Bayhall, Pembury, with a Note on Dame Dorothy Selby and the Gunpowder Plot

( 173 ) JBAYHALL, PEMBURY. BY MRS. R. MASOALL OTTRTEIS AND LADY HAWLEY. BEEORE the hand of time has swept out of existence aU traces of this old mansion, it may be of interest to put on record a few items of information connected with the place. The fohowing notes are taken from letters and papers in the possession of a descendant of the family to which Bayhah belonged from about 1630 to 1790. Of the history of the Manor before 1630 it will be sufficient to say here that for some time it belonged to the Colepeper family but was forfeited to the Crown. Subsequently the property passed through several hands, until early in the seventeenth century it was purchased from Sackville, Earl of Dorset, by Richard Amherst, Esq., Sergeant-at-Law, described in the wih written by his own hand in 1630 as "of Lewes in the County of Sussex." The reason for his purchase of Bayhah is perhaps explained by a clause in this wih : " I give unto the poor of the parish of Pembury in Kent, where I was born, forty shillings." The writer of these notes has a portrait of Richard in wig and gown; also a companion portrait showing a handsome man with strongly marked features of great character, presumably his son Richard. This son rebuilt Bayhah. An ancient pedigree begins— " Richard Amherst—puUed down great part of the house and rebuilt the front in Oliver's time." I t is said that Richard was a favourite of Royal interests but that he carried himself with so much prudence and address as to have been enabled, whilst under the necessity of conceahng himself, to proceed for some years with this buUding which he completed about the year 1664. Richard's sons died without issue and his daughter, Ehzabeth, inherited Bayhah. She married Sir Henry Selby, 174 BAYHALL, PEMBURY. Kt., of Ightham Mote. Possibly it was at this time that the needlework worked by Dame Dorothy Selby and her portrait came to BayhaU. These descended to the present owner through Mary Johnson, who is mentioned later. Ehzabeth and Henry's son—Charles—who took the name of Selby-Amherst, married Lady Stroud and died without issue. He left Bayhah to his sister's son. This sister, Dorothy, had married John Browne of Nantwich, Cheshire. Charles Selby-Amherst appears to have ahowed his sister Dorothy, her husband, John Browne, and their children to hve at Bayhah. A letter dated 1719 from Bayhah to " Mr Browne, Cohector of His Majesty's Duty on Salt in Nantwich " runs : " I thank God we are very happily placed here and my Bro. is extreamly kind to us and has given us a Spot of Land to make us a hop-ground and I have several men at work upon it to make it ready to plant sets and everything ready. My Bro. being in London—he has not been here above two or three days this month which makes this place a httle mehanchohy—Charles invites you ah to Bayhah." From various letters we find that John Browne was not a very satisfactory person. That Dorothy's marriage to him was not approved of is shown by this extract from the wih of her father : " I, Sir Henry Selby of Bayhah give and bequeath to my deare and beloved Son Charles Selby-Amherst aU that it is in my power to give and dispose of . . . As for my daughter Dorothy Brown (she having married without my consent, knowledge or aprobation) I give her only five pounds for mourning." Dorothy's son, Charles, married Ehzabeth MitteU, of the Moat, East Hoathly, Sussex. He hved at Bayhah and his widow after him tiU her death in 1790. A memorial tablet to them is to be found in the chancel of Frant Church. Having no children, she left the Bayhah property to Thomas Streatfield who shortly afterwards sold it. Most of the furniture, pictures, etc., she left to her niece and adopted daughter, Mary Johnson, who had hved with her at Bayhah. Mention is made in Mrs. Browne's wih of—" The easy Chair g " L - - . _'-. 7/ III //),- ('.cuniu j-f