Some Monumental Inscriptions of Mersham Church

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

In The Chancell. No Altar Peice.
1. On a neat Monument, On ye North Wall, within the Comn. Rails. Near This Place lies interred the Body of the Revd. and learn’d John COOKE, A.M. between his 2 Wives. The First was Mary, Daughter of Mr BOWDEN, of Oxford. The Second was Katherine, Daughter of Richard BRETT, Gent. By the Former he had 8; and by ye Latter 5 Children. He was 49 Years Rector of this Parish. 31 Years Rector of the Parishes of St. George and St. Mary Magdalen in Canterbury; and One of the Six Preachers of the Cathedral Church there. Twenty Years he was chosen successively Proctor in Convocation for the Clergy of this Diocesse. He died the 13th Day of August An.Dni. 1726 in the 81st Year of his Age. His last and Surviving Wife Hester, Daugher of Sr. Tob. WOLRICH Knt. (by whom he had 4 children) out of a due Regard to his Memory, hath erected this Monument.

2. On The North Wall, over the Door going into ye School, is a very Fine Monument, with the Portraiture of a Man armed, and kneeling at a Faldstool, with the Following Inscription, and Coat. [Az. on a bend or voided az. 3 + +lets fitchy or. KNATCHBULL IMP. SCOTT. See Vol.1, P.19 (LymInge)]. Here lyeth The Body of Richard Knatchbull of Mersham Esq. who died ye 20th of January 1590/1 being of the Age of 36 Yeares. He was the Eldest Sonne of that Richard Knatchbull who lieth at the Entrance of this Chancell, who had 2 Wives; The First was Joanne SHEAFE, by whome he had two Sonnes, this Richard, and John; and Fowre Daughters, Alice, Anne, Elizabeth and Katherine. The Second was Susan GREENE, by whome he had Fowre Sonnes, Norton, Thomas, John and George; and two Daughters, Ursula, and Marie. The Issue Male by Joanne SHEAFE were thus matched. This Richard married Ann SCOTT, the Second Daughter of Sr. Thomas Scott, Knt. by whome he had Thomas KNATCHBULL; and, John married Eisabeth SCOTT, the Fowrthe Daughter of the sayd Sr. Thomas Scott, who died without Issue. The Issue Male, by Susan Greene, were thus matched. Norton had 2 Wives, the First, Ann WENTWORT, the Eldest Daughter of Paul Wentwort of Burnham, in the County of Buck. Esq. His Second Wife was Bridgett, ye Second Daughter of John ASTLEY Esq. who was Master of the Jewell House, and a Gent. of the Privie Chamber to QUEENE ELIZABETH. Thomas married Elmor the third Daughter of the sayd John ASTLEY, by whome he had Seaven Sonnes, Richard, Norton, Francis, Thomas, Astley, John and George; and Fower Daughters, Bridgett, Margaret, Susanna and Alice. John died unmarried. George married Joane GILBERT, The Daughter of Thomas Gilbert Esq. who died without Issue.

3. On Another very Handsome Monument on the North Wall, having on It The Fig. of a Lady Kneeling under a Canopy supported by 2 Angells, is The Following Inscriptn. and Coat. [KNATCHBUL as at Page 1 imp. ASTLEY Az. a 5foil & border engrld. or.]. This virtuous Lady named Bridget, descended from ye ancient Family of the Barons of Astley, was the Second Daughter of John ASTLEY, who, whilst he lived was cheefe Gentilman of the Privie Chamber to QUEENE ELIZABETH, and Master and Treasurer of hir Mas. Jewells and Plate. She was married to Sr. Norton KNATCHBULL Knt. with whome when She had lived 33 Yeares and 3 Months She departed this Life the 4th of November 1625 in the 55th Yeare of her Age, and in the First Yeare of the Rayne of KING CHARLES, and here lied interred. To whose Memory, the said Sr. Norton, her Husband, caused this Monument To be Made. Epitaph. The Dust close’d up within this Marble Shrine/Was (when it breath’d) a Blossom Feminine,/Brought up in Courte; The Ill whereof, & Good,/She quickly found, in Competition stood./The Good Ill Courte She, therefore, soon forsooke;/And, happy in her Choice, an Husband tooke./Yet, ‘tho She were with happy Hymen Bless’t,/She found The World could yeild no Perfect Rest;/ And, therefore, having, Three and Thirty Yeares,/Liv’d in True Love with him that loved her deere,/She left him too, and all that Worlly is,/To gaine an Everlasting Crowne of Blisse. Nobil … pijs prognata Parentibus, Anlam/Reginae, Virto, Virginis Ingreditur./Paulo ter Senos cum plus adoleverat Annos,/Aedibus, ad Sponsum, Principis Egreditur./Fansta prius Caelebs, magè Jansta Marita Marito/Nupta triennalis terq decinnis erat./Aggreditur tandem Caelum, quo Vota trahebant./Hinc Dolor huic Mundo est, quod valedixit ?.

4. Underneath the last mention’d is Another very Fine Monument, on which, under an Arch, lies the Portraiture or Statue in white Marble of an Armed Knight – with ye Arms of KNATCHBULL (as before) and the following Inscription.  Repositorium dignissimi, Pientissimi multumq desiderabilis Viri, Domini Nortom *KNATCHBULL, Ordinis Equestris; qui post duos de septem denis Annos, Sibi ac Patriae faelicitèr transactos, Divino tandem concessit Fato, Anno a Christo Incarnato, Milesimo, Sexcentisimo, tricesimo, sexto (1636) ex quo hos usq edormit, dum novissimae Lucis Adventû Aeternum revixerit. Posuit debiti Honoris et Amoris ergo Nortonus Knatchbull Armig. Nepos et Haeres.
   *This is the Gentleman who first founded Ashford School. See Vol.1, P.143 but it was finish’d by Sr. Norton KNATCHBULL his Nephew, see his Epitaph, Page 6 of this Volume.

5. On a Neat Monumt. on ye S. Wall. [KNATCHBULL as at P.1. imp. Az. a chevn. erm. betw. 3 hogs passt. or HARRIS].
   Near To this Place, in this Chancell, is interred ye Body of Dame Katherine KNATCHBULL, Wife of Sr. Wyndham Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch, in this County of Kent, Bart. to whom she was married the 21st Day of June, in ye Year of our Lord 1730 and departed out of this Life, on the 8th Day of January in the Year of Our Lord 1740/1. And in the 36th Year of her Age. She was the only Daughter of Ames HARRIS, in the Close of New Sarum in the County of Wilts, Esq. by Katherine, the eldest Daughter of Charles COCKS of the City of Worcester, Esq. She bore to the said Sr. Wyndham Knatchbull 2 Daughters, viz. Joan Elisabeth, and Katherine, and 3 Sons, viz. Wynaham, Norton, and Richard Norton; of which, Norton, and Richard Norton, died before her. Joan Elisabeth, Katherine, and Wyndham are, at this Time, living. In Memory of the said Dame Katherine KNATCHBULL, the Above mention’d Sr. Wyndham Knatchbull, her Husband, hath caused this Inscription to be here placed, on the 30th Day of July, in ye Year of our Lord 1741 as a small Instance of his great Affection and Regard which he had for her. Near to the Body of the said Dame Katherine Knatchbull is placed, by his own Particular Desire, ye Body of Sr. Wyndham Knatchbull, Baronet, her Husband abovemention’d who departed this Life July 23d. One Thousand Seven Hundred, and Forty Nine, Aged 49. To the End that Death might not separate those whom Love had united. On The Floor, under this Monument, are Stones shewing the Times of their Death.

6. Here are also 3 Large Flat Stones, whose Inscriptions are gone; One of them has the Figure of a Priest, inlaid on it. Onother has also had a like Figure inlaid on it, but it is now lost. A Label, wch. came out of his Mouth, is still remaining and bears the following Inscription. Te moneat Pietas… succurrere Morti, Nam, simili Sorti, Secus cadit omnis, et. Aetas.

7. On a Pew at the left Hand, going out of the Chancell into ye Body are the following Letters, each of them cut deep in a small Shield. P.R. ?

8. On the Opposite Pew this Coat & Date, cut in ye Wood. [A fess, 3 roundels, in chief; the date 1611 over sh.].

9. The Glass in the Window over the last mentioned Pew, has been very finely painted.

Index of Names and Places

Names Index
ASTLEY 2, 3
BOWDEN 1
BRETT 1
COCKS 5
COOKE 1
GILBERT 2
GREENE 2
HARRIS 5
KNATCHBULL 2, 3, 4, 5
Norton 6
P.R. ? 6
SCOTT 2
SHEAFE 2
WENTWORT 2
WOLRICH 1
Wyndham 5Places
Burnham, Bucks 2
Mersham Hatch 5
New Sarum, Wiltshire 5
Oxford 1
St George & St Mary
 Magdalen in Canterbury 1
Worcester 5