St. Mary’s Church: Monumental inscriptions recorded in 1790

Monumental Inscriptions in the Church of Nonington in Kent from “The Topographer”, 1791.

Nonington Church July 19, 1790.

The only remains of painted glass are, in a window in the north aile, a figure kneeling with two children behind —and in the east window of the Fredville Chancel, a coat of arms – – – – a bordure G. femè of fleurs de lis O. impaling G. a chevr. erm. betw. 3 griffins pass. A.

   Monuments.

  In the Fredville Chancel.

On a mural Monument of blue marble.

 IN MEMORIAM EDOARDI BOYS, ARMIGERI, DEFUNCTI.

 STEMMATA MAJORUM, GENERISQUE INSIGNIA JACTENT,

QUI LAUDARESOLENTPROAVOS, ALENAQUE FACTA;

HIC MONUMENTA SUI LIQUIT, STATUAMQUE PERENNEM

VIRTUTEM PROPRIAM VERÆ PIETATIS ALUMNUS,

MUSARUM DECUS EXIMIUM, FAUTORQUE PIORUM,

JUSTITIÆ CUSTOS, ET RELIGIONIS AMATOR;

PRO CHRISTO NATALE SOLUM, PATRIAMQUE RELIQUlT,

PER CHRISTUM SEMPER PATRIA MELIORE FRUETUR.

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IN OBITUM EDOARDI BOYS SENIORIS MILITIS.

VIR PIETATIS AMANS, CENSU DECORATUS EQJTESTRI,

MILITIÆ CLARUS, CLARUS ET ILLE DOMI;

SANGUINE CLARORUM ILLUSTRI NON NIXUS AVORUM,

SED VIRTUTE SUA VIRIBUS ATQUE SUIS;

JUTSTITIÆQUE TENAX, ET AMICUS     ILLE

  AUXILIUM MISERIS, MALLEUS ILLEMALIS.

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IN MEMORY OF THE LADY BOYS,

WIFE OF SIR EDWARD BOYS.

 IF PIETY TO GOD, AND LOVE TO SAlNTES,

IN PITTY TO THE POORE, IN THEIRE COMPLAYNTES,

IF CARE OF CHILDREN’S GODLY EDUCATION,

IF MODEST CARYAGE MERITT ESTIMATION,

ALL THESE AND MORE SHALL THIS GOOD LADY HAVE,

TO KEPE HER EVER FROM OBLIVIONS GRAVE;

GOD HE WILL CROWNE HER WITH ETERNAL BLISSE,

THE CHURCH DOTH HONOUR HER. THE POORE HER MISSE,

HER GODLY OFFSPRING, TREADING IN HER WAYES,

TO THEIR SUCCEEDING AGE COMMEND HER PRAYSE,

SUCH HONOR SHE, SUCH HONOR MAY THEY FIND,

THAT UNTO SYON BEARE A LOVING MYND.

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Arms, 1. Boys. O. griffin segr. S. bordure G. quartering, 2. S. a chevr. A. betwk 3 buckles O. 3. A. a sess S. charg’d with 3 bezants int. 3 lions heads erased G. 4. Quarterly Per sess indented, erm. and G.—Impaling. 1. S. a chevr. betw. 3 leopards faces O.   Wentworth. 2. A. a bend S. quartering G. a fret O. 3. O. 3 chevr. V. 4. Barry of 8. A. and O. a canton erm. 5. Per sesse indented A. and G. 6. A. 3 fish 2, 1, in pale, S. 7. O. on a chief G. 3 plates. 8. A. a saltier G. 9.Valence. 10. Badlesmere. 11. G. 3 shields A. a sess, and 3 fleurs de lis in chief S. 11. S. a sess O, 12. O. a sesse crenelle at top S. 13. A. 3 boars heads coup’d, 2, 1, G. 14. Obliterated.

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The following obituaries from members of the Boys family are all on one tablet in memory of Mary Bode, the wife of John Bode and daughter of Sir Edward Boys. 

On a blue marble mural Tablet.

IN OBITUM OPTIMÆ FÆMINÆ MARIÆ BODE UXORIS JOH: BODE

GENIROSI FILIÆ  EDWARDI BOYS MILITIS, QUÆ OBIIT VICESIMO

PRIMO DIE JUNII A° DNI 1615.

 Whose earthly body now the grave awhile close shall retaine,

Her name on earth, her soule in Heaven for ever shall remaine:

For why; the living, lov-d of God a patterne bright did shine

To Mayds, to Mothers, Matrons grave: lett none at this repine;

Meek, patient, modest, loving, just, kind, harmless, zealous, just,

In life expressing working fayth, in dying constant trust;

In Heaven her thoughts she treasur’d still, and thereon set her heart;

Good Marye’s peace now hath for why—her choice was Marye’s part.

I. B.

PARTURIENS PERIIT ;—PERIIT? NON. VIVIT OLYMPO,

ÆTERNÆ IN CÆLIS GAUDIA LUCIS HABENS:

ABSTULIT HANC CITAMORS, NULLI PIETATE SECUNDAM,

INNOCUA VITA, PACE, PUDORE, FIDE.

I. B.

 In Kent and Essex where she came,

She left behind her such a name

For virtues wreathed one in one,

For sweet behaviour and religion,

For modest wisdom, and sobrietie,

True marriadge love, unstained chastitie,

In life and death I count her blest,

Which so could live, and so did rest.

W. S.

The star-deckt sky thought learge, not all the brightest starrs doeth hold,

The Sayntes on earth by light of grace more bright an hundred-fold,

Who cleer’d from lumpish oare, translate from earthly mine,

Third Heaven shall furnish, and above these lower starrs shall shine,

Such wight is here interr’d, not dust, nor death can dim her light,

None can deny her this, I speak in reason ’tis her right.

 W. B.

Here lyes her corps which living held a spirritt,

Whear zeal and modesty did still inherritt,

Till God who knew the virrues that she had,

Saw her too good to live with us too bad;

Her earthly part lies here involv’d in dust:

Her heavenly sowle a faint amongst the just.

 Arms. 1. BodeS. a chevr. betw. 3 escallops A. quartering 2. S. a bend raguled A. 3. Quarterly A. and S. a label O. 4. G. a chevr. erm. betw. 3 garbs A. 5. Erm. 3 pickaxes G. 6. Erm. 2 chevr. G. 7. A. 3 crescents G. U 2       semè of crosslets G. 8. G. – – – – erm. 9. Per chevr. S. and erm. in chief 2 boars heads coup’d O. 10. A. a chevr. betw. 3 rams heads coup’d S. impaling Boys of Fredvile with its 3 quarterings.

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On a mural Tablet on the opposite Wall.

HIC SUNT DEP0SITÆ JANÆ REUQUIÆ

AB ANTIQUA GENEROS: LIDDELLOR: FAMILIA ORIUNDÆ

EX CASTELL0 DE RAVENSWORTH IN AGRO DUNELMENSI

JOHANNIS MENNES EQUITIS AURATI

ANGLO-CAUTIANI CONJUGIS, MARIS ANGLICANI VICE-ADMIRALLI

ILLA, ABSENTE SUB VELIS MARITO REGIIS

REGINAM EXGALLIAMARIAM REVEHENTIRUS

APUD FREDVILE JOHIS BOYS ARMIGERI ECCUMBENS

HOSPITALI ISTIUS HUMANITATE

               HIC INHOMATUR.

IN SACRAM DILECTISSIMÆ CONSORTIS MEMORIAM

MARITI PIETATE HOC MARMOR ERIGITUR.

NATA ANNO CIRCITER l602, JUL. 23. l662 DENATA.

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In the Nave of the Church.

On a Brass upon a fiat Stone, near the Communion rails.

Hic facet Dominus Johes Cooke quondam curat’ ecclesiae Nonington, qui obit septimo die Augutti (mvc&xviii’)
“‘Here lies master John Cooke, formerly curate of the church of Nonington, who died the seventh day of August 1518’.
The date is expressed in an usual way, the ‘ampersand’ (the modern & ) before the X being easily read by the careless as an x. The correct reading is ‘1500 and 18’”
A note by Reverend Roger Bulstrode in his 1938 guide.

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On a brass against the east wall.

Alys the daughter and heyre of William Simpson Esquyer. Vice Marchall of Calys and Catherine Gemcot: wife to Francys Wilsford neare, 35 yeares; by whom she had 6 sonnes, 4 daughter, (departed) constantly in the faith of Jesus Christ about the year of her age 59, Junii 3 (anno domini) 1581, who now resting in the Lord hath received the end of her fayth, whiche ys the salvation of her soule.
1. Peter. 1 Verse. 9’.

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Round the ledge of a flat Stone, having the figures of a Man between his two wives traced on it this Circumscription:

“Orate pro aiabus Johis Hamon, Margarete et Margerie ejus uxoris qui qde Johes obiit IIII die Octobris Ano Dni MCCCCCXXVI(1526) quor’ aiabus ppicietur Deus. Amen” ’.

On a flat stone. ,

       Hie jacet

   Elizabeth Hammond

Willielmi Hammond Arm.

        Uxor

Quæ obiit in Octobr:

   Anno Domini

  MDCLXXV.

On another.

      Hie jacet

Willielmus Hamond Arm.

       Qui obiit

      Sexto die Maii

     Anno Dom:

   MDCLXXXV.

On another.

    Here lieth interred the body of

 William Hammond, Esq. who departed

this life Jan. 17, 1717, in the 54th

           Year of his Age.

Arms. Hammond A. a chevr. S. charg’d with 3 escallops O. betw. 3 ogresses each charged with a martlet A. all within a bordure engrailed V. impaling two wives, Kingsford G. 2 bends erm. and Turner of llden.

1717-Hammond-tombstone-1717
Here lieth interred the body of
William Hammond, Esq. who departed
this life Jan. 17, 1717, in the 54th
Year of his Age.

St. Albans is an ancient seat, and has some very excellent portraits in it, particularly some by Cornelius Jansen, in whose time there were five very beautiful daughters of Sir William Hammond by Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Aucher of Bourne, viz. Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Marsham, ancestor of Lord Romney.

Mary, wife of Sir Thomas Stanley of Comberlow in Hertfordshire, mother of Thomas Stanley, a Poet, and author of the Lives of the Philosophers.

Lady Thynne, of whom there is a beautiful portrait by Cornelius Jansen, 1642.

Lady Dormer, of whom there is another by the same and Lady Bowyer, of whom there is another.

Here is a beautiful portrait of Sir Dudley Digges, whose daughter married Anthony Hammond, by the fame Painter.

Here is also the famous picture of John the 2d, Earl of Bridgwater, by Clarett, and another very beautiful of his son the Hon. Thomas Egerton of Tatton Park,Cheshire, by Sir Peter Lely, and another of his sister the Countess of Leicester by the fame.

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