monument adjoins that of Abraham in Sutton Church, and has this inscription :— Near this place lies buried RICHARD HILL, Esq., Only son of ABRAHAM HILL, Esq. To whom he proved a most loving husband More than her original fortune His only sister Mrs. FRANCES HILL Erected this small monument And to testify a Sister's love. The "Mrs. Franks" above-mentioned was Frances, daughter of Edmund Eyre, of an old Bucks family. She died in 1725, and is buried in Horton Kirby Church. She is said to have removed to Franks the stained-glass windows from the old chapel of St. John's, and perhaps it was this that originated the ill-will of her sister-in-law which is so evident in the epitaph just quoted. Frances, the only daughter of Abraham Hill, next came into possession of St. John's, and of some land forming part of the estate of Summerhill, near Tonbridge, which her father had bought of John Villiers in 1705 for £4565 (Hasted, vol. ii., p. 341). She passed her long life at St. John's, and died there unmarried at the age of 78. Among the family letters are several amusing ones from a John Hill, who claimed to be a relative, and professed to have rights to an estate, although he was not at all clear on the subject. He went so far as to come up from Devonshire to Sutton, where he lodged at the "Pope and Crown," but a curt refusal from Frances to have anything to do with him appears to have discouraged him, and as she kept possession of her estate in spite of his claims, he probably found it best to return home and say no more about it. Her tomb in the nave of Sutton Church is covered by a marble slab, with the Hill arms in a lozenge, below which is an inscription mentioned by Hasted as "remarkable and singular." It runs as follows: Here lyeth the Body of Mrs. FRANCES HILL, daughter of ABRAHAM HILL, Esq., and great-granddaughter of WILLIAM, Lord WILLUGHBY of Parham. She was born 29 Jan. 1658, and died 28 Oct. 1736, without a vow. The number of her years had taken very little less from the Vivacity of her Parts, After a life of much steady Health, she was taken off to her own great content, she surrendered her soul In addition to this memorial there is a mural monument on the south wall of the south aisle of the church, in which her effigy is represented as far as the waist, looking towards the east, and drawing back a veil from her face with the left hand. A Latin epitaph below repeats the sentiments of the English one in the nave. There is a tradition current in Sutton-at-Hone to the effect that Frances died from the effects of a needle-prick in one finger, which happened through her doing needlework on a Sunday! Her effigy is supposed to be holding up the injured hand in corroboration of the story, but an inspection of the monument hardly confirms this idea, and one has somehow heard the same tragic fate related of other ladies as well. By her will, dated July 23rd, 1722, Frances Hill bequeathed all her lands and manors to her cousin William Hill of Falmouth, merchant, eldest son of Peter Hill, merchant, of the same place. Among other bequests she left £5 to the poor of Sutton-at-Hone, and one acre of ground to the almshouses lately built in Sutton Street by her father. (He had added two houses in 1720 to the Wrote foundation of 1597.) A codicil was added May 9th, 1730, in which, as William Hill of Falmouth had lately died, her estates were left to his eldest son William, and in default of issue, to Peter, Richard, Abraham, and John successively, the younger sons. The widow, Charity Hill, was executrix to Frances, whose will she proved in the P.C.C. November 1736. The next possessor of St. John's was a Cornishman, living at the manor of Carwythenack, near Helston. He was under age at the time he came into his cousin's property, but in 1755 he let St. John's on a long lease to Edward Hasted, the well-known Kentish historian, and lived in Cornwall for the rest of his life. Of his numerous descendants one branch now resides at Bromley in Kent, only about ten miles from Sutton. William Hill in about 1768 sold the land which Abraham had bought at Summerhill to Edward Whatman of Salisbury, and in 1780 disposed of St. John's to Mr. John Mumford of Sutton Place. This gentleman died in 1796, leaving the Manor of St. John's to his eldest son William, and the Mansion to his youngest son John. John Mumford the younger died without issue, leaving the mansion first to his wife, and at her death to his niece Miss Leigh. It was afterwards held by Mrs. Tracy, another niece, and in 1859 was bought by William Thomas Elgar, Esq., who gave it to his only daughter Sarah, wife of John Russell, Esq., of Horton Kirby, who with their family are still living there. The mansion occupies a site enclosed by the river Darent (the "Darventio rivus, quem Sutton Cantiana bibit "), which supplied a double moat round the Knights' buildings. The measured drawing of the chapel in Vol. XXII. shews the only portion of the original edifice now remaining. This is of the Early English style, and the entire chapel is estimated to have been 101 feet in length. The basement of the tower which stood at the north-west corner is now the drawingroom, and the walls are extremely thick. During some repairs in 1870 the piscina and aumbry of the chapel were discovered behind some plaster, also a recess supposed to have been the Easter Sepulchre. The main buildings appear to have stood round three sides of a quadrangle, and to have been flanked on the north and south sides by large ranges of stabling and offices, the foundations of which are traceable in the grass. The present mansion-house does not possess much interest, except from its association with Hasted, who in 1755 made alterations in and practically rebuilt the house then existing at considerable expense. The roof of the chapel was also lowered in his time. When Miss Leigh occupied the house some remains of ancient armour were discovered in the grounds. She presented them to some museum, but unfortunately the locality of the museum is now unknown. It only remains now to mention the illustrations. The portrait of Abraham Hill is reproduced from a very fine oil painting now in possession of the head of the family at Lymington. The view of St. John's was made by the kind permission of Mr. Russell, to whose family also the writer is greatly indebted for much of the foregoing history, and for their hospitality on the occasions of his visits. The measured drawing of Abraham Hill's monument was made for this article with the kind assistance of the Rev. W. J. Weekes, Vicar of Sutton-at-Hone. PAYMENTS BY THE TOWN OF FAVERSHAM IN 1635-6, EXTRACTED FROM THE CHAMBERLAINS' ACCOUNTS, AND NOTES THEREON CHIEFLY FROM THE WARDMOTE BOOK. COMPILED BY F. F. GIRAUD, TOWN CLERK, FAVERSHAM. PAYMENTS. 1635, Dec. 26. Adrian Cutler for his first quarter for keping of the town clear of beggars & rogues (a) . Mr Owre for his charges when he went to London about the Ship cesse (b). A messenger which came from Dover with a letter which did concern the names of all shipmen & also Crayers Barks & other vessels & also innholders vitlers hacknimen their names to be given in within 14 days. messenger which came from Dover with a letter which did concern the sitting in a commission about Powles . A arded 6 warders at Valentine fair 4 of them warded 8 days & A messenger which brought a letter from Dover which Feb. 25. A dinner at the Flower de luce (d) at which dinner the Mayor and the rest of the Jurats with other Gentlemen whom the Mayor did invite with some of the Commoners all to the number of 30 persons or thereabouts. This day was a Sessions day for the trial of William Bossell which killed Samuel Barrett 7 6 . 1 12 3 20 20 2 10 0 2 0 1 0 2 69 |
