Notes on Carved Bench-ends in Badlesmere Church

IN BADLESMERE CHURCH. 16 3 the Garter ; on the other, are sentences expressive of the Athanasian Doctrine of the Trinity, curiously arranged on a second shield, in four circles united by bands, so that the words, Pater, Filius, Spi sco and Deus, though only once repeated in the circles, form part of every sentence." Glynne in his Churches of Kent refers to the bench-ends thus; " some good bench-ends with poppy-heads, having an inscription and a representation of the Archbishop's pah," by which I suppose he refers to the emblem of the Trinity. We come now to Cozens's lengthy, minute and very interesting statement. He says : " The Church is dedicated to St. Leonard. At the south side of the church was formerly a smaU chapel which had a door into the aisle, the foundations are stiU very visible. In this chapel were the tombs of several of the family of Badlesmere. It was fallen to ruins in the beginning of the present century (i.e. the 18th).1 In the chancel, against the ends of some modern seats, are judiciously preserved two very antique pieces of carving ; they were originaUy the fronts of two rows of staUs, which belonged to the canons of St. Augustine, a rehgious house, founded in this Manor by Bartholomew Lord Badlesmere, in the reign of Edward III, who had generously restored to him the estate which his father Bartholomew had forfeited by joining the barons, etc.—for which he was tried and beheaded at Canterbury. The son, considering this restoration as a special interposition of Heaven, founded this rehgious fraternity. These curious relics are of sound oak, most exquisitely sculptured, in high rehevo, and certain several ornaments and inscriptions, in black letter, as foUows, (see Plate.):— Fig. 1. is the front; fig. 2. the reverse of that on the North side of the chancel, being principahy a representation for the Trinity, and is to be read as foUows : PATEB NON EST FILIUS, FILIUS NON EST SPITUS, SPIBITTJS NON EST PATEB. PATEB EST DEUS, FILIUS EST DEUS, SPIBITUS EST DEUS ! On the top, S'TA MABIA OEA : P : A'IA. In the Gothic compartment, IHS. Under a coronet is M; probably for 1 See note l on preceding page.