Kent white horse symbol - 9251 Bytes gbflagpolemd.gif - 63006 Bytes

Kent Online Parish Clerks


white cliffs of Dover
Do you have a photograph of the church that you would like to see posted here?  Email me.

Memorials inside Canterbury St. Alphage's Church, Kent, England

William Somner, historian and native of Canterbury in his work titled Canterbury, published in 1640, mentions the following burial inscriptions, on brass, in old English letters, in St. Alphage's church, all long since destroyed: viz.

In the Chancel

John Piers, rector.

John Parmenter, rector, commissary of Canterbury likewise, and rector of Adisham, obt. 1501.

Robert Provest, rector, obl. 1487.

John Lovelych, B. L. rector and likewise register of the archbishop's consistory at Canterbury, obt. 1438.

Richard Stuppeny, B. L. L. proctor, obt. 1596.


In the South Chancel

Henry Gosborne, gent. of St. Alphage, alderman, and four times mayor of this city, in the chapel of our Lady, obt. 1522. He had two wives, by whom he had 25 children; he by his Will gave 20 marcs, (a large legacy in those days) towards repairing the city walls. On his stone these two shields, Sable, a fess, gules, between three swans, argent; and Vert, as saltier, argent, a chief, ermine.

Robert Gosborne, rector of Penshurst, his brother, obt. 1523.

Richard Engham, of Great Chart, obt. 1568.


In the Middle Aisle

John Caxton, and Joane and Isabel his wives; he was a benefactor to this church, and died in 1485.

On the second pillar from the west end, on a brass plate, the only one now remaining of those mentioned by Somner, Gaude Prude Thoma, per quem fit ista Columpna, with his coat of arms. He lived in King Edward IVth.'s days, and by his Will appointed to be buried by Christ-church porch, and gave by it as much as would build a pillar in this church, and five marcs to the works of Christ-church, anno 1468.


In the West Window

Figures of Edmund Staplegate and Eleanor at Pytte, his wife, in coloured glass, and underneath, Orate p. aibus, Edmdi Staplegate, and Elenora at Pytte, uxoris ejus. This man, who took his name from his habitation at Staplegate, adjoining to this parish, was in King Edward III's days, several times one of the bailiffs of this city.

There were formerly many coats of arms in the windows of the church, most of which have been long since destroyed.

The following monuments and gravestones are among others in this church at this time [ca 1796]:

A memorial near the altar-rails for Thomas Wife, S. T. P. descended of a genteel family in Oxfordshire, incumbent of this parish and of Beakesborne, a six preacher of this cathedral, and a prebendary of that of Lincoln; he died in 1726; arms, Three chevronels.

Another next the last, for Brodnax Brandon, gent. eldest son of William Brandon, late of Portsmouth, by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir William Broadnax, of Godmersham, obt. 1733; arms, Barry of ten, over all a lion rampant, ducally crowned; impaling a cross fleure.

An inscription on a brass plate for John Mainwaring, Esq. of an ancient and noble family of that name, of Pyvor, in Cheshire, ob. 1621. An inscription on the same stone, inscribed the reverse way, for Elizabeth, daughter of William Maundy, M. D. formerly of this city, obt. 1776.


In the North Aisle

Memorials for several of the Knowlers.

A mural tablet for Samuel Vassal, Esq. son of Colonel John Vassal, obt. 1714; arms, Azure, a sun in chief, a vase in base, or.

A memorial for Peter Peters, of the dislolved Dominican monastery, near this parish, M. D. the eldest son of John Peters, M. D. of the same place, obt. 1697. Under the same stone lies buried Elizabeth his wife, obt. 1722; arms, Peters, or, three roses, gules; on an escutcheon of pretence, Stoning, argent, on a chevron, gules, three martlets, between three hurts, each charged with a fleur de lis, or. Another for Anne, eldest daughter of Peter Peters, M. D. obt. 1712. One for Michael Peters, gent. obt. 1754.

On a hatchment at the north-east corner, an inscription for John Stockar, rector almost 46 years, obt. 1708.

On another at the south side of the north isle, arms, Bix, on an escutcheon of pretence, Gules, a chevron, or; and an inscription for Mr. Thomas Bix, of Bishopsgate, London, buried here near his grandfather and grandmother, obt. 1697.

On another against the north wall, arms, Simpson, impaling vert, a chevron, between three rams passant, or, for Roger Simpson, Gent. obt. 1656. Mary his wife, obt. 1648.

A memorial for William Crayford, Esq. formerly recorder, obt. 1733. For Susanna, widow of William Crayford, esq. obt. 1775. Several other memorial for the family of Crayford, both on gravestones and hatchments.

A memorial for George Hammond, Gent. obt. 1761; also Mary his widow, obt. 1782; likewise Mary their daughter, obt. 1788; and for Thomas Hammond, Gent. (attorney and several years chamberlain of this city) their son, obt. 1791.

A memorial in the north isle, for the Rev. Mr. Le Suer, minister to a French episcopal chapel in this city, obt. 1746; also for Margaret his wife, obt. 1749.

Several memorials for the Knotts and Foutrells.

A memorial for Algerina Dashwood, eldest daughter of Geo. Dashwood, Esq. obt. 1713; arms in a lozenge, On a fess, three griffins heads, erased.


In the South Aisle

A small mural monument for Matthew Hadde, eldest son of Henry Hadde, of Frinsted, both alike Esqrs. He was of the society of Lincoln's-Inn, and for twenty-seven years performed the office of justice of the peace within this city. He was steward of four courts; 1st, of the chancery of the cinque ports at Dover; 2d, of the royal manor of Wye; 3d, of the dissolved monastery of St. Augustine; and lastly, of the town and port of Faversham; and practised as a barrister at law to the county at large, obt. 1617; arms at top, Gules, three stags heads caboshed; or, between the horns of each a cross croslet, fitchee, argent, a crescent for difference.

Several memorials on monuments, hatchments, and gravestones, for the family of Roberts; arms, Per pale, gules and azure, three pheons heads, argent.

On a hatchment opposite the south door, for Mary, wife of John Coppin, gent. and daughter of Sir John Roberts, obt. 1585.

A memorial for Mrs. Deborah Timewell, only daughter of John Bridges, Esq. late of this city, and wife of Edward Timewell, esq. of Chigwell, in Essex, obt. 1752; also for the said Edward Timewell, Esq. obt. 1762. He was the eldest son of Benjamin Timewell, Esq. one of the commissioners of the navy in the reign of Queen Ann; arms, Or, on a chief, crenelle, three lions heads, erased, impaling, on a cross, a leopard's face.

A mural tablet on the north side for John Hayward, Gent. obt. Dec. 26, 1794.

Another mural tablet on the south side for William Bennet, obt. June 26, 1782, and for Sarah his mother, obt. 1780.

There are some good remains of painted glass yet left; among which are the following coats of arms,

Sable, a fess, gules, between three swans, argent; the same coat impaling Vert, on a chevron, argent, five horse shoes; the same impaling Vert, a saltier, or, a chief ermine.

A chevron, between three birds heads, erased, and Gules, a saltier, or.

Among the Wills in the Prerogative office of Canterbury I find that William Prowde, of St. Elphe, was buried in 1596 in this church, before the altar of St. James and St. Erasmus. He gave by his Will £3 towards the making of a new pair of organs, to be set up on the north side of the choir, before the image of St. Elphe; also 40s. to a clerk to be provided to play on the same at high feasts.

Also, Serlys Prude, alias Proude, Gent. of St. Alphage, in 1584.

Christopher Turner, Gent. of this parish, in 1591.

Thomas Maneringe, Gent. in 1593.

Christopher Nevinson, Gent. of this parish, in 1617.


In the Chancel

Henry Hales, Gent. of the precincts of Christ-church, in 1679, near his grandchild Mary, daughter of his son John Hales; Mary Hales, of the precincts of the Archbishop's palace, widow, in 1687.

Anne Herault, spinster, of Canterbury, near her mother and sisters, in 1720.

Besides the above burials in this church, there is frequent mention in the parish register of it, which begins in 1558, of the Lovelaces, Masters, Juxons, Hadde, Denews, Dennes, Foches, Primroses, and so on.


Source:  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.  Also can be found on https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol11/pp209-288.