All Saints Church, Maidstone
Encyclopedia
All Saints is a parish church in Maidstone
, Kent
. It is a Grade I listed building, and is described as the grandest Perpendicular style church in Kent.
William Courtenay
in 1395 as part of a new College of All Saints
, the church replaced an earlier one on the site dedicated to St Mary. Courtenay died in 1396 and the church and college were completed by his successor, Thomas Arundel
, between 1396 and 1398. Richard II
endowed the college with land and income from the Hospital of St Peter and St Paul in Maidstone and from the parishes of Linton
, Farleigh
, Sutton
and Crundale
. The college was also granted the advowson
s for the parishes. To cover the cost of building the college, Courtenay obtained a bull
to levy a charge of fourpence in the pound on all ecclesiastical revenue raised in his archbishop
ric.
When the college was closed in 1546 following the passing of the Chantries Act, its annual income was valued at £208 6s 2d
(£ as of ). The church and the college were separated. The church became the parish church for the whole of Maidstone and the college's estate was granted to George Brooke, Baron Cobham
but was forfeited to the crown in 1603 when his grandson, Henry Brooke, the 11th Baron Cobham
, was charged with high treason
for his part in the Main Plot
against James I
. In the reign of Charles I
the college became the property of Sir Edward Henden and later passed into the family of the Earls of Romney
.
with the River Medway
to the west, the remnants of the college, including its gateway, to the south, the Archbishop's Palace
to the north-west and the palace's tithe barn
to the north-east. The medieval wall on the north and west sides of the churchyard and the Monckton War Memorial in the churchyard are both separately listed as Grade II structures.
The church is built of rag-stone
in the Perpendicular style with buttress
ed walls and a crenellated parapet. The tower is on the south-west corner and is 78 feet (23.8 m) tall. It formerly had a spire
, which was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1730. It has a nave
six bays long with aisle
s on the north and south sides with a clerestory
running the length of the church. On the south side is a chapel
originally for the use of the Fraternity of Corpus Christi, a local lay community. The Credence
and four-seated Sedilla incorporate a monument to the first master of the college, John Wotton (died 1417). Further monuments exist to Archbishop Courtenay, Lawrence Washington (died 1619), John Davy (died 1631) and a combined memorial to John Astley
(died c. 1595), his son Sir John Astley (died 1639) and their wives. Burials in the church include the Astleys, Washington and the three Barons Astley of Reading
. In the churchyard is the tomb of William Shipley
, founder of the Royal Society of Arts
.
The font
is early 17th century and the choir stalls feature medieval misericord
s. The timber roof was replaced in 1886 to designs by John Loughborough Pearson
. Pearson also designed screens and the reredos
. The church tower has a ring of bells
consisting of ten bells ranging from a treble of to a tenor of . The bells are regularly rung by the church's bell ringing
society. The church clock was manufactured in 1899 by Gillett & Johnston
and refurbished in 2007. It strikes the quarters and hours using Westminster chimes.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It is a Grade I listed building, and is described as the grandest Perpendicular style church in Kent.
Establishment and dissolution
Founded by Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
William Courtenay
William Courtenay
William Courtenay , English prelate, was Archbishop of Canterbury, having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London.-Life:...
in 1395 as part of a new College of All Saints
College of All Saints, Maidstone
The College of All Saints was an ecclesiastical college in Maidstone, Kent founded in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay. It was part of the establishment of the nearby Archbishop's Palace, but was closed in 1546. The College church was the neighbouring Church of All Saints...
, the church replaced an earlier one on the site dedicated to St Mary. Courtenay died in 1396 and the church and college were completed by his successor, Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.-Family background:...
, between 1396 and 1398. Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
endowed the college with land and income from the Hospital of St Peter and St Paul in Maidstone and from the parishes of Linton
Linton, Kent
Linton is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the southward slope of the Greensand ridge, south of Maidstone on the A229 Hastings road....
, Farleigh
West Farleigh
West Farleigh is a village and civil parish four miles southwest of Maidstone in the county of Kent. The parish has a population of approximately 450, and is bounded by the civil parishes of East Farleigh, Hunton, Yalding, and over the River Medway by Wateringbury, Teston and Barming. The village...
, Sutton
Sutton, Kent
Sutton is a village near Dover in Kent, England....
and Crundale
Crundale, Kent
Crundale is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent in southeast England. The village is located on the North Downs, about halfway between Ashford and Canterbury....
. The college was also granted the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
s for the parishes. To cover the cost of building the college, Courtenay obtained a bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
to levy a charge of fourpence in the pound on all ecclesiastical revenue raised in his archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
ric.
When the college was closed in 1546 following the passing of the Chantries Act, its annual income was valued at £208 6s 2d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
(£ as of ). The church and the college were separated. The church became the parish church for the whole of Maidstone and the college's estate was granted to George Brooke, Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham was an aristocrat during the early Tudor dynasty in England. A soldier and magnate, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of Henry VIII....
but was forfeited to the crown in 1603 when his grandson, Henry Brooke, the 11th Baron Cobham
Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham
Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham was an English peer who was implicated in the Main Plot against the rule of James I of England.- Life :...
, was charged with high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
for his part in the Main Plot
Main Plot
The Main Plot was an alleged conspiracy of July 1603 by English courtiers, to remove King James I from the English throne, replacing him with his cousin Arabella Stuart. The plot was supposedly led by Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham, and funded by Spain...
against James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. In the reign of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
the college became the property of Sir Edward Henden and later passed into the family of the Earls of Romney
Earl of Romney
Earl of Romney is a title that has been created twice. It was first created in the Peerage of England in 1694 in favour of the soldier and politician Henry Sydney. He had been made Baron Milton and Viscount Sidney at the same time in 1689. Sydney was the younger son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of...
.
The building
The church sits in a small churchyardChurchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
with the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
to the west, the remnants of the college, including its gateway, to the south, the Archbishop's Palace
Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone
The Archbishop's Palace is an historic 14th-century and 16th-century building on the east bank of the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. Originally a home from home for travelling Archbishops from Canterbury, the building is today principally used as a venue for wedding services...
to the north-west and the palace's tithe barn
Tithe Barn, Maidstone
The Tithe Barn in Maidstone, Kent is a large two-storey stone building on the east side of Mill Street. It was constructed in the 14th century as a tithe barn for the nearby Archbishop's Palace and was later used as the palace's stables. The barn is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument...
to the north-east. The medieval wall on the north and west sides of the churchyard and the Monckton War Memorial in the churchyard are both separately listed as Grade II structures.
The church is built of rag-stone
Rag-stone
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones which are quarried in thin pieces, such as the Horsham sandstone, Yorkshire stone, the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, near London, is meant an excellent material from the...
in the Perpendicular style with buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
ed walls and a crenellated parapet. The tower is on the south-west corner and is 78 feet (23.8 m) tall. It formerly had a spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
, which was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1730. It has a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
six bays long with aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s on the north and south sides with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
running the length of the church. On the south side is a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
originally for the use of the Fraternity of Corpus Christi, a local lay community. The Credence
Credence table
A Credence table is a small side table in the sanctuary of a Christian church which is used in the celebration of the Eucharist. Etymology: from latin credens, -entis, believer)....
and four-seated Sedilla incorporate a monument to the first master of the college, John Wotton (died 1417). Further monuments exist to Archbishop Courtenay, Lawrence Washington (died 1619), John Davy (died 1631) and a combined memorial to John Astley
John Astley (courtier)
John Astley was an English courtier, Marian exile, and Master of the Jewel House. He was a Member of Parliament on many occasions.-Life:...
(died c. 1595), his son Sir John Astley (died 1639) and their wives. Burials in the church include the Astleys, Washington and the three Barons Astley of Reading
Baron Astley of Reading
Baron Astley of Reading, in the County of Berkshire, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1644 for the Royalist soldier Sir Jacob Astley. He was a descendant of Ralph Astley , brother of Andrew de Astley, ancestor of the Barons Astley...
. In the churchyard is the tomb of William Shipley
William Shipley
William Shipley was an English drawing master, social reformer and inventor who, in 1754, founded an arts society in London that became The Royal Society of Arts, or Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce, .-Early years, training and career:Shipley was born in...
, founder of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.
The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is early 17th century and the choir stalls feature medieval misericord
Misericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s. The timber roof was replaced in 1886 to designs by John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
. Pearson also designed screens and the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
. The church tower has a ring of bells
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consisting of ten bells ranging from a treble of to a tenor of . The bells are regularly rung by the church's bell ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
society. The church clock was manufactured in 1899 by Gillett & Johnston
Gillett & Johnston
Gillett and Johnston is a clock and formerly bell manufacturing business in Croydon, England.-History:William Gillett started a clock making business on Union Road in Croydon, England in 1844. Charles Bland became a partner in 1854 and the company became known as Gillet and Bland. In 1877, Arthur...
and refurbished in 2007. It strikes the quarters and hours using Westminster chimes.
External links
- Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, Maidstone: All Saints Image of the medieval stained glass window in Vestry.