STAINED GLASS AND PORTRAITS. 71 These were probably once decorated with the arms and quarterings of the family, figured in an old manuscript in the British Museum, and thus superscribed, "The coates are thus in Sr. Edm. Bowyer's windows in his house at Camberwell." In the recent substantial repairs which the house has undergone, it has been denuded of many of its ancient honours, and a plain wainscoting has in most instances been substituted for its paintings, richly carved mouldings, and ornamental panels. Some of its apartments were originally embellished with considerable taste. The walls and ceilings of the entrancehall were ornamented with some curious carved and moulded work, disfigured in later days by a tawdry colouring. Against the wall hung a female portrait, a companion to another in the room over it, which tradition styled the "Lord of the Manor." Report ascribed to this, the title of his lady. Over the husband's picture was the Bowyer crest in carved oak. 66 The small room forming the northernmost wing of the building, and called the cedar parlour, was ornamented with carven imageries of fruits and flowers," in bold relief, executed with great freedom and taste. Over the chimney piece was a small but exquisite piece of painting, in which Saturn devouring his children was shewn in the centre, surrounded with ruins. The large apartment adjoining, is a lofty and well pro a Harl. MSS. 1046, fo. 59. The escutcheon consists of nine coats. 1 Bowyer. 2 Brabant. 3 Boys: these are quartered over the husband, on John Bowyer's monument in the church. 4 Draper. 5 Draper, (another branch.) 6 Aucher. 7 Urswick: these form the four first coats placed over the wife on the same monument. 8 Ermine on a bend engreled azure, 3 cinquefoils or: this is assigned, though erroneously, to Fyfield, in the drawing. The proper arms of that family are on the monument referred to. 9 Kirktoft. Argent, on a chevron gules, 3 cross crosslets sable. The crest is an anomalous looking quadruped, with the head of a gryphon, and the tail of an unicorn, seiant on a ducal coronet. It is probably intended for a wolf. 72 CARVED WORK AND PAINTINGS. portioned room: the carved work surrounding the chimneypiece, represented festoons of fruit and flowers, and was executed in a superior manner. The fire place was surmounted by a painting, in which were grouped various kinds of poultry, kept on the qui vive by the menaces of a chained mastiff, whilst in the air above, appeared one of those "footless fowl," "that never "Rest upon earth, but on the wing for ever. Hovering o'er flowers, their fragrant food inhale; "And sleep aloft while floating on the gale." The south and east sides of this room were each covered by a large painting, ascribed to Sir James Thornhill. In either of them the principal figure, from the crow which accompanied him and the nimbus surrounding his head, seems to have been intended for Apollo. The corresponding room, on the south side of the building, still exhibits the lion's head issuing from the angles of the chimney-piece-almost the only specimens of carving which have been suffered to remain. The hangings of embossed and painted leather, which covered the walls of the little ante-room adjoining, have been removed. Coeval with these Camberwell families, were the DRAPERS of Friern. Robert Draper, the grantee of this manor, in 36 Henry VIII. is described as page of the Jewel office, and owner of a messuage called Green-place, in Camberwell, which he had lately purchased of Sir Henry Wiat, and others, by the description of the manor of Camerwell, alias Frern, and a tenement called Freren, formerly belonging to the priory of Halliwell. This house has long since disappeared, the present manorial residence having been erected in 1725. It was probably of great antiquity, as the nuns of Halliwell had a FAMILIES OF DRAPER AND GARDYNER. 73 house here about the time of Richard the First. At that period, ten acres of land granted by Nicholas de Pinnuz, or Pointz, to the priory, are described in the archives of that establishment as extending " de doma nostra usque ad horreum monachorum Sancti Salvatoris,”—from our house to the barn of the monks of St. Saviour. Elizabeth, daughter of this Robert Draper, as we have seen, was married to John Bowyer. Mathye, one of the sons afterwards possessed the manor. He married Sence, daughter of William Blackwell; died without issue, and is buried at Camberwell. The GARDINERS resided at Peckham, probably in Basyngmanor-house, as the estate belonged to them. The present building is of considerable antiquity, and still retains some characteristics of a ruder age. This family appears to have come from Bermondsey. Thomas Gardiner, of Peckham, Knight, was one of the Justices of the Peace for Surrey, in 1623." They were connected by marriage with the BAKERS, who had been long seated in the same village, as the name of Ricardus -Baker de Pekeham, occurs amongst those of the Surrey gentry, in 12 Henry VI. The HENDLEYs were another old Peckham family. They were seated at Coursehorne, in Kent, prior to 1334. One of them, buried in Otham church, near Maidstone, has the following doggrel on a brass plate over his remains. "In God is all my trust. Here lyeth the body of Thomas Hendley, esquier by degre, Who gave a house, and also land, the Fifteene for to paye, And to relieve the people pore of this parishe for aye. a Harl. MSS. 1046, fo. 59. Dorm. and Ext. Bar. p, 256. 74 He died the HENDLEY FAMILY. day of from Him that Judas sold A thousand five hundreth and ninety yere, being eightie nine yeres ould, Protesting often before his death, when he his faith declared, That onlye by the death of Christ he hoped to be saved. (spared?) Christ is oure only Savior.” Walter Hendley, of Cuckfield, was created a baronet in 1661. The first who is known to have resided here, is described as "William Hendley, of Peckham, in the p'ish of Camberwell, in Surry." His son, John Hendly, also lived at Peckham: but his grandson, of the same name, is styled of Rotherhithe, and esquire of the body to King James." John Hendley, gent., is mentioned as one of the trustees under the will of Sir Edmund Bowyer, dated 11th July, 1626. a Summer Wanderings, 1829, p. 15. Harl. MSS. 1346, fo. 52; they bore Paly-bendy gules and azure; eight martlets in orle, or: the same arms were used by the baronet, who dying without male issue, the title became extinct. RECENT HISTORY. IN following the history of these ancient houses, I have considerably anticipated the period referred to in the outset― the middle of the sixteenth century. THE PARISH REGISTER, which commences about this time, furnishes a few meagre details of local information, though in most instances they merely form part of the annals of the kingdom generally. The number of baptisms recorded at a somewhat later period, on the proved average of one to every six families annually, shews that there were then no more than one hundred and forty houses in the parish, which number, indeed, had not increased more than fifty per cent. up to the commencement of the last century. A great proportion of these were probably occupied by the lower classes, as several anonymous burials are recorded, and frequent mention made of " 66 a poor man," or a poor woman," from this or that part of the parish: some of the marriages also refer to labourers. In 1539 it was enacted that a Register “be provided, and kept in everie parish-church, wherein shall be written everie weddyng, christening, and burying within the same parish for ever." That, however, of Camberwell, does not commence before 1558. The earliest registers are not extant, but they have been transcribed with great care and apparent accuracy upon vellum, and the contents are now bound into one volume, carrying down the registry to the year 1749. The title page which is boldly and beautifully written in old English, gives this account of the original manuscripts: This Register Church Booke of parchment, was engrossed and written out of three olde Register paper bookes, and maketh |