THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS—FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1901

XXV.—WOMENSWOLD.

Womenswold is a village and parish a short distance from the east end of Barham Downs, lying to the north of the Dover Road, 8½ miles from Dover, and about mid-way between the Shepherdswell and Adisham stations, on the L. C. & D. Railway.

Aspect and Area.

The area of this parish is 1,410 acres, a considerable portion of the southern part being woodland, stretching up from Woolwich Green to the Dover Road at the Half-way House. To the north and east there is a fine open sweep of country, away to the sea at Pegwell Bay, the land, by a series of rolling undulations, rising up to Denne Hill on the south-west. It was on this eminence that Caesar, after his successful march from his landing place near Deal, stationed his main army and strongly entrenched them with earthworks of which Three Barrow Downs, a little west of Woolwich Green, and other entrenchments within the grounds of Dunne Hill, are still remaining. The reason for the halt of the invading force, and the construction of a strong position at this spot, was that the country beyond was, and still is, marked by deep ravines and woods, affording cover for the British. To protect his communications in his rear, and also to concentrate a force to hurl against the British, was the object of his halt at Denne Hill, and that object he successfully attained in the decisive battle which took place on the Downs to the westward. The sweep of beautiful country, which the Roman Invaders found so easy to advance over from the coast, and which even then afforded abundance of forage for cavalry, is now a well cultivated area, dotted with parks, mansions, and woodlands, the parish of Womenswould being on the upper fringe thereof. The village may be reached from the high road from Dover, taking the turn to the right at the Denne Hill corner, not far from the Ropersole Coal Boring at the Halfway House; but the pleasantest drive is through Coldred and Shepherdswell, the charming lanes beyond the latter village leading to Woolwich Green, a pretty little hamlet on the eastern side of the Womenswold parish. The buildings, ancient and modern, which margin the Green, include a Church of England Mission Room, recently built, a Baptist Chapel, built in the year 1887, and by far the oldest establishment in the place seems to be the public house, rejoicing in the name of “The Two Sawyers,”—an ivy covered place, which looks as though it had been dispensing Kentish ales, since the first introduction of Kentish hops. There are some other modern houses to keep the modern Chapel and modern Mission Room in countenance, but most of the houses are very old, and some are hastening to decay. Leaving the Green by the right hand side of the road, which crosses others to Nonington and Bar-freston, after another mile’s drive, brings the church and village in view, the church of St. Margaret’s standing out boldly on an eminence to the right, the schools distinguished by a small spire in the near centre, the vicarage to the left, with Denne Hill on the extreme left. The whole frames into a pretty picture from the approach road.

History of Womenswold.

The name of this village has puzzled most people who have given it attention. It would be very easy to attach an obvious meaning to it as it now stands, but that meaning would be rendered meaningless by the fact that the mode of spelling the name of the village seems to have changed in almost every century. According to good authorities, it was Wimlinegawold in the 9th century, Wymelyageweld in the 13th century, Weemingswould in the 17th century, Wymenswold in the 18th century, and Womenwold in the 19th century. Camden, in 1586, spelt it Wimlingwold, and the common folk, fifty or sixty years ago, used to call it Womenjole. Hasted follows Camden, and spells it Wimlingswold, and the Rev. C. H. Wilkie, rector of Kingston, the adjoining parish, who, owing to the pains he has taken in deciphering and transcribing the parish registers, is entitled to be regarded as an authority on the subject, suggests Wymyageweld as the best form for modern use. It seems pretty certain, however, that the name of the parish, having been established in modern official documents as Womenswold, it will so remain. Proceeding to the history of the place, the Romans, already mentioned, may be passed over. As the lands at Womenswold were, at the time of the Domesday Survey, under the paramountcy of Wingham, there is no special mention made of this place, but in connection with exchange of lands, there is a reference to this parish in an Anglo-Saxon Charter, dated 824, under the style of Wimlincgawold. As to the ownership of the lands, history begins with the Nethersole estate and mansion, which was situated near the church. About the year 1220, this was held by Thomas de Nethersole. His son, William de Nethersole, in the year 1250, granted certain lands, lying in Nethersole, to Richard de Woolwich. The remainder of the estate, and the mansion of old Nethersole, remained in the possession of the Nethersole family for many generations, until John Nethersole, in the early part of the Eighteenth Century, parted the estate between his three sons, John of Barham, Stephen of Wimlingswold, and William of Canterbury, and they all dying without male issue, the lands became divided, but Mr. Jacob Sharpe, of Canterbury, becoming possessed of one share, by marriage with Elizabeth Nethersole, eldest sister of the three brothers, he purchased all the other shares of it, and dying, left the estate to his son, Mr. Jacob Sharp, of Barham, whose son was the owner about a hundred years ago. A part of the Nethersole estate, lying in the valley, came into the possession of Thomas Nethersole, a younger member of the family, in the time of Charles I. and he built a mansion, which he called Nethersole House, on the south eastern boundary of the parish, on account of which the original mansion near the church was called Old Nethersole. This new Nethersole House was left to Sir Francis Nethersole, who resided there for some time, but in the Civil Wars he retired to Pollesworth, in Warwickshire, where he died in 1659, sine prole, leaving his estate to John Marsh, son of his brother-in-law, Thomas Marsh. John Marsh lived there, and so did his son, John Marsh, of the Inner Temple, and dying, sine prole, in 1752, bequeathed the seat to John Winchester, surgeon, whose only daughter was the second wife of Sir Edward Dering, Bart. On the death of John Winchester, the estate went to his nephew, John Marsh, of Salisbury, who afterwards resided at New Nethersole, but in the year 1786 he sold it to Harginge Stracy, Esqr., of Denne Hill, one of the Clerks of the House of Commons, who pulled down the mansion, the lands being united with Old Nethersole. Both, Old and New Nethersole, have disappeared. The present fine mansion on Denne Hiil was erected by Mr. Robert Adams, an eminent architect, and after passing through many hands, came into the possession of Sir Henry Montresor, who, about the year 1820, had the misfortune to have his fine library, and several other rooms of the mansion, destroyed by fire. When the restoration work was carried out, the mansion was elaborately decorated, and was renowned for its rare collection of antiquities. After the decease of Sir Henry, Lady Monresor was, for a time, resident, and the Denne Hill estate subsequently passed to the Dyson family, whose seat it now is.

The Church and its Memorials.

The Church of St. Margaret’s at Womenswold stands out boldly on high ground. It is built of flint and stone, and there being no break in the roof between the nave and chancel, it has the appearance of unusual length. It is generally of the Early English style, the chancel, however, appearing to be the oldest part of the edifice. In addition to the nave and chancel, there is a small sept on the north side, a south porch, and a square west tower with one bell. The level of the interior is below the level of the ground without, the outside having doubtless been considerably raised by the interments that have been taking place for many centuries. The Church generally is very neatly kept, and teems with interest, of which the chancel is the culminating point. Eastward of the chancel arch, which is pointed and plain, the floor is level with the nave, and the width and the height continues the same. There are several points of curious interest in the south wall. Near the east is an aumbry which now has a door that lets down, and forms a credence table. Near to it is a piscena, and three-seated sedilia, handsomely canopied with three grades of elevation. On either side in the chancel wall are low pointed sepulchral moulded arches. The one on the north side is the tomb of the Nether-soles, Marshes, and the Winchesters, of Nethersole House. Amongst those buried in this tomb, it may be assumed, are John Nethersole 1697. Richard Marsh 1726, Thomas Marsh 1739, John Marsh 1753, Francis Levet 1764, Henry Brown, M.D., 1784, father of Mrs. Marsh; as well as many other members of those families. The vault under the sepulchural arch on the south side was probably the burial place of the Sharpes, who became the possessors of Old Nethersole after John, Stephen and William Nethersole died, and it was acquired by Jacob Sharpe, of Canterbury. The initials E.S. on the stone inserted in the floor near the south arch refers to Elizabeth Sharpe, wife of Jacob Sharpe, and eldest daughter of John Nethersole. She died in the year 1742. It is evident that neither of these vaults are very ancient. The vault of the older branch of the Nethersoles of Old Nethersole House, is in the north scept, now used as an organ chamber. No doubt Nethersoles were buried there long prior to the institution of parish registers, or before the age of mural tablets. Amongst those of this ancient family on record as being interred in that old chapel are William Nethersole 1655, Stephen Nethersole 1662, Christopher Nethersole 1665, Vincent Nethersole 1674. There appears to have been in the chancel monuments now not to be seen there. Hasted says that, when he wrote in the year 1797, there was one within the altar rails for Francis Levet, Esq., Turkey Merchant, and he adds that “at the east end where the altar should have been a very handsome and superb pyramidical monument with a medallion for Thomas Marsh, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel of the Militia of the Cinque Ports, Captain of Sandown Castle, Deputy Lieutenant of Dover Castle, &c., who died 1739.” The monument of this eminent Cinque Ports Official is now removed from the east wall of the chancel to a more appropriate position in the north wall of the nave, facing the main entrance. The monument of Francis Levet has also been removed from within the altar rails to a more suitable position. The whole of the nine lancet windows in the chancel are beautiful stained glass memorials. The three east windows and one on each side nearest the east are to the memory of the Harrison family, the Rev. Thomas Harrison having been minister of this Church 46 years. The two other windows on the south side are in memory of Lieut. Edward H. Dyson (son of Major Dyson, of Denne Hill), who fell with the ill-fated 24th Regiment at Insandula in the Zulu War. The circumstances of his death were very pathetic. Lieutenant Dyson was one day short of 21 years of age, a very promising young officer, who had obtained his commission from Sandhurst in May of the previous year. At the foot of the window is “His sun is gone down while it is yet day,” and on the other “I shall go to him but he will not return to me.” One memorial window was given by Mrs. Parker in memory of her late husband, father, two brothers, and sister; two by the Rev. W. Clementson, M.A., Vicar from 1877 to 1880. There is a memorial in the Church to General Sir Henry Montresor, K.C.B., of Denne Hill, who died in 1837, aged 69 years, and also a memorial to his wife, Ann, Lady Montresor, who died subsequently. There is also near the Nethersole Chapel at the north top of the nave a Latin inscription in marble for William Nethersole, buried 1654, but according to the register it should be 1655, although judging from the fact that the entry is out of sequence in the register the record on the marble is probably the correct one. In the south wall at the top of the nave opposite the Nethersole Chapel, is an ancient piscena, indicating that in former times there was a sub-altar where the pulpit now stands. The Church, which was thoroughly restored in 1870, has now accommodation for 151 worshippers. There is a very fine organ erected by Mr. Browne, of Deal, in 1895. The Vicar until recently was the Rev. Francis Julian Dyson, and the present Vicar is the Rev. G. Stokes who came into residence about a year ago.

Jottings from the Parish Register.

In few parishes has the register of baptisms, marriages, and burials been so well looked after as at Womenswold. Three years ago the Rev. Christopher Hales Wilkie. M.A., Rector of the adjoining parish of Kingston, transcribed the entire register, which commenced in the year 1574, down to 1812, and the marriages down to 1837; 25 copies of the transcript were printed, No. 1 of which being in the possession of the Vicar, the Rev. G. Stokes, he kindly lent us for reference. The curious in such matters will be interested to know that the oldest of these registers which covers the period from 1574 to 1735 is a book of 25 leaves, the pages measuring 11 by 5¾ inches. A note on the fly leaf of it, made by the Rev. Cooper Willyms, says; “This ancient register was found by me in the chest at Wymynswold in a very ragged state and almost obliterated by damp. By the kind assistance of William Boteler, Esq., it has been restored to its present state and new bound. August, 1815.” The second register book is of rather larger size, and commences with the year 1736, and is only partly filled up. It contains the baptisms and burials down to 1812, and the marriages to 1752. The other marriages down to 1837 are supplied from the Marriage Register Books kept in pursuance of Acts of Parliament. It appears from the printed transcript that during the 328 years covered by the register of baptisms, there were 842 persons baptised at this church. The burials extending over this period, number 502. The difference between the baptisms and the burials, suggests that the migration from village to towns has been going on at Womenswold for a long period, and the fact that many of the people buried came from Dover, Canterbury, and Sandwich, and other parts, indicates that many of the natives, after their absence, desired to lay their bodies to rest under the shadow of the old church where they were baptised. The marriages, which extend over 263 years, number 213, accounting for 426 persons. In some parishes, the register book contains much interesting miscellaneous information, but in this we only find two entries of this kind. The one is “The Act for taxing began November 1st, 1783,” and the other is a record of a violent death, thus: “John Godden, about 11 years old, dragged to death, a cow he was keeping, he having fastened a rope that was round her horns to his arm, buried August 5th, 1790.” The Taxing Act above referred to, was a clause in an Act passed it the year 1783, imposing a stamp duty of three-pence on every entry of birth, christening, marriage, or death, which tax had to be paid to the clergyman, under a penalty of £5. There being 2s., in the £1 allowed for collecting it. This proved an exceedingly unpopular tax, as it fell on rich and poor alike, and placed the minister in odious position of collecting it for his own profit. In many cases the clergyman had to pay himself. The tax repealed in the year 1794. In the old times Womenswold was designated a Perpetual Curacy, and we have no complete list of the ministers, but from the signatures in the register we get an approximate one. At the commencement of the register in 1574, and apparently down to 1607, the Rev. William Brownsmith was the minister. He commenced his work as parish registrar by making full entries, and by taking the precaution to spell out dates and ages, so as to leave the less liability to error, and he had the churchwarden to countersign the entries. His churchwarden was Edward Franckline. One of Brownsmith’s burial entries is “A child of Chrystopher Spycers, being a crysomer, was buried 22nd January, 1594.” The Chrysom was a white cloth, which was put over the child’s head after baptism, the priest saying: “Receive this white, pure, and holy vestment, which thou shall wear before the tribunal of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that thou mayest inherit eternal life.” It was worn by the infant for seven days. After the Reformation the custom was continued, and the chrysom was usually worn until the mother’s Churching, when it was returned to the church. If the child died before the Churching, the chrysom was buried with the child, and it was called a Chrysomer. In the same year is entered as buried a “John Dad, widow Denne’s servant, of Denne Hill.” This indicates that Denne Hill took its name from this family. The next minister, in 1607, signs himself “Guilielmo Tye, ministro,’ and is countersigned by George Hayward, Churchwarden. All this minister’s entries are in Latin, and are very brief, of which the following is a sample: “1614, Vincent Nethersole, sepultus est 2 Martii.” After his Latin came some very slovenly entries in the vulgar tongue, and there being no curate’s signature, they seem to have been made by churchwardens who did not know how to spell their own names. One, whose name was Lawrence Morris, signs “Larans Moris,” and the other signs as “Momerry Morris.” A new curate named Samuel Wells seems to have taken the register in hand in the year 1622, and to have continued his pastoral work in this quiet village through all the troublous times from the beginning of the reign of Charles I, through the Commonwealth, and well into the reign of Charles II—a regular Vicar of Bray. His carter seems to have ended in 1678, which would make his terra 56 years. In the last two years of the Commonwealth, 1658-60, there are some entries in Latin, indicating that plain “Sam Wells,” as he signed himself, had been superseded for a time, but he comes in again later. His entries are laconic, such as: “1667, buried Widdow Cooper, of Wollage”; “1665, Old Widdow Austen buried”; “1672, buried Vincent Nethersole, gent, of Canterbury.” The entries appear to have been commenced by the Rev. J. Pigot in the year 1678, and continued by the same till 1694. He makes this entry in the baptisms: “Baptism of Bennett Page, a virgin of 17 years, March 23, 1683.” In some cases he describes the social status of the person buried, thus, “a poor man,” or “a poor widdow.” The Rev. William Lunn, who was also Vicar of Nonington, commenced his entries in the year 1695, and continued till 1705, when he died. Then the Rev. Edward Lunn, also Vicar of Nonington, had charge of the book from 1710 till 1764. His entries are short, the only one out of the beaten track was as follows: “Francis Levett, Esq., of Nethersole House, buried in the chancel, February 26, 1764.” For one year only comes in the name of “Whenr. Bunce, curate.” Then follows the Rev. Robert Greenall, from 1765 to 1770. The only entry of note in his time is: “Married, Sir Edward Dering, of Pluckley, Baronet, to Deborah Winchester, (Licence) January 1st, 1765.” Then, in 1770 comes the Rev. Bladen Downy, LL.B., who was Perpetual Curate here and at Nonington until 1812, although other sub-curates sign the register during the later part of the period. He was rather erratic in his entries. He begins by signing himself “Proper Curate.” Whether that is an error, or a joke, or a bit of bunkum is a matter of opinion. For some years at the beginning of his term he very frequently inserted the epithet “pauper.” Out of six baptisms in 1785 he designates two of them “paupers.” Out of four in 1786 there are two written down “paupers”; in 1787 out of six baptisms four are “paupers”; and in 1788 one out of five is “pauper.” In 1789 one out of seven entries is “pauper.” After that the word “pauper” does not occur. One entry out of the usual routine is, “Francis Allan, of London, stone mason, at work at Lady Grey's, was buried October 3, 1771.” That was the only funeral in that year. He didn't enter ages as a rule, but in 1792 the burial of Elizabeth Winchester is mentioned, age 77, and in 1797 “ John Bear, 88 years old.” It may be presumed that such an age as Bear’s was inserted owing to it being exceptional. Mrs. Winchester’s might have been mentioned owing to her social standing. The sub-curates towards the end of the list are W. J. Porter from 1800 to 1806 Brook E. Bridges 1806-8, John Taddy 1809-11, and Cooper Willyams 1812. A peculiarity in the entries made by Mr. Bridges is that he in the baptisms makes note of baseborn children. In 1806, out of eleven entries four are so described, but in his subsequent years he makes no such distinction. Cooper Willyams, who is the last one to sign, mentions Isaac Holtum baptized privately November, 1812, and received at the Church March 23rd, 1815. This gentleman also makes a note that on January 13th, 1813, the new registers were adopted by authority of Parliament.

Village Notes.

Turning from the Church to the Schools we find that Womenswold is now and has been for a long time looking after the education of the children. In the early part of the century a Free School was established by the liberality of Lady Montresor and the Rev. Thomas Harrison, who was the Vicar and patron. In later years elementary education has been provided under the Education Acts, aided by voluntary subscriptions. A National School was erected in 1860, affording accommodation for 100 children, and the schools are now quite ample to meet local requirements. The population has not greatly increased during the past century, but it has not gone back as in some villages. In 1801 the population was 138; in 1841 it had increased to 275; and in 1891 the return was 302. The slow growth of the last fifty years was no doubt owing to two causes, the decline of agriculture without any compensating new industries, and to the railway stimulating growth at other centres and lessening the traffic by the high road which, passing near, was in ancient times the main route to the Metropolis. There are but few openings for new industries at a place so situated, but in recent years the discovery of beds of coal and iron under this part of Kent, and the formation of companies to explore this neighbourhood holds out hopes that the next century will see more development than the past. In this parish, close by the Half-way House, a boring has been carried down to the coal measures, and a further exploration is being projected two or three miles to the west. It may, therefore, be taken for granted that with the demand for coal yearly increasing and the supply diminishing, the working of the coalfield which has been proved southward, and which Professor Boyd Dawkins believes also exists in this and in the parishes east and west, will in the future give Womenswold new development in the twentieth century.