Arthur Mee says it is the only church that 'we know' with two brasses of one man, and then mispells the man's surname as Bower! Well, who does not? Apparently the church at Cuckfield has an ancient font too, cracked by a kicking horse belonging to one of Cromwell's soldiers. Graves to two writers, Henry Knigsley a traveller, and Andrew Borde, a Merry Monk. There is a tribute to Sarah Tulet here, a servant at Cuckfield Place for fifty years or so. Plus a picturesque view from the churchyard is yours to behold, with Jack and Jill on the skyline, the two windmills at Clayton. And nearby Cuckfield Park, where the 'dead were always carried away by night', says Mr. Mee, lives in the books of Harrison Ainsworth. Spooky!
I wrote about it in my newsletter No 3. (and will recap later), or rather the house, Cuckfield Place built by Henry Bowyer in 1574. I began to wonder if Sarah Tulet was the subject of a gigantic bust up during 1578 and lasted for the next three years or so, when the then vicar, Edmund Curteys, rebuked Henry for 'misbehaving with a woman servant' and concealing the birth of her child. The row was felt by all the villagers who took sides, and eventually involved the Archbishop of Canterbury no less, as well as the lord Chief Justice. The Vicar was moved away. But it appears that the servant in question was a Mercy Gould.
Henry Bowyer of Cuckfield was of the family at Petworth, the third son of his father, John of Harefield, himself a third son of William of Petworth. Henry married Elizabeth Vaux as shown on the armorial shields on his brass matrix, but the family name was to dissolve when heiress Anne married Thomas Hendley of Cranbrook. Bowyer was then used as baptismal names, as in Bowyer Hendley, Sheriff of Kent circa 1702. The quarterings also show the Knypersley 'spades', telling us where the family came from originally. Henry, when not quarrelling with local vicars, made his fortune as an ironmaster (see my newsletter 17), his produce much in demand by Queen Elizabeth's armoury for the wars with Spain. As the Armada sailed during July of 1587 and Henry died in the September of the same year, he just had time to hear about the greatest test of his wares.
His standing effigy is only 24 inches high, and should show him with a mouth scroll "0 praise the lord". Henry is bare headed, wears a ruff and armour of the period.. proudly one would say.. with long sword and dagger. He wears similar apparel on the next brass, in a picture setting placed in a room, kneeling opposite his wife before a desk with open books displayed. She wears a 'Paris' cap, ruff and gown with full sleeves. Behind him, also kneeling, their three sons, and behind Elizabeth their two daughters. This brass is a little larger than the other, but here cut into the alabaster plinth is an inscription, which the other lacks. This is a gem for the Family Historian for it mentions the lady's maiden name, her father and his abode, as well as the names of Thomas, Francis and Henry for the sons, with Anne and Mary as the daughters. Achievements too, for all to decipher, Bowyer and variations, Vaux and Kypersley. One is hard to pin down, belonging to an heiress of long ago.
Cuckfield is a pretty village to visit, it's main street all the quieter now a by-pass has been built (A272). It lacked the expected 'Olde Worlde Tea Shoppe' when I was last there, but a few houses warrant a look about, as Ockenden near to the church. The main attraction to us is the house that Bowyer built to be found south of the village, discernible from the road but not open to visitors. More the pity for it contains features that would interest us greatly, the plaster ceiling of the hall with its heraldic beasts of the Nevilles and Fitzalans, the Tudor rose and especially 'the tiger of the Bowyers'. Various family crests are on display on the fine wooden staircase, the screen in the hallway dated 1581 and the stain glass windows. In all a fine credit to the Bowyer family of Cuckfield, even if a little condescending in its armorial tributes on display. See Ssx. Arch. Coil. XLII (1899).
BOWYER THE JAIL-BIRD.
Janet Few was most intrigued to find her gt.gt.grandmother's brother, Robert Bowyer, in Chelmsford jail during the 1881 census taking. How exciting, she thought, and proceeded to look for the 'gory details'. Murder? Treason? International espionage? Dream on !……….In actual fact Robert was brought before the Petty Sessions Court for not sending three children to school. They are referred to as Mary Ann, Sarah Sussannah, and Elizabeth Annie ARGENT, though later appear as Bowyers. Janet now looks for her Robert marrying between 1861-1871, and birth details of the children, probably in the Chelmsford registration area.
BOWYER THE PAINTER.
Barbara Young has sent me a pretty picture illustration from a magazine of an oil painting by William Bowyer called 'The White Cross'. A pleasant riverside scene of extreme calm with people promenading to create slight movement. I have seen one or two examples of his work at the annual exhibitions at the Royal Academy, and remember once sitting in the centre of a room there to select the painting that I would like to hang at home. I chose a serene cricket match ... yes, by William! So my eyes are trained to pick out Bowyers in paint as well as from the written word.......!!!!!
KATE BOWYER ..............
As soon as Sheila Catchlove mentioned Stradishall in Suffolk I thought that with the aid of Brent Bowyer's book I would soon find all we wanted to know about the baptismal details of Kate. But Brent is as brief as the details that Sheila gives. Both claim her to be the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (nee Goodchild). Adult life is more forthcoming, Kate was a nurse in America and Canada, returning to Cowlinge in 1927. She then returned to Canada with kinsman Robert Garrod (19) probably on assisted passage. (Fields End, Elonswell Rd. Great Ashfield, Bury St Edmunds, Sfk. IP31 3HH)
........... and a BOWYER FROM KITTING.
Whilst we are in this county, where is the village of Kitting? This is given in the 1881 census as the
birthplace of Louisa, aged 34, (nee Bowyer) wife of Joseph Maryon, living at 64 Maryland Road,
West Ham. Whilst tracing the birthplace of his great grandmother, Jack Hooper he tells me that he
telephoned the library at Kedington to be told that the locals know the place as Ketton but that they
pronounce it Kitten, as in cat! Kedington ... Ketton .... Kitten .... Kitting. Ah, Well !!!!!!!!
(J.C.Hooper, The Bungalow, Brooklyn Paddock, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1DU).
A GRETNA GREEN BOWYER.
In a couple of issues of the FAMILY HISTORY MONTHLY magazine (45, St Marys Road, Ealing,W5 5RQ) the Gretna Green marriages have been listed. The only eloping Bowyer seems to have been William H.W. of Bray, who wedded Emily Harford romantically over the anvil 26th. April 1831.
Talking of magazines I have to hand a copy of the AUSTRALIAN FAMILY TREE CONNECTIONS (PO Box 322,Gosford. NSW 2250) which is more useful information than articles. This one is big on the 'Save the census for history's sake' issue. It seems not to court English subscriptions though.
ENDPIECE. Thank you for all your letters and Bowyer info,. it is great to keep in touch. I have also received many queries from other Bowyer researchers and helped where I can, thanks sometimes to that info that you send in. I'll end with the best quote from your letters:" My Gt .Gt. Grandfather married a widow and then had ten children by her daughters. That is known as 'keeping it in the family!'
Cheers, Denis.