St Bartholomew, Goodnestone, Kent

Back across to the other side of Faversham, past a fellow orchid fanatic friend's house and out onto the marshes once again. And just when you think you have taken the wrong turn and run out of road, to the left you see the simple bellcote. The approach to St Bartholomew's is down a long track, and the church is hudden behind a line of trees, so you really don't know what to expect. The church seems surrounded by it's neighbouring farm, and the simple bellcote is currently supported by scaffolding. A simple two cell church with a large porch added at some point, and as expected from its rural location, a rustic church. -------------------------------------------------- Goodnestone was never the centre of a large population. Court and Church stood on slightly rising ground above the marshes of the River Swale, adjacent to the wealthier parish of Graveney whose church grew to outshine this `poor relation`. Today Goodnestone`s lack of prestige in the medieval period is cause for celebration as its simple two cell Norman construction is largely unaltered, other than for some enlarged windows and rebuilt chancel arch. The staircase that formerly lead to the Rood Loft remains in the north wall although this goes almost unnoticed as the visitor's eye is drawn to the simple Decorated window in the east wall. This is filled with stained glass produced by one of the most famous early nineteenth century practitioners in the newly rediscovered art, Thomas Willement. He lived just outside Faversham and many local churches have examples of his work. This is one of his better designs where scale, colour and technique combine to make something that is eminently suitable for its location. Nave, chancel, north porch, west belfry. www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Goodnestone+1 IES the next parish eastward from Preston, and is the last to be described in this hundred. It should seem by its name once to have belonged to Godwin, earl of Kent, being termed in antient writings Goodwinstune, i. e. Godwin's town, or village. It is a very small parish, lying on the north side of the high London road, at the 48th mile-stone, about half a mile's distance from it. The village and church are situated in the middle of the parish, which does not extend more than half a mile from them each way. It lies low in a flat and open country, and from its nearness and exposure to the marshes, very unhealthy, the lands in it are exceeding rich and fertile, like those in the same tract in Faversham and Preston described before, the fields are very level, large, and but little encumbered with trees or hedge-rows, what trees there are are elm, and there is no woodland. A fair is held yearly on Sept. 26, for toys, pedlary, &c. THIS PLACE was held in the reign of Henry III. by Simon de Turville, of the earl of Leicester, as lord paramount, who held it again of the king in capite by knight's service. (fn. 1) Of his successor Nicholas de Turville this estate was again held in the reign of king Edward II. by one of the family of Chiche, which had been seated at the Dungeon in Canterbury for some generations, in which city they were of eminent account, being possessed of the fee of the aldermanry of Burgate there. In the 20th year of king Edward III. Thomas Chiche, of the Dungeon, paid respective aid for the manor of Goodneston, then held by knight's service. Thomas Chiche, his son, was sheriff of Kent in the 15th year of Richard II. and was grandfather of Valentine Chiche, esq. of the Dungeon, who left three daughters his coheirs; Margaret, first married to Clovill, of Essex, and secondly to John Judde, of Tunbridge; Emelyn, to Sir Thomas Kempe; and another married to Martyn, who on their father's death became jointly entitled to this manor. The two former of them alienated their interest in it, about the beginning of king Henry VIII.'s reign, to Oxenbridge, as the latter did to Pordage, of Rodmersham. Soon after which, the whole property of it, excepting the third part of the advowson of the church of Goodneston, seems to have become vested in the name of Finch, and John Finch having, anno 17 Elizabeth, levied a fine of it, passed it away to Mr. Robert Fagge, descended from the Fagges, of Willesborough. in which parish they held lands so early as the reign of king Edward III. He died possessed of this manor, and was succeeded in it by his son Mr. Edward Fagge, gent of Faversham, who died in 1618, and lies buried in Faversham church, having married Anne, daughter of Richard Theobald, esq. of Seal, widow of Thomas Nevison, esq. of Eastry, by whom he had one son Michael, killed abroad in the Dutch wars, and buried at Utrecht, and two daughters, who became his coheirs, Mary, married to Sir Edward Partrich, of Bridge, whose first wife she was, and Anne, to Sir John Proude, being his second wife. The former died without issue, and the latter left by Sir John Proude, who was killed in 1628, at the siege of Groll, in Guelderland, being in the service of the states of Holland against the Spaniards, one son Edward, and a daughter Anne, who on the death of her brother without issue became entitled to this manor. The Proudes bore for their arms, Azure, three otters in pale, or, each holding in its mouth a fish, argent. (fn. 2) Many of of this family lie buried in St. Alphage's church, in Canterbury, where they resided for several generations. Anne Proude above-mentioned first married Sir William Springate, and afterwards Mr. Isaac Pennington, eldest son of Sir Isaac Pennington, lord-mayor in 1643, a most atrocious republican, who bore for his arms, Argent, five fusils in fess, azure, (fn. 3) who in her right became possessed of this manor, which continued in his descendants till at length Mr. Pennington, of Philadelphia, becoming entitled to it, conveyed it by sale, about the year 1748, to Michael Lade, gent: of Canterbury, who was descended of a family originally spelt both Lad and Ladd, who were of good antiquity in this county, in several parts of which they were possessed of lands as early as Edward the 1st.'s reign, which still bear their name. In king Edward the IVth.'s reign a branch of them was settled at Elham, one of them, John Ladd, of that place, died in 1527, whose youngest son Thomas settled at Barham, where many of his descendants lie buried. His grandson Vincent Lad, for so he spelt his name, died in 1625, leaving several sons, of whom Robert the eldest, who first spelt his name Lade, was of Gray's-inn a barrister-at-law, and recorder of Canterbury, to whom Segar, garter, granted the arms of Argent, a fess, wavy, between three escallops, sable. He was ancestor of the Lades, of Boughton, as Thomas, a younger son, was of the Lades, of Warbleton, in Sussex, from whom Sir John Lade, who was created a baronet in 1730, and the present Sir John Lade, bart. are descended. The former of whom still bear the above coat of arms, but the latter have changed the field for distinction, to or. Michael Lade, the purchaser of this estate as before-mentioned, afterwards retired to Faversham, where he died in 1778, and was buried in BoughtonBlean church. He left two sons, John, of whom hereafter; and Michael, barrister-at-law, who married Sophia, lady dowager Cranston; and one daughter Elizabeth, married to Mr. Benjamin Browne. John Lade, esq. of Boughton-Blean and Canterbury, the eldest son, is the present possessor of the manor of Goodneston, and married Hester, sole daughter and heir of Mr. Hills Hobday, gent. of Faversham. She died in 1778, by whom he has three sons, John Hobday, now an officer in the militia; William, A. M. and rector of Knolton; and Charles, late an officer in the army; and one daughter Hester, married to William Stacey Coast, esq. now of Sevenoke. A court baron is held for this manor. There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are four, casually not more than one or two at most. GOODNESTON is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Ospringe. The church, which is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, consists of one isle and a chancel, with a small wooden spire at the west end, in which there is one bell. In the porch lies buried William Benet, rector of this church, 1490. It appears by the Tower records of 1279, anno 8 Edward I. that Richard le Dagh, and Eleanor his wife, sold their lands here, and the advowson of the church, to Stephen Chiche, citizen of Canterbury, with a part of Blean wood, and some land lying below it. (fn. 4) ¶After which the patronage of it seems to have sollowed the like succession of owners that the manor did, till the reign of queen Elizabeth, when it became vested with it in Judde, Kempe, and Martyn; at the latter end of which, the two turns of presentation to it, which had belonged to the two former, became vested in Fagg, and the third turn in the Pordages, of Rodmersham, successors to the Martyns at Graveney-court; in which state they continued in 1640. In 1678 the Penningtons, owners of the manor, possessed two turns, and the Whites, of Vintners, in Box ley, who had become possessors of Graveney court, the other turn, from which name it passed to that of Blaxland, of Graveney-court, where it still continues. But the two turns belonging to Pennington were sold with the manor, about the year 1748, to Michael Lade, gent. of Faversham, whose son John Lade, esq. of Boughton, owner of Goodneston manor, is at this time entitled to them. This church is a rectory, and a discharged living in the king's books, of the clear yearly certified value of thirty pounds, the yearly tenths of which are 10s. 3d. In 1578 there were communicants here thirty-three; in 1640 twenty-four only, the value of it being then forty pounds per annum. This rectory is endowed with all tithes whatsoever. There is a house and three acres of glebe land belonging to it. An acre of land, called the Church Acre, belongs to the church, but it is not known who gave it. www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol6/pp549-555