The English ancestry of Reinold and Matthew Marvin of Hartford, Ct ...

Reinold and Matthew Marvin 13
easterly side ; the latter was a handsome seat, near the
Church ; at the time of the suppression of the monasteries
in the reign of Henry VIII, a moiety of this estate was
granted to Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth, and the other
moiety to Sir George Whitmore. Near this Manor, at "the
Bridge foote," was the property of John Marvin, in 1560-70.
The ancient Parish Church in which many of our ances-
tors were christened, married, and buried, is built upon a
hill. In the quiet Church-yard beside it are to be seen
stones of recent date inscribed with the names of members
of the Lucas family. Like many other English Churches
in similar situations, it is dedicated to St. Michael,* who
was evidently its "patron saint" from the very earliest times.
It is a building of stone in the decorated and perpendicular
style, with nave " of one pace with the Chancel," and a south
porch. It has a massive western tower, square, with embat-
tled top, in which are three bells, the earliest dated 1676 ;
on its south face is a sun-dial with the motto " Time passeth
away like a shadow — 1841." The exterior is so covered
with plaster that little or none of its structure can be seen ;
the lower part of the tower is overgrown with ivy. The
north wall dates from the eleventh century, and contains a
small Norman door, with moulded imposts and a small
round-headed loop a little to the east. In the north wall
of the Chancel, close to the east end, is a five-foiled arched
recess of early English work, thought to be the remains of
" the Easter sepulchre ;
" in the opposite wall is a small and
* Called also " St. Michael the Archangel " in some of the old Wills.