GREAT MONGEHAM,

WRITTEN in Domesday, Mundingeham, and in some antient records, both Est-Munlingham and UpMoningham, and now Great Mongeham, which addition it has to distinguish it from the adjoining hamlet of Little Mongeham, lies the next parish north-westward from that of Ripple.

THE FACE of the country throughout this parish is somewhat different from that of Ripple last-described, for it is more flat, even, and more inclosed with trees and hedge-rows of elm; the soil is more fertile, having less chalk and much loam, and deep earth through out it. There are about nine hundred acres of land in this parish, which are worth upon an average twenty shillings per acre, consequently it is rich land. The village, called Mongeham-street, in which the church stands, consists of about thirty houses, one of which is a good house, formerly both owned and inhabited by Samuel Shepherd, esq. whose arms were, Ermine, on a chief, sable, three battle axes, or, and now by John Raven Bray, esq. son of the late admiral, whose property it is.

In the south part of this parish is a hamlet called Pigsole. There is no woodland in it. There is a fair held here yearly on October 29, formerly on St. Luke's day, for cattle and pedlary. Bertram de Criol had a grant from king Henry III. of a market here, to be held on a Thursday weekly, which was allowed by the Justices itinerant in the 7th year of king Edward I. and a fair yearly for three days on the eve of the day of St. Luke, and the day after.

THE MANORof Adisham, at which court a borsholder is chosen for this parish, claims paramount over the greatest part of it, subordinate to which is

THE MANOR OF GREAT MONGEHAM, with the mansion of Fogge's court, alias Scott's court, long since dwindled down to a mere cottage, was formerly the estate of the eminent family of Fogge, and is the only one, of the many, which they possessed in this country, that adopted their surname. Sir John Fogge, of Repton, in Ashford, died possessed of it in 1400, anno 6 Henry VII. and by his will devised it to his eldest son, by his second wife, Sir Thomas Fogge, sergeant-porter of Calais, whose eldest daughter and coheir Anne married William Scott, esq. brother of Sir Reinold Scott, and entitled him to the possession of this manor. He died, s.p. and how it passed afterwards, I have no where seen, only that at the latter end of the next reign of king James I. this manor of Great Mongeham was by sale conveyed to Mr. Philip Pownal, of Shebbertswell, in whose descendants it remained, till it passed into the name of Fasham; in which it continued down to MrSamuel Fasham, who in 1729, having in his will disinherited his son Anthony, gave this manor, among the rest of his estates, to his three daughters; Joane Fasham, spinster; Martha married to Bethell Dawes, gentand Elizabeth, to Mr. Edward Roby, of Deal, as tenants in common; but the whole of it is now become vested in Mr. Samuel Fasham Roby, the descendant of the latter, and the present proprietor of this manor.

A court baron is held for it, in a public-house near Sholdon bank, known by the name of the Red Lion, the manor-house, being a mean cottage; the demesne lands have been sold off, and there are only a few trisling quit-rents belonging to it.

THE CRAYFORD-HOUSE, alias STONEHALL, was a mansion situated at a small distance westward of the church, the scite of which, though the house itself has been many years since pulled down, is still visible, and by the ruins yet remaining of brick and slint, appears to have been large, and though not of a modern date, yet of no very great antiquity. This mansion, for many descents, was the property and residence of the family of Crayford, whose estates in this neighbourhood were very considerable. In an old roll, which gives an account of those Kentish gentlemen, who were with Richard Nevill, earl of Warwick, in the year 1460, at the battle of Northampton, fighting on behalf of the then victorious house of York, mention is made of William Crayford, esq. who was then made knight-banneret by king Edward IV. for his eminent services performed there, and at different times before; and bore for his arms, Or, on a chevron, sable, three eagles heads, erased, argent. Philipott says, mentioning the above coat of arms, (though without the colours) that he does it to rectify that mistake, which through inadvertency has crept into our Heraldic Visitations of Kent, in which the paternal coat of this family is represented, as being Upon a chevron, three falcons heads, erased. From this Sir William Crayford, knight-banneret, this seat and estate descended down to William Crayford, esq. of Great Mongeham, who died possessed of it in Charles II.'s reign, and seems to have been the last of this family who resided here.

Upon his death, although some of the Crayford estate in this parish descended to his nephew Edward Crayford, esq. of Canterbury, eldest son of George, his next brother, deceased; yet the mansion house above-mentioned, known by the name of Stoneball, and the greatest part of his estates in this parish and its neighbourhood, came by his will to Ursula, his surviving widow, who afterwards married Nordash Rand, esq. of Ripple, and entitled him to the possession of them. He had by her two daughters, one of whom married Robert Chadwick, esq. of Northfleet, and the other, Judith, the only surviving one, died unmarried. At his death, the scite of this mansion, which had been pulled down by him, with the lands above-mentioned in this parish, came again into the possession of his surviving widow Ursula, who at her death devised them by her will to her youngest and only surviving daughter Ursula, who died unmarried, and she by her will gave them to her niece Mrs. Mary Morrice, daughter of her elder sister by Robert Chadwick, esq. above-mentioned, and wife of William Morrice, esq. of Betshanger, since deceased, and she is at this time the possessor of this estate.

Charities.

JOHN SAMPSON, gent. of this parish, by his will in 1659, gave to the churchwardens and overseers the yearly sum of 20s. out of his messuage in Walmer, and two parcels of land, containing ten acres in Great Mongeham; to be employed yearly in buying coals in summer, to be delivered to the poor of this parish in winter, with power of distress, &c. which premises are now in the possession of George Leith, esq of Deal.

The poor constantly relieved are about six, casually four.

GREAT MONGEHAM is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, is large and handsome, having a square tower at the west end. On the steeple, over the west door, is a shield of arms, being A fess, between three lions passant, a mullet, pierced on the chevron, for difference. It consists of a have and north isle. There has been one likewise on the south side, sometime since pulled down. The high chancel is remarkably long, with two side chancels. At one angle of the tower is a small round one, in which is a newel staircase; it is built very strong and large, and is embattled at the top. There are five small bells in it. There is a large and handsome window over the west door of the tower, formerly much ornamented, though at present the stone work is much decayed. In the spandrill of the arch over this door, on the dexter side, is a shield, On a fess, a mullet, pierced, between three lions passant; the correspondent shield; on the sinister side is a blank. The church is not chiled; the chancel is handsomely boarded at the top. There is no great shew of antiquity in any part of it. In the high chancel, within the altar-rails, is a memorial for Timothy Wilson, rector of this parish and Kingsnoth, obt. 1705. —Without the rails, is a memorial for Anne, wife of the Rev. John Herring, obt. 1768. In the north chancel a monument, having the figure of a man in armour, and his wife kneeling at an altar, and underneath five sons and one daughter, for Edward Crayford, esq. eldest son of Sir William Crayford, obt. 1615. An altar monument for George Crayford, esq. obt. 1661. Another for Edward St. Leger, of Deal, surgeon, descended from Robert de Sancto Leodegario, who came in with the Conqueror, &c. He died in 1729. A vault for the family in this chancel. The south chancel is made use of as a store-room; no memorials in it. A saltier on a shield, cut in the projecting corboil stone; on another, an escallop. In the nave, a monument for Benjamin Edwards, esq. third son of Sir Henry Edwards, bart. of Shrewsbury, formerly major of the IIth regiment of foot, obt. 1777; arms, Gules, a chevron engrailed, between three boars heads erased, argent, spotted, sable; a crescent for difference. A monument for Samuel Shephered, esq. obt. 1770; arms, Ermine, on a chief, sable, three battle axes, or. A memorial for William Sladden, of this parish, obt. 1689. In the church-yard, an altar tomb, recording that many of the Fasham family, late of Deal, were there interred. A marble tablet at the west end, for Capt. Robert Maynard, in the royal navy, who retired to this place, and died in 1750.

The church, which is a rectory, is of the patronage of the see of Canterbury, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.

It is valued in the king's books at 18l. 5s. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 16s. 6d.

Church of Great Mongeham.

Footnotes