Some Monumental Inscriptions of Swingfield Church

Some Monumental Inscriptions of Swingfield Church, noted by Rev Bryan Faussett noted 1758. Kindly typed up for the website by Pat Tritton.

In The Chancell.
1. On a Flat Stone. Here lyeth interred The Body of William SIMMONDS, Son of John Simonds of Smersall in this Parish (W. of village, nr. S(telling) Minnis – V.J.T.) Yeoman; he departed this Life the 16th Day of August Anno Dni 1658, in the .. Year of his Age.

2. On Another. Statutum est Omnibus semel Mori. Here lyeth buried the Bodies of Richard GYLES, and Mary his Wife …/ the 28th of May 1629. Here also lieth the Body of Ann, Wife of …… PILCHER, who depted. this Life the 27th of July 1719 Aged 63 Years. She left Issue 4 Sons and 1 Daughter.

3. On Another. Here lieth the Body of Stephen MARSH of St John’s (A farm in this parish, N. of church – V.J.T). who left Issue by Mary his Wife 2 Sons; Stephen and George. He departed this Life the 26th of August Ano. Dni. 1716. Aged 32 Years.

4. On Another. Here lieth interred the Body of Amy MARSH, Daughter of Henry PILCHER of Stelling, and Wife of Nicholas Marsh of St John’s in this Parish of Swingfield, by whom She had issue 3 Sons and 3 Daughters. She departed this Life the 21st Day of January 1699/1700. Aged 54 Years & 5 Months.

5. Here are 7 Other Flat Stones, none of which are legible; and Another cover’d by a Pew, so as not to be made out.

6. In The East Window are some Remains of good Glass; among wch. is to be seen, an Arm issueing out of the Clouds, and holding an Anchor; over it these Letters ATHEMA

(probly. was [AN]ATHEMA). In The Eastmost Window on the South Side is this Fragment of a Coat of Arms still remaining; viz. a Chev’ron Vert, charged with 3 Falcon’s Heads erased Arg. The Rest of the Coat is gone. (Note by Griffin: HONEYWOOD).

In The Body.
7. On a Flat Stone. Here lieth The Body of Richard SIMONS, late of Smersall in Swingfeild being of the Age of 63, and left Issue 2 Sonnes and 2 Daughters, who died the 11th of December. An. Dni. 1641.

8. On Another, with this Coat. [¼ly of 6: 1,3,5). Sa. a cinquefoil or. 2,4,6) Or.]. (Griffin note – see Elham). To The Pious Memory of John SIMONS, Gent. he died the 21st of October Anno 1677. Aged 69 Yeares. Here’s a Lieutenant of a Royall Band/Interrd, whose Loyall Life gave him Command./He fought The Fight of Faith, hence is his Name/Inroll’d I’th’ Book of Life to lasting Fame./(Death fears no Colours, Drums, Gun, Pike, or Blade;/All here give Place unto the fatall Spade)./Yet Christ Our Captaine, for his constant Faith,/We hope hath crown’d his Soul set free from Death.

9. On Another, with this Coat. [not drawn: PILCHER (3.81) (Coldred) imp. BARGRAVE (3.57) (Pxbne).]. Here lies interr’d the Body of Martha PILCHER the Wife of Mr Zouch Pilcher; She Departed this Life The 4th of October, 1750; Aged 66 Years.

10. On Another, with this. [PILCHER (not drawn) imp. Sa. a pheon arg.]. Here lieth The Body of Mr Stephen PILCHER late of North Bourne; who died May 18 1755, Aged 38 Years. He married Dennis, Daughter of Mr Henry NICHOL of Barham, by whom he left surviving, 1 Son, and 2 Daughters, viz: Richard, Martha, and Elizabeth.

11. In The Westmost Window, on the South Side, is this Peice of a Coat, and mutilated Inscription. ["Not to be Made out" imp. Lozengy sa. & arg.].
*Et p Aiabz Willi SMERSOLLE, Margaret Uxoris sue, et p. Aia Saunder GOLFINCH.
*Mr WEEVER mentions an Inscription at Chilham, so very like this (P.280) that I think verily, it is the same, but, by Him Misplaced; wch. might be the Case, as he visited both these Churches. it is this as he gives it. "Orate Willelmi SMERSOLL de Smersholl … et Uxor ejus, et pro Animâ Sander GOLDSMITH". There is no such Inscription in being at Chilham now; I searched particularly for it.

12. Mr WEEVER has preserv’d the Following Inscription, now gone. "Orate pro Animâ Willelmi TONGE, et Johaannis Filij ejus, qui Hanc Fenestram fieri fecerunt". He also informs us, that, in his Time there was "an Ancient faire Monument whereon the Portraiture of an Armed Knight, crosse Legged, was to be seen, and "only Hic Jacet of an Inscription; the rest gone". But, of this Monument, at this Day, Ipsae periere Ruinae. There was a Preceptory here.

13. This Church is but Small, and consists only of The Chancell and the Body. At The West End is a pretty handsome Tower in which hang 3 Bells, thus inscribed.
1. I.W. – I.R. 1696.
2. I.W. – I.R. 1696.
(These 2 are gone).
3 John RICHARDS W. 1696 (by me IW – omitted). (this is left; W(arden). Jn. Wood = I.W. – Stahlschmidt, 425).

14. It is a (Vicarage) In the Gift of. It was dedicated to St Peter. The Present ……..is /1758.

Index of Names and Places

Names Index
ANATHEMA 6
ATHEMA 6
BARGRAVE 9
GOLDSMITH 11
GOLFINCH 11
GYLES 2
HONEYWOOD 6
MARSH 3, 4
NICHOL 10
PILCHER 2, 4, 9, 10
I.R. 13
RICHARDS 13
SIMMONDS 1
SIMONS 7, 8
SMERSOLL 11
SMERSOLLE 11
TONGE 12
I.W. 13
Wood 13Places
Barham 10
Chilham 11
Northbourne 10
Stelling Minnis 1, 4
Swingfield 
   Smersall 1, 7
   St Johns Farm 3General
Lieutenant 8
Royall Band 8
Warden 13
Yeoman 1