Parishes: St Nicholas (Thanet)

ST. NICHOLAS.

THE parish of St. Nicholas, formerly called St. Nicholas at Wade, from its situation ad vadum, that is, near the wading place, or ford, across the water called the Wantsume, at, or at least near where the bridge at Sarre now is, lies at the north west corner of this island.

THIS PARISH is most part of it situated upon high ground, excepting towards the west, where it consists of a level of marsh land, bounded by the water called the Nethergong. The sea bounds it northward. The church and village stand on an hill, nearly in the centre of the parish. In it there are two near new built houses, the property of the Bridges's, one being the residence of Mrs. Mary Bridges, the widow of Mr. Edward Bridges, late of St. Nicholas court; and the other the property and late the residence of Thomas Bridges, esq. now of Glamorganshire, the elder branch of this family, who have been long settled in this parish, who bear for their arms, Argent, on a cross, sable, a leopard's head caboshed, or; and there is another which belonged to the late Thomas Gillow, esq. About a mile northward from the church, near Shoart, is the borough of All Saints, in which there was once a church or chapel, long since ruinated, the parish of which is now united to this of St. Nicholas. The soil and face of the country within the bounds of this parish, have been already taken notice of in the general description of this island. It is about four miles across from east to west, and somewhat less than three, excluding Sarre, from north to south.

By the return made to the council's letter, by archbishop Parker's order, in 1563, there were then computed to be in this parish, thirty-three households; of late there have not been near so many, owing to the laying farms together, and pulling down the houses of the smaller ones.

About half a mile to the right of the road from St. Nicholas to Birchington, and adjoining to the summer road from Sarre to Margate, is a large obelisk, about ten feet diameter and twenty-nine high, built with brick and capped with stone; it stands on the spot, where formerly stood a windmill, which was a peculiar sea-mark. On the north side is an inscription, shewing that it was erected by the corporation of the Trinityhouse in 1791, for the safety of navigation.

The MANOR OF MONKTON claims paramount over this parish, subordinate to which is

The MANOR OF DOWNE BARTON, situated about half a mile south-west from the church, on the road from thence to Sarre. It seems to have been part of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury; and in the 10th year of king Edward III.'s reign, archbishop Stratford obtained the grant of a market weekly, on a Monday, and a fair on the nativity of the B. V. Mary, yearly, within this parish; after which this manor continued in the see of Canterbury, till it was exchanged with the crown, in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, whence the scite of it was granted in the 10th year of it to Windebank, but it should seem only for a term, for king Charles I. by his letters patent, in his 7th year, granted this manor, to William Collins and Edward Fenn, to hold in fee. They afterwards conveyed it by sale to Thomas Paramore, gent. of this parish, who bore for his arms, Azure, a fess embattled, between three estoiles of six points, or. By whose heirs it was sold to Daniel Harvey, esq. of Combe, in Surry, who possessed it in the middle of king Charles I'.s reign, from one of whose descendants it was carried by sale to Eliab Breton, of Enfield, in Middlesex, who died in 1785, leaving his widow Elizabeth in the possession of it, since whose decease their two sons, William and Eliab Breton, esqrs. as coheirs in gavelkind, are become entitled to it.

SHOART is an estate about a mile north-east from the church, in the road leading to the sea, which was held of the manor of Downe Barton in socage, by fealty and rent. It was formerly the property of John Wigmore, from whom it came to William Bredhall, and thence again to John Cleymond, clerk, president of Corpus Christi college, in Oxford, who anno 25 Henry VIII. passed away and assured his right in it to Robt. Kempe, to hold in fee; which release was again warranted by him as president, and the scholars of that college jointly afterwards.

Robert Kemp, by his will in 1548, gave it to William and Thomas, his two younger sons, who joined in the sale of it, anno 9 Elizabeth, to John Fynch, who two years afterwards passed it away by sale to Sir Roger Manwood, chief baron of the exchequer; one of whose descendants alienated it to Daniel Harvey, esq. of Combe, from whose descendants, with Downe Barton, and other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, it was sold within memory to Eliab Breton, whose two sons, William and Eliab Breton, esqrs. are at this time possessed of it.

BARTLETTS, alias THONETON, is a farm about half a mile westward from Shoart, which was likewise held of the manor of Downe Barton in socage, by fealty and rent. It was antiently the patrimony of the Chiches, and then of the Garlands, from which name it passed by sale to Robert Sea, whose son Henry dying without male issue, his three daughters, Millicent, Elizabeth and Mary, became his coheirs. Jerom Brett and Milicent above-mentioned, his wife, anno 5 Elizabeth, sold their third part to William Norwood, of Nash, as did Arthur Chute, and Elizabeth above-mentioned, his wife, their third part, two years afterwards. From the Norwoods their property in it was passed by sale to Thomas Paramor, in the 20th year of queen Elizabeth; and from him again to Sir John Levison and Thomas Willowes; the former of whom, on the death of the latter, by survivorship, became solely possessed of this estate, and afterwards sold it to Sir Roger Manwood, chief baron of the exchequer; the residue, which had come by Mary, the third daughter and coheir of Henry Sea above-mentioned, in marriage to Edward Crayford, of Mongeham, continued in his descendants, till it was sold to Sir Peter Manwood, K. B. (son of Sir Roger). From the Manwoods the whole of this estate passed to the Bridges's, of this parish, and John Bridges died possessed of it in 1667, and by his will gave it to his youngest son John; after which it was alienated to Daniel Harvey, esq. of Combe, in whose descendants it continued, till at length it passed, with Downe Barton and other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, in marriage with a daughter and heir of that name to Breton, whose son Eliab Breton, esq. of Enfield, left by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Westenholme, two sons, William and Eliab, who on his death became as his coheirs, in gavelkind, entitled to it, and they are now jointly possessed of it.

UPPER AND NETHER HALE, formerly known by the name of Uphall, are two estates in this parish, the former of which is situated about a mile distant from the church eastward, near Birchington. They were in queen Elizabeth's reign, in the possession of John, son and heir of Henry Crispe, who afterwards passed them away to James Hales, who in the 22d year of that reign conveyed them to William Rowe, citizen and ironmonger, of London. The estate of Upper Hale now belongs to the widow of Mr. Broadley, late of Dover, surgeon.

But Nether Hale, which lies nearer to the church of St. Nicholas, became afterwards part of the possessions of Corpus Christi college, in Oxford, and remains so at this time. The present lessee is the Rev. Herbert Randolph, clerk.

St. NICHOLAS COURT, situated at the eastern boundary of this parish, about two miles distant from the church, near adjoining to Birchington, consists of two separate estates, one of which was formerly accounted a manor, as appears by an inquisition taken in the 12th year of king Edward IV. by which the president and fellows of Queen s college, in Cambridge, were found to be at that time possessed of the manor of St. Nicholas court, in this parish, (fn. 1) part of whose possessions it remains at this time. The OTHER ESTATE, called St. Nicholas court farm, being an estate in fee, has for many years belonged to the Finch family, who are at this time entitled to it, Mrs. Finch, widow of Saville Finch, of Thriburg, in Yorkshire, being the present possessor.

The lands of this latter estate are so blended with those of the former, having for a long succession of time been used by the same occupier, that they cannot at this time be distinguished one from the other. The present occupier is Mr. John Bridges, whose family have been residents and occupiers of it for many generations.

The lands of St. Nicholas court are a distinct titbery, as to the great tithes, but they pay small tithes to the vicar of Monkton. This portion of tithes arises from certain glebe belonging to the vicar, intermixed with St. Nicholas court lands, for which the occupiers of them pay at this time a yearly composition to the vicar, of five shillings, but what it is, or where these lands lie, no one knows.

FROSTS is a farm in this parish, which was the early residence of the family of Paramore, in the descendants of which it continued, till it was, soon after the restoration, alienated by Mr. Henry Paramore to John Bridges, yeoman, of this parish, the latter of whom died possessed of it in 1667, and by his will directed to be buried in the middle chancel of this church. He devised this estate to his son Ezekiel, with other tene ments and lands in this parish, purchased of Tho. Paramor, esq. and he died possessed of this estate in 1669, leaving it to his son John Bridges, who died s. p. in 1681; upon which it came to Edward Bridges, eldest son of his kinsman Thomas Bridges, in whose descendants it has continued down to Mr. John Bridges, of St. Nicholas court, in this parish, the present owner of it.

Charities

EDWARD OKENFOLD, by will in 1683, gave 5l. to be put out to interest, the money to be given to such poor persons as receive no alms or relief. As this charity was unpaid for 34 years, it is supposed that the heirs of the donor, upon fettling the account, made up the sum to 10l. which sum the churchwardens and overseers have now in their hands.

THOMAS PARAMOR, esq. of Monkton, (fn. 2) by will in 1637, gave 61. per annum, to be paid out of certain lands and tenements in this parish; and a house with about an acre of land, near St. Nicholas street, for a schoolmaster to reside in, who is to teach such poor children as come to him, of this parish and of Monkton, to read and write; the children of such poor as receive alms to have the preference. This is now vested in the minister, churchwardens and overseers, who appoint the master, and is together of the annual produce of 10l. (fn. 3)

JOHN BRIDGES, of this parish, by will in 1667, gave 10l. to the poor of St. Nicholas, to be put out to interest; which sum is now vested in the vicar, churchwardens and overseers, and is put out accordingly. (fn. 4)

JOHN FINCH, gent. of Lymne, by will in 1705, gave one moiety of a farm, called Chamber's Wall, consisting of a house, barn, &c. and 105 acres of arable and marsh land, to the minister, churchwardens and overseers, in trust, to distribute the profits half yearly to eight of the eldest, poorest, and most honest, industrious and diligent labouring men of this parish, who never have received any alms or relief; which charity is now vested in the minister, churchwardens and overseers, and is of the annual produce of 37l. 10s. (fn. 5)

The SCHOOL endowed by Mr. Paramor, as above-mentioned, still exists for the teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic, the master teaching, besides the above ten scholars, several others from the neighbouring parishes.

The poor constantly relieved are about twenty, casually thirty-five.

THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Westbere.

The church, which is exempted from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon, is dedicated to St. Nicholas, and consists of three isles and three chancels, having a square tower at the west end, in which hang five bells. The church is a handsome building of slint, with windows, doors and quoins of ashlar stone. There are three most beautiful Saxon arches between the have and the south isle. It has a good altar-piece. In the middle isle is a handsome brass sconce; the rod by which it hangs, is richly ornamented with large crowns and mitres; it was given by Mrs. Elizabeth Hannis, in 1757. The church is pretty well paved, and is kept remarkably clean; the south chancel is made use of as a school room; the north chancel belongs to the estate of Frosts, in this parish, by the owners of which it is held and maintained; under the greatest part of it, is a large vault, in which lie many of the Paramors, formerly owners of that estate, and of the Bridges's likewise, the present owners of it. In this chancel are two monuments for the Paramors, and two gravestones, with brasses for the Everards, and gravestones and monument for the Bridges's, of this parish likewise. In the middle chancel are memorials for Katharine, wife of Nicholas Chewney, vicar; she died in 1650; for Mr. Stephen Hussam, late minister, obt. 1629; and for Thomas Smelton, A. M. vicar near thirty years, obt. 1700 Several memorials for the family of Napleton, of this parish, and one for Henry Blaxland, the elder, of this parish, obt. 1631. In the nave of the church a memorial for Anne, wife of Edward Emptage, of this parish, obt. 1662. A monument for several of the same family of Napleton, Elizabeth, daughter of Tho. Napleton, the last of her name, died at her house in Canterbury, in 1755; arms, Or, per cross and fess, four squirrels seiant, proper. In the north chancel a hand some tomb for the Bridges's. In the south isle a monument for Edward Hannis, gent of this parish, son of Charles Hannis, gent. of St. Andrew's, Holborn, ob. 1750; arms, Barry of seven, azure and or, a unicorn, sable, impaling Terry, viz. Ermine, on a pile, gules, a leopard's face, pierced by a fleur de lis, or. Memorials for Sackett, Emptage, Knowler, Cowell, Neame, Pett, and White. In the nave, a memorial for Tho. Busby, secretary to the earl of Thanet thirty-four years, obt. 1759; for William Henneker, obt. 1609; for Blaxland, Everden, Greadier, and the Cullins, of St. Al phage, in Canterbury. Memorials of the Napletons, whose monuments have been mentioned before. Several memorials for the Gillows; arms, Gillow, argent, a lion rampant, gules, on a chief, azure, three fleurs de lis, or. Several memorials for the Bridges's. On the back of the pulpit, which is very richly carved, is 1615, I. S. E. E. There was a chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr on the south side of the church, in which was his image. Many of the Bridges's, of this parish, lie buried in this church-yard as well as the church.

The church of St. Nicholas was formerly esteemed as a chapel to that of Reculver, which was part of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and continued so till the time of archbishop Winchelsea, who principally on account of the inconveniences arising from the distance of this and other chapels (for those of Herne and Hothe were chapels likewise to Reculver) from the mother church, about the year 1296, made them all three parochial, and united to this church of St. Nicholas the adjoining parish of All Saints, the church of which had been before esteemed as a chapel of ease to this church, and soon afterwards became desecrated and fell to ruin.

This small parish of All Saints, the church or chapel of which may be seen in an antient map of this island, in Trinity college library, in Cambridge, had formerly within its bounds a vill or town, called All Saints, belonging to it. This is now called the borough of All Saints, in St. Nicholas parish. This church has been long since so entirely demolished, that there are no marks of it left. It appears by Leland that it was so in his time, but how long is not known. It appears to have stood not far from Shoart house. (fn. 6)

The archbishop, when he made these chapels parochial, as above-mentioned, instituted three distinct and perpetual vicarages in them, which he afterwards by his instrument in 1310 separately endowed; and in token of their perpetual subjection to the church of Reculver, that the vicars should pay each of them, certain annual pensions to the vicar of it; that to be paid by the vicar of St. Nicholas being yearly four marcs and ten shillings; and that in reverence to the mother church, the vicars with their priests, ministers, and parishioners, should come thither in procession, once in every year, in manner as therein mentioned. This was continued in Leland's time, temp. Henry VIII. who says. "There cum at certen tymes sum paroches out of Thanet to Reculver a myle of as to ther mother chyrche."

Notwithstanding this decree, the parishioners of these chapelries continued as liable to the repair of the mother church of Reculver, as the peculiar inhabitants of the place; a matter much controverted between them in the time of archbishop Stratford, who made a decree in 1335, in favor of Reculver. After which there continued much contest and dispute still on this account, until by a decree of archbishop Warham in king Henry VIII.'s time, it was settled by the consent of all parties, that the people of the chapels of Herne and St. Nicholas should redeem the burthen of repairs with a moderate annual stipend, in money, payable on a certain set day in the year; but with this proviso, that if they kept not their day of payment, they should then be open to the law and fall under as full an obligation to the repairs of the mother church, as if the decree had never been made; in which state it remains at this time, the churchwardens of St. Nicholas paying annually 3s. 4d. on this account to those of Reculver. (fn. 7)

Although the vicarages of Reculver and its chapels were thus separated and made distinct, yet the rectories or parsonages of them, remained in the same state as before; that is, one parsonage of Reculver, extending over that parish and those of Hothe and Herne; and another of St. Nicholas, with All Saints in Thanet, both remaining parcel of the possessions of the see of Canterbury to the present time. Mr. Tho. Gillow, jun. is the present lessee of this parsonage.

The archbishop continues the patron of this vicarage, which is valued in the king's books at 15l. 19s. 7d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 11s. 11½d. In 1588 it was valued at fifty pounds, and here were two hundred and fifty communicants. In 1640 it was valued at eighty pounds, communicants three hundred. Archbishop Juxon in 1661, in conformity to the king's letters mandatory, augmented this vicarage thirty pounds per annum, to be paid by the lessee of the great tithes. It is now of the yearly certified valued of 66l. 6s. 3½d. which income arises from the above augmentation, the glebe, and a payment of four-pence an acre for all the marsh lands and pasture in the parish.

In 1630, the minister and churchwardens returned, that there was here a glebe of ten acres and upwards, including a close, called Alhallows close, in part of which antiently stood the chapel of All Saints, or Alhallows, containing one acre and an half, which is bounded out, the sences being all down; they added, that a report then went, that there was other land belonging to the vicar, which was concealed. Formerly there was a vicarage house in the street near the church; but some time before the year 1620 a fire happening in the street, these buildings shared in the common calamity, and have never been rebuilt since, nor is it now known where it stood.

Richard Marshall, of this parish, by his will in 1482, devised the yearly rents of twenty-nine acres of arable, and fifteen acres of marsh land in this parish and St. Giles's, to the yearly reparations of the church works of St. Nicholas church, or else the land to be sold and the money coming therefrom to remain to the reparations, at the discretion of the churchwardens for the time being.

The VILLE OF SARRE, now united to the parish of St. Nicholas, was once a separate parish of itself; it was antiently spelt Serre, and was sometimes written in antient records, St. Giles, alias Serre, and St. Giles at Serre, from the church of it being dedicated to that saint. It is a small village adjoining to the parish of St. Nicholas south-westward, being situated at the entrance into this island from the county eastward, and at the western extremity of it. It seems antiently to have been much larger, and more populous than at present, on account of its being the most frequented passage into this island, and a place where the shipping often lay at anchor, in their passage to and from the Northmouth or Yenlade, there being a most commodious haven for them here; and Twine, in his treatise, De Rebus Albionicis, says, "Erat olim in boc fluvio statio firmissima navibus & gratissima nautis Sarra nominata." The distance between the upland and the county, and this place, across the marshes over Sarre wall, is about a mile.

This space was antiently covered with water, the sea flowing over it between Northmouth and Richborough, being the usual passage for the shipping to and from London, and here the two tides met, which flowed in at the north and east mouths of it. This water was so much decreased (and on that account named the Wantsum) in Bede's time, that it then was no more than three furlongs broad; so that there were kept here two ferry boats to carry men and cattle over it, to and from the island; the tribute or toll of these, which used to be paid to the king, was granted by king Egbert to the abbey of Minster, in Thanet. (fn. 8)

In the antient rude map of this island, formerly belonging to the abbey of St. Augustine, a pretty large boat is placed here, a man rowing it, and another nearly up to his knees in the water, with a staff in his hand, carrying a monk on his back to the boat; which seems to intimate, that then the water was so much fallen away that the boat could not come up quite to the shore.

This water still decreasing, ceased to be a continued stream, and the flood gates erected across it dispersed it among the adjoining lands, insomuch that it became too narrow, even for the use of a ferry, and the inhabitants applying to parliament for licence to build a bridge at Sarre ferry, an act passed in the first year of king Henry VII for that purpose; and a bridge was soon after erected here over this water, which is not more than ten or twelve feet wide. This bridge has always belonged to the commissioners of sewers, by whose orders it is constantly repaired. The antient ferry-house, situated at a small distance westward from the bridge, on the south side of the high road, belongs likewise to them.

Leland, who wrote in king Henry VIII.'s time, says, in his Itinerary, "At Northmuth, where the estery of the se was, the salt water swellith yet up at a creeke a myle and more toward a place cawled Sarre, which was the commune fery when Thanet was fulle iled."

The VILLAGE OF SARRE is situated at a small distance from the bridge above-mentioned eastward, the road from thence across the island leading through it. It consists of only a few straggling houses, one of which, on the south side, is the manor house. There is a fair held here on Oct. 14, for toys, &c.

Whilst the sea flowed up hither and the ships reforted to this haven, it was accounted a pleasant, healthy situation; but afterward the continued fogs and damp vapours, occasioned by the vast quantity of marshes inned from the decreasing waters, soon made this place exceedingly unhealthy, and at the same time unpleasant, and of course decreased the populousness of it, so that it has been for a long time but very thinly inhabited, and that by those only whose occupations among these sickly marshes oblige them to reside in it.

This ville, or parish of Sarre, has ever been accounted one of the antient members of the cinque port of Sandwich, and as such, within the liberty and jurisdiction of those ports; notwithstanding which, a dispute arose in king Henry VI.'s time, touching the assessing of it, as lying within the county; to take away all disputes of which, the king, by his letters patent, united it again to Sandwich.

The MANOR OF SARRE was in antient time part of the inheritance of the eminent family of Crevequer, from which it came, partly by sale and partly by marriage, to that of Criol; one of whom, Bertram de Criol, in the 10th year of king Henry III, had a grant of a weekly market, to be held on a Thursday at his manor of Serres, until the king should be of full age. This manor afterwards continued in the same family down to Sir Thomas Keriel, for so their name was then spelt, who was a knight of the garter, a man of great worth and eminence, and of great courage, whose valiant actions in the French wars are noticed in all the histories of those times; but he was at length slain in the second battle of St. Albans, in the 38th year of king Henry VI. asserting the cause of the house of York. About which time, and probably before his death, this manor was alienated to John White, merchant, of Canterbury, afterwards knighted, who held it at his death in the 9th year of king Edward IV. as did his descendant Robert White, in the 12th year of Henry VIII. then holding it of the archbishop, by knight's service; from one of his descendants this manor passed by sale to Roger Bere, or Byer, as the name was sometimes spelt, whose grandson John Byer, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, alienated it to Ruish, ancestor to Sir Francis Ruish, of Ireland, whose two daughters and coheirs in king Charles the 1st.'s reign, became entitled to it, one of whom marrying Sir George Wentworth, of Wentworth Woodhouse, in Yorkshire, (third brother of Sir Thomas Wentworth, earl of Strafford) he became in her right entitled to it; after which it descended to Ruish Wentworth, esq. who left an only daughter and heir Mary, and she carried it in marriage to Thomas, lord Howard, of Effingham; and he about the year 1723, alienated this manor, with other estates in this island, to Mr. James Colebrooke, citizen and mercer, of London, (afterwards of Chilham castle, in this county, esq.) and Mr. James Rucke, banker, of London; who made a partition of these estates, by which this manor was allotted to the former, on whose death it descended to his eldest son Robert Colebrooke, esq. who vested his interest in it to his younger and only surviving brother Sir George Colebrooke, bart. he being the next in the remainder in tail by the will of their father, for the purpose of procuring an act for the sale of it, which act passed accordingly in 1774, by which it was vested in trustees for that purpose, and they in 1775, conveyed it to Thomas Heron, esq. of Newark upon Trent, afterwards of Chilham castle, who alienated it to Henry Collard, gent. of Monkton, who is the present owner of it.

The PARISH CHURCH OF SARRE stood upon the hill to the eastward of the town, about thirty rods on the left hand of the great road leading from Sarre to Monkton. It was dedicated to St. Giles, and was a vicarage, which in the 8th year of king Richard II. on account of its smallness was not taxed to the tenth.

The alteration made in this place by the failing of the Wantsume, and consequently the decrease of the inhabitants, occasioned very probably the dissolution of this little vicarage, and the uniting it, together with this parish, to that of St. Nicholas; soon after which, the church decaying, was suffered to fall down, and there are at this time no remains of it left.

The vicar of St. Nicholas receives the small tithes, offerings, &c. of this little parish, or ville of Sarre, the inhabitants of which are assessed to the repairs of the church of St. Nicholas, but they still keep up the distinction of maintaining their own poor.

The church of St. Giles's at Sarre was part of the possessions of the eminent family of Crevequer, lords of the manor of Sarre, to which it was appurtenant, and continued so till Robert de Crevequer, founder of Ledes priory, in king Henry I.'s reign, gave this church to that priory, and this gift was confirmed by his son Elias de Crevequer, who procured the consent of archbishop Theobald, to appropriate it to the canons of that church; which was afterwards confirmed by several of his descendants, archbishop Hubert, and by king Edward III. in his 41st year, by his charter of inspeximus. (fn. 9) In which state the appropriation of this church continued till the dissolution of the priory in the 31st year of king Henry VIII. for the vicarage was dissolved long before, when it came with the rest of the possessions of the priory into the king's hands, who by his dotation charter in his 33d year, settled it on his new-founded dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of it now remains. But the great tithes of this ville or parish are very inconsiderable, there being very little corn or sowing land in it. Mrs. Gillow is the present lessee of the parsonage.

Church of St. Nicholas,

With the Church of ALL SAINTS annexed, and the Church of SARRE united.