,
TORONTO
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V
THE
STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM
No. j.
R. R. C. GREGORY.
103482
THE
STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM
BY
R. R. C. GREGORY 103432
Head Master of the Eltham National School, People's Warden of Eltham Parish Church,
Member of the Council of the Woolwich Antiquarian Society, Author (with H. B.M. Buchanan )
of '' Lessons on Country Life," and "Junior Country Readers," (Macmillan), Editor of
"The Ludgate School Books," including "Story Readers," "Standard Author Readers,"
etc., etc. '-•
a? a
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM OLD PLATES
AND PRINTS, SKETCHES
BY R. W. GREGORY AND W. H. BROWNING,
AND PHOTOGRAPHS SPECIALLY TAKEN
By F. W. NUNN
(Vice-President of the Greenwich and the Woolwich Antiquarian SocietiesJ,
\
TOGETHER WITH AN INDEX
BY W. H. BROWNING.
KENTISH DISTRICT TIMES COMPANY, LTD.,
HIGH STREET, ELTHAM.
1909.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
PREFACE.
HE chapters which go to make up this book are the outcome of a number
of simple addresses which the writer had prepared to interest the older children
of his school in the history of their ancient village.
It was suggested that these addresses might be re-written and amplified for
the benefit of " children of older gro-wth," and thus came about their publication in
>weekly instalments, in the local Press, for the space of twenty months. It is in
response to a very general request from all sorts and conditions of readers, not only of
Elthain, but of the neighbouring districts, that the chapters are now presented in
book form.
It has been the aim of the writer to tell simply and clearly the story of a
jyillage that is brim full of historic interest, .to recount as vividly as may be the many
romantic incidents that have been associated with it, and to recall from the depths
of the past, the noble and distinguished personages, who, from time to time through
the long centuries, have trod our Eltham fields and lanes, and helped to make our
village story.
Local historians do not always recognise sufficiently that each village, however
small or remote, has played and is playing its part in the greater drama of national
history. Nevertheless, it is the fact which makes the investigation of local history
a matter of great importance in any scheme of historical study. The Church, the
Manor, the Tithe Barn, the Parish Records, the Cross, the Field names, the Lanes,
the Pound, and many another old-time relic, all have their tale to tell of the life and
progress of the village community, and very often reveal the part which it has played
in the nation's destinies.
Eltham's r61e in this respect has been a notable one, so, as opportunities have
arisen, the writer has taken advantage of them, to get glimpses, from the village
stand-point, of passing national events, of the changes in manners and customs, and
other circumstances which seemed to lend an interest to the narrative.
The general plan of work is shown by the table of contents. The parish pos-
sesses antiquities of a tangible character which date back to the earliest periods of
history. These have been taken, as far as possible, in the order of their antiquity,
and the story written round them. The Dover Road, the Common, the Manor, the
Church, the Palace, and the many other landmarks are thus made to tell their own
tale. This method of treatment seemed the most appropriate, not only from an
educational point of view, but from that of the general interest of the casual reader.
The self-imposed labour of research and writing which the book represents has
occupied the leisure hours of upwards of four years. It has been a labour of love ;
the result, however, would never have been obtained but for the kind help, encourage-
ment, and advice, which have been so readily given by many old residents, and others,
in Eltham and elsewhere, interested in the study of local history.
Special thanks are due to Mr. F. W. Nunn, of Lee, a Vice-president of the
Woolwich, and also the Greenwich, Antiquarian Society, not only for his personal
assistance at the British Museum Library, but for his long and patient labours in the
field of photography. With the exception of the plates that have been kindly and
specially lent by Messrs. Macmillan and Co., for the purpose of this book, nearly
all the photographs, whether from old prints and pictures, or originals, are the pro-
duction of his camera, and represent the work of more than a year.
Grateful thanks are also accorded to Dr. E. A. Baker, M.A., the Borough
Librarian, and his Assistants at the Public Libraries of Eltham, Woolwich, and
Plumstead, for their ready co-operation and advice in the use of the fine collection of
Kentish records which the Borough possesses ; to Miss Lewin, who has herself
kept records of Eltham for the latter portion of the nineteenth century, for
much valuable information ; to Miss Bloxam, for many facts regarding
the Palace; to Mrs. Dobell, for permission to photograph her copy of "Hortus
Elthamensis," for the use of her copies of the Sherard Letters, and for other assist-
ance; to Miss May, of Avery Hill Training College, for her kind help in construing
the old French poem of Froissart referring to Eltham, and published now in English
for the first time; to Miss Moore, who also has made studies of Eltham history, for
kind criticism and assistance ; to Miss Edith Anderson, also an enthusiastic student
of local history ; to Mr. W. H. Taffs, our Eltham numismatologist ; to Mr. T. W.
Mills, the Treasurer of the Eltham Charities ; to Dr. J. Jeken, a fifty year's resident of
Eltham; to Mr. C. H. Athill, F.S.A. ; to Mr. W. J. Mortis, who, for upwards of half-a-
century, held public offices in the parish, and whose local knowledge of the period is
unique; to the Rev. T. N. Rowsell, former Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, for per-
mission to quote extensively from his history of the " Golf Club House " ; to the
Rev. E. Rivers, Vicar of Eltham, for permission to photograph the Parish Registers J
to Mr. R. Whittaker Smith, Mr. W. B. Hughes, and Mr. W. G. Thame, for much useful
information ; to Mr. W. H. Browning, for so kindly undertaking the compilation of the
index ; to Mr. Geo. Bishop (Pope Street) ; Mr. T. H. Bartlett (The Gordon), and Mr.
D. Waters (Mottingham), for information respecting their respective Schools; to the
Rev. H. A. Hall (Holy Trinity), Eev. Father MacGregor (S. Mary's Roman Catholic),
Rev. E. J. Penford (Congregational), Rev. A. C. Chambers (Baptist, Westmount
Road), Mr. G. W. E. Dowsett (Wesleyan), and Mr. Alfred Smith (Baptist, Balcaskie
Road), for notes respecting their several Churches ; to Mr. F. J. Furnivall, LL.D., for
special permission to use the plate of "Chaucer on Horseback"; and to many others
who have so kindly placed their knowledge at the writer's disposal.
Novembei; 1909 R.R.C.G.
CONTENTS.
CHAP. I. IN CESAR'S DAYS.
CHAP. II. FROM AUGUSTA TO THE SEA.
CHAP. III. ELTHAM IN THE MAKING.
CHAP. IV. WHEN ALWOLD WAS LOBD.
CHAP. V. THE SIGN IN THE SKY.
CHAP. VI. THE WARRIOR BISHOP.
CHAP. VII. HAIMO, THE SHIRE-REEVE.
CHAP. VIII. GOD'S ACRE.
CHAP. IX. ELTHAM CROSSES.
CHAP. X. CHURCH-YARD SCENES.
CHAP. XI. SOME OLD-TIME BURIAL CUSTOMS.
*
CHAP. XII. SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (1).
CHAP. XIII. SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (2).
CHAP. XIV. SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (3)
CHAP. XV. THE PARISH CHURCH (1).
CHAP. XVI THE PARISH CHURCH (2).
CHAP. XVII. THE PARISH CHURCH (3).
CHAP. XVIII. THE BELLS or ELTHAM.
CHAP. XIX. A PEEP INTO THE PARISH
REGISTERS (1).
CHAP. XX. A PEEP INTO THE PARISH
REGISTERS (2).
CHAP. XXI. A PEEP INTO THE PARISH
REGISTERS (3).
CHAP. XXII. A PEEP INTO THE PARISH
RECORDS (4).
CHAP. XXIII. AN ABODE OF KINGS.
CHAP. XXIV. THE GREAT HALL (1).
CHAP. XXV. THE GREAT HALL (2).
CHAP. XXVI. "ONE FAIR CHAPEL," AND
OTHER MATTERS.
CHAP. XXVII. BISHOP BEK, THE
BEAUTIFIER.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
CHAP.
XXVIII. ISABELLA AND THE PRINCE
JOHN.
XXIX. IN THE DAYS OF CHIVALRY.
XXX. WHEN KNIGHTS WERE BOLD.
XXXI. THE CAPTIVE KING.
XXXII. THE CAPTIVE KING AT ELTHAM.
XXXIII. A FAMOUS CHRONICLER.
XXXIV. RICHARD II. AND ELTHAM (1).
XXXV. RICHARD II. AND ELTHAM (2).
XXXVI. BOOK OF AMOURS AND
MORALITIES.
CHAP. XXXVII. CHAUCER AND THE
HIGHWAYMEN.
CHAP. XXXV11I. HENRY IV. AND ELTHAM.
CHAP. XXXIX. HENRY V. AND ELTHAM.
CHAP. XL. AFTER AGINCOURT.
CHAP. XIiI. HENRY VI. AND ELTHAM.
CHAP. XLII. EDWARD IV. AT ELTHAM.
CHAP. XLIII. HENRY VII. AND ELTHAM.
CHAP. XLIV. IN THE DAYS OF KING HAL.
CHAP. XLV. THE STATUTES OF ELTHAM.
CHAP. XLVI. IN THE DAYS OF QUEEN MARY
AND QUEEN BESS.
CHAP. XLVII. CONCERNING "OLD STUBBS."
CHAP. XLVIII. IN THE DAYS OF JAMES THE
FIRST.
CHAP. XLIX. WHEN CHARLES THE FIRST WAS
KING.
CHAP. L. THE ROYALIST RISING IN KENT.
CHAP. LI. THE FATE OF THE ROYAL PALACE.
CHAP. LII. FREEBORN JOHN.
CHAP. LIII. THE STORY OF WELL-HALL.
CHAP. LIV. THE LADY OF WELL-HALL (1).
CHAP. LV. THE LADY OF WELL-HALL (2).
CHAP. LVI. THE LADY or WELL-HALL (3).
CHAP. LVII. THE LADY OB- WELL-HALL (4).
CHAP. LVIII. MOEE NOTES ON THE KOPEKS.
CHAP. LIX. SHOOTER'S HILL.
CHAP. LX. "THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD."
CHAP. LXI. MOKE ABOUT THE HIGHWAYMEN.
CHAP. LXII. SHOOTEB'S HILL IN LITERATURE.
CHAP. LXIII. THE BATTLE OF SEVERN-
DROOG.
CHAP. LXIV. ELTHAM LODGE.
CHAP. LXV. SHEKAKD HOUSE.
CHAP. LXVI. Two NOTED ELTHAM FAMILIES.
CHAP. LXVII. AN ELTHAM VICAK
CHAP. LXVIII. SOUTHEND HOUSE.
CHAP. LXIX. OTHER OLD DWELLINGS.
CHAP. LXX. SOME NOTES ON MOTTINGHAM.
CHAP. LXXI. SOME LANDMARKS — OLD AND
NEW
CHAP. LXXII. THE ELTHAM CHARITIES.
CHAP. LXXI II. THE CHURCHES OF ELTHAM.
CHAP. LXXIV. THE SCHOOLS OF ELTHAM.
CHAP. LXXV. SOME ELTHAM WORTHIES OF THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY.
APPENDIX
LIST OK BOOKS AND AUTHORITIES
INDEX.
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS
LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS.
(For the list of Old Prints, Sketches, Tail-pieces, etc., see last pages of index).
1. Mr. R. R. C. Gregory.
2. Mr. F. W. Nunn.
3. Eltham Palace from the N.W.
4. The Moat Bridge from the W.
5. Eltham Palace from S.W.
6. „ „ 1792.
7. Banquetting Hall, West end.
8. Moat Bridge from N.E.
9. Banqueting Hall, East end.
10. ,, ,, used as a Stable.
11. Moat Bridge.
12. Interior of Banqueting Hall, with Screen.
13. Part of old wall, Eltham Palace.
14. Exit from an Underground Passage to
Moat.
15. Wooden gable, Eltham Palace.
16. North doorway to Hall.
17. Eltham Court, showing the old gabled
building.
18. Moat House and Bridge.
19. Eltham Palace from the South.
20. The great Hall of Palace as seen from S.W.
21. Palace from the South lawn, showing bay.
22. A bit of old wall, Elthnm Palace, showing
loop-holes.
23. N.E. view of Eltham Palace, from the
oldest known picture of Eltham Palace.
24. My Lord Chancellor's Lodging.
25. Wooden house, adjoining Chancellor's
Lodging.
26. Continuation of dwellings attached to the
Chancellor's Lodging.
27. My Lord Chancellor's Lodgings.
28. Langerton House.
29. House near Tilt-yard Gate.
30. Well-Hall, the front.
31. Well-Hall, seen from the Paddock.
32. The Moat, Well-Hall.
33. Tudor Buildings at Well-Hall.
34. The Tudor Farm Buildings, Well-Hall.
35. A bit of the old Cottages, Well-Hall Road.
36. Part of old Buildings, Well-Hall.
37. The old Well-Hall Cottages.
38. The Parish Church from the North— 1870.
39. Interior of Old Church.
40. The old Vicarage as feen from what is
now Sherard Road.
41. View of Street leading to the Old Church.
42. A Souvenir of the Shaw Brooke Jubilee.
43. A Souvenir of the Shaw Brooke Jubilee
(Reverse).
44. First page of the Churchwarden's Account
Book.
45. Page from Churchwarden's Accounts.
46. Eltham Lodge, now the Golf Club House.
47. Portion of the Original Lease granted by
Queen Henrietta to Sir John Shaw.
48. Staircase in the Golf Club House.
49. An interior, Eltham Lodge, showing
Tapestry.
50. Oakhurst.
51. Langerton House, seen from King's Gar-
dens.
52. Queenscroft.
53. King's Garden.
54. Sherard House.
55. ,, „ View from Garden.
56. Merlewood.
57. Cliefden.
58. Eltham House.
59. Ivy Court.
60. Eagle House.
61. Conduit House.
62. Lemon Well.
63. Southend House.
64. Southend Hall.
65. Roman Catholic School.
66. Barn House.
67. Park House.
68. Severndroog Castle.
69. The old barn, Park Farm.
70. West Lodge and Gate, Avery Hill.
71. Pippen Hall Farm.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
The old Workhouse.
The Philipott Almshouses.
The King's Arms Inn.
Sun-dial, Barn House.
Sun-dial, Southend House.
National Schools, Roper Street.
S. Mary's Orphanage.
Mausoleum of Family of Mr. Thomas
Haworth.
The old Lock-up.
The old Conduit,
near Holy Trinity
Church.
The road to Bexley, with Conduit Lodge.
The gate and old Lodge at entrance to
Eltham Park.
The last run of the old Blackheath 'Bus.
Black-boy Cottage.
The Ivy Cottage.
The Tilt-yard Gate.
Ram Alley.
The old Forge.
Site of the London and South Western
Bank.
The old Toll-gate on the Lee Road.
The Court Yard, showing the old Elm
Tree.
The Greyhound and other buildings.
The old Rising Sun.
The old Man of Kent Inn.
The old Castle Hotel.
Shooter's Hill Road
The Iron Gateway (Todman's Nursery).
King's Dene.
Pound Place.
The old buildings in the Court Yard.
The Greyhound Inn and other buildings.
The White Hart.
Last of the old barn at Home Park.
National Schools, girls in old English
Costume, practising the Maypole Dance.
The Porcupine Inn, Mottingham.
The seat of Lady James.
Eltham High Street.
Home Farm.
The old Woolwich Road.
One Acre Allotments.
A bit of Gravel-pit Lane.
The old lane by the National Schools, now
Archery Road.
Pound Place.
At Pole-Cat Inn.
A bit of Bexley Road.
Entrance to Gravel-pit Lane.
118. The way to Eltham from Eltham Green.
119. Eltham Green from Eltham end.
120. A bit of Bridle Lane, Palace in the
distance.
121. Bexley Road from White's Cross.
122. Making hay-rick, Lyme Farm.
123. Middle Park Meadows, from Bridle Lane.
124. The National Infants' School.
125. Black-boy Cottage, from a painting by Mr.
Sharp, the old Schoolmaster.
126. First page of the Admission Register of
Eltham National School.
127. A page of Hortus Elthamensis, showing
drawing by DilenninB.
128. Severndroog Castle.
129. The old Church (1860).
130. Tomb of John of Eltham, Westminster
Abbey.
131. Old Fireplace in the King's Arms Inn.
132. The Tomb of John of Eltham in West-
minster Abbey, as it appeared in 1723.
133. The Family of Sir Thomas More.
134. Archbishop Warham.
135. Cardinal Wolsey.
136. Henry VII.
137. Froissart presenting the " Book of Loves "
to Richard II., at Eltham Palace.
138. Erasmus.
139. Van Dyke.
140. The Earl of Essex.
141. Sir John Shaw.
142. Anne, first wife of Sir John Shaw, Bart.
143. Bridget, second wife of Sir John Shaw,
Bart.
144. John Evelyn, the diarist.
145. Bishop Home.
146. Mr. Charles Caesar.
147. Archdeacon Stubbs
148. Sir William James.
149. Rev. J. K. Shaw Brooke.
150. Mr. R. J. Saunders.
151. Mr. Richard Mills.
152. Mr. Thomas Lewin.
153. Mr. Thomas Jackson.
154. Col. J. T. North
155. Avery Hill.
156. Mr. W. J. Mortis.
157. Dr. David King.
158. Mr. H. W. Dobell.
159. Lord Rivers and his Greyhounds in Eltham
Park.
160. Hermit, born and bred at Blenkiron's
Stables, at Middle Park.
161. Bill announcing Shaw Brooke's Jubilee.
162. Mr. J. Haywood, Parish Beadle.
No. 2.
F. W. NUNN.
O a
3
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£
S
H
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8
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TO THE YOUNG FOLKS OF ELTHAM
\V:TH MANY OF WHOM HE HAS HELD FREQUENT CONVERSE
UPON THE TOPICS HEREIN DISCUSSED,
THE WRITER
DEDICATES THIS BOOK
IN THE FERVENT HOPE THAT, EVEN IN THOSE DISTANT DAYS, WHEN THE
YOUNG FOLKS SHALL HAVE BECOME THE OLD FOLKS,
ITS PERUSAL MAY HELP THEM
TO PRESERVE THE MEMORIES, AND TO CARRY ON THE TRADITIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROMANTIC HISTORY
OF
ROYAL ELTHAM
November, 1909.
JULIUS C/ESAR (from a Copper Coin in the British Museum.)
CHAPTER I.
IN CESAR'S DAYS.
The dwellers in Eltham hardly need to be
reminded that the place in which they live, at
one time a quiet Kentish village, has a very
interesting history.
Every place, of course, has a history of some
sort, more or less interesting, when traced back
to the beginning. But Royal Eltham has seen so
many stirring times, has had so many great and
interesting people associated with it, and has so
much of its history written down in old books,
and scattered about here and there in national
records, that we may quite truly say there are
few villages in the whole of England which can
reveal a more romantic story. Though we may
find, however, a great deal told us about Eltham
in these old and musty records, and in books that
are very learned, or very expensive, or very rare,
it is doubtful whether one in a hundred of our
young people will care to hunt for the story in
those quarters, because old tomes are usually
go tiresome to read, and need much patience to
understand.
So, it has been suggested that it would be a
good thing to write the story of Eltham, right
down from the earliest times, in such a way that
even the children may read and comprehend ; and
that it would be a particularly good thing to do
so now, before the old village loses all its rustic
features ; for, alas, its green fields are gradually
disappearing, and its quaint buildings are being
removed, one by one, to make way for modern
needs. This, then, is the excuse for the follow-
ing chapters.
Now, it is quite likely, when you caught sight
of the heading to this chapter, that you may
have exclaimed, " Csesar, indeed ! Surely Csesar
never came to Eltham ! " You are right. Ca;sar
never came to Eltham, for when the Romans
invaded the land, and subdued the Britons,
Eltham had not come into existence. But it is
very probable, nay, the probability is so great
that we may regard it as a fact, that the great
Julius himself, he who
Brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill,—
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
passed with his victorious troops within the
bounds of what afterwards became the parish of
Eltharn.
We will consider presently what grounds there
are for such an assertion as this ; but, in the
meantime, let us walk up the Well Hall-road, to
the point where the great highway runs, right
and left, past the Herbert Hospital, and over
Shooter's-hill. Here we find ourselves face to
face with something which the old Roman con-
querors did for us, something that was so useful
and so permanent that it has remained to this
day, a memorial of their industry and skill.
That something is the fine road itself, the Old
Dover-road, which runs straight from London
to the sea. For more than eighteen hundred
years this old road has been a highway for
traffic ! What a tale it might tell us if it could
only relate the many great events of history with
which it has been associated !
In the course of these chapters we shall have
to consider some of those events — the most im-
portant of them. To tell the whole tale of the
Old Dover-road would need a book all to itself.
That is not our purpose. For the present, our
attention is directed to Caesar and the Romans,
and their associations with what is now Eltham.
As you know quite well, there were two
Roman invasions. First of all, Julius Caesar
came, 55 years before Christ, and again in the
following year. He then went away with his
host of warriors, only stopping just long enough
to make it quite plain to the Britons that it was
little use to resist the Roman arms. From the
time of Julius Caesar's departure the Britons
were not again molested by the Romans until a
hundred years had passed, and the great Caesar
and all the host that came with him had long
been dead. Then, 47 years after Christ, in the
time of another Caesar, came other Roman
legions, and they conquered the land and made
the Britons Roman subjects. It was after this
second invasion that the old road on which we
stand was constructed according to the ideas
of the Roman engineers.
Let us have a look at it, and see what history
we can make out of it. In the first place you
will notice how straight it is. As far as you
can see, right to the top of the hill in one direc-
tion, and beyond the Brook Hospital in the other
direction it is almost a straight line. Now, fol-
low it here upon this map of Kent. From Lon-
don all the way to Canterbury it is perfectly
straight. At Canterbury it breaks off at an
angle where it runs south-east to Dover. That
portion, too, is quite straight.
Now let us examine this large map which shews
all the Roman roads of Britain in thick black
lines. Notice the directness of them all. Straight-
ness, directness, this seems to have been one of
the objects of those old road makers. You will
notice, too, that the road is called Watling-
street. How it came by that name does not
appear to be quite certain. " Watling " is not
a Roman name, and it must have been applied
long after the Roman times. One authority tells
us that it is a mispronunciation of the Roman
name " Vitellina Strata," which means " Street
of Vitellius," who, at the time of its construc-
tion, was the Emperor of Rome. But this inter-
pretation seems rather far-fetched. Another
writer says that it is derived from the " Wast-
lings," but nobody seems to know who or what
the " Waetlings " were, though it has been said
that they were a " craft," possibly " basket
makers," which is very likely. This we do
know, however, that in Anglo-Saxon days it was
called " Weetlinga Street " ; in the middle ages,
it had become " Watling Strete," and it has
come down to us as " Watling Street."
Look at the length of it. Here is where it
touches Eltham, you see. On it goes westward
till it crosses the Thames a little above London.
Then it strikes a north-westerly direction to St.
Alban's, and on right through the midlands. At
Gailey, which is a small village in Staffordshire,
it branches off in two directions. The branch to
the left crosses the Severn at Wroxeter, and then
runs south. The right hand branch continues
north-west from Gailey until it strikes Chester.
It then takes a north-easterly course, passes Man-
chester, and joins a continuation of Ermine-
street at Aldborough. By a direct northerly
course it thence intersects the Wall of Hadrian,
winds through the Cheviots, crosses the Tweed
just below Melrose, and eventually strikes the
Wall of Antonine, at the head of the Firth of
Forth.
It is a great and noble road. Space it out by
means of the compass and scale and you will find
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
that it is nearly 500 miles in length. You must
not think, however, that all the roads made by
the Romans were perfectly new at the time of
their construction. Very often old British track-
ways already existed, and, when convenient, the
Roman road-makers would make use of these,
merely re-modelling them according to Roman
methods.
Most of you remember how, a few years ago,
the Woolwich Borough Council transformed the
winding and rather narrow road from Eltham into
the wide, straight, and up-to-date Well Hall-road.
towards the sea the Cenimagni, from Cambridge,
Suffolk, and Norfolk, the Ancalites, from Berks
and Wilts, the Cassi from Herts.
They passed this way, bands of grim and fear-
less fighters — chieftains, in rude chariots, painted
blue, with scythes protruding from the axle
trees, tended by horse and foot, some bearing
blue-stained shields, some wearing plumed hel-
mets, many with their bodies stained with woad,
armed with pike, or dart, or broadsword, or with
that terrible three-pronged spear, the trident —
all pressing onward to foregather on the coast,
BRITISH WAR CHARIOT, SHIELD AND SPEARS.
In a similar way, the Romans, when it suited
their purpose, brought the old British track-
ways " up-to-date," and this is what actually
happened to the highway here. It is the opinion
of antiquarians that, even before the first coming
of Julius Csesar, a British road ran from London
to Dover, upon the line of the present Old Dover-
road. A knowledge of this fact makes the spot
upon which we stand all the more interesting.
When the news spread among the tribes that
Csesar was coming, and that a vast fleet of
Roman galleys was preparing to bring across
from Gaul another host of warriors in greater
numbers, and better prepared, than those who
came a year before, it was along this primitive
track that the Trinobantes, from Essex, hurried
under the gallant Cassibelan, once more to dis-
pute the landing of the invading host.
You know the end of it. They were beaten.
Many of the defeated Britons fled to the dense
forests, many more retraced their steps along
this old track way, hastening to get beyond the
river before the Roman soldiers should overtake
them. A few miles above London there was a
spot where the river could be forded. It was
towards this point that the trackway led, and
thither hastened the retreating Britons, where
they crossed the stream and, on the other side,
fortified their position as best they could. Pre-
sently came along the pursuing legions of Rome,
led by the most famous of all Roman General*
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
— " immortal Cssar." It was a well disciplined
army that marched past this point, every man
armed with the most effective weapons that
civilisation could then devise, and trained in the
art of warfare by the experience of a hundred
fights under the most successful leader Rome had
ever known.
The Britons stuck great pointed stakes in the
river to prevent the Romans from crossing, and
the spot was known as Cowey Stakes for many
years.
But it was of little avail. The Roman Eagle
triumphed, and it must have been along this
trackway that the victors passed once more. It
was the return of a victorious army, bearing
with them the trophies of war, and many a
wretched British captive fated to be dragged
through the streets of Rome, to grace the tiiumph
of the conqueror.
So, although we cannot definitely say that
thus and thus the things occurred, taking all
matters into consideration, there seems to be
sufficient evidence to warrant the presumption
that this part of Eltham parish came within
Caesar's line of march.
ROMAN SOLDIERS.
CHAPTER II.
FROM AUGUSTA TO THE SEA.
It is not from books only that we may read
history. There are other means of obtaining
information about the doings of our forefathers.
The printer is a useful man, and by means of his
art he is able to record, and to distribute broad-
cast, the thoughts of men, wise and otherwise.
But there have been occasions when a man with
a pickaxe has revealed historical facts which all
the books in the world had failed to recognise.
If we walk about Eltham with our eyes open,
our wits alert, and our thinking cap properly
adjusted, we may perhaps pick up many a bit of
history which has escaped the ken of other
people. The works of Nature are an open book,
and happy is he who knows how to read it. But
the same may be said of those other works which
are the result of man's art and industry.
A few years ago some workmen were making
a trench along Edgware-road for the purpose of
putting down a telephone tube. In the course of
digging the men who wielded the pick-axe and
spade came upon the actual pavement of the
Roman road, over which the pres-ent Edgware-
road runs. It lay beneath some six to twelve
inches of ordinary soil, which came below the
wood paving and concrete of the present road.
The Roman pavement " was found to consist
of large black nodular flints, weighing from four
to seven pounds each, on a bed of rammed red-
dish-brown gravel of thickness varying according
to the inequalities of the clay surface below."
In T. Codrington's book, dealing with " Roman
Roads in Britain," you will find the particulars
of this interesting discovery, together with other
information which the discovery revealed as to
how the Roman road-makers did their work.
From this, too, we may deduce some knowledge
of the construction of the part of Watling-street
upon which we now stand.
We may safely say that it was paved, because
it was the general custom of the Romans to pave
the roads. Sometimes, too, the roads lay along
embankments which were thrown up and pre-
pared by great labour. Such embankments are
0
THE STORY OF EOYAL ELTHAM.
still to be seen in some parts of the country.
Most of them, however, have been levelled in
the course of farming operations, or for the sake
of the stone and other materials they contained.
Sometimes the road had a causeway erected along
its side. The methods of construction seem to
have varied according to the needs or the re-
sources of the locality, but the paving, the em-
bankment, the causeway, and the directness of
the course, were common features of the Roman
roads in Britain. So we may almost imagine
what this Old Watling-street was like after the
Roman workmen had completed it. We might,
perhaps, have said " British " workmen, for
there can be little doubt that the Britons had to
take their share in the labour. It is easy to
think of the skilled work being done by the more
experienced Roman workmen, and much of what
we now call unskilled labour being done, under
Roman direction, by the subjugated Briton.
Before we go any farther let us have another
look at the map. Let us see if we can make out
any other interesting facts about those ancient
times. Here is a modern map. It shews the
great railways of England. Now look at those
great trunk-lines. Where do they run to? They
all run to one centre, and that centre is London.
And why do they do this? The reason is, that
London is not only the greatest city of England,
but it is also the greatest mart, and the greatest
port. Now here again is this other map, that of
" Britain in Roman Times." Look at those
black lines indicating the Roman roads. What
do you notice? Yes, you notice that, just as the
great trunk railways run to London, or radiate
from London, like the spokes of a wheel, so did
those old Roman roads.
Here is our own Watling-street, you see,
whose course we have already described. Then
there is Stane-street, running from London to
Chichester in the south ; Ermine-street, frpm
London to the north ; and that great highway,
whose name seems to have been lost, which runs
from London south-west as far as Exeter, and
north-east into the Eastern Counties. There
are six great roads, radiating from London as a
centre. Does not that suggest to us that London
must have been a place of considerable import-
ance even in those remote days? That it was
»o is also borne out by the fact that the Romans
called the city Augusta, in honour of their Em-
peror of that name.
But, under the Roman rule, you may be pretty
sure that London increased in importance, and
as it did so, this very road, which now forms
the northern boundary of Eltham parish, became
of greater and greater importance. By an ex-
amination of the map you will see that it was
the direct course between London and Dover,
and that was the nearest way to Gaul, which was
the route to Rome. Rome ruled Britain through
its Governors, somewhat in the way that Eng-
land rules India at the present time. There
were, however, no means of rapid communication
—no telegraph, no railway. Imperial troops,
imperial despatches, in fact every communication
between the imperial rulers in Rome and the
ruled in Britain, had to go by road, and the one
great highway along which they travelled must
have been this part of Watling-street.
Now, the reading of history, even in a super-
ficial sort of way, is a dull and dreary pastime,
unless you exercise a little imagination ; so, stand-
ing as we do now in this interesting part of
Eltham, let us look back in imagination across
the intervening nineteen centuries, and try to
picture what those earliest Roman invaders saw
when they passed this way. When immortal
Caesar climbed the hill on the other side, follow-
ing the old British trackway along which the
Britons had but lately fled in hasty retreat, he
looked out upon an expanse of country, even
as we can look now.
But the face of the country was very different.
From suitable vantage points we may look down
upon the slated roofs of Well Hall, and on to
Eltham village, with its two spires pointing
upwards ; further away in the hazy distance we
may discern Sidcup and Chislehurst and other
places, and in the intervening spaces cultivated
fields and market gardens, or park-like meadows,
characteristic of modern Kent. What Csesar
looked down upon was an expanse of forest, con-
sisting mainly of oak, ash, holly, or yew. There
the red deer, wild oxen, and wild hogs found
cover. The beaver and water fowl were com-
mon to every stream, affording ready prey to
such beasts as the wild cat, the wolf, and the
bear. He probably saw but few natives, for, in
the first place they were not very numerous. It
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
has been said that their number right through
the country did not exceed two millions. In the
second place, they were not likely to expose
themselves to view, seeing that they had only
recently suffered defeat.
But the land was not all forest, nor were the
" wild wood wanderers," as the natives have
leen called, quite the savages that they are
sometimes described. There were clearings in
the forests, where the natives cultivated their
wheat, barley, millet, and even roots and fruit
trees. They tilled the land with wheeled
ploughs, and knew the use of loam and chalk as
manures. Upon these open spaces might have
been seen the primitive huts, circular, wattled,
merchandise. Upon its banks are thickly-popu-
lated towns, Woolwich, Greenwich, Deptford,
and other places, now component parts of the
great city of London, busy hives of men, from
which arises the buzz of industry. Csesar looked
oa no such scene as this. The old river was
there, but it had not then been made to confine
its waters within its banks. Far away to the
right and left it spread itself out in swamps and
lagoons. When the tide was up it covered the
land for many miles, almost like a sea. When
it returned the swampy islands revealed them-
selves, and we may imagine that among its many
channels, or over the surface of the main stream,
the native fishermen plied their coracles, or
ROMAN EAGLE.
and thatched. It needs no great stretch of
imagination to picture such a settlement here-
abouts, in this sunny valley, say, below Shooters'-
hill, where the natives kept their tiny breed of
cows, and in those intervals of time, when the
demands of agriculture were not imperative,
worked at basket making, sending the hand-
made articles to foreign markets for sale. The
osier beds of the great river so near at hand
would have supplied ample materials for the
industry. An old Roman writer has recorded
that basket making was peculiarly a British in-
dustry, and that British baskets were exported
to the Continent.
Then, what about the prospect on the other
side of the hill? There we free the Thames,
with its procession of mighty ships bearing
other primitive boats, in search of daily food.
Well, may we say, as we survey the scene at
our feet, " Look on this picture — and on this."
Then, after four hundred years, there came those
last dramatic scenes, when Rome was humbled,
and was obliged to withdraw her men from
Britain, to protect their fatherland in Italy.
Four hundred years is a very long time when
compared with the usual span of a man's life.
During those centuries of Roman occupation,
immense changes had taken place in the con-
dition of the people, their habits of life, their
industries, their religion. Even the face of the
land, too, had undergone a change. New towns
had sprung up upon the great roads, new methods
of building had been introduced. Roman villas
were familiar objects upon the landscape. You
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
may see the floor of such a villa, in Greenwich
Park, exposed to view at the present day, and
it is quite within the bounds of possibility that
some such Roman residences existed about here
too. Who knows?
But to Roman rule and influence there came
an abrupt end. Rome was in danger. Home
was the word. The exodus began. Along those
great highways that converged upon London —
the Augusta Trinobantum of the Caesars — there
commenced the great retreat. And from Augusta
to the sea, there passed, this way, the main bulk
of those who were bound Rome-ward. Surely it
was a tragedy which the old road witnessed in
those last days of Rome in Britain; a tragedy of
such a character that its ultimate effect was to-
change the course of our National history.
No. 7.
BANQUETING HALL, WEST END.
(From Engraving in " Archaeologia," 1782).
No. 9.
BANQUETING HALL, EAST END.
(From Engraving in " ArchEeologia," 1782).
MOAT BRIDGE FROM N.E.
(From an old Engraving).
No. 10.
BANQUETING HALL USED AS A STABLE.
{From an old Engraving).
No. ii.
THE MOAT BRIDGE.
(1908).
No. 12.
INTERIOR OF BANQUETING HALL, WITH SCREEN.
(1909).
ARMS AND COSTUME OF AN ANGLO-SAXON KING AND ARMOUR BEARER.
(From an old Print).
CHAPTER III.
ELTHAM IN THE MAKING.
Now, although Eltham is singularly rich in
relics which are memorials of one or the other
of the recognised periods of English history, we
seem to have nothing left to us to look at —
no old road, no old ruin that we can touch
and say of it " This was, certainly, the handi-
work of those fierce fighting folk from over-
sea, who came and settled here and first started
Eltham and gave the place its name."
But there is a stretch of land on the side
of Shooter's-hill — " Eltham Common " — where
the furze bushes grow, and where we have a
right to take a stroll if we like; and there is
the fact recorded in the encyclopedia, or the
guide book, that "Eltham is in the Hundred of
Blackheath," and, moreover, there is the very
name itself, "Elt-ham"; all of which associate
the village with what we call ths " Saxon
period."
Though these plain and obvious facts may
seem rather dull and uninteresting, they are
luminous enough, if we know how to use them,
to throw a light across the long fifteen cen-
turies and enable us to discern something of
Eltham in the making.
We need not dwell at any length upon the
troubles endured by the Britons when their
protectors, the Romans, had left them for ever.
You may read all about that in your history
10
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
books— how the Jutes came o%er and landed
in Kent to help the British to fight the barbar-
ians from the north, the Picts and Scots— how,
when they saw that the land was fair and fer-
tile, these very Jutes turned against the
Britons themselves and drove them out — how
there followed fellow tribes of Jutes, and Eng-
lish, and Saxons, who, landing on the eastern
and southern coasts, continued the great strug-
gle which lasted more than a hundred years,
and did not cease until the Britons had been
driven away westward into Cornwall and
Wales, and the intruding tribes had estab-
lished themselves in the land and laid the
foundation of this nation of ours which we
call England
But, to get an idea of how Eltham came into
existence we must know something of these
fierce people who came with fire and sword and
devastated the land, burning Christian
churches, razing to the ground the beautiful
Roman villas, and wiping out whatever was
left of Roman civilization, for they were our
forefathers, and it was they or their immediate
descendents, who settled " here about," and
gave their settlement the name of Eltham.
Let us have a look at them as they lived
yonder on the bleak shores of the Baltic, for,
by knowing something of their habits of life
over there, we may better understand the new
kind of social life they set up here — new, at
any rate, to this land.
They were a fine race of people, tall, fair-
haired, gray-eyed, brave, and adventurous, and
they lived together in clans or families. Note
that fact particularly. Family life was the
basis upon which their social system was built
up. Each family lived by itself and took all
the necessary measures for the benefit and
protection of its members.
Each little village community lived apart
from all the others, and around it there lay a
stretch of appropriated land, sometimes it
was a broad belt of virgin forest, and some-
times moorland, and this belt was called a
"mark." It was the boundary; and very jeal-
ously was it guarded by the " marksmen." A
well-known writer says of it : — " Whoever
crossed the ' mark ' was bound to give notice
of his coming by blowing a horn, or else he
was cut down at once as a stealthy enemy. The
' marksmen ' wished to remain separate from
all others, and only to mix with those of their
own kin. In this primitive lore of separation
we have the germ of that local independence
and that isolated private home life which is one
of our characteristics as a people at the present
day."
Can we wonder that tribes living like this
found the rich wooded vales of Britain a great
attraction ? Kent must have appeared to them
as well suited for 'such a mode of life. There
were wide clearings in the forests which had
been already applied to farming purposes by
the British, ideal spots in which to establish
their villages communities. The temptation
was irresistible. To secure so fair a laud was
worth the sacrifice of blood. So hither they
came, tribe after tribe. They fought and
bled, but made thf> land their own.
You may fairly ask, was the first settlement
at Eltham early in the English conquest, or
did it spring up in later years, when the coun-
try had, to some extent, settled down ? But
it is hard to fix the exact time. All that we
can be sure about is that it came into exis-
tence in Saxon times, but in which century is
a matter of doubt, and will remain so until
further evidence is brought to light to help us
to decide.
But let us try and picture the first beginning
of a typical English village, and see to what
extent the conditions may be applied to
Eltham.
A tribe of Angles, or Saxons, or Jutes, sud-
denly swoop down upon a district and find that
it will suit their needs exactly. If Britons
are already in possession, out they have to go.
There is a fight, may be, great shouts and the
clash of arms. In the end, the Britons are
driven away, or put to the sword, or made
slaves. Then the new comers set to work to
establish themselves. They destroy the Brit-
ish huts, and construct others of their own,
and after a while there arises a village of rude
dwellings surrounded by a wooden stockade.
Each family puts up a little homestead, con-
sisting of a small wooden shanty, a court-yard,
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAJM.
11
and a cattle-fold, and the land upon which this
homestead stands becomes their own. Here,
you see, is the beginning of private property
in land.
The forest and pasture land outside the
stockade become the common property of the
community. Every householder can turn his
stock upon it — his cattle into the pasture land,
his pigs into the ring of forest. But to keep
the too selfish person within bounds, and to be
sure that he does not encroach upon the rights
and privileges of his neighbour, and so, by an
act of injustice disturb the harmony of the
us as the " common-land." Its uses have not
been entirely diverted to other purposes. There
are no Anglo Saxon buildings left to us. The
early Saxons were not good builders. Their
structures were mostly of wood. They wer&
not of a character to last many years. So the
hall of the headman, with the dwellings of the
churls, and the huts of the serfs, have long since
passed away. But we have Eltham Common
still left to remind us of the conditions under
which our ancient forefathers lived.
In those rustic homes what an important per-
son was the head of each family. The Eltham
RESIDENCE OF A SAXON NOBLEMAN (from old M.S.)
community, an officer is appointed to see that
no man trespassses or turns more than his
proper share of cattle into the common ground.
Besides the woodlands and the common lands
which belong to the tribe as a whole, a certain
part of the land is set apart for tillage. Three
large fields fulfil this purpose, one field being
allowed to lie fallow each year. Every house-
holder is allotted a portion of each of these
fields, which he and his family are expected to
cultivate.
Eltham Common. Yes. Here we have what
is left of the " Common lands," set apart
by the earliest Eltham community. Through
all these long centuries it has come down to
churl was, truly, the king of his household.
He made the laws for the government of his-
family, and he enforced them sternly, too. But.
his duties were not limited entirely to his
family. He had public responsibilities. As
the head of a house, it was his right, and his
duty, to attend the " Moot," or Village Coun-
cil, to help in the management of the affairs
of the community as a body.
Now-a-days we still have our " Moot " but
it has a different name. Our fathers, or
grandfathers, will recollect the village "moot"
as the " Vestry." In all country villages it is-
now the " Parish Council." Mottingham, for
instance, has such a " moot." But, as Eltham
has been made part and parcel of Woolwich.
12
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
our " moot " goes under the dignified name of
" Borough Council." Indeed, our " moot," at
the present time, is resisting an attempt of the
War Office to encroach upon our rights in the
"common land" of Eltham.
It would not be possible, in these times, for
the head of every family to be a member of the
" moot." The number would be too large. So
we elect special members to look after the
business for us. Notice, however, that the
electors are mainly composed of householders.
Therefore, you will notice, our present system
of local government is based upon those prin-
ciples which were first applied by our adven-
turous ancestors when they came over and took
possession.
We are considering these matters here
because they had so much to do with " Eltham
in the Making," and, unless you keep them
well in your mind you will never get a really
intelligent idea of the history of Eltham, nor,
indeed of the history of your country.
In course of time, the families of the original
communities increased, and branches of the
old stock went farther afield and set up new
communities. To enable these communities to
act together in resisting a common foe, it is
said that " hundreds " first came into exis-
tence. A hundred families supplied a hun-
dred warriors a chosen champion for each
family.
A writer says that "these hundred families
recognised a bond of union with each other,
and a common inheritance, and arranged them-
selves under one name, for a general
purpose, whether for defence, administration
of justice, or other reasons."
The common name of the hundred was
sometimes derived from that of some chieftain
or from some tree or familiar place where it
was the custom of the hundred to meet. For
this district the meeting place was on that
bleak open country now called Blackheath. So
it was called the "Hundred of Blackheath."
If Eltham found its origin in the early
period of the Saxon occupation, and it may
have done, although we cannot be certain
about it, we may picture in our minds a meet-
ing of the hundred. On the appointed day.
a hundred champions mounted their horses
and proceeded to Blackheath, there to meet the
acknowledged chief of the " hundred." There
they gathered about him. When he dismounted
from his steed and planted his spear in the
ground, each warrior in his turn touched the
leader's spear with his own, in token of the
compact that existed between them, and as a
solemn pledge of loyal support. Then would
they confer together, in their vigorous Anglo-
Suxon speech. If a speaker said something
that the meeting did not agree with, they made
loud exclamations of dissent, but if they
approved of what he said, they knocked
together their spears as a sign of agreement.
A hundred would meet somewhat in this way
in its very earliest days. In course of time, as
the population increased and the conditions of
social life gradually changed, the work of the
hundred increased more and more, and took in
the trial of criminals, settlement of disputes,
bargains of sale and such like matters.
Then, in the course, of a long time, the "hun-
dred " ceased to be known as a hundred fami-
lies, but came to mean a hundred "hides " of
land, and a division of a county, even as we
recognise it now. It is said that Alfred the
Great divided the land up into counties, hun-
dreds, and tithiugs. It would, perhaps, be
more likely that he took the ' hundreds " as he
found them, combined them to form counties,
and divided them to form tithings. At any
rate, we should bear in mind that in the first
instance the "hundred" referred to "persons,"
and, subsequently, the name got to be applied
to "land."
It would be a satisfaction to be able to fix
the eact date of the birth of Eltham. But, at
present, it is a matter of doubt. The earliest
records of the " Hundred of Blackheath " do
not seem to mention Eltham. This suggests
that the village was not in existence at the
time. On the other hand, there is the " com-
mon land." There it is pointing distinctly to
antiquity. Then there is the name. Elt-ham,
by which it has been known from the begin-
ning.
" Eltham " is generally regarded as a
modified form of " Eald-ham." This is Anglo-
Saxon, and, therefore, it would have been
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
13
applied to the place by the stranger folk — the
English.
" Eald " means " old," and " ham " is the
same word as the German " heim," meaning
" home." So, " Eald-ham " means " Old-
home," or " Old place of abode."
Does it not seem a little strange that the
term " old " should have been used in the first
place ? Why "old " ? The question gives rise
to several interesting theories.
One of these is that there was, originally
only a residence here, perhaps a royal resid-
ence. That in the course of years a village
grew up around it, and it came to be named
after the residence or "old-home." This theory
seems to fit in with the fact that we find no
mention of Eltham in the earliest records of
the " Hundred of Blackheath."
Another suggestion is that a British settle-
ment may have existed here, and that when
the Saxon came and founded a new colony, he
named it " old-place of abode " as a conse-
quence.
Another theory casts a doubt upon the gen-
erally accepted meaning of the name. It sug-
gests that " Eald " may have been the name
or the corruption of the name of some clan,
and, as was often the case, the clan name was
given to the place, just as Billing-ham is the
"home of the Billings," and Wokingham, is
the "abode of the Wokings."
But there is uncertainty about it all. What
we may be pretty sure of is that Eltham came
into existence somewhere, in the misty past,
long anterior to the coming of the Normans.
When we tread the soft turf of the "common
land " on Shooter's-hill, we may feel some
satisfaction in being in direct contact with a
relic of those distant ages, and, as we have
been doing to-day we may find a pleasant exer-
cise for our imagination in trying to estimate
the possibilities and probabilities of what took
place when Eltham was in the making.
SAXON WHITE HORSE.
GREAT SEAL OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.
CHAPTER IV.
WHEN ALWOLD WAS LORD.
One of the earliest bits of really authentic
written history about Eltham is to be found in
Domesday Book, that remarkable document
which was compiled by order of William the
Conqueror, and completed about 1086, A.D.
Here we are told that "Alteham" was held
by Alwold under the King. " Alteham," of
course, means " Ealdham," or " Eltham," and
we must suppose that the Norman scribe who
wrote the name in this way, was not particu-
larly good at the spelling of English. This was
excusable, under the circumstances, so we may
forgive him.
Hut the statement thus set forth throws much
light upon what had been happening in the
ancient village. It reminds us of the many
changes that had been taking place, in social
life, since those very early days of " Eltham
in the Making," alluded to in the last chapter.
Six hundred years had passed away since the
Saxons first came and settled here. Six hundred
years since Hengist founded the Kingdom of
Kent, and during that long period many small
Saxon kingdoms had risen, and existed for a
time, to finally disappear, as by degrees they
were all wrought into one kingdom and ruled
by one king.
When Alwold, the lord of " Alteham,"
gathered his friends about him in his manorial
hall, — for we may suppose that he had one,
although no mention seems to have been made
of it anywhere— when the ale was quaffed, and
songs were sung, and the jests went round, if
by chance the talk turned upon lore, and the
doings of their forefathers, as it sometimes
would, very ancient history must have seemed
the beginning of England, just as to-day " the
Wars of the Roses," " the Battle of Agincourt,''
or the Norman Conquest, seem to us very far
away in the past.
Alwold's over-lord was the King, Edward the
Confessor. You know something about him,
how he was a man of saintly character, living
a strict religious life, and how, on account ot
this, h« has been known ever since as Edward
the "Confessor." It was he who brought over
the expert Norman workmen to build the beau-
tiful abbey at Westminster.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
15
On a clear day we can see the old Abbey from
our playground. It may be that the boys and
girls of Alwold's days looked out from our
Eltham fields at the distant Abbey, and watched
it slowly rising up, or listened to their elders
when they talked about its building. It may
be, also, that a few of those older folk had some
grumbles to make abeut the king's fondness for
foreigners, and his bringing over these work-
men to do his work. It is most likely, how-
•ever, that complaints of this kind were only
made in whispers, for was not Alwold lord of
" Alteham," and did he not hold " Alteham"
under the king himself?
We are apt to forget the children when we
read history, unless they happen to be young
princes or young noblemen. We are so taken
up by the deeds of the heroes, and men of
action, and noble ladies, that we think but
little of the multitudes that made up England,
and of the merry lads and lasses who were to
be the future builders of the kingdom, just as
you young folks of to-day will be the future
citizens of the Empire. There were interest-
ing boys and girls in "Alteham," when Alwold
held it under the King, just as there are inter-
esting boys and girls now. But they lived
under very different conditions. Let us give
them a thought, now and then, when we con-
eider those conditions.
Who was Alwold? We do not know anything
about him or his family. But we may assume
that he was a rather important person, or the
king would never have entrusted him with
one of his own manors. He paid the king six-
teen pounds a year for the use of the manor.
It does not sound much in these days. But in
the time of the Confessor, and for a long time
afterwards, a pound was worth a great deal
more than it is now, and sixteen pounds then
was a good large sum.
Alwold may have been a soldier, or a great
hunter, or a statesman, or he may have been
one of those " lore thanes," as they called them,
who, unlike thanes in general, were fond of
study and the reading of books. The king was
of this kind of habit. Alwold, who held "Alte-
ham " under the king, may have been a man
of his kind, too. We do not know.
But as the chroniclers have not been good
enough to tell us what sort of a man he was,
there is no reason why we should not make a
kind of fancy picture of him in our mind's eye.
Imagine you see him, then, on a bright
summer day, when the fields and meadows of
" Alteham " were dressed in their fairest garb,
riding forth from his huge wooden manor
house, upon his favourite horse. He wears no
covering to his head, save the natural covering
of thick, fair hair, which hangs down to his
shoulders; and a full, fair beard adds dignity
to his intellectual face. He wears a red
woollen tunic, which reaches to his knees, and
around his waist is a leathern belt, untanned.
Breeches of similar material reach to his knees,
while the lower parts of his legs are clothed in
linen hoseu, laced or bandaged with cross
garters, called shank guards. His shoes are of
leather, uutauned, and from his shoulders there
is suspended a square mantle, which hangs in
graceful folds behind.
There! Don't you think our Alwold is a
handsome fellow, as he sits easily his noble
steed, which canters gracefully across the
Alteham greensward?
The Domesday scribe tells us nothing about
the house of Alwold. But it was no uncom-
mon thing for Domesday scribes to leave out
all mention of a Manor House or a Church.
Indeed the survey of Churches and Church-
yards seems to have been outside the scope of
Domesday Book. So, because we find no men-
tion of a Manor House, nor yet of a Church,
at " Alteham," at that time, we must not jump
to the conclusion that there was no Manor
House and no Church. The probabilities are
that there were both.
And although Domesday really refers to the
period immediately after the Saxon thane had
gone, and a Norman Lord had taken his place,
it may be taken to fairly represent the condi-
tion of the village in the late Saxon times and
Alwold's day. The social condition of the
classes below that of the lord was not greatly
changed at first, except in name. The
" ceorls " were now called "villans," the
" cottiers " were " bordars," and the " thralls "
16
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
were "slaves." Otherwise the change was not
so very great at first.
Domesday says that ' Alteham " answered for
"one suling and a half. There is the arable
land of twelve teams. In demesne there are
two teams. And forty two villans with twelve
bordars have eleven teams. Nine slaves there.
And twenty-two acres of meadow. Wood of fifty
hogs. In the time of King Edward it was
worth sixteen pounds. When he received it
twelve pounds. And now twenty pounds.
Alwold held it of the King."
" What queer words ! " you will exclaim.
They are old English words that have gone out
of use. Let us read it again, giving, as near
as we can the interpretation of those strange
words.
" Alteham " answered for, " about 240 acres,
for a suling was as much land as a team of
eight oxen could plough in a year, together
with the pasture land that was required for
the feeding of the oxen.
" There is arable land of about 1,800 acres.
" In that portion of the land around the
Manor and cultivated by the lord himself there
are about 320 acres.
" There is nothing ' nllianous ' about the
forty-two villans. They are called villans only
because they live in the villa or village. They
are respectable men, who are tenants of the
lord, and farm the land of the manor, except
the lord's own land, or demesne as it is called.
They pay rent for their land to the lord, and
sometimes, in place of rent, help in the tilling
of the lord's land. They have to provide one
or more oxen for the manorial plough. They
are freemen, though they may not give up their
farms without the special permission of their
lord.
"The twelve bordars, are also called cottien,
or cottagers. They sometimes had small allot-
ments, but they kept no oxen. They helped
in the cultivation of the lord's land, and also
worked some days of the week on the farms.
"The nine slaves were attached to the lord's
land. Their lot was not a happy one. They
were of a class that were supposed to have de-
scended from the British who were kept in
thraldom. They were born in slavery, and
generally died in that state. They were
attached to the Manor, and were bought
and sold with the land and cattle. They
could be scourged and branded, as the
lord pleased, and even if one was killed,
the punishment was only a small fine. Saxons
who were captured in war, or those who were
unable to pay fines for offences committed,
were often made slaves or serfs. Occasionally
a lord would set a slave free. He would give
him a lance or sword, and tell him that he was
at liberty to go where he pleased. The slaves
had to do the hardest work — they were the
ploughmen, shepherds, and swine herds.
So, from all this, we may picture in our
minds what life in " Alteham " was like wheu
Alwold was the lord. The great house, built
of wood, low, one storied, and around it clus-
tering the huts of the serfs who wait on the
lord. Further afield the cottages of the vil-
lans and the thralls — with mud walls and roofs
thatched with reed.
The great house of the lord has its hall
and chapel. The hall is the principal apart-
ment; it is there that Alwold feasts his guests.
It has a fire in the centre and a smoke-hole in
the roof, and on the clay floor rushes are
strewn and changed from time to time. It is
furnished with a heavy clumsy table set upon
tressels, along the sides of which the guests
sit upon benches and stools.
What feasts they have, for these Saxon fore-
fathers of ours, love eating and drinking. The
table is covered with a cloth, and upon it are
set the platters, bowls, dishes, horns, and
knives. Swine's flesh is the usual meat, and
when the joint is roasted, it is carried round
the table on the spit, and each one cuts off a
slice for himself. The usual vegetable is cole-
wort, and the usual drink is ale, though a rich
man may afford wine and mead. Table man-
ners are sometimes rather slovenly.
They eat and drink far into the night, and
on very festive occasions through successive
days and nights. As the flowing bowl is going
its round, so also is the harp, which is handed
from one to another, as each contributes his
song to the minstrelsy of the evening. And
when it is time to sleep, many of the men
No. 13.
PART OF OLD WALL— ELTHAM PALACE (1909).
(From the Moat, South-East).
No. 14.
WATER GATE TO MOAT.
South Side.
'
f*< f.^ . ^ . ".- . .,.,.
No. 15.
OLD GABLE, ELTHAM COURT.
(From a Pencil Sketch).
(1829).
No. 16.
NORTH DOORWAY TO HALL.
(From an old Engraving),
No, 17.
ELTHAM COURT— SHOWING THE OLD GABLED BUILDING.
Residence of Mr. C. D. Wilson.
On the right the part erected by Mr. Bloxam, which connects the older building with the Great Hall.
No, 18.
MOAT HOUSE AND BRIDGE.
Residence of Mr Newton Dunn.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
17
throw themselves upon mattresses in the hall,
upon the floor. The lord retires to his bed,
which is a sort of crib or trough filled with
straw, with a coverlid of skin, and so they sleep
off the effect of their carouse.
But apart from their less praiseworthy
habits, those ancient Elthamites, contrived to
get a good deal of real enjoyment out of life.
They lived a great deal in the open air, and
their amusements were often found in such
manly sports as running, leaping, wrestling,
riding and fighting. There was plenty of
hunting, hawking and fishing, for the lord
could hunt on his own grounds, and boars,
deer, hares, and even wild goats were some-
times to be found.
The tradesmen of the village were very im-
portant persons then. The smith had to look
after the iron-work of the ploughs, and
to shoe the horses. Then there were the car-
penter, the stone-mason, the constable, the
steward of the manor, who had to look after
the interests of the lord and the tenant, and
among many others, that important person, the
bee-keeper. Bee-keeping was a great business
in those days, for you must remember that
there were no colonies to send them sugar, and
those who liked sweets had to depend for the
luxury upon the bees. Moreover, was not honey
wine sweet to the tooth of those old forbears
of ours ? No wonder, the bee-keeper was an
important person.
The great blot upon the social life of the
time was "serfdom." Here is a little dialogue,
written at the time by an old Saxon writer.
Does it not bring the condition of the serf
vividly before our minds ? : —
" ' What sayest thou, ploughman ? How dost
thou do thy work ? '
"'Oh, my lord, hard do I work. I go out
at daybreak, driving the oxen to field, and I
yoke them to the plough. Nor is it ever so-
hard winter that I dare loiter at home, for fear
of my lord, but the oxen yoked, and the
ploughshare and the coulter fastened to the
plough, every day must I plough a full acre,
or more.'
" ' Hast thou a comrade ? '
" ' I have a boy driving the oxen with an
iron goad, who also is hoarse with cold and
shouting.'
" ' What more dost thou in the day f '
" ' Verily then I do more. I must fill th&
bin of the oxen with hay, and water them, and
carry out the dung. Ha ! Ha ! hard work
it is, hard work it is ! because I am not free. ' '
Let us hope that the lot of the slaves-
that were attached to the Manor of Alteham
was happier than that of this poor thrall, see-
ing that their lord was Alwold who held the
Manor under the good king Edward
FEAST AT A ROUND TABLE (Bayeui Tapestry.)
WHEEL BED (Cotton M S.)
THE SICKNESS AND DEATH OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR (Bayeux Tapestry.)
CHAPTER V.
THE SIGN IN THE SKY.
The year 1066 was a fateful year for Eltham,
as it was for the whole of England. In its
earlier days the Royal House was over-shadowed
by death, an event which had a direct effect
upon the conditions of life in our village.
Then, just after Eastertide, appeared the
strange sign in the sky fore-boding the over-
throw of a kingdom, and filling the hearts of
men with fear. Summer brought wars and
rumours of wars. The fall of the year wit-
nessed the great fight and England stricken
beneath the heel of a foreign foe, and, ere its
eventful months had run their course, Eltham
had passed into other hands, and Alwold was
no longer to hold its Manor under the King.
Surely, it was a terrible year, and it left its
mark upon our history, national and local, as
no other year has ever done.
When the New Year was born, Edward the
King lay dying. For many weeks he had bat-
tled with disease. In those latter days he
uttered strange words, and his people, filled with
reverence and awe, declared that he had the
gift of prophecy. On January 5th, 1066, the
" Confessor " passed away.
We may be sure that the folk of Eltham,
especially Alwold, who held the Eltham lands of
the King, were distressed by this event, for,
though the English people were not well
pleased by his liking for foreigners, Edward
the Confessor was held, generally, in esteem
and love by his subjects. He had been spared
to see the completion of his own new Church
at Westminster — the noble Abbey, which, with
its additions, is the pride of all Englishmen to
day. But he was too ill to be present at itf>
consecration on December 28th. "Holy Inno-
cents' Day." A week or so later he died, and,
the very next day, January 6th, they solemnly
conveyed his body to the beautiful minster, and
gently laid him to rest. There is something
sad and pathetic about this incident, yet it
seems consistent and beautiful that he, who
conceived the building of that majestic edifice,
who watched it lovingly through the years of
its erection, should have been the first of that
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
19
long array of kings and heroes who have beea
buried within its walls.
King Edward's death was the beginning of
the end of Saxon rule in England, as it was
the beginning of the end of Alwold's tenure of
Eltham.
There was a great gathering at the funeral,
for that year the dead king had called to-
gether the assembly of wise men — the Witan—
in London, instead of at Gloucester as was
usual, and immediately after the solemn cere-
mony of interment was over — Professor Free-
man says, that in all probability it was on the
same day, — the Witan proceeded to elect a new
king. Was Alwold of Eltham present on that
occasion ? There is no record to say that he
was, but, one can well believe that the Lord of
Eltham, being so near at hand, whether he took
part in the important deliberations or whether
he did not, would not have been absent on an
occasion which was fraught with so much of
importance to Eltham and himself.
The Witan selected Harold, the son of Earl
Qodwine, and he was duly installed as King
and the Crown lands of Eltham passed into his
hands. But Harold had rivals for the King-
ship. There were some Englishmen who
thought the youthful Atheling, Edgar, had a
stronger claim. But the Atheling was young
and weak, and the Witan wanted a strong man.
Tostig, the brother of Harold, also set up a
claim, but the most formidable rival was Wil-
liam, the Duke of Normandy. William declared
that the Confessor had promised him the
crown. But the Confessor had no legal power
to do this. He also accused Harold of break-
ing an oath that he had made to support the
claim of the Norman Duke to the throne. But
Harold said that the oath was obtained from
him by unfair means, and was therefore not
binding.
And, after all, Harold's claim was the strong-
est of all, for, not only was he specially recom-
mended by the Confessor himself, before he
died, as the most suitable man for the office,
but he was duly and regularly elected by the
Witan. In quaint language the old Chronicler
of the time puts it thus :—
" Nathless, that wisest man,
Dying made fast the realm
To a high-risen man.
Even to Harold's self,
Who was a noble earl:
He did at every tide
Follow with loyal love
All of his lord's behests,
Both in his words and deeds:
Naught did he e'er neglect
What e'er of right belonged
Unto the people's king."
And he further says, " Now was Harold hal-
lowed as king, but little stillness did he there
enjoy, the while that he wielded the kingdom."
We may well imagine that the men of Eltham
took their proper share in these national
events, and it is quite likely that the Eltham
ceorls, or villans, as Domesday Book calls them,
who farmed the manor lands were amongst the
crowds who assembled about the new minster
to look upon the great men and to see what
they could of the ceremonies. But notwith-
standing that Harold, the great warrior and
the wise councillor, had been made king, and
most people seemed pleased, there was in the
air a feeling of uncertainty, a feeling that
something was going to happen. This feeling
was increased and intensified by the appear-
ance of a strange sign in the sky. It was a
comet of unusual dimensions, and, supersti-
tious as the people were, they were easily led
to believe by those who thought they under-
stood such matters, that this strange " star "
with the monster tail which seemed to sweep
the sky, was a portent sent to warn them that
a terrible disaster was about to overtake the
kingdom.
When you read Tennyson's Play, " Harold,"
which you should all do, you will see, in the
first act, how the poet vividly describes the
effect of this great; comet upon the terror-
stricken people.
"It glares in heaven, it flares upon the Thames,
The people are as thick as bees below,
They hum like bees — they cannot speak — for
awe;
Look to the skies, then to the river, strike
Their hearts, and hold their babies up to it.
I think that they would Molochize them too,
To have the heavens clear."
20
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Aldwyth: Gamel, son of Orm,
What thinkest thou this means ?
Gamel: War, my dear lady !
* * *
One of the pictures shown upon the Bayeux
Tapestry is that of six men pointing fearfully
"towards a star which trails a rudely drawn
streamer of light behind it." It is explained
that " These men are marvelling at the star."
We do not marvel so much at comets now, and
you will be interested to know that the comet
which so alarmed the English in the spring of
and had sailed up the Ouse to the City of
York. Then Harold the King of England gath-
ered around him his trusty men of London and
of Kent and marched northward, and gave
them battle. The invaders were routed, and
Tostig and the giant Harold, King of the
Northmen, were slain in the fight. This was
on September 25th. Four days later Duke
William of Normandy landed with an army
in Sussex.
" While the Normans were yet at Pevensey,
an English Thane had seen them land, and
CORONATION OF HAROLD (Bayeux Tapestry.)
1066, is one which comes our way once in about
every seventy-five years. They tell us that it
will be here again in three years' time — in 1910.
When it comes, if we are alive, we may be able
to look upon it and think of Harold the King,
and Alwold of Eltham, and the stirring scenes
of those old days, but it is not likely to bode
disaster, or to fill men's hearts with fear, as
it did when it swept the sky eight centuries
ago.
But, as the Chronicler has told us, "Harold
had but little stillness" during his short reign.
The late summer brought the news that his
brother Tostig, and Harold King of the North-
men, had come to England with a great host.
he went and mounted his horse, and rode
northwards, and rested not day or night,
where King Harold and his host were resting
after their great fight. So the Thane came
to King Harold, and said, ' My Lord O King,
Duke William and his Normans have landed
in Sussex, and they have built them a fort
at Pevensey, and they are harrying the land,
and they will of a truth win thy kingdom
from thee, unless thou goest speedily and
keepest thy land well against them ! '
" And presently there came a churl also
who had come from Hastings, and he told
King Harold how that the Normans had
marched from Pevensey to Hastings, and how
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
21
they had built them a castle at Hastings and
how they were harrying the land far and
wide.
" Then King Harold answered and said,
' This is evil news indeed j would that I had
been there to guard the coast, and Duke
William never should have landed; but I
could not be here and there too ! * So the
King hastened with all speed to London."
Now, would it not be interesting if we could
only slip back, somehow, over those eight hun-
dred and sixty years, and peep into some of the
with him against the Duke of Normandy. Kent
and all the southern counties quickly re-
sponded to his call, and we may be sure that
the men of Eltham were foremost amongst the
men of Kent, for, apart from the patriotic
spirit which was strong in men's hearts at that
time, it must be remembered that Eltham was
one of the Royal Estates, and Alwold would be
expected to come up with his full force of
fighting men.
Yes, they had stirring times in the village
for those few days. Harvest was over and men
A SHIP OF THE FLEET OF DUKE WILLIAM TRANSPORTING TROOPS
FOR THE INVASION OF ENGLAND (Bayeux Tapestry.)
Eltham homes of the time — into the huts of the
cottiers and the housen of the churls, and act-
ually hear what the folk themselves had to say
about all these happenings ? It is most likely
that one would find those simple villagers full
of gloomy forebodings. The strange star with
the sweeping tail had gone away in the early
summer, but they had not forgotten it, and in
these risings against their lord the King, and
in this coming of the Norman Duke, they saw,
only too plainly, the realisation of the message
brought by that awful sign in the sky.
The King abode for some six or seven days
in London, and word was sent forth bidding all
men to gather under his banner and to march
could be better spared. Every available horse
was got out and made ready. What a busy
man was the blacksmith ! There were coats
of mail to put into order, shields and helmets
to make good, to say nothing of the trappings
of the horses, and the weapons for the men.
Every axe, and sword, and spear, and bow, was
brought out for use, and in every house that
sent forth a fighting man there was all the
bustle of preparation.
In the old wall that bounds our Church-yard
a stone is fixed, upon which is graven the
names of those Eltham heroes, who, a few years
ago, fell fighting for their Queen and country
in far-off South Africa. It is right that we
22
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
should keep them in memory. The great
Empire of which we are proud has been built
up by the sacrifice of life and labour on the
part of individuals. And we should remember
that there is a long line of heroes whose names
have never been recorded upon the roll of fame.
The sturdy Eltham cottiers and churls, who, in
those fateful days, strode forth to fight for
King and Fatherland, who fought and fell at
Senlac and never returned to gladden aching
hearts in those simple Eltham homes, are of a
great host who have kept aglow that fire of
patriotism which has made the British nation
what it is.
You know well the story of the fierce fight
at Senlac on Saturday, October 16th, 1066— the
death of Harold and his great Earls fighting to
the last, the rout of the English army, the
triumph of William. It is a thrilling story.
The English were defeated, but not disgraced.
But it brought about a new order of things.
Then passed Eltham into other hands, and
Alwold the Englishman, goes out of the story.
We know not whither he went, or what was his
fate. And the new lords of Eltham were
^trangers who spoke a foreign tongue.
BISHOP ODO, THE LORD OF ELTHAM MANOR, PRONOUNCING A BLESSING.
(From an old Print).
CHAPTER VI.
THE WARRIOR BISHOP.
Let us refer once more to Domesday Book.
These are the words of the scribe: —
" Haimo holds of the Bishop, Alteham . . .
.... In the time of King Edward it was
worth sixteen pounds. When he received it
twelve pounds. Now twenty pounds."
Notice. There is no mention of King Harold.
Domesday Book ignored his very existence as
King. It was William's policy to impress up-
on the English that Harold was an impostor,
an adventurer who had no right to the throne
at all. He wanted them to forget Harold and
to recognise that he, William, was the only
true successor to Edward the Confessor. So
jou get no mention of Harold, the King, in
Domesday. There is a stoi-y concerning the
burial of Harold, which shews how relentless
was the spirit of William in this respect. It
is so beautifully and simply told by Professor
Freeman, that we really must read it in his
« ords : —
" The great battle being over, Duke
William came back to the hill and stayed
there all night. He had the dead bodies
swept away around where the Standard had
stood, and there he pitched his tent and did
eat and drink. The next day he had the
dead among his own men buried, and he gave
leave that the women and people of the
country might take away and bury the bodies
of the slain English. Many women, there-
fore, came and took away the bodies of their
husbands and sons and brothers. Then the
two Canons of Waltham, who had followed
the Army, came to the Duke and craved that
they might take the body of their founder,
tmi
\
24
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
King Harold, and bury it in his own minster
at Walthain. And Gytha, the King's mother,
also craved the body of her son She
offered the Duke King Harold's weight in
gold if she might have his body to bury at
Waltham. But the Duke said nay; for that
Harold was perjured and excommunicated,
and might not be buried in holy ground.
Now, there was in the Norman army one
William Malet, a brave knight, who was in
some way or other a kinsman or friend of
King Harold's; so Duke William bade
William Malet take the body of his friend
and bury it on the sea coast, under a heap of
stones, which men call a cairn. For Duke
William said: 'He guarded the shore when
living, let him guard it now that he is dead.'
But no man could find the body, for it was
all defaced and mangled, and it had been
thrown aside when the bodies were cleared
away for William's tent to be pitched. But
there was a lady called Edith, whom, for her
beauty men called ' Swanneshals,' or the
Swan's Neck, whom Harold had loved
in old times when he was Earl of the East
Angles." She was able to point out the
dead King, so they buried him under a heap
of stones beside the sea. " But after a while,
when Duke William was crowned King of the
English, his heart became milder, and he
let men take up the body of King Harold
from under the cairn, and bury it in his own
minster at Waltham."
There. We have read this story, although it
is not exactly Eltham history, because it shews
that hard, harsh nature of William which was
responsible, among other things, for keeping
the name of Harold out of the Domesday
record. But for all that, Harold was not for-
gotten, and to this day, in the memory of his
countrymen, he stands for all that is noble and
great in an Englishman.
" Haino holds of the Bishop, Alteham."
The Bishop was Odo, a half brother of
William. Let us consider some of the history
of Odo, and see how it was that he became
possessed of Eltham. When Odo was about
twelve years of age he was made Bishop of
Bayeux, which is a town in Normandy. Rather
young to be a bishop, you will say, but we do
sometimes read of foolish and inconsistent
things in history. Odo has not left a very good
name behind. He was ambitious and selfish.
Indeed, his ambition led to his loss of Eltham,
and, for a time, to his undoing. He is, how-
ever, credited with one very good thing, and
that is with getting the famous Bayeux Tapes-
try made. If it had not been for this wonderful
piece of needlework we should not have known
so much of the Norman invasion of England aa
we do.
It is two hundred and fourteen feet long and
twenty inches wide, and the pictures worked
upon it represent scenes of the invasion and of
the Battle of Hastings. There are on it six
hundred and twenty-three persons, seven hun-
dred and sixty-two horses, dogs, &c., thirty-
seven buildings, and forty-one boats. It must
have taken a long while to make, but one great
historian says that it is the best and most re-
liable account of the Conquest that exists. It
is said that Odo had this work done for the
ornamentation of his Cathedral Church at
Bayeux. So we may give him credit for one
useful piece of work, at least.
When William decided upon the invasion of
England, he had much trouble in persuading
the Norman barons to join with him in the
expedition. They did not like the idea. They
thought it would be doomed to failure. But
when William told them that if they helped
him to success, he would divide amongst them
the estates of the English nobility, they began
to think better of the matter, and ultimately
agreed to go with him.
Odo, who was quite a young man at the time,
was very active in bringing round the barons
to William's side. So was Robert, his brother,
and, of course, another half brother of Will-
iam. Though Odo was a bishop, and a young
one, he was a warrior, and well acquainted with,
the ways of fighting men. It must have
been a fine sight at Hastings to see this young
bishop riding into battle. When the order was
given to the Norman troops to advance, Will-
iam the Duke rode at their head, and on one
side of him rode Odo, on the other side rode
Robert. The sight of these three brothers on
their chargers, leading the army to battle, muse
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FROM THE OLDEST KNOWN PICTURE OF ELTHAM PALACE.
(Engraved by S. & N. Buck. 1735).
No. 24.
"MY LORD CHANCELLOR'S LODGING"
The portion now occupied by Mrs. Alexander Milne.
(See plan page 89).
No. 25.
WOODEN HOUSE ADJOINING CHANCELLOR'S
LODGING.
Residence of the Misses Brookes.
(See plan page 89).
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELT1IAM.
25
have beeu an inspiring one to those who fol-
lowed.
Odo did not carry a sword, because the laws
of the Church forbade a priest to shed blood.
But he wielded a heavy mace, and, when the
right moment came, no doubt he used it pretty
stoutly. He could not run his opponents
through with a mace, but he probably did ser-
ious damage to some of their skulls.
It is recorded that at one moment of the
battle, the Normans were getting the worst of
it. The horsemen in retreating got into a
fosse, or ditch, and rolled about, trampling up-
on one another, and they were all a confused and
struggling mass. Some of the Normans
started to run away. Then up rode Bishop
Odo, swinging his mighty mace, laying about
him, and shouting reproof and encouragement
to the bewildered Normans. He stayed the
panic and probably saved the day.
William was as good as his word. The Con-
quest completed, he divided the land amongst
his knights and nobles. Odo and Robert came
in for most liberal rewards. Together with
estates in other counties, Odo was given two
hundred manors in Kent, that of Eltham being
one of them, and he was given also the English
title of Earl of Kent. He had immense power,
too, in the government of the country. When
William, a few years later, found it necessary
to return to Normandy for a time, Odo ruled
in his name. But he was so harsh and tyran-
nical that the men of Kent rose against him,
and sought aid from Eustace, Count of Bou-
logne.
Ambition led to the fall of Odo, as it has to
the ruin of other men. William found that
his great Earls were getting a little too power-
ful for him. So he took measures to keep their
power within bounds. Some of them resented
this, and scheming and plotting went on for
resisting the will of the King. Odo was one of
the schemers. He collected much money and
men, making believe that he wanted to get
himself made Pope. But William was too wide
awake. He was not to be taken in. One day
at Court, there was a surprise for Odo. The
King was there and his courtiers all around.
Quite unexpectedly William ordered the arrest
of the Bishop. So taken back was everybody
that no officer moved to carry out the King's
command. They feared to touch a Bishop. So
William walked up to Odo, and seized him with
his own hands, exclaiming, with a grim laugh,
" I arrest not the Bishop, but the
Earl of Kent." And Odo was kept a prisoner
till the Conqueror died.
At the death of the King, William Eufus, his
second son, as you know quite well, was given
the crown. The Conqueror, at his death, let
Odo out of prison, and Rufus allowed his uncle
to be once more Earl of Kent. After a while
the Norman barons rose against the Red King.
They said that they wanted to make his
brother Robert King, but their real object was
to increase their own power and influence. Odo
was their leader. It looked as if the cause of
the King was hopeless. But the English stuck
loyally to him, and, the pride of ambitious Odo
suffered another shock.
There was fighting in the north and the west,
but Odo and his chief followers were at Roch-
ester Castle, and William knew that if he
wanted to crush out the revolt, he would have
to march against his uncle at Rochester and
destroy his power once and for all. So he
gathered his fighting men round him in
London, and the English came to his banner
in force, for he promised to grant them good
laws, to levy no unjust taxes, and to allow men
the freedom of their woods and of hunting.
In the short struggle that ensued, our hero
Odo did not cut a very heroic figure. On hear-
ing of the Red King's advance, he hastened to
Pevensey, where he expected to meet his bro-
ther Robert with additional troops from
Robert of Normandy. But the Red King was
too strong for them and Odo was obliged to
give in.
Then the King did a rather foolish thing.
The English would have been glad to see Odo
put to death. But Odo promised to get the
surrender of Rochester Castle, and then to
leave the country for good, if the King, his
nephew, would let him go. So William sent
him on to Rochester to make arrangements for
its surrender. But it did not come off as was
expected, and the unhappy Odo was placed in
26
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
a rather awkward predicament. When he
came near to the castle, and explained the cir-
cumstances of his coming, the guards seized
him and took him within the castle, and then
said they would not give it up to the King. So,
on the arrival of Eufus and his men, it was
subjected to a siege. It was a considerable
undertaking, and the King had to appeal to the
English for more help. The Men of Kent res-
ponded to the call, and those who refused were
given the dreaded name of "nithing," which
was the vilest name in the language.
After a long siege, during which the garrison
suffered from great sickness and privation, the
castle surrendered, and when the prisoners
were led out between the ranks of the royal
troops, the English cried with a loud voice,
" Halters ! Bring halters to hang up the
traitor Bishop and his friends!" But the
halters were not applied, and most of the
rebels were spared execution. Many were
banished from the country for ever. Among
these was the Bishop of Bayeux.
Such, then, briefly told, is the story of Odo,
half brother of the King, and the Bishop of
Bayeux, who, through the grace of his royal
master, became possessed of the broad acres of
Eltham, who amassed great wealth and used
it wrongfully, who, by ambition, fell. When
he went into exile, he passed out of the history
of England. Few tears were shed, we may be
sure. And it is not with much regret that we
now dismiss him from the Story of Eltham.
DUKE WILLIAM ADDRESSING HIS SOLDIERS AT THE FIELD OF HASTINGS (Bayeux Tapestry.)
DEATH OF HAROLD (Bayeui Tapestry.)
CHAPTER VII.
HAIMO THE SHIRE-REEVE.
When William the Conqueror proceeded to
distribute the English estates among his Nor-
man Barons he used a certain amount of dis-
cretion. He was anxious to win over to his
side as many of the English nobility as he
could, so he did not take away the estates of
all of them. In districts where they were not
particularly active in resisting William, many
of the English nobles were allowed to keep
their lands and manors. But in those quar-
ters whence the bulk of the fighting men had
come who had fought against him at Senlac,
or who had subsequently opposed him in his
conquest of England, William was heartless
in his confiscations. Kent suffered especially.
Not an English nobleman was allowed to re-
tain his property in Kent. William had good
reason for this. Kent was specially loyal to
England and to Harold. So two hundred
manors of Kent were given to Odo alone, and
he ruled them with an iron hand. The Elt-
ham Manor was allotted to Haimo, who held
it under Odo.
This Haimo was, for more reasons than one,
a rather distinguished personage. In the first
place he was a kinsman of the King himself.
Although he could not claim so close a rela-
tionship as Odo, the Earl and Prelate, who-
was the King's half-brother, he could claim to
have descended from the same old stock —
from that fierce Norse pirate, Eolf or Hollo,
who was driven from his own land, Norway,
as an outlaw, and who came to Normandy
and founded the settlement there which after-
wards became the Duchy, and of which Wil-
liam was the Duke. So, you see, Haimo, the
new Lord of Eltham, was of royal blood.
And, otherwise, he was a very important
man. He was the Shire Reeve of Kent. This
was a very high office. In the old Saxon days
the Reeve of the Shire was elected by the peo-
ple, and, next to the Earldorman or Earl, he
was the chief man in the County. But Haimo
was appointed by the King, and it was his
duty to preside, as the representative of the
King, at the Shire Court or Leet, where he
had to settle all sorts of disputes that were
brought before him from among the people of
the Shire. If he was unable to settle them
to their satisfaction then they could take their
28
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
disputes to the King. That was how some of
the Courts of Law came to be formed, such as
the King's Bench, Court of Common Pleas, &c.
It must have been strange to have men who
spoke a foreign tongue to do this kind of
business, and it must have been the cause of a
good deal of trouble in meting out justice. The
Eltham churls, probably, did not much like
having a lord over their manor who could
not speak to them in their own language and
who could not understand them when they
wanted to speak to him.
But it is very likely that these Norman
Barons had very little to do with the English
•villagers. They held themselves aloof from
them, and, perhaps, thought themselves quite
superior to them. This feeling would be
shared by the retainers and foreign servants
who waited upon the Baron in his hall, and
the lot of the Eltham villagers could not have
teen so happy under Haimo as it was under
Alwold, who was an Englishman and could
speak their own tongue. Not that we have
any reason to think that Haimo was particu-
larly hard or tyrannical, though the Norman
Barons did not bear a very good character in
this respect. Haimo's own relative, Odo, for
instance, has left behind him a very bad name.
In his case " his evil deeds live after him," as
Mark Anthony says in the play. But Haimo
«ould not have been quite the same sort of
man as Odo.
Odo was turned out of his Earldom by the
King because of his wrong doings, but Haimo
remained as Shire Eeeve until his death,
which shows, at any rate, that the King never
suspected him of being mixed up with the
scheming and plotting which led to Odo's un-
doing. So, as we cannot find out anything
against Haimo, we may as well put him down
as a straight-forward Lord of Eltham, al-
though, being a foreigner, speaking a foreign
language, and obliged to carry out the strict
laws of the King, the simple Eltham folk
could hardly like him well, especially as his
presence always reminded them that they
were a conquered people.
One day, at the time when Haimo was
the lord, there was commotion among the
Eltham farmers. All the villans, as they
were now called, were summoned to appear
before the Hundred Court over at Blackheath,
and there was no doubt a good deal of talk
amongst them on the farm, or at the forge, or
wherever they were in the habit of getting
together for a gossip, as to the meaning of
this summons. When they got to the Hun-
dred Court, there they saw four stern looking
persons, called commissioners, and near them
were their clerks with quill pens, and ink, and
parchment, all looking very wise, we may be
sure, and ready to write down whatever they
were told. Haimo was there, too, not only
because he was Lord of Eltham, but because
he was the Shire Reeve. There were also
a number of folk from other Manors within
the Hundred, priests too, and six villeins from
each township. These farmers were not at all
pleased to be called up in this way, and, on
the quiet, there was a lot of grumbling going
on amongst them.
It was explained that at a great Council
held at Winchester it was ordered by the
King that commissioners with their clerks
should be sent out into the shires, hundred by
hundred, to make enquiries about the manors,
and to set it all down in writing. So Haimo
himself, and the " villans " from the Eltham
Manor were made to take a solemn oath that
they would tell the truth, and then the stern
Norman lawyers questioned them about the
estate, how much land it contained and what
sort of land it was, how many men there were
upon it, and what kind of men they were,
what it was worth in Edward's time and what
it was worth now, how many cattle and swine
each freeman kept, whether the rents could
be raised, and other questions besides. The
villans had to give correct answers to these
enquiries, whether they liked it or no. and the
clerks worked away with their quill pens, set-
ting it all lown " in black and white " as they
say, just as the King had commanded. When
one town-ship was done with, another town-
ship was treated in the same way till the
whole Hundred was completed, and so the
Commisioners went on right through the
other Hundreds of the County. The clerks
wrote these things down upon separate scrolls
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
'29
or leaflets, and when they had finished them,
they were taken away to Winchester, where
other clerks copied them all out again, in a
form that had been already arranged.
That was how Domesday Book was made up.
Yes! Englishmen regarded this as a grievous
day. Deeply did they resent the humiliation
of having to answer these searching questions.
Bitter were the words used by the villagers
against inquiry, although, perhaps, they were
only muttered protests, for men feared to speak
their minds aloud. An old writer of the times
says: "It is a shame to tell what he thought it
no shame for him to do. Ox, nor cow, nor
swine, was left that was not set down upon hia
writ." In some places men spoke their pro-
tests loudly. There were disputes, which led
to fighting and bloodshed. But it was of no
avail to resist. The mailed fist of the
Conqueror prevailed. By Easter Day, April
5th, 1086, the day appointed as the time limit
by the King, the work was finished, and Domes-
day Book was added to our National Records.
Domesday Book! The name seems very ap-
propriate. " Men called the book Domesday,"
*ays a writer, " for to the English the inquest
seemed searching, and terrible as that of the
Last Judgment."
We have styled Haimo, at the head of this
chapter, as Shire Reeve, because that was tho
old Anglo-Saxon name for the office which he
filled. Now-a-days, we cut the name short and
call the officer a Sheriff. The duties of the
Sheriff of the present day are not the same as
those of the olden time, but many of those
duties are similar. The interesting point to
bear in mind is that the office was really first
established long ago in early Saxon times, and
that the present High Sheriff of Kent is on the
long roll of Sheriffs which included Haimo,
the Lord of Eltham, and many other Shire
Reeves before him.
But in the Domesday page which refers to
Eltham and to Haimo, he is not described as
a " Shire Reeve." The word "Vicecomes," has
been put in just above his name, which looks as
if the clerk, in the first instance, omitted, the
title, and that it was afterwards inserted.
Domesday is written in Latin, and "Vicecomes "
is merely the Latin equivalent of Shire Reeve.
William found that the office of Shire Reeve in
England so much resembled that of a "Vis-
count " or " Vicecomes " in Normandy
that he introduced the Norman title
to England, and that is how it comes
about that Haimo is described as " Vicecomes "
in Domesday. You will notice, however, thai
the old English name has survived after all, for
we still call the important officer "Sheriff" and
not "Viscount." Haimo seems to have lived
to a good old age, for in the year 1111, forty-five
years after the Norman Conquest, we read of
his giving back to the Abbey of St. Augustine
at Canterbury the remaining portion of the
Manor of Fordwich. Haimo had a niece named
Maud, or Mabel, and she married Robert Fitz
Roy, Earl of Gloucester, who was a son of
Henry I. When Haimo died his lands were in-
herited by his niece, and that is how it came
about that the Manor of Eltham, after Haimo's
death, became one of the estates of the Earl of
Gloucester, or, as the book tells us, "became ap-
pended to the honour of Gloucester."
We must now say good-bye to Haimo, for the
hand of death has taken him out of our story.
For many years the Eltham Manor was held
by the Earl of Gloucester, and his descendants
and heirs. A hundred years slip away, in
the course of which there seems to have been
a dispute as to whom the " vill," or
village of Eltham rightly belonged.
This dispute led to a legal inquiry and a
scrutiny of the Rolls. This was in the seventh
year of the reign of King Edward I. As a
result of this scrutiny we get an account of
Eltham at that particular time, which is so
interesting that we may as well read it in
the quaint language in which it was written.
In reading it you would do well to read
through the lines, as they say, and see if you
can picture for yourselves, some of the con-
ditions of life in our old village at that time.
" Extent of the Manor of Eltham in the
county of Kent made by precept of our Lord
the King, on the death of Richard de Clare,
formerly Earl of Gloucester and Hereford, be-
fore William de Axmouth and William de
Horseden thereto assigned.
80
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
"By the oath of who say on
their oath that in demesne there are 206 acres
of arable land, of which 111 acres are worth
4d. per acre; and the amount is 59s. 6d.
"And they say that there are two acres of
meadow worth 3s. per acre; and the amount
6s. The pasture thereof, after the hay is
carried, is extended (estimated) at 4d.
"And they say that there are 13 acres of
pasture extended at 4s. 6d.
" The Court Lodge and the pasture of Court
Lodge, and of a certain lane towards the
church, are extended at 2s.
"And there is a certain enclosed wood con-
taining 200 acres, and the pasture thereof is
extended at 20s., and the pannage thereof is
extended at half a marc.
" And they say that the sale of the under-
wood is worth 57s. per annum.
"The rent of the Free Holders (i.e., the quit
rents) is extended at 24s. 9d.
" And they say that in Villenage (i.e., the
lord's land not cultivated by himself) there
are 28J virgates of laud, and the fourth part
of a virgate, and half an acre; and the virgate
contains seven acres and a half, and the rent
thereof is 71s. and 8^d.
"And they say that the rent of the Cottera
is 6s. 7Jd. The rent of certain tenants, who
are called Plocmen (i.e., tenants holding by
plough service) is extended at 3s. 5d.
" And they say there are 245| acres which are
let to the Villans of the new land, at the lord's
will; and the rent thereof is four pound and
twenty-three pence, at 4d. per acre. The
works of the Villans are extended at 30s. Id.
" And they say that the assised aid of the
Villans is 18s. lid. per annum, &c., &c."
Such was the Manor of Eltham in the year
1263, when Edward I. reigned. This document
reveals to us, in some degree, what life in
our village was like, after the Normans had
ruled for close upon a hundred years. If you
will carefully read the national history of
this eventful period, you will find it a pleasant
exercise for your mind to consider what part
the men of Eltham would in all likelihood
have played in the national story.
For a while we shall now leave the Manor
to consider, in the next chapter, another relic
of antiquity of equal, if not even greater, in-
terest.
BATTLE OF HASTINGS (Bayeus Tapestry).
CHAPTER VIII.
GOD'S ACRE."
To-day we will take our position here, with-
in the shadow of the Parish Church, upon this
little plot of ground where sleep the " fore-
fathers of the hamlet."
The Roman road over Shooter's-hill tells a
story of life and strenuous activity through
many centuries. " The Common " recalls the
pastoral life and field labours of our distant
ancestors. The crumbling palace speaks of
royal pageants, of parliaments, of courtly
festivals, and brilliant scenes of pomp and
chivalry. They all tell of "life." This patch
of greensward, with its mouldering mounds
and monuments, has another tale to tell —
" Death."
Often, perhaps, you have witnessed the
solemn ceremony of burial here. It may be
that many of you have taken part in that
ceremony when someone near and dear has
been laid to rest. The scene in which you took
part was only one of a countless number, whose
chain goes so far back into the ages that we
cannot see the beginning. The one you lost
was but a unit of a countless host, all sleeping
here beneath the grass awaiting the great day.
We cannot tell the age of Eltham Church-
yard. We know of three churches, but it is
probable that the churchyard is older than
the most ancient of them. Those grave stones
there are crumbling away with age. So old
and weather-worn are they that you cannot
read what was engraved upon them. When
they were set up, long ago, all fresh and clean
and new, and sorrowing villagers in quaint old
world garb came to scan the epitaphs, the
churchyard was still of age beyond reckoning.
Such thoughts should make us pause when
we enter these hallowed precincts— pause, to
reflect in seriousness, perhaps in awe. Care-
less and flippant speech is out of place amid
such surroundings. Our talk and deportment
should be in harmony with the scene, lest we
should seem to desecrate the abode of the dead.
There was a church here in Norman times.
It is the first about which we can find a record.
We shall have something to say about it
another day. But Eltham, even in Norman
times, was still an old place. It was bound
to possess its burial ground, and it may be
assumed that it had its church long before the
time when we find it first mentioned. It would
have been a Saxon church and built of wood,
as Saxon churches mostly were.
You know what your history book tells you,
how Hengist and Horsa and all the tribes of
the Saxons were pagans, fierce and unyielding
heathen, who lifted their heart and voice to
the gods— Wodin and Thor — who assailed the
Christian churches they found in Britain,
burning them and killing the Christian priests.
Christianity was quite strong amongst the
British, before the Saxons came, and there
were many churches in the land.
Sometimes the Saxons spared a Christian
church, and turned it into a heathen temple
for their own use. It is said that the old
church of St. Martin's, at Canterbury, was
used in this way. But, in course of time,
Augustine came and preached Christianity to
the heathen Saxons, and even they were con-
verted. Slowly, but surely, Christianity made
its way among them. They ceased their wor-
82
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
ship of Wodin and Tlior, and, in place of
heathen temples, the village communities set
up their little Christian churches. Such a
building may have existed at Eltham before
the church about which we have the earliest
record, and to the little churchyard that sur-
rounded it the early Eltham villagers would
have brought their dead.
In their heathen days it is said that the
Saxons did not bury their dead in the vicinity
of their temples, as we do now in the vicinity
of a church. It was unlawful even to bury
within the walls of their towns, and the dead
were carried to the fields without. St. Cuth-
bert, the great preacher and teacher of the
north of England, is credited with being the
first to obtain permission to have yards to the
churches proper for the burial of the dead.
So the churchyards of England may be re-
garded as memorials of the famous Bishop of
Lindisfarne, who lived as early as the seventh
century.
Let us now walk round our old churchyard
and see what it has got to tell us.
Some of those who remember the building of
the present church will tell you that when the
workmen were digging the foundations for the
tower they came across a strange coffin made
entirely of stone. It had been buried beneath
the earth for so long a time that no engraving
could be distinguished upon it, and the body
which it had once contained had long since
changed to dust.
This coffin shews that the churchyard is very
old, because the custom of using stone coffins
has long since passed away. Such coffins
were used in the Norman times, and right
down through the middle ages. We may assume
that it was the coffin of some rich person,
for a poor person could hardly aSord such
a form of burial in those old times. There was
probably much pomp and ceremonial when it
was committed to the earth. But that has all
been forgotten. Even the name of the in-
dividual is lost. Nought remains but the
stone itself, which is built into the basement
of the tower.
There stands the old yew tree. It is not so
large as some yew trees, but it has been grow-
ing there many, many years, perhaps centuries.
You will see it represented in the very oldest
pictures of the old church. Yew trees grow
very slowly, but they live to a great age. Some
people say that they live longer than any
other tree, and that in some churchyards the
yew tree is nearly a thousand years old. Many
generations have come and gone since this
tree was a sapling. There used to be another
yew tree on the other side of the church, but
that died. It is thought to have been killed
by the lime that was lying about when the
new church was built.
It would be a hard matter to find any old
churchyard without a yew tree. People often
wonder why they should have planted a yew
tree in every churchyard in this way, and
curiously enough, even those who have in-
quired into the matter cannot agree as to the
reason.
Some of them seem to think that, in the
olden times, before guns were used, the yew
was planted for the purpose of supplying wood
for the making of the bows. It was planted
in the churchyard because it was fenced round,
and the cattle would be thus prevented from
getting at the yew and eating it, for it is
poisonous. But, from all accounts, it would
appear that other woods were used for the
same purpose, and that when yew was used,
it was generally Spanish yew, and not English
yew, which "was of inferior goodness." An
old statute of the eighth year of Elizabeth
requires " each bowyer always to have in his
house fifty bows made of elm, witch, hazel,
or ash." By an older act of Edward IV., we
find that "every Englishman was obliged to
have a bow in his house of his own length,
either of yew, witch, ash, or auburn " (pro-
bably alder).
Another writer says that "the venerable
yew trees still to be seen in our churchyards
were planted for the purpose of furnishing
palms for Palm Sunday, which, he thinks, were
simply branches of yew trees." He holds to this,
he tells us, " from the fact of those in the
churchyards of East Kent being to this day
universally called palms."
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THE PARISH CHURCH.
From the North. 1870.
No 39.
INTERIOR OF OLD CHURCH.
The Royal Arms, on the left, are now preserved in Rochester Museum.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHA.M.
83
Another student of the subject does not agree
with this. He " looks upon the yew as being
too funereal to be substituted for the joyful
palm." He rather thinks that the solitary
yew is a relic of the times when many more
trees existed round the church " for protect-
ing the fabric of the church from storms."
He refers us to a law of Edward I., "whereby
leave was given to fell trees in churchyards for
building and repairs," and the yew trees
"would be the only trees left standing as un-
fit for such purposes," and thereafter he thinks
"an evergreen would be thought an emblem of
the resurrection, and even acquire some degree
of regard and veneration."
There was a time when the yew was much
used on the occasion of funeral ceremonies,
and other writers suggest that it might have
been planted in the churchyards to meet needs
of this kind. There is a quaint old rhyme,
which runs thus: —
"Yet strewe
Upon my dismall grave,
Such offerings as you have,
Forsaken cypresse and sad yew,
For kinder flowers can take no birth
Or growth from such unhappy earth."
In another old book, printed nearly three
hundred years ago, and called "The Marrow
of Complements," we get this sad lay, " A
Mayden's Song for her dead Lover," which
shews that the yew, like the cypress was re-
garded as a funeral plant —
I.
"Come you whose loves are dead,
And whilst I sing,
Weepe and wring
Every hand, and every head.
Bind with Cypresse and sad Ewe,
Ribbands black and candles blue;
For him that was of men most true.
II.
"Come with heavy moaning,
And on his Grave
Let him have
Sacrifice of Sighes and Groaning,
Let him have faire Flowers enough,
White and Purple, Green and Yellow.
For him that was of Men most true."
These lines are very quaint, and, perhaps, the
expressions seem to our ears a little emotional
and extravagant, but they serve to illustrate
the fact that the yew was used for funereal
purposes to express sadness.
The antiquarian, Sir Thomas Browne, in
writing of the use of evergreens at funeral*
suggests, " that the planting of yew trees m
churchyards derives its origin from ancient
funeral rites," and conjectures, "from its per-
petual verdure, that it was used as an emblem
of the resurrection."
The mysterious yew in the churchyard, you
will therefore notice, has been the cause of
much thought and inquiry by learned men.
But they cannot agree as to the reason of it»
presence. There it stands lonely, silent,
sphinx-like, keeping its own secret. We shall
probably never know the truth of it all.
The lich-gate there, at the entrance to the
churchyard from the street, is not old. It is-
quite modern, so far as its construction is con-
cerned. But the lich-gate, as an institution, is
very ancient. Its name sugests that. It is-
Anglo-Saxon, and means, literally, " corpse-
gate." It is only opened on the occasion of
funerals, and it is said to hare been the
ancient custom foj the corpse to rest there for
a while, during the reading of the sentences
at the beginning of the burial services.
PAUL'S CROSS (from an old Print).
CHAPTER IX.
ELTHAM CROSSES.
The handsome Cross which was erected only
a few years ago to the memory of an Eltham
resident whose name will be long remembered
here, like the Lich-gate to which we alluded
last week, is of quite modern construction.
But a cross of this kind, whether it be
ancient or modern, is a feature of special in-
terest, because it points to a custom which was
common in the middle ages, a custom which
was so closely associated with national life
that it needed an Act of Parliament to kill it.
There was a time, when, as an able writer
tells us, " the face of the land bristled with
crosses." Sometimes they were set up near
the south door of the church. Very often they
were in the market places of the villages and
towns. Frequently they were by the wayside.
Sometimes they were simple of construction;
often thsy were elaborate and very beautiful.
Comparatively speaking, onlj a few of the
original crosses are now to be found. Pro-
bably you will come across most relics of
them in districts remote from London. In
Somerset and Dorset, and in Cornwall, for in-
stance, it is quite a common thing to find the
broken remains of these old stone crosses in
the villages.
In some places, men who have a deep regard
for the past history of our national life are
having these old crosses restored. We read in
the papers, not long ago, that a model of the
notable one which used to stand in St. Paul's
Churchyard, and was known in history ac
" Paul's Cross," will shortly be built upon the
well-known spot. It is a good plan to do this
kind of thing. Though such crosses can never
have quite the same significance to the present
generation as they had to our forefathers, it
is good to have, before our eyes, such eloquent
reminders of the past.
So we will take this modern cross in Eltham
Churchyard as the excuse for our talk to-day.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
35
Let us see if we can in some measure realise
the part which the village cross played in the
life of those old times. And, let us see if we
can find any direct evidence that Eltham itself
possessed a village cross of its own.
You know that the early Christians adopted
the cross as the emblem of the Christian
faith, and it was used by the first preachers
and teachers to remind men that the founder
of that faith was Christ the Crucified.
The earliest missionaries used to set up
crosses where they preached, that the natives
might be always reminded of their teaching.
" We are told that St. Wilfred, who was Arch-
bishop of York at the beginning of the eighth
century, travelled about his diocese with a
large body of monks and workmen attending
him, amongst whom were cutters in stone, who
made crosses and erected them on the spots
which St. Wilfred consecrated to the worship
of God."
So you see that in the first instance, the
cross was intended to fulfil a religious pur-
pose.
There were many kinds of crosses, such
as memorial crosses, churchyard or preaching
crosses, market and village crosses, weeping
ciosses, pilgrim crosses, and boundary crosses.
The best examples of memorial crosses are
those that are left of that line of crosses
erected by Edward I., in memory of Queen
Eleanor. Only three of the original
nine or twelve now exist, namely, at Gedding-
too, Northampton and Waltham. Crosses
of this kind were usually erected by the way-
side, or in a city, town or village, to com-
memorate some memorable circumstance.
Those mentioned marked the resting place of
the funeral procession which brought the re-
mains of the Queen from the North to
London.
" Preaching crosses " were generally set up
in churchyards, and very often near the south
door of the church. From their steps, preach-
ing friars frequently addressed the people.
" Market crosses " were usually erected in
the market place of the village or towa. They
were often elaborate in construction, having
arches and vaulted structures, sometimes of
great size. " Often on market and fair days,
a preaching friar would address the people
from the market cross, reminding them of the
sacredness of their bargains, and telling both
buyers and sellers to be true and just in all
their dealings."
" The village cross " was found generally
on the village green, and was of more simple
construction. Not far from it was the may-
pole, and, very often, the village stocks. From
the village cross, public proclamations were
made, banns of marriage were published and
tolls and market dues collected.
" Boundary crosses " marked the limits of
parishes and manors, and owing to the super-
stitious reverence with which they were re-
garded in the middle ages, they were rarely
tampered with.
" Weeping crosses " were put up for the use
of those who were called upon to do penance
for their wrongdoing.
"Pilgrim cresses" were erected by the side
of the highways. They served as guide-post*
to the different monasteries, oratories, and
other religious foundations. Sometimes a
rich traveller would deposit alms at the foot of
a " pilgrim cross," for the help of the poor
distressed wayfarer who might be coming
along.
From this brief description of the crosses-
that were common in those old times, we may
discern in some degree the part which they
played in the social life of Jhe times, and the
question naturally arises to one's mind — did
Eltham possess any such cross a,s one cf these,
and, if it did, where did it stand and what has-
become of it ?
There does not seem to be any relic of an
old cross, either in the churchyard or in the
village, nor does one hear of any tradition of
such a cross. Curiously enough, evidence ha»
just recently come to light, from an unex-
pected quarter, which bears out one's natural
suspicion that one of these mediaeval crosses
must have existed at some time in such an his-
torical village as Eltham.
86
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The well-known antiquarian, Mr. Leland L.
Duncan, has been making researches, for the
St. Paul's Ecclesiological Society and the Kent
Archseological Society, amongst the " wills "
of persons who died in the County of Kent in
ancient times. Copies of these curious wills
have been made and printed, and amongst
them are quite a number relating to persons
who have been buried in our Parish Church or
churchyard of St. John the Baptist.
Two of these wills allude, incidentally but,
most distinctly, to Crosses— one at Shooter's-
been written then, and people had a sort of
free and easy way of spelling, which would not
be tolerated in our enlightened days.
This is the will of one Roger Leche, and it is-
dated 1517. Good Master Leche would have
been alive when Henry VII. was king. He would
have been at Eltham when handsome Prince
Harry was crowned. He might have been a
witness of those gay May-day festivals which
the young King Henry VIII., organised in th«
woods of Shooter's Hill. We cannot be sure,
but we do know that he left sufficient property
DESTRUCTION OF CROSS
hill and the other in Eltham itself. The
Shooter's-hill cross may, in all probability,
have been a " Pilgrim Cross," for the Old
Dover road was the highway from London to
Canterbury, and could have been used by the
many pilgrims to the tomb of St. Thomas
Becket in the Cathedral city. The Eltham
cross might have been a " market cross," or
a " village cross." One cannot tell. It will
be a nice problem for those interested in
lore of this kind to try and solve.
But let us read the wills referred to. You
must not be shocked by the bad spelling.
Doctor Johnson's dictionary, which first laid
down how words should be spelled, had not
CHEAP-SIDE (from an old Print).
to bring in yearly two separate sixpences to be
expended upon bread and ale for the poor.
Truly, a considerate man was Master Eobert
Leche. Thes9 are his words: —
" I will Rauff Letham shall kepe or cause
to be kept yerly the Wedynsday in the crosse
weke at the erase before his dur when the
procession cw'myth in brede and ale vjd, and
vpon Seint Thomas nyght after the fest of
Seint John Baptyst at the bonefyre in brede
and ale vjd. Roger Leche, 1517."
What a light this quaint will throws upon the
social life of the period ! We could spend much
time in pondering over the old time customs
which it refers to— "the procession," the distri-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
87
bution of "bread and ale," and particularly to
the "bonfire" at the time of the feast of "St.
John the Baptist." Another day, we may have
something to say upon some of these features
of the life and customs of old Eltham.
To-day we are more interested with the
"cross before the door" of Rauff Letham. Who
was Rauff Letham? Whereabouts in Eltham
did he live? And the cross which stood in
front of his door, was it the Market Cross?
Was it an ordinary village cross? Did the chil-
dren play upon its steps? Did a poor mendi-
cant priest occasionally preach from those
steps to the gaping rustics, or for the edifica-
tion of the stable men from the Palace, or even
for the soul's welfare of Rauff Letham himself,
who looked out upon the scene from his own
respectable doorway? Rauff was a respectable
man, or, is it at all likely that good master
Roger Leche would have entrusted him with
the responsible duty of distributing every year
two separate sixpences in " brede and ale?"
Did Rauff collect the market tolls at the Cross?
There does not seem to be any record left of
the life and doings of this man Rauff Letham.
But we are quite sure, now, that there was a
Cross standing in front of his door, and it would
be worth more than " two sixpences " to know
where in Eltham that doorway was.
We will now look at the other " will." It is
that of John Browne, gentleman, and it was
signed in 1533. That was just about the time
when Henry VIII., who often came to Eltham
Palace, was making up his mind to shake off
the authority of the Pope and set up himself
as head of the Church. It is quite likely that
Master John Browne, gentleman, was an oia
Elthamite, who had seen the great Cardinal
Wolsey, or the great Chancellor, Sir Thomas
More, or the scholar Erasmus, at one time or
another, on the occasion of their visits to
Eltliam. Master Browne lived in stirring
times.
Here is the extract from his will. Let us
read it:
"I will that John and Antony my gonnes
and Sir Edward, William Bowen, and their
heires or to whose handes or possession the
foresaid landes and tenements doo com, dis-
cent, sale or otherwise enjoye the same that
they and their heires shall every yere yerely
for ever more fynde or cause to be founde
alweys yerely upon Tewesday in the Rogacion
weke at the Procession tyme at the Cross
vpon Shoters Hill a fyrkyu of Ale, xijd. in
bred to be disposed and gyven amonge pour
people coming wt the same procession and
also shall geve and paye vnto the preest then
reding the gospell, jd. and the clerk there
being jd. John Browne, gent., 1533."
You will notice that Master Browne was lib-
eral with his ale, giving as much as a firkin,
which is, nowadays, nine gallons. Twelve
pence was also spent in bread for the poor. But
the priest who had to attend the procession to
the Cross at Shooter's Hill, there to read the
Gospel, and the faitlful Parish Clerk who fol-
lowed at his heels, had to be satisfied each with
a penny for their services. We may hope, how-
ever, that they had a reasonable share of the
ale.
But the point of this will which interests us
most, at the moment, is the allusion to the
"Cross at Shooter's Hill." From these old
documents, only recently unearthed, we may
therefore learn that mediaeval crosses, of some
sort, actually existed in Eltham, though, unfor-
tunately, they have been destroyed.
How came they to be destroyed, you will ask?
It was done by an ordinance of Parliament
in the year 1643.
" Die Lunse 28 August! 1643.
" An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons,
assembled in Parliament, for the utter de-
molishing, removing, and taking away of
all monuments of Superstition or Idolatry
out of all Churches and Chapells and Open
Places, within the Kingdom of England
and Dominion of Wales.
" Before the 1st November, 1643."
It was ordained that this destruction should
be carried out within the period of some three
months. "It was further ordained that all and
every such removal, taking away, and defacing
such crucifixes and crosses as aforesaid should
be done at the expense of the Churchwardens
of every such parish for the time being respec-
88
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
tively, and in the case of default for the space
of 21 days after the said 1st day of November,
1643, under a penalty of 40s. to the use of the
poor of the said Parish, and if default should
be made after the 1st day of December, 1643,
then the destruction was done by the Justice of
the Peace, and the Churchwardens had to pay
the cost. Poor Churchwardens!
It would seem that the Churchwardens did
the work effectively in Eltham. "Paul's
Cross " was destroyed at the same time, as well
as thousands of others. In the western
counties, however, the ordinance appears to
have been only partially carried out. Many of
the village crosses were defaced, but not
destroyed entirely. When we read of this wide-
spread destruction, in these days, we wonder
at its severity, perhaps, and we appreciate the
words of John Euskin, when he deplores the
loss of the beautiful examples of early architec-
ture. "The feudal and monastic buildings of
Europe," he writes, " and still more the streets
of her ancient cities, are vanishing like dreams;
and it is difficult to imagine the mingled envy
and contempt with which future generations
will look back to us, who still possessed such
things, yet made no effort to preserve and
scarcely any to delineate them."
So has it been with the beautiful examples
of mediaeval crosses which once were an orna-
ment to our land. They can never be replaced.
" Paxil's Cross," new and spick and span, how-
ever closely it may be made to resemble its
predecessor, can never speak to us with the
voice of the one that was so ruthlessly
destroyed. But it will be good to see it there.
So we value this new Cross in Eltham church-
yard, for it not only serves as a monument to
a good man, but it reminds us of another age,
and of social life and associations of our village
which might otherwise be forgotten.
CHAPTER X.
CHURCHYARD SCENES.
There ia at least one old churchyard custom
that has not died out. It is that of placing
flowers upon the graves. There they lie, some
of them choice and costly flowers, many of
them simple flowers from the cottage garden,
but all placed there by loving hands — for
remembrance.
The practice interests us to-day because it is
of ancient origin. It is to be associated with
the earliest days of Christianity, and it has
been practised in varying degrees, by Eltham
people, through the long centuries of this
churchyard's existence.
As early as the fourth century we have an
allusion to this custom of putting flowers upon
graves in a funeral oration of St. Ambrose, one
of the Fathers of the Latin Church. "I will
not sprinkle his grave with flowers," he says,
"but pour on his spirit the odour of Christ.
Let others scatter baskets of flowers: Christ is
our Lilly, and with this I will consecrate his
relics."
Then, again, St. Jerome, of about the same
period, in the Epistle to Pammachius upon
the death of his wife, says. " While other hus-
be.nds strewed violets, roses, lillies and purple
flowers upon the graves of their wives, and
comforted themselves with such-like offices,
Pammachius bedewed her ashes and venerable
bones with the balsam of Alms."
An old writer, referring to this ancient prac-
tice, in England and especially in Wales and
the West, says: —
" None but sweet-scented flowers or ever-
greens are allowed to be planted upon graves;
such as pink and polyanthus, sweet-william,
gill flower, and carnation; while mignonette,
thyme hyssop, camomile, and rosemary, com-
plete the pious decoration. The turnsole,
peony, African marigold, anemone, and others,
though beautiful, are excluded for their want
of odour. Sometimes, however, the tender cus-
tom is perverted into satire; and where per-
sons have been distinguished for their pride,
vanity, or other unpopular quality, the neigh-
bours whom they have offended, plant these
also by stealth. The white rose is confined to
the maiden's tomb; and the red denotes the
grave of one distinguished for goodness, espec-
ially for benevolence of character.
" In Easter week," he continues, " the graves
are generally newly dressed and manured with
fresh earth. At Whitsuntide, or rather dur-
ing the preceding week, the graves are again
attended to, and, if necessary, replanted. A
popular saying of those who employ themselves
in this office of regard for departed friends is,
that they are cultivating their own freeholds;
explained by the fact that the nearest relations
of the deceased invariably work with their
own hands, never by servants or hired labour.
Should a neighbour assist, he or she never
expects remuneration; indeed, the offar would
be resented as an insult."
Much more could be said about this beauti-
ful old practice of putting flowers upon the
graves of our friends, and many allusions to it
could be gathered from the poets of the past.
But we have said enough to show its antiquity,
and to help us to realise, that in our practice
of it to-day, we are doing what those before us
have done for centuries.
40
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Let us now consider some of those church-
yard customs which no longer exist. Yes, ther«
is the Church Clock striking the hour, and a
very convenient thing it is to have a clock in
the church tower to give us the time of day.
Our forefathers had to content themselves
with a sundial, and the Churchyard was the
place where the village sundial was nearly
always kept.
Eltham had its sundial, for in the Church-
warden's accounts, we find the following
entry : " 1572. Received from Sir John Car-
nicke, Vicar, to wards making of the dialle of
his own' free gifts, iijs."
You may see these old-fashioned denoters of
the hour in many an old village churchyard,
even in the present day. They are most com-
monly placed upon the south wall of the
church, though sometimes they stand upon a
pedestal away from the building. The Eltham
sundial no longer exists.
But, the Churchyard has been the scene of
practices, in the far away past, which we
Bhould regard in those days, as rather strange,
and, some of them, even shocking. There are
records which show that in the early English
days, and even at a latter time, the Church-
yard was used as a sort of Court of Justice.
"What better place than this," writes Mr.
John Nicholson, " could be found in the whole
township for the hearing of disputes and the
settling of cases ? Here, the bishop sat with
the sheriff, the clerics were lawyers, where
oaths could be taken on everything that was
holy, and round which all a man's sacred
associations clustered. The churchyard was
a court of justice; but in later times, the
ecclesiastical authorities discouraged the hold-
ing of secular pleas in churches and church-
yards."
"In 1287," continues the same writer, " a
synod held at Exeter, said, ' Let not secular
pleas be held in Churchyard?,' but as late as
1472, we find from the York Fabric Rolls, that
at Helmsley and Stamfordbiig, all the par-
ishicners there hold pleas and other temporal
meetings in the Church and Churchyard."
Such proceedings as these seem strange to us
now. But we will notice now some that were
discreditable. Though there does not seem fo
be any documentary evidence that these things
occurred in our churchyard, there is no great
reason for thinking that Eltham would have
been different from other villages in this
respect.
The great Church festivals were strictly ob-
served in old days, and it should be remem-
bered that the Church was the great centre at
which people congregated on such "holy-
days." These " holy-days," were really and
truly " holi-days," and it seems that traders
of all sorts used to assemble in the church-
yards for the purpose of doing business with
the people who thronged up to worship.
" At these gatherings," we are told, " dealers
in all kinds of goods appeared on the scene,
spread their wares on the tombstones, and
could with difficulty be kept out of the sacred
edifice itself. Their noisy shouting, the as-
semblage of pleasure seekers, and the tumult
attending such gatherings, interfered seriously
with the Divine worship proceeding inside the
Church."
A record, dating 1416, referring to a north-
country parish, states: — "The parishioners
say that a common market of vendibles is held
in the Churchyard on Sundays and holidays,
and divers things, and goods, and rushes are
exposed there for sale, and horses stand over
the bodies of the dead there buried, and defile
the graves, to the great dishonour and mani-
fest hindrance of Divine worship, on account
of the clamour of those who stand about."
With so much disregard for the sacredness of
the place it is not surprising that the Church-
yard became a sort of public playground. The
instructions issued to the clergy by the Synod
of Exeter, to which we have already referred,
gives us some idea of the prevailing state of
affairs at the time. It proceeds thus : —
" We strictly enjoin our parish priests that
they publicly proclaim in their Churches, that
no one presume to carry on combats, dances or
other improper sports in the Churchyards,
especially on the eves of the feasts of saints;
or stage plays or farces, by which the honour
of the churches is defiled and sacred ordin-
ances despised."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
41
Yet another record says:— "It is ordered;
by the consent of the parishioners, that no one
use improper and prohibited sports within the
Churchyard, as, for example, wrestling, foot-
ball, and hand-ball, under penalty of two-
pence."
"The Whitsun Ales," or "Church Ales" as
they were called, were a curious custom initi-
ated for a good purpose, but ultimately so
abused that they can be fairly described as dis-
graceful. They were so general, and so usually
connected with churchyards, that we must
allude to them here; and they were so charac-
teristic a feature of English village life, that
the story of Eltham would not be complete
without some notice of them.
The name " Ale " does not here refer to that
well-known drink which has always been so
palatable to Englishmen, even from the time
when they dwelt in their stockaded villages
upon the shores of the Baltic. The word
really means "festival." Shakespeare uses it
in this sense:
" On ember days, and holy ales."
Pericles I. Introduction.
Near to the church there used to etand a
curious building called a " church-house."
There is probably none of these in existence
now. They have long since passed away, and
are only met witii in churchwardens' ac-
counts. The "church-house" was a large
building in which could be stored wood, lime,
timber, and other articles, and it was often
let to pedlars, or wandering merchants, to de-
posit their goods during the fair.
Within it was a long low room with a large
fireplace and hearth, and down the centre of
the room was a large oak table. Here it was
that our ancestors established the head-
quarters of the "ale," the centre of village
festivities, which were celebrated, sometimes,
as often as four times in the year.
The antiquarian, Aubrey, has described a
"church-house" in the following words: —
" In every parish was a church-house, to
which belonged spits, crocks, and other uten-
sils for dressing provisions. Here the house-
keepers met. The young people were there
too, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at
butts, &c., the ancients sitting gravely by, and
looking on."
An old writer has left us a pretty full ac-
count of how a "church ale" was conducted.
So we will have the description in his own
words : —
In certaine townes where dronken Bacchus
beares swaie, against Christmas and Easter,
Whitsondaie, or some other tymne, the
churche-wardeus of every parishe, with (he
consent of the whole parishe, provide half-a-
score or twenty quarters of mault, whereof
some they buy of the church stocke, and some
is given them of the parishioners themselves,
every one conferring somewhat, according to
his abilitie; which maulte being made into
very s-trong ale or beere, is set to sale, either in
the church or some other place assigned to
that purpose.
"Then when this is set abroche, well is he
that can gette the soonest to it, and spend the
most at it. In this kind of practice they con-
tinue sixe weekes, a quarter of a yeare, yea,
halfe a yeare together. That money, they say,
is to repaire their churches and chapells with,
to buy bookos for service, cuppes for the cele-
bration of the Sacrament, surplesses for St.
John, and such other necessaries. And they
maintaine other extraordinarie charges in
their parish besides."
More details of the doings of the "Whitsun-
ale" are left by another old writer.
"Two persons are chosen," he writes, "pre-
viously to the meeting to be lord and lady of
the 'ale'; who dress as suitably as Hiey can
to the character they assume. A large empty
barn or some such building, is provided for the
lord's hall, and fitted up with seats to accom-
modate the company. Here they assemble to
dance and regale The lord
p.nd lady honour the hall with their presence,
attended by steward, sword-bearer, purse-
bearer, and mace-bearer, with their several
badges and ensigns of office. They have, like-
wise, a train-bearer or page, and a fool or
jester, drest in a party-coloured jacket. . . .
The lord's music, consisting of a pipe and
tabor, is employed to conduct the dance."
42
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
From a sermon preached by one William
Kethe, on the 17th January, 1570, we find that
it was the custom at that time for the
"church-ale" to be kept oil the Sabbath Day,
which holy-day, said the preacher, "the multi-
tude call their revelying day, which day is
spent in bulbeating, beare-beating, bowlings,
dyeyng, cardying, daunsyuge?, drunkennes,
and other sinnes, in so much, as men could not
keep their servauntes from lyinge out of theyr
owne houses the same sabbath day at night."
It is not to be wondered at that " Church
Ales" fell into disrepute and ultimately were
discontinued altogether. It is hard to believe
that such practices could hare gone on in our
village churchyards. But our ancestors prob-
ably satisfied their conscience by the know-
ledge that the proceeds of these entertainments
went to the benefit of the parish, sometimes
for the maintenance of the church, sometimes
for the relief of the poor. There is at least
one record which shows that in a Wiltshire
village, Kingston St. Michael, the proceeds of
the "Whitsun Ale," enabled the parish to do
without a " poor rate" !
Such, then, were some of the scenes which
our churchyard witnessed in other days. We
may take credit to ourselves, that the making
of " God's Acre" a place for merchandise is
quite out of harmony with our modern ideas
of the respect and reverence due to such a
locality, and that the scenes which often ac-
companied the holding of "Whitsun Ales"
would be repulsive even to the callous minded
of the present generation.
So our churchyard speaks to us, whispering
of the ancient dead which it embraces, and, if
we will take the pains to interpret its message,
revealing to us many aspects of the daily life
of our ancestors which, now, seem strange and
unfamiliar.
CHAPTER XI.
SOME OLD-TIME BURIAL CUSTOMS.
We are all familiar with the ceremony of
burial as it is performed now, so impressive in
its simplicity and solemnity. Many of the cus-
toms connected with that ceremony are of great
antiquity.
For instance, there is the custom of following
the corpse, in procession, to the grave. This
is of ancient origin, and is said to have been
practised by the heathen. An ancient writer
says : —
"In burials, the old Rite was that the ded
Corps was borne afore, and the people folowed
after, as one should saie we shall dye and
folowe after hym, as their laste woordes to the
corpse did pretende. For thei used too saie,
when it was buried, on this wise, farewell, wee
come after thee, and of the folowyng of the
multitude thei were called Exequies."
Another writer says: "The Christian obser-
vance of the custom is founded upon the same
reason as the heathen; and as this form of pro-
cession is an emblem of our dying shortly after
our friend, so the carrying in our hands of ivy,
sprigs of laurel, rosemary, and other ever-
greens, is an emblem of the soul's immortal-
ity."
Then there is the custom of dressing in black
at funerals. This too, is of very early origin,
although the custom was not universal.
" Black," wrote the " Athenian Oracle," " ig
the fittest emblem of that sorrow and grief the
mind is supposed to be clouded with; and as
Death is the privation of Life, and Black a pri-
vation of Light, it is very probable this colour
has been chosen to denote sadness, upon that
account; and accordingly this colour has, for
mourning, beeu preferred by most people
throughout Europe. The Syrians, Cappa-
docians, and Armenians use sky-colour, to de-
note the place they wish the dead to be in,
that is, the Heavens; the Egyptians yellow, or
fillemot, to shew that as herbs being faded be-
come yellow, so Death is the end of human
hope; and the Ethiopians grey, because it re-
sembles the colour of the earth, which receives
the dead."
As evidence that "black" was not altogether
general even in heathen times, Polydore
Vergil refers to Plutarch thus: "Plutarch
writeth that the women in their mournyng laid
aparte all purple, gold, and sumptuous apparell,
and were clothed, bothe they and their kins-
folk, in white apparel, like as then the ded
body was wrapped in white clothes. The white
coloure was thought fittest for the ded, because
it is clere, pure, and sincer, and least defiled.
Of this ceremonie, as I take it, the French
Queues toke occasion, after the death of their
housebandes the Kyuges, to weare only white
clothyng, and, if there bee any such widdowe,
she is commonly called the White Quene.
Mournyng garments for the moste part be
altogether of blacke colour, and they are to
wear them a whole yere continually, onlesse it
bee because of a generall triumphe or rp-
joysyng, or newe magistrate choosyng, or else
when thei bee toward marriage."
If you peruse the wills of those who have been
buried in or about our Parish church, you
will find frequent allusions to "lights" and
"tapers" in association with their burial. For
instance : —
In 1468, Richard Tottnam left provision for
21bs. of wax, and also for a torch to burn be-
fore the image of St. John the Baptist.
44
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
In the same year William Goffe left 8d. each
towards four lights in the church.
In 1477, John Frances, yeoman, provided for
two tapers of 81bs. each.
In 1484, John Adene, husbandman, not only
left 8d. to the light attached to the great beam
before the Crucifix, but he also made provision
for a torch of 8s. to burn in the Church of
Eltham, around the bodies of six dead parish-
ioners.
In 1519 Ralf Wotton left means for his wife
Joan to burn a taper before the image of St.
Christopher during her life time, and to deliver
to the churchwardens enough to continue the
same for ever.
These are but a few instances. Many more
might be found were it necessary. They refer
to the old custom of lights at burials, which
has now practically died out. The custom was
intended as a mark of honour to the dead, and
to have a great number of such lights was a
apecial mark of honour. The torches and the
wax to make them were usually provided by the
churchwardens, and the sale of these articles
was a source of profit to the church.
The antiquary, Brand, commenting upon this
practice, says: —
"The custom of using torches and lignts at
funerals, or in funeral processions, seems to be
of long standing. The Romans anciently solem-
nised their funerals at night with torches, to
give notice of their approach, so that they
might not come in the way of their magistrates
and priests, whose sanctity was supposed to be
violated by the sight of a corpse, insomuch
that an expiatory sacrifice was required to
purify them before they could perform their
sacred functions. In later times public
funerals were celebrated in the day time, not
without the addition of torches, private fun-
erals continuing to be restricted to the night.
" Coming down to Christian times," he con-
tinues, " the learned Gregory maintains the
harmless import of candles, as shewing that
the departed souls are not quite put out, but,
having walked on earth as children of the
light, are now gone to walk before God in the
light of the living."
The practice of " lights" is still carried out
in the Eoman Catholic churches in England,
but in the Church of England the custom has-
died out.
In the earliest days of Eltham, the method
of interment was somewhat different from that
used at the present day. In the Christian
period of Anglo-Saxon times, they did not use
coffins of wood, which, are a fashion of the
last few centuries, but resorted to the
simple process of wrapping the corpse in
linen. Thus concealed, it was carried to the
grave by two persons, one of them holding the
head, the other the feet. The body was then
" censed " by the priest, who offered up prayers
and benedictions while it was being lowered
into the grave.
On the occasion of the burial of an important
person, the ceremonial was more imposing. The
priests would attend in a body, and sing hymns
while walking solemnly in procession.
We may rightly imagine such scenes as these
in the early history of Eltham, for, as we have
already said, there is every probability that
this ancient churchyard existed as a burial
ground long before the Anglo-Saxon period of
history came to an end.
In later centuries, stone coffins were some-
times used for those who could afford them. As
we have already pointed out, a coffin of this
kind was actually found when the builders were
digging for the foundations of the present
church. It is built into the wall at the base-
ment of the tower, and is visible just inside tnn
south door, on the right hand side. Tou may
identify it by the large stone cross which had
been engraven upon it.
Then it was customary, in olden times, to
bury within the church itself. In many of the
wills of Eltham people who died in ancient
days, we find instructions for their burial in
the church.
Henry Shylman, 1526, wished to be buried
"in the chauncell of the parish church of
Saynt John Baptist in Eltham."
Sir Philip Carrok, 1527, left instructions that
he was to be buried "in the Church of Saynt
John Baptist in Eltham, where as I am now
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
45
Vicar in the chauncell at the pwe or sets
«nde."
In H94, Richard Pemberton willed that he
should be buried "in the Churche of Saynt
Joone Bapte in Eltham afore our lady of Pyte
(Pity), and to the light of our lady of Pytei
xxd."
Many more such instances might easily be
found. But the practice was stopped, within
the memory of man, by act of Parliament. In
most old churches we may find brasses, flat
stones.and other indications of the position of
such burial places. We can point to nothing of
this kind in our present church, as the struc-
ture is comparatively new, and though built
upon the site of the old church, the exact posi-
tion of the tombs within the edifice has been
lost.
When a person dies, we still have a custom
of tolling a bell, which is usually called the
" Passing Bell." This is a relic of a very
ancient practice, but the bell, strictly speaking,
is not the "Passing Bell." We now ring the
bell after the person has died. In the days of
old Eltham, the bell was rung just before
death. It was, therefore, called the "Passing
Bell," because it notified that a person was
" passing " out of the state of life into death.
From an Order issued in the seventh year of
Elizabeth we find the following notice: —
"When anye Christian Bodie is in passing,
that the Bell be tolled, and that the Curate be
speciallie called for to comforte the sicke per-
son; and after the time of his passing, to ring
no more, but one short peale; and one before
the Buriall, and another short peale after the
Buriall."
But the custom was observed long before the
-time of Queen Elizabeth. In fact, Bede alludes
to it in his Ecclesiastical History. From him
we learn that the bell should be tolled before
the person's departure, that good men might
give him their prayers. If these prayers do no
good to the departing sinner, it is added, they
at least shew the disinterested charity of the
person who offers them.
There is an old English proverb alluding to
this bell which is widely known : —
"When thou dost hear a Toll or Knell,
Then think upon Thy Passing Bell."
It is easy to believe how, in the dark ages,
when ignorance was wide spread, all sorts of
superstitions were associated with the "Passing
Bell." There were some who believed that
the mere ringing of the bell " was helpful to
the passage of the soul."
"The Passing Bell," says Grose, " was
anciently rung for two purposes : one to be-
speak the prayers of all good Christians for a
soul just departing; the other to drive away
the evil spirits who stood at the bed's foot, and
about the House, ready to seize their prey, or
at least to molest and terrify the soul in its
passage; but by the ringing of that bell (for
Durandus informs us that Evil Spirits are
much afraid of bells), they were kept aloof;
and the soul, like a hunted hare, gained the
start, or had what is by sportsmen called law.
" Hence, perhaps, exclusive of the additional
labour, was occasioned the high price for toll-
ing the greatest bell of the Church; for that,
being louder, the Evil Spirits must go farther
off to be clear of its sound, by which the poor
soul got so much the start of them: besides,
being heard further off, it would procure the
dying man a greater number of prayers."
It is most probable that the true purpose of
the Passing Bell was to enable those who heard
it to offer a prayer for a "passing soul." You
will therefore see how inappropriate it is to
describe the bell which we now ring imme-
diately after death, as the " Passing Bell."
The antiquity of the custom is further shewn
by the writings of Durandus, who lived in the
twelfth century. He sets forth details of the
ringing, which are interesting.
"When anyone is dying, bells must be tolled
that the people may put up their prayers ; twice
for a woman and thrice for a man, if for a
Clergyman, as many times as he had Orders,
and at the conclusion a peal on all the bells, to
distinguish the quality of the person for whom
the people are put to their prayers. A bell,
too, must be rung while the corpse is conducted
46
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
to church, and daring the bringing of it out of of the dead. But those we have considered
the church to the grave."
There are many other customs, curious and
interesting, followed by our forefathers, in con-
nection with the solemn function of the burial
briefly, are sufficient, perhaps, to enable you to
catch a glimpse of Eltham life and habits
when, in those far-off days, they brought their
dead for interment in this old churchyard.
CHAPTER XII.
SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (1).
It is the dust of a great multitude which is
mingled here with earth. Eltham folk — men,
women, children, of all times, of all sorts and
conditions, lie beneath this green grass; many
and varied were their callings. Knights, war
riors, courtiers, divines, yeomen, churls, serfs,
all have been brought here at the last. They
may have led active and strenuous lives. Their
hopes, ambitious, disappointments, sorrows,
were such as we know ourselves, for human
(motions and passions have been the same in
all ages. They may have lived in love or in
enmity one with the other; by their words and
works they may have added to the joys of their
village community, or have contributed to its
sorrows; they may have been brave and indus-
trious, or idle and good-for-nothing ; the philan-
thropic, the virtuous, the wayward, the mis-
chievous, they have all lived their little day,
even as we are living ours, and then, by the
hand of remorseless Death have been duly
gathered in to the abode of silence.
In a few cases, loving friends have set up
stones to their memory, graving their names
thereon, setting forth their virtues. But writ-
ing, even upon stone, becomes defaced by age,
the stones themselves crumble away, and the
names are soon forgotten.
In the later centuries we may find the names
of the buried recorded in books. We may scan
these lists, but it is little that we know of the
individuals, except in the case of the few
whose works have lived for awhile after them.
Of the great host we can gleam nothing beyond
the name.
There are a few instances where something is
said of them which excites our interest, and
our imagination is stimulated by the little
glimpse which we get thereby of the times in
which they lived.
On August 28th, 1799, John Sauuders, late
coachman to the King, was buried here, hav-
ing died at the advanced age of 89 years. The
King at this time was George III., and it is
quite likely that, in his declining years, good
master John Saunders had many a good story
for his neighbours concerning King George and
his German Consort, Queen Charlotte.
In 1603, "One Will Bromeland, alias Brom-
field," was interred under rather harsh condi-
tions. He was a servant of Sir William Roper,
who lived at Well Hall— in the mansion some
remains of which still exist near the moat.
From the old Parish Register we learn that
wayward Will Bromeland was " excommuni-
cated for not coming to churche, and was
buried by soom of his fellowes in Caulves gar-
den the 26th of October, and taken up by them
the 28th of the same moneth, and then coffened
and carried to Kedbroke, where was no chappel
this many a yere, and there lyeth."
From which we may learn that regular
Church going was very rigorously enforced in
those days. Woe to the individual who neg-
lected it. You may be sure that the circum-
stauces attending the burying of Will Brome-
laiid, who, you will observe, found not a place
in this churchyard, gave rise to much serious
talk and wagging of wise heads among Eltham
folk at the time.
Then there was " Old Battan," as the regis-
ter calls him, who was buried on March 19th,
1620. He, too, was excommunicated, although
we are not told why. However, he found his
48
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
resting place here, for he was " buried at the
permission of Doctor Pope, Chancellor to the
right reverend father in God, the Lord Bushop
of Rochester."
In 1603, we are told that, that "three ser-
vants of Sir William Eoper died of the
plague." This, of course, was not the great
plague so well remembered in history. That
occurred some sixty years later. " The
plague" recorded in the Register at this date
was probably some kind of malignant fever.
Medical knowledge was of a very crude kind in
the seventeenth century, even at its close, and
one form of disease was easily confused with
another. There were many other deaths in
Eltham at the time from the same disease.
On November 24th, 1615, we learn that " Hes-
ter Ashfield was buried, being an excommuni-
cated person, in the churchyard, according to
ye Ixvii. cannon therin provided." One
may there find, perhaps, what was the sin of
poor Hester that such a fate awaited her body
after death.
We are told that it was on May 1st, 1621,
there was buried " Master Cornelius Orts, a
Hollander, servaunt unto the King, for provid-
ing haukes under Sir Anthony Pell." The
King was James I., who would ride out to
Eltham on sporting expeditions. Hawking
was a great form of sport with the Court in
those days, lords and ladies fair taking part in
it. No doubt Master Cornelius Orts was a
pretty well-known figure at the Eoyal hawk-
ings. But, notice that his funeral was on
May-day, which was a national holiday, de-
voted to maypole dancing and other pastimes,
and in every village there was merriment.
There was a tinge of sorrow, doubtless, that
day in Eltham, for, following the merriment
of the May-day morn, there came the solemn
tolling of Master Orts' funeral bell.
There is just one more that we must notice.
It is the entry regarding Roger Twist, who was
buried on September 23rd, 1612, and is de-
scribed as a recusant, about whom the register
says that he was " excommunicated and com
from Rome and repenting earnestly and haste-
ly desired of the bisshop absolution and to be
received into the Church of God, departed this
lyfe after he had received ye comfortable abso-
lution within five houers after."
We are not told the particular form of recus-
ancy for which unstable Roger Twist was given
this term of reproach. It was enacted in the
reign of Elizabeth that a fine of twelve pence
should be imposed on every one absenting him-
self from church or chapel (of course, those of
the Establishment), without reasonable excuse.
There were four classes of recusants. There
were the Simple Eecusants, who absented
themselves but managed to escape conviction.
"But sith our Church him disciplined so sore,
He, rank recusant came to Church no more."
There was the Recusant who had been con-
victed, also the Papist Recusant who would
refuse to acknowledge the King as head of the
Church, and the Popish Recusant convict. Pro-
testant Dissenters were relieved from the
penalties of recusancy by the Act of Toleration
in the time of William and Mary. In the
reign of George III. the "Catholic Belief Act"
was ' passed, which relieved the Roman
Catholics. But in 1844, the Recusancy Statute
itself was repealed.
The name of Shaw takes a prominent place
in the burial records of Eltham, during the
seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth cen-
turies. The family possessed a vault which was
constructed beneath the church on the north
side. The Parish Register records a rather
unfortunate incident in connection with the
building of this family vault. This is the
extract :—
" That while the workmen were digging to
make the vault under Sir John Shaw's aisle,
he having obtained a faculty for building the
said aisle on the north side of the Church, the
roof of the great aisle in the Church fell down
by reason of the carelessness of the workmen
in not shoring up the roof, upon St. Bartholo-
mew's Day, June 24th, 1667, which with the
pulpit and pews were rebuilt at the cost of the
said John Shaw."
It will be noticed that the clerk who made
this entry has confused St. Bartholomew's Day
with that of St. John Baptist, the patronal
Saint.
No. 40.
THE OLD VICARAGE AS SEEN FROM WHAT IS NOW SHERARD ROAD.
In the distance the Church. On the right the old " Chequers Inn." (Date 1833).
The old shops on the immediate right are still in existence.
No. 41.
VIEW OF STREET LEADING TO THE OLD CHURCH,
Showing the old " Chequers Inn " (Date 1870),
OJ the left hand the railings, etc., of the old Vicarage Field.
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
SIR JOHN SHAW.
As the family of Shaw, who were descended
from Sir Edmund Shaw, Lord Mayor of Lon-
don in 1382, were associated with Eltham for
nearly two centuries and played a prominent
part in its history, we may well regard the
founder of the Eltham family, who was buried
beneath the old church, as one of our distin-
guished dead. Let us, therefore, briefly recall
his history.
Mr. John Shaw was a banker in the time of
the Commonwealth, and he carried on business
in London and in Antwerp. When Prince
Charles, the son of the unhappy Charles I.,
was living in exile in Brussels and Antwerp,
he had the good fortune to meet with the rich
banker, who relieved the poverty-oppressed
Prince by a loan of money.
In the course of time, the Prince was offered
the Crown of his father, and returned to Eng-
land as Charles II. Then it was that Mr.
John Shaw was made the recipient of royal
favours, apparently upon the principle "that
one good turn deserves another." He was
made a baronet, and was trusted with so many
offices of State that Pepys, the diarist, has left
on record that he was " a miracle of a man,
holding more offices than any man in Eng-
land."
Amongst his many duties were those of sur-
veyor of the King's woods and trustee of the
lands of the Queen.
Eltham was one of the royal estates, and,
attracted, no doubt, by its delightful position,
as well as by its proximity to the metropolis,
Sir John was desirous of acquiring it for his
own use. The result was that he was granted
the lease of the manor for himself and heirs,
for ever, on condition that they renewed the
leasa from time to time and paid certain fines
that were duly set out in the document.
The manor embraced the land from South
End of Home Park, Lee, together with the
old Palace, and all the rights of fishing, hawk-
ing, hunting, &c. The rental was .£9 per
annum, together with 20 shillings for the old
house, and a "fine" of «£3,700.
From the Eltham Registers we find that on
June 24th, 1663, which must have been soon
after his acquisition of the Eltham lease, Sir
John was married to Lady Bridget, the widow
of Viscount Killmurray. This was his second
wife.
His lease carried with it building rights, and
about this time he was proceeding with the
erection of the large house now standing in
the Park, and at present occupied by the Elt-
ham Golf Club.
At this mansion, Sir John lived the life of
a country gentleman, visited from time to time
by his friends of the metropolis, including, at
least on one occasion, King Charles II. him
self. The old baronet has left behind him a
good name, nothwithstanding the fact that
he lived at a period when wild and dissolute
living was the fashion.
On the one hand, we have been told by Bis-
hop Morley that he was "a very zealous
Churchman." On the other, Samuel Pepys
has declared him to have been "a very grave
and fine gentleman, and very good company."
He died at the age of 80 years, March 1st,
1679, and he was interred in the vault which
he had had built beneath the church, and
where rest many other members of his
family.
Among the distinguished members of the
Shaw family is the Rev. John Kenward Shaw
Brooke, who was for the long period of sixty
years Vicar of Eltham. He died on Decem-
ber 16th, 1840, in the 82ud year of his age. He
was beloved in Eltham for his good works, and
on the occasion of his jubilee in 1833, there
were great rejoicings in the village. He left
a bequest for the benefit of our schools. There
is an oil painting of the old Vicar at the
Church, which was presented to him by bin
parishioners on the occasion of his jubilee. An
engraving from this picture hangs in our
school.
The members of the Shaw family who have
been interred in the great family vault be-
neath the church are : —
EAST SIDE.
DAME MARGERY SHAW, late wife of Sir John
Shaw, Bart., died 2nd August, 1690.
50
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
SB. JOHN PEAKE, Knt. and Alderman of Lon-
don. Died 2nd June, 1688.
SR. JOHN SHAW, Knight and Bart. Died
1st March, 1679, aged 80 years.
MRS. ELIZTH. SHAW. Died 24th April, 1693.
DAME ELIZTH. SHAW. Died February, 1750,
in the 24th year of her age.
SB. JN. SHAW, Bart., Collector of his
Majesty's Customs of the Port of London.
Died December 8th, 1721. Aged 63.
SARAH LADY SHAW, Late wife of Sr. John
Shaw, of Eltham, Bart., died ye 2nd Jan'y,
1742 (3).
JOHN SHAW, Esq., Eldest Son of Sr. John
Shaw, Bart., died 16th May, MDCCLXI., in
the llth year of his age.
LEWIS JAMES SHAW, Esq., died 15th May,
1807, in the 14th year of his age.
DAME JCDITH PEAKE (Relict of Sir Jno.
Peake, Knt., late Lord Mayor of ye City of
London), died ye 10th Jan'y, 1723 (4), in ye
81st year of her age.
DAME ANNE MARIA SHAW, died 29th Kov'r,
1755, in the 58th year of her age.
The Eight Hon'ble BRIDGET, Viscountess of
Kilmurry. Died 7th July, 1696.
DAME MARTHA SHAW. Relict of Sr. Jno. Shaw,
Bart., died Oct'r 28th, 1794, in the 64th year
of her age.
SR. JOHN SHAW, Bart. Died 18 June, 1779,
in the 51st year of his age.
SR. JOHN SHAW, Bart. Died 4th March,
1738 (9), aged 53 years.
The Son of Sir JOHN SHAW, Bart., and Dame
MARTHA. April 2nd, 1755.
MASTR. JNO. BARNARDISTON SHAW. Died 4th
December, 1757, aged 4 mo. & 6 dys.
THEODOSIA SHAW, daughter of Sir Jno.
Gregy. Shaw, Bart., and the Hon. Dame Tha :
Mar: died Feb'y 3rd, 1785, aged 9 ms. & 14
dys.
THEODOSIA MARTHA SHAW, daughter of Sr.
Jno. Gregy. Shaw, Bart., and the Honble.
Dame Theoa. Margt., born April 28th, 1792,
died June llth, 1794.
Vincit Qui Patitur. SIR JOHN GREGORY
SHAW, Bart., Died 28 Oct., 1831. Aged 75
years.
The Eight Honble. THEODOSEA BARONESS
DOWAGER MONSON, relict of John, the 2nd
Baron Monson, died Feby. 20th, 1821, in the
96th year of her age.
The Honorable Dame THEODOSIA MARGARET
SHAW. Died 24 Octr., 1847, aged 85 years.
Miss EMMA GRACE HAWLEY. Died 18th May,
1819, aged 5 mons.
JOHN SHAW, Died Octr. 30th, aged 2 weeks,
1717.
Two small coffins without inscriptions.
WEST SIDE.
The Honble. MAB. PHIL. MOHUN. Died 31st
Augst, 1703.
The Honble. MARY NEEDHAM. Died 31st
August, 1701, in the 39th year of her age.
Mrs. SARAH GWILT. Eldest daughter of
Wm. Shaw, Esq., and relict of John Gwilt,
of Cheshunt, Herts., Esq., died July 5th, 1784,
aged 62 years.
MRS. ELIZTH SHAW, wife of Wm. Shaw, Esq.,
died Deer. 28, 1758, in the 58th year of her
age.
WM. SHAW, Esq., eldest son of Sr. Jno.
Shaw, Bart., by Sarah, his 2nd wife, died
Feby 5th, 1767, aged 70.
MARY SHAW, spinster. Died 10th May, 1766.
Aged 65
PAGGEN SHAW, Esq. Died 23rd Augst., 1770.
Aged 70.
MRS. CAMILLA SHAW. Ob. 30 Deer., 1759,
^Etat. 35.
MR. JNO. PARKER. Died 16th Oct., 1720,
aged 24.
WM. SMITH, M.D., Died 28th Mar., 1744, aged
33 yrs.
SARAH, the wife of Wm. Smith, Esq., eldest
daughter of Sr. Jno. Shaw, Bart., by Dame
Margy, his wife, died July 22nd, 1722. JEtat
35.
MRS. ELIZTH. RAN. Died Sept 3rd, 1760, in
the 71st year of her age.
JNO. SHAW, Esq., eldest son of Wm. Shaw,
Esq., died May 2nd, 1772. Aged 51.
MRS. ANN TRONS. Died 3rd Jany, 1775, aged
66 years.
MRS. JANE JACKSON. Died llth Dec'r, 1767.
Aged 61.
ELIZ'H, 2nd daughter of Wm. Shaw, Esqr.,
died 14th Oct., 1769.
WM. HUGHES. Died 26th Dec'r, 1786, aged
13 years.
WM. HUGHES, Esqr. Died 21st April, 1786,
aged 36 years.
FRANCES ANNE SHAW. Died 11 Dec'r, 1872.
Aged 84 yrs.
The Revd. JOHN KENWARD SHAW BROOKE.
Died 16th Deer., 1840, in the 82nd year of
his age.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
51
AUGCSTA ANNE SHAW. Died 15 June, 1833.
Aged 42 yrs.
CHARLES SHAW, Esq.r., Captain of the Royal
Navy. Ob. 2nd May, 1829, aged 43 years.
ANNE MARIA CHARLOTTE SHAW (daughter of
the late Charles Shaw, Esq., E.N.), died 15th
Jany., 1840, aged 11 years 11 months.
In a letter written by the Queen of Bohemia
from the Hague, to Mr. Secretary Nicholas,
Sept. 29, 1654, an interesting comment is made
upon one of the ladies who now sleeps in this
Eltham vault. The Queen writes : —
"Phil. Mohun is here; she is fled from
England, fearing to be imprisoned by Crom-
well. She's verie good company and talkes
verie freely but handsomlie."
The honourable lady is believed to have been
a maid of honour to the Queen of Bohemia.
The allusion throws a vivid flash of light upon
those troublous times. (Note Evelyn's Diary.
Ed. 1895. Vol. iv., page 212.)
HELMETS, 1675.
THOMAS DOGGET DANCING THE "CHESHIRE ROUND."
(This picture is taken from the original and only contemporary Print of the famous Actor).
CHAPTER XIII.
SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (2).
We will continue in this chapter some
further observations upon the distinguished
dead who found a resting place in the old
churchyard or beneath the old church of
Eltham.
THOMAS DOGGET (Comedian),
Interred in the Parish Vault, Sept. 27th, 1721.
The parish register records that the church-
wardens received the customary fee for inter-
ment of Thomas Dogget in the church.
Although Dogget was a capable come-
dian and a highly respectable and
respected gentleman in his day, his name
would not have been any more familiar to us
now-a-daye than that of the other capable
comedians and respectable gentlemen of his
time if he had not been an ardent politician.
He lived at a time when political controversy
raged round questions associated with the
Hanoverian succession. Dogget was a very
pronounced Whig, so pronounced, indeed, that
he set by a sum of money to endow an annual
waterman's race upon the Thames in memory
of the advent of the Hanoverian kings, and it
is really this waterman's race which has made
Dogget's name so distinguished. How many
of the people who flock to this annual event
have any idea who and what Dogget was,
and why he instituted and endowed the con-
test for the "Dogget Coat and Badge?" This
race comes off every year on the 1st of August,
or as near to that date as the conditions of the
tide will allow. The course of the highly-
popular race is from London Bridge to Chel-
sea, on the top of an ebb tide. The contest is
usually keen, and is witnessed by large
crowds.
Now, although Thomas Dogget was really an
Irishman by birth, we may fairly claim him
as one of our Eltham worthies, for, not only
was he buried here, but he had lived amongst
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
53
the Eltham people for years, and had married
the grand-daughter of old Dr. Owen, the
Vicar of Eltham at the time.
Dogget was a man of mark in his day. He
was a distinguished actor and also an author
of plays. He played at Old Drury, and so
original was he at his art that Congreve, the
dramatist, wrote plays to suit his particular
style. He also shared in the management of
Drury, along with Wilks and Colley Gibber.
The latter has said of him that "Dogget was
the most of an original and the strictest
observer of nature of all his contemporaries;
he was a pattern to others, whose greatest
merit it was that they sometimes tolerably
imitated him."
Anthony Ashton, a companion of Dogget,
has left behind a little word portrait of our
comedian which is worth reading. It runs
thus : "Dogget, in person, was a lively little
man; in behaviour, modest, cheerful and com-
plaisant; he sang in company very agreeably,
and in public very comically; he danced the
Cheshire round full well as Captain George . .
I travelled with him in his strolling company,
and found him a man of very good sense, but
illiterate, for he wrote me word thus : 'Sir, I
will have a hole share,' instead of a whole
share. He dressed neat, and something fine —
in plain cloth coat and a brocaded waistcoat.
While I travelled with him each sharer kept
his horse, and was everywhere respected as a
gentleman."
From this we may picture in our mind's
eye Thomas Dogget going to Eltham church
on a Sunday morning, decked out in his
brocaded waistcoat, knee breeches, and shoes
with shiny buckles, looking every inch a gentle-
man. We may, perhaps, picture the jolly little
man making an occasional call at The King's
Arms, or one of the other old Eltham hos-
tel lies, and there, to the old gossips of the
village, retailing, with rare wit, tales from his
storehouse of jests, to their great amusement
and edification.
But Dogget was a strong party politician.
Sir Richard Steel, the friend of Addison, used
to say that "Dogget was a Whig up to his very
ears." It was, therefore, no great wonder
that he endowed the race which was to keep
in memory the accession of George I.
We are told that Dogget made a fortune,
and retired to the pretty country village of
Eltham to enjoy it.
SIE WILLIAM JAMES.
Sir William James was interred here on
December 22nd, 1783. His death had occurred
under very painful circumstances, for he died
quite suddenly on the occasion of the festivi-
ties in connection with the marriage of his
daughter at Park Farm-place.
Sir William was a distinguished sailor of
his day. "He was born at Milford Haven in
1721, went to sea at the age of 12 years, and
commanded a ship when he was twenty. He
served under Sir Edward Hawke, in the West
Indies in 1738. While in the command of a
trading ship he was captured by the
Spaniards in the Gulf of Florida. After being
released, he suffered shipwreck in a storm,
and, with seven of his crew, endured great
hardships for twenty days in a small boat,
Mr. James's snuff-box serving to measure each
man's daily allowance of water. They drifted
back to Cuba, whence they had parted from
the Spaniards, and were received by them
back again into captivity.
The East India Company afterwards em-
ployed the gallant captain as commander of
the Guardian, in suppressing piracy on the
Malabar Coast. Acting as convoy to seventy
trading vessels, he was attacked by Angria,
the pirate, and a large fleet of frigates, which
he beat off.
In 1751, he was appointed Commander-in-
chief of the East India Company's marine
forces, and, on April 2nd, 1755, he captured
Severndroog, the chief fortress of the pirate
Angria.
In 1756 he captured a French ship, his
superior in men and guns, and carried her to
Bombay; and in 1757 he showed his nautical
skill by navigating a vessel through a con-
trary monsoon, and conveying 500 troops to
Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, and the
intelligence of the outbreak of the war with
France. The capture of the chief French
6A
54
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
settlement, Chandenagore, was the result of
this piece of seamanship.
Captain James returned to England in 1759,
and the East India Company presented him
with a handsome gold-hilted sword. He was
chosen a director of the Company, and re-
mained in that office for twenty years.
For fifteen years he was Deputy-Master of
Trinity House; he was also a Governor of
feet high, or in all, 140 feet higher than St.
Paul's, and was constructed from the design
of Mr. Jupp.
It consists of three stages; on each of the
upper stories is a room with two smaller
rooms adjoining, and neatly fitted up. At
one time its vestibule was ornamented with
armour and trophies taken at Severndroog,
whence its name, "Severndroog Castle."
HILT OF PRESENTATION SWORD TO SIR WILLIAM JAMES.
Greenwich Hospital, and Member of Parlia-
ment for West Looe. As a testimonial for his
skill in planning the reduction of Pondicherry
he was presented by the East India Company
with a rich service of plate.
He rebuilt the house in Eltham, and gave
it the name of Park Farm Place. He was
created a baronet in May, 1778."
The tower which we see yonder peeping out
from among the trees was erected by his
widow, Dame James, in memory of her dis-
tinguished husband. This interesting land-
mark is of triangular form. It stands sixty
"This far-seen monumental tower
Records the achievements of the brave.
And Angria's subjugated power,
Who plundered on the eastern wave."
BOBEKT BLOOHFIELD.
The body of the deceased baronet was, in the
first place, interred within the parish vault
beneath the church, but was subsequently re-
moved by his widow.
DAME JAMES.
Buried in the family vault, August 9th,
1798, aged 56 years.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
55
Dame James is a household word in Eltharu.
by reason of the charity which is called by her
name. She was the daughter and heiress of
Edward Goddard, of Hartham, Wilts, and be-
came the wife of Sir William James.
Their only son, Sir Edward William James,
of Eltham, Bart., died, unmarried, November
16th, 1752, at the age of 18. Their only daugh-
ter Elizabeth Anne, married Lord Eancliffe in
1795. It was on the occasion of this marriage
that the sad death of Sir William took place.
We find that Dame James obtained a faculty
to erect a tomb in the churchyard for the
exclusive use of her family, and she was em-
powered to have removed from the . parish
vault and placed in the new tomb the bodies
of her cousin, Brigadier General Thomas God-
dard, her husband, Sir William James, her
father, Edward Goddard, her son, Sir Edward
William James, and her child who had died at
birth. This tomb may be seen In the church-
yard.
Dame James left a legacy of £500, the in-
terest of which was to be distributed in coal to
the poor inhabitants of Eltham some day in
December before the 14th of that month.
LADY EANCLIFFE.
Buried on Jan. 28th, 1797.
This lady, the only daughter of Sir William
and Dame Anne James, whose married life
began under such tragic circumstances, was
exceedingly beautiful. The artist, Hoppner,
painted a three-quarter length portrait of her,
and this was engraved by Wilkin in 1795.
Her son, the last peer, died in 1850. One
of her daughters, Maria Charlotte, married,
first in 1817, the Marquess de Choiseul, and
secondly, in 1824, the Prince de Polignac.
Ministers of Charles X., the King of France.
The parish register informs us that Lady
Rancliffe was buried at Eltham with great
pomp. She was only 31 years of age.
CHAPTER XIV.
SOME DISTINGUISHED DEAD (3).
BISHOP HORNE.
On the north side of the church, within a few
yards of the chancel door, are two square tombs,
each surmounted by an urn, and surrounded by
iron railings. On the larger of these tombs,
and upon the side facing the church, will be
found the following record: —
Here lie Interred
The earthly Remains of
The Right Reverend George Home, D.D.
Many years President of Magdalen College in
Oxford,
Dean of Canterbury
and late Bishop of Norwich,
In whose Character
Depth of Learning, Brightness of Imagination
Sanctity of Manners, and Sweetness of Temper
Were united beyond the usual lot of Mortality.
With his Discourses from the Pulpit, his
Hearers
Whether of the University, the City, or the
Country Parish
were edified and delighted.
His Commentary on the Psalms will continue
to be
a Companion to the Closet
Till the Devotion of Earth shall end in the
Hallelujah of Heaven.
Having patiently suffered under such
Infirmities
as seemed not due to his years
His Soul took its flight from this vale of misery
To the unspeakable loss of the Church of
England
and his sorrowing friends and admirers
Janry. 17th, 1792, in the 62nd year of his age.
This warmly expressed eulogy, though written
by one who was probably closely and intimately
associated with the good Bishop, and at the
time of recent bereavement, when we are apt
to dwell upon the virtues of those of whom we
are bereft, is not by any means an over state-
ment of the excellent qualities of this distin-
guished divine. History speaks well of him,
who, a man of ripe scholarship, of consistent
life, of singular gentleness of character, was
revered by his contemporaries, and was a force
for good in the land.
He had no official connection with Eltham,
but he married the daughter of Philip Burton,
Esq., of Eltham House — the dwelling which is
now the residence of Dr. St. John — and that
was how it came to pass that he found a resting
place in our churchyard, close to the adjoining
tomb already referred to, which is that of the
Burton family.
George Home was bora at Otham, near Maid-
stone, on November 1st, 1730, and was the son
of Samuel Home, who was rector of the parish.
He received his early education from his father,
and so great was his progress under parental
tuition, that when, at the age of thirteen
years, he was presented for admission to the
Maidstone Grammar School, the head master,
the Rev. Deodatus Bye, was surprised that he
should seek to enter the school when he was
fit enough to leave it.
At the age of sixteen, he won a "Maidstone
Scholarship" at University College, Oxford,
where he matriculated in March, 1745-6.
It was during his undergraduate course that
he became first acquainted with William Jones,
who was destined to become, in future years,
his chaplain and also biographer. Among other
constant friends at the University were Charles
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
57
Jenkinson, afterwards Earl of Liverpool, and
John Moore, who became Archbishop of Canter-
bury.
He graduated B.A. in October, 1749, and was
elected to a Kentish Fellowship at Magdalen
•College in 1750. Here he spent the greater
part of his life. He graduated M.A. in 1752,
.and was ordained by the Bishop of Oxford in
1753. He was made junior Proctor in 1758, and
in 1768 was elected "President of Magdalen."
From 1771 to 1781 he was Chaplain in
Ordinary to the King (George III.). In 1776 he
became Vice-Chancellor of the University, an
office which brought him into direct contact
with Lord North, who was Chancellor of the
University at the time.
His biographer says : — " With two such
friends as Lord Liverpool and Lord North, and
with his own intrinsic merits, he was clearly
-marked out for preferment. Accordingly, in
1781, he was made Dean of Canterbury." On
receiving this appointment, he intended to re-
sign his presidentship of Magdalen, and to take
np his abode permanently in Kent. But he
was persuaded from this course of action, and
submitted to the unsettled life of a pilgrim be-
tween the two situations of his college and his
deanery. We are told that " with everything
that lay between Oxford and Canterbury he
was acquainted, but with little else besides."
In 1788 his health seems to have broken down
prematurely; but in June, 1790, after some
hesitation on this account, he accepted the
Bishopric of Norwich. He held this important
post but a short time. His health grew worse,
and while on a journey to Bath he suffered a
paralytic stroke, from which he never fully re-
covered. He died at Bath on January 17th,
1792, whence his remains were brought to
Eltham for interment.
There is a marble tablet to his memory on a
pillar on the north side of the choir in Norwich
Cathedral.
It was in 1769 that he married the daughter
of Philip Burton, of Eltham, and three daugh-
ters were the result of the union.
The Dictionary of National Biography, from
which most of these notes are taken, comment-
ing upon the life and work of Bishop Home,
says : —
"Like many earnest men of the day, Home
fell under the inputation of Methodism. He
adopted the views of John Hutchinson (1674-
1737), and wrote in his defence, although he
disagreed with that theologian in his fanciful
interpretations of Hebrew etymology.
" Hutchinsonianism had some points in
common with Methodism, notably its intense
appreciation of Holy Scripture, and its insist-
ence upon spiritual religion. But Home was
distinctly what would now be called a High
Churchman, and he publicly protested from the
University pulpit against those who took their
theology from the Tabernacle and the Foundry,
instead of from the great divines of the church.
"Nevertheless, apart from his position as a
Hutchinsonian, Home personally shewed a
sympathy with the Methodists. He strongly
disapproved of the expulsion of the Methodist
students from St. Edmund's Hall, Oxford.
" He would not have John Wesley, an ordained
minister of the Church of England, forbidden
to preach in his diocese, and John Wesley
thoroughly appreciated his action.
" Home was an active promoter of the Naval
and Military Bible Society, which was founded
in 1780. Towards the close of his .life he
espoused the cause of the Scottish Bishops, who,
in 1789, came up to London to petition Parlia-
ment for the relief from penalties under which
they had long suffered."
As might be expected from a man of such
learning and intellectual vigour, he wrote a
great deal, and issued many pamphlets upon
theological and other subjects.
We are told that from an early age he wrote
against such antagonists as Newton, Hume,
Adam Smith, and William Law, "all of whom
he ludicrously under-rated."
His chief works are: —
(1) "A Fair, Candid, and Impartial State-
ment of the Case between Sir Isaac Newton and
Mr. Hutchinson," 1753.
<
Of this work, his friend and biographer, Mr.
Jones, says:— "He allowed Sir Isaac the great
68
THE STOKY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
merit of having settled laws and rules in
natural philosophy; but, at the same time, he
claimed for Mr. Hutchinson the discovery of
the true physiological causes by which, under
the power of the Creator, the natural world
was moved and directed."
(2) "Cautions to the readers of Mr. Law, and
with very few varieties to the Readers of Baron
(8) "A View of Mr. Kennicott's Method of
Correcting the Hebrew Text," 1760.
(4) "A Letter to Dr. Adam Smith," 1777.
(5) "Letters on Infidelity."
(0) "Answer to Dr. Clayton's Essay on
Spirit."
(7) "Commentary on the Psalms," 1771.
" A Defence of the Divinity of Christ," which
he proposed to write, in answer to Dr. Priestly,
wan not accomplished, on account of his illness
and subsequent death.
The great work of his life was his " Com-
mentary on the Psalms," which took him
twenty years to write, and he tells us in his
well-written preface to the work that it proved
to him a most delightful occupation. The
" Commentary," which is partly explanatory
and partly devotional, proceeds upon the prin-
ciple that most of the Psalms are more or less
Miwsiunio, and cannot be properly understood,
unless in relation to the Messiah.
Dr. Richard Maut has transferred the preface
almost en bloc to the pages of his annotated
" Book of Common Prayer."
Hannah More, of whom Bishop Home was
a groat friend, and who was in Bath at the
time of his fatal illness, was much attracted
by the "sweet and devout spirit" of the "Com-
mi-ntury."
Another work of a similar character was " Con-
siderations on the Life and Death of St. John
the liaptist," 1769. This work was an expan-
sion of a sermon preached by Dr. Home on St.
John the Baptist's Day, 1755, from the open-air
pulpit in the quadrangle of Magdalen College.
On the occasion of this sermon, it is recorded
that a green fence was put up all round the
quad, in order that "the preaching might more
nearly resemble that of St. John the Baptist
in the wilderness."
Dr. Home had a great reputation as a
preacher, and his earnest and scholarly sermons
were frequently reprinted. Many of them are
often quoted to-day by devotional writers, but
of all his works the "Commentary" is the only
one t lint holds a really permanent place in oui
literature.
When Dr. Johnson visited Oxford, with hi*
friend, Boswell, they waited upon Dr. Home,
at Magdalen, and as throwing a little sidelight
upon the subject of our sketch, we may quote
from Hoswell's Life of Johnson, the note he
made on the occasion. The chronicler says: —
" We drank tea with Dr. Home, late Presi-
dent of Magdalen College, and Bishop of Nor-
wich, of whose abilities, in different respects,
the public has had eminent proofs, and the
esteem annexed to whose character was in-
creased by knowing him personally. He had
talked of publishing an edition of Walton's
Lives, but had laid aside the design, upon Dr.
Johnson telling him, from mistake, that Lord
Hailes intended to do it. I had wished to
negotiate between Lord Hailes and him, that
one or the other should perform so good a
work."
In 'another part of Boswell's "Life" an
allusion is made to Dr. Home, which is very
interesting. He says:—
"This year (1778) the Rev. Mr. Home pub-
lished his ' Letter to Mr. Dunning on the
English Particle.' Johnson read it, and though
not treated in it with sufficient respect, he had
candour enough to say to Mr. Seward, ' Were I
to make a new edition of my dictionary I would
adopt several of Mr. Home's etymologies ; I
hope they did not put the dog in the pillory
for his libel; he has too much literature for
that.' "
ST. AUGUSTINi; (Koyal M.S.)
CUAITKK XV.
THE PARISH CHURCH (1).
We ilo not seem to have any record of tho drift
church that was erected in Kltham. In Dooms-
day Book there is no mention made of a church
at all, but we must not think from thin that
there was no church at that time. It was no
part of the plan of the Dooinsdiiy Survey to
include the churches, and you will flnd that it
is quite an exception to tho rule if a church is
mentioned in that interesting compilation. Tin
oeems to show that it was not the policy of
William the Conqueror to interfere with tho
temporalities of tho Church, as he found it in
England. And we may safely UHSiime that there
was already a Saxon or English Church at
Eltham. Five hundred years had passed away
wince Saint Augustine had first preached the
Gospel to the heathen JutcH at Canterbury, and
during that period Christianity had spread ill
all directions, a great English Church bad
grown up, and in every village community a
prominent point of interest was its little temple
of worship.
Tlu'so Saxon churches wen- mostly con-
structed of wood, and that is the reason why
so few remains of them are to be found now.
Some of them, however, were built of stone, and
here and there, about the country, you may still
come across them, or what is left of them.
There were very seldom any aisles or pillars
in these old Anglo-Saxon Churches, but the
roof was pitched from the outside walls. A
nave, a chancel, and a western tower seem tc
have been the usual forms. There are some old
towers still standing, attached to more modern
churches, and, sometimes, you will flnd old
towers have been added, or perhaps re-built, to
an ancient nave.
60
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
There is Greenstead Church, in Essex, and
Sompting Church, in Sussex, which will give
you a very good idea of what an Anglo-Saxon
church was like. Whenever you visit a coun
try village, where an old church still remains,
you will find it an interesting exercise to
examine its architecture, and try and discover
at what period of our history it was first made.
Young cyclists in these days have excellent
opportunities for the reading of village history
in this way.
Unhappily we have no ancient church build-
ing in Eltham to which we can point, for the
Parish Church has only been in existence a
little over thirty years. But we do know, of
a certainty, of two other churches that stood
upon the spot where the Church of St. John
the Baptist now stands, for there are records
to prove it; and we may be pretty sure that
there must have been an Anglo-Saxon church
even before them, in so ancient a community
as Eltham, though, as yet, no records have come
to light to tell us anything about it.
The first mention that we can find of an
Eltham church is in 1166. This was a hundred
years after the coming of William the Norman,
and it was in the reign of Henry II.
You will recollect that, in an earlier chapter,
we noted that the Manor of Eltham, in the
time of Haitno, the " Shire-Reeve," became a
part of the " honor" of Gloucester. From this
we may be able to understand how it was that
" William, Earl of Gloucester, on his founding
the priory within his manor, at Keynsham, in
Somerset, about the year 1166" was able to give
"to the Church of St. Mary and St. Paul, of
Keynsham, and the canons regular there serv-
ing God, in free and perpetual alms, the Church
of St. John, of Hautham (Eltham), with its
appurts."
This gift was subsequently confirmed by an-
other Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare, who
was a grandson of the William referred to
above, and also, in 1242, by Richard de Wen-
dover, who was Bishop of Rochester, to whose
diocese the living of Eltham belonged.
Now, this arrangement was the beginning of
thft plan which has been in operation ever
since, namely, that of making the priest of the
Church at Eltham a vicar, and not a rector.
Let us see if we can understand the difference..
Our ancestors, when they formed a Christian
Church, did what other Christian communities-
had done. They set apart one-tenth of their
yearly products or increases for the payment of
those who ministered unto them religion, and
for the maintenance of their churches. These
"tenths" are called "tithes."
It is most likely that they got the idea of
"one-tenth" from what they had read in the-
Old Testament. You will remember how
Abraham gave one-tenth of the spoils he had
taken in his battle with the kings to Melchise-
dek, the priest of the most high God; how
Jacob, at Bethel, vowed to give "tithes" to
Jehovah, if he were divinely permitted to re-
turn to his father's tent in safety and
prosperity; how the Jews had to pay "tithes"
to the Levites, according to the law of Moses,
and how, on their part, the Levites had to pay
" tithes" for the support of the high priest.
As we have already said, it was probably in
imitation of the Jewish plan that the early
Christian Churches adopted the system of
"tithes."
In olden days these tithes were paid in
" kind" ; that is to say, not in money, but in
corn, or hay, or wood, and other products,
which went to make up the yearly in-
come of a person. To receive these contribu-
tions most parishes had, not far from the
church, a barn, or barns, and these were called
" tithe-barns." There are many people in
Eltham who can recollect the old " tithe-barn,"
which stood close to the churchyard, at the
west end of the old church. It was burned
down in 1872.
There were three kinds of tithes:
(1) There were tithes which arose from tha
production of the laud, such as corn, grass,
hops, wood, and the like. These made up what
was called the "great tithe."
(2) There were tithes for the live stock upon
lands, such as wool, milk, pigs, &c., natural
products, nurtured and preserved by the cara
of man; also
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
61
(3) Tithes from the personal industry of the
inhabitants, such as manual occupation, trades,
fisheries, and the like. These two latter kind
of tithes made up what was called the "small
tithe."
We may be sure that they had a busy time
of it at the tithe-barns, when the waggons
brought in their tenths, and the tenths of the
live stock and other things were brought to-
gether.
In course of time it was found to be a diffi-
cult thing to arrange for the payments of tithes
in this way. So a law was made, by which the
payment was made in money, and not in kind,
-and that is how it is done at the present day.
Now, when the priest of the parish received
all the tithes, namely, the "great tithe," and
the "small tithe," he was called a "rector,"
but when the " great tithe" was appropriated
by a " religious house," or by some other per-
son who was not the officiating clergyman, and
the priest received only the "small tithe," he
was then called a "vicar."
From this you will see that the Abbots of
Keynsham were really made the " rectors" of
Eltham, when the Earl of Gloucester granted to
them the Church of St. John of Hautham
(Eltham), and the priest who had to perform
the duties here became a vicar.
This arrangement went on for more than
three hundred years. Then, in 1538, there came
about that great historical event, the Dissolu-
tion of the Monasteries, by Henry VIII. The
Abbey of Keynsham shared the fate of the other
Abbeys, and along with other possessions of
that monastery, the rectory of Eltham and the
right of appointing the vicar were appropriated
by the Crown.
Some five years afterwards the King granted
these rights to Walter Hendley, who was one of
his great officers of State. This official, there-
fore, was the one to whom the "great tithe"
was paid.
After his death the rights were sold by his
daughter to the Provost of Oriel College,
Oxford, William Roper, of Well-hall, and
others.
The right of appointing the vicar of Eltham
was then reserved to William Roper, and the
rectory to Oriel College, "with the stipulation
that, on paying .£100 as a fine, and a yearly
rent of ,£14, the College should grant a lease of
the same, either for three lives, or 31 years, to
Eoper and his heirs."
At the present day the Provost and Scholars
of Oriel College, Oxford, are the "rector" of
Eltham, and the receivers of the " great tithe."
The advowsou of the vicarage was sold by
the Roper family, many years ago, and has
several times changed hands.
PATRONS, RECTORS, AND VICARS OF ST.
JOHN'S CHURCH, ELTHAM.
PATRON. — William, Earl of Gloucester.
RECTORS. — Adam de Bromleigh (PChesilhurst).
1160.
Picard. 1176.
Robert London. May, 1242, when
the church was appropriated to
the Abbey of Keynsham.
VICARS. — Robert (probably the late Rector).
25 Sept., 1242.
Phillip.
PATRON. Abbot and Convent of Keynsham.
VICARS. — John Vassur.
John Hugh de Brampton. 23 Dec.,
1348.
John le Hwyte. (Resigned 1359.)
Richard Nozebroun. 1359.
PATRON.— Bishop of Rochester, jure devoluto.
VICAR.— John Noble. 1362. (Resigned 1366).
PATRON. Abbot and Convent of Keynsham.
VICARS. — Henry Wessely. 1366.
John Byrston. 1393-4.
William Tyrell. 1399.
John Aleyn. 1403.
John Buset. 1405.
Thomas Brownshale.
John Palmer. 1423.
Richard Briggs. 1430.
John Brenan. 1434.
Robert Purcell. 1457.
Thomas Gary. 1463.
David Kuyston. 1464.
John Waryre. 1493.
Thurston Anderton. 1493.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
PATRON. — John Chokke, gent., for this turn.
VICAR.— Thomas Tumour. 1503-4.
PATRON. — Bishop of Rochester.
VICAR.— Robert Makerell. 1506.
PATRON. — William Draper.
VICAR.— Robert Robson. 1513.
PATRON. — John Chokk, Esq. (By grant from
Abbot of Keynsham).
VICAR.— Philip Carrok. 1521.
PATRON. — Abbot and Convent of Keynsham.
VICARS. — Roger Grenehod. 1529.
Henry Underwood.
Thomas Hugley. 1556.
William Hamond.
PATRON. — William Roper, Esq.
VICAR. — John Carnecke. 1588-9.
PATRON.— John Griffithe, LL.D.
VICAR.— Thomas Thirlwynde. 1576.
Richard Tyler. 1584-5.
James Twiste, M.A. 1585.
John Fourde, M.A. 1589.
PATRON. — House of Convocation, Oxford. (Sir
William Roper, the true patron,
being a convicted recusant, the
presentation fell to the University
of Oxford).
VICAR.— Robert Forward, B.D. 1628.
PATRON.— Oriel College, Oxford.
VICARS.— Edward Witherston, M.A. 1635.
Richard Owen, M.A. 1635-6. (A
distinguished scholar and divine.
Ejected from his living in 1643 on
account of his adherence to the
Royal Cause. Rector of North
Cray, 1657. Made D.D. 1660. Died
at Eltham 1682-3.)
William Overton. 1646. (Recom-
mended by Com. of House of
Commons to have the "Care of the
Parish Church of Eltham." As-
sembly of Divines directed to
examine his fitness. Sequestered
1650. Ceded living in 1658.)
PATRON.— Edward Roper.
VICAR.— Clement Hobson, M.A. 1658. (Sub-
scribed to Act of Uniformity, 15
August, 1662.)
PATRON.— Charles Henshaw.
VICAR.— Richard Peter, B.A. 1726.
PATRON. — Sir Gregory Page, Bart.
VICAR.— Peter Pinnell, M.A. 1749. (Subse-
quently was made D.D. In 1775
was a Prebendary of Rochester
Cathedral. He lived in the house
now occupied by Mrs. Dobell).
PATRON. — Sir Gregory Page-Turner.
VICAR. — John Kenward Shaw, M.A.
PATRON. — The Queen for this turn. (By reason
of the lunacy of Sir Gregory
Osborne Page-Turner, Bart.)
VICAR.— Charles Gulliver Fryer, M.A. 1841.
PATRON. — Thomas Berin Sowerby.
VICARS.— Walter James Sowerby, M.A. 1869.
Elphinstone Rivers, L.Th. 1895.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE PARISH CHURCH (2).
Of the churches, that is to say, the fabrics or
structures which have stood on the site of the
Parish Church, we have records of three. There
was the old church, which probably dated from
very early times, and which fell down on St.
John the Baptist's Day (June 24th), 1667. The
restored church which succeeded it was pulled
down in 1873, arid the present church
was then built and opened on the 5th of August,
1875.
THE OLD CHURCH.
There is not much known of the first of these
fabrics, beyond what can be gleaned from the
parish records. In the churchwardens' accounts
there are references to the old church, which
enable us to get some idea of what it was like,
and these accounts date back as far as 1554,
which was the time of Queen Mary. Further
information may be obtained also from the re-
ferences made to the church in the ancient wills
which have been alluded to in a previous chap-
ter. From these records we may learn a good
deal of the services of the church and of the
ornaments, vestments, and other attributes of
public worship which it possessed.
There does not appear to have been anything
very special or imposing in its structure. There
was probably, in addition to the nave and
chancel, a south aisle, and at least one chapel,
if not more. The wills reveal the fact that it
possessed images of saints, and several altars,
and the usual rood screen and beam. A north
aisle was built by Sir John Shaw about the
middle of the seventeenth century.
We might explain here that the "rood"
was a representation of the Crucified Saviour,
or very frequently, of the Trinity, placed in
Roman Catholic churches over the screen
which separated the chancel from the nave,
and hence called the " rood screen." Generally
the figures of the Virgin and St. John were
placed at a slight distance on each side of the
principal group, in reference to St. John
xxix. 26.
In the churchwardens' account book, in 1556,
there is an entry to the effect that a payment
of 13s. 4d. was made to the churchwarden,
named Wombey, for making the rood, and a
payment of 8s. to a painter from London for
painting the rood, and the Mary and John,
also a further payment of 8d. to the said
"paynter for canvas, and for fire to heat his
collours."
You get frequent allusion to the "rood" in
the older literature.
"Now fey the 'rood,' my lovely maid,
Your courtesy has erred!" he said.
Scott: "Lady of the Lake," i. 22.
The " beam" referred to in the " wills" would
be the beam across the entrance to the chancel.
It was sometimes used for supporting the
" rood."
John Hooman, of Eltham, by will, dated
26th August, 1466, bequeathed 16d. to the sup-
port of the light on the beam before the Holy
Cross (rood). Philip Bryde, in 1457, gave 8d.
to the same light.
One of the chapels was dedicated to St.
Nicholas, and from the "will" of one John
Brown, gent, who was buried here in 1533, it is
pretty certain there was a " lady chapel" as
well. This quaint will gives us so vivid a pic-
ture of the church furniture and ornaments
in use at the time that we may well reproduce
64
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
its terms as an example of the use of "wills"
iu learning history.
This is how it runs : —
"To be buried in the chappell of our lady in
Elteham Churche, and I will that my twoo
vestments, oon of chamlet and another of white
satten powdred with flowres, an aulter cloth of
white satten powdered wt flowers, a coppar
crosse gilt wt the baner or cross cloth belong-
ing to the same, with the crosse staffe, twoo
surplcs, twoo masse bokes, a chales of siluer
wt two corporas and the cases, two latten
candllesticks and two cruetts of Peawter there
remayn in the same chappell to the honour of
our blissed lady for ever. John Brown, gent,
1533."
The old church came to an end rather
abruptly in the year 1667, on Midsummer's Day,
through an unfortunate incident. Sir John
Shaw, who had come tio reside in the mansion
which he had built for himself in the Park, was
having a vault constructed for his family along
the north side of the Church, underneath the
north aisle. Through the carelessness of those
who were responsible for the work, precautions
were neglected for making secure the wall of
the nave, and the fabric came down with a
crash.
Here is the record: —
"Memo, that while digging to make the vault
under Sir John Shaw's He, he having obtained
a faculty for building the said Isle on the north
side of the Church, the roof of the great Isle
in the Church not being shored fell down upon
St. Bartholomew's day, 24th June, 1667, which,
with the pulpit and pews, were rebuilt at the
charge of the said Sir John Shaw."
The scribe here makes a mistake as to the
day. The 24th of June is St. John Baptist's
Day, not St. Bartholomew's.
The old church possessed a clock in 1556, for
there is a record in the accounts of the payment
of 6s. 8d. /'paid to the clocke maker for lokinge
to the clocke and mending of her for this yeares
eande at Cristmas."
It also possessed a spire, as the following pay-
ments show:—
" Payment to Sillrester page the shingler, for
the Keprashines of the Churche Steaple paid by
Eobert Stubbes and John Pette churchwardens
of the Parrish of Elham in the yeare of or Lord
God 1568.
It'm paid to Sillvester page, 24 May, iijs. iijd.
It'm paid to Sillvester page, 28 May, iijl. iija.
iiijd.
It'm paid to Sillvester page for 200 shingelles,
vjs.
It'm paid to Sillvester page for 7 days work
and 3 men, xxxijs. viijd.
Sum viijl. vs. iiijd.
To John Petley for fetchinge the shingles, ijs.
For MMMM (4,000) of 4 peny naylles from
London, viijd.
For a payre of ropes for the shinglers, js. ijd.
To Eobert Willey for a dayes work, xd.
For a hundred of naylles, vjd.
To John Pette for haulf a days worke, vijd.
To John Clarke for a dayes worke for gather-
ing rede to make a Cradell for the Stepell,
viijd.
Paid for a vaine of copper of the Church
Steapell, ijs.
For a bare for the Church Stepell of 25 li.,
ijd., ob a pound, vs. ijd. ob.
To John Sketes man for a dayes work xd.
Sum, xiiijs., ixd. ob."
From this interesting account it will be seen
that the " shingling" of the spire was an im-
portant piece of work. A close examination of
the details also throws a good deal of light
upon the conditions of labour in Eltham, in
the days of good Queen Bess. Labour seems to
have been paid at the rate of lOd. a day. The
entries also reveal the fact that the Clerk who
made them was not fettered by cast-iron rules
in the spelling of the "Queen's English" of
the day. You may notice that there is a pleas-
ing variety in the spelling of the word
" steeple."
The old church not only possessed a clock,
but, like many old churches of the time, it had
its sundial. This, it seems, was the free gift
of a Vicar of Eltham.
Here is the tecord: —
" 1572. Received from Sir John Carnicke,
vicar, towards making ef the dialle of his own
free gift, iijs."
No.
ELTHAM LODGE, NOW THE GOLF CLUB HOUSE.
Erected by Sir John Shaw (Bart), 1664.
§ss§*
ufHiihmumw.
. ^x .
- fc - TlvViVwa .
No. 47
PORTION OF THE ORIGINAL LEASE GRANTED BY QUEEN HENRIETTA
TO SIR JOHN SHAW.
No. 48.
STAIRCASE IN THE GOLF CLUB HOUSE.
No. 49.
AN INTERIOR, ELTHAM LODGE, SHOWING TAPESTRY.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
65
In 1634 it seems that the church and
churchyard were in need of renovation, so we
find that a special rate was made to meet the
expenses.
"An assesse made by the p'ishioners of
Eltham for needful reparations towards the
Churche and Churche yard, A.D. 1634. Sir
Theodore Mayerne, Knyght, £11; Sir John
Cotton, Knyght, 16s.; Anthony Rooper, Esq.,
j64 10s.; Pathrick Maule, £1; Wm. Withens,
gen., 8s.; John Fletcher, gent, £1 10s., &c.> &c."
A similar assesse for the needful " repara-
cion" of the church was made in the year 1636.
A few years after this we find evidence of the
ascendency of Puritanism in Eltham. The
Vicar of Eltham, the Rev. Dr. Owen, who has
already been alluded to in a previous chapter,
was deprived of his living on account of his de-
votion to the cause of the Royalists, and a
Presbyterian divine was made his successor.
At this time, too, the interior of the church
underwent great changes. The white-wash
brush was very much in evidence. There is an
entry in the accounts:
"Paid to James Guy for taking down the
font and stopping up of the glass windows,
iijs," which is eloquent testimony of the stern
determination of those responsible for the new
ordering of public worship to wipe out the
associations of the past.
"Samuel Farnaby was paid ,£4 10s. for
plastering and whitening the church and
chancel."
This, too, speaks volumes. Whatever there
may have been in the way of decoration upon
the walls was effectually obliterated, and we
may be pretty sure that all the ornaments and
symbols that had been placed in the church by
former worshippers there were promptly re-
moved.
We find that in place of the font, a pewter
basin was provided for use at baptism, and a
suggestion of what the pulpit discourses were
like is afforded by the fact that the church-
wardens, in 1656, found it necessary to provide
the minister with an hour-glass to time his
sermons by.
fc^lT
STATE CARRIAGE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
OLD ELTHAM CHURCH IN 1840 (from a Wood Cut).
CHAPTER XVII.
THE PARISH CHURCH (3).
THE EESTOEED CHURCH.
It is only thirty-four years ago that the
church which was restored in 1667, oil the
occasion of the catastrophe recorded in our last
chapter, was pulled down. So there are plenty
of people still living who can recollect the
quaint old building, with its antiquated furni-
ture and fittings, and its not too handsome
exterior. The shock caused by the fall of the
nave of the old church seems to have affected
the whole of the edifice, for the south aisle had
to be rebuilt. The chancel was probably re-
built at the same period, or soon after, so that
the restored church might almost be described
as a new church. We have in the church-
warden's accounts a detailed statement of the
costs of the building of the south aisle, which
is worth perusing, for the sake of comparison
with the modern costs of such works. It
throws a good deal of light upon the conditions
of life and labour in Eltham two hundred and
fifty years ago:
" Imp. pd. for MMM new shingles ivl. vjs.
vjd. Pd for trimming and laying
MMMMDCCCC (4900) old ones, vijl. xvijs.
vjd.
Pd for MMMM nails viijs. ; use and
carriage of ladders viijs.; pd Stubbs carpen-
ter for work upon the steple, ijs.; paid more
to ye shingler his boy, ijs. vjd.
Pd Mr. John Guy bricklayer as by an
agreement for pulling down and rebuilding
ye South Isle except the carpenters work,
Ixxvjl.; paid for drawing the agreement xs.
Pd to Eic. Greene carpenter for pulling
down the old and putting up the new roof in
the South Isle, xvl.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
67
Pd John Guy for tiling the rest of the
Church that was not pulled down and the
vestry house xvjl. vs.
Pd John Guy for pulling down the wall
between the pillers in the gallery yt was
formerly shaken by ye fall of ye church and
for building it again and paving the Isle
vijl. vs.
Pd Eic Waters for work and wainscott for
Peter Stodders and ye rest of ye pewes in
the church viijl. vs.
Pd Tho. Merifield for carriage of fower
trees for the use of the church, xijs.
From the steady increase in the yearly num-
ber of baptisms and burials, through the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we may
gather that the population increased in like
proportion, and this accounts for the fact that
in 1819 it was found necessary to increase the
seating accommodation of the church by the
erection of two galleries at the west end, the
further addition of a gallery in the south aisle
being made some ten years later.
The Parish Church of Eltham, as it appeared
in 1830, has been briefly, but graphically,
described in the "Churches of Kent" by Sir
Stephen Glynne. The description runs as
follows: — "A mean fabric, much patched and
modernised; with scarce a trace of anything
like good work, and from repeated alterations,
the plan has become irregular. The nave has
a south aisle, cased in brick, and a north
chapel of stone, bearing the date 1667, with
square-headed, labelled windows, and a door of
mixed Italian character. The chancel was
wholly of brick. At the west end of the nave
was a tower of flint, cased with brick, with
large buttresses and pointed doorway. It was
surmounted with a spire of wood, covered with
lead (shingle). Galleries were carried all
round the interior of the church, and a double
one at the west end, with an organ. The north
chapel opened into the nave by three pointed
arches, with octagonal pillars."
THE NEW CHURCH.
The building of the present Parish Church is
a matter of quite modern history, and its story
is pretty well-known to Eltham people. It is.
therefore, only necessary to deal with it briefly
in these chapters, and those who would know
more of the building of this fine structure
should turn to the pages devoted to it in
"Some Records of Eltham," by the Rev. E.
Rivers, the present Vicar, published in book
form, a few years ago. Here will be found a
most interesting account of how the present
church came into existence, given in great
detail. Although the necessity of a new church
was recognised by most people, it was with
some pangs of regret that they witnessed the
demolition of the old one. Its historical
associations were interesting. Within its old
walls many generations of Eltham people had
worshipped. By long usage the older wor-
shippers had become attached to the quaint in-
terior, with its old-fashioned appointments, its
antiquated pews, and its " three-decker"
pulpit, where in olden times the black-gowned
preachers thumped the cushions and thundered
aloud their admonitions, until the hour-glass-
had been run out. But the end came, and old
Eltham Church was only a memory.
The foundations of the new church were not
made to coincide exactly with those of the old
one. The building stands about ten feet
further north, which brings the Shaw vault,
which was underneath the north aisle of the-
old building, below the nave of the present
building. It was erected from designs of Sir
Arthur Blomfield, the well-known architect,
and son of the Bishop of London, and its style
is Early English. The first stone was laid on
the 27th November, 1873, and it was consecrated
on August 5th, 1875, although it was not
actually completed until 1880.
In the Eltham Parish Magazine for January,
1881, the Rev. W. J. Sowerby, who was Vicar
of Eltham at the time, gives the following in-
teresting account of the origin and completion
of the undertaking :— " I took advantage of the
first issue of the Eltham Parish Magazine in
1872 to press upon your notice the great neces-
sity there was for providing increased and im-
proved accommodation in the Parish Church.
The proposal to enlarge or rebuild the church
68
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
having been almost unanimously carried at a
large public meeting — there were, if I remem-
ber rightly, but three dissentients — the com-
mittee appointed to promote this object, had,
after conferring with A. W. Blomfield, Esq.,
the eminent church architect, recommended to
the subscribers the rebuilding of the church,
and obtained their concurrence. This good
work, then so auspiciously begun, has now been
brought to a successful issue. On August 5th,
1875, those portions of the fabric which are
used for divine worship were consecrated to
the service of Almighty God, and last year the
undertaking was crowned by the rebuilding of
the tower and spire. On the Feast of the
Nativity of St. John Baptist, 1880, a service of
thanksgiving for the completion of the work
was held, in which the Bishop of St. Albans,
who was present when Sir Charles Mills, M.P.,
laid the foundation stone, and who performed
the consecration service in 1875, kindly took
part. It was, indeed, a day of rejoicing
throughout the village, and one which, judging
from the great interest that was shown, will
not soon be forgotten. Most of the shops were
closed, as on the day of consecration, five years
before, that all might have the privilege of
attending the service at the church. I now
avail myself of the opportunity offered by this
first issue of a new Parish Magazine to express
my deep gratitude for the blessing thus
bestowed upon the people of Eltham, and to
convey my thanks to all who have aided in
this good work."
From the many interesting details referring
to this great parochial work, given by the Rev.
E. Eivers, in his comprehensive book, we learn
that the costs of the building were met by a
variety of means. On the occasion of the lay-
ing of the first stone the sum of ,£83 19s. lOd.
was collected, while on the day of consecra-
tion ,£110 Os. 4<1. was contributed in a similar
manner. The Crown gave ,£1,000. The
parishioners subscribed and collected £8,000.
The cost of the erection of the south aisle was
borne entirely by Mr. F. G. Saunders.
Ori el College (The Eector), gave ,£300;
and the Church Building Society con-
tributed £200. Then many private
donors, a large proportion of whom are still
living, made provision for the internal decora-
tion, furniture and fittings of the sacred edifice,
and their names and contributions are duly
recorded in the book referred to. The fine
organ, which is so important a feature of the
church, was erected soon after the re-buildius
of the church, at a cost of ,£1,200, which was
raised by special subscriptions. It is interest-
ing to learn that parts of the instrument whicu
did duty at the old church were built into the
new organ, which is the work of the well-
known organ-building firm of Messrs. Willis
Many more details of an interesting charac-
ter might be added, but as it is the purpose of
this story to deal with an older Eltham, this
brief summary of the building of the new
Parish Church, which is so familiar a feature
to all of us. must here suffice. Its great in-
terest in the Story of Eltham lies in the fact
that it is the last of a succession of churches,
which have existed upon the same site, and
where the parishioners of Eltham have met to-
gether for the public worship of God, from
a date so distant that it is lost in the mists of
antiquity.
CHAPTER XVIII.
"THE BELLS OF ELTHAM."
It ia rather a pleasant thing, on a summer
evening, to get out in one or another of the
Kltham fields, remote enough from the High-
street to miss the noise of the traffic, but near
enough to the Parish Church to catch the
melody of the bells, as it comes floating upon
the evening air. It is the old melody which
has greeted the ears of generations of Eltham
folks, long past and gone.
If you are disposed to reflection and love to
ponder over the old customs that serve to link
the Eltham of to-day with the Eltham of the
past, and, in your waking dreams, to see again
the life of those old villagers, to witness some-
thing of their joys and sorrows, their joustings
and merry makings, their royal hunts and
pageants, it is quite likely that the song of the
bells may quicken your imagination, and help
you to see these things more clearly.
It has been said by those who have lived
abroad in the distant Colonies, that one of the
things they miss out there, almost more than
anything else, is the chime of Church bells,
which is so characteristic a feature in the
Motherland. Some, perhaps, who read these
lines, some of our old boys, who are living far
away in Canada, New Zealand, or other far-off
parts of the Empire, may still bear witness to
the truth of this, knowing well how dear to
them is the memory of the chimes so closely
associated with the life at home.
It is this close association with the village
life, religious and communal, proclaiming, as
they have done for centuries, its joys and
sorrows, voicing the emotions of the people,
and taking so prominent a part in the village
story, that makes it necessary to devote a chap-
ter to the bells of Eltham.
Although there does not seem to be anything
left in the way of records of the "Bells of
Eltham " until we come to the fifteenth cen-
tury, we may assume that the church had its
bells long before that time, seeing that bells
had been in use for Church purposes from a
very early period of history.
St. Dunstau is said to have encouraged the
art of bell-founding, and it is recorded that
while he ruled over the see and province of
Canterbury, from 954 A.D. to 968 A.D.. he not
only provided the cathedral with bells, but also
drew up a series of rules for their correct use.
There is plenty of evidence to show a pretty
general use of bells in connection with
churches even at a period anterior to this, and,
as a great authority upon the subject has
written, "for fully a thousand years, we may
feel certain that Christendom, and England as
a part of it, has heard the far-reaching tones
of the bells ring out, now gladly, now sadly,
across broad acres of field and woodland, and
over the busy hum of the bustling town. And
in all that time there has been scarce an event
of interest in the life of nations or of dis-
tricts, not many even in the lives of private
individuals, in which the tones of the bells
have not mingled with the emotions that were
aroused thereby."
" When the bells of Eylstone played
Their Sabbath music — " God us ayde" —
(That was the sound they seemed to speak).
Inscriptive legend, which, I ween,
May on those holy bells be seen."
(Wordsworth.)
And the bells of Eltham have played their
part in national and parochial events, some-
times sadly, sometimes gladly, as generations
have come and gone.
The earliest record that seems to be in exist-
ence referring to Eltham bells dates back to
the time of Edward IV. (1467), when an in-
ventory of Church goods in the county of Kent
was made, where we find that at Eltham there
70
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
were "Three great bells in the steeple, and
saunts bell of brass."
We may explain that a " saunts" or
"saunce" bell was the name sometimes used
for the " sanctus-bell," or " sacring-bell." It
was usually a small bell, used at the altar at
that point in the celebration of mass, when the
hymn, "Sancte, Sanote, Sancte, Domine Deus
Sabaoth," was sung, and it was the signal to
the people that the prayer of consecration was
about to be said. It also gave notice that the
priest was about to administer the Sacrament
to the communicants. And the " saunts" bell,
such as that which was in Eltham steeple in
1497, was to give notice to people in the parish
who were unable to be present at the celebra-
tion in the church. John Myric, a quaint
author of this same period, amongst the many
things he wrote for the religious edification of
his fellows, has left the following lines upon
the external use of the " saunts bell " : —
" If thou may not come to church,
Wherever that thou do work,
When that thou hearest a Mass knell,
Pray to God with heart still,
To give thee part of that service
That in the church y-done is."
There is, of course, no relic of the " saunts
bell of brass," in the steeple of Eltham Church
at the present day, but we have a melodious
peal of six bells, about which we shall pre-
sently have something to say.
In the "Bocke of the accountes off the
Churche Wardens called a Ledgere beginninge
the xij day of July in the yeare of our Lorde
Gode 1554," we find so many records of the ex-
penses of the bells that to copy them all out
would require many pages of a book. This
cannot be done, so we will reproduce a few of
them, from which you may judge of the in-
terest in and care of its bells which the parish
has always taken.
1554. — Paid to Robert Esbruke for takinge
downe of the belle and hanginge of hir upe
agayne and trussinge of the great bell, iiijj.
iiijd.
1556-7. — Paid to John Bourne senr for making
of the great bell clappir and the little bell
clappr and spike for the carpinter for the dogge
one the newe beame and ij forlocke for the
great belle over and besides xiiijK. of ould
irone that he had of the prishe for ij laye upon
them, vs.
Item pd to Mills carpinter of Bexley for
takinge downe of the great belle downe and
new hanginge of hir vpe and mendinge of the
bell whill, iijj. iiijd.
Item geven to the men that did helpe take
downe the bell and hang hir againe in bread
and drinke, iiijd.
1562.— Item paid for naylles for the belles.
ij&
Item paid for greasse for the belles, jd.
Two of the bells were re-cast in 1571 for £7,
and again in 1610 we get the following account
of another re-casting: —
1610. — The carigge of the grete belle to be
newe caste M Morrte bell founder dwellinge
in white cappell wethe owte Allgate being
agreed wethall for vl. and to deliver ett at the
wate that he recefed itt att that wass ix
hundred and a hallefe and att recessing of the
bell back agane it waied iijzz. and vij li. more
than it ded before there was iijxx. and iiijK.
att viijd. the pownd and iijK. at ij*. vid. the
pownd being called ten and tenglaes (bismuth)
the holle som is vijM. xs.
In 1618 the great bell was re-cast, and from
the following entries we may gather that the
peal consisted of three bells only: —
1618.— Payed att the Warhoeues for waeing of
the grett bell twies the firest waiett waes ixc.
iij quartres xx2t. ijM. and a hallef more of the
mettell waes at the Bell fownderes the second
waiett or draeft waes viijc. iij quarteres and
viK. the ij April 1618, viij».
Payed the iijth day of Aprill 1618 tow
Thomas Wode, bellwhele carpenter for tower
ninge all the iij belles faisted in the stockes,
act,
Payed for all owre expenses there att
Lowndone for three dayes attending one the
belle and the fownder 1618, xxixs. iiijd.
10 April 1618.— Pd to Wm Land, belfounder
in full payment of vl. for casting the great
bell. vZt. pd to Mr. Warren for making tKe
bond from the belfounder and his surety for
the warranting of the bell for a year and a
day, ijs.; payed for mending of the meddell
belles clapper xd
By an examination of these latter entries it
will be seen that a mention is made of "all
the three bells," and also a further allusion to
the "middle bell," from which we may infer
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
71
tkat the number of the peal was no greater
than three.
This number, however, was subsequently in-
creased, and our present peal was the result of
a re-casting which took place in 179t.
The firm of bell-founders that carried out
the work was that of W. and T. Hears, which
only a few years ago was carrying on business
under the name of "Hears and Stambank."
It is one of the most famous firms of English
bell-founders, having been established by one
named John Mott, in the year 1570, and in the
course of tha three centuries and more of its
existence it has supplied hundreds of bells for
the churches of Kent.
The work was carried out while the Eev. J.
Kenward Shaw (.afterwards Shaw Brooke) was
Vicar, and Thomas Noyes and William Qlas-
brook were Churchwardens. The dimensions
of the six bells are as follows: — First, 27iin.;
second, 29in. ; third, SOJin. ; fourth, 32Jin. ; fifth
34Jin.; sixth, 37Jin.
Upon each of the first five bells there appear
the following names: —
THOB. NOTES & WM. GLAZBEOOK CH. WARDENS
1794 THOS MEARS OF LONDON, FECIT.
The inscription upon the sixth bell runs
thus :—
THE REV. I. KENWARD SHAW VICAR, THOS NOYES
& WM. GLAZBROOK CHURCH WARDENS 1794. THOS.
MEARS OP LONDON FECIT.
It is only to mention what is known to
everybody in Eltbam that the bells are chimed
for Church services, are rung at the chief
festivals of the Church, and on occasions of
national or parochial rejoicing. The "death-
knell" is tolled within twelve hours after
death, and it is tolled again at the funeral.
"Tellers" are tolled at the end only, on the
occasion of the death-knell and also of the
funeral, and consist of "three times three" for
a male, and "three times two" for a female.
Such, then, very briefly told, is the story of
the Eltham Bells. May the time be very
distant when they will cease to perform the
part in our village life which has been their
function for long ages past.
The other churches of Eltham are provided
with bells, which are used to proclaim the time
of public worship. But none of them is of
any particular historical interest, except the
one at Holy Trinity. This was brought to
England from the Crimea after the great war.
Its original home was a turret in Sebastopol,
where it witnessed the incidents of the terrible
siege, and its voice was familiar to the British
troops in the trenches. It was afterwards
secured, found its way to Eltham, and was
placed in the turret of Holy Trinity when the
church was built, where it has done its part
in proclaiming the message of Peace and Good-
will.
WATCHMEN (from Dekker).
QUEEN ELIZABETH HAWKING (from Turberville " Book of Falconrie," 1575.)
By permission of Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co.
CHAPTER XIX.
A PEEP INTO THE PARISH RECORDS (1).
The Parish Registers from which we have
already taken many quotations are still pre-
served in the safe of the Parish Church. They
have grown yellow with years, but most of the
entries are still legible. They need, however,
a practised eye to read them, and a great deal
of patience and perseverance, for the style of
writing employed by those old-time clerks was
not the copy-book style of the present day, and
their spelling, as we have already noticed, was
not according to any fixed rule, so, as a con-
sequence, it is of a varied character. It would
seem, however, that the writers generally tried
to spell a word as it was sounded, and from
this we may sometimes come across words that
were sounded quite differently then from the
way they are pronounced now.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
78
Another thing that strikes one is the wide
parochial duties of the Churchwardens, as com-
pared with their more limited responsibilities
in the present day. Their duties now are prac-
tically confined to the maintenance of the
fabric, and the arrangements for regular ser-
vices in the church; but, in the olden times
it would appear that they financially assisted
many objects that could not be regarded as
ecclesiastical. Some of the extracts we are
going to consider will illustrate this.
"1562. Paid to the boys for the May-pole,
vjd."
The purport of this simple line of cramped
handwriting in a dingy old book that is seared
and worn by the use of three and a half cen-
turies is like a flash of light that reveals a
landscape on a dark night. It illuminates the
dark past, and shows us Eltham in the days
of Merrie England.
Queen Bess is on the throne — Queen Bess,
look you, who, when a child, played her
childish games in Eltham fields. It is a time
when the celebration of the May-day festival
is in the height of its popularity. What pre-
parations are made for it! How great is the
excitement among the boys and girls of Eltham
as the day draws near! Yes, and among the
older folks, too, for the whole village turns
out to take a part in or to witness the May-day
revels. Eltham youth, enterprising then, as
now, not only ply the rich for means to pay
the expenses, but they go to the Church, and
good Master Churchwarden gives them six-
pence, and duly enters the payment in the
account-book. Well done, Master Church-
warden. Did it occur to thee that thy entry
and thy sixpence would be gossiped about three
and a half centuries later?
May-day eve is come. Little sleep to-night.
Companies go to the park, and the woods, and
there spend the first hours of dawn. The
girls bathe their faces in the morning dew, be-
cause it makes them beautiful. Then branches
of the birch and other trees are collected, and
carrying these, home they come again, singing
loud, as Chaucer says, "against the sunne
sheen." "But," says a writer of the time
"the chiefest jewel they bring from thence is
the May-pole, which they bring home with
great veneration. As thus: They have
twenty or forty yoke of oxen, every
ox having a sweet nosegay of flowers
tied to the tips of his horns; and these
oxen draw home the May-pole which
they cover all over with flowers and herbs;
bind round with strings from the top to the
bottom: and sometimes it is painted with
variable colours, having two or three hundred
men, women, and children following it with
great devotion. And, thus equipped, it is
reared, with handkerchiefs and flags streaming
on the top; they straw the ground round about
it: they bind boughs about it; they set up
summer halls, bowers, and arbours hard by it,
and then fall they to banqueting and feasting,
to leaping and dancing about it."
"Come, lasses and lads, get leave of your dads,
And away to the May-pole hie,
For ev'ry fair has a sweetheart there,
And a fidler standing by;
For Willie shall dance with Jane,
And Johnny has got his Joan,
To trip it, trip it, trip it, trip it,
Trip it up and down."
And where did these things happen? In
the East Fields, the fields across which the
new Archery-road now runs, were the village
butts. It is very probable that these fields
were also the scene of the May-pole.
What times they had ! And what picturesque
groups they made, dressed in their quaint
Elizabethan dresses! How they enjoyed them-
selves! You must remember there were no
railroads then, no newspapers, hardly any
vehicles for travelling about. People were not
in so great a hurry then. There was no rush-
ing about from one place to the other. No
excursions to the seaside. Every little village
community was more or less self-contained. It
found time for its village holidays, and its
May-day romp was one of the brightest holi-
days of the year. Cannot you picture this
May-dal scene in the East-fields in 1562? All
Eltham was there, you may be sure — rich and
poor. Master John Carnecke, the Vicar, no
doubt, was there; he that had the sun-dial put
on the church wall. And who shall deny that
the Churchwardens themselves were there,
looking on at the fun? Didn't they subscribe
sixpence, as the accounts show?
There are other entries which give us pic-
tures of Eltham under different conditions.
"1571. It'm paid to the becone on the xj.
year, xa."
74
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" 1572. To mr. bromhed the constapell of the
hundreth for watchinge the beacone, vjs. iijd."
1613. Pd. to Wm. leadsman Counstabell cf
the hundred the monie that the p'ishe of
Ealtham was sessed at for the Reperation of
the beacon at Shuters hill and he to paie it to
Ser tymothie lowe, iij«."
These entries refer to the beacon that was
kept in readiness on the top of Shooter's-hill,
to be lighted when it was necessary to warn the
people that an enemy was approaching. It
reveals the fact that the Churchwardens were
also responsible for certain departments of the
public defence. It would appear from the first
entry that the year 1571 was the eleventh year
of the Shooter's-hill beacon. You will notice
that the duty of watching the beacon fell to
the constable of the Hundred, and that his ex-
penses were met by means of a rate upon the
parish, which was paid through the medium of
the Churchwardens.
Master Bromhed was the constable in 1572,
and his duty of watching was no light one. In
some parts of the country such a duty was one
of danger, as well as of great responsibility.
This was especially the case in the Border
Land of the North of England. When the
raiders were on the prowl, and desirous of
making a descent upon the country without
alarming the locality they would creep up
stealthily in the dark, and woe to the watcher
of a beacon who was not wakeful and alert
then. Many a poor constable was slain by
these marauders before he had time to put his
match to the pile. There does not seem to be
any mention of such a fate overtaking Master
Bromhed, and let us hope that he escaped such
an untimely end, and lived to a good old age.
But there was such a blaze of beacons in 1588
as never was known before. For centuries
after it was the talk of the people, and the
poet has given us so stirring an account of the
incident that people are not likely to forget
it for many centuries to come. It was the
occasion of the Armada, when the King of
Spain thought to do such wonders when he
landed his army on the English shores. He
made a great mistake. There was no telegraph
then to flash the news of his coming through-
out the land. But the beacons of England
flashed the warning from one end of the
country to the other.
When the Eltham constable, on that memor-
able night, saw the flames of the Blackheath
beacon lighting the sky, he put a match to the
pile on Shooter's-hill. This was immediately
followed by another fire at Erith. Then up
shot the flames at Euggen (Gravesend), then
Hailing, Coxheath, and Dungeness. Seeing
Gravesend alight, Allhallows followed suit, and
then Egham, and so in a very short time the
news of an approaching danger had spread
throughout the county of Kent.
You may be sure that there was not much
sleep at the village of Eltham that night, and
many were the eager inquiries as to the mean-
ing of this terrible night alarm. How vividly
has Macaulay described the spread of those
beacon fires until the whole country was
covered! You should read his stirring poem
on the " Armada," from which the following
lines are taken : —
" From all the batteries of the tower pealed
loud the voice of fear;
And all the thousand masts of Thames sent
back a louder cheer;
And from the furthest wards was heard the
rush of hurrying feet,
And the broad stream of pikes and flags rushed
down each roaring street;
And broader still became the blaze, and louder
still the din,
As fast from every village round the horse
came spurring in;
And eastward straight from wild Blackheath
the warlike errand went,
And roused in many an ancient hall the gallant
squires of Kent."
LONG BOW ARCHERS (from an old Print).
CHAPTER XX.
A PEEP INTO THE PARISH RECORDS (2).
In an early chapter, in which we dealt with
the old Saxon institutions, we alluded to the
responsibility of the " hundred" in providing
fighting men for the purpose of mutual protec-
tion. The Churchwardens' accounts show that
in the days of Queen Elizabeth this old custom
was revived, inasmuch as the parish had not
only to provide its quota of soldiers for the
" hundred," but had to equip them, and the
expenses, which were met by a parish rate,
were paid through the Churchwardens'
accounts.
Look through the following list of sundries,
which were paid in the year 1571, and notice
how prominently the military equipments
figure in the expenses: —
" 1571. Paid for a bille, xvjd.
Paid for a sword girdell, xiijcZ.
To the soulderie at there goinge out at cer-
tayne times, viijs.
For matche and gunpowder, xvj<Z.
To John Eolt and Edd. Elliate for charges
for goinge to London to bringe the harnesse,
iiijs.
Pd. for frise sloppes and jerkinges, xxxv».
for a couslette (corselet) and a pike, xjs.
for mending the harnisse, xviijd.
to Richard bore for the beacone in the xij.
years, xxx.«.
to the souldiers at Lewsham, xij<Z.
for ij. guns and ij. morindes (morions), liijs.
vj(Z.
to the soulderie for a sworde and dager at his
goinge to the shippes, iiijs.
pd to the counstapell for iijH of poulder, and
ijli. of matche, and ijli. of shoute, v«. id.
for laise for the flaske and touche boxe, vjrf.
for conduct moni to the constapell and going
to the mouster wth the soldirs, vljs. vj<Z.
for scoweringe the p'rishe harnis, xijs. ijd.
for floweringe of swordes and dagers, xviijd.
for carige of a feline (felon) to Maidstone,
iijs.
to quen Elizabethe for on fiftene the xiij
yeare of hir raigen, xlv«."
We have pictured, in our mind's eye, the
merrie Eltham folk, on May-day, dancing gaily
about the May-pole in the East Fields. We
listened, with our mind's ear to the songs, the
76
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
sounds of the pipe and viol, and the peals of
laughter from the youths and maidens at that
festive time. We have pictured the scene on
that memorable night, when the sky was
lighted by the beacon on Shooter's Hill, and
tidings of the coming of the Spaniards was
flashed from hill to hill. Now we can imagine
what the Eltham men looked like, when they
were armed to the teeth, and ready to go out
and fight for Queen and country.
Let us examine the list of payments given
above, and see how the picture may be
lightened. There is the reference to a " cous-
lette" and a pike. The " couslette" is Church-
warden spelling for "corselet," and it was a
kind of breastplate, made of steel or iron, worn
to protect the front of the body. The wearer
used to take a pride in keeping it clean and
bright.
" Many a scar of former fight
Lurked beneath his corselet bright."
Byron: "Siege of Corinth."
It was kept securely in its place by means
of a strap or band, buckled tightly round the
waist.
" A moment now he slacked his speed,
A moment breathed his panting steed;
Drew saddle-girth and corselet-band,
And loosed in the sheath his brand."
Scott : " Lady of the Lake."
The "pike" was a very familiar weapon in
these days, and, indeed, for centuries previous
to the time, and quite a century later. It con-
sisted of a lance-head fixed upon the end of a
pole. The end of the staff had also a spike for
insertion in the ground, thus enabling the
musketeer to keep off the approach of cavalry
while attending to his other arms. In actual
warfare the "pikemen" took up their position
behind the " bowmen." If the battalion was
on the defensive, and was being charged by
mounted men-at-arms, it was the business of
the "bowmen" to shoot as many horses of the
foe as they could, and then to retire behind the
line of "pikemen," who would present their
"pikes" to receive the charge. In modern
warfare, the bayonet has taken the place of the
"pike."
The "bille," which, in the account quoted
cost the Churchwardens Is. 6d., was a formid-
able looking weapon, somewhat resembling the
" pike." It consisted of a broad blade, with
the cutting part hooked like a woodman's bill-
hook, and with a spike, both at the top and at
the back. It was mounted on a staff about six
feet long. Sometimes the blade was varnished
black to prevent it from rusting. It was then
known as "Black Bill." In 1584, that is,
about thirteen years later than the time when
this entry was made in the Churchwarden's
accounts, we read, that out of a levy of 200 men
for the Irish wars, one-fourth were ordered to
be furnished with "good Black Bills." Who
knows but some of our Eltham heroes carried
these terrible weapons in the Irish wars. The
English "pikemen" and "billmen," like the
English " bowmen," were famous as warriors.
Macaulay, in his "History of England," chap-
ter I., says, " But France had no infantry that
dared to face the English bows and bills."
Then two "morindes" are referred to.
These, no doubt, were "morions." They were
a kind of helmet, or steel head-piece, shaped
something like a hat with a brim that turned
up at the front and the back. It was unlike
the helmet of the previous and former cen-
turies. It had no vizor to protect the face.
"Tis meet that I should tell you now,
How fairly armed, and ordered how,
The soldiers of the guard,
With musket, pike, and morion,
To welcome noble Marmion,
Stood in the castle-yard."
Scott: "Marmion."
We should bear in mind that there was no
standing Army in the time of Queen Elizabeth,
as there is at the present day. The standing
Army of England, that is, the permanent
Army, really dates from Cromwell's time. Be-
fore then, and at the period we are now con-
sidering, when the nation needed an Army, it
was raised by means of levy, every " hundred"
having to provide a certain number of armed
men. Hence the responsibilities of the parish
of Eltham, to which these payments refer.
At the very time that our Churchwarden was
setting down in this old book the records of ex-
penditure, there was living a writer named
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
77
William Harrison, who has given us a clear
and interesting account of England and its
people, as it existed under his eyes. From
what he has told us, we can form an accurate
idea of Eltham life, and we cannot do better,
just now, than read that part of it which refers
to the village soldiers which the parish had to
provide.
He tells us that in the previous reign-
Mary's — there was much neglect of the pro-
vision of arms and soldiers, ami that one of the
greatest peers of Spain did espy our nakedness
in this behalf, and did solemnly utter, in no
obscure place, that "it should be an easy matter
in short time to conquer England, because it
wanted armour."
When Elizabeth came to the throne, and
Spain had ceased to have great influence at the
English Court, these words were remembered,
and steps were taken to bring the national de-
fence to a state of efficiency. Every " hundred"
had to look to its duties, and every parish had
to raise funds for the equipment of its fighting
men. So Eltham, as the accounts show, con-
tributed its share to the purchase of arms,
armour, and ammunition.
"Our armour," writes William Harrison,
" differeth not from that of other nations, and
•therefore consisteth of corslets, almaine
rivets"— a light kind of armour introduced
from Germany, having plates of iron for the
defence of the arms — " shirts of mail, jacks
quilted and covered over with leather, fustian,
or canvas, over thick plates of iron, that are
sewed in the same, and of which there is no
town or village that hath not her convenient
furniture. The said armour and munition is
kept in one several place of every town,
appointed by the consent of the whole parish,
where it is always ready to be had and worn
within an hour's warning."
Sometimes our Eltham fighting men came
out on parade, for you will notice that 8s. was
paid " to the soulderie at there goinge out at
certayne times," and also 7s. 6d. "for conduct
moni to the constapell and going to the
mouster wth the soldirs." No doubt the
Eltham contingent made a brave show, decked
out in bright corselet and morion, and armed
with pike or musket. Hear what William
Harrison says about these occasions of the
musterings :
" Sometimes also it is occupied when it
pleaseth the magistrate either to view the able
men, and take note of the well-keeping of the
same, or finally, to see those that are en-
rolled, to exercise each one his several weapon,
at the charge of the townsmen of each parish,
according to his appointment. Certes, there is
almost no parish so poor in England (be it
never so small) but hath not sufficient furni-
ture in a readiness to set forth three or four
soldiers, as one archer, one gunner, one pike,
and a billman, at the least.
" No, there is not so much wanting as their
very liveries and caps, which are least to be
accounted of, if any haste required; so that, if
this good order may continue it shall be im-
possible for the sudden enemy to find us unpre-
pared."
Sometimes there would be a national muster
of the forces. Then, what a stir there was in
every village! John Rolt, and Edd. Elliate,
Richard Bore, and other busy men of Eltham
found plenty to do then. What "scoweringe"
there was of the "parish harnis!" What in-
terminable drilling with the "bille" and the
"pike!" What marching and counter-march-
ing! What cleaning up of liveries, so that
"frise sloppes and jerkinges" should appear
quite spick and span for the inspection of the
" counstapell," in readiness for the "mouster"
at "Lewsham!"
It is really surprising how great an army
could be raised at short notice by this method
of levies. On this William Harrison writes
with some display of enthusiasm.
"As for able men for service, thanked be
God!" he says, "we are not without good
store; for, by the musters taken in 1574 and
1575, our number amounted to 1,172,674, and yet
were they not so narrowly taken but that a
third part of this like multitude was left un-
billed and uncalled." This was, indeed, a for-
midable army. If the army of Spain, which
came for our shores in the great Armada, had
actually been able to land, they would have
had so warm a reception from the " bowmen,"
78
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
"billmen," and "pikemen" of old England
that Spain would never have seen them again.
Not only did the "solderie" carry arms. The
young men of Eltham who could afford to pur-
chase a sword or dagger would wear such
weapons every day. "Seldom shall you see,"
writes William Harrison, " any of my country-
men above eighteen or twenty years old to go
without a dagger at the least at his back or by
his side, although they be aged burgesses or
magistrates of any city, who, in appearance,
are most exempt from brabling and contention.
Our nobility wear commonly swords or rapiers
with their daggers, as doth every common
serving man also that followeth his lord and
master."
Very often this custom gave rise to trouble,
for hot-terupered or quarrelsome fellows were
apt to whip out their weapon upon the
slightest provocation. Says Harrison:
" Some desperate cutters we have in like
sort, which carry two daggers or two rapiers
in a sheath always about them, wherewith in
every drunken fray they are known to work
much mischief."
It is a good thing that the custom of carry-
ing weapons does not exist now. It is a habit
of Elizabethan times, which we need not want
to copy. But we may well admire, and even
try to emulate, the patriotic spirit of her time.
And we may derive satisfaction from the fact
that Eltham, as the Churchwardens' accounts
plainly show, took her proper share in the
work of national defence.
CROSS-BOW AND QUARREL.
SHOOTING AT BUTTS (from an old Print).
CHAPTER XXI.
A PEEP INTO THE PARISH RECORDS (3).
The following is an interesting entry in the
Churchwardens' accounts : —
"1566 A.D. It'm, geven at the Church dore
ija. for Ij. yeres, at the bequeste of Henry
Kightly according unto his last will and testa-
ment, the land lieth at popes streate in the
custoditi of the parrish."
You will observe that there was a " Pope-
street" in the time of Queen Elizabeth. The
entry refers to a charity founded by Henry
Keightley, who, by his will, dated 20th May,
1520, appointed that twelve honest men of
Eltham should take his house and land at
Pope-street, by estimation 13 acres 3 roods, for
the use of the highway from Pope-street to
Church Style, and thence to Mile Oak in
Eltham, 12d. a year to be paid to the highways
in Bromley, and the same sum to 12 poor m»n;
a copy of his will on parchment to be hung up
in the church at Eltham.
It would seem that the Churchwardens dis-
tributed the alms, under this will, to the 12
poor men at the church door. It had appar-
ently been missed in 1565. So two years' allow-
ance was paid in 1566.
" 1566. Paid to Eddy Ellyat at the eating of
the bucke that was geven to the parrish, xs."
It does not say who gave this buck to the
parish. It no doubt came from the Eoyal
Park, and "the eating" of the same provided
the good folks of Eltham with a rare festive
occasion. Why the Churchwardens paid Eddy
Ellyat 10s. we do not know. We can only
guess. Folks liked their ale in those days.
Perhaps Eddy Elliat was a seller of good
liquor.
" 1569. Paid for drinke when the quene cam
thorow the towne for the ringeres, vj<Z."
We get an entry similar to this, some years
later, when King James visited the village, and
80
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
frequent reference to amounts paid to the
ringers for beer for the ringing of peals on
" coronation days." So far as we can find out,
there were only three bells in the peal — ding,
ding, dong; but loyal citizens, as the people of
Eltham always were, and none more loyal than
the bell-ringers, you may be quite sure that
the peal of three, when it tickled the royal
ears, rang out its welcome loudly and well.
The ringers received twopence each, you
observe. It does not seem a large amount; but
a penny went farther in Queen Elizabeth's
time than it does now. Twopence represented
more than a draught of ale.
It is interesting to note that the writer of the
entry has spelt the word " through" as though
it were pronounced with two syllables,
"thorow." This was the pronunciation of the
time, for in Beaumont and Fletcher, two Eliza-
bethan writers, we get:
" On mountains, thorow brambles, pits and
flouds."
"Philaster" IV.
Shakespeare also in " Midsummer Night's
Dream," makes his fairies sing: —
"Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire."
Even at so late a period as that of Byron we
get it sounded in this way, for in his "Heaven
and Earth," Act I., Scene I., we get: —
" No ! though the serpent's sting should pierce
me thorough."
" 1569. Geven to certayn boys at the com'on
beneath the tyll hous at the out boundes of
this p'rishe betwine this p'rishe, Wollwich,
and Charton, ijd."
This curious item of expenditure seems to
have reference to the old English custom of
" Beating the Bounds." At Whitsuntide, the
clergy, churchwardens, and the boys of the
parish school used to perambulate the boun-
daries of the parish. At certain points the
boys would strike the boundary with willow
wands. Sometimes, at the more important
places in the boundary line, the boys them-
selves would be whipped to impress the matter
upon their memories. It is quite possible that
the "certayn boys" of Eltham here alluded to
had undergone this particular form of memory
exercise, and that the Churchwardens gave
them the twopence as some sort of compensa-
tion. Let us hope that they always remem-
bered the boundary line of Eltham, " Woll-
wich" and "Charton."
" 1569. Paid to roberte Allee for taringe-
(tarrying) at Woolwiche one after none fore the
belles to bring them n'home (home) and they
cam not, ijs."
It does not appear what bells are referred to
here, and why they came to be at Woolwich.
There is a payment recorded in 1571 of £~, for
the re-casting of the bells. It is just possible
that Master Robert Allee was sent to Woolwich
to bring home the bells after the re-casting.
But he had a disappointing journey, for they
" cam not." Has it occurred to you, by the
way, that the journey from Woolwich with a
load of heavy bells, in those days, was very
roundabout and troublesome? Master Allee
would not have come by way of the old Wool-
wich-road (now Well Hall-road), because in all
probability it was not in existence then as a
road for vehicles. He must have gone round
by way of Kidbrook, and hence along Kid-
brook-lane, down to Well Hall. It is more
than likely that this lane was the great road
which led from Eltham to Greenwich.
" 1571. for carige of a feline to Maidstone,
iiijs."
The "feline" here referred to is not a "cat,"
but Churchwarden spelling for "felon." It
shows that the office of Churchwarden included
the duty of conveying criminals to the county
prison. There are other entries of this kind.
—1571.. to quen Elizabethe for on fiftene th&
xiij yeare of her raigen, xlv«."
The word "on" means "one," and the entry
refers to a tax, known as the "fifteen penny"
tax, which the parish had to pay to the Queen
to meet the necessary expenses of the State.
This tax probably owed its origin to the
ancient custom of setting apart "one-
fifteenth" of one's possessions for the use of
the King. There are several references to the
payment of this money.
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No. 62.
LEMON WELL.
Residence of Sir Harry and Lady North.
No. 63.
SOUTHEND HOUSE.
Residence of Mr. E, Warner.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
81
" 1602. Pd to Normington for the xxix of
January for reeding servis in time of sickness
when Mr. Fords hous was vissited, iijs."
Master Ford was the Vicar of the parish.
The " sickness" was known as the " plague,"
a terrible and fatal disease which carried off
a good number of Eltham people. The visita-
tion, however, was not the " Great Plague,"
which did not occur till 1666, some sixty years
of the wolf, centuries before, a price was put
on his head. But the badger was not nearly so
harmful a creature as he was made out to be,
and nowadays, people who understand his
habits, will tell you that he does more good to
the farmer than harm. He was always a good
fighter, and the pleasure of hunting him down
was all the greater, on account of the risks of
being bitten. But it was cruel sport. No
PUBLIC WASHING GROUND, 1582 (Hat. M.S.)
after. Here is another allusion to the "sick-
ness," in the same year.
"For a here to carry the dead uppon that
died of the sickness, vjd."
1623. Sept. 4. Pd. for killing a badger, js."
"1660. Pd Philip Lock for a badger's
head, j«."
You will notice that the badger was regarded
aa an enemy of mankind, and, as in the case
doubt Master Philip Lock, when he brought
the head of the victim to the Churchwardens,
had a most exciting story to tell of ita capture.
An interesting feature of this entry is that
it suggests to our minds the rural character of
Eltham in those days, for the badger loves the
seclusion of the woods and forests. It is un-
likely that we should be able to capture a
badger in the woods of Eltham in our day.
They are not numerous even in those places
which are quite remote from the great centres
8
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
of population, for the antipathy to the badger
is still very strong, and men generally slay
him if they get the chance. It is interesting to
note, however, that the badger's first cousin,
the weasel, has not yet been driven out of
Eltham. One of these pretty little animals, a
few years ago, ran along the platform of Well
Hall station, and crossed the line. Only quite
recently a gentleman walking along the Well
Hall-road, on this side of the Herbert Hos-
pital, counted six weasels, as they crossed the
road just in front of him. Let us hope that
these little habitues of the woodlands may re-
main with us for many a long year to come.
"1602. Paid to Borne for ringing the viij
o'clock bell, vjd.
"1626, Sept. 24. To goodman Bankes for
ringinge the eight a clocke bell for on quar-
ter, iijs. iiijd."
There are frequent references to the ringing
of this bell, which, as you know, was a relic of
the old " curfew," introduced by William the
Conqueror. This bell is still rung in many
places in England.
"1614. Geven to a poore man that was
robbed att Shoutershelle of all that he had and
howndered iniell home, vj."
Shooter's Hill, you will see, had a reputation
for robberies, even as far back as the time of
King James. The " poore man" was, indeed,
in a parlous state. To be a hundred miles
from home, without means, was a more serious
matter than it would be now. He would have
no way of getting over that hundred miles,
except by trudging it on foot. No wonder the
Churchwarden's heart was warmed, and that
he gave him sixpence. But there are frequent
items shewing payments on account of charity.
Here is one relating to a rather horrible
circumstance :
" 1629, May 13. Geven to a poore man that
had his tonge cut out by the Turckes, j*. vjd."
There are many items referring to the main-
tenance of the church, and its services, and
such matters as the provision of vestments, the
purchase of " a communion cope and covere,"
"a boke called the omilles," "Elles of li oil and
for to make surplies," and " the payment of
goodwyfe Wington for makinge the surplies."
But these things fall naturally within the
sphere of a Churchwarden's business as we
recognise it to-day. The selections we have
given are intended to show how, in those early
days, the church was in reality the centre of
the parish, and its officers the servants of the
parish.
INTERIOR OF AN OLD ENGLISH COTTAGE.
CHAPTER XXII.
A PEEP INTO THE PARISH RECORDS (4).
Here are more notes from the Church-
wardens' accounts which are of special in-
terest:
" 1602. Paid to Goodman Borne and William
the school master for keeping the clock that
quarter that he rang the bell from St. Christ-
mas to the Lady Day, vja."
"1605. Paid to goodman Wyborne for
charges of the cominge of the Kinges majestie
into the towne and for ringinge one the byrthe
daie of the younge prinse and for charges of
Schoolmasters the xviiij of June 1605 latteses
for the skole wyndowes, vj»."
These are the first references to a school-
master in Eltham. It is said that, as in the
case of many other parishes, the school was
held in a room over the porch of the church.
In some village churches this room is still pre-
served, and on the walls may be sometimes
found the alphabet, painted in old English
characters, by means of which the ancient
domine would teach the rudiments of reading.
The second entry, which refers to the cost
of " latteses for the skole wyndowes," seems
in some measure to suggest a separate building
as the school. It will be seen that "William
the Skolemaster" combined the profession of
bell-ringer with that of pedagogue. If the
truth were known, it is probable that his
parochial work was even more comprehensive,
for the parish school-master in olden days was
often the parish letter-writer, the measurer of
land, and the keeper of accounts for his neigh-
bours.
There are occasional allusions to expenses in
connection with "processions." For example:
"1629. May. Paid for the bread and beer
for the parishenores that went in the-
presecione^ iijs. ijd."
Then again: —
"1674. Apr. 14. Ordered in vestry in th&
parish church of Eltham that no church-
wardens for the future shall expend more than
fiftie shillings in his precessioning but shall
THE STORY OF BOYAL ELTHAM.
pay the rest out of his own purse. (Clement
Hodson, Vicar.")
In some of the ancient wills, such as those we
have alluded to in an earlier chapter, we find
mention of these " processions," and of sums
of money being left for the purpose of provid-
ing bread or ale, or both, for the poor and
others who took part in them. These annual
events were, therefore, rather notable occasions
in the village history, and we might as well
make some inquiry as to what they were, to-
gether with their object, in order that we may
be able to form some mental picture of the
scenes.
The object of the processions which took
place in "Rogacion Weke," that is, on one of
the three days immediately preceding Ascen-
sion Day, is pretty well explained in the follow-
ing quaint lines from an old book. Let us read
them :—
"That ev'ry man might keep his owne posses-
sions,
Our fathers us'd, in reverent Processions,
(With zealous prayers, and with praisefull
cheere),
TJ walke their parish-limits once a yeare;
And well knowne markes (which sacrilegious
hands
Now cut or breake) so bord'red out their lands,
That ev'ry one distinctly knew his owne;
And many brawls, now rife, were then un-
knowne."
From this we may see that the "procession"
was the more ancient form of the custom which
subsequently became known as "Beating the
Bounds." An old writer upon antiquities —
Bourne — says that it was a general custom for-
merly, and was still observed in his time, in
eome country parishes, to go round the bounds
and limits of the parish on one of the three
days before Holy Thursday, of the Feast of our
Lord's Ascension, when the minister, accom-
panied by his Churchwardens and parishioners,
was wont to deprecate the vengeance of God,
and, invoking a blessing upon the fruits of the
earth, to pray for the preservation of the rights
and properties of the parish.
Shaw, in his history of Staffordshire, has left
us a description of these interesting proceed-
ings, as they were carried out at Wolverhamp-
ton. "The sacrist, resident prebendaries, and
members of the choir, assembled at Morning
Prayers on Monday and Tuesday in Rogation
AVeek, with the charity children, bearing long
poles, clothed with all kinds of flowers then in
season, and which were afterwards carried
through the streets of the town with much
solemnity, the clergy, singing men and boys,
dressed in their sacred vestments, closing the
procession, and chanting, to a grave and appro-
priate melody, the Canticle, Benedicite, Omnia
Opera, &c."
He describes the custom as of very ancient
origin, adopted by the first Christians, and
handed doAvn, through a succession of ages, to
modern times. The idea was to give thanks
to God, "by whose goodness the face of nature
was renovated, and fresh means provided for
the sustenance and comfort of His creatures."
So the procession was, in the first place, a
distinctly religious ceremony. At appointed
places, generally at the crosses, the Gospel
would be read. We have direct evidence in the
wills alluded to that this was done in the
Eltham procession, and we may easily picture
to ourselves the Eltham villagers in those old
times wending their way from point to point,
Wyatt's Cross, the cross on Shooter's Hill, and
other resting places.
Hasted, in his "History of Kent," writes: —
" There is an old custom used in these parts,
about Keston and Wickham, in Rogation
Week, at which a number of young men meet
together for the purpose, and with a most
hideous noise, run into the orchards, and, in
circling eacn tree, pronounce these words : —
'Stand fast, root; bear well, top;
God send us a youling crop;
Every twig, apple big,
Every bow, apple enow.' "
For which incantation the confused rabble
expect a gratuity in money, or drink, which is
no less welcome; but if they are disappointed
of both, they, with great solemnity, anathema-
tize the owners and trees with altogether as
insignificant a curse."
This old Kentish custom was probably a
corrupted form of the Rogation ceremonies
which we have been considering.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
85
Although the processions were, in the first
place, of a religious character, and designed
for a good purpose, in the course of years they
came to be abused and debased. It is to be
feared that drunkenness and other excesses be-
came common. When, on April 14th, 1614, the
Rev. Clement Hodson, Vicar of Eltham, as
Chairman of the Vestry, signed the minute
which we have quoted, limiting the allowance
to the Churchwardens for the processioning, to
" fiftie shillings," we may well believe that so
strong a course had to be taken for some good
reason, not stated; but we may read between
the lines. It is more than likely that some
straight talk took place at that Vestry meeting.
In an old book called " Epistles and Gos-
pelles, &c., London, imprinted by Richard
Bankes," we get a sermon which throws great
light upon the view taken of processions, just
before they went out of fashion. The preacher
complains: —
" Alacke, for pitie ! these solemne and accus-
tomable processions and supplications be nowe
growen into a right foule and detestable abuse,
so that the moost parte of men and women do
come forth rather to set out and shew them-
selves, and to passe the time with vaigne
and unprofitable tales and mery fables, than to
make generall supplications and prayers to
God, for theyr lackes and necessities. I wyll
not speake of the rage and furour of these up-
landysh processions and goings about, which be
spent in ryoting and belychere. Furthermore,
the Banners and Badges of the Crosse be so un-
reverently handled and abused, that it is
merveyle God destroye us not in one daye."
It is no wonder that " processioning " got
into bad repute, and ultimately ceased to be
recognised as being respectable. Let us hope
that in Eltharu it was not so badly abused as to
merit so stern a condemnation as that of the
old preacher.
There is one writer in these Parish Records
who wrote a good, firm " hand." This was
John Fourde, who was Vicar of Eltham from
1598 to 1628 — thirty years. If hand writing be
any key to the character of the writer, Master
John Fourde would have been a man of very
decided opinions. There are several entries
made by him which are of an interesting char-
acter, for they throw light upon the relations
that existed between the Vicar and Sir William
Roper, the Squire of Well Hall. Sir William
was a Roman Catholic, and the Vicar was a
Protestant of a very pronounced character.
This is the Vicar's note: —
" Memorand, that Mr. Wm. Rooper holdeth a
certain parcel of wood, amongst his woods,
called the Vicar's spring, containing by esti-
mate 15 acres, and payed for the same 15s. a
year, as a most ungodly lease expresseth more
at large. I leave a memorial to all Vicars suc-
ceeding after me, for there are yet so many
years in the lease to come, being granted in
the third of K. Edw VI. by one Sir Henry
Underwood, Vicar of Eltham, for four score
and nyneteen yeers — by me, John Forde, Vic.
of Eltham, 44 Elizab. A.D. 1602."
But this " most ungodly lease " was not the
only grievance which the Vicar had against Sir
William Roper. The following note reveals
another of quite a serious character. Master
Forde writes: —
"The Vicar's diet at Mr. Rooper's table was
dew to all Vicars for the aforesaid wood till
Sir William Rooper came, but then denied to
me, John Forde, Vicar, although justified unto
me by his one moother. John Forde."
And the Squire of Well Hall was not the only
offender. Even King James wronged the Vicar,
as the register shews : —
"It is said that the Vicar of Eltham should
have the tithes of hay and corn on the south
side of the town of Eltham, and that there is a
bay and a door at the west end of the barn to
enter and place the Vicar's hay and corn tithes,
which is said to be lost."
"King James took in another parcel of
ground into the Middle Park in 1615, about 22
acres, which are worth yearly to me John
Forde, Vicar, 40s. the tithe of it, but with
much ado I am allowed to me and my suc-
cessors 20s. a year."
The barn referred to in this note is, of course,
the old tithe barn which abutted on the church
yard at the west end of the church. It was
destroyed by fire in the year 1872.
8A.
86
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The bitter hatred, or perhaps prejudice, of
Master Forde against the Eoman Catholics is
shewn in a note in which he describes an event
in London in 1623. It has no connection with
Eltham, and the fact that the Vicar thought fit
to set it down in the Parish Register is some
evidence of the strong opinions he held. He
writes : —
"Let this be a pittifull remembrance to all
posterityes, that in the yeare of our Lord 1623,
the 26 day of October, in the 21 yeare of Einge
James his reigne, there lay a frenche
imbassidor in the black friers in London, who
beinge at masse the same saboth day in the
at'ternoone with a multitude of blinde
ignorant people, their fell in yt chappell in his
house a gallery in the said chappell, yt crushed
to deathe fower score and sixteen soules, be-
sides a gret multitude yt had ther armes and
legs broken, so muche was God offended with
there detestable Idolatrie."
* * *
We will now close the Parish Registers for a
while and proceed to the consideration of those
associations which give to our village the right
to be called " Royal Eltham."
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S COACH (from Braun's "Civitates Orbis Terrarum" 1572).
By permission of Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co.
YULE LOG.
CHAPTER XXIII.
AN ABODE OF KINGS.
We enter now upon a new phase of our story.
Mnch that we have been considering in the
last twenty-two chapters, although Eltham his-
tory, and the kind of history that must not be
overlooked in the telling of the village story,
is common in other country places which have
their old churches and their parish records,
their manors, and hundreds and moots. Now
we come to the consideration of the great his-
torical feature of Eltham, which specially dis-
tinguishes it from other villages, the Royal
Palace, for three centuries the abode of the
English kings, the scene of notable events that
form part of the nation's story, the home of
chivalry, the theme of many a poet's song.
It would be well, perhaps, at this point to
explain briefly the plan we have followed, and
propose to continue, in the telling of the Tale
of Eltham. It was found to be impossible to
tell the whole tale in chronological sequence;
so we are taking it in sections. Eltham pos-
sesses features of interest that are associated
with the recognised periods of English history,
from the British and Roman times to the pre-
sent day. We have taken these features in the
order of their antiquity. The " Old Dover-
road" is a link with British and Roman days.
The name of " Eltham," the " Common," the
"Manor," the "Hundred," all associate it
with the Saxon or earliest English period. Cer-
tain references in "Doomsday," shew our re-
lations with the later Saxon or English period;
other references from the same source shew the
effect of the Norman Conquest upon the
village. "The churchyard" probably date*
back to a period long anterior to the Conquest.
Though there may have been a Saxon Church-
most likely (here was — the first mention we get
of a church was subsequent to the Conquest.
That was why we dealt with the churchyard
before we considered the church.
It may have been noticed that in the earlier
chapters we have generalised considerably.
This was necessary, in order to attain th»
88
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
object we had in view. Our aim has been to
interest the young people in the history of
Eltham, and through that history to get an
occasional glimpse of the history of
their country. A mere record of names
and events and statistics, however use-
ful it may be to the well-read his-
torian or antiquarian, would not alone do for
this purpose. So we have tried to excite the
imagination, and, by the description of the old-
time habits and customs, to help the reader to
make a mental picture of some phases of life
as it was lived in those by-gone times.
Let us now proceed to the Court-yard, along
the avenue of lime trees, and take up our posi-
tion for a while upon the wonderful old bridge
that spans the moat, and before we make any
attempt to describe the many great events that
took place here through those long centuries
that the Palace was a royal residence, let uo
look around and examine as best we can the
relics that are left to us from that distant age.
Perhaps these well-worn stones, the moat
deep down here, or the old grey ruins yonder,
if rightly appealed to, may quicken our percep-
tion and enable us to look backward and see
some of the strange things that they have wit-
nessed. Look at the moat. You will notice
that the water is not a great width. On each
side is a fresh, green lawn, and its sloping
banks are richly covered with vegetation. The
brown autumn leaves are falling, and men are
sweeping them from the lawn. From this
point of 'vantage we almost see the extreme
ends of the water-way. The scene is very
beautiful. Visitors from afar come and linger
upon this old bridge, and feast their eyes upon
the spectacle, and take away photographs to
grace their albums at home. It is a scene of
quietude and peace, which is all the more effec-
tive, existing as it does almost within the hear-
ing of the hum of the great city. But this was
not its character in its early days. It en-
circled the whole of the area upon which the
Palace stood, for it was made for the purpose
of defence. It was made. There was little or
no natural depression here for a moat. It had
to be dug out with spade and pick. Military
art of the time supplied the deficiencies of
nature. On its inner side there rose a wall,
difficult to assail; and the outer bank, which
was the work of great labour and expense, was
an effective bulwark. It was, however, less
formidable on the side where the gateway stood
—the side where we now stand — than on its
western side. It's water, too, was not confined
within narrow limits, as now. There was no
lawn then. It was deep, and rose up the sides,
and its breadth varied from sixty to one
hundred and fifteen feet. By the way, do you
know how the moat was supplied with water?
It comes from the springs in the Warren,
where the golfers play. From thence it is con-
ducted to the conduit in the meadow near Holy
Trinity Church, and from the conduit it comes
down to the moat. There again, you see, art
had to be called in to supply the deficiences
of nature.
The approach to the Palace was over the
bridge on which we stand, and through the
gateway which stood at the inner extremity.
Notice what a handsome structure the bridge
is, with its strong abutment and four well-pre-
served arches. It is worthily the admiration
of all lovers of architecture. It is remarkable
for the elegance of its design, and the strength
and soundness of its construction. The arches
vary in dimensions and are groined, and the
piers are sustained by angular buttresses.
But this was not the original bridge. We
may assume that the first builders of the
Palace put a drawbridge across the moat, as
was the custom of the times, providing, as it
did, a surer means of defence. Such a bridge
would not, of course, have been of stone. But
though the ancient drawbridges were necessary
for the security of houses such as that of
Eltham, as well as of castles of defence, they
gave way to structures similar to this, when
military methods had changed, and it waa
found that elegance in domestic architecture
could be safely combined with strength.
The present bridge dates from the time of
Edward IV. (1461 to 1485), who had it built
when he enlarged and improved the Palace
itself. It is of the same age as the Great Hall.
So you see it has stood the wear and tear of
over four hundred years. To all appearances it
is as secure now as ever it was, and is a lasting
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
89
Tbu GruunJ Plat <fPa.Tt tfl/u dntunt Palace aeEIOxim
' D.I6SO
THE ELIZABETHAN PLAN OF THE OUTER COURTYARD, ELTHAM PALACE.
A. — The Bridge over the Moat. B.— The Tilt Yard. The break shown in the wall, the Ancient Gate
C.— The road leading to Bridle Lane.
The Bake House is the site of the old dwelling (Court Yard House), now occupied by Capt. Holbrooke.
The Chandry site, or thereabouts, is now occupied by Langerton House, residence of Mrs. Gordon.
The Chancellor's Lodging, very much in its original condition, now forms the residences of
Mrs. Milne, Misses Bloxam, and Misses Brookes. (See photographs).
90
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
memorial to the excellent work of the builders
of those days.
The old gateway, which stood at the inner
extremity of the bridge has gone. But, writing
in the year 1828, Mr. J. C. Buckler, who made a
close and exhaustive study of the Palace as it
was then, says: —
" An inconsiderable fragment of the gateway,
joined to the bridge on its eastern side, re-
mains. In Buck's Views, published more than
a century ago, the entire building is repre-
sented. Its gradual demolition seems to have
been effected as the ruins of the Palace yielded
to convenience, and the ground was required for
farming operations.
"Till the year 1813 two venerable, but im-
perfect, stacks of brick chimneys, one on each
side of the way, were preserved. Since that
date one of these relics, with the wall on which
it stood, has been entirely removed, and the
other so much defaced that it will scarcely be
noticed by those who remember how much
these fragments of well-wrought brick-work
formerly contributed to the picturesque beauty
of the view from the bank of the moat."
Commenting further upon the gateway, Mr.
Buckler continues: —
" These might have been portions of the work
of King Henry the Seventh, who, however, can-
not be supposed to have entirely re-built the
gate-house; for we are informed that there was
a palace here long. before the time of Anthony
Beke, Bishop of Durham, and that he only re-
paired, rebuilt, and beautified it, when it came
into his hands, and (as Harris has written)
'the stone work over the outward gateway
looks of that age.'
"Another writer (Philpott) says, 'The stone
work of the outer gate, being castle-like, is a
remnant of the work of the age in which that
prelate (Beke) lived."
"Of its antiquity, or the predominant
material of its walls, I can say nothing," con-
tinues Mr. Buckler, "but its form and extent
may be imagined from the ancient plan of the
part of the Palace published by Hasted. In
Buck's print there is only one archway in
front; but the plan shews two, that is, a large
arch and a postern, with rooms on the side and
two staircase towers."
So, if we walk across the bridge to its inner
extremity, remove from our view— in imagina-
tion, of course — the cottage on the right, and
the house on the left, erect in their places the
great archway, with its castle-like summit, its.
"stair-case towers" and rooms, its front gate,
and its postern gate, we may almost fancy our-
selves standing at the old gateway, seeking per-
mission of the ancient porter to pass into the
court beyond, upon the further side of which
the "Great Hall" stands out in all its glory.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE GREAT HALL (1).
Passing beneath the "castle-like" gateway,
which, in the days when the Palace was a
Royal residence, stood at the inner extremity of
the bridge, you would have entered a court
surrounded by buildings; and on the opposite
side of this court, immediately in front of you,
was the doorway of the great hall, which is so
familiar a sight to us all to-day. The hall was
really a part of .the central pile of the buildings
which made up the Palace itself, but it is the
only important part which is left to remind
us of its former glory.
The Date. — There is a record that King
Edward IV., " to his great cost, repaired his
house at Eltham," and there is sufficient evi-
dence to shew that the great hall in front of
us formed a portion of the improvements to the
Palace carried out by that monarch. As we
have already noticed, a Palace existed here
centuries before Edward's time, but he seems
to have been the first monarch who went to the
expense of repairing and adding to it.
Edward IV. did much to encourage architec-
ture, and, scattered about the country are
many fine buildings, ecclesiastical and
domestic, which were erected during his reign.
Somerset and other counties are specially rich
in the architecture of this period, and St.
George's Chapel at Windsor, King's College
Chapel at Cambridge, and the fine ruin at
Eltham are monuments to the personal in-
fluence of the King in erections of this kind.
Although no positive date is given of the
building of the great hall, we have no diffi-
culty in assigning it to King Edward IV.'s
time. The architecture bears the stamp of the
latter half of the fifteenth century, and evi-
dence, even more direct, is found in the badge
of a rose en soleil, which is a conspicuous orna-
ment in the "spandrels," or spaces, to the
right and left of the archway at the entrance
in front of us. This was one of the badges of
Edward IV., and it is frequently met with in
architecture of that period. There is a beauti-
fully carved example among the ornaments to
the lower gateway of Magdalene College, Ox-
ford, another at Queen's College, also at
Keynsham Church, near Bristol— Keynsham,
whose abbot, by the way, centuries before re-
ceived the rectorial tithes of Eltham — another
at Wells, and so on.
A Master Feature.— Mr. J. C. Buckler, the
distinguished architect, who in 1828 made a
detailed examination of the whole area enclosed
by the moat, describes the hall as the master
feature of the Palace. With a suite of rooms
at either extremity, it rose in the centre of the
surrounding buildings, as superior in the
grandeur of its architecture as in the mag-
nificence of its proportions and the amplitude
of its dimensions. He adds, "this fair edifice
has survived the shocks which, at different
periods, have laid the Palace low. Desolation
has reached its very walls, and the hand of
wanton mischief has dared to injure where it
could not destroy; but still the hall of Eltham
Palace has not, with the exception of the
loover, been entirely deprived of its smallest
constituents."
The Quadrangles. — It was thought that there
were four courts within the enclosed area, two
in the north, and two in the south division,
92
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
and the conjecture arose from the belief that
the kitchen and other offices connected with
it, and lying east of the great hall, were
screened from the north and south quadrangles
on the sides of which were ranged the state
apartments.
The north side of the hall, that is, the side
facing the bridge, and the south side, now
facing the lawn, were both open to quadrangles.
Their architecture corresponded precisely,
excepting that the south parapet was plain,
the elegant simplicity of design, and this
specimen of the Palace shews how well the old
builders could apply the style to domestic
purposes; 'how far removed from gloom were
their habitations, where defensive precautions
could be dispensed with, and how skilfully they
carried out whatever they undertook in archi-
tecture.'
The Proportions.— The proportions of Eltham
Hall, and the harmony of its design, are evi-
dences of the care and skill of its builders.
BOAR'S HEAD.
while that on the other side, facing the prin-
cipal gate, was embattled, and the cornice en-
riched with sculptured corbels. Mr. Buckler
adds that, at the time of his writing, " not a
portion of either parapet now remains to prove
this assertion, though both were nearly perfect
twenty-five years ago (1803)." They are repre-
sented as here described, in ancient drawings
in the King's library, in Buck's print, and in
the sixth volume of the Archseologia.
Simple Design. — In this majestic structure
the architect scrupulously avoided the frequent
use of carvings, which would have destroyed
Other halls may surpass it in extent, but this,
is perfect in every useful and elegant feature of
a banqueting room. It was well lighted, and
perhaps required painted glass to subdue the
glare admitted by two-and-twenty windows.
There are no windows over the high pace (the
dais or platform at the end opposite the screen)
and none over the screen. This was usual,
though, from unavoidable circumstances, West-
minster Hall and the Guildhall have windows
at the ends. The placing of the hall, too, with
its extremities pointing east and west, as in the
case of chapels, was in accordance with a
general custom.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
98
The Windows. — The windows are arranged in
ccuples. in five spaces on both sides, occupy-
ing the length of the building, from the east
wall to the angle of the bays. Every window is
divided by a mullion (an upright bar), with-
out a transom (horizontal bar), and every
space by a buttress, which terminates below the
cornice, and at the foot of the windows has
twice the protection of the upper half.
The Buttresses. — These supports are slender,
and are of the same light and elegant propor-
tion which is a characteristic of the whole
building. The walls alone are adequate to the
weight of the roof, but their strength is in-
creased by the buttresses, which are common to
the ancient style of architecture, and were fre-
quently used for ornament when their support
was not necessary. The buttresses of Eltham
are both useful and ornamental; and "as if to
determine for which purpose they were mostly
required, several of those facing the south are
mangled or destroyed."
The Walls. — Since Mr. Buckler's time much
of the decay has been arrested, and the build-
ing partially restored, but writing of the walls,
in 1828, he says : " The building furnishes a
strong proof of the scientific powers of former
architects; it shews how accurately they calcu-
lated between the support and the weight sup-
ported, and though we look with some surprise
at the thinness of the walls which have for so
many centuries upheld the vast roof of timber,
yet we must be satisfied that it was an under-
taking of no temerity, since the walls would
still have stood as erect as when first built, if
the external covering of the roof had not been
wholly neglected, or only imperfectly repaired;
and so far from exhibiting a fissure through
decay, it is difficult in some parts to trace the
joints in the masonry; nor is the carved work
less perfect."
It will interest many, especially those who
are engaged in the building trade, to learn that
inaccuracies in measurements exist in the
spaces between the buttresses. They have not
been marked out with the scrupulous accuracy
which modern work of the kind demands.
"But," as our authority says, "the difference
does not exceed three inches, and would defy
the closest observer to detect. If the ancients
disregarded these minute particulars, which, it
must be confessed, were of no consequence to
the general effect, they were studious to ensure
the firmness of their buildings, and1 the beauty
of their design."
The Bay Windows. — The bay windows at the
western end nearly complete the length of the
hall, which on the inside is a few inches over
one hundred and one feet in length, and thirty-
six and a half feet in width. The shape of the
bays was an "oblong square," and their pro-
portions nearly that of a double cube, having
in front two windows, and one towards the
east. The opposite ends of both bays were
joined to the walls of the house; and, though
concealed from view externally, presented in-
ternally a uniform appearance. The manner
in which these appendages are united to the
main walls is singular, and, on the outside,
where alone the contrivance is observable, cer-
tainly inelegant. The side windows of the bays
are, in fact, recessed in the wall of the hall,
with which the basement below, and the
parapet above, meet in a right angle. On this
account nearly half of one compartment of the
window is concealed from view, but a moment's
inspection of the interior will shew the reason.
The architect's aim was to maintain strict
regularity of design, and to produce as much
lightness as was consistent with stability.
These points are now perfectly gained. An
arch of exquisite delicacy extends over the space
between the bays and the hall, in the place of
one proportioned to the substance of the main
wall, thus securing the lightness of character
which was designed.
The Doors.— The chief door of the hall faces
the north, and was nearly opposite the outer
gateway by the bridge. There is another door
on the south side. Both opened into a vesti-
bule formed by a screen. A rigid economy in
the application of ornaments was exercised in
the outside of the buildings. Both parapets
were not embattled, and both doorways on the
same account were not ornamented. That on
the south side is a plain arch unworthy of the
edifice to which it belongs. The other adorns
the building and exhibits the workmanship of
94
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
a hand no less skilful with the chisel than that
with the pencil which traced the design.
The doorway facing the bridge, which is
familiar to every visitor, consists of a square
frame, protected by a cornice, and an arch
deeply recessed within its mouldings, resting
on pillars. An elegant pattern of tracery, en-
circling the rose en soleil enriches the
spandrels.
This is still the principal entrance, and the
shattered screen within still secures the hall
from sudden intrusion. Though these door-
ways have never been sheltered by porches, yet
the necessity of something to answer this pur-
pose seems to have been felt. This substitute
was probably a cove, or canopy of wood, sup-
ported on two stone corbels, which in Mr.
Buckler's day were still in existence just above
the southern doorway.
HACKNEY COACHES, 1584.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE GREAT HALL (2).
Let us now enter the Great Hall, and under
the enthusiastic guidance of Mr. Buckler
examine its chief features.
The Interior. — " The interior is magnificent,"
writes Mr. Buckler, "the taste and talent of
ages are concentrated in its design, and it is
scarcely possible to imagine proportions more
just and noble, a plan more perfect, ornaments
more appropriate and beautiful, in a word
more harmonious than this regal banqueting
room." Then follows a graphic description of
the hall as it appeared to him in the year
1828.
"It requires great strength of imagination
to picture this glorious room in its pristine
state ; the long and lofty walls clothed with rich
tapestry, and here and there decorated with the
trophies of war, or those of the chase, the
canopy of state, hanging oyer the high pace
at the upper end, and all its other enrich-
ments; for on this honoured station are now
seen the various instruments of agriculture;
and between the two bay windows, whose deli-
cate mullions were enclosed by painted glass,
rich in historical groups and heraldic devices,
and whose ample breadth shed a profusion of
light around the seat of royalty, the sun no
longer shines but through the crevices of brick
and wood-work, which supplies the place of
glass.
" The slender stone tracery, wrought with
all the nicety of art, and so carefully preserved,
is now clustered with cobwebs, where the stone
has been permitted to remain. The screen,
once sumptuously carved and painted, and fur-
nished with all the instruments known to the
age, is now a broken and almost shapeless
frame. The floor, once well covered with tables
of massy carved oak work, and prepared to
administer to thousands (for King Edward the
Fourth kept splendid Christinas here, two
thousand being feasted at his expense every
day), is now an uneven bottom, piled with
machines of husbandry and rubbish— these are
a few of the changes which three centuries
and a half have produced in the hall of Eltham
Palace."
It is a satisfaction to know that the hall
does not now present such an appearance of
neglect. Soon after these lines were written,
the authorities employed Mr. Smirke to com-
mence the work of restitution.
The Roof. — " Though now the most perfect,
and always the most splendid part of the in-
terior, the roof has suffered its proportion of
injury. Many of its most delicate enrichments
have been removed, but, as its chief ornaments
are the constituent members, and not the
minute carved work, these remain entire, and
compose a design which merits, and continues
to receive, as much praise as any existing work
of antiquity."
Those who are interested in details of con-
struction will notice that the principal beams
of the roof repose on the summit of the walls
which are crowned with a broad and boldly
projecting cornice of numerous mouldings.
Every one of the frames thus formed, amount-
ing to seven, includes a wide spreading arch,
within and intersected with which are the
handsome arches composing the essential
features of the design, and the side segments,
resting on brackets which terminate on stone
corbels most beautifully carved. These seg-
96
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
ments, joined to horizontal beams attached to
the side cornice, themselves assume the form,
and answer the purpose of brackets, since they
sustain the main arches, whose elegance is
much increased by the pendant corbels by
which they are upheld."
Writing in 1828, Mr. Buckler, with his usual
enthusiasm for the beautiful in architecture,
declares that "the exquisitely beautiful form
and decoration of these appendages surpass
description. It may, however, be said that they
are octagonal, composed of tracery, surmounted
by a capital, and supported by a corbel, both
of the same shape, the one broad for a canopy
and the other long and tapering to a point."
He adds, "it is less wonderful that the more
delicate enrichments of these pendants should
be destroyed, than that a single specimen
should have remained in its place till the year
1817, to prove the original beauty of the whole.
This valuable relic was attached to the wall
in the south west corner. Before the next
summer it was removed." Mr. Buckler gives
an engraving of it in his little book.
"The remaining space between the arches
and the apex is occupied by open wrought
tracery. The assemblage of features thus dis-
posed on an elegant and well-contrived prin-
ciple within a triangular frame constitutes the
magnificent roof of this room. The precise
form of the arches, clustered mouldings, and
traceried panels, which please by their variety
and the richness of their combination, pro-
claim the ability of those by whom they were
designed and wrought."
" The Loover." — The loover, or chimney,
occupied the third division from the upper
end. The hexagonal framework, from which it
rose above the external roof, rich in pinnacles
and tracery, was in existence in 1828, and
marked the situation of the hearth below. But
the loover itself was destroyed prior to the
date of any drawing or engraving then known;
and as the hearth was not substituted by a
recessed fire-place in the side wall, it is prob-
able that the old method of warming the hall
was used, until its destruction, and that after-
wards the loover was removed as useless.
" The Wall Spaces."— The blank space below
the windows, which is considerable, was once-
used for the display of tapestry and fresco
painting; and on these, and perhaps other
accounts, became a distinctive character in the
design of the room.
The stone work in the spaces over and be-
tween the windows was always uncovered, and
on that account is constructed with great care.
It is composed of large squares, while the broad
space below is of brick, cased, on the outside, to-
wards the south, with masonry of an inferior
quality to that above, which resembles the in-
terior, and with which the principal or north
side corresponds.
The substantial layer of cement on which
the tapestry was fastened was not wholly re-
moved iu 1828, and much of a similar com-
position remains on the walls of Westminster
Hall.
The Bay Windows.— The bay windows are of
unrivalled grandeur and beauty. In each a
rich and elegant pattern of tracery, highly
decorated with sculptured knots, the whole
wrought in stone of the most delicate work-
manship, expands in a uniform pattern over
the roof, and reposes its clustered "springers"
on the capitals of the slender shafts, which,
in the sides and angles of the space, are com-
bined with the mouldings of the windows, and
rest on a plinth at their foot.
The great arches leading to the interior are
of an obtuse form, but those of the windows
excel in beauty of form even the side windows
of the hall. Their graceful length admits of a
division by a transom, consisting of arches
with an embattled cornice, whose upright
shafts, united to the pillars of the roof, rest
their bases on the sill.
The Inner Doors. — On the inner sides of the
bays appear the elegant doorways, by one of
which the hall was entered from the with-
drawing room. The bays of the halls at King-
ston Seymour, Wingfield Manor House, and
other places also contained the entrance to the
chief apartments; but the arrangement was un-
usual, and it may be remarked that no other
internal doorways appear in the hall of Eltham
Palace.
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
97
The Screen— Mr. Buckler has a great deal to
say about the screen, the remains of which still
exist at the eastern end of the hall. We may
do well to read his comments, that we may be
able to compare the screen as it appears now,
with what it was in 1828. He says :—
The prominent position of the screen, which
is advanced ten feet six inches into the hall
at the lower end, was favourable to the dis-
play of handsome decoration, and the ample
space was in this instance adorned so as to
correspond with the rest of the building. The
last fragments of its carved work were de-
stroyed about ten years ago (1818), but it
appears that the whole of the perforated
tracery was gone when a drawing of this
screen was published by the Society of Antiqu-
aries in 1782.
"The main pillars and beams are all that
now remain. Of the five spaces into which the
front of the screen was separated, the two
broadest contained doorways, the capitals and
springers of whose arches till lately remained-
and, if the rude drawing before mentioned can
be relied on, were superbly carved."
It is generally thought that a minstrel gallery
existed in the hall, but Mr. Buckler does not
seem to share the popular belief. He says,
"The screen now supports a rude frame work
of wood, which may be mistaken for the re-
mains of a gallery, a feature which frequently
belonged to rooms of this class, but one which
was so often omitted that it cannot fairly be
numbered among the constituents of the de-
sign; it at least never formed a part of the
internal decoration of this palatial hall; and
the passage behind the screen was covered by
a ceiling. The strongest confirmation of this
opinion I can add is, that there is no stair-
case or doorway by which a gallery could have
been entered, either from the common level
or from the floor of the adjoining apartments.'
" There can be no doubt that the screen was
designed to shut from the view of the hall the
different doorways which were necessarily
arranged behind it."
Stone Door-cases.— Our notice is also directed
to the two stone doorcases in the wall opposite
screen, and once the entrances to the
kitchen, and its appropriate offices. These
arches are plain, and Mr. Buckler says, " the
remains of bolts and hinges prove the care
with which they have been secured."
PLAYING AT Bl'CKLERS. MA.DS DANCING FOR GARLANDS.
CHAPTER XXVI.
'ONE FAIR CHAPEL," AND OTHER MATTERS.
It is difficult to say with any certainty what
were the actual positions of the other buildings
that made up the Palace. But we have suffi-
cient documentary evidence to enable us to
form some idea of its size and importance.
The beginning of the end of Eltham Palace
may be said to have dated from January 30th,
1649, the day on which Charles I. was executed.
The Royal Estates were then vested in trustees,
to be surveyed and sold to supply the necessities
of State.
An Ordinance was passed on July 16th, 1649,
and in the following autumn — in October,
November and December, the Parliamentary
survey of Eltham was made. From this survey
we get the following particulars: —
" The Capital Mansion House, built with
brick, stone, and timber, was called Eltham
House, and consisted of one fair chapel, one
great hall, thirty-six rooms and offices below
stairs, with two large cellars; and above stairs,
in lodgings called the King's side, 17; the
Queen's side, 12; and the Prince's side, nine;
in all, 38 lodging rooms, with other necessary
small rooms and closets.
None were garnished, except the chapel and
hall, both garnished with wainscot, all covered
with lead and tiles, with one green outward
court, containing one acre encompassed with
out-houses on three sides, consisting of about
35 bays of building, containing in two stories
about 78 rooms, formerly used as offices to the
said manor, mansion or court house, with one
inward court, containing half-an-acre, and one
garden called the arbor, lying south of the
mansion; also the orchard, encompassed with a
brick wall, adjoining the highway leading from
the manor house to a piece of ground called
the High Lawn, N., upon the said lawn E.,
upon the Great Park, S., and the manor house,
W., containing Sac. lr. 35p.
The said manor, or mansion house, with the
scite thereof, is bounded with the said arbor,
containing 2ac. 2r. 10p., S.E., the Little Park,
S.W., and with the highway leading to the said
town, N., contains, with the moat, 7ac. 2r., and,
with all ways, passages, easements, water-
courses, commodities, and appurtenances to the
said mansion house and scite belonging, worth
a year £U 3s. 35d.
The whole being out of repair and untenant-
able, the materials were valued at ,£2,753, ex-
clusive of the charge of taking down.
The scite of the above, when cleared, was
worth .£11 a year.
The out-houses encompassing the outer court,
if divided into habitations, worth ,£25 a year."
The survey also contains many interesting
particulars as to the parks, and, although in
this chapter we are dealing mainly with the
buildings, it will perhaps be as well to make
some extracts here, since they throw a good deal
of light upon other buildings connected with
the Palace, and as it will help readers who may
be interested in trying to define the limits of
the old parks upon a modern map of the parish.
" The Great Park, with a piece called the
Parish Lawn, the mansion house, and two closes
of pasture, part of the demesne lands called the
two ten acres abutting on the N., a lane lead-
ing from South End to Cray, and on the E. a
road leading from Chiselhurst to London, con-
taining the whole 596ac. 3r. lip., worth ,£328
4s lOd. a year.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
99
The Great or Manor Lodge, on the N.E. of
the Great Park, with orchard and garden, con-
tained lac. 2r., worth .£6 13s. 4d. a year.
The Keeper's House, or Old Lodge, in the
middle of the Great Park, contained 25 perches,
worth £2 a year.
The Deer were all destroyed, and the Park
disparked by the soldiery and common people
since the midsummer before.
The Trees in this Park, besides such as were
marked out for use of the navy, were 1062, being
old ' dottrels ' and decayed, worth ,£424 16s.
Patrick Maule, groom of the late King's bed-
chamber, was Chief Ranger, by letters patent,
dated 12 June, 4, Charles I., at 6d. a day for
life.
The trees, before mentioned, marked for the
navy were 1,200."
" The Little or Middle Park, between the
Great Park on the E., the hamlet of Motting-
ham, S., and the highway from Nottingham
to London, N., contained 333ac. 3r. 3p., worth
.£217 15s. Oid. a year.
The Keeper's Lodge, a three-storied house in
the middle of the Park, with, orchard and
garden, 2ac. 2r., 7p., worth £6 13s. 4d. a year.
The deer and park were destroyed like the
former.
The Trees marked for the navy 1,000, the
rest old and fit for fire were 334, worth .£162."
" The Home, alias Lee Park with the meads
and paddocks impaled, in Eltham and Lee, the
highway from Mottiugham to London abutting
E., the hamlet of Mottingham, S., the lane from
Lee to Bromley, W., and the highway from
Kltham to London, N., contained 336ac. lr.,
worth ,£151 6s. 3d. a year.
The Lodge, near the middle of the Park, three
roods, worth ,£4 a year.
Deer destroyed. Trees, marked for the navy
about 1,700, the rest, old and decayed, 2,620,
worth ,£917.
The Chief Banger and Master of the game
was Sir Theodore Mayerne."
There are other details in this interesting
survey, but those given seem sufficient to indicate
the extent of the Palace grounds in the year
1649, when its doom was sealed. Reverting to
the subject of the "one fair chapel," noticed in
the survey, although we cannot locate its exact
position, we may pretty safely assume that it
formed a part of the extensive pile of building
adjoining the Great Hall.
It was very likely included in that part of the
Palace built by King Edward the Fourth, whose
fourth daughter, Bridget, was born here in the
20th year of his reign, and was the next day
baptised in the chapel by the Bishop of Chiches-
ter.
Mr. Buckler, whom we have quoted already
at considerable length, was of opinion that the
chapel was situated on the upper or principal
floor, and, with the surrounding apartments,
had, below stairs, the thirty-six rooms and
offices, and the two large cellars, referred to in
the survey. He says, "one common charac-
teristic of domestic architecture of the period is
the height of the windows from the ground,
that is, their appearance on the upper floor,
where all the principal apartments were most
invariably placed. Whether or not this
arrangement was originally designed, and after-
wards persisted in for the sake of security, it
answered that purpose. While in some
instances it added strength to an already forti-
fied mansion, in others it formed, excepting the
moat, the only protection from sudden in-
trusion."
We find that in 1810 the ground on the sides
of the hall within the enclosure presented no-
thing but shrubs and heaps of loose masonry.
"The vault," says Mr. Buckler, "in the south-
west corner lay open and unoccupied, and the
foundation of a wall parallel to the west side,
about thirty feet from it, and sixty feet long,
was exposed to view."
THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGES.
Much interest is always taken in the sub
terranean passages and vaults, and several
theories have been put forward as to their
origin and purpose. These chambers were more
accessible at the time Mr. Buckler made his in-
vestigations, and as he gave them considerable
attention, we will reproduce what he has said
about them.
100
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" There are no fragments of walls," lie writes,
"to determine the extent of the south front
from the west angle, but the vaults which still
remain underground, if not capacious drains,
were used for cellars, and hare had buildings
over them." This observation is important, as
it suggests the position of the buildings on the
south side. "But these subterranean rooms,"
he continues, " are not now so easy of access
as they were formerly. One has been partly,
and the other entirely closed up. Two on the
west side still remain open, and one towards the
south, originally sixty feet long, is now a con-
venient receptacle for garden implements.
"All these vaults, except the last, are about
three feet wide, and six feet high to the crown
of the arch. The principal one, facing the
west, extends fifty feet underground, but the
one adjoining, and that towards the" south merit
description.
"The former extends 25 feet from the en-
trance, and consists of three members, alto-
gether resembling the Roman I. The middle
space measures 10ft. 4in. by 4ft. The outer
division contains the staircase, which formerly
communicated with the apartments above; and
the inner, a deeply recessed arch, between
which and the vault is an aperture in the roof
of 24in. by 20in., framed with stone, and doubt-
less once concealed by a trap door.
"The door of the latter, or south vault, ap-
pears between the two towers before noticed.
Its course is singularly irregular, varying in
width from four to six feet, four feet three
inches, and four feet nine inches. In the left
or west wall is an arched recess, five feet wide,
and four deep, and further on a small recess or
niche.
" But a square aperture in the roof near the
outer doorway is the object of primary in-
terest. It is neatly formed, and large enough to
admit the passage of an individual, and seems
to justify the vulgar tales of adventures by
means of secret passages, which attach to this
and many other celebrated old houses.
" It will not, I presume, be rejected as idle or
improbable, that formerly there might have
been occasions which would render a secret re-
treat useful. The water approached nearly to
the level of the passage floor, and a few
moments would suffice to convey the retreating
party to the opposite bank.
" Whatever might have been their original
design, it is evident that these vaults were con-
structed for long duration. The ancient
builders, to the other good qualities of their
work, added that of strength. The cement
which unites the stones is no less durable than
the material itself."
The underground buildings have survived the
noble mansion more than two centuries, with-
out shewing any symptoms of decay, and will
probably last for many more generations.
THE COURT YARD.
If we again take our stand upon the bridge,
with our back to the Palace, and our face to the
avenue of limes, looking north, we have be-
fore us the scene of the old "court yard," the
name which it still retains. This, of course,
was an outer court, and must not be confused
with the inner courts of quadrangles which
existed within the moat.
In the year 1590, when Elizabeth was queen,
a detailed plan was made of this outer court
yard, and this plan may be seen at the Record
Office. The roadway runs now, as it did then,
along the middle of the court yard. Still facing
north, with the Palace behind us, on the left
and right were two rows of buildings. The
ancient wooden houses on the left of us are the
remains of the buildings set out on the plan,
and those nearest the moat are called " My
Lord Chancellor his Lodgings." Then follow
"The Buttery," "The Spicery," "The
Pastry," "The Cole-house/' and "The
Slaughter-house." On the opposite side of the
court yard was a corresponding row of build-
ings, but these have now disappeared. They
are marked on the plan as "Bake-house," and
"Decayed Lodgings." Behind these ether
buildings are indicated, " The Scalding House,"
" The Cole Houses," " The Store House for
works."
The two rows of buildings form two sides of
a slightly irregular rectangle. Immediately in
front of us, at the other end of the road
from the bridge, and a hundred yards from
where we now stand, was the " gate-way" to the
court yard, and from the right and left of the
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
101
gateway ran out rows of buildings marked as
"Decayed Lodgings" on the plan, but meeting
the two lines of buildings already alluded to,
and forming with them the small end of the
irregular rectangle. Beyond the " gate," to the
left of the road which ran into the village, was
"The Channdry," while "The Great Bake-
house" occupied a position also outside the
" gate," at the right-hand corner of the rect-
angle.
Here we must conclude our brief survey of the
ruins and other relics of the Palace, much of
which we can still look upon. In our next
chapter we propose to begin the story of some of
the great events and distinguished personages
that have been associated with Royal Eltham.
CROSS-BOWMAN.
9A
HENRY III. (from liis tomb in Westminster Abbey).
CHAPTER XXVII.
BISHOP BEK THE BEAUTIFIER.'
According to Matthew Paris, the chronicler
of the thirteenth century, King Henry III.
visited Eltham for the Christmas festivities of
1270. No record has yet been found of any
earlier king taking up his residence here, al-
though the house must have been of consider-
able importance and notability, seeing that it
was the home of the great Baron John de
Vesci, and that it possessed sufficient accommo-
dation for the entertainment of the King in
state.
Henry III. died two years after his state
visit to Eltham, in 1272, and was succeeded by
Edward I. (1272—1307). This latter monarch
signed several charters at Eltham, but his reign
is an important period of Eltham history, be-
cause it was then that Antony Bek came into
temporary possession of the Palace, and
wrought the improvements which have
associated with his name.
been
It is recorded in the Dictionary of National
Biography, that Anthony Bek, the Bishop of
Durham, " built the castle at Eltham, and gave
it to the queen." Other authorities say that he
beautified and improved the building. Which-
ever statement is correct we may regard it as
an undisputed fact that Bishop Bek carried
out great building operations, and if he was
merely the " beautifier " of the palace, the in-
ference is that there was a palace of some sort
before he took the work in hand. This infer-
ence would seem to be quite reasonable when
we recollect the antiquity of Eltham, even at
the Bishop's time, and the fact that for cen-
turies it had been a royal desmesne.
But you may ask, who was Bishop Bek? How
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
103
did he become associated with Eltham? Let us
try and answer these questions, and let us
deal with the latter first— the Bishop's con-
nection with Eltham.
If you turn to that part of Hasted's History
of Kent which deals with the " Blackheath
Hundred" you will find the query answered in
a few words. Hasted writes : —
"On the disgrace of the Bishop of Bayeux
(see chapter six) about four years after, all
his estates were confiscated to the Crown. This
palace afterwards belonged partly to the king
and partly to the Mandevils, from whom it
came to be called " Eltham Mandevil."
King Edward I. gave his part of Eltham, with
lands in Northumberland, and other places, in
the ninth year of his reign, to John, son of
William de Vesci, a potent baron of the north,
who had the year before married Isabel de
Beaumont, Queen Eleanor's kinswoman. In
the twelfth year of that reign he procured a
charter for a weekly market here on a Tuesday,
and a fair yearly on the eve of the Holy Trinity
and the two following days.
In the fourteenth year of it, having obtained
the King's consent, John de Vesci gave the
sixth part of the Manor of Luton, in Bedford-
shire, in exchange to Walter de Mandevil for
his part of Eltham, and died without issue
in the seventeenth year of the same reign,
holding the Manor of Eltham of the Keing, by
knight's service, and leaving William his
brother his heir, and Isabel his wife surviv-
ing.
William de Vesci — " the succeeding Lord of
the Manor "—was summoned to Parliament in
the twenty-third year of that reign (Edward
I.), and having married Isabel, daughter of
Adam de Periton, widow of Robert de Welles,
had by her an only son, John, who died without
issue in his life-time, upon which, "having no
lawful issue surviving, in the twenty-fourth
year of that reign he enfeofed that great pre-
late, Anthony Beke, Bishop of Durham and
Patriarch of Jerusalem, in several of his
estates, among which was the inheritance of
Eltham, then held by Isabel, widow of John de
Vesci, afterwards wife of Adam de Welles, for
her life, upon the special trust, that he should
retain them for the use of William de Vesci,"
his natural son.
John de Vesci died the year after he had
made these provisions, and thus it was that
Bishop Bek came into possession.
Hasted tells us that this William de Vesci,
for whom the Bishop had agreed to hold tho
Eltham estate, was killed a good many years
afterwards at the Battle of Bannockburn. His
mother was Dergavile, daughter of Dunwald,
a petty prince in Ireland.
So much for the connection of Bishop Bek
with Eltham, where he died on March 3rd, 1310
or 1311, and whence his body was conveyed to
Durham and interred in the Cathedral there.
Now, let us see what we can glean of the his-
tory of this great prelate, who was not only a
most powerful prince of the Church, but was a
man of exceedingly interesting and picturesque
personality, and often a familiar figure in the
picturesque village of Eltham.
He was the son of a Lincolnshire baron,
Walter of Eresby, and as a young man he
attracted the notice of Edward I., by whom
he was nominated Bishop of Durham in 1283.
We are told that " he was already well pro-
vided with ecclesiastical preferments; for he
held five beneficies in the province of Canter-
bury, and was Archdeacon of Durham."
On the occasion of his consecration there
occurred an incident which shewed, to some
extent, the kind of man the new Bishop was.
The monks of Durham were at variance with
the Archbishop of York about his rights of
visitation. They knew that the Archbishop
would not accept any one unless he were
supported by the king, so they elected Antony
Bek to be their Bishop, who was a nominee of
the king.
Immediately after his consecration, the Arch-
bishop, John Eomanus, ordered the new Bishop
to excommunicate the rebellious monks.
" Yesterday I was consecrated their Bishop,"
replied Bek, " shall I excommunicate them to
day? "
* * «
"Antony Bek was a prelate of the secular
and political type. He was one of the magnifi-
104
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
cent lords of England, and out-did his peers
in profuse expenditure. His ordinary retinue
consisted of a hundred and forty knights, and
he treated barons and earls with haughty
superiority."
When the Bishop came to Eltham, we may
well imagine that his procession through the
pretty Kentish lanes was a brilliant pageant
upon which the simple villagers would gaze
with an admiration that was intermixed with
awe.
Then he was immensely rich. " Besides the
revenues of his bishopric he had a large private
fortune; and though he spent money profusely
he died rich. He delighted in displaying his
wealth. On one occasion in London he paid
forty shillings for forty herrings, because he
heard that no one else would buy them. At
another time, hearing that a piece of cloth
was spoken of as ' too dear even for the Bishop
of Durham/ he bought it and had it cut up for
horsecloths."
In our day we should regard this sort of
thing as a weakness in his character, but there
was a redeeming feature. We learn that " he
was an extremely temperate man, and was
famed for his chastity."
He was a man of restless activity, who needed
little sleep. He used to say that he could not
understand how a man could turn in his bed,
or seek a second slumber. In this respect he
rather resembled the Duke of Wellington, who
is said to have remarked that his first turn in
bed was to "turn out." Bek spent his time
in riding with a splendid retinue, from manor
to manor, and was "a mighty hunter, delight-
ing in horses, hawks, and hounds."
But he was also a great statesman, and exer-
cised much influence at the Court of Edward
I. He was the chief adviser throughout the
troubles connected with Scotland. He was the
ambassador to Adolf of Nassau to arrange an
alliance with Germany against France.
And he was a soldier. In the expedition
against Scotland in 1296, he led one thousand
foot and five hundred horse, and before him was
carried the sacred banner of St. Cuthbert. Sub-
sequently, in the battle of Falkirk, Bishop Bek
commanded the second division of the English
forces. An incident of this battle is recorded.
When he approached the foe he ordered his
cavalry to await re-inforcements before charg-
ing.
" To thy mass, Bishop," cried a rough knight,
" and teach not such as us how to fight the
foe."
This remark seems to have fired the Bishop,
for we are told that he spurred on, was followed
by the rest, and routed the enemy.
* * *
After his return from the Scottish campaign
Bek seems to have got out of favour with the
king. Moreover, he was involved in troubles
with the monks of Durham, and in ecclesias-
tical disputes which lasted to the end of his
life.
The monks at Durham were dissatisfied with
their Prior, in 1300, so the Bishop proposed to
hold a visitation there. Prior Richard de
Hoton refused to admit the Bishop as visitor
unless he came unattended. He knew that if
the Bishop brought in his attendants he would
be able to enforce his orders.
So the Bishop suspended the Prior, and as
the latter disregarded this and refused to obey
the Bishop, deposition and ex-communication
followed. This led to breaches of the peace, and
the king had to interpose as a mediator.
The king decided that the Prior should con-
tinue in office, and that the Bishop was to visit
the convent accompanied by a few chaplains
only. The king further declared that he would
take action against that party which opposed
his decision.
It was a triumph for Prior Richard. The
haughty Bishop would not give way. He would
not withdraw his deposition of the Prior, and
called upon the monks to elect another in his
place. The monks were in a dilemma. They
demurred. So the Bishop appointed Henry de
Luceby, of Lindisfarne, to the office, and in
order to set up his nominee, he called upon
the men of Tynedale, and Weardale, to besiege
the abbey. This they did, and the abbey was
reduced by hunger, and the defiant Prior
Richard was seized and put into prison.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
105
But he managed to escape, and hastened to
Lincoln, where Parliament was assembled, and
there the deposed Prior laid before the King his
grievances.
Bishop Bek had few sympathisers, and many
were the complaints, from other quarters,
brought to the King, of the arrogance of the
Bishop. Parliament decided in favour of Prior
Richard, who was thereupon sent to the Pope
with letters from Edward I. supporting him
against the Bishop. The Pope— Boniface VIII.
—reinstated the Prior, and ordered Bishop Bek
to Rome to answer for his doings.
Bek took no heed of the summons, upon which
the Pope threatened the Bishop with depriva-
tion. Then Bek set out for Rome, but com-
mitted a breach of decorum by departing with-
out the permission of the King. This brought
more troubles. The King made this lapse of
etiquette an excuse for seizing the temporali-
ties of the see of Durham, and administering
them through his own officers.
• * •
But in Rome Bishop Bek carried everything
before him. There he displayed all that mag-
nificence by which he dazzled the people at
home. The Romans were amazed.
" Who is this? " asked a citizen as he saw the
Bishop's retinue pass by.
"A foe to money," was the answer.
We are told that " Bek won over the cardinals
by his splendid presents. One of them admired
his horses, whereupon Bek sent him two of
the best, that he might choose which he pre-
ferred."
The cardinal kept both.
"He has not failed to choose the best," said
Bek.
Bek shewed that he was no respecter of per-
sons. "He gave the benediction when a car-
dinal was present. He amused himself by play-
ing with his falcons, even during his interview
with the Pope. Boniface VIII. admired a tem-
per so like his own, and dismissed the Prior's
complaint against Bek." Although, this deci-
sion was favourable to the Bishop, it did not
settle the question, for Prior Richard was still
the recognised head of the monastery.
Bek returned from Rome, but in passing
through one of the cities in Northern Italy
there seems to have been a disturbance be-
tween his servants and the people. The mob
stormed his house, and even got access to the
room where the Bishop was.
" Yield, yield ! " was their cry.
" You don't say to whom I am to yield," said
the Bishop ; " certainly to none of you."
His dauntless bearing quelled the tumult.
* * *
On his return he made submission to the
King, Edward I., and thus got possession of
his see. But the recognition of Richard as the
Prior was a continual offence to his pride, and
he renewed again and again his appeal to the
Pope for his deposition. At length Clement V.
agreed to the dismissal of the Prior, and as a
special mark of favour to Bek, he made him
Patriarch of Jerusalem, in 1305.
Prior Richard did not quietly accept this
judgment. He hastened to Rome, to appeal
against it, and actually got a reversal of the
sentence. But he died before he could return
to England.
The Bishop's troubles, however, were not
over. Edward I. had taken a great dislike to
him, and found a sufficient excuse to deprive
him of several of his estates.
But on the accession of Edward II. he was
restored to royal favour, and honours were con-
ferred upon him. Then the Bishop proceeded
to punish the monks of Durham who had taken
the side of Prior Richard. He suspended them
for ten years.
Whatever we may think of his actions in
these quarrels, we cannot excuse him for one
very dishonourable act which, indirectly, was
a matter of interest to Eltham. We have
noticed that William de Vesci, the lord of
Eltham Manor, left his property in the Bishop's
trust, to his natural son, William de Vesci
The estates included others besides Eltham, and
among them that of the barony of Alnwick in
Northumberland.
The young de Vesci seems to have used dis-
respectful or insulting language to the Bishop,
and the latter'e pride was so wounded by the
106
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
incident that to spite the offender, he actually
sold the barony of Alnwick to Henry Percy,
a circumstance which added greatly to the
powerful house of Percy.
The Bishop spent great sums upon buildings
in various parts of the country. Among these
works was that of the erection or the beauti-
fication of the Palace of Eltham, which, it is
said, he presented to the Queen.
He died at Eltham, as we have already
noticed, and his body was conveyed, we may
imagine with great ceremony and pomp,
through the length of England to Durham,
where it was buried in his cathedral church.
This, then, briefly told, is the story of the
proud and powerful prelate, Antony Bek, whose
name is so closely associated with the story of
Eltham, since it was he who provided it with
that stately palace which for centuries after
his death was the regular abode of English
Kings.
JOHN OF ELTHAM.
(from Tomb in Westminster Abbey).
EFFIGY OF EDWARD II.
(Gloucester Cathedral).
CHAPTEE XXVIII.
QUEEN ISABELLA AND THE PRINCE JOHN.
That weak and unhappy prince, who, on the
death of his father, Edward I., ascended the
throne as Edward II., often resided at Eltham,
and it was to the Palace here that he first
brought his beautiful, but faithless, Queen,
"Isabella the Fair," prior to their state entry
into London just before their coronation.
Isabella was daughter of the King of France.
At the time of her marriage she was only six-
teen years old, and was famed throughout
Europe for her extraordinary beauty. Her
life was one of troubles and tragedies, partly
in consequence of the neglect and weakness of
her lord, the king, partly the result of her own
perfidy and wickedness.
She enters largely into the Story of Eltham,
for she was often here, and the Palace recently
enlarged and beautified by Anthony Bek, came
into her possession. For a full history of this
remarkable woman you may turn to Miss
Strickland's "Lives of the Queens of England."
Her marriage with Edward took place at
Boulogne, on January 25th, 1308, and her first
experience of England was obtained in her pro-
gress through Kent, in winter time, to the
Palace at Eltham, where the Royal procession
was arrested for a time to prepare for the State
entry.
The beauty of the Princess was proclaimed on
all sides, and when the pageant passed along
the lanes that led to the Palace it is easy to
imagine the good wives of Eltham, the youths
and the maidens, and villagers of all classes,
pressing forward, as close as propriety allowed,
108
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
to get a glimpse of the beautiful girl, who, alas!
was destined to play so sad a part in our
national history.
Her first child was born at Windsor, some
four years later, in November, 1312. He was
named Edward, after his father, and after-
wards ascended the throne, to which he added
strength and lustre, as Edward III. In the fol-
lowing January (1313) the Queen removed from
Windsor to Westminster, where she remained
a few days.
There were great rejoicings in London on the
occasion of this visit, and when, after her short
sojourn at Westminster, the Queen and the
baby Prince proceeded on their journey to
Eltham, we are told that the Fishmongers Com-
pany organised a great pageant in her honour,
and escorted her all the way to Eltham Palace,
where she took up her abode.
In 1316, some three years later, we find Queen
Isabella again in residence here, and on this
occasion occurred the birth of her second son,
John of Eltham, of whom we shall have more
to say presently.
We need not follow the history of Queen
Isabella, so full of painful and terrible ex-
periences. These things you may read for your-
self in the pages of your history book. Had
her husband been a strong man, as his father
was, instead of weak and worthless, and the tool
of his favourites, it is quite likely that his
Queen, who was received in England with so
much acclaim, would not have had so dis-
honourable a reputation.
To Eltham people, who are so justly proud of
the old Palace in their midst, it is a matter of
considerable interest that in 1332, that is, when
the Queen was in her fortieth year, after the
deposition and death of her husband, and when
her son, Edward III., was King, "she received
permission to dwell at Eltham whenever her
health required a change of air." Eltham air,
in those days, even as now, was no doubt noted
for its invigorating and health-giving pro-
perties.
Queen Isabella "the Fair" died in 1358, at
the age of 66, at her castle in Hertfordshire,
and was buried at the Franciscan Church at
Newgate, in London. There is a statue to her
memory among the figures which adorn the
tomb of her son, John of Eltham, at West-
minster.
"JOHN OF ELTHAM."
In the prologue of Miss Bidder's novel, " In
the Shadow of a Crown," the writer tells of a
weird and uncanny circumstance at Eltham
Palace, full of gloomy predictions by the
"Witch of Eltham," on the occasion of the
birth and christening of the young Prince John
of Eltham, July, 1316.
The "Witch of Eltham" is, of course, a
creature of the novelist's imagination, but as
in most properly conducted stories the prog-
nostications of witches often come true, it is not
at all surprising to find that John of Eltham
died young, almost before he had reached the
age of manhood.
In connection with the interesting ceremony
of the baptism of Prince John, we find, in the
wardrobe accounts of Edward and Isabella, that
"a piece of Turkey carpet, and one cloth of
gold, were delivered to John de Founteney for
decorating the font in the Chapel of Eltham, in
which the Lord John was baptized, and to
Stephen Faloyse, the Queen's tailor, five pieces
of white velvet for making a robe against the
churching of the Queen."
Although we like to regard Prince John as-
one of our most distinguished of Eltham heroes,
and probably through its association with his
name the Palace has been erroneously called
"King" John's Palace, he does not figure
greatly in English history. Most writers of
history ignore his existence, so that it is quite
a common thing for people to ask the question,
" Who was Prince John ?"
If you are disposed to look into old records
you may, however, find a good deal about this
young Prince scattered about the pages of that
large and cumbersome book, Rymer'a
" Foedera," which is to be seen at the British
Museum, and at the Rolls Office.
When he was born, his father was engaged in
war with Scotland, and we find that in March,
1319, some provision was made for the little
three-year-old Prince, by the grant to him of
the forfeited lands of all Scots south of the-
Trent.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
109
During the period of his early boyhood, his
father, Edward II., was engaged in those
struggles with the barons end people which
occupied so much of his reign, and ended in
his downfall. We find, in October, 1326, the
Londoners were in revolt against the King.
They seized the Tower, which at that period
was a palace as well as a prison, removed the
royal officers, and appointed others, in the name
of John of Eltham, whom they styled " Warden
of the City and Tower of London." John at
this time was only a lad of ten years of age.
In the following year his father, King Edward
II., was taken prisoner, and confined in Berke-
ley Castle, where he was soon after mysteriously
murdered.
Prince John's elder brother, Edward, was
then proclaimed King, and we find the Prince
created Earl of Cornwall the year after (1328).
Soon after his accession, Edward III. paid
his visit to France to do homage for Aquitaine,
and during his absence, May, 1329, Prince John
acted as Regent.
The Prince himself paid a visit to Aquitaine
the following year, 1330, and on two other occa-
sions, namely, in 1331, when the King was in
France again, and in 1332, when he was in Scot-
land, John was responsible for the Regency.
In his seventeenth year, we learn that John
of Eltham was following the honourable pro-
fession of arms. The English were warring
against the Scots, and the young Prince had
command of the first division of the English
Army at the battle of Halidon Hill, in July,
1333, while in January, 1335, he defeated the
Scots when they made a raid into Redesdale.
In February, 1335, he was made Warden of
the Marches of Northumberland, and a Com-
missioner to receive the submission of the Scots.
In April, 1336, he received a grant of the
coinage of tin in Cornwall, in return for his ex-
penses in Scotland. In the same year he was
one of the Commissioners to hold a Parliament
at Northampton. He afterwards proceeded to
Scotland in the company of the King, his
brother. On Edward's return, John of Eltham
was left in complete command of the English
forces in Scotland.
But it was only for a few weeks that he held
this important position. He contracted a fever
at Perth, and died in the month of October,
1336.
As soon as the fatal news reached the ears of
the King, he returned to Scotland with all
haste, for the purpose of escorting the body of
his brother to London.
The sad procession reached London at the be-
ginning of the following year, and with much
ceremonial and pomp the mortal remains of
John of Eltham were interred in the Abbey of
Westminster on January 15th, 1337.
You may see the tomb there now, in St.
Stephen's Chapel, on the south side of the choir.
Some Eltham readers, when next they visit
Westminster, may be disposed to examine this
interesting tomb, which has been most
graphically described by Mr. Hare. Let us read
his description:
"The effigy is of great antiquarian interest,
from the details of its plate armour. The
prince wears a surcoat, gorget and helmet, the
last open in front to shew the features, and sur-
rounded by a coronet of large and small trefoil
leaves alternated, being the earliest known re-
presentation of the ducal form of coronet.
"Two angels sit by the pillow, and around
the tomb are mutilated figures of the royal rela-
tions of the dead.
"The statuettes of the French relations are
towards the chapel, and have been cruelly
mutilated, but the English relations, facing St.
Edward's Chapel, have been protected by the
strong oak screen, and are of the most intense
interest.
" Edward II., who was buried in Gloucester
Cathedral, is represented here. Here, on the
left hand of the husband, whose cruel murder
she caused, is the only known portrait of the
wicked Isabella the Fair, daughter of Philip le
Bel, who died at Castle Rising, in 1358; she
wears a crown at the top of her widow's head,
and holds a sceptre in her right hand.
" Here, also, alone can we become acquainted
with the characteristics of her aunt, the stain-
less Marguerite of France, the grand-daughter
of St. Louis, who, at the age of twenty, became
110
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHA.M.
the wife of Edward I., and, dying at Marl-
borough Castle, in 1317, was buried in the Grey
Friar's Church, in London; she wears a crown
of fleur-de-lis over her widow's veil.
" This tomb of Prince John was once shaded
by a canopy of exquisite beauty, supported by
eight stone pillars— a forest of Gothic spires,
intermingled with statues; it was destroyed in a
rush of spectators at the funeral of the Duchess
of Northumberland, in 1776. Fuller mentions
John of Eltham as the last son of a King of
England, who died a plain Earl; the title of
duke afterwards came into fashion."
EDWARD III. (from Tomb in Westminster Abbey).
CHAPTER XXIX
IN DAYS OF CHIVALRY.
Edward III. (1327-1377), one of the most
gallant and chivalrous princes of Christen-
dom, was closely associated with Eltham
in his boyhood and manhood, and it
was during his reign, perhaps, that the
royal village witnessed the most brilliant
spectacles of pageantry and chivalry in all its
history.
It was at Eltham that the young prince re-
ceived much of his education. It was here,
when a king, that he gathered his councillors
round him, and held several parliaments. It
was at the gates of Eltham Palace that, with
pomp and splendour, and surrounded by the
flower of his kinghthood, he received that vol-
untary exile and chivalrous monarch, John,
the King cf France.
These are undisputed facts. But there are
other circumstances which, although we cannot
point to them with certainty as Eltham events,
we may regard them as having, in all probab-
ility, taken place here. Thomas Eymer, the
antiquary and royal historiographer of two
centuries ago, in that remarkable work,
"Fcedera," which may be seen at the British
Museum, tells us that it was from Eltham, in
1329, that Edward III. " issued a commission
to Thomas Carey to bring before him John le
Rouse and William de Dalby," who were said
to have discovered the secret of making silver
by means of alchemy.
This may interest our young scientists of to-
day who, doubtless, with the knowledge that
they now possess, will smile at the credulity
of the great king, who sent for the alchemist
that professed to be able to convert the baser
metals into silver.
And there is a tradition that the order of
knighthood, known as the "Order of the
Garter," was finally established at Eltham.
112
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
There seems to be some doubt as to the actual
circumstances that led to the creation of this
honourable order, with its motto, " Honi soft
qui mal y pense," but at least one pretty legend
is connected with it which we will speak about
presently. There is the same doubt as to the
actual time and place of its institution.
But Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, in his
" History of the Orders of Knighthood of the
British Empire," expresses his opinion that it
very likely happened at Eltham.
King Edward and the Black Prince had been
fighting in France, and their victorious cam-
paign had included the victory of Cressy and
the capture of Calais. Their return to England
on the 12th of October, 1347, was attended by
jousts and tournaments and other forms of
festivities and rejoicings, and Nicolas says,
" there are strongs reason for believing that
the Order of the Garter was finally established
at a tournament at Eltham before the close of
1347."
The writer bases his belief upon an entry in
the "royal wardrobe accounts" at the time,
which runs as follows: —
"For making twelve garters of blue, em-
broidered with gold and silk, each having the
motto, 'Honi soit qui mal y pense,' and for
making other equipments for the King's joust
at Eltham," in the same year (1347).
The association with Eltham of the Kinght-
hood of the Garter gives a specially romantic
touch to our story, and in connection with the
legend which is said to have given rise to the
name of the Order, it may interest the reader
if we recount something about the beautiful
Countess Salisbury, who was a prominent
figure in the same, for it throws some light
on the motive of the King in giving the name
to the Order.
England and Scotland were at war — as was
usual. David, King of Scotland, laid siege to
Earl Salisbury's castle at Wark. The Earl was
at the time a prisoner in France. The Countess
successfully defended the castle against the
Scots, and when David heard of the approach
of King Edward, he raised the siege and hastily
departed.
King Edward was "sore displeased" when,
on his arrival, he found the King of Scots had
fled. Then follows an incident inimitably des-
cribed by Froissart, the great chronicler of the
time: —
"As soon as the king was unarmed, he took
ten or twelve knights with him, and went to
the castle to salute the Countess of Salisbury,
and to see the manner of the assaults of th&
Scots, and the defences which had been made
against them.
"As soon as the lady knew of the king's
coming, she set open the gates, and came out so
richly beseen, that every man marvelled of her
beauty, and the gracious words and counten-
ance she made. When she came to the king,
she kneeled down to the earth, thanking him
of his succours, and so led him into the castle
to make him cheer and honour, as she that
could right do it.
"Every man regarded her marvellously; the
king himself could not withold his regarding
of her, for he thought that he never saw be-
fore so noble and so fair a lady; he was
stricken therewith to the heart with a sparkle
of fine love that endured long after; he thought
no lady in the world so worthy to be loved a»
she.
"Thus they entered into the castle hand ia
hand; the lady led him first into the hall, and
after into the chamber nobly apparelled ....
" At last he went to the window to rest him,
and so fell into a great study. The lady went
about to make cheer to the lords and knights
that were there, and commanded to dress the
hall for dinner.
When she had all desired and commanded,
then she came to the king with a merry cheer,
who was in a great study, and she said:
'"Dear sir, who do ye study so for? Your
grace is not displeased, it appertained not to
you so to do; rather ye should make good cheer
and be joyful, seeing ye have chased away your
enemies, who durst not abide you; let other
men study for the remnant!'
"Then the king said,
" 'Ah, dear lady, know for truth that since I
entered into this castle there is a study come to
No. 72.
THE OLD WORKHOUSE. High Street, Eltham.
Mr. T, W. Mills (Treasurer of the Eltham Charities), and Mr, W. B. Hughes (a Trustee).
if ITilf f I
No. 73.
THE PHILIPOT ALMSHOUSES.
No. 74-
THE "KING'S ARMS" INN.
No. 75.
SUNDIAL, BARN HOUSE.
Formerly a balustrade of London Bridge.
No. 76.
SUNDIAL, SOUTHEND HOUSE.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
118
my mind, so that I cannot cheer, but muse;
nor I cannot tell what shall fall thereof; put it
out of my heart I cannot!'
" ' Ah, sir,' quoth the lady, ' ye ought always
to make good cheer, to comfort therewith your
people. God hath aided you so in your
business, and hath given you so great graces,
that ye be the most doubted (feared) and hon-
oured prince in all Christendom; and if the
for God's sake mock nor tempt me not. I can-
not believe that is true that ye say, nor that
so noble a prince as ye be would think to dis-
honour me and my lord, my husband, who i»
so valiant a knight, and hath done your grace
so good service, and as yet lieth in prison for
your quarrel. Certainly, sir, ye should in this
case have but a small praise, and nothing the
better thereby.'
QUEEN PHILIPPA (from Tomb in Westminster Abbey).
King of Scots have done you any despite or
damage, ye may well amend it, when it shall
please you, as ye have done diverse times or
(ere) this. Sir, leave your misery, and come
into the hall, if it please you; your dinner is
all ready.'
" ' Ah, fair lady,' quoth the king, ' other
thiiigs lieth at my heart, that ye know not of;
but surely the sweet behaving, the perfect wis-
dom, the good grace, nobleness, and excellent
beauty that I see in you, hath so surprised my
heart, that without your love I am dead.'
"Then the lady said, 'Ah! right noble prince,
Herewith the lady departed from the king,
and went into the hall to haste the dinner.
Then she returned again to the king and
brought some of his knights with her, and
said:
" ' Sir, if it please you to come into the hall,
your knights abideth for you to wash; ye have
been too long fasting.'
"Then the king went into the hall and
washed, and sat down among his lords, and
the lady also. The king ate but little; he sat
still musing, and as he durst he oast his eyes
upon the lady. Of his sadness his knights did
10
114
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
marvel, for he was not accustomed to be; some
thought it was because the Scots had escaped
from him.
"All that day the king tarried there, and
wot not what to do; sometimes he imagined
that honour and truth defended him to let his
heart in such a case dishonour such a lady,
and so true a knight as her husband was, who
had always so well and truly served him; on
he was "at London, making cheer to the Earl
of Salisbury, who was now come out of prison."
Then Edward gave a great feast in the City
of London, and among the guests who were
invited was the Countess of Salisbury. She
came "sore against her will, for she thought
well enough whereof it was; but she durst not
EDWARD III. AND COUNTESS OF SALISBURY.
the other part, love so constrained him that
the power thereof surmounted honour and
truth.
" Thus the king debated in himself all that
day and all that night; in the morning he
arose and dislodged all his host, and drew
after the Scots to chase them from his realm."
Soon after we find the king making the re-
lease of the Earl of Salisbury an express clause
in the treaty which was drawn up between
himself and the French king, and shortly after
discover the matter to her husband; she
thought she would deal so as to bring the
king from his opinion.
" All ladies and damsels were freshly beseen,
according to their degrees, except Alice,
Countess of Salisbury, for she went as simply
as she ever might, to the intent that the king
should not set his regard on her, for she was
fully determined to do no manner of thing that
should turn to her dishonour nor to her hus-
band's/'
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
115
Commenting upon this incident, a historian
writes: "It was this same model of conjugal
fidelity of whom the well known anecdote of
the Garter is told, that gave rise to the illus-
trious order of Knights Companions, to which
monarchs are, in our own time, proud to be-
long. ' Honi soit qui mal y pense' (shamed
be he who thinks evil of it), said the king, to
rebuke the smiles of his courtiers, when the
fair countess accidentally dropped her garter.
We can well appreciate his feelings, in deter-
mining to make the trivial incident the foun-
dation of a lasting memorial of his admiration
for a creature so far above most of her sex for
the grace and purity of her soul, as for the
exquisite beauty of her form."
The " Order of the Garter " originally con-
sisted of the King, the Prince of Wales,
and twenty-four Knights Companions, who had
stalls in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, where
they assembled on the eve of St. George's Day
(April 23).
We have quoted from the "Royal Wardrobe
Accounts" an order for "certain twelve
garters" that were required for the great
event at Eltham in 1347. It will perhaps assist
our imagination in making a mental picture of
that brilliant scene, if we enumerate the orig-
inal insignia of the order. They were a garter,
a surcoat, a mantle, and a hood, to which the
collar and George, star, and under-habit were
afterwards added. The garter, which is worn
a little below the left knee, is now made of
dark blue velvet, and has the motto inscribed
on it in gold letters. The mantle, sureoat,
and hood are all of velvet lined with white
taffeta, the colour of the two latter being
crimson, and that of the mantle purple. The
badge, a silver escutcheon, bearing a red cross
and surrounded by the garter and motto, is
worn on the left shoulder of the mantle. The
collar contains 26 pieces, roses alternating
with knotted cords, and from it hangs the
" George," a representation of St. George slay-
ing the dragon.
CHAPTER XXX.
WHEN KNIGHTS WERE BOLD.
Our young friends who love to linger round
and about the old Palace and ponder upon its
past glories would probably like to know the
exact spot where the great tournament took
place, when Edward III. returned from France
after hie victories in the memorable autumn
of 1347.
We cannot point to the scene with absolute
certainty, for, unfortunately, no record of such
a detail seems to have been left to us. All
that we can be quite sure about is that a great
tournament actually took place on that occa-
sion, and indeed, it is likely that records of
other similar events at Eltham might be found
if we sought diligently for them.
Trending northward from the Bridge, in the
direction of the village, when you come to the
end of the avenue of limes which grow upon
the site of the old Court Yard, the road
branches to the right and to the left.
Taking that to the right, you will find the
lane to the Court-road leads past a high brick
wall, which you have only to examine for a
moment to discover that it is of great anti-
quity. In this wall is an ancient arch and
gateway. Tradition says that this gateway
was the entrance to the old " Tilt Yard," and,
if tradition is right, thii probably would have
been the scene of the tournaments. The field
within the wall was certainly large enough for
such events, for within its area there are now
the six houses from "The Elms" to
"The Chestnuts," with their respective
gardens. Bounding "The Chestnuts," on the
side towards Mottingham, may still be seen a
portion of the original wall, corresponding
with that fine example of ancient brickwork
where the archway is situated.
In all probability this extensive area was at
one time quite surrounded by a wall, and it
may have been from the fact that tourneys
and jousts took place there that it derived its
name of " Tilt Yard," by which it is known
to-day.
In searching for corroboration of this right
of title, one naturally goes to the oldest known
plan of the locality, the plan of 1590, already
alluded to in a previous chapter. But the
plan throws little or no light upon the point.
There is a portion of the old wall, true enough.
There is the archway, existing in the days of
Queen Elizabeth, just as it is now. But,
while the draughtsman has given in detail the
names of the many houses upon the plan — the
Great Bakery, the Cole-house, the Butchery,
and the like — with a tantalising disregard for
the needs of students of Eltham three hundred
years after, he makes no mention whatever of
the "Tilt Yard."
Now, though tradition is sometimes wrong
in such matters, it is just as often right, for,
as the old saying has it, "where there is smoke
there is fire," so, until evidence is forthcoming
to prove that tradition is wrong, we may as
well regard the "Tilt-Yard" as the scene of
the tournaments and jousts.
Let us try and picture in our mind one of
these royal tournaments in the Eltham "Tilt
Yard," so totally unlike the contests, military
and otherwise, that go by the name of tourna-
ments in our days. They may quite truly be
described as kingly diversions, for Edward III.
would not allow any tournaments to be held
in the land without his special leave.
The preparations for a royal tournament ex-
tended over many weeks and even months, for
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
117
the king sent his heralds through his domin-
ions, and sometimes to foreign courts, to pro-
claim the coming event, and to invite knights
of chivalry and valour to take part in the con-
tests.
Then the flower of knighthood, with the
blazonry of shields and surcoat, the waving of
plume and penon, foregathered at the royal
village, with their squires and attendants,
making a brave show, to the rare delight of
the yeomen and country folk, who flocked
Elthamwards to witness what they might of the
spectacle.
maidens and pages, sat the " ladye faire" wh»,
for the occasion, officiated as the " Queen of
Beauty and Love."
To the right and left the galleries were filled
with eager spectators, and the dresses of the
ladies, which for beauty and brilliance had
never been surpassed, presented a picture which
was the talk of matrons and maids of Eltham
many a year afterwards.
For, it must be remembered, this was no
ordinary occasion. The king had just returned
from France as a conqueror. There was
jubilation throughout the length and breadth
TOURNAMENT (from Pluvenal's "Art of Horsemanship.")
The "Lists" were prepared in the great " Tilt
Yard," where gorgeous tents and pavilions were
erected for the accommodation of those who
were taking part in the combats, and about
the pavilions were hung the armorial shields
to witness that the intending combatants were
worthy of the fight in respect of noble birth,
military prowess, and unspotted character.
On one side of the lists galleries and grand-
stands were set up, gay with gorgeous tapestry,
and penons flying, and furnished with seats
from which the king and his court might wit-
ness the events of the day. On the opposite
side was another gallery, almost equally gor-
geous, where, surrounded by her attendant
of the land. " It seemed," writes an old his-
torian, "as if a new sun had arisen, on
account of the abundance of peace, of the
plenty and the glory of victories." We are
told that "there were no women who had not
got garments, furs, feather-beds, and utensils
from the spoils of Calais and other foreign
cities," and " then began the English maidens
to glorify themselves in the dresses of the
matrons of Celtic Gaul."
The passion for tournaments as a sort of ex-
pression of popular exultation was so great
that the king felt compelled to regulate these
festivals, as we have already said, allowing
none to be held without his special permis-
IOA
118
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
sion, although he himself appointed no less
than nineteen such displays within six months.
" It was like one long carnival," writes
AVarburton, " for at these tournaments, as
well as at the ' King's plays,' and indeed, on
all public occasions, knights, citizens, men
and women, and even the clergy, vied with
each other in grotesque absurdity of dress. The
king himself set the example of foppery and
extravagance. He appeared once in ' a harness
of white buckram, inlaid with silver — namely,
a tunic and shield, with the motto,
' Hay, hay, the wythe swan !
By Goddes soul I am thy man ,'
and gave -iway, among other costumes, ' five
hoods of long white cloth, worked with blue
men dancing,' ' two white velvet harnesses
worked with blue garters, and diapered
throughout with wild men!'"
Upon the strip of grass between the lists and
the high galleries where sat the nobility, there
stood in crowds the yeomen and " bettermost"
people from Eltham, Chislehurst, Bexley,
and other manors of Kent, while the lower
orders— the labourers, serving men, and village
folk, found standing room, as best they could,
at a respectful distance.
The buzz of conversation and excited talk is
suddenly arrested by a flourish of trumpets,
when the king's herald, in gorgeous dress, rides
forth to proclaim the orders of the day, and
the rules of the combats.
Then necks were craned and eager ears
strained to catch the herald's important utter-
ances. It was a great tournament, and would
extend over a week or a fortnight, or even
longer, and prizes worthy of the occasion, and
of the puissant prince by whose proclamation
the festival was ordained, would be awarded to
the valorous knights who fairly won them.
The laws of the contests, recited in stentor-
ian voice by the herald, had been elaborately
prepared, under the personal supervision of
the king, and were designed to secure that the
engagements should be carried out consistently
with the accepted rules 01 chivalry and knight-
hood.
The herald, at the close of his oration,
withdrew to the side, and then, from the ex-
tremity of the lists, there rode forth, upon a
magnificent charger, a knight in full armour,
in appearance resembling one of those imposing
figures illustrating the period which you may
see for yourself to-day in the Tower of London.
As he rode slowly down the lists there were
murmurs expressing admiration of his knight-
ly bearing. His lance was pointless, for it was
not to be a combat a ovtrnnee. Eiding straight
to a pavilion upon which were suspended the
shields of the challengers, lie selected one and
tapped it with the reverse of his lance, then
quietly returned to the end of the lists whence
he had come.
In a short space of time, the owner of the
shield, magnificently mounted, and clad in
steel from head to foot, emerged slowly from
the pavilion, and, proceeding to the opposite
end of the lists, took up his position and
faced his adversary.
There was suppressed excitement and breath-
less silence among the onlookers during the
few moments preceding the charge. Then the
king made a sign and the old " Tilt Yard "
rang with the loud blaze of the trumpets.
This was the signal for the opposing knights
to plunge spurs into the sides of their chargers
and to gallop towards each other at a frightful
pace. They met in the middle of the lists with
a crash that might have been heard as far away
as the old wooden church, beyond the village
cross.
The lighter knight of the two had the worst
of the encounter. His lance was splintered,
while that of his opponent, being planted
plump into his visor, his horse was first forced
back upon its haunches, and then reeled over
with its rider upon the greensward. Then
there were loud acclamations for the victor,
and waving of kerchiefs, the vocal explosions
being all the louder after having been pent up.
Other contests followed, sometimes in singles,
sometimes in doubles, and sometimes with
as many as four or five on each side. Now and
then there was a serious accident, a knight
maimed, maybe, for life, and having to be
carried ingloriously from the field.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
119
So were spent the days without doors, while
withiii the palace there was feasting and mer-
riment.
It is pleasant to dwell upon the tournaments
as schools for the cultivation of chivalry, and
all that was noble and valorous in knight-
hood, but, alas, the best institutions devised
by man are always liable to abuse. From
what one can gather, the tournaments were no
exceptions to the rule.
When they were first introduced into this
country by Edward I., the Church sternly set
its face against the tournaments on account cf
the vice with which they were attended. But
as time went on we find that the clergy were
less and less particular, till, at the period of
which we are writing, they openly took part
in these forbidden demonstrations.
But their conduct came in for much condem-
nation. They let their hair hang down their
shoulders curled and powdered, as an old
writer says, " thinking scorn of tonsure, which
is a mark of the Kingdom of Heaven." They
were dressed " more like soldiers than clerics,
with an upper jump remarkably short and
wide, long-hanging sleeves leaving the elbows
uncoveT'pd. knives hanging at their sides to
look like swords, shoes chequered with red and
green exceeding and variously pinked, orna-
mented cruppers to their saddles, and baubles
like horns hanging down from the horses'
necks. "
This was indeed a, striking contrast with the
sober garb with which we are used to associate
clergymen. Well might there have been an
outcry against them.
But a stern old writer of the times also re-
minds us that " Women, not the best in the
kingdom, appeared at these tournaments, in
divers wonderful male apparel, with divided
tunics, one part of one colour and one of an-
other, with short caps and bands in the manner
of cords wound round the head, and with
mitres of enormous height, decorated with
streaming ribbons and carried in
pouches across their bodies knives called
daggers, and thus they proceeded on chosen
coursers or other well groomed horses
and so expended and devastated their goods
and vexed their bodies with scurrilous wanton-
ness, that the murmurs of the people sounded
everywhere, and thus they neither feared God
nor blushed at the chaste voice of the people."
We have mentioned these things because we
wanted to get as true a picture as we could of
what the great Eltham tournaments were like
in the days of Edward III. It is to be feared
that notwithstanding all the glories of those
notable occasions, they may have had their
" seamy side." But let us hope that the Eltham
episodes were not quite so objectionable
as others in this respect.
MALE COSTUME OF EDWARD III.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE CAPTIVE KING.
When a prisoner of war in England, John,
the King of France, was on several occasions
at Eltham Palace, and for near upon six
centuries his name has been kept in memory
closely associated with that of the royal
village. There are people who think even that
the Palace is called " King John's Palace," be-
cause of his residence here, though it is more
than likely that such a name is merely a mis-
nomer for " I'rince John's Palace."
This chivalrous monarch stands out so prom-
inently in our local history that the story of
Eltham would not be complete without a
special account of his living here and the
memorable events which led up to his cap-
tivity.
And, in telling the tale of John of France,
we are bound to introduce another great prince
of chivalry, who frequently visited Eltham, for
his residence was no farther away than
Bexley.
This was Edward the Black Prince, a soldier
of immortal fame, the son of Edward III., who
is described by an old poet as:
"Edward, the flower of chivalry, whilom the
the Black Prince hight,
Who prisoner took the French King John, in
claim of Grandame's right."
England was at war with France. It is not
necessary to explain here the cause of the war.
You may read this in your history. But in
the great campaign, Edward the Black Prince
covered himself with glory.
Crecy had been won. Calais had been cap-
tured, and, in 1347, as described in the last
chapter, England celebrated the occasion with
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
121
great rejoicings, in which Eltham had its
share.
It was nine years after, in 1356, that Poitiers
was fought, and the Black Prince added to his
fame by winning one of the most remarkable
victories recorded in history.
With an army that barely exceeded 8,000
men, he put to rout the French forces of about
<50,000, containing all the flower of French
knighthood — an overwhelming force, splendidly
armed, and properly handled, quite capable of
swamping the little baud of Englishmen.
Although efforts were made by Cardinal
Perigord, on the day preceding the fight, to
bring about an amicable arrangement between
the opposing leaders, and although the Black
Prince was prepared to listen to any terms
that would save his own and his soldiers'
honours, the good Cardinal's efforts proved
futile, and Monday, September 19th, 1356, saw
the historic fight.
When the reconnoitring party of the English
brought to their leader the news of the position
of the enemy, and their prodigious numbers,
the full danger of the position flashed upon the
mind of the Prince.
" God help us," he eaid, " all that is left us
is to fight as best we can."
The unexpected happened. Bad generalship
and making too sure, on the part of the
French, and brilliant generalship, backed by
those famous archers who could shoot so
straight, and the "do or die" spirit which per-
vaded their ranks, on the English side, resulted
in the confusion and rout of the French.
What a stirring chapter is Froissart's
account of this battle! And what a noble
figure in the great struggle is that of the
French King John.
" King John, on his part," says the
chronicler, "proved himself a good knight,
and, had a fourth of his people behaved so
well, the field would have been hie."
There he stood, battle axe in hand, in the
thickest of the fight, striking to the right and
left; woe to any man who came within the reach
of its deadly swing; and, strangest of all
sights, crouching close behind him, with his
arm around his father's waist, was his little
son, Philip, warning the king of unexpected
attacks. Keeping his eyes constantly on his
father, and neglecting all thoughts of himself,
he cried out, as he saw any blow about to be
struck at the king:
"Father, guard yourself on the right; guard
yourself on the left."
King John was twice wounded and once
beaten to the ground, but he rose again, reply-
ing with fresh blows to every fresh command
of surrender.
"Then there was a great press to take the
king," writes Froissart, "and such as knew
him cried :
" 'Sir, yield you, or else ye are dead/ "
'There was a knight called Sir Denis
Morbeke, who had served the Englishmen five
years before, because in his youth he had for-
feited the realm of France for a murder that
he did at Saint-Omer's. It happened so well
for him that he was next to the king when they
were about to take him.
He stepped forth into the press, and by
strength of his body and arms he came to the
French king, and said in good French:
"'Sir, yield you!"'
The king beheld the knight and said:
'"To whom shall I yield me? Where is my
cousin the Prince of Wales? If I might see
him, I would speak with him.' "
Denis answered and said:
"'Sir, he is not here; but yield you to me
and I shall bring you to him.' "
"'Who b» you?'" quoth the king.
" 'Sir,' " quoth he, " 'I am Dennis of
Morbeke, a knight of Artois; but I serve the
King of England because I was banished the
realm of France, and I have forfeited all that
I had there.' "
Then the King gave him his right gauntlet,
and said:
" ' I yield me to you.' "
There was great press about the king, for
every man enforced him to say, 'I have taken
him,' no that the king could not go forward
122
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
with his young eon the lord Philip with him,
because of the press."
* * * *
"The Prince of Wales (the Black Prince),
who was courageous and cruel as a lion, took
that day great pleasure to fight and to chase
his enemies. The lord John Chandos, who was
with him, of all that day, never left him nor
never took heed of taking of any prisoner: then
at the end of the battle he said to the prince:
' Sir, it were good that you rested here and
set your banner a-high in this bush, that your
people may draw hither, for they are sore
spread abroad, nor I can see no more banners
nor pennons of the French party; wherefore,
sir, rest and refresh you, for ye be sore chafed.'
" Then the prince's banner was set up a-high
on a bush, and trumpets and clarions began
to sown. Then the prince took off his baseenet,
and the knights for his body and they of his
chamber were ready about him, and a red
pavilion pight up, and then drink was brought
forth to the prince, and for such lords as were
about him, the which still increased as they
came from the chase; there they tarried and
their prisoners with them.
" And when the two marshalls were oome to
the prince, he demanded of them if they knew
any tidings of the French king. They
answered and said:
" ' Sir, we hear none of certainty, but we
think verily he is other (either) dead or taken,
for he is not gone out of the battles.'
"Then the prince said to the Earl of War-
wick and to Sir Raynold Cobham:
' Sirs, I require you, go forth, and see what
ye can know, and at your return ye may show
me the truth.'
These two lords took their horses and de-
parted from the prince and rode up a little hill
to look about them. Then they perceived a
flock of men of arms coming together right
wearily; there was the French king afoot in
great peril, for Englishmen and Gascons were
his masters; they had taken him from Sir
Denis Morbeke perforce, and fuch as were
most of force, said,
' I have taken him.'
' Nay,' quoth another, ' I have taken him.'
So they strave which should have him.
Then, the French king, to eschew that peril,
said:
'Sirs, strive not; lead me courteously, and
my son, to uiy cousin the prince, and strive not
for my taking, for I am so great a lord to make
you all rich!'
The king's words somewhat appeased them;
howbeitever as they went they made riot and
brawled for the taking of the king.
When the two aforesaid lords saw and heard
that noise and strife among them, they went
to them and said:
' Sirs, what is the matter that you strive
for '
' Sirs,' said one of them, ' it is the French
king, who is here taken prisoner, and there be
more than ten knights and squires that chal-
lengeth the taking of him and of his son.'
"Then the two lords entered into the press
and caused eiery man to draw aback, and com-
manded them in the prince's name on pain of
their heads to make no more noise nor to ap-
proach the king no nearer without they wera
commanded. Then every man gave room to
the lords, and they alighted and did their
reverence to the king, and so brought him and
his son in peace and rest to the Prince of
Wales."
* « * *
Thus did Froissart record the taking of King-
John of France by the Black Prince, and the
thrilling account is of particular interest to
Eltham people. Not only were the royal
captive and the royal captor associated with
our village, but the chronicler himself was
afterwards a visitor at Eltham, so the whole
incident, thus described, becomes trebly in-
teresting.
The Black Prince won great glory upon the
field of Poitiers. And the glory of the warrior
has been enhanced by the knightly courtesy
which he shewed the captive king, who was
now at his mercy.
Read, again, what Froissart says:
"The same day of the battle at night the-
prince made a supper in his lodging to the-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
128
French king, and to the most part of the great
lords that were prisoners. The prince made
the king and his son, the lord James of Bour-
bon, the lord John d'Artois, and other lords, to
sit all at one board, and other lords, knights,
and squires, at other tables.
"And always the prince served before the
king as humbly as he could, and would not sit
at the king's board for any desire that the king
could make, but he said he was not sufficient
to sit at the table with so great a prince as
the king was.
"But then he said to the king:
' Sir, for God's sake, make none evil nor
heavy cheer, though God this day did not con-
sent to follow your will; for, sir, surely the
king, my father, shall bear you as much honour
and amity as he may do, and shall accord with
you so reasonably that ye shall ever be friendg
together after. And, sir, methink ye ought to
rejoice, though the journey be not as ye could
have had it, for this day ye have won the
high renown of prowess, and have passed this
day in vailiantness all other of your party.
Sir, I say not this to mock you, for all that be
on our party, that saw every man's deeds, are
plainly accorded by true sentence to give you
the prize and chaplet.'
Therewith the Frenchmen began to murmur
and said among themselves how the prince had
nobly spoken, and that by all estimation he
should prove a noble man, if God send him
life and to persevere in such good fortune."
KNIGHTS JOUSTING (Royal M.S.)
CHAPTEE XXXII.
THE CAPTIVE KING AT ELTHAM.
The battle of Poitiers resulted in the rout of
the French army with terrible carnage, and the
capture of King John the Good, with crowds
of his nobles, and some two thousand men at
arms.
We read that our Black Prince distinguished
himself mightily in the field that day, setting
an example of personal prowess which was
followed by his intrepid knights. It may be
said of the English at Poitiers as was said of
the Scotch at Flodden:—
"Groom fought like noble, squire like knight,
As fearlessly and well."
The day after the battle (Tuesday, September
20th, 1356) the English Army, greatly encum-
bered with spoils and prisoners, marched to
the city of Bordeaux, where a treaty of peace
to last for two years was concluded with Charles,
Duke of Normandy, who, since the capture of
his father, was acting as the Eegent of France.
The Black Prince had determined to detain
his royal prisoner, and convey him to England.
But there was a little account to be settled.
The question of the claim for the King's
capture was still being hotly disputed.
" In those days a prisoner taken ' to mercy '
in battle became the absolute property and
chattel of his captor; but when the prisoner
was of exalted rank, and the captor a simple
soldier of fortune, the king generally specu-
lated on the ransom of the captive, and secured
his custody for his own purposes by paying
over what seemed a small sum from the royal
exchequer, but was in all probability a large
one relatively to the means of the captor."
(Warburton.)
So the Black Prince paid De Morbecq, who
was the real captor of the French King, the
sum of 2,000 marks, a mark being worth about
13s. 4d. It is interesting, however, to note that
when, subsequently, the question of the king's
ransom had to be settled, it was fixed at three
million crowns of gold, a sum equivalent to
about £450,000 sterling. So the bargain which
the Black Prince struck with De Morbecq was,
after all, a profitable speculation.
The Prince and his royal prisoner set sail
for England from the port of Bordeaux, and
after a stormy passage, which lasted eleven
days, the party landed safely at Sandwich.
Let us now read Froissart's account of the
journey to London, which, of course, was made
on horseback. He makes no mention of Eltham
in this journey, and it is very probable that
the party passed along the Old Dover-road over
Shooter's-hill, and did not pass through the
village.
" Then they issued out of their ships," writes
Froissart, "and lay there (Sandwich) all that
night, and tarried there two days to refresh
them, and on the third day they rode to Canter-
bury.
"When the King of England knew of their
coming, he commanded them of London to pre-
pare them and their city to receive such a man
as the French King was. Then they of London
arrayed themselves by companies and the chief
mesters with clothing different each from the
other.
"At Saint Thomas of Canterbury, the French
King, and the prince made their offerings, and
tarried a day, and then rode to Kochester and
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
125
tarried there that day, and the next day to
Dartford and the fourth day to London, where
they were honourably received, and so they
were in every good town as they passed.
The French king rode through London on a
white courser, well apparelled, and the prince
(the Black Prince) on a little black hobby by
him."
The spectacle of the conqueror riding upon a
pony by the side of the captive king, who was
mounted on a fine charger, has been the subject
of much comment by historians, and is set
forth as evidence of the modesty and courtesy
of the Black Prince. But Warburton says, " it
is difficult altogether to acquit him of affectation
and self-consciousness on the occasion of this
ride into the city of London, the account of
which reads more like that of a Eoman tri-
umph than of an English welcome. A thousand
citizens in the dress of their respective guilds,
and headed by the Lord Mayor, received them
at Southwark, and marched back with them
in procession to the city. Arches were thrown
across the streets; trophies of arms and gold
and silver plate were exhibited in the windows,
and all, as it was said, in honour of the van-
quished king."
Presently, they arrived at the Savoy Palace,
which was the residence of John of Gaunt,
Duke of Lancaster, an elder brother of the
Black Prince. In this palace the French king
and his young son Philip were lodged.
" There," writes Froissart, " the French king
kept house a long season, and thither came
to see him, the king, and queen oftentimes, and
made him great feast and cheer."
* * *
It will be noticed that King John the Good
was not treated in the way that prisoners of
war are usually. His word of honour not to
escape was accepted, and he enjoyed much
liberty, he and "all his household, and went
a-hunting and a-hawking at his pleasure, and
the lord Philip, his son, with him."
It is most likely that on such occasions as
these King John of France paid those visits
to Eltham which identified his name so closely
with the village.
Apropos of this there is a curious story told
by Villani, a foreign historian of the time, rela-
tive to the coming of the French king.
He says that while the royal party, the Black
Prince, and his prisoners were on their way
from Sandwich to London, they fell in with
King Edward, who was hunting in a forest
through which they had to pass.
" Whether in levity or simplicity," writes
Warburton, " Edward invited the captive
monarch to join him in the chase; and on his
declining this ill-timed offer, assured King John
that he was quite at liberty to enjoy himself
in hunting or ' at the river/ when and where
he pleased during his stay in England; then,
sounding his horn, he spurred on after his
hounds, and was lost in the woods."
The story seems very improbable when one
considers the character of Edward III., who,
" though far from being a perfect character,
was rarely found wanting in the tact and
delicacy which became a true knight, or (to
translate into modern phrase) in the instincts
of a gentleman."
It is quite likely that Villani derived this
anecdote from some gossip or other relating
to the freedom which the nominal captive en-
joyed, and it is equally likely that such gossip
may have arisen from some incident that
occurred in the forests of this particular neigh-
bourhood.
* * *
King John of France was in captivity in
England for the space of some four years.
Meanwhile things had been going very badly
in France. There had been an uprising of the
people, known as the outbreak of the "Jac-
querie," accompanied by much bloodshed and
devastation. The two years' peace with England
had expired, and Edward was again in France
with his fighting men. Of all this you must
read in your book on history.
At last an agreement was come to by which
King John of France was to be ransomed for
3,000,000 crowns of gold. Of this 600,000 crowns
were to be paid before the captive king was
allowed to pass out of the gates of Calais, and
the remainder of the debt was to be cleared
off by annual payments of 400,000 crowns.
126
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The bill was a heavy one, and there was great
difficulty in raising the money; nevertheless,
the Black Prince conveyed his prisoner from
London to Calais, and there the treaty was
duly ratified, "both kings kneeling before the
altar, taking into their hands the consecrated
Host, and swearing to the faithful observance
of their engagement on the ' body of Christ.' "
The first instalment of the ransom, 600,000
crowns, was raised in an unexpected way. A
wealthy Italian nobleman, the head of the
powerful house of Vesconti, sought the hand
of King John's youngest daughter, in marriage
for his son, and offered to pay this part of
the ransom when such marriage took place.
The offer was accepted. King John was given
his liberty, and the Duke of Orleans, together
with the second and third sons of King John,
the Dukes of Berri and Anjou, and other mem-
bers of the royal family, and forty citizens
from the principal cities of France, were re-
tained as hostages for the remainder of the
debt.
In 1363, a year or two afterwards, the "Lords
of the Fleur de Lys "—Orleans, Berri, and
Anjou— being rather tired of exile sought per-
mission of King Edward to visit their native
France, " giving their word of honour that they
would return on the fourth day."
The Duke of Anjou broke his word, and did
not return; King Edward then wrote a letter
to him, and asked him to return " for that by
his treachery he had tarnished the honour of
himself and all his lineage."
King John, the father of the Duke, was so
deeply affected by this lapse from honour on
the part of his son, regarding the action as a
reflection upon the honour of himself that he
resolved to yield himself up again to captivity.
Thus came about his second visit to England,
this time as a voluntary exile.
It is not surprisng that he was received in
this country with every sign of veneration and
respect, and that our village of Eltham took a
conspicuous share in these expressions.
Head again what Froissart has said :—
" News was brought to the King of England,
who at that time was with his Queen at
Eltham, a very magnificent palace which tlie
king had, seven miles from London, that the
King of France had lauded at Dover.
"He immediately ordered many knights of
his household to go and congratulate the king
on his arrival; the lord Bartholomew Burg-
harsh, knight of the garter, Sir Richard Pern-
bridge, Sir Allen Boxhall, both knights of th«
garter, and several others.
" They took leave of King Edward, and rode
towards Dover, where they found the King of
France, who had remained there since his
arrival. They attended and conducted him
with every mark of respect and honour, as they
well knew how to do.
" Among other compliments, they told him
that the king, their lord, was much rejoiced at
his coming, which the King of France readily
believed. On the morrow morning, the king
and his attendants were on horseback early,
and rode to Canterbury, where they dined. On
entering the Cathedral, the king paid his devo-
tions at the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket, and
presented to it a rich jewel of great value.
"The third day he set out taking the road
to London, and rode on until he came to
Elthani, where the King of England was with
a number of lords, ready to receive him. It
was on a Sunday, in the afternoon, when he
arived, and there were, therefore, between this
time and supper time, many good dances and
carols.
" The young lord of Coucy was there — a
grandson of the first Duke of Swabia— who took
pains to shine in his dancing and singing when-
ever it was his turn. He was a great favourite
with both the French and English, for what-
ever he chose to do, he did well and with grace.
" I can never relate how very honourably
and majestically the King and Queen of Eng-
land received King John. On leaving Eltham
he went to London, and as he came near, he
was met by the citizens dressed out in their
proper companies, who greeted and welcomed
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
127
him with much reverence, and attended him
with large bands of minstrels, unto the palace
of the Savoy, which had been prepared for
him."
It was here that he died soon after. His
body was embalmed, and put into a coffin, and
conveyed to Paris, where it was interred with
great solemnity.
LADIES' HEAD DRESSES (Royal M.S.)
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A FAMOUS CHRONICLER.
We have frequently alluded to Froissart, and
in the last few chapters have quoted extensively
from his Chronicles. Moreover, he knew
Kl: ham so well, and wrote about it so often,
that it would be a good thing, perhaps, for the
information of our young friends, if we gave
some little account of this remarkable man
himself.
Jean Froissart was a Frenchman, born near
Valenciennes, about 1337, and his ancestors
were of lowly origin. We do not know much
of his childhood, but we find that he was a
great favourite with Thilippa, the romantic
queen of Edward III., who encouraged him in
his literary pursuits.
It does not seem clear at what time he became
a priest, but it is interesting to learn that when
John of France was a captive here, Jean Frois-
sart was his secretary, and it was then that
he began to collect all that gossipy information
which makes his Chronicles so intensely in-
teresting. It was after this time that he set
about his great history in real earnest, journey-
ing from place to place on the Continent,
collecting much of his material first hand, and
writing down his impressions in that delight-
ful way of his.
When King John of France returned to exile,
as recorded in our last chapter, Froissart came
with him, and then it was that he traversed
again our Eltham lanes, and looked once more
upon the " beautiful palace which King Edward
III. had there."
The reception given to his master seems to
have impressed him very much, for he has not
only left a graphic record of the occasion in
his Chronicles, but he also wrote a charming
poem, which it has been our good fortune to
discover, for it gives a pretty little glimpse of
the form the jubilations took at Eltham.
The credit of finding these quaint verses rests
with our esteemed Librarian. Mr. E. A. Baker,
who, in the course of some studies in Old
French Literature, came across them unexpec-
tedly, and at once drew our attention to them.
The curious thing is that no student of local
history seems, hitherto, to have known of them;
at any rate, we can find no allusion to them
anywhere. It is with all the greater pleasure,
therefore, that we present them to our readers
now. We give them, in the first place, in the
Old French, exactly as Froissart wrote them,
with its quaint spelling and old time expres-
sions. Those who know Old French will find
pleasure in construing the verses. Those who
do not, will like them in that form, perhaps,
to preserve as a sort of local literary curiosity.
But, in the interests of those who are not
familiar with the language at all, with the kind
and ready co-operation of Miss May, one of
the lecturers at Avery-hill, and Mr. E. A.
Baker, both of whom are well versed in Old
French literature, we have been able to write a
metrical translation, in which we have
endeavoured to preserve, not only the form of
the original, but to interpret its spirit.
There seems to be some mystery about the
lines in the fourth verse, beginning with : —
"Et si bien se desigeroit, Ac.4'
It is not at all clear who the person is that
disguises himself. To satisfy ourselves we pro-
ceeded to the British Museum, and hunted up
Seheler, who is the greatest French authority
upon Froissart. It was some sort of satisfac-
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
129
tion to find that Scheler cannot explain the
allusion; he is as mystified over it as we were.
For the benefit of our younger readers we
might explain that St. Denis, alluded to in the
poem, is the Patron Saint of France, and the
"Fleur de Lys," literally, "the Flower of the
Lily," was formerly the national emblem of
the French.
So far as can be discovered, no translation
of this poem has ever been before printed in
English, but though more than five centuries
have elapsed since Froissart wrote the verses,
referring, as they do to an Eltham incident,
it seems quite consistent, that its first con-
struing into our own tongue, should emanate
from Eltham itself.
PASTOURELLE,
PAR JEAN FROISSAET.
(Composed on the occasion of the return of the
French King John to his nominal captivity in
England, at the beginning of 1364, when he was
received by Edward III. with great festivities.)
Entre Eltem et Westmoustier,
En une belle preorie,
Cuesci pastoureaus avant heir
La avoit en la compagnie
Mainte faitioe pastourelle,
Dont au son d'une canemelle
Cascuns et cascune dansoit,
Dist uns bregiers qui la estoit;
Efforcons nous, pour Saint Denis
Car errant par ci passer doit
Cils qui porte les flours de lys.'
Adont dist Mares dou Vivier
' Or me dittes. je vous en prie,
Porte il ces flours en un panier,
Ou il les donne, ou il les crie?
Qu'en vent il plain une escuielle?
C'est une flourette moult belle ;
De la flour de lys orendroit,
Qui un chapel fait en auroit,
II en seroit trop plus jolis;
Je croi que bien en fineroit
Gils qui porte les flours de lys.
Pour ce me vodrai avancier
Et aler ent a chiere lie
Vers lui, et li vodrai proyer
Qu'il m'en doinst par sa courtoisie,
Et il aura ma coinuielle,
La mousette et la flahutelle,
Dout mon frere m'esbanioit,'
Dist Raouls qui oi' 1'avoit :
' Esce or a bon sens qne tu dis?
Guides tu qu'un bregier ce soit
Cils qui porte les flours de lys?'
' Nennil, point n'est de no mestier,
Ains est rois de noble lignie
Si que pour li mieuls festyer,
It nous couvient a ceste fie
Mettre en ordenance nouvelle.' —
'C'est voirs,' ce respont Peronnelle
Qui moult bien o'ie 1'avoit,
' Et si bien se desgiseroit,
Mes qu'il eui'st tous ses abis,
Que ja ne la eognisteroit
Cils qui porte les flours de lys!
Lors prisent a entrechangier
Leurs abis de la bregerie.
Gobins vesti un grant loudier
Et Guois une sousquanie,
Sus se chaindi d'une cordelle;
Et Perratins sus une aisselle
D'un blanc bastoncel tamburoit,
Et Adins la danse menoit,
Qui souvent disoit par grans ris:
' Dies, pourquoi ores ne nous voit
Cils qui porte les flours de lys?
Princes, je les vi la endrolt,
Ou cascune et cascuns chantoit
A 1'usage de leur pays:
' Li tres bien venus ores soit
Cils qni porte les flours de lys.'
[TRANSLATION.!
A PASTORAL.
Br J. FROISSART.
Betwixt Eltham and Westminster,
Yestreen I saw a meadow fair,
Wherein a band of shepherds were,
In merry guise and debonair.
And. therewith, many a shepherd maid
Went dancing as the pipe was played,
And youth and wench they stepped it
light;
When cried aloud a merry wight,
"Our cheers for good St. Denis be,
For here shall pass before this night
The one that bears the fleurs de lys."
II
180
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Quoth Maurice de Vivier joyously,
"Oh, tell me now, forsooth, I pray,
A pannierful, then, bringeth he,
To sell for pence, or give away?
Eight beautiful the fleurs de lys !
A bowlful will he sell to me?
Sure, he that crieth flowers so fair, -
Thereof a garland ought to wear,
It were a pleasant sight to see,
He'd soon get rid of them, I swear,
The one that bears the fleurs de lys.
"Good sooth," then answered Peronelle,
That well had heeded Ralph's reply,
"If all his clothes he had but nigh,
A fair disguise I ween 'twould be,
For none would know him passing by,
Not he that bears the fleurs de lys."
And so they gan to interchange
Their shepherd's habits, every one,
And Gobiu wore a tunic strange,
Anon did Guy a smock put on,
Which with a cord he straightly tied,
FEMALE DRESS, TIME OF EDWARD III.
And so with thee I fain would go,
To meet him with the fleurs de lys,
And beg he'll some of them bestow
On me, all of his courtesy.
And unto him I'll give my horn,
My flute and pipe, to wake the morn,
Whereon my brother used to play" — '• —
But Kalph, who heard him, answered
"Nay,
What sense is this thou speak'st so free,
Think'st thou that he's a shepherd, pray,
The one that bears the fleurs de lys?
Nay, he is none of our degree,
He is a King of noble line;
And so, to do him honour, we
The parts we play should now assign,
And in new order bear us well."
And Perrotin, he gaily plied
The drum that 'neath his elbow lay,
And Adam led the morris gay,
And laughed aloud in merry glee,
" Lord ! might he see us here to-day
The one that bears the fleurs de lys ! "
Princes, in truth, I saw them there,
They sang it to a native air —
Those youths and maidens bright of
blee —
" Welcome to him that cometh here,
The one that bears the fleur de lys' "
* * *
From this it will be seen that they had a
merry time of it on the occasion of King John's
last visit to Eltham. Yes, last. Ere many weeks
the " King of noble line " who bore " the fleurs
de lys," was sick unto death.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
131
Two years later (1366) Froissart left England,
but returned again after an absence of forty
years. He was an old man when he visited
Eltham on that last occasion, and brought with
him his book about "Lore," for the edification
of the unhappy Richard II. Great changes had
taken place within those 40 years. Of this we
will speak in another chapter. It is interesting
to note that with his last visit to England hia
work as a chronicler seems to have ended. The
closing pages of his book describe the death
of Richard. After this the fate of the historian
himself becomes obscure. It' is sad to learn
how tradition asserts that he died in utter
poverty at Chimay ten years after his return
to France. He was buried in the church of
Monegunda.
RICHARD II. (In Jerusalem Chamber).
CHAPTER XXXIV.
RICHARD II. AND ELTHAM (1).
Richard of Bordeaux, born 1366, was the sou
of Edward the Black Prince, aiid Joan, known
as the "Fair Maid of Kent." The Black
Prince died when Eichard was ten years old.
In the same year, 1376, Edward III. was lying
eick at Eltham, and here it was that the king
summoned a parliament; and the young prince
Richard was, on that occasion, created Prince
of Wales.
It should be noted that parliaments were not
always held at one place, a? they are now at
Westminster. The king could summon his
councillors to any meeting-place that seemed to
him convenient. So there are records of par-
liaments meeting at London, Gloucester, York,
and other places, including Eltham.
The very next year, Edward III., after a
reign of 50 years, died, and the young Prince
of Wales became the " Boy King," his age,
when he succeeded to the throne, being only tl
years. Rarely has a monarch entered upon his
kingly responsibilities with brighter prospects
of a happy reign. But, alas ! clouds eoon arose,
and history records few things more pathetic
than ihe tragedy of this young king's life.
It began in sunshine and splendour. An old
historian writes: "There are enthusiastic re-
joicings to welcome the beautiful boy as he is
brought from the Tower to Westminster to be
crowned. There are around him a devoted
multitude of nobles, knights, and esquires, that
dazzle his eye with their costly adornments.
The streets they pass through on their gor-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
183
geously-caparisoned coursers are hung with
floating draperies, the windows are full of
gazers. The air resounds with rapturous
shouts : ' God bless the royal boy ! Long live
King Richard!'
"In Cheapside golden angels bend to him
from the towers of mimic castles, presenting
crowns; and at other places he is met by beau-
tiful virgins of his own age and stature, robed
in white, who blow leaves and flowers of gold
in his face, and, as he approaches nearer, they
fill gold cups from the conduits flowing with
wine, and hand to him. High and low delight
to honour him for his father's sake. His
plastic imagination is, of course, most highly
wrought upon by the magnificent pageants, and
by the unbounded adulation that he witnesses
on all eides. They bewilder his reason, and
make him fancy that he is a god, long before
he is a man."
Froissart, writing of him, eays: "There was
none eo great in England that dared speak
against anything that the king did. He had
a council suitable to his fancies, who exhorted
him to do what he list; he kept in his wages
ten thousand archers, who watched over him
day and night."
What wonder is it that he became a slave to
selfish luxury? The effect of all this adulation
and worship was disastrous upon a character
that, unlike that of his father and grandfather,
was decidedly weak. When, at the age of 23,
he took over the responsibilities of government,
he was incapable of dealing adequately with
the difficult questions which the conditions of
the times forced upon him.
Richard II. frequently visited Eltham. He
held several parliaments here, and much impor-
tant business of state was transacted at Eltham
Palace during this reign.
In the year 1381, four years after his acces-
sion, when, as yet, the king was only a boy of
sixteen, there took place the insurrection of
the peasantry, in which Kent played so promi-
nent a part. Its immediate cause was the imposi-
tion of the poll-tax, but ite real cause lay in
the general discontent of the working classes
with the manorial system. Although the social
condition of the peasantry had undergone some
change for the better during the preceding cen-
tury, the system of villeinage was still recog-
nised, families were still bought and sold with
the estates, and terrible abuses were practised.
The culminating point was the poll-tax,
which resulted in the resistance of Wat Tyler,
at Dartford, followed by the rising of the
peasants of Kent, the looting and destruction
of manors, and the killing of many officials
and landed gentry.
All around Eltham the district was affected,
and from every direction the countrymen
marched in bands towards Blackheath, which
was the rallying point prior to the great des-
cent upon London. The old road over Shooter's-
hill must have presented a very striking ap-
pearance in those troublous clays, and the
cottagers of Eltham, whatever part they may
have played in the revolt, must have exper-
ienced considerable excitement when they wit-
nessed the bands of lawless men, who had left
their ploughs and oxen in the Kentish fields,
thronging, in their thousands, towards the
Heath.
Did the Eltham men take any part in the
rebellion? This was the problem that interes-
ted us. It was impossible that the Eltham
villagers should not have been under its in-
fluence at all, seeing how near at hand some
of the great scenes of the drama were played.
It was from Dartford that Wat the Tyler set
forth upon his lawless and tragic career. It
was at Blackheath that the priest, John Ball,
delivered one of his most characteristic
speeches. But, after diligent search, we can
discover no record of Eltham men being mixed
up with the rebellion. There are old writings
to shew the scope and work of the Commission
which sat, soon after the event, for the trial
and punishment of the ringleaders in the
movement. One can discover names of people
from Deptford, Blackheath, Dartford, and
other places, but we can find no Eltham names.
Nor does it seem that any attempt was made
to destroy the Palace. In other Kentish
villages the manor houses were the special ob-
ject of attack. They were looted and burned,
and in cases where escape was delayed, their
occupants were cruelly murdered. But Eltham
Palace escaped the fury of the mob.
1 1A
134
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
We hardly need wonder at this. Eltham was
a Royal Manor, and the labourers would have
been the less likely to join in an insurrection
of the kind. Then, the wrath of the insur-
gents was not directed against the king so much
as against the nobility. They even professed
that they were desirous of getting the king upon
their side. Certain it is that the purpose of
the rising was to induce the king to grant them
concessions. Under these circumstances it
would be more likely than not, that Eltham,
being a royal demesne, was designedly left
alone.
The circumstance of the king's mother seems
to suggest that their attitude towards the king
was not one of particular enmity. She chanced
to fall into their hands at Blackheath, but,
although they were flushed with success and
their hands were yet red with the blood of the
Kentish gentry, they allowed her to proceed
upon her way.
"The same day," writes Froissart, "that
these unhappy people were coming to London,
there returned from Canterbury the king's
mother, Princess of Wales, coming from her
pilgrimage. She was in great jeopardy to have
been lost, for these people came to her chare
and dealt rudely with her, whereof the good
lady was in great doubt lest they would have
done some villainy to her and to her damsels.
Howbeit, God kept her, and she came in one
day from Canterbury to London, for she never
durst tarry by the way."
The old historian Holinshed makes Eltham
Palace the scene of the leave-taking of Henry
Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, when on his
way to banishment. The story of the quarrel
between Hereford and Norfolk, the tournament
at Coventry, and the unexpected interference
of the king, who stopped the fight, and banished
Norfolk for life and Hereford for ten years, is
no doubt familiar to our young readers of
history.
But the incident was one that really arose
out of the weak government of Richard, who,
as the age of manhood approached, shewed
more and more how incapable he was of man-
aging the affairs of the country. Though the
banishment of these two powerful nobles, one
of whom, Bolingbroke, was his cousin, removed
from the country two men that the king feared
greatly, it was fraught with terrible conse-
quences for Richard himself. Norfolk never
returned, but the day arrived when the courtly
Bolingbroke came back with armed men to
claim his rights, and ultimately to mount the
throne from which the weak and effeminate
Richard was deposed.
The story is set forth in one of the finest of
Shakespeare's plays. The Eltham incident,
however, finds no place in the drama. Shakes-
peare makes the final dismissal to take place at
Coventry, and Bolingbroke does not return
until he comes in force. But the playwright
is allowed licence to ignore, and, sometimes,
even to distort historical facts when necessary
for his play. Shakespeare never neglected to
use this privilege whenever he thought fit.
The following, however, is what Holinshed,
the Chronicler, has to say about it:
" When these judgements were once read, the
king called before him both parties (Hereford
and Norfolk), and made them to swear that the
one should never come in place where the other
was willinglie; nor keep any companie togither
in any foreign region; which oth they both
received humblie.
" The Duke of Norfolk departed sorrowfullie
out of the relme into Almanie, and at the last
came to Venice, where he, for thought and
melancholic, deceased; for he was in hope (as
writers record) that he should have been home,
which, when it fell out otherwise, grieved him
not a little.
" The Duke of Hereford took his leave of the
king at Eltham, who there released foure
years of his punishment; so he took his journie
over into Calis, and from thence into France,
where he remained.
"A wonder it was to see what number of
people ran after him in every town and street
where he came, before he took the eea, lament-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
135
ing and bewailing his departure, as who would
saie, that when he departed, the onelie shield,
defence, and comfort of the common wealth
was faded and gone."
Thus did Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford,
take leave of his royal master at the Palace of
Eltham. The next time we read of him at
Eltham he was King Henry IV.
FEMALE COSTUME, TIME OF RICHARD II.
CHAPTER XXXV.
RICHARD II. AND ELTHAM (2).
The three successive Christmases from 1384
to 1386 were kept by King Eichard II. and
Queen Anne, at Eltham. We find it hard to
realise, even in these days, the splendour of
the English Court at this time. Holinshed tells
MS that "Richard II. kept greater state than
any English king before or after him. Ten
thousand people had meat and drink allowed
them daily at his Court; he had three hundred
servants, and as many female servants; his
yeomen and grooms were clad in silk, and all
were sumptuously apparelled. Extravagance
affected all classes, to the great hindrance and
decay of the Commonwealth."
We cannot suppose that such vast numbers
as those given above could find accommodation
at Eltham, but we may very well believe that
the Courts held at the royal village during the
residence of this king were no less splendid and
extravagant than those of the other palaces.
* # # #
In the year 1385, Eltham was honoured by
the visit of Leo, King of Armenia. The cir-
cumstances of the visit are interesting.
King Leo had had the misfortune to be driven
out of his kingdom by the Turks. So he went
to the King of France, and entreated him to
give him means to help him to regain his
kingdom. The King of France was not only
sympathetic, but disposed to give material
aid, for to fight the infidel Turk was accounted
a worthy thing in those days.
Now it happened that the King of France
was not on good terms with the King of
England, and war between them was likely.
King Leo of Armenia was anxious to avert
war between the two countries, because such
an event would probably deprive him of any
chance of getting money from France or
England, to enable him to go and fight the un-
speakable Turk.
So it came to pass that Leo offered the King
of France to visit the King of England as a
sort of intermediary or peace maker.
" On his arrival at Dover," writes Froissart,
" he was well received, and conducted by
some knights to the king's uncles, who enter-
tained him handsomely; and, at proper oppor-
tunity, asked him what were his reasons for
visiting England.
To this he answered that he had come to
wait upon the King of England and his council,
in the hopes of doing good, and to see if by
any means he could negotiate a peace between
them and the King of France.
The English lords then asked him if the King
of France had sent him.
" No," replied the King of Armenia, " no
one has sent me. I am come of my own accord,
and solely with a view to do good."
Then they asked where the King of France
was.
" I believe he is at Sluys," replied the king,
" and I have sent to him messengers, entreat-
ing him not to put to sea until I return. I,
therefore, beg of you to give me an interview
with your king."
Thomas, Earl of Buckingham, answered,
" King of Armenia, we are here solely to guard
and defend the frontiers, and we do not concern
ourselves in any way with the government of
this realm. Some motives of good, or the
appearance of them, have brought you hither —
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
187
you are welcome; but you must not expect from
us any definite answer to what you ask, though
we will have you conducted to London, with-
out danger or expense."
The King of Armenia thanked them, and
as soon as he was able, set out for London."
* * # *
So Leo, the King, went to London, and thence
to Eltham, and in the presence of the King
of England delivered himself of his mission.
After four days of consideration the follow-
ing reply, prepared by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, was given to him.
" King of Armenia, it is not usual, nor has
it ever been admitted, that in such weighty
matters as these now in dispute between
France and England, the King of England
should have requests made him, while an army
is ready to invade his country. Our opinion
is that you return to the French army and
prevail on them to retire; and when ye shall
be fully assured that they have done so, do you
return hither, and we will pay attention to
any treaty that you shall propose."
The King of Armenia, the day after he had
received this answer, set out for Dover, mak-
ing two days' journey of it. From Dover he
sailed to Calais, and thence made his way to
Sluys.
He related to the King of France and his
uncles the journey he had made to England,
and what answer he had met with; but the
king and his lords paid no attention to it,
and resolved to set sail the first wind for
England.
So the mission of Leo, the King of Armenia,
as peacemaker, was a failure. But in another
way it was a success. He had had the delight-
ful experience of Eltham hospitality. Yea,
more. Though pleading for peace, he did not
forget to relate to King Richard his grievance
against the usurping Turks. The heart of
Richard was touched, and Leo departed from
Eltham consoled by a grant from the English
Exchequer of one thousand pounds a year for
life.
* * * *
There is a record in the Issue Rolls (Devon,
226), dated 14 November, 1384, of £2 5s. for
expense on the secret arrival of the King
(Richard II.), at Westminster from his manor
at Eltham, to dine, and inspect his jewels.
• '•'••
In the same rolls (Devon, 261) we read that
King Richard's " second crown " was brought
from London to Eltham, and that on the date
of 29 July, 1394, the sum of 6s. 8d. was paid
to John Burgh, Clerk, for the safe conduct of
the crown, and for the hire of horses and men.
• # * *
History tells us of the troubles which fell to
King Richard in his dealings with the nobles,
and also with his parliament. On several
occasions of stress of mind we find him coming
to the Palace of Eltham in what apears to
have been " the sulks." In 1386, the year after
the visit of the King of Armenia, he made the
bold announcement to his parliament at West-
minster that he was resolved to punish the
French for their threatened invasion of
England, by passing over at the head of a
suitable army, and carrying war into France.
So he asked for supplies. But neither the
Lords nor the Commons were in a humour to
grant supplies, and met hie demand by a joint
petition to dismiss his ministers and council,
especially the Chancellor.
This enraged the King, who even contem-
plated doing what proved so fatal to Charles
I. long after, namely, seizing the leaders of
the opposition. But, finding that he was not
likely to get support from the people, he came
to Eltham, where, in the palace, surrounded
by the parks and woodlands, he allowed his
ill humours to exhaust themselves.
When the seclusion of Eltham and its re-
freshing air had effected this change of temper,
he changed his mind, drove back to town, and
dismissed the obnoxious minister as the par-
liament had requested.
• * * «
On another occasion, some years afterwards,
Richard had retired to Eltham, and neglected
to attend to his kingly duties. But times were
changed. The people were getting tired of
his conduct. They no longer regarded him
with that favour which in his early days had
caused them to look upon him almost as a
188
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
demi-god. So, one fine day, a messenger rode
up to the draw-bridge, and thence into the
inner courts of the Palace, bearing the rather
unpleasant news that if the King continued to
absent himself the Parliament intended to
depose him.
* * # *
Again, in August, 1397, Richard was at Elt-
ham with his Court, when he received the
startling news that his uncle the Duke of
"How old do you think I am?"
" Your highness," replied Gloucester, " is in
your twenty-second year."
" Then," said the King, " I must surely be
old enough to manage my own concerns. I
have been longer under the control of my
guardians than any ward in my dominions. I
thank ye, my lords, for your past services,
but I require them no longer."
SHIPS OF TIME OF RICHARD II. (Harl. M.S. 1319).
Gloucester was at the head of a conspiracy, the
object of which was to seize him, together with
the Dukes of York and Lancaster. The results
of this intrigue were of a tragic character.
The Duke of Gloucester was a man of de-
termined character, and of great power and
influence in the land. He was one of the guar-
dians of the king during his minority, and in
that capacity his power was very great in-
deed. It was with Gloucester that Eichard had
the dialogue, in 1389, eight years before, when
he shook off the control of his guardians. Sud-
denly, addressing his uncle, Gloucester, he
said,
After the death of Queen Anne, wife of the
King, the Duke of Gloucester was anxious
that Eichard should marry his daughter.
The King, however, declined, making
near relationship the excuse for his
refusal. Gloucester was offended, became
" sullen, morose, and destitute of all
courtesy, returning the attentions of the nobles
with abrupt and curt answers, so that they
said amongst themselves, if ever Gloucester
could stir up a war he would."
When the danger was revealed to him at
Eltham, Eichard determined to take action,
and his method was to meet conspiracy with
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
189
cunning. The earls of Warwick and Arundel
were artfully entrapped and thrown into
prison, but the method adopted for the arrest
of the Duke of Gloucester was one of the most
revolting and insidions in history.
Although Richard had made up his mind to
have the life of his uncle, he did not hesitate
to pay him an apparently friendly visit at his
castle at Fleshy in Essex. " Here Gloucester
came forth with his wife and daughter to meet
him, without any suspicion, and, according to
the accounts of the rolls of Parliament, with
a dutiful procession. The king caused him to
be seized by the Earl Marshall, and conveyed
to Calais.
It is said by contemporary chronicles that
while this was doing, Richard was conversing
in a friendly guise with the duchess.
Froissart says that Richard was kindly enter-
tained, and requested Gloucester to accompany
him to London, but this does not appear pro-
bable, if the Parliamentary rolls are correct.
But in any case the manner of the thing was
treacherous and unworthy of a great mon-
arch."
Gloucester never returned to England.
On September 24th of the same year, 1397, a
mandate was issued to the Earl Marshall to
bring his prisoner, the Duke of Gloucester,
from Calais, to the bar of the House. The
mandate was a blind.
Three days after, the Earl Marshall returned
an answer, that " he could not produce the
said Duke before the King and his Council in
that Parliament, for that, being in his custody
in the King's prison at Calais, he there died."
The manner of his death is variously re-
corded. There was a talk of apoplexy. But
there could be but one opinion — murder.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
A BOOK OF AMOURS AND MORALITIES.
The Eltham incidents which we are now
about to describe took place some years before
the tragic circumstances alluded to in the last
chapter; but we take them here because they
are in connection with the last visit paid to
Eltham by Sir John Froissart.
The Chronicler had not been to England for
many years, and he had a great desire to see
again the land wherein he had spent so many
happy days during the glorious reign of King
Edward. " True it was," he writes, " that I,
Sir John Froissart, as at that time treasurer
and canon of Chimay in the earldom of
Hainault, in the diocese of Liege, had great
affection to go and see the realm of England,
when I had been in Abbeville and saw that a
truce was taken between the realms of England
and France and other countries to them con-
joined and their adherents, to endure four years
by land and sea.
" Many reasons moved me to make that
voyage: one was because in my youth I had
been brought up in the court of the noble King
Edward the third, and of Queen Philipa his
wife, and among their children and other
barons of England, that as then were alive, in
whom 1 found all nobleness, honour, largess,
and courtesy And I had engrossed in
a fair book well enlumined all the matters of
amours and moralities that in four and twenty
years before I had made and compiled, which
greatly quickened my desire to go into England
to see King Richard, who was son of the noble
Prince of Wales and of Aquitaine, for I had
not seen this King Eichard sith he was chris-
tened in the cathedral church at Bordeaux, at
which time I was there and thought to have
gone with the prince into Cralicia in Spain, and
when we were at Dax, the prince sent me back
into England to the queen, his mother."
* * # *
So, Sir John came to see the king and his
uncles. " Also I had this fair book," he con-
tinues, " well covered with velvet, garnished
with clasps of silver and gilt, thereof to make
a present to the king at my first coming into
his presence. I had such desire to go this
voyage, that the pain and travail grieved me
nothing."
He found things greatly changed when he
landed at Dover. " Young children had be-
come men and women and knew me not, nor I
them."
In his inimitable style Froissart describes hi»
journey through Kent; the visit to Canterbury
where King Eichard was expected next day on
pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas a
Becket; how he felt "abashed" when, among
the king's retinue, he could discover nobody
that he knew; the ride to Leeds Castle in Kent,
and thence to Eltham.
At Leeds Castle he found Lord Edmund.
Duke of York. "Then I went to him and de-
livered my letters from the Earl of Hainault,
his cousin, and from the Earl of Ostrevant.
The duke knew me well and made me good
cheer, and said : ' Sir John, hold you always
near to us and we shall shew you love and
courtesy; we are bound thereto for the love of
time past, and for the love of my lady the old
queen, my mother, in whose court ye were, we
have good remembrance thereof!"
During the ride from Leeds Castle to the
Manor of Eltham, Froissart learned that im-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
141
portent business was to be transacted when
they arrived at the latter place.
" The king was sore busied there in council
for two great and mighty matters: first was in
determining to send eufficient messengers, as
the Earl of Rutland, his cousin-german, and
the earl marshall, Thomas Mowbray, after-
wards Duke of Norfolk, now Archbishop of
Dublin, the Bishop of Ely, the lord Louis
Clifford, the lord Honry Beaumont, the lord
Hugh Spencer, and many other, over sea to
prelates and lords of England to be at the feast
of Maudlin-tide, at a manor of the king's, called
Eltham, seven miles from London."
# * * #
The king and all his brilliant company rode
into Eltham on a Tuesday, "and on the Wed-
nesday the lords of all coasts began to
assemble." There was a great muster of them,
and "on the Thursday, about the hour of
three, they assr-rnbled together in the king's
chamber and in the king's presence."
LEEDS CASTLE, KENT.
Charles the French king, to treat with him
for a marriage to be had between the king of
England and the French king's eldest daughter,
named Isabel, of the age of eight years."
The second cause was to consider the " re-
quests and process," that certain French nobles
had made to the king, with reference to the
lands, seignories, lordships, and baronies in
Aquitaine, which the king had given to the
Duke of Lancaster, but which they alleged
should not be dissevered from the crown of
England.
To have counsel "of those two great matters,
the king had sent for the most part of the
We may stand by the moat to-day and im-
agine that we see these great lords, with their
squires and attendants, riding through the gate-
way that led into the courtyard, then by way
of the drawbridge into the inner court of the
palace.
Of the great council, Froissart writes : " I
was not present, nor might not be suffered:
there were none but the lords of the Council,
who debated the matter more than four hours."
But he was not Blow in finding out what had
actually taken place within those closed
• doors.
"After dinner," he goes on, "I fell in
142
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
acquaintance with an ancient knight, whom I
knew in king Edward's days, and he was, as
then, of king Richard's Privy Council; he was
called Sir Richard Stury This knight
made me good cheer and demanded of me many
things, and I answered him as I knew; and as
I walked with him in a gallery before the
king's chamber, I demanded of him questions
of that council and desired him to tell me, if
he might, what conclusion was taken."
The knight replied : " Sir John, I shall shew
you, for it is no matter to be hidden and kept
secret ; for shortly ye shall hear them published
al! openly."
So Sir Richard told Sir John all about it,
and the arguments are set forth in the chron-
icles of the latter. They are, however, too
lengthy for reproduction here, but the reader
may find them pleasantly translated in Lord
Berner's edition of Froissart.
The Duke of Gloucester, who was " sore
dread," was discordant in his utterance, and
the Council broke up, and "some murmured
one with another" . . . "When the king «aw
all the matter, he dissimuled a little, and it
was hie intention that they should assemble
together again in Council after dinner, to see
if any other proper way might be taken for the
honour of the crown of England."
The question of Acquitaine brought discord,
but they seemed to be in agreement as to the
marriage of the widower king of England to
the eight-year old Princess of France.
"Then the king caused the Bishop of Can-
terbury to speak of that he had given him in
charge in the morning to speak of; that was
upon the state of his marriage, and to send
into France. The lords were of accord and
named them that should go, which were the
Archbishop of Dublin, the earl marshal, the
lord Beaumont, the lord Hugh Spenser, the
lord Louis Clifford, and twenty knights and
forty squires.
"These were sent into France to treat for
the marriage of the French King's daughter
Isabel, of eight years of age, and yet she was
already promised to the Duke of Bretayne's
eon by a treaty that was made in Tours in
Touraine. Now, behold, how this was broken.
for the French king and his uncles had sealed
with the Duke of Bretayne.
"Yet for all that the English ambassadors
had their charge given unto them, and so they
departed out of England and arrived at Calais,
and there tarried a five days and then departed
in great array, and took the way to Amiens;
and they sent before March the herald who had
brought them safe-conduct going and coming."
* # # #
So occupied was the king with business that
it was not till Sunday that an opportunity
came for Froissart to present to the king the
book with the silver clasps which he had
brought with him.
" On the Sunday following," he writes, " all
euoh as had been there departed, and all their
counsellors, except the Duke of York, who
abode still about the king; and Sir Thomas
Percy and Sir Richard Stury shewed my
business to the king.
"Then the king desired to see my book that
I had brought for him; so he saw it in his
chamber, for I laid it there ready on his bed.
" When the king opened it, it pleased him
well, for it was fair illumined and written, al d
covered with crimson velvet, with ten buttons
of silver and gilt, and roses of gold in the
midst, and two silver clasps gilt, richly
wrought.
" Then the king demanded of me whereof it
treated, and I shewed him how that it treated
of matters of love, whereof the king was very
glad. And he looked into it, and read it in
many places, for he could speak and read
French very well.
" And he gave it to a knight of his chamber,
named Sir Richard Crendon, to bear it into his
secret chamber."
# * # *
The English Ambassadors were well received
in France, and saw the young lady Isabel. They
returned to England with a hopeful answer,
though many in France were against the
marriage.
Ultimately, the marriage took place, and it
is interesting to read that the girl-wife, then
barely ten years of age, took up her abode in
Eltham Palace, prior to her state entry into
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
143
London. Here she received valuable presents
from the king, hie uncles, the Dukes of Lan-
caster and York, and the nobles. Among these
presents was one from the Bishop of
Chichester,, which took the form of a silver
image of the Virgin as big as a child of five
years old. (Traison ei mart du Roy Richart,
p. 112).
The Bad life of this little lady, while Queen
of England, is known to readers of English
history. After the deposition and death of her
lord, the king, she was brought to Eltham,
where she remained for some years, until the
new king, Henry IV., allowed her to return to
France.
MALE COSTUME, RICHARD II.
CHAUCER ON HORSEBACK (from Ellesmere M.S. of Canterbury Tales).
By permission of DR. FURNIVALL and Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
CHAUCER AND THE HIGHWAYMEN.
Yet another man of letters, and one whose
name and work will be associated with English
literature for all time, used to visit Eltham in
the days of Edward III. and Richard II. This
was Geoffrey Chaucer himself, the " Father of
English Poetry."
As a young man, he was brilliant and accom-
plished, and was a familiar figure at the court
of Edward III., and, latterly, also at that of
King Richard. He was a great friend of John
of Gaunt, the brother of King Edward, who
encouraged him in his literary pursuits. In-
deed, John of Gaunt became the poet's brother-
in-law, when the latter married Catherine
Swinford, who was a sister of Chaucer's wife.
Chaucer was a Court official. In his youth,
he was one of the thirty-seven squires who were
valets to Edward III. Later he was sent on a
diplomatic mission, on behalf of England, to
the Duke of Genoa, and it is supposed that h»
met the Italian poet, Petrarch, at Padua, on
this occasion.
In after years, when Richard II. was king,
Chaucer seems to have been in disfavour for a
time. He became involved in the civil and
religious troubles of the day, and joined the
party of John of Northampton, who was a
supporter of Wyckliffe, in resisting the
measures of the Court. So the poet thought it
No. 85-
BLACK-BOY COTTAGE.
It stood formerly upon the way-side opposite
Southend House.
-
No. 86.
THE IVY COTTAGE
Which stood where " The Chestnuts," Court Road,
now stands.
The figure in foreground is "Bishop" Sharpe, the old
schoolmaster, sketching.
No. 87.
No. 88.
RAM ALLEY. (High Street).
THE TILT YARD GATE.
(Winter-time).
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
145
wise to flee the country, going to Hainault,
and afterwards to Holland.
He returned, however, in 1386, and after three
years of troubles and "ups and downs," we
find him once more in royal favour, for in 1369
he was appointed " Clerk of the Works" to
King Richard, in succession to Roger Elmham.
His duties in this new capacity were to
manage the various royal palaces, including
Westminster, Tower of London, Castle of
Berkhametead, Eltham, Kensington, Shene,
and others. It was a rather responsible posi-
tion, and entailed his riding from one place
to the other, at a time when travelling was not
so easy nor so safe as it is now.
It was on the occasion of his visit to Eltham
in connection with his official duties that
Chaucer had the unlucky experience which we
are about to relate.
"The Fowle Oak."
In the " Memoranda Roll, 14 Rio. II. Hilary,
Brevia, Roll 20," we may find this curious
and interesting Eltham record. It is in old
French, or a kind of legal French used at the
time. But we have transcribed it just as it
stands, that our young students of French,
in Eltham, may amuse themselves by its trans-
lation.
* * *
1391, January 6. Writ discharging Geoffrey
Chaucer, Clerk of the King's Works, from the
repayment of the <£20, of which he had been
robbed near to the "Fowle Oak."
• . • *•
Pur Geffray Chaucer. Richard par la grace
de dieu Roye, <fec., as Tresorer and Barons de
nostre Escheqer, saluz. Suppliez nous ad
nostre ame Clere Geffray Chaucer, clere de noz
ouereignes, qicome le tierce iour de Septembre
darein passez, (1390), le dit Geffrey estoit
robbez felonousement pres de le fowle ok de
vyngt liures de nostre tresor, and de son chival
and antres moebles, par aucuns notables larons,
come pleinement est confessez par bouche dun
dfs dits arons, en presence de nostre coroner
and autres aoz officiers a Wesmonster en nostre
Gaole illoeqes a ce qest dit, nous plese lui vyngt
doner les dites vyngt liures, and lui descharger
en son aconte a nostre Escheqer de les vyngt
liures susditcs; la quele supplicacion nous
auons de nostre grace especiel grantez and
ottraiez. Et pur ce vous mandons, que le dit
Goffrey facez descharger en son aconte a nostre
dit Escheqer de les vyngt liures susdites, and
eut estre quites enuers nous par la cause
auantdite. Done souz nostre priue seale a
nostre manoir de Eltham le vj iour de Januere
Ian de nostre regne quatorzisme."
* » *
Translation.
"Richard, by the grace of God, King, &c.,
— To the Treasurer and Barons of our Ex-
chequer, greeting. Having received a petition
on behalf of our beloved Geoffrey Chaucer.
Clerk of our Works, inasmuch as on the third
day of last year (1390), the said Geoffrey
Chaucer was feloniously robbed near the Fowle
Oak of twenty pounds of our treasure, and of
his horse and divers goods, by certain notorious
thieves, as is fully confessed by the mouth of
one of the said thieves, in the presence of our
coroner and other of our ojcers at West-
minister, in our prison there; on this account
we are pleased to pardon him the said twenty
pounds, and discharge him in his account to
our Exchequer of the aforesaid twenty pounds;
the which petition we have of our special grace
granted and allowed, and we therefore instruct
you that you cause the said Geoffrey Chauc.-r
to be discharged on his account to our said Ex-
chequer of the aforesaid twenty pounds, and
that he be acquitted towards us for the afore-
said reason. Given under our privy seal
at our Manor of Eltham, the 6th day of
January, the fourteenth year of our reign."
« * *
The story of the robbery of Chaucer is rather
interesting, and as it closely concerns Eltham
we will tell it. Mr. Furnival discovered the
account of the incident by research among the
" Controlment Rolls" of the 14th year of
Richard II., which give the records of the
trial of the robbers, and it was thereupon
printed in the transactions of the Chaucer
Society, some thirty years ago.
It seems that about this time (1390) the
neighbourhood of London was infested by
robbers, who laid wait for travellers, and
146
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
carried on their nefarious calling in defiance of
the attempts made by the authorities to catch
them. There turned out to be some seventeen
of these desperadoes, and impudent robberies
were perpetrated on the various highways lead-
ing from the Metropolis.
Chaucer had occasion to come from West-
minster to Eltham with some ten pounds in his
pocket to pay accounts, in pursuance of his
duties as Clerk of the Works. When he
reached Hatcham. which, of course, was out in
the country in those days, at a spot known as
the "Fowle Oak," he was set upon and robbed
of his money, horse, and all his belongings.
So there was nought to be done but to go back
on foot to Westminster, to get some more
money. Curiously enough, on his return he
was robbed again. The affair, no doubt, caused
considerable stir in Court circles, for it was a
most impudent thing to rob on the king's high-
way an officer of the king's household, and
Chaucer was put to a great deal of incon-
venience, as the above document shews.
At length, however, some of the miscreants
were captured, and one of them, Richard
Brerelay, became approver; that is to say, he
betrayed the others in order to save himself.
In the quaint wording of the old record we
find that:—
" Richard Brerelay came before Edmund
Brudenell, the King's Coroner, and acknow-
ledged that he was a felon of our lord the
King, for that he, on Tuesday next before the
feast of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in the fourteenth year of the reign of
King Richard the Second, feloniously despoiled
Geoffrey Chaucer of ten pounds in ready money,
at Westminster, and that he is a common and
notorious thief, and he appeals Thomas Talbot,
of Ireland, otherwise called Erode; Gilbert,
clerk of the same Thomas, and William Hunt-
yngfield, for that they, together with the said
approver, at Hacchesham (Hatcham) in the
county of Surrey, on Tuesday next before the
feast of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, in the year aforesaid, feloniously
despoiled the aforesaid Geoffrey Chaucer of
nine pounds and forty-four pence, whereof each
of them had for his share, four marks, five
shillings, and ten pence."
* # #
It was not at all unusual in cases of this
kind for one of a gang to turn "approver,"
as Richard Brerelay did on this occasion. But
the consequences were sometimes curious, and
illustrate the crudeness of the methods prac-
tised by our forefathers in dealing out what
they called justice.
According to the system of "approvement,"
the person accused, unless he had reasonable
and legal exceptions to make to the person of
the "approver," was compelled to put himself
upon his trial, either by battle or by his coun-
try. If he fought and was vanquished he was
regarded as guilty, and had to suffer the judg-
ment of the law, while the "approver" was
pardoned.
On the other hand, if the " approver" got the
worst of it in the fight, he (the "approver")
was deemed guilty, and was hanged, upon the
confession of his own guilt, for the condition of
pardon failed, namely, the convicting of some
other person.
» # «
Now, the Chaucer robbery was not the only
confession made by Richard Brerelay.
There was an affair at Berkweywey, in which
Brerelay declared that one, Adam Clerk, took
a part. This led to Brerelay's undoing. Clerk
pleaded "not guilty," and declared that he
was ready to defend himself by his body
against the approver, Richard Brerelay. There
was no escape. Brerelay had to fight.
The duel came off at Tot-hill, on 3rd of May,
1391. Brerelay got the worst of the encounter,
So he was forthwith taken off to the gallows,
and hanged.
Clerk got off, but he did not long enjoy free-
dom. He was up again next term for house-
breaking, found guilty, and hanged.
• « •
But you will notice that one, William Hunt-
yngfield, was accused by Brerelay as one of the
culprits in the Chaucer robberies. The fate of
this " gentleman" cannot be so certainly
traced. The Rolls shew that he was convicted
of the numerous felonies for which he was
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
147
tried, including the Westminster and Hatcham
robberies, but the result of these convictions
does not appear.
Being, apparently, "in holy orders," he was
able to put forward the plea of " benefit of the
clergy," by way of arresting judgment. After
this plea, we find that he was committed to the
custody of the Marshall of the King's Bench,
until the Court should have determined
whether he might be allowed to clear himself
in this manner.
The rest is veiled in mystery. We do not
know whether he got off. Let us hope that he
was hanged, for he deserved it if the others
did.
This is about all we know of the robbery
of Geoffrey Chaucer when on his way to Eltham
Manor, on the third day of September, 1390.
Although the King was graciously pleased to
forgive him the loss of those twenty pounds,
his position at Court was not improved by the
incidsnt. Chaucer had many enemies there,
and it is not surprising to find that a few years
later he was living in retirement at Woodstock,
in Oxfordshire.
After all, that retirement was better for u»
than if he had remained in office to the end of
his days, for it was then, when the poet was
close on sixty years of age that he wrote, at
his leisure, that immortal work, "The Canter-
bury Tales."
SHOOTING AT BUTTS (from Royal M.S. 19. c. viii.)
HENRY IV. (Tomb at Canterbury).
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HENRY IV. AND ELTHAM.
In an earlier chapter we referred to that last
meeting at Eltham between Kichard II. and
Bolingbroke, after the affair at Coventry. It
was then that the proud noble bade farewell to
his king, and the latter reduced his term of
exile from ten years to six.
The next time Bolingbroke came to Eltham
he was himself a king, and the weak and foolish
Richard had been deposed, and was living in
captivity.
Stirring and notable events had taken place
during the interval between the two visits.
Within a few months after Bolingbroke had
gone from the country, his aged father, the
great John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, died,
and the exile himself succeeded to the duke-
dom.
At this juncture King Richard did one of the
meanest actions of his life. He declared that
Bolingbroke, being an exile, must therefore be
accounted an outlaw, and could not succeed to
the Dukedom of Lancaster; so he confiscated
all the estates to which the exiled nobleman
was the rightful heir, and put them to his own
use. This act of dishonesty and tyranny led
to the king's downfall, and ultimately to his
death.
Richard proceeded to Ireland to complete the
work of conquest there, leaving the government
at home in the hands of the Duke of York,
whom he had appointed regent.
Taking advantage of the king's absence,
Henry Bolingbroke returned from his exile in
France, landing on the coast of Yorkshire with
a handful of men. He declared that his pur-
pose was to claim his rights to the lands and
title of the Duke of Lancaster, of which he had
been unjustly deprived.
As he proceeded across England, men from
all sides flocked to his banner. Even the Duke
of York took sides with him, so that when the
unfortunate Richard, on his return from
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHA.M.
149
Ireland, landed at Milford Haven, he found
that his kingdom was gone. His army fell
away from him, leaving him practically friend-
less.
In this plight, he fled, disguised, to North
Wales.
Subsequently he was invited to a conference
with the new Duke of Lancaster, at Flint.
When he saw the forces of the Duke, he ex-
claimed :
" I am betrayed. There are pennons and
banners in the valley."
It was, however, too late to escape, and he
was seized and brought before Lancaster.
" I am come before my time," said the Duke,
" but I will shew you the reason. Your people,
my lord, complain that for the space of twenty
years, you have ruled them harshly. However,
if it pleases God, I will help you to rule them
better."
"Fair cousin," replied the king, "since it
pleases you, it pleases me well."
The events that followed are well-known.
Eichard was deposed, and the Duke of Lancas-
ter mounted the throne as Henry IV., in the
year 1399. But he had no real right to the
crown, and he very soon found that his kingly
position was not a pleasant one.
Popular he had been when simply Henry
Bolingbroke, the Earl of Hereford; indeed, he
was in many respects almost an idol of the
people; but as soon as he assumed the regal
sway, his popularity rapidly waned. There
were rebellions against him. His friends aban-
doned him. Plots were formed against him,
and barbarously punished. Altogether his reign
was not a happy one for himself or for hie
people.
It was into the mouth of Henry IV. that
Shakespeare put those fine lines upon "sleep,"
which reveal so vividly the mind of the man
wearied by the cares of State, and anxious for
the safety of a crown that was not rightly his.
"How many thousands of my poorest subjects
Are at this hour asleep? O, gentle sleep,
Nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee,
That thou no more wilt weigh my eye-lids down,
And steep my senses in forgetfulness?
"Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose
To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude;
And, in the calmest and the stillest night,
With all appliances and means to boot,
Deny it to a king? Then, happy, lowly clown;
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
Henry IV. spent a great deal of his time at
Eltham. He kept his Christmas here on at
least five occasions, namely, in 1400, 1404, 1406,
1409, and 1412.
It was on the occasion of his Christmas fes-
tivities at Eltham in the year 1400 that he enter-
tained at the Palace Manuel Paloaologos, the
Emperor of Constantinople, in a most magnifi-
cent style for two months. This monarch had
come to England to get assistance against the
Saracens, and so greatly did his words impress
the King of England, that the latter vowed that
he would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
before he died. One of the events of the
festival was a grand tournament, at which the
king's eldest daughter, Blanche, a nine-year-old
princess, presided as the " Queen of Beauty."
When the tidings of the deposition of King
Eichard reached the ears of the King of France
he was anxious to know the fate of his daugh-
ter, Isabella, the girl-queen of Eichard. So he
sent two ambassadors to England to make the
necessary inquiries. It was at Eltham Palace,
where Henry IV. was holding his council in
1400, that he received the messengers of the
French king, and entertained them royally.
From the "Acts of the Privy Council"
(Nicolas i., 115) we learn that it was at Eltham
that the council was held on 15th March, 1400,
from which the king wrote, respecting the
restoration of his friend, Thomas Aruudel,
Archbishop of Canterbury, the well-known per-
secutor of the Lollards, who had been deprived
of his see, and banished by Eichard II. in
1397, at the same time as a similar punish-
ment was inflicted upon the Duke of Gloucester
and the Earl of Warwick by the late king.
Arundel had been a fellow exile with Henry
himself, but had returned to Scotland, for, after
residing in France for a time, the Pope
appointed him to the see of St. Andrew's, "a
step taken at the request of Richard himself,
150
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
who thus flattered himself that he had rendered
a troublesome adversary harmless."
The decisions of the Eltham Council marked
the new attitude taken up by Henry towards
Lollardism. It resulted in the Statute of
Heretics, with all its formidable provisions.
" By the provisions of this infamous Act,"
writes John Richard Green, "bishops were not
only permitted to arrest and imprison, so long
to spread the new Lollardism, became its first
victim. A layman, John Balbie, was com-
mitted to the flames in the presence of the
Prince of Wales, for a denial of transubstautia-
tion. The groans of the sufferer were taken for
a recantation, and the Prince ordered the fire
to be plucked away ; but the offer of life and of
a pension failed to break the spirit of the
Lollard, and he was again hurled back to his
doom."
QUEEN JOAN OF NAVARRE, SECOND WIFE OF HENRY IV.
(Married by proxy to Henry IV., at Eltham Palace.)
as their heresy should last, all preachers of
heresy, all school masters infected with
heretical teaching, all owners and writers of
heretical books, but a refusal to abjure, or a
relapse after abjuration, enabled them to hand
over the heretic to the civil officers, and by
these — so ran the first legal enactment of re-
ligious bloodshed which defiled our Statute
Book — he was to be burnt on a high place before
the people.
"The statute was hardly passed before Wil-
liam Sawtre, who had quitted a Norfolk rectory
These were some results of the Statute which
emanated from that council at Eltham, in the
year 1400. Surely it was a bad day's work.
"It was probably the fierce resentment of the
Reformers " to this intolerant Act " whicli
gave life to the incessant revolts which
threatened the throne of Henry IV."
An interesting, but somewhat curious, cere-
mony took place at Eltham Palace ou the 3rd
April, 1402, for on that date King Henry was
married in the Royal Chapel there, by proxy,
to the Princess Joan, daughter of Charles II.,
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
151
the King of Navarre, and widow of John de
Montfort, Duke of Brittany. In the absence of
the princess, one of her esquires, a certain
Antoine Eeizi, acted as her representative, and
it was upon his finger that King Henry placed
the ring, and with him exchanged the usual
marriage vows.
There is another local record of considerable
interest, though of quite a different character.
There was an ancient custom by which the men
of the Royal Manors could travel throughout
the kingdom, "toll-free." The privilege had
been conceded to the men of Eltham Mande-
ville, and West Home, as far back as the reign
of Edward III. It is recorded of Henry IV.
that he enacted that " the same custom should
apply to the men of Eltham, Modyngham, and
Woolwich, which manors were of old of the
ancient demesne of the Crown of England."
It would seem that King Henry IV. ran in
danger of being murdered at Eltham Palace on
the occasion of his keeping Christmas here in
1404. The king was ignorant of the peril he
was in, until the plot was revealed to him by
a lady during the following year. The incident
is set forth by Holinshed, and we will tran-
scribe the old chronicler's words: —
"In the sixth year, the fridaie after saint
Valentine's day, the earle of March his sons
earlie in the morning were taken forth of
Windsor Castle, and conveyed away, it was not
known whither at the first, but such search and
enquiry was made for them that shortlie after
they were heard of and brought back again.
"The smith that counterfeited the keies by
the which they had conveyed them thence into
the chamber where they were lodged, had first
his hands cut off, and after, his head stricken
from his shoulders.
"The ladie Spenser, sister to the duke of
York, and widow to the lord Thomas Spenser,
executed at Bristow, being apprehended and
committed to close prison, accused hir brother
the duke of York, as cheefe author in stealing
awaie the said earl of March his sonnes.
"And further, that the said duke ment to
have broken into the manor of Eltham the last
Christmasse by scaling the wals in the night
season, the king being there the same time, to
the intent to have murthered him.
" For the proof of hir accusation she offered
that if there were anie knight or esquier that
would take upon him to fight in her quarrel, if
he were overcome, she would be content to burn
for it.
" One of his esquiers, named William of
Maidstone, hearing what answer his ladie and
mistress propounded, cast down his hood, and
proffered in hir cause the combat. The duke
likewise cast down his hood readie by battel to
clear his innocence.
"But yet the king's sonne lord Thomas of
Lancaster arrested him and put him under safe
guard in the Tower, till it were further known
what order should be taken with him, and in
the meantime were all his goods confiscate.
" At the same time was Thomas Mowbraie,
earl Marshall accused, as privie to the purpose
of the duke of York, touching the withdrawal
of the earl of March his sonnes, who confessed
indeed that he knew of the dukes purpose, but
yet in 110 wise gave his consent there-unto, and
therefore besought the king to be good and
gracious lord unto him for concealing the
matter, and so he obtained pardon for that
offence."
Henry the Fourth's last Christmas at Eltham
was a sad one. He had been attacked by a
fulsome, leprous disease, which had terribly
disfigured his face. The sickness came on
shortly after the execution of the Archbishop of
York, and the people saw in it a judgment from
heaven for so sacrilegious an act.
It was the last Christmas of his life that he
passed, in H12, at his favourite palace at
Eltham. "So complete was his seclusion,
owing both to his illness and the awful dis-
figurement of his person, that he scarcely saw
anyone but the queen, lying frequently for
hours without any sign of life. After Candle-
mas, he was so much better as to be able to
keep his birthday; so he was carried from
Eltham to his palace at Westminster, where he
had summoned the Parliament."
The old historian, Kennet, commenting upou
this incident, writes:—
152
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" The design of this season seems to have
teen no other but to furnish him with money
for his voyage to the Holy Land, which he
intended to begin at tie rise of the spring, all
things being ready for it.
"But God prevented his design by a relapse
into his former distemper! For, being worship-
ping at St. Edward's Shrine, to take his leave,
in order, to his journey, he was so violently
seized with another fit of apoplexy that all the
standers-by thought he would have died pre-
sently; but being removed into a chamber be-
longing to the Abbot of Westminster, and laid
in a pallet before the fire, by the warmth of
that and by the application of proper remedies,
he at length recovered his senses and speech
again.
" After he had lain some time, he enquired
where he was, because he perceived himself to
be in a strange place, and was told that he was
in the chamber of the Abbot of Westminster.
"He then asked them whether the chamber
had any particular name, and they said ' It was
called Jerusalem/ whereupon he said, ' That
then he should die there, because he was long
since told that he would die in Jerusalem,' and
accordingly he made suitable preparations for
his death. "
RICHARD II. AND BOI.INGBROKE ARRIVED AT LONDON.
A PARLIAMENT OF THE TIME OF HENRY V. (Harleian M.S.)
OHAPTEB XXXIX.
HENRY V. AND ELTHAM.
Several notable incidents in the life of Henry
V., associated with Eltham, are recorded. His
father, the late king, kept his last Christmas
here, under the sad circumstances we have
already alluded to, in the year 1412.
Henry V. kept his first Christmas, as king,
at Eltham, in 1413, and, on that occasion, a
circumstance came to light which made it
necessary for the king to cut his Eltham visit
short, and hasten away to the palace at West-
minster, and thence to Windsor.
It was while the hall of the old palace was
resounding with the mirth and jollity charac-
teristic of the Christmas festivities of the time
that the ill news was conveyed to the king of
a plot for his destruction, said to have been
hatched by the Lollards, in which the friend
and associate of his youth, Lord Cobham, was
involved, together with Sir Roger Acton.
The tidings so alarmed the king that he
hurried from Eltham, as we have said, and the
Christmas merriment of 1413 came to an un-
expected and sudden termination.
The incident was the beginning of evente
that culminated in a great tragedy, and, as
their relation throws some light upon both
Eltham and national history of the time, we
will tell, as briefly as possible, the story in
which the king and the famous Kentish noble,
Lord Cobham, are the prominent characters.
You will have read in your history books of
the youthful escapades of Henry V., that on
one occasion caused him to be brought befors
the judge, who had the courage to send him
to prison.
One of his boon companions at this time was
Sir John Oldcastle, more generally known as
Lord Cobham, who associated with the young
prince in his gay and frivolous habits of life.
The old king, Henry IV., looked gravely upon
his sou's reckless living, for he was anxious
lest he might develop into a king as worthless
and vicious as Richard II. had been.
When, however, at his father's death, the
prince, inherited the responsibilities of king-
151
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
ship, he discarded his old habits and his evil
companions, lived a life that was consistent
with his position, and won the respect and
love of his people.
Lord Cobham, too, who had been so promin-
ent as one of those who humoured the prince
in his whims, that he was known at the time
as the "ruffian knight," turned over a new
leaf and began to take life seriously.
In the last chapter we alluded to the
Lollards, and the new law, devised at a Coun-
cil at Eltham, for the purpose of putting
Lollardism down, of the persecution under
the law, and the prominent part played in
that persecution by the Archbishop Arundel.
Now, Lord Cobham became a very thought-
ful and able man, and as a nobleman possessed
much influence and power. To the surprise of
everyone, he embraced the principles of the
Lollards, a circumstance which alarmed the
Church, and caused the Archbishop to carry
on the work of persecution with all the greater
vigour.
The archbishop regarded Cobham as the head
and great encourager of the new sect, so he
applied to King Henry for permission to indict
him under the hateful statute De heretico com-
burendo, already alluded to. Although, for
political reasons, seeing that Henry was de-
sirous of securing the full sympathy and sup-
port of the Church, he was not entirely averse
to the application of rigorous measures to
heretics, he could not readily bring his mind
to the persecution of his old companion, Lord
Cobham.
The archbishop pressed the matter, under
the plea that the public execution of the
Kentish nobleman would strike terror into the
Lollards, and perhaps stamp out the new
movement. But the king preferred to see
Cobham liimself, and to try and influence him
by persuasion, declaring that such gentle means
were best calculated to convert him. The in-
terview took place, and Henry argued with his
friend with such knowledge of divinity that
he had acquired at Oxford. But it was of
little avail, and it would seem that some sever-
ity arose between the disputants, for Cobham
is said to have suddenly left the king, and
withdrew to his own house at Cowling in Kent.
The king now took up another attitude.
Tenderness towards his friend seems to have
left him. Determined to prevail where he-
had failed to convince, he acceded to the re-
quest of Archbishop Arundel.
Then it was that proclamations were sent
forth, directing the magistrates to apprehend
all itinerant preachers, and action was at once
taken against Lord Cobham for heresy.
Upon hearing of these strong measures, Cob-
ham hastened to the king, before whom he laid
his confession of faith, a document which is
still in existence, and " on looking it over,"
writes an historian, " one is at a loss, in these
days, to discover in it what any true Catholic
could object to."
But Henry would not even look at this "Con-
fession of Faith," declaring that such matters
were for the bishops to decide upon.
Cobham then offered, according to the spirit
of the times, to purge himself from the charge
of heresy, by doing battle with any adversary,
Christian or infidel, who dared to take up hi»
challenge. But when the king asked him if
he was prepared to submit to the decision of
the bishops, he refused, at the same time, like
a good Catholic, declaring himself willing to
appeal to the Pope.
This proposal the king declined to accept,
and Cobham was accordingly handed over to
the tender mercies of Archbishop Arundel,
together with the Bishops of London, Win-
chester, and St. David's, before whom he was
promptly tried and condemned to be burnt
alive.
The king, however, did not agree with these
desperate measures, and gave the prisoner fifty
days' respite, apparently to give him further
time for consideration, but more probably, as
some writers assert, to give him an opportun-
ity of escape. At any rate, Cobham did man-
age to escape before the fifty days had expired.
Once at liberty he was very soon in com-
munication with his friends and confederates,
and realising that the Church was determined
upon, not so much the conversion as the de-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
155
etruction of the reformers, it is said that the
Lollards themselves resolved to take desperate
measures in self-defence, and to take up arms
in an attempt to repel force by force.
It is even recorded of them, although there
are many who still doubt the truth of the
accusation, that they conceived the design of
not only killing the bishops, but also the king
and all his kin.- There seems to be some
mystery about the proceedings, and many re-
fuse to believe that Lord Cobham could have
lent himself to such a purpose.
It was, however, the news of this plot which
body was spared the indignity of being
burned, so he was buried under the gallows.
The following entry in the "Issue Rolls," I.
Henry V., throws some light, perhaps, upon
the incident: —
"To Henry Botolf. In money paid to his
own hands for four pair of fetters, to pair of
manacles, and six pair of ' derails,' with
locks for the same, purchased by the said
Henry for the King's use, and sent to Thomas
Erpyngham, steward of the King's house-
hold, for certain traitors lately taken at
Eltham and elsewhere, to be imprisoned. Ev
HELMET, SHIELD AND SADDLE OF HENRY V.
was brought to the king at Eltham during the
Christmas festivities of UW, and caused him
to get away from the palace as quickly as he
could.
* * * *
A great rising of the Lollards appears to have
been organised, and some 25,000 men were ex-
pected to gather at an appointed spot in St.
Giles' Fields, their password being "Sir John
Oldcastle." The authorities, however, were
sufficiently acquainted beforehand of the
danger to enable them to take measures of
suppression. The result was a dismal failure
on the part of the reformers. Cobham man-
aged to escape, but about four score of his
followers were captured, forty of whom were
drawn and hanged as traitors, and then burned.
Amongst the prisoners was Sir Eoger Acton,
a friend of Cobham's, who was hanged, but his
direction of the Treasurer and Chamberlain
of the Exchequer. 16/8."
Lord Cobham escaped into Wales, where he
remained in concealment for some years, and
the burning of Lollards was continued with
increasing severity.
In the year 1417, Henry was campaigning in
Normandy. The Scots, therefore, thought the
occasion was favourable for an attack upon
England in the north. Cobham seems to have
been acting in concert with them, for at the
moment when the Scottish inroads began, the
nobleman issued from his place of conceal-
ment. But whatever hopes the Lollards may
have had of relief by the assistance of the
Scots, those hopes were doomed to disappoint-
ment. Earl Douglas was defeated in the north
and made a hasty retreat across the Cheviots.
156
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
When Cobham heard the news of the Scot-
tish rout, he had approached as near to London
ae St. Alban's. There was no alternative but
to hasten again towards Wales, in the hope of
finding there a place of hiding. But he was
intercepted and taken prisoner by the retainers
of the Earl of Powis.
"Cobham was brought before the House of
Peers, his former indictment was read, and
he was asked by the Duke of Bedford what he
had to say in his defence. He had begun a
bold and able speech in reply, but was stopped
and desired to give a direct answer."
He refused to plead, and astounded the
court by declaring that it had no authority,
so long as Richard II. was alive in Scotland;
for, like many others, he was of opinion, that
the person whe was still paraded in Scotland
as the dethroned king, was genuine.
His doom was sealed. Sir John Oldcastle,.
Lord Cobham, was condemned, and was hanged
as a traitor in St. Giles' Fields, and burnt ae
a heretic, December, 1417, exactly four years
after the tidings of the Lollard Plot were-
brought to the king at Eltham Palace.
SIR THOMAS ERPYNGHAM, STEWARD OF ELTHAM MANOR (from an old Print).
CHAPTER XL.
AFTER AGINCOURT.
In the last chapter the name of Sir Thomas
Erpyngham was mentioned. He was the
steward of the King's household, and was the
person to whom the fetters and manacles were
sent for securing certain traitors captured at
Eltham.
Sir Thomas was a notable figure at the time,
and we may very well give a brief account of
him. He was quite an old man when Henry
V. ascended the throne, and had served with
distinction under previous sovereigns.
When H^nry Bolingbroke— afterwards Henry
IV.— was sent into exile, Sir Thomas Erpyng-
ham accompanied him. He was probably pre-
sent at Eltham upon that memorable day when
Bolingbroke bade adieu to Kichard II., and had
the consolation of obtaining a reduction by four
years of his period of exile.
On the return of Bolingbroke as Duke of
Lancaster, Erpyngham was still in his train,
for he was always a faithful adherent of the
House of Lancaster.
It was he who made Eichard II. prisoner, and
when the fateful day arrived that Richard laid
aside his crown, Sir Thomas Erpyngham was
one of the seven who were commissioned to
announce to the King his deposition.
He served Henry IV. faithfully, and seems to
have always been ready to do his bidding. Al-
though there are records that go to prove that
he was brave and fearless as a soldier, there are
others which depict him as being exceedingly
callous.
In the old chronicle, " La traison et mort du
Roy Richart," we are told that Henry IV. put
him in charge of the execution of Sir Thomas
Blount, and that Erpyngham actually used
taunting words to his unhappy victim, while
" sitting disembowelled before the fire in which
his entrails were being burned."
158
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
It i* hard to conceive anything more horrible
than callousness such as this, even in an age
when human life and human suffering were
regarded as trifling matters in the policy of
government.
It was Erpyngham, too, who executed Lord
de Spencer — the husband of the lady, whose
name has already been alluded to in connection
with an Eltham incident.
His close association with royalty is further
seen from the fact that he was one of the wit-
nesses of the will of Henry IV. He is said to
Old man though he was, it was Sir Thomas
Erpyngham who threw his baton into the air
as the signal for the English advance at Agin-
court, and was afterwards in the thick of the
fight.
He was near the king at that dramatic
moment, just before the battle, when Sire de
Helly and two other French knights held a
parley with King Henry for the purpose of
gaining time.
De Helly had once been a prisoner in
England, but was accused of breaking his
BANNERS USED AT AGINCOURT.
have built the Church of Black Friars, at
Norwich, and to have been buried in the
cathedral of that city.
But Sir Thomas Erpyngham has won a lasting
name as one of the heroes of Agincourt. " At
Agincourt," writes old John Lydgate, "Sire
Thomas Erpyngham, that never did faille,"
brought a following of two knights, seventeen
men-at-arms, and sixty archers, by an agree-
ment with the King, some of whose jewels he
took as security for pay.
It is interesting to learn from Hunter's
"Historical Tracts" that John Geney, one of
his men-at-arms, married Lucy, daughter of
Eobert Cheseman, of East Greenwich and
Eltham.
parole, and now offered to meet in single combat
any man who dared to reflect upon his honour.
The King, who saw the trick, replied:
"Sir Knight, this is no time for single
combats. Go, tell your countrymen to prepare
for battle, and doubt not that for the violation
of your word you shall a second time forfeit
your liberty, if not your life."
"Sir," replied De Helly, insolently, with the
view of prolonging the parley, " I will receive-
no orders from you. Charles is our sovereign.
Him we will obey, and for him we will fight
against you whenever we think proper."
" Away, then," said the King, " and take
care that we are not ther3 before you."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
159
Then, stepping to the front, he cried:
"Banners advance!"
At this moment, old Sir Thomas Erpyngham,
who had been standing near, watching the
interview, flung his baton into the air, and
cried aloud : " Now strike."
What followed, how the English struck and
won, is a matter of history ; but it is interesting
to us to find that the old knight who was the
steward of Eltham Palace took so prominent a
part in the great struggle.
There were many notable prisoners taken in
this famous battle. Among them was the Duke
of Orleans, who was found by Richard Waller,
of Groom bridge, Kent, nearly dead, under a
heap of slain. His brother, the Duke of Bour-
bon, was also captured, as well as many knights
of high degree.
The two princes mentioned had the pleasure
of spending a part of their time as prisoners in
England, at Eltham, where they were lodged.
The return of Henry V., and his victorious
army was an occasion of great rejoicing.
" To Caunterbury full fair he past,
And off red at Seynt Thomas shryne;
Fro thens sone he rod in hast,
To Eltham h* cam in good tyme."
Thus sang John Lydgate to commemorate the
joyful day. At Eltham, the King and his great
company, including his prisoners* remained for
the night, to prepare for the triumphant entry
into London.
The event was one of the historical days in
the village story. Eltham youth doubtless
looked on and wondered. Their grandfathers
had told them many a time of the glorious days
of Edward III., of the great tournament after
the victory of Crecy, of the reception of the
captive King. But here was a victory greater
than Crecy. Some of their own kinsfolk had
been in the light. Here, too, were royal pris-
oners from France, brought along in the train
of their great and noble King. In sooth, it was
a day to be remembered.
On the morrow, November 23rd, St. Clement's
Day, the procession moved on at an early hour,
for they were due at Blackheath at ten o'clock.
Thus the old poet continued :
"To ye Blakheth thanne rod he,
And spredde ye way on evry side;
(Twenty thousand) men myght wel se
Oure comely Kinge for to abyde.
The kyng from Eltham sone he nam,
Hyse presoners with hym dede brynge.
And to ye Blake Heth ful sone he cam;
He saw London with oughte lesynge;
Heil Ryall London, seyde our King."
The progress of victorious Henry from
Eltham to London is one of the great events of
London history, and it is proposed to represent
the scene in the forthcoming "London
Pageant." Those who would like to read a
really graphic account of the event may find it
described in the " Chronicle" of Stow, who tells
us how the " Maior of London with the Alder-
men and crafts to the number of 1 hundred
riding in red, with hoodes red and white, met
with the King on Black-heath coming from
Eltham, and so brought him through London
to Westminster, with all his prisoners of
France.
" The gates and streets of the Citie were gar-
nished and apparrelled with precious clothes
and Arras, containing the victories, triumphs
and princely Acts of the Kings of England his
progenitors, which was done to the end that the
King might understand, what remembrance his
people would send down to their posterity of
these his great victories and triumphes.
"The Conduits through the Citie ranne none
other but good sweet wines, and that abun-
dantly.
" There were also made in the streetes many
Towers and stages adorned richly, and upon
the height of them sate small children,
apparrelled in semblance of Angels, with
sweete tuned voices singing prayses and laudes
unto God; for the victorious King would not
puffer any ditties to be made and sung of his
victories, for that he would wholly have the
praise given to God."
In his "History of Great Britaine" (1651),
John Speed tells us that on the occasion of
Henry's triumphal entry into London, after
160
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Agincourt, "foureteene Mitred Bishops
attended his approach unto St. Pauls, where,
out of the Cencers the sweet Odours filled the
Church, and the Quiei- chanted Anthems cun-
ningly set by note; in all which the honour was
ascribed onely unto God, the King so command-
ing it."
Yet another account is provided by an old
Latin manuscript, in the Cottonian collection
(Julius E. IV.), which is translated by Sir
In the " Issue Rolls" (Devon) dated 4 Henry
V., August llth, we get the following entry
relating to Eltham : —
" To Sir John Rothende, knight, keeper of the
King's Wardrobe. In money paid to him,
arising from the fifteenths and tenths, namely,
by the hands of John Feriby, receiving the
money from a certain attorney of the Lord de
Talbot, dwelling in Gray's Inn, at the house of
the Treasurer of England, for the expenses of
ENTRY OF HENRY V. INTO LONDON (from an old Print).
Nicholas Harris Nicholas, 1827, from which we
make one extract : —
" And when the wished for Saturday dawned,
the citizens went forth to meet the King, as far
as the heights of Blackheath; namely, the
Mayor and 24 Aldermen in scarlet and the rest
of the inferior citizens in red suits, with party-
coloured hoods, red and white, on about twenty
thousand horses, all of whom, according to
their crafts, had certain finely contrived
devices, which notably distinguished each
craft from the other."
The manuscript gives a detailed and graphic
description of the whole of the day's proceed-
ings.
the household of the Emperor while at Eltham.
By writ, ,£200."
This great personage, Sigismuml, was King of
the Romans, and Emperor Elect of Germany.
His visit to Henry was in 1416. Its object was-
to secure the aid of Henry in a great scheme
for putting an end to the divisions in the
Church of Borne. There were, at the time, no
less than three Popes all declaring to have been
lawfully elected.
Henry decided to give Sigismund a right
royal reception, so " he summoned all the
knights and esquires of the realm to attend him
in London. A fleet of 300 sail waited at Calais
to bring over this unusual guest with all his-
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
161
retinue, amounting to 1000 horsemen; and
officers were appointed to escort him from
Dover to the capital, discharging all the ex-
penses by the way."
Although Henry prepared to receive his
visitor with every show of friendliness and
hospitality, he was very cautious not to en-
danger his national rights.
So, just as the 300 ships of Sigismund
approached the shore at Dover, the Emperor
was somewhat surprised to see the Duke of
Gloucester and several noblemen ride into the
water, with drawn swords, and asking whether,
in coming in such state, he designed to exercise
or claim any authority in England.
The Emperor replied " No," and was at once
received with honour and courtesy.
He had, however, a second object in coming
to England, and that was to try and bring
about peace between England and France.
He seems to have had a good time in England,
for he stayed from the time of spring till the
month of September, when he returned to
Calais, accompanied by Henry himself. During
his visit he concluded an alliance with England,
and was honoured by being made a Knight of
the Garter.
The Emperor Sigismund, King of Rome, and
Emperor Elect of Germany, was one of the most
distinguished of foreign potentates who made
Eltham Palace their residence.
HENRY VI. IN HIS YOUTH.
CHAPTER XLI.
HENRY VI. AND ELTHAM.
The reign of the hero of Agincourt was a
short one. While campaigning in France he
was stricken down by sickness, and died at
the castle at Vincennee on the last day of
August, 1422. His body was brought to London,
and was buried in the Abbey Church at West-
minster.
In the first scene of the first act of Shake-
speare's play of " Henry VI., Part I." you
may read of the sad funeral day at the Abbey,
and from the touching words which the poet
puts into the mouths of the mourners we may,
to some extent, realise the depth of the national
grief occasioned by the early and unexpected
death of this heroic king.
" Hung be the heavens with black, yield day
to night !
Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,
And with them scourge the bad revolting stars
That have consented unto Henry's death !
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth."
"The King is dead. Long live the King,"
and the king that lived was a baby boy of nine
months old, who at the time when the body of
his father was being buried with all the pomp
and state of a warrior, was at Kit ham Palace,
oblivious of the greatness to which he had
succeeded, and lovingly tended by his mother.
If you follow the scene in the play, you will
see how the obsequies were interrupted by
messengers from France bringing the evil tid-
ings of the defeat of the English forces there.
Then did the great nobles, alarmed by the
news, hurry away to their several vocations.
Said Exeter, a great uncle of the young
king :—
" Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn,
Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,
Or bring him in obedience to your yoke."
To which Bedford replied : —
"I do remember't; and here take my leave,
To go about my preparation." (Exit.)
Gloucester declares : —
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
163
" I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can,
To view the artillery and munition;
And then I will proclaim young Henry king."
(Exit.)
Exeter then says : —
" To Eltham will I, where the young king is,
Being ordained his special governor;
And for his safety there I'll best devise."
(Exit.)
Henry Beaufort, the Bishop of Winchester,
another great uncle of the baby-king, is then
made to use these words of sinister import : —
" Each hath his place and function to attend ;
I am left out; for me no thing remains,
But long I will not be Jack out of office;
The king from Eltham I intend to steal,
And sit at chiefest stern of public weal."
During the infancy and early childhood of
Henry VI. he was kept very much at Eltham
Palace, and when one remembers the troubles
and tribulations which this king endured in
after years, we can easily believe that his
Eltham associations were among the happiest
of his eventful life.
If you turn again to your Shakespeare,
" Henry VI., Part I., Act I., scene iii.," you
will see how the dramatist depicts a stirring
incident which really took place just outside the
Tower of London. This scene has a direct bear-
ing upon the young king's residence here, and
it was just by chance that the fight did not
occur at Eltham instead of London.
Although they were closely related there was
a bitter rivalry between Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester, and Henry Beaufort, the Bishop of
Winchester. The Bishop was very ambitious,
and often acted unwisely.
Gloucester was self-willed and headstrong,
and harboured a violent dislike of his kins-
man. They were both rivals in their efforts
to exercise an influence over the young king. So
one was always trying to check-mate the
other.
When Gloucester had gone abroad, on an
expedition to Haiuault, the Bishop seized the
opportunity to garrison the Tower of London
with soldiers, and then committeed the
authority to Bichard Woodville with the signifi-
cant injunction that he was not "to admit any
one more powerful than himself."
The object was, of course, to keep Gloucester
out when he should have returned from abroad,
which event in due time took place.
He was highly incensed at the refusal to ad-
mit him to the Tower, for, be it remembered,
the Tower was a Royal Palace as well as a
fortress, and he attributed, rightly, the insult
to the secret orders of his uncle the Bishop.
The Duke, in a rage, told the Lord Mayor
of London to close the City gates, and at once
to provide him with five hundred men in order
that he might march to Eltham and " pay his
respects " to his nephew, the King.
But the Bishop was too wide awake for the
Duke. He posted men at the foot of London
Bridge, barricaded the street, placed archers
at all the windows on both sides. The Duke of
Gloucester was thus prevented from coming
out, and his visit with five hundred armed
men to the Palace of Eltham did not take
place.
There does not seem to be any record of
much in the form of pageantry at Eltham dur-
ing the reign of Henry VI. We find that he
kept Christmas here in 1425, and also in 1427
On the latter occasion, when the little king
was only about six years of age, we learn from
the records of " Proceedings of the Privy
Council " that certain minstrels and travelling
players were brought in for the entertainment
of his youthful majesty.
In his tenth year he was taken from Eltham
to Paris to be crowned the king of France.
Eeturning from Paris he came to Eltham, and
on February 20th, 1432, imediately after the
visit to France, he proceeded on horseback,
duly attended, to Blackheath, where he was
met by the Lord Mayor of London, clothed
in red velvet, the Sheriffs and Aldermen, in
scarlet cloaks furred, and a large company
of loyal citizens. Thence he rode to Deptford,
where he was greeted by the London clergy
in their robes, and the whole company pro-
ceeded to London.
"When the king was come to London Bridge,"
it is recorded in Fabian's Chronicle, " there
164
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
was devised a mighty giant, standing with a
drawn sword, and having a poetical speech
inscribed by his side. When the king had
passed the first gate, and was arrived at the
draw-bridge, he found a goodly tower hung
with silk and cloth of arras, out of which
suddenly appeared three ladies, clad in gold
.and silk, with coronets upon their heads, of
which the first was dame Nature, the second
dame Grace, and the third dame Fortune. They
each addressed the king in verse. On each side
accounts we find that this market was in exist-
ence in 1602. It has long since gone out of
practice.
From the " Proceedings of the Privy Coun-
cil " we find that in 1445 the young
king was putting his house in order
at Eltham, in anticipation of the arrival of
his bride, Margaret of Anjou. The Clerk of
the Works was one William Cleve, who also
was chaplain. This gentleman was responsible
for the construction of a new hall and scullery,
-, **&*.
---^-J^*.
•-
SHIPS OF FIFTEENTH CENTURY (Har. M.S.)
of them were ranged seven virgins; the first
seven presented the king with the seven gifts
of the Holy Ghost; the others with the seven
gifts of Grace. At the conduit, near the gate
of St. Paul's, was a celestial throne, wherein
was placed a personification of the Trinity,
with a multitude of angels playing and sing-
ing upon all instruments of music."
In our day we should rightly regard such
a demonstration as this as very profane.
In the year 1438, when the king was in his
seventeenth year, we learn that he renewed
the old charter which permitted a market to
be held at Eltham. From the churchwardens'
and the provision of suitable lodgings for the
young princese. The latter arrived in due
course and abode in Eltham Palace as bride
prior to her state entry into London for her
coronation.
The following entry appears in the " Rolls
of Parliament," volume v., page 175. " To pre-
vent exactions from his subjects, part of the
Royal ferm rents were reserved, 28. Henry
VI., 1450, for the support of the King's house-
hold. Eltham was assessed at .£8 a year."
One more association of Henry VI. with
Eltham seems to have been recorded, and the
circumstance is a pathetic one.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
165
As the years went on the position of Henry,
as king, became less and less secure. He was
weak as a ruler and incompetent to cope with
the difficulties that beset him on all sides. The
losses in France roused the people of England
against the wretched government to whose
weakness the disasters were attributed. The
question of the Lancastrian rights to the
throne began to be discussed, and, as the story
of national history reveals, the great House of
York was disputing the title by force of arms.
The wars of the Roses had begun.
King Henry was taken prisoner in 1460 at
the Battle of Northampton, and it was while
a prisoner in the hands of the Yorkists that
his last visit to Kit ham is recorded of him.
the unhappy king was allowed to come out to
Eltham and amuse himself by hunting in the
royal woods. His reflections must have been
sad ones when he thought of the troubled
times he had passed through since those happy
days, forty years before, when he played in
these familiar fields, and since that other time,
fifteen years before, when he brought his bride
to the Palace at Eltham, full of hope for a
happy and prosperous reign.
Now Margaret, his queen, is a fugitive in
Scotland, and he allowed, on the sufferance of
his enemies, to visit the home of his youth.
Henry VI. must have realised to the full the
truth of those words attributed to his grand-
father.
In the "Privy Council " records we read that "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
EDWARD IV.
CHAPTER XLII.
EDWARD IV. AND ELTHAM.
Edward IV. found Eltham a congenial place
of residence, and spent much of his time here
with his Court. Here, in the year 1469 he held
a great tournament, at which his champion
was Sir John Paston.
He held his Christmas festivities at Eltham
in 1482, and some idea of the accommodation
of the Palace as it then existed, as well as of
the magnitude of the entertainment, may be
gathered from the recorded fact that two
thousand persons were feasted daily at his
tables.
And Edward left his mark upon the Palace,
for what is to be seen of it to-day was erected
by him. Not since the days when Bishop Bek
beautified the Manor House, some two hundred
years before, and made it into a Palace fitted
for a king, do any important structural altera-
tions seem to have been carried out.
Edward was a voluptuous monarch and fond
of regal display and pomp. It is probable that
the accommodation of the Palace as he found
it was not sufficient for his purposes, and that
the magnificent hall which now remains to us
was erected by him to supply the deficiency.
We have already dealt with the building, in
considerable detail, in an earlier chapter, but
we would again call attention to the badges of
Edward IV., the rose en soleil, carved in the
spandrels of the hall door facing the bridge.
In the ceiling, too, of the south bay — the one
leading towards the lawn, as it is to-day — may
be observed the falcon and fetterlock, another
of his badges.
Another memorial of Edward's handiwork
is, of course, the fine old stone bridge across
the moat. The bridge that had done duty be-
fore was of wood, for it was a draw-bridge. But
the necessity for draw-bridges was passing
away in Edward's time. They were constructed
for purposes of protection. If the enemy, or
any other undesirable visitors, wanted to get
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
167
within the palace, they would have found it a
rather troublesome undertaking whea the draw-
bridge was up. But other weapons of offence
had now become superior to the draw-bridge,
so the old form was discarded, and the more
convenient and substantial bridge of stone was
erected in its place.
Edward did not confine his building opera-
tions to Eltham only. Windsor and other palaces
underwent enlargements or improvements by
the order of this king.
It is interesting to learn that, notwithstand-
ing his love of pleasure, and depravity uf liv-
ing, Edward IV. possessed a small library,
and it is particularly interesting to EltUam to
know that when he came here he brought
his books with him, presumably to read. Let
us hope he found time to do so.
From the " Ward-robe Accounts " we find
certain payments were made which bear out
this statement : —
QUEEN ELIZABETH WOODVILLE.
Indeed, building operation was so sufficiently
distinguishing a feature of his domestic policy
that it found notice in a poem written on his
death by John Skelton, who afterwards became
a somewhat notable poet of early Tudor times.
The poem alluded to was the first published
by Skelton, and was written when the poet
was 23 years of age. It contains the follow-
ing verse which is of local interest. Writing
of the dead king, he says : —
" I made Nottingham a Palace Royal,
Windsor, Eltham, and many others mo ;
Yet at last I went from them all,
Et mine in pulrtre dormio."
"To Robert Boillet, for black paper and
nails for closing and fastening of divern
coffyus of fir, wherein the king's books were
conveied and carried from the King's Great
wardrobe in London unto Eltham, 8d."
"To Richard Carter, for carriage of diver*
parcels appertaining unto the office of Bed*
from London unto Eltham, 15d., and to the
King's Carman for a reward awaiting upon
certain of the King's book put into the King's.
Car, 8d."
King Edward's library was not a very large
one. It contained such books as the Bible.
168
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
"Josephus," "Titus Livius," "La Fortresse
de Foy," and " Froissart." Nor could reading
have been so easy and pleasurable an exercise
to the king of those days as it is to the
poorest child now-a-days. For these books were
in manuscript.
But it is a fact to be borne in mind that
at this very time William Caxton was thinking
out his plans for making a printing press, and
the period of King Edward's reign is distin-
guished by the fact that Caxton actually
brought his machine into operation then.
This was not an Eltham incident, true, but
William Caxton was a man of Kent, and there
can be no doubt that the wonderful story of
his invention was talked about widely enough,
and even among the gossips of Eltham village.
A ROYAI, CHRISTENING.
A rather notable event in connection with the
Royal Chapel at Eltham Palace was the
christening ceremony of Princess Bridget, the
seventh daughter of Edward IV.
In volume numbered 6,113 of "Additional
Manuscripts " at the British Museum Library,
is a detailed account of this interesting cere-
mony. We will give a transcription of it, with
its quaint expression and spelling, as near as
possible, as it stands.
" In the yere of our lorde 1480 And the xxth
yere of the Eeigne of Kinge Edwarde the iiijth
on Sainte Martyns even, was Borne the ladye
Brigette, And Cristened on the morne on Sainte
Martyns daye In the Chappell of Eltham, by
the Busshoppe of Chichester in order As
ensuethe.
Furste C (100) Torches borne by Knightes,
Esquiers and other honneste Parsonnes.
The Lorde Matreuers, Beringe the Basen,
Having A Towell aboute his necke.
Therle (The earl) of Northumberlande bear-
ing A Taper not light.
Therle of Lincolne the Salte.
The Canapee borne by iiij Knightes and A
Baron.
My lady Matrauers did bere A Eyche Crysom
Pinned Ouer her lefte breste.
The Countesse of Rychemond did bere the
Princesse.
My lorde Marques Dorsette Assisted her.
My lady the Kinges Mother, and my lady
Elizabethe, were godmothers at the Fonte.
The Busshoppe of Winchester Godfather.
And in the Tyme of the christeninge, the
officers of Armes caste on their cotes.
And then were light all the fore sayde
Torches.
Presente, theise noble men euseuenge.
The Duke of Yorke.
The Lorde Hastings, the Kinges chamberlayn.
The lorde Stanley, steward of the Kinges
house.
The lorde Dacres, the quenes chamberleiu, and
many other astates.
And when the sayde Princesse was christened
A Squier helde the Basens to the gossyppes,
and even by the Font my lady Matravers
was godmother to the conformacion.
And from thens she was borne before the
high aulter, And that Solempnitee doon she
was Borne eftesongs into her Parclosse,
accompenyed with the Astates Aforesayde.
And the lorde of Sainte Joanes brought
thither a spice plate.
And at the sayde Parclose the godfather and
the godmother gaue greate gyftes to the
sayde princesse.
Whiche gyftes were borne by Knightes and
estjuiers before the sayde Priiicesse, turning
to the quenes chamber Againe, well Accom-
panyed As yt Apperteynethe, and after the
custume of this Realme. Deo gr'as."
It will be noticed that the spelling in this
description is very free, and independent of all
rules and regulations. In those days men
spelled as they thought they would, and pro-
bably they did so phonetically or according
to their pronunciation of the word.
The " crysom " which my lady Maltravers
wore was a white cloth which had been anointed
with " chrism," and chrism was the oil con-
secrated by the bishop, and used in the Roman
and Greek Churches in the administration of
baptism, confirmation, and extreme unction.
The " crysom " thus anointed was put upon
the child by the priest at the time of baptism,
and it was preserved as a memorial or emblem
of innocence.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
169
The "gossyppes " to whom the squire held and became a nun at the Priory of Dartford,
the basin were the sponsors, or godfathers and
godmothers.
"They had mothers as we had; and those
mothers had gossyps (if their children were
christened) as we are." Ben Jonson : Staple
of Netcs.
where she " spent her life in holy contempla-
tion till the day of her death." She is said
to have died in the year 1517, when she would
have been 37 years of age, and she was buried
within the Priory.
Princess Katherine, the sixth daughter of
BEDROOM. TEMP. EDWARD IV. (Cotton M.S.)
The " Parclosse " into which the royal infant
was carried was probably a kind of anteroom.
The lady Elizabeth who acted as a sponsor
was the eldest sister of the baby, and subse-
quently married Henry of Eichmond, who had
become Henry VII., by which act the families
of York and Lancaster (the white and red
rose) were united.
The little Princess Bridget does not seem
to have been physically strong, and at an
«arly age she was dedicated to a religious life.
Edward IV., was also baptised in the Chapel of
Eltham Palace in the year 1480. This royal
lady had a rather chequered career. She was
first intended for marriage to a Spanish Prince,
then, afterwards, for a son of the King of Scot-
land, but ultimately married, at the age of
17, the Earl of Devon. After a life of much
trouble and sorrow she died in 1527, and was
buried at Tiverton in Devon. In her will she
styled herself "Daughter, Suster, and Aunte
of Kings."
170
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
We have said that in all probability the
clerks who wrote the above extracts spelled
the words according to their pronunciation.
You will observe in the account of the royal
christening that the word " bishop " is written
"busshoppe." You will also notice that the
lawyer who wrote out the will of Princess
Katherine spelled the word "sister" as
"suster." Now, ajthough a prelate of to-day
might, perhaps, feel somewhat shocked if you
addressed him as " my lord Busshoppe," it
would seem that that was the courtly way of
addressing a bishop in the days of Edward IV.
According to the examples we have quoted,
the syllables " bis " and " sis " were written as
if they were pronounced "bus" and "sus."
The words " blister " and " twister," in all
probability, were sounded almost as "bluster "
and " twuster." It is interesting to note that
many such words are pronounced by west
countrymen to-day pretty much as they were
pronounced in Edward IV's. time.
CHAPTER XLIII.
HENRY VII. AND ELTHAM.
There does not seem to be any record of
Edward V. or Richard III. being directly
associated with Eltham during their short
reigns. Edward knew Eltham as the pleasant
resort in Kent where he spent so much of his
early childhood with his brothers and sisters;
and Richard, when Duke of Gloucester, no
doubt often visited the Palace when his brother,
Edward IV., held his splendid Courts there.
But during the two years, or thereabouts, which
included the reigns of both these kings, there
does not seem to have been any royal visit.
After the Battle of Bosworth, when Richard
was slaiu, Henry of Richmond was made king;
and shortly afterwards he married Elizabeth,
daughter of Edward IV., a princess well-known
to Eltham, and the claims of the rival families
of York and Lancaster to the throne of England
were satisfied.
Henry VII. and his Queen spent much of
their time at the Palace of Eltham. It is
recorded that the king commonly dined in the
great hall, and his officers kept their tables in
it. He seems also to have continued the build-
ing improvements that Edward IV. had begun,
not many years before, for Lambarde, writing
a short time afterwards, says, "It is not yet
out of memorie that the king set up the fair
front over the moat here."
The following details concerning Henry
VII.'s building operations, at Eltham, which
are to be found in the Egerton manuscripts,
2,358, folio 50, are interesting:—
"Expended at Eltham for shifting the
oratory of the King, repairs of the bultyng-
house, storehouse, bakery, lodges, lower court,
near the east part of the bridge, and making a
certain new bridge, pons hauriabilis, and re-
pairing a room within the Manor, from March
to November, 15 and 16 Henry VII., 1500, 33
weeks and a day.
" John Brown for four loads of sand used in
repairing the foundations of the said bridge
there new made, price at Wellowe, is. 4d.
"William Blake and John Brown for 8,000
plain tyles for repairing the roofs of the lodges
in the lower court near the bridge on the east
and north parts, price per thousand at Eltham
5s.; and for half a hundred roof tyles for repair-
ing root's, 2s. 6d.
" John Tanner for half a hundred burnt lime,
price 2s. 6d. at Greenwich.
"John Brown for four load of sand, used on
gravelling the house in which the King dis-
tributed his alms, price at 4d., 16d.
"Barnard Flower, plumber, for repairing the
windows in the King and Queen's lodging, for
70 feet of glass called Normandy glass, at 3d. a
foot; 10 feet of glass, called Renish glass, at
2|d. a foot; 1 foot of Normandy glass, painted
with hawthorns, 6d.; 1 round disc of glass,
painted with red rose, and a similar disc,
painted with a portcullis, price 12d., used in
lepairing the windows in the lodgings of the
King, Queen, and Prince.
"John Norton for making a certain bridge
called a ' fawce bridge,' &c., &c.
" Total expended in 33 weeks, £4A 6s. 6d."
Just one or two comments upon this account.
The buildings mentioned at the beginning of
the entry, with the exception of the oratory,
would apparently have stood on the left
hand side of the court yard, as you approach
the bridge.
172
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The Bultynghouse. This was probably the
storehouse for meal or corn for the horses.
The pans hauriabilis. The name seems to
suggest a bridge leading to some place for the
drawing of water. In all probability it existed
on the south side, where the modern footbridge
across the moat has been erected by Mr.
Bloxam. The foundations of an older bridge
are plainly discernible here.
The making of "tyles" was apparently an
ments referred to by Lambarde, Mr. Buckler,
writing in 1828, says, "Henry the Seventh, who
resided much in Eltham, and, as appears by a
record in the Office of Arms, most commonly
dined in the great hall, re-built the front of
the Palace next the moat, that is, the west, or
principal front, which extended full three
hundred and eighty feet.
"Eltham Palace," he continues, "exhibited
GENERAL COSTUME IN TIME OF HENRY VII.
Eltham industry in the year 1500, and William
Blake and John Brown were the proprietors.
The "red rose" painted on the glass was, of
course, the "Eed Rose" of Lancaster, to which
family the King belonged.
The " portcullis " was the badge of John of
Gaunt, the founder of the House of Lancaster.
The "fawce" bridge alluded to was probably
the pous hauriabilis mentioned above.
The four load of sand which John Brown
supplied seems to have been for sanding the
floor of the house, an old custom, which is still
practised in remote districts, where carpets or
floor-cloths are not used.
Commenting upon the structural improve-
the same partial, thought not inconsiderable,
re-edification which very few mansions of
remote antiquity escaped. The spirit of im-
provement often, and not infrequently the love
of variety, influenced these changes, and the
taste with which they were sometimes made,
may, without presumption, be questioned,
especially where we observe the mutilation of
an elegant feature for the accommodation of
one destiute of merit as a specimen of archi-
tecture, and of propriety, on the score of con-
venience.
" How far Eltham Palace warranted these
observations must remain doubtful; but, refer-
ring to the alterations which in former times
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
173
were made in ancient buildings, I may remark
that the hall more commonly retained its
original character than any other part of the
mansion. This might have been on account of
its dimensions, which were always ample, and
where no improvement in convenience could be
made, none was desired, if attainable, in the
architecture. Certainly, no improvement in
this respect would have followed an alteration
of the hall at Eltham.
" Henry the Seventh could not have produced
in its stead a building with excellencies of so
high an order as were commanded by Edward
-the Fourth. If talent had not greatly
diminished, the style of architecture on which
it was exercised claimed merit, rather for the
profusion and delicacy of its ornaments, than
for the boldness and beauty of its proportions.
" In the order and space of the other rooms,
the later ages are entitled to the palm of
superiority. Henry the Seventh improved
Eltham Palace retaining, however,
the original great banqueting hall.
" Walls of brick were often, in the period of
which we are now speaking, substituted for
those of stone. The same material forms the
walls of Eltham hall, under a case of stone.
But brick alone was commonly used, and in-
grafted on masonry, as in this example. Its
peculiar ornaments, in addition to carved work,
were distinguished by black bricks, arranged in
various patterns over every blank surface, and
specimens of these decorations remain on the
west and south walls of Eltham Palace (1828).
King Henry the Seventh's building, which the
record calls "handsome," doubtless partook of
the character which distinguished the best
designs of that and the succeeding reign, so
celebrated for their generous encouragement of
architecture. The same spirit which guided
Edward the Fourth in the building of the
Palace seems to have descended without diminu-
tion to his royal successor."
Thus wrote Mr. Buckler, in 1828, and it is dis-
appointing that none of the " handsome" work
of Henry VII. can now be seen. That of King
Edward IV. had out-lived it. If you want to
•see it in imagination you might take up your
position in the "Bridle-lane," and view the
ruins from that point. You will easily see that
the hall, as it now stands, was only a portion of
a great pile of buildings, "the fair front of
which," as mentioned by Lambarde, would have
been facing the direction in which you stand.
One of the most notable events in Eltham
history occurred in the reign of Henry VII.
This was the visit paid to the Palace in the
year 1500, by Erasmus, the great scholar. This
famous man was a native of Rotterdam, and
became one of the most distinguished scholars
o.* his day. The trials and troubles of his
parents are set forth in that wonderful story,
"The Cloister and the Hearth," by Charles
Reade. Erasmus made the acquaintance, and
ultimately became the close friend of Sir
Thomas More, a great and scholarly English-
man, of whom we shall have more to say later
on, in the course of Eltham history.
In one of his letters, Erasmus tells how when he
was staying at Greenwich, with Lord Mount joy,
that More took him for a walk from Green-
wich to Eltham, to see the house which the King
had there. It would be interesting to know
which road these two wonderful men took when
they made this journey. In al! probability it
was by way of Kidbrook-lane.
When they reached the Palace, they found
that the royal children were there, and among
them the little prince, Henry, who was to be-
come king in after years, as Henry VIII. He
seems to have been a very beautiful and also
intelligent child, and to have impressed the
mind of the distinguished visitor. Erasmus, in
the letter alluded to, writes: —
"When we came to the great hall, there were
assembled together, not only those of the Royal
Household, but Mountjoy's train also. In the
midst stood Henry, then only nine years old,
but of right royal bearing, foreshewing a
nobility of mind, in addition to a person of
singular beauty.
" On his right hand was the Lady Margaret,
then about eleven years old, afterwards married
to James, King of the Scots; the Lady Mary,
four years old, was playing at his left; and near
at hand was the little Edmund, in the nurse's
arms. More, with his companion, Arnold,
174
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
saluted the youthful Henry, and proffered him
something written, I know not what.
" I, not expecting anything of the kind, had
nothing ready at the time to present to the
Prince, but promised that I would take some
other opportunity of shewing my respect to
him. Meanwhile, I was a good deal vexed with
More, for not having forewarned me, and the
In the year 1485 we find that King Henry
VII. entertained the Scottish Ambassadors at
the Palace, and in order that they might Jake
full advantage of the opportunity which the
Eltham woods afforded for the pleasures of the-
chase, we are told that by royal command these
visitors from the north were supplied with bows,
and arrows.
SUIT OF DEMI. LANCERS ARMOUR. (TEMP. Henry VII).
more so, as the stripling, during dinner, sent
me a short epistle as a kind of challenge to
write something to him."
It is a satisfaction to learn that Erasmus
carried out his promise, for when he reached
home, he says, " I invoked the muses from
whom I had long been divorced, and composed
an elegant ode in Hexameters and lambies, in
praise of England, of Henry VII., and of the
Princes Arthur and Henry."
It was to Henry that he dedicated his ode.
We may hope that they had a good time, for,
according to the accounts, the amount credited
to Sir Kichard Gyldeford for the bread and
wine they consumed was £6 4s. 7d.
A rather tragic circumstance occurred in
1508, the year before King Henry died. Giles,
the famous Lord Daubeny, was riding after the
King from Eltham to Greenwich. As they were
passing Blackheath, he was taken ill, and died
within a few days, May, 1508. It was on this
spot that, eleven years before, in 1497, Lord
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
175
Daubeney won his famous victory over the
Cornish insurgents. The coincidence caused,
no doubt, much talk, and the wagging of wise
heads.
There is one other matter which closely
associates the name of Henry VII. with Eltham.
As history records, this king was very exacting
in the matter of taxation. It is possible that
he found the payment of the "fifteenths" bore
very heavily upon the Eltham folk, for we
find that in 1492, "King Henry VII. gave
thirty-eight acres of land at Eltham (the fifteen-
penny lands) to the poor inhabitants of Eltham
towards the payment of their fifteenths, in con-
sideration of so great a portion of the land in
the parish belonging to the Crown, and not
being assessed to the subsidies."
SUIT OF V. LONG BREASTED ARMOUR. (Henry VII.)
HENRY VIII. (Holbein Trin. Coll., Camb).
CHAPTER XL1V.
IN THE DAYS OF "KING HAL."
As we have said already, Henry VIII. spent
much of his childhood at Eltham Palace, and
when King he came frequently to reside here
in the early part of his reign.
In the year 1514 there occurred an interest-
ing incident at the Palace recalling the
famous battle of "Flodden Field," which took
place the year before, when the king was in
France, with a large army, campaigning. The
King of Scotland, taking advantage of this
absence, marched into England at the head of a
great army, and encountered the English at
"Flodden" with such disastrous results that
the Scots lost 10,000 men, including King James
and the flower of his nobility.
An English knight who distinguished himself
in that great fight was Sir Edward Stanley.
He had command of the English archers which
did such dire damage to the Scottish hosts on
that fatal day.
Following the banner of Stanley, which bore
the device of an eagle, his followers drove the
Scots over the hill, or mount, and so it was
that, at Eltham, in the year 1514, King Henry
commemorated the event, and did honour to
Edward Stanley, by making him Baron
Mont-eagle.
The Christmas spent at Eltham in 1515 seems
to have been in some respects a memorable one.
It was on Christmas Eve, in the Palace Chapel,
that Cardinal Wolaey, who had risen to great
eminence, took the oaths of Lord Chancellor,
and was created to that office, in succession to
Archbishop Warham, who delivered the Great
Seal on the 22nd of December, only two days
before.
Wolsey now figures in Eltham history, for he
No, 101.
THE OLD DWELLINGS IN THK COURT YARD.
(Christmas 1908).
No. 102.
THE "GREYHOUND" INN, AND OTHER DWELLINGS
(1909).
No. 103,
THE • WHITE HART," HIGH STREET.
(1909).
No. 104.
LAST OF THE OLD BARN AT HORNE PARK.
(August. 1909)
No. 105.
NATIONAL SCHOOL GIRLS IN OLD ENGLISH COSTUME PRACTISING THE MAYPOLE DANCE.
In the field beyond the last travelling Theatre. (1909),
No, 106.
THE " PORCUPINE " INN, MOTTINGHAM
Remains of old Inn, on the left. (1909).
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
177
frequently attended here at the Court, and the
quaint old wooden buildings which you see
still in existence on your right hand as you
approach the bridge are still known as the
"Chancellor's Lodgings," as they were called
in the old plan of the Court Yard, drawn up in
1590, and preserved at the Record Office.
On the twelfth night after the " solemn
Christmas " kept on this occasion the King
and courtiers seem to have had a right jovial
time in the enjoyment of a grand masque and
banquet in the great hall. There was, in the
first place, a performance by the choir boys of
the Eoyal Chapel of the comedy of "Troilus
and Pandarus," which has been tersely
described by the late Mr. Alexander Milne,
from " Letters and Papers, Foreign and
Domestic."
" Troilus was richly apparelled," writes Mr.
Milne, "and Cressida appeared as a widow, in
black sarcenet, while Diomed and the Greeks
swaggered as men of war. The barber's charge
for cutting the hair and washing the heads of
these young persons previous to the perform-
ance— there were fifteen of them — was 4d.,
which does not seem extravagant.
" Afterwards ensued a mask, enacted by the
ladies and lords of the Court. A goodly castle
had been erected in the hall, in which were
ladies and knights, gorgeously apparelled. The
castle was vigorously assailed by the other
knights, but the attackers were beaten back,
many a good stripe having been given, and then
the knights and ladies came forth from the
castle, and a stately dance ensued, the climax
of all being a banquet of 200 dishes, with great
plenty for everyone."
A chapter of the Garter was held at Eltham
Palace in 1516, to supply the vacancy caused
by the death of Julian de Medici, surnamed
"The Magnificent," brother of Pope Leo X.,
and " Lieutenant-General of the Armies of the
Church," who had died in the preceding month
of March, before installation.
A FAMOUS MAY-DAY FESTIVAL.
"In his sports, pageants, and general habits
of life, there was a magnificence not unmingled
with a sense of the poetical and the picturesque,
which helped to endear the young King Henry
to the people of England. We can well under-
stand," writes the historian. Knight, " with
what pleasure the tales must have been told
and listened to of Henry's coming into London
in the habit of a yeoman of the guard, to
behold the festivities of Midsummer Eve, or of
his excursions into the country on May-day
morning."
O»e of the most picturesque of chroniclers,
Hall, thus describes an incident of this kind,
which stands in strange and refreshing con-
trast to the scenes in the later years of the same
king's reign:—
"The king and queen, accompanied with
many lords and ladies, rode to the high ground
of Shooter's Hill to take the open air, and as
they passed by the way they espied a company
of tall yeomen, clothed in green, with green
hoods, and bows and arrows, to the number
of two hundred.
"Then one of them, which called himself
Robin Hood, came to the King, desiring him to
see his men shoot, and the King was content.
"Then he whistled, and all the two hundred
archers shot and loosed at once; and then he
whistled again, and they likewise shot again;
their arrows whistled by the craft of the head,
so that the noise was strange and great, and
much pleased the king, the queen, and all the
company.
" All these archers were of the king's guard,
and had thus apparelled themselves to make
solace to the King.
"Then Robin Hood desired the King and
Queen to come into the green-wood, and to see
how the ontlaws live.
" The King demanded of the Queen and her
ladies if they durst adventure to go into the
woods with so many outlaws. Then the Queen
said, if it please him, she was content.
"Then the horns blew till they came to the
wood under Shooter's Hill, and there was an
arbour made with boughs, with a hall, and a
great chamber, and an inner chamber, very
well made, and covered with flowers and sweet
herbs, which the King much praised.
" Then said Robin Hood : ' Sir, outlaws'
178
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
breakfast is venison, and therefore you must
be content with such fare as we use.'
"Then the King departed and hie company,
and Robin Hood and his men them conducted.
"And as they were returning there met with
them two ladies in a rich chariot, drawn with
five horses, and every horse had his name on
his head, and on every horse sat a lady, with
her name written.
" On the first courser, called Camde, sat
Humiditie, or Humide; on the second courser,
epidemic raging in London. This was hence-
forth called the "still Christmas."
It would seem, also, from an entry in an
account book of the Clerk of the Works, at
Eltham, 27 Henry VIII., that subsequent visits
were made by the King and Queen.
The accounts refer to certain repairs made in
"The Dewke of Norffoke's chamber, the lorde of
Wyltesher's chamber, and Mr. Norris's cham-
ber." They run thus; —
" New furnishing of workehouses for ye Mrs.
HENRY VIII. MAYING AT SHOOTERS HILL.
called Maneon, rode Lady Vert; on the third,
called Pheaton.sate Lady Vegetave ; on the fourth,
called Eimphom, sate Lady Pleasance; on the
fifth, called Lamfran, sate Sweet Odour, and in
the chair sat the Lady May, accompanied with
Lady Flora, richly apparelled ; and they saluted
the King with divers goodly songs, and so
brought him to Greenwich."
Greenwich Palace had by this time become
the favourite residence of the King, but from
time to time he visited Eltham. We find that
he kept Christmas very quietly here in 1525,
with a small company, on account of an
Cooke of the Hall-place to caste ther Jelly's
and fretts as gengbred and leshe &c."
"New makyng of tabulls Tressells for the
Kyngs and for the quenes view — gyffyghts to
stand upon and in framyng of a Eaylle made
by the Kyng's com'andment for to stand rounde
a bout the hall and all so in the bordyng of
the doures and skrenes and in the gyilftyng and
bordyng of a low skaffolde upon the tabull for
men to stan upon to see the Bankyt upon xiith
daye at nyght."
From "Letters and Papers, Foreign and
Domestic," we learn that Henry was at Eltham
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
179
in 1532, and that he also visited the palace with
his Queen, Anne Boleyn, in 1534. On this
occasion they came to see their daughter, Prin-
cesa Elizabeth, who was then a baby of one
year's growth, but who was, at the time,
declared to be "as goodly a child as hath ever
been seen," and that the King thought much of
her.
The King and Queen continued to pay visits
to Eltham of an intermittent character, but
by this time they had discarded the Palace as a
permanent abode, and stayed chiefly at Green-
wich.
COINS.
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COUNCIL (Hall's Chronicle 1548).
CHAPTER XLV.
"THE STATUTES OF ELTHAM.'
In the year 1525, not long after the "Still
Christmas " alluded to in the last chapter,
Cardinal Wolsey, the King's Chancellor, being
then in residence here, drew up the "Statutes
of Eltham." The title of this document is
rather high sounding, and suggests some matter
of national importance. In this respect it is
misleading, for it was nothing more than a code
of rules designed to bring about a better man-
agement of the royal household.
Nevertheless, it is both interesting and in-
structive. Looked at from the point of view of
the twentieth century, we may regard some of
its clauses as curious and even amusing. But
the twentieth century, we may regard some of
value, for they reveal the home life of the
monarch, and, it is said, even contain some
precedents which are recognised at the present
day in the royal household. Moreover, they
give us an idea of the habits of life of the time.
Beading between the lines, we can certainly
form a pretty accurate mental picture of palace
life at Eltham in the days of Henry VIII.
The necessity of including in the "Statutes"
such orders as the following is rather sugges-
tive.
"His Highness's attendants are not to steal
any locks or keys, tables, forms, cupboards, or
other furniture, out of the noblemen's or gentle-
men's houses where he goes to visit."
Here is another:
" No herald, minstrel, falconer, or other, shall
bring to the Court any boy or rascal."
It must have been a gad state of affairs which
made the following necessary:
" Master cooks shall employ such scullions as
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
181
shall not go about naked, nor lie all night
upon the ground before the kitchen fire."
Artificial light was not so much in vogue in
those days as it is now. So they made the
most of the daylight.
"Dinner to be at ten, supper at four."
"The proper officers are, between six and
seven o'clock every morning, to make the fire
in, and straw his Majesty's Privy Chamber."
Then as to food:
" Rhenish and Malmsey wines are directed
and none other."
"Injunction to the brewer not to put any
hops or brimstone into the ale."
There does not .seem to have been any stint
in the matter of food.
"A Duke was allowed in the morning one
chett loaf, one manchet, and one gallon of ale;
in the afternoon, one manchet, and one gallon
of ale; and after supper, one chett loaf, one
manchet, one gallon of ale, and one pitcher of
wine."
"The Queen's maids of honour were allowed
a chett loaf, a manchet, a gallon of ale, and a
chine of beef for breakfast."
By way of explanation, we may refer to
Holinshed, the historian who lived in the days
of Queen Elizabeth, for a description of a
" manchet." He writes :
" Of bread made of wheat we have sundrie
sorts dailie brought to the table, whereof the
first and most excellent is the mainchet, which
we commonlie call white bread."
It would seem that manchet bread was not
unlike a modern bun in shape, while a manchet
loaf something resembled a French roll, rising
in the middle. The ohett-loaf was probably the
latter, and the person who sold manchets was
often honoured by being nick-named "Johnnie
Manchet."
We will now give some extracts from the
"Statutes of Eltham," dealing with the
"Kinge's Privye Chamber," reproducing the
quaint wording and spelling of the original
document.
THE NEED SET FORTH.
" In eoe muche as in the pure and cleane
keepinge of the Kinge's Privye Chamber, with
the goode order thereof, consisteth a greate
parte of the Kinge's qnyett, reste, comfort,
and preservation of his healthe; the same
above all other thinges is principallye and
moste heighlie to bee regarded. And consid-
eringe that righte meane persones, as well for
thaire more commodity, doe retyre and with-
drawe themselves aparte, as for the whole-
somenesse of their Chambers, doe forbears to
have any greate or frequent resorte into the
same.
" Muche more it is convenyent, that the
Kinge's Highnesse have his Privye Chamber
and inwrarde lodgeinges preserved secrete, to
the pleasure of his Grace, without repayre of
any great multitude unto it.
THE OFFICERS.
" It is therefore ordayned that no person of
what state, degree, or oonditione soever he be,
from henceforthe attempte, or be in anywise
suffered or admitted to come or repayre into
the Kinge'e Privye Chamber, other than such
as his Grace shall from tyme to tyme call for
or commande, except onlye the miuysters now
deputed, or in the lieu of them hereafter to be
deputed for attendaunce in the same, viz.:
Marques of Exeter, the Kinge's kinseman,
and sixe gentlemen, two gentlemen ushers,
four groomes, the Kinge's harbor, and one
page, beinge in all fifteen persones, whome
the Kinge's Grace, for theire goode
behavioure and quailities hath elected for that
purpose, and whose names hereafter doe
follow, viz.: Sir Wyllyam Tyler, Sir Thomas
Cheyney, Sir Anthonie Browne, Sir Jo.
Russell, Mr. Norrye, and Mr. Carye, to be
the saide six gentlemen wayters; Roger Rad-
cliffe, and Anthonie Knevett, Gentlemen
Ushers; Wyllyam Breereton, Walter Walshe,
John Carye, Hizean Breereton, to be the
groomes; Permye to be the barbor, and
younge \Veston to be the Kinge's Page."
Then follows an interesting clause setting
forth clearly how these gentlemen were to de-
port themselves-
"The Kinge's mynde is, the saide six
I4A
182
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
gentlemen with the ushers and groomes,
harbor and page, shall diligentlye attend upon
hie person in the saide Privye Chamber, in
doing humble, revel-end, seecrett, and comelye
service, about all such things as his pleasure
shall be to depute and put them to doe, not
pressing his Grace nor advawncinge them-
selves, either in further service then his Grace
wyll or shall assigne them unto, or inter-
meddle with suites, causes, or matters, what-
soever they be. Of which number of sixe
Gents, divers be well languaged, expert in
outward partes, and meet and able to be sent
on famyliar messages to outwarde Princes
when the cause shall requier."
The grocms had to be up between six and
seven in the morning, and with their own hands
— no deputing the duties to others being
allowed — sweep up and clean the King's room.
" .... purgeinge and makinge clean the
same of all manner of filthinesse, in such
manner and wyse as the Kinge's Heighnesse
at his uprisinge and cominge thereunto, shall
find the saide Chamber pure, cleane, hole-
some, and neate, withoute anye ddspleasant
ayre or thinge, as the health, commoditye
and pleasure of his moste noble person doth
requier."
DRESSING THE KING.
It appears from the following clause that the
dressing of the King was a most important
function and needed the services of the fifteen
gentlemen that have been enumerated:
"It is alsoe ordained, that the six Gent.
Wayters by seaven of the clock or sooner, os
the K. the nighte before determine to arise in
the moruinge, shall be in the sayde Chamber
there diligentlye attendinge uppon his
Heigh. Coming forthe, beinge readye and
prompte to apparell his H. puttinge on such
garments, in reverende, discreete, and sober
manner, as shall be his H. pleasure to weare,
and that none of the sayde groomes or ushers
doe approache or presume, unlesse they bee
otherwise by his H. commanded or admitted
to laye hande uppon his royall person, or
intermeddle with apparrylinge or dressing the
same, but onlye the said 6 Gent. Ushers,
unlesse it be to warme cloathee. or brinire to
the sayde Gents such things as shall apper-
tayne to the apparrellinge and dressdnge of
the Kinge's sayed person.
" It is also ordered. That the Kinge's
doublet, hose, shoes, or anye other garments,
whiche his pleasure shall be to weare from
daye to daye (the gowne onlye excepted) shall
be honestlye and cleanlye broughte by the
yeomen of the wardrobe of the robes, or in his
absence by some other of the same office, to
the Kinge's Privye Chamber dore, withoute
enteringe into the same, where one of the
Groomes shall receive the sayede garments
and apparrell, bringinge and deliveringe the
same to one of the sayed 6 gentlemen, to be
ministered to the Kinge's person, ae shall
stand with his pleasure."
It was ordained that these fifteen favoured
people should be loving together, and of good
unity and accord, "keepinge seacreate all such
things as shall bee doen or sayed in the Kinge's
Chamber." If the King should be absent, it
was not to be a matter of "when the cat is
away the mice may play." But
" .... they shall not onlye give theire
contynuall and diligente attendaunce in the
sayde Chamber, but alsoe leave hearkeninge
or enquiringe where the K. is, or goeth, be it
earlye or late, without grudginge, mumblinge,
or talkinge of the Kinge's pastyme, late or
earlye goinge to bedde, or any thing doen by
his H. as they will avoyde his displeasure.
" And it is also ordered, that in case they
of the Privye Chamber shall heare anye of
has fellowes, or other person of what estate or
degree soever, bespeake or use any unfyttinge
language of the K. he shall with diligence
disclose and shewe the same with the
specyalties thereof unto his H. or unto some
of his Privye Counsell, such as he thinks yt
meet to shewe and declare unto his H."
There are strict injunctions as to the conduct
of the six gentlemen ushers in the presence of
the King " keeping a vigilante and a reverende
tespecte and eye to his majestie, soe that by
his looke or countenance they maye knowe what
he lackethe or is his pleasure to be hadd or
doen."
Then there was not to be any immoderate
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
183
card playing and the like in the King's absence,
further injunctions against " makinge of
suites," and " intermeddling with cases and
matters whatsoever they bee."
" .... alwayes regardinge and remember-
inge the more nigher his Grace has called
them to his person, the more to be humble,
reverent, sober, discreet, and serviceable in
all their doingee, behaviour, and conversa-
tions to th'entent that not onlye thexebye
they may deserve the increase of the K.'s
favoure and good reporte, and brute may
arise thereby to the good examples of others,
but alsoe greate honor and wdsdome may be
ascribed to the K.'s Highnesse, that his Gr.
hath so circumspectlye chosen such well
qualified, mannered, and elect persons to be
nighe, about, and attendant uppon his
person."
CONCERNING THE BARBER.
After detailed instructions as to the bringing
in of food to the King, and, when the day was
over, collecting and conveying to the
"Chaundrye," such unused things as " morter,
torches, quaririere, pricketts, and sises, wholelye
and entirelye, without embezzleinge or purloyn-
nynge any part thereof," there follows some
definite instructions for the Barber:
" It is also ordeyned that the K.'s harbor
shalbee dailie by the K.'s uprysinge readye
and attendaunt in the Privey Chamber, there
havinge in readinesse his water, clothes,
bason, knyves, combes, scissars, and such
other stuffe as to .has room doth appertayne,
for trymmiuge and dressings of the K.'s heade
and bearde. And that the saiede Barbor doe
take an especyall regarde to the pure and
cleane keepinge of his own person and
apparell, uainge himselfe always honestlye in
his conversation, without resorting to the
companye of vyle persons, in avoydinge such
danger and annoyance as by that meanes he
might doe to the K.'s most royall person, nor
faylinge this to doe uppon payiie of losing
his ronie, and further punishment at the K.'s
pleasure.''
These extracts are sufficient, perhaps, to illus-
trate the general purport of the " Statutes of
Eltham." Those who would like to examine
the whole of these quaint rules may find a copy
of the original in " Collection of Rules and
Regulations for the Government of the Royal
Household." It is published by the Society of
Antiquaries.
WOLSEY AND HIS SUITE.
MARY.
CHAPTER XLVI.
IN THE DAYS OF QUEEN MARY.
Although Edward VI. was no doubt a good
deal at Eltham as a child, there does not seem
to be any record of his coming here while King.
When King Henry VIII. deserted the Palace
of Eltham, and adopted that of Greenwich as a
royal residence, the Manor of Eltham was com-
mitted to the custody of Sir John Peche — 20th
March, 1512 — for a term of 20 years, at a rental
of £34 6s. 8d.
Ten years later (1522) it was in the hands of
Sir Henry Guldeford, who was succeeded in 1534
by Richard Long, by whom it was transferred
to Sir Thomas Spefce, for it is recorded that
in July, 1547, Edward VI., in recognition of
services rendered to his father, Henry VIII.,
granted Sir Thomas " under the Great Seal, the
office of keeper of the park at Eltham, of the
houses in the manor of Eltham, and of the new
park of ' Home ' — sometimes called the Little
Park— also the office of Master of the drift of
the wild animals in both the parks of Eltham
and East Greenwich."
Sir Thomas Speke was succeeded by Sir John
Gates, who wag one of the four principal
knights of the Privy Chamber, and vice-cham-
berlain of the King's Household.
The circumstances of Sir John Gates' acquisi-
tion of the stewardship and keepership of
Eltham Manor are rather remarkable, and, as
they were associated with certain important
and tragic events in national history, we will
briefly relate them.
The young king, Edward VI., was lying at
Greenwich, sick unto death. While yet his life
was rapidly ebbing, it would seem that the
Letters and Privy Seal, conveying to Sir John
Gates the responsibilities of Eltham, were
hastily drawn up at Greenwich, July 5th, 1553.
The boy king died the next day, July 6th, and
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
185
on the very day of his death, was issued, "at
Westminster under the Privy seal a grant in
detail embodying all the clauses of the former
grants to Long and Speke of keepership and
leases to farm, with the additional benefits of
the keeper's house near the capital mansion of
Eltham, and a certain mansion called the
chantry priest's house within the exterior part
of the manor, &c., &c."
It was an ill-fated enterprise, as your history
books will tell you. Lady Jane was a queen for
nine days only. Despite the deep laid schemes
of Northumberland, that nobleman was seized,
as also was Sir John Gates, the steward of
Eltham, and nine others of the ringleaders.
On August 22nd Northumberland, Gates, and
Palmer were executed on Tower-hill. When
the Duke of Northumberland and Gates met on
EDWARD VI.
The king's death was kept a profound secret
for two days, during which time the conspiracy
for putting Lady Jane Grey upon the throne
was in active operation. It is a significant fact
that at this juncture the grants of the lands
and offices of Eltham should have been made to
Sir John Gates. Within a few days, we find
that officer setting out with the Duke of North-
umberland, who had been mainly responsible
for thrusting Lady Jane Grey to the fore, to
seize the Princess Mary, the elder sister of the
young king, before she should have been pro-
claimed as his successor.
the scaffold, they each accused the other of
being the author of the treason. They pro-
tested, however, that they entirely forgave each
other. When the turn of Sir John came for
execution, he addressed the people, admitted
his offences, and said that he "had drawn
poison from the same flower as the bee extracts
sweets." He then submitted himself to the
executioner, refused to have his eyes bandaged,
and at three blows his neck was severed.
Sir John, by questionable means, came by
the stewardship of Eltham, and suffered death
before he actually came into possession.
186
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The next steward was Queen Mary's vice-
chamberlain, Henry Jernyngham. The Queen
was much indebted to Sir Henry for faithful
service, and it is not surprising that Eltham
should have been put under his care.
When Northumberland, accompanied by Sir
John Gates, went forth to arrest the princess,
she fled into Suffolk, and in order to prevent
her escape by sea, the duke had stationed ships
along the coast. Sir Henry Jernyngham, how-
ever, managed not only to capture the ships,
but to secure the allegiance of the crews to
Mary, and so helped to turn the tide against
the Duke of Northumberland. So, when she
became queen, Mary made Jernyngham Captain
of her Guards, as well as steward of the Manor
of Eltham.
In 1554 we read that the youthful Sir Thomas
Wyatt headed a rebellion against the queen,
because of her proposed marriage with the King
of Spain. Wyatt's headquarters were at
Rochester, so we find Sir Henry Jernyngham,
the steward of Eltham, marching, with the
Duke of Norfolk, at the head of the Queen's
Guards, against Wyatt, at Rochester.
It was not a glorious expedition, for, before
the gates of Rochester, the royal forces went
over to the other side, and the Duke and Sir
Henry had to hasten back to the Metropolis as
fast as their horses would take them. But after
Wyatt'a attempt upon London, which ended so
disastrously to himself, it was entrusted to
Sir Henry Jernyngham to convey him, together
with Lord Cobham, and Knyvet, as prisoners,
tj the Tower.
In the churchwardens' accounts, 1556, we get
the following entry: "Received for the burial
of Sir Chaplene to Sir Henry
Gernygame, knight, who was buried in the
Church, vjs. viijd."
In 1556 Queen Mary honoured Eltham by a
visit, extending over a fortnight. In the diary
of Machyn we read: —
" The Queen removed from St. James's-in-the-
Fields unto Eltham, passing through the Park
and Whitehall, and took her barge, crossing
over to Lambeth unto my Lord Cardinal's
Palace, and here she took her chariot, and so
rid through St. George's Fields unto Newing-
ton, there over the fields towards Eltham at five
of the clock afternoon. She was attended on
horseback by the Cardinal, the Earl of Pem-
broke, Lord Montagu, and divers other lords
and knights, ladies and gentlewomen, and a
conflux of people to see her Grace, above
10,000."
IN THE DAYS OF QUEEN BESS.
The Parish Records, which date from the
first year of Mary's reign, give many details
that throw light upon Eltham life during the
later Tudor period. We have in earlier chap-
ters dealt with "The May-pole," "The
Beacon," and many other matters referring to
Elizabeth's time. We shall now make a few
more extracts for further illustration of that
period.
Queen Elizabeth, like her sister, spent much
of her childhood at Eltham Palace, but after
she became queen her visits to the " old home"
were only occasional, and of short duration.
There are several entries in the church-
wardens' accounts recording payments to the
ringers, on the occasion of the queen's visit.
These wo have already alluded to, and com-
menting upon the occasion, a distinguished
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries writes:
" It was well for the Churchwardens of Eltham
that they paid her Majesty that mark of
respect, for the Churchwardens of Saint
Olave's,, Southwark, were sued in the Star
Chamber and heavily fined for not ringing their
bells when the same termagent Queen passed
down the river in her barge to Greenwich."
There is an interesting record in the church-
warden's account, relating to these times which
we have not yet noticed.
"Paid for carrying ij. lodes of timber from
Whets elme to the Churche, xijd."
The name " Whett's elm" or " Wyatt's elm"
is frequently met with in the parish records.
Of this particular entry, Mr. G. R. Corner,
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, an old-
time resident of Eltham, in a paper contributed
to the reports of the above-named society, wrote
in 1850, " It (Whet's or Wyatt's elm) was South
End on the road from Eltham town to Foots-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
187
cray, and probably at the angle formed by the
road leading to Chiselhurst, called Green Lane;
but the corner of the road from Eltham to
Bexley was called White'8 or Wyatt's Grose,
and I have been informed that there was
formerly an ancient elm growing there. Ke-
cently (1850) the skeleton of a, man upwards of
six feet in length has been discovered there. It
recorded reply to ifr. Corner's query, though
nearly sixty years have elapsed. It would seem
that he has confused the name of Wyatt, who
wrote amorous poetry in Henry VIII.'s time,
with Sir Thomas Wyatt, who, a mere youth,
headed the rebellion against Mary, and suffered
for his offence at the block.
A churchwarden's entry in 1572 runs thus: —
ELIZABETH.
•was probably the body of a felo-de-se buried at
the cross road, according to ancient, but now
happily exploded custom, from whom the place
may have derived its name of White's or
Wyatt's Cross."
Then Mr. Corner puts the following interest-
ing question: "Can Wyatt's Elm or Wyatt's
Cross have any connection with Sir Thomas
Wyatt or his family? His son, George Wyatt,
the poet, is said to have lived at Bexley."
There does not appear to have been any
" Paid at the eating of the buck which Mr.
Hatton gave to the Parish, xxxvijs. viijd."
This was Sir Christopher Hatton, who lived
at Eltham as the keeper of the parks. He was
a distinguished man in his day, for an old
rhyme describes him as one
" Whose high-crowned hat and satin doublet
Moved the stout heart of England's Queen,
Though Pope and Spaniard could not trouble
it."
He was appointed keeper of Eltham and
188
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Home Parks on the 27th July, 1568, for his
life, and he appears to have enjoyed the office
until his death in 1591, for oue of his letters is
dated from Eltham, 15th July, 1590. The
Sir Christopher's residence at Eltham. There
was the eating of the buck provided by the
knight, while the churchwardens provided the
necessary drink, in exemplification of the old
QUEEN ELIZABETH "PICNICING" (from Turburville "Book of Hunting," 1575).
By permission of Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co.
Queen doubtless visited him here. She was
twice through the town in 1568, once in 1569,
and she dined at Eltham in 1576, as appears
from the churchwardens' accounts.
They seemed to have very festive times during
saying that "good eating requires good drink-
ing."
And a pleasinpr notice of Hatton's mode of
living here, shewing his taste and liberality,
occurs in the intercepted letters of Monsieur de
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
189
Champenaye, Ambassador in England from the
Low Countries. He says: —
"I was one day by Sir Christopher Hatton,
Captain of the Queen's Guard, invited to
Eltham, a house of the Queen's, whereof he
was the guardian. At which time I heard and
saw three things that, in all my travels in
France, Italy, and Spain, I never heard or saw
the like. The first was a concert of music, BO
excellent and sweet as cannot be expressed; the
second, a course at a buck, with the best and
most beautiful greyhounds that ever I did
behold; and the third, a man at arms, excel-
lently mounted, richly armed, and indeed the
most accomplished cavalier I had ever seen.
This knight was called Sir Harry Lea, who that
day (accompanied with other gentlemen at
arms), merely to do me honour, vouchsafed at
my return to Greenwich to break certain lances,
which action was performed with great
dexterity and commendation."
In 1574 there appears this grim notice: —
"Itm, paid to John Allee and Richard
Feltone for the charges of the mearsement
touching the hew and cry for Brown that
murthered Mr. Sanders at Shutter's Hill,
xxxvjs. viijd."
This alludes to a horrible murder committed
at Shooter's-hill in 1573, by George Brown, who
being enamoured of the wife of Master Sanders,
a merchant, of London, waylaid and murdered
Sanders (with the connivance of his wife), on
Shooter's-hill, where he was on his road into
Kent in pursuit of his business.
Mr. Sanders' man servant, who was left for
dead by the icadside, fortunately recovered
sufficiently before his death to give an account
of the murder, and accused Brown, who was
apprehended at Rochester, tried, and executed
on the spot where the murder was committed,
and Mrs. Sanders, with two confederates, Mrs.
Dewry, and a man called Trusty Roger, were
afterwards tried, convicted, and executed at
Smithfield.
This horrible tragedy gained for the place,
for a time, the name of "The Hill of Blood,"
and a play was produced on the subject, shew-
ing how great was the public interest in the
episode.
" 1581. Paid at Sir Thomas Walsingham's at
the deliverance of Richard a Price to ye gaile,
iijs."
Sir Thomas Walsingham, of Scadbury, in
Chislehurst, was Sheriff of Kent to 5th Eliza-
beth. His grandson, of the same name had the
honour of Eltham given him, which was the
Earl of Dorset's, and the middle park, which
was Mr. White's. "He has cut down .£5,000
worth of timber, and hath scarcely left a tree
to make a gibbet." (Mysteries of the Good Old
Cause, 1660, quoted by Lysons.)
The following item shews that they used to
have their little disagreements in those days,
and were given to litigation, even as people
often are now: —
" 1596. Memorand. Whereas there was a
controversie between Mrs. Anne Twist, her
Mates laundres, and Mr. Wyllm Eliot, about a
pewe in the churche; It was ordered by the
Lord Bishopp of Rochester that the said Mrs.
Twist should have the place where the pewe
stood, and the said Mr. Elyott to have the pewe,
and she to builde another of her owne cost,
which is already done, this xxvjth of August,
1569."
"1596. Paid to the Weyver for degyng
of turfe for the bute in Estfeld, carryinge and
makinge, ijs."
By Act of Parliament of Henry VIII., every
parish was required to provide butts for the
practice of archery. This item shews us that
the parish butts of Eltham were in Eastfield,
which was at the back of the houses on the
north side of High-street.
CHAPTER XLVII.
CONCERNING "OLD STUBBES."
In the Churchwardens' Accounts for the year
1556 we get the following entry: —
" Itm r'd for torches for old Stubbes, xiijd."
The torches were, of course, for the funeral
of old Stubbes, being used, according to the
custom of the day, at each corner of the hearse.
They were provided by the churchwardens, and
paid for by the relatives, their cost being in
this case thirteenpence.
Now this same "old Stubbes" would seem to
have been the progenitor of a long line of
Stubbeses, who not only figured pretty pro-
minently in Eltham history during the ensuing
hundred years, but eventually became a well-
known Kentish family, some of its members
having attained distinction for scholarship and
occupied prominent positions in the Church.
The register shews that no less than thirty
members of this family were baptised at
Eltham between the years 1584 and 1656. Eleven
members were married at Eltham during the
same period, and twenty-two were buried in
Eltham Church or Churchyard. A perusal of
the early history of this family is very interest-
ing, for it throws much light upon the village
fife of those remote days.
The "old Stubbes" whose burial cost his
bereaved relatives the sum of thirteen pence
for torches would seem to have been John
Stubbes, whose will was proved on September
22nd, 1556.
Let us read this document, and note how
vividly it brings before our minds many con-
ditions of local life of the time.
" In the name of god Amen. I John Stobbes of
Eltham yeoman hole of mynde &c. — my body to
be buried in the Churchyarde of Eltham — to the
highe Aulter of Eltham iijs. iiijd.— to the
mother Church of Rochester xdjd. Item two
dussen of brede and a kilderkyn of Ale to the
pore people of Eltham — to my godchildren both
boyes and gerles my blessinge and grotes apece
— to Margaret my wif the newe howse &c., as
long as she is a wedowe — unto my Sonnes Henry,
Philip, Eichard, Robert and John Stobbes my ij.
bowses on Chestlest heth in the p'ryshe of
Chestle-Aar-st — to Alice my youngest Doughter
ij. of my best Bease. It'm I bequeyth to Eliza-
beth Borne my dowg-hter one of my best bease —
to Alice my wife's Dowghter a yonge Bullock—
to John Likegrome one of my best Bullocks —
to John and Philip Stobbes the sonnes of Harry
Stobbes betwene them one bullocke — unto my
wtif vj. bease and all Rest of quick Cattell
aboute the house and all the Rest of my goods
to be deuided to my wif and my children in
equall porc'ons — Margaret my wif and Richard
my sonn exors., John Rolte and John Alee Over-
seers. Witnesses John Rolte John Alee and
Edward Eliott. (No date), Proved 22 Sept.,
1556."
The Close Bolls reveal a number of business
transactions in connection with the convey-
ance of land and property of which the descend-
ants of " John Stubbes" were owners.
As an example, we make a copy of one or two,
since the quaint wording and the local allusions
are of direct interest: —
"Recognisance dated 14 March 1586. John
Stubbs Citizen and Fishmonger London to
Robert Withers Citizen and Vintner of London
in the sum of JE1000. Whereas the above
bounden John Stubbs by Indenture of Bargain
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
191
and Sale dated 2 Dec. last past and made be-
tween him of the one part and the above named
Robert Withers of the other part, granted, Bold
&c., to the latter ' All that newe brick messuage
or tenement with the appurten'nces late in the
tenure or occupac'on of the sayd John Stubbs
set and being in the parrishe of Eltham in
the Countye Kente' and other property (lands,
&c.) there, purchased by him said John. He
said John Stubbs and Mary his wife if they
claim any right title &c., to the said property
shall do all such reasonable acts, deeds &c., as
shall be necessary or required."
The following "Indenture" shews pretty
clearly the position held by the Stubbs family
in Eltham in the time of James I.
"1611. Indenture dated 5 May 9 James I.
between Tobye Stubbs of Eltham co Kent
Yeoman son and heir of John Stubbes late of
the City of London Fishmonger deceased, Henry
Stubbes of Eltham Tailor sons of Philip Stubbes
late of London Brewer deceased brother of the
said John Stubbes of the one part, and Richard
Slyne of Eltham aforesaid Yeoman of the other
part, for the sale in consideration of .£70 to
said Richard of ' All that messuage or ten'te,'
&c., 'and garden plott or small orchard' in
Eltham aforesaid now or late in the occupation
of John Smythe Labourer, also of 'all that
messuage or ten'te' now or late in the occupa-
tion of Roger Allen Labourer with three roods
of Land more or less ' lying at Easte fielde in
the p'ishe of Eltham aforesaid.' "
It will be remembered that East Field was
alluded to in the Churchwardens' Accounts as
the place where the butts had been set up for
the practice of archery, according to the law of
Henry VIII. The exact situation of these fields
does not seem to be quite certain. It may be
observed that the West Fields are at the west
end of the parish, just beyond Well Hall sta-
tion, where the Eltham football teams used to
play their matches. It may therefore be
assumed that the East Field may have been
higher Tip the hill, as Mr. Corner has noticed
in Archseologia, "north of the houses in the
High-street."
We will give one more extract from a Stubbs
will, because of its great local interest, and the
vivid little picture it affords us of the times.
It is from the will of "Katharine Haighte, of
Eltham, widowe." This lady had been the
widow of Henry Stubbs, and had taken a second
husband named Haighte.
"January 1590 I give to my
sonne John Stubbs that which he did owe me,
that I paid for him unto Robert Sonne fish-
monger, and to Thomas Harince grocer, both
citizens of London.
"My best hat to Alice the wife of my son
Philipp Stubbs. To Katherine, the daughter of
John Borne deceased, a sawcer and porringer.
To Jone Hodgekins daur of Elizth Barker, the
wife of John Barker citizen, a joyned chaire.
To Richard Browne, blacksmith, of Eltham, a
mattriss with flocke bolster, and a plaine bed-
stead. To the poor of Eltham, bread and
Kilderkin of beare, &c "
Witnesses: Thomas Swifte, Philipp Stubbs,
the older, James Swifte, Philipp Stubbs, the
younger; X, the marke of Katherine Haighte.
In a codicil dated "the iiij. day of March,
1590," Mistress Katherine Haighte makes the
following additional interesting bequests: "I
give to my son Phillipp Stubbs the corn wheat
and oats with a parcell of ground and five
paire of geese. To John and his wife, Eliz.
Stubbs a pair of Geese. To James Swifte vicar
of Eltham a paire of Sheets. I give to Mar-
garet Shawe two gownes a petticoate and
kirtle."
In the year 1568 we find that Robert Stubbes
was one of the churchwardens, for, from the
accounts of the "Fifteen Penny Lands," it is
recorded that John Rolt and Edward Ellyate,
Wardens of the Fifteen Penny Lands, in the
year mentioned, "paid to Robert Stubbes and
John Petley, Churchwardens, for the repairing
of the church steaple xxxviijs. viijd."
It is quite an interesting exercise to trace
the progress and development of this Eltham
family, occupying, as many of them did, dis-
tinguished positions in the City of London, and
conjure up mental pictures of the village life
192
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
through an examination of the many wills that
have been collected together in connection with
the Stubbses. But it would occupy too much
space to deal with the matter in greater detail.
There is, however, one scion of the family to
whom we may well devote some space, for he
was a scholarly divine, and his life is of addi-
tional interest, locally, from the fact that he
was at one time Vicar of Woolwich, and also
" 1665, Oct. 2. I was born within the Parish
of St. Andrew, ITndershaft, London, in which
Parish 11 died of the plague that week; in the
City 68,596 that year; Lord! what respect hadst
thou to me and my Father's House? That
many should fall in that great sickness on the
right hand and on the left, but no evil happen 'd
unto me, nor did the Plague approach oiar
dwelling. Let me thro' ye whole coarse of my
MUSKETEER (1603).
one of the first Chaplains appointed to the
Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.
This was Archdeacon Philip Stubbs, the son
of Philip Stubbs, Master of the Vintners' Com-
pany from 1660 to 1665, and grandson of Eichard
Stubbs, who had been attached to the House-
hold of Queen Henrietta Maria (wife of Charles
I.), as "Clerk of the Cheque."
In a private diary which he kept, the future
Archdeacon relates some of the incidents of his
youth :—
Life make Thee my refuge even the most High,,
my Habitation."
Writing in his diary of his early education,
he says: —
"1677, Apr. 28. After I had laid a Founda-
tion for ye Latin Tongue at Mr. Speed's Free-
School in St. Mary Axe, and for ye Greek at
Mr. Snell's Boarding Schole in Hillingdon
Midsx., where in a literal sense I became wiser
yn my teacher (an honest, good man, but no
Clerk), I was transplanted to Merchant Taylors'
No. 107.
PARK FARM PLACE. The Seat of Lady James (From an old Engraving).
(About 1785).
No. 108.
ELTHAM HIGH STREET. (tgjg).
So. log.
HORNE FARM. (1909).
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
193
for further improvement ini Learning, as well
as advancement in ye University by a Fellow-
ship of St. Johns, for wch this Schole was
designed as a Seminary by the Founder of ym
both, Sr Thomas White Lord Mayor of London
in Q Mary's Reign, &c."
He became a Scholar of Wadham College,
Oxford, and had a distinguished University
career. After a curacy in London and a Chap-
laincy to the Bishop of Chichester, Mr. Stubbs
was collated to the Rectory of Woolwich in 1694
by the Bishop of Rochester. He held this
living over five years, and then proceeded to
that of St. Alphege, London Wall.
It is interesting to note that he was active in
the development of the Christian Knowledge
Society in 1698—1704, and of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
He was elected a member of the S.P.G. on Sep-
tember 15th, 1702, and he wrote its first report,
on the last page of which (issued in 1704) was
printed the following resolution: —
"At a Court held at St. Martin's Library,
Feb. 4, 1704. Resolved that the thanks of this
Society be given to the Rev. Mr. Stubbs for the
great pains and care he hath taken in prepar-
ing the New Account of the Proceedings of the
Society. Resolved that this Order be printed at
the foot of the said Account."
In number 147 of The Spectator, August 18th,
1711, an article will be found, from the pen of
Steele, on the subject of "Reading the Church
Service," which directly refers to Mr. Stubbs
and is an interesting testimony to his great
credit.
In 1715 he was made Archdeacon of St.
Alban's. He died on September 13th, 1738, and
was buried at Greenwich.
The tombstone over his grave is still pre-
served in the mausoleum at Greenwich, and is
inscribed : —
"Here lyes till the last day
What was mortal
Of the Revd. Mr. Philip Stubbs, B.D.,
Archdeacon of St. Albans,
Chaplain to Greenwich Hospital,
and
Rector of Launton, Oxfordshire,
What he truly was, that day will discover."
This was one of the distinguished members of
a family that originated in Eltham, and for
many years, dating from the reign of Queen
Mary, played a prominent part in the village
life and history.
JAMES I. (Vandyke).
CHAPTER XLVIII.
IN THE DAYS OF JAMES I.
Sir Christopher Hatton, as we have already
noticed, held the stewardship of Eltham Manor
till he died in November, 1591. In the follow-
ing July (1592) he was succeeded by William
Brooke, Lord Cobham, K.G., who was also the
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He held the
office for five years, until his death in 1597,
when, it seems, the duties were divided between
Sir William Brooke, who was made the keeper
of the Great Park, and Hugh Miller, who was
given the charge of the Little Park.
The reversion of these two offices fell to Lord
North in 1599. He died the following year,
when he was succeeded by Sir Thomas Wal-
singham to the keepership of the Great Park,
and by John Leigh to that of Home Park.
James the First came to the throne on the
death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, and soon after
his accession a commission was appointed to
make a survey of the lands and tenements of
the Manor of Eltham.
The survey was held " at his Majesty's Manor
of Eltham, by virtue of a Commission under
the Seal of his Highness' Court of Exchequer,
directed to the Eight Hon. the Lord Stanhope,
High Steward there, dated June 3, 1605. The
Commissioners were Sir Thomas Walsingham,
Sir Percival Hart, Sir Olif Leigh, John
Doddridge, Esq., Solicitor-General, Sir Francis
Bacon, Matthew Hadds, and Ealf Ewens
Equires, Henry Heyman, Esq., his Majesty's
Surveyor of Kent. Among the Commissioners
fined ten shillings each for not appearing on
the jury were William Boughton of Plump-
stead, gent., Samuel Abell, of Erith, gent., and
Thomas Wildgose, of Lewisham."
In reference to this commission it is in-
teresting to note that one of its members was
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
195
Sir Francis Bacon. We may well be proud
of the association of this eminent man with
our Tillage, for he was indeed a great man,
one whose writings, as well as whose character,
belong bo the world. He had already attained
to distinction under Queen Elizabeth. He was
learned in the law, had been a Member of
Parliament, and had already attracted much
notice by his writings. The future author of
Novum Organum, had only just been knighted
when he was placed by King James upon the
commission of Eltham Manor, but he was, sub-
sequently, to become Baron Verulam, and
Viscount St. Alban, and to have his name in-
scribed upon the roll of immortal Englishmen.
The records of this commission are still pre-
served. They are lengthy, and so full of detail
that we can hardly reproduce them here in
their entirety. We may, however, make a few
extracts.
Those interested in local field names will, per-
haps, like to read the names that were in
existence in the time of Henry VIII., as shewn
by the report of the Solicitor-General to this
Commission of King James.
Brodemead, 4 acres; Littlemersh, near
Footbridge, J acre; Long Lane; Westfield;
Estfield; Estbosommnefield ; Clerk's lese;
Farnefox; Frethes; Eyddon; Southditch;
Horsecroft; Brodeplotte; Great Marsh field;
Stockwood; Cannonfield.
The following particulars as to the conditions
at the time of the Commission are also interest-
ing.
"The Demesne Lands sworn to by the jurors,
tenants, and Ealf Treswell, sen., the measurer,
viz. : —
The scite of the Manor house of our Lord
Sovereign the King in Eltham with the moate
aboute the same Courte, Garden, Orchard, and
building within the great gate there, 4 acres,
3 roods, 13 poles.
The storehouse with the timber yard without
the gate, 3 roods.
The Great Bakehouse without the gate.
The Great Parke, the circumference whereof
is by the pale and briokwall of the orchard
1,437 perches, which is four miles one quarter
and 77 perches, and conteyneth within 612 acres,
1 rood, 10 poles.
17 September, 1605. Item, npom the view of
the Deare in the said Parke there was found
about the number of fire hundred and Ten
Deare, of the which there was about seven
score and ten Deare of Antlar, and 50 tymber
trees of oake.
The Olde Parke oJ'» Middle Parke, within
the pale, and without the moate and buildngs
there, doth conteine about 948 perches, which
is two myles i 68 perches, and conteyneth 308
acres 3 roods.
Item, upon the viewe of the Deare there
was found 240 Deare, of which there was t7
of Antlar, and 250 Tymber Trees of Oake.
The New Parke al's Home Parke conteyneth
about by the pale 988 perches, which is three
myles 28 perches, and conteyneth 345 perches
3 roods.
Item, upon the viewe of the Deare there was
found 240 Deare, of the which there was 69
Deare of Antlar, and 2,740 trees of Oake, and
there is decayed in the same Parke 50 rod
of pale on the south side thereof adjoining
to the land of Robert Skyfte and Arnold
Kinge."
The King's tenants at this time were : —
Sir William Roper, holding 35a. 2 roods, 4
poles. Rent 16s. 5d.
Sir William Wythens, 2 acres 0 roods, 22i
poles. Rent Is. lOd.
Hugh Miller, gent., 27 ac. 0 rds. 27 pis. Rent
41s. 2d.
Anne Twist, widow (circ.), 81 acres. Rent
(circ-) 25s.
William Elliot (circ), 130 acres. Rent (circ.)
57s. Id.
Philip Stubbs (circ.), 53 ac. Rent 33s. 8d.
(circ.), &c., &c.
King James does not seem to have resided at
Eltham, but there are records of his coming
here on hunting expeditions. According to the
churchwardens' accounts paymenta were made
to the ringers for the ringing of peals on these
occasions.
196
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
In "Processions and Progresses of James I."
by John Nichols, we are told of a visit made
to Eltham hy the King along with hie brother-
in-law, King Christian of Denmark, and his
son, Henry Prince of Wales. A contemporary
writer says of this visit: —
" These gracious Kings, accompanied with
our Royal Prince and many honourable
persons, mounted on steeds of great price, and
furniture faire, hunted in the Park of Green-
wich, and killed two bucks. Afternoon, their
High Estates went to Eltham, a house of His
and was, apparently, a thing of more than
ordinary ingenuity, for its fame reached the
Metropolis and people used to come out and
witness it.
Ben Jonson in his play, " The Silent Woman,"
makes one of his characters allude to it.
Morose, a gentleman that loves quietude,
has been very much distracted by the noise
about him; so he is made to say to his friend
Truewit and others : —
" You do not know what misery I have
JAMES I. AND ATTENDANTS, HAWKING (from an old Print).
Majesty's, some two miles distant from the
Court, and killed three bucks, with great
pleasure on horseback."
It seems that the royal personages were
followed by " many companies of people, which
in their love came to see them," running after
them and cheering as Kentish countrymen
know well how to cheer.
In the early part of King James' reign
Eltham found a sort of special notoriety on
account of the " Motion " which was to be
eeen there.
The Eltham " Motion," was an invention of
on* Cornelius Drebbel, a native of Alkmaar,
been exercised this day, what a torrent of evil!
My very house turns round with the tumult!
I dwell in a windmill; the perpetual motion is
here, and not at Eltham."
On another occasion, Ben Jonson alludes to
the " motion" as the " Eltham thing."
An account of the " motion" ie given in the
appendix to this book.
In 1616, King James made Sir Theodore de
Mayerne the Keeper and Ranger of the New
Park of Home. Sir Theodore was chief
physician to the King, and the keepership was
in consideration of his services in this capacity,
for which he also received 4d. a day.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
197
Sir Theodore was a distinguished Frenchman
who had occupied the position of Physician in
Ordinary to Henry IV. of France. After the
assassination of the French King, he was in-
vited to England, and given a similar post at
the English Court. The English physicians
did not approve of his treatment of Prince
Henry, but the King and Council accorded him
satisfactory certificates, and the College of
Physicians elected him a Fellow in 1616.
AN ELTHAM HUNT.
(A BALLAD OF JAMES I.)
James, King of Merrie England,
A notable Prince was he,
And wide his name was known to fame
For his philosophic.
But though he was a goodly king,
And a godly man also,
Great was his shout, whenever gout
Did take him by the toe.
ANNE OF DENMARK, QUEEN OF JAMES I.
In this same year he was appointed to the
stewardship at Eltham. It was while the Court
physician was occupying this post here, that
the King visited Eltham, 1612, to hunt the
buck, and, according to " Carletou's Letters,"
to bathe his bare feet and legs in the warm
blood of the beast, as a remedy for the gout.
In these days, one may well wonder whether
this curious prescription was that of the Court
physician himself. The following verses upon
this interesting incident appeared in the
columns of the Eltham Times a few years
ago:—
For kings, you see, they are but men,
And queens but women, too;
Though gold their crown, and silk their gown,
Their blood a hue so blue.
And tics and rheums will rack the limbs
Of earl and churl likewise;
And sharp be aches for him who takes
Too little exercise.
The King he groaned a kingly groan,
And flung the pillows wide;
And grim his speech to the royal leech
Who stood at his bed-side.
198
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
"O King," that Court physician said,
" Be patient in thy pain,
"And all my skill I'll ply until
"Thou'rt whole and sound again.
" To-inorrow, at the break of day,
"Thou'lt mount thy fleetest nag,
" Whate'er betide, to Eltham ride,
" To hunt the lordly stag.
" To hunt the lordly buck, O King,
" Till he can run no more.
" Then 'twill be meet, thy royal feet,
" To bathe them in his gore."
The King rode forth from London town,
With lords and ladies gay;
And towards the shades of Eltham's glades
They sped upon their way.
And Eltham men, from out the tower,
A merry peal did ring;
Twelve pennies bright they spent that night,
In drinking to their King.
And James, he chased the lordly buck
From Eltham Court to Lee;
And many a wight declared the sight
Was goodly for to see.
" Yoicks ! " and " Tantivvy ! " echoed wide,
As through the glades they sped;
Nor rested they, that summer's day,
Till the lordly buck was dead.
Then good King James, upon a log,
He straightway took a seat;
And hose and shoon were pulled off soon
From his royal legs and feet.
And there, before his courtiers all,
He bathed them in the gore;
For thus the leech did him beseech,
As hath been writ before.
In days to come, ere yet the moon
Had passed from full to wane,
O wondroua thing, for James the King,
Was quite himself again.
Some said it was the gory bath
That health to him had brought;
And some, as wise, said exercise
A wondrous cure had wrought.
But be it this, or be it that,
Or Eltham's healthy clime,
Without a doubt the bout of gout
Did quit him for the time.
So let us sing " Long live the King ! "
Right merrie may he be.
When next, in luck, he kills a buck.
May I be there to see.
CHAPTER XLIX.
WHEN CHARLES I. WAS KING.
In "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domes-
tic," there is a record that Charles I. visited
Eltham in November, 1629. It was only a
short visit, probably for a day, and this seems
to be the last recorded instance of a reigning
monarch visiting the Palace. The glories of
Eltham were now become things of the past,
to be written abont by the historian or to be
the subject of the poet's song.
But there are one or two names of Eltham
residents, at this time, who have played a
part in our national story, and to whom we
must now give some attention.
SIR ANTONY VANDYCK.
At the beginning of the reign of King Charles,
during the summer months, this great artist
used to reside at Eltham, Carpenter says, in
apartments allowed him within the Palace, and
some of his earlier pictures were painted here.
Among the better qualities of Charles I. was
his love of art. It was this love which promp-
ted him to the generous encouragement of men
of genius, and to the spending of large sums
of money upon the formation of collections of
those works of art which helped to enrich the
country so much.
When Rubens, the famous painter, was sent
to England as an ambassador to bring about a
treaty of peace between Phillip IV. and Charles
I., the English King took the opportunity to
commission the painter ambassador to paint
two pictures, the "Apotheosis of King James"
and a "St. George."
In carrying out this work, Rubens gave to
the saint the features of Charles I., and to
Cleodelinda those of the queen.
Rubens became the fashion and several of
the English nobles ordered pictures. Thus it
was that pupils of Rubens were attracted to
England, and amongst them the illustrious
artist, Antony Vandyck, who took up his abode
at Eltham Palace.
Ernest Chesneau, in his book on "The
English School of Painting," writes : "Attrac-
ted by the accounts of Charles I's. liberality, he
(Vandyck) came for the first time in 1637, but
did not succeed in getting presented to the
King. He then returned to Antwerp, where
for six years he painted a host of masterpieces.
"His reputation now reached the ears of the
King, who had hitherto ignored him, but who
now at once recalled him. The painter, who
needed no second invitation, arrived in London
in 1632. His success was rapid. He received a
pension, and in July of the same year was
knighted and elected painter to the King in
1633. He was then thirty-four years old.
"Vandyck passed the remainder of his short
life in England, where he married the daughter
of Lord Ruthven. His most valuable works
are at Windsor Castle in the hall named after
him — portraits of the King, Queen Henrietta,
and Vandyck himself, the splendid group of
the children of Charles I., a sketch of which
ia in the Louvre, where, also, may be seen on&
of his English masterpieces, a full length por-
trait of the King."
There are pictures by this artist at Hampton
Court, the National Gallery, and in the private
galleries of the nobility, scattered about the
country.
So when we contemplate the association of
this artist with our old-world village we may
200
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
well remember one or two things. When we
are disposed to be over-critical of the actions
of the unhappy Charles I. we can set down to
hie credit that he did much to encourage art
in this country. "Elizabeth was at once
greedy and pompous; James I. prodigal and
mean," writes the author already mentioned;
bnt "the splendid liberality of Charles I." to-
wards art was the means of enriching the coun-
try more than one can estimate.
And though the old Palace, as a place of
residence, was now forsaken by its royal
Eltham House in 1645 and died there in Sep-
tember, 1646. He was a disappointed man, who
had been forced to resign his position of com-
mander-in-chief by the passing of the "Self-
denying Ordinance."
Parliament was getting dissatisfied with the
progress of the struggle with the Royal Forces,
"and Cromwell had become the principal
mouthpiece of the dissatisfaction." "Without a
more speedy, rigorous, and effective prosecu-
tion of the war," he said to the House of Com-
mons, "casting off all lingering proceedings,
DRAGOON (1645).
owners, we may remember with some pride
that this prince of painters worked upon his
canvases in the discarded rooms, in some de-
gree adding a new glory to their history. For,
though the names of most of those who, in the
older times, had thronged the courtly train,
are lost in the oblivion of the past, the name
of this artist, and his work still live, and will
continue to live among the heroes of our
national story.
ROBERT DEVEREUX, EARL OF ESSEX.
The stern and dogged Parliamentary General,
who had had command of the forces against
the King through the great Civil War, came to
like those soldiers of fortune beyond the sea,
to spin out a war, we shall make the kingdom
weary of us, and hate the name of a Parlia-
ment."
Cromwell charged the leaders of the Parlia-
mentary Army, of whom Essex was the Chief,
with being "afraid to conquer."
"If the King be beaten," said Manchester,
"he will still be king; if he beat us he will
hang us all for traitors."
To this the reply of Cromwell was, "If I met
the King in battle I would fire my pistol at the
King as at another."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
201
So Cromwell urged upon Parliament the re-
organisation of the Army, and out of this new
policy came the "Self-denying Ordinance."
The chief officers who controlled the Army
were Members of one or the other of the Houses
of Parliament. The "Self-denying Ordinance,"
proposed to the Commons by Cromwell, de-
clared that no Member of either House should
hold a command in the Army or a civil office.
There was a long and bitter resistance to
this measure, for it debarred from office many
distinguished officers of the Parliamentary
Army. It eventually passed the Commons, but
it was thrown out by the Upper House, where
it was uncompromisingly opposed by Essex,
Manchester, and other lords, whose positions
were directly affected by it.
But the Commons went on with the re-organi-
sation. Essex was superseded in the command
by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and thus it was that
the former general, soured and disappointed,
retired to the quietude of Eltham, where he
lived out the few remaining months of his
life. He died in September, 1646, the chronicler
Heath says, "not without suspicion of poison."
He was buried in a magnificent manner in
Westminster Abbey in the month of October.
Charles I. had granted to his Queen, Hen-
rietta, for a term of 99 years, the manor and
lordship of Eltham, under the trusteeship of
the Earl of Holland and the Earl of Dorset.
The former, by virtue of his office as Chan-
cellor to the Queen, was entitled to a fee buck
and doe annually out of the forests, and there
is a record of a warrant from her Majesty's
Council Chamber, dated 19 June, 1640, to kill
a fat buck in the little park called Home
Park
We find that the Earl of Dorset held the
manor in 1641, by demise. The Earl was one of
the loyal adherents to the King, and "on the
defection of the Earl of Essex, succeeded to the
office of Lord Chamberlain. He signed the
Capitulation of Oxford in 1646. He had the
benefit of Sir Thomas Fairfax's articles. In
compounding for his estates, he delivered a list
of the tenants of the manor at rents amounting
in the gross to .£199 Os. 3d. The names of
twenty tenants are given. The largest rents
were paid by Sir John Cotton, Henry Brabant,
Thomas Preston, Thomas Johnson, and Hugh
Byen."
These were troublous times, especially for
those who supported the royalist cause. Among
other Eltham gentlemen who found themselves
in trouble was John White, a member of
Parliament, and a delinquent, who fled to
Oxford. He had held, from the Queen, the
lease of the Little Park and Lodge, and the
office of keeper, at three pence a day wages, by
letters patent, dated 17 October, 1641, and the
value, before the political troubles over-
whelmed them, of £50 yearly.
Others were in a similar predicament, but in
all probability the fate of the Palace and Park
was sealed, through the "Royalist rising in
Kent, in 1648."
ENGLISH LADY OF QUALITY.
(Hollar 1640).
GENTLEWOMAN.
(Hollar 1640).
MERCHANT'S WIFE OF LONDON.
(Hollar 1640).
CHAPTER L.
THE ROYALIST RISING IN KENT.
Towards the end of the month of May, 1648,
there was, one day, rnuoh commotion in and
about the usually quiet and secluded village of
Eltham. Troops of stern and grim-looking
soldiers belonging to the Parliamentary Army
rode into the place. Some quartered them-
selves for the night upon the cottagers and
other householders; many bivouacked in the
open fields.
There were no less than four regiments of
horse, three of foot and several companies of
Colonel Ingoldsby's famous regiment, and
they were all under the command of General
Fairfax himself. We may be sure that the
villagers regarded the advent of these deter-
mined looking men with a good deal of anxiety.
They had heard of the battles fought and won
by them against the King, and Fairfax was no
doubt the object of particular curiosity, for was
he not the general who had superseded the
Earl of Essex, who had died under rather
peculiar circumstances at Eltham House only
a year or so before?
It is more than probable that these military
heroes were not very welcome visitors, for it
should be remembered that Kent was loyal to
King Charles, and we may well surmise that
Eltham, with all its traditions of royal
associations, would have been one of the most
loyal places in Kent.
There was trouble in the air, and for the
succeeding week or two Kent was the scene
of strife.
Charles was only a king in name. He had
fled to the Isle of Wight, where he abode, but
very little more than a prisoner. The "Long
Parliament," which had been sitting since 1640,
and continued to sit till 1660, ruled the country,
through local committees, which were ap-
pointed for all the counties and cities.
" In every county a certain number of
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
203
deputy-lieutanants known to be warm partisans
of the Parliament reigned supreme. In Kent,
it appears that at last none but the most
determined adherents of the Parliament re-
mained to do business. And their business
appears to have been to do entirely what they
pleased, provided the interests of the Parlia-
ment were furthered at all hazards." Such
are the words of a commentator upon the
doings of this period.
But a contemporary document, entitled
"'A Declaration of many thousands of the City
of Canterbury and County of Kent, 1648,"
gives us a vivid presentment of the abuses that
accompanied this system of local government.
It runs thus: —
"The two Houses have sat seven years to
hatch cockatrices and vipers. They have filled
the kingdom with serpents, bloodthirsty
soldiers, extortionary committees, seques-
trators, excise men ; all the rogues and scum of
the kingdom have been set on to torment and
vex the people, to rob them, and to eat the
bread out of their mouths They
have suppressed the Protestant religion,
suffered all kinds of heresies and errors in the
kingdom, have imprisoned, or at least silenced,
all the orthodox clergy, taken away the liveli-
hood of many thousand families, and robbed
the fatherless and the widow."
It is interesting to note that one of the
members of the " Committee of Kent " in 1643
was Sir Thomas Walsingham, who was the
Lord High Steward of the Manor of Eltham at
the time.
Now, although the "Declaration" from
which we have quoted is the expression of men
who were doubtless strongly partisan in favour
of the King, it reveals the spirit that existed
amongst Kentish men at the time, who resented
then, as they always had done, any attempts
to encroach upon their liberties.
The " committees" appointed by the Parlia-
ment to carry out their instructions would
seem to have been unnecessarily intolerant and
aggressive; at any rate, as regarded from the
standpoint of the twentieth century. The fol-
lowing narration will illustrate this.
It should be observed that the observance of
Christmas, which to Englishmen had always
been one of the most joyous of the Christian
seasons, was new "Contrary to the ordinances
of Parliament, for all superstitious festivals
had been by it abolished."
Writing in " Archseologia Cantiana," Colonel
George Colomb, F.S.A., says:—
"About Christmas, 1647, no doubt the people
of Kent, like their fellows elsewhere, began to
think sadly and bitterly of former and freer
times. Their apprehensions for the future were
probably at this date increased by the be-
haviour of the Houses towards the King, who
was now confined in the Isle of Wight, though
not yet closely imprisoned.
" The ' Committee and Mayor,' on Christmas
Day, 1647, opposed an attempted divine service
at Canterbury, and tried to make the people
open their shops.
"The result was a riot, which ended in the
seizure of the defences of the City by an anti-
Parliament mob, the cry being raised, Tor
God, King Charles, and Kent.'
"Some gentlemen at last succeeded in
pacifying the incensed people, and, according
to Matthew Carter, agreed, with the Mayor and
Committee of Kent that no revenge should be
taken.
"But within a week, fortified by the COBI-
mands of Parliament, the ' Committee of Kent '
entered Canterbury in state, with an immense
force to back them, pulled off the gates, made
what they called 'a convenient breach in the
walls'— about fifty yards in width— and after a
searching inquiry, which lasted about a fort-
night, sent the gentlemen who had quieted the
people to Leeds Castle, at that time used as a
prison for ' malignants,' as the loyal party were
termed.
"They also made a long report of their pro-
ceedings, in which they recommended that the
gentlemen before mentioned, as well as a good
many other inferior persons, should be brought
to ' condign punishment.' The committee at
the same time hinted that, as the people of
Kent were in general ' malignant,' a court of
war would be the most satisfactory tribunal
to refer the business to."
204
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
These things happened at Christmas, 1647,
and the beginning of the following year.
On May llth, 1648, a special Assize was held
at the Castle of Canterbury, for the purpose of
trying the offenders.
"At the impannelling of the jury," says a
Royalist pamphlet, "Judge Wild gave them a
charge so abominable and bloodthirsty that
the people were ready to destroy him."
The grand jury ignored the bill, and when
pressed again, brought in a second
"ignoramus.' Not content with this, they
turned the tables on the " Commission " by
drawing up that historic document, "The
Petition of Kent, 1648," which was:
"The Humble Petition of the Knights,
Gentry, Clergy and Commonalty of the County
of Kent, subscribed by the Grand Jury, on
Thursday, 11 May, 1648, at a Sessions of the
Judges upon a Special Commission of
Oyer and Terminer, held at the Castle of
Canterbury, in the said county,
" Sheweth, &c., &c."
We have not space to give the whole text of
this interesting petition, but the chief features
of its prayer were for peace between King
and Parliament, disbandment of the Army of
Fairfax, government according to the estab-
lished laws of the kingdom, and protection of
property according to the " Petition of Eight"
from illegal taxation.
We are told that "tne effect of bhe document
was electric. It started with the signatures of
200 gentlemen of Kent. In a few days 20,000
names were affixed to it. The petitioners were
to assemble at Rochester on the Prince of
Wales's birthday, the 29th of May, and proceed
thence to Blackheath.
"The Parliament pronounced the petition
'feigned,' 'scandalous,' and 'seditious.' The
' Committee of Kent ' condemned it by pro-
clamation, and at once mustered forces to
suppress it." Extreme measures were taken to
prevent people signing it. . '
"The men of Kent, thua provoked, deter-
mined to march to Westminster with the
petition in one hand and the sword in the
other. The fleet in the Downs caught the in-
fection— put Vice-Admiral Rainsborough and
most of the officers ashore, and declared for
King Charles and Kent."
The disaffection spread so rapidly throughout
the county that Parliament became alarmed,
and decided that "they do leave the whole
business to the General." The general was,
of course, Fairfax, who proceeded at once to
take military operations.
Nearly 10,000 men of Kent, with such arms
as they could procure, rose up in defence of
their " Petition," which they declared to be
constitutional, and prepared to carry it to the
doors of the Houses of Parliament.
Some of them hastened this way in advance
of the rest, and, passing througih Eltham,
reached Blaokheath on the 29th of May, where
they found the Lord General Fairfax at the
head of 7,000 horse and foot.
Here they were unable to obtain a pass from
the General to allow ten of their number to
present the petition while the main body
meantime lay at a distance.
" The Kentish men," says the Bloody News
from Kent, " forced back from Deptford,
Greenwich and Blackheath, went to Rochester,
and crossed the bridge. The whole resolved
not to fight, but to hold the passes."
Hence the exciting day in Eltham village,
when, on the evening of May 29th, the soldiers
of Fairfax marched in and took up their
quarters for the night.
Next day, three hundred cavalry sprang to
their saddles, and " having taken up 100 foot
behind them," set out in pursuit of the retreat-
ing " petitioners," under the command of
Major Huabands.
At Northfleet they found 600 "petitioners,"
under Major Childs, who had barricaded the
bridge. Huabands, without hesitation, dashed
ap the river, and the Royalists fled, spreading
such dismay that the pursuers found not a man
in Gravesend.
Fairfax marched from Eltham to Maidstone,
wihere one thousand Royalist horse and foot
who occupied the town had been reinforced by
another force of a thousand, under Sir Wil-
liam Brockman.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The general attacked the town on Friday,
June 2nd, and a desperate fight ensued. "Fair-
fax met with such resolute opposition that he
was forced to gain each street inch by inch, and
the engagement lasted for nearly five hours,
almost until midnigiht. Retreating, step by
step, the Royalists reached the churchyard,
whence they were at last driven into the church
itself, where, after a long fight, they were
obliged to make the best terms they could."
The defeat at Maidstone was a crushing blow
to the "Petitioners," who never recovered
from its effects, and in course of time the
"Royalist rising in Kent" was crushed.
Before the year was out the King was cap-
tured by the Army, was tried in Jaunary of
1649, and on the 30th of that month was
executed.
Then the royal demesne of Eltham passed
into the hands of the Parliament, and the fate
of the Palace was sealed.
CUIRASSIER 1645 (Spec, at Goodrich Court).
CHAPTER LI.
THE FATE OF THE ROYAL PALACE.
As we have already noticed, the Kentish
rising of 1618 was easily quelled by General
Fairfax, and a result of the failure of the
" Petitioners" to advance the cause of the King
was a severe blow to the royal prestige in the
neighbourhood of Eltham.
For a while there was a period of lawlessness
in the village. The "soldiers and common
people" tore down the fences that enclosed the
royal parks — the Great Park, Home Park and
Middle Park — killed the deer, laid waste the
gardens and pleasure ground, and ransacked
the Palace.
At this period Colonel Rich was a con-
spicuous figure in the Parliamentary Army.
He had helped Fairfax in his operations against
the "Petitioners" of Kent, and distinguished
himself in the relief of Dover, and in the re-
covery of the castles along the Kentish coast
which had been captured by the Royalists.
On January 30th, 1649, King Charles was
executed, and the Manor of Eltham, in common
with the other Royal estates, was taken posses-
sion of by the Parliament, and vested in
trustees, with the view to their being surveyed
and sold to supply the necessities of the State.
In consequence of the lawlessness that was
going on at Eltham, we find, in July, 1649,
Colonel Rich, by order of Parliament, marching
into Eltham at the head of a detachment of
cavalry, to protect the Palace and parks from
plunder. But the mischief by this time had
been done.
The Parliamentary survey was taken in th«
months of October, November and December
of this same year, a summary of which has
already been given in an earlier chapter of this
history.
At the time of the survey, the chief ranger of
the Great Park was Patrick Maule, who had
been groom of the bedchamber to Charles I.
Sir Theodore Mayerne, who had been chief
physician to James I., was the ranger and
keeper of Home Park. We have already
noticed this distinguished man in the chapter
dealing with James I. The high steward of the
manor was Sir Thomas Walsingham, whom we
have already alluded to as one of the Kentish
" Committee" appointed by Parliament to
administer the local affairs of the county.
It will be seen from the survey that the parks
were rich in timber. The surveyors carefully
marked the fine oaks for utilitarian purposes.
No less than 4,000 of these giants were destined
for the woodman's axe, and were subsequently
felled to provide timber for the national ship-
building yards at Deptford.
So, although we may feel sorry that the
beautiful Eltham parks should have been
denuded of these stately trees, it is some con-
solation to know that they went to the building
of those " wooden walls of old England " which
served so useful a purpose in national defence
during the years that followed.
More than 4,000 trees were marked as old
"dottrells," and were sold for firewood or any
other useful purpose, the proceeds being
devoted to purposes of the State.
The following extracts from " Domestic
State Papers" throw some light upon the fate
of our Eltham trees. From these references it
appears that the work of tree-felling was
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
207
already begun by the Government before the
•survey had been taken: —
"7 May, 1649 80 tons of timber, felled by
Mr. Bentley in Eltham for wharfing, were gent
to Deptford for the navy, and 80 tons more of
inferior timber were ordered to be felled there
instead. Orders were issued in March for fell-
ing 730 more oak, elm and ash trees in Eltham.
"The Act, passed 17 July, 1649, for the sale
of the Crown lands, provided that all timber
growing within 15 miles of a navigable river,
fit for the Navy, should be cut down and
carried away before 10 July, 1657."
NATHANIEL EICH.
In 1649, Colonel Rich came to Eltham in his
official capacity to protect the Manor from
plunderers. Two years later, in 1651, we find
him to have been a purchaser of a large portion
of the estate.
In the "Close Boll," 1653, p. 38; Inroll 8
Jan.," we find the following record: —
"Ind're 16 August, 1651, between William
Steele, Recorder of London, and the trustees, of
the one part, and Nathaniel Rich, of Eltham,
Esqr., of the other part, for .£16,615 13s. lid.,
part of a gross sum of .£34,123 5s. 9Jd., Nath.
Rich purchased the Manor of Eltham, with all
its privileges and appurts., the manor or court-
house, the arbor, Great Park, parish lawn, the
Little or Middle Park, yearly value .£223 140.
7jd., and fees of court, etc., .£162, the copyhold,
advowson, and navy timber excepted."
Other portions of the Crown estates found
purchasers, among whom were Edmund Lisle,
of the Isle of Wight, and Azariah Hoaband, of
Chanton, county Southampton, who expended
considerable same.
Colonel Rich, however, played so prominent a
part in our Eltham story of these times that
we may perhaps say something more about
him.
According to the " Dictionary of Biography,"
he was the eldest son of Robert Rich, and was
admitted to Gray's Inn, August 13th, 1639.
When the Civil War broke out he took sides
against the King, and entered the "Life
Guards," under the Earl of Essex. He
obtained his commission as Captain in 1643, and
raised a troop of horse in the county of Essex.
He then joined the army of the Earl of Man-
chester, and became Lieutenant-Colonel in
1644.
When the dispute arose among the Parlia-
mentary leaders, and Cromwell demanded the
passing of the "Self-denying Ordinance,"
which led to the resignation of Lord Essex,
Lord Manchester, and many other leaders, we
find Rich on the side of Cromwell, as Colonel
in the new model Army.
He fought at Naseby with distinction, and
was a Fairfax Commissioner at the surrender
of Oxford, while in 1648, when he seems to have
first come into the Story of Eltham, his regi-
ment was quartered in London at the mews for
the protection of Parliament.
We have alluded to the part which he took
in that year in patting down the Kentish
rising.
He seems to have been an able man and a
frequent speaker in the House of Commons,
where he sat as M.P. for Cirencester, 1649.
Although John Evelvn, in his diary H656),
speaks of him contemptuously as "Rich, the
Rebel," and describes him as the destroyer of
"the noble woods and park" of Eltham, he i»
said to have been a man who favoured the
widest toleration, which would seem to have
been a good trait in his character, when one
considers what a rare thing toleration must
have been in those years of hot contention.
He had scruples about manhood suffrage,
having fears of extreme democracy. Moreover,
he is said to have had doubts about the right
of the people to execute the King, though he
appears to have held it necessary that the king
should be tried, and when the time came wa-t
quite in accord with the policy of establishing a
republic.
Ludiow includes Rich among the "honest
republican enthusiasts of the army who were
deluded by Cromwell to assist him in the over-
throw of the Long Parliament."
In 1655 we find Colonel Rich an open opponent
of Cromwell's Government, and deprived of bis
command in the Army.
In the same year he was summoned before
the Protector's Council, charged with opposing
20H
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
the levy of taxes and stirring up dissaffection,
and was accordingly committed to the custody
of the Serjeant-at-Arms. There seems to have
been trouble, too, in connection with Eltham
Manor at this particular time. It will have
been noticed that among the conditions of pur-
chase of the Eltham estate was one which
excluded navy timber from the sale.
But in the " State Papers " we get the fol-
lowing record, which points to suspicious prac-
tices:—
"The Commission certified, 7 April, 1655, to
great embezzlement of Timber at Eltham, con-
sequently the Admiralty Committee ordered all
trees remaining there to be felled, sold, or ex-
changed, and the embezzlement to be enquired
into, Mr. Willoughby to manage the business."
In 1656, we find the Colonel again in confine-
ment.
The restoration of the Long Parliament saw
Rich, next year, restored to hfs command.
In 1660, Eich perceived that the policy of
General Monk would lead to the restoration of
the monarchy. He therefore tried to induce
his regiment to declare against it. For this,
Monk deprived him of his command, and
appointed Colonel Ingoldeby in his place.
In this year the Restoration actually took
place, and Eioh found himself in prison. He
was, however, soon liberated, as he had not
been one of the judges of the late King Charles,
and was not excluded from the act of
indemnity.
Rich was, in religious belief, a " Fifth
Monarchy Man," and had been one of the
leaders of this short-lived sect. Their belief
was of a semi-political character, admitting the
idea of "no king but Christ." Some years
before (1657), when it was supposed that Crom-
well harboured designs of " kingship," the
" Fifth Monarchy Men" tried to organise a
rising against " The Protector," and Colonel
Rich was amongst tha leaders.
"They fixed Thursday, April 9th, for the
rising. They issued a proclamation called ' A
Standard set up,' ordered Mile End as the
place of rendezvous, and, headed by one Ven-
ner, a wine merchant, and other persons of the
City, calculated upon introducing the reign of
the Millennium. They encouraged each other,
says Thurloe, with the exhortation that though
they were but worms, yet they should be instru-
mental to thresh mountains. They spoke, he
says, great words of the reign of the saints,
and the beautiful kingdom of holies which
they were to erect, and talked of taking away
all taxes, excise, customs, and tithes. They
had banners painted with the device of the lion
of the tribe of Judah, and the motto, " Who
shall raise him up!"
But a troop of horse descended upon their
meeting at Mile End, frustrated their designs,
and Venner, together with Colonel Eich,
Admiral Lawson, Major-General Harrison, and
other leaders were cast into prison. Cromwell,
however, did not mete out any severe punish-
ment.
In 1661, soon after the Restoration of the
Monarchy, we find that the "Fifth Monarchy
Men," led by Master Venner, renewed their
attempt to raise their standard. The circum-
stance gave rise to considerable excitement;
suspicion fell upon Colonel Rich, and Charles
II. ordered his arrest. Venner, who was also
arrested, was executed, but Rioh was, in 1662,
transferred to Portsmouth, where he does not
seem to have been kept in very strict confine-
ment.
In 1663, while still nominally a prisoner, he
married Lady Ann Kerr, daughter of the first
Earl of Ancram.
This good lady, in a letter to her brother,
describes her husband as " a prisoner for no
crime, but only because he is thought a man
of parts." And so far was he from harbouring
any designs against the king, his good wife
declares that he was "so resolved upon his
duty to his Majesty that I am assured if it
were in his power it would never be in his
heart ever to set himself against him, directly
or indirectly."
Two years after he was released.
When Charles II. "came to his own," the
Manor of Eltham reverted to the Crown. But
the Palace was in ruins. Practically all the
buildings had been pulled down and the
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No. 132.
THE TOMB OF JOHN OF ELTHAM
In Westminster Abbey, as it appeared in 1723, fifty-three years before the destruction
of the Canopy.
From an Engraving in " Westmonasterium " by John Dart.
(Kindly lent for this book by Mr. A. J. Sargent, London Institution),
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
209
materials carried away, probably for building
purposes. The majestic hall, however, was
allowed to stand, seeing that it was so well
adapted for use as a barn. Sio transit gloria
mundi. We may well be thankful that the
vandals of the seventeenth century left us thus
much, even though it waa to fulfil so lowly a
purpose.
"The hall, where oft in feudal pride
Old England's peers in council came;
When Cressy's field apread far and wide
Edward of Windsor's warlike fame;
Whose raftered roof and portals long
Rung, while unnumbered harps awoke;
Now echoes but the thresher's song,
Or the sad flail's incessant stroke."
PURITAN.
16
CHAPTER LI I.
THE STORY OF WELL HALL.
In conformity with the plan upon which we
have been considering the story of our village
we now direct our attention to Well Hall, whose
history comes next in order of antiquity. New-
comers amongst us associate the name of Well
Hall with the small town with peculiar street
names which has lately sprung up in the valley
and upon the lower slopes of Shooter's-hill.
The name so applied is a little misleading, for
it diverte the attention from the true Well
Hall, which is really the old farm buildings
and the quaint looking manor-house which
stand between the railway and the corner at
Kidbrook-lane.
A considerable portion of the old moat is
etill in existence — a relic of very great interest.
Remains of .the old mansion itself, now used
mainly for agricultural purposes, still exist to
tell their tale of Tudor times. To the north
and south of it are still left some of the pic-
turesque, but rather comfortless, cottages where
probaby dwelt the work people who were em-
ployed upon the lands of the lord of the manor.
In these days of rapid building operations,
the present hall must be accounted old,
for it was erected by Sir Gregory
Page as far back as 1733. It is said that
he pulled down a large part of the original
mansion in order to carry out the work.
When George the Third was king, the house
was occupied by Mr. Arnold, who was watch-
maker to his Majesty, and it was he who erected
the portions on each side of the main front
which are now so characteristic a feature ot
the building. Mr. W. T. Vincent, in his in
teresting " Records of the Woolwich District,"
tells us that these added portions were for the
accommodation of Mr. Arnold's workmen.
From the same source we learn that this royal
and ingenious watchmaker made " a chrono-
meter so small as to be worn in a ring on his
Majesty's finger."
Mr. Vincent, in his comments upon the
remains of the old mansion, directs attention
to the " double moat, lawn, and garden, over-
shadowed by cedars — an interesting survival of
departed greatness."
Only a few years ago, before the railway
which runs close by was constructed, and before
the great expanse of slate-roofed houses was
even dreamed of, the situation of Well Hall was
indeed truly rural. The old winding Wool-
wich road had not then been modernised, and
all around were pasture land and cultivated
fields.
It needs no great effort of imagination to
picture the scene anterior to this, when Well
Hall Green was the scene of village games,
when the woodlands that covered the slopes
from Kidbrook and Charlton afforded cover for
the game which provided eport for the lords
of Well Hall Manor, and Kidbrook-lane was the
principal road between Eltham and Greenwich.
Modern innovations, the results of modern
civilisation, have robbed Well Hall of much of
the delightful seclusion and quietude of its
earlier days, but even now it has many rustic
charms, which are enhanced by the spirit of
romance that still pervades it.
We read of the Manors of Well Hall and East
Home as far back as in the days of Henry I.,
1100, about thirty years after the Conquest, when
it was in the possession of one, Joran de Briset,
whose name suggests Norman associations.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
211
It was this De Briset who founded a nunnery
at Clerkeiiwell, and, according to Hasted, " gave
the nans ten acres in his lordship of ' Wellyng-
hall ' in exchange for ten acres in Clerkenwell,
on which he founded this Hospital of the
Knighte Hospitallers of St. John of
Jerusalem."
Commenting upon this, Dr. Drake says that
" This foundation was the first of the Order in
England. The Lord Prior had precedence over
all the Barons in Parliament. His service for
land in Eltham was 7s. 8d."
In the time of Henry III., in 1253-4, we find
that the Lord of the Manor of Home and Well
Hall was one Matthew de Hegham.
lu 1346 the estate was held by John de
Pulteney, who seems to have been particularly
well blessed with landed estates in many parts
of Kent. He held Well Hall at the time when
Edward III. was king, and when the great
tournament organised by that monarch took
place at Eltham. We may be pretty sure that
the Knight of Well Hall was among those who
were present.
When Richard II was conducting his coun-
cils at Eltham Palace, or holding those great
feasts there for which his Court was noted, the
Lord of Well Hall was " Thomas Conduyt,
clerk, brother and heir of Nicholas Conduyt,
formerly of London," and we find that in 1385
this gentleman granted the manor to Gilbert
Purneys, of London.
About ten years later " Philip Burton and
his wife, Joan, quit-claimed, for themselves and
for the heirs of Joan, a moiety of 3 messuages,
200 acres of land, 30 mead, 40 wood, with
appurts, in Eltham, Modyngham, and Kid-
broke, to Margaret, once wife of Sir Nicholas
Sharny field."
Then, in the time of Henry VI. (1426), it
seems that a gentleman who rejoiced in the
name of John Foxhole, clerk, was in possession,
and that he passed the manors of "Wellhawe
and Esthorne" on to another who possessed the
name of William Basket, a skinner and citizen
of London.
Two years later, in 1426, this William Basket
conveyed the manors to Robert Myrfyn, "in
behalf of John Tattersall, Henry Chioele, Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, Thomas Chioele, his
nephew, Archdeacon of Canterbury, and
others."
The Kentish historian, Hasted, relying upon
the statements of Philipott as accurate, statea
that Wellhawe, Easthorne, and Woolwich were
"the possessions of William Chicele, Sheriff of
I/ondon, brother of Archbishop Chicele, Cham-
berlain of London and grocer, one of whose
daughters, Agnes, carried them in marriage to
her husband, John Tattersall."
But according to the records of an inquisition
taken at Deptford, 30th June, 1447, in the
twenty-fifth year of the reign of Henry VI., it
would appear that both Philipott and Hasted
are in error, and that William Chicele, the
Sheriff of London, brother of the Archbishop,
was not the Lord of Wellhawe Manor.
The King (Henry VI.), by his charter dated
at Eltham, 3rd February, 1439, granted the
manors to " John Tattereall and the said Henry
Chicele (Archbishop), Thomas Chicele (Arch-
deacon), John Brykhed, Richard Sturgen, and
William Myrfyn, and the heirs and assigns of
John Tattersall and Henry (Archbishop), &c."
The Inquisition record then says : —
"The said John Tattersall and Henry died,
when Thomas Chicele and others stood seised of
the same, worth 20 marcs a year beyond reprises,
and is held of the King in socage as of his
manor of Eltham by service of 73s. 4d. a year.
"And the jury say that the said John Tatter-
sall and Agnes his wife, daughter of John
Chicele of London, grocer, were seised in their
demesne as of fee, in the day John died, of the
manor of Woolwych, with appurts, in the villa
of Woolwych, Greenwych, Derteford, and
Combe, Kent, as appears by a certain deed
dated at Woolwych, 7 August, 14 Henry VI.,
1436, made to the said John and Agnes Tatter-
eall and their heirs and assigns for ever; and
the said John died, and Agnes remained seised
of, and now holds, the said manor (worth 10>
marcs beyond reprises) of the King in socage aa
of the manor of Eltham, by service of 36s. per
ann."
Agnes, the widow of John Tattersall, subse-
212
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
quently married William Kene, the Sheriff of
Kent, 26 Henry VI., who resided at Well Hall.
By her first husband, Agnes had a son and
two daughters. There does not appear to be
any record of what became of the son, but one
of the daughters, Margery, married John Koper,
of Swaeliffe, in the county of Kent. By this
marriage the Manors of Well Hall and East-
home came into the possession of the Eopers.
This distinguished family was closely
associated with Eltham history for some two
hundred years, and though the Well Hall estate
passed from them when it was sold to Sir
Gregory Page in 1733, the name is still preserved
by a Roper Charity, and the name of the street
which leads to our National School, while their
memory is one of the cherished possessions of
our village history.
The second John Roper, who was the eldest
son of the heiress of John Tattersall, was
Sheriff of Kent in the 12th year of Henry VIII.,
Attorney-General and Prothonotary of the
King's Bench.
William Roper, his eldest son, was a very
distinguished man. He succeeded his father as
Prothonotary, and was also Sheriff of the
county in the reign of Queen Mary. He married
.Margaret, the daughter of Sir Thomas More,
Lord High Chancellor of England, who was
executed by the barbarous order of Henry VIII.
Sir William Roper died in 1577, aged 82 years,
and was buried in the vault under the chapel
joining the chancel in St. Dunstan's Church,
Canterbury.
Thomas Roper, the eldest son of Sir William,
succeeded to the Well Hall and Easthorne
estates, and also to the office of Prothonotary of
the King's Bench.
The estates were held in succession by Wil-
liam Roper, Anthony Roper, and Edward
Roper.
The latter had one son, who died in infancy,
and three daughters, who succeeded jointly to
the estates.
On July llth, 1733, the three co-heiresses
" joined in the sale of the manors of Easthorne
and Well Hall, with the house recently erected
and the presentation of the vicarage, to Sir
Gregory Page, of Wrickleoiarsh in Charlton,
Bart., for ,£19,000, who pulled down the mansion
of Well Hall." From Sir Gregory Page it
descended to his nephew, Sir Gregory Turner.
The famous picture of the More family,
painted by Holbein, used to hang in the great
hall of the mansion, where it almost covered
one of the walls. It had hung there ever since
it had been painted, but was removed to Soho-
square, to the house of Sir Rowland Wynne,
the husband of Susanna Roper, one of the three
heiresses, in July, 1731, a short time before th«
estates were sold.
The Ropers were conscientious Papists, who
suffered for their faith. Sir William Roper
the husband of Margaret More, was bound to
be of good behaviour, and had to appear before
the Council when called upon (State Papers
Domestic).
Philip Roper, the grandson of Sir William,
was under surveillance for harbouring Papists
at Eltham and for consorting with priests
(State Papers Domestic).
CHAPTER LIII.
THE LADY OF WELL HALL (1).
The story of Eltham Palace recalls many a
royal lady and many a noble dame who have
figured prominently in national history; but
few of them hare set a worthier example, or
deserved a more honourable place upon the roll
of noble women than Margaret Roper, the wife
of Sir William Eoper, who for upwards of forty
years was the doughty squire of Well Hall.
We are tempted to linger over the story of
this remarkable woman, for by her marriage
she not only became a woman of Eltham, but
her story also embraces that of a distinguished
and godly man, who knew Eltham Palace well,
and who probably resided at the Chancellor's
Lodging in the court-yard when his duties to
the King called him here.
Moreover, much of the information regarding
Dame Roper and her father, Sir Thomas More,
we get from a book actually written at Well
Hall by Sir William Roper himself
So this story of a noble woman, of filial
devotion, unexampled, and of direful tragedy,
is a matter of threefold interest to all those
who take pride in our village history.
The painter, Holbein, has portrayed on
canvas the " Family of Sir Thomas More," and
from Erasmus onward many a writer has
delighted to describe the domestic virtues and
homely life of that distinguished household.
The following is a word picture, written some
sixty years ago by Mrs. Owen, of the home where
the bountiful Lady of Well Hall spent her girl-
hood:—
"It is at Chelsea, hard by the river, where
the extensive and beautiful gardens reach down
to the water's edge. Looking across the
terrace, where the two favourite peacocks,
Juno and Argus, perched upon the balustrades,
unfold their burnished glories, is the pavilion
in which Erasmus would sit in converse with
his learned and illustrious friend. Those are
the windows of the " Academia," shaded by
their cool green curtains. Glancing within, we
find three or four fair maidens bending over
their desks, some writing, some reading, all
with an air of pleasant earnestness. Then
comes the chapel; and there, far above, one
may see the observatory, whither royalty itself
oftimes ascends to watch the stare, and dis-
course upon their nature, with the sire of that
gentle sisterhood, the master of that happy
household.
"Like a series of dissolving views, rises be-
fore us scene after scene of that 'eventful
history.' Yonder, upon the bosom of the
' cleare shining Thames ' barges pass and re-
pass, filled with glittering company. Anon,
heralded by a flock of swans, which come
breasting the water, a wherry lands three per-
sons— Sir Thomas and the ' deare little man '
Erasmus, together with a tall stripling, who
carries the cloak of the former. To meet them,
there issues from the house a fair girl, whom
we presently know for the favourite child, the
'best beloved Meg,' and she kisses the hands of
the elders, and laughs and blushes when the
tall lad, an old playmate long absent, no other
than Will Roper himself, makes as if he would
perform the same ceremony with her soft cheek,
only he has no courage; whereat Sir Thoma»
laughs, and cries, apropos of his two ineffectual
attempts, that 'the third time's lucky.'
" Presently, it is in the hay field, we see the
l6\
214
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
father and hie children, where the summer sun
is lying in slanting evening rays along the
fragrant rows. There the laughing girls pursue
the liveliest pastimes of youthful innocence.
They swathe him, not a whit lees merry, in
ropes made of the hay; but when at length, in
soberer mood, he reclines at full length amongst
it, it is upon Margaret's knee his head rests, it
ia to Margaret's ear he addresses, with closed
eyes, the expression of his thoughtful dreaming
of 'that far-off, future day, Meg, when thou
and I shall looke back on this hour, and this
hay field, and my head on thy lap.'
" Now, a less bright vision. The favourite
child struck down by disease, we see the father
watching at her bedside, or praying with
almost frantic hope, for her restoration to
health. In his agony words escape which ehew
how dearer than child ever can be to him
again is that slight suffering form. If she-
die, he says with solemnity, for her sake he
will abjure the world, its honours, its
triumphs, for evermore.
" Pass on. The invalid comes forth to breathe-
the healthful air. Colour steals back to her
cheek, the lustre to her eye. Guests arrive,
among them the two maiden aunts, the ' lay
nuns'; and it is pleasant to see that these, who
have parted for ever with the youthful wreath
of rose and passion flower, can yet smile with
joy to see the garlands turned around the
bright heads of their sister's children.
"But in a little time another visitor is seen;
a large man, with a fair, handsome counten-
ance, and reddish gold hair. He walks with his
arm around the neck of the Chancellor, ' for an
hour or soe,' the latter addressing him by the
title, just then coming into ordinary use for
the first time, ' your Majesty.'
"Years pass by. Now we have an artist,
painting in a cool, sequestered chamber, where
all the light is excluded, excepting that which
falls downward upon his work. It is Hans Hol-
bein. At his side sits the same gentle form
which has so often greeted us, lees sylph-like in
ite proportions than of old, and with a graver,
yet a deeper happiness, lying in the luminous
depths of her beautiful eyes.
" Sometimes the ' tall stripling '—stripling no
longer— is there, too. Then her cheek is
brighter still, her accents tenderer, while, ever
and anon, flashes of the old playfulness break
out, alike in father and daughter, for a fair-
haired boy nestles in her arms, who plays with
the painter's colours, and climbs his knee to
see if the picture is like ' grandfather.'
" But Hans Holbein and his easel fade away,
and it seems as if a cloud were hanging between
the sun and that once cheery house, for all the
children's smiles and merry singing voices that
fill it now. There is an air of gloom strangely
pervading that cool, flower-studded garden. In
the pavilion sits Margaret, alone and in tears,
trying to decipher a scarcely legible letter,
which seems, as indeed it is, written with a
clumsy substitute for ink, a morsel of coal— a
letter which dates its mission from a prison!"
Such are some of the scenes of the earlier life
of the Lady of Well Hall. Margaret More was
the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More, the
great lawyer and brilliant scholar, who be-
came the Lord Chancellor of Henry VIII., and
subsequently suffered death by the command of
the King. She had two sisters, Elizabeth and
Cecilia, and a brother, John, who does not
seem to have been particularly brilliant.
Of the trio of sisters, Margaret seems to have
possessed at once the superior talente and the
most attractive manners. " She was," says her
biographer, "to Sir Thomas More what Tullia
was to Cicero — his delight and comfort."
She became proficient in Latin and Greek at
quite an early age, qualifying herself, if not
for a sharer in her father's studies, at least, for
an intelligent companion. She wrote Latin
prose and verse with an ease that surprised the
scholars of the day, and none more so than Car-
dinal Pole and Erasmus. It is said that on one
occasion she wrote two declamations in English,
which her father, by way of exercise, proposed
that she should turn into Latin. He made a
translation at the same time, and when com-
paring his own with that of his daughter, it
was found to be difficult to determine which
was the most elegant version.
The patriarchal simplicity of More's house-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
215
hold is vividly described by Erasmus in a
letter to a friend.
" More," he writes, " has built, near London,
on the banks of the Thames, a commodious
house, where he converses affably with his
family, consisting of his wife, his son. and
daughter-in-law, his three daughters and their
husbands, and eleven grandchildren. There is
no man living so fond of his children, or who
constant associates of his daughters were
Erasmus, Colet, Linacre, Latimer, Lily, Pole,
Fisher, and other great scholars and divines.
But Erasmus seems to have been the most
highly valued of them all. In several of his
letters to Margaret, we find him praising her
as a woman, famous not only for piety and
virtue, but for true and solid learning. He
was pleased to call her " Britannia Decus " —
LADY MAYORESS OF
LONDON.
(Hollar's Theatrum Mulierum).
COUNTRY WOMAN WITH
MUFFLERS.
(Speed's map of England).
CITIZEN'S WIFE OF
LONDON.
(Hollar's Orratus Muliebns 1640).
possesses a more excellent temper. You would
call his house the Academy of Plato. But 1
should rather do it an injury by such a com-
parison. It is rather a school of Christiaa
goodness, in which piety, virtue, and the liberal
sciences are studied by every individual of the
family. No wrangling or intemperate language
is heard, no one is idle, the discipline of the
house is courtesy and benevolence, and everyone
performs his duties with cheerfulness and
alacrity."
Among the intimate friends of More and the
the Honour of Britain — a compliment which,
coming from him, she must have highly valued.
But it is mainly on account of her intense
filial devotion that the memory of Margaret
Roper is kept so green. And that phase of her
character seems to have been inherited. Sir
Thomas himself, at the time Lord Chancellor
of England, used to stop every morning on his
way to Westminster, to enter the King's Bench,
where his father was judge, and there kneel
and ask the old man's blessing before going to
sit in Chancery.
216
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
This attribute of strong filial love existed in
a marked degree with every member of the
More family, but it seems to have shone most
brilliantly in the eldest child, Margaret, and
was, in fact, the main-spring of her character.
She was in her nineteenth year when she fell
a victim to the "sweating sickness," a foul
disease, which was almost like a plague, and
terrified even the King himself. Sir William
Koper, in the book we have alluded to, "The
Mirror of Vertue in worldly Greatness, or the
Life of Sir Thomas More, Knight," gives an
account of thie circumstance, which throws a
vivid light upon the household at Chelsea
during those dark days of trouble.
"At such a time," he writes, "my wife (aa
many other that year were) was sick of the
sweating sickness, who, lying in so great ex-
tremity of that disease, as by no invention or
devices that physicians in such cases commonly
use (of whom she had divers, both expert, wise,
and well-learned, then continually attendaut
upon her) could she be kept from sleep, eo that
both the physicians and all other there present
despaired of her recovery, and gave her over;
her father, as he that most entirely attended
her, being in no small heaviness for her, by
prayer at God's hand sought to get her remedy.
Whereupon going up, after his usual manner,
into his aforesaid New Building there in his
chapel on his knees, with tears, most devoutly
besought Almighty God that it would like His
goodness, unto whom nothing was impossible,
if it were his blessed will, at his mediation, to
vouchsafe graciously to hear his humble
petition.
Where incontinent came into his mind that a
glister should be the only way to help her.
Which, when he told the physicians, they by
and by confessed that if there were any hope
of health that that was the very best help
indeed, much marvelling of themselves that
they had not remembered it.
Then was it immediately administered t->
her sleeping, which she could by no means have
been brought into waking. And albeit, after
she was thereby thoroughly waked, God's marks
(an evident, undoubted token of death) plainly
appeared upon her, yet she, contrary to all
their expectations, was, as it was thought, by
her father's most fervent prayers, miraculously
recovered, and at length again to perfect health
restored; whom, if it pleased God at that time
to have taken to His mercy, her father said he
would never have meddled with worldly
matters more."
LIV.
THE LADY OF WELL HALL (2).
It was shortly after her recovery from the
dangerous illness which had caused so much
alarm to Sir Thomas More that Margaret was
married, in her twentieth year, to the lanky
young lawyer, Will Roper, of Well Hall. Her
two sisters, Elizabeth and Cecilia, married
about the game time, as also did Margaret
Middleton, the daughter by a former husband
of Sir Thomas More's second wife.
A singular and interesting feature of these
marriages is that the young people continued
to live in the paternal household.
"All lived with Sir Thomas, at Chelsea; nor
did the new ties they had formed abate an
iota of the devotion to him by his entire family.
Besides these there was a poor relation of the
More family, brought up from a child among
them, another Margaret— married several years
after to their tutor, Dr. John Clement."
It was in this way that this united and
loving family lived happily together under
their patriarchal head.
But the peaceful calm which reigned over
this Chelsea household was soon to be dispelled.
Cardinal Wolsey had fallen into disgrace with
the fickle King, and Henry VIII now turned
to Sir Thomas More, who most reluctantly
was persuaded to accept the high office of
Lord Chancellor. His penetration and fore-
sight, no doubt, revealed to his mind the
dangers to himself which the dignity entailed.
The honour thus " thrust upon the unwilling
shoulders" of her father deprived Margaret
in a great measure of the teaching and com-
panionship which were so precious to her. Her
children, dear as they were, afforded no sub-
stitute for the loss of the one who was equally
missed by her husband and herself. During
these trying days, the courageous endurance
of this noble-hearted woman was doubtless
called into hourly action. The mind of the
father was oppressed by business or distracted
by the responsibilities of power Margaret
Roper, who, more than any other, was his
confidant, must have suffered many anxious
moments, for it was no difficult matter to fore-
shadow the end to which the King's policy
must ultimately lead. The new Queen— Anne
Boleyn — had already compassed the downfall
of Wolsey, and, unhappily, she was to be the
means of bringing about the destruction of
More.
Sir Thomas was too sincere for a courtier,
preferring integrity to place. The Chancellor,
after expressing his disapproval of the King's
conduct in divorcing Queen Catherine, de-
clared his intention of resigning the Chan-
cellorship. Henry resisted this action of his
Chancellor for a while, but More, urging that
he was growing old, and had need of repose,
prevailed at last, and retired from Court in
the May of the year 1532, " withdrawing to the
quiet home he had long sighed for, and to the
daughter who was its chief ornament and his
purest consolation."
The household now, however, was confronted
by financial difficulties. Sir Thomas, who had
hitherto been a liberal patron, found that he
could no longer support the heavy outlay of
his home establishment. Living under the
same roof, and in the midst of his family, the
expenses of which he had hitherto defrayed
from his revenue, the ex-Chancellor and
218
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
devoted father, would not hear of a separation
from them.
"Calling us all, that were his children, unto
him, " writes Sir William Koper, " and asking
our advice how we might now in this decay
of his ability, by the surrender of his office
so impaired, that he could not as he was wont,
and gladly would, bear out the whole charges
of them all himself, from thenceforth be able
to live and continue together, as he wished we
should, when he saw us silent, and in that case
not ready to show our opinions unto him,
"Then will I,' said he, 'shew my poor mind
to you. I have been brought up,' quoth he, ' at
Oxford, at an Inn of the Chancery, at Lincoln's
Inn, and also in the King's Court, and so forth
from the lowest degree to the highest, and yet
have I in yearly revenues at this present left
me little above a hundred pounds by the year.
So that now we must hereafter, if we like to
live together, be content to become contribu-
taries together.
' But by my counsel it shall not be best
to fall to the lowest fare first; we will not,
therefore, descend to this Oxford fare, nor to
the fare of New Inn, but we will begin with
Lincoln's Inn diet, where many right-worship-
ful and of good years do live full well.
'Which, if we find not ourselves the first
year able to maintain, then we will the next
year go one step down to New Inn fare, where-
with many an honest man is well contented.
' If that exceed our ability, too, then will
we, the next year after, descend to Oxford fare,
where many grave, learned and ancient fathers
be continually conversant.
' Which, if our ability stretch not to main-
tain neither, then may we yet, with bags and
wallets, go a-begging together, and hoping that
for pity some good folk will give us their
charity, at every man's door to sing Salve
Regina, and so still keep company and be
merry together.' "
This was a sad year for the More family.
Old Sir John More, the grandfather of Mar-
garet Eoper, and one deeply loved by the whole
circle of this united family, died. Then, after
a brief interval, came the warning to Sir
Thomas from some of his friends, that his re-
fusal to take the Oath of Supremacy would
lead him into trouble. The trouble came
quickly.
The ex-Chancellor was sent to the Tower as
a means of forcing him into the concession the
King wanted. "When the King saw that he
could by no manner of benefit win kirn to his
side then lo, went he about by terror and
threats to drive him thereunto."
Writing of the severance from the old home,
Mrs. Owen says : " He was sent to the Tower
as a means of forcing him into the required
concession. We can form a faint idea, from the
attachment already depicted between the
parties, of the agony of this separation. It
was in the lovely spring-time, when every-
thing in Nature teemed with promise, that the
dark cloud fell upon that house; the bright
face, which had been the source of sunshine
throughout it, was withdrawn, and the idolised
parent dragged away, never to be again re-
stored."
" Twelve weary months Sir Thomas lay in
prison— twelve weary months his eldest and
best beloved child wore out a burdensome
existence of suspense and pain. It will be
scarcely supposed that Margaret would relax
her efforts to obtain an interview with the
prisoner until that object had been accom-
plished; and, at length, in consequence of in-
cessant importunity, she prevailed. Poignant
had been her grief, but upon admission to
his prison she was shocked yet more deeply by
the discovery of the state of destitution to
which the royal tyrant had consigned his for-
mer favourite."
Let us now read another short selection from
the unique little book written at Well Hall
by Sir William Roper. It reveals to us the sad
spectacle of this good man in prison in close
communion with his beloved daughter, our Lady
of Well Hall.
" Now when he had remained in the Tower
little more than a month, my wife, longing
to see her father, by her earnest suit, at length
got leave to go unto him.
"At whose coming, after the seven psalms
and litany said which whensoever she
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
219
came to him, ere he fell in talk of any worldly
matters, he used accustomedly to say with her
— among other communications he said un-
to her.'
" 'I believe Megg, that they that have put me
here ween that they have done me a high dis-
pleasure; but I assure thee on my faith, mine
own good daughter, if it had not been for my
wife and ye that be my children, whom I
account the chief part of my charge, I would
not have failed long ere this to have closed
myself in as straight a room, and straighter,
too.'
" 'But since I am come hither without mine
own desert, I trust that God of His goodness
will discharge me of my care, and with His
gracious help supply my lack among you. I
find no cause, I thank God, Megg, to reckon
myself in worse case here than in mine own
house, for methinketh God maketh me a
wanton, and setteth me on His lap and dandleth
me.'
" 'Thus, by his gracious demeanour in tribu-
lation, appeared it that all the trouble that
ever chanced unto him, by his patient suffer-
ance thereof, were to him no painful punish-
ments, but of his patience profitable exercises.
And at another time, when he had first ques-
tioned with my wife a while of the order of
his wife, children, and state of his house in his
absence, he asked her how Queen Anne did.
' In faith, Father,' quoth she, ' never better.'
' Never better, Megg ! ' quoth he, ' Alas !
Megg, alas ! It pitieth me to remember into what
misery, poor soul, she will shortly come ! "
Many efforts were made to induce Sir Thomas
to change his mind as to the oath of supremacy,
not only by his friends, but by Margaret her-
self, who urged him to do as she herself had
done, namely, to take the oath with the reser-
vation, " as far as would stand with the law
of God."
Arguments, entreaties, and even tears failed,
however, to shake the determination and con-
stancy of the prisoner.
" I may tell thee, Megg," he said after one
of these encounters, " they that have com-
mitted me hither for the refusing of this oath,
not agreeable with the statute, are not by their
own law able to justify mine imprisonment;
and surely, daughter, is great pity that any
Christian prince should by a flexible council
ready to follow his affections, and by a weak
clergy lacking grace constantly to stand to
their learning, with flattery, be so shamefully
abused."
Another incident, recorded by Sir William,
shews upon what flimsy evidence the charge
of high treason was trumped up against this
good man. He writes : —
" Not long after came to him the Lord Chan-
cellor, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, with
Master Secretary, and certain other of the
Privy Council, at two several times by all
policies possible procuring him either to con-
fess to the supremacy, or precisely to deny it,
whereunto, as appeareth by his examinations
in the said great book, they could never bring
him.
Shortly thereupon Master Rich, afterwards
Lord Rich, the newly-made the King's solicitor,
Sir Richard Southwell, and one Master Palmer,
servant to the Secretary, were sent to Sir
Thomas More into the Tower to fetch away his
books from him.
And while Sir Richard Southwell and Mr.
Palmer were busy in the trussing up of his
books, Mr. Rich, pretending friendly talk with
him, among other things of a set course, as
it seemed, said thus unto him.
' Forasmuch as it is well known, Master
More, that you are a man both wise and well
learned as well in the laws of the realm as
otherwise, I pray you therefore, Sir, let me
be so bold, as of good will, to put unto you
this case. Admit there were, Sir, an Act of
Parliament that the realm should take me for
king, would not you, Master More, take me for
King?"
' Yes, Sir,' quoth Sir Thomas More, ' that
would I.'
' I put the case further,' quoth Master Rich,
' that there were an Act of Parliament that
all the realm should take me for Pope, would
not you then, Master More, take me for Pope?'
' For answer, Sir,' quoth Sir Thomas More,
220
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
'to your first case, the Parliament may well,
Master Rich, meddle with the state of temporal
princes, but to make answer to your other case,
I will put you this case: Suppose the Parlia-
ment should make a law that God should not
be God, would you then, Master Eich, say that
God were not God?"
' No, Sir,' quoth he, ' that would I not, sith
no Parliament may make any such law.'
' No more,' said Sir Thomas More — as Master
Rich reported him — ' could the Parliament
make the King supreme head of the Church.'
Upon whose only report was Sir Thomas
More indicted of high treason on the Statute
to deny the King to be supreme head of the
Church, into which indictment were put these
heinous words, maliciously, traitorously, dia-
bolically."
CHANCELLOR'S COSTUME.
CHAPTB* LV.
THE LADY OF WELL HALL (3).
The trial of Sir Thomas More took place in
due course at the Court at Westminster, where
he had been wont himself to preside as judge,
and mainly upon the evideuee of Master Rich,
to whom we alluded in the preceding chapter,
he was declared to be guilty of high treason
upon an indictment which contained the odioug
terms, maliciously, traitorously, and dia-
bolically.
Sir William Roper devotes several chapters
of his book to this remarkable trial, which
was little better than a travesty of justice,
and led to an act which is one of the blackest
stains upon our national history.
The final scene of the trial, and the inci-
dent in which our Heroine was so conspicuous
a figure, are thus described by the Squire of
Well Hall :—
Now when Sir Thomas More, for the avoid-
ing of the indictment had taken as many ex-
ceptions as he thought meet, and many more
reasons than I can now remember alleged, the
Lord Chancellor loth to have the burden of the
judgment wholly to depend upon himself, there
openly asked the advice of Lord Fitz James,
then Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench,
and joined in the Commission with him,
whether this indictme&t were sufficient or not.
Who, like a wise man answered,
" My Lords all, by St. Julian " (that was
ever his oath), " I must needs confess that if
the Act of Parliament be not unlawful, then
is the indictment in my conscience not in-
sufficient."
Whereupon the Lord Chancellor said to the
rest of the Lords : —
" Lo, my Lords, lo ! You hear what my Lord
Chief Justice saith," and so immediately gave
judgment against him.
After which ended, the Commissioners yet
further courteously offered him, if he had any-
thing else to allege for his defence, to grant
him favourable audience.
Who answered : —
" More have I not to say, my Lords, but that
like the blessed Apostle, St. Paul, as we read
in the Acts of the Apostles, was present, and
consented to the death of St. Stephen, and kept
their clothes that stoned him to death, and
yet be they now both twain holy saints in
heaven, and shall continue there friends for
ever, so I verily trust, and shall therefore
right heartily pray, that though your Lord-
ships have now here in earth been judgee to
my condemnation, we may yet hereafter in
heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting
salvation."
Thus much touching Sir Thomas More's
arraignment, being not there present myself,
have I by the creditable report of the Right
Worshipful Sir Anthony Saintleger, and partly
of Richard Haywood, and John Webb, gentle-
men, with others of good credit at the hearing
thereof present themselves, as far forth as
my poor wit and memory would serve me, here
truly rehearsed unto you.
Now, after his arraignment, departed he
from the bar to the Tower again, led by Sir
William Kingston, a tall, strong and comely
knight, Constable of the Tower, and his very
dear friend.
Who, when he had brought him from West-
222
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
minster to the Old Swan toward the Tower,
there, with a heavy heart, the tears running
down his cheeks, bade him farewell.
Sir Thomas More seeing him so sorrowful
comforted him with as good words as he could,
saying :—
"Good Master Kingston, trouble not your-
self, but be of good cheer; for I will pray for
you and for your good lady, your wife, that
we may meet in heaven together, where we
shall be merry for ever and ever."
Soon after Sir William Kingston, talking
with me of Sir Thomas More, said :—
" In good faith, Master Roper, I was ashamed
of myself that at my departing from your
father I found my heart so feeble and his
so strong, that he was fain to comfort me that
should rather have comforted him."
When Sir Thomas More came from West-
minster Tower-ward again, his daughter, my
wife, desirous to see her father, whom ehe
thought she would never see in this world
after, and also to have his final blessing, gave
attendance about the Tower Wharf, when she
knew he would pass by, before he could enter
into the Tower. There tarrying his coming, as
soon as she saw him, after his blessing upon
her knees reverently received, she hasting to-
wards him, without consideration or care for
herself, pressing in amongst the midst of the
throng and company of the guard, that with
halberds and bills went about him, hastily ran
to him, and there openly in sight of them all,
embraced him, and took him about the neck
and kissed him.
Who, well liking her most natural and dear
daughterly affection towards him, gave her his
fatherly blessing, and many godly words of
comfort besides.
From whom after she was departed, she, not
satisfied with the former sight of her dear
father, and like one that had forgotten herself,
being all ravished with the entire love of her
dear father, having respect neither of herself,
nor to the press of people and multitude that
were about him, suddenly turned back again,
ran to him as before, took him about the
neck, and divers times kissed him most lov-
ingly; and at last, with a full and heavy heart,
was fain to depart from him ; the beholding
whereof was to many of them that were present
thereat so lamentable that it made them for
very sorrow thereof to weep and mourn.
Another writer, commenting upon this sad
journey of Sir Thomas More, tells us that
"As he moved from the bar, his son rushed
through the hall, fell upon his knees, and
begged his blessing."
The same writer, giving another version of
the touching interview with Margaret says
that upon reaching the Tower Wharf, his
" dear daughter, Margaret Roper, forced her
way through the officers and halberdiers that
surrounded him, clasped him round the neck,
and sobbed aloud. Sir Thomas consoled her,
and she collected sufficient power to bid him
farewell for ever; but as her father moved
on she again rushed through the crowds,
and threw herself upon his neck. Here the
weakness of nature overcame him, and he wept
as he repeated his blessing and again uttered
his Christian consolation. The people wept
too; and his guards were so much affected that
they could hardly summon up resolution to
separate the father and daughter."
There was confined in the Tower at the
same time as Sir Thomas More a close and
dear friend of the ex-Chancellor, a learned
and godly man, who, moreover, is said to have
been, on occasion, a visitor at Well Hall, pro-
bably in the days of Mr. John Eoper, the
father of Sir William.
This good man was Fisher, the Bishop of
Rochester, who was imprisoned for the same
offence as Sir Thomas, and had endured im-
prisonment for about the same length of time.
Bishop Fisher's case, was, in one sense, even
more distressing than, that of More. He was
an aged man, between 70 and 80 years old.
His sufferings were pretty much those of Sir
Thomas More's, as we may judge from a letter
written by the Bishop, from his prison in the
"Bell Tower," to Thomas Cromwell. He
writes : —
" Furthermore, I beseech you to be good
master in my necessity; for I have neither
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
228
shirt nor suit, nor yet other clothes that are
neceeary for me to wear, but that be ragged
and rent too shamefully. Notwithstanding, I
might easily suffer that, if they would keep
my body warm. But my diet also, God knoweth
how slender it is at many times. And now in
mine age, my stomach may not away with but
a few kinds of meats, which, if I want, I decay
forthwith."
Fisher was executed on the 22nd of June,
and there is a picture in the National Gallery
showing Sir Thomas More and his daughter,
Margaret Roper, standing in the gloomy prison
cell, looking through the lattice window at the
procession of the Bishop to execution.
Among the notable relics of Sir Thomas More
are the eloquent and touching letters that
passed between himself and his daughter, while
he was in the Tower. He was deprived of writing
materials, but bits of charcoal and paper were
left about by his considerate keepers, and at
least two of these letters were written by
means of such clumsy materials.
We will conclude this chapter with a tran-
scription of the last of this series of letters,
the last, indeed, that Sir Thomas ever wrote,
for it was written the day before his execution.
It is reproduced exactly as it appears in Sir
William Roper's book.
Sir THOMAS MORE was beheaded at the Tower-
hill in LONDON, on TUESDAY, the sixth day of
July, in the year of our Lord, 1535, and in the
xxvii. year of the Reign of King HENRY vin.
And on the day next before, being MONDAY, and
the fifth day of JBLY, he wrote with a coal a
letter to his daughter Mistress KOPEB, and sent
it to her (which wa> the last thing that
ever he wrote), the copy whereof here followeth.
Our Lord bless you, good daughter, and your
good husband, and your little boy, and all
yours, and all my children, and all my god-
children and all our friends. Remember me,
when ye may to my good daughter Cicily, whom
I beseech our Lord to comfort. And I send
her my blessing, and to all her children, and
pray her to pray for me. I send her an
handkerchief; and God comfort my good son
her husband. My good daughter Dance hath the
picture in parchment, that you delivered me
from my Lady Corners, her name is on the
backside. Show her that I heartily pray her
that you may send it in my name to her again,
for a token from me to pray for me. I like
special well Dorothy Coly, I pray you be good
unto her. I would wit whether this be she
that you wrote me of. If not, yet I pray you
to be good to the other, as you may in her
affliction, and to my god-daughter, Joan
Aleyn, too. Give her, I pray you, some kind
answer, for she sued hither to me this day to
pray you be good to her. I cumber you, good
Margaret, much, but I would be sorry if it
should be any longer than to-morrow. For it
is Saint Thomas' Eve, and the Utas of Saint
Peter; and therefore to-morrow long I to go
to God ; it were a day very meet and convenient
for me. I never liked your manner toward me
better than when you kissed me last; for I
love when daughterly love and dear charity
hath no desire to look to worldly courtesy.
Farewell, my dear child, and pray for me,
and I shall for you and all your friends, that
we may merrily meet in heaven. I thank you
for your great cost. I send now to my good
daughter Clement her aglorism stone, and I
send her, and my godson, and all her's God's
blessing and mine. I pray you, at time con-
venient, recommend me to my good son John
More, I liked well his natural fashion. Our
Lord bless him and his good wife my loving
daughter, to whom I pray him to be good as he
hath great cause; and that if the land of mine
come to his hand, he break not my will concern-
ing his sister Dance. And our Lord bless
Thomas and Austen and all that they shall
have.
CHMTEK LVI.
THE LADY OF WELL HALL (4).
Not long before the day of execution Margaret
Roper visited her father at the Tower. He in-
quired after the welfare of the Queen, Anne
Boleyn, who, indirectly, was the author of hie
misfortunes. Margaret replied that the Queen
had never been better. Nothing was thought
of at Court but music and sporting.
"Never better, you say, Meg?" he replied,
sadly. "Alas! it pitieth me to think into what
misery, poor eoul, she will shortly come. These
dances of hers will prove such dances as with
them she will spurn our heads off like footballs;
but it will not be long ere her head will dance
the same dance."
A message was brought to him that through
the King's "clemency" his sentence was com-
muted from " hanging, drawing and quarter-
ing" to simple decapitation; to which he
replied: —
" God preserve all my friends from such royal
favours."
One request only did he make, and this again
had reference to her, the lady of Well Hall,
who, ever since the death of her mother, seems
to have been for him the most valuable posses-
sion, and the dearest consolation the world
afforded.
" Let Margaret be allowed the liberty of being
present," he pleaded. " Permit my child's eyes
to see the last of her father."
The last scene in the great tragedy is thus
described by Sir William Roper: —
So remained Sir Thomas More in the Tower
more than a seven night after his judgment.
From whence, the day before he suffered, he
sent his shirt of hair, not willing to hare it
seen, to my wife, his dearly beloved daughter,
and a letter written with a coal plainly express-
ing the fervent desire he had to suffer oil the
morrow
And so upon the next morrow, being Tuesday,
Saint Thomas his eve, and the Utas of Saint
Peter, in the year of our Lord 1535, according as
he in his letter the day before had wished, early
in the morning came to him Sir Thomas Pope,
his singular good friend, on message from the
King and his Council, that he should before
nine of the clock of the same morning suffer
death; and that, therefore, he should forthwith
prepare himself thereto.
"Master Pope," quoth Sir Thomas More,
"for your good tidings I heartily thank you.
I have been always mnch bounden to the King's
highness for the benefits and honours that he
had still from time to time most bountifully
heaped upon me; and yet more bounden am I to
his grace for putting me into this place, where
I have had convenient time and space to have
remembrance of my end. And so help me God,
most of all. Master Pope, am I bonnden to his
highness that it pleaeeth him 90 shortly to rid
me out of the miseries of this wretched world,
and therefore will I not fail earnestly to pray
for his grace, both here, and in the world to
come."
"The King's pleasure is farther," quoth
Master Pope, " that at your execution you shall
not use many words."
" Master Pope," quoth he, " yon do well to
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No. 136.
HENRY VII.
He re-built the West Front of the Palace.
(By permission of Messrs. Macmillan)
No. 1.57.
FROISSART PRESENTING THE " POOK OF LOVES" TO
RICHARD II. AT ELTHAM PALACE.
(See text).
No. 138.
ERASMUS.
A visitor at Eltham Palace.
(See text).
No. 139,
VAN DYKE.
Had rooms at Eltham Palace.
(See text).
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
225
give me warning of his grace's pleasure, for
otherwise, at that time, had I purposed to have
spoken; but of no matter wherewith his grace,
or any other, should have had cause to be
offended. Nevertheless, whatsoever I intended,
I am ready obediently to conform myself to his
grace's commandment; and I beseech you, good
Master Pope to be a mean to his highness that
my daughter Margaret may be at my burial."
"The King is content already," quoth Master
Pope, "that your wife, children and other
friends shall have liberty to be present
thereat."
" Oh, how much beholden then," said Sir
Thomas More, "am I unto his grace, that unto
my poor burial he vouohsafeth to have so
gracious consideration."
Wherewithal, Master Pope, taking hie leave
of him, could not refrain from weeping; which
Sir Thomas More perceiving, comforted him in
this wise: —
" Quiet yourself, good Master Pope, and be
not discomforted, for I trust that we shall once
in heaven see each other full merrily, where wo
shall be sure to live and love together in joyful
bliss eternally."
Upon whose departure, Sir Thomas More, as
one who had been invited to some solemn feast,
changed himsolf into his best apparel; which
Master Lieutenant espying, advised him to put
it off, saying that he that should have it was
but a javil.
"What, Master Lieutenant," quoth he, "shall
I account him a javil that win do me this day
so singular a benefit? Nay, I assure you, were
it cloth of gold, I should think it well bestowed
on him, as Saint Cyprian did, who gave hie
executioner thirty pieces of gold."
And, albeit, at length, through Master Lieu-
tenant's inportunate persuasion, he altered his
apparel, yet, after the example of holy martyr
Saint Cyprian, did he, of that little money that
was left him, send an angel of gold to his execu-
tioner.
And so was he by Master Lieutenant brought
out of the Tower, and from thence led to the
place of execution; where, going up the scaffold,
which was so weak that it was ready to fall, he
said merrily to the Lieutenant: —
"I pray you, Master Lieutenant, see me safe
up, and for my coming down let me shift for
myself."
Then desired he all the people thereabout to
pray for him, and to bear witness with him
that he should now there suffer death in and
for the faith of the Holy Catholic Church.
Which done, he kneeled down, and, after his
prayers said, turned he to the executioner with
a cheerful countenance, and said unto him : —
"Pluck up thy spirits, man, and be not
afraid to do thine office; my neck is very short,
take heed, therefore, thou strike not awry, for
saving of thine honesty."
So passed Sir Thomas More out of this world
to his God, upon the very same day which he
most desired. Soon after his death came in-
telligence thereof to Emperor Charles. Where-
upon he sent for Sir Thomas Eliott, our English
Ambassador, and said to him: —
"My Lord Ambassador, we understand that
the King, your master, hath put his faithful
servant, and grave, wise councillor, Sir Thomas
More, to death."
Whereupon Sir Thomas Eliott answered that
" he understood nothing thereof."
"Well," said the Emperor, "it is too true;
and this will we say, of whose doings ourselves
have had these many years no small experience,
we would rather have lost the best city of our
dominions than have lost such a worthy coun-
cillor."
Which matter was, by the same Sir Thomas
Eliott, to myself, to my wife, to Master Clement
and his wife, to Master John Heywood and his
wife, and unto divers others his friends accord-
ingly reported.
When the account of More's execution was
brought to the King he was " playing at tables"
with the Queen, Anno Boleyn. It would appear
that even he was somewhat conscience stricken,
for, with some signs of discomposure, he said
to his wife:
"Thou art the cause of this man's death!"
226
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
He then hastily withdrew, and shut himself
up in the solitude of his chamber.
Within a year the sequel to the tragedy was
enacted, when the beautiful Queen herself was
taken by barge from Greenwich to the Tower,
from whence she, too, was subsequently led to
her awful fate at the block.
It was the wish of Sir Thomas More to be
buried at the little family church at Chelsea,
where an epitaph, written by himself, had
already been placed in the chancel.
Margaret Roper was determined to see this
wish of her father carried out, and by un-
wearied care and exertion she succeeded in
getting his body removed from the Chapel of
St. Peter's ad Vinoula, in the Tower, where
it was at first interred, to the church wherein
he had so often worshipped, near their old
home at Chelsea. But there was another enter-
prise that possessed her mind.
Let us read its account from Mrs. Owen, who
wrote so enthusiastically of Margaret Roper
some sixty years ago.
"That beloved head, with its countenance
ever uniformly tender towards her, was an
object of ardent yearning. Immediately after
the execution, it had been put upon a pole on
London Bridge, where that of Bishop Fisher,
his companion and friend, had been fixed. The
tatter's was thrown into the Thames, in order
that Sir Thomas More's should replace it.
"Thite circumstance probably suggested to
Margaret Roper the only means by which it
was possible she could obtain the object she
desired. Watching and waiting, the time
arrived when no guard cared longer about the
preservation of 'the head of the traitor.' It
was lowered from the pole whereon it had been
raised, and Margaret tremblingly received the
precious relic before it touched the river's edge,
and, unobserved, escaped, bearing it with her.
" It is not to be supposed, however, that, sur-
rounded by spies, at that time so numerous and
so malignant, this pious deed of filial affection
remained long a secret.
"Margaret Roper was summoned before the
Council, and, bold, avowing the truth, and
maintaining her rights as well as sentiments,
she was imprisoned by order of the King. If
they hoped to terrify or subdue her they were,
however, mistaken. After suffering with calm-
ness for a period, she was unexpectedly
liberated, and permitted, without restriction, to
seek her home and family."
The Chelsea home was in unhappy oireum-
etances, for the household was in pecuniary
distress, as well as overwhelmed by grief for
the loss that had been sustained. They had to
thank the King's mercy for the confiscation of
Sir Thomas More's property, the widow being
liberally allowed for the proceeds of it an
annuity of £20 for the remainder of her life.
There was now a general breaking up of the
household. Dame Margaret Roper withdrew
herself to domestic retirement, devoting herself
to the educating of her children, and the doing
of good works, as became the lady of Well Hall.
She had five children, namely, two sons and
three daughters, and herself a lifelong student
and distinguished scholar, she was specially
qualified to lead them aright along the paths
to knowledge.
In her Chelsea days she had shewn herself no
mean contributor to the stores of literature.
Many of her Latin epistles, poems and orations
had been freely circulated, and met with
universal praise. A reply to Quintilian is said
to have rivalled in eloquence the production to
which it formed an answer. Dame Roper also
wrote a treatise "Of the four last things,"
which was characterised by so much thought
and reasoning that her father abandoned in its
favour a discourse which he had partly com-
posed upon the same subject. Added to these,
she made a translation of the Ecclesiastical
History of Eusebius from Greek into Latin, and
this was afterwards rendered into English, some
years after, by Mary, the youngest of her
daughters, who followed the literary pursuits of
her mother.
She died at Well Hall at the age of thirty-five
years, and was buried in the Roper tomb at
St. Dunstan's Church, Canterbury.
This, briefly told, is the story of Margaret
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM. 227
Roper, whom we may be proud to call the Laxly over these characters, but we seem justified in.
of Well Hall, and of her father, Sir Thomas doing so by the fact that father and daughter,
More, whose name has been much associated by their life and works, and the noble examples
with the history of the royal village of Eltham. they have set, stand forth as two of the most
We have lingered rather longer than usual beautiful figures in English history.
CHAPTER LVII.
MORE NOTES ON THE ROPERS.
Sir William Roper was the most distinguished
of this Well Hall family. We have already
read something of him in the short story of
Margaret, his wife, and of Sir Thomas More,
mainly derived from the facts supplied by the
Squire of Well Hall himself, in the book he
wrote. Let us now se« what more we can
gather about the author of the book.
SIE WILLIAM ROPER.
William Roper was born in 1496, and died in.
1578. He was the eldest son of John Roper, hia
mother being Jane, the daughter of Sir John
Fineux, the chief justice of the King's Bench.
The father, John Roper, lived at Well Hall,
having acquired the ownership of the manor,
and he aleo owned property in the parish of
St. Dunstan, Canterbury. He was Sheriff of
Kent in 1521, and held for a long time the office
of Clerk of the Pleas, or Prothonotary of the
Conrt of King's Bench. John Roper was buried
in the Roper vault in the Chapel of St. Dun-
stan's Churoh, Canterbury, on April 7th, 1524.
The will of John Roper was made in January,
1523, and it became somewhat notorious for its
provisions, which ignored the Kentish custom
of gavel-kind, and were so complicated that it
needed a special Act of Parliament, which was
passed in 1529, to give effect to them. This re-
markable will is printed in extenso in Archreo-
logia Cantiana, Vol. ii., where it occupies
twenty-one pages.
We find that the widow of John Roper wrote
a letter to Thomas Cromwell, in November,
1539, begging him to bestow the office of
Attorney to Anne of Cleves, who was about to
become the Queen of England, upon John Pil-
borough, husband of her second daughter,
Elizabeth.
It will be remembered that Cromwell was
chiefly instrumental in bringing about the
marriage of Henry VIII. to Anne of Cleves,
and being the Lord Privy Seal, was in a position
to obtain favours. The letter craving patron-
age for her sou-in-law, written by Mistress Jane
Roper, of Well Hall, is still in existence at the
Record Office. It is a matter of local interest,
so we will make a transcription of it, with all
its quaint spelling and phraseology, and we may
see in what terms it was the custom to ask such
favours in those days.
JANE BOPEE TO LOKD PEIVY SEAL CROMWELL.
In my most humble wyse, I have me
comended unto your good lordship; and, all
though, my goode lorde, I am all ready ex-
ceedingly bounden unto you for your many-
folde goodnesses evermore shewyd unto me,
and unto my poore freends for my sake,
whereof I am not able to reoompence any part
in dede, but, of bounden dutie, must persever
your daily bedewoman to God, for the con-
tinuance of your prosperous estate; yet the
good behavour of my son PILBOEOUGH, your
servaunt, towarde me, and my naturall love
to my doughter his wief , compelle me nowe to
desire most hartely your good lordship to be
good lord unto my said son, and preferre hym
to be Attourney unto the Quene, whome, as
I here saye, by Goddes grace, the Kynges
hignes pleasith shortely moost nobly to mary.
And your lordshippes soo doyng shall not be
to my said son more pleasure then to me con-
fort, which God rewarde you, you have
alliwais tendred in me; and, nevertheless,
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
229
bynde my said eon evermore both with dede
to hia litell power and good wille of hie poore
hert, to recompence duryng all hie lyfe.
And, forasmuch, also, my god lord, that I
here saye, it is the Kynges pleasure ehortely
to come down into this Countrey of Kent, I
doo prepaire to receive your lordship moost
gladly into my poore house; which is so moche
enryohed in my remembrance of your ones
beyng there, that my special trust is, ye will
never hereafter faile to be as bolde thereof as
of your owen. And thus, Almyghtie God
graunt your lordship prosperously long to
lyve in your honourable estate.
Written the xijth day of this present
monyth of November, by her which is noo
lease yours then she is bounden,
Jane Rooper.
To the Right honourable and my moost
syngular good lorde, the lorde Pryve Seale,
Geve this.
It will be seen that this singular letter is
interesting to us, in that it refers to a visit of
the King to Eltham, and alludes to 'a visit
which Thomas Cromwell had already made to
Well Hall on some previous occasion.
The youngest son of John Roper, Christopher,
who died at Lyneted Lodge, Kent, was
Escheator for the county in 1550. He married
Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Blore, of
Teynham, Kent, and was grandfather of Sir
John Roper, who was created Baron Teynham
on July 9th, 1616. The peerage is still held by
a descendant.
The eldest son, William, whose name has been
so lastingly associated with Eltham, was edu-
cated at one of the Universities, and under his
father's will, inherited the larger part of the
family properties, including the estates at
Eltham and St. Dunstan's, Canterbury. In
1523, when his father made his will, William
held jointly with him the office of Clerk of the
Pleas, or Prothonotary of the Court of King's
Bench. This post he continued to hold alone,
after his father's death, for the rest of his life.
It was his legal duties in this capacity which
apparently brought him into contact with Sir
Thomas More, and he married Margaret, the
eldest daughter of Sir Thomas, in 1525. As will
have been seen already, More was deeply
attached to young Roper, and that the affection
was reciprocated is evidenced by the charmingly
sympathetic life of Sir Thomas More, which his
son-in-law wrote at Well Hall after the execu-
tion.
Sir William Roper was an ardent Roman
Catholic to the last, and during the reign of
Queen Mary we find that he took a part in
public life. He was returned to the second and
third Parliaments of Mary, as Member for
Rochester. In this Queen's last two Parlia-
ments he sat for Canterbury. He did not, how-
ever, re-enter the House of Commons after
Queen Mary's death. ,
As a Roman Catholic, he fell under the
suspicion of Queen Elizabeth's Privy Council,
and it ie on record that in July, 1568 he was
summoned -before the Council, charged with
having relieved with money certain persons who
had fled the country, and had printed books
against the Queen's Government.
He made his submission, and in November,
1569, entered into a bond to bo of good
behaviour, and to appear before the Council
when summoned.
Along with Sir William Cordell, Master of the
Rolls, we find that Sir William Roper was
nominated visitor to the new foundation of St.
John's College, Oxford, by Sir Thomas Whyte,
the founder. The validity of the appointment
was, however, disputed by Robert Home,
Bishop of Winchester, in 1571.
Sir William Roper resigned his office of
Prothonotary in 1577, after holding the post for
fifty-four years. He was succeeded in those
duties by his eldest son, Thomas Roper.
Sir William died on January 4th, 1577-8, at the
advanced age of 82 years, and was buried in
St. Dunstan's Church, Canterbury. His wife
had died, thirty-three years before, at Well
Hall. He left two sons, Thomas and Anthony,
and three daughters. Thomas succeeded to the
Eltham property, and was buried at St. Dun-
etan's in 1597. The family of William Roper
died out in the male line at the end of the
seventeenth century, when Elizabeth Roper,
230
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
wife of Edward Henshaw, of Hampshire, be-
came the sole heiress of the Eltham and St.
Dunstan Estates.
There are frequent references to Sir William
Roper and other members of the family in the
parish records, and the name is also perpetu-
ated by the street leading from the High-street
to the National Schools, which is called
" Roper-etreet."
A reference to one of the Ropers is that of
John Ford, who was Vicar of Eltham for thirty
years, namely, from 1598 to 1628. This gentle-
man does not seem to have worked very
amicably with Sir William, who was a Papist,
while Master Ford was apparently Puritan.
The Vicar writes: —
"22 Oct., 1623. Sir William Roper returned
from France, where he had remained a Catholic
for 14 years.
" Memorandum, that Mr. William Roper
holdeth a certain parcel of wood amongst his
woods, called the Vicar's spring, containing by
estimate 15 acres, and payed for the same 15s.
a year, as a most ungodly lease expresseth more
at large. I leave a memorial to all Vicars
succeeding after me, for there are yet so many
years in the lease to come, being granted in the
third of King Edward VI., by one Sir Henry
Underwood, Vicar of Eltham, for four score
and nineteen years by me John Forde, vie., of
Eltham, 44 Elizabeth, A.D. 1602."
"The Vicar's diet at Mr. Roper's table was
dew to all Vicars for the aforesaid weed till
Sir William Roper came, but then denied to me
John Forde, Vicar, although justified unto me
by his own mother. John Forde."
In an earlier chapter upon the Parish Church
wo have already shewn that the advowson of the
Vicarage was at one time in the possession of
the Ropers.
Their memory is also kept alive by their
association with the Eltham Charities, but this
is a subject we shall allude to in a later chapter.
CllAPTEK LVI1I.
SHOOTER'S HILL.
Wo commenced our Story of Eltham with the
ancient road which rune over Shooter's-hill,
and forms the northern boundary of the parish
of Eltham. It is a fine, straight road, running
from London right away to the sea. By the
art of the road makers it has been kept up-to-
date to meet the changing circumstances of
vehicular traffic, but the interesting thing
about it ie that it runs practically upon the
same course as that of the pre-historic trackway
which some writers believe to have existed
before the Romans came and re-constructed it
according to their own methods.
So that where to-day the cycles and motors
whizz up and down the elopes of the hill, the
British basket makers of primitive days may
have trudged along conveying their goods to
the eea for exportation to the markets of the
Continent.
When one thinke of the part which this old
road has played in our national story it ie
easy to see that its complete history would need
a book all to itself. And the story of the part
of it which forms the Eltham boundary at
Shooter'e-hill is, to a great extent, that of the
road itself, so that it is quite impossible within
the limits that we have laid down for our
" Story of Eltham" to deal with its historical
associations in detail.
We have in earlier chapters alluded, in pass-
ing, to many of the great episodes it has wit-
nessed, the retreat of the defeated Bnitons, the
march of Ceesar's triumphant hosts, the tragedy
of the Roman evacuation; then, farther down
in the centuries, the progress of Wat Tyler's
disorderly rabble, the woodland festival of
Bluff King Hal, the Rogation procession of
priest and people and Parish Clerk from
Elthain Church to the cross upon the hill, and,
later, that eventful night of the Armada, when
the excited villagers beheld the blazing beacon
brightening the sky.
But this is only a little portion of the tale
of Shooter's-hill. Before the advent of railways
its roadway was the medium of traffic between
London and the Continent. Many a royal pro-
gress has it seea since the days of the early
kings down to the time, in the memory of some
who are living now, when it was decorated with
Venetian masts and flags to celebrate the
coming of Prince Albert, the father of King
Edward VII. Armies have passed and re-
passed, from days anterior to the Crusades
down to Waterloo. Along the great highway
went the pilgrims, of whom Chaucer has sung,
some stopping to rest and pray at the cross
upon the hill, on their journey to the shrine of
Saint Thomas, at Canterbury. And last, but
not the least important, that continuous train
of traffic borne by pack horses in the early
days, and by waggons in later years, of mer-
chandise for the great city.
There seems to be some difference of opinion
as to the origin of the name " Shooter's Hill."
The popular idea ia that it took its rise in the
practice of archery, which was so conspicuous a
feature of village life before the introduction
of firearms. Every village produced its bow-
men, who, when the occasion demanded, proved
a formidable contingent of the English fighting
forces. Many a battle was won for the English
through the skill and prowess of the bowmen.
An old " Common Council-book" of the town
of Chester throws eome light upon the way
282
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
archery was practised in those days, and shows
pretty clearly hew the English bowmen were
trained from their childhood. Here is an
extract : —
" For the avoiding of idleness, all children of
six years old and upwards shall on week-days
be set to school, or some virtuous labour,
whereby they may hereafter get an honest
living; and on Sundays and holy days they
shall resort to their parish churches and there
abide during the time of divine service, and in
the afternoon all the said male children shall
be exercised in shooting with bows and arrows,
for pins and points only ; and that their parents
furnish them with bows and arrows, pins and
points, for that purpose, according to the
statute lately made for the maintenance of
shooting in long bows and artillery, being the
ancient defence of the kingdom."
Prom this it will be seen that the custom was
national, and made necessary by "statute."
We use the term "artillery" now-a-days for
the cannon of warfare, but in old days the
name was specially applied to bows and arrows.
In I. Samuel, xx., 40, we read : " And Jonathan
gave his artillery (i.e., ' bows and arrows ') unto
hie lad."
But an ingenious writer in " The Kentish
Note Book," May 14th, 1892, is inclined to
dispute the theory that " Shooter's-hill" derives
its name from its association with archery. He
says: —
" Every parish, in 1385, had to provide a place
where every youth had to practise with the
longibow. Where the -targets were erected was
not called Shooter' Vhill, green, field, or close,
for Butts was the term used, the memory of
which is often perpetual in local names,"
such as "Butt-lane," "Butt-close," "Buts-
field," " Butts Green," &c.
"I very much question," he continues, "if
Butts ever existed at Shooter's-hill, because
there was no necessity for them. They were
usually in close proximity to the parish church.
Islington Butts, Lambeth Butts, Newington
Butts were so situated. In Deptford, Butt
Lane led to them and in Greenwich, we learn
from old deeds, the ' Butts where the archers
were wont to exercise ' were in Stockwell-street,
a good bow-shot from the church.
"Eltham, in which parish Shooter's-hill is
situated, had its Butts in ' Butslow,' west of the
main road leading to Southend. Where Wool-
wich and Plumstead had them I do not know,
but, undoubtedly, in conformity with the law,
the butts were within the confines of the
parish."
With regard to the Eltham Butts, there are
frequent references to them in the church-
warden's account, and "Eastfields," a position
north of the main road (not west, as the writer
in the "Note Book" suggests) was apparently
assigned to them.
Being satisfied that the hill was not needed
by Eltham, Plumstead, Woolwich, or Green-
wich for the purpose of butts, he proceeds to
discuss a theory of the origin of the name
" ShooterVihill," which is extremely interest-
ing. He proceeds:—
"Mr. Vincent, on p. 634 of liecords of Wool-
wich, says that the form ' Shouters-helle,' of the
year 1614, is the strangest transformation it has
undergone, but ' Shouters-helle ' is only a
dialectic or phonetic variation of the present
name. In the Patent Bolls in 1383 it was
written ' Shetteresheld.' A 'Shotar's Croft' is
mentioned in a Woolwich will, dated 1538;
' Shoters-dioh,' and ' Soutenis-diche ' occur in
leases of fields adjacent to Shooter's-hill, 1522,
all of which seem to contain the word shaw, a
wood. In a deed, dated 1608, relating to Kid-
brooke, a wood called ' Shoemakers ' is men-
tioned, which I take to be a corruption of
shaio mycell, 'the little wood." Shoe-lane was
formerly Shaw Lane, a path under the trees by
the side of the Old Bourne that ran into the
Thames at Blackfriars.
" ' Closes ' in Eltham called ' Shirte,"
' Sheterindinge,' and ' Shetterrindiug," in 1547
and 1608, all seem to point to the place being
Shaw-tor, i.e., ' wooded-hill.' This is a more
plausible explanation than ' Shooter's,' yet I
venture to put forward a more probable one
still."
Concerning the many ways of spelling the
name Shooter's-hill, the various references in
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
288
former chapters of our " Story of Eltham," to-
gether with the quotations from the old
parochial records, afford striking examples.
A second, and perhaps more probable theory
is submitted by the writer referred to.
" In former days the meetings of the various
'County Councils' were held in the open air:
' On the summit of a range of hills, on the
water-shed from which the fertilising streams
descended, at the point where the boundaries
the meetings of the shire-moot. (Gomme's
Primitive Folk Moot, p. 213.)
"Should this be the case, the name would
originally be ' Shire Tor,' and when the usage
passed away and the meaning of the second
word became obsolete, the modern Mil would be
added as a duplication, as has been the case in
various points of Great Britain, as Brindon-
hill, Somerset; Pinhow, Lancashire; Penhill,
Dumfries; Penlaw, in Dumfries, &c. (Taylor's
PRINCE HENRY.
of two or three communities touched another,
was the proper place for the common periodical
assemblage of the freemen." (Kemble's Saxons
in England, vol. i., p. 75.)
"All these qualifications unite in Shooter's-
hill; ite position is prominent, it is and was a
fertile watershed, it is at the junction of several
boundaries, and so, probably, was the place
where the moot was held.
"Many instances occur in which the word
'shire' is connected with some natural place, a
river, a brook, hill, ford, &c., in forming a
modern place name; and it is not difficult, from
the light of other facto, to connect these with
Words and Places, p. Ml.) In 1286 a jury was
sworn concerning a hunting trespass, arid
assembled at Hull Cnole, now called Howl Hill.
(Duncombe's Hereford, vol. 3, p. 101). The Hill
of Howth, near Dublin, is another instance
(Joyces Names of Places, p. 81), and many more
could be adduced did space permit."
These conflicting opinions shew how un-
certain we are as to the real derivation of the
name " Shooter's-hill." But they are interest-
ing speculations, associated as each one of them
is with striking features of the village life in
the past, and shewing how illuminating even a
place name may sometimes be made in reveal-
ing the modes of life of our forefathers.
284
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
From an elegantly printed pamphlet by the
Rev. T. B. Willson, Vicar of Shooter's-hill from
1856 to 1906, we make the following extract,
which briefly but eloquently deals with the
historical aspect of Shooter's-hill.
"If Shooter'e-hill, as a parish, is but new,
and has little history, yet the hill itself is most
closely connected with the history of England.
Over it, in ancient days, the Eomans, after they
had added our island to their mighty empire,
made oue of their great military roads which
ran almost as straight as an arrow from Dover
to London, and over it the legions passed on
their way to extend their conquests further
north. Then, after the break up of the empire,
came the wild days of the Saxon invasion, and
when Christianity and civilisation re-asserted
themselves in Kent the road became one of the
great highways from London to the coast, pass-
ing through Rochester and Canterbury.
" We can well picture Mellitus, the first
Bishop of London, after the revival of Chris-
tianity, leaving his brother Justus in Rochester,
making his way to London, and pausing when
he reached the top of the hill to gaze on the
Thames valley and discern in the distance the
buildings which clustered round the hill upon
which St. Paul's now stands. Then, as the
centuries rolled by, the road as a great highway
grew in importance, and the thirteenth and
sixteenth centuries saw many parties of
pilgrims who passed that way, as ' from every
schires end of Engelond to Canterbury they
wende' to pay their devotions at the 'Holy
blissful Martyr,' St. Thomas of Canterbury,
and these parties must often have rejoiced when
they safely passed the ' perils of robbers,'
which, almost to our own day, alarmed many
wayfarers as they climbed the hill.
"Thus the years rolled by, and Shooter's-hill
witnessed many and noted companies of
travellers. The days of the mail coaches made
it a place of importance as the end of the first
stage from London, and the Bull Inn, where
they changed horses, saw many famous men
and women pass its doors from 1749 (when it
was first built) until the iron horse superseded
the old method of travelling, and the last
coach drove from London to Dover."
CHAPTER LIX.
SHOOTER'S HILL (2).
"THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD."
In the old days there were few spots round
the Metropolis which had a worse repute than
Shooter's-hill for the robberies, outrages and
murders committed by highwaymen on ite
lonely road. Blackheath was infested by
robbers of this class, who found cover in the
heath that grew so profusely there. But the
long and narrow road through the Shooter's-
hill woods was even better suited for their dark
deeds, and to pass the dangerous hill without
molestation was a thing to be thankful for.
And it was not for any lack of warning that
such ill deeds would bring their punishment
that these desperadoes went on with their evil
work. The gibbet was standing before their
eyes, somewhere about the spot where the
police-station now is, and it was quite a
common thing to see the corpses of miserable
wretches dangling from the cross-bars, in
chains.
Plenty of examples of the villainous doings of
these men can be culled from the newspapers of
the eigtheenth century, and as the story of
Shooter's-hill could not possibly be complete
without some mention of them, we will give
presently the newspaper accounts of a few of
the more notorious cases.
The authorities recognised that the natural
characteristics of Shooter's-hill were helpful to
the robbers, and from time to time alterations
were made in the road with the object of lessen-
ing the dangers, as well as improving the road-
way.
As far back as the time of Edward II., we
find that the highway was enlarged at
" Shoter's-hill " — "a place of great dread to
travellers, owing to the narrowness of the road
over it, and the continual lurking nests of
robbers in the woods and coppices." Further
alterations were made in the time of Edward
III. (1327). But it was not till 1739 that the
road was re-constructed, a change which
deprived the thieves of those natural advan-
tages that enabled them to so easily entrap
their victims.
Sixty years later the road underwent another
change, namely, in 1796, when it was given the
form which is familiar to us at the present day.
Tradition associates the name of Dick Turpin
with Shooter's-hill. It is quite possible that
this daring highway thief may have committed
some of his crimes here; but the story that it
was at the old Bull that he perpetrated the
'brutal crime of putting the landlady upon the
tavern fire is questioned by Mr. W. T. Vincent,
in his "Records of the Woolwich District."
Mr. Vincent, who searched the oldest and most
authentic authorities, tells us that the oocur-
rance took place at the Bull at Loughton, in
Essex.
THE CAPTAIN'S ADVENTURE.
The following circumstances were communi-
cated to the "Kentish Note Book," in Decem-
ber, 1888, the account being copied from a news-
paper cutting, dated March, 1792: —
" Captain Dempster, accompanied by a lady,
was returning to London from Gravesend, on
Friday night, about half-past ten o'clock. At
the foot of Shooter's-hill the chaise suddenly
stopped, and the captain let down the front
glass, and called to the poet boy to know why
he did not proceed.
286
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" When, after a few groans, he replied that
he had been suddenly knocked from off his
horse, and that he was at first eo stunned by
the fall, as to be unable to reply, and that the
darkness of the night had prevented his observ-
ing anyone coming towards him, but that a
man had hold of the horses' heads.
"The chaise door on the side the lady sat
was in a few moments after opened, and a man
appeared at it, at whom the captain discharged
a pistol. The fellow fell backwards, but
whether from fright or from any wound he
might have received, is not ascertained.
The other door was now opened, and the cap-
tain fired a second pistol at the fellow who
stood at it, but who, from the flash, Mr. D.
observed kept rather towards the back of the
carriage, by which he probably saved his life.
The captain had no ammunition left, but
refused to deliver his money, and one of the
footpads discharged a pistol into the chaise.
In about two minutes after, on his still refus-
ing to deliver, a second pistol was fired through
the carriage, and so on, every two minutes,
until six pistols were fired. They always keep-
ing rather behind the chaise doors, in order
as well to conceal their persons as to protect
themselves.
"At length, owing to the fright the lady who
accompanied Captain Dempster was in, he was
induced to comply with their demands. They
then ordered him to throw his watch and
money out of the window into the road. He
threw them one guinea and a half and his
watoh, which, with the chain and seals affixed
to it was valued at one hundred guineas, and
by their direction, the chaise drove on."
A GENTLEMAN IN DISTRESS.
The following incident not only reveals the
impudence of some of these scoundrels, who
went about their business sometimes in broad
daylight, and actually committed their
robberies in sight of other people, who, possibly
through fright, were helpless to render assist-
ance, but there is a touch of humour in the
rascal's plea that he was "a gentleman in dis-
tress." The account is taken from The
Kentish Gazette of Saturday, June 24th, 1769 :
" Monday evening, about nine o'clock, in the
lane between Shooter's-hill and Eltham, in
Kent, a post-ohaise, with a Lady and Gentle-
man therein, and some Gentlemen and Ladies
on foot, within fifty yards thereof of the same
party, who had been regaling on the hill with
tea, and reviewing the prospect, in returning
h«me thence, were robbed of their watches and
money by a middle-aged, genteel man, who pre-
sented an uncommonly large, bright horee
pistol, with brass ornaments, and represented
himself as a Gentleman in distress."
AN ELTHAM EXCISEMAN BOBBED.
The Birmingham Gazette, or the General
Correspondent, of November 16th, 1741, pub-
lished the following note on a robbery which is
Eltham history in more senses than one: —
"On Saturday last, a Riding Officer, belong-
ing to the Excise at Eltham, in Kent, was
robb'd by a single Highway man, on Shooter's
Hill, of about £20, seventeen whereof he had
received of some County Tradesmen to pay in
for them for their Duty at the office."
DINERS AT THE BLACK BULL.
The following two cases, among others, are
recorded by Mr. Vincent in his "Records of
Woolwich" :—
"July 22nd,, 1785.— On Thursday evening,
exactly at nine o'clock, eight gentlemen, of a
respectable character in the City, having been
at an annual dinner at the Black Bull, on
Shooter's Hill, returning in two coaches to
town, were stopped by two highwaymen, well
mounted, who thrust their pistols into each
coach, and collected upwards of twenty pounds.
"Not being satisfied without their watches,
they were opening the door to search, but, a
post chaise suddenly coming by, the villains
rode after the postiboy, who, not stopping
directly they ordered him, one of the robbers
discharged his pistol at the lad, and then took
a small sum from the passengers, and treated
the driver with great inhumanity for what they
called his inattention."
POLITE FOOTPADS.
September, 1752. — Last Thursday, in the after-
noon, between five and six a young gentleman
was robbed in the Woolwich stage-coach by two
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
287
highwaymen, genteelly mounted, near the
Artichoke, at Blaokheath. They both oame up
to the coach door; one of them clapped a pistol
to his breast and demanded his money, on
which he delivered up all he had, but desired
that they would return him one shilling to
pay his coach fare, which they refused, but
otherwise behaved very complaisantly, shook
hands with him and wished him good-night.
They demanded money of a woman that was in
the coach, but she having only two shillings,
they thought that not worth taking. They
were both young men, and went off towards
Shooter's-hill."
"ON BUSINESS LINES."
As late as the year 1800 we find these " gentle-
men of the road" were quite masters of the
situation at Shooter's-hill. So impotent were
the authorities in the matter that the thieves
even went to the extent of organising a system
of tolls, issuing tickets or passes, at a certain
price, to ensure a safe passage across the hill.
Mr. Vincent tells us that "when Dr. Watson
was tutor to Princess Charlotte at Shrewsbury
House, in 1800, he was furnished (for a hand-
some consideration) with a certificate for the
knights of the road which carried him safely
past their marked videttes upon the hill, and
was respected by every bushranger from end to
end of the dreaded highway."
A writer in the "Kentish Note Book" tells
us, in connection with this circumstance, that
the impudent rogues would not allow the Prin-
cess herself to pass from Shrewsbury House to
and from London until they had been
"squared" by Dr. Watson, on behalf of Her
Hoyal Highness. Those were, indeed, "the
good old times."
CHAPTER LX.
SHOOTER'S HILL (3).
MORE ABOUT THE HIGHWAYMEN.
In our own day, with our highly organised
system of police, it is difficult to imagine the
conditions of social life which permitted such
bare-faced outrages as those which were regu-
larly perpetrated at Shooter's-hill, even as late
as a hundred years ago.
But the opportunities for these practices were
greater then than now. Travelling was slow,
there was no telegraphic system in operation,
and the officers of justice, wio were the pre-
cursors of the modern policemen, were more or
less impotent individuals, quite incapable of
dealing with such an evil.
Nevertheless the "gentlemen of the road,"
notwithstanding their successes, led a pre-
carious life; they were driven to living in
hiding, and to be constantly on the alert
against surprise and arrest, while the grim-
looking gibbet at the cross-roads was a per-
petual reminder of the fate that awaited them
should they be captured.
Mr. Vincent says: "I have met with old in-
habitants who remember two ruffians being
hanged and gibbeted at the top of the hill, and
two others by the cross-roads at Eltham
Bottom. These latter were Eussell and King,
a couple of desperadoes, who resided at Black-
heath, and suffered the penalty of their crimes
in 1809. Their bones were discovered when the
police-station was built"— just above where the
Herbert Hospital stands.
Many of our best writers of fiction have made
the highwayman an interesting and picturesque
figure in the tales they have had to tell, and
the rascal has often been made to contribute
to a humorous situation, generally at the ex-
pense of someone else. But occasions have
sometimes occurred outside the sphere of fiction
in which that gentleman has met his match,
and found the tables turned upon him, and
the laugh against him. An incident of this
kind actually took place at Shooter's-hill. We
will give the circumstance in the words of the
one who was best qualified to recount it: —
"THE TABLES TURNED."
This exquisite story of how a sailor, on his
way from Chatham to London, turned the
tables on a band of highwaymen, who were in
wait about Shooter's-hill, is contained in —
Jackson's Recantation;
or the Life and Death of the notorious High-
wayman now hanging in chains at Hampstead.
Delivered To a Friend a Little
before Execution,
Wherein is truly discovered the whole
Mystery of that Wicked and
Fatal Profession of
Padding on the Jtoad.
London, Printed for T. B. in the year 1674.
The story is reprinted in the third volume
of Messrs. Reeves and Turner's Old-Book
Collector's Miscellany, 1873, where it occupies
52 pages.
Mr. Jackson and his associates were hovering
about Shooter's-hill, expecting paid-off sea-
men from Chatham on their way to town.
After easing the pockets of a great many
stragglers, but carefully avoiding those who
came three, four, or five in a body, they met
with a parson coming from London, from whom
they took fifteen pounds, generously returning
him twenty shillings on receiving his promise
that he would inform none what had happened ;
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
289
but he, meeting with a seaman, warned him to
turn back, lest he should meet with the same
misfortune.
The remainder of the story we will tell in
Mr. Jackson's own words : —
"The resolute seaman would not believe the
parson, thinking it some idle chimera of his own
invention, and so went on hie way, and the
parson on his.
"Coming up to the seaman, we told him to
stand, who asked us what we meant.
" We told him that we wanted money.
"'Alas! gentlemen,' said he, 'It is true I
have some, which I received for my pay in his
Majesty's Service, and therefore it is pity to
take that from me which I am carrying home
for the maintenance of my poor wife and chil-
dren. '
If he had persuaded an angel to have been
his orator, and pleaded in his behalf, it would
have been all one, for no other sound pleased
us but his money.
" When he saw that there was no remedy, he
delivered all he had, which was sixty-five
pounds.
" ' Now, gentle/nen,' said he, ' let me beg one
request of you, and that is, since I dare not go
home to my wife, and at present know not
what course of life to steer, admit me into your
company; you see I am limbed well enough,
and I have courage and strength enough to
qualify me for your occupation.'
"We asked him whether he was in earnest;
he swore a hundred oaths he was in earnest,
and was ready to be tried at that instant; in-
sisting farther that he was greatly in love with
a trade that could get as much money in six
minutes as he could in three years.
"I was then the purse-bearer, and, finding
that we had done enough for that day, we
appointed a place to meet at, and so distributed
ourselves for the present; only I had the charge
of the seaman, who was wretchedly mounted,
and therefore I needed not to fear him; besides
as we rode along, I bound him over and over
again, by oaths, to stand to what promise he
had made us.
"At length, riding in a lane, suspecting no-
thing in the least, he turned his little hobby
on me, and, seizing my bridle before I was
aware, claps to my breast a little ugly brass-
barrelled pistol, and swore, as if he had been
one of the trade for above twenty years, if I
would not instantly dismount he would send a
bullet through my heart.
"I saw by his frightful countenance that
there was no dallying, so I dismounted, and
gave him my horse, and he in his kindness bid
me take hie.
"Such a beast I never saw on a common; so
poor, so weak, that I was thinking to commit
my safety to my own, and not to his legs.
"You may imagine what a sweat I was in,
being thus dismounted, for having committed
BO nwny robberies that day, should I be met
by any of the country, they would conclude me
one of the robbers, seeing a man so splendidly
accoutred, riding on a beast hardly fit to feed
crows and ravens.
"The night coming on favoured me, and I
got among my associates; and now I shall give
you guess whether their laughter or sorrow
was greatest ? First, that a stout thief (for so I
was accounted) should be robbed by a hobby-
horse and a pot-gun; and, secondly, so much
money lost (above one hundred and eighty
pounds, we learn from a previous part of Mr.
Jackson's narration), money that we thought
secure beyond the probability of re-taking.
" We heard that the seaman, after he had
paid himself, summoned in such brethren as
had been robbed by us, and none else, but the
parson, and ho returned them their money,"
SAMUEL PEPYS AND SHOOTER'S HILL.
In the quaintly written but most interesting
diary of Samuel Pepye, we get several refer-
ences to Shooter's-hill. One of them bears
directly upon that aspect of the history of the
place which we are now considering, and gives
us a grim and realistic picture of what was a
common sight for the wayfarer in the days of
Charles II.
Pepys had been paying a visit to Rochester,
and in his characteristic style describes the
journey from Dartford to Shooter's-hill, in the
240
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
company of Captain Cuttanee and Mrs. Anne.
On coming to Shooter's-Mll, the diarist says: —
"By-and-bye we came to two little girls keep-
ing cows, and I saw one of them very pretty,
so I had a mind to make her ask my blessing,
and telling her that I was her godfather, she
asked innocently whether I was Ned Wooding,
and I said I was.
"So she kneeled
called : —
down, and very simply
' Pray, godfather, pray to God to bless me.'
cruelly murdered two men near unto Shooter's-
hill, in Kent; the one of them was a wealthy
merchant in London, named George Sanders,
tho other John Beano of Woolwich.
"On Tuesday the said George Brown, receiv-
ing recent intelligence by letter from Mistress
Ann Drewry that Master Sanders should lodge
that night in the house of one Master Barnes,
of Woolwich, and from thence go on foot to
Saint Mary Cray the next morning, lay in wait
for him and John Beane, servant to Master
"Which made us all merry, and I gave her
twopence."
Then follows a gruesome picture. "Going
on," he writes, " Mrs. Anne and I rode under
a man that hangs at Shooter's-hill, and a filthy
sight it was, to see how his flesh is shrunk to
his bones. So home, and I found all well."
Yet another old writer, John Stow, has left
on record a tragic incident of Shooter's-hill,
which reveals to us its condition in the days of
Queen Elizabeth, and, as Mr. Vincent observes,
earned for the locality tho name of the " Hill
of Blood." The following is Stow's record: —
"On the 25th of March, 1573, being the
Wednesday in Easter week, George Brown
Barnes, but John Beane, having ten or eleven
wounds, and being left for dead, by God's
providence revived again, and, creeping away
all four, was found by an old man and his
maiden, and taken to Woolwich, where he gave
evident marks of the murderer, who was after-
wards hanged up in chains near unto the place
where he had done the fact."
We often like to talk of the "good old
times," and to try and realise the bright, sunny
and haippy features of "merrie England,"
sometimes wishing perhaps that we might see
those days again. But the story of Shooter's-
hill reminds us that there were dark and ugly
No. 140.
THE EARL OF ESSEX.
Parliamentary General, who died at Eltham Palace
(See text).
No. 141.
SIR JOHN SHAW. (First Baronet, Created 1665).
From the Family Portrait by Sir Peter Lely. By special permission of the
Rev. Sir Charles Shaw, Barl.
(Copyright for this book only)
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM. 241
blots on the picture, and, notwithstanding the the dangerous enterprise that it was in the
fact that we are far from being perfect, even days of Samuel Pepye, or even at the beginning
in the early years of the twentieth century, we of last century, nor is the fair face of the
may very well congratulate ourselves that the countryside disfigured by the gruesome
journey from Eltham to Woolwich is not now spectacle of the gallows tree at the cross-roads.
18
CHAPTER LXI.
SHOOTER'S HILL (4).
SHOOTER'S HILL IN LITERATURE.
Shooter's-hill is frequently alluded to in
English literature. Pepys we have already
mentioned. Charles Dickens makes it the scene
in the opening chapter of "The Tale of Two
Cities," and those who know their " Pickwick"
will remember with pride that when the elder
Weller gave up driving his famous coach he
retired to an "excellent public-.house" at
Shooter's-hill. Lord Byron gives it some pro-
minent in " Don Juan," and that humble but
sincere writer, Robert Bloomfield, the Suffolk
poet, has left some interesting verses upon it.
The magnificent prospect to be obtained from
the summit of Shooter's-hill has often been
described. The grand old river, with the
mighty city upon its banks, on the one hand,
and the fair fields of beautiful Kent on the
other, are, indeed, worthy themes for the
descriptive writer, whether of prose or poetry.
One of such descriptions is to be found in the
little-known novel, "Roxana," by De Foe, and
as it describes the scene as it appeared in the
reign of Charles II., we will make some ex-
tracts from it here. Roxana, the lady who
is the central character of the book, is on
a journey from London to Dover, and she is
supposed to be the writer : —
"At St. George's Church, Southwark, we
were met by three gentlemen on horseback, who
were merchants of my husband's acquaintance,
and had come out a-purpose to go half a day's
journey with us; and as they kept talking to
us at the coach side, we went a good pace, and
were very merry together; we stopped at the
best house of entertainment on Shooter's-hill.
Here we stopped about an hour, and drank
some wine ; and my husband, whose chief study
was how to please and divert me, caused me to
alight out of the coach; which the gentlemen
who accompanied us observing, alighted also.
The waiter shewed ue upstairs into a large
room, whose window opened to our view a fine
prospect of the river Thames, which here, they
say, forms one of the most beautiful meanders.
" It was within an hour of high water, and
such a number of ships coming in under sail
quite astonished as well as delighted me, inso-
much that I could not help breaking out into
such like expressions : ' My dear, what a fine
sight this is; I never saw the like before!'
' Pray will they get to London this tide ?' At
which the good-naturad gentleman smiled, and
said, 'Yes, my dear; why, there is London, and
as the wind is quite fair to them, some of them
will come to an anchor in about half-an-ihour,
and all within an hour.'
" I was so much taken up with looking down
the river that till my husband spoke I had not
once looked up the river; but when I did, and
saw London, the Monument, the Caithedral
Church of St. Paul, and the steeples belonging
to the several parish churches, I was trans-
ported into an ecstasy, and could not refrain
from saying : ' Surely that cannot be the place
we have just come from! It must be further
off,, for that looks to be scarce three miles off,
and we have been three hours, by my watch,
coming from our lodgings in the Minories!
No, no, it is not London; it is some other
place !'
"Upon which one at the gentlemen present
offered to convince me that the place I saw was
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
243
London, if I would go up to the top of the
house, and view it from the turret. I accepted
the offer, and I, my husband, and the three
gentlemen were conducted, by the master of the
house, upstairs into the turret. If I was
delighted before with my prospect, I was now
ravished, for I was elevated above the room I
was in before, upwards of thirtv feet. I seemed
a little dizzy, for the turret being a lantern,
and giving light all ways, for some time 1
thought I was suspended in the air; but, sitting
down, and eating a mouthful of biscuit, and
drinking a glass of sack, I soon recovered, and
then the gentleman who had undertaken to con-
vince me that the place I was shewn was really
London thus began, after having drawn aside
one of the windows: —
'You see, my lady,' says the gentleman,
'the greatest, the richest, the finest, and the
most populous city in the world, at least, in
Europe, as I can assure your ladyship, upon
my knowledge, it deserves the character I have
given it.'
"But this, sir, will never convince me that the
place you now shew me is London, though I
have before hea/rd that London deserves the
character you have with so much cordiality
bestowed upon it. And this I can testify, that
London, in every particular you have men-
tioned, greatly surpasses Paris, which is
allowed by all historians and travellers to be
the second city in Europe.
"Here the gentleman, pulling out his pocket
glass, desired me to look through it, which I
did; and then he directed me to look full at
St. Paul's, and to make that the centre of my
future observations, and thereupon he promised
me conviction.
"Whilst I took my observation I sat in a
high chair, made for that purpose, with a con-
venience before you to hold the glass. I soon
found the cathedral; and then I could not help
saying: 'I have been several times up to the
stone gallery, but not quite so often up to the
iron gallery. Then I brought my eye to the
monument, ami was obliged to confess I knew it
to be such. The gentleman then moved his
glass, and desired me to look, which doing, I
said: 'I think I see Whitehall and St. James's
Park, and I see also two great buildings, like
barns, but I do not know what they axe.'
' Oh,' says the gentleman, ' they are the
Parliament Houses and Westminster Abbey.'
' They may be so,' said I; and, continuing look-
ing, I perceived the very house at Kensington
which I had lived in some time. But of that
I took no notice; yet I found my colour come,
to think what a life of gaiety I had lived.
The gentleman, perceiving my disorder, said:
' I am afraid I have tired your ladyship; I will
make but one remove, more easterly, and then
I believe you will allow the place we see to
be London.
"He might have saved himself the trouble,
for I was thoroughly convinced of my error;
but to give myself time to recover, and to hide
my confusion, I seemed not yet to be quite
convinced. I looked, and the first object that
presented itself was Aldgate Church, w.hioh,
though I confess it to my shame, I seldom saw
the inside of it, yet I was well acquainted with
the outside I saw the church, or
the steeple of the church, so plain, and I knew
it so well, that I could not help saying, with
some earnestness, 'My dear, I see our church;
the church, I mean, belonging to our neigh-
bourhood; I am sure it is Aldgate Church.'
Then I saw the Tower, and all the shipping;
and, taking my eye from the glass, I thanked
the gentleman for the trouble I had given him,
and said to him that I was fully convinced that
the place I saw was London, and that it was the
very place we came from that morning."
This is the description which the author,
De Foe, makes "Boxana" write. It is dis-
tinguished by the realism, which is character-
istic of De Foe's fiction. But, fiction or not, it
certainly suggests that the author had visited
Shooter's-hill, and surveyed the prospects him-
self.
Now let us turn to the simple verses of Robert
Bloomfield (1766-1823), the Suffolk poet, author
of the " Fanner's Boy," and many otlier pieces
descriptive of the various phases of coun-
try life. He seems to have dwelt at
Woolwich for a time, and while there
to have suffered from ill-Jiealth. He used to
244
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
olimb Shooter's-hill as a "constitutional";
and theee excursions gave rise to the lines from
which we now auote.
SHOOTEE'S HILL.
Health! I seek thee; dost thou love
The mountain top or quiet vale,
Or deign o'er humbler hills to rove
On showery June's dark south-west gale?
If so, I'll meet all blasts that blow,
With silent step, but not forlorn;
Though, goddess, at thy shrine I bow,
And woo thee each returning morn.
I see thee where, w.ith all his might,
The joyous bird his rapture tells,
Amidst the half-excluded light,
That gilds the foxglove's pendant bells;
Where, cheerily up this bold hill's side
The deepening groves triumphant climb;
In groves delight and peace abide,
And wisdom marks the lapse of time.
O'er eastward uplands, gay or rude,
Along to Erith's ivied spire,
I start, with strength and hope renew'd,
And cherish life's rekindling fire.
Now measure vales with straining eyes,
Now trace the churchyard's humble names;
Or climb brown heaths, abrupt that rise.
And overlook the winding Thames.
Sweet Health, I seek thee! Hither bring
Thy balm, that softens human ills;
Oome, on the long-drawn clouds that fling
Their shadows o'er the Sunrey hills.
Yon green-topped hills, and far away,
Where late as now I freedom stole.
And spent one dear, delicious day
On thy wild banks, romantic Mole.
Aye, there's the scene ! beyond the sweep
Of London's congregated cloud,
The dark brow'd wood, the headlong steep,
And valley paths without a cloud!
Here, Thames, I watoh thy flowing tides,
Thy thousand sails am proud to see;
But where the Mole all silent glides,
Dwells peace — and peace is wealth to me.
This far-seen monumental tower
Eeoords th' achievements of the brave,
And Angoa's subjugated power,
Who plundered on tlie eastern wave.
I would not that such turrets rise,
To point out where my bones are laid;
Save that some wandering bard might prize
The comforts of its broad, cool shade.
0, Vanity! since thou'rt decreed
Companion of our lives to be,
I'll seek the moral songster's meed,
An earthly immortality;
Most vain ! — O let me, from the past,
Remembering what to man is given,
Lay Virtue's broad foundations fast,
Whose glorious turrets reach to heaven.
In strong contrast with the homely lines of
this peasant singer, are those of different senti-
ment written by Lord Byron in the eleventh
canto of "Don Juan." This is how he describes
the incident of the highwayman who attacked
Don Juan, who was journeying over Shooter's-
hill, in the direction of London : —
Don Juan got out on Shooter's-ihill ;
Sunset the time, the place the same declivity
Which looks along that vale of good and ill,
Where London streets ferment in full
activity;
While everything around was calm and still,
Except the creak of wheels, which on their
pivot he
Heard — and that bee-like, bubbling, busy hum
Of cities, that boil over with their scum.
I say, Don Juan, wrapt in contemplation,
Walk'd on behind the carriage, o'er the
summit,
And lost in wonder of so great a nation,
Gave way to't, since he could not overcome it.
"And here," he cried, "is Freedom's ohosen
station;
Here peals the people's voice, nor can entomb
it,
Racks, prisons, inquisitions; resurrection
Awaits it, each new meeting or election.
"Here are chaste wives, pure lives; here
people pay
But what they please; and if that thing be
dear,
'Tis only that they love to throw away
Their cash, to shew how much they have a
year.
Here laws are all inviolate; none lay
Traps for the traveller; every highway's
clear;
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
245
Here" — he was interrupted by a knife,
With — " your money or your life!"
These freeborn sounds proceeded from four
In ambush laid, who had perceived him
loiter
Behind his carriage; and, like handy lads,
Had seized the lu«ky hour to reconnoitre;
lu which the heedless gentleman who gads
Upon the road, unless he be a fighter,
May find himself within that isle of riches,
Exposed to lose his life, as well as breeches.
Though taken by surprise, and knowing no
English, Juan readily understood the puirport
of his assailants. The poet writes: —
Juan yet quickly understood their gesture,
And being somewhat choleric and sudden,
I>rew forth a pocket pistol from his vesture,
And fired it into his assailant's pudding—-
Who fel'l, as rolls an ox o'er in his pasture,
And roar'd out, as he writhed his native mud
in,
Unto his nearest follower, or henchman,
Oh, Jack! I'm floored by that 'ere . . . French-
man!"
But Jack and has accomplices thought fit to
run away, leaving their wounded comrade with
the enemy. By this time the friends of Juan
had gathered round, and preparations were
made to bandage the wound.
But ere they could perform this pious duity,
The dying man cried, "Hold! I've got my
gruel,
Oh! for a glass of gin! We've missed our
booty;
Let me die where I am!" And as the fuel
Of life shrunk in his heart, and thick and
sooty,
The drops fell from his death-wound, and he
drew ill,
His breath— he from his swelling throat untied
A kerchief, crying, "Give Sal that!"— and died.
Lack of further space precludes from giving
more, but this extract enables us perhaps to
form some idea of what sort of reputation
Shooter's-hill had at the time Lord Byron
wrote.
CHAPTER LXII.
SHOOTER'S HILL (5).
THE VICTORY OF SEVERNDROOG.
The interesting tower which peeps out from
among the trees on Shooter's Hill, making a
picturesque feature in the landscape, is such
a well-known landmark, and the cause of so
much inquiry as to what it ie, and why it is
there, that we will devote this chapter to the
historical event which it helps to commem-
orate. We have already alluded to it briefly
in the account of Sir William James, whom we
have included amongst the historical dead who
sleep in Eltham Churchyard.
In a number of "The Mirror," printed in
1828, we get the following account of the
Tower, as it existed then: —
"Severn Droog Castle consists of three floors.
In the lower rooms are several Indian weapons,
armour, &c., brought from Severn Droog in
1755, by Commodore James, as trophies of his
victory. The different stories are neatly fitted
up, and on the ceiling of the first, in six com-
partments, are several views of the fleet and
fortress on the day of assault. The summit is
embattled with turrets at the angles. From
the windows and roof the visitor is gratified
with extensive and beautiful views of a great
part of Kent, Surrey, and Essex, with the
Metropolis and River Thames.
"This tower was erected by Lady James, the
wife of Sir William James, who resided at
Park Place Farm, Eltham. Over the entrance
there is a broad tablet of stone, upon which
is cut the following inscription: —
This Building
was erected MDCCLXXXIV., by the
Representative of the late
SIB WILLIAM JAMES, Bart.,
To commemorate that gallant officer's
Achievement in the East Indies,
During his Command of the Company's
Marine Forces in those Seas:
And in a particular manner to record the
Conquest of
THE CASTLE OF SEVERN DROOG,
On the Coast of Malabar,
Which fell to his superior valour and
able conduct
On the 2nd day of April, MDCCLV.
The Story of Severndroog Is set forth in
Orme's " Hindostan " as follows : —
"Conagee Angria was a notorious freebooter,
belonging to the Morattoe pirates, who had
declared war by sea and laud against the Grand
Mogul, because he had employed an admiral
to protect hie Mahometan subjects against
their depredations.
By means of his prowess during this war,
Conagee Angria had raised himself from a
private man, not only to be Commander-in-
Chief of the Morattoe fleet, but was entrusted
with the government of Severndroog, one of the
strongest holds belonging to the Saha Rajah, or
King of the Morattoes, and, having seduced
others of his fellow-subjects, set up a govern-
ment against his sovereign along the sea-coast
to the extent of one hundred and twenty miles,
and an inland country of between twenty and
thirty miles towards the mountains.
The successors of this fortunate robber took
the name of Angria, and so fortified them-
selves that the rajah consented to let them
have peaceable possession upon acknowledging
his sovereignty, and paying a small tribute.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
247
In the course of fifty years, this state, by
means of piracies exercised indiscriminately
upon ships of all nations, had rendered itself
so formidable to the European traders to India
that the British East India Company alone
were compelled to keep up a maritime force,
at the annual expense of .£50,000, as a check
upon Angria, and a protection to their ships
and colonies.
Attempts had frequently been made by differ-
ent nations to overturn this piratical system,
but Angria's successes had made him insolent.
He threw off hie allegiance to his sovereign,
and slit the noses of his ambassadors who came
to demand the tribute. Under these conditions
the Rajah made proposals to the British to
attack this common enemy with their united
force.
Commodore James, at that time Commander-
in-Chief of the Company's marine force, sailed
on the 22nd of March, 1775, in the Protector, of
forty-two guns, with a ketch of sixteen guns,
and two bomb-vessels, but such was the ex-
aggerated opinion of Angria's strongholds that
the Presidency instructed him not to expose
the Company's vessels to any risk by attacking
them, but only to blockade the harbours whilst
the Morattoe army carried on their operations
by land.
Three days after, the Morattoe fleet, consist-
ing of seven grabs and sixty gallivats, came out
of Choul, having on board ten thousand land
forces; and the united fleets proceeded to
Comara Bay, where they anchored, in order to
permit the Morattoes to get their meal on
shore, since they are prohibited by their reli-
gion from eating or washing at sea.
Departing from .hence, they anchored again
about flfttem miles to the north of Severndroog,
where Rama-gee Punt, with the troops, disem-
barked, in order to proceed the rest of the
way by land.
Commodore James, now receiving intelligence
that the enemy's fleet lay at anchor in the
harbour of Severndroog, represented to the
admiral of the Morattoe fleet that by proceed-
ing immediately thither they might come upon
them in the night, and so effectually blockade
them in the harbour that few or none would be
able to escape.
The Morattoe seemed highly to approve the
proposal, but had not authority enough over
his officers to make any of them stir before
the morning, when the enemy, discovering
them under sail, immediately slipped their
cables and put to sea.
The Commodore then flung out the signal for
a general chase, but as little regard was paid
to this as to his former intention; for, although
the vessels of the Morattoes had hitherto sailed
better than the English, such was their terror
of Angria'e fleet that they all kept behind, and
suffered the protector to proceed alone almost
out of their sight.
The enemy, on the other hand, exerted them-
selves with uncommon industry, flinging over-
board all their lumber to lighten their vessels,
and not only crowding on all the sails they
could bend, but also banging up their garments
and even their turbans to catch any breath of
air.
The Protector, however, came within gun-
shot of some of the sternmost; but, the evening
approaching, Commodore James gave over the
chase, and returned to Severndroog, which he
had passed several miles.
Here he found Rama-gee Punt, with the
army besieging, as they said, the three forts on
the mainland, but they were firing only from
one gun, a four-pounder, at the distance of
two miles, and even at this distance, the troops
did not think themselves safe without digging
pits, in which they sheltered themselves,
covered up to the chin, from the enemy's fire.
The Commodore, judging from these opera-
tions that they would never take the forts, de-
termined to exceed the instructions which ho
had received from the Presidency, rather than
expose the English arms to the disgrace they
would suffer if an expedition in which they
were believed by Angria to have taken so
great a share should miscarry.
The next day, the 2nd of April, he began to
bombard and cannonade the fort of Severn-
droog, situated on the island, but, finding that
the walls on the western side, which he
248
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
attacked, were mostly cut out of the solid rock,
he changed his station to the north-east, be-
tween the island and the mainland, where,
whilst one of his broadsides plied the north-
eastern bastions of this port, the other fired on
Fort Goa, the largest of those upon the main-
land.
The bastions of Severndroog, however, were
so high that the Protector could only point
her upper tier to them, but, being anchored
within a hundred yards, the musketry in the
round tops drove the enemy from their guns,
and by noon the parapet of the north-east bas-
tion was in ruins, when a shell from the bomb-
vessel set fire to a thatched roof, which the
garrison, dreading the Protector's musketry,
were afraid to extinguish.
The blaze spreading fiercely at this dry
season of the year, all the buildings of the fort
were soon in flames, and amongst them a maga-
zine of powder blew up. On this disaster, the
inhabitants, men, women, and children, with
the greater part of the garrison, in all near
one thousand persons, ran out of the fort, and
embarking in seven or eight boats, attempted
to make their escape to Fort Goa; but they
were prevented by the English ketches, who
took them all.
The Protector now directed her fire only
against Fort Goa, when the enemy, after suffer-
ing a severe cannonade, hung out a flag as a
signal of surrender; but whale the Morattoes
were marching to take possession of it thn
Governor, perceiving that the Commodore had
not yet taken possession of Severndroog, got
into a boat, with some of his trusty men, and
crossed over to the island, hoping to be able
to maintain the fort until he should receive
assistance from Dabul, which is in sight of
it.
Upon this, the Protector renewed her fire
upon Severndroog, and the Commodore, finding
that the Governor wanted to protract the de-
fenoe until night, when it was not to be doubted
that some boats from Dabul would endeavour
to throw succours into the place, he landed
half his seamen, under cover of the fire of the
ships, who with great intrepidity, ran up to
the gate, and, cutting down the sallyport with
their axes, forced their way into it, on which
the garrison surrendered.
The other two forts on the mainland had, by
this time, hung out flags of truce, and the
Morattoes took possession of them. This was
all the work of one day, in which the spirited
resolution of Commodore James destroyed the
timorous prejudices which had for twenty
years been entertained of the impracticability
of reducing any of Angria's fortified harbours."
It was in recognition of this signal service
of Commodore James, that he was honoured
by being made a baronet, and it was in
memory of the battle that, after Sir William's
death, Dame James erected the tower, which
is so familiar a feature of the landscape.
JOHN LILBURNE (from Print— 1649— in British Museum).
By permission of Messrs. MACMILLAN & Co.
CHAPTER LXIII.
"FREE-BORN JOHN."
About the middle of the seventeenth century a
familiar figure in the rural lanes of Eltham was
the Quaker, John Lilburne. Prematurely old,
for he was only forty-three when he died,
dressed in the quaint and quiet Quaker's garb,
those who knew him not would scarcely have
recognised in that peaceful-looking person the
turbulent colonel, the restless political agitator
who had proved equally troublesome to the
Government of Charles and to that of Crom-
well, and whose name was a by-word from one
end of the kingdom to the other.
What a number of exciting experiences had
been crowded into his short ife, since the time
when, as a boy, John Lilburne used to roam
the fields between Greenwich and Eltham!
What sufferings he had undergone! Persecu-
tions he probably regarded them, for John con-
ceived that he was fighting for a righteous
cause. The irrepressible pamphleteer and
politician had suffered imprisonment, with all
the horrors that characterised that form of
punishment in those days, the pillory, and exile
from his native land. On at least one occasion
he narrowly escaped execution, and it was only
the force of circumstances which caused him to
retire to Edtham, tired and disappointed, where,
by the grace of Cromwell, he was allowed to
remain in peace, so long as he behaved himself
and where, in his new r61e of a Quaker, he lived
out his last years.
We can only briefly relate the principal oir-
250
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
cumstances in the life of this very notorious
and rather eccentric citizen of Eltham, for hie
life would really be the history of the political
unrest and agitation of the days of Charles I.
and Cromwell. But we will relate some of the
episodes, as they afford us a pretty vivid glimpse
of life in those eventful years.
"(Free- born John," as posterity has nick-
named him, although an Eltham man in the
latter years of his life, was of Greenwich by
birth, where he first saw the light in 1614.
In hie youth he read Fox's " Book of
Martyrs" and the writings of the Puritan
Divines, and by this means became imbued
with the Puritanism which a few years later
not only effected a tremendous influence upon
his own life, but also upon the life of the
nation.
In 1636, that is when 22 years of age, the
impressionable John became acquainted with
John Bastwick, who was then a prisoner in the
Gatehouse. This acquaintance resulted in Lil-
burne's having a hand in the printing of Baet-
wick's "Litany," with the further result of his
having to fly to Holland to avoid arrest.
He, however, did not long remain abroad, but
returned in December, 1637, when he was seized
and brought before the Star Chamber, on the
charge of printing and circulating unlicensed
books, more especially Prynne's " News from
Ipswich." For this offence he was fined .£500,
whipped, pilloried, and imprisoned until he
was in a mood to be obedient.
When liberated he soon entered upon the
"war-path," for in April we find him again
under arrest, and whipped from the Fleet
Prison to Palace Yard. But repression of this
kind only provoked him to greater activity.
From the pillory he loudly denounced the
bishops, scattered a number of Bastwick's tracts
amongst the crowd, and when he absolutely
refused to be silent, was finally gagged by the
officers. He was taken back from the pillory to
the prison, where he was treated with great
barbarity.
Notwithstanding his confinement, he con-
trived to write, and to get printed, some of his
stirring tracts. One of these was an apology
for separation from the Church of England,
entitled, "'Come out of her, my people"; an-
other was an account of his own imprisonment,
styled, "The Work of the Beast." It must be
borne in mind that Lilburne at this time was
only a youth of little more than twenty-three
years of age.
Now comes a petition from Lilburne to the
Long Parliament. It was presented by Crom-
well, and the Commons voted that Lilburne's
sentence was "illegal and against the liberties
of the subject," and also, " bloody, wicked,
cruel, barbarous, and tyrannical."
The same day, Lilburne, who had been re-
leased at the beginning of the Parliament, was
brought before the House of Lords, charged
with speaking against the King, but the wit-
nesses disagreed, and the charee was dismissed.
A little while after we find John directing
his energies into another channel. He went
into business as a brewer. In our own day it
is difficult to associate the puritan agitator
with an avocation of this kind. But he did not
stick to the business long, for a few years after
the Civil War broke out, and John Lilburne
was not slow in getting a commission in Lord
Brooke's foot regiment. In his new capacity he
fought in the battle of Edge-hill, but had the
ill-luck to be taken prisoner at the fight at
Brentford, November 12th, 1642. John was
now put upon his trial at Oxford on the serious
charge of high treason and taking up arms
against the King. It would have gone hard
with him, and Eltham would not have known
him in after years, nor would thie history of
him have been set down, had not the Parlia-
ment intervened by a declaration, on December
17th, 1642, threatening immediate reprisals if
Lilburne were put to death. So he was let off.
A few months after he obtained his liberty
by exchange, and Lord Essex, the Parliamen-
tary General, gave him .£300 by way of recogni-
tion of his undaunted conduct at his trial, and
he says that "he was offered a place of profit
and honour, but preferred to fight, though it
was for 8d. a day, until he saw the peace and
liberty of England restored."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
251
The 6ame year (1643) he took part in the cap-
ture of Lincoln, and was made a Major. Next
year he was transferrtd to Manchester's " Own
Dragoons," with th« rank of Lieutenant-
Colonel. But he left the Army in 1645, finding
that he could not enter the "new model"
without taking the oath.
Colonel Lilburne obtained a great reputation
for courage, and seems to have been a good
officer, but was unlucky in his military career.
He spent six months in prison at Oxford. He
was plundered of all that he had at Rupert's
relief at Newark. He was shot through the
arm at Walton Hall, and received but little pay
for his military services.
Moreover, he succeeded in quarrelling, first
with Colonel King, and then with the Earl of
Manchester, both of whom he regarded as luke-
warm, incapable and treacherous. He did his
best to get Colonel King cashiered, and was one
of the authors of the charge of high-treason
against him. The dispute with Manchester was
due to Lilburne's capturing Tickhill Castle
against Manchester's orders; and subsequently
Lilburne was one of Cromwell's witnesses
against Lord Manchester.
Now we find our "Free-born John" engaged
in a quarrel with two of his quandom fellow
sufferers. In 1645 he addressed a letter to his
old friend, Prynne, attacking the intolerance of
the Presbyterians, and claiming freedom of con-
science and freedom of speech for the Indepen-
dents. Prynne, bitterly incensed, procured a
vote of the Commons, summoning Lilburne
before the Commons for examination, but when
he appeared the committee discharged him with
a caution. A few months after, Prynne a
second time caused Lilburne, to be brought
before the committee, this time on a charge of
publishing unlicensed pamphlets, but he was
again discharged.
Then Prynne vented his malice in two
pamphlets against Colonel Lilburue : "A fresh
discovery of prodigious wandering stars and
fire-brands," and " The Liar Confounded," to
which the gallant Colonel replied by means of
a pamphlet, " Innocency and truth justified. "
Meanwhile Lilburne was ineffectually en-
deavouring to obtain from the House of Com-
mons compensation for his suffering. Cromwell
supported him. But his chances of obtaining
what he wanted were entirely destroyed by a
new indiscretion. He was overheard relating
in conversation some scandalous charges against
Speaker Lenthal. His old associates, Colonel
King and Bastwick, reported the matter to the
Commons, and Lilburne was arrested.
When brought before the committee, he
refused to answer the questions put to him,
unless the cause of his arrest was specified,
saying that their proceeding was contrary to
Magna Charta and the privileges of a free-
born denizen of England. He was sent to prison,
from whence he managed to issue pamphlets,
giving an account of his examination and
arrest, in which he attacked, not only several
members by name, but the authority of the
House of Commons itself. For this offence he
was sent to Newgate, and the Recorder of Lon-
don was ordered to proceed against him at
Quarter Sessions.
This, however, did not come off, for the
charge against the Speaker having been in-
vestigated, and found groundless, no further
proceedings were taken against John Lilburue,
who was released in October.
Soon after he petitioned the Commons for
arrears of pay, but as he refused to swear to
his accounts, he did not succeed. His case
against the Star Chamber was pleaded before
the House of Lords by Bradshaw, and the
Upper House transmitted to the Commons an
Ordinance, granting him .£2,000 in compensa-
tion for his sufferings. But the ordinance hung
fire in the Commons, and in the meantime
Prynne and the committee of accounts alleged
that Lilburne owed the State .£2,000, and
Colonel King claimed .£2,000 damages for
slander.
In this dilemma, John wrote and printed a
letter to Judge Reeve, before whom Colonel
King's claim was to be tried, explaining his
embarrassments, and asserting the justice of his
cause. Incidentally he was indiscreet enough to
reflect upon the Earl of Manchester, observing
that if Cromwell had prosecuted his charge
properly, Manchester would have lost his
head.
252
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
For this Lilburae was at once summoned
before the House of Lords, Manchester himself
occupying the chair. Lilburne refused to
answer questions, or acknowledge the jurisdic-
tion of the Lords. So he was committed to
Newgate, where he continued to defy the
authorities. To avoid obedience to their sum-
mons he barricaded himself in his cell, refused
to kneel, or take off his hat, and stopped his
ears when the charge against him was read.
The Lords sentenced him to be fined ,£4,000,
to be imprisoned for seven years in the Tower,
and to be declared for ever incapable of holding
any office, civil or military.
This sentence was followed by the inevitable
appeal to the Commons, as the "only lawful
judges as a Commoner of England, or free-born
Englishman."
The Commons appointed a committee to con-
sider the case, but it presented so many legal
and political difficulties that their report was
delayed.
Lilburno now appealed to the people by means
of an almost interminable series of pamphlets,
and in the course of his campaign he found
time to attack abuses in the election of city
magistrates, to bitterly assail the monarchy,
and to quarrel with his gaolers about the ex-
orbitant fees demanded of prisoners in the Tower.
Finally, he abused the Commons for delaying
Ida release, and again was called before the com-
mittee to answer for his scandalous pamphlets.
Despairing of help from the Commons, he
now appealed to Cromwell and the Army. The
agitators took up his case, and demanded hie
release as one of the conditions of settlement
between the Army and Parliament.
Lilburne was now allowed to argue his case
before the Commons, who ordered that .he
should have liberty to come abroad from day
to day to attend the committee and to instruct
his counsel, without a keeper.
Before hie release, Lilburne offered, if he
could obtain a reasonable proportion of justice
to leave the kingdom, and not to return as long
as the present troubles lasted.
But he had suspicions of Cromwell, whom he
very soon regarded as a " treacherous and self-
seeking intriguer." The negotiations of the
Army leaders with the King, and the sugges-
tions of royal fellow prisoners in the Tower, Jed
him to credit the story that Cromwell had sold
himself to the King. Even Cromwell's breach
with the King in Nov., 1647, which Lilburne
attributed solely to the fear of assassination,
did not remove his suspicions, and the simul-
taneous suppression of the "levelling" party
in the Army seemed conclusive proof of Crom-
well's tyrannical designs.
Soon afterwards we find the gallant Colonel
allying himself with the London " Levellers "
and the mutinous part of the Army, and raising
the cry of " Down with the House of Lords."
It is impossible within the compass of this
article to follow the tumultuous career of this
remarkable man through the years that fol-
lowed. His frequent arraignmente, imprison-
ments, intrigues, and endless pamphleteering
campaigns provide enough material for a book.
It is curious to note that he refused to agree
with the trial of Charles I. Though holding
that the King deserved death, he thought he
should have been tried by a jury, instead of the
High Court of Justice.
This restless man continued his political in-
trigues and activities after the execution of the
King, and when Cromwell held supreme power.
At length he was banished from England for
life. But from his place of retirement in Hol-
land he could not refrain from issuing more
and more pamphlets.
News of the expulsion of the Bump Parlia-
ment in 1653 excited Lilburne's hopes of re-
turning from exile. Counting on the placable
disposition of Cromwell, he boldly applied to
him for a pass to return to England. It was
not granted. So John came back without one.
He was duly arrested, and sent to Newgate.
Then followed his trial at the Old Bailey.
Popular feeling was on his side. Parliament
was petitioned on his behalf. Crowds flocked to
see him. Threats were made to rescue him.
Tickets were circulated with the legend:
"And what, shall then honest John Lilburne
die?
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
253
Three score thousand shall know the reason
why."
Cromwell tilled London with troops, but the
soldiers shouted and sounded their trumpets
when they heard that Lilburne was acquitted.
He was transferred to the Tower; thence to
Jersy, where he remained for a time. Finally
he was brought back to England, and became a
Quaker, much to the surprise of Cromwell him-
self, who, when satisfied that friend John really
intended to live quietly at Eltham, granted him
a pension of forty shillings a week. He died in
Eltham village in 1657, and was buried at
Moorfields.
A critic, writing of Colonel Lilburne, says:
" His political importance it is easy to explain.
In a revolution, where others argued about the
respective rights of King and Parliament, he
spoke always of the rights of the people. His
dauntless courage and powers of speech made
him the idol of the mob. He was ready to
assail any abuse, at any cost to himself, but
his passionate egotism made him a dangeroun
champion, and he continually sacrificed public
causes to personal resentment.
In his controversies he was credulous, care-
lees about the truth of his charges, and in-
satiably vindictive. He attacked in turn all
constituted authority— Lords, Commons.Council
of State, and Council of Officers— and quarrelled
in succession with every ally.
His epitaph, written in 1657, runs thus: —
"Is John departed, and is Lilburne gone!
Farewell to Lilburne, and farewell to John ;
But lay John here. Lay Lilburne here about.
For if they ever meet they will fall out."
QUEEN HENRIETTA.
CHAPTER LXIV.
ELTHAM LODGE.
In the brief history of Sir John Shaw, which
we gave in an earlier chapter, we referred to
the building of Eltham Lodge, the fine old
mansion which stands in the park, and now
used as the headquarters of the Eltham Golf
Club.
Sir John Shaw had supplied funds to
Charles II. when that prince was obliged to
live abroad during the administration of the
Commonwealth. After his return, however,
and when he was made King of England, he
rewarded his benefactor, Sir John Shaw, by
granting him the lease of the Manor of Eltham
on easy terms.
In the interesting little book on " Eltham
Golf Club House," written by the Rev. T. N.
Rowsell, a former Vicar of Holy Trinity
Church, and published 14 years ago, but now
out of print, we get a description of this lease,
which runs as follows : —
"I have before me as I write," says Mr.
Eowsell, "in excellent preservation, the
original lease of the Manor of Eltham, granted
by the trustees of the Queen (Queen Henrietta,
the mother of Charles II.), to Sir John Shaw
and another. It is splendidly emblazoned in
black and gold, with the portrait of her
Majesty, her own signature in her own hand-
writing, with her full titles, 'by the Grace of
God, Queen of England, Scotland, France,
and Ireland, Henrietta Marie.' Also the
signatures of the Earl of St. Alban's, Lord
Chamberlain; Sir Kenelm Digby, Chancellor;
Sir Peter Balle, Attorney-General; and others
of celebrity. It assigns the Manor and sets out
the boundaries distinctly, from Southend,
Eltham, to Home Park, Lee, embracing the
old 'ruinated' Palace (Eltham Court), and all
rights of fishing, hawking, hunting, &c., for
the sum of .£9 per annum, with 20s. additional
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
255
for the old house. It is true," continues Mr.
Eowsell, "that a fine of ,£3,700 was appended
to this ; but even so, at the then rate of money,
the payment demanded was nothing like
equivalent to the value. In reading 'between
the lines ' we may see how it helped to clear
off some of the score between Charles and his
friend."
Having obtained possession of the Manor
on a long lease. Sir John Shaw proceeded to
the building of the present house, about the
year 1663. We may fix this date pretty
accurately from an entry in the diary of John
Evelyn. On July 14th, 1664, the famous
diarist wrote thus : —
" I went to take leave of the two Mister
Howards, now going for Paris, and brought
them to Bromley; thence to Eltham to see Sir
John Shaw's new house now building. The
place is pleasant, if not too wett, but the house
is not well contrived; especially the roofe, and
rooms, too low pitched, and the kitchen where
the cellars should be ; the orangerie and aviarie
handsome, and a very large plantation about
it."
Notwithstanding this somewhat depressing
description by Evelyn, there was no doubt that
as mansions went in those days, Sir John
Shaw's new dwelling was regarded as an im-
posing structure, and worthy of the loyal
knight who took up his residence there.
Extending from the house towards Chisle-
hurst was a long avenue, which was known
as the Chase. This avenue was probably in
existence at the time, for it was said that
centuries before, King John of France, when
in voluntary exile here, used it as an exercising
ground.
To quote again from the charming little
book alluded to we get a vivid glimpse of the
times of Sir John Shaw. In reference to the
sport Mr. Rowsell says, " One of the ponds
bears the name of the " Pike Pond," though
no one of the present generation has ever seen
the ghost of a pike on it. The small stream
by Mottingham is said to have been full of
trout; and there were heronries within easy
reach, which would, doubtless, supply plenty
of quarry for the hawks or falcons. London-
—not the huge, smoky, bustling nation which
we now call by that name, but the London
of Evelyn and Pepys, the London of the
Restoration; fair without but foul within,
with its glittering veneer of wit, beauty, and
gaiety concealing its corruption— was only
nine miles away; a right royal 'pleasaunce'
must this have been, a charming resort for
the jaded courtier, or the faded Court beauty,
or for those rarer souls of finer and nobler
mould who loathed the filthiness of the age,
and would fain get away, at least for a time,
into a purer atmosphere. Some such friends
one would hope, Sir John Shaw must have
had, for he was a staid merchant, and held
much aloof from the Court."
The environment of the Lodge has greatly
changed since the days of Sir John Shaw.
It is a long step from conditions such as those
described in the last paragraph to those
associated with the business of a Golf Club
House. But the old building possesses many
distinguishing features which recall the days
of two centuries ago, and contains objects of
considerable antiquarian interest.
The Rev. T. N. Rowsell deals with many
of these matters in his characteristic way, and
as his book is now out of print we cannot do
better than read what he has to say about
them.
An old picture was found in one of the
upper rooms which would seem to have been
a rather crudely drawn representation of the
house as it originally appeared. " As a work
of art it leaves much to be desired; but, while
we marvel at the curious notion of perspective,
and admire the simpering ladies and gentle-
men, who disport themselves on the canvas,
we can scarcely help trying to conjure up a
vision of the conditions of life in which the
scene was laid."
In comparing this picture with the house
as it now presents itself, many changes are
apparent. Such changes mark the progress of
time.
" There are persons still living who recollect
the roof being entirely stripped and renovated;
256
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
in place of the old red tiles and dormer
windows, the present clumsey top of slates
was substituted, and the chimneys were 'im-
proved ' with the present heavy stacks. The
two old turrets which are shewn in the picture
are gone, if they ever existed, and no trace
remains. But the old walls, some 3ft. thick,
and the old foundations, strong as adamant,
and the bold proportions of the solid Dutch
style remain unchanged, defying time and
elements, and giving us a house ' four-square
to all the winds that blow.' "
was brought to perfection a little later by
Grinling Gibbons. And the beams which run
athwart the ceilings of the lofty rooms — who
ever saw the like! They are enough to make
the hair of a 'jerry-builder' turn grey with
envy. ' Hearts of oak were our ships, hearts
of oak were our men,' and a good deal of the
same material went to the making up of our
houses, it appears, in the old days."
Mr. Rowsell, who was a frequent visitor at
the house during the lifetime of the aged Mrs.
LANDING OF CHARLES II. AT DOVER (Painting by West).
In the room which is now devoted to
billiards it will be noticed that the 'oak-leaf,'
a symbol so intimately associated with King
Charles, is represented in the mouldings,
while over the huge fire place "the name of
the first owner is carved solidly into the upper
cornice of the woodwork."
Our attention is specially directed to the
" lordly old staircase." " What a sense of
space ! " Mr. Rowsell writes enthusiastically.
" What a command of timber ! What massive
balustrades ! The carving is not elaborate,
but it is fine and bold, of that style which
Wood, the last tenant, prior to its occupancy
by the Golf Club, and had ample opportunities
of studying the building closely, has much to
say about the old tapestry which hangs upon
the walls of the billiard room.
There is a supposition that these tapestries
were brought from the old Palace after the
Parliamentary Survey of 1649. Mr. Rowsell
strongly combats this idea, and as his com-
ments are so interesting, and the theories he
advances as to their actual origin are so
probable, we may be forgiven, perhaps, in
quoting his views at length.
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
257
" The most interesting feature of the Lodge
by far is the collection of tapestries which
surround the walls of the billiard-room. I
find, by the way, in the second lease after
the original one, which is still in the possession
of the Office of Crown Lands, that this room
was even then called the 'billiard-room,' and
it is curious that it should have reverted after
the lapse of so many years to its original pur-
pose. This room was the only sitting-room of
the aged Mrs. Wood during all the closing
years of her life, and she loved to call atten-
tion to those tapestries round the walls, long,
long after she herself had ceased to be able
to see them.
When she came with her husband to inspect
the house for the first time those walls, she
said, were covered with a common pattern of
wall-paper. While they were discussing the
question of a new and better paper to replace
this, the accidental discovery by one of the
party of a small hole in the surface led to the
stripping of the walls and the disclosure of
those fine old tapestries buried beneath.
Similar tapestries, it is said, adorned several
other of the rooms. I am told by old inhabi-
tants that they recollect seeing in their youth
large pieces of similar tapestries used in place
of carpet upon the floors of cottages in the
neighbourhood, which had been brought there
after a sale in the old house.
" Tradition says that these were a gift from
Charles II. to Sir John Shaw, at the time
of the building of the house, and that he had
brought them from his wanderings, and that
they were in some way traceable to Spain.
There is nothing improbable in this story.
' They are certainly not, what some have
supposed, a part of the furniture of the old
palace transferred hither, for, in the first
place, they are not of sufficient antiquity to be
a part of the ancient ' Arras'; and in the next
place the Parliamentary Survey of 1649 speaks
of the palace being ' out of repair and un-
tenantable,' and makes no mention of any
furniture. ( Hasted 's Kent, p. 182.)
" On the other hand, the work is just of such
a kind as was turned out by the looms of the
Low Countries, and may well have owned its
origin to the teaching of the Spaniards, and
been inspired by Spanish motives. As to the
story which they are evidently designed to
portray, it has always been a puzzle to the
curious."
Then follows an interpretation of the
pictures, which the writer asks us to accept
" for what it is worth."
" There is obviously one common feature
running through the series of pictures, and
linking them together into consecutive story;
and this feature is a piece of fruit, something
like an apple. Is it the 'Apple of Discord?'
or is it a ' Love apple? ' or is it not, I venture
to fancy, a 'Pomegranate?' Now the mean-
ing of 'Granada' is pomegranate, and Spain
is the land of the pomegranate, and the pome-
granate was, and is, the emblem of Granada;
and the struggle with the Moors for the
possession of Granada was the most memorable
thing in Spanish history, and the King and
Queen of the time, Ferdinand and Isabella,
were the most conspicuous figures in the
annals of the country; and everyone knows the
close connection between Spain and the Low
Countries, and the way in which the Spanish
occupation impressed itself upon the arts of
the Netherlands.
" Imagine, then, a commission being given
to the Flemish looms to weave some tapestries
for Henrietta Maria, Queen, or for her eon,
Charles II. What subject would they be so
likely to choose as the history of Granada?
And is there not enough in those pictures to
recall that history?
" There we seem to have a King (may it not
be Ferdinand?) choosing for himself a Queen,
Isabella of Castile, and offering her the emblem
of the State. Another panel gives the pro-
phetic utterance of a beggar to the King, such
as is so common in all old histories. Another
panel is the great battle-piece representing the
last struggle with the Moors. Another, the
safe return in triumph, with the fruits of
success. Further, we come to the more peace-
ful triumphs of the reign— the studious
Isabella, with globe and books around her,
holding an interview with Columbus, the King
and Queen upon their throne granting him his
258 THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
first commission for the discovery of America, The house ceased to be associated with the
and so on. This, at least, appears to me a Shaw family in 1839 when the lease expired.
reasonable interpretation, and we must remem- ,r „ . ,,, , , ,
Mr. Benjamin ^\ood, the husband of the lady
ber that these tapestries are but fragments,
and that if we had the whole before us we lready «*»** «*>• came to reside at the
might be able to follow out the thread with LodKe in 1838- The tenants before him were
more conclusive results." Lord Rivers, Lady Crewe, and Lord Wynford.
CHAPTER LXV.
SHERARD HOUSE.
One of the most interesting of the private
residences of Eltham is Sherard House, the
quaint Jacobean dwelling next to the Congre-
gational Church, in the High-street. The front
of the house has been changed considerably, but
the elevation towards the garden is, apparently,
as it was built in the year 1634. It is now
covered with ivy, and, with the spacious garden,
suggests the associations which made it known
ao well amongst the students of botany close on
two centuries ago. There are many quaint and
interesting features within doors; notably the
handsome mantel-pieces of carved oak, which
date back to the time when the house was
built. The old oak panelling which sur-
rounded the library is now covered with paper,
and the quaint, open fire-place, where the logs
once burned across the dog-irons to warm the
feet of James Sherard, is now substituted by a
modern grate.
But the library contains a priceless work, in
the two great volumes, " Hortus Elthamensis,"
which represent the labours of Sherard in the
field of botany, and are a lasting memorial to
his long and earnest study. These massive
books were published in the year 1732, are
printed in Latin, beautifully and copiously
illustrated, and strongly bound in leather.
They are very rare, and though out of date, so
far as botany is concerned, they are regarded
with reverence by students of that fascinating
science, for at the time of their production they
were the greatest works on plant life that had
been produced by English botanists.
There is consistency, too, in their being pre-
served in this room by Mrs. Dobell, the present
occupier of the house, for in all probability, it
was within those four walls, overlooking the
beautiful garden, which in his day had attained
a world-wide fame, that James Sherard wrote
them. And we may easily imagine that earnest
student, along with his friend, Dilennius, a
botanist of European fame, engaged here upon
their work of research and record.
By the kindness of Mrs. Dobell, we are able
to give some particulars of the early occupiers
of this interesting house. The date of its erec-
tion—1634— is fixed by the engraving upon the
water-pipe, high up upon the wing at the east
end, facing the street.
In 1699 it seems to have been occupied by a
Mr. Uvedal, who kept a school here, and is
said to have been interested in botany.
Dr. James Sherard bought the house, and
came to reside here in 1718-19. Dr. William
Sherard, a distinguished brother of James, died
here in 1728, and is said to have been buried at
Eltham. It was he who founded the Botanical
Gardens at Oxford.
The Rev. Peter Pinnell, who was Vicar of
Eltham from 1749 to 1783, and was the imme-
diate predecessor of the Rev. Shaw Brooke,
resided here, and also kept a school.
The Dorrington family occupied the house for
a long time, and Mr. Edgeworth also dwelt
there in the first half of last century. He was a
relative of the famous writer, Maria Edge-
worth, whose books were so highly prized by
our grandmothers when they were girls.
The next occupant was Mr. Jeffreys. He was
followed, in 1857, by Mr. Henry William Dobell,
and Mrs. Dobell, hie widow, is still residing
there.
260
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
THE SHEEAEDS.
Now that botany is becoming eo universal a
etudy, our young Eltham students will no doubt
like to have a more comprehensive account of
these two distinguished Eltham scholars, Wil-
liam and James Sherard. So we will give them
their history, as it is recounted in the " Gentle-
man's Magazine" for 1796.
"William Sherard, LL.D., and Fellow of All
Souls' College, Oxford. This learned naturalist,
born at Busby, in Leicestershire, in 1659, was
better known by the name of Consul Sherard,
in which capacity he resided from 1701 to 1715
at Smyrna, where he had a country house at a
place called Sedekia. It is not yet forgotten as
the residence of Sherard. In 1749 Hasselquist
visited this retreat, and viewed with all the
enthusiasm of a young botanist the spot where
the " Eegent of the Botanical World," as he
styles him, spent his summers, and cultivated
his garden.
Here Sherard collected specimens of all the
plants of Natolia and Greece, and began that
famous Herbarium which at length became the
most extensive that had ever been seen as the
work of one man, since it is said finally to have
contained 12,000 species. And here he is said to
have begun the much celebrated Pinax, to
which he continued to make additions through-
out his life.
He returned into England in 1718, soon after
which time he had the degree of Doctor of Laws
conferred upon him by the University of
Oxford.
On his returning from a tour on the Con-
tinent, in 1721, he brought over with him the
celebrated Dillenius, with whom he had before
corresponded, and whom he had encouraged to
prosecute his inquiries into the cryptogamia
class and in publishing his Plantee Gissenses.
Sherard had himself been among the earliest
in England to promote attention to this
hitherto neglected part of Nature; and in this
Dillenius had already excelled all who .had
written before him. Although Dr. Sherard had
acquired a considerable fortune in Asia, yet he
lived in the greatest privacy in London, wholly
immersed in the study of Natural History,
except when he went to his brother's seat at
Eltham.
Dr. Dillenius assisted him in his chiof em-
ployment, the carrying on his Pinax, or collec-
tion of all the names which had been given by
botanical writers to each plant. Dr. Sherard
was in a particular manner the patron of
Mr. Mark Catesby, and himself affixed the
Latin names to the plants of "The Natural
History of Carolina." He died August 12th,
1728, at Eltham, and by his will gave .£3,000 to
provide a salary for a Professor of Botany at
Oxford, on condition that Dr. Dillenius should
be chosen the first professor. He erected the
edifice at the entrance to the garden for the
use of the professor, and gave to this establish-
ment his Botanical Library, his Herbarium and
Pinax.
Dr. Sherard was among the last of those
ornaments in England of that era which
Linnaeus calls the "golden age of botany."
Having from his earliest years a relish for the
study of natural history, and in his youth
acquired a knowledge of English botany, his
repeated tours to the Continent, and his long
residence in the East afforded ample scope for
his improvement, and the acquisition of
affluence, joined to his learning and agreeable
qualities, rendered him, after his return home,
a liberal and zealous patron of the science and
of those who cultivated it. Some manuscripts
of Dr. Sherard's were presented to the Royal
Society by Mr. Ellis in the year 1766."
James Sherard, M.D., brother of William
Sherard, was apprenticed in 1682 to Charles
Watte, an apothecary, who was curator of the
Botanical Gardens at Chelsea. Under the guid-
ance of Watts, he devoted himself to botany,
but at the same time he worked hard as an
apothecary, and by many years' practice in
Mark-lane, London, accumulated an ample
fortune.
He purchased estates in Lancashire, and came
to reside at Eltham in 1718-19, when he bought
the house now known as Sherard House. It
is interesting to note that about this time
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
261
Thomas Doggett, the actor, of whom we have
already written .was living at Eltham.
Here James Sherard put into practice hie
knowledge of botany by laying out a garden,
where he pursued the cultivation of rare and
valuable plants, until the garden became noted
as one of the finest in England. It was the
catalogue of the plants grown here which
was the subject of the two noted books,
"Hortus Elthamensis," we have already
alluded to.
He was a singularly versatile man. In addi-
tion to his accomplishment as a botanist, he
was aleo ail accomplished amateur musician
and violinist. He is said to have composed
"twenty-four sonatas and twelve pieces for
the violin, violoncello, and bass, extended for
the harpsichord."
The University of Oxford conferred upon him
the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine, and
the College of Physicians admitted him to their
Fellowship without examination, and without
the payment of fees. It is recorded that the
University expected a legacy from him, hut
were disappointed by his dying on February
12th, 1738, without his having left them, any-
thing by his will. His age at death was 72
years.
He was buried at Evington, in Leicestershire.
In !fotes to Illustrations of Literary
Anecdotes, by J. Nioholls — an old book — there
are printed a number of letters from William
Sherard to Dr. Richardson, in which are
frequent references to Eltham. We will tran-
scribe a few of these: —
" London, July 28th, 1719 .... My brother's
business will not permit him to stay long out
of town, so that I am obliged to stay most of my
time at Eltham to look after the workmen.'
The following may interest local botanists: —
"London, January 20th, 1719-20.— Dear sir,—
Though I have often remembered you and
drank your good health in an evening after
feasting on your kind present, yet I have not
had eo much time by daylight as to consider
and compare your curious collection of mosses
a« I could wish, having been most of my time
at Eltham. I go thither again next week, with
my brother, and design one day each week to
make an excursion to look after mosses, but
cannot expect much success. If I meet with
anything new yon shall have it. There are
more of the Polytrichoides kind than I at first
imagined, but they rarely bear heads, and with-
out seeing them in that state I cannot dis-
tinguish whether they be musci or lichens."
"London, May 10th, 1720.— My brother gives
you his service. He is busy building his green-
house and two stoves, one at each end, and has
laid out another."
(A building supposed to have been one of
Sherard's greenhouses still exists at the lower
end of the garden).
"London, March 28th, 1721,— My brother is
busy at Eltham, building another stove to
answer that at the east end of the green-
house Mr. Rand is now with my
brother at Eltham, and rides to town as oft as
he pleases, and returns thither at night."
"London, September 7th, 1721.— It is a fort-
night this day that my brother and I returned
from our excursion to Paris, by way of Hol-
land I have brought over with me Dr.
Dillenius, who has with him most, if not all, of
his fungi painted, and all his lichens and
mosses neatly designed My brother
is at Eltham, busy in looking after his new
acquisitions and building new stoves."
"May 12th, 1722 The Doctor (Dil-
lenixis) has found some new mosses about
Eltham, but he has not had time to rove
far My brother has taken Dr. Dil-
leuius this afternoon to spend the holidays."
" November 17th, 1722 Dr. Dillenius
gives you his humble service; we are not idle,
though now and then I am forced to spare him
to paint the aloes and other plants that are not
yet figured, which flower at Eltham, and some-
times a day to look after fungi and
mosses "
(How much these old letters help us to picture
life in Eltham in those remote days! The next
shews us Sherard at work. The building
I9A
262
THE STORY OF BOYAL ELTHAM.
referred to is probably the one now in exist-
ence at the lower end of the garden.)
"London, February 23rd, 1722-3 My
brother seldom comes to town; of late, indeed,
he could not well, his gardener having been in
Holland, and returned last week, and now the
season of sowing prevents him. He has built
a very convenient house to the south of the
large mulberry tree, divided into two rooms,
one for raising seed on hot beds, the other for
keeping plants in Tanners' bark "
thoughts of seeing you and Madame Richardson
another year."
" Eltham, May 3rd, 1725 I thank you
for your invitation but my old gar-
dener having left things in the utmost disorder,
and my new one not understanding much of my
garden, this pins me down, and obliges me not
to stir from home this summer "
"Eltham, August 20th, 1728 I
presume the public papers may have given you
an account of my poor brother's death. We
GATEWAY TO BOTANNICAL GARDENS, OXFORD.
There are many other letters, full of interest
in the Eltham Garden, till at last conies the
following : —
"London, February 20th, 1724-5 My
brother's gardener has left him in a huff (which
he will have reason to repent), and he has sent
to Holland for another "
We will conclude this chapter with some ex-
tracts from letters written by Dr. James
Sherard to Dr. Richardson, full of interest as
they are to Eltham readers.
" September 10th, 1720 You are so
good as to excuse the poor entertainment you
found at Eltham, but I please myself with the
buried him last Monday at Eltham; he desired
to lie where I thought to be buried my-
self " (Then follows an account of
his brother's bequest to establish a botany pro-
fessorship at Oxford, already alluded to.)
In a subsequent letter, after alluding to the
legal proceedings on account of his brother's
bequest, he says:—
" I had determined to give my
garden to Oxford, in case the University would
build proper conveniences to keep and preserve
them; but if we find that their design is to get
the professorship, and neglect the garden, they
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
263
shall not have one plant, nor the value of one
halfpenny from me "
"Eltham, December 5th, 1732 Dr.
Dillenius has now finished his "Hortus Eltham-
ensie," and I would take the liberty of making
you a present of one copy, if I knew how to
convey it to you. It is a large book; weighs 16
or 18 pounds."
It would seem that Dillenius was responsible
for the beautiful drawings in " Hortus Eltham-
ensde." The literary work was by James
Sherard himself.
There is still another letter, November 9th,
1739, giving considerable details of the convey-
ance of the Eltham plants to Oxford, and other
matters of interest, but lack of space prevents
our giving more. The concluding words are:—
" I hope next year to see things entirely
settled, and the garden pretty well furnished,
though I cannot possibly send all my plants in
less than two or three years. Dr. Dillenius
went with me to Oxford. I expect he will
settle there next spring James
Sherard."
CHAPTER LXVI.
TWO NOTED ELTHAM FAMILIES.
THE OESAR FAMILY.
In the Public Library, Eltham, there hangs
a portrait of " Charles Caesar, Esq., the last
Surviving Male Descendant of his very numer-
ous and eminent Family; Born at Eltham in
Kent, June 30th, 1697; Died January 19th, 1780;
Buried at St. Mary le bon."
The portrait has excited a good deal of in-
terest, and many inquiries have been made as
to the identity of this interesting gentleman.
Charles Coesar was one of a family of ten
Caesars, most of whom were born at Eltham
in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
Their father was another Charles Csesar, who
was a rather noted politician of his day, being
M.P. for the town of Hertford in 1700, and
filling the office of Treasurer of the Navy.
The family of Caesar was of Italian origin,
and its ancestors, under the name of Adelmare,
were nobility residing near Venice. Caesar
Adelmare, a member of this family, having
been educated for the medical profession, in
which he had taken his degree of Doctor, in
the University of Padua, came to England in
the year 1550. Italy had at that time a great
i. MIK- for producing eminent men of that
science, and he added to the stock of its
general fame. Having practised largely for
some time in London, he was appointed a
ph36ician to Queen Mary; and in the following
reign was at the head of the medical depart-
ment at the Court. Many favours were heaped
upon him, and he became very rich. He was
the progenitor of the Caesar family in this
country.
His son Julius Csesar Adelmare dropped the
final name, and being knighted, was known as
Sir Julius Caesar. He was born at Tottenham
in 1557. He was made Master of the Bolls,
and was a very distinguished judge. He was
buried in the Chancel of Great St. Helen's,
Bishopsgate-street, London.
Another member of the family was Sir
Thomas Csesar, who became a baron of the Ex-
chequer. Henry Csesar was Dean of Ely, and
buried in Ely Cathedral in 1636.
Sir Charles Csesar, son and heir of Sir Julius,
was also Master of the Bolls. (Born 1589; died
1642.). Buried at Bennington in Hertford-
shire.
Eventually, the elder branch of the family
died out, and the title seems to have gone with
it. The Eltham Ceesars belonged to a younger
branch.
Mr. Charles Caesar, father <f the gentleman
whose features are familiar to those who
frequent the Eltham Public Library, was M.P.
for Hertford, 1700, and also Treasurer of the
Navy. He resided in Eltham a good number
of years, where most of his children were born.
His conduct in the House of Commons was
bold, if not intemperate, and became, at least
on one occasion, the object of a heavy punish-
ment. On the nineteenth of December, 1705, to
uee the exact words of the Journals of the
House, the question being put, that the in-
grossed Bill from the Lords, intitled an 'Act
for the better security of her Majesty's person
and government, and of the succession to the
Crown of England in the Protestant line,' be
now read the second time, the House divided,"
and the Bill was carried in the affirmative, Mr.
Csesar being one of the Tellers for the Noes.
" Tne Bill, therefore," contiuue the journals,
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
265
" was read a second time and Charles Czesar,
Esq., upon the debate of the said bill, standing
up in his place, saying the words following,
which were directed by the House to be set
down in writing at the table, viz., 'There is
a noble Lord, without whose advice the Queen
does nothing, who in the lat« reign was known
to keep up a constant correspondence with the
Giurt at St. Germain's.' And the said Mr.
Caesar endeavom-iug tc excuse himself, and
being directed to withdraw, and he being with-
drawn accordingly;
Hesolved, that the said words are highly dis-
honourable to her Majesty's person and govern-
ment;
Resolved, that the said Charles Caesar, Esq.,
be, for the said offence, committed prisoner to
the Tower:
Ordered, that Mr. Speaker do issue his
warrant to the Sergeant at Arms attending this
House, to take into hie custody the body of the
said Charles Caesar, Esq., and him to deliver
into the hands of the Lieutenant of her
Majesty's Tower of London, to be there kept in
safe custody during the pleasure of this House,
and also to the Lieutenant of the Tower to
receive and keep him accordingly."
The nobleman reflected 011 is elsewhere stated
to have been the Lord Treasurer Godolphin, and
the truth of the charge on him, and the other
leaders of the Whigs in that reign, was subse-
quently pretty fully established.
Ae Mr. Caesar's liberation is not recorded in
the journals, it may certainly be presumed that
he remained a prisoner till the conclusion of
the session, which was not till the nineteenth
of March. This set him at liberty. On the first
day of the next session, we find him on the
•Committee for framing the address to the
Queen's speech. His party, however, after a
long struggle, prevailed, and, on the downfall
of the Whig administration -n the autumn of
1710, he was appointed to the office of Treasurer
of the Navy, in succession to Robert Walpole.
Dean Swift seems to have been a friend of
the Caesars, and to have honoured the family
with the " unreserved freedom of a perfect in-
timacy." Among his works may be found two
letters from him to Mrs. Caeear, wife of the
gentleman of whom we have been writing, a
lady, saya the editor of Swift's Works, " re-
markable for her good sense, friendship, and
politeness, and much esteemed by the nobility
and gentry, and all people of taste, genius, and
learning."
With the death of Queen Anne, Mr. Csesar's
party went out of power, and all hope of
further ministerial advancement was lost. It is
sad to find that this able and distinguished
man, now took to gaming. In the end he
gambled away the greater part of his estates,
and left his family almost destitute.
Harris Caesar, his eldest son, was born at
Eltham, September 30th, 1691. Foreseeing the
almost total alienation of his inheritance he
entered holy orders. He obtained the Rectory of
Kensington. On the very day of his induction
to the living he caught a cold, while officiating
at a funeral. This was followed by a rapid
fever, of which he died, unmarried, in the
prime of life.
Charles James Ccrsar, the second son, whose
portrait hangs in the Public Library, was also
born at Eltham, on the 30th June, 1697. He is
said to have borne a remarkable resemblance,
both in person and features, to the supposed
eon of King James the Second.
On one occasion when that unfortunate
person was suspected to have been in England,
Mr. Cnesar was so far mistaken for him as to
have been apprehended, and for a while
detained in custody.
He followed no profession, but lived on a
small part of the wreck of the fortune of which
he became possessed by the death of his eldest
brother. In the latter part of his life he was
deprived of a great part even of that pittance
by an intimate, for whose payment of a sum of
money he had become a security. He died in
1780, and was buried at " St. Mary le bon."
Henry and Julius, other brothers were born
at Eltham, but died minors.
THE PHILIPOTS.
The name of Philipot has been preserved in
Eltham in connection with the almshoueee in
the High-street, which were established by the
will of the younger of that name. Although the
266
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
elder Philipot was not an Eltham man by birth
he was closely associated with the parish, and
his wife and eldest daughter were buried in
Eltham Church. Moreover, he was a dis-
tinguished Kentish gentleman, and we will
therefore, give a few notes about him, as well
as of his sou Thomas, to whom the parish is
indebted for the Philipot Charity.
John Philipot was born in 1589, and died in
1645. His parents were Henry Philpot, and his
wife was daughter of David Leigh, servant to
the Archbishop of Canterbury. His place of
birth was Folkestone, where his father possessed
considerable property, and had filled the office
of Mayor of the borough. The father's name
was " Philpot," but the sou changed it to
" Philipot."
John PJiilipot married Susan Glover, one of
the gentlemen ushers' daily waiters at the Court
of James 1. Robert Glover uncle to Mistress
Philipot was Somerset Herald, and probably it
was he who introduced John to the College of
Arms.
John Philipot was " appointed a pursuivant-
of arms extraordinary, with the title of Blanch
Lion, in October, 1618, and in the following
November he was created Rouge Dragon pur-
suivant-in-ordinary."
It was while occupying this office that he
was brought into familiar contact with William
Cainden, the distinguished antiquary, topo-
grapher, and herald. Camden frequently nomi-
nated Philipot as his deputy in his visitations.
In July, J623, the King appointed him bailiff of
Sandwich, and he also held the position of
lieutenant or chief gunner at Tilbury Fort, with
the fee of one shilling per day.
On another occasion, in 1633, we find that he
was sent abroad to confer the Order of Knight-
hood upon William Bosville, records of which
visit may be found in the Harleian MS, 3,917, at
the British Museum.
In 1635 he was again sent on a foreign
mission, this time to invest Charles Ludovio,
Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of
Bavaria, with the Order of the Garter.
When the Civil War broke out Phili-
pot arrayed himself on the side of
the King. He was present at the
seige of Gloucester, and was the bearer
of the summons of the King comanding the
citizens to surrender. Subsequently, he was
taken prisoner by some of the Parliamentary
soldiers, in the vicinity of Abingdon, and was
sent to London as a prisoner, in, or about, 1644.
But he was soon set at liberty. He died a few
years after, in London, where he had been liv-
ing in great obscurity, and was buried within
the precincts of the Church of St. Benet, St.
Paul's Wharf. His wife survived him about
twenty 'years. She was buried in Eltham
Church in 1664, where her eldest daughter,
Susan, was also interred.
John Philipot's principal literary work is,
"Villare Cantianum ; or Kent surveyed and
illustrated. Being an exact description of all
the Parishes, Burroughs, Villages, and other re-
spective Manners included in the Connty of
Kent." This work was published by and under
the name of Thomas Philipot, the author's son,
"who thus endeavoured dishonestly, to pass it
off as his own work." Many other works of
his were published, mostly of an historical or
topographical character, and some manuscripts
are still preserved.
Thomas Philipot, of Eltham fame, was the
son of the former. There seems some doubt
as to the exact date of his birth, but we find
him as a " fellow-commoner " at Cambridge in
1632-1633, where he graduated as M.A. in 1635.
Wood says of him, " he was, by those who well
knew him, esteemed a tolerable poet when
young, and at riper years well versed in
matters of divinity, history, and antiquities."
He was buried at Greenwich on September 30th,
1682.
" By his will, dated llth September, 1680,
after devising certain premises at Clare Hall,
Cambridge, for establishing two Kentish
Scholarships, he left his houses in the town of
Eltham, and a field, sold in 1866 to the Com-
missioners of woods and forests for ,£650, to
the Clothworkers Company, to establish six
almshouses for four people from Eltham and
two from Chislehurst. allowing them £5 each
a year.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
267
Thomas Philipot has left behind him much " Villare Cantianum," which was the work of
literary work of a historical and philosophical his father, brought down much severe criticism
character, but the publication, as his own, of upon his head.
PIKEMAN 1635 (Goo.irich Court).
INFANTRY ARMOUR 1625.
CHAPTER LXVII.
AN ELTHAM VICAR.
Although nearly seventy years have passed
since the Eev. J. K. Shaw Brooke was laid to
rest in the great Shaw vault under Eltham
Church, hie name is still a household word in
the village, for he was a man greatly revered,
of strong character, and, holding the office of
Vicar for the long period of fifty-seven years,
he has left a mark upon parochial history more
indelible, perhaps, than that of any preceding
Vicar.
Of memorials of this village divine, who was
so affectionately regarded by all his
parishioners, there are several of a material
character in existence. In the sacristy of the
Parish Church there hangs an oil painting of
the venerable Vicar, from the brush of Mr. J.
Hayes, which has been described as "an admir-
able and faithful likeness." Engravings from
this picture may be seen in many of the homes
of Eltham. There is one also in the Public
Library. His name is also perpetuated by an
endowment which he left to the National
Schools, while "Jubilee Cottages," the quaint
wooden dwellings at the rear of the National
Schools, were so named by their owners to com-
memorate the jubilee of the Rev. J. K. Shaw-
Brooke, the great parochial event of the year
1833.
So impressive were the demonstrations which
took place upon this memorable occasion that
the ohildieu and grandchildren of those who
witnessed them find them, to this day, a con-
gemial theme for conversational purposes.
At the back of a small framod engraving,
kindly lent to UP by Mr. Whitaker Smith, shew-
ing the old Vicarage Field, where this village
festival took place, we chanced to find an
original ticket to the celebrations. Apparently,
it had been there for nearly three-quarters of a
century. We have taken the liberty to copy the
words printed upon this ticket, for, to the old
people of Eltha.-n they will recall the pleasant
memories of a notable occasion, while those
who are new residents will get, through them,
a glimpse of village life seventy-five years ago.
On one side is printed: —
" 1833. Eltham Jubilee, in commemoration
of the 50th year the Eev. J. K. Shaw Brooke has
resided within the parish as Vicar, universally
beloved and respected."
On the other side we get : —
" Peter Wakeman You are invited to
partake on Thursday, the 5th of September, of
a dinner provided by public subscription in
token of the respect and regard entertained for
the Vicar of this Parish. Eltham, 1833.
N.B. — You are requested to wear this card
with the other side in front, in a conspicuous
manner, to attend on the day named at half-
past one o'clock in the Court Yard, and to bring
with you a knife and fork."
There can be no doubt that Mr. Wakeman
carried out the instructions literally, for around
the card are the needle marks to shew that it
had been carefully sewn upon some conspicuous
part of his attire.
Yet another memorial to this highly esteemed
and good man lies before us as we write. It
is a booklet of twenty-two pages, written in the
year 1841, by one who worked with him for
many years and knew his worth. As this little
publication, long since out of print, is the
record of so interesting a chapter in Elthan
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
269
history, we will reproduce its title page, and
cull largely from its contents: —
AN HUMBLE TRIBUTE
OP
REGARD AND RESPECT
TO THE MEMORY
OP THE
REV. J. K. SHAW BROOKE, M.A.,
LATE VICAR OP ELTHAM, KENT.
"Cui Pudor, et Justiliae soror incorrupta Fides,
NadaqueVeritas, quando ullum inreniei parem."
Hor. b. i. 0. 24
BY
THE REV. W. T. MYERS, M.A.
CERATE OP ELTHAM.
DEDICATED TO THE PARISHIONERS, IN GRATEFUL
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OP THEIH AFFECTIONATE KINDNESS
TO HIM.
LONDON :
ROAKE AND VARTY, 31, STRAND.
1841.
Died, December 16, 1840, at has residence,
Eltham, Kent, the Reverend John Kenward
Shaw Brooke, M.A., formerly Fellow of All-
Souls College, Oxford, Vicar of Eltham, and
Rector of Hurst-Pierpoint, in the County of
Sussex.
"There are certain individuals who, by
common consent, are deemed worthy of parti-
cular distinction, which renders a more than
common notice of them, in the page of
Obituary Record, a less invidious duty than
otherwise it would be. We have, we believe,
perfect liberty so to distinguish the venerable
and revered Vicar of Eltham, whose decease,
much as it will be lamented by all that knew
him, we, however, cannot strictly regard as a
deplorable event.
"To have attained the far-advanced age of
eighty-two, in the enjoyment of almost unin-
terrupted health; to have been permitted to
exercise the ministerial office in one parish for
the uncommon period of fifty-seven years, with
little or no intermission, till within a few days
of his death, and with a power of voice and
vigour of mind not exceeded by many of his
younger brethren; and, finally, to have sunk
into the grave, full of faith, and full of years,
like a shock of corn ripe for the harvest, and
free, for the most part, from the sufferings of
mortality; — these distinguished marks of favour
and mercy, in the dealings of a kind Provi-
dence with His faithful and aged servant, can
only be viewed by his surviving brethren,
whether relations or friends, as a cause of
thankfulness and praise, and not of lamenta-
tion and mourning. It better accords with our
sense of duty to relate some of the particulars
of so long and favoured a life, and of the sphere
of usefulness in which it was spent.
"The Reverend John Kenward Shaw Brooke
was born in London on the 22nd of December,
1758, but passed the earlier years of his life at
Eltham Lodge, the seat of his father, Sir John
Shaw, Baronet. He was educated at the public
school of Harrow, under that distinguished
Fcholar, Dr. Sumner, the headmaster. From
Harrow, in due time, he migrated to the Uni-
versity of Oxford, and on the 25th July, 1774,
was entered a Gentleman Commoner at Trinity
College. He proceeded, in the regular coarse,
to the degree of B.A., April 29th, 1778, and to
that of M.A., June 14th, 1782. In the year
1783, he was elected a Fellow of All Souls'
College; and although few, if any, of his con-
temporaries survive to bear record, we have
abundant sources whence we derive our know-
ledge of the high esteem in which he was held,
for his amiable manners, and strict conformity
to the moral and religious discipline of the
university.
"In this year, also, he entered into Holy
Orders, and upon the death of Dr. Pinnell,
succeeded to the Vicarage of Eltham, and at a
later period, was presented to the Rectory of
Hurst-Pierpoint, in Sussex, where respect and
esteem ever awaited him; and where, although
his residence was limited to a few weeks an-
nually, he lost no opportunity of promoting the
well-being of his parishioners, by his sanction
and liberal support of every means of advancing
their temporal and spiritual interests, proposed
to him by hie greatly esteemed friend and
curate, now the Rector of Edburton.
"In 1796, by the decease of Mrs. Brooke, he
succeeded to the property of the late Joseph
Brooke, Esq., of West Mailing, in Kent, and
took his name.
270
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" Upon this accession of property he resigned
his Fellowship at All Souls, and took up his
constant residence at Eltham. This was the
vineyard in which he exercised his ministerial
labours during the extended period before men-
tioned. And how faithfully and diligently he
discharged the various public and private
duties of his large parish those alone can
duly estimate who have experienced the benefit
of his preaching and been witnesses to the prac-
tical good which has resulted from his personal
intercourse with every class of his beloved par-
ishioners.
" Who could hear -him read the inspiring ser-
vices of our National Church, without being
deeply impressed by the devout and solemn
manner of one evidently so fully impressed
himself ? Most admirable was his correct and
dignified style of reading the Scripture-Lessons
and especially those of the prophetical books of
the Old Testament; when his voice assumed a
variation of tone and power according mo^t
happily with the varied character of that por-
tion of Holy Writ. Nor will they soon forget,
when he ascended the pulpit with what sim-
plicity, and yet with what energy, he preached
the saving truths of the Gospel; with what
animation, and often eloquence, he appealed to,
and pleaded, with his people — ' Be ye reconciled
to God'^as an ambassador of Christ. In
voice, how clear and distinct! In manner, how
unaffected, and calm, and temperate! 'In doc-
trine, shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincer-
ity.' It is as remarkable as it is true, that ?s
this venerable divine advanced in years, his
energy was observed to increase, rather than
abate; and the very last time that he read
and preached (on the first Sunday in Advent,
November 29th, 1840) from I. John ii., 1, only
sixteen days before his death, he exhibited a
vigour and power of voice, which called forth
the particular notice of many who were
present."
The selections which we now give from the
interesting pamphlet by the Rev. W. T.
Myers allude to some of the parochial work
established or carried on by the Rev. J. K.
Shaw Brooke. The Jubilee Festival is also
described as well as the impressive funeral
scenes when the venerable Vicar was laid to
rest in the tomb of his fathers. These
matters from the pen of one who was not only
an eye-witness of them but who also took part
in the ceremonies will doubtless be read with
interest by the old parishioners of Eltham.
" But we are desirous of tracing other
features in the character of our departed
pastor," continues the writer, " other striking
particulars in the course of the long and use-
ful life of this benevolent clergyman, by whose
death many public, religious, and charitable
societies, besides those of his respective
parishes, have lost a kind and liberal sup-
porter; but how great a loss his death will be
to private individuals the unostentatious
character of his benevolence will 'ever keep a
secret. And, first, we would notice his atten-
tion to the importance of moral and religious
education in this parish.
" The National Infant and Sunday Schools,
which he had the happiness, with the aid of
his liberal parishioners, to establish in the
village, were the objects of his anxious care;
and afforded ample means for the instruction
of the children of the poor in the principles
of the Christian religion, as taught by the
Established Church. And although the in-
firmity of deafness, in his later years, caused
him to leave the duty of visiting and examina-
tion chiefly to his Curate, his constant attend-
ance as the treasurer at the monthly meetings
of the school committee, to which he made all
other engagements subservient, will be recol-
lected by its members as a valued record of
his desire to promote and advance the
efficiency of the schools by every means in his
power.
" The extensive charities of the parish, of
which he was also the treasurer, were a
favourite object of his unremitting regard and
attention to the very last; and the accuracy
and regularity of his accounts, which have
ever been the admiration of his co-trustees, as
well as the judicious appropriation of the funds,
called forth an expression of the highest
approbation from the Commissioners appointed
by Parliament to inquire into the state of the
charities throughout the country.
" In order that these extraordinary claims
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
271
upon his time might not be prejudicial to his
other calls of ministerial duty, he, from the
first, gave himself and his parishioners the
advantage and assistance of a resident Curate.
This afforded him the opportunity of per-
sonally distributing, among his poor brethren,
the benevolence which Providence had in-
fluenced the hearts of the rich to bequeath to
them ; and gave him a knowledge of the charac-
ter and circumstances of his people so desir-
able and necessary to the due exercise of
charity.
" We need not observe how much this con-
stant practice of domiciliary visiting among the
poor conciliated their respect and affection.
But these feelings were not confined to the
poor only, nor indeed to any class of his
parishioners; let public testimony proclaim
that it was universal.
" Let the Eltham Jubilee, held on the 5th
September, 1833, which was celebrated in com-
memoration of the fiftieth year of his incum-
bency, speak volumes of the regard and attach-
ment which a grateful people are wont to enter-
tain, and are delighted to express, towards a
faithful minister. And if ever there were an
adequate demonstration of the love and affec-
tion that should engage and influence the
hearts of the flock towards their beloved shep-
herd, it was abundantly displayed on this
happy occasion. No means of expressing their
long-cherished feelings could be so truly
acceptable to their pastor as to associate the
honour and distinction intended him with the
exercise of Christian charity towards the poor.
"This was the judicious and Christian
principle which influenced the more opulent
portion of his parishioners and the liberal
tradesmen, to unite with one heart and hand
in the laudable and benevolent purpose of giv-
ing a public dinner to the poor inhabitants
of Eltham, as a Jubilee Festival, in com-
memoration of the blessing of Almighty God
in so graciously preserving the life and health
of their beloved minister, and in acknowledg-
ment of the faithful and unwearied discharge
of his pastoral care during the period of 50
years — at the same time to express their most
fervent wish and prayer that it might please
the Almighty long to preserve him to watch
over them in the enjoyment of health and
happiness.
"The scene of this joyous festivity was the
Vicarage field, where the families of the poor,
amounting to nearly 1,400 persons, including
the children of the National Schools, sat down
to a plentiful and substantial repast of true
old English fare, waited upon by the gentry
and tradesmen ; and where the venerable and
respected Vicar was received and welcomed, on
his entrance upon the ground, with a burst
of acclamations and blessings from his enthusi-
astic and happy people which must be remem-
bered with unmixed satisfaction by those
who had the happiness to be present to the last
day of their lives. And we must add that the
uninterrupted course of good order and good
conduct which prevailed during the whole day
of festivity forms by no means the least mark
of respect shewn by a grateful flock to the
minister of peace.
" To meet this costly feast and other honour-
able accompaniments the liberal sum of four
hundred pounds was contributed; and, among
the latter we must not omit to mention the
jubilee portrait, an admirable and faithful
likenes of the Vicar of Eltham, so happily
painted by J. Hayes, Esq., and placed in the
care of the Rev. W. T. Myers, the Curate, at
the Vicarage House, where it may be seen
by any of his friends and parishioners."
(This picture now hangs in the sacristy of
the Parish Church.)
" How rich a source of personal happiness
and comfort, how sacred a cause of thankful-
ness to God, how strong a claim of gratitude to
his people this public testimony to his charac-
ter as a faithful and respected minister of
the Gospel was to him could be truly esti-
mated by no one but himself. Great, how-
ever, as we may suppose his inward satisfac-
tion and sense of obligation to have been, it was
not entirely without alloy, as those who knew
him best could well observe.
" The innate diffidence and retiring modesty
of his character, had he yielded to the natural
bent of his disposition, would have withheld
272
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
him from taking a prominent part at any
public meeting; and on this occasion he was
obliged to occupy the honourable and enviable
station to which the voices and hearts of his
people and his own exemplary conduct, had
called him, with a painfully joyous struggle
within, from which no one could have been
free, but which must have been trying indeed
to one
Whose sober wishes never learu'd to stray,
But "kept the noiseless tenor of their way!"
" When, therefore, his high sense of duty
constrained him to attend the occasional calls
of public life, in presiding over the meetings
of his parish, it has often been lamented by
his friends and admirers that these inherent
qualities, so amiable and delightful in private
society, should have deprived them of the full
and unrestricted exercise of a powerful and
cultivated mind, and of a remarkably cool and
sound judgment. The calm and dignified com-
posure, and the wisdom and discretion with
which he quietly regulated the often personally
difficult circumstances of the parish, demon-
strated an habitual discipline of mind and
temper which is rarely to be met with.
" This constant exercise of self-control,
springing doubtless from the influence of
Christian principles, he carried with him in
all the relations of domestic life; and it
formed a feature of his private character
which, blended with his other mild and
amiable virtues, so entirely engaged, and won
the hearty esteem of his friends and equals,
in his social intercourse with them, that no
party nor friendly meeting was considered
complete without hie animating and ever wel-
come presence.
" It will not be difficult to imagine how
universally, as we before observed, the in-
fluence of the same 'ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit' gained upon the hearts of the
tradesmen and of the poorer classes in his
daily association with them.
"The writer, who has the mournful satis-
faction of offering this last tribute to the
cherished memory of his beloved friend, can
truly say, in reference to the benevolent mind,
and cheerful temper of this amiable clergy,
man, that during the 20 years, and upwards,
that he had the happiness of sharing the
labours of the Christian vineyard with his
aged brother, the Father of the Diocese, no
difference ever for a moment disturbed the
harmony that subsisted between them ; nor did
ever unkind word proceed from his mouth to
betray the slightest variation from the entire
confidence which he reposed in his fellow
labourer, whose happiness it was to attend
upon him in his last short illness and whose
privilege it was to close his eyes in prayer, as
' the spirit returned to God who gave it.'
" Shall we attempt to seek, or can we hope
to find, more eloquent, more convincing testi-
mony of unfeigned regard and attachment,
than that which both public and private esteem
have combined to offer to living virtue? We
neither seek nor hope to find any. But to
departed worth a tribute may be found, flowing
from the same fountain of tenderest sym-
pathy and affection, the grateful heart, which
speaks a language still more affecting and
sincere; even though it speak in sorrow. That
tribute was reserved for the day of the funeral
of our lamented friend, Wednesday, December
23rd, 1840.
" On this occasion a scene presented itself in
the parish of Eltham which will not soon be
forgotten, and which will, perhaps, best
portray the character of the deceased in the
estimation of his friends and parishioners.
" From the hour of his death every house
and shop exhibited mournful evidence of the
sad event and of the gloom and distress which
it had thrown over the whole village. But
on the day of the interment of the venerable
patriarch a testimony of respect was given to
departed worth which we attempt not to
describe. Facts must speak for themselves.
" Every shop was closed, and all business
ceased during the whole day, and every house
seemed to bespeak a loss in the family. Long
before the hour appointed for the melancholy
last offices of the Church over her deeply-
lamented minister, crowds of the dejected
people were seen to assemble, 'like sheep that
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THE STORY OF ROYAL KLTHAM.
273
had lost their shepherd.' But when the hour
arrived the solemn procession from the resi-
dence of the deceased to the church will best
evince the anxiety shewn by the parishioners
to pay the last tribute of affection and love to
one who had so long and so faithfully watched
over them.
" A large body of the neighbouring clergy,
six of whom were pall bearers, with the Curate
of the parish at their head, preceded and sur-
rounded the coffin of their respected and beloved
friend, the Father of the Diocese. The rela-
tives, Sir John Kenward Shaw, Baronet, the
Eev. Robert Shaw, and other branches of the
Shaw family, with the Eev. J. Scholefield, and
the Rev. J. C. F. Tufnell, and the domestics,
followed as mourners.
" Next came the churchwardens and sildes-
meii. and in long succession the gentlemen
and tradesmen of the village, closing with a
numerous concourse of the poorer people. Nay,
the whole parish as one man were assembled
to form the solemn and mournful train, which
slowly and silently took its way towards the
Parish Church. And here, again, the
solemnity of the scene was beyond description
imposing !
" A dense mass of the parishioners, in deep
mourning, filled almost every part of the
church, eager to witness the performance of
the last sacred rites over the mortal remains
of their pastor. The service was read by the
Eev. W. T. Myers, who had ministered, with
his departed elder brother, for more than 20
years, and who was not disappointed in his
hope that grace and strength would be given
him to fulfil this trying but privileged duty
towards his late beloved fellow-labourer in the
vineyard of the Lord.
" We have thus been brought to the closing
scenes of this just man's life, for 'the just
shall live by faith'; and truly the life which he
lived in the flesh was by faith in the Son of
God. who loved him and gave himself for him.
And being justified by faith he has now peace
with God, 'being washed, and justified, and
sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and
by the Spirit of our God,' that Spirit has
borne witness with his spirit that ha is a
child of God; and if child then heir, heir of
God, and joint heir with Christ, but as he
has suffered with him so may we hope he shall
be glorified also together with Him, 'who i*
the resurrection and the life; and in whom
whosoever believeth, though he were dead, yet
shall he live; and whosoever liyeth and be-
lieveth in Him shall never die.' O, 'may we
die the death of the righteous, and may our
last end be like his,' for 'blessed are the dead
that die in the Lord.' Whether we live may
we live unto the Lord, or whether we die may
we die unto the Lord, for both living and
dying we may be the Lord's.'"
Thus wrote the Rev. W. T. Myers in the
full-hearted panegyric which was printed and
published a few months after the closing scenes
were enacted. The writer has long since
passed away, most of those Eltham people who
witnessed the solemn obsequies have themselves
crossed the bourne whence no traveller returns.
There may be some of the very oldest who
recollect the actual circumstances, and there
are many who will have had the incidents of
that day described to them by eye-witnesses.
To all of these Mr. Myers' words will, no
doubt, be read with interest. To the student
of local history they are a historical docu-
ment of considerable value. They reveal to us
why the name of " Shaw-Brooke " is still a
household word in Eltham. They present to-
ns a learned and dignified personality, who, for
nearly 60 years, dominated to a great degree
the life of the village. We are shewn in the
life a fine specimen of the old-time village
parson, one of the "old school" as he is some-
times described. We may learn, too, in a
large measure, from this " song of praise,"
what the conditions of village life were like
during the first half of last century. We may
almost breathe again the atmosphere of those
far off days. Then, when we look around us
we realise the change that has come over so
many phases of Eltham village life. Whether
the change is for the better, or for the worse
each will probably decide as his experience and
knowledge dictate, but it will be many a long
year before the name Shaw-Brooke ceases to
hold an honoured place in the memory of
Eltham people.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
SOUTHEND HOUSE.
Another Eltham house with a long and ex-
tremely interesting history is "South-
«nd," the residence of Mr. E. Warner, to whose
family the property has belonged for more than
a hundred years. The beautiful gardens of
this old-time abode are screened from the high-
way by the fine old brick wall which ie so
notable a feature of the road on the way from
Eltham to Pope Street.
Like most of the old houses of this class, the
front has undergone considerable changes since
its first erection, but the back still possesses
many distinctive and interesting features of
the early Jacobean period.
This residence was formerly the country seat
of Sir William Wythens, Kt., Sheriff of London
in 1610, died 1631. The estate in his time was
much larger than it is to-day. A record of the
details of this estate, which is still in existence,
is valuable to the local antiquarian, on account
of the field and place names which it contains.
We 'will, therefore, transcribe it here.
"Sir William Wythens, Kt., Holdeth (June,
1605) his mansion house, with orchard, garden,
backside, and other houses, adjoining Sir Wm.
Eoper's pett howse S., Southeud Green, E.,
Barber's shaw in parte, N., all cont., with the
meadow, 4 a. 3r.
He holdeth (as follows) one close, sometimes
three closes, the one called Calves garden, the
other Bushie close, and the third Alders grove,
the way to Craye W. and N., parish land called
Princiters, John Stubbes' old howse leys, and
Bromley close E., Southende green N., a close
of said Wm.'s S. and W., 6ac.
A close at the south end of the same the
waie at Butt's flowe W., the xv pennie land and
a close of the said Sir Wm.'s and John Stubbs'
field called Upperfield al's old howse leys S.,
John Stubbes'meadow called old howse leys and
Upperfield in part W., a close and hedgerows
called (sic), the xv pennie land E., Hugh
Miller's close and wood at Butt's flow S. and
W., great Dominick crofte at the S.W. end
la. 3r. 7p.
One close called great Dominicke crofte, Mrs.
Baker's Damson crofte S.W., ye waie from ye
Parke pale to Wiatts Elme, S.E., a coppice of
the said Sir Wm. E., Sao. 2r.
One grove great Dominick croft S.W., a close
of Philip Rott's E., John Stubbes' upper field
N., the waie aforesaid S. Sac.
One other grove S.E. side the King's way
leading from the Parke to Wiatt's Elme, the
waie to Cray S.W., Mrs. Bakers grove caled old
grove E., a close of the said Sir Wm. E., 6 ac. 3r.
A close E. side the grove before, a close of
his W., the waie from the parke pale to Wiatt's
Elme, N., a close of his own S.E., Sao.
A close, the close before W., Mrs. Barker's
Webb field E., two closes of his own S., the
waie from the park pale to Wiatt's Elme, N.,
Sac. Or. 35p.
Two closes, the other two closes N., Mrs.
Baker's pond field and Webb field W., 'Mrs.
Baker's Longlands S.W., a close of his own and
Mrs. Baker's old grove in part W., 18ac.
Two other closes thear called old grove, the
way to Cray W., and Mrs. Baker's grove called
old ground W., his own above closes N., Francis
Reston's oopice called Shalon's S., 12ac. 3r. 12p.
Two closes land and wood called Coleman's
heath al's Shallons, the King's land called
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
275
Edgburies N.W., Francis Raston N.E., the
King's highway S., 7ao. 3r. 8p.
One messuage called Coleman's with garden
backside, with a cloee of meadow adjoining
sometime divided into two closes, a tenem. of
Henry Manning's son and his own close called
Greatfield N., Southende Green W., Great
Brookes and Long croft E., 6ao. lr. lip.
One field with the marie pitts called great
field, Colman's, S., the Kings nether well field,
N., a ten'te of Henry Manning's and a mess,
of Fras Eeston, a parcell of the Ring's ground
in the marl pitts W., Philipp Stubbes and the
xv. pennie lands in East croft E., lOac.
Long orofte, Sac. Or. lip.
One field called greate Brookes, the way to
Wiatt's Elme from Southend greene and little
Blackland S., Caiman's W., long crofte N.W.,
great Blackland E., 5 ac. 3r. 38p.
A paroell called Braky springe, a howse in
Eltham towne lately purchased of Ric. Dyer
and others, in tenure of Walter Parry, the
Street of Eltham S., Mr. Twyst W., Philipp
Stubbs E., 22p.
One field near Wiatt's Elme, the parrish land
in parte E., the waie from Winohbridge S.,
4ac. Or. 18p.
In Eastfield lac. 2r. —
One howse in the towne of Eltham with a
garden backside, and other howsinge lately
purchased of Tho. Easton deceased, the Street
of Eltham N. a parcel! of the Kinge's ground
next upper tenn acres S., a tenem. of Fras.
Ueston W., and a ten'te of the heires of Man-
nynge E. 12ao.
A field with an orchard, sometime iii. fieldes,
called Shotlandes, Pittfield N., Southend meade
S., the way to Southende E., wherein lyeth a
parcell of ye King's land, 7ac.
In Eastfield bought of Mr. Reston 2r.
One close called Laddes hall, Smithfield, W.,
Sir Wm. Roper's parke N., the King's highway,
S., the King's land E. 4ao."
The family of Sir William Wythens con-
tinued in residence at Southend House until
the death of Sir Francis Wythens, in the year
1704. This would be about a century.
The members of this family were distin-
guished in their day, and one of them, Sir
Francis, has left behind him a reputation
which may be regarded by most people as some-
what unenviable.
Sir William's son, Robert Withens, wag a,
Sheriff and Alderman of London, 1610 — died
1630, at Southend House.
Robert's son, Sir William Withens, Kt., wa»
Sheriff of Kent in the seventh year of King
James. He was buried at Eltham, December
7th, 1631.
A grandson of this gentleman was Sir Franoia
Witheus, at one time a judge of the King's
Bench, and a friend of the notorious Judge
Jeffries.
Sir Francis was Member of Parliament for
Westminster in 1679, the thirty-first year of
Charles II. He was a warm supporter of th»
Stuarts, even in their most tyrannical acts, and
his enthusiasm for their cause got him into
trouble with the Parliament.
He was knighted by Charles II. on April
18th, 1680, after presenting an address, express- *•'
ing abhorrence for any interference with thfr rj
King's prerogative in assembling a Parliament.
But he was expelled from Parliament the same
year, in the month of October. He received
the Speaker's sentence on his knees at the bar
of the House, and the " Journals of the Com-
mons" thus record the Speaker's words : " You
being a lawyer, have offended against your
own profession, against yourself, your own
right, your own liberty as an Englishman; this
is not only a crime against the living, but a
crime against the unborn; you are dismem-
bered from this body."
Notwithstanding this, he was made Serjeant-
at-Law in 1682, and a Judge of the King's
Bench in 1683. In the latter capacity he was-
the judge who presided at the historical trial of
Titus Gates, and passed sentence upon the pris-
oner. Gates was the moving spirit of a small
group of mischief mongers, who, in the autumn
of 1678, pretended to have discovered a Popish
plot, concocted, they declared, for the-
object of murdering Charles II., and James,
and the re-establishment of Roman Catholicism.
276
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
by meant; of * French Army. Gates even
accused the Queen of designing to poison the
King. These frauds produced great excitement
in the country, and the nation lost its head.
For two years any person who was suspected
of adherence to, or even being in sympathy with,
the Church of Rome might be accused of plotting
by any informer, with a good prospect of
obtaining a verdict of guilty from juries and a
death sentence from the judge.
In a year the storm had exhausted itself, and
Gates returned into private life. But on the
accession of Jam<*i II., Gates was tried for per-
jury, convicted, and sentenced to imprison-
ment for life, exposure in the pillory, and a
flogging.
Sir Francis Withens, of Southend, Eltham,
was the judge, and it is recorded that on pass-
ing sentence he said that "he never in his life
passed sentence but that he had some compas-
sion, but he could find none in his heart for so
hardened a villain."
But Gates survived the ordeal. He seems to
have been liberated by the next king, William
III., and to have lived in the enjoyment of a
pension from his Majesty, and even went to
the extent of concocting another plot, with
the aid of one named Fuller.
Judge Withens was also one of the judges
of the unfortunate Algernon Sidney, the other
judge being Jeffries.
Sidney was charged with being implicated in
the famous Eye House Plot, but there was no
evidence to sustain the charge. Nevertheless,
he was brought to trial, condemned to death
on the testimony of a single perjured witness,
and beheaded at Tower-hill.
Alluding to his trial, John Evelyn has some
comments in his diary, not entirely to the
credit of Judge Withens.
"1683, 5th December. I was this day invited
to a wedding of one Mrs. Castle, to whom I
had some obligation, and it was her fifth hus-
band, a Lieutenant-Colonel of the City. She
was the daughter of one Burton, a broom-man,
by his wife, who sold kitchen-stuff in Kent-
street, whom God so blessed that the father
became a very rich, and was a very honest
man; he was sheriff of Surrey, where I have
sat on the bench with him There was
at the wedding the Lord Mayor, the Sheriff,
several Aldermen and persons of quality; above
all, Sir George Jeffreys, newly-made Lord Chief
Justice of England, with Mr. Justice Withings,
danced with the bride, and were exceeding
merry. These great men spent the rest of the
afternoon, till eleven at night, in drinking
healths, taking tobacco, and talking much be-
neath the gravity of judges, who had but a
day or two before condemned Mr. Algernon
Sydney, who was executed on Tower Hill, on
the single witness of that monster of a man,
Lord Howard of Escrick "
Judge Withens was further associated with
Jeffries, whom he accompanied on the occasion
of the "Bloody Assize" at Taunton and the
West of England.
" After acting the part of a pliant time-
server, he was removed, April 21st, 1687, for
denying the King's right to exercise martial
law in time of peace without an Act of Parlia-
ment. He was elected Recorder of Kiugston-
on-Thames, 1685, from which office William
III. removed him. He was buried at Eltham,
May 12th, 1704."
With the death of the judge, the association
of the Withens with Southend closed. The
estate was then occupied in turn by Sir Comport
Fytche, and Sir John Barker. The latter's son,
Sir John Fytohe Barker, disposed of it to
Robert Nassau, a member of a family descended
from Frederick of Nassau, an illegitimate son
of Henry Frederick, Prince of Orange, and
grandfather of William III.
The eldest son of Robert Nassau became fifth
Earl of Rochford, and the second son, George
Nassau, sold Sonthend to Joseph Warner, in
the latter part of the eighteenth century. It
has remained in the Warner family ever since.
CHAPTER LXIX.
OTHER OLD DWELLINGS.
HENLEtS.
There is an ancient record (Originalia, 43
Edward III., M. 10) which runs as follows:
"On the 3rd of May, 1369, Spalding was
directed to take possession of all the property
of the manor called Henle, in the town and
parish of Eltham, which William de Branting-
ham by charter had conveyed to the King, his
heirs and assigns."
This manor possessed a house which was
moated round, and its position is said to have
been in the Conduit Field, below the Conduit
Head, somewhere about the neighbourhood now
occupied by Holy Trinity Church.
It would seem that prior to the date of the
above extract the manor was held by John do
Henle of the Earl of Albemarle, and there is
another record to the effect that Edward II.
"commanded John de Henley, keeper of his
Manor at Eltham, 1290, to supply fodder from
his own farm for the deer in the park, as they
were like to perish from the inclemency of the
winter."
COR BYE HALL.
In one of the leases of Henry VIII., dated
1 September, 1522, we read of a lease to Sir
Henry Quldeford, for 40 years, of the manor and
park of Eltham, at .£30 Is. 8d., rent, with Corby
Hall and 16 acres at 6s. Sd.
Although the name of Corbye Hall is prac-
tically unknown to the present generation of
Eltham people, it was a place of some account
in the early days of the village history. It was
apparently in existence at the same time as
"Henleys," already alluded to, for we find that,
"on the 24 June, 1348, the King (Edward III.)
granted his manor of Lyndon in Rutland to
Robert de Corby, partly in consideration of
good services rendered to his mother. Queen
Isabella, and partly in exchange for certain
lands and tenements in Eltham Mandeville,
which Robert had conveyed to the King in
perpetuity."
This seems to suggest that Corbye Hall wan.
the place indicated. In the records of an
inquisition by Henry VI., we find that "among
the possessions seized into the hands of that
monarch by act of resumption was Corby Hall,
alias Corbynhall in Eltham." In later years it
was leased to Sir John Shaw.
"THE CHANCELLOR'S LODGING."
The quaint wooden buildings lying to the
right as you enter upon the Palace Bridge are
indicated upon the Elizabethan Plan (1590) as
the "Chancellor's Lodging." Although some
slight alterations have, from time to time, been
made in the construction of these interesting
dwellings, they are practically the same now a»
they were in Tudor timee, when More, Wolsey,
Nicholas Bacon, and other distinguished men
of those days may have in turn resided there.
We have already alluded to these houses in the
chapters dealing with the Palace.
They are now two abodes, one part being
occupied by the Misses Bloxam, and the other
by Mrs. Milne, the widow of the late Mr.
Alexander Milne, whose family resided there-
for many years, and to whose extensive and
accurate researches in Eltham history are are-
greatly indebted for sure guidance in writing
much that herein is set forth in relation to the-
Palace.
Adjoining are two other very old and pic-
turesque dwellings, occupied by the Misses-
20 A.
278
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Brookes and Mr. Hollis respectively. They
were originally the " spiff ly and buttery" of
my Lord Chancellor, though in the course of
years they have had more alterations than the
Chancellor's Lodging itself.
ELTHAM COURT.
This is the name of the house adjoining the
"Great Hall." The gabled portion on the left
hand is the old part of the dwelling, which
dates back several centuries. Until the year
1859 it was detached from the Great Hall, the
intervening space being an entrance to the
farmyard on the south side— the portion now
a lawn. Mr. Richard Bloxam wrought great
improvements during his tenancy. He built
the new part of the house connecting it with
the Hall, transformed the yard into the garden
and lawn, changed the moat on the south into
the rosary which is a distinguishing feature of
the precincts, and brought about other changes
of an improving and reclaiming character.
Mr. R. J. Saunders lived at Eltham Court in
the early part of the last century. He was
succeeded by Mr. Bloxam, after whom the
lease was held by Mr. Stevenson, who died
there some years ago. On the death of Mrs.
Stevenson the remainder of the lease was taken
by Mr. C. D. Wilson, who came into residence
during the present year, 1909.
THE MOAT HOUSE.
This is another private residence, standing
within the area enclosed by the Moat, adjoining
the bridge on the left. It was originally a
cottage, and is shewn in the old prints of the
Bridge, but it was converted into a commodious
residence by the late Mr. Richard Mills, who
lived there through the greater part of last,
century, was a contemporary of the Rev.
J. K. Shaw Brooke, and took a prominent part
in all matters of parochial interest. The next
occupier was Mr. Crundwell. At the present
time it is the residence of Mr. Dunn.
The gardens belonging to this house, on the
other side of the moat, with their stately trees
and undulating lawns, are very picturesque.
COURT YARD HOUSE.
This old-world dwelling lies to your left as
you enter the " avenue" in the direction of the
bridge, and it stands near to the site, possibly
upon the site, of what is shewn as the " Great
Bakehouse" in the Elizabethan plan. Adjoin-
ing it is the old gateway leading into the "Tilt-
yard." The present occupier is Captain
Holbrooke. Former residents have been Messrs.
J. Hawley (after Sir J. Hawley), H. Scudamore
(father of F. J. Scudamore), F. Moiling, Captain
Thacker, and Messrs. Delpratt, W. Willemott,
and T. Miskin.
QUEEN'S CROFT.
This old house, now the residence of Colonel
H. B. Tasker, and situated in the High-street,
on the side opposite to Sherard-road, just below
its junction with the street, dates back some
three centuries, the original title deeds being
still in existence. The last holder of the
lease was Miss Newman.
1. ANGER TON HOUSE.
This house lies to the right on entering the
Court Yard, and is now in the occupation of
Mrs. Gordon, widow of the late Mr. H. M.
Gordon, of Abergeldie. It stands close to, if
not actually upon, the site of "The Chaundry,"
as shewn in the Elizabethan plan. After Mrs.
Pott, the occupier was the Rev. J. K. Shaw
Brooke, who died there in 1840, other residents
being Miss Hill and Mr. L. Richardson.
SHERARD HOUSE.
The home of the Sherards has already been
described in an earlier chapter.
MERLEWOOD HOUSE.
Now the residence of Mr. J. Rosselli. It was
formerly occupied by a Mr. Alnutt, of Pens-
hurst. Mr. Richard Lewin purchased the house
in 1798, and sold it in 1853. Mr. C. S. Mann
occupied it in 1856, subsequently Mr. L.
Crowley, and then Mr. Howard Keeling, who
left a benefaction to the National Schools.
CLIEFDEN HOUSE.
The present occupant is Mrs. Yeatman. It
was formerly held in succession by Colonel
Herries, Mr. T. Haughton, Mr. Dick, Mr. A. G.
Milne, Mr. Hopkirk, who kept a school there
for young gentlemen, and Mr. H. Alpress.
ELTHAM HOUSE.
The present occupant is Dr. St. John. Former
residents were: Mr. Philip Burton, the father-
in-law of Bishop Home, Mrs. Kirby, Alderman
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM
279
Sir Richard Welch, Mr. A. Aislabie, Sir Henry
Ouslow, R.A., Mr. J. M. Teeedale, Admiral
Mackenzie, and Mrs. Bivers, the mother of the
present Vicar of Eltham.
Students should note that there were two
houses bearing the name of "Eltham House."
They should not confuse this house with that
of Sir John Shaw, now called the "Golf Club
House."
ITT HOUSE.
Facing Roper-street, and now the residence of
Mrs. Brown. Among its former occupants
were: Dr. Wilgress, Reader of the Temple; Mr.
W. Willemott, Mr. T. Charriugton, and Mr.
G. S. Pritchard.
EAGLE HOUSE.
This is the house which faces Victoria-road,
and was the residence of the late Mr. A. J.
Scrutton.
At the end of the eighteenth century it was
the residence of the Whomes family. It was
subsequently occupied by Mr. H. Latham, Mr.
H. Baines, Mrs. Lambert, Mr. G. J. Gosohen
(afterwards Lord Goschen, recently deceased),
Mrs. Walrond, Mr. C. Hampshire, and Mr.
C. W. Bourne.
The father of the late Lord Goschen — Mr. J.
Goschen — lived in the house that stands between
Ivy House and the Roman Catholic Church
Here the future Lord Goschen spent his child-
hood. It was afterwards the residence of Mr.
Knightly, who kept there a private school for
young gentlemen.
CONDUIT HOUSE.
This house stands at the angle formed by
the junction of the Southend-road with the
Bexley-road. It is at present the residence of
Mr. W. H. Burman. In the grounds attached
is the old Conduit Head, from which the Palace
and the Moat were supplied with water. In the
old lease there used to be a clause entailing
upon the tenant of this house the responsibility
of keeping the Conduit in proper repair.
Of former tenants there was the beautiful
Lady Rancliffe, the daughter of Sir William
James, of Severndroog fame. Subsequent
tenants were Miss Wollaston, Mr. R. Courage,
and Mr. J. Grienshields.
BARN HODSE.
Now the residence of Mr. James Jeken, who
took up his alwde in Eltham as a medical prac-
titioner exactly fifty years ago. Former occu-
piers were the Ravenhill family, Dr. Teggart.
of Pall Mall; and Mr. T. Lewin. The latter
gentleman was contemporary with Mr. R. Mills
and the Rev. J. K. Shaw Brooke. He took a
great interest in parochial matters, and was
instrumental in forming the Eltham Friendly
Society.
PARE FARM PLACE.
The old house which stood on the site of the
Roman Catholic School at Eltham Park. A
picture of this house is given on another page.
It was formerly occupied by Mrs. Nunn, the
widow of Mr. Richard Nunn. Their daughter
was the first wife of Harry Powlett, the Duke of
Bolton. She died, however, before her husband
succeeded to the dukedom, and her burial i»
recorded in the Parish Registers of Eltham, 8th
June, 1764. Their daughter, the second wife of
John Viscount Hinchinbroke, inherited the
property under her grandfather's will. The
tenant, after Mrs. Nunn's death, was Sir
Benjamin Haminett. Eventually, it was sold
to Mr. Thomas Lucas, of Lee, who re-sold it
to Sir William James. The latter resided there
until December, 1783, when he died suddenly, on
the occasion of his daughter's marriage to Lord
Rancliffe.
Subsequently, the property came into the-
possession of the Misses Jones, who sold it, with
195 acres of land, to Mr. Thomas Jackson, of
Eltham Park, the adjoining estate. It now
forms a portion of the Corbett Estate.
WELL HALL.
The present house has already been alluded
to in the chapters dealing with the Roper
family. It was re-built by Sir Gregory
Page, and the workshops were added
to it about 1800 by Arnold, the chronometer-
maker to George III. Among those who sub-
sequently resided there were Mr. Lee, banker,
of Lombard-street; Mr. S. Jeffreyes, the Rev.
C. G. Fryer, and Mr. E. Langley. The present
occupiers are Mr. Hubert Bland, the distin-
guished essayist and journalist, and Mrs.
Bland, who, under the pen-name of "E.
Nesbit," is so widely known as a poet an*
novelist.
CHAPTB* LXX.
SOME NOTES ON MOTTINGHAM.
In ancient times the hamlet was called
Modingham, the name, according to Philipott,
being derived from two Saxon words, modig,
proud, and ham, a dwelling. Its story goes
back far away into antiquity. It was always
a part of the parish of Eltham, until the
recent County Council Act severed the connec-
tion, placing Mottingham in Kent and Eltham
in Woolwich. There ie a mention of the name
" Modingeham" ill the confirmation of Edward
the Confessor's gift of the Manor of Lewisham
to the Abbey of Ghent; and in the time of
Edward I., when Walter de Mandeville disposed
of his property in Eltham to John de Vesci,
" Modingeham" was recognised as a part of the
honor of Gloucester.
We learn also that in the reigii of William
Eufus the fee of the hamlet of Modingham was
in the possession of the King's Chamberlain,
Ansgotus, who gave the tithes to the Priory of
St. Andrew in Rochester, and in recognition
of this gift, Bishop Gundulf made Anfred, the
Chaplain of Ansgotus, a monk of St. Andrew's,
"to celebrate for the souls of the donor, his
family, and the King."
With regard to this tithe, there ie an in-
teresting note in the diocesan records which we
will transcribe, as it gives, among other
matters, the names of the fields as they existed
in those remote days, nearly a thousand years
ago.
"The lordship of Modyngham (to be tithed)
begins at Eeadhelde; it extends to the wood of
the Lord Bishop called Elmestediwood, towards
the south, and to the field called Charlesfeld to-
wards the west, and to the woods and lands of
the King at Eltham towards the north and east.
The names of the fields are: Southfelde, North-
felde, Stofelde, Merefeldes, Strode, Trozleys,
Benelondys, Westdene, Somerteghe, Wastegh,
Bakevellyfields, Bolysheth, Bryztredyn, Snore-
hell, Lotredefield, one row of meadow at the
end of Breggmede, Kytebrokemede, Bentefelde,
Westhynne, Kyngefedde, Bettescoftes, East-
fedde, Balte, Woodcroftys, Great and Little
Altash, Southolde, Lytlemede, Upple Mede-
grove, Lambynescroftys, Chychylyland, Snelle-
goryscroftys or Cotycroftys, Kyngeswotegh,
Knyghtsetegh, Raynoldishaugh, Cortasytagh,
Bertelottyshagh, Fullysland, with others."
This rather long list of ancient field names of
Mottingham may provide a useful exercise in
identification, for the old folks of the village
who are familiar with the field names as they
have existed in their memory.
The early Hectors and Vicars of Eltham do
not seem to have been very well pleased with
the Mottingham tithes going to the Priory of
Rochester, and as a consequence we find records
of disputes arising between these holy fathers.
But the Prior seems to have had the beet of
the argument.
In 1243, fifth year of the pontificate of
Richard Wendover, we read: "Richard, Bishop
of Rochester, confirmed the sentence of his
Official, Roger de Cantuaria, in the cause be-
tween the perpetual Vicar of Eltham and the
Prior and Convent of Rochester, in favour of
the latter."
When Henry VIII. dissolved the monasteries
these Mottingham tithes reverted to the King;
but it is some satisfaction to learn that the un-
scrupulous monarch did not long retain them,
for we find that in 1540 he caused letters patent
to be drawn up, conferring them upon the
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
281
newly created Dean and Chapter of Rochester.
Bnt after the death of Charles I., Jannary,
1G49, the Parliament abolished Deans and
Chapters, 30th April, 16*9, and their possessions
were sold. So "the great and small tithes of
Mottingham were surveyed, being then leased
to Nicholas Buckeridge, at rent £5, but worth
upon improvement £20 a year."
King Charles II. re-established the Church of
England, and once more the Dean and Chapter
•of Rochester came in for the tithes.
In further reference to the extent of the
bounds of Mottingham, there is a good deal of
interest in the following entry, dated 15th day
•of September, 1701, and extracted from the
parochial records of Lee : —
"From the bridge or water called Motting-
ham bridge, or Water, downe Lodge Lane, lead-
ing to London, to the Middle Park Water-
course, from thence all along around the new
grounds abutting upon the Parish of Eltham,
northward to Mottingham Corner, and from
thence round High-field all along by the Park
Pale to the upper end of Junipers abutting
upon the said parish of Eltham east, and from
thence from a tree marked with a cross in the
highway, cross the road through a mead called
the Readhill mead, abutting upon the Parish
-of Chislehurst, Southerly, and crossing the
said mead along by the hedge side of Lambeth-
heath to a wood called Stennetts full South,
Abutting upon the said Parish of Chislehurst,
and from thence upon a field called Tomlins
Bushes to an old oak in the said field all along
abutting upon the parish of Bromley, cross
Empstead Lane to the corner of Great Marvell's
wood against the Parish of Lee, and through
Mr. Stoddard's grounds and the College of
Greenwich lands bounding upon the eaid parish
of Lee, to the parish of Eltham Westerly, and
so upon the said Parish of Eltham down to
Mottingham Bridge or Water as first aforesaid
North-West.
"We whose hands are 'hereunder sett went
these bounds the day and year above men-
tioned to be true accompanying the
AT Clement Hobson, Thomas Stoddard,
•George Wilson, R. of Natha, Ryley, Tris,
Manis, Michael, the mark of Comp. . . . Thoma,
Dently."
The Chee&eman family were associated with
Mottingham in the latter part of the fifteenth
century, and continued to hold land there for
close on two 'hundred years. Hasted tells us
that the last of the Cheesemans who held
estate in Mottingham, according to Philipott,
was Thomas Cheeseman, whose heir, A lie*,
carried it in marriage to Robert Stoddard, and
his son, George Stoddard, and Anne, his wife,
in 3 Elizabeth 1560, built the mansion house
called "Mottingham Place," which, with the
lands belonging to it, continued in the family
till Nicholas Stoddard, dying in 1765, unmarried
and intestate, there appeared many claims to
the inheritance. After a long Chancery suit,
it was adjudged to William Boureman, of New-
port, Isle of Wight.
The Place was afterwards sold to Robert
Dynely, who modernised the house for his own
occupancy. When his property was sold in
parcels, after his death in 1805, Mr. Auldjo pur-
chased the house, and his family occupied it till
1837, when it was let. Mr. H. R. Baines bought
it in 1851, and Mr. Schroeter in 1855.
An interesting lawsuit occurred in the time
of King James I., when Sir Nicholas Stoddard
held the manor, and as the record throws a
light upon the times, we will transcribe it as
it was extracted by Dr. Drake from the "Ex-
chequer Bills," 7 Charles Trin. 94.
Sir Nicholas Stoddard, of Mottingham,
pleaded in the Exchequer Court that he had
long been seised of certain lands in the manors
of Lee, Bankworth (tic) and Shraffold, called
Lee Park, adjoining the Parks of Eltham and
Greenwich, and had stocked it with deer.
King James hunted in it, and wished him to
enlarge it by emparking 100 acres of the Crown
lands called Coblands, Hitohin Grove, Mayes-
wood, Mussard's heath, Roughchinbrook, and
Long Croft; and to encourage him to be at the
expense, the King granted a commission to
Sir Thomas Smith and Sir John Scott to com-
pound with William and Nicholas King, lessees
of Coblands, allot Roughchinbrook, and
Mussard's Heath, to whom he paid .£303 13s. 4d.
for their unexpired term.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
He bought 42 acres, and laid in 60 acres of
his own inheritance. He ordered the ridings
and lawn as the King directed, and expended
,£1,500 at least, as he sold lands worth ,£37 a
year, and used the money for the park, in
which the King had killed 80 deer, at least.
He had a horse worth, at least, .£150, which
the King fancied, and took in consideration of
a grant to him of the 100 acres in fee-farm.
These, in reply, admitted that they had broken
down the park palings to gain an entrance
under power of a grant to them of the premises
for 41 years by letters patent, dated 23rd July,
1630.
John Saunderson and Thomas Lewin, as-
fermers of the Crown lands of Eoughohinbrook,
Coblands, Stockchinbrook, and woodland called
Mussard's Heath, in Lee and Lewishntii,
cr
CAVALIER 1629.
Delays occurred in obtaining the great seal
to the estate bought of William and Nicholas
King, whose lease was nearly expired, and to
recoup himself this outlay, made to please the
King, he felled timber, as he might have done
by virtue of the grant under the great seal,
but Sir Lionel Cranfield, the Lord Treasurer,
restrained him under a warrant, addressed 22nd
January, 1622, to the bailiff and constable of
the Manor of Lee, and William and Nicholas
King's term being determined, Thomas Lewin
and John Saunderson laid claim to the estate.
charged Sir Nicholas Stoddard with forcibly
entering and cutting down timber in contempt
of the King's authority, and with threatening
to bring suits against them in the Court of
King's Bench, to the disinheriting of the King ;
they prayed, therefore, that Sir Nicholas might
be summoned to appear in the Court of Ex-
chequer.
It would appear, as the result of this action,
that a special commission was appointed to
inquire into the circumstances. This commis-
sion found that Sir Nicholas had cut down
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
283
timber contrary to the terms of his lease, and
Sir Robert Heath, the Attorney General, laid
the information. In consequence, Sir John
I/ewknor, High Sheriff, was directed to amove
Sir Nicholas, and to establish Thomas Lewin
and John Saunderson, H.M. lessees, in quiet
possession thereof. Sir Thomas Walsingham
and Sir John Fanshawe, H.M. Surveyors, were
to assess the damages. The jury convened
found that 65 acres had been converted " from
good woodland to ill pasture" from time to
time by Sir Nicholas at his own will and
pleasure; but, although the wood was lying on
the ground, there was not sufficient evidence
to direct their judgment in fixing damages.
Philipott records a strange accident that
happened at Mottingham on August 1th, 1585,
near Fairy-hill, in a field then belonging to
Sir Nicholas Hart, Kt.
Early in the morning the ground began to
*ink so much that three large elm trees were
suddenly swallowed up in the pit, the tops of
them falling downwards into the hole, and
before ten o'clock they were so overwhelmed
that no part of them could be discerned, the
concave being suddenly filled with water.
The compass of this hole was about 80 yards,
and so deep that a sounding line of 50 fathoms
could hardly i-each the bottom. At about 10
yards' distance from the above there was an-
other piece of ground which sank in like
manner, near the highway, and so near a
dwelling-house as greatly to terrify the inhabit-
ants in it.
The situation of this extraordinary subsid-
ence is marked to this day by a deep circular
depression in the orchard belonging to the
house lately occupied by Mr. Elliott. Many
theories have been advanced as to the cause of
sinking, but in all probability the mystery will
never be solved.
CHAPTER LXXI.
SOME LAND MARKS— OLD AND NEW.
Let ue now make a sort of perambulation of
the parish of Eltham, ana notice some of the
land marks, old and new, which have not yet
come under our observation in the "Story of
Eltham."
POLE-CAT BUD.
This is the old name of the vicinity of South-
wood House, where the roads to Lamorbey and
Pope-street branch left and right. The origin
of the name seems to have been lost, though it
may probably be pretty accurately guessed,
when it is remembered that the Crown Woods
extended in this direction, that game-keepers
are the relentless enemies of pole-oats, and any
other cats, and that they sometimes affix the
skins of such animals as they had destroyed to
a wall or door, as an example to others. The
name of "Pole-cat End" may have originated
in some such tragedies.
In the days of Mr. Vicat, who resided there,
Southwood House itself was included with
" Pole-oat End." Mr. J. J. Smith, however, re-
named it Southwood House. The latter is now
the property of the London County Council,
who have converted it into a hostel for the use
of the studente attending the Avery Hill Train-
ing College, which is hard by. The change took
place this year, 1908.
"THE BLACK BOT."
This was the name of a wayside public-
house, said to have stood on the site now occupied
by " Forest Lodge," also in the vicinity of Pole-
cat End, towards Lamorbey. The present
house stands upon the pariah boundary. Mr.
Woolley says that when, as a boy, he accom-
panied the authorities on the expedition of
"beating the bounds," he recollects having to
pass through this house, where the occupier
of the time regaled them with bread and cheese
and ale.
WYATT'S, OR WHITE'S CROSS.
One meets with occasional references to
"Wyatt's" or "White's Cross" in the records
of parochial history. There is also mention of
" Wyatt's Elme" in several places, e.g., in the
will of John Collynson, by which he estaiblished
the "Collynson Charity," April, 1534, making
provision for funds for the "repairs of the
highway between Wyatt's Elm and the town of
Eltham, and between West End Cross and the
town"; and again in the records of the estate
of Sir William Wythens, who lived at Southend
House, " Wiatt's Elm or ye waie to Craie," is-
frequently mentioned. It is difficult to find
any person in Eltham who can indicate with
certainty the position of "Wyatt's Cross," or
"Wyatt's Elm." The references seem to
suggest the neighbourhood once called " Pole-
cat end."
But why Cross? It is within the bounds of
possibility that a pilgrim's cross may have
existed at the junction of these two roads; but
there seems to be more probability in the sug-
gestion that some person named Wyatt was
hanged at the spot. The gibbet, or "cross-
tree," was no unfamiliar feature of the way-
side in olden days, and it may be that " Wyatt's
Cross," or " White's Cross," derives its name
from such a circumstance.
AVERY HILL.
The mansion house of " Avery Hill," built
by the late Colonel North, stands within it»
beautiful park, on the left hand side, as you
proceed from " Pole-cat end" towards the-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
2B5
Bexley-road. Prior to the time of Colonel
North, there was a house upon the same site,
where dwelt Mr. Hale. Afterwards Mr. Boyd
lived there, and during his residence he con-
siderably improved and enlarged the dwelling.
A curiosity of the old house was a room which
was exactly a cube in internal dimensions.
When the new mansion was built this curious
room was retained by the architect, and still
forms part of the present structure. A few
years ago the mansion and park were purchased
by the London County Council. The house has
been transformed into a training college for
school-mistresses, and the park has been con-
verted into one of the public parks of London.
In an auction bill advertising the sale of the
•old house on the 19th May, 1859, it is interesting
to note that the house is spelt "Aviary Hill."
It is also spelt this way upon a tombstone in
the churchyard, Eltham.
A ROAD DIVERSION.
The old road from " Lemon Well" to " Pole-
cat End" passed along much nearer to the
house than the present road does. To divert
this highway, Colonel North constructed the
handsome piece of road between " Lemon Well"
and the Bexley-road, at a great cost. The
small farm house that stood near the old road
was pulled down, and the park and mansion
were enclosed completely by the fine brick wall
which runs along the north side from one lodge
to the other.
THE CROWN WOODS.
Mention should be made of the beautiful
Crown Woods which lie to the east and north
of Mr. Low's farm. Here bird and plant
flourish joyously, and the leafy lanes in the
proximity of the woods are suggestive of
secluded country life a hundred miles away,
though they are actually within the boundaries
of the London area.
LEMON WELL.
This is a bricked well by the wayside on the
road from Avery Hill to Eltham. There are
old allusions to this spring. At one time it had
a reputation for He medicinal properties, and
was resorted to for affections of the eye. It is
said to be frequently used for the same purpose
•even at the present day. The well gives the
name--Lemon Well— to the house hard by
which is the residence of Sir Harry North, son
of the late Colonel North. It is a compara-
tively modern house. The occupier before Sir
Harry North was Mr. Smithers. The spring
which supplies the well is in the grounds of
Lemon Well House.
THE WARREN.
To the left of Gravel Pit-lane, a road leading
northward from the highway is "The Rabbit
Warren." This piece of laud is now used as
the links of the Warren Golf Club. At one
time the portion adjoining the lane formed the
butts where the Eltham Volunteer Corps used
to practise with the rifle in the early years of
ite existence. Owing, however, to the local
conditions, a range of 300 yards only could be
obtained. So when the late Mr. Thomas Jack-
son provided the corps with an extended range
upon his estate in the neighbourhood of what
is now called "Well-hall," the "Warren"
butts were given up. Within the "Warren"
there is a spring which, in historic days,
supplied the water for the Moat and the Palace,
and other houses in Eltham. It was in the first
place conducted by means of a pipe to the
"Conduit," the remains of which may still be
seen in the grounds of Mr. Burman, near Holy
Trinity Church. Thence it was conveyed to ite
destination.
BARN-HOUSE CLOCK.
For many years the Barn Huuse clock has
been a familiar feature of this part of the
village, and though a private instrument, it
has fulfilled the purpose of a public clock to
the neighbourhood. It was placed there by Mr.
Thomas Lewin, and upon it is engraved the fol-
lowing inscription:
Edv. Griffin de Dingley
in Agro Northtou
otiose fecit et Amico donavit.
1786.
We may mention that on the lawn of the
"Barn House" is a sun-dial, fixed upon a
pedestal from one of the balustrades of old
London Bridge.
"THE MONUMENT.
One of the most conspicuous of our Eltham
laud marks is the structure which stands near
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
the Broadway, where the Southend-road joins
the Eltham and Bexley-road, and popularly
called "The Monument." It is an object of in-
terest to strangers, who often imagine that it is
in some way associated with one or other of the
many historical events of Eltham. It was,
however, in the first -place nothing more than a
ventilation shaft to the sewer, and the erection
of so imposing a structure for such a purpose is
in some measure a " monument" to the
originality of Mr. Thomas Chester Haworth,
who at the time was the local Surveyor of the
Board of Works.
It would seem that this gentleman was
responsible, too, for the name "The Monu-
ment," which is likely to cling to the building
as long as it exists, for such words were
actually eugraved upon it; though afterwards,
for some reason or other, they were obliterated
by cement.
LOVE LANE.
This was the romantio name of a very rural
lane that ran along the course of what is now
Victoria-road. At the northern extremity you
entered it from the High-street, and the
entrance was protected by posts. At the lower
end, where Victoria-road now joins the Foots
Cray-road, was a stile and steps, known as
"Step-stile."
Between Love-lane and Southend-road, on the
right hand side of the High-street, about
opposite to the Golf Club House there used to
be a pond called " Dodsou's Pond," which was
a prominent landmark of the day.
TEE POLICE STATION.
The present police-station was erected in the
year 1864, and opened in the spring of 1865.
The head-quarters of the police, which served
the purpose of a station, before that time was
on the spot where Mence Smith's stores are
now — immediately opposite the electrical sub-
station.
THE CAGE.
Prisoners could not be accommodated in the
old station, so they had to be taken to the
"Cage, or "Lock-up," which is still in exist-
ence, at the entrance, on the right, to the wood-
yard, near the old Workhouse. The "Cage"
in fact, is in the corner of the garden of Eagle
House. The entrance is from the High-street,
where the door may be seen, secured by a pad-
look.
At least two stories are told of the "Cage."
On one occasion the constable arrested a youth
for stealing fruit, and duly consigned him to
the "Cage," placing him in the inner cell,
but neglecting to lock the inner door. When
the constable withdrew, the prisoner ventured
to open the inner door, and come into the
outer cell. On the constable's return the youth
discreetly concealed himself behind the outer
door, and when the officer proceeded to the
inner chamber the prisoner quietly slipped out,
looked the constable in, and effected his escape.
The police records do not seem to shew that he
was again captured, and the story goes that he
joined the Marines.
A very old Eltham inhabitant says that when
a boy, he recollects a batch of pickpockets, who
had come down to the races, a noted Eltham
event, were arrested and put into the "Cage."
He was standing by at the time, and noticed
that the constable went away, omitting to lock
the door, although it was closed. As it hap-
pened, the prisoners were unconscious of the
oversight, or they might have escaped. When
the officer returned, and the omission was
pointed out to him, he was at first greatly
alarmed, but, learning that his men were all
secure, " he scratched his head, and thanked
his lucky stars for his good fortune."
THE FIRE STATION.
This useful institution, provided by the
London County Council, was opened in the
year 1904. It is a necessary attribute to
growth of the population during recent years.
It is one of the signs that mark the transi-
tion from the rustic state which characterised
Eltham village in the past to the new con-
ditions involved by the absorption of the village
by the expansion of London.
ELM-TERRACE.
There seems to be some doubt as to the
origin of the name of this street, but in all
probability it is derived from the two old elm
trees which at one time stood at the end of
the road remote from the High-street.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
287
BLCNT'S-ROAD.
This name is derived from " Blunt's Croft,"
upon which it is situated. The Croft con-
sisted of a meadow of la. 2r., which is in-
cluded in the "Fifteen-penny-lands," one of the
Eltham charities.
THE WORKHOUSE.
The old parish workhouse was erected in
1738, upon a portion of Blunt's Croft. " In
the book of orders in vestry an entry is made,
and signed by the Vicar and several of the
parishioners, that, at a vestry held 17th Febru-
ary, 1737, it was agreed that a workhouse
should be built at Blunt's Croft at the charge
of the said parish; and that the annual rents
of the said parish given to the use of the
poor should be applied to the payment of the
same as the said rents should arise. At a
vestry, held May 23rd, 1738, the parish con-
tracted for the building of the same for the
«um of .£313." (Report to Charity Com-
missioners, Sept., 1895.)
PHILIPOT'S ALMSHOUSES.
These interesting dwellings, which form so
prominent a feature of the Eltham High-
street, are also built upon " Blunt's Croft."
An account of Thomas Philipot, who provided
the means for the erection and maintenance of
these almshouses, has been given in an earlier
chapter. The Charity Commissioner's report
of September, 1895, says :—
" Thomas Philipot, by his will, bearing date,
llth September, 1680, after devising certain
premises to Clare Hall, in Cambridge, for
establishing two Kentish fellowships, devised
his houses in the town of Eltham, and a field,
in the possession of Henry Snow, to
the Clothworker's Company, to estab-
lish an almshouse in a convenient place
in Eltham, allowing six poor people of that
parish and Chislehurst .£5 per annum each,
four to be chosen out of Eltham and two out
of Chislehurst."
" The almshouses, comprising six tenements,
were built in 1694, at an expense of £302, out
of the funds of this charity on part of a
field called Blunt's Croft, part of the Fifteen-
penny Lands. Each tenement contains a room
below and one above, with a wash-house and
small garden. They are kept in good repair
at the expense of the trust."
THE PUBLIC HALL.
This building in Elm-terrace was erected in
the seventies as a British school, of which
the late Mr. Rathboue was the headmaster.
On the opening of the Pope-street (Board)
Schools the Eltham British School ceased to
exist. The Public Hall, as its name implies
is now used for meetings, concerts, and similar
purposes.
THE OLD GASWORKS.
The original Eltham gasworks were at the
back of what is now the Public Hall. The
gas company erected their new works on
Eltham Green about the year 1860.
" GATHERCOLE'S."
In the same neighbourhood, at the rear of
the Public Hall, stood " Gathercole's Envelope
Factory." The industry employed a consider-
able amount of local labour.
THE OLD CHAPEL,
The building now occupied by Messrs.
Smith's coachbuilding works, was once the
Congregationalist Chapel. More particulars of
its history will be given in a subsequent
chapter. The upper room over the shop is now
used for meetings, &c.
THE OLD RISING SUN.
When the Borough Council acquired the site
now occupied by the Public Library, electric
lighting station, and the open space extending
to the lane, a large piece of genuine " Old
Eltham " was obliterated. It consisted of the
Rising Sun.Sun Yard, the workshops of Messrs.
Smith, coachbuilders, a picturesque old
smithy, and a number of quaint wooden build-
ings, including the coffee shop at the corner,
all speaking eloquently to us of generations of
the ancient village long passed away.
The Rising Sun itself was a fair specimen
of a village inn, as it has existed for some two
hundred years.
sun YARD.
A row of wooden cottages lying at the rear
of the inn, and approached by an archway
formed by part of the inn buildings. These
288
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
cottages were condemned by the authorities,
and the inhabitants were scattered. At the end
of Sun Yard was a wooden building, in which
the Congregationalist community in their
earliest days used to meet for public worship.
THE OLD SMITHY.
The farrier's shop which stood to the west
of Sun Yard nearer to the lane was one of the
features of the High-street. It was very old, and
just before its destruction was in a dilapidated
condition. It was at one time worked by Mr.
Foster and his two sons, Richard and William.
The last tenant was Mr. Metcalfe.
An interesting adventure of old Mr. Foster
is told in connection with this shoeing forge.
He had been shoeing a horse which was to be
afterwards taken down to the Court. So he
got astride the animal and proceeded to take
it home himself. On crossing the Moat
bridge, however, the horse was frightened by a
boy with a hoop, and bearing his rider with
him jumped over the parapet. Horse and man
alighted upon a stack of bricks, and both of
them miraculously escaped injury. Fate, how-
ever, was not always so kind to Mr. Foster.
Not long after he had escaped the perils of
that terrible leap, he chanced to be getting
over the stile at the end of the lane near to
his smithy, slipped, and broke his leg.
POUKD PLACE.
This is the name of the street on the side
of the High-stret, opposite the Public Library.
It derives its name from the fact that the
old "Pound" occupied the spot where Mr.
Cook's shop now stands at the corner near the
High-street. The latest Pound was at Eltham
Green.
WOOLWICH-LANE.
For the benefit of future generations who may
read these lines we will describe the lane which
runs by the National Schools, because its
character will in all probability be completely
changed shortly, by its transformation into a
forty foot road. It is merely a farm road lead-
ing to the fields which are still cultivated.
But along its side is a public right-of-way
which has been used from time immemorial.
The footpath leads to the field at the end
of the school premises, which was entered by
means of a stile. A branch to the right is-
an ancient pathway to Shooters Hill, a branch
to the left, sometimes called "The Slip," leads
to the Parish Church, while the main path
follows a direct course to Well Hall, the
ancient seat of the Ropers.
A year or two ago the Borough Council, in
pursuance of an agreement which had been
made with the owners of the land, made an
attempt to close two of these paths. Their
action caused a good deal of irritation in the
parish, and the boards notifying the closing
of the paths were forcibly removed. The
Council, however, were acting strictly in
accordance with the law. Parliament had duly
authorised the obliteration of these paths,
though none of the inhabitants was aware of
the fact. Good feeling was eventually restored,
by the owners of the land agreeing to let
the paths remain open until such time as it
would be necessary to divert them for build-
ing purposes.
The "Woolwich-lane" was so called because it
led to the old Woolwich-road, now called Well
Hall-road.
ONE ACRE ALLOTMENTS.
These allotments lie to the right of the lane.
Years ago the field they occupy was known as
One Acre. It was a meadow, and was often
used to accommodate for the night the herds
of cattle or flocks of sheep that were being
driven out of Kent into the London market.
BOPEB-STBEET.
So called because it is situated upon land
which, at a very remote period, belonged to
the Roper family. Some four acres of this
land formed a part of the Roper Charity. The
National Schools were erected upon a portion
of this field.
BAM ALLEY.
The narrow passage between the houses on
the right, immediately west of Roper-street, is
popularly known as " Ram Alley." There is
a tradition, and only a tradition, that cen-
turies ago an Eltham man, named Stevens,
was in the habit of stealing an occasional sheep
from the flocks that were driven through the
village to London, and concealing it some-
No. 154.
COLONEL J. T. NORTH.
(See text).
'• '
No. IS5-
AVERY HILL. Residence of Colonel North.
J
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THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
289
where up this passage. The tradition further
asserts that he was ultimately hanged for the
offence on Shooters Hill. There does not
appear to be any record of this case, nor
have any old plans or records revealed the name
" Earn Alley." So the story is given here for
what it is worth.
JUBILEE-COTTAGES.
These curious wooden dwellings were known
for years as Fry's Buildings, but as they were
erected at the time of the jubilee of the Eev.
Shaw Brooke, in the year 1833, they were given
the name of Jubilee-cottages. They are
approached by the opening in the street on the
side almost opposite to "The Carpenters'
Arms." This was also the entrance to the old
brewery.
THE OLD BREWERY.
The old Eltham Brewery lay to the left of
the entrance alluded to. The buildings are
now used for stabling and other purposes.
There is a curious narrow pathway unknown
to many who are only familiar with the High-
street, which leads by this old brewery entrance
along by Jubilee-cottages to the pathway
known as "The Slip," already alluded to.
We will continue our walk down the High-
street, and note some other points of interest.
THE OLD "CARPENTERS' ARMS."
The present inn bearing this name is quite
a new building, but it was erected upon the
site of a house of the same character, but of
considerable antiquity. That it was in exist-
ence two hundred and fifty years ago is proved
by a trade token bearing that date. The
wording of the token runs thus: —
o . RICHARD . GREENE . IN — The Carpenter's
Arms.
R . ELTHOM . IN . KENT . 1667 — R . I . B .
The trade value was one farthing.
For the benefit of those who are not familiar
with the technicalities of these token records
we may explain
O. means "obverse," E. means "reverse."
The sign — refers to the "field" or the centre
space of the coin. On the obverse side of this
coin the "field" is occupied by the term, "The
Carpenters' Arms."
On the reverse side the "field" contains
the initials E.I.G.
E. is the initial of the landlord's Chris-
tian name, Eichard.
G. is the initial of his surname, Green.
I. is the initial of his wife's name, which
is not given.
This combination of the initials of man and
wife is the common rule of such tokens.
THE OLD CASTLE TAVERN.
The old inn was pulled down a few years
ago, and the present modern and somewhat im-
posing structure was erected upon the site after
the usual "set back" of the foundations. It
was an old posting house. The coaches pass-
ing this way always stopped at the Castle.
Two "tokens" are in existence which prove the
antiquity of this tavern. One of these is
possessed by Mr. Whittaker Smith. The other
was in the possession of Dr. Jeken, who has
placed it in the care of Mr. Taffs. The legend
of these tokens runs as follows :—
O. THE . CA8TELL . TAVERNE — A Castle.
E. IN . ELTHAM. 1649 — N.T.M.
In this case it will be noticed that only the
initials of the landlord and landlady are given.
The trade value of this token was one farthing.
SOME OTHER TOKENS AND COINS.
We are fortunate in having as an Eltham
resident the distinguished numismatist, Mr.
H. W. Taffs, who has made Kentish Coins
and Tokens a special study. By his assist-
ance we are able to give some particulars of
other tokens and coins of local interest that
have come under his notice.
Mr. F. Nash, some years ago, found a token
in his garden bearing the following inscrip-
tion : —
o. IOHN . WATSON — A heart pierced with
an arrow.
R. IN . GRAWSEND. 1653 — I.K.W.
The value of this token was one farthing.
It is interesting to learn that John Watson
was twice Mayor of Gravesend, namely, in
1660, and again in 1670.
The following tokens were found under the
Old Castle Tavern. The trade value in each
case is one farthing : —
290
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
(1) o. WILLIAM . CRICH — Grocers' Arms.
B. IN . DEPTFOED — W.S.C. 1663.
(2) O. THE CEOWN COMMANDS — Lion and
Unicorn with Crown.
E. IN . LONG . ACEE. 1663 — M.M.C.
(3) O. WILL . CBOBCH . MEALMAN — Arms.
E. IN . CHICK LANE. 1663 — W.N.C.
The following coins were also found beneath
the Castle Tavern when the building operations
were in progress :—
(1) "The Rose," or Royal Farthing of
Charles I.
O. CAELODS. D.O. MAQ. BEI. — Crown
with two sceptres in saltire.
B. FEAN . ET . HIB . BEX. — Rose.
On both sides, a mint mark, Mullet.
(2) A "Maltravers" Charles 1. Royal
Farthing with Double Kings.
O. CABOLIJS . D.G. MAO. BEIT — Crown
with two sceptres in saltire.
B. FBAN . ET . HIB . BEX — A harp
crowned.
The mint mark on the obverse is a
"wool-pack." On the reverse, a
"rose."
An Italian plaque was dug up during the
digging of the foundations of David Greig's
Stores.
Upon the same site there were also found —
(1) An old leaden bale-mark with an S.
(2) An Irish half-penny, George III., 1781,
with the counter-mark INO DCNN.
Upon this, Mr. Taff remarks, "As the letter-
ing of the countermark is contemporary with
the Georgian period, it would be interesting
to find out that John Dunn was a local trades-
man of the period, and that this circulated
as his halfpenny token."
During the construction of the new road from
the church to the Well Hall station the follow-
ing coins were unearthed at the end near the
High-street.
(1) A George III. Three Shilling Bank
of 1811.
(2) A second brass coin of Hadrian.
To the uninitiated the following note will
perhaps throw considerable light upon the use
and object of Trade Tokens.
"A token, strictly speaking, is a piece of
money current by sufferance, and not coined
by authority. In a wider sense the term is
applied to coins or substitutes for coins made of
inferior metal, or of a quantity of metal of
less value than its name would indicate.
"Owing to the scarcity of small change, and
the great loss occasioned to the poor for the
want of some coin of less value than the
silver penny in use down to the time of the
Commonwealth, half-penny and farthing tokens
were struck in brass, copper, tin, pewter, lead,
and even leather, not only by the Government,
but by tradespeople, tavern-keepers, and others
for circulation in their own neighbourhood.
"When copper coinage became sufficiently
abundant to meet the wants of the population
it was made a criminal offence to issue these
private tokens, although they continued to
circulate in small quantities down to quite
recent times."
With regard to the trade tokens found at
Eltham, Mr. Taffs points out that he has not
yet come across any specimen which suggests
any direct trading with Woolwich. They all
point to trade with London, or with such a
place as Gravesend which lies upon the high-
way into Kent.
It is probable that in those days Eltham had
but little doings with Woolwich. As will be
seen later the only direct communication with
Woolwich was along a small lane which
followed generally the track now occupied by
tie fine "Well Hall-road."
OTHER INTERESTING INNS.
The Greyhound and the King's Arms are
obviously very old houses. The "Crown" and
the "Chequers" are new buildings, but each
stands upon the site of an older house bear-
ing the same name. It is somewhat difficult
to trace the history of these inns. There is
at the British Museum an old and very rare
book, published about the middle of the seven-
teenth century, which gives a list of the princi-
pal taverns of the counties round London.
But the book gives only one "taverne" for
Eltham, and does not record its name, so we
are left to decide, as best we can, which
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHA.M.
291
"taverne" is referred to. The "Castle
Taverne" token which we have just described,
and which is about the same date as the book,
would indicate that the "Old Castle" was the
one tarern mentioned in the book. Never-
theless, there can be little doubt that the
"Greyhound" and "King's Arms" are very old
inns.
A characteristic feature of the King's Arms
is the quaint fire-place which still exists in
the parlour, as well as the ancient clock, the
old bacon rack, and the distinct air of antiquity
which all the rooms wear, and it is easy to
imagine the association of the house with times
earlier than the middle of the seventeenth
century, the date mentioned in the book on
taverns.
In the old days it was usual to transact
parochial business at the inns, and there are
various records in the parish books of visits
to the inns for such a purpose, and, apparently,
it was the custom to lighten the labours of the
day by refreshment. The drink consumed on
these occasions was always a considerable item
in the parochial expenses. At the Easter
vestry of 1812 it was reported that the refresh-
ment item for the past year had reached the
sum of £39 12s. lOd. The details of this
account are rather interesting :—
1811. Easter Monday. Paid at the Castle
Inn, £10 10s.
31st May. Paid at the Crown on making a
rate, .£6 9s. 2d.; paid at the Greyhound
on taking the population, ti 8s. 4d.
2nd November. Paid at the Castle Inn on
putting out two apprentices, one to Mr.
Pattenden and to Mr. Nightingale, £2 Is.
Paid at the Greyhound Inn on making
a new rate, £6 8s. 6d.; expenses of
different meetings held at inns respecting
the Militia, <£3 13s.
30th December. Expenses at the Crown at
a meeting to consider what plan to take
respecting Groombridge, ,£16 10s. Paid
at the Greyhound Inn at binding two
apprentices, one to Mr. Rolfe, Eltham,
one to Mr. Ward, Woolwich, £1 10s.
Expenses at the Greyhound on the
Militia business, 11s.
January, 1812. Paid expenses at the Grey-
hound, 5s., and at the Castle, 6s. 6d.,
respecting Groombridge. Paid expenses
at the Greyhound Inn, binding Thomas
Rolfe, £1 Is. 4d.
March. Paid at the Greyhound Inn in
settling rates, £1 2s. Paid at the Castle
Inn, 12s.
THE COURT YARD.
The short street now called the Court-yard is
erroneously named. It is really the street
leading to the Court-yard, which was
approached by a handsome gateway, and occu-
pied the area of the open space now forming
the approach to the bridge over the Moat, and
plainly shewn by the Elizabethan plan of 1590.
If you take up a position upon the spot where
what we now call the Court-yard meets the
High-street, you will be standing at the centre
of village activity and trade in the olden times.
The main street was, as it is now, the highway
from Kent to London. The bye street led
directly to the Palace. Hard by was the
Parish Church, not far from where you stand
was, in all probability, the cross which was
a conspicuous object in the pre-Commonwealth
days. The parish stocks are said to have
existed on the left hand side of the way, not
many yards from the High-street, and here,
for centuries, were held the fairs and markets
for which Eltham was at one time noted.
With these things in one's mind, it is not
at all difficult to form mental pictures of the
scenes that were enacted here in times now
passed away for ever.
MARKETS AND FAIRS.
As early as the end of the thirteenth cen-
tury, 27th September, 1299, we find that the
then lord of the manor, John de Vesoi,
obtained" a charter for a weekly market at
Eltham on Tuesdays, and a fair yearly on
the eve of Holy Trinity and two following days.
One hundred and forty years after this
date, namely, in 1439, we read that Henry
VI. renewed this charter at a council held
at Overton. The renewal was "in considera-
tion of the increase of his (the King's) lord-
ship, and the slender means of his tenants,
giving liberty for all frequenting the market
292
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
and fair to come, stay, and go, with immunity
from impost, and from attachment by law, ex-
cepting for felony or treason."
The witnesses to this document were the Arch-
bishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops
«f Bath and Wells and Salisbury; "our dear
uncle Humphrey, Dnke of Gloucester; our
dear cousins, Kichard, Duke of York, and
John, Duke of Norfolk," &c., &c.,
The market was long since discontinued, but
down to 1778 there seem to have been four
annual fairs held, on Palm Monday, Easter
Monday, Whitsun Monday, and October 10th,
for horses, cattle, and toys.
PARISH PUMPS.
The odd aspect of "Court-yard" was quite
different from what it is to-day. Where most
of the houses now stand were open fields.
There was a row of trees beside the road, and
many still alive can recollect the pond which
existed near the point where the Back-lane
joins the "Court-yard." The last of the old
trees, bent low with age, was blown down a
few years ago. There were two parish pumps
in the Court-yard. One of these was on the
left-hand side not far from the High-street
near the quaint corner building now occupied
by Whistler and Worge. The water from the
well of this pump was so pure and delicious
that the common saying was that whoever
"took a suck at the pump never left Eltham."
The other pump was a little further on, upon
the same side of the road. It is said that
though these wells are closed down they were
never filled in.
There was yet another public pump near the
lower gateway, leading to the churchyard, and
still another on the Lee-road near the point
where the road to Middle Park Farm joins the
main road.
COURT EOAD.
This road, leading from the "Court Yard"
to Eltham station and Mottingham, is quite
modern. It is constructed mainly upon the
course of an old farm road leading from
Eltham to Chapel Farm. The road now lead-
ing from the Railway Station to Chapel Farm
is a continuation of the old road mentioned.
CHAPEL FARM.
There do not seem to be any tangible records
which enable, one to say authoritatively what
was the origin of the name "Chapel Farm."
The frequent references to "chapel" and
"chantry" which are met with in Eltham
history refer to the "chapel" and "chantry"
attached to the Palace that actually stood
within the area enclosed by the moat, forming
part of the Palace buildings.
We are unable to find any evidence that a
chapel existed upon the site of the present
farm buildings. Neither is there anything
architecturally about the building that
suggests the remains of a chapel. What is
sometimes pointed out as the remains of a
window of an ecclesiastical character will not
bear investigation. The brickwork about the
spot is original. There is no break in the
layers of 'bricks, as would have been the case
had they been built about a window. The
faint marks which have suggested the wdndow
idea seem to point to a pigeon hutch having
been suspended upon the end of the house, at
no greatly distant date, thus protecting a por-
tion of the wall from the weather. The
removal of the hutch left this part less weather
worn than the rest of the wall, suggesting the
form of a window. There are people now living
in Eltham who remember this pigeon hutch.
This statement seems necessary to dispose of a
fallacy which obtained 'Considerable publicity
recently.
As to the origin of the name, "Chapel
Farm," the following suggestion has been
thrown out for those who may be disposed to
investigate the matter further.
The old road leading from the Court Yard
direct to the farm, and nowhere else, seems to
suggest that the farm was attached to the
Palace. The establishment of ecclesiastical
officials at the Royal Chapel, within the pre-
cints of the Palace, was a large one, consisting
of close upon a score, including the singing
boys. Their residence, too, was permanent, for
they performed their religious functions
whether or not the Court was in actual
residence. Consdderimg the large number and
the permanent abode of the chapel staff, it is
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
293
quite possible that they may have been
supplied with their dairy and agricultural
produce from one particular farm, and the
farm in question may have derived its name
from this fact. There is no direct evidence to
substantiate this statement. It is merely a
suggestion as to the direction in which we may
find a solution of the mystery that surrounds
the name of Chapel Farm.
THE BEIOLE LANE.
This interesting lane, one of the favourite
walks of Eltham people on summer evenings,
leads from Eltham to Mottingham, passing the
Palace grounds on the western side. It is some-
times called " King John's Lane," possibly
from the association of King John, of France,
with the Palace, or as a corruption of " Prince
John's Lane."
THE PARISH BEADLE.
Returning to the High-street, we now pass
the Parish Church, and must mention that
very historic " land mark," if it may be so
called, the office of Parish Beadle.
Eltham is one of the very few parishes which
still possesses an official of this kind. The office
is depleted of most of the important parochial
duties which were connected with it in ancient
days when the Parish Beadle was an officer
of the law and a terror to evil-doers, control-
ling, as he did, the village stocks. The office
is now maintained out of the (funds of the
Parish Church, and the officer, who, in hie
picturesque garb, is one of the special features
of our village, does duty at the Parish Church
on Sundays and other important days, in the
preservation of order, as his predecessors have
done for centuries past.
The present holder of this honourable
position is Mr. J. Haywood, who has per-
formed the duties for nearly fifty yeais. His
father was beadle before him, having held the
post from the year of the Rev. Shaw Brooke's
jubilee, 1833.
THE OLD VICARAGE.
This building used to stand upon the site now
occupied by the houses adjoining the Eltham
Brewery. The grounds in which the present
Vicarage stands were the old Vicarage grounds
in which the Shaw Brooke Jubilee festivities
took place.
THE VICARAGE BARN.
The old tithe barn used to stand between the
church and the old Vicarage. It was destroyed
by fire in the year 1868.
SHERARD-ROAD.
The name of Sherard-road has been, of recent
vears, bestowed upon that portion of the old
winding road which led from Eltham to Wool-
wich, which lay between the High-street and
Well Hall Station. It was formerly known as
the Woolwich-road. The name of " Sherard"
was applied to it in commemoration of that of
the distinguished botanists who lived in
Eltham in the 18th century.
AT "TODMAN'S NURSERY."
Tradition attaches considerable interest to
the handsome iron gates which guard the
entrance to "Todman's Nursery," the rect-
angular garden upon the side of the Lee-road,
opposite to Lyme Farm. These gates are of
wrought iron, and from the initials woven into
their design, they are thought by some to have
been the work of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, who
was given rooms in the Palace by Charles I.,
where he painted some of his great pictures.
There does not appear, however, to be any
documentary evidence to support this interest-
ing theory.
It is supposed, also, that the gateway formed
at one time an entrance to the Palace, directly
from the high road. This may have been the
case; but, if so, it is curious that Van Dyck
should have put his own initials eo prominently
upon the gates which protected the entrance
to a royal residence.
The interesting brick structure in the corner
of the garden is undoubtedly old, and may
have been a kind of summerhouse. This build-
ing, together with the general aspect of the
grounds, which are walled in, aje consistent
with the suggestion that what people recollect
as "Todman's Nurseries" may have been in
more remote times the grounds of some
pretentious dwelling that has long since passed
away. In any case, there is a mystery about
the splendid iron gates and the ancient
21 A
294
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
"eummerhouse" whioh needs to be explained.
This may be an interesting exercise for some
patient antiquarian of the future.
MIDDLE PARK FARM.
This farm was greatly renowned in the sixties
of the nineteenth century as the breeding
establishment of thorough-bred race horses. Mr.
Blenkdron was the proprietor, and his stud in-
cluded many of the celebrated houses of the
day. Amongst them was " Caractacus," which
was the winner of the Derby in 1862. Among
other of the famous horses of Middle Park
Stud were "Kingston," "Hermit," "Gladia-
teur," and " Blair-Athol." The annual horse
sales were notable events, and brought together
many of the celebrities of the turf.
An interesting anecdote of the thorough-bred
" Caractaous" is recorded. He was not the
favourite for the Derby of his year, the odds
against him being 40 to 1. But a week before
the race, " Rhyming Eiohard," a contributor
to "Bell's Life," wrote the folowing doggrel
"tip" concerning the horse: —
" Caractacus, whose shape and make,
Sets every country clown agape;
And, if of the outsiders there,
On« horse should pass the winning chair,
Take the 'tip,' and list to me,
' Caractacus ' that horse will be."
When the race took place, Mr. Snewing, the
owner, instead of employing hie usual jockey,
instructed a stable 'boy, named Parsons, to ride
the horse. The result ;was a surprising victory.
THE ELTHAM RACE COURSE.
The Eltham Baces were also notable local
events of the sixties. The course was dn the
" Harrow Meadows," whioh lie between Eltham
Green and Kidbrook-lane. The meet was
usually attended by prominent patrons of
sport, amongst them on one occasion being his
Majesty King Edward, who was then Prince of
Wales.
THE TOLL GATE.
The old toll-gate, on the London side of
Eltham, existed at a point a little distance on
the Eltham side of what is now Cambridge-
road, Lee. A story .is still told of an Eltham
tailor, named Stevens, who jumped the toll-
gate for a wager, and won. The next toll-gate
on the Foots Cray-road was a considerable
distance beyond the Eltham boundary. It was
in the vicinity of Pound Place, Sidcup.
WELL HALL COTTAGES.
These cottages, which stand on the left-hand
side, beyond Well Hall, on the way to Wool-
wich, have of recent years, without the faintest
authority, been called "Nell Gwynne's
Cottages." There is no record of the famous
actress having been in any way associated with
them. They are very old and picturesque, and
have always been known as the "Well-
cottages." The fallacy connecting them with
" Nell Gwynne" has apparently arisen through
the enterprise of picture post card publishers.
KIDBKOOK-LANE.
This interesting road from Well Hall to
Kidbrook and Blaokheath is of great antiquity.
It was the direct route between Eltham and
Greenwich, and when the latter became the
abode of royalty it was along this road that
the Tudor Monarchs probably travelled when
going from one place to the other.
THE OLD COKDDTT.
The ancient pile of brickwork which still
exists in the meadow near Holy Trinity Church
is what remains of the old conduit. This
reservoir dates back to a very remote time, for
it was the means of supplying the Palace with
water. The water was brought from a spring
in the Warren, originally through wooden
pipes. From the conduit it was conveyed to all
the houses of the Crown. It was first con-
ducted to " Step-stile" house and gardens,
thence through the Park, supplying on its way
the Mansion, thence, by way of what is now the
" Chestnuts," it went to the Palace. By means
of branches it supplied the old houses about
the Court Yard.
The present new conduit, which is to be seen
in the Conduit Meadow, also in the vicinity of
Holy Trinity Church, was constructed in the
year 1838, at which date the old conduit was dis-
carded, and an entirely new main, consisting
of iron, was laid in the place of the old wooden
pipes. There is a clause in the ancient lease
of the Conduit House which entailed upon the
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
295
Crown the responsibility of keeping the moat
supplied with water.
POPE-STKEET.
The somewhat contradictory name of "New
Eltham" is quite a modern name for the part
of the parish it now refers to. The old name
of the locality was "Pope Street." It was
probably derived from Dr. Pope, who was
Chancellor to the Bishop of Rochester at the
beginning of the seventeenth century, and who
may have been the owner of property in the
neighbourhood. In the parish records, we find
that on December 16th, 1617, expenses were in-
curred for this Dr. Pope, with regard to the
disposal of a pew at the Parish Church that
belonged to a Mr. Miller, deceased.
THE RAILWAY-STATIONS.
With the construction of the two railways
through the parish began the disappearance of
many of the rural characteristics of Eltham.
Direct railway accommodation with the City
made Eltham a profitable field for the builder;
pretty lanes and meadows began to disappear,
and new houses were erected in large n-uinbers,
the population increasing by leaps and bounds.
Eltham and Mottingham and Pope Street
Stations were opened at the same time as
Cannon Street, namely, September 1st, 1866.
Then followed the development of Mottingham
and New Eltham. Well Hall Station was
opened on May 1st, 1895, and was succeeded by
the extensive building operations in the dis-
trict now known as Well Hall. The Shooter's
Hill Station was opened during the present
year, 1908.
THE ELTHAM DEKE-HOLB.
In February, 1878, a shaft, 140 feet deep and
a little over four feet in diameter, was dis-
covered at Eltham Park, in the grounds of Mr.
Thomas Jackson, and about 300 feet from his
house. It was lined to a depth of 75 feet with
brickwork nine inches thick at the top and 14
inches below, laid in mortar; the next 40 feet
)>elow this were lined with chalk blocks laid in
courses from three to eight inches in height
and seven inches back, with a second set be-
hind, making 11 inches in all, to correspond
with the brickwork. The lowest 22 feet were
cut through the solid chalk without any holes
or ledges being left. The excellence of the
work was remarkable throughout; courses of
brick work occurred amongst the chalk block*
and vice versa. The whole lining rested upon
a foundation of wood four inches thick, which
lay on a chalk ledge. The bottom of the shaft
opened into a large chamber, 63 feet by 40 feet
and 9i feet high, excavated in the solid chalk,
having bays at the side, and columns left stand-
ing in the chalk to support the roof, which is
flat, under a course of flint. It is computed
that at least 1,000 tons of material had been
removed.
Before reaching the chalk, it was necessary
to sink through a considerable depth of ferru-
ginous and quartzose sand and gravel; then
clay, green-sand, a pebble bed, and white-sand
followed in order.
We have no certain knowledge of the anti-
quity of this shaft; the discovery was made
through investigating the cause of a great
waste of water that had been laid on, and it
was found that the water escaped into a brick
culvert leading to the shaft.
This remarkable excavation has now been
filled in, and houses have been built over it.
The origin of dene-holes is still a debated
matter with antiquarians. Some are disposed
to attribute such works to pre-historic times.
If such be the origin of the Eltham dene-hole,
it was the most ancient relic that the village
possessed.
THE BACK-LANE.
This is one of the characteristic landmarks
of Eltham village, and no doubt dates back
to a very remote period in the village history.
It ran from the Court-yard to "Love-lane," or
what is now Victoria-road. At about the
angle where it joins the Court-yard there used
to exist a pond, upon the site of which houses
have been erected. An interesting story in the
history of the Back-lane is associated with the
wooden cottages which open upon the lane a
little way below the Infants' School.
It was proposed to divert the course of the
lane by running it in a straigth line from the
point where it crosses Park-place right away
to the extreme end of Pound-place. This
296
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
diversion would have formed one side of a
eort of rectangle, and would have saved the
pedestrian the trouble of walking the other
three sides. But the diversion of public rights-
of-way is not easily accomplished if there
happens to be opposition to the proposal. This
proposal did not meet with universal approval.
Nevertheless, the usual legal formalities were
proceeded with, and the diversion would have
taken place had not a flaw been discovered at
the last moment in the legal proceedings.
This necessitated going over the course
again, resulting in a considerable delay. Dur-
ing the interval the wooden cottages referred
to were run up hastily, and as these opened
directly upon the old lane their erection
effectually blocked the way to further proceed-
ings in the direction of diversion.
THE SCOTTISH STREET NAMES.
The Scottish names that have been given to
the streets of the Eltham Park Estate are often
the subject of comment, and people sometimes
wonder why names so entirely foreign
to local associations should have been applied,
and whence the names have been derived. As
these names have come to stay, and as they
will henceforth play their part in Eltham's
story, it will be a matter of interest to explain
their origin.
The names were given by Mr. and Mrs.
Cameron Corbett, and in nearly all the in-
stances have Scottish associations : —
GLENESK, CBAIGTON, and GBANOEHILL are the
names of Scottish estates.
BEECH-HILL, BALCASKIE, EARLSHALL, and GREEN-
VALE are estates in the county of Fife.
DAIRSIE and DEANSFIELD are estates in the
vicinity of Edinburgh.
GREENHOLME is an estate in Dumfriesshire.
BERRY-HILL, a road which is not yet made, is
named after an estate in Berwickshire.
ELIBANK. This name comes from the estate
of a nobleman in Midlothian, whose eldest son
is known as "The Master of Elibank."
CROOKSTONE-ROAD is from a small village in
Lanarkshire, a few miles out of Glasgow.
DCNBREK is a suburb of Glasgow.
DUNVEGAN-HOAD, so named from Duuvegan
Castle, in the island of Skye, the seat of the
MaoDonalds:
GLENLEA, GLENLYON, GLENSHIEL and GLENHOUSE
are all of them the names of Highland Glens.
ELDERSLIE. There is a decided touch of
romance about this name, for it is after the
birthplace of the illustrious Scottish patriot,
William Wallace.
WESTMOUNT, is from "Westmount," near
Paisley, the home of the late Mrs. Cameron
Corbett.
GLENURE. This, presumably, is named after
the place where "James of the Glens" was
assassinated, as set forth by R. L. Stevenson
in his novel "Kidnapped."
GOUROCK is the name of a fashionable water-
ing place on the Firth of Clyde.
SOME ANCIENT ROADS.
We will now conclude our chapters on
"Laud-marks" by giving a list of the few roads
that existed in the reign of James the First,
together with their situation and the direction
in which they ran. We are enabled to do
this by referring to records of the " Sur-
vey" which was made of Eltham by order of
King James the First in the year 1605. The
Commissioners who carried out this work
were : Sir Thomas Walsingham, Sir Percival
Hart, Sir Olif Loigh, John Doddridge, Esq.,
Solicitor-General, Sir Francis Bacon (after-
wards Lord Bacon), Matthew Hadds and
Ralf Ewens, Esquires, Henry Hayman, Esq.,
Surveyor of Kent. Among the Commissioners
fined ten shillings each for not appearing on the
jury were William Boughton, of Plumstead,
gent.; Samuel Abell, of Erith, gent.; Thomas
Wildgoose, of Lewisham.
The report of the Commission gives many in-
teresting details of the lands, tenants, woods,
rentals, and other matters connected with the
royal estates in Eltham and the neighbouring
parishes. These details are too numerous to be
reproduced here, but the survey may be well
studied by those who would like to know more
of the ancient field names of the parish, with
the situation and extent of the fields indicated.
We transcribe, however, the following extract
which deals with "Presentment of Highways,
Commons, and Wastes of the Manor of Eltham."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
297
1. A highway from Eltham town by the
gravel-pit, in our knowledge a common water-
ing-place for the parishioners of Eltham, lead-
ing to Wellhaw-green, and thenceforth by
Thomas Roper, Esquire.
2. A lane called Horne-lane, leading from
Wellhaw-green to Kyfield style, and so to
Bexley and Darfort, ditched and hedged on both
sides from the lands of Mr. Thomas Eoper,
and Hogs' sties of the parishioners, and free
herbage common, and passage for horsemen
.and carts till exchange was made between Mr.
Thomas Eoper and the parishioners for a
parcel of land called Hungerdynes.
3. A lane leading out of Horne-lane to the
Common of Eltham, near Broad Oke, and so
to Canterbury, ditched and hedged from the
lands of Mr. Thomas Roper. The
parishioners of Eltham had free herbage till
the exchange with Mr. Thomas Koper for
four acres in the Common field of Eltham
called Eastfield.
4. A lane from Theewing-lane, eastward to
Canterbury highway against the beacon called
Pickpurse-lane, fenced on one side, and the
King's wood called Jakeshill al's Mumbey's
spring on the other, exchanged.
5. Claypit-lane, leading from Wellhaw-green
to the lower side of Eltham Common and to
Woolwich.
6. Kakehill-lane, leading from Wellhaw-
green to the Manor of Kydbroke, Canterbury
highway, and Charlton.
7. Eedbroke-lane from Wellhaw-green to
Kedbroke-green, and so to Blackheath, hedged
and ditched out of the land of Mr. Thomas
Roper, and free herbage so far as the parish
doth go.
8. Also called Kedbroke-lane from Pope's
Street, fenced on both sides to Stony acre, free
pasturage for parish of Eltham. The lane was
through Gray-field and into Stone acre, and
through Henley to the highway to town.
"The common called Wellhaw-green is parcel
of his Majesty's waste belonging to the Manor
of Eltham, as by former surveys, and by ex-
changing between the King and Mr. John
Roper, the parishioners and tenants here
always had free Common.
9. A Common lying at Shooters Hill; the
tenants and parishioners only have had free
Common in pasture and estovers; it extends
from one side of Heathen-lane by the wood of
Sir William Roper, called Shooters Hill, along
the same road to Broad Oke and Pickpurse-
lane, and along by Gonnewood over London
way to Plumstead wood, and to the way lead-
ing from Heathen-lane to Woolwich, and from
thence to Heathen-lane aforesaid."
By referring to No. 5, it will be seen that
"Claypitt-lane" was probably somewhere about
the course of the road leading to Woolwich.
From 7 and 8 it would appear that "Ked-
broke," now Kidbrook-lane, ran from Pope's
Street to Kidbrook.
No mention is made in the above of the road
that now runs from Eltham to Lee. But in
another part of the Survey there is evidence that
the Lee-road was in existence at the time.
After the enumeration of a number of fields
and grounds other than those of the Ropers
the "Survey" says : —
"All which grounds aforesaid do lie ou the
north side of the way from Leye Green to the
lane leading to Welhawe-green, and from that
lane end to Welhawe-green, &c."
This settles a disputed point as to the
antiquity of the Lee-road.
There is also an interesting reference to
Bell-rope Acre." It runs as follows : —
"First his house (Sir William Roper's),
called Welhaw, with grounds adjoining, 6ac.
3r. One field called Westfield, in the middle
lyeth one acre called 'Bell-rope acre,' which
is for the finding of bell-ropes for the said
parish of Eltham, 16ao. 3r. 2p."
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE ELTHAM CHARITIES.
The "Story of Eltham" would not be com-
plete without some account of the charities, in
which the parish is richer than most villages.
To deal with 'these endowments in full is out-
side the possibilities of the space at our dis-
posal here, as many chapters would be needed
for the purpose. We therefore propose to give
a brief notice, chiefly historical, of the various
charities, and would refer those who desire to
make themselves acquainted with all their de-
tails and the present methods of their admin-
istration to the reports issued from time to
time by the Charity Commissioners.
Most of the charities have existed for many
centuries, and, as the years have gone on, local
conditions have changed, and such changes
have necessitated variations in adminis-
tration. The latest official order for this pur-
pose was issued by the Charity Commissioners
to the Trustees, in July, 1907.
THE PHILIPOTT CHAEITT.
Thomas Philipott, by will, dated llth
September, 1680, after devising certain premises
to Clare Hall, Cambridge, for establishing two
Kentieh fellowships, devised his houses in the
town of Eltham and a field (sold in 1866 to the
Commissioners of Woods and Forests for .£650)
to the Clothworkere' Company to establish six
almshouses for four poor people from Eltham
and two from Chislehurst, allowing them £5
each a year.
In consequence of an information filed by
the Attorney-General against the Clothworkers'
Company, the widow of the testator, and
others, the will was confirmed, and the Cloth-
workers' Company being unwilling to act in
the trust, it was decreed that the master,
wardens, &c., should appoint seven trustees-
from Eltham and four from Chislehurst; they
by an indenture dated 9th December, 1685, con-
veyed the devised estate to Sir Francis Wytheiis
and ten other trustees, inhabitants of Eltham
and Chislehurst, appointed by the Court of
Chancery.
At a meeting of the Trustees and others of
the parishes of Eltham and Chislehurst, held
10th May, 1693, concerning PMlipott's legacy,
it was agreed that the parishioners of Eltham
should raise not over ,£300 for building, and
£20 for the purchase of a site, and to have
the exclusive benefit for their poor until re-
imbursed the money advanced by the proceeds
of the rents.
The Almshouses wero built the following year
(1694) at a cost of ,£302, on Blunt's Croft, part
of the Fifteen-penny lands. Each tenement
contained an upper and a lower room, with a
washhouse and small garden.
In 1871 the Charity Commissioners sanctioned
the erection of three additional almshouses,
two for Eltham, and one for Chislehurst, near
the old houses on a piece of Blunt's Croft, ex-
changed for land near the High-street.
FIFTEEN-PENNY LANDS.
This name is supposed to have been so given
from the ancient tribute of the value of a
"fifteenth" of every man's goods paid towards
the exigencies of the State. Henry VII. in
1492, in consideration of the fact that Eltham
was heavily taxed, in consequence of its being a
royal demesne, granted to the parish some 38
acres, scattered about the estate, the proceeds
of which were intended to discharge the State
charge of "fifteenths."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
299
The title was established 8th December, 1674,
by decree of a commission of inquiry. On 14th
February, 1711, an exchange was effected be-
tween the trustees of this charity and Abraham
and Peter Foster for a piece of ground near the
" White Lion," with four almshouses to be
erected by the Fosters in lieu of half an acre
.and a building then divided into four alms-
houses.
The old building, known as the Workhouse,
was built on Blunt'e Croft in 1738, out of the
charity funds. The Workhouse was a
parochial institution, and the erection of the
building .by means of charity funds was an
instance of the kind of thing our ancestors
would sometimes do to save the rates. The
.annual income of this charity is about ,£361.
PASSEY'S CHARITY.
John Passey, by will, dated 5th July, 1509,
desired his feoffees, after his wife's death, to
convey certain property in Eltham to twelve
honest men in trust, to the value of 26s. 8d. a
year, of which 13s. 4d. should go to the borse-
holder of Eltham, for the time being, toward
the discharge of the head-silver or common fine
payable to the Crown at the Micheelmas and
Easter Lawe-days; 6s. 8d. for an obit in the
Church, and 6s. 8d. for church books and orna-
ments. Passey's gift was afterwards vested in
the trustees of the Fifteen-penny Lands (1833).
Its annual value at the present time is about
.£170.
An obit was a service for the soul of a person
deceased celebrated on the anniversary of his
death.
Note. — The Bcrseholder was the functionary
who in some counties was called the "tithing-
man."' He was chosen to preside over the
"tithing," which was a tenth part of the
" hundred," for one year. The office was sup-
posed to have been instituted by King Alfred.
ROPER'S CHARITY.
The earliest deed relating to this charity is
an indenture bearing date 20th November,
1616, whereby, reciting that Thomas Eoper and
William Eoper, by their deed of feoffment,
bearing date 4th July, 1578, granted to John
Smithson and others a parcel of ground in
Eltham, containing, by estimation, four acres
in the common field, called East Field,
abutting on the lands of the vicar south and
west, George Tubbs, and two others, the then
survivors, in discharge of the trust in them
reposed, granted the said premises to Sir
William Wythens and others; and it wa«
agreed that, whenever there should be only
four, three, or two survivors, they should con-
vey the premises to twelve other discreet par-
ishioners and inhabitants of Eltham. On 25th
July, 1833, the lauds were united under the
same trust as Fifteen-penny Lands.
The annual income of this charity is about
458.
gi H.TKK'H LANDS.
By indenture, 20th May, 1656, Thomas
Quilter, and Elizabeth, his wife, in considera-
tion of <£120, granted twelve acres in Pope-
street, Eltham, to Daniel Shafcterden and
Nicholas Hailey, and others, who, after levy of
a fine, by indenture of lease and release, dated
1st and 2nd June, 1671, in discharge of the
trust, conveyed to certain trustees, the vicar,
parishioners, and freeholders of Eltham and
their heirs, the said 12 acres for the benefit of
the poor. The land, measuring about 15J acres,
was united with the Fifteen-penny Trust in
1833.
The present income is about J640 a year.
COLLYNSON'S CHARITY.
John Collyneon, by will, dated April, 1534,
gave a house and nine acres of land in Pope
Street in trust to John Bricket and three
others for the repairs of the roads between
Wyatt's Elm, West End Cross, and the Town of
Eltham. The annual income of this charity is
about ,£57.
KEIGHTLEY'S CHARITY.
Henry Keightley, by his will, dated 20th
May, 1620, appointed that twelve honest men
of Eltham should take his house and land in
Pope Street, by estimation 13 acres 3 roods, for
the use of the highway from Pope Street to
Church Style, and thence to Mile Oak in
Eltham; 12d. a year to be paid to the highways
in Bromley, and the same sum to twelve poor
men in Eltham; a copy of his will in parch-
ment to be hung up in the church at Eltham.
This charity was united to the Fifteen-penny
Truste in 1833. Its income is about .£83 a year.
300
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The Charity Commissioners require that the
net yearly income of the Collyneon and Keight-
ley Charities be paid by the Trustees to the
Local Authority charged with the care of the
highways in the Parish of Eltham, provided
that the local authority to whom the said pay-
ment is made shall make such provision as will
give to the parish of Eltham the benefit of such
payment by way of reduction in the rates of
the parish.
SAMPSON'S CHAEITY.
Thomasin Sampson, by her will, dated 23rd
March, 1634, gave to the pariah of Eltham the
reversion, after the death of her son, of 28
acres in Meopham at Priestwood Green. The
rents to be distributed among the poor at the
rate of 12d. each a year.
By order of the Commissioners, a moiety of
the income of this charity must be applied by
the trustees in apprenticing poor children,
bona fide resident in the parish of Eltham, to
some useful trade or occupation. The remain-
ing moiety goes into the General Fund of the
Charities. The income of the Sampson Charity
is about £10 a. year.
PRICHAED'S CHAEITY.
Dame Sarah Prichard, by will, dated 20th
April, 1707, gave £2 17e. 8d., dividends from
Consols, to be distributed among ten poor
widows and maids in Eltham, being 5s. 9d.
each. An account of this charity will be found
in the parish of Kingsthorpe, county North-
ampton, from which it will appear that, out of
the dividends on ,£1,228 8s., Consols, £2 17s. 8d.
is payable to the parish of Eltham. It is ad-
ministered by the Vicar and Churchwardens.
CLAPHAM'S CHABITY.
Mary Clapham, widow, by her will, dated
15th December, 1733, bequeathed to the
Minister and Churchwardens ,£100 Three Per
Cents., to be paid in coals for distribution, in
the week before Christmas, among 20 poor
housekeepers.
SMITH'S CHARITY.
William Smith, by his will, dated 14th
October, 1751, bequeathed £200, the yearly
dividends to be applied in purchasing copies,
neatly bound in calf, of The Great Importance
of a Religious Life Considered, the balance,
if any, to be laid out in coals for distribution
among a limited number of poor housekeepers
not receiving alms, at the rate of five bushells
to each family in the year.
Dorothy Smith, widow of the above William
Smith, by her will, dated 20th September, 1754,
gave ,£100 for the same purposes as her hus-
band's bequest.
The Charity Commissioners have decided that
these are " Educational Endowments," and as
the book prescribed has been long since out of
print, the trustees are directed to expend the
money in "Bibles and Prayer Books," as
prizes to the children of the National Schools.
WALL'S CHAEITY.
John Wall, 12th February, 1787, bequeathed
,£80 Navy Five Per Cents, for the benefit of six
poor widows, a chaldron of coals each, and the
surplus money divided among them.
DAME ANN JAMES* CHAEITY.
Lady James, 1798, bequeathed .£500, the in-
terest of which to be expended in coal for the
poor some day in December, before the 14th of
the month.
COLFE'8 GIFT.
By >hds will, dated 7th September, 1656,
Abraham Colfe gave all his lands, tenements,
and hereditaments to the Leathersellere'
Company. Among other trusts, the testator
directed that in certain parishes, of which
Eltham was one, upon every Lord's Day at the
public church, at the end of divine service in
the afternoon, two sweet penny wheaten loaves
should be distributed by one of the chief officers
of the church to two of the godliest and poorest
householders, to be chosen by the minister and
parish officers annually at a vestry or church
meeting, at the usual time of the choice of
officers for church and poor, or within one
month from 25th March, the same poor persons
not to be chosen two years together unless there
were no more people in those parishes, and, if
any being in health, refused to come to church
for the bread, another should be chosen ou the
next Lord's Day.
Colfe's Charity came under the Endowed
Schools Acts in 1887, but the scheme directs
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
801
that payment shall be made out of the endow-
ment of certain yearly sums specified in a
schedule to the scheme, including a yearly sum
of 8.s. 8d. to Eltham for bread.
SLY.NN'S CHABITY.
Richard Slynn, by will, date unknown, gave
12s. a year, issuing out of a liouw aud land on
the north side of High-street, Eltham, to be
laid out in bread for the poor, and 8s. for a
sermon on the 5th of November. The sermon
has been discontinued for many years.
HEWETT'S CHARITY.
William Hewett, by will, 13th March, 1779,
gave 30s. a year for the repair of Robert
Street's tombstone, the surplus for bread for
the poor.
KEEUXU'S CHARITY.
William Henstridge Keeling, by will, dated
15th December, 1820, left the interest of ,£150,
part of his Five Per Cent. Bank Annuities, In
trust of the churchwardens, to purchase bread
for the poor, aiid for keeping in repair his own
gravestone, and those of John Henstridge and
Pricilla Smith.
LEGATT'S CHARITY.
Mrs. Elizabeth Legatt, by will, dated 12th
Hay, 1714, devised a messuage called
Hal-graves at Little Heath in the forest of
Waltham, Barking, Essex, and two pieces of
land in Hainault Forest and Barking, with .£70
Three Per Cents., the surplus rents (over ,£10
a year to a school at North Weald, Essex) to be
applied for teaching poor children of Eltham
"to read, write, and cast accounts," and "to
be carefully and diligently instructed in the
catechism, liturgy, and doctrine of the Church
•of England." The premises consisted of a
small farmhouse and 42 acres of land.
A National School was established at Eltham
in 1814, and ,£20 a year was paid to the master
for teaching twenty boys on Mrs. Legatt's
foundation.
Subsequently, ,£32 a year was paid out of this
charity towards the salary of the schoolmaster.
Prior to the abolition of school fees a sum of
about J625 a year was applied in payment of
the fees of the children attending the schools,
and a further sum was devoted to prizes for
the most regular children in attendance.
Special grants towards the maintenance of the
schools were also made from time to time.
In 1904 the Hargraves property was sold to
the West Ham Corporation for the sum of
.£10,600. This amount was at once invested in
the purchase of .£11,960 two and a half per
cent. Consols.
BELL ROPE ACRE.
In the survey of 1605, among the particulars
of the lands of Sir William Roper, mention is
made of "One field called Westfield, in the
middle lyeth one acre called ' Bell Rope Acre,'
which is for the finding of bell ropes for the
said parish of Eltham, 16a. 3r. 2p."
An entry in the parish register, made by
John Forde, vicar (1598-1628), states that " Bell
Rope Acre is worth 20 shillings a year for grass,
beyond the feed."
For many years an annual payment of 15.s.
has been received by the churchwardens, from
the owner, in respect of the land in question.
The money is paid into the general account of
the church, out of which bell-ropes are pur-
chased.
OTHER CHARITIES.
The Rev. J. K. Shaw Brook, 12th June, 1799,
gave a sum of money to redeem the land tax
on Mrs. Elizabeth ]>gatt's land.
One of the Kopers (date doubtful) " gave a
piece of land, of which the annual produce was
6s. 8d., for the use and benefit of the Clerk of
the parish of Eltham."
RIGHTS OF COMMON.
From Hasted's " History of Kent," we get
the following interesting reference: —
A committee, appointed by a vestry, to in-
quire into parish right to Eltham Common,
near Shooter's Hill, found by the parish
records that the parish had exercised the
rights of ownership for nearly 300 years; at one
time 40 oak trees were cut on the common for
the repair of the church, at another 20 oaks
were felled for the repair of the school-house.
In 1636 the parish sold all the trees growing on
the common for .£200, and afterwards leased
the land. The earliest mention of right was
in 1556. In 1572 an action for trespass was
sustained against William Harnett for cutting
802
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
wood on the common. In 1811 the Com-
missioners of Woods and Forest sold to the
Board of Ordnance all the manorial rights of
the Crown in Eltham Common, 42a. Ir. 3p., and
in Kidbrook, lla. Ir. In 1815 the encroach-
ments of the Board of Ordnance were brought
under the notice of a vestry, and on represent-
ing the case the Board desisted. The Eev. J. K.
Shaw Brook- obtained permission from the
Ordnance Board for the poor of the parish to
dig clay on the common by payment of 20s. rent
per acre. It was afterwards thought the pay-
ment of rent would prejudice the parish rights,
and the case remained in. statu quo. In 1785
the parish vestry recognised the right of the
lord of the manor in the soil, whatever the
right of the parish in the produce.
In August, 1785, 3a. 17p. of common land were
granted to Lady James, on the top of Shooter's
Hill, for a lease of 21 years, at the rate of <£1
Is. per annum, half to be paid to the lord of the
manor and half to the overseers of the poor
of the parish. In 1791 another piece of land
(la. 3r. 27p.) was leased to Lady James for 19
years, at a rent of £2 2s. per annum. Subse-
quently "they further consented that Lady
James should have leave to make a carriage
road over Eltham Common from the high turn-
pike road to the Castle on top of Shooter's Hill,
without paying more money or consideration.
SOLDIER OF TRAINED BAND 1638.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
THE CHURCHES OF ELTHAM.
For many centuries the Parish Church was
•sufficient to provide for bhe spiritual needs
of the people, but when the railways 'were
brought into the district, and the population
began to rapidly increase, additional church
.accommodation had to be provided. Where one
church only existed at the beginning of the
nineteenth century six new edifices have arisen
for the ministration of religion according to
the principles of the Church of England, in
addition to a Roman Catholic Church, and the
Chapels of various denominations.
We have already dealt with the history of
the Parish Churoh in considerable detail, ex-
tending as it does far back into the mists of
antiquity. In the case of the offsprings which
have all come into existence within the memory
of man there is very little history to record.
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
Erected in Southend-road, in the year 1869,
and consecrated on the 30th August of that
year. The first incumbent was the Rev. R. N.
Rowsell, who held the post until 1903. He
was followed by the Rev. F. C. Bainbridge
Bell, who was Vicar till 1907, when he was suc-
ceeded by the Rev. H. A. Hall. During the
time of 'Mr. Baimbridge Bell, the Parish Hall
was erected; and since the present Vicar hae
had the church considerable structural improve-
ments and additions to the sacred edifice have
been carried out. The style of Holy Trinity
Churoh is early English. The architect was
Mr. G. L. Street.
BT. PETER'S CHURCH.
St. Peter's was erected in the year 1871 to
accommodate the inhabitants of the new houses
that had flprung up in the vicinity of the Lee-
road. The architects were Newman and Bill-
ing.
ST. ANDREW'S, NOTTINGHAM.
The Churoh of St. Andrew's is built in a
pointed style, of red brick, with stone dress-
ings, and consists of nave, north-west tran-
sept, and a temporary chancel. It was con-
secrated on March 12th, 1880. The transept
alluded to was added in 1897. The Rector, the
Rev. G. B. P. Viner, has held the living since
the parish was formed. An interesting his-
torical fact in connection with the living is
that of the tithes, which, as we noticed in an
earlier chapter, were the property of the Diocese
of Rochester, having been, presented to Gundulf,
a famous Bishop of Rochester, by Ansgotus,
who was the Chamberlain of William II.
(Rufus).
At the dissolution of the monasteries the
tithes of Mottingham passed over to King
Henry VIII., who, ultimately, in 1540 — 1,
settled them by letters patent on his newly
erected Dean and Chapter of Rochester.
But after the execution of Charles I. the
Parliament passed, on 30th April, 1649, an
ordinance, for abolishing Deans and Chapters,
and selling their possessions. So the great and
small tithes of Mottingham were surveyed,
being then under lease, dated 20th November,
15, Charles I., 1639, term twenty years, to
Nicholas Buckeridge, at rent £5, but worth
upon improvement ,£20 a year.
On the restoration of Charles II., and the
re-estalblishment of the Churoh of England, this
portion of the tithes returned to the Dean and
Chapter, by whom they were in turn leased
to a Mr. Henry Towert, a Robert Dynely, Mrs.
304
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Anne Burdue, Mr. Nathaniel Clayton, »f New-
castle, and it was for the Rev. G. B. P. Viner
to eventually redeem them at a cost of nearly
.£500.
The Rectory was built in 1886, the land upon
which the Church and Rectory are erected, was
presented by Queen Victoria, and the estimated
value was .£900.
CHEIST CHURCH.
"Christ Church," Shooters Hill, was erected
in 1861.
ALL SAINTS.
"All Saints," Pope Street, was first opened
as a Mission Hall in 1884. Fourteen years
later (1898) the present church was opened.
ST. LDKE'S.
The following historical notes are from the St.
Luke's Magazine for May, 1909:—
" In 1903 the Church people in the fast grow-
ing town on the Corbett Estate, having made
their wishes very explicitly known for a place
of worship of their own, at the instance of the
Church Extension Association, the Bishop of
Rochester issued a commission of inquiry into
the subject. Amongst those present were the
Bishop of Woolwich, Sir George Vyvyan, and
the Vicar of Eltham, and, a site having been
purchased in 1904 (February), it was unani-
mously agreed that a separate district should
be formed, and a new mission started, to which
the Bishop appointed Mr. Rowley, and on the
26th March, a public meeting was addressed by
the Bishop, the Vicar presiding, when Mr.
Rowley was introduced as missioner. Previous
to this, the Vicar of Eltham and his church-
wardens had raised about .£250 towards a
mission hall, which amount, on the formation
of a new committee, was handed to them, to-
gether with the plans and estimates of the pre-
sent hall, which, for the sake of convenience,
were adopted by the committee.
On September the 22nd the Hall was opened
by the Bishop, about 320 people being present.
In April, the Building Account was closed,
and the amount of .£232 placed to the credit of a
Building Fund for the erection of a Church,
which, on J uly 10th, at a public meeting, it was
decided to build, and the Building Committee
was strengthened by additional members.
In October, Mr. Temple Moore was selected
as architect, and in June, 1906, the tender of
Messrs. Goddard, of .£4,315, was accepted.
On July 14th, the stone of the new church was
laid by Mr. Talbot, the brother of the Bishop,
and on July 6th, 1907, the Church of St. Luke's
was opened, and dedicated by the Bishop of
Southwark, the church being packed with a
crowded congregation.
Owing to a difficulty as to the ultimate patron-
age, consecration had to be deferred, the patron
being in China; but on May 22nd, 1908, Mr.
Poll-hill Turner met tlie Bishops of Southwark
and Woolwich and Sir George Vyvyan at Bishop's
House, and gave up all claim to the patronage,
in favour of the Bishop of the Diocese, and all
difficulties being thus happily removed, the
church was formally consecrated on July 4th
of that year. Laus Deus."
The incumbent of St. Luke's is the Rev. W. P.
Rowley, and the churchwardens are Mr. F. W.
Clark and Mr. 3. Hall.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY.
There is much of historical interest in the
association of the Roman Catholics with
Eltham. Prior to the Reformation, Eltham,
like every other English village was, in point
of religious observance, a Roman Catholic com-
munity, where the Pope was recognised as the
spiritual head of the Church, and the ministra-
tions of the parish priest were according to the
forms of the Roman Catholic ritual and custom.
Then in 1534 came the great coup d etat of
Henry VIII., when the King declared himself
as the head of the Church. The unexpected
stroke of policy on behalf of Henry threw the
administration of ecclesiastical matters into
considerable confusion for a long time; but
we must not imagine that it made the people
Protestant all at once. It was not easy for
people even at the command of a king to ignore
religious associations, which had come down
to them through many centuries. The spirit of
Protestantism was of a comparatively slow
growth at first, and in every parish were those
who persistently clung to the teaching of their
childhood.
In Eltham a powerful Roman Catholic influ-
No. 159.
LORD RIVERS AND HIS GREYHOUNDS IN
KLTHAM PARK.
'A former Resident at Eltham Hodge.)
No. 160.
"HERMIT," born and bred at Mr. Blenkiron's Stables at Middle Park.
Purchased by Mr. Henry Chaplin.
Winner of the Derby in a snow storm. 1867.
Amusements
JUBILEE
fftli. N
GINGLING MATCH,
All l*rr«on% to be pro|M*rl> uiiirrd. \«». -J.
Scrambling for -Penny Pieces
4 andliliiK'* iiol allowed to full ilonii. >••• :i.
I'Muji'ii-iii"1 the Ball out oi (In- Hole,
\« uniiiii KhliipliiK. tun! nol In fin lil- lifts lihiiiir loo rlo*r.
EATING ROLLS & TREACLE
ltoy« lo fonir viltli rlrMii fttrr<». \o. .V.
DIPPING FOR 31ARI5LKN,
rwndtduir lu nriar llulr Hnndcr. .\o. «.
Dipping for Oranges,
*o lio> . lo »•• nr MirNI « up., and ili.-li nomho not lo rircrd
Mix 1 1.« IK-.. Vo. i.
the Pole,
>.. rundldulr lo romr nllli Bird l.lnir. no okjrrllon lo 4 huff.
ill IE i » M :
! uilli n VVoodt-ii l.rs. ^o.
Carter's best Mathvr M *<«//. ajul l»-.i Ci-ni-k of the » hip.
>o Ouiuh l*i-i ...n lo offer hlBorlf r«ndt«ui«..
. Hr.,'.- <. i I I H . l.inri -K. fc •••BBT.
TUT knittt TO crtNtti'nE WITH
^ri^ O crtt'n
A Grand Display of Fi
No. 161.
NOTICE OF THE SHAW BROOKE JUBILEE, 1833.
(From a photograph taken by the late Mr. Geo. Rathbone).
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
306
ence existed, long after the Reformation, in the
Roper family at Well Hall, -who, notwithstand-
ing the pressure brought to bear upon them,
which, in these days, we might almost regard
as persecution, continued in the Roman
Catholic Faith in Eltham for about two hun-
dred years.
In this connection the following notes,
written at our request, by the Rev. Father
McGregor, upon the present Catholic com-
munity in Eltham, will be read with great
interest. Father MacGregor writes:—
"Catholisism lingered on at Eltham long
after the old faith had been proscribed. The
Roper family, of Well Hall, though harassed
by the penal laws, continued true to the ancient
religion, and here, doubtless, as in many other
parts of the country, the family chapel be-
came the religious centre for Catholics scattered
over a oonsiderbale area. Sir William Roper
had as chaplain a Fr. Colleton, a man who
attained considerable distinction in certain
questions relating to the status of the Catholic
clergy which arose in the reigns of Elizabeth
and James I. This priest lived here to an
advanced age. His body was buried in the
churchyard, and a tablet was erected to his
memory in the old Parish Church. The last
male heir of the Ropers of Well Hall died in
Spain albout the middle of the eighteenth
century. His property was divided between his
two sisters. They married, and Well Hall was
sold. Thus ended an old Catholic family, and
the closing of the domestic chapel meant the
discontinuance of Catholic worship, and the
dispersal of the congregation.
" The beginnings of the new Catholic mission
were small. In 1870 th« Rev. Fr. Cotter, of
Woolwich, bought two properties adjoining each
other in the High-street, Torrington Lodge and
Meadow View. The Sisters of Mercy opened
an industrial school for girls at Torrington
Lodge, and a poor school in Meadow View.
Two rooms in Torrington Lodge served as a
chapel for the institution and the district. For
some few years the mission was served from
Woolwich. In 1875 a resident priest wa«
appointed, the Rev. Francis M. English, who
remained here some three years, living in a
house in the village. The Rev. Father John
Arundel took over charge of the mission in
1878, and was here a year more or less, being
succeeded by the Rev. J. B. Harth, whose stay
extended to about four years. The Rev. Thomas
Malpass, who followed Fr. Harth in the in-
cumbency in 1883, died (probably here) in
1886, and his place was taken by the Rev.
Joseph J. Kavanagh. Under these priests the
congregation had increased considerably, and
numbered about one hundred souls; and ite
status advised a forward move, the lines of
which attendant circumstances made very
definite. In 1887 the industrial school for girls
was removed to larger premises at Croydon.
The two houses in the High-street were the
personal property of the Rev. Jeremiah Cotter,
who was now aged and mentally impaired;
moreover, one was empty and unfurnished, the
other in urgent need of extensive repairs.
Father Cotter's trustees decided to sell them,
and to save the mission the Bishop of South-
wark (Right Rev. John Butt) bought them.
In 1888 when this much had been accomplished
Fr. Kavanagh was succeeded by Fr. Martin,
who is still so well remembered. He took up
hifl a/bode in a couple of rooms in Torrington
Lodge to begin with, and superintended the
beginnings of the poor law school for boys
which Bishop Butt started for the custody of
Catholic (boys from the Workhouses, and in a
few months this work necessitated the return
of the Sisters of Mercy to Eltham. Father
Martin moved out of Torrington Lodge, and as
soon as Meadow View was ready for hifl occu-
pation, he took possession of it as his Pres-
bytery. A long room of this house (extending
over the ground now occupied by the premises
of the London and Provincial Bank) was
adapted as a chapel. This chapel opened upon
the street, and was far more convenient for
parochial purposes than the former chapel in
St. Mary's. It <was never intended though to
be anything but temporary, and in less than
a year the building of the present church was
begun. The late Mrs. Allpress was the prime
mover in this project, and a generous con-
tributor; Bishop Butt also gave large assist-
ance, and other benefactors were not wanting.
So that by the autumn of 1890 the present modest
22
806
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
but elegant little church was completed. It
was opened on November 4th, 1890. Bishop
Butt attended, and assisted at High Mass.which
was celebrated by Fr. Sheehan, of Blackheath.
The choir came from Bermondsey, and Canon
Murnane, of Camberwell, preached.
"Not long after the opening of the church
the Poor Law School had to be enlarged, and
was at length certified under Poor Law regula-
tions for the reception of 100 boys.
"A word should be said of the other Catholic
institutions in the place. Mottingham House
was acquired by Father von Orsbach in the later
eighties, and he there for some years conducted
a preparatory school for Army officers. Later
on this house was taken over by the Diocesan
authorities, who established therein a school
for boys (other than Poor Law children) for
whose custody primary education, owing to
peculiar and varying circumstances, the
Bishop makes himself responsible. This work
was, however, transferred to Elthani Park
House some five years ago. At the same time
the Poor Law School, St. Mary's, was moved
to the Mottingham Institution, which was
placed under the management of the Sisters of
Charity of St. Vincent de Paul; and St.
Mary's Convent (the old Torrington Lodge)
while remaining under the care of the Sisters
•of Mercy, was converted to the purposes of a
Hospital Orphanage, under the Poor Law, for
Catholic Children of the Home Counties who
are suffering from certain specified illnesses.
These children have a gallery to themselves
in the church with its separate entrance. The
institution is fully equipped with the most
modern apparatus and appointments for its
purpose.
"Fr. Martin was succeeded in 1901 by the
Eev. James Lonergan, who was here for five
.years. In 1906, on the invitation of Bishop
Amigo, of Southwark, the ancient order of the
Canons Regular of Lateran undertook the care
of the united missions of Eltham and Motting-
ham, and the Rev. Fathers Augustin White,
George MaoGregor, and Francis Jeffrey came
into residence here, and are here still. A few
months ago Fr. White was raised by his
Superiors to the dignity of a mitred Abbot.
"So at the present time the Catholic status
may be summed up. A church at Eltham (St.
Mary's), with a convent and orphanage adjoin-
ing; a chapel at Mottingham (St. Vincent's),
with a convent and orphanage attached, a
boys' school under Diocesan control; a congre-
gation of some hundreds (exclusively of the
institutions), all cared for by a Right Rev.
Abbot and two other priests.
"In Catholic circles one hears of a projected
new church and other things, but as prophecy
is not history we close this paper."
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
For the following brief history of the Con-
gregational Church we are indebted to a
pamphlet, kindly lent to us by its author, the
Rev. E. J. Penford, the present pastor of the
church. It was written by him on the occasion
of the Jubilee of the formation of the Eltham
Congregational Church, and publicly read by
him on October 27th, 1896.
Speaking of the Eltham
Penford writes: —
community, Mr.
" The church came to be in the month of
October, 1846. We must, however, go back an-
other 50 years for the beginning of the move-
ment, out of which it sprang. The closing
years of last century (the 18th) were marked,
as all will remember, by a considerable quick-
ening of the vitality and zeal of the Churches.
A wave of revival swept the land. Its force
was witnessed to by the founding of the Baptist
M.issionary Society in 1792, the London, Mission-
ary Society in 1795, and the Church Missionary
Society in 1799 ..... Among the Home
Missionary agencies that came into existence at
the time was the 'London, Itinerant Society,'
whose principal design was 'to spread the
knowledge of Christ and of His salvation in
the villages which are destitute of the Gospel,
within about ten miles of London, by opening
Sunday schools and prayer meetings, and by
preaching the Gospel of Christ in and out of
doors, as occasion may offer.'
"Local associations," continues Mr. Penford,
" having similar aims, became established her*
and there. One of these was formed at Green-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
807
wicli, and it was not long before Eltham became
one of the spheres of ite operations.
"Preaching wins begun in a cottage. In a
little while so many were found eager to hear
' the good tidings,' that it became necessary to
erect a chapel, which was accordingly done in
1799. The pulpit was supplied from Green-
wich, Deptford, Woolwich, and elsewhere.
Then, for some years, it was occupied by the
Kev. Mr. Wightman, who subsequently became
a Baptist minister at Exeter. A time of diffi-
culty and depression followed. The congrega-
tions became smaller and smaller, and at last
the work aeems to have oome to an end. The
chapel was closed and converted into three
cottages. The building stood at the bottom of
what was known locally as ' Sun Yard.' It
seems to have been felt at the time that the
situation was not all that could be desired, and
that to that circumstance was partly due the
want of success."
It was not till some thirty years after that
Congregationalism w,i» able to get anything
like a permanent footing in Eltham.
Mr. Penford proceeds: —
"The Greenwich JJmtrict Association of Con-
gregationalist ministers now turned their at-
tention to Eltham, and under their auspices a
new chapel wae erected in the High Street."
(This, of course, was the building now occu-
pied by the coaohbuildiug works of Messrs.
Smith).
"It costs, together with the freehold, £1,200,
and was the property, not of the congregation,
but of Mr. William Joynson, of St. Mary Cray,
who, in response to an appeal, had found the
necessary funds. The new chapel was opened
on October 22nd, 1839; the Eev. Dr. Bennett, of
Falcon Square, preaching in the morning, and
the Rev. J. Blackburn, of Claremont, in the
evening."
But the workers were imported from Wool-
wich, Deptford, Bromley, Lewiflham, and other
plaoes. It was not till 1845 that Mr. Henry W.
Dobell came to reside in the village. He proved
a tower of strength to local Congregationalism,
and was the principal means of establishing
it firmly as one of our religious communities.
This is how Mr. Penford describes the advent
of Mr. Henry William Dobell:—
"In spite of .having many friends and
helpers, the cause did not make the progress,
that wag hoped. It continued to be the day
of small things. Such was the case when, on
a certain Sunday morning in the summer of
1845, a gentleman put in an appearance for the
first time, who was destined to exert an in-
fluence iu the congregation and upon the neigh-
bourhood of which at the time he can have
little dreamed. That day the supply was late
— very late. After sitting there in silence for
some time, the stranger offered to begin the
service, and his offer wae accepted. A long
hymn, a long lesson, and a long prayer
followed, and at last the preacher came. Th«
stranger then left the pulpit, whereupon tht*
preacher begged him to return to it, and preach
the sermon, which he did . . . The preacher
must remain anonymous; the stranger wae Miv
Henry William Dobell, than whom no Church
ever had a warmer and more generous and de-
voted friend than he proved himself to be to
the struggling cause to which he was intro-
duced that day. Mr. Dobell had come from the
large and flourishing Churoh worshipping at
Trevor Chapel, Brompton, under the pastorate
of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, where, as Sunday
school superintendent, he had rendered con-
spicuous service.
"Dr. Morrison was reluctant to lose so
efficient a worker. 'What can you be thinking
of,' he wrote, 'to bury yourself in such a
place?' "
Not a very complimentary way of speaking of
this ancient abode of English sovereigns! But
we will forgive Dr. Morrison because of the im-
plied testimony to the work of one to whom we
owe so much. To the doctor's question the
characteristic reply was: —
" If I have learnt anything from your
preaching, it is that the worse the disease tho
greater the need of the remedy.'" . . .
"Mr. Dobell brought to Eltham the ability
and energy which he had displayed elsewhere,
and very soon the leadership of the little com-
munity to which he had come fell into bis
808
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
hands. Some of the old members of the con-
gregation, whose views were narrower than
those which now seemed likely to find favour,
fell away; but others took their place, and the
little cause began to make progress.
" Up to this time the chapel had been a
preaching station, not the home of a Church.
To Mr. Dobell's initiative was due the forma-
tion of the Church proper."
This was done at a meeting held in October,
1846.
" It was a small beginning, for only eight
members were enrolled — Mr. H. W. Dobell,
Miss Mary Dobell, Mrs. Blanchett, Miss
Blanchett, Mr. Eichard Taylor, Mr. Cooper,
Mr. Copper, Mrs. Hannah Smith. Not for 3J
years had the Church a settled pastor, but the
services were maintained, and the membership
increased. The Sunday preachers at this time
were the students of Hackney College. Mr.
Dobell himself was practically lay pastor dur-
ing this period; as, indeed, he was at other
times. Again and again he conducted both the
Sunday and week-day services, and was a fre-
quent and welcome visitor in the homes of the
sick. But at length it was felt that the time
had come for the appointment of a minister,
and the choice of the Church fell upon the Kev.
W. R. Noble."
This gentleman held the pastorate for a few
months only, for he removed to Bexley in the
autumn of the same year, 1851.
"After the removal of Mr. Noble, there was
an interregnum of nearly three years, during
which time the pulpit was again supplied by
students of Hackney College, and other friends,
Professor Ransom coming, as a rule, on the
first Sunday in the month/'
The second pastor was the Rev. William
Jackson, who fulfilled the duties till the year
1856. Mr. Penford has much to tell us about
the careers and characters of the successive
ministers. We regret that the limits of our
space prevent us from transcribing these
matters. We must, however, give an anecdote
of the Rev. William Jackson.
"Early in his ministry," writes Mr. Pen-
ford, " he appeared one Sunday in a gown, and
thinking the circumstance called for remark,
he said : ' Some of you may be surprised to see
me in a new garb. I wear it for convenience.
It is convenient to preach in a loose robe. But
I would as soon preach in the smock frock of
the ploughman as in this gown; and,' he went
on, ' I do not mind whether I preach in a barn
or in a pulpit, so long as souls are saved as the
result of my preaching.' "
The Rev. Thomas Kennerley was the next
minister. He was called to the pastorate on
May 1st, 1857.
During the first year of his ministry the
Church became possessed of the building in
which it worshipped in the High-street. It had
been the property of Mr. Joynson, who had
found the money for its erection. "He now
generously offered to relinquish his claim to it,
and to the ground on which it stood, and other
ground at its rear, on part of which his
envelope factory had stood, on payment of the
sum of £500 — a much smaller sum than the
property was worth. His offer was gladly
accepted, and thus the Church became its own
landlord.
" In 1865 a successor to Mr. Kennerley was
found in the Rev. Jabez Marshall, of Hallaton,
Leicester, a man of cultivated mind, gentle
spirit, and devout heart."
It was during the pastorate of Mr. Marshall
that the present chapel was erected. The
accommodation in the High Street had become
too limited. A larger building was now neces-
sary, but great difficulties were experienced in
getting a suitable site. The Crown Commis-
sioners for a time refused to sell or lease a
suitable piece of land, and there was a great
outcry on account of the obstacles that seemed
to be put in the way. The action of the Com-
missioners was actually brought before the
notice of Parliament. But they persisted in
their refusal, except that they offered to sell
the site of the National School at the corner of
Pound Place. This site was, however, regarded
by the Congregationalists as unsuitable.
" At last," writes Mr. Penford, " when every
door seemed closed, Mr. Dobell, with the full
concurrence of his devoted wife, resolved to
find a site for the new church on his own pi-e-
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
309
mises. He, therefore, pulled down his stables
and coach-house, and gave for the purpose the
ground on which they stood, together with the
stable-yard and part of the garden."
The foundation stone of the new church was
laid by Mr. Samuel Morley, oil July 23rd, 1867.
The Eev. Joseph Beazley, of Blackheath, offered
the dedication prayer, and the Rev. J.
Kennedy, M.A., of Stepuey, delivered an
address. Already nearly ,£2,000 had been con-
tributed to the Building Fund. The church
was ready and opened for divine service about
a year later, viz., on July 15th, 1868, the Eev.
Samuel Martin preaching in the morning, and
the Kev. Dr. Raleigh in the evening. It was
reported that the whole amount required was
forthcoming — about .£4,500— ^and that the build-
ing was free of debt. Mr. Dobell himself con-
tributed generously — how generously only he
himself knew. Mr. Samuel Morley gave ,£500,
Mr. W. Joyneou also gave ,£500, and Mr.
Thomas Jackson, of Elthani Park, £200."
In 1871 the Rev. Benjamin Price began his
ministry in succession to the Rev. J. Marshall,
who had removed to Godalmdng.
The Rev. E. J. Penford, the present pastor,
succeeded Mr. Price in 1879. "In 1882, the
church and schoolroom were renovated, and
the organ re-built and enlarged at a cost of
about ,£500, and a schoolroom was added to the
mission chapel at New Eltham — which had
been erected during the ministry of Mr. Price
—at a further cost of £400.
In 1894 the church and schoolroom were again
renovated at the cost of about ,£500. On this
occasion the old church windows were replaced
by windows of coloured glass.
"In 1895, Mr. Dobell, of whom so much has
had to be said, passed into the Unseen. He
died on the 2nd March, in the 82nd year of
his age, and was buried on March 8th, the Rev.
Morlais Jones, a valued friend for many years,
conducting the service in the church, and the
pastor that at the grave in the parish church-
yard."
THE BIBLE CHRISTIANS.
The first chapel of the Bible Christians was
built in what is now Elizabeth-terrace. The
chapel is now used as a workshop by Mr.
Brand (builder, &c.). In the year 1880 the
little community migrated to Park-place,
where a more commodious building had been
erected.
A year or two ago the Bible Christians allied
themselves with the Free Methodists and New
Connection Methodists, and the community
thus formed was called The United Methodist
Church. It is under this designation that
its religious work is now carried on. The
pastor is the Rev. F. L. Buxtou.
ELTHAM PARK BAPTIST CHURCH.
We are indebted to the Rev. A. C. Cham-
bers (pastor) for the following note upon the
history of the newly-formed Eltham Park
Baptist Church :—
"The Baptist settlers on the new estate be-
came desirous of a place of worship for their
own teaching and practice. They formed a
small committee in 1903. The London Baptist
Association came to their aid by purchasing
an excellent site in Westmouiit-road, and upon
this was erected a school chapel, affording
accommodation for some 300 persons. This
building was dedicated and opened for public
worship on Good Friday, April 10th, 1903, a
special sermon being preached by the Rev.
R. O. Johns, of Dais ton Junction. In the
following year the Rev. Arthur C. Chambers,
of Belvedere; was unanimously chosen as the
first pastor, and he commenced his ministry
on Easter Sunday, 1904. The present mem-
bership of the church is 140, with a congre-
gation that completely fills the present build-
ing, and that, together with an excellent Sun-
day school of 150 scholars, warrants the hop«
of a permanent and commodious church being
erected at no distant date."
THE BAPTIST CHURCH (BALCASKIE-ROADJ .
Mr. Alfred Smith has kindly provided us
with the following brief history of the Baptists
in Eltham: —
" The Eltham Baptist Church, of Balcaskie-
road, was formed as far back as the year 1883.
A few friends had been in the habit of walk-
ing either to Woolwich or to Lee to attend
chapel, and at the invitation of Mr. A. Smith
they met together to consider the possibility
22A
310
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
of forming a Baptist Church for Eltham,
there having been no Baptist Church, prior
to this, in the village.
"The result of the meeting was that steps
were taken to provide a suitable building,
which proved to be a difficult undertaking.
Ultimately, however, the premises, afterwards
known as the Eltham Baptist Meeting Room,
were secured. The room was really a part of
the old brewery, at the entrance to Jubilee-
cottages. It was made quite comfortable, and
seated, at an expense of about £75.
"On Tuesday, May 29th, 1883, this room was
opened for public worship and Mr. John Box
of Soho Baptist Chapel, London, preached at
3.15 p.m., and in the evening at 6.30 a public
meeting was held. Through the kindness of
the Strict Baptist Association and many
friends the whole of the money was collected,
and the church was started free of debt. For
21 years the Church met in this room, and
although during that time they tried to get
a more suitable building, or ground to erect
a building upon, and had formed a fund for
this purpose, it was not until the estate known
as the Corbett Estate was opened that their
efforts were successful.
"At this time they had as their pastor Mr.
S. Banks, and through his strenuous efforts,
also his wife's and other members
of the Church, a big effort was
made to secure a suitable site and erect
a building. Entirely through the great kind-
ness of Mrs. Kennard, of St. Margaret's,
Foots Cray-road, New Eltham, they were
presented with the freehold of their present
ground, which cost, apart from law expenses,
the sum of £245. This handsome gift without
a farthing cost to the Church was made over
to trustess, and is now the property of the
Church. This is only part of the gift of this
generous lady, as many more tokens of her
kindness were received during the bnilding and
the opening of the present chapel, to which
a memorial stone in the front testifies. Many
other friends gave substantial help, and many
more gave of their penury, while others gave
themselves to the enormous work entailed. It
is recorded that over a hundred pounds was
spent in postage appeals and receipts.
"On Whit Monday in June, 1904, the build-
ing known as Eltham Baptist Church, Bal-
caskie-road, was opened for public worship,
and it does great credit to the architect, Mr.
Charles Chapman, and also to the builder,
Mr. Lowe, of Chislehurst."
THE WESLEYAN CHURCH.
The following notes upon the history of the
Wesleyau Church in Eltham are written for
us by Mr. G. W. E. Dowsett :—
"The development of the Wesleyan Methodist
Church in Eltham is very interesting. When
the Eltham Park Estate had been partly built
upon, and a fair proportion of the houses occu-
pied, there were naturally a few Mefliodists
amongst the inhabitants. Their presence set
in motion projects for the erection of a church
of their own denomination.
"Eventually, a site was acquired at the junc-
tion of Earlshall and Westmount-roads,
measuring 250ft. by 120ft., and costing ,£860.
Upon this site a temporary iron building was
erected at a cost of <£280, and opened on Sep-
tember 25th, 1902.
"It was in this building that the late Dr.
Walford Green, a greatly beloved minister of
the Wesleyan denomination, and then chair-
man of the Third London District, preached
his last sermon on Sunday evening, February
1st, 1903, and administered the sacrament of
the Lord's Supper.
"The pulpit in this temporary church was
supplied during the first year by local
preachers from neighbouring Circuits, and in
the second year by a resident lay agent, Mr.
Norman Martyn.
" It was not long, however, before it be-
came evident that this structure was far too
small to accommodate the ever increasing popu-
lation, and a movement was made in the direc-
tion of erecting a permanent building. Plans
were passed, and as the whole scheme from its
beginning had been so closely associated with
Dr. Walford Green, it was decided to desig-
nate the church about to be erected 'The
Walford Green Memorial Church."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
811
"The stone laying ceremony in connection
with the church was held on July llth, 1905,
and the building, which seats 650, and cost
.£5,500, was opened for public worship on
Wednesday, April 25th, 1906, and attached to
the Blackheath Circuit in September of the
same year.
"When the permanent church was about
to be erected it was deemed advisable to
appoint a resident minister, and the Rev. John
J. Johnston rendered admirable service for
two years covering the difficult period of
transition from the iron building to the
present structure.
"At the close of his second year, according
to Methodist custom, he being ordained, was
entitled to a married man's privileges, but as
this young Church was not called upon, and,
indeed, not in a. position to provide these, Mr.
Johnston removed to another Circuit, and the
Rev. W. J. Hartley was appointed. At the
end of one year, he also was ordained, and the
position with regard to him was precisely the
same as that which applied to Mr. Johnston,
and he also removed. He was followed by th»
present minister, the Rev. B. Harold Chappel,
who is just entering upon the second year of
his ministry."
A "CASTLE" TOKEN, 1649.
CHAPTER LXXIV.
THE SCHOOLS OF ELTHAM.
The earliest record of a Tillage schoolmaster
at Eltham is in the Parish Registers, in the
year 1592.
"Paid to Goodman Bourne and William the
schoolmaster for keeping the clock that quarter
that he rang the bell from St. Christmas to the
Lady Day, 2e."
In the year 1605 there ie another entry -which
refers to schoolmasters, .in the plural, and also
alludes to a school house. It runs thus : —
" Paid to good/man Wyborne for dharges at
the oominge of the Kinges maiestie into the
towne and -for ringinge one the Ibyrthe daie of
the younge prinse and for charges of Schol-
masters the xviij of June 1605 latteses for the
«kole wyndowes, vjs."
There does not seem to 'be any indication of
the situation of the school in these remote
times, but the general belief is that the ecen«
of William, the schoolmaster's, pedagogic
labours was in the room over the church porch.
In later years the school, in all probability,
was near the Vicar's barn, which stood a little
way to the west of the church.
THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS.
The oldest of our existing educational institu-
tions is the National School, which dates back
close upon a century, for it was established in
connection with the National Society, by the
Rev. J. K. Shaw Brooke, in the year 1814.
From a report of the Charity Commissioners,
dated 1819, we learn that twenty pounds >wa*
paid to the master for teaching 20 boye on Mrs.
Legatt's foundation. The first register of the
school is still preserved, and among the first
batch of boys admitted were many bearing
names that are still familiar in Eltham, e.g. : —
James Shearing, aged 7.
John Soriven, aged 11.
Thomas Foster, aged 6.
Edward Hand, aged 10.
William Stevens, aged 6.
Charles Russell, aged 9.
James Kingston, aged 7.
1. Wakeman, aged 6.
T. Wakeman, aged 8.
W. Castleton, G. Castleton, I. Misfcin, S.
Norton, I. Norton, H. Francis, and many other
well-known names, are on the interesting list.
"The National School referred to in the report
of 1819, which was for boys and girls, and an
infants' school, established in 1840, appears to
have been carried on on a site, the use of which
was granted by her Majesty's Commissioners of
Woods and Forests." (Report Char. Com.,
1895.) Tihe site was at the end of Pound-place,
adjoining the Back-lane.
" By an indenture, dated 18th December, 1851,
and enrolled the 22nd January, 1852, a piece of
land containing Ir. 8p., situate in East-lane,
Eltham, wae granted by a voluntary convey-
ance, made under the School Sites Act of the
5th Viet., as a site for an infant school for poor
persons of the parish, in conjunction with th«
National School of the parish, and to be in
union with the National Society, and for the
residence of a school-on istress, and for no other
purpose, such school to be under the manage-
ment of the governors of the National School
of the parish, and to be open to Government in-
spection." (Report of Char. Com.)
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
318
The above extract gives the origin and date of
the infant school, whdoh still exists in the Back-
lane.
The following extract gives the date and
origin of the Roper-street Schools.
"By an indenture, dated 16th March, 1868,
and enrolled the 2kt April, 1868,
the trustees of Eoper's Charity by voluntary
conveyance made under the School Sites Acts
granted a piece of land containing on«
*cre, part of a field 'belonging to Eoper's
Charity upon trust to .permit the
premises and all buildings thereon erected or to
be erected to be used as a school for the educa-
tion of children and adults, or children only of
the laibouring, manufacturing and other poorer
classes in tlhe parish, and for the residence of
the master and mistress of the school, and for
no other purpose. The deed directs (inter alia)
that the school shall be in union with th«
National Society, and shall be open to Govern-
ment inspection." (Charity Coin. Report, 1895.)
It will 'be seen from the above dates that
the National Schools have been carrying on
their educational work for close upon a hundred
years. Uip to the year 1902 they depended for
their maintenance uipon the Government graoit,
supplemented by local subscriptions and dona-
tions, and the proceeds of certain endowments.
They were managed by a committee of twelve,
eleven of whom were nominated by the sub-
scribers, the Vicar of Eltham being ex-officio
chairman.
By the Education Act of 1902, the London
County Council was made responsible for the
educational liabilities, and the managers for
the maintenance of the buildings. The com-
mittee itself was also reduced in size, being
required to consist of four "foundation
managers," and two representative managers,
one of whom was appointed by the London
County Council, and the other by the Woolwich
Borough Council. During the last few year*
alterations and improvements in the 'buildings
and drainage system, required 'by the County
Council, have been carried out by the managers
at a cost of .£750.
POPE STREET SCHOOLS.
To provide accommodation for the increasing
population at Pope-street, the London School
Board ,o]>ened a mixed school there in Apnil,
1881. The original 'buildings were those now
used as the infante' school, and the accommoda-
tion was for 240 children
Six years after, in April, 1887, the main build-
ings were opened for boys and girls, 180 each,
the infants remaining in the old building.
In 1904, the departmets for the older children
were considerably enlairged, to accommodate
298 boys and 298 girls.
THE GORDON SCHOOLS.
The rapid development of the Cortoett Estate,
upon the northern side of the railway, necessi-
tated the provision of further school accom-
modation in the parish. In the year 1902 the
London School Board erected temporary iron
buildings in the Grangehiill-road, .for a mixed
department and infante.
This iwas followed by the erection of the
Gordon Schools in 1904. These schools consist
of three departments — iboys, girls, and infants,
to accommodate 380, 380, and 382, respectively.
DEANSFIELD ROAD SCHOOL.
Under the impression that the rapid inorense
of population would continue, the London
School Board, just 'before it went out of exist-
ence, completed the arrangements for the build-
ing of the Deansfleld-road Schools, for a mixed
department and infants. As the contracts were
signed, it devolved upon the Counity Council,
in taking over the educational liabilities of the
Board, in 1903, to carry out the work that had
been arranged by the defunct School Board.
So the Deansfield-road Schools were built, and
opened as elementary schools.
But at this time there was a cessation of
the building operations, and it was found that
there was no immediate need for the schools
for elementary education purposes. The Lon-
don County Council, therefore, closed the
school as an elementary school, and opened it
in 1906 as a Secondary School for Girls, in
which capacity the main .portion of the build-
ings is now being used.
314
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Other portions .have been transformed into a
hostel for the accommodation of some of the
students of Avery-hill Training College.
AVEKT HILL TRAINING COLLEGE.
Die London County Council, 'having acquired
the mansion and park of Avexy Hill, threw
them open for the uee of the .public. In the
year 1906 the house, after undergoing a great
deal of necessary alterations, to fit it for the
purpose, waa opened as a Training College for
School-mistresses. There are 360 students.
THE NOTTINGHAM COUNCIL SCHOOLS.
Previous bo the year 1875 there does not seem
to have been any attempt to provide a sdhool
for Motting<ham, under the Education Acte.
In May of that year, as a result of a notice
received from the Education Department, a
Vestry was held at the Porcupine Inii, pursuant
to notice, for the purpose of considering the
best means of providing the school accommoda-
tion required under the Education Act. At
this meeting it was decided to inform the
Department that the necessary school accom-
modation should be provided out of the rates.
On February 3rd, 1876, the Chairman drew
the attention of the Vestry to the notice
respecting the election of members to the School
Board of Mottingiham, and the ratepayers pre-
sent nominated the five following gentlemen.
namely: Mr. Alfred Alexander, Mr. James I'.
Redgrave, the Bev. Arthur J. Law, Mr. Horace
Hammond and Mr. Hemry Maeers.
The second School Board election, in 1879,
was very keenly contested, Mr. Thomas Chester
Haworth, w.hose name was also closely asso-
ciated with Eltham .history at the time, being
the leader of the discontented section against
the old Board. Mr. Haworth was elected at
the head of the poll.
The first Board School was in Devonshire-
road, where Mr. G. Turner now has a bakery.
The present schools were opened September,
1877. The first master appointed was iMr. D. H.
Waters, who still holds the position. In 1894
a new infants' department was erected dn the*
Dorset-road.
THE EOTAL NAVAL SCHOOL.
Although the Eoyal Naval School does not
come in the same category as the educational
institutions we have mentioned, its removal to
Mottingham is a matter of local interest, which
must be entered upon the records of our village
history.
Established in the first place at Camiberwell,
in temporary buildings, the school was removed
to New Cross in 1843, where dt continued till
1889, when it took up its permanent abode at
Mottiugham. Upon a stone in the south-east
corner of the present building is found the fol-
lowing interesting, and in some respects re
markable, inscription : —
"This stone was laid 1st June, 1843, by
H.R.H. Brince Consort, K.Q., as the founda-
tion stone of the buildings at New Cro»>, and
placed in its present position by Lieutenant
H.E.H. Prince George of Wales, B.N., on the
17th July, 1889."
The historical interest of the school is in
some measure heightened by the fact that its
present premises comprise wliat was once
known as Fairy Hall, formerly Fairy Hill, at
one time the residence of the Right Hon. Henry,
Earl Bathurst, Lord High Chancellor of Great
Britain, 1771. From "The Lives of the Lord
Chancellors," we learn that he retained the
first magistracy in the kingdom longer than
More, Bacon, Clarendon, or Somers, and "to-
his credit be it remembered that he reached
such a height without a dishonourable action."
CHAPTER LXXV.
SOME ELTHAM WORTHIES OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY.
We will now give some brief records of the
more prominent of the public men of Eltham
during the latter part of the nineteenth Cen-
tury.
ROBERT JOHN SAUNDERS.
Mr. R. J. Saunders was a co-worker with the
Rev. J. K. Shaw Brooke, whose biography is
given in a previous chapter. He took a keen
interest in the National Schools, as long as he
lived in Eltham. Mr. Saunders held a com-
mission in the Royal Artillery during the Penin-
sular War, and was present at Waterloo, but
•was not in action on the day of the battle.
He married Miss Isabella Nicholson, daughter
of William Nicholson, Esq., of St. Margaret's,
Rochester, and came to Eltham with her in
1820, and for a time occupied the cottage
opposite the Moat Cottage, as it was then called.
In this house Frederick Grove Saunders was
born on the 24th December, 1820, and Mr.
Saunders shortly after moved into what was
then known as Court Farm, now, Eltham
Court, and farmed the land attached to it. For
some years he held an appointment as Inspector
of Factories. He left Eltham in 1850, and died
in 1852.
RICHARD MILLS.
Mr. Richard Mills, who died at The Moat on
the 21st April, 1880, in his 95th year, settled in
Eltham, in what was then called the Moat
Cottage, on his marriage in August, 1818, to
Miss Sarah Wilgress, daughter of the Rev. Dr.
Wilgress, who lived in the house in the High
Street now known as Ivy Court.
Mr. Mills during his long residence in Eltham
took an active part in all parochial matters, and
succeeded the Rev. J. K. Shaw Brooke as
Treasurer of the Eltham Endowed Charities,
and Secretary of the Eltham National Schools.
He was also Churchwarden of the Parish
Church. He was one of the. "Six Clerks,," a
Chancery appointment, which he held till the
abolition of the office, when he was made
Taxing Master in Chancery.
THOMAS LEWIN.
Mr. Thomas Lewin was a distinguished mem-
ber of a family which has been associated with
Eltham for upwards of two centuries. He was
born at the house called Merle wood, in the High
Street, now the residence of Mr. J. Roselli, in
the year 1798, and died in 1873. By profession,
Mr. Lewin was a Barrister, and he took a keen
and active interest in the welfare of his native
place. He was a magistrate of the Blackheath
division, an Eltham Guardian for many years
at the Lewisham Board, a Warden of the Parish
Church, and a Trustee of the New Cross Turn-
pike Trust.
Mr. Lewin was always a friend and benefactor
of the working class of Eltham. The Eltham
Friendly Society, which he was the means of
establishing as far back as 1830, and which still
exists as a flourishing institution in Eltham, is
a standing memorial of the interest he took in
social problems. Another memorial of the kind
is the volume of " Brief Essays on subjects of
Social Economy," which were published from
his pen by Messrs. Simpkin and Marshall, in
1856. These essays, upon such topics as " Civil
Government, " " Capital and Money," " Wages,"
"Endowments," "Taxation," etc., etc., deal
with problems that are of vital interest in the
present day, and the masterly way in which the
316
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
writer discusses them reveals an acquaintance
with the evils of the social condition of his
time, such, perhaps, as could only have been ob-
tained through his experience as a magistrate,
poor-law guardian, and other offices he filled.
Mr. Lewin lived at the " Barn-house," and the
well-known clock which for so many years has
proclaimed the hour to that part of Eltham,
was erected at the Barn-house by him.
FREDERICK GEORGE SAUNDERS.
Mr. F. G. Saunders, the son of Mr. R. J.
Saunders, was born at the "Court" in 1820, and
died on New Year's Day, 1901. He married
the third daughter of Mr. Richard Mills, in
1846, and resided for some years after in Eltham.
He was exceedingly popular as the first Captain
of the Volunteer Corps. When the Parish
Church was erected, he bore the entire cost of
the south aisle as a memorial to his father and
other members of his family. He also gave a
donation of £500 towards the erection of the
Cottage Hospital.
RICHARD BLOXAM.
We have already referred in another chapter
to the work of Mr. Bloxam in connection with
the enlargement of the "Court," and the re-
clamation of Palace precincts, which had got
into delapidation and decay. But Mr. Bloxara
was also a parochial worker. He was a member
of the Committee of the National Schools for
many years, and was the Secretary of the Build-
ing Fund of both the Parish Church and Holy
Trinity Church. He also took a keen interest
in the local Corps of Volunteers, of which he
was the Captain, and the memory of him in
this capacity is still cherished by the old rifle-
men, whom we may caE the old guard, and a
good number of whom are still left to recount
the glories of the early volunteering days.
THOMAS CHESTER HAWORTH.
Mr. Thomas Chester Haworth was a well-
known figure in the Eltham familiar to the last
generation, and many stories may be gleaned
from the old inhabitants of his characteristic
methods of life and business. He first settled
in the village as a tailor, and that he worked
his way to a position of considerable import-
ance and influence, so impressing the imagina-
tion of his contemporaries that the mention of
his name never fails to give rise to vivacious-
comments, even at the present day, is some
evidence of the individuality of the man and
the foroefulness of his character. He has left
his mark upon Eltham history of the Victorian
times. His disregard of convention is shewn by
the fact that in order to avoid burial in the
Eltham Churchyard, he constructed for him-
self and family a tomb by the wayside in a lune
at Mottingham. Here they were buried, and
the structure, until quite recently, could be
easily seen by the passers-by. During the pre-
sent year, however, it has been walled in.
Among the numerous enterprises of Mr.
Thomas Chester Haworth was a newspaper
called " The Eltham Journal," which appeared
somewhat irregularly for a number of years.
In some respects it was a unique journal, and
was regarded as the "organ" of Mr. Haworth.
DAVID KING, M.D.
Amongst our portraits, on another page, is
that of Dr. David King. He is well remembered
by the older inhabitants of to-day as the popu-
lar doctor who practised in Eltham for fifty
years, covering the middle part of the Nine-
teenth Century. He lived at King's Dene,
which stands at the corner of Sherard Road,
where it joins the High Street.
HENRY WILLIAM DOBELL.
We have already alluded to Mr. W. H.
Dobell's work in connection with the Congre-
gational Church, a work which has left its
impress upon our parochial history. Mr.
Dobell's family came originally from the North
of France at the time of the Huguenot perse-
cutions, the Sussex and Cheshire branches of
the family dating back to the early part of the
Seventeenth Century. The father of Mr. Dobell
was intended for the Navy, and was present at
Lord Howe's action on the 1st of June, 1794,
off Cape Ushant. He was then twenty years
of age. In that memorable action the French
were defeated, six of their ships being taken and
one sunk.
Young Dobell was subsequently introduced
to George the Fourth by Lord Howe, and
the King, taking a fancy to him, assigned
to him a place at Court. Afterwards he became
State Page to their Majesties, George IV.,
William IV., and Queen Victoria, in succession.
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
817
The original warrant for lodging at St. James's
Palace, now in the possession of Mrs. Dobell,
is dated January 28th, 1822, the third year of
his Majesty's reign. One of his daughters was
born at St. James's, in January, 1807.
Henry William Dobell was the fourth son of
John Dobell, and was born on August 8th,
1813. He was educated at Christ's Hospital.
Afterwards he proceeded to a post at the Custom
House, London. In 1854 he was appointed
Comptroller General of Customs, retired in 1874,
and died on March 2nd, 1895. His widow still
resides at Sherard House.
THOMAS JACKSON.
Mr. Thomas Jackson came to reside at Park
Farm Place about the middle of the Nineteenth
Century, and for upwards of forty years was a
prominent figure in the village history. The
story of his life, as revealed in the remarkable
book entitled, " Industry Illustrated," is an ex-
ample of the triumph of self-reliance, diligence,
and integrity. The many incidents in the career
of a man who had started life as a plough boy
when eight years of age, and eventually became
one of the most eminent and successful civil
engineering contractors of his generation, read
more like a romance than the records of a real
life.
It is not possible to give these incidents here,
as they would occupy too much space. We can
do little more than record some of the great
works that he carried out. We will, however,
give one almost tragic circumstance, which oc-
curred after he had relinquished the work of
plough boy and taken up that of canal boy. It
occurred on the Birmingham Canal, called " The
Cut."
" I found this work," says Mr. Jackson,
'• very different to my plough driving. The
boats being very old and leaky, I was constantly
wet and had to remain so till I went to bed,
when my clothes were put to dry by the fire
till morning."
While engaged at this work he had a narrow
escape from drowning. He says :
" I was leading the horse under a low bridge,
and had got on the wrong (or canal) side of him,
when he happened to strike his head against
the arch and knocked me backwards into the
water. I recollect gradually sinking, when I
felt the towing line rub across my chest ; I
clutched it, but remember no more till I found
myself on the bank of the towing path. My
mate then placed me on the back of the old
horse and sent me home to my lodgings alone.
On the way, I had to pass some cottages where
one of my father's workmen lived; and just as
I was passing, this man happened to be standing
at the door, who, seeing how pale and ill I
looked, said ' Tom, lad, what's th' matter, thou
looks pale ? ' I told him the horse had knocked
me into the ' Cut.' He quickly had me off the
horse's back, but I had become unconscious,
and remained so till next day, when I came to
again, and found myself in his son's little bed,
very ill, in which condition I remained several
days, but was at length able to go to my work
again."
Mr. Jackson was often heard to express his
deep sorrow at never being able to find out this
man in after years, when it was in his power to
reward him handsomely for his humane act —
which, in all probability, was the means of
saving his life.
A deep sense of gratitude prompted Mr. Jack-
son to go to the house where the poor man had
lived, hoping either to see him or someone be-
longing to him ; but he had left that part of the
country, and though Mr. Jackson made diligent
enquiries after his benefactor, he was never able
to ascertain his whereabouts, much to his grief
and disappointment.
He was associated with George Stephenson in
Railway Construction, and the great engineer
has left on record his high appreciation of the
work of Mr. Jackson.
One of the greatest works was that of the
completion of the Caledonian Canal. It was
originally commenced in 1803, but the work was
found to be extremely difficult. In 1822, it was
opened before the work, as originally designed,
was completed. The result was a failure. The
Government, in 1843, decided to do something
towards its completion, but stipulated that the
cost should not exceed £150,000. The tenders
of an Aberdeen firm ran into £239,000. Mr.
Jackson's was £136,000. By a stroke of genius,
Mr. Jackson fulfilled the contract. Another of
his great works was the construction of the
818
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
" Harbours of refuge in The Channel Islands,"
and, yet another, not mentioning the many rail-
ways, was the " Harrogate Waterworks."
During his residence at Eltham Park, Mr.
Jackson associated himself with many works of
Charity, and his death in the early nineties was
greatly mourned.
COLONEL NORTH.
Colonel John T. North, who, during the latter
half of the Nineteenth Century had acquired
a world-wide name and fame, and may be fairly
classed among the nation's celebrities, resided
at Avery Hill from 1882 to 1896, when he died
suddenly in London, occupies a prominent place
in our village history.
He has left his mark upon the face of the
parish in the great work which he accomplished
at Avery Hill, which locality he may be said to
have transformed. Having purchased the estate
of Mr. Boyd, in the year 1882, he pulled down
the greater part of the old house and erected the
present mansion and winter gardens with which
the public are so familiar. He laid out the park
and diverted the course of the old road which
ran much nearer the house than the present one,
removing in the operation the old farm-house
formerly occupied by Mr. Grace, and constructed
at great cost the fine piece of road which runs
in a direct line from the bottom of the Lemon-
Well Hill to the junction with the Bexley Eoad,
at White's Cross.
And the name of Colonel North will long be
remembered by the parishioners of Eltham. His
bountiful hospitality, his thoughtful consider-
ation for his poorer neighbours, especially at
Christmas time, when it was his annual custom
to provide every cottage with the good things
needful for the season's festivity, his generous
patronage of local sport, and his readiness to
give of his wealth towards the maintenance of
local institutions, charitable and otherwise, are
memories that will long be associated with his
name and with Avery Hill.
Among his public offices the one with which
Eltham folks are perhaps most familiar, is that
of the Honorary Colonelship of the Second
Tower Hamlet Engineers, for it was one of the
annual events of the neighbourhood, when, as
was his custom, he invited the regiment to a
week under canvas in his park. Here the regi-
ment were regally entertained at their host's
expense.
" The Colonel," by which epithet he was
known by his friends and associates in the City,
was never happier than when contributing to
the enjoyment of those about him. His hospi-
tality was of the generous, old-world kind, and
many tales are still told of these military cele-
brations and of the open house which was kept
on the occasions, recalling in some degree the
conditions which prevailed at the other end of
the village, centuries before, in the days of
" Merrie England."
No less than four foreign nations conferred
Orders upon Colonel North, in recognition of
his public services. The Khedive of Egypt, in
1894, made him " Commander of the Imperial
Order of Osmanich." The King of the Belgians
awarded him the "Order of the Lion, First
Class," a similar Order to that conferred upon
Sir Henry Stanley, the Explorer. France gave
him the " Order of Merit" (Agriculture), and
from the late King of Italy he received " The
Second Class Order of Umberto."
His keen interest in the welfare of national
sport is illustrated by the fact that he was one
of the originators of the national testimonial to
W. G. Grace, the veteran cricketer. On the
dedication page of W.G.'s book, " A Hundred
Centuries," we find the following : — •
" To Colonel John Thomas North, a thorough
all-round sportsman, and the first subscriber to
my national testimonial fund, I dedicate this
book. (Signed) W. G. Grace. July, 1895."
The sad news of Colonel North's death came
as a surprise and shock, not only to Eltham, but
to the whole country, and his loss was followed
by genuine sorrow. Commenting upon the
mournful circumstance, one of the great daily
papers wrote at the time : " Colonel North was
a prominent figure in the crowded canvas of
English life. The news of his sudden end will
be received with sorrow in many and varied
quarters. He had a niche for himself in the
popular imagination. The most rabid Socialist
had a good word for " the Colonel." He was
so thoroughly human in all he did that envy
of his riches was lost in a sense of the good
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
819
fellowship with him Idolised at
Leeds as a typical Yorkshire man — bluff, hearty,
hard-headed, and successful — he was held in re-
gard throughout the country as a general
favourite.
" He spent his wealth in regal fashion,
not only in the entertainment of his hosts of
friends and acquaintances, but also in public
purposes and in charity. His name will be per-
petuated in Yorkshire by his princely gift of
Kirkstall Abbey and grounds to the town of
Leeds. The turf had no more generous and
sportsmanlike patron. His horses ran straight.
He trained and raced them because he had the
true Yorkshire man's instinct for sport. We
deplore his death. A man of ideas, enterprise,
and financial daring — thoroughly English in his
frankness, breadth, and variety of character —
•can ill be spared."
The funeral of Colonel North was a singularly
impressive demonstration of the esteem and
regard in which he was held. The interment
wag in the Parish Church-yard. Some 800
wreaths and floral designs, requiring six vehicles
for their conveyance, were sent by friends and
societies from far and near. The procession was
of such dimensions that when the Church was
reached the last carriage had not left the keeper's
cottage in the Bexley Heath Eoad. Every shop
and public-house in the village was closed upon
the occasion, and the blinds of every house in
the High Street were lowered. Among the dis-
tinguished visitors at the grave was the Belgian
Ambassador, representing the King of the Bel-
gians ; while the Khedive of Egypt sent a letter
of condolence to Mrs. North.
In December, 1905, His Majesty, King Edward
VII., conferred the honour of Knight-hood upon
the Colonel's eldest son. Sir Harry and Lady
North reside in Eltham, at Lemon Well, their
house and grounds adjoining the Avery Hill
Estate.
ALEXANDER GEORGE MILNE.
The following note is extracted from the Log
Book of the Eltham National School, in which
the entry was made on June 16th, 1903 : —
" Mr. A. G. Milne, who for nearly thirty
.years has been a member of the Committee of
Managers of the Eltham National Schools, died
on Saturday, June 13th, at his residence in the
Court Yard, after a long illness. He was within
a few days of completing his sixty-seventh birth-
day.
"Mr. Milne was born in Eltham, where his
father and grandfather had both resided, and
he lived here nearly all his life. He was a great
reader, and was well versed in all matters relat-
ing to the Antiquities of Eltham, upon which
he was a recognised authority. He was the
author of a pamphlet on " Eltham Palace and
those who visited it in by-gone years," which
was read to the members of the Kent Archaeo-
logical Society on the occasion of their visit to
Eltham in the summer of 1899.
" Throughout his life he took a great interest
in all parochial matters, especially those con-
nected with the Parish Church. He also filled
the office of Secretary to the Schools, and for a
time, after the death of Colonel Gordon, was
Treasurer. He was also for many years a
trustee of the Eltham Charities."
In the compilation of this " Story of Royal
Eltham," the writer would like to acknowledge
his indebtedness to the research work of Mr. A.
G. Milne. The little pamphlet alluded to is
not only a mine of information most accurately
set forth, but its foot-notes, indicating authori-
ties, are most valuable to the student. It is
possible that much which has been written in
this book would not have found its way into
the pages, but for the " finger posts " pointing
the way, which are contained in the notes of
Mr. Milne.
A POST-SCRIPT.
Happily there are with us yet many who were
public workers of the Parish from the sixties
of last century and onwards. Some of these
have earned a well-deserved repose, others are
still in harness.
Of the former are Dr. Jeken, who for the
greater part of the last half-century practised in
Eltham, Mr. George Pritchard, Mr. Walter
Richardson, and Mr. W. P. Moore, who have
occupied important positions in connection with
the Church, the Charities, the Schools, and
Hospital.
Mr. T. W. Mills succeeded his father, Mr.
Richard Mills, as the Treasurer of the Eltham
320
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Charities, a position which he still holds. He
has also been Secretary to the Hospital, a
Churchwarden of Holy Trinity for 39 years,
and a member of the Committee of Management
of the National Schools.
Mr. W. J. Mortis has, perhaps, held more
public offices in Eltham than anyone. At the
age of 22 years he migrated from Woolwich
and settled in Eltham. In 1854 he was ap-
pointed Parish Clerk, and fulfilled the duties
of the post for 46 years. In the same year he
was made Vestry Clerk, and the Eegistrai of
Births and Deaths. In 1858 he was appointed
Assistant Overseer, Collector of Rates, and
Secretary and Manager of the Eltham Gas Com-
pany. In 1856 he was Clerk to the Eltham
Committee of the Plumstead District (after-
wards Lee) Board of Works. In 1900 he was
Co-opted as Alderman of the Woolwich Borough
Council.
In 1903 he was elected a Borough Councillor
for the Eltham Ward, and in the same year
was elected a Guardian of the Elthara Ward of
the Lewisham Union.
In the old days, he was Colour-Sergeant in the
local Volunteers. He has also identified himself
with the work of the Cottage Hospital ; has
been Chairman of the Committee of the same,
and contributed largely towards its fund. He
has been also a Manager of the Eltham Council
Schools, and for many years a member of the
Committee of Management of the National
Schools. Of the latter body he is Correspondent
and Treasurer.
Mr. Mortis's knowledge of the Eltham of the
last half-century is quite unique, and the writer
is indebted to his store of knowledge for much
that has been written in these pages concerning
that period.
Mr. W. B. Hughes has also filled many public
offices. He was a member of the Plumstead
Board of Works, afterwards of the Lee Board
of Works. He was one of the Councillors of
the Eltham Ward on the Borough Council for
six years, and has been a Guardian for the last
12 years upon the Lewisham Board. On this
body he has been for six years Chairman of
the Works Committee, and the representative
upon the Committee of Management of Anerley
Poor Law Schools.
" THE STOCKS."
No. 162.
Mr. J. HAYWOOD. (Parish Beadle).
(1909).
APPENDIX.
The following notes, some of them accidental
omissions from the body of the book, and others
of matters connected with Eltham history, are
here submitted in the form of an Appendix.
JOHN OF ELTHAM.
The following details, extracted by Mr. A. J.
Sargent, from the Archives of Westminster
Abbey, and kindly sent to the writer since the
chapter on John of Eltham was in type, are
very interesting, and reveal a circumstance,
connected with that Prince, which seems to have
been passed unnoticed by all our local historians.
" Warrant for the removal of the body of
John of Eltham.
" Edward par la grace de dieu Roi Dangle-
terre Seignour Dirlande et Due Daquitaine, As
noz cheres en dieu Abbe et Covent de West-
mouster salutz. Nous avons pi-ions cherement
que selone la esleccion et le devis de nostre
tres-chere dame et miere Isabel Eaine Dengle-
terre, vueilletz ordiner et suffrir que le corps
de nostre tres-cher frere Johan jadis Counte
de Cornewaill peusse estre re-muez et translatez
du lieu ou il gist juaques a autre covenable
place entre les RoiaLs.
" Faisant toutesfoitz reserver et garder les
places plus honourables illoeques pour le gissir
et la sepulture de nous et de noz heirs, selone
ce que reson le vondra droitement demander.
Les choses avantdites ne vueilletz lesser en
nulle manere
" Donne souz nostre prive seal a Brusselles le
xxiiij jour d'August, Ian de nostre regne
treszime."
(Endorsed) Littera Domini Regis de sepultura
sua seservanda, et remocione
fratris sui concedenda.
TBANSLATION.
" Edward by the Grace of God King of
England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aqui-
tain, to our beloved in God, the Abbey and
Convent of Westminster.
" We lovingly pray you that according to
the wish and instruction of our dearly beloved
lady mother, Isabella, Queen of England, you
will • ordain and suffer that the body of our
beloved brother, John, Earl of Cornwall, may
be removed and translated from the place where
it lies to another and more suitable place among
those of the royal lineage.
" Notwithstanding which that more honour-
able places shall be reserved there for the inter-
ment and sepulture of ourselves and our heirs
according as propriety would justly require. Do
not fail in the things authorised in any manner
whatsoever.
" Given under our privy seal at Brussels the
24th day of August, the 13th year of our reign."
(Endorsement). " Letter to His Majesty the
King, concerning the reservation of a place of
sepulture and granting space for his brother's
body."
THE ELTHAM MOTION.
In a previous page of this book allusion is
made to the " Eltham Motion," or the " Eltham
Thing," a subject about which there have been
many conjectures but very little information
of a definite character.
There is, however, a very scarce work at the
British Museum written by Thomas Thymme,
" A Professeur of Divinitie," and published in
1612, under the title of " A Dialogue philosophi-
call, wherein Nature's secret closet is opened. .
Together with the wittie invention of an
Artificial Perpetuall Motion, presented to the
King's most excellent Majestie."
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
The King was James I. The invention was
what we know as the "Eltham Motion.". The
inventor was one Cornelius Drebbel, a German
scientist of the day who had won fame at the
various European Courts as a genius at inven-
tion, and who was given rooms at Eltham Palace
to set up his " Motion." It seems that Dreb-
bel's list of inventions is a very long one. He
patterne of the Instrument itself, as it was pre-
sented to the King's most royall hands by Cor-
nelius Drebble of Alchmar in Holland . . .
to make plaine the demonstration unto you that
the heavens move and not the earth, I will set
before you a memorable Modell and Patterne,
representing the Motion of the Heavens about
the fixed earth, made by Art in the immitation
ELTHAM MOTION.
invented them all without the " aid of the
black art," but by natural philosophic alone,
and by his experiments he so gained the King's
favour, that his Majesty granted him a pension
of 2,000 guilders. He died in London in 1634.
In the preface to his book, in reference to
the Perpetual Motion, Thymme says : " And
for that rare things more much, I have thought
it pertinent to this Treatise to set before thee
a most strange and wittie invention of another
Archimider, which concerneth Artificiall Per-
petuall Motion, imitating Nature by a lively
of Nature, which instrument is perpetually in
motion without the means of steele, springs and
waights. "
The picture we give is from an etching of the
original in the book referred to.
JOHN EVELYN AND THE VICAR OF
ELTHAM.
In his " Diary," Evelyn has made numerous
references to Dr. Owen, the Vicar of Eltham,
with whom he was on intimate terms. These
entries are so interesting, and present the con-
APPENDIX.
828
ditions of life at the time so vividly, that we
venture to reproduce a number of them. It is
this Dr. Owen, who is referred to in the short
life of Thomas Doggett, in this book.
" 1649, January 31st.
I went through a Course of Chymistry, at
Sayes Court. Now was the Thames frozen
iver, and horrid tempests of wind.
The villany of the rebels proceeding now so
far as to try, condemn, and murder our excel-
lent King, on the 30th of this month, struck
me with such horror, that I kept the day of his
martyrdom a fact, and would not be present
at that execrable wickedness ; receiving the sad
account of it from my brother George, and Mr.
Owen, who came to visit me this afternoon, and
recounted all the circumstances."
" 18th March, 1649.
Mr. Owen, a sequestered and learned minis-
ter, preached in my parlour, and gave us the
blessed Sacrament, now wholly out of use in
the parish churches, on which the Presbyterians
and fanatics had usurped."
" 18 March, 1652.
That worthy divine, Mr. Owen, of Eltham, a
sequestered minister, came to visit me."
" 2nd Sept., 1652.
Mr. Owen, the sequestered divine, of Eltham,
christened my son by the name of Richard."
" 1st January, 1653.
I set apart in preparation for the Blessed
Sacrament, which the next day, Mr. Owen ad-
ministered to me and all my fajmily at Sayes
Court, preaching on John vi., 32, 33, showing
the exceeding benefits of our Blessed Saviour
taking our nature upon him. He had chris-
tened my son and Churched my wife in our
own house as before noticed."
" 11 October, 1653.
" My son, John Stansfield, was born, being
my second child, and christened by the name
of my mother's father, that name, now quite
extinct, being of Cheshire.
Christened by Mr. Owen, in my library at
Sayes Court, where he afterwards Churched my
wife, I always making use of him on these occa-
sions, because the parish minister durst not
have officiated according to the form and usage
of the Church of England, to which I always
adhered."
" 25 October, 1653.
Mr. Owen preached in my library at Sayes
Court on Luke xviii., 7, 8, an excellent dis-
course upon the unjust judge, showing why
Almighty God would sometimes be compared
by such similitudes. He afterwards adminis-
tered to us all the Holy Sacrament."
" 29th March, 1654.
That excellent man, Mr. Owen, preached in
my library on Matt, xxviii., 6, a resurrection
sermon, and after it we all received the Holy
Communion."
" 3rd December, 1654. Advent Sunday.
There being no Office at the Church but ex-
temporary prayers after the Presbyterian way,
for now all forms were prohibited, and most
of the preachers, were usurpers, I seldom went
to Church upon solemn feasts; but, either went
to London, where some of the orthodox seques-
tered Divines did privately use the Common
Prayer, administer the Sacraments, etc., or
else I procured one to officiate in my house ;
wherefor, on the 10th, Dr. Richard Owen, the
sequestered Minister of Eltham, preached to
my family in my library, and gave us the
Holy Communion."
" 26th June, 1658.
X-.
To Eltham, to visit honest Mr. Owen."
" 22nd August, 1664.
I went from London to Wotton, to assist at
the funeral of my sister-in-law, the Lady Cot-
ton, buried in our dormitory there, she being
put up in lead. Dr. Owen made a profitable and
pathetic discourse, concluding with an eulogy
of that virtuous, pious, and deserving lady. It
was a very solemn funeral, with about fifty
mourners. I came back next day with my wife
to London."
MRS. OWEN'S TULIPS.
The following letters between Mrs. Owen, the
wife of the well-known Vicar of Eltham, who
was sequestered in the days of the Common-
wealth, and John Evelyn, the famous diarist,
are very interesting, revealing as they do in a
realistic way, not only a little local incident,
but also illustrating agreeably the habits and
23A
324
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
intercourse of John Evelyn with his neighbours
and friends.
Mrs. Owen to John Evelyn.
Eltham. June 26, 1680.
Honoured Sir,
I am heartily sorry that I forced you to buy
tulips for your fine garden. I must confess
your guineas look more glorious than now these
tulips do; but, when they come to blow, I hope
you will be better pleased than now your are.
I have sent you some of my ordinary sort,
and, sir, when mine are blown, if you please
to come and see them, Mr. Evelyn shall buy
no more, but have what he pleases for nothing.
I am so well pleased with those that I have,
that I shall neither buy more, nor part with
any, unless it be to yourself.
I cannot, sir, send my husband's service to
you, because I don't acquaint him of my trad-
ing in tulips. Sir John Shaw I cannot speak
with (being taken up so much with visitors),
as to know his mind about a gardener.
Sir, I now beg your pardon for my rude lines,
and desire you to assure yourself, that my hus-
band and 1, upon any occasion, shall be always
ready either to ride or go to serve you or yours.
Thus having no more, but desiring to have my
service to yourself, your lady, and Sir Richard
Browne, and your beloved progeny, I shall take
leave, and subscribe myself.
Your most humble servant, to command,
AMY OWEN.
John Evelyn to Mrs. Owen.
June 26, 1680.
Mon Amy (that is, My Friend),
I am not so well pleased with Mrs. Owen's
letter as with her tulips, because I am assured
there must needs be some mistake, and that my
gardener (who, perhaps, does not care that I
should purchase anything but through his hands
and in the common manner), as was to tell you
that I would come myself and make friends
with you, did leave that out.
Can you ever imagine that I looked on your
kindness as an imposing on me? Sure, you
know me better than to think so ; and when I
told you flowers of less value would better
become my poor garden, it was neither to save
your money nor reproach your merchandize.
But I assure you that I not only thank you for
[them], but shall condemn you for a very un-
wise woman if you should forbear to continue
a traffic which is so innocent, so laudable, and
so frequent even among very great persons.
You and I, therefore, must come to a better
understanding upon this chapter.
In the meantime I had a good mind to have
sent your last present back again, till all this
had been cleared ; for I do not love to be over-
come in point of generosity, though I see that
for this present I must be. You seem to think
I complained I had not full measure, and think
now to make it up by overwhelming me with
your kindness. This is a revenge I cannot long
endure, as you shall be sure to find, the first
opportunity I can lay hold on. In the mean-
time I thank you most heartily for all your
good intentions, and the kind offices which both
you and the Doctor have ever been ready to do
me. Sir. Jo. Shaw did us the honour to visit
us on Thursday last when it was not my hap
to be at home, for which I was very sorry. I
met him since casually in London, and kissed
him unfeignedly. I chided myself that I was
not there to receive him. Two of our coach-
horses are still so lame, that we have not been
able to stir out this fortnight ; but so soon as
they are in very tolerable condition, my wife
and I will not fail of kissing your hands, and
repaying this civility to Sir John ; and so with
our best respects to you and your Doctor,
We remain, etc.,
AN EARTHQUAKE AT ELTHAM.
Extracted from Philosophical Transactions
(Royal Society), Vol. 46.
" On Thursday, the 8th Feb., 1749-50, at
about half-an-hour after 12, as I was sitting
reading with one elbow on the table, on the
ground floor in my house at Eltham, Kent, I
felt two shocks from East to West, which I
immediately thought was an Earthquake, as I
had felt something like it once at Naples ; and
was confirmed in my opinion, by my wife's
running down stairs frighted, and declared
it was an earthquake, she having felt one in
the West Indies. She was in the room over
me, in which room there was China standing
on a Cabinet, which, she says, shook in such a
manner that she expected it to fall. My chil-
APPENDIX.
325
dren, who were in the room over her, seem to
have felt it stronger, as they say, they appre-
hended a chest of drawers in their room was
falling. The servants that were in the kitchen,
which has no room under it, seem to have felt
little of it. One that was writing says he felt
the dresser move, and the wall, but thought it
was only the shutting of a door. Other ser-
vants in the same room felt nothing at all of
it. My gardener, who was at work in the
garden, felt nothing of it.
" The wind was at S.W. and had been high in
the night and morning, but was much abated ;
and after this, for some time, it was quite calm ;
which I believe it is generally observed to be,
in those countries where earthquakes are more
frequent. A flight of pigeons I have, seemed
to be much frightened.
" Eltham is about 8 miles S.S.E. from London
Bridge, and stands on a hill.
" This account was written before I had heard
anything from London."
The above is " An account of the shock of an
Earthquake felt Feb. 8, 1749-50," by William
Fanquier, Esq., F.R.S.
AN EARL OF ELTHAM.
Frederick Lewie, son of George II., was
created Earl of Eltham, and was succeeded in
the title by his son, afterwards George III.
When the latter became King his titles were
merged in the Royal dignity, and that of the
" Earl of Eltham " has not since been revived.
As students of history know well, a pretty
stiong Jacobite feeling existed in the country
through the earlier reigns of the Hanovarian
kings, and it was probably to such a source that
the uncomplimentary epitaph upon the prince,
which found circulation at the time, owes its
origin.
Epitaph.
" Here lies poor Fred, who was alive and is
dead,
And so there is no more to be said.
Had it been his brother, 'twere better than
another,
Had it been his sister, no one would have
missed her.
Had it been his father, we would rather.
Had it been the whole lot, no one would have
cared a jot.
But as it's only Fred, who was alive and now
is dead.
There is no more to be said."
WHY "KING" JOHN'S PALACE?
The origin of the error of calling Eltham
Palace " King " John's Palace is discussed in
an interesting manuscript note left by the late
Mr. Alexander Milne. After showing that the
name could not have come from the Associations
of the English King John with the place, he
says :—
" The following, I take it, is most probably
the origin of the error. After the Restoration,
Sir John Shaw (there was a succession of them)
was the great man in Eltham, and, practically,
with other remains of the Palace, owned the
Banqueting Hall, which was used as a Barn,
and this became to be known as Sir John's
Barn, which title in the course of a couple of
hundred years, slipped into Kiny John's Barn.
" In illustration and part proof of this
theory, it is known that Sir Tregonwell Framp-
ton, a great racing man of the seventeenth
century, laid out part of the Park as a race-
course, or training ground, for the first Sir
John Shaw. This bit of land, a long straight
field, south of the House, running nearly
parallel with the Green Lane, in my recollection
was always spoken of as " King John's Race-
Course," an obvious mistake for " Sir John's
Race-Course." It is curious, however, that the
name of King John is often traditionally con-
nected with old buildings with which he really
could have had nothing whatever to do."
THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGES.
The following additional notes on the Subter-
ranean Passages have been kindly given the
writer by Miss Edith Anderson : —
"The existence of a series of underground pas-
sages, running westerly in the direction of Lee,
and in connection with this Early Palace, had
long been popularly believed ; but nothing
certain was known on the subject till 1834, when
Messrs. Clayton and King explored these mili-
tary stratagems of the Middle Ages, and cleared
about 700 feet of the passages, which were par-
tially filled with rubbish.
" They descended a ladder, below a trap-
door on the South side of the Hall, and entered
326
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
a subterranean room, whence a narrow-arched
passage, about 10ft. in length, conducted them
to a series of passages with decoys, stairs, and
shafts, some vertical, and others on an inclined
plane, which— so they suggest — were once used
for admitting air, and for hurling down missiles
or pitch-balls, with deadly effect, in case of
attack.
" The remains of two iron gates, completely
carbonized, were found in the passage under the
moat.
" There is a tradition that at Middle Park,
through which the passages are believed to
run, there are underground stables, sufficient in
extent to accommodate sixty horses.
" The date of these several passages is as-
signed to the reign of Edward III. or com-
mencement of the 14th century. They were
more probably passages of escape in the case
of unsuccessful attack from without or from
treason within the walls."
THE COTTAGE HOSPITAL.
The Cottage Hospital stands in Park Place.
It's first home was near the Parish Church,
where it was opened in 1880. As the original
building was found to be of inadequate size,
the present buildings were erected in 1889, at
a cost of nearly £4,000, the whole of which
was defrayed by voluntary contributions. In
1906 an addition was made to the structure in
the form of the Children's Ward. The Hospi-
tal is doing a great work in the parish and is
one of the most cherished of the parochial
institutions.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Public Library, opened on the 23rd
October, 1906, stands upon ground purchased
by the Municipality for the purpose of erect-
ing thereon a Public Hall, District Offices, Elec-
tricity Sub-Station, Public Library, and Public
Baths. Only the Sub-Station and the Library,
have as yet been put up. The latter has a
frontage of 80 feet and a depth of 68 feet, and
forms an imposing feature of the High Street.
It was built by " direct labour " under the
supervision of the Eltham Buildings Committee
of the Council, and of the Borough Engineer,
Mr. J. Rush Dixon, M.I.C.E., from the designs
of Mr. Maurice B. Adams, F.R.I.B.A. The
total cost of the buildings and fittings was about
£7,000, of which £5,000 were defrayed by Dr.
Andrew Carnegie. The public part of the
building includes, the Library which is on the
open access system, a Reading Room, a Maga-
zine Room, and a Reference Reading Room.
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
Since the note on Holy Trinity Church, which
appears in an earlier chapter, was written, im-
portant alterations and improvements have been
made in the building, the work being carried
out during the tenure of office of the Rev.
Henry A. Hall, M.A., the third Vicar, who
was instituted on December 23rd, 1907.
In 1908, a new Choir Vestry was erected, the
gift of Mrs. A. C. Latter, in memory of her
sister, Miss Agnes Elizabeth Plevins. A new
ventilation apparatus was also applied.
In 1909, the Nave was extended two bays.
The new Narthex and Baptistery, with nine
windows and handsome west window, are the
gift of Mrs. North, in memory of her late hus-
band, Colonel John Thomas North. The
Chancel has been extended westward, a low
retaining wall separating it from the body of
the Church, and upon this is a low iron screen,
the gift of Mr. T. W. Mills, who for thirty-nine
years had filled the office of Vicar's Warden.
The Choir Stalls have been lengthened, Priests'
Stalls added, and the whole Chancel paved with
black and white marble. A new East window
has also been put in, the anonymous gift of two
ladies, and another smaller window, represent-
ing " The Flight into Egypt," the gift of Mrs.
Latter, in memory of her aunt, Miss Plevins.
All the windows added in 1909 are by Mr.
Tower (Messrs. Kempe and Co.), and are among
the finest examples of stained glass art in thf
South of England.
The turret, which contained the historic bell
alluded to on a previous page, was condemned
by the architects as unsafe, and consequently
removed. The whole Church has been cleaned
and distempered, and the roof repaired.
The architects were Sir Arthur Bloomfield
and Sons, and the total cost of the work of 1909,
is about £3,000.
APPENDIX.
827
AKCHERY EOAD.
Since the paragraphs were written upon
" Woolwich Lane," in the Chapter on " Land-
marks Old and New," it has been transformed
into " Archery Eoad," during the present year
(1909). The foot-path, which afforded a short
cut across the fields to Well-hall Station, has
also been closed to the public.
The Authorities at first proposed to name
the new road " Batang Road." A local protest
was, however, lodged against this name, and
ultimately the name " Archery Road " was
adopted. As the new road crosses the " East-
fields," so often alluded to in the Parish
Records, where the butts were set up for the
practice of archery in the days of Merrie Eng-
land, the consistency of the name " Archery
Road " will be at once seen.
AN OLD ROAD MAP.
The accompanying map, which has been
kindly copied by Mr. W. H. Browning from
an old map of 1790, shows the Eltham portion
of the Coaching road from New Cross to Maid-
stone.
It is interesting as showing the position of
the various country houses and the names of
those who resided in them. The guide lines
show points of the road from which views of
the houses marked could be obtained.
SOME BOOKS AND AUTHORITIES CON-
SULTED IN THE COMPILATION OF
THIS VOLUME.
Lambarde's Perambulation of Kent.
Philipot's Kent.
Hasted's History of Kent.
Domesday Book.
Lyson's Environ's of London.
Buckler's Account of the Palace.
Drake's " Hundred on Blackheath."
Pamphlet on Eltham Palace, etc., by Alex-
ander J. Milne.
Records of Eltham (Rev. E. Rivers).
Dictionary of National Biography.
Archseologia.
Archseologia Cantiana.
Abel's History of Kent.
Records of Woolwich (W. T. Vincent).
The Church Bells of Kent.
Chaucer Society's Records.
Froissart's Chronicles.
328
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Stow's Chronicles.
Evelyn's Diary.
Pepy's Diary.
Reports of Charity Commissioners.
Reports of Proceedings of Woolwich Anti-
quarian Society.
Sir William Roper's Life of Sir Thomas More.
State Papers Domestic.
Rymer's Foedera.
Issue Rolls, Devon.
Holinshed's Chronicles.
Privy Council Records (Nicolas).
Order of the Garter (Nicolas).
Reports on Old Wills belonging to the County
of Kent (Leland L. Duncan).
The Golf Club House (Rev. R. N. Rowsell).
And many others wjiose names are already
alluded to in the text.
INDEX.
Abbey of Ghent^280.
Abbey of St. Augustine — 29.
Abbot White— 306.
Abingdon — 266.
Abraham— 60.
Accident to Roman Catholic frenche imbassidor
—86.
Act of Toleration, The— 48.
Addison — 53.
Adelraare, Julius Caesar — 264.
Adene, John — 44.
Agincourt, After— 157.
Agincourt, Battle of— 14, 158.
Albert, Prince— 231.
Aldborough — 2.
Alfred the Great— 12.
Allee, Boberte— 80.
Allgate— 70.
All Hallows— 74.
Alnwick, Barony of — 106.
All Saints', Pope Street — 304.
Alnwick, Northumberland — 105, 106.
Alteham— 14, 15, 16, 23.
Alwold— 14, 15, 16, 18-22.
Amours and Moralities, A Book of — 140.
Ancalites — 5.
Angles— 10.
Anglo-Saxon Times — 44.
Angotus, The Chaplain of — 280.
Angria-^53, 54, 246, 247.
Anne, Mrs.— 240.
Anne Boleyn, Queen— 225, 226.
Anne of Cleves— 228.
Antiquaries, The Society of — 97.
Antwerp — 49.
Aquitaine — 109.
Aquitaine, Edward III. at — 109.
Archery Road — 73 (also Appendix).
Archroologia, The— 92.
Armada, The— 74 .
Armenia, King of — 136, 137.
Armenians, The — 43.
Army of England, The— 76.
Arnold, Watchmaker — 210, 279.
Artichoke at Blackheath, The— 237.
Artois— 121.
Arundel, Archbishop — 154.
Arundel, Thomas — 149.
Ashfield, Hester— 48.
Ashton, Anthony — 53.
Athenian Oracle — 43.
Aubrey, The Antiquarian — 41.
Augusta — 6, 8.
Augustine — 31.
Authorities (Appendix).
" Away to the Slay pole hie " — 73.
Avery Hill— 284.
Avery Hill Training College — 314.
B
Bacchus — 41.
Back Lane— 295.
Bacon, Sir Francis — 195.
Badger, The— 81, 82.
Bake-house, The— 100, 101, 106.
Balbie, John, Burnt at the Stake— 150.
Ball, John— 133.
Balle, Sir Peter— 254.
Baltic— 10, 41.
Bankes (to Goodman) — 82.
Banners and Badges of the Crosse — 85.
Bannookburn, Battle of— 103.
Baptist Church, Balcaskie Koad — 309.
Baptist Church, Eltham Park— 309.
Barber, Concerning the — 183.
Barker, Sir John — 276.
Barn House— 279.
Barnes, Master of Woolwich — 240.
Barn House, Clock, The— 285.
Baron Mont-easrle, Edward Stanley — 176.
Bastwick, John— 250.
Bath— 57.
Battle of Bannockburn — 103.
Bayeaux, Bishop of— 24, 26, 103.
Bayeux Tapestry— 20, 24.
Beacons— 73, 74.
Beacon on Shooter's Hill, The— 73.
Beadle, The Parish— 293.
Beane, John of Woolwich — 240.
Beating the Bounds— 80, 84.
Beaufort, Henry — 163.
Beaumont, Isabel de — 103.
Beauty and Love, Queen of — 117.
Bede's Ecclesiastical History — 45.
Bedfordshire— 103.
Bee-keeping — 17.
Bel, Philip de— 109.
Bells, Inscription on — 71.
Bek, Bishop, the Beautifier — 102, 166.
Bells of Eltham— 69, 70, 71.
Bess, Queen— 64, 72.
Bethel— 60.
Bexley— 70, 118, 120.
Bibfe Christians, The— 309.
Bible Society, The Naval and Military— 57.
Blackheath— 12, 74, 235.
Blackheath Hundred— 103.
330
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Black Bull, Diners at— 236.
Black Boy, The— 284.
Black Fria.s— 86.
Black Prince, The— 112, 120-123, 125, 126.
Blomfield, Sir Arthur— 67, 68.
Bioomfield, Robert— 54, 242, 243, 244.
Bland, Mr. Hubert— 279.
Blore, Christopher— 229.
Blount, Sir Richard— 157.
Bloxam, Richard— ^616.
Bluff, King Hal's, woodland festival— 231.
Blunt's Croft— 287.
Blunt's Road— 287.
Bohemia, Queen of — 51.
Boleyn, Anne — 217.
Bombay — 53.
Bolingbroke— 134, 148.
Boniface VIII., Pope— 105.
Bordars — 15, 16.
Bordeaux — 123.
Border Land, North of England, The— 73.
Bore, Richard — 77.
Borne— 72, 83.
Boswell— 58.
Bosville, William— 266.
Botanical Gardens, Chelsea — 260.
Botanical Gardens, Oxford— 259.
Bottom, Eltham— 238.
Boulogne — 107.
Boundary Crosses — 35.
Bourbon, James of — 123.
Bourne, John — 70.
Bowen, Sir Edward William — 37.
Bradshaw— 251.
Brand, The Antiquary — 44.
Brentford— 250.
Brerely, Richard, " approver " — 146.
Brewery, The Old— 289.
Bridget, Lady— 49.
Bridget, Princess— 99, 169.
Bridle-lane— 173, 293.
Briset, Jordan dc— 210.
British Museum — 108.
British Baskets— 7.
British Huts— 10.
British Museum, The — 108, 111.
Bromeland, alias Bromefield, Will— 47.
Bromhed, Mr. — 73, 74.
Bromley— 99, 255.
Brooke, Rev. Shaw— 259.
Brooke, Rev. J. K. Shaw, Work of— 268, 270
271, 273.
Brook Hospital— 2
Brown, George — 240.
Brown, John, Will of— 37, 63, 64.
Brown, Sir Thomas — 33.
Brussels — 49.
Bryde, Philip— 63.
Buckler, Mr.— 97, 99.
Bucks' Views— 90, 92.
Buckler, Mr. J. C.— 90-93, 95-97, 99, 100
Bull Inn, Shooter's Hill— 234.
Bultynghouse, The— 172.
Butts, The Eltham— 232.
Burial Customs— 43.
Burton, Philip— 56, 57.
Butchery, The— 116.
Buttery, The— 100.
Bye, Rev. Deodatus— 56.
Byrthe daie of the younge prinse — 83
Csesar— 1, 3, 6, 7.
Charles James — 265.
,, expelled from House of Commons
—264.
Charles— 264.
Family, The— 264.
Harris— 265.
Henry and Julius— 265.
Sir Charles— 264.
Sir Thomas— 264.
Calais— 112, 117, 120.
Cambridge, King's College Chapel— 91.
Camden, William— 266.
Canade— 69.
Canterbury— 36, 60, 69, 103, 123.
St. Thomas of— 123.
,, Dean of — 57.
Cappadocians, The — 43.
Captive King received at Southwark, The— 125.
Capture of King Charles— 205.
Carey, Thomas — 111.
Carnicke, Vicar (Sir John)— 40, 64, 73.
Carpenters' Arms, The Old— 289.
Cassi — 3.
Cassibelan — 3.
Castle Rising— 109.
„ Tavern, The Old— 102, 289.
„ Mrs.— 276.
Carrock, Sir Philip— 44.
Catesby, Mr. Mark— 260.
Catholic Relief Act, The— 48.
Caulves Garden — 47.
Cenimagni — 3.
" Ceorles " — 15.
Champeneye, Monsieur de — 189.
Chancellor, My Lord, his Lodgings— 100, 177.
Chandenayore— 54.
Chandos — Sir John — 122.
Chapel of Eltham, The— 108.
,, Farm— 292.
„ The Royal— 177.
Charles, Emperor — 225.
Prince— 49.
I.— 49, 98, 199, 203, 249, 250, 252.
II.— 49, 208, 242, 254, 257.
„ X.-55.
Charities, The Eltham— 230, 298.
Charlotte, Queen — 47.
Charlton— 80.
Chase, The— 255.
Chaucer— 144, 145.
Chaundry, The— 101.
Chelsea— 52, 226.
,, Botanical Gardens — 260.
Cheshire Round, The — 53.
Chester, Old Common Council Book of — 231.
Chequers, The— 290.
Chestnuts, The— 116.
Cheviots, The— 2.
Chichester, Bishop of — 143.
Children of Henry VII. at Eltham— 173.
Chislehurst— 6, 118, 225.
Chivalry, Days of — 111.
Choiseul (Marquess de) — 55.
Christ Church, Shooter's Hill— 304.
Christian, King of Denmark— 196.
Christmas Spent at Eltham in 1515—176.
Christmas— 41, 64, 84, 102.
INDEX.
831
Church Ales-^1, 42.
„ Clock— 40.
„ of England— 44, 59.
Churches of Eltham— 303.
Church Goods— 69.
„ Grey Friars— 110.
Churches of Kent— 67.
Church House — 41.
„ The Parish-31, 32, 36, 43-45, 53, 59,
60, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71.
„ Style— 79.
Churchwardens' Refreshment Account — 291.
„ Crosses and the— 37, 38, 73, 76.
Accounts— 70, 75, 78, 79, 80, 81,
82, 83.
Churchyard, The Eltham— 21, 31, 34, 39, 40, 42-
46, 65, 87.
Churls— 21, 22.
Gibber, Colley— 53.
Clare, Gilbert de— 60.
Clarke, John — 64.
Clement V.— 105.
„ Master— 225.
Clerk, Adam, Highwayman and Burglar — 146.
Cliefden House— 278.
Clive, Col.— 53.
Clothworkers' Co.— 266.
Cobham, Sir Raymond— 122.
Cobham, Lord— 153, 186.
Codrington's Book — 5.
Coins, etc., found in Eltham — 289.
Cole-houses, The— 100, 116.
Collector's Miscellany — 238.
Colleton, Father— 305.
Colonel Rich— 207.
" Come out of her, my people " — 250.
Cominge of the Kinges Majestic into the towne
1605— S3.
Common, The— 87.
Commons, The House of — 252.
Commonwealth — 49.
Conduit House— 279.
„ The Old— 294.
Congregational Church, History of — 306.
Congreve — 53.
Contest about a Pew in the Church — 189.
Corbye Hall— 277.
Cordell, Sir William— 229.
Cornwall— 34, 109.
„ Earl of— 109.
Coronation Days — 80.
Cottiers— 15, 16, 21, 22, 30.
Coton, Knyght, Sir John — 65.
Coulter— 17.
County Councils (Open-air Meetings of) — 233.
Court Lodge — 30.
„ Road— 116, 292.
Courts of Law— 28, 40.
Court Yard— 88, 100, 101, 116, 177, 268, 291.
„ „ House— 278.
Cowey Stakes — 4.
Coxheath— 74.
Cray— 98.
Cressy— 112, 120.
Crendon, Sir Richard— 98, 217.
Crewe, Lady — 258.
Crimea — 71.
Croft, The— 116.
Cromwell— 51, 200, 249. 250, 251, 252, 253.
„ Thomas— 228, 229.
Cross at Shooter's Hill— 37.
Crown, The (donations to Church by) — 68.
" Crown, In the Shadow of " — 108.
Crown Inn— 290.
„ Woods— 285.
Cuba— 53.
Curfew— 82.
Cutlance, Captain— 240.
Dalby, William de— 111.
Dartiord— 125, 239.
Daubeny, Lord— 174.
D'Artois, John— 123.
D'Artois, The Lord John— 123.
David, King of Scotland— 112, 113.
Deansfield Road Schools, The — 313.
Decayed Lodgings, The — 100, 101.
Deer in the Great Park, The— 99.
Demesne Lands, Description of — 195.
Dempster, Captain, His Adventures — 235, 236.
Dene-hole, The Eltham— 295.
Denis Street — 129.
Deptford— 7.
Dergaville, Daughter of Dunwald — 103.
Devereux, Robert — 200.
Devon, Earl of— 169.
Dickens, Charles, and Shooter's Hill— 242.
Dick Turpin— 235.
Dictionary of National Biography, The— 57,
102.
Digby, Sir Kenelm— 254.
Dilennius— 259, 260.
Dissolution of Monasteries — 61.
Distinguished Dead, Some — 47.
Dobell, Mrs.— 259.
Dobell, Mr. Henry William— 259, 307.
Dodson's Pond— 286.
Doggett, Thomas— 52, 53, 261.
Doggett Coat and Badge — 52.
" Don Juan," Lord Byron— 242, 244.
Doomsday Book— 14, 15, 19, 23, 24, 29, 59, 87.
Dorrington Family- — 259.
Dorset — 34.
Dover Road, Old— 123.
Drewry, Mistress Anne — 240.
Duncan, Mr. Leland L. — 36.
Dungeness — 74.
Dunning, Mr. — 58.
Durham— 103.
Durham, Archdeacon of — 103.
Durham Cathedral— 103.
Durandus — 45.
Durham, Monks of— 103, 104.
Eagle House— 279.
" Eald "—13.
" Eald-ham "—14.
Earthquake (See Appendix).
Easter— 29, 39, 41.
East-fields— 73, 75.
East India Company— 53, 54, 247.
Earldorman — 27.
Earl of March (Abduction of sons) — 151.
Edge-Hill— 250.
Edgeworth, Mr. — 259.
Maria— 259.
Edgeware Road — 5.
Edith— 24.
Edgar— 19.
332
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Edward, The Black Prince— 112.
the Confessor— 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23.
I.— 29, 30, 33, 35, 102, 104, 107, 109,
110.
II.— 105, 107, 109, 235.
III.— 99, 108, 111, 119, 125, 133, 159,
235.
IV.— 167, 32, 69, 85, 91.
VI.— 184, 230.
VII.— 231.
(Prince)— 109.
Egham— 74.
Egyptians, The — 43.
Eleanor — 35.
Elt-ham— 9, 12.
Eliot (Sir Thomas)— 225.
Elizabeth (Queen)— 32, 45, 48, 75, 76, 77, 80,
100, 116, 240.
Elizabeth (dines at Eltham)— 188.
Elliate (Edd)— 75, 77, 79.
Elms, The— 116.
Elmslie— 100.
Elm Terrace— 286.
Elm, Wyatt's— 186.
Elmham, Roger — 145.
Eltham Common — 9, 11.
Court^-254, 278.
and Henry V.— 153.
Churchwarden's of, Fined — 186.
Crosses — 34, 36, 38.
House— 56, 98, 278.
Hunt (verses)— 197.
in Hundred of Blackheath — 9.
Journal, The— 316.
Jubilee— 268.
Mandevil— 103.
Manor— 27, 28.
(Some Records of)— 67.
English Court (The)— 77.
" Epitelles — Gospelles, etc. " — 85.
Equipments, Military — 75.
Erasmus— 37, 173.
Eresby, Walter of— 103.
Erith— 74.
Ermine Street — 6.
Esbruke, Robert — 70.
Essex, Lord— 250.
Ethiopians, The — 43.
Eustace, Court of Boulogne — 25.
Evelyn's Diary— 51.
Evelyn, John— 255, 276 (also Appendix).
Evington, Leicestershire — 261.
Exciseman Robbed — 236.
Exeter— 70.
Fairfax, Sir Thomas— 201, 204.
Fairs and Markets — 291.
Falkirk— 104.
Faloyse (Stephen)— 108.
" Farmer's Boy, The " — 243.
Farnaby (Samuel) — 65.
Fifteen-penny-lands — 287.
,, ,, tax — 80.
Fineux (Sir John)— 228.
Fire Station, The— 286.
Firth of Forth— 2.
Fisher (Bishop)— 222.
Fishmonger's Company — 108.
Fitzroy, Earl of Gloucester— 29.
Fleet Prison, The— 250.
Fletcher, John— 65.
" Flodden Field " and a Palace Incident— 176.
Florida (Gulf of)— 53.
Flowers on Graves — 39.
Foedera (Rymer'sl— 108, 111.
Ford, John— 81, 85, 86, 230.
Founteney (John de) — 108.
Fowle Oak, The— 145.
Fox's Book of Martyrs— 250.
France, A Princess of — 142.
,, Margaret of — 109.
Frances (John) — 44.
France, The King of— 107, 114.
Franciscan Church (Newgate) — 108.
French Queen (Customs of) — 43.
Free Holders— 30.
Freeman (Professor) — 19, 23.
Froissart— 112, 121, 122.
Fry's Buildings— 289.
Fuller— 110.
Fytch, Sir Comport— 276.
Gailey (Staffs)— 2.
Garter, The Order of— 115.
Gasworks, The Old— 287.
Gathercole's— 287.
Gates, Sir John, Execution of — 185.
Gaunt, John of— 125, 148.
Geddington — 35.
George I. — 53.
„ III.— 47, 48, 57.
„ was King, When— 210.
George (Captain) — 53.
Germany (Our Armour made in) — 77.
Ghent, The Abbey on— 280.
Guildhall (The)— 92.
Glasbrook (William)— 71.
Gloucester— 19, 60.
„ Cathedral— 109.
Duke of— 138, 139, 142.
Glover, Susan — 266.
Glynne (Sir Stephen)— 67.
Goa Fort— 248.
Goddard (Edward)— 55.
,, (Brigadier-General Thomas)— -55,
Godolphin, Lord Treasurer — 265.
" God's Acre "—42.
" Golf Club House," by Rev. T. N. Rowsell
(Extracts from)— 254-256.
Golf Club House (The Eltham)— 49, 254, 256.
Goffe (William)— 44.
Gomme's " Primitive Folk Moot " (Extracts
from)— 233.
Goodman, Bourne — 312.
Gordon Schools, The— 313.
Goschen, Lord— 279.
Grand Tournament at Eltham — 149.
Gravel Pit Lane— 285.
Gravesend — 74.
Great Hall, Comedy in the— 177.
„ (The)— 88, 90, 95, 99.
Great Park (The)— 98.
Greenwich — 249.
Green (Ric.)— 66.
Great, The, or Manor Lodge — 99.
Great rejoicing in London over the Battle of
Agincourt — 160.
INDEX.
883-
Green, John Richard — 150.
Greenstead Church, Essex — 60.
Greenwich— 7, 80.
„ Hospital — 54.
„ Palace— 177.
Park— 8.
" Gregory (The Learned) '
Grey Friar's Church — 110.
Greyhound Inn, The — 290.
Grey, Lady Jane — 185.
Grose — 45.
Gundulf— 280.
Guy (James) — 65.
„ (Mr. John)-66, 67.
Guardian (The)— 53.
Gytha— 24.
H
Halidon Hill, Battle of— 109.
Hailing— 74.
Hailes (Lord)— 58.
Haimo— 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 60.
Hall, Rev. H. A. (See Appendix).
Hanovarian Succession — 52.
Hare (Mr.), (Description of John of Eltham's
Tomb)— 109.
Harleian, MS.— 266.
Harold, King of the Northmen— 20.
„ Son of Godurine— 19, 20, 21, 22.
Harrison, Major-General — 208.
„ (William)— 77, 78.
Hartham (Wilts)— 55.
Hasted'a " History of Kent "—84, 90, 103.
Hastings, Battle of— 24.
Hatton, Sir Christopher— 187, 194.
Hawke (Sir Edward)— 53.
Haworth, Thomas Chester — 316.
Hayes. Mr. J.— 268.
Helmsley— 40.
Hendley (Walter)— 61.
Henleys— 277.
Hengist^l4, 31.
Henrietta, Queen— 201, 254.
Henry II.— 60.
III.— 102.
IV. and Eltham— 135, 148.
IV. Ascends the Throne— 149.
IV. at Eltham— 149.
IV., Illness of— 151.
IV., Revolts against — 150.
V. Victorious Progress to London — 159.
V., Plot to Destroy— 153.
VI.— 162.
VII. and Eltham— 171.
VII.— 36.
VII. and his Queen— 171.
VII. and the Poor Inhabitants— 175.
VIII.— 36, 90.
and Queen Annie Boleyn visit Eltham
—179.
VIII.— 228.
Herbert Hospital— 2, 82, 238.
Hereford and Norfolk — 134.
Herefordshire — 108.
Hey wood (Master 'John) — 225.
High Lawn— 98.
High Street (The)— 69.
High Sheriff of Kent— 29.
History of Kent, Hasted's— 103,
" History of the Orders of Knighthood of the
British Empire "—112.
Hodson, Vicar (Clement)— 84, 85.
Holinshed— 134, 136.
Holy Innocents' Day — 18.
Holy Trinity Church— 303, 88 (also Appendix).
„ „ (Bell at)-71.
" Honi soit qui mal y pense " — 112.
Hooman (John) — 63.
Hoppner (The Artist)— 55.
Home (Bishop) — 56.
Home Park, Lee— 49, 99, 254.
„ (Robert), Bishop of Winchester— 229.
,, (Rev. Samuel)— 56.
Hortus Elthamensis — 259.
Hospital, Cottage (Appendix).
Hoton (Prior Richard de)— 104, 105.
Howards (The Two Mister)— 255.
Hughes, Mr. W. B.— 320.
Hume — 57.
" Hundred " (The)— 87.
Hundred of Blackheath— 12, 13, 28.
Huntingfield, William— 146.
Hutchinson (John)— 57, 58.
Indenture — 191.
In the Days of " King Hal "—176.
Invention of the Eltham " Motion," by
Cornelius Drebbel — 196 (also see Appendix).
Isabella the Fair— 109.
(Queen)— 106-109.
„ Queen and Prince John — 107.
Isabel, Daughter of Adam de Periton — 103.
,, French King's Daughter — 142.
Issue Rolls, A Record in (Devon, 226)— 137.
Ivy House — 279.
Jackson, Thos.— 285, 317.
" Jackson's Recantation "—238, 239.
Jacquerie, The Outbreak of the — 125.
James I. — 194.
I. visits Eltham — 196.
Lady)— 246, 248.
Elizabeth Anne) — 55.
Dame)— 54, 55.
(Sir William)— 53, 54, 55.
1.^18, 79, 82, 85, 86.
Jeffries, Lord Justice — 276.
Mr.— 259.
Jeken, Dr.— 319.
Jenkinson (Charles), Earl of Liverpool— 57.
Jerningham, Sir Henry — 186.
Jersey — 253.
Joan, Princess — 150.
John of Eltham— 108-110.
„ „ Death of — 1909 (also Appen-
dix)
John, King of France— 111, 120, 122, 123, 255.
„ King, The Good— 123, 125.
Johnson ( Dr.)— 58.
John, Prince — 110.
„ Son of William de Vesci— 103.
Jones (William)— 56, 57.
Joyce's " Names of Places " (Extract from) —
233.
334
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Jubilee Cottages— 268, 289.
Jupp (Mr.)— M.
Jutes— 10, 59.
Katheriire Haight, Will of— 191.
,, Princess — 169.
Keeper's House or Old Lodge — 99.
Keightley (Henry), (Bequest of)— 79.
Kent Archaeological Society — 36.
„ Fair Maid of— 133.
Kentish Fellowship (Magdalen College) — 57.
„ Gazette (The), (A Gentleman in Dis-
tress)—236.
Note Book (The)— 202, 235, 237.
Kemble's " Saxon in England " (Extract from)
—233.
Keston— 84.
Kethe (William)— 42.
Keynsham — 60, 61, 91.
Kidbrook^l7, 80.
Lane— 173, 294.
Killmurray (Viscount) — 49.
King (Colonel)— 251.
„ David— 316.
Kingdom of Kent — 14.
King Henry IV., Death of— 152.
,, „ Marriage of — 150.
King John of France— 121, 127, 131.
„ John's Palace — 120.
„ John the Good — 124.
"King" John's Palace— 108, 120 (and Appen-
dix).
King's Arms (The)— 53.
„ Tenants at Eltham— 195.
Kingston St. Michael (Wilts)— 42.
King, The Boy— 132.
Knighthood of the Garter— 112.
Knight's Companions — 115.
Knights Were Bold, When— 116.
Lady of Well Hall (The)— 213, 216.
Lancaster, Thomas of — 151.
Land (Wm.)— 70.
Langerton House — 278.
Lawson, Admiral — 208.
Law (William)— 57.
Leadsman (Wm.) — 73.
Leche (Roger), Will of— 36, 37.
Lee— 99.
Leeds Castle— 140.
Leigh, David — 266.
Lemon— Well— 285.
Lenthal (Speaker)— 251.
Letham (Rauff)— 36, 37.
" Levellers " (The)— 252.
Lewin, Thomas — 315.
Lewisham— 75, 77.
Lichgate (The)^33, 34.
Lieutenant (Master) — 225.
Lilburne (John)— 249-253.
Lincoln — 251.
Lindisfarne (Bishop of) — 32.
List's, The— 117.
Little or Middle Park— 99.
Lives of Queen's of England (Miss Strick-
land's)—107.
Lock (Philip)— 81.
Lock Up, The— 286.
Lodge, The— 99, 254-256.
Lodgings, The Chancellor's— 277.
London Bridge — 52.
Lollards Persecution — 154.
Lollards, Punishment of the — 155.
London — 123.
Long Parliament, The— 203.
Lord Cobham, Escape of — 154.
,, ,, Execution of — 156.
Lord Edmund, Duke of York— 140.
,, John— 108.
,, Montjoy — 173.
„ of Eltham— 28, 29.
Lords of the Fleur de Lis, The— 126.
„ The House— 251, 252.
Louis, St.— 109.
Love, Fane — 286.
Luceby (Henry de) of Lindisfarne — 104.
Ludovic, Charles — 266.
Luton (The Manor of)— 103.
Lynsted Lodge, Kent— 229.
M
Magdalene College (Oxford)— 91.
Magna Charta — 251.
Maidstone — 80.
,, (Grammar School) — 56.
,, (Scholarship) — 56.
William of— 151.
Malabar Coast — 53.
Malet (William)— 24.
Manchester — 2.
Manchester's Own Dragoons — 251.
Mandevil (Eltham)— 103.
(Walter de)— 103.
Manor House — 15.
Lodge— 99.
of Alteham— 17, 30, 60, 87, 105.
Eltham (Survey)— 103, 105, 184, 194.
Eltham (Lease of)— 254.
of Fordwich— 30.
Mansion House, Capital — 98.
Manuel Palseologis — 149.
Mant (Dr. Richard)— 58.
Marches, Warden of the— 109.
Marguerite of France — 109.
Markets and Fairs — 291.
" Mark "—10.
Market Crosses — 35, 36, 37.
Marlborough Castle — 110.
Marriage of Edward II. — 107.
" Marrow of Complements " — 33.
Mary le Bon— 264.
„ (Queen)— 63, 229.
„ (Queen of Scots)— 77.
Matrimonial Arrangements — 126.
Maud, Daughter of Haims — 29.
Maudlin, Feast of— 141.
Maule (Pathrick), Chief Ranger — 65, 99.
Mayday Festival, A Famous — 177.
Mayden's Song — 33.
Mayday Festivals — 36, 48.
Mayerne (Sir Theodore)— 65, 99, 196, 206.
May-pole. The— 72, 73, 75.
Mears (W. and T.)— 71.
Melrose — 2.
Medici, Julian de— 177.
Men of Kent, The— 26.
INDEX.
835
Merifield, Tho.— 67.
Methodism (1074-1737)— 57.
Mellitua (First B. of Lond.)— 234.
Merbecq, De — 123.
Merlewood House — 378.
Middle Park— 85, 99, 294.
„ (Stud)— 294.
Mile Oak— 79.
Milford Haven — 53.
Mills (Carpinter of Bexley)— 70.
Mills, Richard— 315.
Mills, Mr. T. W.— 319.
Milne, Alex. G.— 277, 319.
Moat Bridge, The— 166.
„ Source of Water— 88.
„ House, The— 278.
Mohun (Phil)— 51.
Monument, The— 285.
Moore (John, Archbishop of Canterbury)— 57.
" Moot," or Ancient Council — 11.
Moore, Mr. W. P.— 319.
Moorfields— 253.
Morbeke (Sir Denis)— 121, 122.
More, Sir Thomas— 37, 215, 221, 223, 225, 226,
227, £28, 229.
,, (Indicted)— 220.
,, Margaret — 214.
„ Hannah— 58.
Morley, Bishop — 49.
Morte (M.)— 70.
Mortis, Mr. W. J.— 320.
Mott (John)— 71.
Mottingham— 11, 99, 116.
„ A Law Suit— 282.
„ Boundaries in 1701—281.
„ Council Schools — 314.
„ (Some Notes on)— 279, 280.
Mowbrav, Thomas — 151.
Myers, Rev. W. T.— 269.
N
Nassau (Adolf of)— 104.
„ Robert— 276.
National Schools— 268, 312.
„ Society— 312.
Nell Gwynne— 294.
Nesbitt, E.— 279.
Newgate — 108.
Newton — 57.
New Zealand— 69.
Nicholas (Mr. Secretary) — 51.
„ Sir Harris— 112.
Nicholson (Mr. John) — 40.
" Nithing "—26.
Norfolk, Duke of— 134.
" Norman Conquest " — 14, 87.
Normandy — 27.
Norrnan Lawyers — 28.
Normington— 81.
North (Lord)— 57.
Northampton— 35, 109.
,, Parliament at— 109.
North, Col. J. T.— 318.
,, Sir Harry— 319.
Northumberland — 103.
(The Duchess of)— 110, 185.
Norway — 27.
Norwich (Bishopric of) — 57.
Cathedral— 57.
Noyes (Thomas)— 71.
Gates, Titus, Trial of— 275.
Odo— 24-28.
" Old Battan "—47.
Old Chapel, The— 287.
„ Dover Road— 2, 3, 36, 87.
,, Drury — 53.
,, Dwellings- — 277.
,, Testament (The)— 60.
One-acre Allotments — 288.
" One Fair-cnapel," and other matters — 98.
Order of the Garter (The)— 111, 112, 115.
Ordinance of Parliament — 37.
Oriel College, Oxford (Provost of)— 61.
Orleans, Duke of— 159.
Orme's " Hindostan " (Extract from) — 246.
Orts (Master Cornelius)— 48.
Otham (near Maidstope) — 56.
Owen (Dr.) — 53, 65 (and Appendix).
,, (Mrs.), (Account of Margaret Roper)--
226 (and Apocndix).
Oxford (Bishop of)--57.
,, Botanical Gardens — 259.
„ (Magdalen College)— 57, 58.
„ (St. John's College)— 229.
Pageantry and Chivalry — 111.
Page, Sir Gregory — 279.
Palace (Eltham)— 37, 49, 88, 91-96, 97-102, 106,
107, 111, 119, 135.
,, Gateway — 90.
Parish Butts at Eltham— 189.
Paris, Matthew — 102.
Park Farm Place— 53, 54, 246, 279.
Parliamentary Army in Eltham — 202.
„ Survey, 1649—98, 257.
Parliaments at Eltham — 132.
Palm Sunday— 32.
Pannage — 30.
Parish Clerk, The— 37.
„ Lawn — 98.
,, Magazine — 67, 68.
„ Register— 47-49, 85, 86.
Passing Bell — 45.
Paston, Sir John — 166.
Pastourelle (Froissart) — 129.
Pastry, The— 100.
Patriarch of Jerusalem — 105.
Patrons, Rectors and Vicars of Church — 61, 62.
Paul's Cross— 34, 38.
Peasantry, Insurrection of the — 133.
Peel, Sir Anthony— 48.
Pemberton, Richard— 45.
Pepys— 49, 255.
„' and Shoofcr's Hill— 239, 241-246.
Percy, Henry — 106.
Perigood, Cardinal — 121.
Periton, Isabel— 103.
Perth— 109.
Petition of the Kentish People— 204.
Petley, John— 64.
Pette', John— 64.
Pevensey — 20, 25.
Philin, 'Son of King John of France— 121-123.
Philipott, John— 90, 266.
886
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Family— 265.
„ Thomas— 266.
Philipott's Almshouses — 287.
Philip, Prince— 121.
„ Stubbs— 192.
Picts— 10.
Pilborough, John — 228.
Pilgrim Crosses — 35, 36.
Pinax, The— 260.
Pinnell, Rev. Peter— 259.
Places viewed from Shooter's Hill— 242, 243,
245.
Plague, The Great— 81.
Plantoe Gissenses — 260.
Plaque, Italian, Found in Eltham — 290.
Plutarch— 43.
Plocmen — 30.
Poitiers— 121, 122, 123, 124.
Pole Cat End— 284.
Police Station, The— 286.
Polignac (Prince de) — 55.
Polydore, Virgil— 43.
Pondicherry — 54.
Pons hauriabilis, The— 172.
Poor Bate— 42.
Pope, Dr.— 48, 295.
„ Master— 225.
„ Street— 79, 295.
„ The— 37.
„ Boniface VIII.— 105.
Postscri ot, A — 319.
Pound Place— 288.
Preaching Crosses — 35.
Prince John's Palace — 120.
„ of Wales— 115.
Pritchard, Mr. G.— 319.
Prior, Richard— 105.
Privy Council. Acts of the— 149.
Processions— 83, 84, 85.
Prynne's " News from Ipswich " — 250, 251.
Public Hall, The— 287.
,, Library — 264.
Pumps, Parish, The— 292.
Puritanism in Eltham — 65.
Pursuit of the Petitioners — 204.
Quaint lines on Processions, from an old book-
84.
Queen Anne— 136, 265.
., Bess— 186.
„ Mary, In the Days of— 184.
" Queen of Beauty and Love (The) "—117.
Queen's College — 91.
Queenscroft — 278.
Quintilian — 226.
Race, A Famous— 294.
„ Course, Eltham— 294.
Railway Stations, The— 295.
Rama-gee Punt — 247.
Ram Alley— 288.
,, Maria Charlotte— 55.
Rancliffe, Lady — 55.
Ranger, The Chief— 99.
Record Office— 100.
Recusancy Statute— 48.
Recusants — 48.
Redesdale— 109.
Reeve, Judge — 251.
Regent, The, of France— 123.
Registers, The Parish— 72.
Rhyming, Richard— 294.
Richard de Clare— 29.
Rich, Colonel— 208.
Rich, Nathaniel— 207.
Richard II.— 132, 133, 136, 138, 145, 148, 149.
Richard de Hoton, Prior — 104.
Richardson, Dr. — 262.
Mr. W.— 319.
Riot in Canterbury — 203.
Rising of the Kentish Men — 204.
Rising Sun, The Old— 287.
Rivers, Lord— 258.
Rev. E.— 67, 68.
Road, Diversion, A — 285.
Roads, Some Ancient — 296.
Robert, William's Half-Brother— 24, 25.
Robin Hood, and his Merry Men — 177.
Rochester — 123, 239.
Rochford, Earl of— 276.
Rochester Castle — 25.
,, Bishop of— 60.
Rogacion weke — 37, 84.
Rolf or Rollo— 27.
Rolls Office, The— 108.
Rolt, John— 75, 77.
Romanus, John — 103.
,, John, Archbishop of York — 103.
Roman Catholic Churches, Practice of Lights—
44.
Catholic Churches — 63.
Invasions — 2.
Occupation — 7.
Pavement — 5.
Roads — 6.
Villas— 7, 10.
Rome— 105.
„ Humbled— 7.
Rood, The — 63.
Rooper, Anthony — 65.
Roper, Christopher — 229.
,, Elizabeth, Wife of Edward Henshaw—
229.
„ Family, The— 212.
„ John— 228.
,, Margaret— 225.
,, Mistress Jane — 228.
Roper's Book, Sir William— 218.
Roper, Sir William— 47, 48, 61, 85, 218, 228,
230. 305.
„ Street— 288, 230.
Rouse, John de — 111.
Royal Wardrobe Accounts — 115.
" Roxana," by De Foe— 242, 243.
Royal Christening — 168.
,, Estates— 98.
Royalist Rising in Kent — 202.
Royal Manors, Custom of the — 151.
„ Naval School, The— 314.
Rubens— 199.
Rufus— 25, 26.
Ruggen, Gravesend — 74.
Rupert's Relief at Newark— 251.
Buskin, John— 38.
Russell and King. Highwayman — 238.
Rymer's Fcedera — 108.
Rymer, Thomas — 111.
INDEX.
387
Sacrament, The— 41, 70.
St. Albans— 2.
,, Albans, Bishop of — 68.
„ Albans, Earl of— 254.
,, Ambrose — 39.
„ Andrew's, Mottingham — 303.
,, Augustine — 59.
,, Bartholomew's Day — 48, 64.
„ Benet, Church of— 266.
„ Christopher — 44.
„ Cuthbert— 32, 104.
„ Cyprian— 225.
„ Duns tan — 69.
„ Dunstan's Church, Canterbury— 226, 228.
„ Edmund's Hall (Oxford)— 57.
„ Edward's Chapel— 109.
„ George's Church, Southwark — 242.
,, George's Day — 115.
„ Jerome — 39.
., John the Baptist— 36, 37, 41, 43, 48, 63, 64,
68.
„ Luke's Church— 304.
„ Martin's Church, Canterbury — 31.
„ Mary's Roman Catholic — 304.
„ Mary Cray— 240.
,, Nicholas— 63.
,, Omers— 121.
„ Paul's Cathedral— 242, 243.
,, Paul's Churchyard — 34.
,, Paul's Ecclesiological Society — 36.
„ Peter's Church— 303.
,, Stephen's Chapel — 109.
,, Thomas, Canterbury— 231.
,, Thomas a Beoket — 56.
,, Vincent's, Mottingham — 306.
,, Wilfred, Archbishop of York — 35.
Salisbury (Alice, Countess of)— 112, 113, 114,
115.
Salisbury's Castle at Wark— 112.
Salisbury, Earl of— 114.
Sancte, Sancte, Sancte, etc. (The Hymn)— 70.
Sanders (George)— 240.
Sandwich— 123.
Snunders, John-^-47.
,, Frederick George — 316.
,, Robert John — 315.
Suwtree, William— 150.
Saxon Church in Eltham — 87.
Saxon Times— 10, 12, 14 19, 31, 59, 60, 87.
Scalding House, The— 100.
Scholarships, Philipott — 266.
Scholefield, Rev. J. — 273.
Schoolmasters in Eltham (First Reference to) —
83.
Schoolmaster, William the — 312.
School, Royal Naval, The— 314.
,, The First — 83.
Schools, Deansfield Road — 313.
,, Mottingham Council — 314.
„ of Eltham, The— 312.
„ Pope Street^-313.
„ The Gordon— 313.
Scotland, War with— 108.
Scots — 10.
„ Defeated— 109.
Scottish Street. Names— 296.
Screen, The — 97.
Sevastopol— 71.
Seint Thomas, nyght — 36.
Self-denying Ordinance — 201.
Senlac— 22, 27.
Severn (at Wroxeter)— 22.
Severndroog — 53.
Severndroog Castle — 54, 246, 248.
Seward, Mr. — 58.
Shaw, Sir John— 48-50, 63, 64, 254, 255, 257.
Shaw, Brooke, Rev. J. Kenyard — 71.
Shaw's History of Staffordshire — 84.
Shaw, Sir Edmund— 49.
Family— 49, 50, 51.
(Vault, The)— 67.
Sherard and Oxford— 260.
Herbarium, The— 260.
House— 259, 278.
James— 259, 260.
Road— 293.
William— 259, 260.
Shire, Court or Leet — 27.
„ Reeve of Kent, The— 27, 28, 29, 60.
Shooter's Hill— 2, 7, 9, 13, 36, 37, 73, 74, 82,
123, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237,
238, 239, 240, 242.
Shooter's Hill (Beacon on)— 76.
„ „ (Murder at)— 189.
„ „ (The Cross on)— 84.
„ ,, Road — 31.
Shylman, Henry — 44.
Sidcup — 6.
Sigismund, Emperor — 161.
Sillvester Page (The Shingler)— 64.
Skeleton, Discovery of a — 187.
Skelton, John (Poet)— 167.
Sketes, John — 64.
Slaughter House, The— 100.
Slaves— 16.
Slip, The— 288.
Smith, Adam — 57.
Smithy, The Old— 288.
Soldiers from Elthnm (Equipment of)— 75, 78.
Sompting Church, Sussex — 60.
South End— 49, 98. 254.
Southend House — 274.
Sowerby, Rev. W. J. — 67, 68.
Spencer, Lord d& — 158.
Spicery, The— 100.
Spire, Payments re the Church — 64.
Spoils of Calais — 117.
Stamford Brig — 40.
Stane Street—*.
Stanley, Sir Edward — 176.
Statute of Heretics— 150.
Statutes of Eltham, The— 180.
Star Chamber, The— 250, 251.
Steel, Sir Richard — 53.
Stephen, Faloyse— 108.
Step-stile— 286.
Stoddard, Sir Nicholas— 281.
Stone Coffin found— 32, 44.
Stone Door-cases — 97.
Store House for Works— 100.
Stow, John — 240.
Strange Words — 170.
Structural Improvements — 172.
Stubbs, Carpenter — 66.
Stubbs, Old, Concerning — 190.
„ Robert-64, 191.
Rev. Mr.— 198.
Stury. Sir Richard — 142.
Subsidence at Mottingham — 283.
Subterranean Passages at the Palace — 99.
838
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Suling— 16.
Sundial at Eltham— 40, 64.
Sun Yard— 287.
Swanneshals or Swan's Neck — 24.
Swift, Dean— 265.
" Syrians, The "—43.
Tapestries, Eltham Lodge — 257.
Tattersall, John— 211.
Teynham, Baron— 229.
Thames— 7, 19.
Thomas Chicele— 211.
Thralls— 15.
Tilt- Yard— 116, 117, 118.
Tithe-barns— 60, 61.
Tithes— 60, 61.
Todman's Nursery — 293.
Tokens, found in Eltham — 289.
Toll-gate, The Old— 294.
Tostig— 19, 20.
Tottnam (Richard)— 43.
Tournament (Coventry) — 134.
„ Grand— 116.
Tournaments — 118.
(The Eltham)— 119.
Tower (The)— 225, 226, 252.
Training College (Avery Hill) — 314.
Trent, The— 108.
Trinity House— 54.
Trinobantes — 3.
Troilus and Pandarus — 177.
Tuffnell, Rev. J. C. F.— 273.
Tweed— 2.
Twist, Roger— 48.
Tyler, Wat^-133, 231.
Tynedale— 104.
U
Underwood (Sir Henry) — 85.
Uvedal, Mr.— 259.
Vandyck, Sir Anthony— 199, 293.
Venner— 208.
Vesci, Baron John de — 102, 280.
„ William de, Death of— 103, 105, 106
" Vestry "—11.
Vicarage Barn, The— 293.
Field. The Old— 268.
The Old— 293.
Vicar, An Eltham— 268.
Vicar's Spring (The)— 230.
Vicecomes — 29.
Village Cross (The)— 35-37.
Villani— 125.
" Villans "—15, 16, 28.
Villare Cantianum — 266.
Villenage — 30.
Virgates — 30.
Virgin (The)— 63.
W
Wakeman, Peter— 268.
Wales— 37, 39.
„ Princess of — 134.
„ The Prince of— 121, 122.
Wall of Antonine — 2.
,, Hadrian — 2.
Walpole, Robert — 265.
Wajsingham, Sir Thomas— 189, 203, 207.
Waltham— 24, 35.
„ (Canons of) — 23.
Walton's Lives— 58.
Warburton— 118, 125.
" Warden of the City and Tower of London " —
109.
Warden of the Marches of Northumberland —
109.
Wardrobe, Accounts Royal — 115, 167.
Warham, Archbishop — 176.
Warner, E.— 275.
„ Joseph — 276.
War Office— 12.
Warren (Mr.)— 70.
(The)— 88, 285.
" Wars of the Roses "• — 14.
Warwick, The Earl of— 122.
Watling Street^-2, 5, 6.
Waters (Ric.)— 67.
Watson (Admiral) — 53.
,, (Dr.), Tutor to Princess Charlotte— 237.
Watts, Charles— 260.
Weardale— 104.
Weeping Crosses — 35.
Well Hall— 6, 47, 61, 80, 85, 226, 229, 279.
„ Cottages — 294.
„ Green— 210.
„ Lady of— 221.
„ Road— 2, 3, 80.
The Lord of— 211.
„ Station (Weasel seen on Platform) —
82.
Story of— 211.
Wellington (Duke of)— 104.
Wells— 91, 103.
Welles (Adam de)— 103.
(Robert de)— 103.
Wendover (Richard de) — 60.
Wesley (John)-57.
Wesleyan Church, The— 310.
West Fields— 191.
,, Indies — 53.
„ Loo— 54.
Westminster — 108.
Abbey— 14, 18, 109.
Hall— 92.
„ St. Stephen's Chapel— 109.
White Cappell— 70.
„ Cross— 84.
,, John, M.P.— 201.
Whitsun— 39, 41.
" Whitsun-Ale "—41, 42.
Whitsuntide— 80.
Wickham— 84.
Willey (Robert)— 64.
Willis (Messrs.)— 68.
Wilkin— 55.
Wilks— 53.
Willson (Rev. T. B.), Vicar of Shooter's Hill—
234.
Whyte (Sir Thomas)— 229.
William de Axmouth — 29.
„ and Mary — 48.
,, de Horseden — 29.
„ the Conqueror— 14, 19-21, 23, 24, 25,
27, 59, 60, 82.
,, the Schoolmaster — 312.
Will Roper of Well Hall— 216.
Windsor— 108.
„ (St, George's Chapel)— 91, 115.
INDEX.
389
Winchester Council — 28.
Wington (The Good Wife)— 82.
Witan (The)— 19.
" Witch of Eltham "—108.
Withens (Win.)— 66.
Wode (Thomas)— 70.
Wodin and Thor— 31, 32.
Wokingham — 13.
Wolsey, Cardinal— 37, 176, 180.
Wolverhampton — 84.
Wombey — 63.
Wooding (Ned)— 240.
Wood, Mr. Benjamin— 258.
„ Mrs.— 257.
Woolwich— 7, 11, 80.
,, Borough Council — 3, 12.
„ Lane— 288.
„ Road (The)— 80.
Stage Coach (The)— 236.
" Woolwich, Records of " (Mr. Vincent)— 232,
235, 236, 237.
Workhouse, The— 287.
Works of Bishop Home (The)— 57, 58.
" Work of the Beast (The) "—250.
Wotton (Ralf)^M.
Wyatt's Elm— 284.
Cross— 284.
Wyatt, Sir Thomas— 186.
Wyborne (Goodman) — 83.
Wyndford, Lord— 258.
Wythens, Sir Francis— 275.
„ Sir William, Estate of— 274.
Yew Tree (The Old)^32, 33.
York, Archbishop of — 103.
„ Fabric Rolls— 40.
LIST OF OLD PRINTS.
Page
Julius Csesar ... ... ... ... 1
British War Chariot 3
Roman Soldiers 5
Roman Eagle ... ... ... ... 7
Arms and Costume of an Anglo-Saxon
King and Armour Bearer ... ... 9
Residence of a Saxon Nobleman ... 11
Saxon White Horse 13
Feast at a Round Table 17
Wheel Bed 17
Coronation of Harold 20
A Ship of the Fleet of Duke William
transporting Troops for the Invasion
of England 21
Bishop Odo 23
Duke William addressing his Soldiers
at the Field of Hastings 26
Death of Harold 27
Battle of Hastings 30
Paul's Cross 34
Destruction of Cross in Cheapside ... 36
Old Helmets 38
Quintain, Old English Game 42
Old Helmet 46
Helmets, 1675 51
Thomas Dogget 52
Hilt of Presentation Sword to Sir Wm.
James 54
St. Augustine 59
State Carriage of Queen Elizabeth ... 65
Old Eltham Church 66
Watchmen ... ... ... ... ... 71
Hackney Coaches, 1584 74
Long-bow Archers ... ... ... 75
Cross-bow and Quarrel ... ... ... 78
Shooting at Butts 79
Public Washing Ground 81
Interior of an Old English Cottage ... 83
Queen Elizabeth's Coach 86
Yule Log 87
Page
Elizabethan Plan of the Outer Courtyard,
Eltham Palace 89
Boar's Head 92
Playing at Bucklers, and Maids Dancing
for Garlands ... ... ... ... 97
Ci oss-bowman ... ... ... ... 101
Henry III 102
Ancient Dinner, from old M.S. ... 106
John of Eltham 107
Effigy of Edward II 107
Edward III Ill
Queen Philippa 113
Edward III. and Countess of Salisbury 114
Tournament 117
Male Costume of Edward III 119
Jean Froissart 120
Knights Jousting 123
Ladies' Head Dresses ... ... ... 127
Female Dress, time of Edward II. ... 130
Richard II 132
Female Costume, time of Richard II. ... 135
Ships of time of Richard II 138
Leeds Castle, Kent 141
Male Costume, time of Richard II. ... 143
Chaucer on Horseback 144
Shooting at Butts 147
Henry IV 148
Richard II. and Bolingbroke arrived at
London 152
A Parliament of the time of Henry V. ... 153
Helmet, Shield, and Saddle of Henry V. 155
Sir Thomas Erpingham 156
Banners used at Agincourt 158
Entry of Henry V. into London ... 160
Henry VI in his Youth 162
Ships of Fifteenth Century 164
Edward IV. 166
Queen Elizabeth Woodville 167
Bedroom, time of Edward IV 169
LIST OF OLD PRINTS.
341
Page
General Costume, time of Henry VII. 172
Suit of Demi-lancer's Armour 174
Suit of V. Long-breasted Armour ... 175
Henry VIII. 176
Henry VIII. Maying at Shooter's Hill ... 178
Coins 179
Wolsey and his Suite 183
Queen Mary 184
Edward VI 185
Queen Elizabeth 187
Queen Elizabeth " Picnicing " 188
Musketeer, 1603 192
James 1 194
James I. and Attendants Hawking ... 196
Anne of Denmark, Queen of James I. ... 197
Dragoon, 1645 200
English Lady of Quality 202
Gentlewoman 202
Merchant's Wife of London 202
Cuirassier, 1645 205
Lady Mayoress of London 209
Country Woman, with Mufflers 209
Citizen's Wife of London 209
John Lilburne 210
Puritan 213
Suit of Black Armour of a Knight of St.
George ... ... ... ... ... 216
Chancellor's Costume 221
Prince Henry of Wales (from an old print) 233
Travelling in XVIII. Century 240
John Lilburne 249
Queen Henrietta 254
Landing of Charles II. at Dover ... 256
Gateway of Botanical Gardens, Oxford ... 262
Pikemen, 1635 267
Infantry Armour, 1625 267
Cavalier, 1629 282
Soldier of Trained Band, 1638 302
Eltham Token 311
The Stocks 320
The Eltham Motion Appendix
An Old Road Map Appendix
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Mr. Alex. Abrahams
Mr. A. P. Adams
Mr. E. Adams
Mr. E. W. Akhurst
Mr. H. Akhurst
Mr. B. Akhurst ...
Miss Akhurst
Mr. C. H. Aldred
Mr. J. H. Allchin ...
Mrs. E. Anderson
Mr. W. Anderson
Miss Anderson
Mr. W. Andrews
Miss Andrews
Mr. F. D. Annesley
Mr. H. P. Atkins
Mr. John B. Ayres
Mr. T. Arundell
West Hampstead
Eltham
Eltham
Canada
Streatham
... Canada
Catford
Plumstead
The Museum, Maidstone
... Budleigh Salterton
Eltham
Eltham
...Blackheath
Eltham
Lee
Eltham
... Balham
New Eltham
Mr. G. Leslie Bannerman, K.C. ..., ... Lee
Mr. John Baines ... ... ... ... Eltham
Mr. Archer Baker Eltham
Mr. A. E. Baker, M.A., D.Litt. ... Eltham
Rev. S. Martyn Bardsley, M.A. ... Greenwich
Mr. C. W. Barber Eltham
Mr. B. Barber Eltham
Mr. F. Barnes Plumstead
Mr. W. E. Barnes... (Public Library, Greenwich)
Mrs. Barrett Eltham
Mr. H. J. Barry Eltham
Mr. R. G. Bassett Sidcup
Mr. Thos. Batterbury, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.I.
Eltham
Mr. J. Baxandall Eltham
Mrs. Bay ley Middle Park, Eltham
Mr. C. W. Beamstead Plumstead
Mr. Herman Becker Mottingham
Mr. E. P. Bell
Mr. A. Evelyn Benbow
Mrs. A. Evelyn Benbow
Bev. Canon Benham
Mr. G. F. Benjafleld ...
Mrs. Randolf Berens
Mr. F. J. Bevis, B.A., B.Sc.
Mr. S. Biddle. H.M.I.
Mr. T. Bilbe
Miss Birss
Mr. Geo. Bishop
Mr. Blacknell
Mr. Blakiston
Mr. Hubert Bland
... New Eltham
... New Eltham
... New Eltham
Finsbury Square
Eltham
South Kensington
Eltham
Catford
Eltham
... Birkenhead
Eltham
Eltham
... New Eltham
. Well Hall
Mr. E. F. D. Bloom, H.M.I.
Miss Bloxam
Mr. Victor Blyth
Miss L. E. Boakes
Mr. Edward Bolus, B.A.
... Lee
. . . Eltham
Eltham
. New Eltham
Stamford Hill
Mr. Henry Bond ... Public Library, St. Pancras
Mr. E. W. Borrajo ... Guildhall Library
Mr. E. Borthwick Greenwich
Mr. H. Boult Orpington
Mr. A. Bowden Blackheath
Mr. A. S. M. Bowers Eltham
Sir Edward Brabrook, F.S.A. ... Bedford Hill
Mr. W. C. Brake Eltham
Mrs. Bramley Eltham
Miss Bramwell Eltham
Miss E. Brand Eltham
Mr. C. E. Brandram ... i Eltham
Mr. F. Brandon Plumstead
Mr. C. Brinsley Marlay ... Regent's Park
Miss A. Brookes Eltham
Mr. J. Brookes Eltham
Mr. J. W. Brookes ... ... ... Lewisham
Mr. H. Broughton ... ... ... Plumstead
Mr. E. D. H. Brown Lewisham
Mr. J. T. Brown Eltham
Mr. P. Boswell Brown . Eltham
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
843
Mr. W. Bruin ...
Miss M. Buckley
Mr. C. Burford ...
Miss K. J. Burgess
Mr. W. H. Burman
Mr. Gavin J. Burns
Mr. W. F. Burrows ...
Mr. P. C. Bursill ...
Mr. R. Bussell ...
Mr. Albert Butcher
Mr. F. E. H. Butler
Mr. A. E. Biitterworth
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
... Lower Clapton
Eltham
Blackheath
Basinghall Street, E.G.
... Woolwich
Bromley
Welling
Eltham
Sidcup
Mr. James Cabban ...
Miss S. Cabban
Mr. Sydney W. Cackett ...
Mr. J. A. W. Campbell
Mr. Thos. Cannon
Mr. S. R. Carr
Miss Carter
Misses Carter
Mr. T. V. Cater
Mr. H. S. Cavell
Mr. W. Chaffey
Mrs. Chalmers
Miss Chalmers
Lieut. Henry Chamberlain
Mr. J. A. Chamberlain
Mr. W. Gfeo. Chambers .
Mrs. W. G. Chambers
Mr. T. D. Chandler
Rev. E. H. Chappel ...
Mr. Francis Chappell
Mr. C. Childs
Mr. C. Churchill
Miss A. E. L. Clark
Mr. A. E. Clarke
Miss A. Clark
Miss E. Clark
Mr. Stanley Clay
Mr. H. P. Clay
Mr. H. C. Clifford
Miss A. N. Clifford ...
Mr. J. H. Close
Miss E. Cobb
Mr. R. A. Cocks
Mr. H. Cole
Mr. R. A. Collingwood
Mr. A. Collins
Mr. J. J. Collins
... Lewisham
... Bexley Heath
Dartmouth Park
Eltham
Mottingham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
... New Eltham
Eltham
... Greenwich
Eltham
Eltham
... Epsom
Brixton
... Plumstead
... Plumstead
Blackheath
Eltham
Lee
... Rushey Green
... Old Charlton
Derby
... Mottingham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Blackheath
Charlton
Eltham
... Sidcup Hill
Eltham
Well Hall Parade
Eltham
Eltham
,.. Woolwich
Mr. C. E. Collyer Morden College
Mr. F. J. Colson Eltham
Mr. G. Cooling Chislehurst
Mr. J. Coomber Eltham
Mr. G. H. Cooper Eltham
Mr. J. Corps Eltham
Mr. W. C. Cory Eltham
Mr. J. H. Cossins Catford
Miss Cottingham Eltham
Mr. C. Coulter Eltham
Miss Evelyn Court
Mr. H. Cowland
Mr. F. J. Cox
Mr. W. A. Crapp
Mr. H. W. Crapp
Mr. W. B. Creighton
Miss A. Crocker
Mr. T. R. Croger ...
Alderman H. Cuff
Mrs. Cuff
Mr. D. Cunliffe
Eltham
Eltham
"... ... Lee
Eltham
Eltham
... Godalming
... Blackheath
Wood Street, B.C.
Eltham
Eltham
Lewisham
Mr. F. Day Lee
Mr. H. Day New Cross
Mr. J. E. Daudo Stoke Newington
Mr. T. W. Dannatt Blackheath
Lieut.-Col. Davies, R.A.M.C. ... West Park,
Eltham
Mr. W. E. Davis
Mr. J. W. Dean
Miss Winifred De Lisle
Miss Denning
Mr. H. C. Digby
Eltham
East Greenwich
St. John's, S.E.
... New Eltham
Eltham
Mr. Thos. Dinwiddy, F.R.I.B.A., F.S.I.
Blackheath
Mr. W. D. Diplock
Mrs. Dobell
Mr. F. A. Dodson
Mr. A. W. Dover
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Charlton
Mr. Arthur Dryden ... Bedford Court Mansions
Rev. Canon Duckworth, C.V.O., D.D.
Westminster Abbey
Mr. G. Duggan ... ... ... ... Eltham
Mr. Leland L. Duncan, M.V.O., F.S.A;
Lewisham
Miss Duncan ... ... ... ... Eltham
Miss A. Dunn Eltham
Mr. W. Dyer Eltham
Miss Dyke ... Lullingstone Castle, Eynsford
Mr. Thos. Dyke Eltharn
344
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Mr. J. Eagleton Eltham
Mr. L. 0. Eagleton Bexley Heath
Mrs. Eagleton Eastbourne
Mr. G. Ebbs Eltham
Mr. Edgar J. Elgood, M.A., J.P. ... Sidcup
Mr. A. Edis Eltham
Mr. A. Ellis Eltham
Mr. J. H. Ellis Plumstead
Mr. F. C. E. Erwood ... ... Plumstead
Miss K. E. Erwood Plumstead
Mr. J. E. Evans Greenwich
Miss A. Everett Eltham
Mr. B. Eves Victoria Dock Road
Mrs. Eves Eltham
Mr. J. A. Evison Eltham
Mr. L. Evison, A.C.A. ... Streatham Hill
Dr. P.. C. Farmer, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.C.S.
New Eltham
Hon. Mrs. A. L. Felkin (Ellen Thornycroft
Fowler) Eltham
Mr. F. C. C. Fergusson ... Ightham Moat
Mrs. Finch Eltham
Major Finch Tunbridge Wells
Mr. R. Findlay Eltham
Miss Flanagan Eltham
Mr. E. J. Fletcher Eltham
Mr. M. B. Fothergill Eltham
Mr. F. Fountain Greenwich
Mr. W. F. Fowler Old Charlton
Mr. A. M. Fox Eltham
Mr. C. Fox Warlingham-on-the-Hill
Miss Francis ... ... ... ... Eltham
Mr. F. W. Francis Eltham
Mrs. W. J. Francis Woolwich
Mr. F. J. Francis Eltham
Mr. R. W. Frazer, LL.D. ... London Institution
Mr. R. C. Frost Plumstead
Mr. C. J. D. Gardner ...
Mr. J. C. Geiselbrecht ...
Mr. A. W. Gellatly
Mr. J. Genese
Mr. Alex. Gifiord
Mr. E. S. Gilbert
.. Stroud, Glos.
Eltham
. . . Mottingham
Woolwich
... New Eltham
Eltham
Major G. H. Graham
Mrs. Grain
Mr. M. H. Gray
Mr. W. E. Gray
Mr. A. J. Green
Mr. E. D. Green
Mr. A. J. C. Gregory ...
Plumstead
... Elthnm
Lessness Paik
... Blackheath
... Plumstead
... Lee
Eltham
Mr. W. H. Godfrey ... Queen Anne's Gate, S.W.
Miss Rose Gower ... ... ... Eltham
Mr, N. Grace Eltham
Mr. R. W. Gregory ... Heaton, Newcastle
Mrs. Groves Eltham
Mr. J. E. Gunyon, F.C.I.S. ... North Cray
Mrs. Gurney Plumstead
Mr. W. Guy Eltham
H
Rev. H. A. Hall ... Holy Trinity, Eltham
Mr. J. Hall Eltham
Mr. E. W. Halse Eltham
Mr. T. Handcock Eltham
Mr. A. L. Hardy St. John's, S.E.
Mr. F. J. Hardy Sidcup Hill
Mr. G. Hards Eltham
Mr. F. Hare Eltham
Mrs. M. M. Harper Eltham
Mr. R. C. Harris Eltham
Mrs. Harrison Eltham Palace
Mrs. Harrison Eltham
Mr. H. Hart Blackheath
Dr. G. Hayden, M.R.C.S Eltham
Rev. J. W. Hayes ... The Vicarage, Grays
Mr. J, Hay wood Clapham
Misa E. Hay wood Eltham
Miss H. E. Hay wood Eltham
Mr. R. Hay wood Eltham
Mr. W. Hay wood ... Harrow-on-the-Hill
Mrs. Hearn Woolwich
Mr. H. Hearnden Eltham
Mr. R. H. H. Heenan Eltham
Mr. F. W. Hembry Sidcup
Mr. E. Hesketh Eltham
Mr. F. Higgs Streatham Hill
Mr. James Higgius Chislehurst
Mrs. Hilder Eltham
Mr. W. Hill, M.A Eltham College
Mr. W. M. Hill Blackheath
Mr. A. W. Hiscox Lewisham
Mr. W. H. Hitches Eltham
Captain W. M. Hitchcock ... Blackheath
Mr. G. Hoad Eltham
Mr. C. Hodgson Lewisham
Mr. J. W. Holland Eltham
Mr. W. H. Hollis Eltham
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
845
Mr. H. P. Hollis Blackheath
Mr. A. J. Hone Eltham Road
Mr. C. H. Hopwood ... Fenchurch Street, B.C.
Mr. J. R. Howe Eltham
Mr. W. B. Hughes Eltham
Miss Hughes Eltham
Mr. W. S. Hunt Eltham
Mr. G. E. Hunter Woolwich
Mr. W. Hunter Eltham
Mr. R. R. Hutchings Wincanton
Mrs. Hutchinson Eltham
Miss Hutchinson Plumstead
Miss E. Hyde Eltham
1
Mr. H. Icough ... ... ... ... Eltham
Dr. T. A. Ingram, L.L.D., M.A. ... Woolwich
Mr. A. Jackson ... ... ... ... Eltham
Mrs. F. S. Jackson Eltham
Mr. R. J. Jackson Woolwich
Dr. Jeken ... ... ... ... Eltham
Mr. M. Jenks Eltham
Mr. P. M. Johnston, F.S.A., F.R.T.B.A.,
Champion Hill, S.E.
Mr. E. J. Jones Eltham
Mr. Herbert Jones, F.S.A. ... Blackheath
Mr. T. H. Jones ... Inspector of Schools, L.C.C.
Mr. C. H. Jordan, M.I.N.A. ... Eltham
Mr. S. E. Joyce Burnt Ash Hill
Mr. F. A. Kebbel
Mrs. A. Keeble
Mr. A. J. Keeble
Miss F. Keeble
Mr. H. Keeble
Mr. A. N. Kelly ..
Mr. A. Kennedy
Mr. W. J. Kenny
Mr. F. C. Kenward
Eltham
Greenwich
Eltham
Greenwich
Rochester
Blackheath
... St. John's, S.E.
Eltham
Eltham
Mr. S. W. Kershaw, F.S.A.
Lambeth Palace Library
Mr. H. Kitto Lee Green
Miss Kibble Catford
Mr. A. Kidd Plumstead
Mr. A. Kill irk Eltham
Dr. C. W. Kimmins
Chief Inspector of Schools, L.C.C.
Mr. E. C. King Eltham
Mr. Sidney King Eltham
Dr. H. D. R. Kingston Eltham
Mrs. G. Kitson Mottingham
Mrs. H. J. Knight Sidcup
Mr. J. Knight Eltham
Mr. A. C. Langley Eltham
Mr. A. C. Latter Eltham
Mr. C. E. Lawrence Hammersmith
Mr. H. E. Lawrence Blackheath
Mr. A. R. Layman Eltham
Miss Leaver Eltham
Mr. W. H. Lee Lee
Mdlle. Therese M. Leroy ... Lewisham
Mrs. A. Letchford Derby
Miss Lewin Eltham
Mr. D. J. Lewis Eltham
Mr. T. Lewis Eltham
Mr. H. J. Lindeman Eltham
Mr. S. W. Lister Woolwich
Mr. W. K. Low Eltham
Mr. C. P. Lucas Mottingham
Mr. E. Luke Woolwich
Mr. A. E. Lund Eltham
Mrs. Lush Plumsfcead
Miss M. Lys Eltham
M
Col. M. F. H. McCausland, R.A., Blackheath
Mr. John McGregor.. .L.C.C., Clerkenwell Close
Mrs. McGregor Eltham
Mr. F. W. Machen Plumstead
Mrs. Maddocks Eltham
Mr. G. J. Mansfield Blackheath
Mr. G. C. Marks, M.P. ... Lincoln's Inn
Mr. T. D. Marsh Eltham
Mrs. F. A. Marshall Eltham
Mr. J. Marshall Eltham
Miss C. Martin Eltham
Mr. W. Martin Eltham
Mr. G. F. Masters Eltham
Miss Matthews Clapham Common
Mr. W. Maud Blackheath
Mr. W. J. Mercer Margate
Alderman J. J. Messent Woolwich
Mr. G. A. T. Middleton, A.R.I.B.A.
The Strand, W.C.
Messrs. T. Miles and Co. Islington
346
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
Miss Miller
Mr. A. E. Miller
Miss H. Mills
Mr. T. W. Mills
Mrs. Milne
Mr. John Milton
Dr. W. T. Milton, M.D.,
Mr. C. L. Miskin ...
Mr. A. W. D. Moore ..
Mr. L. J. Moore
Mr. W. P. Moore
Mr. A. E. Morran ...
Mr. G. Morris
Mr. W. J. Mortis
Mr. H. C. Mott
Mr. H. Muller
Mr. A. Mulley
Mr. W. E. Mullins, L.C
Mr. J. R. S. Murphy ..
Mr. W. C. Musquin
N
Mr. W. A. Narbeth Eltham
Mr. F. F. Nash Eltham
Mr. G. Neves ... ... ... ... Woolwich
Miss B. N. Newbould Eltham
Miss Newman Russell Square, W.C.
Mr. A. Nicholl ... Fenchurch Street, B.C.
Sir Henry Norbury, K.C.B., R.N. ... Eltham
Mr. W. Norman Plumstead
Mr. P. Norman, F.S.A. ... South Kensington
Mr. C. North Blackheath Press
Mrs. North Eltham
Major Sir Harry North Eltham
Mr. J. North Elmstead, Chislehurst
Mr. E. Norton Eltham
Mr. F. W. Nunn Lee
New Eltham
... Lee
Eltham
Eltham
.. Courtyard, Eltham
Fulham Palace Road
M.S. Lond. ... Eltham
... Blackheath
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
... Eltham Road
Lewisham
West Park, Eltham
Eltham
C. ... Hampstead
Eltham
. Old Charlton
Mr. Geo. Payne, F.S.A.
Public Library, Rochester
Mr. A. G. Peace Sidcup
Rev. R. Peake Sidcup
Col. M. B. Pearson, C.B Lee
Mr. A. G. Pembroke Eltham
Mr. Sidney Pembroke Eltham Road
Rev. E. J. Penford Eltham
Mr. S. J. Penny Eltham
Mr. F. J. Peplow ... Public Library, Deptford
Mr. H. N. Perrett Eltham
Col. Sir Herbert Perrott, Bart., C.B.
South Kensington
Mr. C. P. Phillips Sevenoaks
Mr. F. Phillips Elthaw
Mr. H. L. Phillips ... Kennington Park Road
- J. R. Phillips, R.N. ... H.M.S. Dido
Mr W. S. Pillans Mottingham
Mr. W. D. Pink Newton-le-Willows
Miss L. Pitman Castle Gary
Mr. C. Poland Blackheath
Miss Pocknall Eltham
Mr. J. Poland, F.R.G.S Seal
Mrs. Polkinghorne ... Clapham Common
Mr. A. G. Potter Eltham
Mr. H. D. Poulter Eltham
Mrs. Powell Eltham
Mr J. Powell Cheltenham
Mr. F. H. Preston Plumstead
Mr. W. R. B. Prideaux, Reform Club, Pall Mall
Mr. S. Priest, F.G.S Stone. Kent
Mr. G. N. Prior Eltham
Mr. G. Pritchard Eltham
Mr. T. H. Pritchard Eltham
Mrs. Quaife
Mr. W. Quilter
Eltham
Blackheath
Mr. H. Ockerby ... Queen Victoria Street, E.G.
Dr. F. O'Leary Eltham
Mr. M. C. Outtrim Eltham
Mr. Edward H. Oxenham...Town Hall, Catford
Mr. G. L. Paine ... Chester Square, S.W.
Mr. R. Pallett Wallington
Mr. W. H. Pannell, F.C.A., J.P. ... Eltham
Mr. J. W. Parker Eltham
Mr. J. C. Parnaby, J.P. ... New Maiden
Mr. F. Raby Eltham
Mrs. Rawlinson Eltham
Miss Read Eltham
Mrs. Relf Hastings
Mrs. Relph Eltham
Mr. J. Rennie Clapton
Mr. S. Renton Eltham
Mr. J. S. Reynolds Lee Green
Mr. Alfred Rhodes Lambeth, S.E.
Mr. E. W. Rhodes, M.A. ... Eltham College
Miss M. J. Richardson Plumstead
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
847
Mr. H. Richardson, J.P.
Mr. W. H. Kichardson
Mr. F. A. Richardson
Mrs. B. Riekman ...
Mr. C. H. Roberts ...
Mr. E. Roberts, I.S.O.,
Mr. F. Roberts
Miss Robertson
Dr. T. L. Rogers ...
Mr. E. Roswell ...
Rev. W. P. Rowley ...
Mr. T. Rule
... Mayor of Greenwich
Eltham
Eltham
... Mottingham
Sidcup
F.R.A.S. ... Eltham
Clapham
... Wareham, Dorset
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
s
Mr. F. Sadler
Dr. St. John
Mr. A. J. Sargeant
Mr. A. G. Sargent
Mr. F. Saunders
Miss Sceales
Mr. J. G. Schmidt ...
Mr. F. Schmidtz
Mr. A. Scott
Mr. W. H. Scriven ...
Miss R. Scrutton
Messrs. Seager and Sons
Miss E. M. Sharpe ...
Lewisham
Eltham
New Crocs
London Institution
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Eltham
Mottingham
Eltham
... Eltham
.,. Poplar
... Beckenham
Rev. Sir C. J. M. Shaw, Bart.
The Vicarage, Margate
Mr. S. C. Shearing Eltham
Rev. G. Shebbeare Lee
Mr. A. D. Shepherd Eltham
Mrs. M. A. Silvey Plumstead
Mr. A. E. Simpson Eltham
Mr. E. Simpson Eltham
Miss M. G. Skinner Charlton
Mr. W. Small Eltham
Mrs. W. Small Eltham
Miss Ethel Small Elmstead
Mrs. Colin Smart Eltham
Mr. W. Smart Eltham
Mr. E. Smith Blackheath
Mr. H. Smith Sidcup Hill
Dr. Sandford Smith Eltham
Mr. Whittaker Smith Eltham
Mrs. P. Smithers Greenwich
Mr. J. M. Somerville Lady well
Mr. J. Spicer Eltham
Mr. C. Spon St. Albans
Mr. F. Spiers ... Frederick Street, W.C.
Mr. J. Spry Eltham
Mr. S. T. Stafford Eltham
Mr. E. W. Stahlsmidt Eltham
Mr. F. C. Stainton Eltham
Mr. J. Stanley Eltham
Rev. W. E. Stebbing, B.A Eltham
Miss M. Stefansen Eltham
Miss S. M. Stephenson Plumstead
Major-Gen. Sir John Stevens, K.C.B. ... Eltham
Mr. H. Stevenson Eltham
Mr. Steward Eltham
Mrs. F. M. Stiles Eltham
Mrs. Stodart Mottingham
Mr. E. A. Stone Old Charlton
Mr. Edward Stone, F.S.A. ... Blackheath
Mr. J. M. Stone, M.A. ... Lincoln's Inn, W.C.
Mr. H. de Struve Eltham
Mr. W. T. Sturton Woolwich
Mrs. Swan Eltham
Mr. H. W. Taffs
Miss Taylor
Mr. E. R. Taylor
Miss S. M. Taylor
Mr. W. R. Taylor
Eltham
... South Petherton
Sidcup
Sidcup
Orpington
Lieut.-Col. H. B. Tasker, V.D. ... Eltham
Mr. W. G. Thame Eltham
Mr. S. L. Thomas Eltham
Mrs. F. Thomasset Eltham
Mr. F. G. Thompson Eltham
Mr. L. C. Thomson Blackheath
Mr C. H. Tibbs Eltham
Mr. E. D. Till Eynsford
Mr. J. Tolhurst Beckenham
Mr. R. Tomlinson Old Kent Road
Mr. A. Treliving Lee
Messrs. Truslove and Hanson
OxfordStreet, W.
Mr. R. Turner Eltham
Mr. H. E. Turner Plumstead
Mr. Twidle Sidcup
Rev. A. C. Tyler-Taylor Eltham
Mr. Veasey Eltham
Mr. Kenneth D. Vickers, M.A. ... Gray's Inn
Mrs. Vickers Sidcup
Mr. J. Viliesia Eltham
Mr. W. T. Vincent Woolwich
Mr. G. W. Viner, F.S.A. ... Mottingham
Lady Vyvyan Shooters Hill
848
THE STORY OF ROYAL ELTHAM.
W
Councillor R. B. Wakelen Eltham
Mr. D. W. Wakeford Greenwich
Mr. J. 0. Wale Bexley Heath
Mr. Allen S. Walker ... London Institution
Mr. F. C. Walker Eltham
Mr. H. Wallis Eltham
Councillor E. A. M. Walters ... Eltham
Mr. G. T. Ward Eltham
Miss Warner ... Eltham
Mr. E. Warner Eltham
Mrs. Warmington Bromley
Mr. M. Warren ... Bexley Public Library
Miss E. Waterhouse Avery Hill
Major-General J. Waterhouse ... Eltham
Mr. F. J. Waters Northfleet
Miss E. J. Watkin Eltham
Mr. H. Watkin Lee
Mr. J. Watkinson Herne Bay
Hon. Mrs. Watson ... Clonmel, Ireland
Mr. J. N. Watts Brockley
Mr. T. E. Webber Plumstead
Mr. Herbert J. Weise ... South Norwood
Mr. W. F. Wenyon Eltham
Miss Westbrook ... ... ... Yeovil
Mr. J. West wood Eltham
Mr. George Whale, J.P. ... Mayor of Woolwich
Mr. A. T. Wheeler ...
Rt. Eev. Abbot White ...
Mr. H. Whistler
Mrs. White
Mr. F. White
Mr. G. H. Wiggins
Mr. T. P. Wiggins
Catford
Eltham
Eltham
... Sidcup
Eltham
... The Minories
... The Minories
Rev. T. B. Willson, M.A. ... Shooter's Hill
Mr. C. D. Wilson Eltham Palace
Mr. W. T. Wise Eltham
Miss Wood Eltham
Mr. W. W. Wood Lee
Mr. H. W. Wood Eltham
Woolwich Library (Kent Collection)
Mr. J. Worters Eltham
Mr. A. E. Wren Bexley
Mr. W. Wren Plumstead
Mrs. J. J. Wright Eltham
Mrs. James Wright Eltham
Mr Ernest H. Wright, P.A.S.I. ... Woolwich
Mrs. Yeatman Eltham
Miss E. V. Yeatman Eltham
Miss Yeatman Eltham
Mr. C. Youens Dartford
Mr. W. B. Young ... for Erith Public Library
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