Frindsbury by Edward Hasted
1797 AD
FRINDSBURY.
SOUTHWARD from Cowling
lies FRINDS BURY, called in antient charters, Freondesbyri.
It was likewise calledÆslingham, alias Frindsbury, from the
manor of that name in this parish.
THE PARISH is situated adjoining to the river Medway, partly towards
the south, and wholly eastward, it is near five miles from
north to south, though not more than half as much in breath,
the surface of it is a continued hill and dale, though it is
in general high ground, the soil is various, but the hills
are mostly chalk, the dales a loamy soil, and towards Hoo a
stiff clay, all for the most part sertile corn land. The
village adjoins to the town of Stroud on the north side,
seemingly as part of it, from whence the ground rises pretty
high to the summit of the hill on which the church stands,
on the opposite side of the river to the city of Rochester,
from which it is a conspicuous object. At the north end of
the street of Frindsbury the road branches off on the left
hand to Cliff and Higham, and strait forward leads on to the
Hundred of Hoo, on which, at a mile's distance, is
Wainscott, and further on Chattenden, both mentioned
hereafter; and at the north-west boundary of the parish,
next to Cliff, the manor of Æslingham. The high London road
runs along the southern part of this parish for near a mile
westward, beyond the pond called St. Thomas's watering
place, at a small distance from which, on the opposite side,
there has been a shewy house, built within these few years
by Mr. David Day, who named it Little Hermitage; a quarter
of a mile southward of the road, but nearer to Stroud, is
Read-court, beyond which this parish extends to the hamlet
called the Three Crouches, where the three parishes of
Frindbury, Higham and Cobham meet. The parish joins to the
river Medway from Stroud, along the shore opposite to
Chatham-dock, where, on the hill is a house called the
Quarry-house, having a beautiful view over the river, the
town, dock-yard, and adjoining country, and till it joins
the parish of Hoo, about half a mile below Upnor-castle
northward, all along between the river and the hill are
large quantities of falt marshes, overflowed at every high
tide.
UPNOR-CASTLE is situated a
small distance below Chatham-dock, on the opposite shore to
it. It is a stone building, and was erected by queen
Elizabeth, in her 3d year, for the desence of the river; but
now, and indeed for many years past, there has not been a
gun mounted in it for service, nor yet a platform.

In the castle there is a magazine of powder, for
the use of the navy, &c. for the security of which, here is
an establishment of a governor, store-keeper, clerk of the
cheque, a master-gunner, twelve other gunners, &c. There is
likewise an officer's guard of soldiers, on detachment,
which, with the rest of the forts on this river, excepting
Sheerness, are under the command of the governor of
Upnor-castle. One of these is the fort once called The
Swamp, now The Birdsnest; but there has not been a gun
mounted on it within remembrance, and the embrasures of
earth have been long since mouldered away, and over-run with
bushes and brambles. Another of them, called Cockhamwood
fort, about a mile below on the same side the Medway, is yet
to be seen; but with all the guns dismounted, and thrown by
on the ground, the shot, &c. lying in the master-gunner's
house just by, which, as well as the fort, is become very
ruinous. The gift of the master-gunner's place, usually some
invalid, is in the master-general of the ordnance; besides
whom there is a quarter-gunner belonging to this fort.
Hooness-fort, commonly called The Folly, is situated
still lower down on the same side the river, where there are
no guns mounted; but there is a master-gunner from
Upnor-castle, who lives at it for a week at a time, a boat
being allowed for the transporting each gunner, and his
provisions, weekly from Upnor-castle for the service of the
navy. As to Gillingham-castle, on the opposite side the
river, an account of it will be given in its proper place.
The south tower of Upnor-castle is allowed to the
governor for his house, at which, on account of its
unsitness for his reception, he never resides; but there are
near the castle very good barracks, in which the gunners,
soldiers, and officer commanding on the sport, are well
accommodated. There is likewise a good storekeeper's house
and gardens.
The honorable general James Murray was
appointed governor of Upnor-castle in 1775, in the room of
major-general William Deane, deceased, and on his
preferment, captain William Browne succeeded in 1778, and
resigned in 1784, on being appointed lieutenantgovernor of
Guernsey. Colonel Jeffry Amherst is the present governor.
In the reign of king Edward I. on occasion of a long
drought, the monks of Rochester set out to go in procession
to Frindsbury, to pray for rain; but the day appointed
proving very windy, they apprehended their lights would be
blown out, their banners tossed about, and their order much
discomposed; they desired leave therefore of the master of
Stroud hospital to pass through the orchard of his house;
who thinking it of no consequence, gave leave, without the
consent of his brethren. They understanding this, and
remembering, that the hospital was of the foundation of
Gilbert, sometime bishop of Rochester, whom the monks
predecessors had resisted in the erection of it, and fearing
these would attempt an injury to their privileges, having
hired a company of ribalds, armed with clubs and bats,
waylaid them in the orchard, assaulted, beat, and put them
to flight. After which though the monks desisted from going
that way, yet they obliged the men of Frindsbury to come
yearly on Whit-Monday in procession, with their clubs, to
Rochester, as a pennance for their crime. Hence came the
bye-word of Frindsbury-clubs, and most probably the custom
which the boys of Rochester and Strood had, of meeting on
Mayday yearly, on the bridge of Rochester with clubs, and
there skirmishing with each other. (fn. 1)
This
parish ought antiently, with others in this neighbourhood,
to have contributed to the repair of the first pier of
Rochester-bridge.
FRINDSBURY , with
its appendages, Æslingham, Bromheye, Chatindone, Thornden,
&c. was given to the church of Rochester by the several
reigning kings during the Saxon heptarchy, between the years
764 and 789, of whom Offa, king of the Mercians, was the
chief benefactor, who gave to it twenty plough lands, lying
in Æslingham, by which name this parish seems at that time
to have been described. (fn. 2)
These estates were
wrested from the church of Rochester in the troublesome
times, which soon after followed by reason of the Danish
wars. They came afterwards into the possession of Harold,
and on the accession of William the Conqueror, were given by
him among other estates to Odo, bishop of Baieux, his half
brother, but archbishop Lanfranc recovered them again, in
the solemn assembly held at Pinenden-health, in 1076, (fn.
3) and afterwards restored them to bishop Gundulph, and the
church of St. Andrew; which gift was afterwards confirmed by
archbishop Anselm, and by several of his successors,
archbishops of Canterbury.
In the general survey of
Domesday, Frindsbury is thus described under the title of
Terra Epi Rovecestre, i. e. the lands of the bishop of
Rochester, as follows:
The same bishop (of
Rochester) holds Frandesberie It was taxed in the time of
king Edward the Confessor at 10 sulings, and now at seven.
The arable land is 15 carucates. In demesne there are 5
carucates, and 40 villeins, with 28 borderers, having 11
carucates. There is a church and 9 servants, and 1 mill of
12 shillings, and 40 acres of meadow. Wood for the pannage
of 5 bogs. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and
afterwards, it was worth 8 pounds, and now 25 pounds. What
Richard held in his lowy was worth 10 shillings.
And a little further in the same survey:
In
Rochester the bishop had, and yet has, four and twenty plats
of ground, which belong to Frandesberie and Borestale, his
own manors. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, and
afterwards, they were worth three pounds, now they are worth
eight pounds, and yet they yield yearly eleven pounds, and
thirteen shillings and four pence.
Gundulph,
bishop of Rochester, who was elected to that see in the time
of the Conqueror, having after the example of archbishop
Lanfranc, divided the revenues of his church between himself
and the convent, (fn. 4) allotted the manor of Frindsbury,
with its appendages, to the share of the monks, and it was
confirmed to the church of Rochester, and the monks there,
by king Henry I. king Stephen and king Henry II. and by
several archbishops of Canterbury, and bishops of Rochester.
On bishop Gilbert de Glanvill's coming to the see of
Rochester in 1185, the bishop claimed this manor, with its
appendages, among other premises given to them by bishop
Gundulph, as belonging to the maintenance of his table, to
which the monks were at last forced to submit. In
consequence of which, though he wrested the advowson of the
church of Frindsbury from them, yet they continued in
possession of the manor, with its appendages, till the
dissolution of the priory in the reign of king Henry VIII.
In the 7th year of king Edward I. the bishop of
Rochester claimed certain liberties by the grant of king
Henry I. in all his lands and fees; and others by antient
custom, in the lands of the priory in Frendesberi, as well
as in all other lands belonging to the church. All which
were then allowed him by the jury. (fn. 5) As they were
likewise in the 21st year of that reign, and in the 7th year
of king Edward II. to Thomas de Woldham, bishop of
Rochester; and they were confirmed by letters of inspeximus,
granted by king Edward III. July 13, in his 30th year. (fn.
6)
In the 21st year of the same reign, upon a quo war
ranto, the prior of Rochester claimed that he and his
predecessors had in the manor of Frendesbery, &c. view of
frank-pledge, and all matters belonging to it, from beyond
memory; and that these liberties had been used without
interruption. All which were allowed by the jury, &c.
That, as to pleas of the crown, a market, fair, gallows,
and other liberties in this parish, he neither had, nor did
ever claim them; and as to free-warren, he claimed it by
grant of king Henry I. and said that he and his predecessors
had the same in this and other pa rishes from the time of
the said grant. But the jury sound, that neither he nor they
had used it in this parish; therefore it was determined,
that it should remain without the liberty of it.
King
Edward I. by his charter, in his 23d year, granted to the
prior and convent of Rochester, freewarren in all their
demesne lands of this manor; so that no one should enter on
them, either to hunt, or to take any thing which belonged to
warren, without the licence and good will of them and their
successors, on the forfeiture of ten pounds. (fn. 7)
In the 15th year of king Edward I. this manor, with its
appendages, Strode, Chetyndone, and Rede, was taxed at 24l.
6s. 8d. which latter was antiently called La Rede, and in
the time of the Saxons Hreodham.
On the dissolution
of the priory of Rochester, in the 32d year of king Henry
VIII. the manor of Frindsbury, with its appendages, the
manors of Chatindon and Rede-court, and other premises in
this parish, were surrendered, with the other possessions of
it, into the king's hands, who presently after, in his 33d
year, settled the manor of Frindsbury and Rede-court, with
other premises in this parish, on his new-founded dean and
chapter of Rochester, with whom the inheritance of them
continue at this time.
The lessee of the manor of
Frindsbury is Philip Boghurst, esq. whose father of the same
name erected the commodious and substantial court-lodge,
situated near the church, and the lessee of the manor of
Redecourt is Mr. John Boghurst, of Stroud.
THE MANOR OF ÆSLINGHAM becoming part of the
possessions of the church of Rochester, as beforementioned,
was afterwards given by Gundulph, bishop of it, to Godfrey
Talbot, but he reserved the whole tithes of it to the use of
his monks. After which, this manor came into the family of
St. Clere.
John, bishop of Rochester, about the time
of king Stephen, dedicated the chapel of Heslingham in honor
of St. Peter, and endowed it with all liberties and customs,
which it had from the time of bishop Gundulph, his
predecessor, from the gifts made by Hugh de St. Clere and
his family, and from the tithes of all his demesnes of the
land, which he held of the fee of the bishop of Rochester,
at the time the chapel was dedicated, from which lands the
monks of the church of Rochester had yearly ten shillings,
which were received by those who had the care of the manor
of Frindsbury; and the mother church of the manor had
likewise yearly thirty sheaves of wheat, thirty of barley,
and thirty of oats, on account of the sepulture of the
servants, who should die of the family of Hugh
before-mentioned, or his heirs; but if the lord of
Eselingham, his wife, his son, or his daughter should die,
and be brought to the mother church of St. Andrew, although
the profits of his chapel should be lessened by it, they
should be buried there. And the bishop further granted, that
the lord of Eselingham should freely have such chaplain as
he thought fit in his house, to maintain at his own table,
in like manner as it was known to be in the time of
Gundulph, Ralph, Ernulf, and John, bishops of Rochester, and
at the time of the dedication.
In the reign of king
Edward I. the same John de St. Clere held this manor, as one
knight's fee, of the bishop of Rochester. (fn. 8) After
which William de Brampton and Alicia de Eselyngham held it,
and their heirs paid respective aid for it, as one knight's
fee, in the 20th year of king Edward III.
William de
Halden died possessed of this manor in the 51st year of that
reign. After which it came into the family of Neal, who had
good estates about Higham, and from thence into that of
Rykeld, or Rikhill, as the name came afterwards to be spelt;
one of whom, John Rikhill, held his shrievalty at his
manor-house of Eslingham, in the 3d year of king Henry VI.
bearing for his arms, gules, two bars argent, between three
annulets, or. (fn. 9) His descendant, Thomas Rikhill,
alienated it to R. Frogenhall, whose heir passed it away by
sale to Audley, and Fisher, and they sold it to Sir Thomas
Cromwell, who was afterwards, anno 27 king Henry VIII. for
his services in the suppression of the religious houses,
created lord Cromwell, of Okeham, in Rutlandshire. He was
the son of a blacksmith, at Putney, in Surry, and had been a
common soldier under the duke of Bourbon, at the sacking of
Rome; on his return home, he was entertained in the service
of cardinal Wolsey, to whom he proved so acceptable for his
dexterous management of particular matters, which the
cardinal had then in hand, that he raised him from
obscurity, and paved the way for his attaining those great
and eminent dignities and titles he afterwards possessed. In
the 23d year of king Henry VIII. which was after the
cardinal's disgrace, he was made a privy-counsellor, and
master of the jewel-house, the next year clerk of the
hanaper, and in the 26th year of king Henry VIII. principal
secretary of state, and master of the rolls. After which,
for his artful management in the dissolution of the
monasteries, in which he was the chief agent, he was made
keeper of the privy seal, and soon after created lord
Cromwell, as above-mentioned. (fn. 10)
After which,
though a layman, he was constituted the king's
vicar-general, over all spiritualties under himself, and
afterwards obtained from the king large and extensive grants
of the lands late belonging to several religious houses. In
the 31st year of the same reign, he procured his lands in
this county to be disgavelled by act of parliament, and was
further ad vanced to the dignity of earl of Essex, and
quickly after knight of the garter, and lord high
chamberlain of England.
But this hasty rise to so
high a pinnacle of honor was as suddenly succeeded by his
ruin; for next year on the king's displeasure, on account of
his having been the chief adviser of his marriage with the
lady Ann of Cleves, he was arrested at the council-table,
and committed to the tower, and being convicted of high
treason, he was condemned unheard, and almost unpitied, and
beheaded on Tower-hill. (fn. 11)
On his attainder the
manor of Eslingham came to the crown, at which time it
consisted of the mansion and buildings, with the demesne
lands, a fishery on the river Medway, and the rectory of
Islingham, with all tithes of corn, oblations and emoluments
belonging to it, parcel of the manor; the fee of all which
continued in the crown till queen Elizabeth granted it to
Sir William Drury, of Norfolk, one of whose descendants, in
the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to Henry Clerke,
esq. serjeant at law, and recorder of Rochester; whose
descendant, Gilbert Clerke, esq. of Derbyshire, alienated it
to Mr. Thomas Best, of Chatham, whose son, Mawdistly Best,
esq. died possessed of it in 1744, and by his will devised
this manor to his second son, Mr. James Best, of Chatham,
who died in 1782, and his eldest son, Thomas Best, esq. of
Boxley, is the present owner of it.
THE ESTATE,
called BROMHEY , or Bromgeheg, mentioned
before to have been given to the church of Rochester, in the
time of the Saxon heptarchy, was the gift of Egeberht, king
of Kent, in the years 778 and 779, which was confirmed
afterwards by Offa, king of Mercia, and was said to be
situated within the limits of the castle, called
Hrosecaester, having on the east, Wuodafleet, and on the
north a marsh called Scaga, which the water of Jaenlade
surrounded. (fn. 12) This estate seems afterwards to have
been divided. Part of it remained, as appears by different
records in the possession of the bishop of Rochester, for
Richard de Greenstreet, in consideration of one marc
sterling, granted to Thomas, bishop of Rochester, and his
successors, certain land in the manor of Bromhei, adjoining
to the bishop's barn there, (fn. 13) and in the year 1337,
bishop Hamo de Hethe repaired, at great expence, his grange
at Brumheye. (fn. 14)
Another part of this estate was
granted to the family of Cobham, of Cobham, in this
neighbourhood, by the bishop of Rochester, to hold of him
and his successors, and a third part was in the possession
of the prior and convent of Rochester, as appears by the
Book of Aid taken in the 20th year of king Edward III. at
which time Sir John de Cobham, and the prior of Rochester,
held half a knight's fee in Bromhege.
Sir John de
Cobham held his part of the bishop of Rochester as
before-mentioned, and his descendant, John, lord Cobham,
died possessed of it, by the name of the manor of Bromhei,
in the 9th year of king Henry IV. since which I imagine this
estate, which has for many years lost its antient name, has
passed, in like manner as Cobham-hall, to the right
honorable John, earl of Darnley, part of whose possessions
in this parish it now remains.
It appears by the
Textus Roffensis, that there was once a chapel at this
place, bishop Thomas de Woldham, by his will, in 1316,
bequeathed to the poor of this chapel of Bromhei eight
marcs.
CHATTENDEN is an estate in
this parish, which was once accounted an appendage to the
manor of Frindsbury, and was as such given with it to the
church of Rochester, in the time of the Saxon heptarchy, and
re mained part of the possessions of the priory at its
dissolution in the 32d year of king Henry VIII. when this
manor, with the rest of the possessions of the priory was
surrendered into the king's hands, who that year granted the
manor of Chattenden, and its appurtenances, to Sir George
Brooke, lord Cobham, since which it has descended in like
manner as Cobham-hall, and the rest of the late duke of
Richmond's estates, which in this parish consisted of 650
acres of land, to the right honorable John, earl of Darnley,
the present owner of it.
William de Hoo, prior of St.
Andrew's, Rochester, having for two years endured much ill
usage, for not consenting to alienate the wood of
Chetindone, changed his habit and died a monk at Woborne.
(fn. 15)
Luke de Hores, with the consent of his
heirs, granted to the prior and convent of Rochester, to the
increase of their manor of Frindsbury, land at Chetingdune,
called the land of Eilric Bishop. In exchange for which they
granted to him four acres of meadow in Stodbroc, adjoining
in length against the ditch of Stroud-hospital.
GODDINGTON, alias Waltons, but more
properly Wattons, is an estate, lying partly in this parish,
and partly in Stroud, which, as appears by the escheat
rolls, was once reputed a manor. In the 20th year of king
Edward III. Simon Godyngton paid aid for this manor as half
a knight's fee, which Alan de Godyngton before held in
Frindsbury and Stroud, of Jeffry de Scoland, and he of the
earl of Leicester. This estate seems afterwards to have been
divided, part of it comprehending the manor and part of the
demesne lands lying in the parish of Strood, came into the
possession of the priory of Rochester, as will be further
mentioned under that parish, and the other part, which
included the mansion, with part of the demesne lands
situated near Frindsbury church, came afterwards into the
family of Charles, one of whom, Robert Charles, had been
possessed of land about Hilden, in Tunbridge, and was
bailiff of the forest there to Robert de Clare, earl of
Gloucester, in the reign of king Edward I. (fn. 16) In this
name it continued down to Richard Charles, of Addington; who
dying without male issue, in the 11th year of king Richard
II. his two daughters, Alice, wife of William Snaith,
descended from William de Snaith, chancellor of the
exchequer in the reign of king Edward III. and Joane, wife
of Richard Ormeskirk, became his coheirs.
On the
division of their inheritance, this estate became the
property of William Snaith, who was in his wife's right
possessor of Addington, and afterwards sheriff of Kent in
the 9th year of king Henry IV. He died possessed of it in
1409, leaving Alice, his sole daughter and heir, married to
Robert Watton, esq. who thenceforward resided at Addington,
in her right. His descendants continued in possession of
Goddington, holding it of the king, as of his duchy of
Lancaster, by knights service, (fn. 17) till William Watton,
esq. of Addington, in the reign of king Charles II.
alienated it to Francis Barrell, esq. serjeant at law, and
recorder of the city of Rochester, who bore for his arms,
Ermine, on a chief sable three talbots heads erased of the
field.
He was elected to serve in parliament for the
city of Rochester, in the 31st year of king Charles II. and
dying in 1679, was buried in Rochester cathedral, as were
his several descendants. By Anne Somer, his wife, who died
in 1707, he left three sons; Francis his heir, of whom
hereafter; Henry, who was chapter clerk to the dean and
chapter of Rochester, and died in 1754 unmarried; and
Edmund, who was prebendary of Rochester, &c. and died in
1765.
Francis Barrell, esq. the son and heir, was of
Rochester, which city he represented in the last parliament
of king William's reign. He died in 1724, leaving by Anne
Kitchell, his wife, who died before him in 1717, one son and
heir, Francis, and four daughters; Anne, who died unmarried
in 1780, and Catherine, who married Josiah Marshall, esq.
Frances, wife of Mr. John Page, and Elizabeth, wife of the
Rev. William Louth, prebendary of Winchester, and elder
brother to the late bishop of London. Francis Barrell, esq.
the son, married first, Anne, daughter of Thomas Pearse,
esq. of Rochester, by whom he left two surviving daughters,
who will be further mentioned hereafter; secondly, Frances,
daughter of Thomas Bowdler, esq. who died in 1736; and
thirdly, Frances, daughter and at length coheir of William
Hanbury, esq. of Herefordshire, by whom only he had one son,
Francis, who died before him, æt. 17, in 1755; so that his
two daughters, by his first wife, who survived him, became
his coheirs, viz. Anne, married to the Rev. Francis
Dodsworth, vicar of Doddington, in this county, treasurer of
Salisbury, and prebendary of York, &c. and Catherine,
married to the Rev. Frederick Dodsworth, brother of the
former.
But this estate of Goddington was devised by
the will of Mr. Serjeant Barrell, who died in 1679, to his
second son, Mr. Henry Barrell, who dying unmarried in 1754,
gave it by will to his nephew, Francis Barrell, esq. for his
life, with remainder to his niece, Catherine, wife of Josiah
Marshall, esq. and her heirs for ever. Her eldest son, the
Rev. Edmund Marshall, vicar of Charing, sold it in 1780 to
Mr. Thomas Ayres, who rebuilt the house, and dying in 1796,
gave it by will to his niece, Mary Anne Hopkins, who sold it
to George Gunning, esq. the present possessor of it.
THE MANOR OF WAINSCOT, alias
Parlabiens-yoke, was antiently the estate of a family of the
name of Parlabien, who in the reign of king Edward II. had
possessions both here and at Kedbrook by Charlton, in this
county. Soon after which it came to the Colepepers, of
Aylesford, in which family it continued till Sir Thomas
Colepeper, about the end of queen Elizabeth's reign,
alienated it to Edward Randolph, whose heir sold it to
Somers, of St. Margaret's, Rochester, who was descended from
William Somer, chancellor of the exchequer in the reign of
king Henry VI. and possessed much land in the hundred of
Hoo. They bore for their arms, Vert, a fess dancette ermine.
His son, in the reign of king Charles I. alienated it to
Mr. Robinson, (fn. 18) of Rochester, whence it passed by
sale to Mr. Henry Golding, of Upper Halling, whose heirs
sold this manor to Francis Brooke, esq. of Town Malling, who
died in 1782, and by his will gave it to his nephew Joseph
Brooke, esq. of Town Malling, and he sold it to the Rev.
Edward Holme, as he did to Mr. John Boghurst, the present
owner of it. There is a court-leet and court-baron held for
this manor.
There was an estate in this parish called THORNDEN, or Thornindune, which was held of
the manor of Frindsbury, by the wife of Robert Latimer.
The monks of St. Andrew's claimed the reversion of this
estate at her death, but she affirmed that the inheritance
of it belonged to her kindred. However, before her death,
she gave it up, with all that she had upon it, to the monks,
to be possessed by them for ever, placing at the same time
the grant of it from bishop Gundulph, on the altar of St.
Andrew, for which the monks gave her sixty shillings, and
promised her besides, food and cloathing so long as she
should live, food from the celerer, as much as for one monk,
and one dish of flesh four days in the week; and cloathing
from the chamberlain, honorable, such as became her age and
person, and to such man and maid servant, as she should
have, such food as the rest of the servants of the church
had; and further, they gave her twenty shillings yearly to
pay their wages, and cloath them, and procure other
necessaries for herself, and when she died the convent
agreed, that they would bury her, and keep her anniversary
yearly.
Charities.
ROBERT
GUNSLEY, and the PARISH OF FRINDSBURY, jointly purchased by
deed in 1632, a mill and twenty-seven acres of land in Hoo,
from the yearly produce of which the yearly sum of 1l. 13s.
to be applied to the repairs of the church, the remainder to
the poor in bread, vested in the minister and overseers, of
the annual produce of 5l. 10s.
PHILIP STAINES gave by
will, to be laid out in bread, lands vested as above, and of
the annual produce of 3l. 2s.
JOHN WOODGGRENE gave,
to be laid out in bread, lands and tenements, vested as
above, and of the annual produce of 5l. 10s. but subject to
repairs.
RICHARD WATSON gave by will, to be divided
among twelve of the poorest persons in the parish, a
tenement, vested as above, of the annual produce of 9l.
subject to repairs.
A PERSON UNKNOWN, gave seven
acres of land in this parish, the rent accruing from which
has always been expended in repairing the church.
BOWHAM PENNISTONE gave an acre of land near Upnor, towards
the same use.
THE RENT of the Green, containing one
acre, was given to repair the church.
FRINDSBURY is
within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese and
deanry of Rochester.
At the time of Gundulph's coming
to the see of Rochester, anno 1075, there was no church
here, but there was not long afterwards one built of stone
by Paulinus, sacrist of the church of Rochester, (fn. 19)
who ornamented it with books, vestments, &c.
The
present church of Frindsbury, which however bears no marks
of any deep antiquity, is dedicated to All Saints. It
consists of two isles and a chancel, with a spire steeple at
the west end, in which is a peal of five bells and a small
one. Richard Young, bishop of Rochester, in king Henry the
Vth's reign, caused several windows to be made in this
church, and when Lambarde wrote his perambulation, the
picture of this prelate was remaining in one of the windows.
The font is a curious piece of gothic architecture.
Among other monuments and inscriptions in this church are
the following:—In the chancel, on the north wall, a monument
for William Watson, gent. and Rose his wife, the parents of
Robert Watson, esq. also Katherine-Rebecca. Joane, Mary and
Isabella, wives of the said Robert, placed here by the son
and husband in 1673, above, the arms of Watson, Barry of six
argent and gules, three crescents ermine on a chief of the
second, two tilt spears, their heads broken off in faltier,
or, and the same with impalements; a memorial, having sable,
an eagle displayed, or, on a chief azure, bordered argent, a
chevron between two crescents above, and a rose below, or,
for Robert Mynors, esq. governor of Upnor-castle, obt. 1694.
In the nave, memorials for the Fowlers, Couchman, Kidwells,
Grangers, Almonds, Nash, and others. In the south isle, a
monument, with azure, a dolphin imbowed argent, naiant,
argent between three escallop shells, or, for Henry Needler,
gent, obt. 1661; another for Robert Oliver, gent. obt. 1666;
on the west wall a monument for Thomas Butler, who served
queen Elizabeth in England, France and Spain, &c. anno 1621,
Dennis, his wife, anno 1607, and Margaret, his wife, 1617.
(fn. 20)
John, bishop of Rochester, in the reign of
king Henry II. gave this church, together with the chapel of
Strodes belonging to it, and all lands and tithes, to the
church of St. Andrew, in Rochester, towards the finding of
lights there, and on condition that the sacrists (fn. 21) of
it should give after his death, for the good of his soul,
yearly, on the day of his anniversary, one mark of silver;
to buy bread to be distributed to the poor, which was
confirmed by pope Celestine II. with licence to appropriate
it to the use of their almonry. Walter, bishop of Rochester,
soon afterwards, in the reign of king Henry II. confirmed
this grant, together with the free disposition of the
church, and the presentation of the vicarage, but bishop
Gilbert de Glanvill, who came to the see in 1185, finding
the revenues of his bishopric impoverished by these gifts of
his predecessors to the priory, re-assumed the possession of
many of them, and though he left the monks in possession of
the appropriation of this church, yet he annexed the
advowson of the vicarage to his see again, and in 1193, the
bishop, with the consent of William, archdeacon of
Rochester, then rector of this church of Frindsbury, made
Strood an independent parochial district.
Bishop
Lawrence de St. Martin, on account of his great expences and
the slenderness of his income, in 1256, obtained from the
monks the appropriation, saving to them an annual pension of
one mark from it, (now paid to the dean and chapter) and all
tithes within the limits of it, before that time possessed
by them.
This was confirmed by the bulls of the popes
Alexander and Clement IV. and by cardinal Ottobon, the
pope's legate, who allotted it to the maintenance of the
bishop's table for ever. (fn. 22)
Bishop Gundulph, in
1091, with the assent of archbishop Anselm, had granted to
the monks of St. Andrew's, the tithes arising, as well from
the food of their cattle, as from their agriculture, within
the manor of Frindsbury, and others within his diocese, to
the use of their refectory; which gift was confirmed by
archbishop Theobald, by Ralph Prior, and the convent of
Canterbury, by Walter Gilbert, and Henry, bishops of
Rochester, &c. which latter further granted to them the
small tithes, together with the other tithes arising from
their manors and demesnes in Frindsbury, and their other
manors within his diocese, according to former custom. All
which was confirmed by Richard, bishop of Rochester, in
1280, who at the same time, at the instance of the prior and
convent of Rochester, made enquiry, by a solemn inquisition,
in what manner the monks used to retain tithes in their
manors, and in what manner they used to impart them to the
parish churches; when it was found, that the parish church
of Frindsbury was formerly endowed, in the name of a portion
of tithes, in land called Nelesfelde, parcel of the demesne
land of the manor of Frindsbury, which belonged to that
church; and that they gave yearly, in the time of harvest,
to the church in the name of tithe, one acre of wheat, one
acre of barley, and one acre of oats of middle corn; but of
wool, or the produce of the dairy, of other small tithes,
the church did not, nor had used to take any thing. But in
the grange of Chatingdone, which was a member of the manor
of Frindsbury, the church took only the whole tithe of
sheaves. At La Rede, which was a member of it likewise, the
almoner of the priory took, as had been used of antient
time, only the whole tithe of sheaves But that the church of
Frindsbury did not, nor had used to take any thing there.
And of other small tithes, as well as of the mills, and hay
in the manor of Frindsbury, and in their other manors, the
parish church did not, nor ever used to take any thing; and
he decreed, that the parish church of Frindsbury should be
content with the endowment of the aforesaid land, called
Nelesfelde, with which it remained endowed of antient time
of the demesne land of the manor, in the name of tithes, and
of the three acres of corn in the time of harvest, to be
taken as before-mentioned, and in the tithes of sheaves in
Chatingdone only; and that the monks should have and retain
for ever all other tithes, both great and small, by whatever
names they were called, in all their manors and places
within his diocese, the tithes of sheaves, &c. in each of
them, as were particularly mentioned in his instrument, only
excepted.
All which was confirmed to them, as well as
the former grants of bishops Walter, Gilbert, and Henry, by
John, archbishop of Canterbury, by inspeximus, in the year
1281. (fn. 23) In the 15th year of Edward I. this church was
valued at sixty marcs, and the vicarage at one hundred
shillings. In the 33d year of king Edward III. the church,
with the chapel of Stroud, was taxed at sixty marcs. And in
a subsequent valuation, the church of Frindsbury was valued
at one hundred marcs. In the valuation of church livings,
&c. taken in 1650, it was returned, that here was a vicarage
worth forty pounds per annum, but then sequestered; and also
one chapel, which belonged to the manor of Islingham, and
was antiently endowed with the tithes of eight score acres
of land, which paid only to the parson of the parish yearly,
three copp of wheat, three copp of barley, and three copp of
oats, and to the minister 13s. 4d. per annum, and that the
said chapel was then employed as a barn.
This
vicarage is valued in the king's books at 10l. 3s. 11 1/2d.
and the yearly tenths at 1l. 4 3/4d.
The parsonage of
Frindsbury and advowson of the vicarage, still continue part
of the possessions of the bishopric of Rochester. The
endowment of the vicarage is not extant, but the vicar by
usage, is entitled to all tithes, except those of corn and
grain. The vicarage house is situated at an inconvenient
distance from the church, and not in a very healthy
situation, there are fifteen acres of glebe land. The
register does not begin till 1669.
The family of
Watson, who bore for their arms, Barry of six argent and
gules, three crescents ermine on a chief of the second, two
tilt-spears, their heads broken off, in saltier, or, were
lessees of this parsonage many years. William, son of John
Waston, of Riverhall, in Essex, settled in this parish in
the reign of queen Elizabeth, and his descendants continued
here afterwards for more than a century. (fn. 24)
GOTCELINE DE HÆNHERSTE became a monk in the
priory of St. Andrew in Rochester, and gave to it on that
account, the half of his tithe of his land there, and in
Frindsbury. (fn. 25) The portion of tithes seems to have
remained part of the possessions of the priory, at its
dissolution in the 32d year of king Henry VIII. who granted
in next year, by his dotation charter, to his new erected
dean and chapter of Rochester, with whom it now continues.
This portion of tithes is commonly called Goldock's
Portion, and arises out of certain fields in the parishes of
Frindsbury and Stroud. In 1650 these tithes were valued at
10s. and the yearly reserved rent was 2s