Joseph Hatch, the Bellfounder, and Roses Farm

( 433 ) JOSEPH HATCH, THE BELLEOTJNDEIt, AND EOSES EARM, IN BROOMEIELD AND ULCOMBE. BY CANON SCOTT ROBERTSON. THE locality of Joseph Hatch's residence, in Broomfield or Ulcombe, had never been ascertained, until Mr. J. D. Norwood deciphered the title-deeds of his property called Roses Farm, which lies on the boundary of, and extends into, both parishes. He has communicated to this 18th Volume of Archceologia Cantiana a concise precis of the contents of those deeds. Fuller accounts of some of the deeds will, I think, be useful. This farm undoubtedly must have obtained its name from William Rose, who possessed it in the reign of King Henry VI. I. The title-deed, dated February 28, 1 Richard III., is entirely written in English, and bearing no signature, has appended to it the emblematic seal of William Rose. That seal shews a vase, out of which springs a rose-tree, on which are three full-blown roses. The vase stands between the letters W. R., which were the initials of William Rose the elder, of " Bromefeld-beside-Ledys." He recites in this deed, the terms of another which bore the rare and unusual date of " the thirde day of June the first yer of the reigne of Fdward thefifte late 7cing of Fnglcmd." He says that therein he had enfeoffed " William Rose the yonger, sone of John Rose of Wey," together with John Rose, John Vyncent of Ledys, and John Mason of Bromefeld the yonger, of all the landes, etc., lately belonging to William Munde (or Monde), now " ded," in Bromefeld and Ulcombe (which W. Munde had conveyed to Wilham Rose the elder), excepting Estcrofte in Bromefeld. The purpose of this enfeofment was that the lands should be held for the benefit of Wilham Rose the elder, as long as he should live, and that upon his decease these lands should pass to William Rose the younger (who had paid £20 for the bargain), on condition that during the life of the elder William's widow Alice, the younger William Rose should provide for her a competent house of residence in Bromefeld, and should pay to her 26s. 8S. per annum in money. II. The deed dated 11 Elizabeth, September 27th, is signed thus • '•per me Richardus Warham," and has affixed to it his seal, bearing the Warham arms* with his initials added:—R (in dexter chief), and . * Chiles, a fess or, between a goat's head in chief, and three escallop shells in base argent, attired or. VOL, XVIII. E E 434 JOSEPH HATCH, THE BELLFOTJNDER, AND W (in sinister chief). The deed contains a curious clause or condition, that if on the 6th of January, foUowing the date of its execution, Richard Warham should pay, in the porch of Patrickesborne Parish Church, between tbe hours of 9 a.m. and . . . p.m., the sum of £52 to Edward Warham or his heirs, then Richard Warham should have power to re-enter the said three messuages and sixty acres of land. A power of attorney, sealed with the seal of Edward Warham, of Patrikesborne, empowers his son and heir John Warham to receive possession on his behalf. It is dated 27th September, 11 Elizabeth, and has written at base the initials E. W. The seal bears the Warham crest, a goat's head, between the initials E. W. The witnesses to both deeds are James Chapman, John Parker, and William Diclom (?). The witnesses of delivery of seisin were John G-rennell (?), Thomas Malin, Robert Tompsone, and James Rawsone. I I I . and IV. The two title-deeds of Roses Parm, which are signed by Walter Taylor, of HoUingbourne, gent., and dated the 1st of April 1606, both bear his armorial seal, which shews four quarterings :—1 and 4 (Taylor of Lingfield, Surrey), a chevron between three bucks' heads, and in chief two hounds respectant; 2 and 3, three (obliterated). They are made more interesting by being endorsed, both of them, thus, " The marhe I.H. of Joseph Hatch." This was the wellknown bellfounder, by whom so many church-bells in Kent were cast. On one deed this fuller endorsement appears : " Read, sealed, and delyvered, and liverie and seizine of the within-mentioned premises* by the within-named Walter Taylor, to the within-named Nicolas Myller [the elder, of Wrotham, gent.] accordinglie delyvered in the presence of Nic. Myller junior ; Thomas Hatch, the withinnamed Tenant, who did Attorne Tenant to the within-named Nicolas Myller; and Nicolas Hooper." " The marhe T.H. of Thomas Hatch" (probably brother of Joseph Hatch, who, in 1639, bequeathed to him much of his property). " The marhe I.H. of Joseph Hatch." In the late Mr. Stahlschmidt's Ohurch Bells of Kent,no.7S-76, will be found mention of Thomas Hatch, the father (of whose bells, two still remain in Kent; one at Langley, another at Canterbury St. Margaret), and of Joseph Hatch, no less than 155 of whose bells still remain in church-steeples in Kent. Mr. Stahlschmidt also mentions William, nephew and successor of Joseph Hatch. Joseph Hatch " died childless and wealthy, in September, 1639, being buried _ * Two parcels of lands, etc., "heretofore divided into more severals," containing in the whole twenty-three acres in Bromfleld, bounded by lands of Anthony St. Leger, Esq., and of Ric. Saunders on the south; of Ant. St. Leger, and said Nioolas Myller, on the east; by the Kings Highway and a little tenement belonging to the king on the west; and lands of Nicolas Myller on the north. Also two other parcels containing five aores of meadow and woodland, surrounded by lands of Nic. Myller, all in tenure and occupation of Joseph Hatch, ROSES FARM IN BROOMFIELD AND ULCOMBE. 435 at Broomfield on the 17th of that month." In his will (printed by Stahlschmidt on pp. 76-80), he describes himself as of the parish of Ulcomb. V. The deed dated 26th of July 1636 (12 Charles I.), bears the signature of James Miller, but the seal is gone. By it James Miller, (youngest son of Nicholas Miller of Wrotham, Esquire, and nephew of another Nicholas Miller, deceased, who formerly owned this property,) sold to Solomon Wood, of Wormeshill, gent., "all that the Mannor, Lordship, Messuage and tenement in Bromefeild called or knowne by the name of the Mannor of Roses " with all appurtenances, now or late in the tenure of Peter Hunt and JOSEPH HATCH or their assigns. He warrants against the heirs of his uncle Nicholas Miller deceased, and against his father Nicolas Miller. It mentions a lease granted by James Miller to Peter Hunt for ten years, from the previous Michaelmas, of part of the premises at an annual rent of £22, and another lease of same date, and for same period, of another parcel of the premises granted to JOSEPH HATCH at a rent of £6 per annum. Endorsed is this statement: " Sealed and delivered in the presence of Richard Tylden ; William G-uildeford; Richard Wood; John Wood; the marke of James Game." The same witnesses endorse a small deed on which is engrossed " Mm in dors: Claus' Cancellar' infrascript' Domini Regis decimo nono die Septemb' anno infrascript'—per THOMAM STANLEY."* This smaller deed, dated 28 July 1636, is signed by James Miller, and bears a seal on which appears a pine-apple or huge thistle. * Thomas Stanley, Of Hamptons; see Archceologia Cantiana, XVII., p. 355, last three lines. F F 2