned by Archbishop Sudbury in 1375; the original document confirming this endowment is housed in the Canterbury Cathedral archives. (Chantries were abolished in 1547, and this fell into disrepair until it was reclaimed and restored for its original use in 1969.)
Hospital of St. Thomas, Canterbury, old engraving.
In the fourteenth century the hospital was reformed by Archbishop John de Stratford, during the reign of Edward III; he created ordinances, as well as a code of regulations to be acted on concerning pilgrims. He ruled that every pilgrim in health could rest in the hospital for one night at the cost of four pence, that weak and infirm applicants were to be preferred to those with better health, and that women "upwards of forty" should attend to the bedding and administer medicines to the sick. He also appointed a Master in priest's orders, under whose guidance a secular chaplain served. Further lands and revenues from parishes were given by Stratford and by Archbishop Simon Sudbury.[1]
This institution survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries and other religious houses during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, although the pilgrimage to St Thomas of Canterbury did not survive this period. In 1569 Archbishop Matthew Parker issued new ordinances governing the Hospital and its Master which specified the maintenance of twelve beds for the 'wayfaring poor' and established a school in the chapel for twenty boys. This arrangement was confirmed by Archbishop John Whitgift by Act of Parliament in 1584.[1]
The school survived until 1879. The chapel was then little used until its restoration by the Master in 1927. Further restoration work has taken place during the twentieth century. Much of this work was financed by sale of some of the hospital's lands at Blean at the foundation of the University of Kent in the 1960s.[1] A list of the Masters of the Eastbridge Hospital up to the end of the eighteenth century is given by Edward Hasted.
Between 2014–2019, extensive restoration took place to preserve those rooms situated directly over the River Stour. This work was supported by the Viridor Credits scheme, which funds community, heritage, and biodiversity projects. It was formally opened to the public by the Bishop of Dover on 23 March 2019, and named after Archbishop William Juxon, who was a generous benefactor during his tenure, and gave money for an earlier restoration of this part of Eastbridge.
Eastbridge is a functional almshouse to this day, providing accommodation in eight individual apartments in areas of the buildings inaccessible to the public. Eastbridge is administered by Trustees whose main aims are the maintenance of the ancient buildings, which are of national historic interest, and the welfare of the almshouse residents (Indwellers).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastbridge_Hospital_of_St_Thomas_th...
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THE HOSPITAL OF KING'S BRIDGE, ALIAS EASTBRIDGE
IS likewise situated in the same hundred, being exempt from the liberties of the city, and within the jurisdiction of the county of Kent at large. It takes its name from its situation close on the south side of King's bridge. This hospital was formerly called, by both the names of Eastbridge hospital and the hospital of St. Thomas the martyr of Eastbridge; which latter it had, from its being at first erected and endowed by the charity and piety of St. Thomas Becket, in king Henry II.'s reign. (fn. 1) For this we have the testimony of one of his successors, archbishop Stratford; who, upon his new ordination of the hospital, and in the charter of it, acknowledged archbishop Becket to be the first founder and endower of it; besides which, there is no other record extant, or to be found concerning the foundation of this hospital, or the intent why it was erected. (fn. 2) But to look back to the times intervening between these two founders, in which it is recorded, that archbishop Hubert, who sat in this see in king John's reign, was an especial benefactor to it, by the gift of several mills, tithes, and other premises, which were confirmed by the prior and convent of Christ church. In this archbishop's time there was another hospital, neighbouring to this of King's, alias Eastbridge, called Cokyn's hospital, built and en dowed by one William Cokyn, a citizen of Canterbury, whose name in his posterity long survived him, in this city. (fn. 3) This hospital was dedicated to St. Nicholas and the Virgin and martyr St. Catherine; and was situated in the parish of St. Peter, almost directly opposite to the late Black Friars-gate, having had a lane by it, once called Cokyn's lane, though long since shut up, and built upon. This hospital lastmentioned, was built on the scite of a house adjoining to the above William Cokyn's dwelling, or else was turned into one by him. Afterwards, by his charter, he united these two hospitals, and then by another charter, entitled them to all his lands, possessions and chattels, and made them his heirs. This union was confirmed by the bull of pope Innocent III. anno 1203, in which it is called the hospital of St. Thomas of Canterbury; and in Cokyn's grant of union, it is stiled the hospital of St. Nicholas, St. Catherine, and St. Thomas the Martyr of Eastbridge. (fn. 4) Eastbridge hospital becoming thus by union or consolidation possessed of and owners of Cokyn's hospital, it ceased soon afterwards, probably, to be used as one, and was hired or rented out, among the possessions of the hospital of Eastbridge; in which state it continues at this time. (fn. 5)
To return now again to the hospital of St. Thomas of Eastbridge, for which there being no statutes for the government of it, archbishop Stratford, anno 15 Edward III. drew up certain ordinances for that purpose, (fn. 6) the effect of which was, that the hospital being founded for the receiving, lodging and sustaining of poor pilgrims, was then, owing to the negligence of the masters, who had wasted the revenues of it, but meanly endowed, and that the buildings of it were in a ruinous condition: to remedy which, and to continue the charitable intent of it, he decreed, that the church of St. Nicholas, Harbledown, should be for ever appropriated to it; that for the government of this hospital, there should be a master in priest's orders, appointed by the archbishop and his successors, who should keep a proper secular chaplain, or vicar, under him, to be removed at the master's will and pleasure. That such poor pilgrims as happened to die within this hospital, should be buried in Christ church yard, in the place heretofore allotted to them there. That every pilgrim, in health, should have no more than one night's lodging and entertainment, at the expence of 4d. that there should be twelve beds in the hospital, and that some woman, upwards of forty years of age, should look after the beds and provide all necessaries for the pilgrims; that those who were not in health, should be preferred to such as were; that no lepers should be received into it; that if there was a smaller number of pilgrims reforting to the hospital, at any one time, a greater number should be received into it, in lieu of such deficiency, at other times, as far as the revenues of the hospital would allow of it; and further, he inhibited them from having any common seal in the hospital, with several other particular orders and injunction, as may be seen in the instrument more at large.
This hospital had several very liberal benefactors in early times. Among others, Hamo de Crevequer gave the church of Blean to it, which gift was afterwards confirmed by archbishop Stephen Langton, and was afterwards appropriated to it by archbishop Sudbury in 1375, Thomas, lord Roos, of Hamlake, in the 33d year of king Edward III. gave the manor of Blean to it, and the year afterwards Sir John Lee, as appears by the ledger of the hospital, gave to it a messuage, with 180 acres of land and divers rents of assize, in the same parish, for the increase of vorks of piety in it. (fn. 7)
In the year 1362, archbishop Islip founded a perpetual chantry in this hospital, and transferred to it, for the benefit of it, at the request of Bartholomew de Bourne, the chantry founded in the church of Livingsborne, alias Beaksborne, by his ancestor James de Bourne. (fn. 8)
By the instruments of the archbishops Islip and Sudbury, dated in the above year, it appears, by the former, that there was founded in this hospital, a perpetual chantry for divine services; the priest of which was to receive a yearly stipend of ten marcs, of the master of the hospital, out of the revenues of it; for which he was to celebrate divine service, and minister the sacraments and sacramentals in it, to such poor and infirm as should resort hither; and that the priest and his successors should possess the mansion, within the bounds of the hospital, between the infirmary and the great gate of it, and the chamber over it. After which king Edward III, having given a messuage, called the Chaunge, at the time almost wholly in ruins, to Thomas Newe de Wolton, then master of this hospital, and his successors, in aid of the maintenance of the priest who should celebrate in it for his health, for his soul afterwards, and that of John at Lee, who in part founded the chantry, &c. and the said messuage having been repaired and rebuilt by the executors, and at the cost, though charity, of his predecessor, the value of the rent amounted to seven marcs yearly, and would, as it was presumed, amount still higher in future; and it being difficult at that time to find a proper priest, who would undergo the duty and residence required in it, for the salary of ten marcs, the king's piety in augmenting the priest's stipend, was as yet frustrated—Archbishop Simon Sudbury, therefore, by his instrument dated in 1375, in which he recited the above ordination of his predecessor, ordained and decreed, in addition to that before-mentioned, and by the consent of the said Thomas, master of this hospital, and the executors of his predecessor, that the endowment of this chantry of ten marcs, should be augmented with five marcs and an half out of the seven marcs of rent of the messuage given by the king as aforesaid, with power of distress, &c. and whereas the presentation of the chantry of Bourne, united to this hospital, as in the ordination of the first chantry aforesaid made by his predecessor, more plainly appeared, belonged to Bartholomew de Bourne, his heirs, or assigns, before the union; he therefore decreed and ordained, that the presentation and collation to be made to the same, when vacant, should belong to him and his successors, and to the said Bartholomew de Bourne, his heirs, or assigns, alternately; the first turn to belong to the archbishop, because the assigns of Bartholomew de Bourne (fn. 9) had presented the then incumbent to it, &c. (fn. 10)
Though the revenues of this hospital lay chiesly in the parish of Blean, yet it was possessed of other rents, lands and tenements in Canterbury, Harbledown, and in Birchington. It was likewise possessed of lands in Herne, Reculver, Swaycliffe, Chistlet, and Bekesborne, belonging to the before-mentioned chantry, which at the suppression of it were seized on, as such.
By a bull of pope Honorius III. this hospital had the privilege of not paying tithes of their gardens. (fn. 11)
By the return made to the king's commissioners in king Henry VIII.'s reign, it appears, that there was here a neat handsome chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to which had belonged two bells, to ring to service, as was reported to them by the parson and churchwardens of All Saints; who said further, that this hospital was a parish church, in which there was ministred all sacraments and sacramentals, to the poor people resorting thither, and to the keeper of it, and his household, and all others remaining within the precinct of it, by the chantry priest; the matter of fact was, that this chapel was formerly served by the chantry priest of the chantry in it, mentioned before, to have been transferred to it, who had 10l. 6s. 8d. yearly stipend or wages, besides his mansion or dwelling, which was at the west end of the hospital, of all which it was deprived at the suppression of it by the statute of the 1st year of king Edward VI. (fn. 12) when a pension of six pounds per annum was granted to Nicholas Thompson, alias Campion, the incumbent of it, which was remaining anno 1553. (fn. 13)
The value of the revenues of the hospital itself, as returned anno 26 Henry VIII. according to both Dugdale and Speed, were 23l. 18s. 9⅓d. per annum, but this must have been the clear income, for according to Sancrost's manuscript valor, they amounted in the whole to 43l. 12s. 3d. (fn. 14)
The state of this hospital, as it stood in the time of cardinal Pole, at archdeacon Harpsfield's visitation in 1557, was, as appears by the entry in the book of it; that they were bound to receive way faring and hurt men, and to have eight beds for men, and four for women; to remain for a might, and more, if they were not able to depart; and the master of the hospital to be charged with their burial, and they had twenty lords of wood yearly allowed, and 26s. a year for drink, that there was 10l. land a year, with a mansion, which the priest always had for officiating in the chapel, taken away by the king, and that it was the head church to St. Cosmus and St. Damian Blean, but that they had no ornaments but organs. (fn. 15)
This hospital, though it outlasted the general suppression of most of the foundations of the like sort in the reigns of king Henry VIII. and king Edward VI. yet in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, the lands and tenements belonging to it, as well as the hospital itself, then converted into tenements, were occu pied and possessed by private persons, until archbishop Parker, in the 10th year of that reign, recovered, by his prudent care, some of the lands and possessions, and restored the house again to pious and charitable uses. He framed new ordinances for the government of it, which he wisely contrived should be suitable to those times, as well as agreeable to the first foundation of the hospital, and the former statutes of archbishop Stratford, as far as might be; reserving nevertheless, a power to his successors, archbishops of Canterbury, to revise, alter, abolish and new make all, or any part of them; they are dated May 20, 1569. (fn. 16)
In them it appears, that in consequence of the ordinances of archbishop Stratford, the master of the hospital might take all the profits of it to his own use, bestowing only for the relief of wandering and wayfaring brethren, and poor, in bread and drink, after the rate of 4d. a day, and one night's lodging for twelve persons, if so many came there at one time, in the whole not above 6l. 2s. 6d. per annum, but the archbishop (Parker) by the authority in the above former ordinance concerning the disposition of the profits of this hospital, to him and his successors reserved, to alter and change the same, did by these ordinances in that behalf made, under his hand and seal, not only increase the above sum, to be from thenceforth bestowed on certain poor inhabiting within the county of the city of Canterbury, but also appointed other sums of money thereout, yearly to be paid towards the keeping of a freeschool, for a certain number of poor children of the county of the said city, to be taught to write and read freely within the hospital.
By the same ordinance, as well as by an indenture, between the master of this hospital and the master of Corpus Christi, or Benet college, in Cambridge, dated May 22, anno 11th Elizabeth, the archbishop founded out of the revenues of this hospital, two scholarships, each of the yearly value of 3l. 6s. 8d. that sum to be paid yearly from thence, by the master of the hospital to the master of the college; the two scholars to be chosen, named, examined and approved by the master of this hospital and the dean of Canterbury, if any such there should be; if not, then by the master only, and to be taken from the free-school in Canterbury, being such of the scholars there as were born within Kent, and being sent to Cambridge, should be called Canterbury scholars; who, after their admittance and receipt there, should remain and continue in that college, according to the orders and statutes of it, and should have of the provision of it, convenient chambers, commons, reading and other necessaries, as other scholars in it, according to common custom, for the term of two hundred years next, from the date of the indenture, with other rules and regulations in it relating to them. (fn. 17)
Not long after this, queen Elizabeth issued a commission of charitable uses, to enquire into the state and condition of this hospital, which was done, and a return thereof made accordingly; and again, soon after the death of archbishop Parker, there was a second commission, directed to Sir James Hales and others, who certisied, that the hospital house stood ruinated, and neither master nor brethren were resident, or dwelling of long time. The house was let out into tenements for yearly rent. The beds that were wont to lodge and harbour poor people resorting thither, were gone and sold, contrary to the old order and foundation of the same; and that the hospital was relinquished and concealed from the queen, &c. Upon which, she granted it, with all its revenues, by letters patent, dated July 20, in her 18th year, to John Farnham, one of her gentlemen pensioners, to hold in see farm for ever. —He soon afterwards conveyed his interest in it for 550l. and the release beside of a debt owing by him, to Geo. Hayes. After this, archbishop Whitgift recovered this hospital, with the revenues of it, from Hayes, and then settled it upon a new foundation, so firm and sure, that it has continued to the present time, and remains a perpetual monument of the archbishop's piety and prudence, who may be justly reputed the sounder and restorer of it; (fn. 18) and he framed new ordinances and statutes, for the better government of it, by which the hospital is now ruled. In these it is, among other things, ordered and decreed, that the archbishop should collate the master, who should be in holy orders, and should be instituted and inducted according to the usual form and custom, who should have the lodging known by the name of the master's lodging, in the hospital; and a yearly stipend of 61. 13s. 4d. and twenty loads of wood from the lands belonging to it, to be delivered cost free. That the master should appoint a school-master, who by himself or deputy, should freely instruct twenty poor children of this city, above the age of seven years, to write, read and cast accompts, and to have books, paper, &c. provided for them, out of the prosits of the hospital, and not to remain in the school above three years. The school-master to have a lodging in the hospital, and a stipend of four pounds, and for his further relief, if the master approved of it, to be receiver of the rents, &c. of the hospital; for which he should receive 26s. 8d. and two loads of wood yearly, to be delivered cost free, and one summer livery cloth. That out of the prosits of the hospital, there should be paid for ever, to the two scholars to be taken out of the common school at Canterbury, commonly called the mynte, by the master of the hospital, with the consent of the archbishop, and placed in Benet college, 3l. 6s. 8d. each, according to the former ordinances made of it. That whereas by former ordinances, the master of the hospital was only tied to pay in time of peace, unto the poor passengers, or to such other poor people as the master should think good, thirty pence a week; and in time of war that payment ceasing, to provide twelve beds for the lodging of poor soldiers, passing through this city, within the hospital, for the space of one night only, which is now grown wholly out of use, especially since the loss of Calais; therefore, for the better relief of the poor inhabiting within this city and the suburbs of it, it was ordered, that the former last recited orders should cease, and instead of them, there should be five inbrothers, and five in-sisters, to be permanent and have their habitation in the hospital; and after the space of twenty years next ensuing, there should be five other out-brothers, and five others called out-sisters; each of the said in-brothers and in-sisters to have a several dwelling and lodging within the hospital, and 26s. 8d. by the year, and one load of wood to be delivered cost free, between Midsummer and Michaelmas; and each of the out brothers and out-sisters to have 26s. 8d. by the year only; that the mayor of this city should from time to time, nominate to the master of the hospital for every of the brothers and sisters rooms, when they should be void and unfurnished, two poor persons, men or women, as the places should require, being lame, impotent, blind, or aged, above fifty years of age, who should have inhabited within the city, of suburbs, seven years before; of which two, the master should chuse and admit one; and in default of the mayor's nomi nating for the space of three months, the master to make choice, and admit any, qualisied as above-mentioned. That in the room of every out-brother and sister, the mayor should nominate such persons as above specisied, whereof one at least should be such as had dwelt in the city or suburbs, by the space of three whole years at least, to the end that such as dwelt there, and not within the county of the city, should receive the whole benefit of these ordinances. That the master, out of the profits of the hospital, should repair and sustain it, and every part within the precincts of it, and also sufficiently sustain and maintain the bridge, called the king's bridge, alias Eastbridge, within the city of Canterbury; (fn. 19) and pay to the queen, her heirs and successors, 7l. 10s. yearly, due to her for the pension of a chantry, sometime within the hospital, and all other dues and payments going out of it. That the master should not let for years or lives, the lands or tenements, nor make any woodsales of the wood, without the express consent, in writing, of the archbishop, and should yearly make an accompt to him, if demanded, so that of the surplusage all charges deducted, the portions of the brethren and sisters might be increased at the will of the archbishop, as theretofore had been used. That the in-brethren or sisters, master or schoolmaster, who should die within the precincts of the hospital, might be buried within the church-yard of the cathedral, according to a former agreement made between the archbishop, his predecessor and the then prior and convent of Christ church, with many other orders and re gulations mentioned in them, (fn. 20) all which were confirmed and ordered to be inrolled in chancery, by an act passed in the 27th year of that reign, (fn. 21) by the means of which, the rights of this hospital have been preserved to this time.
There have been some few modern benefactors to this hospital.
Mr. Avery Sabin, sometime an alderman of this city, by his will in 1648, gave a rent charge out of his estate at Monkton, in Thanet, of 20l. per annum, for charitable uses to the poor of this city, of which, ten marcs were assigned yearly to be paid to the five in-brothers and five in-sisters of this hospital. (fn. 22)
Mrs. Elizabeth Lovejoy, widow, by her will in 1694, gave, out of her personal estate, the sum of five pounds yearly to this hospital, to be shared and divided among the poor of it, in like manner as her gift to Cogan's hospital, above-mentioned. Besides which, this hospital receives yearly the sixth part of the interest, due from 1631. 16s. 3d. being the sum due from Mrs. Masters's legacy, who died in 1716, which is vested in the mayor and commonalty, in trust, for the several hospitals in Canterbury, of which a full account may be seen among the charitable benefactions to this city.
In 1708 John Battely, D. D. archdeacon of Canterbury, and master of this hospital, new built three of the sisters lodgings, and did several other great repairs, and at his death left by his will, to the in-brothers and sisters, one hundred pounds, the interest of which he ordered should be proportioned by Mr. John Bradock, of St. Stephen's, and Mr. Somerscales, vicar of Doddington.
Mr. John Bradock, master of this hospital, in 1719 gave by his will, 25l. 13s. 4d. for the better payment of the poor people, at Lady-day and Michaelmas.
Mr. Matthew Brown, of St. Peter's, in Canterbury, in 1721, gave by his will 10s. per annum for ever, to the in brothers and sisters of this hospital.
In 1768, Thomas Hanson, esq. of Crosby-square, London, gave by will, the interest of 500l, for ever, to the in brothers and sisters of this hospital; which being now invested in the 3 per cents. reduced Bank Annuties, produces 17l. 1os. per annum.
Besides these, the hospital had many temporary benefactors, as well towards the repairs of it, as in money; among which were, the archbishops Juxon, Sheldon and Sancrost. The yearly tenths of this hospital amounting to 2l. 7s. 10d. are payable to the archbishop.
In 1691, the yearly revenues of this hospital amounted in the whole to 101l. 5s. 9d. besides which were the fines upon the renewals of the leafes, and alderman Sabine's gift of 13s 4d. a piece, by the year, which came not into the master's hands, but was paid by one of the aldermen of the city.
The present building is antient; it has a decent hall and chapel, where the schoolmaster, who has a good apartment in the house, and is called the reader, instructs twenty boys gratis, in reading, writing, and arithmetic. There are rooms also for five in brothers, and five in-sisters, but some of these rooms are subject to be flooded in a very wet season. (fn. 23) The master has a neat handsome house, sitauted in a court near the hospital, but on the western or opposite side of the river.
¶The antient common seal of this hospital having been for a long time missing, the late master, Dr. Backhouse, at his own expence, supplied the hospital with another in the year 1783.
A fleeting visit on Sunday as I was here mainly to look for Hawfinches. But it such a fine church, and with history linking it to Jane Austen, whose brother is buried here and the memorial a thing that people come from over the world to see.
Another dull day, but bright and airy in the church, which I entered after it was opened in preparation for the eleven o'clock service.
As I was having computer problems last time I was here, some were unedited so are blurry, so all the better to redo some and post those.
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A simple, well-cared-for church which has an extremely complicated building history. The nave and western half of the chancel are Saxon in date, although there are no surviving architectural details of this period. Early in the twelfth century a northern tower with small apsidal chapel was added to the north of the nave. This has recently been restored and its round headed windows may be clearly seen. From the same period dates the remarkable stone carving of an archbishop that is now displayed in the chancel. It may be Archbishop Theobold (d. 1162) or Becket (d. 1170) and could have formed part of a tomb in Canterbury Cathedral. The church was restored by William Butterfield in the 1860s. His is the nice rood screen (painted by Gibbs) the angular font of Devonshire marble and the design for the east window. The screen is supported on thin columns so as not to destroy the congregation's view of the High Altar which the Victorians held so dear, although it is definitely in the medieval tradition. Fine Minton tiles were put in the sanctuary - the medieval tiles gathered up and carefully placed on the window-sill to preserve them. The twentieth century has done much to build upon Butterfield's restoration, including the fine south aisle east window by C.E. Kempe and Co. Ltd of 1923.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Godmersham
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LOCATION: The church is situated close to the River Stour at c. 115 ft. above O.D. just south of the now - demolished (1955) Godmersham Court Lodge. This is in the gap where the river cuts through the North Downs.
DESCRIPTION: I have written a very full history of this church (published in Arch Cant 106 (1988), 45-81), which includes a full description of the fabric, so only a summary is needed here.
The earliest part of the church is the nave and western half of the chancel, which have quoins of Roman bricks and ferruginous sandstone. This is almost certainly the church mentioned in Domesday Book, but whether it was built just before, or just after, the Norman Conquest in uncertain.
In the early 12th century, a west door was inserted (blocked in 1865) and three rounded-headed windows were put into the north side of the nave. A north transept chapel (with apsidal east end) and tower was also constructed at this time. Though heavily restored in 1865-6, this still continues its hemidome over the apse. The arch into the east end of the nave was blocked in the later Middle Ages.
By the end of the 12th century a new south aisle and arcade had been added to the nave, but this was destroyed after the Reformation. The fine mid-12th century font (similar to that at Westwell) was also destroyed, but a few fragments of it are walled up in the west doorway.
In the mid - 13th century, at about the time when the fine new Court Lodge to the north was built, the chancel was extended to the east and given three fine new lancets, as well as a sedilia. There are some fine capitals, columns and bases on the inside of these features (The sedilia also has a moulded trefoil head).
In 1363 a new Chantry chapel of St Mary was built on the south-east side of the nave, but this too was demolished after its abolition as a Chantry at the Reformation (The final traces were removed when the family pew extensions were built in the early 18th century).
In the later 14th century a piscina, various new two-light windows were put into the chancel, as well as some new oak stalls (on the ends of three of these were carved TCP Ann. Dom. 1409). These were recorded in the early 18th century, but have long since disappeared.
The west window in the nave, and the surviving crown-post roof probably date from the 15th century. The fine three-light window towards the east end of the north side of the nave probably dates to the early 16th century. A new north doorway into the chancel was perhaps also built at this time.
The doors into the Rood stair at the north-east corner of the nave (now blocked) can also be seen. These were perhaps also made in the later 15th century when a new loft was built (fragments of the screen - now gone - were found in the West gallery in 1865).
In the 1720's the south side of the nave was rebuilt in brick, and the earlier south aisle disappeared and two new brick family pews (over vaults) were built projecting southwards over the side of the former chantry chapel. All of this, however, was swept away in 1865. Various drawings of these before 1865 are available). Two new diagonal buttresses to the chancel were also built at about that time, which survive, as well as a west gallery in the nave and west and north porches (demolished 1865).
As we have seen, a very major restoration of the church took place in 1865-6 under William Butterfield. A new south aisle, porch and south transept were built, as well as an organ - chamber south of the chancel. Much earth was dug away from the western and southern sides of the church at this time. The vicar and instigator of this work (Revd. Walter Field) made very useful notes and sketches of the state of the church before the restoration (in the parish records). Most of the windows were restored at this time, and the north (chancel) and west doorways were blocked after their 'mean' porches were removed. The top stage of the tower was rebuilt in brick with a flint external face, and a pyramid roof on top. There was also a new chancel roof and screen (painted 1875), and many new pews (to re-place the box ones), as well as a new pulpit and font.
BUILDING MATERIALS (incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
Flint rubble (with ferruginous sandstone and Roman brick quoins) is used for the earliest church with Caen stone dressings from the early 12th century. Some Reigate stone was used for jambs, etc., in the 13th century chancel extension. There is also some Ragstone for later windows.
Red brick was used for 18th century repairs and buttresses (and the family pews), and the large amounts of Bath stone was used for the 1865-6 repairs, restoration, Saisle, etc.
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH:
Bas-relief figure of Archbishop (12th cent.) on S. wall of chancel, put here in 1933. It came from the neighbouring Court-Lodge, but was probably originally from Canterbury.
1516 brass of W. Geoffrey on S. wall of chancel.
R. Bun memorial (1682) on N.E. side of nave, and T Knight (1894) by Shout in S. aisle.
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: The churchyard of c. 1½ acres is a rough square around the church, extending down to the river on the east.
Condition: Good
Boundary walls: c. 19th cent. stone & brickwalls around it.
Building in churchyard or on boundary: Small 19th cent. shed on boundary immediately N. of the tower with Medieval gravelmarker reused in gable.
Ecological potential: Good
HISTORICAL RECORD (where known):
Earliest ref. to church: Domesday Book, 3,13.
Evidence of pre-Norman status (DB, DM, TR etc.): Paid 28d, Chrisin in D.M.
Challock was a chapel-of-ease to Godmersham.
Late med. status (vicarage/appropriation): Vicarage with formal appropriation to the Priory in 1400 (the vicarage was endowed from 1380).
Patron: Canterbury Cathedral Priory (given by Archbishop in c. 1037) till Dissolution, then, from 1546, the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury.
Other documentary sources: For wills, (Test. Cant. (E. Kent 1907), 136-8. They mention various lights, the Roodloft, 'Holy Cross before the door' etc. For the Chantry of St. Mary, see Kent Chantries (ed. A Hussey) Kent Records XII (1932-6), 131.
See also Hasted (2nd ed. 1799), 328-32.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD:
Reused materials: - Roman bricks.
Finds from church\churchyard: Some Roman bricks and pottery found by the Revd. S G Brade-Birks. One discoid grave-marker still exists to the S. of the church, by the path. Old hand-bells were also found in the churchyard in 1865.
Finds within 0.5km: Grave-marker found in Court Lodge excavation to N.
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS: Good. The chancel floor was apparently just covered up in 1865-6.
Outside present church: ? Quite good, but disturbed in 1865-6.
RECENT DISTURBANCES\ALTERATIONS:
To structure: In 1986 the c. 1687 bell-frame was removed from the tower (this is now stored at the Canterbury Archaeologist Trust). In 1992 the later N-S cross wall in the N. apsidal chapel was demolished.
To graveyard: None (but shed in churchyard to be restored as W.C. in 1993).
Quinquennial inspection (date\architect): Feb. 1989 - George Denny.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
The church and churchyard: Despite very heavy restoration work in 1865-6, there are important remains here of an 11th century church with added north tower/transept with apsidal chapel of the early 12th century. Also an extended mid - 13th century chancel.
The wider context: Apsidal chapels in Kent parish churches are a very rare survival, as is the unique 12th century bas-relief now in the chancel.
REFERENCES: T. Tatton-Brown, 'The parish church of St. Lawrence, Godmersham: a history' Arch. Cant. 106 (1988), 45-81.
Guide Book: None, though there was one by an early long-serving vicar S G Brade-Birks (1930-77).
Plans & drawings: Plans before + after 1865-6 restorations, and 1865 sketches of church are in the parish records - see art. by Tim Tatton-Brown above.
DATE VISITED: 21/12/92 REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown
www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/01/03/GOD.htm
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GODMERSHAM
LIES the next parish south-westward from Chartham, and is written in antient records, Godmersham, and in Domesday, Gomersham.
IT LIES in the beautiful Stour valley, a situation healthy and pleasant to the extreme, the river Stour glides through it from Ashford, in its course towards Canterbury; Godmersham house and park are the principal objects in it, both elegant and beautiful, the Ashford high road encircles the east side of the park, along which there is a sunk sence, which affords an uninterrupted view of the whole of it, and adds greatly to the beauty of this elegant scene, and leads through the village of Godmersham close to it, the whole village which contains about twenty houses, belongs to Mrs. Knight, excepting one house, as does the greatest part of the parish, excepting the lands belonging to the dean and chapter of Canterbury. There are about twenty more houses in the parish, and about two hundred and forty inhabitants in all. The church, and vicarage, a neat dwelling, pleasantly situated, stand at a small distance from the village, on the left side of the road, with the antient manor-house near the former, close to the bank of the river; the meadows in the vale are exceeding fertile, the uplands are chalk, with some gravel among them, the hills rise high on each side, those on the west being the sheep walks belonging to Godmersham-house, the summits of which are finely cloathed with wood, at proper intervals; the opposite ones are the high range of uninclosed pasture downs of Wye and Braborne. Among these hills, in the eastern part of the parish, is the seat of Eggerton, situated in a wild and bleak country of barren lands and flints.
At the southern boundary of the parish, on the Ashford road, is the hamlet of Bilting, part of which is in Wye parish. There was a family of this name who once resided here, as appears by their wills so early as 1460. Richard Mocket, gent. of Challock, died in 1565, possessed of the manor of Biltyng-court, in Godmersham, which by his will he directed to be sold. At length this estate of Bilting came into the possession of the Carters. Thomas Carter, gent. of Bilting, second son of George Carter, gent. of Winchcombe, died possessed of it in 1707, s.p. After which it at length came to his nephew Thomas Carter, gent. of Godmersham, who dying in 1744, left two daughters his coheirs, the eldest of whom Mary, marrying Mr. Nicholas Rolfe, of Ashford, he became in her right possessed of her father's estate at Bilting. After which it became the residence of Mrs. Jane, the sister of the late Mr. Knight, and after her death in 1793, of Thomas Monypenny, esq. who afterwards removing from hence sold it in 1797, to Mr. Richard Sutton, who now resides at it.
There is no fair, nor is there any one alehouse within this parish.
From the high road above-mentioned, which runs along the lower side of the western hills there is a most pleasing view over the valley beneath, in which the various beautiful objects of both art and nature combine to make it the most delightful prospect that can be imagined.
BEORNULPH, king of Mercia, in the year 822, gave Godmersham to Christ-church, in Canterbury, to the use of their refectory and cloathing, at the request of archbishop Wlfred, L.S.A. that is, Libere sicut Adisham, endowed with the same liberties and privileges that Adisham, which had been given to that church, originally was. But it appears afterwards to have been wrested from the church, and to have been again restored to it by archbishop Egelnoth, who made a new grant of it in the year 1036, having purchased it of duke Sired, for seventy-two marcs of pure silver, for the use of the monks in Christ-church; in whose possession Godmersham remained at the taking the general survey of Domesday, in which it is entered as follows, under the general title of Terra Monachorum Archiepi, i.e. the lands of the monks of the archbishop, as all the lands belonging to the monastery of Christ-church were.
In Feleberg hundred, the archbishop himself holds Gomersham. It was taxed at eight sulings. The arable land is twelve carucates. In demesne there are two, and sixty villeins, with eight cottagers, having seventeen carucates. There is a church, and two servants, and one mill of twenty-five shillings, and twelve acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of forty hogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and when he received it, it was worth twelve pounds, now twenty pounds, and yet it pays thirty pounds.
In the 7th year of king Edward I. the prior claimed a fair here, on the day of St. Laurence, which was allowed; and king Edward III. in his 38th year granted to the prior another fair here on the Thursday and Friday in every Whitsun-week, together with a market to be held here on a Tuesday weekly. In the 10th year of king Edward II. the prior obtained a charter of free-warren for this manor; about which time it was, with its appurtenances, valued at thirty-six pounds. The priors of Canterbury frequently resided at the manor-house here, which appears by the present state of it to have been a mansion large and suitable to their dignity. Prior Chillenden, at the latter end of king Richard II.'s reign, made large additions and repairs here, as did prior Sellyng in that of Edward IV. The house is situated on the bank of the river, a small distance northward from the church. It appears to have been a very large mansion formerly. The old hall of it is yet remaining, with the windows, door-cases, and chimney of it, in the gothic stile. Over the porch, at the entrance of the house, is the effigies of the prior, curiously carved in stone, sitting richly habited, with his mitre and pall, and his crosier in his left hand, his right lifted up in the act of benediction, and his sandals on his feet. This, most probably, represents prior Chillenden, above mentioned, who had the privilege of wearing those ornaments, granted to him and his successors by pope Urban, and repaired this mansion as before related. In which state this manor continued till the dissolution of the priory in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. when it came, with the rest of the possessions of the monastery, into the king's hands, who in his 37th year, granted the manor, rectory, and advowson of Godmersham, in exchange for other premises, to the dean and chapter of Canterbury, in pure and perpetual alms, at the yearly rent of 10l. 1s. 8d. (fn. 1) being then valued at 80l. 11s. in exchange for which they gave the king seven valuable manors in this and other counties; Canterbury college, in Oxford, and other premises, a scandalous bargain of plunder, like most others of the king's making; and yet in the deed it is said to have been made through his most gracious favor. Since which this manor has remained part of their possessions to the present time.
The court-lodge, with the demesne lands of this manor, are let to Mrs. Coleman, who resides in it, on a beneficial lease, but the manor itself, with the profits of the courts, &c. the dean and chapter retain in their own hands. A court baron is regularly held for it.
THE MANORS OF FORD AND YALLANDE were antiently part of the inheritance of the family of Valoigns, one of whom, Robert de Valoigns, died possessed of them and much other land in this neighbourhood, in the 19th year of king Edward II. and in his descendants they continued till the latter end of king Edward III.'s reign, when Waretius de Valoigns leaving by his wife, daughter of Robert de Hougham, two daughters his coheirs, one of them, married to Thomas de Aldon, entitled her husband to these manors as part of her inheritance; and in this name of Aldon they continued for some space of time. At length they became the property of Austen, or Astyn, as they afterwards spelt their name, and they continued possessors of it, till Richard Astyn, gent. of West Peckham, conveyed them, with all lands and tenements called Halton, in Godmersham and other parishes, to Thomas Broadnax, gent. late of Hyth, though there were descendants of that family, who wrote themselves gentlemen, remaining here in the beginning of king George I.'s reign, as appears by their wills in the prerogative-office. He afterwards resided at Ford-place, as his descendants, possessors of these manors, afterwards did, without intermission, to Thomas Broadnax, esq. (fn. 2) who in the 13th year of king George I. anno 1727, pursuant to the will of Sir Thomas May, and under the authority of parhament, changed his name to May, and in 1729 kept his shrievalty here. In 1732 he rebuilt this seat, and in 1738, pursuant to the will of Mrs. Elizabeth Knight, widow of Bulstrode Peachy Knight, esq. (who was her second husband, her first being William Knight, esq. of Dean, in that county); and under the authority of another act, he again changed his name to Knight, and in 1742 inclosed a park round his seat here, afterwards called Ford park, which name it seems since entirely to have lost, this seat and park being now usually called Godmersham-park. Thomas May Knight, esq. beforementioned, died here, far advanced in years, in 1781, a gentleman, whose eminent worth is still remembered by many now living; whose high character for upright conduct and integrity, rendered his life as honorable as it was good, and caused his death to be lamented by every one as a public loss. He married Jane, eldest daughter and coheir of William Monk, esq. of Buckingham in Shoreham, in Sussex, by whom he had several children, of whom only four survived to maturity, Thomas, his heir, and three daughters, who died unmarried. Thomas Knight, esq. the son, succeeded his father in estates, and was of Godmersham, the seat and park of which he greatly improved. He married Catherine, daughter of Dr. Wadham Knatchbull, late prebendary of Durham, and died in 1794, s.p. leaving her surviving. He bore for his arms, the coat of Knight, vert, a bend fusilly, in base, a cinquefoil, argent, quartered with nineteen others; the second being, Broadnax, or, two chevronels, gules, on a chief of the second, three cinquefoils, argent; and the third, May, gules, a fess between three billets, or. By his will Mr. Knight gave this seat, with the park, the manors before-mentioned, and the lands belonging to it, to his widow Mrs. Catherine Knight, for her life, with remainder to Edward Austen, esq. of Rolling-place. She afterwards resided here, but removing to the White Friars, in Canterbury, she gave up the possession of Godmersham house and park to Edward Austen, esq. before-mentioned, who now resides at it.
EGGARTON is another manor, situated on the opposite side of the river, at the south-east boundaries of this parish, among the hills, near Crundal. It was antiently the estate of the noble family of Valence, earls of Pembroke. Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, held this manor at his death in the 17th year of king Edward II. He died s.p. and John, son of John de Hastings, by Isabel his wife, one of the earl's sisters, and John, son of John Comyn, of Badenagh, by Joane, another of his sisters, were found to be his coheirs; and upon the division of their estates, John de Hastings the son seems to have become wholly possessed of it. He died s.p. next year, leaving Joane, wife of David de Strabolgie, earl of Athol, and Elizabeth her sister, sisters and coheirs of John Comyn, of Badenagh, his next of kin. David de Strabolgie, earl of Athol, before-mentioned, died possessed of this manor, as appears by the inquisition taken after his death, in the 1st year of Edward III. leaving it to his son of the same name, who in the 7th year of Edward III. by deed settled it on his kinsman Sir Henry de Hills; which gift was confirmed by the countess his widow, in the 20th year of that reign. Gilbert de Hills, who lies buried in this church, with the marks of his figure in armour on his grave-stone, was a person of eminence in the age in which he flourished, and from him and Sir Henry de Hills, issued many worthy successors, who were proprietors of this manor till the reign of queen Elizabeth, when it was sold to Charles Scott, esq. eldest son of Sir Reginald Scott, of Scotts-hall, by his second wife. His grandson Thomas Scott, esq. of Eggarton, left a son Thomas, who died s.p. and a daughter Dorothy, married to Mr. Daniel Gotherson, who in her right at length became possessed of this manor, (fn. 3) though not without several contests at law by some collateral claimers to it. He afterwards sold it to Sir James Rushout, bart. who had been so created in 1661, and bore for his arms, Sable, two lioncels passant, guardant, within a bordure engrailed, or. He died in 1697, and by his will devised it to trustees, to sell for payment of his debts, which they accordingly soon afterwards did, to Peter Gott, esq. of Sussex, whose arms were, Per saltier argent and sable, a bordure counterchanged. His descendant Maximilian Gott, esq. resided at Eggarton, where he died in 1735; upon which this manor, with the rest of his estates in this county and in Sussex, came to his three sisters, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sarah; and on the death of the former, the two latter became entitled to the whole fee of it, as coparceners; Mrs. Sarah Gott usually residing at this mansion of Eggarton. Mary Gott died in 1768, and by will devised her moiety of her estates to Henry Thomas Greening, gent. of Brentford, in Middlesex, who afterwards, by act of parliament, assumed the name of Gott. Sarah Gott, the other sister, died at Eggarton, in 1772, and by will devised her moiety of her estates to the children of William Western Hugessen, esq. of Provender, deceased, to be equally divided between them. (fn. 4) Mr. Hugessen left three daughters his coheirs, of whom the two surviving ones, Dorothy, was afterwards married to Sir Joseph Banks, bart. and K. B. Mary, to Edward Knatchbull, esq. now Sir Edward Knatchbull, bart. who in their wives right became entitled to one moiety of this estate, they afterwards, together with Henry-Thomas Gott, esq. before-mentioned, possessor of the other moiety, joined in the sale of the entire property of this manor to Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, who purchased it for the residence of his sister Jane, since deceased. He died in 1794, s. p. and by his will gave this seat, with the estate and manor, to Edward Austen, esq. before-mentioned.
Charities.
MARTIN MAYE, yeoman, of Godmersham, ordered by will in 1614, that his executors should pay to Thomas Scott, gent. and five others therein mentioned, 100l on condition that they should enter into a bond of 200l. to his executors, to settle 8l. per annum towards the maintenance of twenty of the poorest persons householders, in Godmersham, that from time to time should be there dwelling; which sum should be a perpetual payment of 8s. per annum to each of them. This charity is now vested in Mrs. Knight.
THOMAS SCOTT, ESQ. of Canterbury, by will in 1635, devised the house which he lately built in Godmersham, and ten perches of land adjoining to it, to such poor persons, born and living in Godmersham, as the heirs of his body, and for want of such heirs as the right heirs of his kinsman, Sir Edward Scott, K. B. should nominate from time to time, for ever. And if such heirs should neglect such nomination, for the space of three months, then that the churchwardens for the time being, should nominate in their room; and if they or he should fail to nominate, within one month, then that the archbishop of Canterbury should in such case nominate from time to time. And he willed one other house, with its appurtenances, which he had lately built in Godmersham, adjoining to that before limited, and 10 perches of land adjoining, in like manner as the other before-mentioned, with like nomination and limitation; and so from time to time for ever. This charity is now lost.
THOMAS CARKERIDGE. of Maidstone, by will in 1640, devised all those lands and tenements which he bought in Wye, Godmersham, and Crundal, to William Cooper and his heirs for ever, he paying out of them 6l. per annum, to the overseers of the poor of the parish of Wye, 3l. and to the overseers of the parish of Godmersham. the other 3l. for ever; and he willed that this 6l. should be every year bestowed to cloath four poor widows, two of Wye, and two of Godmersham; and if there were not such poor widows, then to cloath other poor women, each of them to have five yards and an half of good country kersey, to make a petticoat and a waistcoat, and so much lockram or other country cloth as would make every of them two smocks, and every of them a pair of hose and a pair of shoes. And he willed that this cloth and other things be given to those poor women the first Thursday in November every year; with power to distrain in any of his lands lying in Wye, Godmersham, and Crundall, &c. until the same should be paid accordingly.
JOHN FINCHE, gent. of Limne, by will in 1707, devised his messuage, tenement, and lands, containing 36 acres, in Bilting, and his messuage and tenement, and seven acres of land, and 9 acres of woodland, in Wye, Godmersham, and Crundall, and all those his six cowshares, lying in a meadow called Laines, between Ollantigh and Tremworth, in Wye and Godmersham, and a piece of meadow-ground called Temple-hope, adjoining, in Wye and Crundall, to the ministers, churchwardens, and overseers of the parishes of Wye and Godmersham, and their successors for ever, in trust, that the minister, &c. of Wye, and their successors, should dispose of the rents and profits of that land which lay in Wye, as is therein mentioned; and that the minister, &c. of Godmersham, and their successors, should dispose of the rents and profits of that land, with its appurtenances in Godmersham and Crundall, to six of the poorest and eldest people of Godmersham, or any other, half-yearly for ever. But that there should be paid out of the rents and profits of his last-mentioned lands, 40s. yearly upon Christmas-day for ever, without any deduction, to poor people of the like sort, being men; that is to say, 20s. to each of them yearly for ever. And further, that if any of the trustees, the ministers, &c. of these parishes, should at any time alter, contradict, or misapply these charities, or the rents and profits of the estates, that then the devise to such parish, the minister, &c. of which had so done, should cease and determine. And he willed that none of the said charities should be distributed to any other poor, but such as should be members of the church of England, as then by law established. This charity is now of the annual produce of 24l. 1s. 6d. and produces on an average 18l. per annum.
The present alms-houses in Godmersham-street, were erected by the father of the last Thomas Knight, esq. on the ground before devised to the parish. The building contains dwellings for eight poor people.
There is a school here, for reading and writing, supported by the voluntary benefaction of Mrs. Knight, in which about 20 children are daily taught.
The poor constantly relieved are about nineteen, casually as many.
THIS PARISH is within the ELESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Bridge.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Laurence, is a plain building, consisting of a body and a chancel, having a square low tower on the north side of the body, on which was formerly a steeple. There are five bells in it. The chancel is large and handsome. There were formerly eight stalls in it. On three of the upright end-boards of these stalls were these letters and date:P/TC An. Dom. 1409, in memory of Thomas Chillenden, prior A. D. 1409, for the use of the prior and monks of Christ church, when they came to reside at their manor here, and the other clergy who might be present at divine services, the like as they had usually in other churches where they had manors. On the south side of the church was formerly a chantry, which was dedicated to St. Mary, as appears by the will of William Geffrye, chaplain of it in 1517, who directed to be buried in it on the south side. It was suppressed in the 1st year of king Edward VI. There was a house and garden belonging to it in Godmersham-street. This chantry has been rebuilt, and is now made use of as two large pews, for the use of the owners of the mansion-houses of Ford and Eggarton. Underneath these pews, which are raised considerable higher than the level of the pavement, are vaults for the owners of these houses. In that of Eggarton lie many of the Hilles's, Scotts, and Gotts; and in that of Forde, several of the Broadnax's. The two monuments now against the south wall of the body of the church, for Thomas Carter and James Christmas, were formerly in the chantry, on the pulling down of which, they were removed hither. In the body of the church, near the steeple, is another vault for the Broadnax's, which is quite full, and the entrance closed up; and in the body of the church there are several grave-stones of them, the inscriptions of which are gone. In the church-yard, close to the wall of Mr. Knight's pew, is a small vault, built by the late Mr. Knight's father, in which he lies, with his wife and daughter Anne; and leaving only room for one more in it, in which his son was afterwards buried.
The church of Godmersham, with the chapel of Challock annexed to it, was antiently an appendage to the manor of Godmersham, and as such was part of the possessions of the priory of Christ-church, in Canterbury, to which it was appropriated in the 21st year of king Richard II. anno 1397, with the king's and pope's licence, towards the support of the fabric of their church, to which archbishop Arundel consented; for which the prior gave up to him the advowson of the two churches of St. Vedast and Amand, and St. Michael, Crooked-lane, London. (fn. 5) After which the rectory and advowson of the vicarage of this church remained with the priory of Christ church till its dissolution, in the 31st year of Henry VIII. when they were, with the manor of Godmersham, and the rest of the possessions of that priory, surrendered into the king's hands, where they remained till the 37th year of that reign, when the king granted the manor, rectory, and advowson of the vicarage of Godmersham, as has been already mentioned, to the dean and chapter of Chanterbury, in exchange for other premises, with whom the rectory remains at this time. But the advowson of the vicarage of Godmersham, with the chapel of Challock appendant to it, is now in the patronage of his grace the archbishop of Canterbury.
In the year 1254, Hugh de Mortimer, rector of this church, confirmed the exemption of the manor of Godmersham, belonging to the prior and convent of Christchurch, from the payment of small tithes arising from it; with a saving to the right of his successors.
Before the appropriation of this church archbishop Sudbury had in 1330, endowed a vicarage here, which with the chapel of Challock, is valued in the king's books at 9l. 3s. 9d. and the yearly tenths at 18s. 4¼d. It is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon.
¶In 1640 here were communicants two hundred and forty-three, and it was then valued at fifty pounds. In 1649 the parsonage was valued at one hundred and twenty pounds per annum.
There is a pension of ten pounds to the vicar yearly paid out of the parsonage.
St Helen is probably my favourite Kent church. At least from the outside. Alternating bands of flints and local stone give it a Christmas Cake effect, but in bright sunshine it looks stunning.
Inside, its no less impressive. Part of the wall paintings survive, as do geometric patterns on some of the supporting columns.
And it is huge, with a fine wooden roof, a replacement after a fire, but still works well, and the fabric of the church seems good.
Everywhere there are fabulous things to find; Aumbries, memorials, and so much more.
And I reeived a warm welcome from the warden who was waiting for visitors. Last time I was here, there was a display of how the estuary airport-cum-Boris Johnson vanity project seemed a real possibility. Now he is back insulting foreigners, and the airport is dead. But a new Thames crossing is being mooted, and it might run across Grain, which would be a shame to have the peace and quiet shattered.
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An absolute knockout of a church. From the first glimpse of the exterior, with its zebra-like stripes of flint and stone, you know that here is a church of great interest. In plan it consists of an aisled nave, transepts, chancel and west tower - all built on a prodigious scale. Although the church was heavily restored on two occasions in the nineteenth century there is still a great deal of interest and a visit here should not be rushed. The pillars of the nave have distinctive 'V' paintings contemporary with their fourteenth-century construction. The pulpit is of 1636 and shows some excellent carved arcading. Attached to it is a contemporary hourglass stand. The north transept has wall paintings depicting the martyrdom of St Edmund, but these were over-touched-up by Professor Tristram in 1932. Further paintings exist in the south transept and probably show the martyrdom of St Margaret. The base of the rood screen is fifteenth century while the rather insubstantial traceried top is an early twentieth-century addition. There is an elaborate tie-beam high in the roof with little quatrefoil piercings in the spandrels, but this could not have supported the rood as the remains of the rood loft staircase may be seen in its usual position. Outside the north chancel wall can be found a piscina and holy water stoup - all that remains of a medieval chantry chapel or anchorite's cell which has been demolished. The blocked-up doorway that originally gave access to it may be seen both inside and out. On the inside south wall of the chancel is one of the finest sedilia in Kent which together with its double piscina dates from the early years of the fourteenth century.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Cliffe
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THE Church at Cliffe is dedicated to St. Helen and bears the distinction of being the only church in Kent dedicated to that Saint. It stands in a prominent position at the edge of the Hoo peninsula overlooking the extensive marshes which at this point stretch some two miles to the Thames.
The village seems at one time to have been of greater importance than it is to-day. Lambarde describes it as a large town in his day in spite of a disastrous fire which had destroyed many of the houses about 1520, a fire from the effects of which it appears never to have recovered.
The Manor of Cliffe belonged from very early times to the Prior and Convent of Christ Church, Canterbury, who were also the owners of the advowson, and thus became concerned with the upkeep of the church. At the Dissolution the Manor passed to George Brooke, Lord Cobham, though the Archbishop of Canterbury is still the patron of the living. Among the Rectors of Cliffe were several men of distinction, some of whom probably never visited the parish. From an early date there seems to have been a perpetual vicarage attached to the church, but when it became merged in the Rectory is uncertain.
Of the first church at Cliffe there is no definite record. It is sometimes said to have been founded by Offa, king of Mercia, in the latter part of the eighth century, though the only evidence for this appears to be the presumed identification of the place with the Cloveshoo of the Saxon Chronicle, where various synods of the Saxon Church were held in the eighth and ninth centuries. Without attempting to suggest a solution of this very debatable point, it can only be said that the evidence in favour of Cliffe appears to rest on at least as good authority as that of the rival claimants—Abingdon in Berkshire, and Clifton Hoo in Bedfordshire. There is moreover good reason to think that Cliffe was less inaccessible than might be supposed in mediaeval times. There still remain traces of a causeway across Higham Marsh, which must at one time have led to a ferry, thus affording an easy means of approach from Essex and the Midlands.
The earliest undisputed documentary reference to a church at Cliffe is in the Domesday Survey. It was evidently a building of more than usual importance for it is expressly stated that two ministers were in charge. Of this building, however, not a vestige remains, though there can be little doubt that from it the present plan has, on more or less recognised lines, been developed.
The plan as it exists to-day is complete, and consists of a nave with wide aisles, north and south transepts, chancel, western tower and south porch. The church is one of the largest in Kent, and is a striking example of a parish church whose size and splendour could have borne but little relation to the actual needs of the locality. It was the product of an age whose zeal for church building was limited only by the funds available. The total internal length from east to west is 182 feet, while the width across the transept is 82 feet. The exterior has been the subject of somewhat extensive restoration, which has robbed it of much of its ancient appearance. The south aisle differs from that on the north in having an embattled parapet, similar to that of the porch. The walls of the tower and transepts are faced with flint rubble with little attempt at regular coursing. The later work of the nave and chancel, though extensively refaced, is composed of alternate courses of dressed flints and stone ; the latter, a soft ragstone from the lower green sand formation which, quarried probably from the outcrop a few miles to the south, has weathered badly in many places. A variety of other materials is noticeable, some of which appear to have been reused from the earlier church. A block of Caen stone in the east wall of the chancel, and several pieces in the north wall, have obviously been reused, while a single piece of calcareous tufa can be seen in the north wall of the transept; Reigate stone is also fairly abundant.
It is not till one enters the church, that its size is fully realised. The absence of pews over a large part of the nave, with the fact that the nave arcade is carried past the crossing without a break, and the absence of a chancel arch, all combine to emphasise its spaciousness. The impression
gathered from a superficial survey of the interior is that of a thirteenth century church with considerable additions in the fourteenth century, but a more careful inspection shows at least one trace of an earlier building. The arch from the north aisle into the transept, which has been partially cut away when the thirteenth century nave arcade was constructed, is certainly of late twelfth century date and must therefore have survived from an earlier church. Before, however, considering the development of the ground plan, it is necessary to refer briefly to the chief features of architectural interest which call for notice.
The porch is of a fairly common type, with an upper room, approached by a stair turret from the south aisle. It measures internally 11 feet 5 inches from east to west by 16 feet from north to south, and is apparently of late fifteenth century date. On the right of the inner doorway are the remains of a holy water stoup. The room above has been considerably modernised, and there is nothing to indicate its original use. Occasionally an altar is found in the porch chamber, which, however, in this case would seem more likely to have been used for storing the church goods.
The north and south aisles of the nave are 19 feet 10 inches and 18 feet wide respectively, and are thus considerably wider than the nave itself. They contain a fine series of Decorated windows, those at the end of either aisle being particularly interesting examples of three lights. The church as a whole is very rich in windows of this period, which form in themselves an interesting study in design. The south aisle has a stone bench running along its south and west walls.
The tower is entered from the nave by a plain thirteenth century arch, and measures approximately 15 feet 6 inches from east to west by 17 feet 6 inches from north to south (interior measurements). The lower stage, which is shut off from the church by a screen, and is now used as a vestry, is lit by three narrow lancets, one in each of the disengaged walls. The roof is a simple quadripartite vault, without any boss at the intersection of the ribs, which are carried on shafts supported on corbels set in the four angles. The lower part of the tower is apparently thirteenth century work, and somewhat earlier than the transepts. The flat, clasping buttresses appear to be original, though now entirely re-faced, and might in themselves suggest a transitional date for the base of the tower. The upper part has been rebuilt at a much later date, and contains a Perpendicular window. Like most towers of the period, it is probable that there was originally no structural stairway leading to the upper stages, access to which had to be obtained by means of a ladder, though the existing doorway to the modern stair turret appears to be of fairly early date.
The transepts deserve special consideration on account of the very interesting work which they contain. Their date cannot be later than about 1260 and there are some grounds for thinking that the south transept may be slightly the earlier of the two. The east wall of the south transept is
divided into two bays by blind arches, supported on slender banded shafts, with a narrow lancet window in the centre of each arch. A somewhat similar arrangement exists on the east wall of the north transept, though in this case the central shaft is not carried to the ground, but rests midway on a moulded bracket, below which is a piscina with a trefoil head of the same date. The treatment of the west wall of the north transept is very similar to that of the east, but the arches are much narrower, and the arrangement has been somewhat interfered with by a later widening of the nave aisle. In the south transept the arcading on the west wall is somewhat plainer, and the banded shafts have been dispensed with. Although similar in general design, certain details point to the south transept being slightly the earlier. The string course below the windows, which is continued round the shafts of the mural arcading, is a plain scroll moulding, while in the north transept a fillet is substituted, and the central bands on the shafts of the arcading are of a more elaborate character. The triple lancet windows at the ends of either transept are modern, and replaced two large fifteenth-century windows, which are shown in several early views.
The north transept was formerly shut off from the rest of the church by a screen, and used for holding the Rector's Court. In mediaeval times, and down to 1845, the Rector of Cliffe had a peculiar jurisdiction within his parish. He was exempt from all ecclesiastical authority other than personal visitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The wills of parishioners were proved in the local court, and the official seal of the Peculiar is still preserved in the Rochester Museum.
The chancel, which appears to have been rebuilt entirely in the middle of the fourteenth century, is complete, save for the insertion of a modern east window, which replaced an extraordinarily ugly eighteenth-century aperture of brick. The remaining windows are all fine examples of Decorated work, the tracery of which shows a distinctly Flamboyant tendency. The eastern pair affords interesting examples of Kentish tracery. All have good hood-mouldings with
grotesques at the ends. Beneath the windows is a stringcourse, which terminates at the altar rails with a grotesque head on either side. That on the north has been renewed, but the southern one represents the battered head of a monk.
The chief interest in the chancel, however, is its fittings. In the south wall is a series of three very beautiful fourteenth century sedilia, with a piscina of uniform character, recessed in the wall and ascending eastward. They are divided by slender buttressed shafts, supporting elaborately carved ogee canopies, and surmounted by crockets and finials. Beneath the canopies are trefoiled arches, and behind these the roof is carved in imitation of sexpartite vaulting.
Opposite in the north wall is a fine late-fourteenth century tomb of early Perpendicular character, which is often referred to as an Easter sepulchre, for which purpose it may well have been used. The wide cinquefoil arch is surmounted by an elaborate embattled cornice, supported on narrow
buttressed shafts, and terminating with a carved head at either end ; circles with internal cuspings fill the spandrils of the arch.
Immediately west of this tomb is a blocked doorway which led to an adjoining building, now demolished. The exterior wall at this point is of a different character from the rest of the chancel walls, and apparently of earlier date. It is composed of a variety of material, including pieces of Caen stone, which probably came from the earlier church, and suggests that this section of wall and the chapel, of which it formed part, survived the re-building of the chancel in the fourteenth century. The two adjoining buttresses have been constructed out of sections of the eastern and western walls of the chapel, and serve to indicate its approximate size. The position of its low roof is clearly shown by the stone corbels which remain at a height of 7 feet 8 inches from the ground. The floor must have been somewhat lower than the present ground level, as the small piscina in the exterior of the chancel wall is now only two feet from the ground. In the base of the westernmost of the two buttresses is a niche, now scarcely eighteen inches from the ground, which may originally have been used as a holy water stoup, since it was close to the entrance to the chapel. This small building probably served the joint purpose of a Sacristy and Chapel. That it contained an altar there can be no doubt from the piscina already noted.
It may possibly be referred to in the will of Richard Elys, who in 1468 left 12 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary in the chapel and 4 pence to the light of the Blessed Mary near the pulpit, though one of the transepts may of course have been here intended. Such evidence as there is on the other hand seems to point to the chapel having been pulled down at the time of the rebuilding of the chancel or soon afterwards. The blocked doorway in the chancel wall was originally carried down to the present ground level on the exterior, so that there must have been some steps in the thickness of the wall leading down into the chapel. The date of this doorway, which was probably contemporary with the building to which, it led, is uncertain. It is certainly earlier than the adjoining late-fourteenth-century tomb, as parts have been cut away when the latter was inserted, and the use of somewhat small stones points to an earlier rather than a later date. Its details on the other hand include the wave moulding which is usually taken to be characteristic of the Decorated period, or one might otherwise be inclined to think that it formed part of the thirteenth century chancel. The filling on the exterior is certainly not modern, and the fact that a plinth has been inserted when the doorway was blocked up, to match that round the rest of the chancel evidently with the intention, which was never carried out, of continuing it along the section of earlier walling where the chapel stood, seems to suggest that this work was undertaken about the same time as the rebuilding of the chancel.
We are now in a position to consider the probable development of the ground plan, which, though somewhat conjectural for the earlier period, has left some interesting and unmistakable traces of its later history. In the entire absence of remains of the early Norman church, one is forced to rely for the identification of its position on analogy with other buildings of similar type. The first church of which we have any record in all probability consisted of a simple nave and square- ended chancel. The three easternmost bays of the existing nave arcade would preserve the line of
the north and south walls of the church, while the chancel would occupy the interior of the present crossing. There is nothing to show the position of the west wall, but it would have been approximately in a line with the present north and south doors. Towards the close of the twelfth century north and south aisles, about half the width of the present ones, were probably added by piercing the original walls with arches, and about the same time a small chapel or aisle appears to have been built to the north of the original chancel, and the existing arch constructed so as to give access into it. This arch, which cannot be later than about 1200, is obviously much earlier than the present transept and must therefore have communicated with an earlier building on its site. Some evidence in support of this came to light during the restoration of the north transept in 1864. The foundations of an early wall four feet thick were found beneath the present floor running parallel and close to its eastern wall. At a distance of 15 feet from the chancel wall it appears to have been met by another wall at right angles to it. Unfortunately no further record was made of this discovery, but it establishes beyond doubt the existence of a building in this position, to which the arch in question opened. It is possible that this was the chancel arch of a late twelfth century church, and that the foundations were those of the former chancel, though such a theory would be more difficult to reconcile with the later development of the plan. Moreover on the assumption that there already existed a building on the north of the original chancel when the thirteenth-century builders decided to remodel the church, it is possible to account for the hitherto unexplained fact that the north transept is wider than the south by some three feet. The normal development of the thirteenth century produced a cruciform church. A new and longer chancel, and north and south transepts, were built around the small twelfth century chancel, while the nave and aisles were lengthened by the removal of the west wall some 20 feet further west, and a tower erected to the west of this. These extensive works could not of course have been simultaneous.
The tower appears to be somewhat earlier than the transepts, so that presumably the lengthening of the west end was undertaken first, and at the same time an Early English arcade, extending an additional bay westward, was inserted in place of the twelfth century arches. Contrary to what was frequently the case in churches of this type, there was clearly never any intention to erect a central tower over the crossing, since the abutments are far too weak to have supported the weight. This weakness would account for the presence of the strainer arch of oak, which must
have been inserted sometime in the fifteenth century.
With the completion of this work the early builders grew more ambitious. Almost immediately the work on the new chancel and transepts must have begun. A temporary hoarding was probably erected, shutting off the nave and the altar, transferred there until the new works were finished. The chancel and the south transept were probably first erected, as the sites were free of buildings ; the width of the latter being determined by the size of the former chancel and the chapel on the north. When the work was completed attention was directed towards the north transept, which, according to the usual practice, would have been rebuilt round the earlier building, the foundations of which were discovered in 1864, thus accounting for its slight extra width. Probably towards the end of the century the small chapel, the remains of which have already been mentioned, was built on the north of the new chancel.
Considerable alterations were undertaken in the fourteenth century, the principal of which were the rebuilding of the thirteenth century chancel, and the widening of the nave aisles. The latter was a very frequent form of improvement at this period, and was usually occasioned by the desire
for extra space to set up additional altars so as to meet the enormous increase in the popularity of Chantry bequests. At Cliffe the effect of this widening is clearly shown on the already completed design of the transepts. In the north transept one of the lancets was cut away, and a short pointed arch springing from shafts, which do not reach the ground, inserted in its place. The apex of the original lancet still remains in the wall above. In the south transept a similar alteration in plan is treated somewhat differently. A segmental arch, here reaching to the ground, and opening into the extended aisle, was inserted within the earlier bund arch in the west wall of the transept. This also necessitated the removal of an original lancet, the head of which can be seen occupying the space between the original arch and the later insertion. The windows in the nave all appear to be of this date. Probably contemporary with this extension of the aisles, was the heightening of the nave to allow for the clerestory with its row of single splayed lancets. The junction of this work with the old can be clearly seen immediately above the arcading. The thirteenth century roof of the nave was about on a level with those of the aisles, as the small window in the east face of the tower, which now looks into the church, must originally have looked out over the roof. The line of the fourteenth roof, which was erected at the time that the clerestory was added, can be seen on the wall of the tower, passing across the window opening. Below this the position of the third roof, erected 1732, can also be seen. This roof, which was almost flat, was replaced by the present one about forty years ago.
The rebuilding of the chancel would appear to have been undertaken at the same time as extension of the aisles, to judge from the similarity of the external stonework. This would again have necessitated the use of the nave for services, and it is probable that either at this time, or during the earlier work on the interior of the transepts, the round headed arch, which can be seen on the exterior of the north wall of the north transept, was constructed for the convenience of the masons while the ordinary entrances were not available. That this arch or doorway, which has sometimes been said to be of Norman origin, was really of a much later date, and of a purely temporary character, seems to be shown by a close inspection of its construction. The position is not in the centre of the wall while the arch itself is made up of a variety of material including large flints, pieces of Beigate stone and a single block of calcareous tufa, the latter doubtless coming from the early church. Further, the fact that the filling of the arch' seems to be of much the same character as the adjoining walls points to it only having been used for a comparatively short time. Everything in fact indicates that it was a purely temporary arrangement used during the construction of the transepts, or the later chancel, and filled up as soon as the work was completed. A somewhat similar, though smaller, arch in the exterior of the south wall of the tower was probably of a similar nature, though its purpose is conjectural, and it may have had some connection with original stairs to the upper floors. By the end of the fourteenth century the church was practically complete. The porch was added early in the following century, and the large Perpendicular windows, which formerly existed at the ends of the transepts, inserted. At the same time the upper part of the west tower was rebuilt. Certain work also seems to have been in progress about this time in the chancel, for in the will of the Rector in 1413 a sum of money was left towards that object. Exactly what resulted from the bequest one cannot say.
The subsequent additions were chiefly in the nature of modern insertions. The eighteenth century saw many acts of destruction which are duly entered in the parish registers. In 1730, during the Rectorship of George Green, the old high-gabled roofs were taken down, the lead recast, and an
almost flat roof substituted. Two years later the east window was demolished and a hideous brick opening substituted, and at the same time the old timber roof of the chancel, which, since it bore his arms, had probably been erected during the time of Archbishop Arundel, who occupied the See from 1396 to 1414, was pulled down, and both the nave and chancel ceiled. During this period also the two enormous brick buttresses, which are shown in some early views, were erected on the north and south sides of the tower. The church was in this condition when Sir Stephen Glynne visited it in 1857. Subsequent restorations have been extensive, though for the most part necessary. The brick buttresses to the Tower were removed shortly after Sir Stephen Glynne's visit, and the present circular stair turret erected in the place of the southern one. The chancel was restored in 1875, when traces of the original reredos were discovered, and the jambs of the original east window, which were of Reigate stone and about 15 feet apart, were found in situ. The present window was erected in place of the eighteenth century one in 1884, and at the same time the flat lead roofs of the nave and chancel were removed, and the present high-pitched tiled roofs substituted. Finally a small building, without any communication with the church, has been erected in recent years to the east of the north transept. During these successive restorations much of the external walls has been refaced from time to time, and the whole of the upper part of the east wall of the chancel which was pulled down in 1732, was rebuilt when the present window was inserted.
It is somewhat difficult now to picture the appearance of the interior of the church in mediaeval times. A brilliant colour scheme evidently played an important part in the general effect. Many of the piers of the nave arcades, which are apparently constructed of hard chalk, still show traces of a bold chevron pattern in red and yellow, and, together with the extensive wall paintings, slight traces of which still remain in the transepts, and the brilliance of the mediaeval glass, must have combined to give a very rich effect to the interior. Of the ancient glass very little remains. Dr.
Grayling mentions some fourteenth century borders in the chancel windows, which seem to have disappeared. In the central window of the north aisle is a small piece of ancient glass representing a ship with fish in the water beneath, which is said to have been found many years ago in a shed in the churchyard. In the top of the adjoining window is a fifteenth century figure of the Virgin and Child. A coat of arms in another window is mentioned by Thorpe, but this also seems to have disappeared. The wall paintings, though now very indistinct, were evidently much clearer until
comparatively recent times. On the east wall of the north transept, in the space between the southernmost of the two lancets and the arch in which it is placed, is one of these paintings, divided into five panels, depicting the Martyrdom of St. Edmund. Very little of it can now be made out, though the whole of this transept showed traces of colour at the time of the restoration of 1864. Some remains of a painting in a similar position in the south transept can still be seen, and are said to represent the Last Judgment.
Several bequests for the provision and upkeep of lights before the various altars add a little to our knowledge of the interior in mediaeval times. Of the various saints to whom lights were dedicated in the church Our Lady was of course the most popular. We have already seen that two altars
were dedicated to her. One of these is again mentioned in 1483, when Robert Qwikerell left 20 pence "to the Parish Church of Cleue and to the ligth of Our Lady besyde the pulpett there" and also a similar amount to the lights of St. Laurence and St. George. Richard Elys in 1469 also
mentions lights of St. Christopher, St. John and St. James, while in 1509 Steven Tudor bequeathed to the high altar of St. Elyn 20 pence, and to the light of St. Elyn 12 pence.
Of the position of these various lights one cannot speak with any certainty. That to St. Christopher would have been near the main entrance to the church, while the light of the patron saint, St. Helen, would have been in the Chancel, probably over the high altar. Remains of a piscina in four other places in the church prove the former existence of altars in these positions. That in the Sacristy has already been mentioned. At least one altar stood in each of the transepts, while a small piscina, apparently constructed of broken window tracery at the east end of the south aisle, testifies to another. An altar probably stood in a corresponding position in the north aisle. This disposition would exactly account for the number of lights mentioned in early wills. Besides the lights burning before the altars, there would also be a light before the great Rood over the entrance to the chancel. Some of the lower panels of the original rood screen survive. Above, and partly supported by, the screen was the rood loft, which was already in existence as early as 1413, when it is mentioned in conjunction with the great rood itself and its attendant figures in the will of Nicholas de Ryssheton, Canon of Sarum and Rector of Cliffe. The small fifteenth century doorway with a fourcentred arch, which gave access to it, can still be seen high up in the north wall just east of the entrance of the chancel, and the original stairs remain in good condition, though the entrance from the church has been blocked up and covered over with plaster.
The furniture in the church has suffered much from “restoration" and other causes. Six of the ancient stalls remain, three on each side of the chancel, though panelling at the backs and all the seats except two are modern. The sides terminate in carved heads, some of which have been
renewed, while the two original miserecords are carved with grotesques. The Communion rails are Jacobean, though somewhat repaired. They are of the fairly common baluster type with a central bulge. The pulpit is a very fine piece of Renaissance carving, and retains the original stand for the hour glass, though the glass itself is modern; on it is the date 1636.
Besides the fragments of the original rood screen there is another screen shutting off the vestry under the tower.
The font, which has been moved from its original position, is 3 feet 4£ inches in height, and apparently of late-fourteenth century date. The perfectly plain octagonal bowl has concave sides, around the lower edge of which is a hollow chamfer. The bowl is supported by an octagonal, buttressed stem on a plain base. On the westernmost pillar of the south arcade can still be seen the bracket and chain by which the font cover was raised, indicating its original position.
The monuments in the church are few, and call for little comment. In the floor at the west end of the north aisle are two flat coffin-shaped stones with early fourteenth century French inscriptions in Lombardic capitals. The one on the north is probably the earlier, judging from the very rough
characters which are now scarcely legible. It commemorated Eleanor de Olive, of whom nothing is known. The other stone shows traces of brass, and is inscribed in memory of Joan, wife of John Earn. These stones are described in the Gentleman's Magazine, and old rubbings of them exist among the collection of the Society of Antiquaries. There are three brasses of seventeenth century date, one of which is thought to have been engraved locally.
Two wills are of interest in connection with early burials in the church. In 1376 Robert de Walton, Rector of Cliffe, desired to be buried in the church of Olyve at the entrance to the quire. Some years later, in 1387, Thomas de Lynton, a subsequent rector, directed that he should be buried in the chancel near the entrance, and between the entrance to the quire and the tomb of Master Robert Walton, late Rector, and he ordered that a handsome marble monument should be placed over his body at the discretion of his executors. It seems not unlikely however that his executors favoured a brass monument. In the chancel is the stone matrix of what must once have been a very fine brass of about this period, representing a priest under a canopy. Another smaller matrix of an ecclesiastic is close to the pulpit.
Of the church plate the most important piece is a very beautiful paten of silver gilt of the early part of the sixteenth century. In the centre, worked in coloured enamels, is a seated figure of God the Father holding before Him a figure of the crucifixion. The extreme rarity of pre-reformation
plate is not generally recognised, and the example at Cliffe is one of the finest English patens in existence. At some period or other the paten at Cliffe served as a chalice cover, and it is even said to have been used as an alms dish, which would account for its numerous signs of wear. The other plate is of seventeenth century and later date, and of no particular interest.
It remains for me to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. F. O. Blliston Erwood for several suggestions and for the photographs which illustrate this paper. The present account is intended to supplement, but not to supplant altogether, an article on Cliffe Church, by the Rev. I. Gr. Lloyd, a former Rector, which appeared in Vol. XI. of Arch. Cant., where reference should be made for further particulars.
www.cliffehistory.co.uk/martin.html
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CLIFFE (St. Helen), a parish, in the union of North Aylesford, hundred of Shamwell, lathe of Aylesford, W. division of Kent, 5 miles (N. by W.) from Rochester; containing 842 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the north by the Thames, and comprises 5660 acres, whereof 180 are woodland, about 2000 arable, and the remainder pasture, including a considerable portion of marshy land. The village, which is supposed to take its name from the cliff or rock on which it stands, was formerly of much greater extent, a great part of it having been destroyed by fire in 1520: it was the scene of several provincial councils. A pleasurefair is held on September 28th. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £50; net income, £1297; patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury: the glebe contains 20 acres. The church is considered one of the finest in the county, being a large handsome cruciform structure in the early English style, with an embattled central tower, and containing several curious monuments and remains of antiquity, together with six stalls that belonged to a dean and five prebendaries, it having been formerly collegiate.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp63...