Some Monumental Inscriptions of Smeeth Church

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

In The Chancell.
1. Here is no Altar Peice; and, but One Flat Stone, which is not Legible.

In The North Chancell.
2. On The North Wall is a very Handsome Monument, On which, under An Arch, are The Figures of 2 Ladys standing and leaning on a square Pillar which has a Cushion on it; with ye Following Coats, Inscriptns. and Date. SCOTT (as at Page 19, Lyminge) 1654 GODFREY (as at P.64, Lydd), MOYLE (as at P.54, B.Al.). Priscilla Scott, Daughter to Thomas HONEYWOOD of Elmstead, Knight, Wife to Robert Scott of Mersham Esq. by whome She had 9 Children; whereof 4 now living. Shee died in the 52d. Yeare of her Age. An. Dom. 1648. Couldst Thou not weep, these Marbles, that adorn/Priscilla’s Dust, would teach Thee how to mourn,/O’er her lamented Losse; The spacious Theame/Of whose Endowments, wd. require a Rheame./Who, ripe for Heav’n, hath left us, to resigne/A Temp’ral Mansion, for one more divine./Whose Life was Virtue’s Rule; Whose Works, a Story,/Begun in Grace, and perfected in Glory.

3. Mary SCOTT, Daughter to John MOYLE of Buckwell esq., Wife to Robert Scott of Mersham Esq. who died Dec. 30 1652. Aged 54. being formerly Married to Richard GODFREY of Wye Esq. by whom she had 22 Children, whereof 16 baptised. Being the First that made Mrs HONEYWOOD of Charing a Great Grandmother, in the 5th Generation who lived to see 366, issuing out of her Loynes. Sleepe, Mary, sleepe, who, living, seem’dst, each way,/Some Angell, shrouded in a Shrine of Clay./ For, he that views thy Pi’ety, Patience, Love,/Transcendent Charity, with what else might move/Wonder from all, in Rev’rence to adore/Thy precious Dust, who wert all this & more./Nature’s fair Copy, Grace’s Sublime Text/In this World written, but enroll’d in th’ next. 1654.

4. In The North Window of this Chancell is to be seen the following Coat. [Sa. (sic for gu) a ln. rt. double tailed or*]. *I take this to be the Arms of Richard MASTERS (who was hanged at Tyburn 25. HENRY 8, for Treason, being one of the Accomplices with Elisabeth BARTON of Aldington [to wch. this is a Chappel of Ease] who was called the Holy Maid of Kent) who was Rector of Aldington. See HARRIS’s History of Kent, Book 1, P.24. The Arms of Master are, Gules, a Lyon Rampant Guardant, double tiled, & holding a Rose proper, Or. The Gules, may through Length of Time, have contracted a much darker Shade, and appear, is it did to be, Sable.

In The Body.
5. Over the Arch of the Ent’rance into the Gr. Chancell, on a Neat Monument, with this Coat. [Sa. a chevn. engr. erm. betw. 3 3foils slipped arg. imp. TURNER as at P.26 (Chartham)] (dr. is drawn, sinr. written). Near this Place are interred the Bodies of Paul LOFTIE of this Parish, Gentleman and Elleanour his Wife, Daughter of Thomas TURNER of Canterbury Esquire, by whom he had Issue 6 Sons, and 5 Daughters, Seven whereof are also here deposited. Susanna, Eleanour, Robert, and William survive. He died 2 Feb. 1703/4 Aged 55. She died 20 Dec. 1732 Aged 74. Robert Loftie obijt 5 Julij 1750. Aet. 53.

6. On a Flat Stone. Heere lyeth the Body of Thomas LOFTIE who died the 22d. of Septr. 1678. Aged 73 Yeares.

7. On Another. Here lyeth the Body of Robert the Son of Thomas LOFTIE who died ye 4th of July 1683.

8. On Another. …. Here also lyeth the Body of Paul the Son of Paul and Eleanour LOFTIE who died Sept. 2 1703 Aged 18 Years.

9. In The North Isle, On a Flat Stone. Here lieth interred the Body of Margaret the Wife of Richard GOOKIN of Canterbury, Gent. who died October the 3d. 1719 aged 58 Years. She was eldest Daughter of Stephen HANDFEILD and Margaret his Wife, who are interred near this Stone.
Also the said Richard GOOKIN, Gent. died July 20 1736. Aged 89 Yeares; and is here interred.

10. This Church consists of the Great, and North Chancells, the Body, & North Isle. In a low cap’t Tower at the West End of the Body, are 3 Bells (one of them fall’en).
1. Joseph HATCH made Me. 1603.
2. This has no Inscription.
3 Josephus HATCH me fecit. 1620.

11. In The Church Yard are 2 very Ancient Altar Tombs, whose Inscriptions are lost.

12. This Church was dedicated to St. Mary. It is a Chappell of Ease to Aldington.

13. The present Incumbent, viz. 1758, is Dr. CHAPMAN.

Index of Names and Places

Names Index
BARTON 4
CHAPMAN 10
GODFREY 2, 3
GOOKIN 9
HANDFEILD 9
HATCH 10
HONEYWOOD 2, 3
LOFTIE 5-8
MASTERS 4
MOYLE 2, 3
SCOTT 2, 3
TURNER 5Places
Aldington 4
Buckwell 3
Canterbury 5-9
Charing 3
Chartham 5
Elmstead 2
Lydd 2
Lyminge 2
Mersham 2, 3
Wye 3General
hanged at Tyburn 4