EAST GULDEFORD

 Follow the straight road east of Rye for a mile or so across the flatlands and you come to the last village in Sussex, more a part of the so-called ‘Fifth continent’ of the world, Romney Marsh (from The Ingoldsby Legends’).

East Guldeford is the only marshland church in Sussex; East Guldeford level is technically part of Walland Marsh, not Romney Marsh, but the flat, wind-swept terrain is similar.  The marsh appeared after the Western Rother was diverted westwards to Rye in a storm in 1287.  Before the 15th century, the area was mostly salt marshes, and had a thriving salt manufacturing industry, by drying shallow sea water pools. This is the origin of the farm opposite, named 'Salts Farm'.

The marsh was then in the parish of Playden, but by the later C15 there was a sizeable settlement and in 1499 Sir Richard Guldeford (c1455-1506) received a faculty to build a church, consecrated in 1505.

This cluster of cottages, a farm or two and a barn-like church is the embryonic ‘brother’ of a city, for Guildford in Surrey and this hamlet share a common bond in Sir Richard Guldeford. His family took their name originally from Guildford and he it was who gave the church to East Guldeford (pronounced Gilford, just to add to the confusion).

Sir Richard also built the sea wall that protects the parish today and drained the area to transform it from a sea-washed marsh to fine farming land. His work here done, he set off on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The de Guildford/ de Guilford/ Guldeford family ancestry can be traced back in south Kent at least as far as Thomas de Guilford who was born in 1246. Sir Richard Guldeford was born c1450 in Cranbrook, Kent, and was a courtier to Henry VII. He became High Sheriff of Kent, Knight of the Garter, and Master of the Ordinance.

A stone carving of the family arms is mounted on the north wall of St Mary’s.

Although there are some houses around the church, the main centre of the parish is now at Camber.

St. Mary’s church.

The church was built of brick in 1505 and underwent a careful restoration in the mid 1970s, which retained all its character and charm.

Arthur Beckett, in The Wonderful Weald, recounts the tale of the clergyman, a stranger to the district, who undertook the service at the church one Sunday morning. Before the service began the parish clerk asked him if he would mind praiching’ in the reading desk, “for my old hen has made her nest in the pulpit, and, as she is sitting, I shouldn’t like to have her disturbed.”

The church has a very unusual twin roof design with the bell cote balanced between the two roofs.The inside is a simple hall with a plastered ceiling and a coarse brick floor. 

Much restoration was carried out in Victorian times. 

There is an unusual frieze of seraphim and musical instruments.  Everything appears to date from around 1900.  They were intended as part of a larger scheme, which was stopped by the then vicar.  No artist is known, though the colouring is delicate and they are of some quality, as well as having been well conserved.  However, the level of drawing suggests a talented amateur who was well versed in contemporary artistic trends.  There would have been no shortage of such people among the many artists in the Rye area.

the wall paintings at the top of the east wall and around the north and south return sections of the church, depict angels with musical instruments and are thought to date from c1900. Below the paintings are two of four corbels which are contemporary with construction of the church.

the font which is much older than the church, dates from the late 12th century. The square bowl is of Purbeck marble and is carved with arcading and rosettes. The supporting brickwork is modern, possibly surrounding an older central pedestal. There were formerly corner shafts, perhaps damaged along with the original central support.

There are three painted boards on the west wall. one is the Apostles Creed, the others being the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.

Above the stone carving of the Guldeford coat-of-arms is a poorly preserved early C16 heraldry.

Royal Arms: (Over west doorway) Painted panel, George IV.

This bell was salvaged from a ship (details on this missive) which was wrecked on Camber Sands, and used as the school bell from 1879 until the school was closed.

The history of the bell clapper which hangs on the wall, is detailed on the picture below. Meanwhile, there is more information about Watchbell Street and the Watch Bell on the Rye page.

To the memory of Charles Albert Winchester who died on active service aged just 21. His ship, the Trollope, was torpedoed on 6th. July 1944 with loss of all hands. His loss is recorded thus: 

 WINCHESTER, Charles A, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 518287, MPK

I think this is probably 'Jewhurst; - itself a corruption of the local name 'Dewhurst'. I also found this comment on an ancestry site: Re: Stephen Jewhurst: There is a memorial plaque to Stephen Jewhurst in East Guldeford Church, (St. Mary's), near Rye, East Sussex, died 1782. There is also Rye press coverage of George Jewhurst, in Rye, 1770 - 1774. George ran a school in Rye

This seems to refer to Stephen being born before 26 Dec 1725 in Woodchurch, Kent

the altar.