THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS-FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1901

XXIII.—BETTESHANGER

Betteshanger is a small parish and village on the old Roman Road from Dover to Richborough, and a little to the east of the Dover and Sandwich Road, between seven and eight miles from Dover.

Name, Situation, and Scenery.

There is always something in a name if properly understood—but there is the difficulty. What does Betteshanger mean? “Bettes" may mean a secluded place, or it may mean a bed or lair for beasts, wild beasts presumably, or it may have some local meaning long forgotten. The latter part of the word, "hanger," is more easily understood. Appended to a place name, it indicates a sloping place, a declivity. Leaving “Bettes” for future consideration, “hanger” seems to fit the place under consideration fairly well. Approaching from Tilmanstone, the prospect north and west is very fine. Eastry occupies the rising ground in front; to the left, Knowlton crowns another knoll, from which its name is taken, while the dark woods of Fredville and Goodnestone fringe the skyline. Betteshanger, on the upper side of the read, is embosomed and hidden in the well wooded domain of Lord Northbourne. The lane that leads thereto is bordered by copices, and there is little else visible, except here and there a lodge or a gateway. The main entrance to Betteshanger House, Lord Northbourne’s seat, has a very pretty lodge at the gate, but the mansion is not visible therefrom. Proceeding, the village proper is reached, but the houses are few, and far between. The whole place, by its neat up-keep, has a park-like appearance, and the banks on the roadside are covered with the Rose of Sharon, and other choice shrubs. This is one of the villages of Kent which has no public house. The principal industry seems to be the carpenter’s establishment, and from that point a road through the grounds leads up to the church. The Church of St. Mary is the most beautiful object in this village, a shrine that in some respects eclipses Barfreston.

The History of Betteshanger.

As a village, Betteshanger has but little history; what there is centres round the church and the mansion, the other louses having always been few. Harris, writing in his history in 1829, says: “There are but three houses in this district.” In 1841 there were three houses and 18 inhabitants. Going back to 1801, just a century ago, Hasted says there were then 38 inhabitants; going back over many centuries, to the times immediately following the Norman Conquest, the Manor of Great Betteshanger was held by Hugh de Port, as part of his guerdon for keeping up men-at-arms for the defence of Dover. From him Betteshanger descended to the St. John’s, and then to the de Marinis family. John de Marinis in the year 1327, obtained a charter of Freewarren from the King—in other words he became a licensed game preserver, and the tame pheasants to be seen about the park show that the privilege has run with the land for nearly six centuries. The Marinis family name, however, was not long associated with Betteshanger. John de Tancre appeared on the scene soon after Freewarren was granted, and some 20 years later Tancre sold his rights to John de Soles, who, in turn, disappeared about the year 1400, and the family of Rutter came in. Sixty years later, the lord of the Manor was named Litchfield, and they appear to have held Betteshanger until 1513, when Roger Litchfield died, and left his estates to his three daughters. Dane Court, in the adjoining parish, is said to have been one of the Manors which Roger Litchfield bequeathed to his daughters, but, however that may be, Betteshanger was the portion of his eldest daughter, Alice, who married Thomas Cocks, the Collector of Customs at Sandwich, and he, about the year 1546, sold the estate to John Boys. After that the Boys loomed large at Betteshanger. Plain John Boys became Sir John Boys, being knighted by James I, and he died in the year 1612. The Boys spread themselves over a large part of East Kent, and in their day were of great consequence. There were other Boys in West Kent. The founder of the family in East Kent was William Boys, Esqr., of Fredville, in the reign of Henry VIII, and his son, Edward Boys, left a large family, amongst whom were two sons, the eldest, Edward Boys, father of the above John Boys, of Betteshanger, and the other son was Dr. John Boys, the celebrated Dean of Canterbury, who, as a writer and preacher, and a great reputation, his tenure of office as Dean extending from 1619 till 1625, when he died. Soon after he was made Dean of Canterbury, which was but 14 years after the Gunpowder Plot, he preached at St. Paul’s Cross on Guy Fawkes Day, and in the course of his sermon uttered the following parody in the Lord’s Prayer, as suited for the occasion:-

"Our Pope which art in Rome, cursed be thy name; perish may thy Kingdom; hindered may thy will be, as it is in heaven, so in earth; give us this day our cup in the Lord’s supper, and remit our monies which we have given for indulgencies, as we send them back to thee; and lead us not into heresey, but free us from misery; for thine is the infernal pitch and sulphur, for ever and ever, Amen.”

Sir John Boys, of Betteshanger, who was the nephew of the Dean, died without issue, and bequeathed the Manor of Betteshanger to his nephew, Edward Boys, one of the sons of Vincent Boys, of Bekesbourne. This Edward Boys lived at Betteshanger House for fifty years, dying in the year 1649, and was burried in the church. His son, John, then became possessor of the Manor. He was a member of the Long Parliament, and an active supporter of Cromwell. He died in 1678, leaving the Manor to his two sons, Edward and John, but both dying unmarried, the latter, whose death occurred in the year 1698, left his estate by will to Jeffery Boys, of Canterbury, a bencher of Grays Inn. He, holding his estate during his life, left it to his son, Edward Grotius Boys, who died possessed of it in the year 1706, and was interred with his ancestors at Betteshanger Church. He, leaving no issue, bequeathed the Manor to the Rev. Thomas Brett, Rector of Betteshanger, who, after holding it for seven years, sold it to Captain Morrice, R.N., afterwards Admiral Morrice, who resided at Betteshanger House till his death in 1710. His son, William Morrice, succeeded him as the owner of Betteshanger, but he resided at Canterbury, where he died in the year 1758, and then Betteshanger went to his son, William, a Colonel of Dragoons, who, dying unmarried in the year 1787, the estate went to his brother, the Rev. James Morrice, Vicar of Flower, Northamptonshire, and he subsequently came to reside at Betteshanger, and became rector, which post he held till his death in the year 1815. Monuments to the memory of the Morrice family are in Betteshanger Church down to the year 1858, but the estate had changed hands previously, William J. Denne being the owner in the year 1847. Subsequently, it became the seat of Sir Walter Charles James Bart, who was raised to the Peerage as Baron Northbourne in the year 1884, and dying in the year 1893, his son, formerly well known as the Hon. W. H. James, member for Gateshead, succeeded as second Baron Northbourne, and is now the owner of Betteshanger, and much other property in the district, but there is now no Manor of Betteshanger, no Manoral Court having been held for many generations.

Betteshanger Church—History.

The Church of St. Mary is a small building of flint and stone, standing in the park a little to the eastward of the Mansion, surrounded by a beautifully kept graveyard, the public approach to which is through the pretty lich gate. Writing of this church, Harris says that it bears no signs of antiquity. On that point opinions may reasonably differ. The fabric, which is in the Norman and Early English styles, has nothing about it to definitely state the date of its origin, but there is, in the nave, a list of its rectors, commencing with the year 1281. The record seems to be complete, and from 1281 until 1891, a period of 610 years, there have been 43 rectors, the first being Nicholas Doge, and the last, the Rev. John Worthington Bliss, B.A., who has been rector since 1886, and who, since 1876, has been rector of the adjoining small parish of Ham, both of which are in the gift of Lord Northbourne. This church, with its rectory, has always been appendant to the Manor, and more than once the owner of the Manor has been the rector. During the long period from the days of Nicholas Doge to Canon Bliss, so even has been the tenor of events, that there is little church history at Betteshanger. In the visitation records of East Kent there are, concerning many parishes, records as to poverty of the living, complaints as to the state of the fabric neglected by the ministers, want of a sufficient number of sermons, and in the adjoining parish of Northbourne there is a record that in the year 1562 their parish church, together with the chancel, the steeple, and the Vicarage house were wholly consumed by fire; but at Betteshanger no particular event stands out in the even current of history. As regards the fabric of the Church, there is nothing special recorded, although, as a matter of fact, from the year 1281 down to the restoration of 1854, there must have been works carried out in connection therewith. In the time of Henry VIII there were 7 acres of arable glebe land attached to the Church, but that has disappeared, and probably when the Rev. Thomas Brett, who was landlord and rector, sold the manor to the Morrice family. The Church originally seems to have consisted of a nave, a chancel, and a south porch. Later, when bells came into use, a small wooden turret was erected at the west end to accommodate three bells. Later, in the year 1740, there was added on the north side an annexe as a place of sepulture for the Morrice family, which was called an aisle. With that exception nothing seems to have been done beyond general repairs until the year 1853. There are numerous marble tablets in the church, chiefly to the memory of members of the families who resided from time to time at Betteshanger House. The oldest and the most numerous are to the memory of members of the Boys family—in fact, the name is everywhere—in the chancel, on the walls of the nave, in the floor, in the list of rectors, and in the list of patrons. The most imposing monument is that erected to the memory of Vice Admiral Salmon Morrice, Lord of the Manor of Betteshanger, and Vice Admiral of the White, youngest son of Captain Morrice, R.N., of Werrington, Devonshire. The memorial is about 20 feet high, with a marble bust sculptured by Scheemaker. There are five other monuments to the Morrice family, including a marble slab to the memory of the Rev. James Morrice, who was rector of the parish for a period of 28 years, dying in the year 1815. There is a small tablet on the south wall of the nave to the memory of W. H. Lambton, Esq., erected by his six children, and over it is the crest and motto—“Le jour viendra.” (The day will come.)

The Church as it is.

Antiquarians who love to pursue their investigations in must and dust, will find little to satisfy them at Betteshanger. Beautiful within and without is this church of St. Mary. So thoroughly has it been restored, that instead of bearing the marks of the seven centuries of its age, it looks like a Victorian copy of a Norman shrine. Standing in its lovely surroundings, the varying tints of its masonry, and its graceful tower compel an exclamation of delight, and an acknowledgement that it is a thing of beauty. On reaching the south entrance, a long halt is necessary to take in the details of ornamentation that have been so lavishly bestowed on the portal. The roof of the porch is supported by two handsome polished granite pillars, the eastward pillar being of grey and the westward of red granite. In front, on the pediment, is a St. Andrews Cross, and a cross finishes the apex. On both sides of the porch are appropriate Latin inscriptions. Under this porch the semicircular space over the door is a modified copy of the celebrated door at Barfreston, and was erected at the cost of Henry, the first Viscount Hardinge. The sculpture of the entablature is, especially the two semicircles of emblematical medallions, fourteen in each circuit, very fine, while the the principal figures below are well and boldly executed. These are scriptural scenes on the top of the door posts. On the outward face of the east post is the expulsion from Eden, and on the side, Moses bringing the tables of the Law. On the front of the west post is a representation of Cain killing Abel, and on the other side, the High Priest as the typical mediator. Passing inside, the first object which attracts notice is the font close to the door, a very handsome stone bowl, in the circumference of which are inserted four medallions, one of mosaic work, and the other three containing emblematical figures. This font was the gift of the Viscountess Hardinge. On entering out of the sun, the dim light is rather noticeable, for the six windows in the Nave are narrow and small, and the light they admit is toned by the coloured glass which they all contain. At the east end of the Chancel are three narrow lights, with a circular one above, all filled with stained glass. We believe all these windows were gifts, at any rate, the one nearest the Chancel in the south wall containing a cartoon of St, Stephen, is in memory of Sarah Caroline, the first Lady Northbourne. The other window in the south side containing a cartoon of St. Augustine, was put in by the rector, the Rev. Canon Bliss, in memory of his father and mother. The corresponding windows on the north side contain cartoons of John the Baptist and of St. John. The whole of the surface of the interior walls is artistically decorated, as is also the open roof of the Chancel. The Chancel arch is lofty and handsome, and the space over it has three piercings divided by two ornamental shafts. On the north of the Altar is a credance table in a trefoil recess, and on the east wall is a beautifully sculptured reredos, representing “The Lord’s Supper,” greeted at the expense of Lord Northbourne in 1871. The organ placed on the south of the Nave, is also his lordship’s gift. The pulpit standing on the north side at the top of the Nave is a very fine example of the sculptor’s art, the side panels being very skilfully wrought. On the side facing the Nave is a representation of Christ on the ship speaking to the multitude on the shore, and underneath are the words “He taught them.” On the front, which is larger, there is a representation or Christ and his disciples passing, with Zacchscus in the tree, and under the work are the words “This day I must abide in thine house.” On another panel is prefigured the Centurion, and underneath are the words “Lord, I am not worthy.” Behind the pulpit is tan opening to the tower, the bottom portion of which is utilized for placing the six monuments of the Morrice family, which formerly occupied the little aisle, and which were removed to this place at the restoration of the Church. This also serves as a belfrey, the three original bells being hung in the tower, in which there is also a large clock which strikes the hours and quarters, given by Mr. Cathbert Ellison, of Hebburn Hill, Durham, the father of the first Lady Northbourne, in the year 1857. Having shown that this tower internally answers several useful purposes, it should be mentioned that externally it is a striking ornament to the Church, and a great improvement on the little wooden bell turret that preceded it. The tower is pierced, and has ornamental windows at three stages, and is finished with a broach spire. In the churchyard are many monuments, and the neatness with which the place is kept, forms appropriate surroundings to this very beautiful church.

Betteshanger House.

There is a good deal of interesting history attached to Betteshanger House, or rather, to the succession of houses which have formed the seat of the Lords of the Manor for many centuries, the house having been several times rebuilt. Probably in the times of Hugh de Port there was but a mean house here, as that important personage had several other Manors and Manorial residences in this part of East Kent, but it is quite clear that Bettesbanger House was in existence at the close of the thirteenth century, when John de Marinis obtained the charter of Freewarren. That it was not a very noble or desirable residence in those days might be inferred from the fact that it had four owners in the course of the century prior to the commencement of the reign of Edward IV. These were John de Marinis, John de Tancre, John de Soles, and the Litchfield family, who held it the longest. During that time there is no record left of the state of the house. Thomas Cocks, the Sandwich collector of Customs, who obtained it by marrying Miss Litchfield, probably found it a pleasant country residence, conveniently near to his place of business at the Port of Sandwich. He held it about forty years, selling it about the year 1547 to John Boys, who evidently came to stay. He was an energetic man in the service of the Crown, and received the honour of knighthood in the reign Elizabeth, but he, having no son to succeed him, dying in 1612, left Betteshanger to his nephew, Edward Boys, son of Mr. Vincent Boys, of Bekesbourne. The two last mentioned were members of the first Dover Harbour Commission, and named in the Charter of James I., dated Oct. 6, 1606. This Edward was also a man of action. The old house at Betteshanger was not good enough for him, so he rebuilt it, and placed his arms, carved in stone, in the hall. He was a Member of Parliament for Kent, and was knighted. He had his seat at Betteshanger House fifty years, yet he could have spent only a small proportion of his time at the old place, for he was busy in the affairs of State, acting on the side of Parliamentarians in opposition to Charles I. When the Civil War broke out between Parliament and the King, Sir Edward Boys took the field. When Dover Castle was seized by strategy by the Parliamentary Party in August, 1642, Sir Edward Boys appeared on the scene with a sufficient force to hold it against the Royalists, and a few weeks after his arrival resisted an effort on behalf of the King to re-capture it. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Dover Castle from the time of its capture from the Royalists in August, 1642, until February, 1646. During that time there was a plot amongst the Dover people to seize the Castle for the King, and on its being discovered Sir Edward Boys took energetic action. A considerable number of Dover people were arrested and imprisoned for conspiracy, including the Rev. John Reading, minister of St. Mary-the-Virgin, and an account of this plot was ordered to be read in all the churches of Kent, the Puritan ministers being asked to “improve the occasion,” and all members of the congregation who approved the plot were to stand up! There is no record that any were foolish enough to do so. After the plot the Castle was defended by trained troops, and Sir Edward Boys called to his aid his son, Major Boys, and three trained bands. During the midst of the civil strife shortly after the execution of the King, Sir Edward Boys died in 1649, and was buried at Betteshanger. Major John Boys, M.P., succeeded him as the owner of Betteshanger House, and before his father’s death this Major John Boys was made Lieutenant-Governor of Dover Castle. He was appointed Governor on the 10th February, 1646, and held the post till 12th October, 1648. During his term he strengthened the defences of Dover Castle and also was engaged in quelling the revolt in the Navy, for which he was thanked by both Houses of Parliament. After the Civil War he continued to be a member of Cromwell's Party and Parliament, but he out-lived all the Civil troubles, and dwelt at Betteshanger eighteen years after the restoration, dying there in the year 1678. Betteshanger House remained in the possession of the Boys family till 1706, and after being held for seven years by the Rev. Thomas Brett, rector of Betteshanger, who was a kinsman of the Boys, it was sold to Captain Morrice, who won a position of fame as Admiral of the White. He rebuilt Betteshanger House and made it his residence till his death in 1740, being also the owner of the Northborne estate. The Morrice family continued to hold it until the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. After that, for a time it was the residence of W. J. Denne, Esq., and was rebuilt in 1829 in the Jacobian style. Early in the century, the late Sir Walter James, Bart., made it his seat, and he very much enlarged the Mansion and greatly improved the surrounding grounds, making it a fit seat for a member of the Peerage to which he was raised in the year 1884. The present Lord Northbourne, who succeeded his father in 1893, has continued the improvements. The grounds are very beautifully kept and they are generously thrown open to the public on Thursdays during the summer months, and are enjoyed by many of the visitors at the neighbouring seaside resorts of Dover, Walmer, Deal, Ramsgate, and Margate.