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St Peter’s Church Bredhurst History of St Peter’s Bredhurst |
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Notices
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Probably the best detailed history source
is the book by Suresh Khanna. See the Notices page for details. |
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St Peter's Church, Bredhurst is a
small rural church, which is situated approximately 1/4 mile east of the
village, high on the North Downs. The
original building dates from the 12th century with one document
suggesting it existed in 1120 and another proposing a date between 1135 and
1154, (perhaps there was an earlier church that pre-dated the Normans.) The South Chapel was built along with the
old nave in 1230. The whole church was
restored and enlarged during the mid-Victorian period, 1864-66 with the nave,
chancel arch and roof being completely replaced. The South Chapel had become a vestry but
was restored to its original use in 2008. There are some interesting features
in and around the church and this guide may suggest points to look for. |
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Churchyard Materials used for building ancient churches usually came
from the immediate vicinity
and harmonised with the local landscape. The obvious choice for St Peter's
was flint, the downland locally consisting of flint and clay. The
construction, therefore, was of half flints with stone flanking. The churchyard was commonly known as God's Acre. Earliest
graves were traditionally on the south side of a church because, as ancient
churches were always built facing east, that side was sunnier and, strangely
enough, often higher. The north side was usually shaded and thought to belong
to the devil! However, in time, graves eventually had to extend right round
the church. It is thought that the yew tree outside the South Porch
is at is at least 500 years old. Yews were usually planted in pairs and, if
this is the case, its partner may be that on the south west edge of the
churchyard. |
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Windows Stained
glass windows have been used for hundreds of years to help teach the people
about their religion in the days when most could not read. The separate
pieces of glass each have their own colour and are set into strips of lead.
The individual colours in early stained glass had their own meanings, for
example, red meant divine love, white meant divine wisdom, and yellow meant
faith. Later craftsmen painted directly onto the glass, this is called
'enamelling' and the end result looks rather like oil painting. |
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The lancet
windows around the Church reflect the original l2th century ones in the South
Chapel. Prior to the 1300's the Early English style of windows changed from
rounded to long, pointed lancets which became increasingly common. The hood
moulds are individual to each window precluding the need for decorative
tracery. The
windows at the east and west ends are geometrical and the west window is of a
typical Victorian pseudo Gothic style.
If stained or painted glass appears silvery from the outside it is an
indication that the glass is probably original. Standing back from the west
window it is possible to see the patches of glass that have been replaced -it
almost looks as if the pieces are missing. |
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The
stained glass windows in the nave depict various prophets and are dedicated
to members of the Day and Winch families. Mr T H Day was a Chatham magistrate
and his son Rev Charles Hermitage Day was responsible for the restoration of
the Church (architect Ewan Christian), Bredhurst School building and the
vicarage which was on the site now occupied by Fir Tree Grove. The South
Chapel windows are all given in memory of the Charles Hermitage Day’s
children. His family are buried
outside the Chapel door. He became a
noted theologian and moved from Bredhurst but was later buried with
them. The Winch family were Kentish
brewers. On the
north wall of the chancel are four small windows, one of which is
considerably lower than the others. These low windows were sometimes,
erroneously, called leper windows. There is considerable controversy
concerning the use of these windows but it is most popularly believed that a
small hand bell was rung from them at the Sanctus and at the Consecration of
the Elements during the time that Roman Catholic services and sacraments were
celebrated at St Peter's. The
windows in the chancel may have come from another church years ago. The east window depicts Christ in Majesty,
flanked by Petrus (Peter) and Paulus (Paul). It is believed that the colours
of Christ's robes in stained glass windows were chosen to show the period of
His life depicted in the picture. |
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Bell Gable There is
no weather vane on St Peter's, a common feature on rural churches, but there
is a decorative wrought iron cross on the stone bell gable on the chancel
roof. The gable houses the two
original bells, which were recast in London in 1864 prior to the restoration.
These are still rung every Sunday. The gable is in the style of the late 13th
century gothic. |
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South
Chapel Roof It is
possible to see feint marks at the top of the eaves on the South Chapel
showing the original line of the roof. It was altered during the restoration to
a more pointed, vernacular style. Porch The South
porch, by which the Church is entered, has beautifully carved barge boards
and elaborate carved tracery around the side openings. There is also a
decorative wrought iron cross on the gable. Font The stone,
lead lined font is symbolically placed near the entrance to the Church to
represent the start, or entry, to the Christian life. Traditionally the font
is placed upon an octagonal plinth to symbolize the seven days and the Day of
Resurrection. The base of the font at Bredhurst is octagonal, however, the
plinth is an odd hexagonal shape -half octagonal and half square. The font
is decorated with geometric designs and daffodils and inscribed "Suffer
little children to come unto to me and forbid them not for of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven." |
The
font during a wedding festival |
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Holy Water
Stoup To the
west (your left as you come in) of the main door is the original stone stoup
which was discovered and replaced by Rev. J.A. Finch in 1914. A stoup is a small niche containing a
recessed basin, usually inside the church, which contained Holy Water. It was
for use by worshippers entering the Church; they would dip a finger in the
water and make the sign of the cross on their foreheads to remind themselves
of their baptism and the need to be cleansed from sin. |
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Northwode
Memorial In the far
south west corner of the Church is the remains of the brass memorial of
William Northwode, Knight, Lord of the Manor of Bredhurst who died in 1397.
It was originally in the South Chapel and had engraved brass on it now
missing. The stone was, for many years, used as the step to the Chapel, but
it was brought to its present position in the early part of the 20th century. Pews The fixed
pews are of pitch pine and were placed there during the restoration. They
have carved ends showing the Star of David and flowers. |
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North
Windows High in
the north roof are double windows allowing light into the nave. It would be an overstatement to call this a
clerestory. Pulpit The fine
octagonal pulpit stands on a stone plinth and has elaborate carved tracery in
pitch pine. Lectern On the
west side of the Church is the carved pine lectern in the form of an eagle.
The eagle is the symbol of St John the Evangelist whose Gospel and Revelation
are considered to be the most spiritual parts of the Bible. The globe on
which the eagle stands represents the world, to the corners of which the
Gospel on the eagle's back is being carried. |
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Chancel Arch The moulding on the chancel arch is supported by vine
leaves on the capitals. Roof The single beam frame of the roof is sometimes thought to
represent an upturned boat; perhaps from the lake of Galilee? St Peter has
always been regarded as the Rock on which the Church was built. He was a fisherman and his boat could,
allegorically, be seen as ferrying people across the stormy seas of life. Stalls The choir stalls are carved pitch pine. |
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Altar The altar, the most sacred part of the church, stands in
front of Victorian coloured, patterned tiles, with traditional motifs and
"Do this in" remembrance of me" written above the altar. The wooden altar table stands on a plinth
covered with matching tiles. The use
of candles today is to remind Christians of the Church's past sufferings -the
days when they were persecuted and had to worship in Roman catacombs. They
are also a reminder that Christ is the Light of the World. The two altar
candles are often thought of as symbols of the two sides of Christ -the human
and the divine. Either side of the altar are the tablets containing the
ten commandments (see History below) |
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The hangings on the altar reflect specific times of the
Church year: Violet, the colour of repentance is
used during Advent and Lent White/gold, the festival colour is
used for at Christmas, Easter and Ascentiontide. Red, the colour of fire and blood is
used at Whitsuntide and some Saints Days to symbolise the coming of the Holy
Spirit in tongues of fire. Green, the colour of nature used is
during the seasons of Epiphany and Trinity. The altar rails were painted in glowing colours after the
restoration and their faded glory can still be seen on close inspection.
Altar rails were gradually introduced after the Reformation to protect the
altar when altar screens were becoming less common. |
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South Chapel The wall to the South Chapel was opened up to the main
body of the Church during the restoration and the original Norman pillar and
Early English arches are now clearly visible.
In the South Chapel, Early English fresco painting can still be seen
high up above the windows on the south and east walls. The Chapel was in a sorry
state of repair prior to the restoration and was open to the elements since
there was no glass in the windows. It is said that a vicar, long ago, of
course, used to stable his horse in there whilst he officiated at the
service! In the north west corner of the Chapel, which is now in
common use as the Chapel, can be found the memorial stone for Rev. Richard
Tray who died in 1664. It is now under a removable panel in the upright
cupboards. It was originally in the centre of the chancel but was moved during
the restoration. The chapel was completely re-ordered in 2008 with a
soundproof glass screen providing a versatile sacred space. It is now dedicated to children as the
Chapel of the Holy Innocents, which is fitting given the dedication of the
windows. |
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Plaques There are various memorial plaques around the Church
dedicated to servants of the Church. A particularly striking example is a
marble tablet surrounded by a gilt mosaic border to the memory of those in
the Parish who fell in the Great War 1914-18. Organ The organ is an early electric model which replaced a
Positive pipe organ given to the Parish by Rev Collett in 1905. It was moved to the nave as part of the
restoration of the chapel. Linda
Brown, 1997 Slight amendments Graham Lewis, 2008, 2009 |
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The Normans, under King Stephen, 1135-1154, built
many churches and following a period of boundary changes the Prior of
Christchurch retained 600 acres on which he built a Roman Catholic chapel
dedicated to St Peter. It was
constructed from half flints and had pointed arch doors, glassless lancet
windows and a north door. The internal walls were of white plaster with
fresco paintings; that is, pigment applied to wet plaster. Some of these
paintings may still be seen in the South Chapel. There was a large crucifix
over the chancel or High Rood and candles were lit for statues dedicated to
Blessed Mary, St John the Baptist, the Holy Cross, St Nicholas and St Peter.
There was initially one aisle, and the chancel, chancel tower and steeple
were added later. A historian writing in 1820 noted that "in
the books of presentation and introduction in the prerogative office in
Canterbury and in several wills of the incumbents of it registered there,
they constantly style themselves Vicars of Bredhurst." The first mention
of a specific Vicar of Bredhurst is in the old records at Canterbury and is
dated approximately 1400. It is written in Latin and reads "Master Adam,
Vicar of Bredhurst was executor of the aforesaid Richard or Thomas or John
Wakehurst." The next reference is to a Parson of Hollingbourne and
Bredhurst, William Leef, a Man of God and also a criminal. On 12 August 1440
Leef was indicted for stealing crops to the value of £12 from Thomas Sprynget
of Sittingbourne after breaking into his property. He had no goods or
chattels which could be held as surety for attendance at court and was
arrested on 15 September 1450 for failing to appear before the magistrates at
Rochester. In 1536 Henry VIII caused the split from the
Church of Rome and the Church of England began its auspicious rise. New forms
of service were used but the orthodox 'Amen' was retained at the end of
prayers and the old Saints' days were still observed. However, the
Reformation caused the closure of many religious institutions and their
possessions were seized by the Crown. This was the time when St Peter's
Church at Bredhurst became Church of England. It was in this climate that it
is rumoured the incumbent of Bredhurst and his parishioners buried the Church
treasure somewhere in the area of the Church and old village. It has never
been found... Bredhurst and Mierscourt were sold to Lord Cheney
and Boxley Abbey was demolished in 1538. John Dobbes, the Abbott of Boxle~.,
became Vicar of St Mary Hoo and one of his monks, William Lorkyng, possibly
became curate at Bredhurst where he died in 1551. Archbishop Parker visited
the Church in 1573 and noted that there had been no sermon there for over a
year! In 1579 the register shows that there was only an average of 1 burial,
1 marriage and 4 baptisms a year. The first and most controversial Vicar of
Bredhurst about whom there is much information is Richard Tray, who was Vicar
of St Mary Hoo, Lidsing and Bredhurst. He became Curate at Bredhurst in 1605
and registers show that eight of his children were baptised there, two of
who, Richard and William, went on to attend Westminster School and
University. He became a considerable landowner in the area of Bredhurst. Tray
preferred Bredhurst to his other livings and in 1635 obtained dispensation to
live in the village "for 5 years and no more" on the grounds that
he claimed St Mary Hoo "is a damp spot near the Thames." In 1640
the parishioners of his other livings presented a petition to the House of
Commons stating that "Richard Tray, living at Boxley, was Rector and
Vicar of St Mary Hoo and also Parson and Vicar of Lidsing, but neither he nor
any other curate had administered sacrament there for the-space of three
years last and upwards, and by the space of 20 weeks together have had
neither sermon nor divine service." They also complained that he
frequently imposed excommunication, often for very trivial reasons. Bredhurst
alone was not mentioned which possibly meant that he had been holding
services here whilst neglecting his other parishes. The registers do, indeed,
show that large numbers of weddings, baptisms and burials had taken place in
the Parish of Bredhurst during that time. A petition was signed complaining
that Tray was guilty of violent and abusive behaviour in that he had
"reviled Matthew Hutsford in Maidstone market" and also that he had
assaulted the Bredhurst Parish Clerk, Moses Long. This accusation was signed,
amongst others, by William Kemsley, Churchwarden 1634-40, when he was
"incapably drunk". Moses Long and John Paine were also persuaded to
sign whilst under the influence of drink in an ale-house. Mr Tray defended
himself against the charge of fighting by stating "the Clerk was drunk
during a service and snored so loudly that he shook him in order to wake him
up!" The records show that "Mr Richard Tray, Vicar of Broadhurst
was buried June 19th, 1655" and also later on July lst, 1659! His wife,
Mary, was also buried with him in Bredhurst. One of his sons, also Richard,
became Rector of Murston, although he still regarded Bredhurst as home and
had several of his children baptised there. The Hearth Tax of 1662 showed
that he lived at Abbotts Court Farm. He and his wife were buried at Bredhurst
-the register states "Mr Richard Tray, Rector of Murston, was buried in
Bredhurst Chancell, October ye 26th, 1664." It is very likely that they
died of a further outbreak of the Plague. According to a later Vicar,
Reverend H.C. Day, " the stone over the grave of Richard Tray was in the
centre of the chancel and was moved [during the Victorian restoration] into
the South Chapel". The tablet is in the north-west corner and can still
be read in part. Hasted described the Church, at the end of the
eighteenth century, as follows "...small mean building consisting of one
aisle, one chancel and a low pointed steeple in which hang two bells;
adjoining it on the south side there is a chapel, now shut out from the
Church, on the pavement of which are two gravestones, which have long since
been robbed of their brasses; and are said to have been placed in memory of
the Kemsleys of Kemsley Street before mentioned, the whole of it now in a
ruinous state, without doors or windows and the pavement is falling into the
vault underneath, and covered with filth and nastiness." He went on to
say that in 1786 there were eight people receiving parish relief and the
books show that Isaac Pemble, buried in the Churchyard, paid Ild in levies at
the rate of 1/3d in £. The Congregationalist Chapel was built in The Street
in 1827. It was at that time that a plea for more money was made on behalf of
St Peter's Church. In 1839 an allowance of £150 was paid to the incumbent. Edward Winch, the brewer, bought most of the Earl
of Aylesford's estate, which included a large part of Bredhurst, in 1861. Rev
C.H. Day, son of the Chatham magistrate Mr T.H. Day was appointed Vicar of
Bredhurst. Rev Day commissioned a new Vicarage in 1863 and it was built by Mr
Stump of Rochester. He was also responsible for the provision of the village
school in 1865 and the restoration and enlargement of St Peter's Church
during 1864-6. These projects were largely subscribed by the Day family and
the first stone of the school was laid by Mr Frank Day of The Vines,
Rochester. There are two accounts of the church prior to its
restoration. One account is that given by Hasted earlier in this history and
the other is given by Hussey in his publication "Churches in Kent"
where he describes it as follows: "On the south side of the Church is a
small chapel of very good early English workmanship. It is separated from the
Church, and the door kept locked, but the windows are open to the birds and
weather. The windows appear not to have been intended to receive glass, but
to have had shutters on the inside." Ewan Christian, a leading Victorian church
architect, was commissioned to "thoroughly restore" the Church.
Gilbert Scott, the famous architect, was said to have gone into a church
restored by Christian and "knelt down and wept." The old St Peter's
had many interesting features which have been lost, no doubt modern
architects would have been more sympathetic and tried to preserve the ancient
flavour. However, it should be remembered that the structure was unsound and
severe measures had to be taken. Ewan Christian's pictures of the interior
and exterior show clearly some of the major changes wrought in the
restoration. The floor level of the chancel was lower than the nave and there
was a stone screen dividing the two areas with a low central archway. Above
the arch was originally a Rood Loft; in the picture (see the Picture Tour)
can be seen the Ten Commandments which were placed there in 1827 and the
Lord's Prayer and the Creed on either side. The prayer-desk and lectern with
Bible were combined with the pulpit on the south side of the Church directly
facing the congregation. Above the pulpit was a large sounding board
suspended by ornamental iron work. There was an old barrel roof with beams
and carved bosses painted in scarlet and gold. Several of these bosses were
preserved and, for a time were displayed at the back of the Church. The pews
shown in the picture were new in 1847 and were made of painted deal. Straw
was put down on the floor by the pews and pulpit to keep the congregation's
feet warm in winter. There is an annual item in the accounts for "12
trusses of straw for the church and 2 trusses of straw for the pulpit".
However, in 1826 Rev John Hodson ordered "matting for pulpit 2/-. "
Eventually a stove was purchased in 1840 and there were no more orders for
straw. At the back of the Church was a choir gallery. Following re-organisation of the choir in 1821,
hynmals were provided for the congregation more of whom were able to read at
that time. The tonic solfa method of sight reading music became popular and
enabled the whole congregation to join the worship. During the restoration the nave was extended by
twenty feet and the whole area was excavated to make a step up to the
chancel. The excavated earth was deposited into the graveyard to produce the
banks. The newly repaired South Chapel was opened up into the main body of
the chancel. Victorian coloured, patterned tiles formed the reredos with
traditional motifs and the inscription "Do this in remembrance of
me" above the altar. The altar stands on a matching tiled plinth. Pitch pine was popular with the Victorians and
was carved and used for the new pulpit, stalls, pews and roof beams. The
barrel roof was replaced by single frame rafters. The earlier prayer-desk,
lectern and pulpit were replaced by an octagonal carved pulpit on a stone
plinth on the north side of the nave. The stained glass windows in the chancel may have
come from another church. All other windows, the font and the lectern were
donated by and, in many cases, dedicated to the Day and Winch families. The old Rood Screen was removed and replaced by
the chancel arch, which gave more prominence to the altar. The original bells, which had been recast in
London in 1864, were re-hung in the new stone bell gable on the chancel roof
and replaced the low pointed steeple. The South Chapel roof was given a steeper
pitch. The valuable, ancient plate was sold in 1867 for
£1.13.6d and was replaced by new communion vessels. The old chalice is now in
Australia or New Zealand and the pewter flagon is at the Maidstone Museum.
The famous Bredhurst paten, which held the communion bread, was found and
restored in 1907. It is made of copper and was originally gilded, and dates
from 1180-1260. It is one of only four known to be in existence and all the
others were found in the graves of bishops or archbishops. The paten is said to be priceless and is
kept at the V&A Museum in their sacred silver collection. If you call before visiting and ask nicely,
they will find it out for you. Rev H.C. Day published a small booklet
"Summary of accounts connected with the building of the new school,
school house and Parsonage; and the restoration and enlargement of the
Church". The whereabouts of this booklet is unknown. The Rev Day made the following comments on
the restoration : "The old Nave had been pulled down, rebuilt, and
enlarged, and the present chancel arch erected in place of a much smaller
one. The chancel was re-roofed, and a bell gable erected. The South Chapel,
all private right to which had been given up, was restored and the arches
opened into the chancel, it having been desecrated for many years. All these works were carried out under the
direction of Ewan Christian Esq. by Mr W.Vaughn and at the sole expense of
T.H. Day Esq. The whole of the seats
in the Church restoration to be free and unappropriated for ever.” In 1905 The Rev Anthony Collett MA, donated a new
Positive Pipe organ to the Church and the Parishioners gave a new organ case. During 1914 the diamonds from the chalice, part
of the Church Plate, went missing. There was a lot of controversy about their
whereabouts, and the finger of suspicion was pointed at a nurse who had
attended Rev. Finch's wife. The nurse,
Miss Marguerite Colls, of Strood, was sentenced to six months hard labour for
larceny but, following a petition to the Home Secretary by Rev Eyre of
Sittingbourne, she was given an early release without a pardon. During World War 1, on 28 September 1917, the
church service was stopped at the Third Collect because of an air raid. Following action in the Great War, a mural
tablet in marble, surrounded by a mosaic gilt border, was erected to the
memory of the men of the Parish who fell. A new electric organ replaced the old pipe organ
in 1989. This history of St Peter's Church was collated
from the following sources : Bramton, Rev. W History of the Abbey Church of
Minster, Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester Evening News, 21 January 1955 Griffith L. A., 1966- A Short History of the
Parish Church and Village of Bredhurst. Hasted, 1786 -History of Kent. Historical Notes on Bredhurst – Author unknown Hufton, G., 1993- Off the Beaten Track Hussey- Churches in Kent. Inventory of Bredhurst Parish Records (see Our Registers) Kelly's Directory -1882, 1899, 1930 Linda Brown, 1997. A fully illustrated history
of the church and village has been published by Suresh Khanna. |
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