NEWINGTON

THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS—FRIDAY, 7 NOVEMBE^" 1902'
OUR VILLAGES

LXXVII.—NEWINGTON

Newington is a small village in a parish of 31441 acres, situate at the base of Summerhouse hill, near Shorncliffe. In the year 1841 the parish contained 90 houses and 475 inhabitants, as compared with 94 houses and 4U3 inhabitants at the census of 1901.

THE HISTORY OF NEWINGTON.

The history of Newington parish and its Manors is on record irom the opening of the Norman period. The Saxon occupier of Newington, who was displaced at the Conquest, was Edric. He either bit the dust at Hastings or was turned adrift on account of his patriotism to make room for Hugo de Montfort, one of the chieis who fought on the Norman side at Battle. In demesne there were then two carucates of arable laud as well as a church. There were on the Manor 21 bondsmen and 3 slaves, who had three carucates of laud between them. This holding was the pick of the parish, and the other land, which was waste land, one sul-lng in extent, was given to the Bishop of Baieux, but Hugo held it all. In the following reign Hugo’s son Robert and the Bishop had been compelled to quit the country, and the Manors reverted to the King. In the reign of John, the Earl of Guiness was in possession, and he was succeeded by the famous Hugo de Burgh, Earl of Kent. This man, who figured very largely in history, experienced many vicissitudes of good and bad fortune; but after a boisterous life was allowed to peacefully enjoy his possessions, including this Manor of Newington, which he held at the time of his death in the year 1243. John de Burgh, his son, was its next owner, and in the year 1271 he sold it to his cousin, Sir Thomas de Belus, from whom, by a corruption of the surname, the manor came to be called New-lrgton Bel house. The last of that race was another Sir Thomas Belus, who died without issue in the reign of Edward III., the manor passing by marriage to Robert Knevett, whose son John, who succeeded him here, was the Lord Chancellor of England in the year 1406. The Knevetts held on until the reign of Henry VIII., when this manor was sold to the Earl of Essex, and that unfortunate nobleman being executed for treason, the whole of his estates went to the Crown, but the manor of Newington the King had re-purchased previously. Afterwards it was held bv others for short periods, and in the ieign of James I. the manor was sold to Henry Brockman of Newington, whose descendants have continued to hold it until the present time. Long prior to the acquirement by Henry Brockman of the whole of the Manor, the Brockmans were at Newington. for according to the rolls of the augmentation office. “ King Henry VIII. in his 37th year demised to Henry Brockman and John Harvye, yeomen, the scite and capital massuage called the manor place of the manor of Newington Belhouse. with its ap-purts and barns and edifices, &c., and certain crofts of land therein mentioned, containing 82 acres of land and upwards, and the water mill called Bavemill, all lying in Newington and Hythe, and parcel of the demesne lands of Newington Belhouse. and Newington Bartram in this parish, and lately purchased bv the King from Thomas. Earl of Essex, to hold for 21 years, at the vearly ren of M 7s. 3d.” There were ..ther subordinate manors in Newington parish, namely, Bertarms, Beeoliborough (anciently written Eilcheborough), Sene, Blackwose. alias Canon's Court, and Coombe. On the separate historv of these it is not necessary to dwell. From having separate owners for irany centuries they all eventually came into the Brockman family except Canon’s Court, which having been a cell of a Priory in Buckinghamshire, was taken possession of bv the Abbot of St. Raditmnds. who removed the monks to St. Radigunds. retaining the propertv until it was seized by the King. Henrv VITI.. at the Reformation, after which it was granted to the Honywoods. of Elmsted.

BEACHBOROUGH HOUSE.

This ancient mansion, formerly called Bilcheborough, is in the north-west of the parish, close to the foot of the hill, which has the conspicuous summer house on the top. This, in the early Norman times, belonged to the family of Valoigns, but, by lack of male issue, in the reign of Edward III., it became, by inheritance, the property ci Sir Francis Fogg, who was buried in the chancel of Cheriton Church. The family of Fogg continued in possession until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when George Fogg, of Brabourne, sold it to Mr. Henry Brockman, who rebuilt the seat. The first record of this family in Kent is in the rolls in the Tower, in the reign of Richard II. In the year 1390 John Brockman had a grant of the manor of Pirrie', extending into Old Romney and other lands in Stowting and Crundal The Brockmans afterwards resided at Wit-ham in Essex. John Brockman, who died there in the year 1500, had two sons. Thomas and Henry. Henry settled at Newington in the reign of Henry VIII.. and either he, or n ere probably his son of the same name, purchased Beechborough as above mentioned. He made it his residence, and dying there in the year 1573, was buried in New-ii gton Church. The nevt heir of Beach-borough was William Brockman, who died in 1605. and the next Henry, who died in 1630, both buried in Newington Church. 0* those nothing special is recorded, but the next of the line, Sir William Brockman, of Bfachborough, was Sheriff of Kent in 1638 and ten years later he was in command of the Royalist forces defending Maidstone when it was stormed by the Parliamentary forces under Fairfax. Overwhelmed by superior forces, the defence had to yield, but it was one of the sharpest conflicts during the war. This notable man had two sons, but tbe eldest died before him. and his only si rviving son, James, was of Beachborough. died 1741. at the ace of 83. He had three sons, but thev all lived bachelors, the last. James Brockman of Beachborough. died in 1T67. aeed 71. and was buried at Newington Ke left his mansion at Beachborough and all his estates to the Rev. Ralph Drake who married Caroline Brockman of Cheriton. and by Act of Parliament assumed the name of Brockman. He made great improvements fit Beachborough, almost entir^lv re-buildine the mansion, brineine some of the materials from Brockhull at Saltwood. and laying out “xtensive park-like grounds, making it one ->! the pleasantest countrv seats on the coast. T; commands a fine view of the sea. and firm the octagon summer house on the top of the hill there is an extensive prospect r' the surroundine countrv and the coast of France. Tt is still the residence of the Brockmnn fnmilv. F D Brockman. Esq.. being the present Lord of the Manor.

NEWINGTON OF DAY.

Although Newington is scarcely out of view of the ever extendine suburbs of Folkestone. it, retains its undisturbed rusticitv as an idenl village. Passing along the Hvthe load from Shorncliff* its outskirts. Longnort farm and the Star Tnn bv the roadside, are conspicuous on the high eround. th* villas itself being hidden bv a din in the road and a belt of trops. Just, off the main road stands the Church. and farther, in the direction of Pean, is the village green and the
street, where most of the houses are ancient, and some strikingly picturesque. Two streams rise in this parish, one coming from Beachborough Hill, fills a lake in the the grounds, and then passes southward to Saltwood. The other spring rises at Lint-vell, and passing Milky Down, finds the sea by way of Cheriton. The hamlet of Harpinge lies in the more northern part of the parish. At Milkv Down several skeletons were dug up about a hundred years ago, and in former times Roman coins have been found in this village.

NEWINGTON CHURCH.

The Church at Newington consists of a chancel, nave, north chapel, north aisle, north porch, and small western turret, in which there are five bells. This Church was restored in 1869, when many of its interesting brasses were moved from their original places, but most of them have been preserved, and the array is much larger than is to be found in most parish churches. The Church itself has not many striking architectural or antiquarian features, yet it is very ancient, having existed prior to the Conquest, although it is not possible to discover an - remains of Saxon work. The chancel at ch, very plain, Is semi-circular, and undoubtedly Norman. The lancets which form the lights of the chancel, are Early English, and are filled with stained glass. * The two or. the south of the chancel have two cartoons. illustrative of the parable of the Good Samaritan, in memory of Edward Drake Brockman, Esq., M.P. for Hythe. born 1793. died 1858. A pointed arch on the north side of the chancel opens into the Brockman chapel. On the east of this arch there is a “squint” to give those sitting in the east end of the chapel a view of the altar. This chapel is almost entirely devoted to Brockman memorials. On the north wall is a marble slab to the memory of John Drake Brockman, of Beachborough, High Sheriff in the vear 1791. “Honest, honourable, much esteemed by his tenantry, who died 1832." On the south wall is a Latin epitaph to William Brockman, who died 1658. There are inscription brasses for William Brock-nan. obit 1605, aged 74; for Henry Brockman. obit. 1631. aged 7 years; for James Proekman, for many years Major in the East Kent Militia, killed by a fall from his horse. 1829, aged 42. There are in all seven brasses for the Brockmans in this chapel, and one for “Christopher Petty. Gentleman.” who died 1668. The brass shows a beautiful face with flowing beard. He is supposed to he of the family of Sir William Petty, the statician. There is an inscription at the top of the north aisle for Thomas Booth, minister. 1650. one of the Puritan clergy who officiated here during the interregnum. On the south wall of the high chancel, removed fi cm the Brockman chapel, is a curious brass representing a man and woman, and beneath it an inscription in memory of Ihomas Chylton. and Thomasine his wife, dated 1501. There is also a curious brass bearing the effigy of a priest in full canonicals, bearing a chalice, and a little distance away three women kneeling. Hie nave is lighted on the south by perpendicular windows, between which, on the wall, are a number of brasses, which evidently have been taken up from tombstones i i the floor. A large brass bordering encloses seven smaller brasses. On the border is inscribed : “ Here lyeth buried Henry

Brockman, of Blichborough, Esq., Lord of the Manor, who departed this life. a.d. 1630. The brasses enclosed are two small escutcheons at the top, over a round boss, o.i which is engraved the Brockman arms, with an etiigy representing Henry Brockman standing with hands uplifted, showing a 1 eculiarly pleasant face, with a prettily ci.rled moustache. Though in armour clad, h< wears no helmet, and its absence discloses a head of curly hair. His wife stands a little to the left, with hands raised in attitude of prayer. She is voluminously clad, and wears the ruffle of Elizabethan times. These figures are seen again below kneeling vis a vis, one son kneeling behind the fattier and three daughters behind the mother. On the same wall nearer the east are brasses representing four figures, one male and three female, with an injunction to pray for the souls of Richard Kynge, and his wives. Alice, Joan, and Katherine. Above the pulpit there is a brass and memorial window for the infant child of the Rector, and his wife, Margaretta Brockman, obit 1887. There was buried in this Church 111 lf.12 Dr. Christopher Reittingerus, chief physician to the Emperor of Russia. The death of Dimitri, brother of the Emperor Feodor, in 1591 was attended with several mvsterious circumstances, which probably accounted for the chief physician coming to live and die in England. With the exception of the brasses on the south wall of the nave, that part of the Church and the north ais’e are bare of memorials, but at the bottom of the north aisle is an ancient in-srriDtion in memory of Marv Sanford, obit 1t*2i. The arcade between the nave and the aisle consists of three plain pointed arches on solid square piers.

THE CHURCHYARD

A conspicuous feature of the Churchyard is a widespreading yew tree, the branches of which extend from the entrance gate to the north porch. The churchvard is large, and contains a sundial on a timber pillar Amongst the manv headstones we noticed cne for Thomas Mackett, who died Mav 8th. 1847. aped 77 vears. on'v son of John and F'izabe'fh Mackett, and great grandson of Thomas and Ann Mackett. being the last male heir of that name in that family, who
Resided in the parish upwards of 300 years. This family in a humbler sphere must have rivalled the Brockmans for antiquity. Another headstone of interest, to country gentlemen is in memory of Frederick Brock-ri.an, Esq., of Beachborough, obit 1876, aged ‘*6' thirty-eight years Master of the East hint Fox Hounds. The National School, 1'in It m 1869. and enlarged in 1892, stands on the north side of the churchyard.