Swingfield
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Some Monumental Inscriptions of Swingfield
Church, Noted by Rev
Bryan Faussett noted 1758
Kindly typed up for the website by Pat
Tritton
In The Chancell.
1. On a Flat Stone. Here lyeth interred The Body of William SIMMONDS, Son of
John Simonds of Smersall in this Parish (W. of village, nr. S(telling) Minnis
– V.J.T.) Yeoman; he departed this Life the 16th Day of August Anno Dni 1658,
in the .. Year of his Age.
2. On Another. Statutum est Omnibus semel Mori. Here lyeth buried the Bodies of
Richard GYLES, and Mary his Wife …/ the 28th of May 1629. Here also lieth the
Body of Ann, Wife of …… PILCHER, who depted. this Life the 27th of July 1719
Aged 63 Years. She left Issue 4 Sons and 1 Daughter.
3. On Another. Here lieth the Body of Stephen MARSH of St John’s (A
farm in this parish, N. of church – V.J.T). who left Issue by Mary his Wife 2
Sons; Stephen and George. He departed this Life the 26th of August Ano. Dni.
1716. Aged 32 Years.
4. On Another. Here lieth interred the Body of Amy MARSH, Daughter of Henry
PILCHER of Stelling, and Wife of Nicholas Marsh of St John’s in this Parish of
Swingfield, by whom She had issue 3 Sons and 3 Daughters. She departed this Life
the 21st Day of January 1699/1700. Aged 54 Years & 5 Months.
5. Here are 7 Other Flat Stones, none of which are legible; and Another cover’d
by a Pew, so as not to be made out.
6. In The East Window are some Remains of good Glass; among wch. is to be seen,
an Arm issueing out of the Clouds, and holding an Anchor; over it these Letters
ATHEMA (probly. was [AN]ATHEMA).
In The Eastmost Window on the South Side is this Fragment of a Coat of Arms
still remaining; viz. a Chev’ron Vert, charged with 3 Falcon’s Heads erased
Arg. The Rest of the Coat is gone. (Note by Griffin: HONEYWOOD).
In The Body.
7. On a Flat Stone. Here lieth The Body of Richard SIMONS, late of Smersall in
Swingfeild being of the Age of 63, and left Issue 2 Sonnes and 2 Daughters, who
died the 11th of December. An. Dni. 1641.
8. On Another, with this Coat. [Ľly
of 6: 1,3,5). Sa. a cinquefoil or. 2,4,6) Or.].
(Griffin note – see Elham). To The Pious Memory of John SIMONS, Gent. he died
the 21st of October Anno 1677. Aged 69 Yeares. Here’s a Lieutenant of a Royall
Band/Interrd, whose Loyall Life gave him Command./He fought The Fight of Faith,
hence is his Name/Inroll’d I’th’ Book of Life to lasting Fame./(Death
fears no Colours, Drums, Gun, Pike, or Blade;/All here give Place unto the
fatall Spade)./Yet Christ Our Captaine, for his constant Faith,/We hope hath
crown’d his Soul set free from Death.
9. On Another, with this Coat. [not
drawn: PILCHER (3.81) (Coldred) imp. BARGRAVE (3.57) (Pxbne).].
Here lies interr’d the Body of Martha PILCHER the Wife of Mr Zouch Pilcher;
She Departed this Life The 4th of October, 1750; Aged 66 Years.
10. On Another, with this. [PILCHER
(not drawn) imp. Sa. a pheon arg.]. Here
lieth The Body of Mr Stephen PILCHER late of North Bourne; who died May 18 1755,
Aged 38 Years. He married Dennis, Daughter of Mr Henry NICHOL of Barham, by whom
he left surviving, 1 Son, and 2 Daughters, viz: Richard, Martha, and Elizabeth.
11. In The Westmost Window, on the South Side, is this Peice of a Coat, and
mutilated Inscription. ["Not
to be Made out" imp. Lozengy sa. & arg.].
*Et p Aiabz Willi SMERSOLLE, Margaret Uxoris sue, et p. Aia Saunder GOLFINCH.
*Mr WEEVER mentions an Inscription at Chilham, so very like this (P.280) that I
think verily, it is the same, but, by Him Misplaced; wch. might be the Case, as
he visited both these Churches. it is this as he gives it. "Orate Willelmi
SMERSOLL de Smersholl … et Uxor ejus, et pro Animâ Sander GOLDSMITH".
There is no such Inscription in being at Chilham now; I searched particularly
for it.
12. Mr WEEVER has preserv’d the Following Inscription, now gone. "Orate
pro Animâ Willelmi TONGE, et Johaannis Filij ejus, qui Hanc Fenestram fieri
fecerunt". He also informs us, that, in his Time there was "an Ancient
faire Monument whereon the Portraiture of an Armed Knight, crosse Legged, was to
be seen, and "only Hic Jacet of an Inscription; the rest gone". But,
of this Monument, at this Day, Ipsae periere Ruinae. There was a Preceptory
here.
13. This Church is but Small, and consists only of The Chancell and the Body. At
The West End is a pretty handsome Tower in which hang 3 Bells, thus inscribed.
1. I.W. – I.R. 1696.
2. I.W. – I.R. 1696.
(These 2 are gone).
3 John RICHARDS W. 1696 (by
me IW – omitted). (this is left; W(arden).
Jn. Wood = I.W. – Stahlschmidt, 425).
14. It is a (Vicarage)
In the Gift of. It was dedicated to St Peter. The Present ……..is /1758.
Index of Names and Places
Names
Index
ANATHEMA 6
ATHEMA 6
BARGRAVE 9
GOLDSMITH 11
GOLFINCH 11
GYLES 2
HONEYWOOD 6
MARSH 3, 4
NICHOL 10
PILCHER 2, 4, 9, 10
|
I.R. 13
RICHARDS 13
SIMMONDS 1
SIMONS 7, 8
SMERSOLL 11
SMERSOLLE 11
TONGE 12
I.W. 13
Wood 13
|
Places
Barham 10
Chilham 11
Northbourne 10
Stelling Minnis 1, 4
Swingfield
Smersall 1, 7
St Johns Farm 3
|
General
Lieutenant 8
Royall Band 8
Warden 13
Yeoman 1 |
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