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.

Charing.

In the yeare 1590. this Church was with fire consumed all but the very stones; which fire it caught from a peece discharged at a Pigeon then vpon the Church. The windowes and the Grauestones (wherein diuers of the ancient and worthy family of Brent were memorized) at that time were defaced: yet on the outside of the Bellfree do remaine carued in stone, the badge of Edward the fourth (being a Rose within the Sunne-beames) and a Wyuer being the Armes of Hugh Brent Esquire; who in the raigne of Edward the fourth, was the principall Founder of that Bellfree, which was before of wood. From the time of Henry the sixth, the family of Brent (be∣ing branched out of the ancient stocke of Brent in Somersetshire, of which house Sir Robert de Brent was a Baron of the Parliament in the time of Edward the first) hath flourished here as the prime name of this Parish, vn∣till Thomas Brent Esquire (the last male of this line) did remoue to Willis∣borough, where he dyed issuelesse.

On the South side of the Chancell here, and annexed to the Church, is a conuenient Chappell founded by Amy Brent widow of William Brent Esquire, who dyed in the raigne of Ric. the third; this (with the Church) being fired, is now in the hands of workmen to bee repaired, by Sir Ed∣ward Dering knight and Baronet, to whom the right of this Chappell is

deriued, as well in bloud from the Brents, as by composition betweene him and M. Brent Dering of Charing, who now is the owner of the ancient house of the Brents there, which is full stored with the Badges of Edward the fourth, in euery quarry of glasse within the Hall-window. In which house also (as it goes by tradition) Iohn Brent Esquire, feasted King Henry the eight, as hee passed this way toward his then intended siege of Bullen. But this name of Brent is for nothing more famous, then for the warlike exploits of that wilde madbraine Falques, or Falco de Brent;* 1.1 who made it nothing to raise warre against kings; to besiege and take Castles, to spoile Abbeyes, pull downe Churches, ransacke all the adioyning territories, and where I write of such a touch of wickednesse? but more of him hereafter, what not which had English persons of especiall note, as haue beene inter∣red in forraine nations.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Brent the Mad∣braine.