Parishes: Snargate

SNARGATE

LIES the next parish south-westward from Warehorne. The south and east parts of it are within the level of Romney Marsh, and within the liberty and jurisdiction of the justices of it. Another, being the western part, which lies upon the Rhee wall, is within the liberty of the town and port of New Romney, and the division of the justices of it; and the residue, being the northern part of it, is in the jurisdiction of the justices of the county.

The PARISH of Snargate lies for the most part in the level of Romney Marsh, in which the village is situated, near the end of the Rhee wall, beyond which it extends into Walland Marsh, on the western side of it. It is a very forlorn unhealthy place, partaking of the same bad qualities of both air and water as the neighbouring parishes in the Marsh, and if possible to a greater degree, for the whole is an entire flat of marshes, several of which are poor, and covered with rushes and thistles, and others lie so low as to become swampy, and much covered with flags and other such weeds, which is greatly owing to the neglect of their being properly sewed. It has nothing further worthy of notice in it.

The MANOR OF ALDINGTON claims over most part of this parish, and the manors of Bilsington, Apledore, and Chartham, over other parts of it. Subordinate to that of Aldington was

The MANOR OF SNARGATE, which was antiently held of it by knight's service, by a family of the name of Allard, one of whom was Gervas Allard, who was admiral of the western seas in the 34th year of king Edward I. and his grandson, of the same name, died possessed of it in king Edward III.'s reign, leaving the possession of it to his widow Agnes, who held it at her death in the 42d year of it. How long it continued in this name, I have not found, but in Edward IV.'s reign, it was come into the family of Fane, and John Fane, esq. of Tunbridge, died possessed of it in the 13th year of king Henry VII. anno 1488, and by will gave it to his son Richard Fane, esq. afterwards of Tudeley, (fn. 1) who alienated it to Wildgoose, and he died possessed of it in the 33d year of Henry VIII. and his descendant Alexander Wildgoose conveyed it to William Thwayts, by fine anno 5 Elizabeth, on whose death it came to his daughter and heir Ursula. Her heirs passed it away to Jackman, as he did again to Sir Edward Henden, one of the barons of the exchequer in the reign of king Charles I. who dying s. p. in 1662, gave it by will to his nephew Sir John Henden, whose son Edward Henden, esq. of Biddenden, became possessed of it on his death, but how it passed afterwards, or who is at this time possessed of it, I have not been able, by all my enquiries, to gain any information of.

There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly maintained are about ten, casually five.

SNARGATE is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Dunstan, is built of quarry-stone. It is a large handsome building, consisting of three isles and two chancels, having a tower at the west end, in which are three bells. The pillars between the isles are beautifully slender and elegant. There is an old monument in the north wall of the middle chancel, the brass of which is gone. There are no memorials in it. In the east window of the high chancel is a coat of arms, Quarterly, first and fourth, oblit. Second and third, chequy, or, and azure. The church is only pewed over half the length of the isles. It is not ceiled in any part of it.

The church was part of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and continues so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it. It is a rectory, valued in the king's books at 17l. 6s. 8d. and the yearly tenths at Il. 14s. 8d. In 1588 it was valued at sixty pounds, communicants sixty. In 1640 at seventy pounds per annum, communicants the same.

In the petition of the clergy, beneficed in Romney Marsh, in 1635, for setting aside the custom of twopence an acre, in lieu of tithe wool and pasturage, a full account of which has been given before, under Burmarsh, several acquittances were proved to have been given by the vicars of Snargate, mentioning their having received two-pence an acre in satisfaction of those tithes, according to the custom. There is a modus of one shilling per acre on all the grass-lands in this parish.

Church of Snargate.