#7: St Dunstan, Frinsted, Kent - a photo on Flickriver

Before Christmas I did a top 50 churches on Twitter for my followers there, and thought you might like to see the top 20 here at least.

Albums are linked on the right side of this page below the shot.

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I hardly ever study the churches I am about to visit. Rather, rely on my first impressions, and how the multitude of elements hang together.

This does mean, sometimes, I have missed obvious details. But for the most part, I notice what is unusual at the time.

And then upon returning home, I research the building and the history of the parish, and my main two resources are posted below.

Also, churchcrawling can be a lonely hobby, spending hours and hours pouring over details with hardly anyone to share it with. Sometimes, on a Saturday morning, we weekly church clean is in progress, and one or two wardens might ask you questions.Even fewer of them might be interested.

So, in Wormshill, talking to the ringers, I was told that there was a coffee morning on at Frinsted, and a warden might be present.

This was after I lamented that the church was locked again.

So, drive back the two miles and call in the village hall. And ask about the key.

So, this is what we did.

This resulted in a lady taking me back to her house to meet her husband, Malcolm.

Can I see inside the church?

Why do you want to do that?

I explain the Kent church project.

Are you interested in the building or fittings?

And thinking that this was because of thefts, I said if needed I would not snap the fittings if needed.

But Malcolm backtracked. Oh no, you can photograph what you want to.

Meet me at the porch in ten minutes.

So, we did.

The church was dark inside, and Malcolm told us about his church. Very proud he was too.

And it became clear why.

The chancel and north chapel were decorated.

Decorated in the English Gothic Revival, by Hussey and then, later, Scott. These have been recently renovated, using the original stencils.

It was incredible. Like The Grange transported to the countryside. I think Pugin would have liked it.

Sadly, in the north chapel, a plaster panel had dropped off, so the pews were covered and access restricted, but Malcolm unlocked the door and let us in.

I walked round with a huge smile on my face, waxing lyrical about the church, and Malcolm enjoyed telling us the story of his church.

Without doubt, the best church visit this, or any other year.

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Not for those wishing to find a medieval church, although there is evidence of an old building here in the form of a Norman window and crownpost roof. It is of interest that the nineteenth-century work carried out first by Hussey (1856) and then by Scott (1870) for the Pemberton Leigh family is in complete contrast to the work commissioned at nearby Kingsdown by the family at the same time (see separate entry). The second phase of work included the wonderful stencilling of the church, recently restored to the designs of G.G. Scott Jr. The majority of the furnishings are also Victorian and show the quality that only a fortune could buy in post-industrialised England

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Frinsted

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FRINSTED
LIES the next parish north westward from Wichling. It is written in Domesday, Fredenestede; in antient deeds, Freyhanestede; and in later ones, most usually, Frensted, alias Wronsted.

That part of this parish northward of the church is in the division of East Kent, but the church itself, and the remaining part of it is in that of West Kent.

THE PARISH extends on both sides of the valley, called Syndall, or Newnham-bottom, through which the high road leads from Ospringe, through Doddington and Newnham, to Hollingborne hill, on each side of which the hills rise very steep, the summits of them being in general covered with wood grounds. On the east side of this valley, on the hill close to the woods, is Rinsted-court; and on the hill on the west, Yokes court, and Madams-court; and still further westward, the village and church. The soil of it is poor, and covered with flints, much like that of Wichling, before described; but the rising hills on each side of the valley are mostly chalk.

There is a district in this parish, consisting of about fifty acres of land, called Minis-hill, over which the manor of Whornes-place, near Rochester, claims jurisdiction.

This parish was part of those possessions which William the Conqueror gave his half-brother Odo, bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in the book of Domesday, taken about the year 1080:

Hugh, the grandson of Herbert, and Adelold the chamberlain, holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Fredenestede. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is three carucates. In demesne . . . . Three villeins having seven oxen. There is a church, and two acres of meadow and an half, and wood for the pannage of two hogs. It is, and was worth, separately, twenty shillings. Leunin held it of king Edward.

About four years after taking the above survey, the bishop was disgraced, and the king his brother seized on this estate, among the rest of his possessions, which were all consiscated to the crown. After which, this manor came into the possession of Jeffry de Peverel, and with other lands, made up the barony of Peverel, as it was then called, being assigned to him for the desence of Dover-castle, of which it was held by him in capite by barony.

Nicholas de Gerund afterwards held this manor, with the advowson of the church, of which he died possessed in the 52d year of Henry III. holding it of the king in capite, as one knight's see. After which, the family of Crombwell became possessed of it; one of whom, Richard de Crombwell, was owner of it in the 8th year of Edward II. being younger brother of Sir John de Crombwell, knight-banneret. Ralph de Crombwell, his successor, next year, obtained a charter of free warren for his lands in this parish, and at his seat here, since called Meriam-court, and now commonly, Madams-court.

In the next reign of king Edward III. this estate was again come into the possession of the family of Gerund, in which, however, it did not remain long, for Richard le Gerund leaving an only daughter and heir Maud, she carried this manor and seat in marriage to Sir Henry de Chalshunt, who in the 20th year of that reign, paid aid for the manor of Wrensted, alias Frensted, with its appurtenances, holding it by the like service, as did his descendant Henry de Chalfhunt, at his death, in the 9th year of Richard II. when it was found, that John Bedeford, Roger Tournour, Sibill Jarconville, and Agnes, daughter of Walter at Style, were his heirs and next of kin; at which time it was likewise found, that this manor was held of the manor of Ospringe.

Soon after which, this manor, with the mansionhouse, called Wrensted, and now most usually Rinstedcourt, with Meriam, or Madams-court, and the advowson of the church of Wrensted, was conveyed by sale to Robert le Hadde, who was resident here in the reign of Henry IV. being descended from ancestors who had been resident at Chart Sutton, in this county, for many generations, Rob. Hadde being of that parish in the reign of Henry III. In his descendants this estate continued down to Henry Hadde, esq. of Frinsted, who died possessed of this manor, with the advowson of the church, and the other estates above-mentioned, in the 23d year of queen Elizabeth, leaving two sons, Arnold and Matthew, who was counsellor-at-law, of Lincoln's-inn, of which he was rector, the former of whom succeeded him here, and two years afterwards, anno 25 Elizabeth, alienated this manor, with its appurtenances, together with the rest of his estates in this parish, to Edward and George Hills. Arnold Hadde, esq. after the sale of this estate, resided in St. Alphage parish, in Canterbury, as his descendants did for several generations afterwards, till the end of the last century, and several of them lie buried in that church. They bore for their arms, Gules, three bucks heads caboshed, or, borned argent, between the borns of each a cross patee fitchee, argent. (fn. 1)

Edward and George Hills joined in the sale of the manor of Frinsted, with Rinsted, alias Wrensted-court, and the lands belonging to it, to Edward Jackman, esq. of Hornchurch, in Essex, and he, in the 5th year of James I. passed it away to Oliver Style, esq. of Watringbury, who died in 1622. Upon the death of whose descendant, Sir Thomas Style, bart. who died in 1702, an agreement was entered into by his heirs for a partition of his estates among them, which was confirmed by an act, passed anno 2 and 3 of queen Anne. In this partition, the manor of Frinsted, with Rinstedcourt, was allotted to Margaret, his only daughter by his second wife, who in 1716 sold it to Mr. Abraham Tilghman, descended from those of Snodland. He was a commissioner of the navy, and of the victuallingoffice, and dying in 1729, was buried in the south isle of this church, where there is a monument erected to his memory. He bore for his arms, Per fess, sable, and argent, a lion rampant, counterchanged, crowned, or. He was succeeded here by his son Abraham Tilghman, esq. who resided here till his death in 1779. He left by Olivia his wife, one of the two daughters and coheirs of Charles Finch, esq. of Chatham, one daughter Elizabeth, who married the Rev. Pierrepont Crompe, of Newnham, in Gloucestershire, son and heir of Thomas Cromp, esq. of Newnham, in that county, by Rebecca, the other daughter and coheir of Charles Finch, esq. He bore for his arms, Or, a chevron, voided gules, on a chief of the second, three escallops of the first. He afterwards resided here, and died in 1797, leaving his widow surviving, who now resides here, and one son Robert-Thomas, and a daughter, Henrietta Maria, the former of whom is now entitled to the see of this estate.

MADAMS-COURT, formerly called Meriams-court, as has been already mentioned, passed from Arnold Hadde in the 25th year of queen Elizabeth, with the rest of his estates in this parish, to Edward and George Hills, and they joined in the sale of Meriam, or Madams-court, to Archer, from which name it passed, in the reign of Charles I. to Thatcher, by a female heir of which family it passed in marriage to Batcheler, some of whose descendants lie buried in this church, one of whom, Mr. William Batcheler, at length alienated it to James Chapman, gent. of Milton, whose son Ed ward Chapman, esq. of Otterden, died in 1765, leaving by his wife, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Dennis, of Leyborne, one son, James Chapman, esq. now of Faversham, who is the present owner of it.

YOKES-COURT is a manor in this parish, which in the reign of Henry III. was part of the possessions of Fulk de Peyforer, whose descendant William de Peyforer, in the 20th year of Edward III. paid aid for it as half a knight's fee, which he then held at le Yoke, in this parish, of the honor of Ledes.

He soon afterwards alienated this manor to Roger Northwood, who died in the 35th year of that reign possessed of this manor of Yoke, held of the king in capite, by the service of making his suit at the gate of the castle of Leeds, from month to month, in lieu of all other service whatsoever. His descendant, John Northwood, esq. died possessed of it anno 4 Henry V. leaving his two sisters his coheirs, who entitled their husbands, John Barley, esq. of Hertfordshire, and Sir John Norton, of this county, to their respective shares of their brother's estates.

From one of them this manor was alienated to John Dyggs, esq. of Barham, whose descendant James Dyggs, esq. of Barham, died in the 27th year of Henry VIII. then holding this manor in capite by knight's service. He left two sons, John, who was of Barham, and Leonard, whose descendants were of Chilham-castle. His son John Dyggs, the eldest, succeeded him in this manor, and died in his life-time, leaving a son William, whose son Christopher Diggs, esq. of Barham, having levied fines of all his lands anno 15 and 17 Elizabeth, quickly afterwards alienated this manor to Archer, from which name, in the reign of Charles I. it passed by sale to Thatcher, of which name there were inhabitants of the adjoining parish of Wormsell, as appears by the parish register there, as early as king Henry the VIIIth's reign. These of Frinsted bore for their arms, Gules, a cross moline, argent, on a chief, or, three grasshoppers proper. In the name of Thatcher this manor continued, till by a female heir Mary, daughter of Thomas Thatcher, it went in marriage to Mr. Henry Bing, of Wickhambreux, on whose death, his son Mr. John Bing, became possessed of it. He died in 1766, and was buried in the north chancel of this church, leaving one son Henry, and two daughters; Mr. Henry Bing, the son, succeeded his father in the possession of this manor, of which he is the present owner. A court baron is held for it.

Charities.
JOHN WIATT, of Milsted, by will in 1722, gave the moiety of several pieces of land in Milsted, Frinsted, and Wormsell, containing about twenty acres, for sending four poor children yearly to school, to learn to read, vested in the minister and churchwardens, and of the annual value of 2l. 4s.

The number of poor constantly relieved are about sixteen; casually twelve.

FRINSTED is, within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sutton.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Dunstan, is situated westward from the village, but in the northern part of the parish; it consists of two isles and two chancels, the northern one belonging to the estate of Yokes-court, in it are several memorials for the Thatchers and the Bings. In the south isle is a monument for Abraham Tilghman, esq. who died in 1729. Against the north wall in this chancel, in a recess, is an antient tomb, with an engrailed arch over it. It has a square beacon tower at the west end of it, in which hang four bells. In the church yard is an altar tomb; under it, in a vault, lie buried A. Tilghman, esq. who died in 1779, and Olivia his wife; and the Rev. Mr. Crompe, and Henrietta-Maria, his daughter.

¶This church was formerly appendant to the manor of Frinsted, as has already been mentioned, and seems to have passed with it from Arnold Hadde, esq. toge ther with the rest of his estates in this parish, to Edward and George Hills, who alienated the manor of Frinsted, with Rinsted-court, to Edward Jackman, esq. and Meriam-court, or Madams-court, as it is now called, together with the advowson of the rectory of Frinsted, to Archer, from which name it passed with it, to Thatcher, in whose descendants it continued till Mary, daughter of Thomas Thatcher, carried it in marriage to Mr. Henry Bing, whose descendant, Mr. Henry Bing, gent. of this parish, is the present possessor of it.

In Strype's Stow's Survey, it is said, that in the reign of Edward III. the church of Frethensted, in the diocese of Canterbury, belonged to St. Catherine's hospital, near the Tower; and Tanner in his Monasticon, says, in patent 3 Edward III. p. 2, m. 2, is a licence for appropriating that church to the above-mentioned hospital, which cannot be reconciled to the records above-quoted, in which the advowson of the church of Frinsted is found to have been vested in the several owners of the manor of Frinsted.

This rectory is valued in the king's books at 9l. 11s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at 19s. 2d. and is of the yearly certified value of 71l. 7s. 4d.

In 1640 it was valued at sixty pounds. Communicants fifty.

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol5/pp554-561

Taken on: September 7, 2019

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