HAWKINGE

THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS—FRIDAY, 2V JUNE, 1902.
OUR VILLAGES

LVHI.—HAWKINGE

Hawkinge is a parish with a rather scattered village, lying at the rear of Caesar's Camp Hill at the head of the Alkham Valley, about three miles north from Folkestone. The parish exteuds e ver an area of .2271 acres, and has a population of 431.

HAWKINGE HISTORY.

A glance at Hawkinge, especially its ancient Church and its old stone Manor House of Coomb, suggests that the place is rich in history, the threads of which it will be interesting to gather up. The pre-Nor-man history of Hawkinge is bound up with the Folkestone Hundred, in which it is situated. In Saxon times it was held by Earl Godwin, and after the Conquest was part of the possessions of the Bishop of Bayeux. After the disgrace of the Bishop and the confiscation of his lands, the parish of Hawkinge appears to have been broken up into three Manors, of which the princi-, pal one was the Manor of Hawkinge, and later the Manor House of it was called Fleggs Court.

The Manor of Hawkinge was a part of the Barony of Folkestone, and held by the Avrenches bv Knight’s service and ward • of Dover Castle. Immediately after the Conquest, this Manor was held on strictly Military tenure, but a century later the holding was more in the nature of fee simple, and the estates became hereditary. In the year 1156 this Manor was held by Osbert de Hawking, and it continued in that family till it became extinct, and the next to hold it was the Fleghs, who remained in possession until the reign of Edward 1., during which time the Manor House acquired the name of Flegg’s Court. "William Flegh, in the year 1295, gave this Manor and the Church, which it is presumed that be or hie predecessors had built upon it, to St. Radigund’s Abbey, which had only four vears previous to that date been founded. The Manor and the Church continued in the possession of the Abbot and Canons of that Abbey until its dissolution, when it went to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and it continues a possession of the See of Canterbury at the present time.

In the north of Hawkinge parish there is another Manor adjoining Swingfield Minnis. which was formerly held by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, and they held it until Henry VIII dissolved the smaller religious houses, when he granted it on lease to Sir Anthony Aucher, from whom it passed to Thomas Smersole, who sold it to Mr. Richard Simmonds, who died possessed of it in the year 1641, and it continued for some years in the possession of his descendants, after which it appears to have been merged in some adjoining estate, and the precise situation which it occupied cannot be identified.

Another very ancient Manor in Hawkinge is that of Combe, situated on the southeast boundary of the parish, the Manor House of which stands on tlie south side of the road leading to the Alkham Valley, about a quarter of a mile from the Church. This, like the Manor of Hawkinge, was formerly a part of the Barony of Averenches of Folkestone, held for service at Doror Castle, and it was subsequently held by •William Flegh. who gave it with the Manor before mentioned to St. Kadigunds Abbey, and it remained part of the Abbey lands fiStil the dissolution by Henry VIII That monarch granted the Manor to Thomas Cromwell, afterwards Earl of Essex, and on •his attainder it reverted to the King, and remained Crown property until the reign of Queen Mary, when ft was granted to Lord Clinton and Saye. who sold the property 4n Mr Henrv Herdson, who was Lord of the Manor of Folkestone, and from the Herd-aons it passed to Sir Basil Dixwell. then to the Earl of Radnor, and is his at the present

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October for the hire of servants, but it has "long ceased to be held.

HAWKINGE OF TO-DAY.

The parish of Hawkinge lies snugly ensconced behind the hills which form the landward boundary of Folkestone Plain. There are three principal approaches to it-nn the Canterbury Road from Folkestone, over the Minnis from Swingfield and Canterbury, and along Alkham Valley from River and Dover. The village is most accessible through Folkestone, and it is well worth anyone’s toil to climb the hill which 's almost continuous from the northern suburbs of Folkestone, up to the top of Hawkinge Street, the principal part of which is now better known as Uphill, Folkestone. So fine is the prospect from this road that a word or two en route will not be out of place. The road seems to load right up into the heart of the hills, and as the ascent is made, a backward view extends across the Straits of Dover, with Folkestone hill in the foreground, and the town ofFolkestone laid out like a map on the south. Looking forwards and upwards, two commanding

SneoeShhand Sun'd" tallied S^g^-loSfhUl, which rises to a height of about 350 feet; and the further one having the surface on ir.n irreeular suggesting e8.rthworks for de-fensive purposes^ is called Cesar's Camp, which rises to ^^Yhele^inences grow

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This is a verv pretty place on the main Canterbury road. The houses are both an-rient and modern, the latter

hillside which overlooks th,e A'^am vallev^

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having a deserted asnect, but for the rest most of the scattered bouses on each si^e of the vale hereabouts seem comparatively •new, some of the bungalow order with un-
limited elbow room. A road sloping up the fields on the south-west leads up to the church, which stands very prominently on the steep ascent, and just above it the Ordnance data shows a height of 400 feet, and at the windmill beyond 470 feet. Hawkinge street, already referred to as Uphill, from this point lies in a north-westerly direction, and another high point. Upper Standen, is on the north-east. Looking south and southeast from the churchyard, there is a grand view over Alkham valley towards Lower Standen, Drellingore, and, on the opposite heights, Caple Church, at about the same elevation as Hawkinge. This is almost entirely an agricultural and pastoral parish. Hop growing and the higher cultivation w'hich prevails in other parts of East Kent is not attempted here. Dairyfarming seems to be the most profitable occupation, the towns of Folkestone, Sandgate, Hythe, and the Camp affording much encouragement by making much demand for the produce. There are also extensive woods, which, together with the broken and uneven surface, gives to the whole region on the north side a wild and romantic aspect. The mining operations which have been going on at Dover and inland have created an unearned increment of value from the coal and minerals which underlie this part of the country, the indications, as far as the tests have been anplied, being in favour of coal beds lying about 1000 feet below the level of this valley. Earl Radnor is the Lord of the Manor of this parish, which has been somewhat altered in its boundaries in recent years. The part known as Uphill, which is an extension of the village street in the direction of Folkestone, was formerly a part of Folkestone parish, but now forms part of Hawkinge, having been annexed to it by the Local Government Board, and also transferred to it for Ecclesiastical purposes by-an Order in Council dated July. 1874; and in consequence in this part the iron church of St. Luke was erected as a Cha-pel of Ease in 1889, containing 150 sittings. There is also at Uphill, a united Nonconformist chapel, erected in 1832 and used by varius demoninations. It was extensively restored about the year 1873 at a cost of £1500, the building being in Gothic style with two turrets, one of which contains a clock. This is the part of thp parish which is likely to grow, and as the church of St. Luke here is used quite as much as the parish church, is is quite possible that the iron chapel will, at no distant date, give place to a permanent edifice. Formerly, for Ecclesiastical purposes, Hawkinge was united with Swingfield. but on the Rev. William Legg, M.A., resigning the benefice about a year ago, Swingfield was given to the rector of Denton, it being recognized that the two churches at Hawkinge are sufficient for one cure. The growth of Folkestone and Cheri-ton towards Hawkinge indicate that urban life is spreading in that direction, but it will yet be many a day before anything occurs to disturb the rural peace of the old parish church which, from the northern hillside, overlooks the Alkham vale.

HAWKINGE CHURCH.

The church of St. Michael, on the hillside, although undoubtedly ancient, has no definite mark to indicate its age. It is a very plain structure, consisting of a body only, the chancel end having no arch or architectural demarkation to separate it from the other part of the body of the church. It may be assumed, however, that the church dates from the twelfth century, and most probably it was built by Wiliam Flegh, Lord of the Manor, about the year 1194 for the especial purpose of being presented with the tithes attached as a part of the revenue of the Abbey of St. Radigund’s, which had just then been founded on the brow of the opposite ridge of hills a few miles east. There is nothing to indicate that any addition has been made —on the contrary, it rather appears that the building was at one time larger, there being under the surface some foundations westward, indicating that the church extended further in that direction. The general style of the fabric is Early English, especially on the north side; but on the south the windows seem more modern. The chief feature of the south side is the entrance, where there is a porch large enough to accommodate a vestry meeting, and it is covered by a grand mantle of ivy, which gives it a very romantic appearance. At the west end (where further west are the subterranean foundations to which we have alluded), there is clear evidence of there having been a west entrance which is now built up, the casing of the door being visible outside, and within there is a corresponding recess. Over this part there is now a modern bell gable containing one bell, but some years before the last restoration of the fabric there was a little turret in which the same bell was hung. The interior of the church, notwithstanding the restoration which took place in the year 1874, wears an ancient look, and the open woodwork of the roof is dark with age, the chancel part of the roof only having been restored. The lights at the east end of the church consist of two long lancet windows, both occupying a recess covered by one large pointed arch, which might have been orignally intended to receive one large window. The square windows on the south side of the chancel are evidently modern substitutes of ancient lancets, there being in the cill of the most eastern one a basin of a piscina, which was doubtless once recessed into the solid wall. On the same side, close to the east wall, is another small piscina covered by a very small pointed arch. The cill of the square window serves for a sidelia, but that appears to be a modern I invention. On the north wall of the chancel is a mural tablet surrounded by a square j border, having a coat of arms on the j top, a winged death’s head crowned at j the bottom, and the frame is made up of various emblems, including the tortoise, death’s heads, a spade, a scythe, j and torches. The inscription enclosed1 in the frame reads thus : “ Here lieth I

buried the body of the Right Worship-1 ful John Herdson, of Folkestone, Esq., I who departed this mortal life 29th day of March, 1622. He gave towards the repair} of this chancel £20, to whose remembrance his nephew and heir, Basil Dixwell, erected for him in Folkestone, of which place he was lord, a seemly monument." .The; gentleman thus commemorated was also! Lord of the Manor of Hawkinge. The chancel is enclosed by a modern screen. The Communion table is plain, but has a very beautifully needleworked frontal cloth. Just outside the Communion rail there are in the floor two gravestones. The one on the south side has this inscription: "This stone is inscribed to revive and perpetuate the memory of W. H. Rolfe and Catherine his wife. He died 25 July, 1740, aged 58 vears; she 8 Feb., 1747, aged 70 years. Both buried in the chancel of this church with their issue who died; Robert, 25 Dec.. 1745. aged 38; John, 26 May, 1746, aged 30; William, 13 January. 1758, aged 47; and Susannah, 26 Sept., 1786, aged 63. Erected bv Thomas Rolfe. only surviving issue, bom 15 March, 1739.” This stone has an ornamental heading with a hand pointing down in the centre and cherubs on either side. On the stone on the north side, which is dark and nlain, is this inscription; “In memory of Nicholas Rolfe. who died June 26. 1784. aged 54; also of Richard Marsh, died 21 Dec., 1812, aged
47 years; also of Rachael, wife of the above, who died June 10th, 1845, aged 79 years. On the north wall of the Church, opposite the south entrance, is a mural tablet, “to the memory of the Rev. George Saunders Elwin, M.A., for 21 years Rector of this parish, who fell asleep in Jesus 17th April, 1872, aged 57 years.” This tablet was erected by his parishioners and friends. There is a tombstone to this Rector on the west side of the Churchyard. There is also in the Church an ancient torno in memory of Stephen Hobday, but for many years the inscription has been obliterated. In the recess at the west end of the Church where the door formerly was, is a brass engraved thus: “James Kelcey, for many years a resident m this parish, and a Justice of the Peace for the Borough of Folkestone, by his will gave to his niece, Eliza Jane Ogilvie, and William George Southey Harrison, the sum of £400, the annual income of w'hich was to be paid yearly to the Rector and Churchwardens of the parish of Hawkinge to be distributed amongst the poor parishioners at their discretion irrespective of the religious belief of the recipients.” There is a note at the foot bearing the names of E. J. Ogilvie and W. G. S. Harrison, stating that the £400 was invested in the purchase of £411 16s lOd. reduced 3 per cent, annuities, and that this brass was erected in June, 1882. The testator died in 1879. There are many memorials in the Churchyard for the Kelceys, who for many years were farmers and millers in this parish. There is in the Church a tablet acknowledging that the Incorporated Church Building Society gave a grant of £35 in the year 1874 towards the reseating and restoring of this Church, whereby additional accommodation was secured for fifty persons, and all seats are now free. At that time the old pews were cleared out and the present open pews provided. There is also in the Vestry an old coat of Royal arms, with the initials A.R. and the date, 1713. Why these royal arms bearing this 3ate and the initials of Anne Regina have been preserved in this Church is, as far as we know', not recorded, but probably they are a remnant of the peace rejoicings of L713, at the conclusion of the eleven years war known as the war of the Spanish Suc-jession, which lasted during the whole of the reign of Queen Anne except the last pear. In this war the celebrated Battle of Blenheim w*as fought, the Protestant Succession in the House of Hanover recognised ay France, Gibraltar, Minorca, Hudson’s Bay, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland recognised as British possessions, and twenty-two millions added to the National Debt. It is nighly probable that this old tablet of the Royal Arms is a memorial of a Peace rhanksgiving at Hawkinge Church, when it vas doubtless felt that the recognition of the Protestant Succession, the extension of our Empire, and the “ famous victory ” of Marlborough, “ who put the French to rout," were causes for gratitude, even though the war mtailed a debt of twenty-two millions on posterity. We can find no other event in ^ueen Anne’s reign to account for the tablet md that particular date. We were at first inclined to associate with it £200 endowment of the Rectory left by Archbishop renison ,and £200 from Queen Anne’s Bounty, which was given in conjunction therewith, but that those gifts came more than a year later than 1713; but although the endowment could not have been the cause if the Royal Arms tablet of 1713 being placed in the Church, the association of the Queen with the Hawkinge endowment might have been the cause of its being retained. But why is this Royal relic hid away in the Vestry? A memento of a Royal patron of this kind might very well be touched up by an artist and placed in a more conspicuous position. It is said that another Sovereign’s name is associated with Hawkinge. namely, that of King John, it being stated that that monarch rifled the Church and Churchvard in the year 1216. This is stated in Kelly’s Directory, but we have found no confirmation of it in history, nor does it seem probable that at that remote period there would be found anvthing in this Church or Churchyard that would tempt a monarch to commit sacrilege. The present rector of Hawkinge is the Rev. A. R. Simpson, who was collated to it in 1901, and the Churchwardens are Messrs. G. Seath and H. Kettle.