The Old Court Hall, Lydd

THE OLD COURT HALL, L YDD E.W. PARKIN Although Lydd lies in an out-of-the-way corner of Kent and attracts few visitors to its quiet streets, it is nevertheless a very ancient and interesting place. Apart from its fine church which is part Saxon and sometimes called the 'Cathedral of the Marsh', it has buildings of every period of which the most intriguing must surely be the medieval Court Hall, perhaps the oldest and the smallest still surviving in Kent. This was built on the ancient churchyard wall near the south-west corner, and for centuries was known as the 'Common House'. The outside gives no clue to its antiquity, except perhaps the steeplypitched roof, for it is encased in weatherboard, and is in use as a store-place behind a shop. The former court room is on the first floor, and measures internally only 5.39 m. (17 ft. 7 in.) in length, compared with the similar one at Fordwich, 9.45 m. (31 ft.), and Milton Regis 12.20 m. (40 ft.). 1 It is similar to both these in that if had a lock-up and a storeplace beneath the first floor court room, although it is considerably earlier than either. HISTORY Fortunately, the town still preserves some of its early records, parts of which have been so admirably transcribed in 'Records of Lydd' . 1 Arthur Finn, in his introduction to this work states: 'Many and varied expenses were incurred over the Common House, later called ' S.E. Rigold, 'Two Types of Court Hall', Arch. Cant., lxxxiii (1969). 1-38. 2 A. Hussey and M.M. Hardy, Records of Lydd, ( 1911). 107 E.W. PARKIN the Court House. A portion of the original building, near to which was the Church Style, still remains. '3 These records begin with the Chamberlain's accounts in the Autumn of 1428, when it would appear that the little court hall was in the process of being built - in fact, the main timber framework must by then have been complete, for the first entry concerning it, and dated November 1st, 6 Hen. VI (1428), relates to sealing an agreement to complete the roof with tiles: 'ltm. paid by the hands of Thomas Jane in money and drink when they made the agreement for the common house with Robert Hore, tyler, 4d. Shortly afterwards, further entries appear: 'Itm. paid Robert Hore tiler, for tiling the common house by the hands of John Baker, in part payment of the same ... 39s. 6d. 'ltm. paid the aforesaid Robert Hore tiler, in part payment by James Ayllewyn ... 13s. 4d. 'ltm. paid the same Robert Hore for tiles and for his labour by the hands of James Ayllewyn, by view of the Jurats ... 26s. Sd. 'Itm. paid by the hands of Thomas Jan (or Jane) for 5000 prygs at I Id per 1000 ... sum 4s. 7d. The old word 'pryg' means pointed sticks, skewers or twigs, and is here taken to mean the small wooden pegs which were formerly used to hang clay tiles on to the laths nailed across the rafters. There follows a number of entries concerning payments made for nails, laths and prygs, e.g.: 'Itm. 'ltm. 'ltm. 'Itm. paid for 1200 nailes at 4d. 100 paid for 300 nails at 6d. 100 paid for 300 nails at 5½d. 100 paid for drink given to the aforesaid carpenter Richard Hamon ... 4s. Od. Is. 6d. Is. 4½d. Id. The quantity of ale given is not stated, but it is clear that drink then was somewhat cheaper than it is today! 'Itm. paid Richard Glover for 300 herte lattis 'Itm. paid the aforesaid Richard Glover for 250 thorn lath 18d. 9d. These and other entries followed in the chamberlain's accounts for 1429, among which is the final entry regarding Robert Hore: 'Itm. paid Robert Hore in full payment of the common house ... 2 Id. . .. sum£7 2s. 8d. During the same time, work was also proceeding on the interior of the building, for entries such as these occur: 3 Ibid., Introduction, p. xviii. 108 THE OLD COURT HALL, L YDD 'Itm. paid for one quarter of stanchions bought by Thomas Jan 20d. 'Itm. paid for boards by the hand of James Ayllewyn 5s. 'ltm. paid for boards by the hands of the Jurats on Saturday the morrow of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist 9s. I Id. Boards would be required for the floors of the upper chambers, also as a safety precaution for lining the prison cell below, as one can still see at Fordwich. The lower part of the wall in the courtroom behind the bailiff's chair and the jurats' benches was also boarded, and these still remain in place. They are hand-sawn, fixed into position with blacksmith made nails, and measure on average 36 cm. (1 ft. 2 in.) wide by 3 cm. (1¼ in.) thick. The ground floor under the council chamber, which included the lock-up was of rammed earth or clay until modern times, when it was concreted over. 'ltm. paid for two labourers casting earth into the common house ... 4d. 'Itm. paid for workmen this week 2d. Workmen were then paid at the rate of fourpence per day, whereas skilled men such as a carpenter or tiler received sixpence a day. Final items in completing the building included hinges, - a latch costing 4d., and two locks, 8d., then: 'Itm. paid for one herde and three forms for the common house ... 2s. 2d. . .. sum 28s. 2½d. What a 'herde' might have been is obscure, perhaps this item refers to the dais at the high end of the hall, with its fittings. After· the completion of the building in 1429, we find only sporadic mention of the 'common house'. The occasional entries do, however, give fascinating glimpses into the life of those times, e.g.: 'Itm. paid for candles and rushes (rushlights) for the common house 3d. Then each year a special entry: 'Itm. paid for candles burnt in the common house on the night of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist 2d. Other items, strangely enough were for coal: 'Itm. paid for one quarter of coals bought for the common house . . . 6d. As there is no evidence of a chimney, nor central hearth in the Court Hall, it is assumed that a brazier or a fire basket must have been used. In 1431 there occurs this entry: 'Itm. paid for one mound (a large open basket) for the common house for carrying coals 2d. and in the same year 109 E.W. PARKIN 'ltm. pd for a fire rake for the common house 7d. The Clerk of the Court was at this time one, Thomas Caxton, and from some of the entries we know what he was paid: 'ltm. ( 1459) paid to Thomas Caxton common clerk for his wages (for one month) 6s. Sd. 'ltm. ( 1463) paid to Thomas Caxton for his quarters wages of Midsummer to Michaelmas and for his gown at the feast of Michaelmas ... 20s. What toilet arrangements there were in the hall can only be guessed at, but there is this entry: 'ltm. (August 1430) paid William Cudding, smith for one seware ( drain or sewer) for the common house 6s. Sd. Several items concern the 'common chest', - or the 'great chest' in the Common House, which we know was purchased in 1441: 'Itm. paid for a chest for the common house of Henry Lucas 15d. In 1431 there occurred these items: 'ltm. paid for bread and ale for the jurats sitting by turns in the common house 5d. 'ltm paid for !\YO horns bought for the watchmen 8d. It would seem that at times there was trouble with prisoners held in the cell: 'ltm. paid to the watchman that watcheth Robert Lucas in the common house 'ltm. paid Richard Barie and his fellow lying in the common house and watching there every night for a week 'Itm. paid James Maket for a form and a stool for the common house Then perhaps a hint of more serious trouble: 2s. !Od. Is. 2d. 6d. ·1tm. paid John Bowden for mending the lock on the prison door and staples 2d. 'lttn. paid for mending the lock on the chest in the common house ... 2d. ·1tm. paid to three carpenters for making of the galous (gallows) for meat and shore ls. &f. Doubtless also there was the occasional storm, which can still rage across the Marsh: 'ltm. paid Andrew Bates for !000 tiles 50 comer tiles and two ridge tiles for the court house 6s. 8d. The published chamberlain's accounts end in the year 8 Ed. IV ( 1469). and are followed by the churchwarden's accounts beginning I 1· Hen. VIII ( 1520). We have, therefore, to tum to the minutes of Council meetings. and to the Ground Rents Register for further 110 THE OLD COURT HALL, L YDD information about the Court Hall. This appears to have served. the town of Lydd until the eighteenth century, when in 1734 we find that the Town Clerk: • . .. produced the lease and locked it in the chest in the Court Hall':' Soon after this the medieval building ceased to be used by the Town Council, and underwent extensive alterations. The western hipped end was taken down and replaced by a large timber-framed dwelling, covered with weatherboard in the style of the period, and was henceforth known as Gaol House. The front door of this house was at the west end facing Coronation Square, and protected by a porch; evidence of the position of this can still be seen as an inverted V in the hanging tiles above the more recent shop front. Then in the minutes of the Council, dated 1743, we find: 'Memorandum, that the dwelling known as Gaol House be let to Elizabeth Carr, widow.' Later, in the Council's Ground Rents Register: 'LEASED by the Bailiff, Jurats and Commonalty to Henry Edwards, corder, the messuage called Gaol House for a term of 999 years, from the 25th day of March 1793, in consideration of the sum of forty-five pounds, to David Downe Esq. Chamberlain of the said Bailiff, Jurats and Commonalty of the town of Lydd'. It goes on to say that on the 10th day of October every year shall be paid 'the rent of one corn or grain of pepper if it shall be lawfully demanded, and a further yearly rent of two shillings and ten pence to the Lord of the Manor of Aldington . . . •. The property was described as the 'Goal House', but later amended to the 'Gaol House'. From 1793 onwards, the complete leases, documents, etc., still remain with the present owner, and these show that on the lOth October, 1793, Henry Edwards let off part of the property which included the old Court House and 'the piece of waste ground', now the yard, to one, David Howell for a period of 999 years in consideration of the sum of three pounds and three shillings per annum. This was transferred to a John Finn on the 3rd August, 1796, - and so on, through varied hands until the present century. The last few owners can briefly be listed thus: 1933 June 9th. J.T. Goble transferred the property to G.A. Franks. 1945 Mrs. Franks sold it to a Mr. and Mrs. Thomson who appear to have occupied the whole property, as it is described as no. 18 Coronation Square. • Lease of Cage House, Council minutes. 1734. p. 36. 111 ,,, // // // /􀀅􀀆;i,::􀀇::=􀀈􀀉􀀊􀀋􀀌􀀍􀀎􀀏 // // // // ,/ // // // // // 1/; -=-= =- = = = == --·􀀏========== // H II 11 1 I MB II 1 l i=t.::.====-====- Court WB CR Room - - - - --'"'-,p ------- \ I Shop 􀀂 I I I ,, PC s ,• E.::------_----=-.:::::.􀀆==========1 ,: . . ... 0 0 Fig. 1. Section of the Building, showing conjectural missing Bay. KEY TO DRAWINGS CA The Royal Coat of Anns CR Crown-Post CS Possible Coal Store CW Churchyard Wall DI Conjectured Main Entry D2 Doorway to Ground Floor D3 Cell Doorway (conjectured) J Jetty, or Overhang MB Missing West Bay PC Prison Cell S Store ST Probable Position of Stairs TB Tie-Beam tr1 WB Surviving Wall Boards. 􀁦 cw 5 3m 10ft a z TI-IE OLD COURT HALL, LYDD 1958 The lease was taken over by J. and G. Woolley, another husband and wife partnership, who held it until 1964. It was after their occupation that the title was converted to freehold, as evidenced in the Council's minutes: 1965 'TITLE CONVERTED TO FREEHOLD', shop and house in Coronation Square. Rent no. 6 deleted from the Ground Rents Register. April 1st, 1965. The shop still goes under the title of J. and G. Woolley Ltd., although owned by Mr. C.R. Paine. THE OLD COURT HALL TODAY As already mentioned, much of the original building still survives. Externally, its upper part is covered with weatherboard, and the lower part rendered. Inside one finds hardboard on most of the walls, which although making examination difficult, has admirably preserved the structure. Briefly then, the medieval Court Hall is timber-framed, and was built in 1428-29 when the boy-king Henry VI was only eight years old. Plate IA shows the present external appearance of the building on its south side, and Fig. 1 that part of the original structure which still remains. Fig. 4 shows a conjectural reconstruction. The former Court Hall is on the first floor, with the site of the lock-up and store-place below. In 1743, the building was enlarged as already described, and made into the dwelling known as Gaol House, being finally converted into shop premises earlier this century. Some of the original features still to be seen include the massive tie-beam which spans the hall, which is 31.8 cm. (12½ in.) in depth, and moulded underneath and around the curved brackets and the main posts which support it (Fig. 2). Surmounting this beam is a fine crown-post, with square, moulded capital and base, and an octagonal shaft (Plate IIB). The west end of the hall is especially interesting, as it still has two royal coats of arms on the wall, below which is some ancient plank panelling with a low, segmental headboard where the bailiff used to sit (Fig. 5). This is off-centre, as the left-hand side is taken up by a blocked fifteenth-century doorway, which once led into the now vanished western part, probably the robing room. In the lower part of the panelling can be seen mortises for fixing the chair and benches. As Lydd did not have a mayor until 1885, the central upright chair would be occupied by the bailiff, with the jurats sitting on the benches on either side. From this we still use the title 113 E.W. PARKIN PLATE IA •1 V'i ew of the south Side of the Building. PLATE IIB The Crown-post Roof. 114 X 0 1 II - - 0 30cm 1HE OLD COURT HALL, L YDD X X TB 0 locm:,oo;,,o::a;;x====---•3 m 0 5 10ft Fig. 2. Cross-section of the Hall. 115 E.W. PARKIN PLATE IIA PLATEIB The Royal Coats of Arms, as seen in 1981. 116 THE OLD COURT HALL, LYDD .._ __- -:Ti - - _. ,---l---.. --ri- - ...> cw N 1 --'-"--- , --,7---- 1 I C:; 􀀉--::- ,, I I [.: ,=;:.: :.1 r--'-1 _ .....:t­ --,-1- - -· MB PC I I I I I 1 _____ JI ------' I '-_-,r_,r _ _- --􀀂 Shop i--1 -1 - - - --, !, ,----- -'-'---... [_1_1 ___ .,.- l__ ,_1_ --􀀏 --,,--- - -------- _i---'J ______ _ ----===---3m 10ft Fig. 3. Plan. 'chairman', and also the term 'to sit on the bench'. In the little Guildhall at Fordwich this arrangement can still be seen, with the addition of a wooden 'dais canopy' overhead, whose purpose is believed to have been to prevent soots and sparks from a central fire descending on to the heads of the illustrious. THE ROY AL COATS OF ARMS These are on the west wall above the panelling, and are in relief, - they were once coloured, but are now white-washed over, (Plates IIA and IIIB). One is placed centrally, with the other a little lower and to the left. It is thought that there was a third one on the right, which could indeed be still there, but plastered over when a later doorway was cut through the .panelling on the right. Why there might have been three is not clear; they possibly had a religious significance, such as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, as is thought to have been the case with three similarly placed niches in a cellar at Sandwich, once said to have been used clandestinely as a chapel.5 5 Under no. 7 Strand Street. 117 E.W. PARKIN ......., :::,' , I Fig. 4. Reconstruction of the Old Court Hall. In the chamberlain's accounts there is never a mention of the coats of arms, and this suggests that they were added later, as indeed they proved to have been. In heraldic terms, the central shield bears: 'Quarterly one and four France modern, two and three England', that is it has four quarters, on the first and fourth three fleur de !is of France on a blue ground, and on the second and third the three lions of England on a red ground. This was used by all monarchs from Henry VI to Richard III, and by all the Tudors to Elizabeth. Around the shield is the usual garter, with 'Honi soit qui' up the left hand, or dexter side, and 'ma/ y pense' on the right hand or sinister side. The supporters, that is, the main upright figures on either side are: dexter a dragon gu. (red), and sinister a lion or 118 TIIE OLD COURT HALL, LY DD Fig. 5. Reconstruction of the High End of the Old Court Hall. (gold). Both beasts face inwards but with heads reversed. In the small gaps between shield and garter are: dexter, a single fleur de lis, and sinister a portcullis, below which is a small leaf, possibly a bay leaf. The portcullis is a diminutive one, with only one horizontal bar and two vertical ones, pointed at their lower ends. This device is not 119 E.W. PARKIN found in a royal coat of arms before Henry VII, and it was, and still is one of the badges of the Neville family. The red dragon also was first used as a supporter by Henry VII, but usually paired with a greyhound; then, too, the crown which surmounts the coat of arms is a large one, and was smaller in preTudor times. The arms then appear to be early sixteenth-century, that is to say late Henry VII, or early Henry VIII. THE PRISON CELL This was in the centre of the building, below the Court Hall, where the wall between it and the churchyard is thickest, and where one still finds part of the returning flint wall. The place is now used J an office. A blocked outer doorway probably once faced the inner door of the cell (Fig. 3). The building still has its jetty, or overhang at the right-hand end, although this is now bricked in. The original medieval structure is thought to have once been symmetrical and to have had a matching jetty at the Coronation Square end (Figs. 1 and 3). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We have to thank the owner of this most interesting propery, Mr. C.R. Paine, for kindly allowing such a detailed examination; also Mr. K. W .E. Gravett, for his valuable assistance and advice. Again, Councillor Miss G.H.T. Durrant, for help and introductions. 120