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Black GI James Johnson, one of the Ft. Hood 3 who refused orders to Vietnam, speaks at the counter-Inaugural tent January 19, 1969 during an anti-Vietnam War protest.
The crowd contained unruly elements who were disrespectful of Johnson. Instead of being honoring Johnson’s courage in standing up against the war and subjecting himself to court martial, these unruly elements called for him to get off the stage.
Johnson finished his speech, but the next speakers—women’s liberation leaders Shulamith Firestone and Marilyn Salzman Webb—were not permitted to finish.
Some in the crowd shouted vile insults at the women while others called out they were ready to march.
To make matters worse, protest leader David Dellinger did not intervene to calm the crowd. Instead, he ordered the women off the stage.
The incident with women and Dellinger’s failure to intervene had consequences for a movement that was already splintering. Relations had been deteriorating, but this incident was the catalyst where radical feminists left the male-dominated movement and struck out on their own.
Fort Hood 3:
The Fort Hood Three were three United States Army soldiers – Private First Class James Johnson, Private David A. Samas, and Private Dennis Mora – who refused to be deployed to fight in the Vietnam War on June 30, 1966. This was the first public refusal of orders to Vietnam, and one of the earliest acts of resistance to the war from within the U.S. military.
Their case became a cause celebre within the antiwar movement and efforts were made to encourage more active duty soldier to participate in antiwar demonstrations and resist orders to Vietnam.
The military court convicted them of insubordination and gave each a dishonorable discharges and forfeiture of pay. Mora was sentenced to three years at hard labor, Samas and Johnson to five.
In July 1967, both Samas and Johnson had their sentences reduced to three years by a military review board.
Impact of Counter-Inaugural activities:
Overall, the counter-Inaugural activities marked a re-grouping of the antiwar movement following a Presidential election where pro-war Lyndon Johnson dropped out, but antiwar candidate Eugene McCarthy could not secure enough delegates and Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated.
The nominees—Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey had similar positions on the war—both essentially taking a “peace through strength” approach to ending it.
However, the counter-Inaugural activities--a feminist march confronting Tricia Nixon’s guests, a march of 15,000 loudly denouncing the war, horse excrement thrown at Vice President-elect Spiro Agnew’s guests at a reception the day before he was installed, and a crowd of several thousand lining the parade route with banners against the war and pelting Nixon’s limousine with fruit, rocks and other debris as it passed by—served to re-galvanize the antiwar movement.
The anti-Vietnam War movement would see its largest demonstrations during the Vietnam Moratoriums in October and November 1969, the nation-wide college student strikes in May 1970 and the largest antiwar demonstration in Washington, DC April 24 1971, along with Vietnam veterans throwing their medals and ribbons onto the U.S. Capitol grounds prior to the 1971 march and antiwar demonstrators staging mass civil disobedience against the war over three days in May 1971 that resulted in over 12,000 arrests.
The public opinion die had been cast on the war and Nixon slowly withdrew combat troops while dragging out peace negotiations in Paris. He would see a repeat of antiwar activities at his 1973 Inauguration, including the pelting of his limousine as it drove in the Inaugural parade.
A peace accord was reached shortly afterward in 1973 and in 1975 Vietnamese regular and irregular troops toppled the U.S. backed regime and re-united the country.
For more information and related images for the 1969 Counter Inaugural, see flic.kr/s/aHsjDuSPyF
For a blog post on the 1969 Counter Inaugural activities, see washingtonareaspark.com/2013/01/09/the-1969-nixon-inaugur...
For the 1973 Inaugural activities, see flic.kr/s/aHsjDuVNcT
Photograph by Patrick Frazier. The original is held in the American University Library -- Special Collections. Local Identifier SC_Frazier_N_0216
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
Class War: How public servants became our masters.
The Forfeiture Racket
P.C. Never Died
Death of a Watchdog
How Green Are Your Nukes?
Mar's Wark, Mar Place, Stirling, c1570.
A Scheduled Ancient Monument.
A listed.
There are three couplets carved on Mar's Wark - the words are as though spoken by the building itself to the onlooker.
This one reads -
"I pray al luikaris on this luging
With gentil e to gif thair juging"
(I pray all lookers on this lodging
With gentle eye to give their judging)
Mar’s Wark was built as the townhouse of John Erskine, Earl of Mar, a moderate Protestant during the tumultuous years of the Scottish Reformation.
Mar was governor of Edinburgh Castle during the regency of Mary of Guise, from 1554 to 1560. He turned against her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, after the murder of her second husband Lord Darnley in 1567. He lost his governorship in Edinburgh, but became hereditary keeper of Stirling Castle – a position his ancestors had occasionally held since the reign of King Robert I. Mar was given custody of Mary’s infant son, James VI, after the assassination of Mary’s brother, Regent Moray, in 1571. Mar succeeded Moray as regent, but died just over a year later.
Mar was granted keepership of Stirling Castle in 1567, and probably began building Mar’s Wark, then known as Mar’s Lodging, soon after. The townhouse was close to completion in 1570, but may not have been completed to its original design. Mar died at the castle in 1572 and his widow, the dowager countess, took up residence at Mar’s Lodging.
James VI and Queen Anna stayed here in 1593 during preparations for their reception at Stirling Castle.
The 6th Earl of Mar – another John Erskine – refitted the house for use as a barracks during the 1715 Jacobite Rising, which he led. The failed rising resulted in his exile and forfeiture of estates, including Mar’s Lodging. It was leased to the Town Council as a workhouse, where Stirling’s destitute were provided with food and board in return for labour, and around that time its name was changed to Mar’s Wark. The mansion was damaged during the last Jacobite Rising of 1745-46, and the workhouse was moved elsewhere.
Only the facade now survives and this has been strengthened and patched where necessary. The house as originally laid out must have covered a larger area than now appears at first sight. The builder was the Earl of Mar who became Regent of Scotland in 1571, and died in 1572. Two carved stones show that work was in progress during 1570-72. The legend that the building was never completed is probably true, as a town plan of 1725 shows only the main block and south wing.
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of removing license suspensions to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of removing license suspensions to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Milwaukee-area public transit cannot reach many job sites, according to UWM researcher John Pawasarat. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Yorkshire eventually lost at Lord's, the Championship already having been won on day 1, but at Southampton, where rain led to an innings forfeiture (without any joke bowling), we chased down 305 to win by five wickets. A bit lucky to have the chance, Gale and Leaning the batting heroes.
Now it's the final act, against Sussex at Headingley. It was one of those games where all the batsmen get a few, and Brooks, Bresnan and Rashid finally bowled them out, to win by 100 runs, after an even-stevens first innings.
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Rule number 1: No drinking. The cups of water are placed before you only as a means of forfeiture. Grabbing the water is okay, but drinking it means an immediate forfeit
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Carlos Rafael, who will start his 46-month prison sentence for skirting federal regulations and tax evasion on Nov. 6, must forfeit four fishing boats and 34 related permits used in his illegal scheme, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, Oct. 11.
His ownership stake in the forfeited assets is reportedly $2.6 million.
Prosecutors wanted Rafael to forfeit 13 boats and 13 groundfish permits in their filing but U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young, after initially hesitating and questioning the constitutionality of such a high-value forfeiture, opted for a forfeiture involving more permits and fewer boats.
In Young’s issued memorandum, he ordered that Rafael must surrender "all right, title and interest" to the 75-foot Bulldog and its eight permits, the 71-foot Olivia & Rafaela and its 11 permits, the 75-foot Lady Patricia and its four permits and the the Southern Crusader II and its 11 permits.
Only four of the forfeited permits are for groundfish.
Young specifically mentioned the 88-foot Athena and the 81-foot Hera II in his statement, noting that he refrained from adding them to the list of forfeited boats because they "have scalloping permits and scalloping is not involved in this wrongdoing."
The memorandum states that Rafael owns the Athena outright and that he has a one-half interest in the remainder of the fleet. The document estimates the gross value of Rafael’s vessels and permits is approximately $30 million, minus between $2 million and $3 million in liens and attachments, bringing the value down to somewhere between $27 million and $28 million.
"Rafael owns and operates one of the largest groundfish fleets in the United States and, for decades, he had continuously ignored and circumvented the regulatory restrictions on commercial fishing applicable to all fishermen," Young wrote in his ruling. "Here Rafael committed 23 Lacey Act violations, encompassing 782,812 pounds of fish (over 364 tons), and his actions impacted the entire New England fishery."
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Mar's Wark, Mar Place, Stirling, c1570.
A Scheduled Ancient Monument.
A listed.
Mar’s Wark was built as the townhouse of John Erskine, Earl of Mar, a moderate Protestant during the tumultuous years of the Scottish Reformation.
Mar was governor of Edinburgh Castle during the regency of Mary of Guise, from 1554 to 1560. He turned against her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, after the murder of her second husband Lord Darnley in 1567. He lost his governorship in Edinburgh, but became hereditary keeper of Stirling Castle – a position his ancestors had occasionally held since the reign of King Robert I. Mar was given custody of Mary’s infant son, James VI, after the assassination of Mary’s brother, Regent Moray, in 1571. Mar succeeded Moray as regent, but died just over a year later.
Mar was granted keepership of Stirling Castle in 1567, and probably began building Mar’s Wark, then known as Mar’s Lodging, soon after. The townhouse was close to completion in 1570, but may not have been completed to its original design. Mar died at the castle in 1572 and his widow, the dowager countess, took up residence at Mar’s Lodging.
James VI and Queen Anna stayed here in 1593 during preparations for their reception at Stirling Castle.
The 6th Earl of Mar – another John Erskine – refitted the house for use as a barracks during the 1715 Jacobite Rising, which he led. The failed rising resulted in his exile and forfeiture of estates, including Mar’s Lodging. It was leased to the Town Council as a workhouse, where Stirling’s destitute were provided with food and board in return for labour, and around that time its name was changed to Mar’s Wark. The mansion was damaged during the last Jacobite Rising of 1745-46, and the workhouse was moved elsewhere.
Only the facade now survives and this has been strengthened and patched where necessary. The house as originally laid out must have covered a larger area than now appears at first sight. The builder was the Earl of Mar who became Regent of Scotland in 1571, and died in 1572. Two carved stones show that work was in progress during 1570-72. The legend that the building was never completed is probably true, as a town plan of 1725 shows only the main block and south wing.
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
On Tuesday, April 7 Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton announced $5 million to prevent violence and crime in BC communities at Killarney Secondary in advance of Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18, 2015). The Minister was joined by Vancouver School Board Chair Christopher Richardson, Sexsmith RSVP Project elementary student ambassador Deanna, Killarney SHIFT Project student representative Tanya Findlater and Grade 12 student Vivian Leung.
Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of removing license suspensions to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of regaining a driver’s license to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Today (Saturday) was the highlight of the churchcrawling calendar: Ride & Stride coupled with Heritage Weekend. The day on which many churches that are usually locked could be found open.
Three years ago, 12 out of 12 were open, and two years ago I think 10 out of 12 were open.
This year would be a different experience.
That is because, some churches are locked all the time outside services, even on Ride and Stride, their only concession is to have the charity signing sheet pinned to a door or in the porch. Maybe some refreshments for the riders and striders, but it seems the days of most churches being open are long gone.
Maybe I was unlucky. But Boughton-Under-Blean, Great Chart, Little Chart were among those locked fast today.
So bad was the experience, with the weather as well, I might not bother next year.
Having walked to the door of Great Chart, a church in a large village on the outskirts of Ashford, there was no wardens, and the church locked, though refreshments available, but again no one came to refresh the used glasses.
The plan was to end at Brookland to see inside the triple candlesnuff tower, but three hours on the Marsh, with most churches visited several times, I gave in and came home.
I got back at quarter to four, there was a brew waiting, andI had bought a couple of small Bakewells from Tesco when I called in to buy pizza for dinner.
I had woken up at seven, with the sound of heavy rain outside. There was even a few rumbles of thunder. The clouds so low and thick that we need the table light on to see.
I made final touches to my plans for the day. Jools was going to stay home. Maybe not get dressed.
I left just after nine, rain was falling steadily. I made my way to the A2, then up to Barham where I turned towards Wigham, before turning off at Addisham.
Addisham is a nice church. Old, but they had replaced the heating and floor a decade back, and it was open as part of Heritage weekend, this one should have been open.
It was, and whilst I took shots of details, I chatted with the two wardens, one of whom remembered my from my previous visit a decade back.
When I left the church, I saw a torrential downpour had started, and the road I parked on had turned into a river. I got soaked in the 15 yards back to the car, and feet wet from the road.
I decided to not go to Hackington in Canterbury, that would require using endless back lanes. Instead I drove back to the A2, then north in driving rain to Boughton-Under-Blean.
Boughton is not often found open, but I battled the partially flooded lanes and traffic forcing me off the road, arriving at the church with the rain coming down just as hard.
I used an umbrella, walked up the path under the trees, meaning it seemed even darker. None of the three doors was unlocked, with the Ride and Stride sheet pinned to the west door, and no refreshments for the riders and striders.
I went back to the car, and decided to head north to find dry weather. Back to the A2, then up to the services for a comfort break and two sausage rolls from Greggs.
Refreshed, and the clouds having parted and blue sky seen, soon sunshine brightened everything.
I had to get through the traffic at the top of Bluebell Hill, then down the A229, before turning off north to get to the banks of the Medway.
I thought I recognised the new road to Burham. It was being built last time I was here. I parked outside, and upon entering I recognised the wooden wheel from the tower for the bells, now hung on the north wall.
I took shots anyway, as I was there. But I now doubted the next church, Wouldham: had I been there before too?
It was a ten minute drive through the narrow streets of the village, but I arrived at the church. Good news was that I did not recognise it.
I walked to the door, turned the handle, and found it locked.
A voice came from inside:
Who is it, what do you want?
I thought the church would be open, I take photographs.
The door opened.
No, the church isn't open today, would you like to come in to take shots?
That would be great, thanks.
Meetings like this is what churchcrawling is all about. We talked long about this and that, and I got my shots. The church though interesting from the outside with its offset tower, but quite plain on the inside.
I set course for Thurnham, a church I have never found open.
I sighed and made my way back to the 229, then down to the M20, before turning east for one junction to Detling.
Next village along is Thurnham, and driving past the pub I could see the church just through the trees below. I turned down the hill, and parked beside a hedge between two mansions. There is a path leading between the large houses to the church.
I walked along to the gate into the churchyard, a bike was parked by the open porch door. A good sign.
Indeed the church was open, I walked in with a huge smile, and the warden was equally pleased to see another visitor.
I explained I had been here on six previous occasions and found it locked, but this was a red letter day as it was open.
I talked for a while with the warden and a rider, who was taking a break. We talk about churches and their fittings.
Little did I know, this was the last church of the day. That would be open.
I was going to go to Hothfield, but the road to the church was closed, so I drove on to Little Chart for the 20th century church there.
I struggled to find it, having driven past it in the rain without realising. Without getting out of the car, I could see a cool box and the Ride and Stride form on it.
This wasn't open either.
My mood got even lower.
Final chance was Great Chart.
Great Chart is a big village on the edge of Ashford, surely there would be wardens and it be open? If it wasn't, I told myself, I would go home.
I parked opposite, walked over in steady rain and found the usual sheet and squash in the porch. The inner door locked.
Bugger it.
I held my promise and turned for home through Ashford to the motorway. It was twenty past two, and the radio went through previews of the games to come.
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Famous for the grave of Walter Burke, in whose arms Nelson died. The church stands low in its valley and is visually undistinguished, but external appearances are misleading as it contains a great deal of interest. Part of the arcade between south aisle and nave is formed of Saxon walling, with a double splayed window visible over the central arch. The wall was cut through by the present arcade in the thirteenth century. There is a standard twelfth-century font of five columns supporting a square bowl. The tower stands in an unusual position to the north-west of the nave, and the doorway between tower and north aisle shows deep notches cut by the bell ropes when the Sanctus bell was rung. By standing outside the door the ringer could see the high altar and the altar of St Blaise in the south chapel. A lancet in the chancel forms a low side window, while a more conventional, although much smaller, low side window exists in the south-east corner of the south aisle. There is also a fine fourteenth-century piscina.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wouldham
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WOLDHAM.
NEXT to the parish of St. Margaret and liberty of Rochester, southward, lies the parish of Woldham, written in the Saxon charters, Wuldaham, in the succeeding Latin ones, Vuldeham, and in the record of Domesday, Oldeham.
This place is supposed to take its name from the Saxon words wolde, a plain open down or hill, free from trees and wood, and ham, a village or dwelling; in the like manner as those large open downs in the north are still called wolds, in opposition to weald, a low woody region. (fn. 1)
It is likewise described in several later grants by the name of Woldeham Monachorum, from its belonging to the monks of Rochester.
THE PARISH of Woldham lies on the eastern bank of the river Medway, something more than two miles from the city of Rochester, in a situation of a very disferent aspect, and far less pleasant than that of the country last described, though so few miles distant from it. The village having the church in it, lies at the foot of the hills, very low, almost close to the river Medway (which is the western boundary of this parish) and from its contiguity to the marshes is accounted far from being healthy. In it there is a handsome sashed brick house, named Woldham house, built by Captain Robert Trevor, of the navy, since the residence of George Guy, esq. About a mile northward, in a situation equally low, and about the same distance from the river, is the house of Starkey's, which, though now only a farm-house, has still a handsome appearance, being a strong building of stone, with gothic windows and door cases, of ashlar stone. Hence, as well as from the back of the village, the hills rise to a great height eastward, as far as Nashenden, being mostly uninclosed, open downs, the soil of which is chalk, much covered with slints, being poor and unfertile, a dreary country.
About forty years ago, in digging a trench from Woldham house up to the open downs, there were found several instruments of an antique form like a wedge, or axe, usually called celts, which were chiefly of brass.
This parish ought antiently to have contributed to the repair of the fourth pier of Rochester bridge. (fn. 2)
ETHELBERT, king of Kent, in the year 751, first gave Vuldeham to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester; but sometime after it was taken from it, and several kings possessed it, one after the other, till the time of king Edmund, who began his reign in 941, of whom one Ælsstan Heahstanine bought it, at the price of one hundred and twelve marcs of gold, and thirty pounds in money, on whose death, Ælfege, his son, succeeded to it, who by will made in the presence of archbishop Dunstan, about the year 970, made a distribution of all his effects, and devised one part to Christ-church, in Canterbury, one part to the church of Rochester, and the remaining third part to his own wife. Notwithstanding which, one Leossunu, who had married his nephew's widow, endeavoured to set aside this disposition, as well as the archbishop's testimony in relation to it, and entered on them, but they were recovered from him in a solemn trial held at Erhede by the archbishop, for this purpose. After which, on the division of these estates, Vuldeham seems to have been part of that share of them allotted to the church of St. Andrew, in Rochester. King Ethelbert, in the year 995, confirmed Wuldaham, which then contained six mansœ, which the Kentish men called sulings, to St. Andrew's and bishop Godwin.
In the book of Domesday, Woldham is thus described, under the general title of the bishop of Rochester's lands:
The 'same bishop (of Rochester) holds Oldeham. It was taxed for six sulings in the time of king Edward the Confessor, and now for three. The arable land is five carucates. In demesne there are two, and eighteen villeins, with sixteen borderers having six carucates. There are six servants, and one fishery, and sixty acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of twenty hogs. There is a church. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth eight pounds, now twelve pounds.
Bishop Gundulph, who was elected to the see of Rochester in the time of the Conqueror, on the division of the revenues of his church, allotted this manor, with its appendages, to the monks; to the use of their refectory, in lieu of Freckenham, in Suffolk, which he took in exchange for it, chusing rather, as the latter lay at so remote a distance from Rochester, that himself and his successors should be put to the inconvenience of going there, than that the monks, or the poor of that parish, should be yearly harrassed in carrying their corn so far, (fn. 3) but bishop Gilbert de Glanvill, on his coming to the see of Rochester in 1185, claiming this manor with its appendages, among others, which had been allotted to them by bishop Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, the monks were at last forced to submit. In consequence of which, though he took the church of Woldham from them, yet they continued in possession of the manor till the dissolution of the priory in the 32d year of king Henry VIII.
In the reigns of king Edward I. and II. the bishop of Rochester claimed several liberties, as belonging to all the lands and fees of his church, as did the prior of Rochester in the 21st year of the former reign in this manor, (fn. 4) both equally the same as has been already more fully mentioned under Frindsbury. (fn. 5)
King Edward I. in his 23d year, granted to the prior and convent free warren in all their demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should hunt or take any thing on them which belonged to warren, without their licence, on forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 6)
The manor of Woldham, on the dissolution of the priory of Rochester in the 32d year of Henry VIII. was surrendered, with the other possessions of it, into the king's hands, who, in his 33d year settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it continues at this time.
There is a court leet and court baron held for this manor.
The lessee of it, under the dean and chapter of Rochester, is Mr. Iden Henham.
In the Custumale Roffense there is frequent mention made of a water mill in Woldham, belonging to the above manor, and the custom was, that once a year every house was obliged to send one man for a day, to clear the passage, ditch, and mill-pond, that the water might come well to turn the mill; and there were two particular acres of land, the occupiers of which were to clean the ditch, which led from the river to the millpond.
There were several small parcels of land granted at several times to different persons by the prior and convent of Rochester, lying in Magna and Parva Woldham, being two divisions in this parish, a more particular account of which may be seen in the Registrum Roffense.
RINGS is a manor here, a small part of which extends itself into the adjoining parish of St. Margaret, in Rochester. It was formerly in the possession of Robert de Woldham, after which it became separated into moieties, one of which became part of the estate of the eminent family of Cosington, of Cosington, in Aylesford, and the other became the property of Carter. From the family of Cosington that moiety passed by sale in the reign of Henry VI. to William Whorne, afterwards knighted, and lord-mayor of London, who built Whorne's-place, in Cookstone, where he resided; and the other moiety passed about the same time to Laurence; they, by a mutual deed of conveyance, alienated their joint interest in this manor to William Hadde, of Meriam-court, in Frinsted, who in the 36th year of that reign, gave it to his second son, Mr. John Hadde, whose descendant sold it to Thomas Roydon, esq. of Roydon-hall, in East Peckham, who, among others, in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. procured his estates to be disgavelled by act of parliament. From Roydon this manor passed to Brockhull, of Aldington, in Thurnham, whose descendant, Henry Brockhull, alienated it to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, of Whorne's-place, in Cookstone; (fn. 7) after which it passed, in like manner as that seat by sale to the family of Marsham, in which it has continued down to the right hon. Charles lord Romney, the present possessor of it.
STARKEYS is a manor here, lying in that district of this parish called Little Woldham, which was formerly known by the name of the manor of Lyttlyhall and Woldham.
In the reign of king Edward III. it seems to have been in the possession of Richard Byset, who held it as one quarter of a knight's fee in Parva Woldham, (fn. 8) and afterwards passed it away to Henry de Bokeland, who alienated it to Henry Newman, and he held it in the 20th year of that reign of the bishop of Rochester as above-mentioned. His descendant, Henry Newman, conveyed it to Humphry Starkey, descended from the Starkeys, of Wrenbury, and Oulton, in Cheshire, and bore for his arms, Sable, a stork proper, who in the 12th year of king Edward IV. was made recorder of London, and in the 2d year of king Richard III. chief baron of the exchequer, having been knighted before. (fn. 9)
He built a good house here, being a large strong edifice of stone, tho' much larger formerly than it is at present, together with a handsome chapel on this manor, a fragment of the latter only being now left at the east angle of the house, which, from that and his residence here acquired the name of Starkeys. (fn. 10) He died possessed of this manor, and lies buried in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, in London, leaving four daughters his coheirs; and on the division of their inheritance, this manor fell to the share of Sir John Rainsford, who had married Anne, the youngest of them. His son, of the same name, was a person much in favour with king Henry VIII. who made him a privy counsellor. (fn. 11) He alienated this estate to Lambe, who passed it away to Sir John Leveson, alias Lewson, from which name it was sold, together with the manor of Rings before mentioned, in the reign of king Charles I. to John Marsham, esq. whose descendant, the right hon. Charles lord Romney, is the present possessor of this manor and estate.
SELLERS is a manor, which lies partly in this parish and partly in Burham, which with the mansion of it, called the Hall, alias Woldham ball, was held in the teign of king John, as appears by the inquisitions returned into the treasury in the 12th and 13th years of that reign, by Robert de Woldham Magna, as one quarter of a knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. Soon after which the possessors of this manor were called, from it, At-Hall, and in Latin deeds, De Aula. Robert Le Neve was owner of it in the reign of king Edward I. and then held it by the above tenure. His heirs sold it to John Atte Celar, written also At Celere, in Edward III's reign, whose descendant Warine Atte Celar, or De Celario, held this manor in the 30th year of it, and continuing in his descendants, it at length acquired the name of Sellers, as they now began to spell themselves. They bore for their arms, Argent, a saltier between four mullets gules; which arms were painted in a window of this church, and remained very lately in a window of the mansion-house of this manor.
The manor of Sellers remained in this family, till a female heir, about the reign of king Henry VII. carried it in marriage to John Beuly, gent. who bore for his arms, Argent, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, sable, and continuing in his descendants it gained the name of Beuly's-court, though the mansionhouse itself retained that of Hall-place, (fn. 12) alias Woldham hall. In this name of Beuly it continued till the year 1693, when it was alienated to Manley, who bore for their arms, Argent, a sinister hand couped, sable, and were descended from Thomas Manley, of Chester, (fn. 13) in which name it remained down to Mr. William Manley, who resided in it and died in 1779, and this manor became the property of his three sons and coheirs in gavelkind, from whom it was afterwards sold to Joseph Brooke, esq. on the death of whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Brooke, in 1796, it came by his will to the Rev. John Kenward Shaw, now of Town Malling, who has taken the name of Brooke, and is the present possessor of this estate. There is a court baron held for this manor.
There are no parochial charities.
WOLDHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and deanry of Rochester.
The church, which is a small building, with a low square tower, on which was formerly a spire steeple, is situated at the south west extremity of the village, and is dedicated to All Saints. The steeple of this church, and much of the fabric, owe their original to the liberality of Stephen Slegge, of this parish, who was sheriff of Kent in the 20th year of king Henry VI. and gave by his will in the 36th year of it, one hundred marcs to be expended on it. It was formerly an appendage to the manor, and as such allotted by bishop Gundulph, in the division which he made of the possessions of his church, to the share of the monks of St. Andrew's; but bishop Gilbere de Glanvill, though he suffered them to retain the manor, yet he wrested this church out of their hands, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the bishops of Rochester, his successors.
Richard, bishop of Rochester, in the 9th year of king Edward I. at the instance of the prior and convent of Rochester, made enquiry by inquisition as to the method which the monks used in taking their portions of tithes within their manors, and what part of them was allowed to the several parish churches, by which it appeared, that in their manor of Woldham, the parish church, and the abbess of Malling took the whole of the tithes of sheaves only, but of other small tithes, it did not nor ever used to take any thing; and he decreed, that the parish church should be content with the tithes of the sheaves of every kind of corn only. All which was confirmed by John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus next year, anno 1281.
THE PORTION OF TITHES belonging to the abbey of Malling, was given to it by Ralf de Woldham, (fn. 14) being the third part of his tithe of corn, and two parts of the tithe of his demesne in this parish, and Robert de Woldham gave the whole of his tithe of Parva Woldham to it. In the 15th year of king Edward I. this portion of tithes was valued at eight marcs.
An inquisition was made by Thomas de Alkham, and the tenants of Woldham, concerning these tithes in this parish, belonging to the abbess in the 26th year of king Edward III.
In the Registrum Roffense, p. 694, is a particular account of the portions of sheaves, which the abbess took on the several lands in this parish, the names of which, of the owners and occupiers, and the measurement of them are therein mentioned, in which in some, the abbess had two sheaves, and the rector one; in others she had but one, and the rector two; in some she had the tenth sheas with the rector, and in the rest therein mentioned, she had all the tenth of sheaves.
Much dispute having arisen between the rector of this parish and the rector of Snodland, the opposite parish on the other side of the Medway, concerning the tithe of fish, caught within the bounds of this parish by the parishioners of the latter, it was submitted to the final decree of John, bishop of Rochester, who by his instrument, anno 1402, decreed that for the future the parishioners of Snodland, being inhabitants of it at any time going out from thence to fish, with their boats, nets, and other instruments necessary for that purpose, might, either by themselves or by others, draw their nets, and take fish beyond the stream of the main river to the shore of the water situated within the bounds and limits of this parish; that one moiety of the tithe of the fish so caught should belong to the rector of Snodland for the time being, and the other moiety to the rector of Woldham, to be paid to them by the fishers, without any diminution whatsoever. (fn. 15)
The church of Woldham is a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of 30l. the yearly tenths of which are 1l. 8s. 7¾d. This rectory, in 1716, was augmented by queen Anne's bounty, the sum of 200l. having been contributed to it by different persons. In 1708, here were sixty-five communicants. The bishop of Rochester is patron of this rectory.
Alejandra Morales lost his driver’s license before he gained it for unpaid citations for non-driving offenses such as retail theft and disorderly conduct. (Photo by Rick Brown)
REGULATIONS FOR INMATES U.S.P., ALCATRAZ
Rule #8
PROSECUTION IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT in addition to Institutional disciplinary action may result if you commit any serious offense such as assault, escape, attempt to escape, rioting, destruction of government property, etc.
Rule #9
FORFEITURE OR WITHHOLDING OF EARNED GOOD TIME, STATUTORY OR INDUSTRIAL, in addition to disciplinary action and/or prosecution in the District Court, may result if you become involved in any serious misconduct.
Rule #10
RESTORATION OF FORFEITED OR WITHHELD GOOD TIME will not be recommended unless you can show at least one year of better than average good conduct and good work when you are called for your annual Classification Hearing.
The Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability aims to help Milwaukee County residents regain their licenses and build their futures. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Hakim Fudge looks on as Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of removing license suspensions. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Supervisor Angela Catania explains the process of removing license suspensions to Hakim Fudge, who has 15 unpaid tickets, at the Center for Driver's License Recovery and Employability. (Photo by Rick Brown)
Hughenden Manor, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, England, is a Victorian mansion, with earlier origins, that served as the country house of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. It is now owned by the National Trust and open to the public. It sits on the brow of the hill to the west of the main A4128 road that links Hughenden to High Wycombe.
History
The manor of Hughenden is first recorded in 1086, as part of Queen Edith's lands, and held by William, son of Oger the Bishop of Bayeux, and was assessed for tax at 10 hides. After his forfeiture, the lands were held by the Crown, until King Henry I of England gave the lands to his chamberlain and treasurer, Geoffrey de Clinton.[1] Clinton, whose main home was in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, had the lands tenanted by Geoffrey de Sancto Roerio, who resultantly changed his surname to the Anglicised Hughenden.[1] After passing through that family, with successive Kings having to confirm the gift of the lands, the manor returned to the Crown in the 14th century.[1] In 1539, the Crown granted the manor and lands to Sir Robert Dormer, and it passed through his family until 1737 when it was sold by the 4th Earl of Chesterfield to Charles Savage.[1]
After passing through his extended family following a series of deaths and resultant devises by will, by 1816 the manor and lands were owned by John Norris, a distinguished antiquary and scholar.[1] Isaac D'Israeli, the father of Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1868 and 1874–1880, and Earl of Beaconsfield 1876), had for some time rented the nearby Bradenham Manor and, following Norris's death in 1845, bought the manor and lands from his executors in 1847.[1] The purchase was supported with the help of a loan of £25,000 (equivalent to almost £1,500,000 today) from Lord Henry Bentinck and Lord Titchfield. This was because at the time, as Disraeli was the leader of the Conservative Party, "it was essential to represent a county," and county members had to be landowners.[2] Taking ownership of the manor on the death of his father in 1848, Disraeli and his wife Mary Anne, alternated between Hughenden and several homes in London.
Copyright City of Philadelphia. Photograph by Samantha Madera.
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