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Relation between a building and people's act

Had to Google this plant. Most probably in the scurge genus. The same genus as the poinsettia. No one was seen kissing beneath it.

Image by Dewald van Rensburg

 

Quite a tricky shot. Expose too long - Moon overexposed. Expose too short - no clouds visible. Camera settings such as ISO & aperture have to be constantly adjusted in relation to varying sky and cloud conditions.

 

Canon PowerShot SX30IS | Tripod

1 Usable image from 113 Taken

 

Processing: PS CS5 / Lightroom 5

Canon A1

Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8

Konica Minolta VX100

The Plantain leaf was just out of my reach and so I had to manage with this shot...

I was amazed to see those ants waiting for the sugary treat from the Mealy bug... :-)

People require vicinity, to need in to like and to be liked.

 

2005 and 2009

talent in abs-cbn and gma7

January 2005 – Present (10 years 2 months)

i am talent of walking in the bridge of wild life quezon city accompany of celebrity/actor tonton gutierrez and kim chu it is the time there is no pinoy big brother that time. pinoy big brother was conducted during Liberal party list campaigned active with councilor francisco domagoso nickname isko moreno before he winner for vicemayor of city hall of manila and he is a bold star images and reason i was hate him so much for discriminates me as a guest relation officer wworking student and same time part time talent in television. i am not commit aids /hiv illness just what i heard from his part 2nd floor staff of isko moreno are all bugaw "case red tape" during black nazarene fiesta january 09, 2014

Test Scores

maria cristina aberin

Score: perfect 100%

July 1999

greg book translation and brief words for steno typing letter and show the abbreviation of the letter in yellow paper.

Courses

Independent Coursework

3rd year nursing internship

Honors & Awards

alcove 101 digital camera april 04, 2009 and april 05 2009

april 04, 2009

April 2009

black and white photo in computer but we take photo colored using our digital camera by individual with other abs-cbn anchor name karen davila but she is not coming with in 2 days workshop but all of them greet my secret birthday and and derma clinic bake some pizza for me she is allen wong valdez of cityland condominium the assistant of doctor lacson during my liposuction with 300,000.00 cash 2009

Organizations

liberal party list

volunteer model

October 2009 – Present

Case# 10189636: I can't LOG IN(2)

People

Twitter Support Hello, I’m having trouble locating a Twitter ACCOUNT using the information you’ve provided. Please reply with the following details: What is the email address you used on this account? Do you stil

Jan 9 at 6:03 PMme

To Twitter Support Jan 9 at 6:13 PM

i don't have any work at all since my internet was hacked, i've could never attached any documents at any of my accounts. sindicated gang or group was having changing my any detailed documents at my live birth. i've alone and scary to proceeding staff in government that i've noticed all of them was payabled in cash to keep my name show to any person to please send support and help with me personally. could i've do a chance to seek my documents even i've don't any had MONEYyet. i was walk in the road for small garbage waste to pick it up like for examples plastic bottles, steel,old boxes,7 eleven waste bag pick -up with me it is too very heavy and very tired with me for amounting 5.00 pesos up to 20.00 and up to buy or purshasing any documents that commit with the government. please do not insulting this is a real condition of mind. i am accompany take some food with other concerns relative but totally got financial problems, are you government officials? kindly proceeding at my place naguilan road san fernando la union and look for me personally i am maria cristina belgica aberin " tin" i've no mobile phone i was able to take insert the new simcard of tm new simcard right now to any person got very kind personality but now i have left the simcard in the computer operator 2nd floor of naguilan road san fernando la union market just look the simcard

vendors party list with commander milf sultan datu abdulatif paglala sr. and nor miswari in barangay 649 baseco tondo manila, region arrmm mindanao, philippine normal university taft avenue manila with students cadette and cadet officials

volunteer model

Case# 10189636: I can't LOG IN(2)

People

Twitter Support Hello, I’m having trouble locating a Twitter ACCOUNT using the information you’ve provided. Please reply with the following details: What is the email address you used on this account? Do you stil

Jan 9 at 6:03 PM

me

To Twitter Support Jan 9 at 6:13 PM

i don't have any work at all since my internet was hacked, i've could never attached any documents at any of my ACCOUNTS. sindicated gang or group was having changing my any detailed documents at my live birth. i've alone and scary to proceeding staff in government that i've noticed all of them was payabled in cash to keep my name show to any person to please send support and help with me personally. could i've do a chance to seek my documents even i've don't any had money yet. i was walk in the road for small garbage waste to pick it up like for examples plastic bottles, steel,old boxes,7 eleven waste bag pick -up with me it is too very heavy and very tired with me for amounting 5.00 pesos up to 20.00 and up to buy or purshasing any documents that commit with the government. please do not insulting this is a real condition of mind. i am accompany take some food with other concerns relative but totally got financial problems, are you government officials? kindly proceeding at my place naguilan road san fernando la union and look for me personally i am maria cristina belgica aberin " tin" i've no mobile phone i was able to take insert the new simcard of tm new simcard right now to any person got very kind personality but now i have left the simcard

Education

Manila Adventist Medical Center and Colleges

3rd year internship / community nurse student 3rd yr. 2009, exposure in barangay makati in the barangay clinic to teach them for early pregnant afraid vaccine.

2007 – 2011

i am always wait for good cheater to teach me what is the answer key in fundamental major subject in nursing and i was failured for that to passed the exam.

Activities and Societies: lefrizer missionary was collecting blood and their families was staff of uniliver along taft avenue back of malacanang palace in the house of presidential body guard you can drop by uniliver and caritas foundation.all of are staff of manila adventist medical center colleges was recruit to boycott marcos and enter those secret of gold.

earn computer school tesda government

2 years computer secretarial office management (associate) tesda government passer, insurance plan saint peter officer in charge for on the job training

1998 – 2007

i am doing well reading the greg letter for abbreviation of the letter format with the letter head and doing steno typing

Activities and Societies: texas chicken at iba pa i am registrar operator cashier and female and male comfort room cleaning, to carry the heavy steel chair and table, and carry heavy waste put outside the building, scrubbing all inside and outside the store, opening and closing i am key holder while studying at 2nd year in earn school of tesda government.

Skills

porfoliopick-up garbage waste...i am good public...FacebookCustomer ServiceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordPowerPointTypingTelevisionTeamworkSocial MediaOutlooksurfing

Certifications

certification of anti-virus in employment apprenticeship research network in government tesda agency

anti-virus "bugs kill to avoid slowly computer program" and avoid deleted program and back to zero

April 1998 – Present

Languages

English, Old (ca.450-1100)

japanese basic only

Native or bilingual proficiency

french basic

Limited working proficiency

Volunteer Experience & Causes

pcp3 barbosa station3 accompany of 4 police commander pinsp.armando claveria macaraeg

bautista st. quezon blvd. quiapo manila and the extension of police central front of f.e.u.

November 2012 – April 2014 (1 year 6 months)

i am polish the 2 armalites very heavy and 2 bullet box with 2 extra bullet in the table desk Barbosa pcp3 station3 and shabu operation show evidence from quiapo with manila city hall vehicle and proceeding in the camp crame edsa with psinsp.robinson valenciano maranion on rain non-stop we are all wet cloths and vehicle of manila city hall pick-up all respondents and police operations directly go to camp crame in middle in the night it is over time police officer on duty with out pay and me I am volunteer girl but not knowledge in criminology course, I am alone maria cristina aberin, interested to the operations which all police lack of support of other co-police,they where want first come first served for promotions, how if the police table desk claimed the letter in the fax we need all fax letter send it to all police stations for reinforces coming when shabu operation turns for having traitor ,red tape, under the table “pwedeng mag-operate ng intelligence at detective for shabu at female trafficking kung may babaeng magpapagamit for trapped and end the gang rape and shabu trafficking” ang labanang ito dapat ay may fax letter na ipakikita sa mga police station para sa biglaang barilan shoot-out at rub-out kapag narinig naming ang putukan may darating na s.o.s. na babaril sa mga kalaban ito ay 1st body 44 tao police maglalakad at sa likod ng 44 police may kalaban sa likod at hindi sila nasaklolohan dahil walang dumating na 2nd body na 44 police na dapat sila ang nasa likod at titingin kung may kalaban at kapag wala kalaban dapat may 3rd body pa na darating, katulad sa maguindanao massacre isang 1st body lang dumating at walang dumating para tumulong sa halip na makipagkaibigan sa mga sultan ay ginalit at ayaw na nilang making, ito ang resulta ng mga taong gusto promote sa work at ayaw mawalan ng trabaho kaya lahat ng illegal ay gagawin nila ang tawag ditto ay parol evidence “sounds to keep secret of original documents na may fax letter na may operations for detective at intillegence galling ang tawag at suppose to be dapat kabisado ng intelligence at detective ang lugar at kahit may muslim na kasama ay hindi niya alam na ginamit ang muslim sa mamasapano died ito ay malinaw na paninira sa administrasiyong milf na hindi sila mapagkatiwalaan, ang milf ay hindi sinungaling, may attorney Melvin alcantara arquillo ang natuwa sa andal ampatuan na wala na daw pera, ito lahat ay mga assassination or pagpatay sa mga milf sultan at mga sultan na muslim ay lagi sila papatay ng matatalino. Resisting arrest: pagtalikod sa sumpa na maging tapat sa trabaho pero sila ay kakausapin sa mobile phone pero may ibang nakikinig sa ibang linya katulad ng 3line call sa mobile phone at ilang tao ang ambush. Paano naman ako maria cristina aberin? Paulit-ulit po ba ako magpapagamit ng katawan ko sa mga lalaki upang mamatay man ako ay hindi ako tumanggap ng anumang halaga sa mga lalaki kapalit ng pagpatay sa president Gloria macapagal arroyo at iba pang middle class. Sino pa ang susunud papatayin? Mga babaeng working mother sa club? Student nurse ? katulong sa bahay nila president of international rotary club homemaker s amakati attorney Melvin alcantara arquillo home tangerine st. Marikina city at mis jovita torres arquillo ng sienna college del monte quezon city ?makati mayor at mga anak na alex Gonzaga at toni Gonzaga ng pinoy big brother? At sisihin si mayor alfredo limn a may utang sa meralco? Paano magkakautang ang manila mayor lim kung noon ay mayaman na talaga ang manila city hall kaysa naman sa Makati city na halos development premature pa po noon kasi nagsisimula palang sila at malalayo ang lugar ng office kung saan magwork sila, talaga bang international rotary club sila si atty. Arquillo or dori(muslim wedding with money),paano natin aalisin ang foreigner na hilig ay mag-asawa at uutang nga pera at hihiwalayan ang babaeng pinakasalan at pinapirma sa Citibank credit card at paano naman biktima maria cristina aberin hindi kasal sa Japanese pero may credit card at siya pa ang pinapirma na magnanakaw? Sino din ngayon gumagamit ng internet account ng maria cristina aberin at passport? Kalian hustisya? Hanggang kalian ang trapped na ito sa biktima maria cristina aberin? Wala naman na naniniwala sa akin dahil may pinatay na walang awa sa quiapo muslim barangay chairman na babae pero walang tumulong? Kalian ito makukuhang matapos? Sino ang magbabayad sa akin? Sarado na ang club sa malate, siniraan pa ako sa japan na magnanakaw ako, sino ang uutusan kong babae na magpapgamit ng katawan pero walang sahod pero all around katulong para lang mahuli ang mga grupo ni isko Moreno na pawing female trafficking syempre magpapanggap sila na asawa kahit hindi, paano ako? Hindi na ako makawork?sana bigyan nya pansin ako na magtraining baril naman for operations pero may bayad po. 2 years ako volunteer at ako pa nakulong sa mental hospital mandaluyong? Hanggang kalian ang pustahan ni many paquiao na world boxing champion for billion dollar account sa America? Dapat may show si manny paquiao bago pustahan sa malakihang pustahan na ito kasi hindi papaya ang America kung maliit ang pustahan pero dollar account dapat, paano na ako sa club lang ako umaasa at hirap pa matulog akala ko may cancer na ako sa utak sobrang sakit pero kulang sa tulog pala ako,paano din ako magrereklamo kay isko Moreno may tauhan siya registered nurse jake viray ng manila Adventist medical center colleges hawak nya ang identity password ko at bigla ako black listed at walang pera atm bank account ko? Ako po ay may credit card in behalf of kazumichi mada toyoda pero lahat binayaran ko na po, aari ba itong gamitin ni isko Moreno sa mga seaman ,school,travel agency show money ang atm ko na may pangalan din ng kazumichi mada toyoda na maraming utang sa japan? Hindi naman ako kabit kasi wala pong asawa kami parehong hiwalay po. Paano na ako work? Ako ba talaga ang bitag nila? Paano naman mga artista tulad Andrew e. at iba pang japan entertainer alam ko na mahirap sa japan pero pawing traydor lahat ang ginawa nila kaya ang boss ko naghirap, may mga sex bomb dancer noon kina vic sotto at joey de leon pero ng gro na ako sa club si willie revillame ng channel 5 ay kinuha nya ring dancer ang isa sa mga tauhan ng boss ko dun sa vito cruz sa tapata bahay ni loren legarda brother na nagrehab daw I am not sure pero under medicine administration because of high dosage special substance or shabu intake “verbalized only pero I’ve seen na lagging may bantay sa gate” I was there before I’ve got in malate and meet atty.imme marcos with willie espiritu and isko Moreno.

Kinuha ang passport ng tatay ko jose tilo aberin ng media man willie espiritu, paano naman ang teleserye of judy ann santos ang jane alcantara “the nursing hospital mother was in trauma of third party of same daughter nurse in hospital jane alcanatara is judy ann santos , ako ang reporter dito ni judy ann santos “bakit ako naman ang kinulong sa mental hospital sa 2011 totoong buhay? Next lorna tolentino ay namatay si rudy Fernandez with secret award of army with son mark Anthony Fernandez inside rehabilitation sa totoong buhay. In kidnapping at the age of 3 years old in wild life I am not kidnap victim in wild life quezon city “ in wild life I am with kim chu and tonton gutierrez in taping in the bridge of wild life” , in baseco compound it is not the utang na payable it was a campaigned of liberal party list and it was robin padilla or abubakar and daughter sounds wedding in sultan with dori “bakit naman bigla ang magundanao massacre? I am amature contestant join in fiesta when I was in grades school and won 20 pesos only, how sarah Geronimo become anting-anting daw ang piso so that she winner in the contest, marian rivera with mucalidin usman while me is donate my things that liberal campaigned continues won in elections after that I am not claimed any support , I am the one losing my dream. And now the mucalidin usman is died who can help me from milf Mindanao?now mayor alfredo lim is sad to hear he is meralco bill na pay who can give me work in abroad I have no birth certificate and no passport?sino law firm and lagi utang ng utang ng dollar account at lahat ng public attorney office po ba ay nakipagpustahan din kay world champion many paquiao ng dollar account show many? Paano ang mga government bread winner na mga kamag-anak ni jose tilo aberin at mga sundalo na galing America

Na walang pustahan sa dollar account pero lahat kami walang trabaho? Dapat ibalik ang pera kay president Ferdinand marcos at lahat kami ay makabalik sa government immigrant sa ibat ibang bansa at hindi kami baliw.frame-up lang kami ng bugaw at fake asawa kahit hiwalay na ay ginagamit ang nso at sss marriage documents at sino public attorney office pa po ang pwede kong lapitan? Dapat ay government public attorney na ang volunteer na tutulong kay original maria cristina aberin kasi pagod na po ako work sa club at ayaw naman ako bigyan ng certificate of volunteers ng mga police for 2 years at wala din akong certificates for intelligence sa mga news editor at school editor na plagiarized book editor po. Sana si president benigno noynoy smeon cojuangco Aquino III and search ng nagnakaw ng internet account ko na alam ko ako po ang may ari at kumita ito ng dollar account sa buong mundo po, pakibalik naman sa akin at para din kay pres.arroyo at pres.estrada at mayor lim at sa tatay ko tulungan nyo mahuli lahat ng law firm at call center at agent ng internet sa buong mundo kasi wala na akong work may allergy pa ako sa ubo,pantal sa katawan at Makati,mainitin ang ulo, wala na maisuot na maayos.gusto ko magkawork.tulungan nya ako at handa ako tumulong ,gusto ko po tulungan pa rin lahat sundalong milf.npa at iba pa dahil lahat sila ay matagal na nila ako hindi kinahiya sa work ko club pero traydor marami pa rin.

Opportunities maria cristina aberin is looking for:

Skills-based volunteering

maria cristina cares about:

Education

Organizations maria cristina supports:

el shaddai brother mike velarde with identity member of Makati city of brother mike velarde in el shaddai member , paranaque city and not michael barreto driver of attorney arquillo

Groups

Travel and Tour World

Travel and Tour World

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Contact maria cristina aberin of naguilan municipal in baguio directly

  

mariacristinabelgicaaberin mcba born in manila university of santo thomas hospital new manila, lacson st. espanya philippines

Friendship isn't how u forget but how u forgive..

Not how u listen but how u understand.

Not how u see but how u feel.

Not how u let go,but how u hold on....A TRUE WORLD OF FRIENDSHIP!!!

white flowers with scent. In relation, more plants with white(ish) flowers are scented than with other colours..

 

1. Senecio rowleyanus 2010-10, 2. Chaerophyllum bulbosum (Rueben-Kaelberkropf) 2009-06, clip, 3. Staphylea pinnata (Gewöhnlich-Pimpernuss) 2009-04, 4. Narcissus 'Fragrant Rose' 2009-04, 5. Prunus mahaleb (Steinweichsel) 2009-04, 6. Narcissus poeticus (dichternarzisse) 2009-04, 7. Hydrangea paniculata 'Kyushu' 2008-08, 8. Actea species (silberkerze) 2008-10, 9. Hosta plantaginea (funkie) 2008-08, 10. Rosa arvensis (acker-rose) 2008-06, 11. Filipendula ulmaria (Maedesuess) 2008-06, 12. Filipendula vulgaris (knolliges oder kleines maedesuess) 2008-06, 13. Pelargonium 'Codys Apple Cider' (duftpelargonie) 2008-06, 14. Sambucus nigra (holler, holunder) 2008-05, 15. Crambe maritima (Meerkohl) 2008-05 -- two pics, 16. Asperula odorata (waldmeister) 2008-05, 17. Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken' (lorbeerkirsche) 2008-05, 18. Myrrhis odorata (suessdolde) 2008-05 -- 3 pics, 19. Cardaria draba (pfeilkresse) 2008-05, 20. Clematis montana (Berg-Waldrebe) 2008-05, clip, 21. Iris 'Florentina' (Florentiner Schwertlilie) 2008-04, 22. Narcissus 'Thalia' 2008-04, 23. narcissus (narzissen, osterglocken) duftend 2008-04, 24. Lonicera x purpusii 2008-02 -- three pics, 25. Sarcococca hookeriana (süssbuchs) 2008-01, 26. Petasites fragrans (duftpestwurz, winterheliotrop) 2008-01, clip, 27. Valeriana officinalis (Baldrian) mit schwebfliege 2007-06, 28. Rosa hyb. rambler namenlos blüte 2005-06, 29. Prunus padus (traubenkirsche) 2007-04, 2 pics, 30. Actinidia kolomikta (Armur-Strahlengriffel) maennliche bluete 2007-05, 31. Fallopia aubertii (architektentrost, schlingknoeterich) 2007-09, 32. Abeliophyllum distichum (Schneeforsythie) 2007-03, 33. Viburnum farreri (syn. fragrans) duftschneeball 2007-09, 3 pics, 34. Aesculus parviflora blüte detail 2007-06-30, 35. Aesculus parviflora habitus, fruit, flower, shoot 2006-2009, 6 pics, 36. Rosa 'Malvern Hills' 2007-07

 

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

blogged here: www.giardinaggiobio.com/fiori-maggio-bianchi-e-profumati-...

Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.

 

Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.

 

I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.

 

Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.

 

It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....

 

-----------------------------------------

 

"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.

I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."

 

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.

 

You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?

 

Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.

And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.

  

Simon Knott, June 2008

 

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm

 

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Blundeston.

There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)

 

By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.

 

On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.

 

Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.

 

¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.

 

William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.

 

William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.

 

In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.

 

These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)

 

On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)

 

The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.

 

The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,

¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.

 

Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.

 

Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.

 

The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.

 

¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."

 

he Church at Blundeston,

which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.

 

Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."

 

Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:

 

Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.

 

¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.

 

The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...

Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.

 

Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.

 

I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.

 

Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.

 

It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....

 

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"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.

I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."

 

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.

 

You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?

 

Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.

And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.

  

Simon Knott, June 2008

 

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm

 

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Blundeston.

There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)

 

By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.

 

On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.

 

Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.

 

¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.

 

William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.

 

William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.

 

In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.

 

These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)

 

On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)

 

The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.

 

The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,

¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.

 

Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.

 

Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.

 

The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.

 

¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."

 

he Church at Blundeston,

which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.

 

Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."

 

Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:

 

Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.

 

¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.

 

The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...

Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.

 

Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.

 

I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.

 

Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.

 

It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....

 

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"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.

I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."

 

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.

 

You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?

 

Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.

And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.

  

Simon Knott, June 2008

 

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm

 

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Blundeston.

There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)

 

By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.

 

On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.

 

Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.

 

¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.

 

William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.

 

William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.

 

In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.

 

These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)

 

On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)

 

The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.

 

The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,

¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.

 

Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.

 

Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.

 

The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.

 

¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."

 

he Church at Blundeston,

which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.

 

Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."

 

Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:

 

Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.

 

¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.

 

The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...

Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.

 

Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.

 

I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.

 

Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.

 

It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....

 

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"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.

I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."

 

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.

 

You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?

 

Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.

And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.

  

Simon Knott, June 2008

 

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm

 

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Blundeston.

There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)

 

By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.

 

On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.

 

Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.

 

¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.

 

William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.

 

William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.

 

In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.

 

These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)

 

On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)

 

The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.

 

The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,

¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.

 

Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.

 

Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.

 

The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.

 

¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."

 

he Church at Blundeston,

which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.

 

Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."

 

Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:

 

Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.

 

¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.

 

The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...

Many places like to wear their connections with Charles Dickens visibly, but I find it hard to believe anywhere does it more completely than Blundeston.

 

Blundeston is mentioned in David Copperfield, and there has been a strong movement by the local parish planners to ensure that most street names now have a Dicken connection. I know this a a colleague of mine resisted the overtures to name their new dwellings something Dickensian, but stuck with the family name after all.

 

I also have family connections with Blundeston, and indeed a distant relation is on the war memorial, but he is one of the branch that has an extra D in their name, the first one I have ever seen. My name is very mis-spelt, and the double D variation the most common.

 

Anyway, late one afternoon, I arrive in Blundeston to visit the church, and see, or notice the pound for the first time. Situated on a road junction, the brick-built circular enclosure was once used to corral livestock. It is a rare survivor, and the first time I had noticed it.

 

It is a fine round-towered church, with plenty of interest inside, and the medieval (I guess) glass in the porch the first of many. Some unusual tessellated tiling in the chancel, but the sanctuary is now a book shop and the altar brought forward.The font, at least to my eyes, looks Norman, and is impressive, as is the arts and crafts window, but I guess this is where Simon puts me right on many points.....

 

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"I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk. There is nothing half so green as I know anywhere, as the grass of that churchyard; nothing half so shady as its trees; nothing half so quiet as its tombstones. The sheep are feeding there, when I kneel up to look out. Here is our pew in the church. What a high-backed pew! With a window near it, out of which our house can be seen.

I look up at the monumental tablets on the wall, and try to think of Mr Bodgers late of this parish, and what the feelings of Mrs Bodgers must have been, when affliction sore, long time Mr Bodgers bore, and physicians were in vain. I look to the pulpit, and think what a good place it would be to play in, and what a castle it would make, with another boy coming up the stairs to attack it..."

 

- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

Blundeston is these days a very pleasant outer suburb of Lowestoft, although wise planners have kept a cordon sanitaire between it and the rampaging new estates of Oulton and Gunton. Everything here is very trim and polite, although St Mary itself has a rather more primitive air about it. Its narrow, tapering tower rises up sharply beside the steeply banked roof of its nave, for all the world like a Cornish tin mine or Derbyshire mill. This is an ancient building. The tower, at least the lower part, is clearly Saxon, and here inside there are some other ancient details.

 

You step into a church which is much bigger than it might appear from the outside, with a gentle High Church feel to it. The nave was widened in the late medieval period, and although there is no aisle or arcade, the tower has been left offset. The font dates from the 12th century, a plain, octagonal bowl set on 8 relief legs. The tower arch is earlier, and beside it there is a very curious detail. A circular squint hole, about 12 inches across, about 5 feet from the floor in the north-west corner. It is obviously intended to line up with something outside the church, but what, exactly? There is one exactly like it, in the same position, two miles away at Lound. They do not align with each other, though. Perhaps an outdoor Easter sepulchre? or to enable an internal sepulchre to be seen on Good Friday, when the church was out of use?

 

Above the south door, the arms of Charles II are very curious. They have been reused as a hatchment at some point, but the overpainting has faded to reveal the true origin. An altar against the north wall is dedicated to St Andrew, in memory of the nearby former church at Flixton, which was destroyed in a storm early in the 18th century. The font in the churchyard here comes from Flixton, too.

And the memorials? Well, I'm afraid there is no 'Mr Bodgers, late of this parish', and probably never was. The high-backed pews are all gone, and although the pulpit would certainly make an excellent castle, it post-dates Dickens's (and Copperfield's) time. The grass is still lush and green in the churchyard though, and much wilder than the neatly trimmed lawns of the very pleasant houses that surround it.

  

Simon Knott, June 2008

 

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/Blundeston.htm

 

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Blundeston.

There are two manors here—those of Blundeston Hall, and Gonville's. The former was held by a family which took their name from the place, and retained it, with the patronage of the church, till the end of the reign of Edward III. In the ninth of Edward I., Robert de Blundeston was lord; (fn. 1) and in the twenty-third of Edward III., in the year 1348, there was a conveyance from Osbertus, Rector of the church of Blundeston, and Oliverus de Wysete, to William, the son of Robert de Blundeston, and the heirs of his body, of the manor of Blundeston, with all the lands and appurtenances in Blundeston, Oulton, and Flixton; together with the advowson of the church of the village of Blundeston, with the appurtenances; all which were formerly of Robert de Blundeston; to hold to the said William and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. From this family the manor and advowson passed to that of Yarmouth; Henry Yarmouth, of Blundeston, presenting to the church in 1438. Humphrey Yarmouth, his descendant, on the 1st of December, 1570, conveyed to William Sydnor the manor of Blundeston, cum pertinentibus, and all other his manors, tenements, liberties, swanmarks, and hereditaments in Blundeston, Corton, Lound, Somerleyton, Flixton, Lowestoft, and Gunton, or elsewhere, and all other his manors and hereditaments, in the said towns, in fee. The manor, &c., and the messuages, were found to be holden of Sir John Heveningham, of his manor of South Leet, in soccage. (fn. 2) The said William Sydnor, by deed indented 6th of October, twenty-sixth of Elizabeth, 1584, in consideration of a jointure to Elizabeth, late wife of Henry Sydnor, his son, and heir apparent, did enfeoff John Read, and others, and their heirs, of a house called Gillam's, and 90 acres of land in Blundeston and Flixton; a meadow of 12 acres in Flixton; a marsh called Wrentham's, and 41 acres of land in Blundeston; two other messuages and 9 acres of land in Blundeston; a house called Chamber's, and 104 acres of land in Henstead. And of the manor called Blundeston; and the manor of Fritton with the appurtenances, to their uses; viz., as to the manor of Blundeston with the appurtenances, to the use of the said William for life; and after to the use of the said Henry, and his heirs male by the said Elizabeth, his wife; and after to the right heirs of the said William. The marriage between the aforesaid Henry Sydnor and Elizabeth was solemnized on the 1st of February, twenty-seventh of Elizabeth. He died during his father's lifetime, in December, 1611. William Sydnor, the father, died on the 26th of August, 1612. By his will, dated the 26th of March, in the same year, being "then of Christ's Church, but late of Blundeston," he gave to the poor of Blundeston, Henstead, Fritton, Belton, Conisford at the Gate (Norwich), Berstete St. John's, 20 shillings to each parish, and to Trowse on this side the Bridge 10 shillings. He desired "his body to be buried in the chauncell of the parishe church of Blundeston." He gave unto Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, £ 200 of lawful English money, some furniture, and £10 in gold, to be paid within fourteen days; a cup of silver with three feet, and a cover. To Alice Goldsmithe, his daughter, all her mother's apparell, and £10 in gold, &c. Among other bequests, he leaves to William Sydnor, his grandchild, some furniture, and a great carved chest which lately came from Blundeston, and his next best salt-cellar. After leaving annuities to his servants, he directed "that his house in Christ's Church in all things be mayntayned and kept as usually he did for the entertainment of his children; and such of his children and servants as would stay and live orderly, and do their service honestly, during the time of their stay; for which they were to have their wages. The charges of such housekeeping to be defrayed by his executors; and he desired that Dorothy Sydnor, his daughter, during the said month should have the government of the said house." (fn. 3)

 

By an inquisition, held the 30th of August, in the twelfth of James I., when the death of William Sydnor was returned, it was found that William, the son of Henry, his eldest son, then deceased, was his next heir, and of the age of 24 years and more. And that the said William, eldest, was seized in fee of the manor of Blunston, alias Blundeston, with the appurtenances in Blundeston, Corton, Gunton, Lowestoft, Oulton, Ashby, Flixton, Bradwell, Burgh, Fritton, Belton, Herringfleet, Lound, Somerleyton, Hopton, and Gorleston.

 

On the 13th of February, eleventh of James I., William Sydnor, the grandson, in consideration of a marriage with Anne Harborne, did covenant with William Harborne, her father, to convey to him, Sir Anthony Drury, and others, and their heirs, the manor of Fritton, with the appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, &c., of the said William, in Fritton, or in the towns adjoining, to the use of himself and his heirs until the marriage, and after the marriage to the use of himself and the said Anne, for jointure, and the heirs male of his body, with several remainders over to Robert, Thomas, and Henry, his brothers, Edmund, William, Francis, and Paul Sydnor, his uncles, and the heirs male of every of their several bodies. And after to the use of the right heirs of the said William Sydnor, the grandfather. And the manor of Blundeston, with the rights, members, and appurtenances, in Suffolk, and all lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, &c., of the said William Sydnor, the grandson, in Blundeston, or in the towns adjoining, or any of them, to and for the like uses, and estates, and remainders as before; omitting only the said Anne, and her estates, for life. In the following year a fine was levied in pursuance, by the said William Sydnor, his uncle, and the heirs of Sir Anthony, of the manors of Fritton and Blundeston, with the appurtenances. By the Office of the ninth of Charles I., after the death of William Sydnor, the grandson, it was found that he died, seized, on the 13th of June, eighth of Charles I., 1632, without issue male. By the same Office, Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia, were found to be the daughters and co-heiresses of the said William Sydnor, and that Elizabeth, the eldest, was, at her father's death, under eleven years of age, and all the rest under fourteen years of age. (fn. 4) On the 3rd of July, in the tenth of Charles I., the King, by ind're under the seal of the Court of Wards, granted to Anthony Bury, for a fine of 200 marks, the custody, wardship, and marriages of the said co-heiresses, to his own use. On the 2nd of July, tenth of Charles, the King, by another ind're, under the seal of the said Court, granted and leased to him, in consideration of £10, the manor of Henstead Pierpoind's, and two acres in Blundeston, during the minority of the said co-heiresses, at the yearly rent of £ 2. 6s. 8d. On the 20th of November, in the same year, this Anthony Bury, by ind're, assigned all his interests to Dr. Talbot, who married the said Anne, mother of the said co-heiresses, to his own use, for £330 paid, besides £100 for Bury, to the receiver of the Court of Wards, for leave of the King's fine. In Michaelmas Term, 1640, there was a decree in the Court of Wards, against Sir John Wentworth, who, in his answer to the information of the attorney of the wards on behalf of the said co-heiresses, denied they had the manor of Blundeston, but confessed they had the manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston, and that their father purchased that of one Jettor. But the Court decreed that the said co-heiresses had the manor of Blundeston, and also the manor of Gonville's. And such possession as the father of the said wards had in Blundeston great water, and fishing, is by the decree settled with the wards during their minority, and until livery sued. And Sir John desired not to fish in right of a tenement in Blundeston, which was his father's. As to the wards' suit as touching an hoorde, some lands in Fritton, and other matters, they are left to trial at law.

 

Elizabeth, Anne, Sarah, Mary, Hester, Susanna, Abigail, and Lydia Sydnor, the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, of Blundeston, by fine levied, and recovery suffered, and by deed dated the 19th of December, 1651, conveyed the said manors in Blundeston and Fritton to hold to William Heveningham, Esq., his heirs and assigns, for ever.

 

¶The family of Sydnor, from whom Blundeston thus passed, appears to have originated from — Sydnor, who married a daughter of Sir John Berney, of Reedham, in Norfolk. The following pedigree is derived from an abstract of the title of the estates, sold by the eight daughters and co-heiresses of William Sydnor, made in 1651; except the marriages of the eight daughters, which are added from the abstract continued to 1663, at which time Sarah was married to William Castleton. The other daughters had been all married before that date.

 

William Sydnor, the purchaser of Blundeston, as appears from bequests in his will, left three daughters, namely, Dorothy Sydnor, Alice Sydnor, who married Henry Goldsmith, and left issue Charles Goldsmith; and Elizabeth Sydnor, who married W. Doans, and left a son, William. Henry Sydnor, who died in his father's lifetime, left also three daughters, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Alice.

 

William Heveningham, Esq., who purchased the manors of Blundeston and Fritton of the Sydnors, was in the year 1661 convicted and attainted of high treason, as has been already shown under Mutford, &c. By letters patent, dated 28th September, thirteenth Charles II., the King did give unto Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Knights, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, Esqrs., among other manors and lands, the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton; to hold to them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., and their heirs, for ever. The said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., by their deed-poll, dated 3rd October, thirteenth Charles II., made between them, the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., George, Earl of Bristol, Henry, Earl of Dover, and Margaret Heveningham, wife of the said William Heveningham, which was also signed by His Majesty's sign manual, did declare the use of the aforesaid letters patent to be to the intent that the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, &c., should, either by perception of the profits or sale of the aforesaid manors of Blundeston and Fritton, amongst others, raise £11,000 for the said Earl of Bristol, and several other trusts therein comprised: the remainder to be for the use of the said Mary, wife of the said William. The said William Heveningham, and Mary his wife, in Michaelmas Term, thirteenth Charles II., levied a fine, and suffered a recovery of the said manors of Blundeston and Fritton, inter alia. And by indenture, dated 24th of October, thirteenth of Charles II., the said William and Mary declared that the said fine and recovery should be to the use of the said Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, and their heirs, for ever.

 

In the 10th and 11th of December, 1662, fourteenth of Charles II., appear a lease and release from the Earl of Bristol, Brian, Viscount Cullen, Sir Thomas Fanshaw, Sir Ralph Banks, Edward Pitt, and Charles Cornwallis, unto Sir John Tasburgh, of the manor of Blundeston, and the capital house called Blundeston Hall, and the manor of Fritton, alias Freton Paston's, and all that manor called Blundeston, alias Gunville's, alias Scroope Hall, alias Gunville's Blundeston, with all the rights, members, and appurtenances to the said manors belonging; and the advowson of the churches, rectories, and vicarages of Blundeston and Fritton aforesaid; and courts-leet and view of frank-pledge, &c., to hold to him and his heirs, for ever. Consideration, £4000 in hand, and £4000 to be paid as therein named. On the 27th of December, 1662, the said William Heveningham and Mary his wife did grant, release, and confirm all and every the said manors of Blundeston, Fritton, and Blundeston Gunville's, to the said John Tasburgh, and his heirs, for ever.

 

These estates next passed to the Allins; for, on the 20th July, 1668, are letters of attorney from Thomas Allin, of Lowestoft, Knt., to Richard London, &c., to receive livery of seizin of John Tasburgh, of Bodney, in Norfolk, Esq., of all his manors, messuages, lands and fruits, and hereditaments situated in Blundeston, Fritton, Corton, or any other town adjoining. Sir Thomas Allin held his first court baron for these manors on the 3rd of November, 1668. (fn. 5)

 

On the 9th of July, 1712, the trustees of Richard Allin, under a deed authorizing them to sell lands to satisfy his debts, sold a messuage and about 76 acres of land at Blundeston and Fritton, of the yearly rent of £39. 10s., to Gregory Clarke, for £663; and on the 30th of August following, two other pieces of land, containing 13 acres, of the yearly rent of £5. 10s., to the same Gregory Clarke, for £100. These estates were afterwards purchased by Sir Ashurst Allin, Bart., who resided there; and were by him devised to his daughter, Frances Allin, for life. On the 29th of September, 1714, Blundeston Hall-farm, lands and decoy, of the yearly rent of £217. 2s. 6d., were sold to William Luson, merchant, the consideration money being £3691. 2s. 6d., who devised them to Robert Luson, his son, who, by his will of the 1st of May, 1767, bequeathed them to his eldest daughter, Maria, in fee, who married George Nicholls, Esq., by whom this estate was sold to Robert Woods, who, by his will, dated July 4th, 1780, devised the same to his wife to sell, and in 1791, she conveyed it to Thomas Woods in fee. Other estates in Blundeston were by Robert Luson devised to his second daughter, Hephzibah, who married Nathaniel Rix, Esq. An estate at Blundeston, and Corton, and Lound, he devised to Elizabeth, his daughter, who afterwards married Cammant Money, by whom the second property was sold to J. B. Roe, and the first to J. Manship. (fn. 6) The Decoy farm, at Blundeston, was, by the executors of Robert Luson, under the powers in the will contained, sold to William Berners, Esq., of Woolverstone Hall, whose son, Charles, resold it to Thomas Morse, Esq. (fn. 7) The manor of Fritton, and an estate of the annual value of £173, were sold to Samuel Fuller, Esq., for £ 2660. (fn. 8)

 

The manors of Blundeston Hall and Gunville's united, as will be presently shown, remained with the Allins, and passed with their other estates to the family of Anguish. From the Anguishes they descended to Lord Sydney Osborne, who sold them, in 1844, to Samuel Morton Peto, Esq.

 

The Manor of Gonville's, in Blundeston,

¶was the lordship of John, the son of Nicholas de Gunville or Gonville, in the fourteenth of Edward III., in the month of March in which year is a "note of time" of this manor between the aforesaid John, who is styled the son of Nicholas Gonvyll, chyvaler, and Johan, his wife, complainants, and William de Gonvyll, parson of the church of Thelnethan, John Gonvyll, parson of the church of Lylyng, Osbert, parson of the church of Blundeston, and Thomas de Kalkhyll, deforcients, of 24 messuages, 332 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow, &c., in Gorleston, Louystoft, Barneby, Little Yarmouth, and Hopton, to John, son of Nicholas and Johan, and the heirs of their bodies; and remainder, after the decease of John and Johan, to the right heirs of John, the son of Nicholas. (fn. 9) The manor remained with this ancient line till it passed, in the early part of the fifteenth century, to Sir Robert Herling, Knt., who married Joan or Jane, the heiress of the Gonvilles, as the subjoined pedigree will show.

 

Sir Robert Herling, and Joan his wife, held the manor of Gonville's in 1420, as we learn from an inquisitio ad quod damnum, taken in that year. "Robtus Harlyng, miles, et Johanna, uxor ejus, tempore ultimi pascigii d'ni Henr. Regis nunc ad partes Norman: seiziti fuerunt de mn'o vocat Gunvilles manor: cum p'tin: in villis de Blundeston, Olton, et Flyxton, in d'mico suo ut de feodo." (fn. 10) Sir Robert Herling left a daughter and heiress, Anne, who was thrice married; first, to Sir William Chamberlain, Knight of the Garter; secondly, to Sir Robert Wingfield, Knt., who in 1474 settled, amongst divers manors and estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, the manors of Gnateshall, Corton, Newton, Lound, and Blundeston, with Lound advowson, in Suffolk, on themselves and their trustees. He died seized of these in 1480. In 1492, Anne, his widow, married, thirdly, John, Lord Scroop, of Bolton, who died in 1494. (fn. 11) On her death, without issue, the manor of Gonville's went to Margaret, her father's sister, the wife of Sir Robert Tuddenham, Knt. (fn. 12) On the 4th of April, sixth of James I., Robert Jettor conveyed to William Sydnor the site, manor, or member of a manor, called Blundeston, Gunvilles Blundeston, or Gunvilles cum pertin: and a close called Gunvilles, reputed the site of the said manor, containing six acres; another close called the Home-close, in Blundeston, and four several fish-ponds, with several waters and fishings in Blundeston and Flixton, and with covenant to levy a fine thereof to the use of the said William Sydnor, and his heirs. William Sydnor's eight daughters and co-heiresses conveyed it to William Heveningham. Both manors in this parish being thus united, were granted, with the advowson, to Lady Heveningham's trustees in 1661, as already shown.

 

Early in the seventeenth century, Sir Butts Bacon, created a Baronet on the 29th of July, 1627, possessed an estate and resided at Blundeston. He married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Warner, of Parham, in Suffolk, Knt., and widow of William, second son of Sir Henry Jermyn, Knt., by whom he had three sons, Charles and Clement, who died without issue, and Sir Henry Bacon, his successor. He had also two daughters, Anne, the wife of Henry Kitchingman, of Blundeston Hall, and Dorothy, who married William Peck, of Cove. Sir Butts died in 1661, and his widow in 1679. They lie buried in Blundeston church. Soon after the year 1700, the estate of the Bacons was sold to the Allins of Somerleyton; and in 1770 became the property of Frances, the daughter of the Rev. Ashurst Allin, of whose executors it was purchased by Nicholas Henry Bacon, Esq., the second surviving son of the late Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., of Raveningham, in Norfolk, who sold it in 1832 to Charles Steward, Esq., an officer in the Honourable East India Company's service, who is the present possessor. He married his first-cousin, Harriet, the only daughter, by his first wife, of Ambrose Harbord Steward, Esq., of Stoke Park, near Ipswich, High Sheriff for Suffolk in 1822, by whom he has an only son, Charles John.

 

The mansion erected on this estate has been termed at different periods Sydnors, and Blundeston Villa, but is now designated Blundeston House. The spot is more celebrated for the loveliness of its scenery than the grandeur of the residence, which is simply a good substantial house, erected in a style of unpretending architecture. But its verdant lawns and ample sparkling lake bear testimony of a long subjection to the hand of taste, which evidently still controls. The domain was many years the residence of the late Rev. Norton Nicholls. Mr. Mathias, an author well known by his 'Observations on the Character and Writings of Gray,' in a letter to a friend, occasioned by the death of this "rare and gifted man," terms his villa here "an oasis." Speaking of what Mr. Nicholls had perfected at Blundeston, he says, "if barbarous taste should not improve it, or some more barbarous land-surveyor level with the soil its beauties and its glories, (it) will remain as one of the most finished scenes of cultivated sylvan delight which this island can offer to our view." An aged pollard oak, and a summer-house placed at the termination of the lake, are said to have been favourite haunts of Gray, who was an occasional guest of Mr. Nicholls at Blundeston. In 1799, this gentleman entertained here the gallant Admiral Duncan, soon after his return to Yarmouth, crowned with the laurels won at Camperdown. Mr. Nicholls died on the 22nd of November, 1809, aged 68, and was buried at Richmond church, in Surrey. The vicinity of Blundeston House, while tenanted by Dr. Saunders, was some years since the scene of an unfortunate accident, which deprived that gentleman of life. Being in the act of reloading his double-barrelled gun, a favourite dog fawning upon him, sprung the trigger of the second barrel, and discharged the contents into his master's body. Dr. Saunders's melancholy fate is recorded in the 'Suffolk Chronicle' of October the 15th, 1814.

 

¶The lake, or Blundeston Great Water, as it is called in ancient writings, was the subject of a dispute in the reign of James I., very similar to that recorded at Ashby, as we learn from the following "exemplification of interrogatories to be administered on the part and behalf of John Ufflet, Gent., Henry Winston, Henry Doughtie, and Anne his wife, Thomas Stares, and Anthony Thornwood, complainants, against William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., deforcients; and of depositions taken at Lowestoft, on the 15th of March, in the seventh of James I., before Anthony Shardelow, William Southwell, William Cuddon, and Benedict Campe, Gents., by virtue of His Majesty's commission out of the Court of Chancery, to them directed. Richard Burman deposed, inter alia, that he knew the great water in Blundeston, called the common fenne, or common water, and the piece of ground called Hempwater green, containing about three acres; that the said water contained about sixteen or seventeen acres. That the messuage wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was sometimes of Maister Yarmouth. That the water and green had always been reputed as common. That the inhabitants fished in the water; wetted their hemp therein, and dried it on the green, and fed their cattle thereon. William Pynne deposed, inter alia, that he did not know that the said William Sydnor or Humphrey Yarmouth had any manor in the said towne; nor that there were more manors therein than the manor of Mr. Jettor, called Gunvilles. Robert Jettor deposed that the water is called the common water of Blundeston in a court-roll of the manor of Blundeston Gonville, dated the thirty-first of Henry VIII., and that he did not know that Mr. Yarmouth, or the defendants, had any manor in Blundeston, or that there was any other manor therein than his, called Blundeston Gonvilles. John Wood deposed, inter alia, that the said William Sydnor had obtained the leases from divers owners of sundry messuages or dwelling-houses in Blundeston, of their interests of their fishing in the said great water about twenty years sithence, and that he had before that sued some of the inhabitants of the said towne for having fished therein. That he and another, then churchwardens of Blundeston, did sell the alders growing in or near the said water, and did convert the money to the reparations of the town-house, and that other inhabitants did take poles, splints, and other wood growing there, &c. That he had heard that Mr. Yarmouth did keep courts in Blundeston, and had tenants therein, and that this deponent did hold of Mr. Sydnor, who had Mr. Yarmouth's estate, three acres of land, &c., and that Mr. Jettor had a manor in Blundeston, &c. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the part and behalf of William Sydnor, Esq., and Henry Sydnor, Gent., complainants, against Henry Winston, &c., deforcients. Inter alia. Do you know that Humphrey Yarmouth, Esq., deceased, was seized of the manor of Blundeston in Blundeston, and of land covered with water, containing forty acres, and which, on his death, descended to Henry Yarmouth, his son, also dead; who sold the same to William Sydnor; and that they severally held courts-baron, &c. And whether Humphrey Yarmouth, and Henry Yarmouth, his son, and William Sydnor afterwards, did not present to the living on the death or resignation of the incumbents. If the house wherein Henry Sydnor then dwelt was not called Blundeston Hall in court-rolls and writings. Whether, in the twenty-eighth of Elizabeth, in a controversy between the said William Sydnor, lord of Blundeston, and owner of the water, with the inhabitants as to the same being common or not, the dispute was not referred to Sir Edward Coke, then Attorney-General, and afterwards Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and to Richard Godfrey, Esq. Whether in the thirty-first of Elizabeth there was not a similar dispute, and that it was amicably settled by the said Henry Winston and certain others of the inhabitants agreeing to release their rights of fishing in the water, and that they should have in lieu thereof, a certain driftway thereto from the highway, near the mansion of the said William Sydnor, and a certain piece of land at the end of the said water, containing three acres, for their use, and the feed thereof; and to wet hemp in the water, and dry the same on the said three acres of land, and might dig the soil and carry it away therefrom, and also from Mill Hill, in Belton Heath, and the timber, &c., growing on the said way for repairing the town-house; and whether the said agreement was not carried into execution; and if complainants did not for twelve years quietly enjoy the water, &c., after the execution of the releases. And whether, before the agreement, the inhabitants had a right to take the land, gravel, &c.; and if complainant did not clear the water, and make a bank, &c., for the fowl to breed, &c."

 

he Church at Blundeston,

which is a rectory dedicated to St. Mary, and now consolidated with the adjoining benefice of Flixton, is valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. It is a singular edifice, comprising a nave and chancel, with a remarkably high-pitched roof, covered with thatch. The tower, which is circular and small in diameter, rises but little above the ridge of the nave, and looks more like a chimney than a steeple. It exhibits decided marks of Norman erection, and was probably attached to an earlier edifice than the present church, which, apparently incorporating the north wall of the ancient nave, seems raised on a wider ground-plan, thereby bringing the apex of the western gable to the southward of the tower, and producing a very inharmonious effect. The masonry of both nave and chancel is composed of large squared flints, but the walls of the latter bulge outwards in a threatening angle, and foretell a speedy dissolution. The interior is lofty and effective, and very neatly kept; and a carved oaken screen beneath the chancel arch is well deserving of observation. The lower compartments of this screen were in olden days richly painted and gilt, as the accidental discovery of one portion, by the removal of some boards, fortunately evinces. This splendid example of ancient art forms an illustration to the present work, and has been engraved from the faithful pencil of the late Miss Dowson, of Yarmouth. St. Peter pointing to the keys of Heaven and Hell, and an angel with uplifted hands assuring us of our salvation through the passion of Christ, occupy the two compartments of a pointed arch, richly backed by a crimson ground, diapered with gold. There is a stiffness in the attitude of each figure, and a harshness of outline visible here, as in the works of more celebrated artists, even at a later period; but these paintings are, nevertheless, extremely interesting, as illustrating the success of art in England in the fifteenth century. There is a small piscina in the chancel, and some oaken benches in the body of the church of excellent workmanship, and an ancient benetura near the south door. In the tower hang two bells, one of which was brought from the ruinated church of the adjoining village of Flixton. The body of the church, which presents a far less fearful aspect than the chancel, has lately undergone considerable renovation, and is indebted to the zeal of Mr. Steward for the preservation of many of its ancient features.

 

Reginald Wynstone, by his last will, dated the 14th of April, 1438, leaves his body to be buried within the church of Blundeston, and constitutes William Wynstone and John Wynstone, his sons, his executors. In the Lansdowne MSS. (fn. 13) is a note, taken apparently about the year 1573, of several armorial cognizances which then ornamented the windows of this building. "In the chancel windows. Arg. a lion sable. FitzOsbert and Jerningham. Quarterly, arg. and b. quarterly indented, a bend gules. Arg. a cross engrailed gules. Bloundeville, or and b. quarterly, indented, a bend gules, sided with Gurney. Gules, 3 gemelles or, a canton ermine, billetted sable. Sable a cross sarsele or, betwixt four scallops arg. Sable, a chevron arg. between 3 cinquefoils or."—"In the church, gul. a lion argent. Arg. 3 buckles lozengy gules, Jernegan. Gu. and b. pale, on a fess wavy arg., 3 crescents sab. betwixt three crosses pale or. Blundeville and Inglos. Erm. on a chevron sab., 3 crescents or, syded with Nownton. Sir Ed. Jenney, erm. a bend gul. cotised or, quartering sab. a chevr. twyxt 3 buckles argent. Or and g. barre unde. Castell, gu., 3 castells arg. Sab. a chev. gules, droppe or, twixt 3 cinquefoils pserd ermine. Or and b. checke. Paston, Bolaine, Nawton, and Barney, Nawton and Howard. Or 3 chev. gu., on each 3 ermines arg. sided with Nawton. Sampson syded with Felbrig. Felbrig, on his shoulder a mullet arg. Bedingfeld quartering Tuddenham, and one of Knevett single."

 

Monuments.—There is an old floor-stone with a cross, but no other ancient memorials, in this church. Among the more modern are the following:

 

Robertus Snelling, Rector, obt. Sep. 12, 1690, æt. 65. Hic jacet Butts Bacon, Baronettus, Nicholai Bacon, Angliæ Baronetti primi filius septimus, qui obiit Maij 29, 1661. Dorothea Bacon, his widow, obt. Sep. 4, 1679. Arms. Bacon.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of John Burkin, of Burlingham, died Jan. 26, 1735. She was first married to the Rev. Mr. Gregory Clarke, and after his decease to the Rev. Mr. Thomas Carter.

 

¶Samuel Luson, died July 7, 1766, aged 33. Luson bears, quarterly, 1st and 4th, az. and gul., 3 sinister hands arg., 2nd and 3rd, erm., 3 roses. . . . Sarah Keziah Thurtell, died May 29th, 1833, aged 18 years. William Wales, died June 8, 1710, aged 63. Gregory Clarke, Christi minister, died 3 Ides of Jan. 1726, aged 45. William Sydnor, Esq., died 1613. Robert Brown, died Sep. 6, 1813, aged 52 years. Mary, his daughter, Aug. 18, 1812, aged 22 years. Sarah, wife of John Clark, widow of the above Robert Brown, died Nov. 16, 1818, aged 59. Elizabeth, second wife of James Thurtell, of Flixton, died June 15, 1823, aged 75 years. Elizabeth, wife of John Clark, died Jan. 28, 1801, aged 28 years. John Clark, died Oct. 7, 1826, aged 57 years. Stephen Saunders, M. D., born 17th Oct. 1777, died 1st Oct. 1814. Timothy Steward, of Great Yarmouth, died 25th of June, 1836. Mary, his wife, daughter of John Fowler, and Ann, his wife, died 22 Jan. 1837. Arms. Steward, quarterly, 1st and 4th. Or, a fess chequee arg. and az.; 2nd and 3rd, arg., a lion ramp. gules, debruised with a bendlet raguly or, impales Fowler, az. on a fess between 3 lions pass. guard, or, as many crosses patonce sable.

 

The registers of Blundeston commence in 1558. They contain several notices of monies collected by Brief in aid of sufferers by fire in distant parts of England. Among others, "To a loss by fire at ye head of ye Cannon-gate at Edinburgh, in North Britain, Jan. 13, 1708/9, 1s. 6d." The advowson of Blundeston with Flixton was sold in 1844, by Lord Sydney Osborne, to Thomas Morse, Esq., of Blundeston.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/suffolk-history-antiq...

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A seed it could be an idea, a relation, a new form of life. It's a possibility to be something new, but this seed needs a ray of light, a tear of pure water and, very important, a ray of metalove to germinate.

Can you belive in your seeds? in yourself like a seed? Can you help you to germinate? No matter the way, remember you always will need metalove. Are you ready?

 

Una semilla puede ser una idea, una relación, una nueva forma de vida. Una posibilidad para ser algo nuevo, pero la semilla necesita un rayo de luz, una gota de agua pura y , muy importante, un rayo de metamor para germinar.

¿Puedes Creer en tu semilla, en ti mismo como semilla? ¿te puedes ayudar a germinar? No importa como, recuerda que siempre necesitarás al metamor ¿Estai list@?

As a complement and sequel to my earlier article, Initiation and Death, the present text concerns aspects of what an initiation seeks to accomplish in a longer perspective, specifically after the dark night of the soul has been experienced and overcome. This is the basis of the path of inner alchemy – Ars Royale – the profound Royal Art. A further purpose is to show the relation between ritual magic and inner alchemy; so to speak paints a bigger picture of the nature and first end of the work, where ritual magic acts as a practical gateway into the profound mysteries of alchemy. Thus this article is written primarily for people already possessing some knowledge of the concepts of ritual magic, regardless of tradition. Also, the article aims at discussing different foundations and concepts of ritual magic, where magic and psychology differ, as well as the theoretical and practical applications that follow from that. Seeds of wisdom in veils and metaphors

On the esoteric path in general, and its different rites of initiation in particular, we meet ancient dramas of symbolism whose purpose is to sow seeds of wisdom within us.1 It is .

 

worth stressing that these seeds of wisdom are sown within us. No initiation, or magical work, does this automatically, or even necessitates an increase in wisdom. It is when we first manage to penetrate behind the veils of the symbols and understand their implications for us here and now that the seed can begin to grow and our inherent wisdom can start to blossom.

These inevitable veils and the manner of presenting them also tend to be, what to a great extent, distinguish literature and separate different Orders. In this regard the quality of their teaching and work depends upon a living tradition that has been integrated and to a certain extent also personified by the person or persons that aim at mediating the doctrines. It is this living, and as a rule oral tradition that renders possible the mediation of wisdom and understanding beyond the limitations of words. Words, to be able to be carriers of knowledge, need to be expressed from a personal understanding. The sense behind them, which is thus mediated through a living tradition, carries more keys within itself than is ever possible to describe in words.

Thus the adepts throughout history seek to instruct their successors by ancient dramas of symbolism and light up the paths that lead from the darkness of ignorance to the divine light. The difference between these rites and their exoteric equivalences is the individual “gnosis-process” which concerns itself with the essence of the Law (Maat), instead of faithfully following, applying or wrongly interpreting its outer reflection.

What then is the essence of this universal law, which has been taught within various esoteric traditions since the beginning of time? Well, behind the first veil, to see the importance of cycles and reflections and the significance of cause and effect concepts. As magicians we learn how to read, interpret and affect these, foremost within our own sphere of sensation and then being able to apply the same upon the world around us. This ability can concisely be said to summarize the modern understanding of magic and alchemy, which then are reduced to a holistic existential developmental psychology with an occult key signature. The magical and alchemical practices then contribute to what the famous psychologist C.G. Jung termed the individuation process, which also Jung considered that the alchemists, foremost unconsciously, had strived for throughout history. All alchemical theories and axioms were thus interpreted by him to just concern psychological processes, which perhaps was a necessary antithesis to the long lived belief that alchemy was just an attempt at physically transmuting non-precious metals into gold.

In my opinion this psychological interpretation, just as the tenacious gold making interpretation, neither gives a correct image of the work towards Magnum Opus (the Great Work) nor takes into consideration the light and wisdom that the adepts have tried to spread around the same.

The adepts, however, have always used codes and symbols that are hard to penetrate, both for preserving the purity in their wisdom and for erecting smoke screens in front of the eyes of the profane. The purpose in both cases was, and still is, that only those who

2

 

can see, i.e. have experienced gnosis and understanding, have awakened their inner wisdom, will be able to grasp the essence of the tradition. Hence they have not been too much concerned about existing misunderstandings about the nature and aim of the work. And even though it is my intention here to display the essence of Magnum Opus in clear words, this article will still leave intact many of the mysterious veils. Thus by necessity, not only because of this author’s own lacking, and shortcomings, but also because the mysteries have always demanded silence as one of the most important principles for being able to progress on the path. In silence the seed of wisdom can grow, the unconscious can work on the symbolism, and the knowledge can be understood and transmuted into wisdom.

The essence of Magnum Opus

The Great Work is about to create the mythical Stone of the Wise. What then is this stone? Well, nothing less than the means to immortality! This immortality, or eternal life, should however not be misunderstood. It does not mean that the body will never die - something that would be against the cycles and laws of nature. The alchemists have always maintained that their work is in harmony with nature and that they begin where nature ends, since some processes cannot be reconstructed without the help of nature. By eternal life is meant instead that consciousness remains after the death of the physical body and preserves into the next incarnation, and the following. This then is what the stone, which isn’t a stone contains, the immortal consciousness of the adept.

Perhaps the most comical is that the adepts have always spoken in clear words regarding this, but despite this, only a few have understood its meaning. So to eliminate eventual misunderstandings it is worth repeating; Magnum Opus leads to eternal life, not in the same body but the ability to move and transcend consciousness after the death of the physical body - an eternal birth that does not involve a “fall of consciousness”.

Consciousness and death

This leads us unsought to one of the most misunderstood existential concepts; what happens with our consciousness, our self, after the physical death. In modern times, foremost the spiritualist movement and its branches have put forth the idea that anyone can remember earlier lives (and thus preserve consciousness after death), which in the eyes of the adepts is a somewhat naïve opinion. There are today plenty of courses, groups and therapists that feather their own nests on peoples need to be seen, to at least have been an important person once somewhere in a previous life. The majority of these so- called “memories” derives from the individual and/or collective unconscious. The psychological research of the last century clearly shows how the symbols of the unconscious arise and come forth either as a confirmation of psychological needs or as a contrast or antithesis to conscious opinions. The interpretation that it has to do with memories from previous lives can in best cases be accurate from the hypothesis that one can “tune” into archetypical memories, which partly could explain the multitude of people remembering incarnations as Cleopatra, Ramses II, Caesar, Napoleon, etc. Personally, however, I consider the majority of such cases as originating from the astral and illusional dimensions of Yesod. In any case it is an abyss of difference between this and what the adepts alludes to.

 

In ancient Egypt, this ability was described by a sun with two wings - the sun, symbol of the self (consciousness) together with a pair of wings, the ability to travel between the worlds. This was the symbol of the winged Horus, which the Pharaoh would be transmuted to after his or her embalming process (in the identification with Osiris), to thereafter be able to regain the lawful place amongst the gods and goddesses.

The Egyptian rites sought to prepare the candidate (most often the Pharaoh or close relative to him/her) for all the trials that the soul was believed to face after death. Above all in the later rites (starting with ‘the book of coming forth by day’ – more commonly known as ‘the book of the dead’) these journeys and trials took place in Amenti, the Egyptian death realm where Osiris ruled. In the earlier rites, from the first dynasties, the journeys and trials took place in the sky.2

A concept, which is present already in the early Egyptian descriptions of “life after death”, is the importance of understanding that one has actually died, and then to have the capacity for an individual consciousness after death. This can be compared with the ability for lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is fully conscious that what is experienced is a dream and at the same time retain individual memories and experiences. Death resembles falling asleep where the conscious slowly ebbs out into various heavens or hells, for them loosening all aspects of individual memories and experiences.

From this one might think that the ability of lucid dreaming constitutes the key that opens up the portals between the worlds (both before and after death), but that is not the case. Lucid dreams, as astral travels, generally take place within the seven palaces of Assiah3, located within the treacherous astral-illusional mists of Yesod. Further, the “astral body” is connected with the physical body and requires a great amount of energy from the same to allow consciousness to be separated from the body for a longer period of time. This is often symbolically described as a silver cord combining the two bodies, and everyone who has had an out-of-body-experience know the kind of difficulties that soon arises in regards to the capacity to regain a focused consciousness.

The astral body, or body of light (the Kabbalistic Nephesch) was viewed by the Kabbalists as being the “true” body, of which the physical body is but a reflection. It is the bonds of this etheric body with the various urges in the seven palaces of Assiah that the esoteric traditions have sought to clarify and work with. For it is first when the urges can be controlled that the adept truly can be called a free human, no longer governed by unconscious impulses and influences. This is a very simple description of the esoteric meaning of the fall and the restoration there from.

Within certain traditions complete asceticisism has been promoted, while others have gone to the opposite end and promoted indulgence within all palaces and urges so that they thereby can lose their grip. Many of the modern esoteric traditions teach methods of how to know these aspects of oneself (i.e. to make them conscious) so that one no longer is ruled by them, although there still are many moral values that make this difficult. This aspect of liberation strongly resembles Jung’s individuation process, from which there does not exist any real difference between magical and psychological work. However, what distinguishes the magical alchemy from psychology is that this work takes place for the purpose of being able to create a new body, which is more spiritual than the physical body but more physical (i.e. constant) than the astral body. This is one of the esoteric meanings of the three alchemical principles, Sulphur F, Mercury H and Salt G, which shall be separated, purified and recombined. First then can the Stone of the Wise be produced; the spiritual body that can travel between the worlds, and which is not dependent upon the physical body.

Thus the alchemical-magical process does not seek to escape neither from the earth nor from the body, but to refine the latter and thereby, with the assistance of its energies, form the stone. A very simplified description of this process follows.

Prima Materia

No alchemical work can start or take place without the alchemist being fully aware of what its prima materia, its original material, is. However, this is a subject that has perplexed aspirants throughout the centuries, since all alchemists has described prima materia in symbolic terms which often seems to resemble zen koans than anything understandable and concrete. From alchemical classical works we can read that materia prima is lead, the dragon, urine, dew, the water of life, cinnabar, the eagle stone, the poison, the virgin milk, chaos, honey, gold, silver, etc. To make the understanding of prima materia easier, it should help to know what the alchemist aims at extracting from there, namely the philosophic or inner Salt G. This Salt, also called VITRIOL, contains the two other principles, Mercury H and Sulphur F. By softening and extracting the water element from the earthly darkness, the spirit of Mercury is extracted which is variously called the white lily, the eagle or the dragon. It is from this that the art around the Stone of the Wise is based and founded, as it contains the volatile fire, the philosophical Sulphur – the most pure ingredient of the Stone of the Philosophers.

The truth is that both prima materia and its stone depend upon the purpose of the alchemical operation. If one aims at producing an elixir, its prima materia can be a specific plant or mineral, where one so to speak takes the prima materia that nature itself has produced and developed as far as possible, and then “refines” it. As the purpose with this article is the concept of eternal life, we will not need to look for our prima materia within the plant or mineral kingdoms. In inner alchemy, Ars Royale or the Royal Art, there is only one conceivable prima materia, the Temple of our Spirit.4 (This, however, has not stopped alchemists from, in laboratory environment, using everything from body secretion to excrements as prima materia, with no other result than blood, sweat and tears.) The work starts with the physical body, which is the first key of the work. In the magical work this means the necessity to ground every experience and insight in the physical body. In inner alchemy the Athanor of the alchemists is the physical body.

The alchemists have thereafter in broad outlines divided the process into three stages, nigredo, albedo and rubedo. In each phase takes place the works of separating, purifying and recombining the three principles of Salt, Sulphur and Mercury; our body, soul and spirit. During the process and phases the

alchemist utilizes four different

inner fires, which are associated

both with the four elements and

the four body fluids.7 The fire most

commonly known today is called

kundalini in eastern terminology,

and has become a very well known

term in the western society during

the last century. There exist many

myths around kundalini, but

without exaggeration I think that

whoever manages to arouse it will

never forget that experience. One

will have to search long for a more

intense energy than that. Personally it felt like the climax of the orgasm extended to forty minutes the first time. The first twenty minutes were fantastically wonderful, the remaining so wonderful that they became painful. After having been used to the intense energy I started to question what it all was good for, what purpose it served. For sure I could use the power in ceremonies, but something told me that this was but a subsistent purpose. First many years later, after having entered deeply into alchemical studies, I understood its relation with the fires of alchemy, and how the initatic process and the magical work in a subtle way teaches how this force shall be transmuted.

In the magical process the work with the inner fire starts with the preliminary earth related work. By physical movements, vibrations and breathing exercises the blood circulation and absorption of oxygen increases in the body. The immediate result is a raised body temperature, the mildest of the alchemical fires (which in an exoteric environment can be seen at winters when freezing people give themselves body-fires). However, the reader is advised not to interpret this fire as a simple aerobic exercise.

In the following air-related work the relation between the vibrations, the breathing exercises and the visualizations deepen in the personal ritual work. The blood absorbs oxygen in accordance with the nature of the ritual in a completely different manner.8 This, together with an increased intellectual grounding and insight of the work, leads to a noticeable stronger heat in the body. The intellectual grounding can be compared with the sensation which arises when one has struggled with an apparently insoluble problem and right out of the blue sees the solution.

The water-related work creates a deeper emotional bound to the above concept. This is the heat that comes from understanding on a deeper level, to see the overall picture. The water-fire can also be compared with heat that comes with being in love.

The fire related work endeavors both to identify and arouse the inner fire and to open up the link with the divine; the strong and creative flow and heat directly from the Neschamah.

These four fires must all be experienced, identified and closely worked with before the Albedo phase can begin. The goal is to have them as easily accessible that only a short focus is required to arouse them, together or separate, according to where in the process one works. Common to them is that they all increase the body temperature, and they are utilized in the work for separating, purifying and combining the different bodies in the processes. A secondary effect is that they are also very useful in relation with group rituals and initiation ceremonies.

 

alkemiskaakademin.se/Initiation alchemy and life.pdf

Road Prince

 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

الْمُؤْمِنُ آلِفٌ مَأْلُوفٌ وَلا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لا يَأْلَفُ وَلا يُؤْلَفُ ، خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ

 

The Prophet of God (peace be upon him) said,

 

"The Mo’min is the one who loves and is loved.

And there is no goodness for the one who does not give love and receive love.

The best amongst people is the one who gives others benefit.

 

Recently life made me ponder the state of sadness and its relation with the ego. All of us experience sadness, then some of us become parked in that state, sometimes not even knowing it. Superficially we appear angry or numb, but over time it just turns into a deep selfishness that permeates the entire being, inward and outward. The curse of that selfishness manifests as a deprivation of ehsaas, sensitivity towards the state of another.

 

Then by the Mercy of God, enters affection or love or just compassion. For everyone. But can anyone really reduce another’s sadness, lessen selfishness? I used to think no, that the state has to exited by each one of us but I had forgotten.

 

Nothing happens without a waseela, a source. It is sent. Ability is granted. Answering the call of love is a shortcut for sure. But sometimes even love emanates from the ego instead of the heart. It is transient, it dissipates, it needs reciprocity to survive. And the proof is in the pudding!

 

Ghaus Pak (ra) says in the Tafseer e Jilani: The heart in which lies the seed of love, the fruit of that love is a witnessing; mushahida.

 

Everything difficult, traumatic that we go through, leaves a scar upon our heart even when we bury it, ignore it. The upside of the experience though is undeniable, the gift of resilience granted to us. We can survive pretty much anything. But ultimately the pain has to be shed otherwise we retreat, becoming invisible as it veils the heart, hardening it, making it seemingly impossible to pierce.

 

But then not all of us are like that.

 

A couple of weeks ago I saw a homeless man in a park, Bagh e Jinnah. My favourite hang now since I worked there to make the tables and definitely this fall when the weather will turn gorgeous and I will play there every single day. The cherry though was not the beauty of the green, the ancient trees, the variety of flora or the immaculate workmanship of hundreds of gardeners. It was the shrine of Hazrat Pir Sakhi Turat Murad Shah (ra). I couldn’t stop going there almost every single day after the first time.

 

One afternoon after my game I walked over to him.

 

“Salam,” I said sitting down on the steel bench opposite where he was lying down. “I see you sitting here all the time. I wondered if you need anything.”

 

He looked up at me and the first thing I noticed was the sweetness of his face. His tan was an olive complexion. His hair was short, light. It always covered with a baseball cap.

 

“No,” he said gently, sitting up. “I’m fine.”

 

“So what about the box?” I asked casually. “How come you bring that with you every day?”

 

I knew I was being intrusive. But it wasn’t out of curiosity. I actually wanted to know if he needed anything.

 

“My things are in it,” he said like it was the most normal thing in the world to carry your belongings around everywhere.

 

As I left I turned around and asked, “What’s your name?”

 

He hesitated for a second, then said, “Shaan.”

 

I smiled.

 

“Like the actor.”

 

He smiled back.

 

On another day I asked him again if he needed anything. He said no but when I insisted, he pointed at his sandals. One of them was broken. I bought him a new pair and a few t-shirts and short-sleeved button down shirts. He didn’t ask for any of it.

 

“Here!” I said, sitting down placing the bags next to him. “I hope you like them.”

 

He took each bag carefully, then opened the plastic covers that wrapped each item so slowly, I couldn’t help but notice the delicacy of his nature. He was nafees.

 

“They’re beautiful,” he said happily. “You have good taste. I saw your shirts that you play in. They’re nice.”

 

I thanked my lucky stars I had chosen everything for him myself.

 

When he tried the shoes though they were still too big. “I’m so sorry. I did tell my driver that they looked big. He isn’t getting the size right.”

 

Shaan glanced over at my feet. I was wearing my Bata sandals.

 

“That looks about right,” he said. “Let me try them.”

 

My nafs jumped. I’m a huge germophobe, the fear of dirt, on my feet specifically. bordering on OCD. I never ever walk around barefoot, except sometimes on grass and sand.

 

“Ummm,” my head thought until thankfully my heart kicked it in the head.

 

“Stop being disgusting and let him try the shoe.”

 

“Oh yes, of course,” I jumped up placing my shoe near his foot. He slipped it on and beamed.

 

“It’s a perfect fit.”

 

“I’ll have him change the shoe,” I said smiling back.

 

It was my driver, Usman, who informed me that Shaan was a woman. One day I sent a cooler for him with water and ice so he could keep it next to him when he called me.

 

“She isn’t here. I asked the guards and they said they haven’t seen her today. Should I wait or come back?”

 

“Come back,” I said ignoring the gender revelation.

 

Later when I was in the car I said, “So he’s a girl.”

 

“Ji,” he replied in the affirmative.

 

“Well, since he’s referring to himself as a male, let’s just do that,” I said.

 

“Okay,” he replied.

 

That was the beauty of a 2o some year old for a driver.

 

Everything about an individual related to gender identity and sexuality was cool, accepted with warmth by his generation, regardless of socio-economic background. It was ingrained through social media no doubt, which I believe is poison, but then I guess everything has its upside. My decades old driver, Sadulah, would have been freaking out for sure and driven me mad.

 

Another day or so later, again on my way back from the shrine, I went over to see Shaan.

 

“Salam,” I said, asking how he was, then ventured, “I was wondering Shaan, where do you live?”

 

“In the park,” he answered as if he was giving me an address in the city.

 

“But the park closes at 9.”

 

“Not this park,” he said. “The one in Shadman.”

 

I knew which park he was talking about. It was a grassy spot surrounded by markets on all sides.

 

“And bathrooms?” My curiosity started kicking in.

 

“I used to go to the Mosque but they said I can’t come unless I wear Shalwar Kamiz. I don’t have one.”

 

“Oh,” I thought. I wondered if they had figured out that he was a woman. Women don’t go to Mosques in Pakistan for some reason.

 

“So I just wash myself where there is a tap with my clothes on.”

 

“I was thinking,” I said gently. “It’s not the safest thing, living in a park I mean. Why don’t you find a place to live and I can pay for it.”

 

“If you could get me a job…” Shaan said instead.

 

I shook my head.

 

“I’m leaving the country next week for a month or so. I don’t know many people but I will try for sure. In the meantime, how about you find a place in the next couple of days. Is that possible?”

 

“Well,” he said, “I can share with someone and...”

 

“No, no,” I cut him off. “No sharing.”

 

I knew drivers and laborers who came into the cities from the villages, shared rooms, sometimes four people to a space, if not more. How would a woman live with them? Sounded like a nightmare.

 

“How old are you Shaan?” I asked. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

 

I don’t know why my manners finally kicked in.

 

“47,” he replied.

 

“What?” my jaw dropped. “You look like you’re 22.”

 

Later when I told my friends the story they said I look young too.

 

“Yeah,” I said rolling my eyes, “But I’m not living in a park. If I was I would be looking 65.”

 

“That’s true,” they all conceded.

 

That evening a friend of mine, Hiba, called to tell me she had some money she wanted to give to an orphanage and could I send it over to them. I started telling her about Shaan. Did she want to give any money towards settling him into an apartment?

 

She turned around and told me she had a workshop in the city where there was a room that could be fixed up for Shaan and he could live there. Her carpenters worked in the space from 9 till 6 and the rest of the time, the house was empty. A family lived in the back to take care of it. Shaan was welcome to live there she said.

 

“Super!” I said. “Can I bring him over soon?”

 

“Sure,” she said, “let’s go together tomorrow.”

 

The next day I went to see Shaan and suggested the idea, wondering if he would he be open to it. I was terrified he might become paranoid and disappear.

 

“She might even have a job for you,” I offered never having spoken so softly to anyone in my life. That’s the beauty of people who exude tenderness. They make you gentle with them. Suhbat! The number one factor that shapes and changes a human being at any age; company!

 

“Ok,” he said. “When?”

 

“Tomorrow,” I beamed. “She will come with me so we can go together.”

 

At 11am the following morning, I went to the park to pick up Shaan. I saw him walking towards me, drenched in sweat.

 

“Can I change my clothes before we go?” he asked.

 

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” I said. “We’re late and you’re fine.”

 

“No,” he insisted. “It will only take a minute.”

 

He turned around and walked to back to the pergola where his stuff was. He pulled off one of his tshirts, he was wearing two, and put on one of the new shirts. Then he wrapped what seemed like a sheet around his waist and changed his trousers. He fixed his hair and walked towards me looking fresh.

 

I smiled at him and we got into the car. At the gate of the park we met my friend and we set off to her workshop. My friend started asking Shaan questions about himself. Of course it started with the question every employer-to-be has.

 

“Do you have an ID card?” she asked warily.

 

“No,” Shaan answered. “I used to have one. Then it expired and I haven’t renewed it yet. But I will do that.”

 

“My driver can help you in terms of taking you to an office.” I offered. “It should be pretty straightforward.”

 

“And do you have a CV?” my friend asked.

 

“I made one,” Shaan said turning around to look at us from the front seat. “I have worked in boutiques, factories, shops. I used to teach in a school at one time. I’ve done many jobs. I can even fix electrical things,” he said smilingly.

 

“Cool,” I piped in.

 

“I’m also an artist. I like to write stories and poetry. I like drawing. I like many things,” he said.

 

“Wow! You seem to have done it all,” Hiba remarked. “Well this job will most likely be admin. Mostly coordination between my different projects. Ensuring deliveries are happening on time, checking the merchandise etc.”

 

“Like a foreman,” Shaan suggested.

 

“Yes, exactly like a foreman.” Then she asked, “Can I ask where all you have you have lived?”

 

“Many places, many parks.” he said, looking out the window.

“I’m a road prince.”

 

“Road prince!” I echoed from the back. “I like that title. I sometimes write stories too. I think I might write a story about you and call it that,” I said, waiting for him to react.

 

I could see him in the rear view mirror. He was still smiling.

 

The house was in Johar Town. Almost all the rooms were being used by the carpenters but on the second floor we found a room that was empty. It had a bathroom with it. The room was spacious with a large window. It needed to be cleaned.

 

“Let’s go sit in my office,” Hiba suggested.

 

While sitting there I suggested that Shaan go and buy whatever he needed from the market for himself. Hiba handed him a blank piece of paper.

 

“Here, you can make a list,” I gave him a pen.

 

He took the paper and placed it sideways. Next to him was a piece of wood about the size of a ruler. He took it and using the pen, started drawing horizontal lines on the page. I smiled and wondered what his zodiac was. His approach to everything was so detailed.

 

I gave him some money to buy the items and anything else that occurred to him and to use the rest to purchase food since the kitchen was not yet functional. There was a small stove connected to a cylinder which the carpenters used to make tea.

 

After leaving him, on the way home I told Usman how I liked his title for himself. “It’s cool.”

 

He told me Road Prince was the name of a model of a motor cycle.

 

When I had called him later in the evening to make sure he was settling in alright, he said to me excitedly. “I have all the receipts and I wrote down everything I got for you to see. I also got a shirt and pants. That will be my uniform for work which I will wear every day.”

 

“Nice,” I smiled thinking, who does that.

 

The next day, the first for Shaan in his new space, I went to see him. He wasn’t interacting with the rest of the workers in the house. They were trying to be friendly but he stayed in his room mostly. The job was going to start in a week or ten days because Eid was around the corner and everything would be closed. Till then he had nothing to do.

 

We sat in the office and talked. I asked him how he spent the morning.

 

“I wrote in my diary,” he said. “I like to write in it every day. Would you like to see it?”

 

“Sure,” I replied enthusiastically. “I would love to see it.”

 

I couldn’t really understand what he had written. It was in English but the sentence construction wasn’t making sense to me. There were several entries with varying dates even though he had written them all that same day. One line was on almost every page. “I like ice-cream.” I immediately called Usman and told him to bring some along with some food.

 

Shaan wasn’t going downstairs so he wasn’t eating anything except buns he had bought from a bakery the day before. I told him the staff would get him anything he wanted. All he had to do was tell them what. He nodded and I wondered if it was actually going to happen.

 

It was the first page of the diary that caught my attention.

On it he had written Name, Father’s name, Mother’s name and then filled them out. Everyone’s last name was Shaan. For Address he had written Shadman. Below that was “Date of birth” and “ID card number.” Those were blank. It was like a form. Everything about him was so particular. He reminded me of myself. Later he told me he was born in late November.

 

“I’m Sagittarius,” he said.

 

When I asked him about the people he used to hang out with in the park, he didn’t say much.

 

To my question, “What were they like?” he answered, “If you spend time with someone, it’s not nice to say anything bad about them.”

 

Wow, I thought. I felt like I was seeing someone who was the personification of a daily tasbeeh I read myself and also taught my niece. “Allah u Rabbi.” “My Lord is The One who raises me by His Lutf, Kindness and His Fazal, Bounty.” For Shaan at least one consequence of that raising seemed to be a bestowing of excellence in manners.

 

I could see he was tired. I asked him if he slept well. “It’s a new place so you know…” he said looking down, his eyes turning sad. “And if you think of something bad before you sleep, then sometimes it comes into your dream.”

 

To just that comment, I had a thousand questions but I kept my mouth shut. I racked my brain for something that might make him laugh. But since I didn’t know him, I couldn’t think of anything. I tried just being friendly.

 

“Yesterday I noticed the way you made your list of things you were going to get. Using the wood to line the page,” I said smiling.

 

“Yes,” he said looking up at me. “I like to write on paper that has lines.”

 

He had written down exactly seven items on it; a pail with a bowl for it, soap, a towel, a bed-sheet, shampoo and powder.

I sat with Shaan while he ate, then I left. When I got home I started feeling bad that he might be feeling lonely. I called Qari Sahib to ask him what to do.

 

“It’s just an adjustment for him right now. The first few days are hard. Then they become better. It’s like that for anyone who lives alone for the first time.”

 

“But the room isn’t great Qari Sahib,” I said. “It’s a big size but it needs stuff so it’s cozy. There’s nothing in it.”

 

“No one’s first room is great,” my teacher responded clearly remembering his own.

 

The problem was I was thinking of a story Qari Sahib had told us recently in class:

 

One day a man came to see Hazrat Shah Suleman Taunsvi (ra). He asked him about Tauheed, the One-ness of Allah.

 

“Teach me what it means,” he requested.

 

The Saint replied, “Tauheed is thinking of Allah better than you think of yourself. Or at least treating him as you treat yourself.”

 

The man was flabbergasted.

 

“What are you saying to me? I had no idea you would say something so inappropriate as a scholar and someone so highly regarded in spirituality. How can I think of Allah in any way related to my base self. This is shirk. You are misguiding people,” he ranted.

 

Hazrat Shah Suleman Taunsvi (ra) calmly replied, “This is what I know of Tauheed and so I have told you it. If you can find a better answer elsewhere, seek it.”

 

The man wanted to leave but night had already appeared so he decided to stay till the morning. Hazrat Shah Suleman Taunsvi (ra) told his disciples to give him dinner but with a special instruction.

 

“Send him some fresh food and bread and some that is old.”

 

As the man began to eat, a sa’il, one in need, made a plea in the street.

 

“Will anyone give me anything in the Name of Allah?”

 

The man heard the voice and looked at his tray. Then he decided to keep the fresh food for himself and send the old one to the hungry person. Soon after he fell asleep.

 

The next morning, before leaving, he came to Hazrat Shah Suleman Taunsvi (ra) to say goodbye. He asked him again, “So did you understand anything about Tauheed from our previous conversation?”

 

The man reiterated his disappointment.

 

The Saint then said, “O friend! Listen to me. I told you this; Think of Allah more than you think of yourself or treat Him at the least, as you treat yourself. Yesterday night you had before you fresh food as well as food that was old. When the needy person asked for something for the Sake of Allah, you kept the good food for yourself and sent the old food for him.

Since sadqa goes into the Hands of Allah, you kept what was better and sent what was worse to Him. You couldn’t treat Allah better than yourself by giving the man all the fresh food and you couldn’t even treat him as you treat yourself (by giving him some of it).”

 

It was true; understanding the essence of faith, of God, who for so many was entirely elusive, always only comes as a result of another human being.

 

Then Qari Sahib had quoted a verse from the Quran;

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنفِقُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ

وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ

الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَا تَيَمَّمُوا

وَلَسْتُم بِآخِذِيهِ إِلَّا أَن تُغْمِضُوا فِيهِ

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيد

 

O ye attained who faith!

Spend on others out of the good things which you have acquired

and out of that which We have produced from the Earth.

Do not choose the worst of it to give in charity that you yourself would be reluctant to accept.

Know that Allah is Rich beyond need and Praiseworthy.

 

Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 267

 

I thought of my room and what was in it. His room and what was in it. I sent a text around to my friends to get some furniture so I could place it in his room before I left. I went to see my Aunt but my heart felt heavy. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. On the way back I told my driver that I thought Shaan was low. That I didn’t know how to raise his spirits.

Usman told me that the guys in the workshop had said they tried to make conversation with him and to everything they asked, Shaan had said, “If you don’t mind, mujhe nahin pata.” “If you don’t mind, I don’t know.”

 

I burst out laughing. Sounded like a t-shirt Uzma would love!

 

I called Hiba and told her I was feeling nervous. She said she was sending over a phone for Shaan through her driver.

“He will have it tonight. Then we can call him. And he can call other people. That might make him happier. And I will go see him tomorrow. It will just take a little time.”

 

He had said he liked art. I thought I would get him some stuff so he can paint while he waits for his job to start. I thought I would buy him a bike. He said he preferred a bicycle to a motor bike. But would these things make him happy?

 

That night I cried in my bed while I thought of him and I cried in my prayers at dawn. I only asked for one thing; “Guide my heart to do that which will make Shaan happy. Please, tell me what will make him happy.”

 

It was a prayer I never prayed like that for anyone before. Not a family member that was unhappy, not a romantic love that was sad, not a friend who was depressed. I prayed for them to be happy, sure but I never pleaded for it. Plus people are different. Some shun love offered all the time. Others choose their loneliness, then extract pride from it. It always ended up a façade upon a façade full of landmines, impossible to traverse. Shaan was alone.

 

The prayer I uttered for guidance was new. It had been the topic of a lecture I heard by Uzair the same day; a hadith mubarik

 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ

 

Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika

 

“O Allah! I ask guidance from Your Knowledge.”

 

“Guide my heart, Ya Rabbi, to do what which is right for Shaan. Pleeeeeease!” I sobbed.

 

While I lay in bed, I could sense my nafs feeling astounded.

 

Then it asked me, “Why are you crying like this? Do you want Shaan to be happy because of that story you read in Ghaus Pak’s (ra) book? ‘Pleasing the needy is pleasing God.’”

 

“No,” I answered truthfully starting to cry again. “I’m just worried. What if he doesn’t feel happy.”

 

“Well, could you wait a day to see what happens please because you’re killing me,” was its genuinely irritated response.

 

Through the tears I smiled. A sense of humour always did heal everything for me! That’s why Zee’s always been the most special of my friends.

 

I think what was making me feel that worried was my leaving for the States for a month two days later. If I had been in Lahore longer, I would have been able to see Shaan every other day and made sure personally that he was settled. If the job was not going to start, I would have found other things for him to do so his time was occupied. I was sure he missed the park, the outdoors, sound.

 

The next day I called Shaan in the morning and told him I was sending over the rest of the stuff he had asked for. It was a shalwar kamiz, gray, tea bags, sugar, a frying pan, a pot to boil water, some plates and cutlery. I added to that a new pair of pyjamas I had just gotten made for myself and a t-shirt I absolutely love. I wanted to take them myself but it was a crazy day so I sent Usman. Which as it turned out was the best thing I could have done.

 

“Call me when you are with him so I can have a word please.”

An hour or so later, I heard from him. Shaan’s voice sounded upbeat. He loved the clothes and now he was going for a drive with Usman to buy some fruit and check out a park nearby. He told me again that I had great taste. I asked him to please see what the food choices were nearby so he wasn’t eating junk.

 

“You sound much better today,” I said. “You sound happy.”

 

I could hear his smile. “Yes,” he said dreamily. “It’s a good day,” he said in English and my heart leapt with joy. I thanked God in my heart and vowed to do a tasbeeh later.

 

In our last class on the Haj Qari Sahib had told us the verse:

 

وَيَزِيدُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى

وَالْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ مَّرَدًّ

 

And Allah increases guidance for those who accept guidance.

And the everlasting good deeds are far better near your Lord in reward and in outcome.

Surah Maryam, Verse 76

 

“Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) says that those “everlasting good deeds” are sometimes words. Specifically the words His Beloved (saw) chose were, ‘Subhan Allah, Alhamdolillah, Allah o Akbar, La hawala wa la quwwata.’”

 

All Glory is for Allah, All praise is for Him alone, Allah is the Greatest, I cannot come around to that which is good for me (without Him) and I cannot stay away from that which is harmful to me (without Him).

 

It was a tasbeeh that held deep meaning for me that day!

Especially the last part.

 

In the evening I went to the shrine in the park to say Salam, then to Daata Sahib’s (ra) to say goodbye. On the way I asked Usman to tell me the details of the afternoon. He told me Shaan seemed to have had a really good time.

 

“I set up his phone and he called me. Hiba bibi gave him a really nice one. Samsung.”

 

“Oh, so you were the first call,” I said almost with a pang of jealousy. “Cool! That’s good. It’s very important he trusts someone. You should go see him twice a week while I’m gone and take him out for a drive, do something fun, eat something nice. He will enjoy that.”

 

Usman smiled. “When we came back from the shopping, he even had a cup of tea with the workers downstairs for the first time. Then as I was taking my leave to come home, I asked him if he needed anything else. He said no, he was fine. Then he offered me the Sprite he bought and I said no thank you, I just had tea.

 

So he asked me if I wanted fruit from the peaches and apples we had just got. Again I said no and Shaan says, ‘Aren’t you my best friend? If you take some fruit, it will make me really happy.’ Then he put the two bags in front of me. He didn’t even pick them out. So I took a peach and an apple.”

 

I noted Usman pointing out that he placed the bags before him; Rich people always pick out things and give them. Quantity is always chosen. They never place it in front of anyone and say, “Take what you want, however much you want.”

 

I listened to each word intently and it occurred to me that gentleness, like grace, was endowed. Not just to Shaan but everyone. How we responded to the difficulty of life made us aggressive if we became angry or bitter if we became dejected. Those that didn’t remained gentle. That’s what made it rare as well as palpable.

 

I thought of the hadith I had just translated with Qari Sahib about the Bedouin who asked Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) 25 questions. When we got home, I looked up each question that had the word “manners” in the answer.

 

“The man said, ‘How do I perfect my Imaan, faith?’”

 

Allah’s Beloved (peace be upon him) said, “Improve your manners (akhlaq).””

 

Then he asked, “What is the worst thing?”

 

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said, “Having bad manners and being miserly.”

 

Lastly, he asked, “And what is the best of things?”

 

The Beloved of Allah (peace be upon him) replied, “Excellence in manners, humility and patience.”

 

Shaan possessed all three!

 

How one celebrates a blessing and bears a trial is entirely different for each person. Ghaus Pak (ra) says that those who are grateful for their blessings and reflect upon them and heed from them, their reward is that they move forward, rank by rank, drowning in the knowing of Allah’s Jamal, Beauty.

 

After we had shifted Shaan to Hiba’s place, she had called me thanking me profusely for the opportunity to do something kind. I had said to her that what we had done was nothing in terms of its impact on our time or our wallet. I could have given Shaan ten times more money than I had already or that I would eventually and it would have made no difference to my wealth.

 

“It’s what he does for us that’s going to be unique Hib,” I said.

“I don’t know what it will mean for me but I know for you, it will be a reward so sweet, I can’t even begin to fathom its impact.”

 

While the events were happening, every time I met a friend it was all I could speak about. Each one expressed curiosity around what Shaan’s circumstances might have been that lead him to live in a park of all places.

 

“Will you ask him?” they wondered.

 

“No,” I replied. “I don’t think I will.”

 

I wasn’t curious about it personally. I never am about the source of people’s pain. It’s too difficult to hear. Dysfunction fascinates me but not pain. Especially when it is almost sublime.

 

Recently I had added a prayer to my intention before each Namaz. I learnt it through Uzair again. The prayer was uttered by Hazrat Mohyuddin Ibn e Arabi (ra), Ghaus Pak’s (ra) progeny. It was amazing. I said it with inordinate focus which I almost always lost a few seconds later. If nothing else, for the first time in my namaz I was able to convey my soul’s longing.

 

ارید ان اصلی للقربۃ الی اللہ

 

“I want to pray to gain closeness to God.”

 

Meeting Shaan, finding him a place to live in, a job, all of it suddenly seemed like prayer to me. Like an act of worship. It made me realize that everything I do, I want it to somehow bring me closer to my Lord. Lately, I had already been saying the prayer, just changing the verb, for anything I did during the day.

 

“I want to drink to gain closeness to God.”

 

“I want to eat to gain closeness to God.”

 

Most times I said that, I would just stare at the drink or morsel in my hand and wonder at myself, “I expect this to bring me closeness?” It made me think about why spirituality places such extraordinary emphasis on simplicity and purity of food.

This year I learnt, much to my amazement that the first 10 days of Haj are special like no other to God.

 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏

مَا مِنْ أَيَّامٍ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ فِيهِنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ الْعَشْرِ

فَقَالُوا:‏‏‏‏ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏

وَلَا الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ خَرَجَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ

 

The Prophet of God (peace be upon him) said, "There are no days in which good deeds are more beloved to Allah then these ten days of Zil Haj."

 

They (the Companions) asked, "Ya Rasool Allah (peace be upon you)! Not even jihad in Allah's Cause?"

 

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied, "Not even jihad in Allah's Cause, except for the man who went for it with his self and his wealth and did not return with any of them."

 

Since I heard the hadith, which was on day four or five, I had been in overdrive trying to do good things. It as not lost on me that Shaan came in to my life during these days.

 

Through traversing the path of spirituality, I have learnt that the greatest boon of attachment to the Friends of God is learning the short-cuts. Otherwise unknown. One of the surprising ones that I discovered came courtesy of a scientist, Avicenna or Ibn e Sina, who was a Persian polymath regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age.

 

He has been described as the father of early modern medicine. Of the 450 works he is known to have written, around 240 have survived, including 150 on philosophy and 40 on medicine. He had memorized the Quran by the age of 10, started studying medicine at the age of 16 and by 18 was a qualified physician. But he also had a deep interest in theology and studied it with the aim to reconcile it with rational philosophy.

 

He writes; “The softness of the heart comes from two things. The first is purification of thought. The second, a pure love, the condition for which is that it is mental and spiritual, not physical and lustful, so that the reason for loving the beloved is their akhlaq (manners and morality) that forms their behavior.”

 

I don’t believe I have ever seen anyone fall in love with someone because of manners and morality. But I guess there’s always a first time.

 

Ghaus Pak (ra) says in Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani addressing his listener, “I love you for your sake not mine.” It was such a simple statement. It made me wonder who I had ever loved in my life for their sake alone. I only came up with two people; my mother and my niece. Only for them was my love purely unconditional. It was not transient. It did not dissipate. It did not require reciprocity. It was muwwadat!

 

With everyone else, once I hit my 40s, calculation, negotiation, expectation seeped into my love. Then followed disappointment and hurt. And funnily enough, it was always all in my head. I hardly ever even voiced it to anyone.

 

Maulana Shams Tabrez (ra) says that love with conditions is Hell. He couldn’t have used a better word. I guess that’s why the heart has to be cleansed of association with anything except God. It’s not for His Sake, it’s for mine. Otherwise I am burning in fires of unceasing torment. I can accept another’s nature but I can’t give them preference.

 

Acceptance alone still leaves a hurt masking grudge. Only with that preference, when we are both needy, will greed (in my case emotional) be taken from me and I will be of the Mufliheen.

 

وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ

وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

 

They give them preference over themselves, even if they themselves are needy.

And whoever is spared from their own greed, they are the successful ones.

Surah Al-Hashr, Verse 9

 

I even knew in theory what would create unconditional love; the annihilation of the ego. That was the cure for everything else as well.

 

The greatest of blessings is escaping the entrapments of your ego because between you and your Creator, it is the thickest of veils

- Hazrat Abu Bakr Tamastani (ra)

 

But I didn’t know how to make it happen.

 

And then it was made to happen for me. At least in one instance.

 

It was two days before I was leaving for Portland. I had asked Usman to get Shaan a tv, a paint job for his room, he chose gray, some curtains for his window and a ceiling fan. He was not happy with the one in his room. “Let him pick out everything,” I said. “So he likes it.” Deeda was sending over furniture, pretty much everything a room would need. Hopefully work would start soon after.

 

I was visiting my 90 some year old grandmother who adores me for some reason unknown to the rest of the family since she has probably two dozen grandchildren. She stares at me with the sweetest smile. In turn, I show my love pleasing her by wearing my best outfits on every visit, which I would otherwise never wear, because she loves touching fabric and commenting on it.

 

Suddenly I received a text on my phone that something bad had happened to someone I once knew. We were not estranged but our relationship was not warm either. But then maybe it was estranged because I always felt after like I had met a stranger. So I guess I could say it was kind of non-existent.

 

I remained calm and called my friend who sent the text. “What happened?” I asked.

 

“I don’t really know. Let me first confirm,” is all she said and quickly hung up.

 

Feeling nervous, I left my grandmother’s house and came home waiting to hear from her. I called the person in question and received no answer. That’s when the paranoia started kicking in and I began to think of the worst of possibilities. I started calling the person the text was about half a dozen times. My friend who told me the “news” didn’t pick up my calls either, she didn’t respond to my texts. As I saw myself starting to panic I thought, maybe I should just pray.

 

It was a long prayer Qari Sahib had told us to try and do every day during the Haj days. I knew once I started I wouldn’t be able to answer the phone for at least 20 minutes. But I began anyway. Through the prayer I cried. First I asked God to please let the person be ok. Then I began telling myself that if the worst has happened, it must be accepted as His Will but through that my tears streamed non-stop.

 

While I read the Arabic part, my heart whispered, “It’s true. I surrender myself to Allah and His Rasool (peace be upon him). I entrust my matter to Allah and His Rasool (peace be upon him). I seek the pleasure of Allah wa Rasoolu-hu (peace be upon him).”

 

My phone rang throughout my namaz and I ignored it. Then when I finished and looked at the missed calls, three of them were from the person the text was about. I breathed a sigh of relief and called back.

 

“You called me six times,” I heard on the other end.

 

“Come to my house now,” I said with an urgency.

 

The rest of that story isn’t important. What is is that the devastatingly intense experience only happened to make me realize how fragile life is. That choosing to hold a grudge or be badguman, thinking of another as insincere or insensitive, at the same time as claiming love for them was not acceptable to God. Not as a show of disapproval from Him but simply because the claim was a false and truth and falsehood cannot co-exist.

 

It went against one of my most intense asks after each namaz, a prayer that Allah taught his Beloved (peace be upon him). And I remember repeating it in the shrine in the park and hoping it would come true.

 

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ

وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ

وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرً

 

Say, O Beloved (peace be upon you), “O my Lord! Cause me to enter (in all I do) with truth

and cause me to leave (it) with truth,

and grant me out of Thy Grace, a sustaining strength.

Surah Al-Isra’, Verse 80

 

There was, in fact, no love. It was just pretense created by the ego, rendering me to be the most insincere of all while longing for sincerity. Even the beginning of this piece while I edited it. I noticed I sound bitter because I felt dejected.

 

I spoke to Shaan one last time the day before I left. It had rained that morning and cooled the weather significantly. “It’s very pleasant outside today,” he said when I asked him how he was. He told me he didn’t want a tv but would rather have a speaker to listen to music. He chose gray for the colour of his wall paint. He had even made a pouch for his new phone with some cloth he had. Usman told me every single time he gave him something, he thanked him profusely.

 

I told Shaan I would speak to him sometime from the States. He ended the call with me warmly expressing his feelings, “I love you Ma’am,” he said. I smiled. “Take care of yourself please.”

 

What happens next who knows but there was absolutely no better way to mark the present moment, which happened to be the 10th of Zil Haj. My incidence of good deeds was sky high. A fake news text brought me closer to being truthful. And a homeless person in a park by the name of Shaan made me a Mo’min!

 

www.youtube.com/channel/UCqb01bB-J3kyiu-HKIX2MKw

People require vicinity, to need in to like and to be liked.

 

Download Proposal Pelatihan

Alvin Adam School of Communication, Public Relation Youtube, Public Relation Zara, Public Relation Zespół, Public Relation Ziele, , Public Relation ZitatPublic Relation Znaczenie, Public Relations 1.0, Public Relations 10 Point Plan, Public Relations 101 How-To Tips, ...

 

alvinadam.com/public-relation-ziele/

A tramcar passing by on the streets of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

 

Please don't use my images on websites, in print or any other media without my prior written permission. © Taco Meeuwsen, all rights reserved.

Posted in relation to a comment made earlier today on one of my photos and to go along with the other similar era PMT Reliance pictures. Sorry it's another sketchy type illustration but regretably these wonderful machines disappeared before I owned a camera. I could never really make my mind up whether I liked this particular drawing, but couldn't show one of these coaches otherwise without infringing someone elses copyright.

VVT 912G was an AH691 engined AEC Reliance, had a semi-auto gearbox and coil spring suspension. It and it's small number of sisters would have been at the pinnacle of the era's British coaching even if their Duple built bodywork was showing it's age by the early '70s. It was this fact which saw to their premature demise when PMT's coaching department wanted vehicles which resembled those then being operated by the more go getting end of the Independent sector. In reality, they'd perhaps have been better keeping their mouths closed as they got their first Fords ... be careful what you wish for!

gives one possession in another - every two souls are absolutely different. In friendship or in love, the two side by side raise hands together to find what one cannot reach alone.”

― Kahlil Gibran

Philosophy, science and art differ principally according to their subject-matter and also the means by which they reflect, transform and express it. In a certain sense, art, like philosophy, reflects reality in its relation to man, and depicts man, his spiritual world, and the relations between individuals in their interaction with the world.

 

We live not in a primevally pure world, but in a world that is known and has been transformed, a world where everything has, as it were, been given a "human angle", a world permeated with our attitudes towards it, our needs, ideas, aims, ideals, joys and sufferings, a world that is part of the vortex of our existence. If we were to remove this "human factor" from the world, its sometimes inexpressible, profoundly intimate relationship with man, we should be confronted by a desert of grey infinity, where everything was indifferent to everything else. Nature, considered in isolation from man, is for man simply nothing, an empty abstraction existing in the shadowy world of dehumanised thought. The whole infinite range of our relationships to the world stems from the sum-total of our interactions with it. We are able to consider our environment rationally through the gigantic historical prism of science, philosophy and art, which are capable of expressing life as a tempestuous flood of contradictions that come into being, develop, are resolved and negated in order to generate new contradictions.

 

No scientifically, let alone artistically, thinking person can remain deaf to the wise voice of true philosophy, can fail to study it as a vitally necessary sphere of culture, as the source of world-view and method. Equally true is the fact that no thinking and emotionally developed person can remain indifferent to literature, poetry, music, painting, sculpture and architecture. Obviously, one may be to some extent indifferent to some highly specialised science, but it is impossible to live an intellectually full life if one rejects philosophy and art. The person who is indifferent to these spheres deliberately condemns himself to a depressing narrowness of outlook.

 

Does not the artistic principle in philosophical thought deserve the attention of, and do credit to, the thinking mind, and vice versa? In a certain generalised sense the true philosopher is like the poet. He, too, must possess the aesthetic gift of free associative thinking in integral images. And in general one cannot achieve true perfection of creative thought in any field without developing the ability to perceive reality from the aesthetic standpoint. Without this precious intellectual prism through which people view the world everything that goes beyond the empirical description of facts, beyond formulae and graphs may look dim and indistinct.

 

Scientists who lack an aesthetic element in their makeup are dry-as-dust pedants, and artists who have no knowledge of philosophy and science are not very interesting people either, for they have little to offer above elementary common sense. The true artist, on the other hand, constantly refreshes himself with the discoveries of the sciences and philosophy. While philosophy and science tend to draw us into "the forest of abstractions", art smiles upon everything, endowing it with its integrating, colourful imagery.

 

Life is so structured that for a man to be fully conscious of it he needs all these forms of intellectual activity, which complement each other and build up an integral perception of the world and versatile orientation in it.

 

The biographies of many scientists and philosophers indicate that the great minds, despite their total dedication to research, were deeply interested in art and themselves wrote poetry and novels, painted pictures, played musical instruments and moulded sculpture. How did Einstein live, for example? He thought, wrote, and also played the violin, from which he was seldom parted no matter where he went or whom he visited. Norbert Wiener, the founder of cybernetics, wrote novels, Darwin was deeply interested in Shakespeare, Milton and Shelley. Niels Bohr venerated Goethe and Shakespeare; Hegel made an exhaustive study of world art and the science of his day. The formation of Marx's philosophical and scientific views was deeply influenced by literature. Aeschylus, Shakespeare, Dante, Cervantes, Milton, Goethe, Balzac and Heine were his favourite authors. He responded sensitively to the appearance of significant works of art and himself wrote poetry and fairy-tales. The radiance of a broad culture shines forth from the work of this genius. Lenin was not only acquainted with art but also wrote specialised articles about it. His philosophical, sociological and economic works are studded with apt literary references. And what a delight he took in music!

 

In short, the great men of theory were by no means dry rationalists. They were gifted with an aesthetic appreciation of the world. And no wonder, for art is a powerful catalyst for such abilities as power of imagination, keen intuition and the knack of association, abilities needed by both scientists and philosophers.

 

If we take the history of Oriental culture, we find that its characteristic feature is the organic synthesis of an artistic comprehension of the world with its philosophical and scientific perception. This blending of the philosophical and the artistic is inherent in all peoples, as can be seen from their sayings, proverbs, aphorisms, tales and legends, which abound in vividly expressed wisdom.

 

If we are to develop effective thinking, we must not exclude any specifically human feature from participation in creative activity. The gift of perception, penetrating observation of reality, mathematical and physical precision, depth of analysis, a free, forward-looking imagination, a joyful love of life—these are all necessary to be able to grasp, comprehend and express phenomena, and this is the only way a true work of art can appear, no matter what its subject may be.

 

Can one imagine our culture without the jewels of philosophical thought that were contributed to it by human genius? Or without its artistic values? Can one conceive of the development of contemporary culture without the life-giving rays of meditative art embodied in the works of such people as Dante, Goethe, Leo Tolstoy, Balzac, Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven? Culture would have had a very different history but for the brilliant minds that gave us their masterpieces of painting, music, poetry and prose. The whole world of our thoughts and feelings would have been different, and incomparably poorer. And we, as individuals, would also have been flawed. The intellectual atmosphere that surrounds us from childhood, the style of thinking that permeates folk sayings, tales and songs, the books we have read, the paintings and sculptures we have admired, the music we have heard, the view of the world and humanity that we have absorbed thanks to our contact with the treasures of art, has not all this contributed to the formation of our individual self? Did it not teach us to think philosophically and perceive and transform the world aesthetically?

 

An indispensable feature of art is its ability to convey information in an evaluative aspect. Art is a combination of man's cognitive and evaluative attitudes to reality recorded in words, colours, plastic forms or melodically arranged sounds. Like philosophy, art also has a profoundly communicative function. Through it people communicate to one another their feelings, their most intimate and infinitely varied and poignant thoughts. A common feature of art and philosophy is the wealth they both contain of cognitive, moral and social substance. Science is responsible to society for a true reflection of the world and no more. Its function is to predict events. On the basis of scientific discoveries one can build various technical devices, control production and social processes, cure the sick and educate the ignorant. The main responsibility of art to society is the formation of a view of the world, a true and large-scale assessment of events, a rational, reasoning orientation of man in the world around him, a true assessment of his own self. But why does art have this function? Because in its great productions it is not only consummately artistic but also profoundly philosophical. How deeply philosophical, for instance, are the verses of Shake speare, Goethe, Lermontov, Verhaeren! And indeed all the great writers, poets, composers, sculptors, architects, painters, in short, all the most outstanding and brilliant exponents of art were imbued with a sense of the exceptional importance of progressive philosophy and not only kept abreast of but were often responsible for its achievements. How profound were Tolstoy's artistically expressed meditations on the role of the individual and the people in the historical process (for example, Napoleon and Kutuzov, or the Russian people in the war of liberation of 1812, as portrayed in War and Peace), on freedom and necessity, on the conscious and the unconscious in human behaviour. Consider the psychological and philosophical depth and the artistic power with which Balzac revealed the social types in the society of his day in all their diversity (the idea of greed and acquisitiveness in the character of Gobseck!). How philosophical are the artistic and publicistic works of Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Thomas Mann, Heine, Herzen, Chernyshevsky and many others. If we turn to science fiction, we find that it is full of scientific and philosophical reflections, of varying visions of the future of science, technology and human existence in general. Quite often its plot is a series of mental experiments. However, neither the scientific nor the philosophical content, no matter how fully expressed in a work of art, constitutes its specific element. We never speak of any work of art, no matter how powerful, as a study, whereas creative work in philosophy is a study, an inquiry, and it is characterised above all not by its artistic but by its scientific qualities, although its artistic aspect is highly valued and has more than purely aesthetic significance. The crown of philosophical inquiry is truth and prediction, whereas in art it is artistic truth, not accuracy of reproduction, in the sense of a copy of what exists, but a lifelike portrayal of typically possible phenomena in either their developed or potential form. If art produced only truths similar to scientific truths, there would be no masterpieces of world art. The immortality of great masterpieces lies in the power of their artistic generalisation, generalisation of the most complex phenomenon in the world—man and his relations with his fellow men.

 

Some people believe that the specific feature of art is that the artist expresses his own intellectual world, his own intrinsic individuality. But this is not quite true. In any active creativity, any act that reflects and transforms life, a person also expresses himself. And the higher the level of creativity, in this case artistic, the higher the level of generalisation, and hence the universal, despite all the individuality of the form. "Man's individuality or singularity is not a barrier to the universality of the will, but is subordinated to it. A just or moral, in other words, a fine action, although performed by one individual, is nevertheless approved by all. Everyone recognises himself or his own will in this act. Here there occurs the same thing as in a work of art. Even those who could not create such a work find their own essence expressed therein. Such a work is therefore truly universal. The more its individual creator dissolves in it, the more approval it earns."[1]

 

The aesthetic principle is not the specific element in philosophy although it is present there. Naturally, philosophy is distinguished from the other sciences by its being related far more closely to the aesthetic principle, to art. It synthesises the everyday experience of the people and something from the other sciences, and also something from art without confining itself to any of them. The aesthetic element is also present in any science. By some scientists it is even regarded as a criterion of truth: the true is elegant and highly refined in its structure. The beauty, the elegance of an experiment, or of any theoretical construction, especially if it sparkles with wit, does credit to scientific thought, evokes our legitimate admiration and affords us intellectual and aesthetic pleasure. Quite often this elegance shows itself in a meaningful brevity, for genius is usually simply expressed, without superfluous words. So truth and beauty are sisters, although not always.

 

In philosophy this aesthetic principle is expressed more powerfully and fully. It is not only more synthetic and integrated than science. In its very social purpose it is, or should be, closer and more understandable to the masses of the people. It should not be separated from them by the "barbed wire" of a formalised, let alone a mathematised language.

 

A considerable number of philosophical works have been written in poetic and artistic form. Actually they are not poetry but philosophical thoughts expressed as poetry. Many brilliant works of philosophy are couched in such fine language that they read like great works of both science and art. Inspired by their genius, the great philosophers clothed their profound thoughts in images of astonishing aptness.

 

Many people draw attention to the fact that the achievements of science, no matter how significant they once were, are constantly being reviewed, whereas the masterpieces of art survive the centuries in all the splendour of their individuality. But have you noticed that something similar happens in philosophy too? The works of the great philosophers retain their inimitable value through the centuries. So in philosophy, just as in art, history is of special importance. Whereas the works of the classical natural scientists are expounded in textbooks and few people read them in the original, the classical works of philosophy must be read in the original in order to gain a full appreciation of philosophical culture. Every great philosopher is unique in his intellectual and moral value; he teaches us to perceive the world and ourselves profoundly and in their most subtle aspects.

 

What has been said does not, of course, imply that philosophy may ultimately be reduced to a form of art. Philosophical treatises do not become works of art even when they are expressed in the colourful and deeply symbolical language of poetry, as was often the case in ancient times, in the philosophy of the Renaissance and the New Age. Take Plato, for example. He had a colourful world-view, its very form evokes admiration. He is aesthetic all the way through. Or take the philosophical views of the French materialists of the 18th century. They are simultaneously splendid works of art, full of humour, satire and barbed witticisms aimed at religion, scholasticism, and so on. Their works still delight us with the brilliance of their form, which clothes subtle and profound thoughts. Or again, take the philosophical ideas of Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, in which their masterpieces are steeped. We began by dealing with the aesthetic principle in philosophy. But to a no less degree one can speak also of the philosophical principle in art. Probably the closest thing to philosophy is poetry, which has the power to make laconic but profound generalisations about both social and individual life, moral phenomena, and the relationship between man and the universe.

 

The metaphorical language of art, far from being alien to philosophy and other sciences, is an essential condition for every new step into the unknown.

 

The similar and the specific in philosophy and art can also be seen in the nature of generalisation. Philosophy uses generalisations and its generalisations are of an extremely broad, virtually universal character. Its categories of the general, the particular and the unique are both interconnected and yet separate concepts. In art, on the other hand, the general, the particular and the unique are alloyed in the very fabric of the artistic image. Philosophy is theoretical from beginning to end, whereas art is sensuous and imaginal. Philosophical thought reflects its subject-matter in concepts, in categories; art is characterised, on the other hand, by emotional and imaginal reflection and by transformation of reality. This is not to say, of course, that art, particularly in its verbal form, in belles lettres, and even more so in the intellectual type of novel, contains no concepts. Dostoyevsky's novels are three-quarters philosophical. The same applies to the works of Goethe, for example, for whom feeling and a philosophical understanding of nature, expressed in both artistic form and scientific analysis, were his life's work. The scientific, philosophical and artistic approaches were organic in Goethe. His work as a thinker is inseparable from that of the artist. When composing his works of art, he is at the same time a philosopher. He achieves the greatest aesthetic power in those very works (Prometheus and Faust) where the unity of artist and philosopher is most organic. Can we distinguish clearly between the philosophical and aesthetic principles in Faust? All that can be said is that no genius could have created such a work without a synthesis of the philosophical, aesthetic and the scientific.

 

Without a certain degree of intellect there can be no subtle feelings and from this it follows that art, which aesthetically expresses man's emotional-intellectual world in his relationship to the environment, is bound to feel the impact of philosophy and the other sciences. A world-view may come into art but not as an intrinsic part of it. We can speak of the philosophical content of art, just as we can speak of the philosophical content of science, when the scientist begins to consider the essential nature of his science, its moral value, social responsibility, and so on. These are actually philosophical questions and they do not form part of the specific nature of the given science. Rather they are the self-awareness of the science, just as the artist's reflections on the nature of art, its social meaning, and so on, are the self-awareness of art. And this is in fact philosophy, whose categories permeate all forms of thought, including that of the artist. Without them no artist could generalise, identify the typical in the particular fact, assess the quality of his subject-matter, preserve proportion, the most vital element in aesthetic imagination, or comprehend the contradictions of life in such a way as to give them full expression.

 

The work of the artist is not spontaneous. It always follows some kind of plan and it is most effective when talent is guided by a world-view, when the artist has something to tell people, much more rarely is it effective when it comes about as a result of the accidental associative play of the imagination, and never is it effective when it is a result of blind instinct. The keen attention that is given to the problems of method is a sign of progress in both modern science and art, a sign of the increasing interaction of all aspects of intellectual life—science, philosophy, and art.

 

Dialectical Materialism (A. Spirkin)

Chapter 1. Philosophy As A World-View And A Methodology

 

Just taken straight off the web - specially for the new group - 'Arty Nonsense'.

  

只有用心,才能建立彼此美好的關係。

Seen heading out of Dover , Coventry based Frederick Allen C809UKY a Leyland Roadtrain 280 6x2..a well missed haulage firm in the area .

Title: A matter of health, or, West Texas and its relation to pulmonary complaints

Creator: Mayo, Henry Mash, 1862-1950

Contributors: Southern Pacific

Date: ca. 1898

Part OfA matter of health, or, West Texas and its relation to pulmonary complaints

Place: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana

Description: This pamphlet describes the suitability of the West Texas climate for sufferers of lung diseases.

Physical Description: 20 p. 15 x 9 cm

File Name: f394_f63_m396_1900z_opt.pdf

Rights: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Digital Collection: Texas: Photographs, Manuscripts, and Imprints

For more information, see: digitalcollections.smu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/wes/id/2318

 

2005 and 2009

talent in abs-cbn and gma7

January 2005 – Present (10 years 2 months)

i am talent of walking in the bridge of wild life quezon city accompany of celebrity/actor tonton gutierrez and kim chu it is the time there is no pinoy big brother that time. pinoy big brother was conducted during Liberal party list campaigned active with councilor francisco domagoso nickname isko moreno before he winner for vicemayor of city hall of manila and he is a bold star images and reason i was hate him so much for discriminates me as a guest relation officer wworking student and same time part time talent in television. i am not commit aids /hiv illness just what i heard from his part 2nd floor staff of isko moreno are all bugaw "case red tape" during black nazarene fiesta january 09, 2014

Test Scores

maria cristina aberin

Score: perfect 100%

July 1999

greg book translation and brief words for steno typing letter and show the abbreviation of the letter in yellow paper.

Courses

Independent Coursework

3rd year nursing internship

Honors & Awards

alcove 101 digital camera april 04, 2009 and april 05 2009

april 04, 2009

April 2009

black and white photo in computer but we take photo colored using our digital camera by individual with other abs-cbn anchor name karen davila but she is not coming with in 2 days workshop but all of them greet my secret birthday and and derma clinic bake some pizza for me she is allen wong valdez of cityland condominium the assistant of doctor lacson during my liposuction with 300,000.00 cash 2009

Organizations

liberal party list

volunteer model

October 2009 – Present

Case# 10189636: I can't LOG IN(2)

People

Twitter Support Hello, I’m having trouble locating a Twitter ACCOUNT using the information you’ve provided. Please reply with the following details: What is the email address you used on this account? Do you stil

Jan 9 at 6:03 PMme

To Twitter Support Jan 9 at 6:13 PM

i don't have any work at all since my internet was hacked, i've could never attached any documents at any of my accounts. sindicated gang or group was having changing my any detailed documents at my live birth. i've alone and scary to proceeding staff in government that i've noticed all of them was payabled in cash to keep my name show to any person to please send support and help with me personally. could i've do a chance to seek my documents even i've don't any had MONEYyet. i was walk in the road for small garbage waste to pick it up like for examples plastic bottles, steel,old boxes,7 eleven waste bag pick -up with me it is too very heavy and very tired with me for amounting 5.00 pesos up to 20.00 and up to buy or purshasing any documents that commit with the government. please do not insulting this is a real condition of mind. i am accompany take some food with other concerns relative but totally got financial problems, are you government officials? kindly proceeding at my place naguilan road san fernando la union and look for me personally i am maria cristina belgica aberin " tin" i've no mobile phone i was able to take insert the new simcard of tm new simcard right now to any person got very kind personality but now i have left the simcard in the computer operator 2nd floor of naguilan road san fernando la union market just look the simcard

vendors party list with commander milf sultan datu abdulatif paglala sr. and nor miswari in barangay 649 baseco tondo manila, region arrmm mindanao, philippine normal university taft avenue manila with students cadette and cadet officials

volunteer model

Case# 10189636: I can't LOG IN(2)

People

Twitter Support Hello, I’m having trouble locating a Twitter ACCOUNT using the information you’ve provided. Please reply with the following details: What is the email address you used on this account? Do you stil

Jan 9 at 6:03 PM

me

To Twitter Support Jan 9 at 6:13 PM

i don't have any work at all since my internet was hacked, i've could never attached any documents at any of my ACCOUNTS. sindicated gang or group was having changing my any detailed documents at my live birth. i've alone and scary to proceeding staff in government that i've noticed all of them was payabled in cash to keep my name show to any person to please send support and help with me personally. could i've do a chance to seek my documents even i've don't any had money yet. i was walk in the road for small garbage waste to pick it up like for examples plastic bottles, steel,old boxes,7 eleven waste bag pick -up with me it is too very heavy and very tired with me for amounting 5.00 pesos up to 20.00 and up to buy or purshasing any documents that commit with the government. please do not insulting this is a real condition of mind. i am accompany take some food with other concerns relative but totally got financial problems, are you government officials? kindly proceeding at my place naguilan road san fernando la union and look for me personally i am maria cristina belgica aberin " tin" i've no mobile phone i was able to take insert the new simcard of tm new simcard right now to any person got very kind personality but now i have left the simcard

Education

Manila Adventist Medical Center and Colleges

3rd year internship / community nurse student 3rd yr. 2009, exposure in barangay makati in the barangay clinic to teach them for early pregnant afraid vaccine.

2007 – 2011

i am always wait for good cheater to teach me what is the answer key in fundamental major subject in nursing and i was failured for that to passed the exam.

Activities and Societies: lefrizer missionary was collecting blood and their families was staff of uniliver along taft avenue back of malacanang palace in the house of presidential body guard you can drop by uniliver and caritas foundation.all of are staff of manila adventist medical center colleges was recruit to boycott marcos and enter those secret of gold.

earn computer school tesda government

2 years computer secretarial office management (associate) tesda government passer, insurance plan saint peter officer in charge for on the job training

1998 – 2007

i am doing well reading the greg letter for abbreviation of the letter format with the letter head and doing steno typing

Activities and Societies: texas chicken at iba pa i am registrar operator cashier and female and male comfort room cleaning, to carry the heavy steel chair and table, and carry heavy waste put outside the building, scrubbing all inside and outside the store, opening and closing i am key holder while studying at 2nd year in earn school of tesda government.

Skills

porfoliopick-up garbage waste...i am good public...FacebookCustomer ServiceMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordPowerPointTypingTelevisionTeamworkSocial MediaOutlooksurfing

Certifications

certification of anti-virus in employment apprenticeship research network in government tesda agency

anti-virus "bugs kill to avoid slowly computer program" and avoid deleted program and back to zero

April 1998 – Present

Languages

English, Old (ca.450-1100)

japanese basic only

Native or bilingual proficiency

french basic

Limited working proficiency

Volunteer Experience & Causes

pcp3 barbosa station3 accompany of 4 police commander pinsp.armando claveria macaraeg

bautista st. quezon blvd. quiapo manila and the extension of police central front of f.e.u.

November 2012 – April 2014 (1 year 6 months)

i am polish the 2 armalites very heavy and 2 bullet box with 2 extra bullet in the table desk Barbosa pcp3 station3 and shabu operation show evidence from quiapo with manila city hall vehicle and proceeding in the camp crame edsa with psinsp.robinson valenciano maranion on rain non-stop we are all wet cloths and vehicle of manila city hall pick-up all respondents and police operations directly go to camp crame in middle in the night it is over time police officer on duty with out pay and me I am volunteer girl but not knowledge in criminology course, I am alone maria cristina aberin, interested to the operations which all police lack of support of other co-police,they where want first come first served for promotions, how if the police table desk claimed the letter in the fax we need all fax letter send it to all police stations for reinforces coming when shabu operation turns for having traitor ,red tape, under the table “pwedeng mag-operate ng intelligence at detective for shabu at female trafficking kung may babaeng magpapagamit for trapped and end the gang rape and shabu trafficking” ang labanang ito dapat ay may fax letter na ipakikita sa mga police station para sa biglaang barilan shoot-out at rub-out kapag narinig naming ang putukan may darating na s.o.s. na babaril sa mga kalaban ito ay 1st body 44 tao police maglalakad at sa likod ng 44 police may kalaban sa likod at hindi sila nasaklolohan dahil walang dumating na 2nd body na 44 police na dapat sila ang nasa likod at titingin kung may kalaban at kapag wala kalaban dapat may 3rd body pa na darating, katulad sa maguindanao massacre isang 1st body lang dumating at walang dumating para tumulong sa halip na makipagkaibigan sa mga sultan ay ginalit at ayaw na nilang making, ito ang resulta ng mga taong gusto promote sa work at ayaw mawalan ng trabaho kaya lahat ng illegal ay gagawin nila ang tawag ditto ay parol evidence “sounds to keep secret of original documents na may fax letter na may operations for detective at intillegence galling ang tawag at suppose to be dapat kabisado ng intelligence at detective ang lugar at kahit may muslim na kasama ay hindi niya alam na ginamit ang muslim sa mamasapano died ito ay malinaw na paninira sa administrasiyong milf na hindi sila mapagkatiwalaan, ang milf ay hindi sinungaling, may attorney Melvin alcantara arquillo ang natuwa sa andal ampatuan na wala na daw pera, ito lahat ay mga assassination or pagpatay sa mga milf sultan at mga sultan na muslim ay lagi sila papatay ng matatalino. Resisting arrest: pagtalikod sa sumpa na maging tapat sa trabaho pero sila ay kakausapin sa mobile phone pero may ibang nakikinig sa ibang linya katulad ng 3line call sa mobile phone at ilang tao ang ambush. Paano naman ako maria cristina aberin? Paulit-ulit po ba ako magpapagamit ng katawan ko sa mga lalaki upang mamatay man ako ay hindi ako tumanggap ng anumang halaga sa mga lalaki kapalit ng pagpatay sa president Gloria macapagal arroyo at iba pang middle class. Sino pa ang susunud papatayin? Mga babaeng working mother sa club? Student nurse ? katulong sa bahay nila president of international rotary club homemaker s amakati attorney Melvin alcantara arquillo home tangerine st. Marikina city at mis jovita torres arquillo ng sienna college del monte quezon city ?makati mayor at mga anak na alex Gonzaga at toni Gonzaga ng pinoy big brother? At sisihin si mayor alfredo limn a may utang sa meralco? Paano magkakautang ang manila mayor lim kung noon ay mayaman na talaga ang manila city hall kaysa naman sa Makati city na halos development premature pa po noon kasi nagsisimula palang sila at malalayo ang lugar ng office kung saan magwork sila, talaga bang international rotary club sila si atty. Arquillo or dori(muslim wedding with money),paano natin aalisin ang foreigner na hilig ay mag-asawa at uutang nga pera at hihiwalayan ang babaeng pinakasalan at pinapirma sa Citibank credit card at paano naman biktima maria cristina aberin hindi kasal sa Japanese pero may credit card at siya pa ang pinapirma na magnanakaw? Sino din ngayon gumagamit ng internet account ng maria cristina aberin at passport? Kalian hustisya? Hanggang kalian ang trapped na ito sa biktima maria cristina aberin? Wala naman na naniniwala sa akin dahil may pinatay na walang awa sa quiapo muslim barangay chairman na babae pero walang tumulong? Kalian ito makukuhang matapos? Sino ang magbabayad sa akin? Sarado na ang club sa malate, siniraan pa ako sa japan na magnanakaw ako, sino ang uutusan kong babae na magpapgamit ng katawan pero walang sahod pero all around katulong para lang mahuli ang mga grupo ni isko Moreno na pawing female trafficking syempre magpapanggap sila na asawa kahit hindi, paano ako? Hindi na ako makawork?sana bigyan nya pansin ako na magtraining baril naman for operations pero may bayad po. 2 years ako volunteer at ako pa nakulong sa mental hospital mandaluyong? Hanggang kalian ang pustahan ni many paquiao na world boxing champion for billion dollar account sa America? Dapat may show si manny paquiao bago pustahan sa malakihang pustahan na ito kasi hindi papaya ang America kung maliit ang pustahan pero dollar account dapat, paano na ako sa club lang ako umaasa at hirap pa matulog akala ko may cancer na ako sa utak sobrang sakit pero kulang sa tulog pala ako,paano din ako magrereklamo kay isko Moreno may tauhan siya registered nurse jake viray ng manila Adventist medical center colleges hawak nya ang identity password ko at bigla ako black listed at walang pera atm bank account ko? Ako po ay may credit card in behalf of kazumichi mada toyoda pero lahat binayaran ko na po, aari ba itong gamitin ni isko Moreno sa mga seaman ,school,travel agency show money ang atm ko na may pangalan din ng kazumichi mada toyoda na maraming utang sa japan? Hindi naman ako kabit kasi wala pong asawa kami parehong hiwalay po. Paano na ako work? Ako ba talaga ang bitag nila? Paano naman mga artista tulad Andrew e. at iba pang japan entertainer alam ko na mahirap sa japan pero pawing traydor lahat ang ginawa nila kaya ang boss ko naghirap, may mga sex bomb dancer noon kina vic sotto at joey de leon pero ng gro na ako sa club si willie revillame ng channel 5 ay kinuha nya ring dancer ang isa sa mga tauhan ng boss ko dun sa vito cruz sa tapata bahay ni loren legarda brother na nagrehab daw I am not sure pero under medicine administration because of high dosage special substance or shabu intake “verbalized only pero I’ve seen na lagging may bantay sa gate” I was there before I’ve got in malate and meet atty.imme marcos with willie espiritu and isko Moreno.

Kinuha ang passport ng tatay ko jose tilo aberin ng media man willie espiritu, paano naman ang teleserye of judy ann santos ang jane alcantara “the nursing hospital mother was in trauma of third party of same daughter nurse in hospital jane alcanatara is judy ann santos , ako ang reporter dito ni judy ann santos “bakit ako naman ang kinulong sa mental hospital sa 2011 totoong buhay? Next lorna tolentino ay namatay si rudy Fernandez with secret award of army with son mark Anthony Fernandez inside rehabilitation sa totoong buhay. In kidnapping at the age of 3 years old in wild life I am not kidnap victim in wild life quezon city “ in wild life I am with kim chu and tonton gutierrez in taping in the bridge of wild life” , in baseco compound it is not the utang na payable it was a campaigned of liberal party list and it was robin padilla or abubakar and daughter sounds wedding in sultan with dori “bakit naman bigla ang magundanao massacre? I am amature contestant join in fiesta when I was in grades school and won 20 pesos only, how sarah Geronimo become anting-anting daw ang piso so that she winner in the contest, marian rivera with mucalidin usman while me is donate my things that liberal campaigned continues won in elections after that I am not claimed any support , I am the one losing my dream. And now the mucalidin usman is died who can help me from milf Mindanao?now mayor alfredo lim is sad to hear he is meralco bill na pay who can give me work in abroad I have no birth certificate and no passport?sino law firm and lagi utang ng utang ng dollar account at lahat ng public attorney office po ba ay nakipagpustahan din kay world champion many paquiao ng dollar account show many? Paano ang mga government bread winner na mga kamag-anak ni jose tilo aberin at mga sundalo na galing America

Na walang pustahan sa dollar account pero lahat kami walang trabaho? Dapat ibalik ang pera kay president Ferdinand marcos at lahat kami ay makabalik sa government immigrant sa ibat ibang bansa at hindi kami baliw.frame-up lang kami ng bugaw at fake asawa kahit hiwalay na ay ginagamit ang nso at sss marriage documents at sino public attorney office pa po ang pwede kong lapitan? Dapat ay government public attorney na ang volunteer na tutulong kay original maria cristina aberin kasi pagod na po ako work sa club at ayaw naman ako bigyan ng certificate of volunteers ng mga police for 2 years at wala din akong certificates for intelligence sa mga news editor at school editor na plagiarized book editor po. Sana si president benigno noynoy smeon cojuangco Aquino III and search ng nagnakaw ng internet account ko na alam ko ako po ang may ari at kumita ito ng dollar account sa buong mundo po, pakibalik naman sa akin at para din kay pres.arroyo at pres.estrada at mayor lim at sa tatay ko tulungan nyo mahuli lahat ng law firm at call center at agent ng internet sa buong mundo kasi wala na akong work may allergy pa ako sa ubo,pantal sa katawan at Makati,mainitin ang ulo, wala na maisuot na maayos.gusto ko magkawork.tulungan nya ako at handa ako tumulong ,gusto ko po tulungan pa rin lahat sundalong milf.npa at iba pa dahil lahat sila ay matagal na nila ako hindi kinahiya sa work ko club pero traydor marami pa rin.

Opportunities maria cristina aberin is looking for:

Skills-based volunteering

maria cristina cares about:

Education

Organizations maria cristina supports:

el shaddai brother mike velarde with identity member of Makati city of brother mike velarde in el shaddai member , paranaque city and not michael barreto driver of attorney arquillo

Groups

Travel and Tour World

Travel and Tour World

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mariacristinabelgicaaberin mcba born in manila university of santo thomas hospital new manila, lacson st. espanya philippines

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