In 776 Great Chart's manor, the village, its lands and much of its produce were sold by King Egbert (Ethelberht's successor) to Archbishop Jænberht of Canterbury to raise finances for a Kentish army - to rebel against King Offa of Mercia. In that year there was a great battle between Mercians and Kentish men at Otford as, apparently, a red cross appeared in the sky.
For nine years after this battle Egbert held Kent, but ultimately Offa took control and retrieved Great Chart and its lands from Canterbury dividing them up among his followers. After Offa died in 796 his successor Coenwulf of Mercia decided to reinstate properties, including Great Chart, back to the ownership of Canterbury. This ownership continued for hundreds of years through the Norman Conquest - the Domesday Book entry for Certh (Great Chart) makes clear that it was still in the possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury - up to the advent of Henry VIII, when between 1536 and 1539 he dissolved all monasteries. He confiscated Great Chart and its lands from the priory but soon reinstated them to his new Protestant Dean and Chapter in whose administration they remained until Victorian times. On a map made of the Chart and Longbridge Hundred in 1559, the village was named Charte Magna.
On 1 April 1987 the civil parish of "Great Chard" was abolished to form "Great Chart with Singleton.
On 10 March 2021 police found human remains in a wood near the village. On 12 March 2021 they were confirmed to be those of Sarah Everard. To say this murder rocked the area was a bit of an understatement.
On the evening of 3 March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was kidnapped in South London, England, as she was walking home to the Brixton Hill area from a friend's house near Clapham Common. She was stopped by off-duty Metropolitan Police constable Wayne Couzens, who identified himself as a police officer, handcuffed her, and placed her in his car before transporting her to Kent. Couzens subsequently raped and strangled Everard, before burning her body and disposing of her remains in a pond in woodland at Great Chart.
It also resulted in a lot of trust in the Met Police being lost.
Well, that's the history lesson over with - now let's look at the village:
The Grade I listed church of St. Mary, Great Chart, stands high on a mound at one end of the Street, the main road through the village. At the time I visited, the church and the old timber-framed building are cordoned off from visits, whilst workmen are in situ.
With no access permitted through the main South door, I decided to walk around the outside of the church anyway, to have a good look at it from the outside. Round the back there is a North porch and door, also inaccessible. There was also a very small porch and door, obviously giving priests access directly into the sanctuary. Incidentally, all of the doors have pathways from the road, laid with Bethersden marble. (Not that it shows up in the picture below!)
In for a penny, I tried the door and it opened. Entering the tiny porch, there was a secondary door, which should lead into the Sanctuary. This inner door was covered in a red baize material, so I thought, if this one's unlocked, I'm in!
Yay! it opened! And there.............................was a solid wall of wood. I was just about to turn and leave, when I spotted a door handle in the gloom. A third door! and yes, it opened and I was in!
You can see how close the red baize door is to the inner wooden one. There was scaffolding in the west end tower area of the nave, but it still left me with about 2/3 of the church to look at.
So, in the corner of the Sanctuary, left of the altar, is a large table tomb. There are two brasses on top, mostly intact, but so worn, I couldn't read them.
However, research tells me that it is the tomb of James Goldwell and his wife, who later became Bishop of Norwich.
James Goldwell (d. 1499), bishop of Norwich, son of William and Avice Goldwell, was born at Great Chart, Kent, on the manor which had belonged to his family since the days of Sir John Goldwell, a soldier in the reign of King John.
He went on to become principal secretary of state to Edward IV. In June 1465 his name occurs among the commissioners sent to make peace with Denmark; three years after he was the king's agent at Rome; and in September 1471 was given power to treat of peace with France.
In the following autumn he was sent on a mission from Edward to Pope Sixtus IV, filling the office of king's proctor at the Roman court. The pope raised Goldwell to the vacant see of Norwich, and he was consecrated at Rome 4 Oct. 1472
He had at one time been the rector of his own parish church, Great Chart, and when he became bishop he ‘repaired, if not wholly rebuilt, Chart Church,’ and founded a chantry chapel for himself and his family on the south side. Before leaving Rome he had obtained an indulgence from the pope to restore Chart, which had been damaged by fire, and, in order to meet the expense, a pardon of twelve years and forty days was to be granted to all who came twice a year and gave their offerings to the church.
After the death of Edward IV Goldwell seems wholly to have retired from political life, and his remaining years were spent in pious works. At Norwich he not only adorned his own palace, but completed the tower of the cathedral, fitted up the choir and chapels, covered the vaulting with lead, and had the arms of the benefactors painted on the walls and windows. He died 15 February 1498–9.
The walls around the tomb are covered with memorial tablets to members of the Toke family. The Toke family owned Godington House, a large country house nearby. Now, the Goldwell and Toke families are linked in history.
In 1405, Godington House was sold to Thomas Goldwell, ancestor of James. It then proceeded to pass through the Goldwell family between 1405 and 1474. In 1474 Joan Goldwell married Thomas Toke, uniting the two families and beginning the Toke lineage at Godinton.
Godington House remained in Toke ownership until 1896. The village of Great Chart was part of the Manor of Godington.
The pews have beautifully carved poppy heads, and carved lattice inserts facing the aisles
The main altar has an attractive reredos
Small, but beautiful Royal hatchment - unfortunately, too high up on the wall to get a good shot of it. However - although it doesn't appear to have a Royal Cipher, it shows the Stuart Coat of Arms, so therefore, it is post 1603 (when James I added the unicorn of Scotland), and is either James I, James II, Charles I or Charles II
Next - the churchyard. The entire churchyard is surrounded by a Grade II listed wall. Against it, by the west tower of the church, is the burial place of Major General William Knox Leet V.C. , C.B.
He was born on 3 November 1833 in Dalkey, County Dublin, and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Leet was 45 years old, and a Major in the 1st Bn., 13th Regiment of Foot (later The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)), British Army during the Anglo-Zulu War when the following deed took place on 28 March 1879 at Battle of Hlobane, Zululand, South Africa for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross:
For his gallant conduct, on the 28th March, 1879, in rescuing from the Zulus Lieutenant A. M. Smith, of the Frontier Light Horse, during the retreat from the Inhlobana. Lieutenant Smith whilst on foot, his horse having been shot, was closely pursued by the Zulus, and would have been killed had not Major Leet taken him upon his horse and rode with him, under the fire of the enemy, to a place of safety.
Following his distinguished army career, Leet retired in July 1887, and moved to Great Chart, where he died.
In the south-west corner of the churchyard, is an ancient timber-framed building. This building seems too small to have been the pre-Reformation priest-house and too old to have been intended for watching the churchyard. Its origin and purpose are uncertain, Sir Charles Igglesden, in his "Saunters through Kent with a Pen and Pencil", suggests that it was the pest-house, but its position makes this improbable. Unfortunately, because of the work going on, I could only get a picture from the churchyard to the rear. A full-frontal picture will have to wait until access is permitted to that area. It's reckoned to be 16th.C at the latest, and is GradeII* listed.
The village War Memorial is situated in a raised memorial garden opposite the churchyard, accessed from The Street via a flight of steps. Dedication: ‘TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD / THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE’ and names of the fallen, recorded by date. On the reverse, ‘ERECTED BY THE GREAT CHART SAILORS’ AND SOLDIERS’ FUND’.
A later tablet, affixed to the base, commemorates the fallen of the Second World War.. It was unveiled on 4 August 1921 by Lieutenant-Colonel John Body and dedicated by the Revd Neville A. Holt. Its designer, Sir Reginald Blomfield, attended the ceremony. The expense of the memorial was met through subscriptions to the Great Chart Sailors’ and Soldiers’ War Fund, as commemorated by an inscription on the base. The names of the fallen of the Second World War were later added, and the memorial was re-dedicated by the Archdeacon of Maidstone on 3 April 1949. The memorial was restored in 1995.
Now, a look at the village. The first thing that hits you, is that a large number of the buildings, are obviously from the same source. They have 'Dutch' gables, and often have small black on white square plaques, or niches designed to take them.
So if we start with the almshouses, these were built by Francis Toke in 1583, and rebuilt in 1833.
To be more specific, there are three cottages, the north-east and centre ones founded as almshouses in 1583 by Francis Toke of Godinton, and rebuilt probably by Nicholas Roundell Toke in 1833, the south-west one added 1899 in matching style.
The later, south-west one has an additional slab, "This Almshouse was erected by the Trustees of the Toke and Streeter Almshouse Charity AD 1899".
*****************************************
From the Kentish Chronicle, 23 January, 1864.
DEATH BY DROWNING AT GREAT CHART.
On Monday, Mr Deputy Callaway, and a respectable jury, held an inquest at the “Swan Inn,” Great Chart, on the body of John Dulton, yeoman, aged 63 years. George Wood, beer retailer, deposed that the deceased, whom he had known for thirty years, had been for about three years an inmate of one of Toke’s Alms Houses. About eleven o’clock on Saturday morning he was at witness’ house, and staid there about half on hour, but there was nothing peculiar in his appearance. He had frequently complained of giddiness in the head. The deceased, who was well-to-do in the world, being possessed of property besides his allowance from the charity, was given to drinking. He made his will on the 12th inst.
Henry Padgham, of Great Chart, carpenter, deposed that he was passing the deceased's house at half-past eight o’clock on Sunday morning, when he saw the left leg and the greater part of his body was in the water, which was about two feet deep. There was a kettle on the bricks by the side of the well. The body was quite cold and stiff. The well was an open one.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased was found drowned in the well, but there was no evidence to show how he got there. They coupled with their verdict a recommendation that the well, which belongs to the parish, should be covered. **************************************
I have yet to research all of the other gabled houses, but given the large number of Toke family tablets in the church, it may be that their largesse continued down the generations.
All of the gabled buildings are listed, and they virtually form a complete community, without all the other buildings. So we'll start with those.
This is the old school.
Dated 1845 and similar in style to The Almshouses. Probably built by the Reverend William Toke of Godinton.
The north-west gable end contains an attic window, a cartouche with the date 1845 under it and a bell at its apex.
The old forge:
The Swan and Dog Pub. Formerly just called 'The Swan'. There used to be another pub in the village called 'The Dog', and when that closed, the Swan was renamed to incorporate both names as a tribute.
Little bit of local news.............................
South Eastern Gazette 6 February 1849.
On Monday last, a Mr. Russell, (now on a visit to some friends at Ashford,) being out with his gun, on his return towards the evening called in at the "Swan," at Great Chart, and having placed his gun in the corner of the room, called for some porter and tobacco, and commenced smoking and conversing with the landlord. When about to start, he found that he had left his purse at home; he, consequently told the landlord of his unpleasant situation (being a stranger to him,) gave him his address, and promised to call in the morning, and discharge the demand which was eight-pence. This did not satisfy " Mr. Boniface" and he insisted upon security, by Mr. Russell depositing in his hands his shot belt, or something worth 8d., at which request Mr. R. expressed his great indignation, and rose, intending to leave the house, when a scuffle ensued between them. Mr. R. having his gun in his hand, on a sudden it went off, the charge passing through a screen, behind which several persons were sitting, but fortunately no one happened to be injured seriously, only one man being wounded in the knee. If any one had happened to have been on the other side, he would probably have been killed on the spot. The affair was brought under the notice of a magistrate on the following day, who advised them to retire and arrange the matter amicably.
**********************************************
The Parish Hall stands directly opposite the church. It has the Dutch gables, but I think it's probably modern - or bits of it are. I haven't found it on the listings, or in any other source yet, but I'll sort it out later, I've no doubt.
And so to the rest of the buildings. Yes, there's still there, and although they're not built to the same design, they're listed and so worth considering.
Let's start with the White House. This has an 18C front attached to an older core, formerly the Old Star Inn.
Baillie Hall. Formerly listed as The Yeomans, it was built around 1470. It is now named for the architect Baillie Scott who lived here in 1916 and 1917 and restored and remodelled the building. During his tenure, it was known as "The White House".
Chart House. Another one with an 18c front to an older building. They didn't quite match the bricks properly when they extended it!
These are the Gothic Cottages - a row of 4 (in two pairs) of single story 19c cottages.
Ivy Cottages, No. 1-6 consecutively. Two blocks of cottages, consisting of 2 cottages in the north-east block and 4 in the south-west block. The south-west block is a C17 or earlier timber-framed building, refaced with red brick on the ground floor and tile-hung above. The north-east block was probably newly built in the early C19 of the same materials.
The Old Granary stands next to the Old Bakehouse (well there's a surprise!). The Old Bakehouse is made from nos. 7 & 9. No. 11 is separate, and this is the Old Granary. 16c or earlier. The east front has its timbering exposed on the ground floor with plaster infilling and its first floor oversailing on the protruding ends of the floor joists and brackets.
And finally...................... some random shots that I haven't researched yet.
The cartouche below appears on several of the Dutch gabled houses. The dragon's head and the running fox also appear on the village sign, and are emblems of the Toke family.
No comments:
Post a Comment