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Expecting and nursing mothers require social protection but workers in the informal economy are often not covered. Maternity protection has been a primary concern of the ILO since its creation in 1919. Workplace support for mothers who are breastfeeding has been a basic provision of maternity protection.
The Philippines expanded maternity leave benefits in 2019 to align with international labour standards. The ILO also promoted exclusive breastfeeding in the workplace to advance womenās rights to maternity protection and to improve nutrition security for Filipino children. Know more: www.ilo.org/manila/projects/WCMS_379090/lang--en/index.htm
Photo Ā©ILO / E. Tuyay
November 2011
Manila, Philippines
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/deed.en_US.
Media Information on the WMOF2018 Closing Mass in Phoenix Park
3.00pm Sunday 26 August 2018
The WMOF2018 Closing Mass will be celebrated by Pope Francis in Phoenix Park, Dublin on Sunday 26 August. 500,000 people are expected to attend the Mass including up to 20,000 overseas visitors.
A mammoth 12-hour programme exploring faith through music, reflections, video and drama will entertain pilgrims as they arrive to and make their way home from the Phoenix Park. Prelude in the Park will feature national and international performers from Ireland, England, America, Germany, Austria, France, India, Canada and USA. They will lead worship, drama and pop-up concerts to prepare everyone for the arrival of Pope Francis at 2.30pm.
Over 1,000 performers from the world of music, arts and Church ministry groups were involved in the three-day Pastoral Congress in the RDS. Many of these will bring a taste of their Congress programme to entertain the crowds before and after Mass.
Eimear Quinn, Daniel O Donnell, Derek Ryan, Paddy Maloney, Comholtas as well as Christian Performers Rexband from India, Rend Collective from Northern Ireland will feature. Other performers include Audrey Assad, Factor One ā Dublin, Aris Choir, Dublin Gospel Choir, YOUCAT Foundation, KisiKids, Fr. Ray Kelly, I Am ā Worship Band from Derry, Donna Taggart, O Neill Sisters from Kerry.
The Mass
Father Liam Lawton, liturgical composer and priest of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, will sing the psalm, The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor, which he has composed for the Papal Mass. Father Liam will be joined by a 3,000 strong papal Mass choir that has been brought together for the Mass.
The first reading will be proclaimed āas Gaeilgeā by Marie Wheldon from Clontarf, who was involved in the new Irish language translation of āAn Leabhar Aifreannā. While Teresa Menendez, originally from Argentina and marketing manager for the World Meeting of Families 2018, will read the second reading in Spanish.
Rev. Noel McHugh, Permanent Deacon of Dublin Diocese, will preach the Gospel. Married to Paula, their son, John, died (aged 23) running a half marathon in the Phoenix Park in September 2015.
Mother of five Emma Mhic Mhathuna, will bring up one of the offertory gifts for the Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park tomorrow afternoon. The mother of five will be accompanied by her children, Natasha, Seamus, Mario, OisĆn, and Donnacha, and friends, Mai UĆ Bhruic and TomĆ”s Ć Bruic.
Also involved in the offertory procession will be:
ā¢Olive Foley, widow of former Ireland rugby international and Munster head coach, Anthony āAxelā Foley, and their children, Dan and Tony;
ā¢Paul and Bridget Uzo, and their children Stephanie and Kelvin, representatives of the African Community in the Archdiocese of Dublin;
ā¢The family of one of those killed in the Omagh bombing 20 years ago;
ā¢and a family involved in the āAll Are Welcomeā Mass in Avila, in Donnybrook, Dublin.
ā¢LITURGICAL MUSIC
The music chosen for the Papal Mass will place an emphasis on congregational singing, so many of the pieces will be familiar to those in the Phoenix Park congregation of 500,000.
Irish music and composers feature prominently throughout the Mass. The Opening Hymn is A Joy For All The Earth, written by Ephrem Feeley, which is the official hymn for WMOF2018.
The music chosen for the Papal Mass will place an emphasis on congregational singing so many of the pieces will be familiar to those in the Phoenix Park congregation of 500,000.
Irish music and composers feature prominently throughout the Mass. The Opening Hymn is A Joy For All The Earth which is the official hymn for WMOF2018 written by Ephrem Feeley. Well-known liturgical composer Father Liam Lawton has composed a new Psalm for the Mass which is called The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor.
Two pieces by Irelandās most renowned liturgical composer, SeĆ”n Ć Riada, feature as the Penitential Rite/Kyrie (A Thiarna DĆ©an TrĆ³caire), and at the Lordās Prayer (Ćr nAthair). Fintan OāCarrollās Celtic Alleluia with an enhanced verse by Ronan McDonagh will be sung as the Gospel acclamation.
The Apostlesā Creed will be John OāKeeffeās own composition, while Fr. Pat Ahernās A Thiarna Ćist Linn will be sung between the Prayers of the Faithful.
As this is a World Meeting of Families there will be a number of international composers featured in the Mass including Caritas et Amor by Z. Randall Stroope has been chosen for the Presentation of Gifts and three piece from Jean-Paul LĆ©cotās Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes will feature as the Gloria, Sanctus, and Doxology/Amen.
The Communion hymns will be Ave Verum (William Byrd), The Last Supper (Bernard Sexton), Come Feast at this Table (Ian Callanan), Anima Christi (Mon. Marco Frisina), and BĆ Ćosa im ChroĆse.
And finally, the Anthem to Our Lady will be Go mBeannaĆtear Duit, A Mhuire by Peadar Ć Riada (son of SeĆ”n), and the Recessional Hymn: Jesus Christ, You Are My Life by Mon. Marco Frisina.
ā¢THE VESTMENTS - POPE FRANCIS WILL WEAR GREEN VESTMENTS INSPIRED BY CELTIC IMAGERY
Green has been chosen as the colour of vestments to be worn by Pope Francis during the Closing Mass of WMOF2018 which is the colour associated in the liturgy with Ordinary Time. The green is a symbol of how God is ever-faithful, and it also quite appropriate for a celebration in Ireland.
At the centre of each vestment is the Trinity spiral, the same as can be seen in the WMOF2018 logo. The three parts of the spiral represent the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and also draws from Celtic imagery, as spirals can be found on many ancient stones and monuments of Irelandās past. The colours used in the spiral are the same green, red and gold as the vestments.
Alongside the central spiral are lines which lift and spread out along the side of the vestments. These lines are inspired by the line in the liturgy āLift up your heartsā inviting us to participate in the celebration of Mass. When expanded the lines represent a cross, with the Trinity spiral as the head of the cross.
The vestments were produced by Haftina, a family business based in Poland, which specialises in liturgical vestments, chalice gowns, altar tablecloths and canopies. The vestment designs were created by Haftina in collaboration with the WMOF2018 Liturgical Committee.
ā¢PENAL CROSS AND PROCESSIONAL CROSS
A penal cross will be present on the Altar while Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the Phoenix Park. The cross, which is carved into a single piece of wood, dates back to 1763 and has been cared for at a Carmelite Community in the Archdiocese of Dublin. The carvings on the front and back of the cross are designed to tell the story of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The penal cross served as the inspiration for the processional cross which was newly created by Anne Murphy of Eala Enamels, based in Co Carlow in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
ā¢CHALICES AND CIBORIA
To aid in the distribution of Holy Communion during celebrations of Mass both at the Pastoral Congress in the RDS and at the Phoenix Park, 4,000 ciboria and 200 chalices have been produced by MMI who are based in the Bluebell industrial estate in Dublin. The ciboria and chalices are pewter and silver, adorned with a Celtic cross containing the Trinity spiral of WMOF2018.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Ā· The Closing Mass of WMOF2018 will take place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin on Sunday 26 August at 3.00pm. Pope Francis will celebrate this Mass which will have a congregation of 500,000 people including 15,000 from overseas.
Biographies of Liturgical Music Team:
Ā· Liturgical Music Coordinator, Derek Mahady is a native of Rooskey, Co. Roscommon and works as a choral conductor, vocalist, piano accompanist and music educator. Derek has been involved in liturgical music from an early age. He began his liturgical music ministry in parishes throughout his home diocese of Elphin and his neighbouring diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois. Currently, he works in music ministry at Newman University Church, St. Stephenās Green, Dublin and has regularly featured as a regional and national tutor for the Irish Church Music Association. Derek holds a Master of Arts Degree in Choral Conducting from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, a Higher Diploma in Education from University of Dublin, Trinity College and a Bachelor of Music (Pedagogy) from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Conservatory of Music and Drama. Derek also features as a soloist on the first recording of the official World Meeting of Families 2018 hymn A Joy for all the Earth.
Ā· Conductor, John OāKeeffe is director of Sacred Music and Choral Groups at St Patrickās College and NUI Maynooth. The native of Portmagee, Co Kerry, studied Church music at St Finianās College, Mullingar, before going on to further education at universities in Maynooth, Limerick, and UCD, and at the Catholic cathedrals of Dublin and Westminster, where he served as organ scholar.
Ā· Organist, David Grealy, began his musical training as a chorister in the Galway Boy Singers, and organ scholar of Galway Cathedral from 2002-2005. He has held various positions as organist, including at Westminster Cathedral, and is currently the associate organist in St. Maryās Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, where he works closely with the Palestrina Choir, as well as playing the organ for the Cathedralās busy schedule of liturgies.
Ā· Assistant Conductor of Massed Choir, Amy Ryan is originally from Killarney, Co Kerry. She holds a BMus from the CIT Cork School of Music and a Masters degree from the KodĆ”ly Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music, Hungary. As Assistant Director of St. Maryās Pro Cathedral Girlsā Choir from 2015-2018, she led the choir in Sunday morning liturgies, most recently on RTĆ television. Amy founded and conducts award-winning chamber choir, Cuore. In March of this year she conducted the Irish premiere of Graunās passion oratorio Der Tod Jesu with Jubilate Choir. In April she conducted UCD Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir in their performance of Brahmsā Ein Deutsches Requiem at the National Concert Hall. Amy currently lectures in Music at Trinity College, Dublin and at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Ā· Assistant Conductor of Massed Choir, Dominic Finn is originally from Cobh, Co. Cork. He studied a Degree in Arts & Music at UCC, followed by a Diploma in Sacred Music at NUI Maynooth. He is currently the Director of Music at St. Colmanās Cathedral Cobh, and has been involved there for over 24 years as well as throughout the Diocese of Cloyne. Dominic also works as a secondary school teacher at Colaiste Muire, Cobh where he teaches Geography and Music. His choirs at St. Colmanās Cathedral have done many national broadcasts and recordings over the years, and have also worked with several composers such as Philip Stopford, John Rutter, and Liam Lawton to name just a few. Dominic has travelled extensively conducting his choirs from the Cathedral in major venues including St. Stephenās Cathedral Vienna, Westminster Cathedral London, St. Jamesās Church, Spanish Place London, along with St. Peterās Basilica, Vatican City in 2009 and 2013. Next year Dominic will oversee the music for the 100 year celebrations of the Dedication of St. Colmanās Cathedral, Diocese of Cloyne.
Ā· Father Liam Lawton is a priest of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Throughout his two decade-long career, his songs have been sung by choirs all over the world, have been translated into a number of different languages, and national and international artists have recorded them. He has recorded 18 collections of music to date, and has graced the stages of the Vatican, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall Chicago, the Anaheim Convention Centre in L.A., The Malmo Arena in Sweden, The National Concert Hall, Dublin, and many of the worldās sacred sites.
Expecting BNSF and got CN. Hard to escape the mighty CN in the Twin Ports. Apparently Two Harbors is full so some Minntac taconite loads are being brought to Allouez instead.
I need to get this off my chest.
I love churchcrawling, the visiting and photographing of churches, I have learned so much, met some wonderful people and seen some wonderful buildings and details.
But sadly, it's those places that you receive a less that welcoming reception that sticks in your memory.
The one place I wasn't welcomed before last weekend was Dartford, where the warden wasn't going to let me take photos.
Se did in the end, and was very happy as I pointed out things she didn't know.
Anyway, on to St Dunstan.
We arrived from East Peckham, with me not expecting the church to be open, but it was.
THere was a one way system marked out on the floor, but as we were the only ones there, we didn't follow it. Nor did I see a board with requirements for being masked.
About halfway through the visit, a warden came and hissed at us that we should be masked. This we dd willingly, but it was clear she was angry with us.
I carried on taking shots.
A second came in and complained that the gate to the porch was open, we were not the last ones to enter the church, but there you go.
And as we left, our welcome clearly at en end, the second complained about people visiting the church.
It was open.
She didn't say it loudly, but loud enough to hear.
Sad then that St Dunstan is in my top ten Kentish churches, so full of detail and delight.
And it is a delight.
As usual I had not read up on what I would see inside the church, so was stunned by the Geary Family Pew, now so elevated above the tomb it sits on, that those look down as if from a balcony.
Here too is a fine wall mounted memorial, with the two looking at each other through eternity, while above, hatchments fill the wooden roof.
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Saxo-Norman, with a good early double-splayed window on the south face of the tower. The church is small, dark and welcoming, dating in the greater part from the fourteenth century. The north chapel contains the private pew of the Geary family. When the burial vault beneath became full the floor of the pew was raised by 8 ft to provide more burial space, creating a solid-floored galleried pew! It is panelled and benched and appears to be of expensive construction although closer inspection reveals that it is made of cheap wood grained and painted to look like oak! On the ceiling of the pew is a good collection of hatchments, and the top of the earlier monuments, lost when the floor was raised, may still be seen. Behind the altar is a series of continental wooden statues representing the Twelve Apostles which were a twentieth century gift from Mereworth Castle. The chancel screen is also twentieth century in date, and although it is a good example of craftsmanship it is patently the wrong size - its loft is far too high for the medieval door opening that still survives in the north wall!
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=West+Peckham
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WEST, ALIAS LITTLE PECKHAM.
EASTWARD from Shipborne lies the parish of West, alias Little Peckham, called in Domesday, PECHEHAM, and in the Textus Roffensis, PECHAM.
It has the appellation of West Peckham, from its situation westward of Great, or East Peckham, and of Little, from its smallness in regard to that parish. They both probably had their name from their situation, peac signifying in Saxon, the peke, or summit of an hill, and ham, a village, or dwelling-place.
THE QUARRY STONE HILLS bound the northern side of this parish, consequently the whole of it is within the district of the Weald. The soil is in general a stiff clay, and in the lower or southern part of it where it is mostly pasture, it is very rich grazing land. The northern part adjoining to the hill is covered with those woods, commonly called the Herst woods, from which there are several fine springs of water, which extend over the eastern parts of this parish, where, near the boundary of it, next to Mereworth, is the village, with the church. The northern side of this parish is watered by the stream which flows hither from Plaxtool, and from hence into the Medway at Brandt-bridge, a little above Yaldham, having turned two corn-mills in its course within this parish. The seat of Hamptons, now almost in ruins, stands near the east side of this stream, in a wild gloomy situation, and at a small distance, that of Oxenhoath, an antient brick building, situated on a rise of ground, having a most extensive prospect over the Weald, and again to the hills north-eastward, the ground about it is finely wooded, and is the greatest part of it exceeding rich pasture.
There were antiently two parks in this parish, both of which were disparked at the time Lambarde wrote his Perambulation in 1570.
There is a fair held in this village yearly, on the 16th of June.
This parish, with others in this neighbourhood, was antiently bound to contribute to the repair of the fifth pier of Rochester bridge.
LITTLE PECKHAM before the conquest was in the possession of earl Leofwine, who as well as his brother, king Harold, lost their lives in the fatal battle of Hastings. After which William the Conqueror gave it to Odo, bishop of Baieux, his half-brother, whom he likewise made earl of Kent, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in the survey of Domesday, taken about the year 1080.
Corbin holds Pecheham of the bishop (of Baieux). It was taxed at two sulings; the arable land is six carucates. In demesne there is one, and twelve villeins, having five carucates, and eight borderers, and five servants, and three acres of meadow, wood for the pannage of ten bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, it was worth twelve pounds, now eight pounds, and yet it yields twelve pounds. The king has of this manor three dens, where four villeins dwell, and are worth forty shillings. Earl Leuin held it.
On the disgrace of the bishop of Baieux, about four years afterwards, this among the rest of his estates was confiscated to the crown.
In the reign of king John, the manor of West Peckham, then valued at fifteen pounds, was held in sergeantry, by a family of the name of Bendeville, by the service of bearing one of the king's goshawks, beyond sea, from the feast of St. Michael to that of the Purification, when the king demanded it, in lieu of all other services. Soon after which it came into the possession of a family who took their surname from it.
John de Peckham held it in the reign of king Henry III. and his descendant, John de Peckham, died possessed of it in the 21st year of king Edward I. holding it in capite, by the service above-mentioned. (fn. 1) Soon after which it passed into the possession of Robert Scarlet, who died possessed of it in the 33d year of that reign, but in the next of king Edward II. Adam at Broke was possessed of it. He died in the 11th year of it, both of them holding it in capite by the service mentioned above. And it appears, that in the latter year it was accounted a manor, and that there were here a capital messuage, pidgeon-house, rents of assize, and one hundred and eighty-four acres of land and wood.
His widow, Dionisia at Broke, died possessed of it in the 5th year of king Edward III. after which this manor seems to have been separated into moieties.
John de Mereworth, of Mereworth, died in the 39th year of that reign, possessed of a moiety of the manor of West Peckham, which he held of the king in capite, by the service before mentioned. Since which it has passed through the same tract of ownership that the manor of Mereworth has; as may be more fully seen hereafter in the description of it, and it is now, as well as that manor, in the possession of the right hon. Thomas Stapleton, lord le Despencer.
THE OTHER MOIETY of the manor of West Peckham, after the death of Dionisia at Broke, in the 5th year of king Edward III. came into the possession of Lionel, duke of Clarence, the king's third son, in right of his wife Elizabeth, sole daughter and heir of William de Burgh, earl of Ulster. She died in the 38th year of that reign, leaving by him an only daughter, Philippa, surviving her, who died in the 43d year of it, and the duke being then possessed of the moiety of this manor, which he held by the law of England, as of the inheritance of Elizabeth his late wife deceased, in capite by knight's service, Philippa, his daughter above-mentioned, then countess of March, was found to be his next heir. Upon which Edmund Mortimer, earl of March, her husband, had possession granted of it that year. Soon after which this moiety came into the possession of that branch of the family of Colepeper settled at Oxenhoath, in this parish, in which it remained till Sir John Colepeper, one of the judges of the common pleas, in the reign of king Henry IV. gave it to the knight's hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, in the 10th year of that reign, anno 1408.
They established a preceptory within this manor, which continued part of their possessions till the general dissolution of their hospital in the 32d year of king Henry VIII. when this order was suppressed by an act then specially passed for that purpose, and all their lands and revenues were given by it to the king and his heirs for ever. It was at that time stiled the Preceptory, or commandery of West Peckham, otherwise called the Chantry Magistrale. A preceptory or commandery, was a convenient mansion belonging to these knights, of which sort they had several on their different estates, in each of which they had a society of their brethren placed to take care of their lands and rents in that respective neighbourhood.
This manor of West Peckham, for so it was then stiled, together with the preceptory, was valued at the above dissolution at 63l. 6s. 8d. annual revenue, and sixty pounds clear income.
King Henry VIII. in his 33d year, granted the fee of this manor, with it appurtenances to Sir Robert Southwell, of Mereworth, to hold in capite by knight's service, and he in the 35th year of that reign, alienated it to Sir Edmund Walsingham. In which name and family this manor continued till the latter end of the reign of king Charles I. when Sir Thomas Walsingham, of Scadbury, (fn. 2) alienated it, with Yokes-place, and other estates in this neighbourhood, to his son in law, Mr. James Master, of Yokes, in the adjoining parish of Mereworth, Sir Tho. Walsingham having married the widow of Mr. Nathaniel Master, Mr. James Master's father; since which it has passed in like manner as that seat, into the possession of the right hon. George Bing, viscount Torrington, the present possessor of it.
HAMPTONS is a seat in this parish, situated at the western extremity of it, which, as well as the borough of that name, is accounted within the hundred and manor of Great Hoo, near Rochester. In the reign of queen Elizabeth it was in the possession of John Stanley, gent. who resided here, being the son of W. Stanley, gent. of Wilmington, whose grandfather, John Stanley, gent. was of Wilmington, in Lancashire, and bore for his arms, Argent, on a bend, azure, three bucks heads caboshed, or, a chief gules. And it appears, by an antient pedigree of the family of Stanley, well drawn with the several bearings of arms, now in the hands of William Dalison, esq. that the Stanleys of this county were descended of the eldest branch of that family, being the direct descendants of William de Stanley, lord of Stanley, in Staffordshire, and of Stourton, in the 10th year of king Richard II. the elder brother to John de Stanley, lieutenant of Ireland, who by the daughter and heir of Latham, of Lancashire, was ancestor to the Stanleys, earls of Derby, of the lords Montegle, and of those of Holte and Wever. (fn. 3) He died possessed of this seat in 1616, and his eldest son Thomas Stanley, esq. of Hamptons, dying in 1668, was buried in this church near his father. He left issue an only daughter and heir Frances, married to Maximilian Dalyson, esq. of Halling, who in her right became entitled to this seat, to which he removed on her father's death.
This family of Dalyson is of good account for its antiquity in this kingdom. William d'Alanzon, the first ancestor recorded of it, is said to have landed in this kingdom with William the Conqueror, whose direct descendant in the eighth generation, was of Laughton, in Lincolnshire, and first wrote himself Dalyson. His great grandson, William Dalyson, esq. of Laughton, was sheriff and escheator of Lincolnshire, and died in 1546, leaving two sons and three daughters; George Dalyson, the eldest son, was of Laughton, whose grandson, Sir Roger Dalyson, was lieutenant-general of the ordnance, and was created a baronet in 1611.
William Dalyson, the second son, represented the county of Lincoln in parliament in 1554, and was afterwards one of the judges of the king s bench, in the time of queen Mary, whose coat of arms, Gules, three crescents, or, a canton ermine, are still remaining in a window in Grays-inn chapel, and in another window is a like coat belonging to Charles Dalyson, anno 1660. He died in 1558, and was buried in Lincoln cathedral. He left four sons, of whom William, the eldest, will be mentioned hereafter, and Thomas was of Greetwell, in Lincolnshire, and was afterwards knighted. Lloyd in his memoirs says, Sir Thomas Dalyson, of Lancashire, lost his life for his loyalty at Nazeby, and 12,000l. in his estate, and that there were three colonels more of this name in the king's army, viz. Sir Charles Dalyson, Sir Robert Dalyson, and Sir William Dalyson, who spent 130,000l. therein, being men of great command in their country, and bringing the strength thereof to the king's assistance.
William Dalyson, the eldest son, on his marriage with Silvester, daughter of Robert Dene, gent. of Halling, in this county, in 1573 settled in this county, and resided at the bishop's palace, in Halling,' where he died in 1585, and was buried in Clerkenwell church. His widow afterwards married William Lambarde, gent. of Greenwich, our Kentish perambulator, and dying in 1587, was buried in Halling church, leaving issue by both her husbands.
Maximilian Dalyson, esq. the direct descendant of William Dalyson, by Silvester his wife, resided, in like manner as his ancestors had done at Halling, but having married Frances, only daughter and heir of Thomas Stanley, gent. of Hamptons, in this parish, as has been before related, on the death of her father, he removed thither, where he died in 1671, and was buried in this church, as was Frances his wife, who survived him, and died in 1684. They left two surviving sons, Thomas, of whom hereafter; and Charles, who was of Chatham, gent.
Thomas Dalyson, esq. the eldest son, of Hamptons, was twice married; first, to Susan, daughter of Sir Thomas Style, bart. of Watringbury; and secondly, to Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Twisden, bart. of Bradborne, by the latter of whom he had no issue. He died in 1636, leaving by his first wife a daughter Elizabeth, who married John Boys, esq. of Hode-court, in this county, and Tho. Dalyson, esq. who was of Plaxtool, where he resided during his father's life-time, and afterwards removed to Hamptons, where he died in 1741, and was buried in Plaxtool chapel, as were his several descendants.
He married first Jane, only daughter of Richard Etherington, gent. of Essex, by whom he left Mary, who died unmarried, and Jane, who married Sir Jeffery Amherst, of Riverhead, afterwards created lord Amherst. His second wife was Isabella, second daughter of Peter Burrell, esq. of Beckenham, who surviving him, died in 1762. By her he had William, of whom further mention will be made hereafter. Frances Isabella married to William Daniel Master, esq. of Mereworth, and Thomas Dalison, clerk, A. M. Wm. Dalison, esq. the eldest son, is the present possessor of Hamptons, but resides at Plaxtool, and is as yet unmarried.
The family of Dalyson, of Hamptons, has a right to quarter the arms of Stanley, and with them the coats of Hooton, Houghton, Grosvenor and Harrington; and with those of Dalyson, the coats of Elkinton, Greenfield, Dighton and Blesby.
THE BOROUGH OF OXENHOATH in this parish, is within the hundred and manor of Hoo, near Rochester, at the court of which a borsholder is appointed for this borough yearly.
THE MANOR OF OXENHOATH, alias Toxenhoath, is held of the manor of Great Hoo, by the service of the yearly payment of a pair of gilded spurs, but the payment of them has been forborne many years. It was in antient times part of the possessions of a branch of the family of Colepeper, or Culpeper, as they were called, and sometimes wrote themselves, in which it continued till it became part of the possessions of Sir John Colepeper, justice of common pleas, in the 7th year of king Henry IV. in the 10th year of which reign, he gave his manor of West Peckham to the knights hospitallers, as has been mentioned before. He resided at Oxenhoath, of which he died possessed in, or soon after, the 3d year of king Henry V. and was buried in this church with Katherine his wife, by whom he left Sir William Culpeper, of Oxenhoath, sheriff of this county in the 5th year of king Henry VI. whose son, Sir John Colepeper, likewise resided here. His son, Sir William Colepeper, was of Aylesford, and sheriff in the 5th year of king Henry VI. By his wife, daughter of Ferrers, of Groby, he had three sons; Sir Richard Colepeper, of Oxenhoath, William, of Preston-hall, in Aylesford; and Jeffry.
Sir Richard Colepeper was sheriff in the 11th year of king Edward IV. and died possessed of Oxenhoath, in the 2d year of king Richard III. leaving by Isabella, daughter and coheir of Otwell Worceley, of Stamworth, three daughters, his coheirs, Margaret, married to William Cotton, third son of Sir Thomas Cotton, of Landwade, in Cambridgeshire; Joyce, to the lord Edmund Howard, younger son of Thomas, duke of Norfolk; and Elizabeth, to Henry Barham, of Teston. (fn. 4) And on the division of their inheritance, this estate was allotted to William Cotton, in right of his wife Margaret. He resided here, bearing for his arms, Sable, a chevron between three griffins heads erased, argent. (fn. 5) He was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas Cotton, who alienated this manor to John Chowne, gent. of Fairlawne, and his great grandson, Sir George Chowne, of Fairlawne, intending to confine his possessions within Sussex, passed away this manor to Nicholas Miller, esq. of Horsnells Crouch, in Wrotham, sheriff of this county in the 8th year of king Charles I. who bore for his arms, Ermine, a fess gules, between three griffins heads erased, azure. He died in 1640, and was buried in Wrotham church, leaving by Jane his wife, daughter of John Polley, esq. of Preston, two surviving sons, Nicholas of Oxenhoath, and Mathew of Buckland, in Surry, and several daughters.
His eldest surviving son, Sir Nicholas Miller, resided at Oxenhoath, which he greatly, augmented and beautified. He died in 1658, leaving four sons and four daughters surviving, of whom Humphry became his heir; and Nicholas, to whom his grandfather, Ni cholas Miller, bequeathed his family seat of Crouch, in Wrotham, and other estates. Humphry Miller, esq. the eldest son, succeeded his father in this manor and seat, where he resided, and in 1660, was created a baronet, and in 1666 was sheriff of this county, and kept his shrievalty at Oxenhoath. He died in 1709, leaving a son and heir, Borlase, and a daughter, Elizabeth, who will be mentioned hereafter.
Sir Borlase Miller, bart. was of Oxenhoath, of which he died possessed in 1714, s. p. leaving his wife, Susanna, daughter of Thomas Medley, esq. of Sussex, surviving. On which this estate came by survivorship to Elizabeth his sister, before-mentioned, then the wise of Leonard Bartholomew, esq. of Rochester, who afterwards resided at Oxenhoath, who served the office of sheriff in 1713, and bore for his arms, Or, three goats heads erased, sable. He died in 1720, being buried with Elizabeth his wife in this church, and leaving three sons, Philip, Leonard, and Humphry; the eldest of whom, Philip Bartholomew, esq. possessed and resided at Oxenhoath. He first married the only daughter and heir of Mr. John Knowe, gent. of Ford, in Wrotham; by whom he had two sons, Leonard, and John-Knowe-Bartholomew, the latter of whom died before his brother, without issue. He married secondly Mary, younger daughter of Alexander Thomas, esq. of Lamberhurst, by whom he had a daughter Mary, married to Francis Geary, esq.
Philip Bartholomew died in 1730, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Leonard Bartholomew, esq. who was of Oxenhoath. He died without issue in 1757, and by will gave Oxenhoath, with his other estates in this county, to the second son, then unborn, of Francis Geary, esq. of Polesdon, in Surry, afterwards admiral of the royal navy, and created a baronet on August 10, 1782, by Mary, his half sister abovementioned, in tail male, with remainder to the admi ral's eldest son, in like tail, remainder to the family of Beaumont, in Yorkshire.
His second son before mentioned was afterwards born and christened William, and his eldest brother having died unmarried, became his father's heir, and succeeded on his death in 1796, to the title of baronet, being the present Sir William Geary, bart. who resides at Oxenhoath, of which he is the present possessor. He is M. P. for this county, and at present unmarried. The arms of Geary are, Gules, two bars argent, on each three mascles of the first, a canton ermine.
Charities.
DAME MARY CHOWNE gave by will in 1619, to be distributed to the poor of this parish on Michaelmas day yearly, the sum of 40l. with which a house was bought, which is vested in trustees, and now of the annual produce of 40s.
THOMAS STANLEY, esq. gave by deed in 1637, to an aged married pair for life, or an antient widow, a house and land, vested in the churchwardens and overseers, and now of the annual produce of 1l 10s.
THE REV. SAMUEL COOKE gave by will in 1637, to ten poor persons of this parish yearly, on Lady-day, a sum of money, vested in the minister of this parish, and now of the annual produce of 5l.
NICHOLAS JAMES and THOMAS DUNMOLL gave by their several wills in 1695, 1705, and 1708, the sums of 20s. each, to be paid out of lands in this parish, and to be distributed to the poor on Christmas day, which sums are vested in the churchwardens and overseers, and now of the like annual produce.
MILDMAY, EARL OF WESTMORELAND, gave a field, containing two acres, to the inhabitants of this parish, for a sporting place and for a more commodious way to the church.
WEST OR LITTLE PECKHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester and deanry of Malling.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Dunstan, is a small building, with a low pointed steeple.
King Edward I. in his 14th year, granted to the prior and convent of Ledis, in this county, the advowson of the church of Parva Pecham, to hold in free, pure, and perpetual alms; and he granted that they should hold it appropriated to their own use, whensoever they would, without any hindrance of him, his heirs and successors. (fn. 6)
In the 21st of the above reign, a quo warranto was brought before the justices itinerant against the prior and convent, to enquire by what right they possessed this church, then valued at forty pounds per annum, and formerly in the king's gift; and on their pleading the above grant, the jury gave it for them.
In the reign of king Edward III. the valuation of this church was, forty acres of the endowment of it, twenty shillings hay; twenty shillings tithe of pannage and herbage; ten shillings tithe of geese, calves, pigs, and mills; with oblations and other small tithes belonging to it.
Bishop Thomas de Brinton, by his instrument in 1387, the 11th year of king Richard II. granted licence to the prior and convent of Ledes to appropriate this church, then vacant and of their own patronage, to their own uses, saving a competent vicarage in it, the presentation of which should belong to them, which he ordained to consist of all small tithes, oblations, obventions, pannages, and all other things belonging to the altarage, except the tithe of hay itself of the parish wheresoever, excepting of twenty acres of meadow, then belonging to the earl of Gloucester, in the western part of the parish; the tithe of which twenty acres the vicar of the church for the time being, should take and have for ever. And that the vicars themselves should have the hall, with the chambers adjoining to it, and the garden, together with four acres of land, with the tithe arising from them, and two acres of wood of the demesne of the church, as they were bounded off; and also two shillings annual rent, which John, called le Kinge, of this parish, and his heirs, should pay to the vicars for ever, for land which he held of the fee of this church, together with the tithes arising from it; and that the vicars should take all tithes in the gardens of the whole parish, which were dug with the foot. But that the prior and convent should, for their portion, sustain all burthens, as well ordinary and extraordinary, happening to the church, saving the right, dignity and custom of his church of Rochester, and of all others.
The advowson and parsonage of West Peckham continued with the priory of Leeds till the time of its dissolution in the reign of king Henry VIII. when the same, together with all the lands and revenues of it, was surrendered into the king's hands, after which the king, by his dotation-charter, in his 33d year, settled this church of Peckham Parva, and the advowson of the vicarage, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom they now remain.
On the intended dissolution of deans and chapters, after the death of king Charles I. the parsonage of Little Peckham was surveyed in 1649; when it appeared that it consisted of a barn, yard, &c. and twentyfive acres and an half of glebe land, of the improved rent of sixty pounds per annum; which premises were let anno 13 Charles I. to James, Elizabeth, and Duke Stonehouse, for the term of their lives, or the longest liver of them, by the dean and chapter of Rochester, at the yearly rent of six pounds. In which lease the advowson was excepted, and the lessess covenanted to repair the premises, and the chancel of the parish church. (fn. 7)
The present lessee of this parsonage, under the dean and chapter, is Sir William Geary, bart.
In the reign of queen Anne, the small tithes of this vicarage amounted to about twelve pounds per annum. It had then an augmentation of fourteen pounds per annum which had been given to it by the dean and chapter of Rochester about the year 1690. There was likewise a small augmentation to it from John Warner, bishop of Rochester, of about ten pounds per annum, but not fixed to it.
The vicarage is now a discharged living, of the clear yearly certified value of forty-five pounds, the yearly tenths of which are 14s. 7d.
Ā¶In 1732 it was augmented by the governors of queen Anne's bounty, and by the benefactions of one hundred pounds per annum, from the trustees of Sir William Langhorne, bart. being part of his legacy towards the augmentation of small livings, and of 100l. 17s. 6d. by Henry Burville, vicar of this parish, with which, and fifty pounds, added by George Richards, the succeeding vicar, a farm of fifteen pounds a year was purchased in this neighbourhood. The vicarage, which is a handsome sashed brick house, situated near the church, was built by the bounty of Philip Bartholomew, esq. of Oxenhoath.
cybershutterbug.com/wordpress/?p=8601
Expect a Circus - Ā© 2017 ā Robert N. Clinton (aka CyberShutterbug)
Some of the tens of thousand of protesters protesting at President Donald Trump's speech in Phoenix on August 22, 2017
Heritage/Ride and Stride weekend was a bit hit and miss, to be expected with COVID, I suppose. But churches next to each other open and closed, or open but with different restrictions or no restrictions.
But a 50% open rate wasn't bad.
I was last here in January, when mist shrouded St Michael and the view. It looked grim.
Fast forward to a sunny September lunchtime, and I arrived with low expectations.
A husband and wife team were clearing the summer growth from the path leading to the porch. I stood still until I was noticed by the wife.
She smiled.
The husband carried on strimming. It was a petrol driven one, and was loud.
He stopped, and I saw he had no ear protection and the motor was beside his left ear. I told him to be careful.
You sound like my wife, he said.
Is the church open, I asked.
It is.
Can I go in?
Of course.
We've had a new carpet paid, nice and red.
Indeed they had.
Inside, the church is small, but neat, and set off with that new red carpet.
Most eye-catching are the fine arts and crafts windows, which fill most of the traceries.
Well worth the wait to see inside.
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This is an enigma! The medieval church, of which the tower with its fine 14th century west window, survives, was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. The story of the fires is recorded in Hasted`s History of Kent. It was rebuilt by Henry Holland as a classical box with gothic detailing ā for instance the vestry lancet ā but this was mostly undone by two Victorian restorations which combined to turn the church into a more standard building. The interior is barn like but the fine glass by Barraud and Westlake is all of a date around 1900, though some more recent repairs have been really botched with naĆÆve faces much in evidence. The pulpit is fine work of the Victorian restoration with curving staircase and on the whole nothing jars. It is a building of two periods ā each recorded by plaques and boards ā and the crumbling ragstone exterior with galletted blocks gives the impression that it is waiting for the next period of change.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Chart+Sutton
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CHART SUTTON.
THE next parish southward from Langley is Chart Sutton, or as it should be more properly called, Chart by Sutton, written in Domesday, Certh.
THIS PARISH is but small, the lower or southern ridge of Quarry-hills divides the upper and lower parts of it, the latter is in the district of the Weald, where the country is low and flat, abounding with broad hedge rows, filled with large and spreading oaks. It is exceeding wet and miry in winter, the soil being a deep stiff elay. At the foot of the hill there rises a stream, which having turned a mill, flows from thence southward across this parish, till it joins the branch of the Medway just above Herefeed-bridge; on and about the hill the soil consists of the quarry-stone, thinly covered with a loam, being exceedingly fertile for corn, fruit, and hops. Just above the summit of the hill is the village and church, with Chart-place adjoining to the church-yard; beyond which northward the soil becomes less fertile, being a hungry red earth mixed with flints, which continues till it joins the parish of Langley.
The mention made in the record of Domesday of the three arpends of vineyard in this parish, ought not to be passed by unnoticed here, this being one of several instances of there having been vineyards in this county in very early times. I mean plantations of the grapevine; for I can by no means acquiese in the conjecture, that VineƦ universally meant plantations of apples and pears, at least so far as relates to this county, where the latter were not introduced at the time, nor for some time after the taking of the survey of Domesday. This opinion is further confirmed by the instance of Hamo, bishop of Rochester, who, when Edward II. in his 19th year, was at Bokinsold, in this county, sent that prince a gift both of wine and grapes, from his vineyard at Halling, near Rochester, the episcopal palace where he then resided. These vineyards being likewise measured by the arpend, the same measure that they usually were in France, shews that when the vine was brought from thence and cultivated here, the same kind of measure was continued to the plantations of them, a measure different from that of any other kind of land. Sir Robert Atkins, in his History of Gloucestershire, has indeed given two instances from records in the reigns of king John and king Edward II. to prove the contrary, which might suit exceeding well with the language of his countrymen, and the bleak county of Gloucester, where the grape-vine had never been seen, and the only beverage was that of the apple and pear, which they had dignisified with the appellation of wine. In my memory there have been two exceeding fine vineyards in this county, one at Tunbridgecastle, and the other at Hall-place, in Barming, near Maidstone, from which quantities of exceeding good and well-flavored wine have been produced. This parish of Chart, among others in the same situation, on the side of the quarry hills, is peculiarly adapted to the planting of vines, as well from the warm and nutritive quality of the soil, as its genial aspect, being entirely sheltered from the north and east, and facing the south on the declivity of the hill.
CHART was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record.
The same Adam Fitz Hubert holds of the bishop of Baieux, Certh. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there is one, and twenty villeins, with five borderers having six carucates. There is a church and eight servants, and six acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of fifty hogs. There are three arpends of vineyard, and a park of beasts of the forest. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, and now, it was and is worth twelve pounds. Alnod Cilt held it.
Four years after the taking the above-mentioned survey, the bishop of Baieux was disgraced, and all his estates were confiscated to the crown.
This estate afterwards became the property of Baldwin de Betun, earl of Albermarle, likewise lord of the manor of Sutton Valence, to which this estate seems to have been accounted an appendage, and it afterwards continued with it, in a like succession of ownership, down to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, who soon after his coming into the possession of it in 1708, on a spot which he had purchased of others, on which there was then only a mean cottage, built for himself a mansion near the church here, where he afterwards resided. (fn. 1) He died possessed of it in 1733, leaving two sons, who both died without issue, and also two daughters, who became their brother's heirs, and on the partition of their inheritance in 1752, this manor was, among others in this neighbourhood, allotted to the share of the youngest, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, now of Teston, who continues owner of it.
NORTON-PLACE is an antient manor and mansion in this parish, though now and for many years since made use of only as a farm-house, situated about half a mile northward from Chart-place. It was antiently the property and residence of the family of Norton, to whom it gave name; and in the south windows of this church there were formerly the essigies of Stephen Norton, who lived in king Richard II.'s reign, with his arms, Argent, a chevron between three crescents azure, on his tabard or surcoat, and Philipott says that he had found in a tournament of the Kentish gentlemen one of this name, in a tabard of the arms above-mentioned, encountering one Christmas, of East Sutton, not far distant, who was in like manner habited in a surcoat charged with his arms, expressive of his name, viz. Gules, upon a bend sable, three wassail bowls, or; which coat was likewise depicted in the south windows of Sutton church. But the partitions inherent to gavelkind, so diminished the patrimony of this family, that in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and afterwards, they were obliged to sell off several parts of it at different times, all which came at length into the possession of Sir Ed ward Hales, created a baronet in 1611, whose grandson and heir of the same name in 1660 purchased of the two coheirs of the family of Norton, married to Denne and Underwood, the seat itself, with the remainder of the land belonging to it, by a fine then levied by them and their husbands for that purpose. His trustees about the year 1670, conveyed it, with the manor of Sutton Valence and Chart before-mentioned, and sundry other premises, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which it was in like manner sold, about the year 1708, to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, whose daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, after the death of her two brothers, and a partition of her father's estates between herself and her sister, is now entitled to it.
WALTERS-FOLLY, in the den of Ivetigh, now vulgarly called THE FOLLY, is an estate situated in the southern part of this parish, about a mile below the summit of the hill. It was antiently the property of the family of Ivetigh, antiently spelt Evythye, who implanted their name on it, as they did on other lands in this parish, still called by their name; and though the deeds of this estate, which mention them as possessors of it, do not reach higher than the reign of king Henry VI. yet, undoubtedly, they were owners of it long before.
In the above-mentioned reign, however, this estate was alienated by one of that name to Robert Mascall, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Edward IV. By his will, dated Nov. 25, that year, he willed his body to be buried in the church yard of this parish. He devised 6s. 8d. towards the pavement of the church, and to the leading of it twenty shillings; all his lands and tenements to his wife, for her life, remainder to his son Thomas, his daughter Elizabeth mentioned in it. His son Thomas Mascall resided here, and some years after his father's death sold it to Wm. Lambe, who changed the name of it to Lambden; in his descendants, who bore for their arms, Sable, on a fess or, two mullets of the field, between three cinquefoils ermine, it continued till it was at length sold to Perry, descended from those of Worcestershire, and it remained in that name till the reign of king Charles I. when Mr. James Perry, of Lenham, dying s.p. his three daughters, Elizabeth, married to Mr. Thomas Petley, of Filston; Anne and Mary became his coheirs, and entitled to this estate, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Walter, who rebuilt the house on it, which afterwards gained the name of Walter's folly; from one of his descendants it was purchased, in the reign of queen Anne, by Sir Samuel Ongley, of London, who gave it, together with an estate called Elderden, lying at a small distance from it, by will to his nephew, Samuel Ongley, esq. of Old Warden, in Bedfordshire, in tail: on whose death s. p. this estate came by the entail abovementioned to his nephew Robert Henley, esq. who took upon him the name of Ongley, and was in 1776 created baron Ongley, of Ireland, he died in 1785, and his son Robert lord Ongley, is the present owner of it.
ALMNERY-GREEN, usually called Almery green, is a place in the western part of this parish, where there is an estate called Haddis tenement, alias Almery, which was for many generations the residence of the family of Hadde, called in antient writings likewise Le Hadde. Robert Hadde lived here in the reign of king Henry III. as did his son William le Hadde in the next reign of Edward I. (fn. 2) At length about the latter end of the reign of king Edward III. this family divided into two branches, of which Robert le Hadde, the eldest son and heir, settled at Frinsted, where his descendants continued for many generations, and the youngest son inherited this family seat at Chart, which remained in the possessions of his descendants, till Thomas Haddys, in the reign of king Henry VII. leaving two daughters his coheirs, Margaret married first Wm. Wright and afterwards Nicholas Harpur; and Catherine, who married Thomas Bidlake, of Devonshire, this house and estate in Chart became the property of his eldest daughter Margaret, who entitled her husband, William Wright, to it; and he, anno 17 Henry VII. conveyed it to Roger Morys, of Ledes, and after some intermediate owners, it came into the possession of Robert Baker, who in 1612 sold it to Sir Edward Hales, bart. The trustees of whose grandson, Sir Edward Hales, bart. sold it with the manor of Sutton Valence, and his other estates in this parish, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which they were in like manner afterwards sold to Sir Christopher Desbouverie; and on the partition between his two daughters and coheirs, these premises were alloted, with other lands in this and the neighbouring parishes, to Anne, the eldest daughter, married to John Hervey, esq. afterwards of Beechworth, who died possessed of them in 1757, and his grandson Christopher Hervey, esq. is now entitled to them.
There is an estate on ALMNERY-GREEN, which was formerly part of the possessions of the priory of Ledes, and most probably belonging to the almnery of that house, gave name to this place. It the remained with it till the reign of Henry VIII. when the priory being dissolved, this estate came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the king's hands, and was settled by him in the 32d year of his reign, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to the inheritance of it.
LESTED is an antient seat, situated on the northern side of the high road leading from Cocks-heath to Langley-heath, near Chart corner.
It was formerly part of the possessions of the family of Potman. who were possessed of other estates in this parish as has been already mentioned and it continued with them till Sir Richard Potman sold it to Simon Smyth, gent. who resided at Buckland, in Maidstone, whose son Simon was of Boughton Monchensie, and had the arms of his family confirmed to him by Camdem, clarencieux, in 1650. (fn. 3). He left a son Simon, of Lested, (fn. 4) whose widow afterwards remarried George Curteis, esq. sheriff of this county in 1651, when he resided here in her right.
In the descendants of Simon Smyth this estate descended down to the Rev. John Smyth, vicar of this parish, and rector of Hastingleigh, who died in 1732, and was succeeded by his son John Smyth, esq. whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Smyth survived him, and afterwards resided in it. She was daughter of Ralph Whitfield, esq. major of the Welsh fuzileers, by whom he left four daughters, Felicia, Elizabeth, Anna Maria, and Dorothea, his coheirs, and they or their respective heirs are now entitled to it.
CHENEYS-COURT is a reputed manor here, which appears in very early times to have been called Hadenesham, and to have been in the possession of Sir Robert de Shurland, a man of great eminence in the reign of king Edward I. who leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried this estate, with other large inheritanbe, in marriage to William de Cheney, of Patricksborne, in whose descendants it continued so long, that they implanted their name on it; at length Sir Thomas Cheney passed it away to John Iden, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Henry VIII. and one of his descendants, leaving two daughters and coheirs, one of whom married Browne, and the other Barton, the latter of them, in right of his wife, possessed this estate, and in that name it continued till it was at length alienated to Heyward, for Rowland Heyward had the queen's licence, anno 16 Elizabeth, to alienate the messuage and manor, called Chenye-court, to John Long, of Tunbridge; after which it passed to Wolett, and thence to Jordan, and afterwards to that branch of the family of Fane, who were earls of Westmoreland, in which it continued till John, earl of Westmoreland, dying in 1762, s. p. this, among his other estates in this county, is at length, by the limitations of his will, come to the right hon. Thomas, lord le Despencer, who continues the present possessor of it.
There is the appearance of an old manor-pound belonging to it; but there has been no court held for this manor in the memory of man.
THE FAMILY OF SPENCER once possessed an estate in this parish, and resided here for some generations; one of whom John Spencer, esq. was of Chart Sutton, and bore for their arms, Argent, a fess engrailed, in chief three lions rampant, gules, at the latter end of the reign of king Henry VIII. as was his son of the same name afterwards. He left two sons, John and Nicholas, and five daughters, who on their elder brother's death s. p. became his coheirs; and in the beginning of the reign of king Charles I. joined with their respective husbands in the sale of their inheritance in this parish, to Sir Edward Hales, bart. it afterwards passed into the possession of Sir William Drake, and then to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, in whose descendants it has continued in like manner as the rest of his estates in this parish to the present time.
Charities.
RICHARD MASCALL gave by will in 1599, for the better support of the poor the yearly sum of 40s. in land in Ashford, vested in Edward Finch Hatton, esq. and now of the annual produce of 1l. 11s.
JOAN MASCALL gave by will in 1598, for the like use, the annual sum of 10s. in land in this parish, vested in Wm. Spong, and of that annual produce.
The poor constantly maintained by this parish are yearly in number about thirty-five, casually about twenty.
CHART SUTTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton,
The church, which stands near the summit of the hill, at a very small distance from Sutton Valence, is dedicated to St. Michael.
This church has been twice set on fire by lightning: the first time, a few years ago, when it was fortunately soon extinguished; the last time was on April 23, 1779, about seven o'clock in the morning, when in a dreadful storm of thunder, the lightning set fire to the beautiful spire steeple of it, and in about three hours time burnt that and the whole building to ashes, excepting the bare walls; since which it has been rebuilt from a plan of Mr. Henry Holland, junior, architect, at the cost of more than 1,300l. collected by a brief throughout the county from house to house, and a liberal contribution made by the neighbouring gentry and clergy.
The church of Chart was given to the priory of Leeds, soon after the foundation of it; the tithes of every kind, arising from the demesnes of the lord of the parish of Chart, and also twenty shillings annual pension from the church, to be paid by the hands of the rector of it, for ever, for the maintenance of the infirmary of the priory, being assigned and granted by archbishop Richard to the canons of the priory. (fn. 5)
In the year 1320, Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, appropriated this church to the priory, and then admitted William de Shoreham to the vicarage of this church; at which time he, by his instrument, endowed the vicarage of it as follows: first, he ordained and decreed, that every vicar, for the time being, should receive all oblations and obits according to the altar of the church, which the rectors of it used of old to receive, together with the tithes of wool, lambs, calves, hogs, hay, flax, hemp, mills, pears, apples, milk, milk-meats, sheep, and of whatever was planted and sowed in gardens; and also, that the prior and convent should bear and exonerate all burthens, ordinary and extraordinary, happening to the church, as well in books, vestments, reparations and rebuildings of it, as often as need should require, the procurations of the archdeacon, and other burthens antiently belonging to it, or which might in future be laid on it. And he further decressed, that the prior and convent should assign of the soil of the church, one acre and an half of land, lying conveniently for a dwelling for the vicar, and should build for him on it a convenient house for him and his successors to dwell in, and that they should pay to him and his successors, as an augmentation of his living, forty shillings sterling yearly.
On the dissolution of the priory of Leeds, in the reign of Henry VIII. this parsonage, with the advowson of the vicarage, came into the hands of the crown, and was by the king settled in his 32d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it remains at this time.
Ā¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, this parsonage was surveyed by order of the state in 1649, when it was returned, that the parsonage, or manorhouse of the parsonage, consisted of a hall, a parlour, kitchen, cellar, buttery, five chambers, three garrets, one dairy-house, barn and stable, with all the tithes thereto belonging, and the tithes of as much of Suttonpark as lay within the precincts of Chart parish, with a court and barn-yard; the whole being valued at fifty pounds per annum, and let by the dean and chapter, anno 26 Charles I. by lease to Sir Edward Hales, bart. and Sir John Hales, his son, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 13l 11s. 8d. and one good and seasonable brawn every Christmas, but that the premises were worth over and above, upon improvement, 67l. 3s. 10d. and that the tenant was bound to repair and maintain the chancel of the parish church. At which time the vicarage was valued at thirty-five pounds clear yearly income. (fn. 6)
Among the archives of the dean and chapter of Canterbury is a definitive sentence, made at Cranbrook, anno 1400, concerning the custom and method of taking tithes in this parish, made by Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, in a cause of tithes, between the prior and convent of Ledes and John Hadde, parishioner of this church.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, is the present lessee of this parsonage. The advowson of the vicarage is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands.
The vicarage is valued in the king's books at 8l. 12s. 8Ā½d. and the yearly tenths at 17s. 3Ā¾d. (fn. 7) It is now of the clear yearly certified value of 47l. 11s. 9Ā¼d.
In 1640 it was valued at thirty pounds per annum, Communicants, 212.
The Rev. John Smyth, vicar gave by will in 1732, two hundred pounds as an augmentation, to enable it to receive the benefit of the like sum from queen Anne's bounty, (fn. 8) with which a small farm of twenty pounds per annum in Ashford parish, has been purchased for the benefit of the vicar and his successors.
What To Expect When You're Expecting premiere photos and review mark boardman and the team at markmeets
Bit of an oldie - but I still like it. Thanks for looking!
If you're on facebook come and give me a "like" HERE
Heritage/Ride and Stride weekend was a bit hit and miss, to be expected with COVID, I suppose. But churches next to each other open and closed, or open but with different restrictions or no restrictions.
But a 50% open rate wasn't bad.
I was last here in January, when mist shrouded St Michael and the view. It looked grim.
Fast forward to a sunny September lunchtime, and I arrived with low expectations.
A husband and wife team were clearing the summer growth from the path leading to the porch. I stood still until I was noticed by the wife.
She smiled.
The husband carried on strimming. It was a petrol driven one, and was loud.
He stopped, and I saw he had no ear protection and the motor was beside his left ear. I told him to be careful.
You sound like my wife, he said.
Is the church open, I asked.
It is.
Can I go in?
Of course.
We've had a new carpet paid, nice and red.
Indeed they had.
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This is an enigma! The medieval church, of which the tower with its fine 14th century west window, survives, was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. The story of the fires is recorded in Hasted`s History of Kent. It was rebuilt by Henry Holland as a classical box with gothic detailing ā for instance the vestry lancet ā but this was mostly undone by two Victorian restorations which combined to turn the church into a more standard building. The interior is barn like but the fine glass by Barraud and Westlake is all of a date around 1900, though some more recent repairs have been really botched with naĆÆve faces much in evidence. The pulpit is fine work of the Victorian restoration with curving staircase and on the whole nothing jars. It is a building of two periods ā each recorded by plaques and boards ā and the crumbling ragstone exterior with galletted blocks gives the impression that it is waiting for the next period of change.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Chart+Sutton
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CHART SUTTON.
THE next parish southward from Langley is Chart Sutton, or as it should be more properly called, Chart by Sutton, written in Domesday, Certh.
THIS PARISH is but small, the lower or southern ridge of Quarry-hills divides the upper and lower parts of it, the latter is in the district of the Weald, where the country is low and flat, abounding with broad hedge rows, filled with large and spreading oaks. It is exceeding wet and miry in winter, the soil being a deep stiff elay. At the foot of the hill there rises a stream, which having turned a mill, flows from thence southward across this parish, till it joins the branch of the Medway just above Herefeed-bridge; on and about the hill the soil consists of the quarry-stone, thinly covered with a loam, being exceedingly fertile for corn, fruit, and hops. Just above the summit of the hill is the village and church, with Chart-place adjoining to the church-yard; beyond which northward the soil becomes less fertile, being a hungry red earth mixed with flints, which continues till it joins the parish of Langley.
The mention made in the record of Domesday of the three arpends of vineyard in this parish, ought not to be passed by unnoticed here, this being one of several instances of there having been vineyards in this county in very early times. I mean plantations of the grapevine; for I can by no means acquiese in the conjecture, that VineƦ universally meant plantations of apples and pears, at least so far as relates to this county, where the latter were not introduced at the time, nor for some time after the taking of the survey of Domesday. This opinion is further confirmed by the instance of Hamo, bishop of Rochester, who, when Edward II. in his 19th year, was at Bokinsold, in this county, sent that prince a gift both of wine and grapes, from his vineyard at Halling, near Rochester, the episcopal palace where he then resided. These vineyards being likewise measured by the arpend, the same measure that they usually were in France, shews that when the vine was brought from thence and cultivated here, the same kind of measure was continued to the plantations of them, a measure different from that of any other kind of land. Sir Robert Atkins, in his History of Gloucestershire, has indeed given two instances from records in the reigns of king John and king Edward II. to prove the contrary, which might suit exceeding well with the language of his countrymen, and the bleak county of Gloucester, where the grape-vine had never been seen, and the only beverage was that of the apple and pear, which they had dignisified with the appellation of wine. In my memory there have been two exceeding fine vineyards in this county, one at Tunbridgecastle, and the other at Hall-place, in Barming, near Maidstone, from which quantities of exceeding good and well-flavored wine have been produced. This parish of Chart, among others in the same situation, on the side of the quarry hills, is peculiarly adapted to the planting of vines, as well from the warm and nutritive quality of the soil, as its genial aspect, being entirely sheltered from the north and east, and facing the south on the declivity of the hill.
CHART was part of those possessions given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in that record.
The same Adam Fitz Hubert holds of the bishop of Baieux, Certh. It was taxed at three sulings. The arable land is eight carucates. In demesne there is one, and twenty villeins, with five borderers having six carucates. There is a church and eight servants, and six acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage of fifty hogs. There are three arpends of vineyard, and a park of beasts of the forest. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and afterwards, and now, it was and is worth twelve pounds. Alnod Cilt held it.
Four years after the taking the above-mentioned survey, the bishop of Baieux was disgraced, and all his estates were confiscated to the crown.
This estate afterwards became the property of Baldwin de Betun, earl of Albermarle, likewise lord of the manor of Sutton Valence, to which this estate seems to have been accounted an appendage, and it afterwards continued with it, in a like succession of ownership, down to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, who soon after his coming into the possession of it in 1708, on a spot which he had purchased of others, on which there was then only a mean cottage, built for himself a mansion near the church here, where he afterwards resided. (fn. 1) He died possessed of it in 1733, leaving two sons, who both died without issue, and also two daughters, who became their brother's heirs, and on the partition of their inheritance in 1752, this manor was, among others in this neighbourhood, allotted to the share of the youngest, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, now of Teston, who continues owner of it.
NORTON-PLACE is an antient manor and mansion in this parish, though now and for many years since made use of only as a farm-house, situated about half a mile northward from Chart-place. It was antiently the property and residence of the family of Norton, to whom it gave name; and in the south windows of this church there were formerly the essigies of Stephen Norton, who lived in king Richard II.'s reign, with his arms, Argent, a chevron between three crescents azure, on his tabard or surcoat, and Philipott says that he had found in a tournament of the Kentish gentlemen one of this name, in a tabard of the arms above-mentioned, encountering one Christmas, of East Sutton, not far distant, who was in like manner habited in a surcoat charged with his arms, expressive of his name, viz. Gules, upon a bend sable, three wassail bowls, or; which coat was likewise depicted in the south windows of Sutton church. But the partitions inherent to gavelkind, so diminished the patrimony of this family, that in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and afterwards, they were obliged to sell off several parts of it at different times, all which came at length into the possession of Sir Ed ward Hales, created a baronet in 1611, whose grandson and heir of the same name in 1660 purchased of the two coheirs of the family of Norton, married to Denne and Underwood, the seat itself, with the remainder of the land belonging to it, by a fine then levied by them and their husbands for that purpose. His trustees about the year 1670, conveyed it, with the manor of Sutton Valence and Chart before-mentioned, and sundry other premises, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which it was in like manner sold, about the year 1708, to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, whose daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, after the death of her two brothers, and a partition of her father's estates between herself and her sister, is now entitled to it.
WALTERS-FOLLY, in the den of Ivetigh, now vulgarly called THE FOLLY, is an estate situated in the southern part of this parish, about a mile below the summit of the hill. It was antiently the property of the family of Ivetigh, antiently spelt Evythye, who implanted their name on it, as they did on other lands in this parish, still called by their name; and though the deeds of this estate, which mention them as possessors of it, do not reach higher than the reign of king Henry VI. yet, undoubtedly, they were owners of it long before.
In the above-mentioned reign, however, this estate was alienated by one of that name to Robert Mascall, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Edward IV. By his will, dated Nov. 25, that year, he willed his body to be buried in the church yard of this parish. He devised 6s. 8d. towards the pavement of the church, and to the leading of it twenty shillings; all his lands and tenements to his wife, for her life, remainder to his son Thomas, his daughter Elizabeth mentioned in it. His son Thomas Mascall resided here, and some years after his father's death sold it to Wm. Lambe, who changed the name of it to Lambden; in his descendants, who bore for their arms, Sable, on a fess or, two mullets of the field, between three cinquefoils ermine, it continued till it was at length sold to Perry, descended from those of Worcestershire, and it remained in that name till the reign of king Charles I. when Mr. James Perry, of Lenham, dying s.p. his three daughters, Elizabeth, married to Mr. Thomas Petley, of Filston; Anne and Mary became his coheirs, and entitled to this estate, which they afterwards joined in the sale of to Walter, who rebuilt the house on it, which afterwards gained the name of Walter's folly; from one of his descendants it was purchased, in the reign of queen Anne, by Sir Samuel Ongley, of London, who gave it, together with an estate called Elderden, lying at a small distance from it, by will to his nephew, Samuel Ongley, esq. of Old Warden, in Bedfordshire, in tail: on whose death s. p. this estate came by the entail abovementioned to his nephew Robert Henley, esq. who took upon him the name of Ongley, and was in 1776 created baron Ongley, of Ireland, he died in 1785, and his son Robert lord Ongley, is the present owner of it.
ALMNERY-GREEN, usually called Almery green, is a place in the western part of this parish, where there is an estate called Haddis tenement, alias Almery, which was for many generations the residence of the family of Hadde, called in antient writings likewise Le Hadde. Robert Hadde lived here in the reign of king Henry III. as did his son William le Hadde in the next reign of Edward I. (fn. 2) At length about the latter end of the reign of king Edward III. this family divided into two branches, of which Robert le Hadde, the eldest son and heir, settled at Frinsted, where his descendants continued for many generations, and the youngest son inherited this family seat at Chart, which remained in the possessions of his descendants, till Thomas Haddys, in the reign of king Henry VII. leaving two daughters his coheirs, Margaret married first Wm. Wright and afterwards Nicholas Harpur; and Catherine, who married Thomas Bidlake, of Devonshire, this house and estate in Chart became the property of his eldest daughter Margaret, who entitled her husband, William Wright, to it; and he, anno 17 Henry VII. conveyed it to Roger Morys, of Ledes, and after some intermediate owners, it came into the possession of Robert Baker, who in 1612 sold it to Sir Edward Hales, bart. The trustees of whose grandson, Sir Edward Hales, bart. sold it with the manor of Sutton Valence, and his other estates in this parish, to Sir William Drake, of Amersham, with which they were in like manner afterwards sold to Sir Christopher Desbouverie; and on the partition between his two daughters and coheirs, these premises were alloted, with other lands in this and the neighbouring parishes, to Anne, the eldest daughter, married to John Hervey, esq. afterwards of Beechworth, who died possessed of them in 1757, and his grandson Christopher Hervey, esq. is now entitled to them.
There is an estate on ALMNERY-GREEN, which was formerly part of the possessions of the priory of Ledes, and most probably belonging to the almnery of that house, gave name to this place. It the remained with it till the reign of Henry VIII. when the priory being dissolved, this estate came, with the rest of the possessions of it, into the king's hands, and was settled by him in the 32d year of his reign, on his new-erected dean and chapter of Rochester, who are now entitled to the inheritance of it.
LESTED is an antient seat, situated on the northern side of the high road leading from Cocks-heath to Langley-heath, near Chart corner.
It was formerly part of the possessions of the family of Potman. who were possessed of other estates in this parish as has been already mentioned and it continued with them till Sir Richard Potman sold it to Simon Smyth, gent. who resided at Buckland, in Maidstone, whose son Simon was of Boughton Monchensie, and had the arms of his family confirmed to him by Camdem, clarencieux, in 1650. (fn. 3). He left a son Simon, of Lested, (fn. 4) whose widow afterwards remarried George Curteis, esq. sheriff of this county in 1651, when he resided here in her right.
In the descendants of Simon Smyth this estate descended down to the Rev. John Smyth, vicar of this parish, and rector of Hastingleigh, who died in 1732, and was succeeded by his son John Smyth, esq. whose widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Smyth survived him, and afterwards resided in it. She was daughter of Ralph Whitfield, esq. major of the Welsh fuzileers, by whom he left four daughters, Felicia, Elizabeth, Anna Maria, and Dorothea, his coheirs, and they or their respective heirs are now entitled to it.
CHENEYS-COURT is a reputed manor here, which appears in very early times to have been called Hadenesham, and to have been in the possession of Sir Robert de Shurland, a man of great eminence in the reign of king Edward I. who leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried this estate, with other large inheritanbe, in marriage to William de Cheney, of Patricksborne, in whose descendants it continued so long, that they implanted their name on it; at length Sir Thomas Cheney passed it away to John Iden, who died possessed of it in the 4th year of Henry VIII. and one of his descendants, leaving two daughters and coheirs, one of whom married Browne, and the other Barton, the latter of them, in right of his wife, possessed this estate, and in that name it continued till it was at length alienated to Heyward, for Rowland Heyward had the queen's licence, anno 16 Elizabeth, to alienate the messuage and manor, called Chenye-court, to John Long, of Tunbridge; after which it passed to Wolett, and thence to Jordan, and afterwards to that branch of the family of Fane, who were earls of Westmoreland, in which it continued till John, earl of Westmoreland, dying in 1762, s. p. this, among his other estates in this county, is at length, by the limitations of his will, come to the right hon. Thomas, lord le Despencer, who continues the present possessor of it.
There is the appearance of an old manor-pound belonging to it; but there has been no court held for this manor in the memory of man.
THE FAMILY OF SPENCER once possessed an estate in this parish, and resided here for some generations; one of whom John Spencer, esq. was of Chart Sutton, and bore for their arms, Argent, a fess engrailed, in chief three lions rampant, gules, at the latter end of the reign of king Henry VIII. as was his son of the same name afterwards. He left two sons, John and Nicholas, and five daughters, who on their elder brother's death s. p. became his coheirs; and in the beginning of the reign of king Charles I. joined with their respective husbands in the sale of their inheritance in this parish, to Sir Edward Hales, bart. it afterwards passed into the possession of Sir William Drake, and then to Sir Christopher Desbouverie, in whose descendants it has continued in like manner as the rest of his estates in this parish to the present time.
Charities.
RICHARD MASCALL gave by will in 1599, for the better support of the poor the yearly sum of 40s. in land in Ashford, vested in Edward Finch Hatton, esq. and now of the annual produce of 1l. 11s.
JOAN MASCALL gave by will in 1598, for the like use, the annual sum of 10s. in land in this parish, vested in Wm. Spong, and of that annual produce.
The poor constantly maintained by this parish are yearly in number about thirty-five, casually about twenty.
CHART SUTTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton,
The church, which stands near the summit of the hill, at a very small distance from Sutton Valence, is dedicated to St. Michael.
This church has been twice set on fire by lightning: the first time, a few years ago, when it was fortunately soon extinguished; the last time was on April 23, 1779, about seven o'clock in the morning, when in a dreadful storm of thunder, the lightning set fire to the beautiful spire steeple of it, and in about three hours time burnt that and the whole building to ashes, excepting the bare walls; since which it has been rebuilt from a plan of Mr. Henry Holland, junior, architect, at the cost of more than 1,300l. collected by a brief throughout the county from house to house, and a liberal contribution made by the neighbouring gentry and clergy.
The church of Chart was given to the priory of Leeds, soon after the foundation of it; the tithes of every kind, arising from the demesnes of the lord of the parish of Chart, and also twenty shillings annual pension from the church, to be paid by the hands of the rector of it, for ever, for the maintenance of the infirmary of the priory, being assigned and granted by archbishop Richard to the canons of the priory. (fn. 5)
In the year 1320, Walter, archbishop of Canterbury, appropriated this church to the priory, and then admitted William de Shoreham to the vicarage of this church; at which time he, by his instrument, endowed the vicarage of it as follows: first, he ordained and decreed, that every vicar, for the time being, should receive all oblations and obits according to the altar of the church, which the rectors of it used of old to receive, together with the tithes of wool, lambs, calves, hogs, hay, flax, hemp, mills, pears, apples, milk, milk-meats, sheep, and of whatever was planted and sowed in gardens; and also, that the prior and convent should bear and exonerate all burthens, ordinary and extraordinary, happening to the church, as well in books, vestments, reparations and rebuildings of it, as often as need should require, the procurations of the archdeacon, and other burthens antiently belonging to it, or which might in future be laid on it. And he further decressed, that the prior and convent should assign of the soil of the church, one acre and an half of land, lying conveniently for a dwelling for the vicar, and should build for him on it a convenient house for him and his successors to dwell in, and that they should pay to him and his successors, as an augmentation of his living, forty shillings sterling yearly.
On the dissolution of the priory of Leeds, in the reign of Henry VIII. this parsonage, with the advowson of the vicarage, came into the hands of the crown, and was by the king settled in his 32d year, on his newerected dean and chapter of Rochester, part of whose inheritance it remains at this time.
Ā¶On the abolition of deans and chapters, this parsonage was surveyed by order of the state in 1649, when it was returned, that the parsonage, or manorhouse of the parsonage, consisted of a hall, a parlour, kitchen, cellar, buttery, five chambers, three garrets, one dairy-house, barn and stable, with all the tithes thereto belonging, and the tithes of as much of Suttonpark as lay within the precincts of Chart parish, with a court and barn-yard; the whole being valued at fifty pounds per annum, and let by the dean and chapter, anno 26 Charles I. by lease to Sir Edward Hales, bart. and Sir John Hales, his son, for twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 13l 11s. 8d. and one good and seasonable brawn every Christmas, but that the premises were worth over and above, upon improvement, 67l. 3s. 10d. and that the tenant was bound to repair and maintain the chancel of the parish church. At which time the vicarage was valued at thirty-five pounds clear yearly income. (fn. 6)
Among the archives of the dean and chapter of Canterbury is a definitive sentence, made at Cranbrook, anno 1400, concerning the custom and method of taking tithes in this parish, made by Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, in a cause of tithes, between the prior and convent of Ledes and John Hadde, parishioner of this church.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bouverie, of Teston, is the present lessee of this parsonage. The advowson of the vicarage is reserved by the dean and chapter, in their own hands.
The vicarage is valued in the king's books at 8l. 12s. 8Ā½d. and the yearly tenths at 17s. 3Ā¾d. (fn. 7) It is now of the clear yearly certified value of 47l. 11s. 9Ā¼d.
In 1640 it was valued at thirty pounds per annum, Communicants, 212.
The Rev. John Smyth, vicar gave by will in 1732, two hundred pounds as an augmentation, to enable it to receive the benefit of the like sum from queen Anne's bounty, (fn. 8) with which a small farm of twenty pounds per annum in Ashford parish, has been purchased for the benefit of the vicar and his successors.
Made Black Canary's Jacket out of an old cape. Came out better than I thought it would! This 'fig is gonna be epic.
I do not like the way winter will bleach
My skin: I love to be so tanned
That brown, compared to me, is like a beach
Seen in the morning, pale with soaked sand.
Iād rather be azure, an ephemeral
A light blue wasp, dancing in the light
A damselfly, my wings blue and ethereal
My feet translucent, whirling in the flight.
My body is solid, no way for me to fly.
I tried once, as a child, in dreams,
But falling was a shock: I was so high
That I could play hopscotch with the moonbeams.
A child can fly in dreams, reality is so distant
When you grow up you drop, your dreams are but an instant.
(sonnet by SiRiChandra)
I was in the area, checking up on the Heath Spotted Orchids, and the church was a five minute drive away, in the grounds of a former country house.
I park at the church and find it locked, as expected, but there were directions to a keyholder nearby, walking into the cobbled squares and converted estate buildings now executive housing.
I ring the bell: nothing
I ring again: nothing
I use the knocker: dog barks. Dog attacks the door.
There is angry voices. Or voice. There was the sound of the dog being put into a side room, and the struggle to close the door.
The front door opened: yes?
Can I have the church key, please?
Not sure if I still have it.
Why'd you want it?
To photograph the interior.
Who're with?
I'm with no one, I am photographing all parish churches in the county, and would like to do this one. I showed him my driving licence which should say under job title: obsessive and church crawler.
He seemed satisfied, and let me have the key.
Phew.
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Substantially rebuilt after a fire of 1598. The welcoming interior displays no chancel arch, although the doorways in the arcade show where the medieval rood screen ran the width of the church. The striking east window was designed by Wallace Wood in 1954. There is a good aumbry and piscina nearby. To the north of the chancel stands the excellent tomb chest of Sir John Tufton (d. 1624). The arcade into which it is built was lowered to allow a semi-circular alabaster ceiling to be inserted to set the composition off. Because it is completely free-standing it is one of the easiest tomb chests in Kent to study, with five sons kneeling on the south side and four daughters on the north . In addition there are complicated coats of arms and an inscription which records the rebuilding of the church by Tufton after the fire. On top of the chest lie Sir John and his wife, with their son Nicholas kneeling between their heads. Much of the monument is still covered with its original paint. The organ, which stands in the south aisle, may be the instrument on which Sir Arthur Sullivan composed 'The Lost Chord'. It originally stood in Hothfield Place where Sullivan was a frequent guest.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hothfield
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HOTHFIELD
IS the next parish northward from Great Chart, and is so called from the bothe, or heath within it. The greatest part of this parish lies within the hundred of Chart and Longbridge, and the remainder in that of Calehill. It is in the division of East Kent.
THE PARISH of Hothfield lies a little more than two miles from Ashford north-westward, the high road from which towards Lenham and Maidstone goes through it over Hothfield heath. It contains about 1250 acres, and fifty houses, the rents of it are about 1300l. per annum. It is not a pleasant, nor is it accounted a healthy situation, owing probably to the many low and watry lands in and about it. The river Stour, which rises at Lenham, runs along the southern side of the parish, which is watered likewise by several small streams, which rise about Charing and Westwell, from under the chalk hills, and join the Stour here. The heath, which contains near one half of the parish, consists mostly of a deep sand, and has much peat on it, which is continually dug by the poor for firing. On the east and west sides of the heath, the latter being called West-street, are two hamlets of houses, which form the scattered village of Hothfield. The Place-house stands on a hill, at a small distance from the corner of the heath southward, with some small plantations of trees about it, forming a principal object to the country round it. It is a square mansion, built of Portland stone, by the late earl of Thanet, on the scite of the antient mansion, close to the church; it has a good prospect round it. The adjoining grass grounds are extensive, and well laid out for the view over them; the water, which rises at no great distance from the house, becomes very soon a tolerable sized stream, and running on in sight of it, joins the Stour a little above Worting mill; these grass lands are fertile and good fatting land, like those mentioned before, near Godington, in Great Chart. The parsonage house, which is a neat dwelling of white stucco, stands at the southern corner of the heath, at the foot of the hill, adjoining the Place grounds, near West-street. Between the heath and Potter's corner, towards Ashford, the soil begins to approach much of the quarry stone.
Though the land in the parish is naturally poor, it is rendered productive by the chalk and lime procured from the down hills. The inhabitants have an unlimited right of commoning with those of the adjoining parish of Westwell, to upwards of five hundred acres of common, which affords them the means of keeping a cow and their poultry, which, with the liberty of digging peat, draws a number of certificated poor to reside here. There is not one dissenter in the parish.
Jack Cade, the noted rebel, in Henry the VI.th's reign, though generally supposed to be taken by Alexander Iden, esq. the sheriff, in a field belonging to Ripple manor, in the adjoining parish of Westwell, was discovered, as some say, in a field in this parish, still named from him, Jack Cade's field, now laid open with the rest of the grounds adjoining to Hothfieldplace.
The plant caryophyllata montena, or water avens, which is a very uncommon one, grows in a wood near Barber's hill, in this parish.
THE MANOR OF HOTHFIELD seems, in very early times, to have had the same owners as the barony of Chilham, and to have continued so, for a considerable length of time after the descendants of Fulbert de Dover were become extinct here. Bartholomew de Badlesmere, who in the 5th year of king Edward II. had a grant of this manor as well as of Chilham in see, appears to have held this manor of Hothfield by grand sergeantry of the archbishop, and accordingly, in the 8th year of it, at the enthroning of archbishop Walter Reynolds, he made his claim, and was allowed to perform the office of chamberlain for that day, and to serve up the water, for the archbishop to wash his hands; for which his fees were, the furniture of his bedchamber, and the bason and towel made use of for that purpose; (fn. 1) and in the next year he obtained of the king, a charter of free-warren for his demesne lands within this manor among others. After this the manor of Hothfield continued to be held by the like service, and continued in the same owners as that of Chilham, (fn. 2) down to Thomas lord Roos, who became entitled to the see of it, who for his attachment to the house of Lancaster, was, with others, attainted, in the 1st year of king Edward IV.'s reign, and his lands confiscated to the crown. But Margaret his mother, being possessed of it for her life, afterwards married Roger Wentworth, esq. whom she survived, and died possessed of it in the 18th year of that reign; upon which, by reason of the above attaint, the crown became entitled to it, the inquisition for which was found in the 4th year of that reign; immediately after which, the king granted it to Sir John Fogge, of Repton, who was comptroller of his household and one of his privy council, for his life. On king Richard III.'s accession to the crown, he took shelter in the abbey of Westminster, from whence he was invited by the king, who in the presence of a numerous assembly gave him his hand, and bid him be confident that from thenceforward he was sure to him in affection. This is rather mentioned, as divers chronicles have erroneously mentioned that he was an attorney, whom this prince had pardoned for forgery. He died possessed of it in the 17th year of Henry VII. where it remained till Henry VIII. granted it, at the very latter end of his reign, to John Tufton, esq. of Northiam, in Sussex, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of 2 and 3 Edward VI. who afterwards resided at Hothfield, where he kept his shrievalty in the 3d year of queen Elizabeth. He was descended from ancestors who were originally written Toketon, and held lands in Rainham, in this county, as early as king John's reign; (fn. 3) one of whom was seated at Northiam, in Sussex, in king Richard the IId.'s reign, at which time they were written as at present, Tufton, and they continued there till John Tufton, esq. of Northiam, before-mentioned, removed hither. He died in 1567, and was buried in this church, leaving one son John Tufton, who resided at Hothfield-place, and in July, in the 16th year of queen Elizabeth, anno 1573, entertained the queen here, in her progress through this county. In the 17th year of that reign he was sheriff, and being a person of eminent repure and abilities, he was knighted by king James, in his 1st year, and created a baronet at the first institution of that order, on June 19, 1611. He married Olimpia, daughter and heir of Christopher Blower, esq. of Sileham, in Rainham, by whom he had three daughters; and secondly Christian, daughter and coheir of Sir Humphry Brown, a justice of the common pleas. He died in 1624, and was buried in this church, having had by her several sons and daughters. Of the former, Nicholas the eldest, succeeded him in title and estates. Sir Humphry was of Bobbing and the Mote, in Maidstone, and Sir William was of Vinters, in Boxley, both baronets, of whom further mention has already been made in the former parts of this history.
Sir Nicholas Tufton, the eldest son, was by letters patent, dated Nov. 1, anno 2 Charles I. created lord Tufton, baron of Tufton, in Sussex; and on August 5, in the 4th year of that reign, earl of the Isle of Thanet, in this county. He had four sons and nine daughters; of the former, John succeeded him in honors, and Cecil, was father of Sir Charles Tufton, of Twickenham, in Middlesex. John, the eldest son, second earl of Thanet, married in 1629 Margaret, eldest daughter and coheir of Richard, earl of Dorset, by his wife the lady Anne Clifford, sole daughter and heir of George, earl of Cumberland, and baroness of Clifford, Westmoreland, and Vescy, by which marriage these tithes descended afterwards to their issue. In the time of the commonwealth, after king Charles the 1st.'s death, he was, in 1654, appointed sheriff, and however inconsistent it might be to his rank, yet he served the office. He left six sons and six daughters, and was succeeded by Nicholas his eldest son, third earl of Thanet, who by the deaths of his mother in 1676, and of his cousin-german Alethea, then wife of Edward Hungerford, esq. who died s. p. in 1678, he became heir to her, and sole heir to his grandmother Anne, lady Clifford, and consequently to the baronies of Clifford, Westmoreland, and Vescy; dying s. p. he was succeeded as earl of Thanet and lord Clifford, &c. by his next brother John, who, on his mother's death, succeeded likewise by her will to her large estates in Yorkshire and Westmoreland, and to the hereditary in sheriffdoms of the latter and of Cumberland likewise, for it frequently happened in these hereditary sheriffdoms that female heirs became possessed of them, and consequently were sheriffs of those districts; but this was not at all an unusual thing, there being many frequent instances of women bearing that office, as may be seen in most of the books in which any mention is made of it, some instances of which the reader may see in the differtation on the office of sheriff, in vol. i. of this history. That part of their office which was incompatible for a woman to exercise, was always executed by a deputy, or shyre-clerk, in their name. But among the Harleian MSS. is a very remarkable note taken from Mr. Attorney-general Noys reading in Lincoln's inn, in 1632, in which, upon a point, whether the office of a justice of a forest might be executed by a woman; it was said, that Margaret, countess of Richmond, mother to king Henry VII. was a justice of peace; that the lady Bartlet, perhaps meant for Berkley, was also made a justice of the peace by queen Mary, in Gloucestershire; and that in Suffolk one ..... Rowse, a woman, did usually fit upon the bench at assizes and sessions among other justices, gladio cincta. John, earl of Thanet, died unmarried, as did his next brother earl Richard, so that the titles devolved to Thomas Tufton, who became the sixth earl of Thanet, and lord Clifford, which latter title was decreed to him by the house of peers in 1691. He left surviving issue five daughters and coheirs, the eldest of whom, Catherine, married Ed. Watson, viscount Sondes, son and heir of Lewis, earl of Rockingham; and the four others married likewise into noble families. He died at Hothfield in 1729, having by his will bequeathed several legacies to charitable purposes, especially towards the augmentation of small vicarages and curacies. He died without male issue, so that the titles of earl of Thanet and baron Tufton, and of baronet, descended to his nephew Sackville Tufton, eldest surviving son of his brother Sackville Tufton, fifth son of John, second earl of Thanet. But the title of baroness Clifford, which included those of Westmoreland and Vescy, upon the death of Thomas, earl of Thanet, without male issue, became in abeyance between his daughters and coheirs above-mentioned, and in 1734, king George II. confirmed that barony to Margaret, his third surviving daughter and coheir, married to Thomas Coke, lord Lovel, afterwards created earl of Leicester, which title is now again in abeyance by his death s. p. Which Sackville Tufton died in 1721, leaving Sackville the seventh earl of Thanet, whose eldest son of the same name succeeded him as eighth earl of Thanet, and rebuilt the present mansion of Hothfield-place, in which he afterwards resided, but being obliged to travel to Italy for his health, he died there at Nice in 1786, and was brought to England, and buried in the family vault at Rainham, in this county, where his several ancestors, earls of Thanet, with their countesses, and other branches of the family, lie deposited, from the time of their first accession to that title. He married Mary, daughter of lord John Philip Sackville, sister of the present duke of Dorset, by whom he had five sons and two daughters, Elizabeth; and Caroline married to Joseph Foster Barham, esq. Of the former, Sackville, born in 1769, succeeded him in honors; Charles died unmarried; John is M. P. for Appleby; Henry is M. P. for Rochester, and William. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the present right hon. Sackville Tufton, earl of Thanet, baron Tufton, lord of the honor of Skipton, in Craven, and baronet, and hereditary sheriff of the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland, who is the present possessor of this manor and seat, and resides here, and is at present unmarried. (fn. 4)
The antient arms of Tufton were, Argent, on a pale, sable, an eagle displayed of the field; which coat they continued to bear till Nicholas Tufton, the first earl of Thanet, on his obtaining that earldom, altered it to that of Sable, an eagle displayed, ermine, within a bordure, argent; which coat was confirmed by Sir William Segar, garter, in 1628, and has been borne by his descendants to the present time. The present earl of Thanet bears for his coat of arms that last-mentioned; for his crest, On a wreath, a sea lion, seiant, proper; and for his supporters, Two eagles, their wings expanded, ermine.
SWINFORT, or Swinford, which is its more proper name, is a manor in this parish, lying in the southern part of it, near the river Stour, and probably took its name from some ford in former times over it here. However that be, it had formerly proprietors, who took their name from it; but they were never of any eminence, nor can I discover when they became extinct here; only that in king Henry V.'s reign it was in the possession of Bridges, descended from John atte Bregg, one of those eminent persons, whose effigies, kneeling and habited in armour, was painted in the window often mentioned before, in Great Chart church; and in this family the manor of Swinford continued till the latter end of king James I.'s reign, when it passed by sale from one of them to Sir Nicholas Tufton, afterwards created earl of Thanet, whose son John, earl of Thanet, before the 20th year of that reign, exchanged it for other lands, which lay more convenient to him, with his near neighbour Nicholas Toke, esq. of Godinton, in which family and name it has continued down, in like manner as that feat, to Nicholas Roundell Toke, esq. now of Godinton, the present possessor of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
FAUSLEY, or FOUSLEY, as it is now usually called, is the last manor to be described in this parish; its more antient name was Foughleslee, or, as it was usually pronounced, Faulesley; which name it gave to owners who in early times possessed and resided at it. John de Foughleslee, of Hothfield, was owner of it in the second year of king Richard II. and in his descendants this manor seems to have continued till about the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, when it passed by sale to Drury; from which name, at the latter end of it, this manor was conveyed to Paris, who immediately afterwards alienated it to Bull, who soon afterwards reconveyed it back again to the same family, whence, in the next reign of king James I. it was sold to Sir Nicholas Tufton, afterwards created earl of Thanet, in whose successors, earls of Thanet, it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
Charities.
RICHARD PARIS, by deed in 1577, gave for the use of the poor, a rent charge of 16s. per annum, out of land called Hanvilles, in this parish; the trustees of which have been long ago deceased, and no new ones appointed since.
THOMAS KIPPS, gent. of Canterbury, by will in 1680, gave for the use of the same, an annual rent charge of 1l. out of lards in Great Chart.
RICHARD MADOCKE, clothier, of this parish, by will in 1596, ordered that the 11l. which he had lent to the parishioners of Hothfield, towards the rebuilding of their church, should, when repaid, be as a stock to the poor of this parish for ever.
SIR JOHN TUFTON, knight and baronet, and Nicholas his son, first earl of Thanet, by their wills in 1620 and in 1630, gave certain sums of money, with which were purchased eight acres of land in the parish of Kingsnoth, of the annual produce of 10l.
DR. JOHN GRANDORGE, by deed in 1713, gave a house and land in Newington, near Hythe, of the annual produce of 7l. which premises are vested in the earl of Thanet.
THOMAS, EARL OF THANET, and SACKVILLE TUFTON. Esq. grandfather of the present earl, by their deeds in 1720 and 1726, gave for a school mistress to teach 24 poor children, a rent charge and a house and two gardens, in Hothfield, the produce in money 20l. The premises were vested in Sir Penyston Lambe and Dr. John Grandorge, long since deceased; since which the trust has not been renewed; and the original writings are in the earl of Thanet's possession.
Such of the above benefactions as have been contributed by the Tufton family, have been ordered by their descendants to be distributed annually by the steward of Hothfield-place for the time being, without the interference of the parish officers, to such as received no relief from this parish; the family looking upon these rather as a private munisicence intended to continue under their direction.
The poor annually relieved are about twenty-five, casually as many.
HOTHFIELD is situated within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Charing.
Ā¶The church, which is small, is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of three isles and a chancel, having a low spire steeple, covered with shingles at the west end, in which are five bells, and though it stands on a hill, is yet very damp. There is not any painted glass in the windows of it. On the north side in it, is a monument of curious workmanship, having the figures of a man and woman, in full proportion, lying at length on it; at three corners of it are those of two sons and one daughter, kneeling, weeping, all in white marble; round the edges is an inscription, for Sir John Tufton, knight and baronet, and Olympia his wife, daughter and heir of Christopher Blower, esq. On the monument are the arms of Tufton, with quarterings and impalements; on the sides are two inscriptions, one, that he re-edified this church after it was burnt, at his own charge, and under it made a vault for himself and his posterity, and after that he had lived eighty years, departed this life; the other enumerating his good qualities, and saying that by his will he gave perpetual legacies to this parish and that of Rainham. This monument is parted off from the north isle by a strong partition of wooden balustrades, seven feet high. The vault underneath is at most times several feet deep with water, and the few coffins which were remaining in it were some years since removed to the vaults at Rainham, where this family have been deposited ever since. On the north side of the chancel is a smaller one, formerly called St. Margaret's chapel, now shut up, and made no use of. In the south isle is a memorial for Rebecca, wife of William Henman, esq. obt. 1739, and Anna-Rebecca, their daughter, obt. 1752; arms, A lion, between three mascles, impaling a bend, cotized, engrailed. This church, which is a rectory, was always esteemed an appendage to the manor, and has passed accordingly, in like manner with it, down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, lord of the manor of Hothfield, the present patron of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 17l. 5s. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 14s. 6d.
There was a pension of ten shillings paid from it to the college of Wye. In 1588 here were communicants one hundred and ninety-three, and it was valued at eighty pounds. In 1640, communicants one hundred and ninety, and valued at only sixty pounds per annum. There is a modus of two pence an acre of the pasture lands in the parish. There are twelve acres of glebe. It is now worth about one hundred and twenty pounds per annum.
Richard Hall, of this parish, by will in 1524, ordered that his feoffees should enfeoffe certain honest persons in his house and garden here, set beside the pelery, to the intent that the yearly serme of them should go to the maintenance of the rode-light within the church.
This church was burnt down in the reign of king James I. and was rebuilt at the sole expence of Sir John Tufton, knight and baronet, who died in 1624. His descendant Thomas, earl of Thanet, who died in 1729, gave the present altar-piece, some of the pewing, and the pulpit.
Day 3 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 May 2017.
Not expecting many views etc. Just put these up because my Liverpool supporting son and I (an ardent Hammers fan) got a couple of tickets for the match last Sunday. Shame we lost, but my son was delighted. He couldn't show it since he was sitting in amongst home supporters. Anyway, quite pleased with the pictures. You may recognise some of the players if you follow football. I suspect most of my followers don't. Too busy out birding etc. Posted for Eleanor (too busy gardening).
Based on a description by the tour guide I expected this park to be much larger that it actually was. However, it is an attractive public space.
The People's Park, in Pery Square, is the principal park in Limerick City. It was formally opened in 1877, in memory of Richard Russell, a prominent local businessman.
Item of interest in the Park include the:
Drinking Fountain, provided by employees of Russell Flour Mills Former Carnegie Library, built on park ground, and now the City Art Gallery Children's Playground (toddlers - 10years old), provided in 2001 Remembrance Plaque, unveiled in 2002 Memorial to Thomas Spring Rice, M.P. for the city 1820-1832 Band Stand, erected by the Corporation of Limerick in 1895 Two Park Shelters, one of which was recently renovated under a Limerick Civic Trust/ Fas Environmental Project and the second of which is currently undergoing renovation.
The park has a large selection of mature, deciduous and evergreen trees such as, Ash, Beech, Birch, Elm, False Acacia, Flowering Cherry, Flowering Crab, Hawthorn, Holly, Hornbeam, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Maple, Mountain Ash, Oak, Ornamental Pear, Plane, Poplar, Walnut, Whitebeam and Willow plus, of course, a wonderful display of flowers during the summer months.
The parks opening hours are: 8am to dusk, and8am to 9pm from the 3rd week in April to the 4th week in August
The People's Park recently won the Best Local Park Special Category Award, 2003, in a new City Neighbourhood Competition run by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The competition, introduced in the 5 major cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, aims to replicate the success of Tidy Towns in a city context.
I never study a church before I go, maybe that's a fault on my part because I might miss something important and so have to go back. But for me, it's the wonder as you walk through the porch or door into the church, not knowing what to expect.
St Mary's looks like a typical Suffolk church from the outside, nice proportioned tower, good quality flint knapping. And yet once you enter, your breath is taken away by the glorious restored ceiling.
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It is not easy to find Huntingfield; even the signposts do not bear its name until you are within the parish boundary. Yet this shallow valley, divided by the infant river Blyth, with church and parsonage on one bank and manor house on the other, has been owned by some notable families in England's history.
The church is a Grade 1 Listed Building, largely due to its amazing Victorian painted ceiling.
The existing church certainly dates from the 11th century but there are signs that there had been a chapel here long before.
Some fragments of carved stones are set into the wall of the tower. At the beginning of this century they were turned up by a ploughman in a field called 'Chapel Field', a little to the south of the present church. They are fragments from a Saxon stone coffin and standing cross of the 10th century, long since disappeared.
The oldest part of the church is the wall between the nave and the north aisle which was the solid outer wall of the original twelfth century church. That church would have been small and dark, the whole building probably standing within the area of the present nave. The light would have come from small high windows of which one still remains above the two round-headed arches.
This wall has been altered at least twice. It was first broken through when the north aisle was built, and again in the nineteenth century when the arches were given their present 'Norman' curves. That first church was built by the family who took their name from the village and lived in the manor for 250 years, the Lords de Huntingfield.
The chancel was added in the thirteenth century.
By the end of the fourteenth, the south side of the nave had been altered and both aisles had been built in the fashionable Gothic style with its pointed arches. The five small high, or clerestory, windows on the south side of the nave would have provided light into the nave, the advent of affordable glass having made such things possible.
The east window of the south aisle has all that remains of the medieval glass that would once have filled many of the windows. There is a record of what was still to be seen here in the sixteenth century which lists the memorial windows with the coats of arms borne by the families who once owned the Manor.
The windows of the south aisle are particularly pretty and date from the fifteenth century. Their Perpendicular style is indicated by their familiar flat-topped shape. The porch is also from the fifteenth century.
The font dates from the fourteenth century.
The ceiling painting is very special and is explained on a separate page. The work was carried out in the 19th century while William Holland was rector. At the same time the organ and vestry were added with the Vanneck family vault beneath.
The ceiling is a masterpiece of Victorian church decoration, painted from end to end in brilliant colours, with carved and coloured angels, with banners, crowns and shields, all in the medieval style and of a most intricate and detailed finish.
The scheme of decoration is important as it reflects the ecclestiastical devotion of the late Victorian period clergy and their patrons, combined with the heightened liturgical practices of the Oxford Movement.
It was painted by Mildred Holland, the wife of William Holland who was rector for 44 years from 1848 until his death in 1892. The church was closed for eight months from September 1859 to April 1860 while she painted the chancel roof. Tradesmen provided scaffolding and prepared the ceiling for painting but there is no record to show that she had any help with the work, and legend has it that she did much of it lying on her back. We may imagine Victorian ladies wearing tight laced corsets and many petticoats, and wonder how she managed the ladders, scaffolding and hard labour of painting. She had an adviser on her schemes, a Mr. E. L. Blackburne F.S.A., an authority on medieval decoration.
The twelve large panels of the chancel ceiling each show an angel holding either a scroll with the words of the canticle 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel', or the emblems of the Passion: the cross, the hammer and nails, the scourge, the lance, the crown of thorns and the reed.
Two pelicans in their piety (pecking their breasts to feed their young) are in the last small panels.
Between the beam ends of the chancel roof there are Bible verses in Gothic lettering,
then two tiers of panels; the lower have pictures of the Lamb of God alternating with`the Keys of Heaven. Above, are crowned monograms.
Above the Chancel Arch, the Lamb of God is depicted with the words 'Glory, Honour, Praise and Power unto the Lamb for Ever and Ever', lines taken from the Book of Revelation.
Three years later Mildred Holland began to paint again in the nave. In 1866 her husband William makes a note 'scaffolding finally taken down, September Ist'. The whole cost of repairing the nave roof, preparing it for painting and for materials amounted to Ā£247.10s.7d of which Ā£16.7s.6d was for 225 books of gold leaf and Ā£72 for colours. William Holland's notes show that between 1859 and 1882 a total of Ā£2,034. 10s.0d was spent on the church restoration, of which, apparently, he gave all but Ā£400.
Recent research has found the complete record of William Holland's work in restoring and furnishing the church. These are available for interested students.
The figures on the nave roof are of the twelve apostles and two female saints. Each is painted in the lower tier with their traditional symbols and again in the upper tier clothed in heavenly raiment holding scrolls bearing their names.
Note that Saints Margaret and Andrew are both included as there is a tradition that these two saints were specially venerated here. There are niches for statues in the south aisle which may have held statues of them. The cult of St Margaret of Antioch grew in the 10th century and her veneration was brought back to England by crusaders. Her inclusion here may hint at an early date for the church's foundation.
Mildred Holland died in 1878; William served on until 1892, a total of forty years. He gave the font cover in memory of his wife and also the brass lectern with its graceful angels and winged dragons. Their graves are in the churchyard to the west of the entrance gates. Side by side they lie, beneath a table tomb alongside a standing cross.
It is natural to speculate about the roof. It is of a single hammer-beam construction, arch-braced principals alternating with hammer-beams ending in carved angels. The angels in the nave carry a crown or a banner, those in the chancel have heraldic shields bearing arms. The question all ask is: are these angels genuinely medieval work which escaped the axes of the post-Reformation Puritans, (and remember that William Dowsing, the arch-destroyer, came from nearby Laxfield) or are they all the handiwork of Victorian craftsmen?
Traditional East Anglian hammer-beam roofs generally terminate in a carving of some sort, and the de la Poles made angel roofs in the churches of their manors, even taking Suffolk carpenters to Ewelme in Oxfordshire to make one there. But our angels are too perfect to be so old. Entries in a tradesman's account of 1865 would seem to settle the matter; or do they?
The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were times of great development and two families, both wealthy and influential, used their means to beautify and rebuild the churches on their manors including St Mary's. Keeping up with the neighbours is not a new fashion. Both left their marks on the font which, standing on restored steps and with a splendid cover, shows two heraldic shields.
The shield facing south depicts the arms of de Ufford while that on the north side is of de la Pole.
The de Ufford shield is that of Sir William de Ufford, Earl of Suffolk during the reign of Edward III. He held Framlingham Castle for the King and owned several manors in Suffolk. Among these were Parham, where he built the church, and Huntingfield.
The other shield is that of Michael de la Pole, Lord Chancellor and Earl of Suffolk, who married Catherine, daughter and heiress of Sir John Wingfield of Wingfield Castle. He succeeded to the manor of Huntingfield through his wife, and died in 1389. The shield shows both of their arms.
Michael de la Pole's has three polecat faces while Catherine Wingfield's has three open wings. Both are puns on their names. (For another heraldic pun look for the arms of Huntingfield being held by one of the angels in the roof: three hunting horns on a 'field'.)
In Ufford church you can see a medieval font cover which was a model for ours when it was made in the nineteenth century. In Wingfield church there is a font so like ours that it was probably made by the same craftsman.
www.stmaryshuntingfield.org.uk/history.htm
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There is nowhere else in Suffolk quite like St Mary. Huntingfield is one of the county's most obscure villages; there are hardly any signposts to it. It is the nearest village to the great pile of Heveningham Hall, and perhaps these two facts are not unconnected. But it is worth getting out the old Ordnance Survey map, because here at St Mary was a remarkable 19th century restoration.
In the second half of that century, many parish churches were drawn by the excitement of the age into major reconstructions and revisions. They often looked to London stars like Scott and Butterfield, or local plodders like Phipson, or else mavericks like Salvin. The demands of the new liturgical arrangements, coupled with a renewed sense of the need to glorify God, led them into what was often a rebuilding rather than a restoration. Internal decorations were, perhaps, the bespoke work of the architect; witness Phipson's meticulous attention to detail at St Mary le Tower, Ipswich.
Other restorers relied on the big picture, a vision that encompassed walls and floors, but left the fittings to others; as, for example, Salvin's Flixton St Mary. What was the driving force behind Victorian revisionism? Essentially, what happened in England between about 1830 and 1870 was a cultural revolution, a ferment of new ideas and the reaction to them. The changes proposed by the Oxford Movement were, at first, objectionable, and then merely controversial; but gradually, they seeped into the mainstream, until by about 1890 they had become as natural as the air we breathe.
By the centenary of the movement in the 1930s, one Anglican clergyman could observe "It is as if the Reformation had never happened". Well, not quite. And now, the pendulum has swung the other way, leaving the ritualists high and dry. But the evidence of the energy of those days survives, especially at Huntingfield, where it was the local vicar who drove the Oxford Movement through the heart of the parish, like a motorway through a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
What the vicar of Huntingfield had, and many other ministers didn't, was a visionary wife. Between 1859 and 1866, Mrs Mildred Holland planned, designed and executed the most elaborate redecoration of a church this county had seen since the Reformation. For seven years, she lay on her back at the top of scaffolding, first in the chancel (angels) and then in the nave (saints on the ceilure, fine angels on the beam ends), gilding, lettering and painting this most glorious of small church roofs. Her husband, the Reverend William Holland, kept a journal throughout this period, and there is no suggestion that she had any assistance, beyond that of workmen to raise the scaffolding, and a Mr E.L. Blackburne FSA, who was, apparently, an 'authority on medieval decoration'.
J.P. St Aubyn was responsible for the structural restoration of this largely 15th century building, and it is very restrained and merciful. He did, however, refit the little windows in the south clerestory. But you come here to see the painted roofs, which are perfectly splendid. Beware if you come with children, or it will cost you a fortune in pound coins to activate the illuminations.
The font cover is not part of Mildred Holland's work; rather, it is her memorial, as is the art nouveau lectern. It is as if her art was a catalyst, inspiring others to acts of beauty. She died in the 1870s, predeceasing her husband by twenty years. They are both now buried by the churchyard gate. How fitting, that they should lie in the graveyard of the church they loved so much, and to which they gave so much of their time, energy and money.
Curiously, Ann Owen, the wife of the vicar of nearby Heveningham, produced the stained glass there; a novel is waiting to be written about these two women.
For such an obscure village, St Mary has had its share of influential patrons. Four major families in particular have left their mark here. Before the Reformation, the de la Poles and Uffords, whose shields you'll find on the font, and in later years the Cokes and the Pastons, both more usually associated with Norfolk.
But, as I have said, you don't come to Huntingfield because of important dead people. Look up, look all around, and see the true memorial to Mrs Holland. It does not have the gravitas of Lound, or the piety of Kettlebaston. And I really love it for that. I think this is a place that should be better known, and not just because of the way it contrasts with the less successful 19th century restorations at neighbouring Cookley and Walpole.
What we have here is as fine a display of 19th century folk art as you'll find anywhere in the county.
Simon Knott, 2001 (updated 2007)
I had no idea what to expect at Yalding, either the town or church. Jools realised it was near to West Farleigh, so we went to investigate.
Across what looked like a canal and then the river via an old pack bridge, with the tower of the church on the far bank.
The town, or this part of it, stretched either side of the High Street, and once parked, we approach the church down an alleyway and I see the porch doors open; a good sign.
I explained what I was at the church for: are you going to be long, I was asked.
As quick as I can be.
What I found was a huge parish church, the back of which had been converted into a community space, with a fitted kitchen, wooden floor for use possible as a gym or space for yoga, and the east kept as a fine parish church, filled with monuments, memorials and fine fixtures and fittings. Three wardens were tidying up preparing for Candlemass the next day.
I go round taking shots, taking nearly and hour to do so, as there was so much detail.
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The little cupola on the west tower is topped by a weathervane dated 1734, and summons us to a large church, heavily restored in the 1860s, but worth travelling a long way to see. The nave roof has two interesting features - one is a form of celure or canopy of honour over the third bay from the west. It must have served some long-forgotten purpose. At the east end of the nave there is a real Canopy of Honour in its more usual position over the chancel arch. The south transept contains many interesting features - niches in the walls, bare stonework walls and a good arcaded tomb chest recessed into the south wall. There is a telling string course that suggests a thirteenth-century date, although the two windows in its east wall are Decorated in style. The most recent feature in the church - and by far the most important - is the engraved glass window in the chancel. It was engraved by Laurence Whistler in 1979 and commemorates Edmund Blunden, the First World War poet. It depicts a trench, barbed wire, a shell-burst and verses from Blunden's poems. This feature apart it is the nineteenth-century work that dominates Yalding - especially the awful encaustic tiles with arrow-like designs, the crude pulpit with symbols of the evangelists and the poor quality pews. The glass isn't much better, the Light of the World in the south chancel window being especially poor, but the south window of the south transept (1877) showing scenes from the Life of Christ redeems the state of the art.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Yalding
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YALDING.
NORTH-WESTWARD from Hunton lies Yalding, antiently written Ealding, which signifies the antient meadow or low ground.
Most of this parish is in the hundred of Twyford, and the rest of it, viz. the borough of Rugmerhill, is in the antient demesne of Aylesford. That part of this parish, which holds of the manor of West Farleigh, is in the borough of West Farleigh, and the borsholder thereof ought to be chosen at the court leet there, and so much thereof as is held of the manor of Hunton, is in the borough of Hunton, and the borsholder thereof is chosen at the court leet there; and the inhabitants of neither of these boroughs owe service to the court holden for the hundred of Twyford, within which hundred they both are; but at that court a constable for that hundred may be chosen out of either of these boroughs.
THIS PARISH lying southward of the quarry hills, is within the district of the Weald. It is but narrow, but extends full four miles in length from north to south, the upper or northern part reaches up to the quarry hill adjoining to West Farleigh, near which is Yalding down, on which is a large kiln for the purpose of burning pit coal into coke, which is effected by laying the coal under earth, and when set on fire quenching the cinders; the method is used in making charcoal from wood, the former particularly is much used in the oasts for the drying of hops, so profitably encouraged in this neighbourhood. Below it, near the river Medway, its western boundary in this part, opposite to Nettlested, stands the seat of Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. a retired, but not an ill chosen situation. It was for several generations the residence of the family of Kinward, which from the reign of king Henry VIII. was possessed of good estates in this parish and its neighbourhood, and bore for their arms, Azure, on a bend or, three roses gules, between three cross-croslets, fitchee argent. Robert Kenward, esq. of Yalding, resided here, and dying in 1720, was buried with the rest of his family in this church; he left a son John, and several daughters, of whom the third, Martha, married the late Sir Gregory Page, bart. and died S. P. John Kenward, esq. the son, died in 1749, leaving by Alicia his wife, youngest daughter of Francis Brooke, esq. of Rochester, one daughter and heir Alicia, who carried this seat and a considerable estate in this neighbourhood to Sir John Shaw, bart. late of Eltham, whose eldest son, Sir John Gregory Shaw, bart. is the present owner of it, and resides here. (fn. 1). In this part of the parish the land is kindly both for corn and hops, of which there are several plantations, and round the down there are some rich grass lands, but further southward where the parish extends to Brenchley, Horsemonden, and Mar den, it is rather a sorlorn country, the land lying very low, and the soil is exceeding wet and miry, and much of it very poor, and greatly subject to rushes, being a stiff unfertile clay; the hedge rows are broad and interspersed with quantities of large spreading oak trees.
The river Medway flows from Tunbridge along the west side of the upper part of this parish as mentioned before, there are across it here two bridges, Twyford and Brandt bridge, leading hither from Watringbury, Nettlested and East Peckham; a small stream, which comes from Marden, and is here called the Twist, flows through the lower part of this parish towards the west side of it, and joins the main river at Twyford bridge, which extends over both of them; another larger stream being a principal head of the Medway flowing from Style-bridge by Hunton clappers, separating these two parishes, joins the main river, about a quarter of a mile below Twyford bridge; on the conflux of these two larger streams the town of Yalding is situated, having a long narrow stone bridge of communication from one part of the town to the other, on the opposite bank of the Hunton stream. Leland who lived in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, calls it a a praty townelet, to which however at present it has no pretensions. The church and court-lodge stand at the north end of the town. A fair is held in it on WhitMonday, and on October 15, yearly. The high road over Teston bridge, and through West Farleigh, leads through the town, and thence southward along the hamlets of Denover and Collens-street to Marden; at a small distance from the former is the borough of Rugmarhill, esteemed to be within the antient demesne of Aylesford, belonging to Mrs. Milner.
Adjoining the town southward is Yalding lees, over which there is another high road, which leads from Twyford bridge, parallel with the other before-mentioned, along the hamlet of Lodingford, and thence through the lower part of this parish towards Brenchley, near the boundaries of which in this parish is an estate still called Oldlands, which appears in king Edward II's reign to have been part of the demesne lands of the manor of Yalding, for he then confirmed to the priory of Tunbridge a rent charge to be received out of the asserts of the old and new lands of the late Richard de Clare, in Dennemannesbrooke, which he had given to it on its foundation; lower down, close to the stream of the Twist, is the manor house of Bockingsold, the lands of which extend across the river into Brenchley and Horsemonden and other parishes.
A third high road over Brandt bridge passes along the western bounds of this parish, over Betsurn-green towards Lamberhurst and Sussex.
A new commission of sewers under the great seal, was not many years ago obtained to scour and cleanse that branch of the river Medway, or if I may so call it, the Yalding river from Goldwell in Great Chart, through Smarden, Hunton, and other intermediate parishes to its junction with the Rain river, at a place called Stickmouth, a little below the town of Yalding.
The commissioners for the navigation of the river Medway, about twenty years ago, made a navigable cut or canal, from a place in the river called Hampsted, where they judiciously constructed a lock to a place in the river near Twyford bridge, where they erected a tumbling bay for the water, when at a certain height, to pass over. The contrivance of this cut from one bend or angle of the river to the other, is of the greatest utility to the navigation, by not only shortening the passage, but by baying up a convenient depth of water, which they could not have had along the lees, and other adjoining low lands on each side of that part of the river, which is avoided by it, or at least not without a very great expence.
At the river here the barges are loaded with timber, great guns, bullets, &c. for Chatham and Sheerness docks, London, and other parts, and bring back coals, and other commodities for the supply of the neighbouring country.
In 1757 a large eel was caught in the river here, which measured five feet nine inches in length, and eighteen inches in girt, and weighed upwards of forty pounds.
THE MANOR OF YALDING, or Ealding, as it was usually written, was, after the conquest, part of the possessions of the eminent family of Clare, who became afterwards earls of Gloucester and Hertford, (fn. 2) the ancestor of whom, Richard Fitz Gilbert, came into England with William the Conqueror, and gave him great assistance in the memorable battle of Hastings, and in respect of his near alliance in blood to the king, he was advanced to great honor, and had large possessions bestowed upon him, both in Normandy and England; among the latter was this estate of Yalding, as appears from the survey of Domesday, taken in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, in which it is thus entered, under the title of Terra Richardi F. Gislebti:
Richard de Tonebridge holds Ealdinges, and Aldret held it of king Edward, and then and now it was taxed at two sulings. The arable land is sixteen carucates. There are two churches (viz. Yalding and Brenchley) and fifteen servants, and two mills of twenty-five shillings, and four fisheries of one thousand and seven hundred eels, all but twenty. There are five acres of pasture, and wood for the pannage of one hundred and fifty hogs.
In the time of king Edward the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth thirty pounds, now twenty pounds, on account of the lands lying waste to that amount.
The above-mentioned Richard Fitz Gilbert, at the latter end of the Conqueror's reign, was usually called Richard de Tonebridge, from his possessions and residence there, and his descendants took the name of Clare, for the like reason of their possessing that honor. His descendant, Gilbert, son of Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, owned it in the reign of king Henry III. and in the 21st year of Edward I. he claimed before the justices itinerant, and was allowed all the privileges of a manor.
Ā¶Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford, his son, by Joane, of Acres, king Edward I.'s daughter, succeeded to it, and dying in the 7th year of king Edward II. without surviving issue, his three sisters became his coheirs, and on the partition of their inheritance, this manor, among others in this county, was allotted to Margaret, the second sister, then wife of Hugh de Audley, junior, who in the 12th year of Edward II. obtained for his manor of Ealding, a market to be held here weekly, and a fair to continue three days yearly, viz. the vigil, the day of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, and the day subsequent to it. He died in the 21st year of it, holding this manor, which he held for his life, by the law of England, of the king in capite. He left an only daughter and heir Margaret, then the wife of Ralph Stafford, who in her right became possessed of the manor of Yalding, and was a man greatly esteemed by king Edward III. who among other marks of his favor, in his 24th year, advanced him to the title of earl of Stafford.
After which it continued in his descendants down to his great grandson, Humphry Stafford, who was created duke of Buckingham anno 23 Henry VI. whose grandson Henry, duke of Buckingham, having put himself in arms against king Richard, in favor of Henry, earl of Richmond, and being deserted by his army, had concealed himself in the house of one Ralph Banister, who had been his servant, who on the king's proclamation of a reward of 1000l. or 100l. per annum, for the discovering of the duke, betrayed him, and he was without either arraignment or judgment, beheaded at Salisbury.
YALDING is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Rochester and deanry of Malling.
The church, which is a large handsome building, consists of three isles and a large chancel, with a square tower at the west end. Against the south wall in it is a very antient altar tomb, which has been much desaced, on which is remaining, Ermine, a bend gules. There was formerly a brass plate on it. On a large stone in the middle isle, is a memorial for Robert Penhurst, descended from Sir Robert Penhurst, of Penhurst, in Suffex, who died in 1610. The arms, on a shield, a mullet. In the chancel there is a handsome monument for the family of Warde, who bore for their arms, Azure, a cross flory or, and one for the family of Kenward, in this parish. In the pavement of the church are several large broad stones, a kind of petrifaction of the testaceous kind, dug up in the moors or low lands in this parish.
Richard de Clare, earl of Hertford, gave the church of Aldinges, with the chapel of Brenchesley, and all their appurtenances, in pure and perpetual alms, to the priory of Tunbridge, lately founded by him.
Gilbert de Glanvill, bishop of Rochester, who came to that fee in the 31st year of king Henry II. confirmed this gift, and granted, that the prior and canons should possess the appropriation of this church in pure and perpetual alms; saving a perpetual vicarage in it, granted by his authority, with the assent and presentation of the prior and canons as follows:
That the vicar should have the altarage, and all obventions, and small tithes belonging to this church, and all houses, which were within the court, and the land belonging to the church, together with the tenants and homages, and the alder-bed, and the tithes of sheaves of Wenesmannesbroke, and the tithes of Longesbroke, of the new assart, and the moiety of meadow belonging to the church; all which were granted to him, to hold under the yearly pension of two shillings, duly to be paid to the prior and canons; and that the vicar should sustain all episcopal burthens and customs, as well for the prior and canons as for himself. And he granted to the prior and canons as part of the appropriation, the tithes of sheaves of this church, excepting the said tithes of Wenesmannesbroke, and of Longebroke; and that they should have the moiety of the meadow belonging to the church, with the fisheries, and the place in which the two greater barns stood, with the barns themselves, and the whole outer court in which the stable stood, with the garden which was towards the east, and the small piece of land which lay by the garden, and the rent of four-pence, which ought to be paid yearly to the court of Eyles forde; reserving to himself the power of altering the endowment of this vicarage, if at any time it should seem expedient; saving, nevertheless, all episcopal rights to the bishop of Rochester, &c. (fn. 16)
The church of Yalding, together with the advowson of the vicarage, remained with the priory of Tunbridge, till the suppression of it, in the 17th year of king Henry VIII. when being one of those smaller monasteries which cardinal Wolsey had obtained for the endowment of his colleges, it was surrendered into his hands, with all the possessions belonging to it.
After which the king granted his licence to him, in his 18th year, to appropriate and annex this church, among others of the cardinal's patronage, to the dean and canons of the college founded by him in the university of Oxford. But here it staid only four years, when this great prelate being cast in a prƦmunire in 1529, the estates of that college were forfeited to the king, and became part of the royal revenue.
Ā¶Queen Elizabeth, in her 10th year, granted the rectory or parsonage of Yalding, and the advowson of the vicarage, for thirty years, to Mr. John Warde, at the yearly rent of thirty pounds, in whose possession they continued till king James I. in his 5th year, granted the see of them to Richard Lyddale and Edward Bostock, at the like yearly rent, (fn. 17) and they soon afterwards alienated them to Ambrose Warde, gent. of this parish, son of John above-mentioned, in whose descendants they continued down till they came into the possession of three brothers, Thomas, of Littlebrook, in Stone; George and Ambrose, among whose descendants they came afterwards to be divided, and again sub-divided in different shares, one third part to captain Thomas Amhurst, of Rochester; one third of a third part, and a third of a sixth part to Mr. Holmes, of Derby; Mr. Ambrose Ward, of Littlebrook, and the Rev. Mr. Richard Warde, late of Oxford, each alike, and the remaining sixth part by the Rev. Mr. John Warde, the present vicar of this parish, who some years ago rebuilt the vicarage-house in a very handsome manner.
This rectory now pays a yearly fee-farm rent of thirty pounds to the crown.
It is valued in the king's books, at 20l. 18s. 9d. and the yearly tenths at 2l. 1s. 10Ā½d.
There are two separate manors, one belonging to the rectory or parsonage, and the other to the vicarage of this church.
Expecting a pair of 86ās on this one however 66 528 was showing on the maps and did turn up passing Rugeley Trent Valley station with 4M87 Felixstowe to Trafford Park freightliner service
Richmond Park
Olympus OM2 24mm/2.8
I changed my mind about what to post - it was going to be another delve into the archive, a colour shot from Vietnam where I used the Pentax 645. But today I bought
a new (i.e. pre-owned as its called these days) lens for the OM2, a 135/2.8, the cost - Ā£39, about half what I expected. I think it might make an appearance on the streets in the not too distant future.
I was in the area, checking up on the Heath Spotted Orchids, and the church was a five minute drive away, in the grounds of a former country house.
I park at the church and find it locked, as expected, but there were directions to a keyholder nearby, walking into the cobbled squares and converted estate buildings now executive housing.
I ring the bell: nothing
I ring again: nothing
I use the knocker: dog barks. Dog attacks the door.
There is angry voices. Or voice. There was the sound of the dog being put into a side room, and the struggle to close the door.
The front door opened: yes?
Can I have the church key, please?
Not sure if I still have it.
Why'd you want it?
To photograph the interior.
Who're with?
I'm with no one, I am photographing all parish churches in the county, and would like to do this one. I showed him my driving licence which should say under job title: obsessive and church crawler.
He seemed satisfied, and let me have the key.
Phew.
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Substantially rebuilt after a fire of 1598. The welcoming interior displays no chancel arch, although the doorways in the arcade show where the medieval rood screen ran the width of the church. The striking east window was designed by Wallace Wood in 1954. There is a good aumbry and piscina nearby. To the north of the chancel stands the excellent tomb chest of Sir John Tufton (d. 1624). The arcade into which it is built was lowered to allow a semi-circular alabaster ceiling to be inserted to set the composition off. Because it is completely free-standing it is one of the easiest tomb chests in Kent to study, with five sons kneeling on the south side and four daughters on the north . In addition there are complicated coats of arms and an inscription which records the rebuilding of the church by Tufton after the fire. On top of the chest lie Sir John and his wife, with their son Nicholas kneeling between their heads. Much of the monument is still covered with its original paint. The organ, which stands in the south aisle, may be the instrument on which Sir Arthur Sullivan composed 'The Lost Chord'. It originally stood in Hothfield Place where Sullivan was a frequent guest.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hothfield
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HOTHFIELD
IS the next parish northward from Great Chart, and is so called from the bothe, or heath within it. The greatest part of this parish lies within the hundred of Chart and Longbridge, and the remainder in that of Calehill. It is in the division of East Kent.
THE PARISH of Hothfield lies a little more than two miles from Ashford north-westward, the high road from which towards Lenham and Maidstone goes through it over Hothfield heath. It contains about 1250 acres, and fifty houses, the rents of it are about 1300l. per annum. It is not a pleasant, nor is it accounted a healthy situation, owing probably to the many low and watry lands in and about it. The river Stour, which rises at Lenham, runs along the southern side of the parish, which is watered likewise by several small streams, which rise about Charing and Westwell, from under the chalk hills, and join the Stour here. The heath, which contains near one half of the parish, consists mostly of a deep sand, and has much peat on it, which is continually dug by the poor for firing. On the east and west sides of the heath, the latter being called West-street, are two hamlets of houses, which form the scattered village of Hothfield. The Place-house stands on a hill, at a small distance from the corner of the heath southward, with some small plantations of trees about it, forming a principal object to the country round it. It is a square mansion, built of Portland stone, by the late earl of Thanet, on the scite of the antient mansion, close to the church; it has a good prospect round it. The adjoining grass grounds are extensive, and well laid out for the view over them; the water, which rises at no great distance from the house, becomes very soon a tolerable sized stream, and running on in sight of it, joins the Stour a little above Worting mill; these grass lands are fertile and good fatting land, like those mentioned before, near Godington, in Great Chart. The parsonage house, which is a neat dwelling of white stucco, stands at the southern corner of the heath, at the foot of the hill, adjoining the Place grounds, near West-street. Between the heath and Potter's corner, towards Ashford, the soil begins to approach much of the quarry stone.
Though the land in the parish is naturally poor, it is rendered productive by the chalk and lime procured from the down hills. The inhabitants have an unlimited right of commoning with those of the adjoining parish of Westwell, to upwards of five hundred acres of common, which affords them the means of keeping a cow and their poultry, which, with the liberty of digging peat, draws a number of certificated poor to reside here. There is not one dissenter in the parish.
Jack Cade, the noted rebel, in Henry the VI.th's reign, though generally supposed to be taken by Alexander Iden, esq. the sheriff, in a field belonging to Ripple manor, in the adjoining parish of Westwell, was discovered, as some say, in a field in this parish, still named from him, Jack Cade's field, now laid open with the rest of the grounds adjoining to Hothfieldplace.
The plant caryophyllata montena, or water avens, which is a very uncommon one, grows in a wood near Barber's hill, in this parish.
THE MANOR OF HOTHFIELD seems, in very early times, to have had the same owners as the barony of Chilham, and to have continued so, for a considerable length of time after the descendants of Fulbert de Dover were become extinct here. Bartholomew de Badlesmere, who in the 5th year of king Edward II. had a grant of this manor as well as of Chilham in see, appears to have held this manor of Hothfield by grand sergeantry of the archbishop, and accordingly, in the 8th year of it, at the enthroning of archbishop Walter Reynolds, he made his claim, and was allowed to perform the office of chamberlain for that day, and to serve up the water, for the archbishop to wash his hands; for which his fees were, the furniture of his bedchamber, and the bason and towel made use of for that purpose; (fn. 1) and in the next year he obtained of the king, a charter of free-warren for his demesne lands within this manor among others. After this the manor of Hothfield continued to be held by the like service, and continued in the same owners as that of Chilham, (fn. 2) down to Thomas lord Roos, who became entitled to the see of it, who for his attachment to the house of Lancaster, was, with others, attainted, in the 1st year of king Edward IV.'s reign, and his lands confiscated to the crown. But Margaret his mother, being possessed of it for her life, afterwards married Roger Wentworth, esq. whom she survived, and died possessed of it in the 18th year of that reign; upon which, by reason of the above attaint, the crown became entitled to it, the inquisition for which was found in the 4th year of that reign; immediately after which, the king granted it to Sir John Fogge, of Repton, who was comptroller of his household and one of his privy council, for his life. On king Richard III.'s accession to the crown, he took shelter in the abbey of Westminster, from whence he was invited by the king, who in the presence of a numerous assembly gave him his hand, and bid him be confident that from thenceforward he was sure to him in affection. This is rather mentioned, as divers chronicles have erroneously mentioned that he was an attorney, whom this prince had pardoned for forgery. He died possessed of it in the 17th year of Henry VII. where it remained till Henry VIII. granted it, at the very latter end of his reign, to John Tufton, esq. of Northiam, in Sussex, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of 2 and 3 Edward VI. who afterwards resided at Hothfield, where he kept his shrievalty in the 3d year of queen Elizabeth. He was descended from ancestors who were originally written Toketon, and held lands in Rainham, in this county, as early as king John's reign; (fn. 3) one of whom was seated at Northiam, in Sussex, in king Richard the IId.'s reign, at which time they were written as at present, Tufton, and they continued there till John Tufton, esq. of Northiam, before-mentioned, removed hither. He died in 1567, and was buried in this church, leaving one son John Tufton, who resided at Hothfield-place, and in July, in the 16th year of queen Elizabeth, anno 1573, entertained the queen here, in her progress through this county. In the 17th year of that reign he was sheriff, and being a person of eminent repure and abilities, he was knighted by king James, in his 1st year, and created a baronet at the first institution of that order, on June 19, 1611. He married Olimpia, daughter and heir of Christopher Blower, esq. of Sileham, in Rainham, by whom he had three daughters; and secondly Christian, daughter and coheir of Sir Humphry Brown, a justice of the common pleas. He died in 1624, and was buried in this church, having had by her several sons and daughters. Of the former, Nicholas the eldest, succeeded him in title and estates. Sir Humphry was of Bobbing and the Mote, in Maidstone, and Sir William was of Vinters, in Boxley, both baronets, of whom further mention has already been made in the former parts of this history.
Sir Nicholas Tufton, the eldest son, was by letters patent, dated Nov. 1, anno 2 Charles I. created lord Tufton, baron of Tufton, in Sussex; and on August 5, in the 4th year of that reign, earl of the Isle of Thanet, in this county. He had four sons and nine daughters; of the former, John succeeded him in honors, and Cecil, was father of Sir Charles Tufton, of Twickenham, in Middlesex. John, the eldest son, second earl of Thanet, married in 1629 Margaret, eldest daughter and coheir of Richard, earl of Dorset, by his wife the lady Anne Clifford, sole daughter and heir of George, earl of Cumberland, and baroness of Clifford, Westmoreland, and Vescy, by which marriage these tithes descended afterwards to their issue. In the time of the commonwealth, after king Charles the 1st.'s death, he was, in 1654, appointed sheriff, and however inconsistent it might be to his rank, yet he served the office. He left six sons and six daughters, and was succeeded by Nicholas his eldest son, third earl of Thanet, who by the deaths of his mother in 1676, and of his cousin-german Alethea, then wife of Edward Hungerford, esq. who died s. p. in 1678, he became heir to her, and sole heir to his grandmother Anne, lady Clifford, and consequently to the baronies of Clifford, Westmoreland, and Vescy; dying s. p. he was succeeded as earl of Thanet and lord Clifford, &c. by his next brother John, who, on his mother's death, succeeded likewise by her will to her large estates in Yorkshire and Westmoreland, and to the hereditary in sheriffdoms of the latter and of Cumberland likewise, for it frequently happened in these hereditary sheriffdoms that female heirs became possessed of them, and consequently were sheriffs of those districts; but this was not at all an unusual thing, there being many frequent instances of women bearing that office, as may be seen in most of the books in which any mention is made of it, some instances of which the reader may see in the differtation on the office of sheriff, in vol. i. of this history. That part of their office which was incompatible for a woman to exercise, was always executed by a deputy, or shyre-clerk, in their name. But among the Harleian MSS. is a very remarkable note taken from Mr. Attorney-general Noys reading in Lincoln's inn, in 1632, in which, upon a point, whether the office of a justice of a forest might be executed by a woman; it was said, that Margaret, countess of Richmond, mother to king Henry VII. was a justice of peace; that the lady Bartlet, perhaps meant for Berkley, was also made a justice of the peace by queen Mary, in Gloucestershire; and that in Suffolk one ..... Rowse, a woman, did usually fit upon the bench at assizes and sessions among other justices, gladio cincta. John, earl of Thanet, died unmarried, as did his next brother earl Richard, so that the titles devolved to Thomas Tufton, who became the sixth earl of Thanet, and lord Clifford, which latter title was decreed to him by the house of peers in 1691. He left surviving issue five daughters and coheirs, the eldest of whom, Catherine, married Ed. Watson, viscount Sondes, son and heir of Lewis, earl of Rockingham; and the four others married likewise into noble families. He died at Hothfield in 1729, having by his will bequeathed several legacies to charitable purposes, especially towards the augmentation of small vicarages and curacies. He died without male issue, so that the titles of earl of Thanet and baron Tufton, and of baronet, descended to his nephew Sackville Tufton, eldest surviving son of his brother Sackville Tufton, fifth son of John, second earl of Thanet. But the title of baroness Clifford, which included those of Westmoreland and Vescy, upon the death of Thomas, earl of Thanet, without male issue, became in abeyance between his daughters and coheirs above-mentioned, and in 1734, king George II. confirmed that barony to Margaret, his third surviving daughter and coheir, married to Thomas Coke, lord Lovel, afterwards created earl of Leicester, which title is now again in abeyance by his death s. p. Which Sackville Tufton died in 1721, leaving Sackville the seventh earl of Thanet, whose eldest son of the same name succeeded him as eighth earl of Thanet, and rebuilt the present mansion of Hothfield-place, in which he afterwards resided, but being obliged to travel to Italy for his health, he died there at Nice in 1786, and was brought to England, and buried in the family vault at Rainham, in this county, where his several ancestors, earls of Thanet, with their countesses, and other branches of the family, lie deposited, from the time of their first accession to that title. He married Mary, daughter of lord John Philip Sackville, sister of the present duke of Dorset, by whom he had five sons and two daughters, Elizabeth; and Caroline married to Joseph Foster Barham, esq. Of the former, Sackville, born in 1769, succeeded him in honors; Charles died unmarried; John is M. P. for Appleby; Henry is M. P. for Rochester, and William. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the present right hon. Sackville Tufton, earl of Thanet, baron Tufton, lord of the honor of Skipton, in Craven, and baronet, and hereditary sheriff of the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland, who is the present possessor of this manor and seat, and resides here, and is at present unmarried. (fn. 4)
The antient arms of Tufton were, Argent, on a pale, sable, an eagle displayed of the field; which coat they continued to bear till Nicholas Tufton, the first earl of Thanet, on his obtaining that earldom, altered it to that of Sable, an eagle displayed, ermine, within a bordure, argent; which coat was confirmed by Sir William Segar, garter, in 1628, and has been borne by his descendants to the present time. The present earl of Thanet bears for his coat of arms that last-mentioned; for his crest, On a wreath, a sea lion, seiant, proper; and for his supporters, Two eagles, their wings expanded, ermine.
SWINFORT, or Swinford, which is its more proper name, is a manor in this parish, lying in the southern part of it, near the river Stour, and probably took its name from some ford in former times over it here. However that be, it had formerly proprietors, who took their name from it; but they were never of any eminence, nor can I discover when they became extinct here; only that in king Henry V.'s reign it was in the possession of Bridges, descended from John atte Bregg, one of those eminent persons, whose effigies, kneeling and habited in armour, was painted in the window often mentioned before, in Great Chart church; and in this family the manor of Swinford continued till the latter end of king James I.'s reign, when it passed by sale from one of them to Sir Nicholas Tufton, afterwards created earl of Thanet, whose son John, earl of Thanet, before the 20th year of that reign, exchanged it for other lands, which lay more convenient to him, with his near neighbour Nicholas Toke, esq. of Godinton, in which family and name it has continued down, in like manner as that feat, to Nicholas Roundell Toke, esq. now of Godinton, the present possessor of it. A court baron is held for this manor.
FAUSLEY, or FOUSLEY, as it is now usually called, is the last manor to be described in this parish; its more antient name was Foughleslee, or, as it was usually pronounced, Faulesley; which name it gave to owners who in early times possessed and resided at it. John de Foughleslee, of Hothfield, was owner of it in the second year of king Richard II. and in his descendants this manor seems to have continued till about the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, when it passed by sale to Drury; from which name, at the latter end of it, this manor was conveyed to Paris, who immediately afterwards alienated it to Bull, who soon afterwards reconveyed it back again to the same family, whence, in the next reign of king James I. it was sold to Sir Nicholas Tufton, afterwards created earl of Thanet, in whose successors, earls of Thanet, it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
Charities.
RICHARD PARIS, by deed in 1577, gave for the use of the poor, a rent charge of 16s. per annum, out of land called Hanvilles, in this parish; the trustees of which have been long ago deceased, and no new ones appointed since.
THOMAS KIPPS, gent. of Canterbury, by will in 1680, gave for the use of the same, an annual rent charge of 1l. out of lards in Great Chart.
RICHARD MADOCKE, clothier, of this parish, by will in 1596, ordered that the 11l. which he had lent to the parishioners of Hothfield, towards the rebuilding of their church, should, when repaid, be as a stock to the poor of this parish for ever.
SIR JOHN TUFTON, knight and baronet, and Nicholas his son, first earl of Thanet, by their wills in 1620 and in 1630, gave certain sums of money, with which were purchased eight acres of land in the parish of Kingsnoth, of the annual produce of 10l.
DR. JOHN GRANDORGE, by deed in 1713, gave a house and land in Newington, near Hythe, of the annual produce of 7l. which premises are vested in the earl of Thanet.
THOMAS, EARL OF THANET, and SACKVILLE TUFTON. Esq. grandfather of the present earl, by their deeds in 1720 and 1726, gave for a school mistress to teach 24 poor children, a rent charge and a house and two gardens, in Hothfield, the produce in money 20l. The premises were vested in Sir Penyston Lambe and Dr. John Grandorge, long since deceased; since which the trust has not been renewed; and the original writings are in the earl of Thanet's possession.
Such of the above benefactions as have been contributed by the Tufton family, have been ordered by their descendants to be distributed annually by the steward of Hothfield-place for the time being, without the interference of the parish officers, to such as received no relief from this parish; the family looking upon these rather as a private munisicence intended to continue under their direction.
The poor annually relieved are about twenty-five, casually as many.
HOTHFIELD is situated within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Charing.
Ā¶The church, which is small, is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of three isles and a chancel, having a low spire steeple, covered with shingles at the west end, in which are five bells, and though it stands on a hill, is yet very damp. There is not any painted glass in the windows of it. On the north side in it, is a monument of curious workmanship, having the figures of a man and woman, in full proportion, lying at length on it; at three corners of it are those of two sons and one daughter, kneeling, weeping, all in white marble; round the edges is an inscription, for Sir John Tufton, knight and baronet, and Olympia his wife, daughter and heir of Christopher Blower, esq. On the monument are the arms of Tufton, with quarterings and impalements; on the sides are two inscriptions, one, that he re-edified this church after it was burnt, at his own charge, and under it made a vault for himself and his posterity, and after that he had lived eighty years, departed this life; the other enumerating his good qualities, and saying that by his will he gave perpetual legacies to this parish and that of Rainham. This monument is parted off from the north isle by a strong partition of wooden balustrades, seven feet high. The vault underneath is at most times several feet deep with water, and the few coffins which were remaining in it were some years since removed to the vaults at Rainham, where this family have been deposited ever since. On the north side of the chancel is a smaller one, formerly called St. Margaret's chapel, now shut up, and made no use of. In the south isle is a memorial for Rebecca, wife of William Henman, esq. obt. 1739, and Anna-Rebecca, their daughter, obt. 1752; arms, A lion, between three mascles, impaling a bend, cotized, engrailed. This church, which is a rectory, was always esteemed an appendage to the manor, and has passed accordingly, in like manner with it, down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, lord of the manor of Hothfield, the present patron of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 17l. 5s. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 14s. 6d.
There was a pension of ten shillings paid from it to the college of Wye. In 1588 here were communicants one hundred and ninety-three, and it was valued at eighty pounds. In 1640, communicants one hundred and ninety, and valued at only sixty pounds per annum. There is a modus of two pence an acre of the pasture lands in the parish. There are twelve acres of glebe. It is now worth about one hundred and twenty pounds per annum.
Richard Hall, of this parish, by will in 1524, ordered that his feoffees should enfeoffe certain honest persons in his house and garden here, set beside the pelery, to the intent that the yearly serme of them should go to the maintenance of the rode-light within the church.
This church was burnt down in the reign of king James I. and was rebuilt at the sole expence of Sir John Tufton, knight and baronet, who died in 1624. His descendant Thomas, earl of Thanet, who died in 1729, gave the present altar-piece, some of the pewing, and the pulpit.
Malachite kingfisher Mokoro ride is the first event for our stay. It was a great way to get on the water. Not expected to see too much but to feel close to the water. We saw a lot of birds including the Malachite Kingfisher which is this magnificent little bird. Mokoro is the traditional way to travel through the Okavango, Usually made out of wood, but now out of plastic (to save the trees) it feels really like canoeing but no paddles. The waterways are so big and long that you can travel from our camp in the middle of no where to Maun the capital.
I arrived at St Mary, a journey from Wortham, following a slow moving delivery driver, looking for some obscure house looking onto the common.
Across fields,, mostly flat but with barely without a straight bit of road.
THe church is on a slight rise above the road, and to my dismay there were two cars parked in the churchyard, thus spoiling my exterior shots.
Inside I saw two chaps of a certain age dismantling a stage under the chancel arch.
I take a couple of shots, then one of them somes to speak to me. I was expecting to be told to keep away, or better still, leave as it was clearly unsafe for me to be there. But no, I was warmly greeted and given my own personal tour by the two wardens with whom we shared two mutual friends, John and Simon, or at least they knew them too.
There had been a celo concert the night before, but I was welcome to clamber of the stage to get shots of the fixtures and fittings, including a fine table tomb, though am wondering how Simon got a shot from above, maybe he grew wings and flew?
Lots of good memorials, interesting glass and lots of hatchments.
Under the care of the CCT, St mary is open every day, and you should visit it.
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It was May 2001, and I was cycling out across the gently rolling acres of north Suffolk. Redgrave is one of those large and relatively self-sufficient villages that you get more in the north and west of Suffolk than around Ipswich. However, this was not apparent to me, as I approached it from the direction of Wortham Common. I had cycled through the Long Green, a strange, otherworldly place. The Commons and Greens around here were still, until half a century ago, intensively grazed. Now, they have been let go back to nature, and are in many places covered in gorse and furze, with outcroppings of angular trees. Occasionally, as at Wortham, there are settlements which seem carved out of the common land. Thereās nowhere else in Suffolk quite like it.
I left this behind, and a deep cutting of a lane led me up and out into open fields. The sun came out, and the tower of St Mary was ahead of me. It is a curious sight. Suffolk has a handful of towers rebuilt in the 18th century. Mostly, they are red brick, as at Layham, and rather less successfully Grundisburgh. However, Redgraveās tower is white brick, and would be quite at home in the City of London, if a little more austere than most there.
Attached to it is a huge church. St Mary is big; it is a little-known church, but has more to offer than most. Simon Jenkins ignored it in Englandās Thousand Best Churches; most probably, he didnāt know about it. It would fit quite comfortably into his three star category along with the likes of Westhall which he also missed. Incidentally, when I met him and pointed out his omission of Redgrave and Westhall, he looked at me as if I was some kind of sad lunatic. I suppose that heās approached by someone with a similar complaint at least twice a day.
I stepped inside to a vast space. This church is full of light. The clerestory and aisle windows are huge, and although the east window is full of coloured glass, it too is vast, one of the widest I've seen. It would take hundreds and hundreds of people to fill this place, more than a thousand perhaps; but it was a gentle reminder to me that our medieval parish churches were not built for congregational Anglican worship.
St Mary has one of Suffolk's three best brasses, the 1609 memorial to Anne Butts. It has been reset in the sanctuary floor. She was related to the Bacons, that mighty Suffolk family, and her inscription reads:
The weaker sexes strongest precedent
Lies here belowe; seaven fayer years she spent
In wedlock sage; and since that merry age
Sixty one years she lived a widowe sage
Humble as great as full of Grace as elde,
A second Anna had she but beheld
Christ in His flesh who now she glorious sees
Below that first in time, not in degrees.
Mortlock thought it the finest post-Reformation brass in England.
To get to it, you will have to pass an awesome table tomb in the north aisle. On it lie, life-size, Sir Nicholas and Lady Anne Bacon. Lady Anne was the daughter of Anne Butts (and Sir Nicholas her son-in-law) so we may assume that they are responsible for the quality of her memorial. But the grandeur of theirs quite outshines her, and everybody else. It is by Nicholas Stone, famous for the Coke memorial at Bramfield; she died in 1616, he in 1624. There is an excellent modern window behind it.
The Bacons are responsible for most of the thirteen hatchments here - more than in any other church in Suffolk. Others are for the Holt and Wilson families (who later intermarried). The latest is dated 1929.
One of the Holts can also be found up in the sanctuary. He's life-size, as you might expect here. He was Lord Chief Justice of England in the first decade of the 18th century, and he sits in his judge's robes. He's flanked by two voluptuous figures who are Justice and Mercy, and the whole piece is by Thomas Green of Camberwell. I know this, because he signed it in very large letters. Perhaps he was particularly proud of it.
In this great palace of slightly absurd grandeur, mention should also be made of the vast wooden decalogue hanging in the north aisle. I've never seen Moses and Aaron look so important. It once stood at the east end of the chancel, has ridiculously large scrolls, and would certainly have concentrated the mind. All of this is overseen by that lovely glass in the huge east window. Mortlock tells us it is by a local firm, Farrow and son of Diss. I thought it splendid, quite in keeping with this mighty place. Also in keeping is the white stone pulpit, which is rather camp, although one assumes this was not the intended effect.
In 2004, three years after my first visit to Redgrave church, the parish walked away from it. The cost and effort of maintaining this vast barn full of priceless treasures had become too great a burden for the small congregation, so they locked the doors and decamped to the village hall, declaring that St Mary was now no longer their responsibility. As you may imagine, this caused a certain amount of consternation. While Redgrave church is a building of national significance, there is a certain protocol required if you want to declare a building redundant and have it conveyed into the stewardship of the Churches Conservation Trust. Not being able to pay the repair bills is not considered a good enough reason to declare redundancy. Even so, the parish persisted, which rather placed the Diocese in a quandary. While their first responsibility was to the parishioners, they clearly did not have the resources needed to look after St Mary, and yet the church commissioners would have looked with some doubt on any attempt to declare the building redundant.
It was, in modern political parlance, uncharted territory. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the ultimate destination must be to ensure the future security and upkeep of the building, and so after eighteen months or so of what one imagines must have been fairly tense meetings, the church was conveyed into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
And in the meantime, something else had happened. The shock of the incident had galvanised some local people, including a few of the former congregation, to get together and form a group to look after St Mary. With the support of the Churches Conservation Trust this has become one of the most successful support groups in the county, putting on exhibitions and concerts for which the church is eminently suitable. Before the end of the decade, the Daily Telegraph newspaper awarded Redgrave church the prize of English Village Church of the Year. On that occasion I was asked by BBC Radio Suffolk to do an interview about the church while standing in the nave, and as I looked around I thought it seemed a happy ending.
In fact, within a few months I was back at Redgrave church for a quite exciting reason. The Eastern Daily Press of 13th July 2010 takes up the story: It had remained hidden for centuries. But the entrance to a 500-year-old vault beneath a medieval Suffolk church has been discovered after a woman accidentally stamped her foot through one of the floor tiles. While rehearsing a scene from an upcoming performance of the musical Quasimodo at St Mary's Church, in Redgrave, near Diss, actor Kathy Mills dislodged a marble flagstone near the altar and her foot disappeared into a dark void below. Mrs Mills, who is in her 60s, suffered a swollen ankle, but the pain soon subsided when she was later told she had uncovered a tomb never seen in living memory with coffins inside suspected to contain the remains of the village's past aristocracy.
Just weeks before a geophysicist had used an advanced radar to map out where the long-forgotten vault was, but if it was not for Mrs Mills' freak accident they would never have been certain of where its boarded-up entrance was or what hid inside. The church is now hosting an open weekend to give the public a chance to glimpse through the hole and see exactly what they've been walking above all these years. St Mary's Church will be open to the public this Saturday and Sunday, between 10am and 4pm, where a video camera will beam images from inside the vault onto a projector screen.
āI was just doing a rehearsal for the production and I walked onto the flagstone, whether it was already loose I'm not sure, but my foot went down,ā said Mrs Mills. āThey lifted it up (the flagstone) and you could just see some mud and sand underneath. It's possible my foot went down eight inches. I wondered where I was going. It was quite a shock. I was thrilled when they told me I had discovered this vault they did not know was there. One or two people call me the Tomb Raider.ā
Rumours had circulated for decades that under the ancient slabs of the 14th century church, now owned by The Churches Conservation Trust, laid a labyrinth of passages and tombs. Bob Hayward, chairman of the Redgrave Church Heritage Trust, said stories had passed through the generations of how people walked through the tunnels as recently as the 1920s, but records of their existence cannot be found. In a bid to establish fact from fiction, the group employed Malcolm Weale, of Geofizz Ltd, from East Harling, near Thetford, about two months ago to analyse what lied below. Using a ground penetrating radar, Mr Weale identified a large void, about 6ft deep, spreading under the altar and into the adjacent vestry. The Trust was prepared to leave its investigations at that until the day of Mrs Mills' fateful accident just over a week ago.
When the damaged flagstones were lifted and a light was lowered down, a tunnel was discovered with a set of steps descending into the ground visible in one direction and a cluster of about six coffins tucked inside a dark chamber in the other. It appears timbers holding up the floor tiles had rotted. Mr Hayward said: āIt's exciting. You think you know these places but you don't until something like this happens.ā
It is thought the coffins belong to descendents of the Holt family. Sir John Holt became lord of the manor in 1703 and a large memorial to his life sits above the newly uncovered vault. However it is believed to have been built in the late 1500s by the Bacon family, but their remains are located in another tomb beneath the church's font. Archaeologists will be descending into the vault at the end of the year to assess whether any of the other supporting timbers are rotten and to record what's inside, but the coffins will remain as they are found.
Now, this was something I had to see. The hole was about 20cm by 40cm. Bob Hayward very kindly opened it up the hole for me and allowed me to lower my camera into it - it wasn't safe to go down there, because of the high concentration of carbon monoxide.
How exciting! My photograph showed the high-vaulted tunnel of 18th Century brick, and in a room beyond there were five lead coffins, almost directly under the magnificent Holt memorial.
This was a fascinating experience, and all in all St Mary is a fascinating church, one of the best in East Anglia, despite what that Jenkins book says. It is not understated, it never attempts to be tasteful or refined. After the thrill of exploring the tunnel, I sat for a moment on the steps leading up to the organ at the west end, surveying the wonderful brick floors, the expanses of light beneath the arcades, the awesome seriousness of the chancel. If, at that moment, a group of 18th century ladies and gentlemen had stepped out of a Samuel Richardson novel and into this church, I should not have been the least bit surprised.
And curiously, Redgrave village is not the largest population centre in the parish. That honour goes to Botesdale, down on the main road, and part of the extended village of the Rickinghalls. Botesdale has its own church, but strictly speaking it is a chapel of ease to this one. The most famous residents of the parish these days are not Bacons, Holts or Wilsons, but the extremely rare great raft spiders which live in Lopham fen, to the north of the village. It is one of only two places they are found in the British Isles.
Simon Knott, September 2001, updated July 2015
The IMCOM Academy, building 4022 on the new IMCOM Headquarters campus at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, is expected to be complete by Aug. 1, 2011. The state-of-the-art facility consists of a student wing on the right and an administration wing on the left. The Academy will be used for IMCOM staff and personnel training and includes large and small classrooms with projectors and VTC capabilities.
_____________________________________________
About the U.S. Army Installation Management Community:
IMCOM handles the day-to-day operations of U.S. Army installations around the globe - We are the Army's Home. Army installations are communities that provide many of the same types of services expected from any small city. Fire, police, public works, housing, and child-care are just some of the things IMCOM does in Army communities every day. We endeavor to provide a quality of life for Soldiers, Civilians and Families commensurate with their service. Our professional workforce strives to deliver on the commitments of the Army Family Covenant, honor the sacrifices of military Families, and enable the Army Force Generation cycle.
Our Mission: To provide standardized, effective and efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, Civilians and Families for an Army and Nation engaged in persistent conflict.
Our Vision: Army installations are the Department of Defense standard for infrastructure quality and are the provider of consistent, quality services that are a force multiplier in supported organizations' mission accomplishment, and materially enhance Soldier, Civilian and Family well-being and readiness.
To learn more about IMCOM, visit us online:
IMCOM Official Web Site - www.imcom.army.mil/hq/
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DoD Live Blog - usarmyimcom.armylive.dodlive.mil/
The IMCOM Academy, building 4022 on the new IMCOM Headquarters campus at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, is expected to be complete by Aug. 1, 2011. The state-of-the-art facility consists of a student wing on the right and an administration wing on the left. The Academy will be used for IMCOM, FMWR and AEC staff and personnel training and includes large and small classrooms with projectors and VTC capabilities.
_____________________________________________
About the U.S. Army Installation Management Community:
IMCOM handles the day-to-day operations of U.S. Army installations around the globe - We are the Army's Home. Army installations are communities that provide many of the same types of services expected from any small city. Fire, police, public works, housing, and child-care are just some of the things IMCOM does in Army communities every day. We endeavor to provide a quality of life for Soldiers, Civilians and Families commensurate with their service. Our professional workforce strives to deliver on the commitments of the Army Family Covenant, honor the sacrifices of military Families, and enable the Army Force Generation cycle.
Our Mission: To provide standardized, effective and efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, Civilians and Families for an Army and Nation engaged in persistent conflict.
Our Vision: Army installations are the Department of Defense standard for infrastructure quality and are the provider of consistent, quality services that are a force multiplier in supported organizations' mission accomplishment, and materially enhance Soldier, Civilian and Family well-being and readiness.
To learn more about IMCOM, visit us online:
IMCOM Official Web Site - www.imcom.army.mil/hq/
Flickr Photostream - www.flickr.com/photos/imcom
YouTube - www.youtube.com/installationmgt
Twitter - www.twitter.com/armyimcom
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Scribd - www.scribd.com/IMCOMPubs
CNN iReport - www.ireport.com/people/HQIMCOMPA/
DoD Live Blog - usarmyimcom.armylive.dodlive.mil/
Well, I didn't expect to get a shot like this in the last week of March! This time last year, the UK was in the middle of a heat wave, temperatures got to 20C and now this year, we've got snow... Lots of it! Madness. Actually, although we had quite a bit of snow over the weekend, it temporarily warmed up on Monday and mostly melted on lower ground near our house. However, after risking our necks slipping our way through town (the pavements were still covered in ice!), Barney and I found plenty of nice powdery snow up on the hills. Barney went wild :)
He had a fantastic time, almost all of my shots were similar to this: mad looking dog approaching at top speed! I learned early on to take photos very quickly, then jump out the way before there's a collision. A few yrs back, on another snowy hillside Barney knocked dad right off his feet and very nearly into an electric fence... Evil hound just skipped away, laughing his head off while my dad cursed Barney specifically and collies in general, and I tried very hard not to giggle (and took note to watch out for the dog)! Barney is better trained and less inclined to knock people over now but in snow, all bets are off... Collisions, nippings and bag snatches are all risks you take when out with a snow-crazed Barney!
I know there are lots of experienced dog owners on here, so I thought I'd ask some advice. When people meet Barn, they mostly assume he's barely older than a pup (he's skinny and bouncy!) but he's 6 1/2 now. He has an active life - lots of running, jumping, twisting etc - tending to hurl himself around a lot! Anyway, I've noticed recently that in the evenings after a long(ish) walk Barney is definitely looking a bit stiff. Nothing terrible and he's not limping but is definitely slower than normal getting up after rest. So, any suggestions for supplements/tips etc that might help with mild achiness?
Nearly 1,000 Students to Participate in WSSU Commencement on May 15
WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Christina WareĆ¢s story is one of the many inspiring testimonials of the nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students from near and afar who are expected to participate in Winston-Salem State UniversityĆ¢s commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 9:45 a.m., at Bowman Gray Stadium, 1250 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
Academy Award-winning recording artist, activist and actor Common will be the keynote speaker. There are no guest limits or ticket requirements for the ceremony.
It is conceivable that WareĆ¢s story of work ethic, undeniable spirit and enthusiasm encapsulates the sentiment of her graduating 2015 classmates.
Ware, 43, of Winston-Salem, is quite active on and off campus as a mentor to other students, a member of the non-traditional student organization, the first president of Epsilon Chapter 130 of Tau Sigma National Honor Society at WSSU, a wife and proud mother of two. She is also legally blind. She wants to blaze trails, set examples and raise the bar for others with disabilities.
Ć¢In 2007, I lost my eyesight. After a six-month pity party, I decided to continue my education and make a difference for others. Since 2008, I have spent every day of my life proving to society that having a disability does not mean we are weak. I am now an advocate for persons with disabilities,Ć¢ Ware, a business major, said, "We are not handicapped, we are handy capable!"
Ware, who can be described as always pleasant and having an unlimited enthusiasm for life, says every day alive is like Christmas. She demands to be treated like everyone else and has been noted to say, Ć¢I may physically fall, but mentally I can get back up and pull a 4.0 semester.Ć¢ After graduation she wants to start a Kosher/Halal foods business and become active on community boards.
The China Connection
From the City of Harbin, the capital and largest city of the Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China, WSSU Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics students Yaowen Xing and Chunling Zhang have found a second home at WSSU and in Winston-Salem. They perhaps have come the farthest distance attend the university.
With a population of more than five million people, Harbin is situated in the northeast region of China so close to Russia that only the Songhua River separates the two countries. Nicknamed the Ice City, the average winter temperature is -3.5 ĆĀ°F with annual lows hitting -31.0 ĆĀ°F. ItĆ¢s no wonder the students say the warmer weather here in the Piedmont Triad has not been lost in translation with them and itĆ¢s one of the things they enjoy.
Ć¢We really love the weather in North Carolina, especially the long summer time, since our hometown is so cold with snow for almost 6 months of the year,Ć¢ Xing, 30, noted. Ć¢We also love the people at WSSU and the faculty who all are nice and it has been a really good experience.Ć¢
Xing and Zhang, 35, are in America as part of a Chinese education immersion program to help exchange the cultures between China and America. They enjoy working as cultural ambassadors to students in both the cultures. The two came to the U.S. in 2013 and have been teaching at Konnoak Elementary school during the early hours and studying and researching later in the day. Ć¢Coming to America was a dream for me after learning about it through books, movies and music, and my time here it has been amazing,Ć¢ Xing said.
Zhang, said she didnĆ¢t know much about WSSU or Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUĆ¢s), but after a short time here she knew WSSU would be was special part of life. Ć¢I have met many African- Americans who have been friendly and helpful. I now can say I truly have many black friends,Ć¢ Zhang said. She and Xing have taken advantage of the HBCU experience. They have been often seen attending evening lectures and presentations, sports events, musical and visual arts events. With their WSSU master degrees they will return to China one day in the future to make an impact on teaching and the quality of education there.
The All-In Approach
Olivia N. Sedwick, 21, a political science major from Indianapolis, has taken Ć¢the all-in approach" to her WSSU experience. The current WSSU student government president (SGA), honorĆ¢s student and champion athlete, chose WSSU over other schools she could have attended.
Featured in a USA Today article highlighting the HBCU experience released last June, Sedwick is quoted as saying about WSSU, Ć¢I fell in love with the school.Ć¢ She says, Ć¢We talked about things that I had never had the chance to before coming from a predominantly white high school.Ć¢
Liking the intellectual and social environment, she was comfortable becoming involved around campus. In her first year, a walk-on athlete for the womenĆ¢s track and field team, she was a 2013 CIAA Indoor WomenĆ¢s Track and Field All-Conference competitor and the WSSU womenĆ¢s shot put record holder until earlier this year, although she never competed in the throws until coming to college. In her second year she served as the sophomore class vice president while also being appointed to serve on many committees throughout the university. In that same year, she was a delegate to the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), representing WSSU students on a state-wide level. At the end of that year, she became the first African-American female elected senior vice president of UNCASG and served in that capacity for the entirety of her third year while being active as the chief of staff for the WSSU student government association that year also. Toward the end of her term in UNCASG, she decided to run for student body president and has served as the voice of the students for the duration of her last year. With all of her activities, she has maintained a 3.95 GPA throughout her time in college.
Sedwick has been selected as a UNC General Administration Presidential Intern, which begins in July. Upon completion of the prestigious one-year appointment, Sedwick plans to attend Howard University School of Law.
A Drum Major who will March for a Noble Cause
Willie Davis, 22, a social work major from Fayetteville, N.C., who has led WSSUĆ¢s Red Sea of Sound Marching Band as a drum major for his senior year, will now march to lead the charge for helping veterans and their families cope with typical and unique challenges of serving in military. Davis will be one of four Cadets with the distinct honor of being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant U.S. in the U.S. Army during this yearĆ¢s commencement ceremony. Despite that professionally Davis will help vets, military and families with things like dealing with emotions, he said, Ć¢I donĆ¢t think I will be ready for the commissioning part (of commencement) emotionally.Ć¢
Readiness for Davis is an understatement. The youngest of three siblings, who was age 10 when his father died, Davis has been an A average student throughout life. He was in the top ten of his high school class and the first generation in his family to attend college. At WSSU, besides maintaining high academic achievement and serving in the U.S. Army ROTC, Davis has been active with the WSSU Band, the University Choir, a Campus Ambassador, a mentor to freshmen students, vice president of the WSSU chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, a Veterans Helping Veterans Heal intern and a member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.
After graduation, Davis is going to graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He plans to complete that program in one year and begin his military duties. As a clinical social worker, his responsibilities may range from clinical counseling, crisis intervention, disaster relief, critical event debriefing, teaching and training, supervision, research, administration, consultation and policy development in various military settings. He wants to specialize in helping military veterans who suffer from different traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), paranoid schizophrenia and other conditions.