Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/208

164 Court, held it up to his call, with a neckcloth or handkerchief put through the iron ring fixed at the top, and answered for it. This Borsholder of Chart and the Court Leet has" (sic) "been discontinued about fifty years; and the Borsholder, who is put in by the Quarter Sessions for Watringbury, claims over the whole parish. This Dumb Borsholder is made of wood, about three feet and half an inch long, with an iron ring at the top, and four more by the sides near the bottom, where it has a square iron spike fixed, four inches and a half long, to fix it in the ground, or on occasion to break open doors, &c., which was used to be done, without a warrant of any justice, on suspicion of goods having been unlawfully come by, and concealed in any of these fifteen houses. It is not easy at this distance of time to ascertain the origin of this dumb officer. The last person, who acted as deputy to it, was one Thomas Clampard, a blacksmith, whose heirs have it now in their possession." (Hasted; volume printed A.D. 1782.)

340. .—A church of chancel, nave, north and south aisles with chancels coextensive with the central one, south porch, and square west tower with short shingled spire. The east window of the south aisle is Dec., the others generally late and debased Perp. There are a few fragments of coloured glass. The interior seems to have been entirely rebuilt late Perp. The porch is old, but altered. The south wall is of rubble masonry. The north and south chancels are additions, and the north wall has been rebuilt, probably at the same period as the interior. A north door is closed. Brasses: Will. Stace, two wives and fifteen children, 1566; John Christe, 1567.—The following are also mentioned: Rich. Hayward, and six daughters (wife and four sons lost) 1429; Rich. Potter, two wives and eight children, 1511; Tho. Potter, 1531; John Stacy, two wives and three daughters, 1533; Will. Myddilton, two wives and seven children (eight children lost), 1557; Sir Will. Drye, priest, 1567. (Reg. Roff.) It appears, that, during repairs of Westerham church about thirty years ago, some of the brasses were taken up, and, the slabs being broken, the plates were afterwards preserved at the vicarage. Of these memorials at least two prove to be "Palimpsests," the earlier design being not greatly anterior in date to the second, and of Flemish character. (Archæol. Journal, VI, 414.) (A.D. 1291) "Ecclia de Westerham-note-cum capellis." Edenbridge we may safely conclude to have been one of those chapels, but I find no