The former of these monument's, which, from its situation in the part supposed to have been the choir, was adjudged to be that of the founder, was again buried by order of Sir John Hippesley, who planted a bay tree on the spot: and soon afterwards, sold both Manors to Sir Thomas Gainsford, of Crowherst, in Surrey, who again disposed of them to Hawes, Gent. of Lon don. He dying without issue, bequeathed these estates to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, to which they still belong. The site of the Abbey, and its surrounding demesne, is now tenanted as a farm; but not any part of the buildings, except outer walls, are standing; and they present nothing to interest. The bay tree, which Dr. Stukeley (who visited this Abbey in 1753, and published the result of his observations in the Archæologiat) describes as the finest of the kind he had ever seen,' and Hasted represents as wholly withered and decayed,' is now very flourishing: the whole area of the buildings is converted into a garden and orchard. The farm-house which stands at a little distance northward, seems to have been built with materials from the ruins: Stukeley was evidently mistaken in representing it as the mansion of the founder, and his successors, the Priors.' The immediate contiguity of the marshes renders this spot much subject to agues. The ancient stocks of Chesnut in the Abbey wood, countenance the opinion that this tree was indigenous in Britain. BELVIDERE, the seat of Sampson Gideon, Lord Eardley, occupies a very beautiful situation, about one mile from the River Thames, and nearly the same distance between Lesnes Abbey and Erith. The grounds, though small, are agreeably diversified, and well wooded: and on the east side is a flourishing plantation. George Hayley, Esq. who erected the first mansiou on this estate, sold it to Calvert, Lord Baltimore, who died here in 1751: his devisee again sold it to Sampson Gideon, Esq. whose son, the present owner, was created a Baronet in 1759, and advanced to the Irish Peerage, by Patent, in June, 1790. The improvements Hasted's Kent, Vol. II. p. 255, 8vo. Edit. + Vol. I. p. 44, with a Plate of the north wall. which which his father had begun, have been completed by this Noble man, who, about thirty years ago, re-built, and greatly enlarged, the House, which is a spacious edifice of brick, standing on the brow of an eminence declining rapidly to the north; and commanding some very rich prospects of the River Thames, and into the opposite parts of Essex. From the continual passage of the shipping, the scenery is, indeed, uncommonly animated; and not a sail can navigate the contiguous stream, but must pass in full view of this building. The interior is tastefully ornamented; and the collection of pictures evince a very judicious choice: among them is a view of Venice, and its companion, with the ceremony of the Doge marrying the Sea, by Canaletti; the Alchemist, Teniers; SIR JOHN GAGE, Holbein; Noah's Ark, Brueghel; St. Catherine, Leonardo da Vinca; the Dutch Admiral, VAN TROMP, F. Hals; Rembrandt painting an Old Woman, Rembrandt; a Courtezan, and her gallant, Georgione; the Golden Age, Brueghel; SNYDERS, with his Wife and Child, Rubens; Marriage in Cana, P. Veronese; the Genealogy of Christ, Albert Durer; the Conception, and the Flight into Egypt, Murillo; Christ and the Doctors, Luca Giordano; a Landscape, Claude; and three Landscapes, by Poussin. ERITH is a small village, on the banks of the Thames, lying open to the upper part of Long-Reach, where the East Indiamen, in their passage up the river, generally discharge a part of their cargoes; a circumstance that occasions this place to be much frequented. Lambard supposes its name to be derived from the Saxon Erre-hythe, the old Haven; but in ancient records it is written * Peramb. of Kent, p. 343. "For plaine example," says Lambard, that oure elders before the Conquest, had their trialles for title of land, and other controuersies, in each shire, before a Judge, then called Alderman, or Shyreman, of whom there is very frequent mention in the lawes of our ancestours the Saxons, the whiche some yeares since were collected and published in one volume; and for assured proofe also, that in those dayes they vsed to proceede in such causes, by the oathes of many persons, (testifying their opinion of his credit, that was the first swearer, or partie,) after the manner of our daily experience, written Hliesnes; and in the Domesday Book, Loisnes; an appellation that, softened into Lesnes, was afterwards exclusively attached to the demesne of Lesnes Abbey. At the time of the Domesday Survey, this Manor belonged to Odo, Bishop of Baieux; but after his fall, it reverted to the Crown. In the reign of Henry the Second, Richard de Lucy, Justiciary of England, was owner; and after the death of his son and grandson, it became the property of Roisie, his second daughter, married to Fulbert de Dover. Roisie, her grand-daughter, married as in the oath yet in vse, and also called commonly Wager of Lawe, is to be seen; I have made choice of one hystorie, conteining, briefly, the narration of a thing done at this place, by Dunstane, the Archbishop of Canterbury, almost a hundreth yeares before the coming of King William the Conquerour. "A rich man, (saith the text of Rochester,) anno 970, being owner of Cray, Earithe, Ainesford, and Woldham, and hauing none issue of his body, deuised the same lands (by his last wil, made in the presence of Dunstane, and others) to a kinswoman of his owne, for life, the remainder of the one halfe thereof, after her death, to Christes Church at Canterbury, and of the other halfe to Saint Androwes of Rochester, for euer: he died, and his wife toke one Leofsun to husband, (who ouerliuing her,) reteined the land as his owne, notwithstanding that by the fourme of the deuise, his interest was determined by the deathe of his wife: hereupon complaint came to one Wulsie, for that time the Scyreman, or Judge of the countie, (as the same booke interpreteth it,) before whome, bothe Dunstane, the Archebishop, the parties them selues, sundrie other Bishops, and a great multitude of the lay people, appeared, all by appointment, at Eareth: and there in the presence of their whole assembly, Dunstane (taking a cross in his hand) made a corporal oath upon the booke of the Ecclesiastical Lawes, unto the Shyreman, (which then tooke it to the King's vse, because Leofsun himself refused to receaue it,) and affirmed that the righte of these landes was to Christes Church, and to Saint Androwes. "For ratification and credit of which his othe, a thousand other persons (chosen out of East and West Kent, Eastsex, Midlesex, and Sussex) tooke their oathes also, vpon the crosse, after him. And thus, by this manner of iudgement, Christes Churche, and Saint Androwes were brought into possession, and Leofsun utterly rejected for euer." |