This implies a total population, at that time, of one hundred and thirty-three in the village of Old Romney. In 1382, there were in Romney, the town, no less than nine hundred and forty-one adults above fifteen years of age, for whom poll-tax was paid. This implies a population of one thousand four hundred and twelve, in addition to priests and beggars. These figures at once account for the fact, that the populous town and port was called Romney proper, without prefix; while the insignificant village was distinguished as Old Romney. Even Dymchurch was, in 1377, more populous than Old Romney. One hundred and two adults, male and female, above the age of fourteen years, paid the poll-tax in Dymchurch, in 1377. This implies a total population of about one hundred and fifty-three. It may be interesting to record such other poll-tax returns for Romney Marsh, as I find preserved among the public records. The adults in Snave were seventy, in Bilsington eighty-one, in Midley forty-three, in Oxney twenty-three, in Blackmanstone eight. These numbers of adults shew that, in 1377, the total population of those parishes must have been, Snave about one hundred and five, Bilsington one hundred and twenty-two, Midley sixtyfive, Oxney thirty-four, Blackmanstone twelve.

Respecting the manor of Old Langport, Hasted has misunderstood the record of an Inquisition, held in the 32nd year of Edward III. He states that John Ikin then died possessed of that manor ;* and the Calendar Inquis. post mortem suggests a similar idea. The record, however, shews that neither assertion is correct. It states that John Jekin then remained, alive, in possession of some land, which he held as a tenant under John Fitz-Bernard, the lord of the manor of Old Langport. Jekin was never lord of that manor, nor was it, at any time, possessed by any member of the family of Ikin, or Jekin.

W. A. SCOTT ROBERTSON.

*Hist. of Kent, viii., 426.

ORPINGTON CHURCH.

As Orpington Manor was paramount, and claimed jurisdiction, over all manors in St. Mary Cray, Hayes, Downe and Nockholt, so in like manner was Orpington Church the mother church, to which, until recent times, the churches of those four parishes were appendant chapels. As bearing upon the origin of parishes, of church-endowments, and of church-patronage, the fact that the supremacy of Orpington over St. Mary Cray, Hayes, Downe, and Nockholt, was maintained both for manorial and for ecclesiastical purposes, during so many centuries, is noteworthy. When we remember the importance, and dignity, which thus attached to Orpington Church, we are surprised that it is not of grander dimensions. Its interior is but 100 feet long. Sparseness of population might, in our times, account for its small size; as in 1377, Orpington contained not more than 290 souls; Downe, about 167; Hayes 104; and Nockholt 83.* But, in the middle ages, population did not regulate the dimensions of churches.

Greater interest, however, attaches to the nave of Orpington Church, from the very fact that its walls have never been broken into, for the purpose of adding aisles. We therefore have, in this long narrow nave, the original lines designed by the architect in the eleventh, or twelfth, century. Its interior is 64 feet long, and 22 feet 2 inches wide. High up in the south wall, near the chancel arch, are indications of an original round-headed window.

These figures are based upon the receipts for Poll Tax, Kent Subsidy the Public Record Office.

These facts give reason for some interesting speculations, as to the date of the nave, and its walls. Could it have existed in A.D. 1032, when King Canute's wealthy chaplain, Eadsige or Eadsy, bestowed his large estate at "Orpedingtune" upon the monastery of Christ Church, at Canterbury, which he was then entering? It is quite possible that the eastern portion, if not all, of the present nave, then existed. From Eadsy's character we may infer that of the three churches, which were on this large estate when Domesday Survey was taken, one or more had been standing while he retained possession of the land. Of the three churches, one was assuredly here; perhaps some of its walls remain in this nave. A second church, technically "in Orpintun," was probably one of those which we now call Hayes or Downe. The third church was that of St. Mary Cray, called in Domesday "Sentlinge."

Eadsy's holiness and learning had endeared him to Canute and to his queen, the good Ælfgifu or Emma. About three years after Eadsy had become a monastic canon of Christ Church, the bishopric of Winchester became vacant. Gervase, the monk, and Ralph de Diceto, say that the priest appointed to that see in 1035 was a chaplain of Canute's son King Harold, named Eadsine, or Eadsy. Somner calls him bishop of St. Martin's and archdeacon of Canterbury;* but Battely says he was not archdeacon, although he was bishop of St. Martin's, and ultimately archbishop.†

Thus Eadsy, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1038 to 1049, may probably be identified with the wealthy owner of the estate at Orpedingtune.

Whether the existing nave, or its eastern portion, did or did not exist in Eadsy's days, or at the period of Domesday Survey, it is quite certain that this building was improved soon after the middle of the twelfth century, and at its close. The two members of the west doorway's pointed arch are adorned with mouldings, of the chevron and dog tooth ornaments, which indicate early Transitional work. The chancel arch, the south door of the chancel, and the groined lower Somner's Antiquities of Canterbury, p. 152.

+ Battely's Second Part of Antiquities of Canterbury, p. 132.

stage of the tower, with its lancet windows and small trefoilheaded piscina, seem to be in the pure Early English style. The internal area of the tower's floor is about 14 feet square.

The conservative taste of later mediæval architects is shewn by the preservation, above and beside a later arch, of a walled-up lancet which was originally an outer window in the lower stage of the tower's east wall. In the fifteenth century it was left, in situ, when the north-chantry was built, against the east wall of the tower. The position of the tower, on the north side of the nave's east end, is remarkable, and should be noticed. Some wooden screen work, within the tower arch, was good. A shingled top to the tower was destroyed by a tempest many years ago.

Mural pulpits, of which several examples remain in the west of England, are unusual in Kent. In Foots Cray Church, the pulpit is now approached by means of a mural stair turret; and probably there was a mural pulpit here. In the nave's south wall, close to its east end, are two doorways, the upper of which being but five feet from the floor, seems to be so low that it could not well have led to a rood loft, but must have given access to a mural pulpit. On the north side of the nave, there is a blocked doorway; and, midway between it and the tower, is a rectangular shallow niche, five feet from the floor.

A canopied altar tomb in the porch is a peculiar, and interesting, feature of Orpington Church. Marriage at the church door was common; but interment there was unusual. Thomas Evyas, curate of Great Mongeham, in his will dated 1528, desired that he might be buried in the churchyard of his parish, at the south door, as nigh the porch as possible. William Makenade, in his will dated October, 1407, desired to be buried close to the entry of the south door of Preston Church, Faversham, in the churchyard.* John Sesbritenden, chaplain, by will dated 1407, wished his body to be interred within the Belfry of All Saints Church, Brenchley.† Agnes Preyset, in 1513, desired to be buried in the Belfry of Ruckinge Church. No doubt all these testators had the

*

Archbishop Arundel's Register, i, 242.

† Ibidem, i, 250.

same devout and humble feeling, which induced a rector of Orpington to be interred here, in the porch which he had made at the entrance of God's house.

Seldom however do we find, as at Orpington, a handsome altar tomb, with arched and crocketed canopy, in a church porch. Here, the tomb is on the north side of the western porch, which is 13 ft. 4 in. long and 10 ft. 8 in. wide. Thus, its position is very similar to that of a tomb in an ordinary belfry at a church's west end. This porch-tomb's canopy is handsomely carved, in chalk. Many, and varied, have been the suggestions respecting the tomb, some antiquaries having supposed that it had been removed from a position within the church. Fortunately, I have discovered the will of him who lies there interred, and it sets at rest all doubt upon the subject.

Nicholas, rector of Orpington, made his will on the 1st of August, 1370.* He therein records the fact that, during his lifetime, he had newly built the porch; and that within his newly erected porch he desired to be buried. We thus know that the porch, and the tomb, were erected during the reign of Edward III. Rector Nicholas desired likewise, that to his body, in the tomb, should be tied a bull of Indulgence granted to him by the Pope (volo quod bulla indulgencie mee corpori alligatur). Archbishop Stratford had been his patron and friend, therefore he directed his executors to provide that two or three priests should celebrate mass, for the souls of that Archbishop and himself, within Orpington Church. They were also to appropriate the sum of 40s. for the provision, in perpetuity, of lights to be kept burning at the elevation of the Host. For use in the church, he bequeathed an alb, and an amice (amicta), of the celebrated English embroidery. Robert, the vicar of Orpington, was to receive his best robe, and a legacy of 20s., on condition that he should recommend the testator's soul when he celebrated mass.

To his successor, in the Rectory of Orpington, he leaves his great Portiforium, noted according to the Sarum Use, and also his new Ordinal, on condition that such successor "shall

* Archbishop Whittlesey's Register, folio 119".