Briefs in St Leonards and St Georges Parishes in Deal in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

( 26 ) BRIEFS IN ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES IN DEAL LN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES. BY W. E. D. STEBBTNG, E.S.A. A PAEER on this subject appeared in Vol. XIV of Arch. Cant. (1882) under the title " Briefs in the Parish of Cranbrook ". It was eompUed. by W. Tarbutt. These hcences, properly known as Church-briefs or King's Letters, were issued out of Chancery to Churchwardens specificaUy for damage or loss by fire to churches but, as we know, were sent round for other purposes. There seem to have been two types. The Rev. Nicolas Carter at St. George's notes that some appeals were granted to be coUected through Great Britain while others only " in Cities, Boroughs and Market Towns and not elsewhere ". There must have been a great revival in their issue after Charles I I came to the throne. Pepys indignantly noted in 1661, after the fourteenth successive appeal at St. Olave's,Hart Street, "To church where we observe the trade of briefs is come now up to so constant a course every Sunday that we resolve to give no more to them." Their issue was regulated by a Statute in 1704, but when we find that 565 are entered in St. George's Register between August, 1717 and October, 1773, there can be no doubt that, as in the present-day case of too many Flag Days, parishioners often refused to hghten their purses ; especiaUy when two Briefs might be pubhshed on one Sunday. In one of these cases at St. George's the boxes rattled under people's noses collected 6-|d. and Is., in a second 6d. and nothing, and this was possibly after the Parish Clerk had stood at the door as the congregation left, saying : " Please remember the Brief." The boxes are referred to by both. Cowper and Southey and, as the century wore on in St. George's Parish, their appearance had become so distasteful to the burgesses that in 96 cases nothing was coUected in church ; in the ninety-seventh only Jd. And many of the appeals were doubtless genuine. At St. Leonard's the Briefs are entered among the Churchwardens' Accounts in the seventeenth century upright parchment-bound volume measuring 15 in. by 6 in. It was kept closed originaUy by two ties. A torn flyleaf shows the words London, printed for Roger Norttens, and the signature Tho: Knorler Gent. In MS. also appear the words Canterburie AprU 1637 and Canterbury AprU 18 1637. The Briefs are entered at the beginning of the back of the bock, and are followed by two other entries which are transcribed below. The earhest Brief is entered separately among these Accounts for the year 1657, and was an appeal for a fire in Leicestershire. The loss was BRE3ES IS ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. 27 assessed at £2,190 but the sum coUected by one of the churchwardens and a Collector of the Poor is not given. To this minute is added : " I t is Inordered that the Churchwardens are to Ingross aU CoUections By Letters pattuns iin the Church Booke ". 1665 Apr 30th CoUected then upon a brief for Grantham the sum of six shUls3: and three pence farthing whereof nine pence farthing in brass money1 Tho: Walker dept [deputy] receiver June: 4th: CoUected then upon a brief for Gisborough ye sum of 9s—9d : whereof 2 /hillings in farthings Jno Hawksley dep* receiver June 25th. CoUected etc for Broughin the Jiim of 6s: & 6 pence whereof 2s: & 3 pence in farthings Jn° Hawksley dep*. receiver July: 23rd: CoUected etc. for John Wraylott near coltchester the Jum of 6 JhUlgs: & 6 pence whereof one JhUhng in farthings. Ja: Smith dep* receiver Die eodem CoUected etc. to Rob*: En/deU the Jum of 6 /hillings whereof one /hUls8: in farthings Jn° pope dep'. receiver Augst: 20th: Collected etc. for Jn°. Heale the sum of 8 /hillings and 7 pence whereof 13 pence in farthings Jn°: Hawksley dep*: receiver CoUected etc. for ye repair of ye parish church of Gun in the countie of Salop: ye Jum of 5s: 4d: Jn° Mosman dep*: receiver CoUected etc. for the town of Hartlepoole for the repair of the Jd Harbour : ye Jum of 4s: John Mosman dep*: receiver 1667 May 5th: CoUected etc. for Jn° O/borne the /urn of 14s: ld: lob: whereof 2sh: & l l d s in farthings Jn°: Iborne ffrank Borman Recra: May 26th: CoUected etc. for WUl: Mum ye /urn of 8 /hillings and 3 pence whereof 1 /hilling and 10 pence in farthings Tho May dep*: receiver July 7th: CoUected etc. for Hinxton ye sum of 4 /hillins3 & 6 pence whereof 18 pence in bra/s money ffran: Norman dep*. receiver 1 These were probably Traders' Tokens, as an official coinage of copper farthings was not issued till 1672. 28 BRIBES IN ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. die eodem CoUected etc. for Weymouth ye sum of 4sh. & 6: pence half peny whereof 13 pence lob: in bra/J money1 ffran Norman dep*. receiv1. ffebr: 9th: CoUected etc. for Bi/hops Clift ye sum of 4 shffl & 6 pence whereof 6 in bra/s money ffran Norman dep*. receiv1. die eodem CoUected etc. for poole the sum of 4 JhUlgs. & 3 pence whereof 8 pence in bra/s money ffran Norman dep*. receiv1. 1688 May 31s t : CoUected etc. for Bradninch y° sum of 8 /hill: and 9 pence whereof 3 /hill: & 9 pence in farthings Hen: Smith dep* receivr. 1668/9 ffebr: 14th: CoUected etc. for Chff in Kent the /urn of 12 /hiUgs: & 6 pence whereof 8 groats in farthings Hen: Ta//eU dep*. receivr: (In 1676 9s. was coUected at Cranbrook for Cliff.) Apr11: 3d: 1670 CoUected for the acco* of 3 Dover men Captives the Jum of 2U: l l s h : 9d: whereof 9sh: in bra/s June: 19th: CoUected for the acco*. of a brief for Michael ffowler of great Chart the Jum eight /hUlgs & 7 pence farthg. whereof 4sM. & 7d. farthg. in brass money (5s. 2d. was coUected for this man at Cranbrook.) Aug8*. 21: 1670 CoUected for the acco*. of a brief for Isleham in ye Countie of Cambridge the Jum of twelve /hillings whereof there is 3 /hUlgs. in farthings (8s. was coUected at Cranbrook.) Septr: 11th. CoUected etc. for the redemption of Captives out of SaUey the Jum of 2U & 2sh whereof 4 /hUlgs: in brass money. Decern1: 25 : 1670 CoUected then in the Church of Strangers unknown and supposed to have contributed before in the place of their abode as to the brief for Captives (FoUows a hst of local contributors to the Brief.) Jan: 3d: Capt Jn°: Titus Mr Edmund Ibbot Minister Mr Jn°: Clark deputy phot Mrs Bennison [Name erased.] £ s. d. 00: 13: 9 li s d 00—10—00 00—10—00 00—05—00 00—02—06 1 ? 12 pence halfpenny. BRIEES TN ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. 29 li S d Richd: WaUs 00—01—00 Tho: Scarlet senr phot 00—01—00 Wm: pittock 00—01—00 FoUowing are 50 names including 10 pilots, Ben: Hulk and Tho: Mumbray. 6d. is the smaUest sum paid. Jan: 4t h : List of 53 names including 3 pUots. Other people of some local importance are Eliz*h: Pittock widdow, Jn°: Taverner, Geo: Hulck and Jn°: Nyles Corp11:. The largest contribution in this hst was 5s. Jan: 5. List of 105 names including 6 pUots with " Rich3: Smith— Vinkner, Wm: Hulck, Mr. Balteshazzar Jt MicheU Junr:, Tryphenee Diaper, Mary de Majters widdw: and Constant Woodman, widdw:." 5s.' again was the largest sum. Jan: 9th: 100 names including 4 pUots, 2 bakers and 2 carpenters. Several entries are of a man and his wife ; James Costen is entered with his two daughters ; Ann and Mary BusheU subscribe as sisters, and there is a man, his son and his grandson. Mr John Gookin Gentle™ gives 10s., as does Tho: ffassome & his wife. Ehz*h: Samjon is " of London ". The hst is closed by Daniel Smith pish Clerk. Unusual names are Paretree and IsabeUa Merry wether. Jan: 10th Upper Deale. 48 names here, with several of the gentry with the prefix Mr., Mr: Jn°: Jenkin & his wife Mary, Mr: Tho: Knowler, Mr: Geo: Knowler, Mrs Martha Rust, Mrs: Mary and Mrs Susan Jenkin, M13: Gage widdw: & her daugh*18:, Mrs Mary and MrB: Sarah Hobday Junr:, Mr: Jn°: May & bis wife Sarah and Mr: petr: Bridger. The first and last give 10s. Jn°: Mocket and petr: Graunt are in this hst. An unusual spelling for the name CecUy is Sicilie. Jan: 11t h : 60 names in this final hst with four pUots. Mr: Edwd: Smith—searcher, Mr: Stones—churchwarden, Cap*: Jn° poole, and Mr: Hen: Knighte give 5s. each. Four contributors are described as servants, and one as spinster. The names Diggers and Scruggs, with CawUl and Woodriffe, appear for the first time. Seven names from the end Tho: Stone, the churchwarden, signs. The hst is closed by the signatures of John Jenkin, WUhn: Home and John Culmer. The Brief appealed for £30,000. "Received of Mr Edmund Ibbott Rectr of Deale the sum of Twentie Eight pounds seven shillings upon the brief for the redemption of the Captives in Argier to be dehvered to Mr. Martin Hirst of Canterbury according to my Lords Grace of Canterbury his appointment I say Recd by me Henry UUock Rec* of Mongham January ye 16th: 70: " Cranbrook raised £14 Is. lOd. towards the above sum. 30 BRIEES EST ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. " We the Parishioners of Deale whose names are under written do acknowledge Mr Henry Gerard to be opprest in his poor A/se/m* and aire willing to abate him 108 pr AJseJm*: wch: before amounted to 1£ : 108 Dated ye 8th of May 1696 " Will Boys Deputy Arthur Wallinger Tho Home I c h u r o h w a r d e n s Richard Neale James Neale | Abra : AW Hudson Dudley St Leger Edward Hosellwood Tob. Bowles Richard Ciss Gab Millison William Wihthead Jeffery Saffery John Pickle Will Ockman Thomas ffox John Pye Will Birch Tho : Pye John Bone Sam" ffasham jn ° 4- Smith Jos : Lane Geo H u lk Jos : Nicholl Antho Bowes Rob' Hughes John C a r t e r Cha : Whiing (a " t " left out) wm Mumbray John Lee jo h n Middelton Tho: Brothers Henry Parsons Robert Jefry his H m a rk John Wildes John Scarlett John Mount Travers wm ^ Snoad Robert Wood hi s ^ m a rk Ed"' V Soles Seemery Banes his mark William Cobb John Underdown Dan" Denne " Wee Whose names are under written Parishioners of Deale do allow to reimburst Mr Boys Deputy as also other Ensuing Deputyes their Incident Charges Dated ye 8t h of May 1696 And (erased) ye Sd reimbirstment to be aUowed out of ye Poor Assesm*8: not exceeding y° Sum of eight Pounds Part whereof is towards y° Treating ye Goverr. of Dover Castle (Signed) Henry Gerard Rector " and thirty parishioners, aU of whose names occur in the previous hst, The sub-parish of St. George's had its beginning, with its Chapel, through the great commercial and naval activity which centred in the shipping making use of the roadstead of The Downs from the latter part of the seventeenth century. Ships were becoming more seaworthyj Henry VIII's coast-defence forts were giving a certain amount oi protection, and Sandwich, up a winding tidal river, was useless foi vessels running for shelter, or for immediate supphes by the ships1 chandlers and the bum-boat women. Hence there was a rapid increase in Deal's population on the shingle ridge and immediately behind; still seen in the many late seventeenth century brick houses in Lowei Deal.1 * See Dr. W. W. Hardman, " The Sea Valley of Deal", Arch. Oant., L (1938), pp. 60-50. BRIEES IN ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. 31 In 1699 Deal obtained a Charter of Incorporation. With its growing importance it had been long chaffing under the overlordship of Sandwich which conducted aU official business through a Deputy (v. p. 30) Even the vested interests of the Rector (his church was over a mUe away) had to acknowledge the altered circumstances, and had to aUow that a Chapel of Ease in Lower Deal was a necessity. Such a project became a public and mayoral question in 1706. However, there were many setbacks, of which finance was not the least, tiU the Corporation in 1712 obtained an Act " for completing a Chapel of Ease in the Lower Town of Deal, in the County of Kent, by a Duty on Water-born Coals to be brought into the said Town ". This empowered the coUection of a duty of 2s. a ton on such coals. (FuU detaUs are given in Laker's History of Deal, 1917, pp. 258-63.) The duty was to remain in force for 15 years but Is. 6d. is stiU coUected, although not for the benefit of the edifice or of the parish. The Chapel was completed in 1716, and dedicated and consecrated on June 16th by the Archbishop, Dr. Wake, as a " Chapel dependent upon the Parish Church of Deal". The first " Perpetual Curate " (since 1852 St. George's has been a separate parish with its own vicar) was a William Squire. He resigned in March. 1718 on collation to Reciilvex but must have been non-resident for some little time before as the earhest entry in the Register of Marriages and Burials (the latter only from 1737) records in the handwriting of his successor Carter that " Henry Alexander Primrose & Margarett Bowles both of Deal were marriedMay ye 5th. 1717 (Licence)."1 However, the interest of this quarto veUum-bound Register is in the foUowing use. While on one cover appears " Deal Chapel Registers " on the other is the word " Briefs ", and inside on the first leaf is written in a copy-book hand "A Register Book for Briefs published in ye Chapel at Deaf in the County of Kent; bought August ye 1st 1717 [? 1716] by I n t r S r ^ Glover } Chapel-Wardens Nicholas Carter, Minister. Nioolas Carter, his son-in-law Thomas Pennington, or others who eased his duties towards the end of his hfe—he was a pluralist—enter every Brief with the date of coUection, and sign them, but when the entry states that nothing was " coUected in ye Chapel because to be collected from House to House by Minister & Churchwardens of the Parish ", the amounts only appear in seven early entries. At Cranbrook on the other hand we find this information invariably given. 1 A Thomas Daniel Primrose, D.L. of St. John's College, Oxford, was instituted Reotor of South Warnborough, Hants, on March 27th, 1728, and inducted May 3rd by John Guensay, Vicar of Proyle. He was buried at St. George's in 1761, and his wife Susanna, aged 64, in 1773. In 1729 Henry Alexander owned a Brewhouse in Deal on which, with his house, he was assessed 17s. 4d. In 1732 his wife was paid £1 16s. for beer supplied to the Poor House. He was alive in 1734. 32 BRIEFS IN ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. In St. Leonard's Parish, where between 1719 and 1774 there were 45$ appeals, the churchwardens charged 3s. for this method of collection. Carter, a controversialist, and not averse to calling a spade a spade did not hide his feelings in his written utterances. In November 1720, 8s. Id., as against St. Leonard's 3s. 9|d., was gathered towards the estimated loss of £1,609 at Shrawdine Church and Parsonage ir Salop. He thus lets us into his pohtical sympathies. " In ye civi wars anno 1644 Shrawdine Castle was made a Garrison by ye King's Forces & whUe y° said Garrison continued there they burnt ye greatesi Part of ye Town & demolished ye Steeple, Chancel, & most of ye Church together w*h. ye Parsonage House, for yer Safty against ye RebeUs.' In 1732 the damage at Stourbridge Church was £2,000 or so. St George's gave Is. lid., St. Leonard's 2s. 6d. Carter comments " This Brief was for ye buUding of a new Church or Chapel of Ease ir Stowerbridge in ye Parish of Old Swinford ; & not for ye Repairing o: an old one : and therefore unusual, if not unreasonable." In July, 1749, a Brief to aid an assessed loss of £1,177 at Berkelej Church, Glos., came under Carter's ire. Nothing was coUected perhaps because he animadverted, " The Title of this Brief is—Berkeley Churcl whereas the Brief itself is not for ye Church, but for ye Tower of y' Church, and which Stands about 40 yards from ye Parish Church. NOJ is there one word in ye Brief mentioning ye use of such Tower. Quare why then was there a Brief to rebuUd such Tower ? " Towards this appeal Cranbrook subscribed 3s. 2|d. On August 1st, 1742, Carter noted that he " read in Deal chape his Majesty's Letter to y° two Archbishops, & the Archbishop oJ Canterbury's Letter to his Clergy concerning a CoUection to be made for y° Use of ye Corporation for ye Propagation of ye Gospel in foreigr Parts ". This Society had its origin in 1701. Appeals to St. George's for rehef outside this country were, in 1729 for Protestants in Copenhagen. No sum is given but St. Leonard's raised £4 6s. 4d. In 1762 help was asked to reimburse a loss ol £2,733 Sterling suffered by Saarbruck Church and School; rathe) later the scholastic claims of the "CoUedges" of PhUadelphia and Ne-R York reached Deal. In 1764 the charitable were urged to help " Philip pen Colony in Turkish Moldavia ". They raised 7s. 3|d. An earlier appeal which reached St. Leonard's in 1739 came from " Bobi anc VUlar in ye VaUey of Lucerne in Piedmont ". They were sufferers tc the value of £2,354 by an inundation. For the study of these Registers and Parish Books thanks are due to the Rector of Deal, the Rev. Canon E. D. Bowser, and the Vicar ol St. George's, the Rev. H. W. Lea-Wilson. Also to Mr. W. E. Tate F.R.Hist.S,, who has done much work on the subject. Happily al St. George's the book suffered no damage when the Viotorian Easl window of the church was blown out. How tastes ohange when the BRIEFS EST ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S PARISHES. 33 design and colouring of this stained glass was described as carried out •with much taste and elegance. But 1867 was the low water mark in this branch of art. TABULAR STATEMENT OF KENTISH BRIEFS AS ENTERED EST THE PARISH REGISTERS OR BOOKS OF ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. GEORGE'S, DEAL, AND AT CRANBROOK EST THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Date and Place. 1726 1727 1727 1738 1741 1743 1744 1744 1756 June 1759 1763 1764 1765 1773 1779 Folkestone Fishery Cranbrook Church Gravesend by Fire TJpchuroh Inundation Medway Oyster Dredgers Loss by frost Fishermen, etc of Faversham. Loss by frost (a late year) Eynsford by Fire Hythe Church by Fire Newenden and Rolvenden by a hailstorm (a wet summer) Chalk Sittingbourne Church Loss by Hail in Kent Tudely Church Warehorne Churoh West Mailing Church Estimated Loss. £2,376 £2,376 £21,232 £4,290 £10,943 £9,000 £1,661 £1,100 £2,212 £1,231 £2,089 £12,798 £1,157 10 St. Leonard's. 2/6| 9/6 (Collected from house to house) £6 2 6 (Collected as above) 14/1 £2 12 10 (Collected as above) £1 12 8 (As above) 1/8 3/8 £1 16 4 V- (Collected as above) St. George's. " / I * No sum given as collected from house to llUUot) ft t? >» It It It It »» 6/6* 8d. No sum given. (Collected from house to house) f> » »» » tf t> No sum given. (Collected as above) Cranbrook. £5 0 6J (No note to" this) £2 19 3 (As above) 17/8 (Collected throughout the town) £5 14 0J (No note to this) £1 5 10 (As above) 18/2 (Colleoted as above) 15/7 (As above)