The situation and extent of the premises are clearly shewn in the last of this set of documents. Z. 169. "Indentura inter nos et Ducem Somersetie pro quodam manso uocato Mastyr Homerys." Universis X'pi fidelibus &c. Thomas permissione diuina Prior Ecclesie X'pi Cantuar. et ejusden loci Conventus salutem in omnium Salvatore. Quia magnifice excellencie princeps Dominus Edmundus Dux Somersetie ac Constabularius Anglie Ecclesie nostre Cantuariensi et nobis immensas sue Dominacionis largiciones, tam operis quam sermonis efficacia, a diu impendit ac in dies impendere non desistit. Hinc est quod nos, de communi Capituli nostri consensu prout et assensu, concessimus et dimisimus eidem nobilissimo Domino Duci, ob complacenciam Dominacionis sue, quoddam mansum infra precinctum nostrum vocatum antiquitus Maister Homers, a modernis Le Cardynallysplace vulgariter nuncupatum. Gardino tamen Celerarii cum Columbario ad officium Celerarii ab antiquo pertinentibus, una-cum via ducente ab orientali parte Cemeterii Ecclesie nostre per posticum et pontem versus portam Monasterii Sci. Augustini, et per gardinum ad predictum Columbarium, cum libero ingressu et egressu nobis et successoribus nostris semper salvis exceptis et reservatis. Habendum et tenendum mansum predictum, exceptis pre-exceptis, ipsi Domino Duci ad terminum vite sue, sine aliquo nobis inde reddendo (preter quod ipse dictus Graciosus Dux ex mera fraternitate et liberalitate sua concessit) predictum mansum sufficienter reparare, et bono statu manutenere suis sumptibus et expensis, durante termino vite sue predicto. Eciam bene licebit nobis et successoribus nostris dictum mansum post decessum dicti Domini Ducis libere ingredere, et in pristino statu pacifice possidere, sine exclamacione seu contradiccione alicujus heredum executorum sive assignatorum Domini Ducis predicti; hac concessione sive dimissione in aliquo non obstante. In cujus rei testimonium uni parti hujus scripti indentati penes dictum Dominum Ducem remanenti sigillum nostrum commune est appensum, alteri vero parti penes nos prefatos Priorem et Capitulum remanenti sigillum predicti Domini Ducis est appensum. Dat. Cantuarie in domo nostra Capitulari quinto-decimo die Mensis Aprilis Anno Regni Regis Henrici Sixti post conquestum tricesimo primo. Tradition has assigned the name of The Meister Homer's to the house now occupied by the Rev. Canon Rawlinson, and, as usually happens with real tradition, the oral evidence handed down from one generation to another has testified to the truth. The house stands just as it did when the Duke put it into the "bonus status" of the lease. The Great Hall, masked however by intruded ceilings and floors, still runs almost from end to end of the building, whilst the road, leading "per posticum et pontem," toward St. Augustine's, and the piece of Cellarer's garden, are still excepted from, but contiguous to, the premises, as they were four hundred years ago. Did Somerset ever take advantage of his bargain? If he did, what motive was strong enough to cause him to leave the ease and dignity of a grand home in the Canterbury precincts, for the purpose of getting knocked on the head at the first battle of St. Alban's ? The House is again mentioned in 1469 when, the wave of Civil War threatening the safety of the City of Canterbury, it was judged expedient to wall-up the passage through the fortifications at Queningate. This gate stood within the precincts of the Monastery, but the work was done at the cost of the citizens; the Convent, apparently, furnishing the necessary materials from their surplus store collected for the Duke of Somerset's repairs of the Mansum. The record is contained in the Account Book of the "Chamberlain of Canterbury," and stands thus: : "Pro carriagio ix magnorum lapidum a quodam loco vocato Maist. Omers usque Quenyngate-xd ob." More than once again Master Omer appears, in propria persona, in the Archives of the Priory. About A.D. 1250, Reginald Tercius, son of Reginald Secundus, son of Reginald de Cornhelle, by a deed of gift added to the endowment of the Shrine of St. Thomas; and to this deed Master Omer, as an official of the Convent, was a witness. (Reg. B. 276.) On the morrow of St. Luke in A.D. 1257, the Prior sued John de Sandwich, the Rector of St. Mary Aldermary Church, for arrears of a pension due to the Convent as patron of that church. The cause was heard at Canterbury, and a compromise was effected, the attestation of the record being as follows: "In cujus rei testimonium presenti scripto Mag. Walter de Acrise (the official of the Abp.'s Court) sigillum suum, Mag. Omerus sigillum officialitatis Archidiaconi Cantuar, et predictus Johannes (the Defendant) sigillum suum apposuerunt." From this, it is clear that Master Omer filled the office of Official of the Archdeacon, and was therefore a dignified practitioner of Civil Law. (Reg. A. 360.) A rental, of the 13th century, mentions a rent due to Master Omer in All Saints' parish (Reg. A. 448), and also a rent for which he was responsible to Christ Church from the tenement of Daubeney the Jew. (Reg. A. 447.) In each yearly account of the Treasurer of Christ Church, a paragraph is set out under the title "Partes Pensionum," in which are entered the good service pensions awarded by the Chapter. The name of Master Omer first appears in the year 1249, when, apparently as junior standing counsel, he received a salary of forty shillings; and it regularly recurs, getting year by year nearer to the top of the list, until A.D. 1280, by which time Omer's stipend had been raised to a hundred shillings, equalling that of "Magister Thomas medicus noster." Among those who accompany Master Omer in the lists, are: Magister Hugh de Mortuo Mari, Official, Chancellor, VicarGeneral, and, in 1271, Archdeacon of Canterbury; Magister Will. de la Corner; Magister H. de Clervaus; Magister Jordanus, and Magister Philippus or Thomas, whichever was the Medicus or Phisicus of the Monastery for the time being; John de Eylwarton, Seneschal of Christ Church; Simon Paable, Citizen of Canterbury; John de Whytsand, probably the Bailiff or Toll Collector to the Counts of Boulogne; Will. de Breton; Ric. de Rowelle; and lastly, three ladies: Domina Celestina, Alicia de Ripple, and Christina de Mongeham. CELTIC REMAINS BY GEORGE PAYNE, JUN., F.L.S. GROVEHURST, formerly reputed to be a Manor, is situated about two miles to the north of the town of Milton, and was for several centuries a place of some importance. Hasted states that Sir William de Grovehurst possessed it in the reigns of Edward I and II, and his descendant Sir Richard Grovehurst in that of Henry VII. The Grovehursts alienated it to a Finche, whose descendants held it for several generations. It subsequently passed into the hands of the family of Keat; Sir Jonathan Keat, Bart., died possessed of it in 1700. His heirs sold it to Peachy of Petsworth in Sussex, whose descendant, Sir James Peachy, Bart., afterwards Lord Selsey, owned it in 1798. It is now the property of William Whitehead Gascoyne, Esq., of Sittingbourne. The Manorhouse was destroyed about A.D. 1871, when a new farm-house was erected in its place. Adjoining this manor was the manor of Owre, at the northern extremity of Kemsley Downs. According to Hasted, Owre in the reign of Edward I was a possession of the family of Savage, one of whom, John le Sauvage, had a grant of free-warren and other liberties in his manor of Ore near Middletun (Milton). In the reign of Edward II it passed into the hands of John de Haudlo. In that of Richard II it became the property of the crown, and was granted to Alice de Preston and her heirs. From thence it passed into the family of Monins, and afterwards to the Finches, one of whom sold it together with Grovehurst to Keat, before mentioned, who disposed of it to |