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John Isaac III (born c. 1422) asked in his will,
made in 1500, that his body be buried in the ‘Chapel of John at
Patrixbourne’. It is not, however, clear, whether this was a chapel
within St Mary’s or whether it was a separate building. The Isaacs held
Howletts, as well as Hode and Ratling, and there is a ruined chapel called
Well Chapel, near Howletts, built in the perpendicular style which was
associated with the Isaacs. However, the Well chapel was in the parish of
Ickham. If the Isaac chapel was dedicated to St John the Baptist, the
niche above the south door with its Agnus Dei may also date from
the fifteenth century rather than from the twelfth. Unfortunately, the
niche is so |
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degraded
that it is hard to form a judgement. The chapel was clearly completed in
time for John Isaac II and his wife to be buried there and, since the
chapel is likely to have been completed after the changes to the roof,
most if not all of the fifteenth-century rebuilding is likely to have
taken place in the earlier part of the century. Members of the Isaac
family are plausible patrons as they were wealthy and influential, had
already donated money for the completion of the cloister at Christ Church,
Canterbury (the Isaac arms appear in the ceiling vault53) and
chose to be buried in the church.54 |
