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

140
The English Ancestry of
a north aisle which extended the length of the Church and
was leaded, while the body was tiled. In the tower, which
is built of flints and stone, with pinnacles, and embattled,
hang five bells. John Deth, who died 20 April, 1477, was a
great benefactor to this Parish, and in his time the Church
was either rebuilt or repaired ; " he lies buried in the belfry,
with an epitaph." The whole edifice was restored in 1866.
In the north aisle of the chancel are the arms of Mont-
chesney* and those of Valence.f The Church also contains
a " brass " in memory of John Clare and his wife, but their
effigies have been removed. A prominent family of this
name had a seat at Great Bentley. The Rectory has been
always appendant to the Manor, and in addition to an orchard
and garden, it has fifty-eight acres of glebe. Since 1531 St.
John's College, Cambridge, has held the presentation, which
is said to have been the gift of Hugh Ashton to that cor-
poration. The living is valued at ,£440 and the parsonage.
The Parish Register begins in 1553, but I have been unable
to have it searched.
Among the Rectors of St. Mary's were the Rev. Richard
Alvey, the distinguished Master of the Temple, who was at
Thorington 1538-54, and was also a Canon of Westminster;
in the latter year he was deprived of the living by Queen
* These are : Two
bars gules and vaire. " Gules " is the heraldic name for red, and
the colors of vaire are argent and azure, i. e. white and blue.
t Their blazon is : Barry of ten, argent and azure, ten martlets gules, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1.
Or, in ordinary parlance, ten horizontal stripes of white and blue alternating; on the
white stripes are red birds resembling swallows, but without feet, — three on the upper,
two on the next three, and one on the lowest.