Some Monumental Inscriptions of Holy Cross Church, Goodnestone near Sandwich

Some Monumental Inscriptions of Holy Cross Church, Goodnestone near Sandwich, noted by Rev Bryan Faussett noted 1758. Kindly typed up for the website by Pat Tritton.

1. On an Handsome Monument, fixt to The North wall of The Chancell. (G.note: ENGEHAM).

[Arg. a chevron sa. betw. 3 orgresses, on a chief gu. a leopard or imp. (HONEYWOOD (as before), 1.31. Elmstead)]. To The Sacred Memory, of The Right Worthy and truly Religious Knight, Sr. Thomas Engeham, born at Mongeham, and descended of The Ancient House of The Engehams, at Woodchurch, in this County; One of his Majesties Justices of The Peace & Quorum, for the Space of Fiftie Years. Who had to Wife Priscilla HONEYWOOD, a Ladie, endued with admirable Giftes, both of Nature & of Grace, Daughter to that grave, religious, and renowned Matron, Mrs. Anne Honywood (sic), whoe hardly escaping Martyrdome, in QUEENE MARIE’s Days, liv’d to see about the Number of 4 Hundred Children, to have descended from her Loynes. Sr. Thomas Engeham lived piously, and happily with the said Ladie Priscilla, in the honourable Estate of Wedlocke, Fiftie and Three Yeares; and, had Issue By her, Five Sounes, and Six Daughters; who* = pater eiberorum, beinge the Survivour (sic), erected this Memoriall to succeeding Posteritie, In The Yeare of Grace 1621. and The Fourscore Yeare of his Age. The Righteous shall be in Everlastinge Remembrance. Ps: 112.6.

2. On a Neat Monument in The East Wall, on the North Side of The Communion Table. [Az. 3 water-buckets or, a border erm. imp. Per fesse embattled or & az. 3 stags’ heads caboshed countercharged]. Near To this Place is deposited The Body of Brook BRIDGES, Esq. Second Son of John Bridges, formerly of Harcourt Hall in The County of Worcester Esq. He was born in Warwick, ye 26th Day of January 1643/4 and, having had a Liberal Education, was, on the 8th Day of March 1671/2 admitted to The Office of One of The Auditors of all Impresst Accounts, to his, then Majesty KING CHARLES THE SECOND. On The 18th of November, 1672 he married Mary the Daughter of Sr. Justinian LEWYN, by whom he had Issue 4 Daughters (who all died Young) and 2 Sons, Brook & John. Having executed the said Office with great Application and Integrity, for more than 33 Years, being desirous to divest himself of so troublesome an Employment in May 1705 (corrd. over a 16—esd. date) he surrender’d his Patent into the Hands of her then Majesty QUEEN ANNE; God Almighty having bless’d him with a plentyfull Fortune, he purchased an Estate in this Parish; where, having repaird and adorned this Church, and, having caused to be built, a Mansion House for his Family, departed this Life the 18th Day of December 1717. In the 74th Year of his Age. His Younger Son, John BRIDGES, his surviving Executor, erected this Monument to his Memory, the 12th Day of October 1752.

3. Here is no Altar Peice.

In The North Chancell.
4. On a Neat Monument on The S. Wall. Sacred to The Memory of The Revd. William WOOD, A.M. Minister of this Parish and Rector of The united Parishes of St. Mary Bredman & St. Andrew in Canterbury. He was a faithfull and vigilant Pastor, a good and virtuous Man, a true and primitive Christian. Endued with these Virtues, wonder not, then, that he lived respected, and dyed lamented; in the Year of Our Lord 1735. of his Age 38.

5. On a Brass Plate*, On a Flat Stone. *Under The Figures of a Man and a Woman in Brass. [Sa. 3 martlets betw. 7 cross-croslets arg. 3 in chief, 1 in fesse, 3 in base (GOONESTONE)]. Hic jacet Willielmus Goodnestone Generosus, et P….. Uxor ejus qui obijt Septimo Decimo Die Mensis Maij Anno Domi. Millesimo CCCC[C]XXiii (1523) quorum Animabus ppicietur Deus.

6. On Another – under The Figures of a Man & Woman. [(BOYS – wth. ye Border, - as at Page 90) (Denton) imp (HONEYWOOD, 3.94=1.3 Kingston)]. Here lyeth Vincent BOYS Gentylman, who decessyd the first Daye of October the Yere of Our Lorde God, M.CCCCC.LVIII (1558) being of the Age of XXXVII Yeres who had to Wife, Mary the Daughter of John Honewood Esquier, and left her Lyvinge, with thre Sones and fower Daughters. Which Mary dyed* the … Daye of …… *The Date seems never to have been engraved.

7. On a Mural Monument, with a Knight and his Lady, Kneeling at a Falstool, and, under them 6 Children, all Kneeling. [¼ly: 1). ENGEHAM, 3.94. 2). Per chevn. sa. & arg. in chief 2 molets & in base a martlet, all countercharged.3). Sa. a fesse betw. 3 swans or. 4). GOODNESTONE as Above].

8. Here under lies interr’d a worthy Knight/Sir Edward Engeham, and (to do him Right)/His virtuous Lady, as a loving Wife,/Sleepes by, as well in Death, as in her Life./Both, while they lived, constant each to other,/Are here, in Grave, joyn’d happily together./A True Relation of their Worths to make,/Is not an easy Task to undertake./Let this suffice – On Earth both did attaine,/The Life of Grace; And Glory is their Gaine. They lived together in holy Wedlocke about XXXV Yeares; and had Issue IIII Sounes, Thomas, Edward, John, and Isaac; with II Daughters, Mary, and Elisabeth. Obijt Ille 15 Maij 1636. An: Aetat 65. Praeivit Illa, 12 Junij 1635. An. Aetatis 52.

9. On a Brass Plate, under The Figures of a Man, his Wife and 7 Children, (viz. 2 Men, and 5 Women) (but actually drawn as tierced). On a Flat Stone. [ENGEHAM as Before P.95. imp. ¼ly 1&4). Gu. 3 crescents or (MONINS), 2&3). Arg. on a chevn. sa. 3 leopards’ heads or].

10. By dolefull Dynt of Death’s dyre Dart,/Lo here The Corpes of Twaine,/Byrefte of Lyfe in Age unripe,/In Natyve Soyle remayne./In Person, not in Zele, distinct,/These Twayne, while they had Lyfe,/Both Thomas ENGEHAM late Esquier,/and Elizabeth his Wyfe./Who lyvinge died to Lyve,/Who dead yet lyve by Fame,/With Men, on Yearth, with God in Sprite,/Devoid of Future Blame. The said Thomas Engeham dyed the xth of October A.Dni 1558. And Elisabeth his said Wyfe, the fourth of October then last paste.

11. On a Flat Stone – with this Coat. [BOYS, as before, but without any Border – with a canton (drawn) az. charged with an imperial crown or]. *For a further Acct. of this Knight, See Lord CLARENDONs History, Vol.2d. Underneath rests *Sr. John BOYS late of Bonington Knt. whose military Praises will flourish in our Annals as Laurels and Palms, to overspread his Grave. Dunganon in Ireland may remaine a solemne Mourner of his Funerall; and Dunington Castle in England, a noble Monument of his Fame. The Former, for the Losse of its expert Governor; The Latter, for the Honour of its Gallant Defender. To crowne such eminent Loyalty and Valour, the King royally added to his Antient Scutchion, a Crown. Leaving no other Heirs Male than manly Deeds to keepe up his Name, his Inheritance, descended to his three Daughters, Jane, Lucy, Ann; In the 58th Yeare being discharged from his Military State below, he was entertained, as we hope, in That Triumphant State above, October 8 1664.

12. On a Peice of White Marble inlaid on a Flat Stone, wth. ye same Coat. Here lieth The Body of Mrs Elizabeth BOYS, Virgin, Daughter of Sir John Boys, of Bunington, in this Parish Knt. She deceased the 9th of March, in ye 19th Yeare of her Age, Anno. 1657/8.

13. Here is also a very large and ancient Flat Stone, but ye Inscription gone.

In The North Isle.
14. On a Neat Monument on The North Wall. [I. ¼ly: 1). Sa. a chevn. arg. with a cresct. sa. for diffce. betw. 3 fleurs-de-lis arg. (RICHARDS).
2). Or, a chevn. gu. with 3 bezants, betw. 3 lions’ paws erased sa. (AUSTEN).
3). Per pale gu. & az. a griffin passt. or.
4). Arg. a chevn. betw. 3 female heads az. with long hair.
II. RICHARDS as Above imp. Arg. on a bend. sa. 3 covered cups or].Gabriel RICHARDS de Rowling in hâc Parochiâ de Goodnestone in Comitatu Cantij, Generosus hic juxta situs est. Cujus Hospitalitatem Vicici (sic for Vicini); et Beneficentiam erga Pauperes, perpetuò testantur hic suum *TT.wxo.poqeiov. Per Mortem in Immortalitatem transmigravit Sept.bris 17 Die Anno Aerae Christi MDCLXXII (1672). Aetatis suae LXXVII. *An Alms House endow’d with £20 Ann. for 4 Single People, Men & Women. Satq Superq datum est Vitae, nam, Rege reverso,/Respondent Votis prospera quaeq suis./Assiduus Numen placatum Calculus addit,/Et Syncerus Amor Crimina multa tegit./Concessis Inopes Fundis ditantur in Aevum,/Effusiq Animi Tessera fixa manet./Viscera pandentem Caelestis Gratia nudis/Accipit, et Lucrum est jam potuisse Mori.

15. On A Flat Stone, with this Coat. [BRODNAX, 1.77. Godmersham imp. RICHARDS as Above]. Here lieth interr’d the Body of Elizabeth the Wife of Robt. Brodnax of St Nicholas Harbledowne Gent: an sole Daughter of Gabriel Richards of Goodnestone Gent: both in the County of Kent. She was born the 9th of Septemb. 1649 and She parted with a transitory and troublesome Life in Exchange for an Eternall the 6th of Feb 1669/70 being in the 46th* Yeare of her Age (*sic for 21st).

16. On Another Flat Stone. [I. RICHARDS as In The last page imp. AUSTEN as In The last page.
II. RICHARDS, with a label of 3 points imp. Erm. on a chief indented 3 coronets (SMITH)]. Here lyeth the Bodyes of John Richards, Gent, and of Alice his Wife (Daughter of Valentine Austen, Gent). He died the 15th of January 1609/10. She the 16th of July 1600. Here also lieth the Body of Elisabeth (Daughter of George Smith of Stanford, Gent) Wife of Gabriel Richards Gent. She died the 29th of August 1642. Also here lieth ye Body of John Richards Gent, only Son of Gabriel Richards. He died the 24th of September 1661, Aged 34 Yeares.

17. On Another. S.M. Anna ROSE Wife of Ambrose Rose of Rolling, Gent. She departed this Life Jany. ye 10th 1756. Aged 54 Years.

In The Body.
18. On a Brass Plate, fix’d to a Stone on ye Floor, is engraved the Popish Representation of The Holy Trinity. viz. God The Father in the Form of an Old Man with a Triple Crown, with Christ in his Bosom; and the Holy Ghost, in the Form of a Dove, over His Head. Underneath are ye Images of A Man, his Wife, and 8 Children; with the following Inscription. Hic Jacet Willielmus BOYS, et Isabella Uxor ejus, qui quidem Willielmus obijt, ultimo Die Julij Anno Dom MVVII (1507) quorum Animabus propitietur Deus. On a Label wch. proceeds from The Man’s Mouth, are these Words. Sancta Trinitas, Unus Deus, miserdere Nobis. On a Label wch. comes from The Womans Mouth are these, Pater, de Caelis, Deus, Miserere Nobis.

19. Some of the Windows have Remains of good painted Glass In them. In 1 Window of the North Chancell, are the Arms of Goodnestone, as at Page 95. In Another is a Female* (*sic for St. George) Figure, stamping on, and killing a Dragon, with a Spear having a Cross at one End of it. On her Shield this Coat. Arg. a Cross Gules. In The same Window, is the Figure of An Arch Bishop.

20. This Church is very neat, and consists of the Great and North Chancells, The Body, and The North Isle. In an Handsome Tower, at the W.End of The Body, are 4 Bells, thus inscribed.
1*. The Sancta Maria.
2. Joseph HATCH made Me. 1628.
3. No Inscription.
4**. Math. BAGLEY of London, Fecit. Steven CHURCH, Tho. MORRIS, Church Wardens.
*This Bell has the Impression of Both Sides of a Groat of HENRY 8 impressd upon it, as also The Prince’s Feathers, and Motto, viz. ICH DIEN.
**This Bell has no Date; but appears to be a new one. (STAHLSCHMIDT, 291, says 1708)

21. It was anciently a Chappel to Wingham, and was dedicated to the H. Cross. It is a Curacy, in the Gift of Sr. Brook BRIDGES, Bart.

22. The present Curate is Theophilus DE L’ANGLE, A.M. 1758.

23. Over The West Door, on the Out Side, are the following Coats, & Inscription.[I. Per pale & per fesse indented.
II. 3 hawks’(?) heads erased.
III. A chevn. betw. 3 asses (or mules?) statant.
IV. A cross.
V. A saltire].

24. Orate T. BOYE adjuctor istius* Operis. *Forsan, pro Ostij.

25. On The Stonework over a Window, on the South Side, are carved, a Sow & Pigs; and, a Woman wrestling with some Strange Monster; all of very curious, but very small, Workmanship. And this Peice of an Inscription. Wyllyan ooyyl.

Index of Names and Places

Names Index
AUSTEN 14, 16
BAGLEY 20
BOYE 24
BOYS 11, 12, 18
BRIDGES 2, 21
BRODNAX 15
CHURCH 20
DE L’ANGLE 22
ENGEHAM 1, 8, 9, 10
Goodnestone 19
GOONESTONE 5, 7
HATCH 20
HONEYWOOD 1, 6
LEWYN 2
MORRIS 20
RICHARDS 14, 15, 16
ROSE 17
Smith 16
WOOD 4Places
Bonington 11, 12
Dunganon, Ireland 11
Dunington Castle, England 11
Godmersham 15
Goodnestone 15
Harcourt Hall, Worcestershire 2
London 20
Mongeham 1
Rolling 17
St Nicholas, Harbledowne 15
St Mary Bredman & St. Andrew,
    Canterbury 4
Stanford 16
Warwick 2
Wedlocke, Fiftie 1
Wingham 21
Woodchurch 1Generala Groat of HENRY VIII
   impressd 20
Church Wardens 20