Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Vlcombe.

Here in this Parish was anciently the mansion house of the family De Sancto Leodegario, S. Leger, now commonly called Sellenger: one of the owners whereof, namely, Sir Thomas Sellenger, who married Anne, Duchesse of Exceter, sister to king Edward the fourth, lyeth here interred, (say the inhabitants) amongst his ancestours. But I finde him to bee en∣tombed with his foresaid wife, in the Collegiate Church of Windsore.

Here lyeth Iohn S. Leger Esquire, and Margerie his wife, sole daughter and heire of Iames Donnet .... 1442...

Here lyeth Raph S. Leger, Esquire, and Anne his wife, who dyed 1470.

Here lyeth William Maidston Esquire, who dyed 8. April... 1429.

Tho. Seint Leger seruir le Roy super salua custodia castri Rotten. cum qua∣draginta equitibus, per spatium triginta dierum, 11. Ed. quarti.

Boniface of Sauoy, Archbishop of Canterbury, Vnckle to Eleanor the wife of king Henry the third, built (here at the confluence of the waters) a religious structure, to the honour of Saint Peter, S. Paul, and S Thomas the Martyr, (as most call him) and endowed it with faire possessions, by the name of an Hospitall, but vsually called, The new Worke, which had not stood fully an hundred and fourty yeares, but that William Courtney, one of his Successours in this See, pulled it downe, and erected it anew, after his owne pleasure; thereby gaining the name of a Founder; and called it a Col∣ledge of secular Priests, which he consecrated to the holinesse of All Saints, which was valued at the suppression, at 139. l. 7. s. 6. d. of yearely re∣uenues.

This Archbishop Courtney was sonne of Hugh Courtney, the third of that Christian name, Earle of Deuonshire, by Margaret his wife, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, Earle of Hereford, and Essex. And being thus ho∣nourablie descended, he was no sooner entred into Orders, but that he was loaden with spirituall preferments; as a Prebend in Wells, Exceter, and Canterbury, beside Benefices with Cure, more, I thinke, then he could well discharge. The first Bishopricke he had, was Hereford, which he enioyed fiue yeares, from thence he was remoued to London, which hee gouerned about sixe yeares (in which time, saith Walsingham, he was aduanced to the dignity of Cardinal) from London to Canterbury; which gracious honour, hee enioyed 12. yeares lacking one moneth, euen vntill his death: which happened the last day of Iuly, 1396. He lyeth buried according to his will here in his owne Church, vnder a plaine graue-stone (a lowly Tombe for such an high borne Prelate) vpon which his pourtraiture is delineated, and this Epitaph inlaid with brasse about the Verge.

Nomine Willelmus en Courtnaius reuerendus, Qui se post obitum legauerat hic tumulandum, In presenti loco quem iam fundarat ab imo; Omnibus & sanctis titulo sacrauit honoris. Vltima lux Iulij fit vite terminus illi; M. ter C. quinto decies nonoque sub anno, Respice mortalis quis quondam, sed modo talis, Quantus & iste fuit dum membra calentia gessie. Hic Primas Patrum, Cleri Dux & genus altum. Corpore valde decens, sensus & acumine clarens. Filius hic comitis generosi Deuoniensis. Legum Doctor erat celebris quem fama serenat. Vrbs Herdfordensis, Polis inclita Londoniensis. Ac Dorobernensis, sibi trine gloria sedis Detur honor digno fit Cancellarius ergo. Sanctus vbique pater, prudens fuit ipse minister Nam largus, letus, castus, pius atque pudicus, Magnanimus, iustus, & egenis totus amicus.

Et quia Rex Christe Pastor bonus extitit iste, Sumat solamen nunc tecum quesumus. Amen.

This Archbishop bestowed much in building and enlarging of his hou∣ses, especially vpon his Castle of Saltwood. Towards the reparation of his Church at Canterbury, he gaue 1000. Marks; hee gaue also vnto the same Church, a certaine image of siluer, weighing one hundred and threescore pounds, two vestments, and thirteene Copes of great value. Besides a num∣ber of bookes.

Hic iacet Dominus Iohannes Wotton Rector Ecclesie Parochialis de Stapil∣hurst, Canonicus Cicestrensis, & primus Magister huius Collegij, qui obijt vltimo die Octobris, 1417.

On the North side of the Quire, stands an old Monument most shame∣fully defaced. Onely these words remayning of an old Inscription.

. . . . . ad bona non tardus vocitando . . . . . namque Deo trino valefecit: . . . . . . . December. . . . . . . . . Annomilleno C. quater X. ...

It is said that one Woodvill lyeth herein entombed; who dwelt at Tha∣mote within this Parish.

I finde, saith M. Lambard, in a Record that Thomas Arundell, Arch∣bishop of Canterbury, the next Successour of Courtney, founded a Chan∣trie at Maidston, which whether it be the same, that was sometime called the house of the Brothers, and but lately conuerted by the Townsmen into a freeschoole, or no, I will not boldly affirmed▪ but I thinke it rather so then otherwise.

Notes

• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• 〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• Inter Bundellas Indent. de guerra apud pel.
• Maidston.
• Found. of the Colledge first an Hospitall.
• William Court∣ney Archbishop of Canterbury
• Sure he meanes Cardi∣nall, for I can∣not finde him to be Chan∣cellour.
• Sir Iohn Wotton Priest, the first Master of this Colledge.
• Woodvill.
• Chancery of Maidston