Hatchment Appeal

St Leonards, Deal

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Contents

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Background

The project

The Hatchments and other items

• Man O’ War 1705

What is a Hatchment?

What work needs doing?

Descriptions of the Hatchments

Queen Anne Arms

Bulstrode Board

Scripture and benefaction boards

The History of the people commemorated by the Hatchments and

other memorials

The Appeal and project are being run by “The Friends

of St Leonards, Deal” on behalf of the church.

Contact details:

Email: info@stleonardsdeal.co.uk

Website: www.stleonardsdeal.co.uk

Donations should be made payable to:

“St Leonards P.C.C” and can be sent to:

Steve Goodsell

13 Downs Close

East Studdal

CT15 5 BY

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Background

There has been a church on the current site since at least 1180 and

evidence has been found to suggest an earlier building stood on the site during the Saxon period. Although the towns development over

the years has left St Leonards standing on the outskirts, it still

remains the Parish Church for Deal.

As Deal has grown in size, so has the church, leaving the present

building a cocktail of various architectural styles, including many

important features from all periods. It has developed in a manner

which lead one Bishop to call it "The most cockeyed church in Christendom" It is well worth a visit to discover exactly what he

meant!

It is not only the building itself that is of

historic interest. The church also contains many important artefacts from past

generations which are of great local and

national interest because they echo the part

the church has played in Deals history and

also the part Deal played in the proud Naval tradition of Britain. It is evident that over the

years the town and church have been

justifiably proud of their place in the life of

the country and preserved the many

reminders of the importance of Deal.

It was in order to continue this stewardship of our historical

inheritance, that the “Friends of St Leonards” or “FOSL’s” was

established in 2007 with the specific aim of raising funds to help maintain and improve the fabric of the building and also those

items of historic importance it contains. The group is independent

of the church, while of course working closely with it, and its

membership is open to all irrespective their religious beliefs.

Soon after FOSL’s formation, the collection of Hatchments and

other artworks within the church were identified as being of local

and national significance and in need of urgent restoration. To this

end, last year the Friends organised a comprehensive professional

assessment of their condition and now at the request of the church, are organising an appeal to raise the necessary funding to have this

work carried out.

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The Project

The main aim of the project is to conserve the fine collection of art works for future generations to enjoy.

We also want to raise awareness locally and nationally of the

importance of the collection and increase the current knowledge about the people and events commemorated, with emphasis on

how this relates to the story of Deal’s place in our maritime history.

We will achieve this by making the collection and the information

more accessible to the public both during and after the project.

During the fundraising we intend to start achieving this by:

• Holding open days with emphasis on the collection

• Creating a website

• Making maximum contact with the various news media

• Holding talks about the collection • Researching the history of the people and events behind the

objects

• Developing links with local Schools, Colleges and Universities

to enable them to participate in the research and conservation

• Involving the public and local history and art societies in the work

• Starting a record of the project with the aim of producing a

lasting record of the work undertaken.

Once the conservation is underway, we intend to continue with all

the above and also provide the opportunity for people to see the

conservation in progress, by arranging for some of the work to be

carried out in-situ and also organising visits to the restorers studios

wherever possible.

Once the conservation is complete, we intend to produce a

publication which will fully document the collection and its

conservation. Along side this we intend to maintain the website and

continue to hold organised open days to ensure that the work carried out is discovered and appreciated by as many people as

possible.

We would also hope that links made with the local community

during the project will continue to flourish and that together we can move on to record more of the history of the church building itself,

with the aim of eventually producing a comprehensive record of its

history, architectural development and all the artefacts it contains.

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The Hatchments and other items

The collection of sixteen Hatchments in St Leonards is one of the finest in Britain and spans a period between 1673 and 1865 and

contains good examples of the changing fashions in their design

over the years.

We are lucky they have survived - in many churches they have

been removed when repairs to the church were required, never

been replaced and have now disappeared! This is a shame as they

are not only decorative, but also contain much of interest to local

historians, genealogists and those interested in heraldry.

In many cases the paintings directly reflect Deal’s maritime history,

commemorating admirals, captains, deaths at sea and even the

commander of a ship, the Amsterdam, from one of Britain’s great

naval rivals, the Dutch. Ships appear as crests and sailors as supporters, reminding the viewer of the deceased’s naval

connections. The Deal shipyards may also have an indirect link with

these paintings, as some of the panels and canvases may have

been made from off-cuts of sail canvas and wooden planking, cheap

and easily available to local heraldic painters.

The church is also lucky in having many other wall hangings and

panels of note, including early examples of both carved and painted

Royal Arms boards, a large monumental board thought to be unique in its design and a 1705 painting of a Man O’ War

commemorating the Great Storm of 1703 in which thirteen ships on

their way back from the war of Spanish Succession, were wrecked

on the Goodwin Sands and 1200 souls lost.

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What is a Hatchment?

Hatchments came into use in the early 17th century and originated in the Low Countries. They started as a replacement for the

medieval achievement (the carrying of the shield, helm and other

accoutrements) at funerals of knights and other nobles. It was

customary in this country for the hatchment to be carried in front of the funeral procession, hung outside the home during mourning

(usually a year and a day) and then to be placed in the church

where burial had taken place.

The practice was commonplace into early Victorian times but now has become almost obsolete, although some Oxford colleges still

follow the practice. The most recent I am aware of in Kent is that

of Sir Arthur Luxmoore in the church at Bilsington dated 1944. Over

time memorial plaques of similar design were produced and some

would say these were not "genuine" hatchments, but it is not always easy to differentiate between those produced for the funeral

and those some time later purely as memorials.

On the previous page, is a series of illustrations which show how the make up of the arms and the background colour to the

hatchment is of great significance and enables even a casual

observer to tell the marital status of the deceased.

• Single people had only one coat of arms on the hatchment and

the background colour was all black.

• Where a male death, a helm surmounts the arms. For a

female death it is either a ribbon or left unadorned • Where married, both parties arms are shown. Male are always

on the left, and the surviving partners are on a light

background. For the second death the whole background is

again black.

• Where more than one marriage has occurred, previous spouses can be shown in various ways (see1, 2, 3 and 4)

• I believe the example for a Bishop (showing mitre and stole)

to be incorrect, in that the colours of the halves should be

reversed if he is pre-deceasing his wife or both parts should be black if his is the second death.

• The example for the Peer shows the extra adornments by way

of supporting animals and crown that went with rank.

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What work needs doing?

The amount of work required varies between the different items.

Some need only a thorough clean and their fixings renewed. Others

are on the point of no return if nothing is done.

The book Hatchments in Britain vol. 5 by Peter Summers says of the hatchment for Admiral Sir John Harvey and also that for Lady

Sarah Drake, that in 1975 they were almost indecipherable. These

two will be lost forever if action is not taken very soon.

The survey commissioned last year says of Admiral Harvey’s “The support is a very degraded canvas with extensive paint loss exposing

areas of bare canvas, which are very dark, probably as a result of

oxidation over a long period”.

And of Lady Sarah Drake’s “The painting is the most severely damaged hatchment in the church. The support is a very degraded canvas with

extensive paint loss and, massive surface deformation.”

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Some of the boards on which the

paintings have been executed are in

need of attention – The Hatchment for

Scrivens has woodworm (right) as do

several others including that for Poulton (see below) Without treatment eventually

the Boards will crumble and we will have

lost our heritage.

Others of the collection are in need of a

thorough clean and coating with a

protective layer, in order to allow the

beauty of the art work to be properly

appreciated and conserved.

A good example of this it the 1718

Bulstrode Memorial, a very unusual, if

not unique, wooden trompe l’oeil

imitation of a stone wall memorial.

The central text panel imitates

gilded slate, with a fictive stone

surround in grisaille.

The board has five armorial

shields which along with the

text in the centre tell the

history of part of the Bulstrode family.

Investigation regarding

their connection with Deal is

ongoing.

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Descriptions of the Hatchments

The hatchments are listed in the order you will find them if starting from by the west

door under the Pilots Gallery and heading round the church, first heading north.

Numbers 15 and 16 are in the Tower lobby.

1. Captain Thomas Gardner (d. 1699) Description: All black background. Azure a chevron ermine between three griffins' heads erased argent longued gules (Gardner) Crest: A griffin sejant argent langued gules, resting its dexter claw on a book sable garnished or Mantling: Gules and argent Winged skull in base For Captain Thomas Gardner, bur. 2 Jul 1699 (P.R)

2. Elizabeth Baker (d.1799) Description: Sinister background black Sable ermined or a griffin segreant argent, legged, armed and longued or (Baker) In pretence: Azure latticed argent a lion rampant or Crest: From a naval coronet or a cubit mailed arm or holding a trident fessways sable headed argent Mantling: Gules and argent Motto: Manet post funera virtus Elizabeth Baker (nee Bromshall) Buried 5

th Jan 1799

Wife of John Baker (below)

3. Mrs Thomasin Renton (d. 1730) Description: All black background. Azure a chevron argent between three standing bowls or, issuing therefrom three boars' heads palewise argent tusked issuing therefrom three boars' heads palewise argent tusked or langued gules (Bowles). To dexter of main shield. Sable three pheons argent (Nicholls), impaling, Bowles Dexter background black. To sinister of main shield. Argent a lion rampant within a bordure azure (Renton), impaling, Bowles Dexter background block No crest Mantling: Gules and argent Frame: decorated with skulls and crossbones On motto scroll: In Memory of Mrs. Thomasin Renton. For Thomasin Bowles, who m. 1st, George Nichols of Deal, and 2nd, 1710, Alexander Renton, and d.1730 Thomasine Rentone bur I May 1730 (Mar. Lie. P.R.)

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4. Mr. Sampson Wise (d. 1673/4) Description: All brown background. Sable three chevronels ermine (Wise) Crest: A demi-lion argent holding in the dexter paw a mace erect or Mantling: Gules and argent On motto scroll: In Memory of Mr. Sampson Wise For Sampson Wise, who d. 1673/4 Burial Register: Mr Samson Wise gent. bur 26 Jan 1673/4 (P.R.)

5. Mr Henry Gerard (d. 1698) Description: All black background. Argent a saltire gules a label sable for difference (Gerard) Crest: A monkey passant sable langued gules, collared and chained at the waist or Mantling: Gules and argent On motto scroll: In memory of Mr. Henry Gerard who deported this life the 27th of September A° Dom. 1698 In ye 24th Yeore of his age' Frame: Wide black frame decorated with skulls, crossbones and monogram of HG Buriel Register: Hy. Gerard bur 1 Ocf 1698 (P.R.)

6. John Baker Description: All black background. Sable ermined argent a griffin segreant or (Baker) In pretence: Chequy azure and or a lion rampant argent armed and langued gules Crest: As 5, but arm sable and trident gules headed or Mantling: Gules and argent Motto: In coelo quies John Baker Esq.of Deal Buried 22 Jul 1802

7. Captain Thomas Poulton (d.1699) Description: All brown background. Gules a chevron between three molets or (Poulton) Crest: A lion's head erased offronte sable ducally gorged or Mantling: Gules and argent Frame: decorated with skull and crossbones, and inscribed 'In Memory of Capt. Tho: Poulton' and at top and base 16 and 99 For Capt. Thomas Poulton, who d. 1699. Burial Register: Ct. Thos. Poufton bur 22 Jun 1699, Stranger J (P.R.)

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8. Mr George Serocold (d. 1705/6) Description: All brown background. Per chevron argent and sable in chief two fleurs-delys and in base a tower or (Serocold) Crest: A tower or surmounted by a fleur-de-lys argent Mantling: Gules and argent Frame: decorated with skulls and crossbones and date 1705 Burial Register: Geo Sorocold Gent., bur 23 Jan 1705/6 (P.R.)

9. Revd. Henry Gerard (d. 1710) Description: All black background. Argent a saltire gules a crescent sable for difference (Gerard) Crest: A monkey passant sable collared at the waist and chained or Mantling: Gules and argent On motto scroll: 'In memory of Mr. Henry Gerord late Rector of this Parish who deported this life the 2nd day of January in the 65th year of his age. Anno Dom. 1710'. Frame: decorated with skulls, crossbones and hourglasses Burial Register entry: Not in burial register

10. Miss Mary Screven (d. 1687) Description: All black background. Argent gutty gules a lion rampant sable crowned or (Scriven) Helm, but no crest Mantling: Gules and argent On scroll in position of crest: 'In Memory of Mis' Mary Screven who died ye 18th of tune 1687 in ye 18th year of her age' Frame: decorated with skulls and crossbones Burial register: Mis. My. Screven bur 20 Jun 1687 (P.R.)

11. Sir Francis Samuel Drake (d. 1789) Description: All black background. Drake, as 15, impaling. Argent a fess gules between six choughs sable (Onslow) Crest: A sailing ship or, on a terrestrial globe, drawn by golden hawsers, from a hand proper the arm habited gules cuffed argent issuing from clouds proper Mottoes: (above crest) Auxilio divino (below shield) Sic parvis mogna Mantling: Gules and argent For Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1 st and last Bt., who m. 2nd, Miss Onslow, dau. of George Onslow, M.P. andd.s.p. 19 Nov. 1789. (B.E.B.)

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12. Admiral Sir Edward Harvey (d. 1865) Description: All black background. Two oval shields Dexter, within the Order of the Bath and with star pendent below, Harvey, with a molet argent on a molet sable for difference Sinister, within an ornamental wreath, as dexter, impaling, a blank Crest: Two bears' gambs erect erased sable ermined argent holding a crescent or ermined sable Mantling: Gules and argent Motto: Servate fidem cineri Supporters: Two sailors proper in their exterior hands a staff with a flag argent charged with a cross gules, in the dexter canton on anchor azure For Admiral Sir Edward Harvey, G.C.B., who m. Eliza Ann (d. 23 Aug. 1857), only dau. of John Cannon,and d. 4 May 1865. (Ml)

13. Captain George Pomeroy (d. 1690) Description: All black background. Or a lion rampant gules within a bordure engrailed sable (Pomeroy), impaling. Argent three roundels and a chief gules (Beesley) Crest: A demi-lion gules in its dexter paw a bezant Mantling: Gules and argent On brood scroll below shield: 'Here lieth the body of Capt. George Pomeroy, son of Capt. Wm Pomeroy of the West late Commander of their Majesties Ship the Rupert who received his mortal wound against the French off Beachy and departed this life the 25th day of July 1690 in ye 39th year of his age leaveing his wife and 3 children behind him.' Frame: decorated with skull and crossbones

14. Admiral Sir John Harvey (d. 1837) Description: Dexter background black. Two oval shields Dexter, within the Order of the Bath, Argent on a chevron embattled gules between three bears' gambs erect erased sable ermined argent three crescents or ermined sable (Harvey) Sinister, Harvey, impaling. Gules a chevron between three boors' heads couped or (Bradley) Crest: Two bears' gambs erect erased sable ermined argent holding a crescent or ermined sable Mantling: Gules and argent Motto: Servate fidem cineri For Admiral Sir John Harvey, K.C.B., Admiral of the Blue, who m. 1797, Elizabeth, dau. of William Wyborn Brodley, of Sandwich, and d. 17 Feb. 1837. (MI)

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15. Captain Matheus Steyn (d. 1695/6) Description: All brown background. Or a chevron sable between three geese sable, beaked and legged gules () Crest (on a barred affronte helm); A goose as in the arms rising Mantling: Sable and or A small hatchment in Dutch style, with a wide frame inscribed Obit XX Martii at top and Anno MDCLXXXXVI at base, and a narrow eave on the upper edges of the frame. For Matheus Steijn of Haarlem, Navy of the United Netherlands, who commanded the Damiaten at Brest in 1694, was Captain of the (64-gun) Amsterdam in 1696, died 10 Mar 1695/6 (Gregorian 20 Mar 1696) and was buried at Deal 13 Mar 1695/6. (P.R., Rietstap; de Jonge)

16. Lady Sarah Drake (d. 1787) Description: Sinister background black. Sable a fess wavy between two estoiles of six points argent a molet or for difference, the Bodge of Ulster (Drake), impaling, vert a chevron ermine between three griffins' heads erased or (?Hayman) Motto: Sic parvis magna Two cherubs' heads above shield

Presumably for Sarah Hayman (Elizabeth Hayman in B.E.B.),

who married as his 1st wife, Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st and last Bt., and died 3 Feb 1786 aged 57; buried as "Lady Sarah Drake" 12 Feb 1786.

(B.E.B.; Drake biography; P.R.; M.I. in churchyard; Bank of England Will Extract Bk 6 No.2984)

The Queen Anne Arms

After the Restoration in 1660 the Royal Arms were ordered to be placed in all churches. On the wall above the extended arch to the

nave, is a board showing the coat of arms of Queen Anne, this is

best seen from the Georgian gallery in

the north aisle of the

church.

As you can see from

the picture to the

right, this board is in

great need of cleaning

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The Bulstrode board

This Board is possibly unique in its design, certainly none of the

experts we have consulted so far have knowledge of similar.

It is one of the most interesting paintings in the church and is

extremely unusual, being a trompe

l’oeil imitation of a stone wall

memorial. The central text panel

imitates gilded slate, with a fictive stone surround in grisaille. The

armorial five shields are fully

polychromed and gilded as one would

expect to find on a real stone

monument. It commemorates Edward Bulstrode

who died in 1717. It is not known why

a man from a family who were strongly

connected with Gloucestershire and Warwickshire should end up buried in

Deal (except that he may be related by Marriage to Captain Thomas

Gardner whose Hatchment hangs in the church) but as part of our

project we are investigating the lives of all those commemorated

and so it is hoped that we may soon find out.

Shown to the left is the Shield for Edwards marriage to Mary Gardner,

which shows her arms to be that of the

same Gardner family as Captain Thomas

Gardner whose hatchment hangs in the

church.

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Detail of the grisaille

Text on the memorial

In a vault under the Altar, lieth the Body of

Edward Bulstrode, late of Tewkesbury, in Com. Gloucest. Esq;

Whose wife Mary (Sister to George Gardner, of Evesham, in

Com. Wigorn. Esq.) deceasing before him, is Interr’d in ye Church

there

He died xxvii Decemb. MDCCXVII, aged LXVII Years, and was

The Eldest Son of Sir Richard Bulstrode, Knt. (who serv’d Their

Majesties K. Charles II. and K. James II. Near XX Years, in the

Several Qualities of Agent.Resident and Envoy Extraordinary,

At the Court of Bruxells) by Joice, his Wife (Sister to Sir

Edward Dineley of Charlton, likewise in the said County

Of Worcester, Knight, who died without Issue Male) and

Grandson of Edward Bulstrode, of Soley End, near Astley, in Com.

Warwicks also of The Inner Temple, London Esq; Sometime Chief-

Justice of North-Wales, by Margaret his Wife (Daughter to

Richard Chamberlain, of Astley, Aforementioned, Esq; by

Elizabeth, his Wife, Sister to Sir Walter Harcourt, of

Stanton-Harcourt, in Com. Oxon. Kt Ancest.r to ye Lord Harcourt.)

And Great-Grandson of Edward Bulstrode, of Bulstrode, in Com.

Buck. Esq; (by Cecily, his Wife, Sister to Sir John Croke, of

Chilton, in the same County, Kt. Speaker of the Hon.ble

House of

Comons, Recorder of London, and One of the Judges of ye Court

Of Kings Bench) Lineal Heir of Robert de Bulstrode, who liv’d

At his Manor of Bulstrode, near Gerrards Cross, XXX Hen.III.

AD MCCXLVI

Detail showing the

Crest and motto at the

top of the memorial

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Scripture and benefaction boards

As well as the items already pictured, the church’s collection contains a number of other painted boards bearing scripture

verses, records of various stages of the buildings development and

the churches role in providing alms for the poor of the parish.

These too have historic, social and particularly in the case of the scripture boards artistic merit and so are included in the project.

One of five scripture boards and a detail of a small cleaning test

carried out on another in much poorer condition.

Dated 1736 Dated 1730

Two benefaction boards which carry details of sums of money to be applied to provide bread for

various inhabitants of the parish on special days of the year and for payment to the Curate of Deal

Chapel, on him preaching a sermon and administering the sacrament on Good Friday – if he refused

to do so, this money was to be used for the provision of bread also.

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History of the people

As part of the project, we aim to confirm the identities of the

people commemorated by the various Hatchments and memorials

and also research into their lives.

We are grateful to those who have started this work before us and

in particular to Dr A C E Gray who has done much to confirm or

correct earlier opinions. It has given us a good starting point to

continue our research from. This work is being led by Sue Buckman

who is a committee member of the Friends who only recently was able to confirm the identity of the female commemorated by the

second Drake Hatchment (No. 16) as being Lady Sarah Drake.

Results to date:

We now believe we have properly identified all the hatchments, filling in or correcting the attributions given in Peter Summers

Hatchments in Britain Vol. 5

Currently our efforts to discover more about the lives of those commemorated are being concentrated on the Drake hatchments

and the Bulstrode Memorial.