Canterbury - St. Alphage

Canterbury - St. Alphage is, ecclesiastically, in the diocese of Canterbury, in the archdeaconry of Canterbury and in the deanery of Canterbury.  The church is named for St. Alphage with Bishops' Transcripts commencing 1569.¹

St. Alphage's church, in Palace Street, is of considerable antiquity; consists of two aisles and two chancels, with a square tower; and has some curious epitaphs.¹

The living is a rectory of St. Alphage, Value of St. Alphage, £150 with a habitable glebe house. Patron of St. Alphege, the Archbishop of Canterbury.¹

This church was later united with the church and living of St. Mary Northgate.²

St. Alphage church is situated in the north part of the city, on the west side of Palace-street; it is a large handsome building, consisting of two isles and two chancels, having a square tower steeple at the west end of the north isle, in which are three bells.²

Thomas Prowde, of this parish, died anno 1468, and by his Will gave one pair of organs, to the use of this church.²

By the return of the king's commissioners, anno 2 Edward VI it appears, that there were lands given by Isabell Fowle, by her Will, for a priest to celebrate masse within this church; also for one torch yearly to serve the high altar for ever. That there was lamp-rent likewise given by John Sellowe, for one lamp, to burn yearly before the image of St. John the Evangelist, within this church for ever.²

This church, which is a rectory, is exempted from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon. It has been from early times part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury, and still remains so, being at this time, with the vicarage or church of St. Mary Northgate, united to it in 1681, of the patronage of his grace the archbishop.²

The church of St. Alphage is valued in the king's books at £8 13s. 4d. and the yearly tenths at 17s. 4d. the church of Northgate having been united to it since, being valued separate from it. [Bacon's Liber Regis, p. 26.] In 1588 it was valued at £30. Communicants 120. In 1640 it was valued at £40. Communicants the like number.²

The parsonage-house, which adjoins to the church and church-yard southward, has had two good benefactors, in Mr. Herbert Taylor [Herbert Taylor, A. M. inducted August 1, 1726, resigned 1753], formerly rector of this church, and Mr. Hearn [George Hearn, clerk, collated May 1, 1761], the present rector.²

There are two terriers of this rectory, the one dated anno 1637, the other April 27, 1747, in the registry of the Consistory Court of Canterbury.²

PATRONS (Or by whom presented.) & RECTORS

• Robert Islep, in 1405. He is mentioned as a feoffee of Amabilia Gobion, in a deed in the Surrenden library.
• John Lovelych, LL. B. obt. Sept. 6, 1438. [Taken from the register of the archbishop's consistory court, and lies buried in the chancel.]
• John Piers, in 1461. His gravestone, in the chancel, is very ancient, but without date; but he is mentioned in a Will in the Prerogative office in 1461.
• John Elys, in 1467. He and his successors, including Jordan, are mentioned in different Wills in the Prerogative office at Canterbury.
• The Archbishop. Robert Elys, in 1476.
• Robert Proveste, obt. Jan. 22, 1487. He lies buried in this church in the choir of it, as ordered by his Will, and devised by it to his pytt making, 3s. 4d.
• John Cussham, in 1490.
• John Parmenter, in 1501. He was commissary of Canterbury, and rector of Adisham, and lies buried in the chancel here.
• Thomas Davyes, in 1518, obt. 1540. He was buried in this church, before the image of St. Elphe, in the choir. His will is in Prerogative office, Canterbury.
• Umphrey Jordan, in 1540 and 1549. [See Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. Ioc.]
• John Atkins, obt. Feb. 1580 and buried in the chancel.
• John Alderston, inducted March 1580.
• Joshua Hutton, in 1594, resigned 1596.
• John Sheppard, inducted 1597, resigned 1599.
• David Platt, A. M. inducted Oct. 1599, obt. Sept. 1642.
• Richard Pickis, obt. January, 1660. He was, as well as his successor, buried in the chancel of this church. His will is in Prerogative court, Canterbury.
• Edward Fellow, A. M. inducted June 1661, obt. 1663.
• John Stockar, A. M., a native of Switzerland, was inducted September 24, 1663, obit. 1709.²

During John Stockar's time this church appears to have been united to that of St. Mary Northgate, so that he died rector of both churches, and his successors have since been rectors of this and vicars of Northgate.²

PATRONS & RECTORS

Thomas Wise, S.T. P. inducted April, 1709, obt. July 24, 1726. He was vicar likewise of Bekesborne, and one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, and a prebendary of Lichfield. He was buried in this church.²

Herbert Taylor, A. M. inducted August 1, 1726, resigned 1753. He resigned these churches on being inducted to the vicarage of Bridge, with Patrixborne, in 1753, of which he was patron.²

John Airson, A. M. 1753, resig. 1761. He was one of the minor canons of Canterbury cathedral. He resigned these churches for thoase of St. Martin and St. Paul.²

George Hearn, clerk, one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, was collated May 1, 1761, the present rector.²

¹ John Marius Wilson, comp.  The Imperial Gazatteer of England and Wales. (London, England: A. Fullerton & Co., 1870).

² Edward Hasted, Canterbury: The churches within the city and suburbs, in The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 11 (Canterbury, 1800), pp. 209-288 https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol11/pp209-288.

Canterbury - St. Alphage Bibliography

-- various. 'Archaeologia Cantiana'. Publisher: Kent, England: Kent Archaeological Society, various dates.  [Note:  The following volumes can be found on archive.org:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (1876), 11, 12, 13 (1880), 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 34, 35, vol. 1907 supplement.]

• General references to Canterbury - St. Alphage: vol. , pp.
• Currently in revision

Great Britain, Public Record Office. 'Calendar of the patent rolls preserved in the Public Record Office--Edward II, Vol. 1. 1307-1313'Each volume has own index. Publisher: Genealogical Society of Utah d.b.a Historical Books on FamilySearch; http://www.familysearch.org.

Great Britain, Public Record Office. 'Inquisitions and assessments relating to feudal aids : with other analogous documents preserved in the Public Record Office, A. D. 1284-1431', Vol. 3. Publisher: Genealogical Society of Utah d.b.a Historical Books on FamilySearch; http://www.familysearch.org.

Great Britain, Exchequer. 'The book of fees commonly called testa de nevill, pt. 3'. The Book of fees contains information about the holdings of feudal tenants. Publisher: Genealogical Society of Utah d.b.a Historical Books on FamilySearch; http://www.familysearch.org.

Hall, Hubert, 1857-1944. 'The Red book of the Exchequer - Liber rubeus de Scaccario, Vol. 3'. The Red book of the Exchequer was a register intended to preserve important documents comprising charters, statutes of the realm, public acts (Placita), private deeds and ordinances, correspondence. Publisher: Genealogical Society of Utah d.b.a Historical Books on FamilySearch; http://www.familysearch.org.

Glencross, Reginald Morshead. 'Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Vol. 1. 1559-1571'. Publisher: Genealogical Society of Utah d.b.a Historical Books on FamilySearch; http://www.familysearch.org.

Hasted, Edward. 'The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent; Containing the antient and present state of it, civil and ecclesiastical; collected from public records, and other authorities: illustrated with maps, views, antiquities, etc. The second edition, improved, corrected, and continued to the present time'. 12 volumes. Publisher: Canterbury: Printed by W. Bristow, 1797-1801. URL: British History Online

Hussey, Arthur. 'Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, mentioned in Domesday book, and those of more recent date'. Publisher: London J.R. Smith,(1852).

Letters, Dr. Samantha. 'Kent', Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 (2005).  URL: British History Online.

Page, William, 1861-1934, ed.. 'The Victoria history of the county of Kent'. Publisher: London: Constable (1908).  URL: British History Online

Sharp, J. E. E. S., ed.. 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward I, File 39', Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume 2: Edward I. Published:(1906), pp. 315-323.  URL: British History Online.

Sharp, J. E. E. S., ed.. 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry III, File 45', Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem, Volume 1: Henry III. Published:(1904), pp. 296-302.  URL: British History Online.

Location of Records

The following list of records is not intended to be exhaustive.  There are many records that are awaiting discovery in archive offices throughout Kent and England.  This list is intended only to set out those records that are available via at least two relatively easy-to-access avenues.  If you have used or discover a record that would be of benefit to other researchers, that is not on this list, please send me an email with the details of the archive - name, address and archival call number.

Census | Church of England | Non-Conformist | Parish chest | Workhouse and Poor Law | Land | Assizes and Sessions | School

Census

Church Records, Church of England

Church Records, Non-Conformist

Parish chest records

Workhouse and Poor Law Records

Land Records

Assizes and Sessions Records
(poor laws, jail terms, oaths, and other municipal and public records)

School Records