Selling

The village dates back to the Domesday Survey and is recorded as ‘Selinge’ or Sellinge subtus Bleane’.

The tax of the manor of the Selling in 1130, was given to the Monastery of St. Augustine. In 1252, (after the Dissolution of the Monasteries), it passed to Sir Anthony St. Leger. His son Sir Warham St. Leger passed it to Sir Michael Sondes (of Throwley). His descendant was Sir George Sondes, earl of Faversham. Then Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham and Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham (who had married the daughters of Sir George). It later stayed in the Watson family. In 1800 Earl Sondes was the owner.

The church of St Mary has the highest architectural, Grade I, listing and surrounded by a cluster of varying date historic houses (averaging 17th century) just off the slightly more densely populated heart of the village. 

With several oast houses within the village bounds, it is not surprising that the majority of memorials in the church are to members of the Neame family!

St. Mary's church. 

A pretty church, in a pretty setting! Set on a hilltop among orchards, Selling has more in the way of furnishings of interest than most churches in the area. The glass may have been moved about in the nineteenth century, but it was so well done that the joins do not show. 

Within the churchyard, are several cherry trees, which today were full of blossom.

There are a number of listed buildings in the village, including this one, next to the church

There's a curious little building in the corner of the churchyard, that I have yet to establish its purpose

Remaining on the outside, there is this small priest's doorway, with a parvise above it.

And so to the interior.....

In the south chapel hang replicas of two flags flown at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. 

A UNIQUE pair of flags that were flown at the Battle of Trafalgar, and which were housed in St Mary the Virgin, Selling, in Kent, have been sold to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, after a faculty was granted by the Commissary General of Canterbury.

One is a Union flag that measures more than seven by nine feet, which flew from a British ship of the line, HMS Minotaur, one of the ships in Nelson's own division at Trafalgar. Nelson had specifically ordered on 10 October 1805 that "When in the presence of an enemy, all the ships under my command are to bear White Colours, and a Union Jack is to be suspended from the fore-top-gallant stay."

The other flag is an Austrian ensign, which is more than seven feet by 13 feet, and is from the locker of the Spanish ship Neptuno, which was disabled and captured by the Minotaur.

The flags were initially in the possession of Captain Stephen Hilton (1785-1872), who, at the time of the battle, was Master's Mate on the Minotaur. After the battle, he settled in the village of Selling, and with his prize money he built a house that became known as Trafalgar House. Another part of his prize comprised the two flags. The flags were passed down his family, and, in 1930, Melville Hilton-Simpson gave them to the church.

On 23 August 1930, a local newspaper reported that a memorial chapel had been dedicated at the church in honour of the "Reverend William and Mrs Hilton-Simpson, parents of Captain Melville Hilton-Simpson"; that the family had united in the furnishing and adornment of the chapel; and that the two flags had been hung in the chapel.

The flags remained in the church until 1994, when they were taken to an expert conservator at her home in Sandwich, and they remained there until some time in 2010 or 2011. They were then removed to Canterbury Cathedral Treasury, and are now extremely fragile. They had at some point in the past been backed with an inappropriate material, which needs to be removed with great expertise.

The parish began to explore the possibilities for disposal of the flags because it was felt that they could not be displayed, owing to their value, and because they would deteriorate further unless displayed in suitable environmental conditions. There was also concern about the security implications of returning them to the church, and the probability that such a return would spell the end of the current practice of leaving the church unlocked.

An expert valuation by specialists in nautical works of art at Bonhams suggested a sale estimate of £100,000 to £150,000 for the Union flag, and £5000 to £10,000 for the Austrian flag.

Several options were put forward as to where the flags could go. The Commissary General, Morag Ellis QC, decided that the best option was the National Maritime Museum, because its "credentials as expert conservators and curators of naval history are beyond dispute". It had both the expertise and the resources to care for the flags. As a national museum, it operated under statutory powers and constraints, which meant, in particular, that the flags would be held permanently, and entry to the museum was free.

The Union flag would be displayed in the museum's new permanent "Navy, Nation and Nelson" gallery, which has the largest Nelson collection, including the uniform that Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded. The museum already had a collection of objects relating to the Minotaur, including Captain Mansfield's sword and medal, and the original plans for the ship, which was built in Woolwich dockyard.

The Commissary General emphasised that the grant of the faculty for the disposal of the two flags would not "set a precedent as a matter of law, and it [was] not intended to provide any kind of encouragement to parishes to dispose of treasures". This case was "exceptional", she said, and the faculty was granted owing to the necessity of ensuring proper care for the flags in the future, and the desirability of divesting the parish of responsibility for the physical safety and condition of the flags.

The terms of the faculty included the provision by the museum of replica flags. These now hang in the south chapel.

On the walls of the nave, either side of the south door, are these charming hand-painted 'Cradle Rolls'

The view towards the East window, and the main altar

The stairs which would have led up to the rood loft. It's nice to see these exposed. They're usually blocked off

The Brightly coloured West window

World War II Memorial. There was also a WWI tablet, but that proved to be impossible to photograph.

And so to the memorials. 

David Hilton was a well respected East Kent fruit grower, and tireless supporter of the UK fruit industry and of the East Kent Fruit Society. He gave a large amount of time and energy back to the industry and was one of Kent fruit growing’s unsung heroes.

In his memory, The East Kent Fruit Society decided to create an award for services to the fruit industry in Kent and beyond.

Thomas Gibbs HILTON and Ann JONES married 1776 and had 8 children. Their son Robert served on HMS Swiftsure as Surgeon's 2nd. mate.  He deserted HMS Swiftsure on 12 April 1806 at Gibraltar.

 Their son Stephen served on HMS Minotaur as a Master's Mate at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Their youngest son, William died in 1819, in Bombay, East Indies.

Captain Melville William Hilton-Simpson B.Sc. was a British traveller and ethnologist.  Hilton-Simpson was the son of the Rev. William Hilton, who added Simpson to his surname in 1888

Diploma student at the Pitt- Rivers Museum, later granted status of research- student carrying out fieldwork in Morocco and Sudan. Accompanied Emil Torday on his 1907-9 BM expedition to the Congo.  Later travelled and wrote about Algeria. Awarded the RAI Rivers' medal. 

Hilton-Simpson, who served on the Western Front in the Great War and held the rank of captain, was a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur 

Capt. Melville's father was the Rev. William Hilton-Simpson, Rector of Milstead in Kent.

Mr. Charles Furmston, surgeon.

The impressive canopied tablet memorial to Mary Wightwick.

Now, nearby Faversham is renowned for being the home of the oldest brewery in England that is still family-owned. This is the brewery of Messrs. Shepherd-Neame.  The remainder of the tablets pictured here, are to members of the Neame family.

When their father, Charles, died in 1870, A clock was placed in the Tower of Selling Church in his memory.

Third son of FREDERICK NEAME and Mary Tassell, he was born on 29th May, 1847. He married Kathleen STUNT, daughter of Frederick STUNT of Higham. He farmed Macknade, Preston, for many years and afterwards retired to his house of Luton, Selling. 

In 1864 he joined his father in his land agency and farming at Macknade. In 1865 he joined the East Kent Yeomany Cavalry, later termed Mounted Rifles (Faversham Troop). When Lord Harris took over the troop in the early 1870's from Lord Sondes, he became a Quartermaster, a position he retained till 1878. During this period he was honorary Treasurer to the Faversham Agricultural Association. 

In 1881, he helped to form the East Kent Cart Horse Society, of which he was Honorary Secretary and Treasurer.  In 1905, he represented the Hop Industry on Joseph Chamberlain's Tariff Reform Committee, and continued to act for some years. 

On his father's retirement in 1878, he took over the position of agent for Lord Sondes' estates in Kent and Norfolk until 1912, when he retired and was succeeded by his son FREDERICK IVO NEAME.

In 1915 he was appointed a County J.P.; for many years was a director of the Kent Fire Office, and a Commissioner for East Kent Sewers. 

Deeply interested in Kent Sheep (a hobby he inherited from his father), in 1870 he started his own flock, and in the first 18 years, he received no less than 218 awards, including seven champions, six reserve champions and 60 first prizes. In 1913 in a unanimous judges' decision, he was awarded the first prize and Challenge Cup for the best flock exhibited. 

In 1890 he established a herd of Dutch Cattle, from which a descended flock was inherited by his second son THOMAS NEAME. In 1903 he felt compelled, by bad health, to retire from the Club, but fortunately completely recovered, and became the oldest living authority on the Club customs, having joined 54 years earlier. He kindly invited the members to his house to celebrate the Club's Bi-Centenary, and consented to rejoin as a member for that occasion.

Lt. Gen. Sir Philip Neame, V.C., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., D.L. Pheww! 

As well as being a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, he was also the winner of an Olympic Games gold medal; he is the only person to achieve both distinctions.

Neame was 26 years old when the following deed took place, for which he received the Victoria Cross (VC):

For conspicuous bravery on the 19th December, near Neuve Chapelle, when, notwithstanding the very heavy rifle fire and bomb-throwing by the enemy, he succeeded in holding them back and rescuing all the wounded men whom it was possible to move.

The rest of his military service was equally admirable. Neame was honoured for his war service in France with the Legion of Honour (Croix de Chevalier) in January 1919, and the Croix de guerre in July. He was also awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre.

The promotions kept coming, and during the inter-war period, he served in India. In 1933 he was badly mauled by a tigress whilst hunting in India. He was admitted to a hospital, Lady Minto Nursing Association, in Bareilly where he was nursed to health by Harriet Alberta Drew, whom he married.

There is far more information on his career and subsequent awards on Wikipedia. However, In August 1945 Neame was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey in the local rank of lieutenant-general where he served until 1953. He also held the honorary posts of Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Royal Engineers from February 1945 to 1955 and Colonel 131 (Airborne) Engineer Regiment from January 1948.

Neame was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 1946, and made a knight of the charitable Order of St John in the same year. In January 1955 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Kent.

Edwin Neame, son of Charles, was churchwarden for over 30 years.

John and his wife, Mary, had 13 children. He was a Farmer & Hop Grower, resided 1847 at Selling Court, Selling (Kent), Member 1813 - 1848 of Faversham Farmers Club.