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ton. That family conveyed the manor to Mr. Lodowick, who sold it to Nicholas Vanacker, a London merchant, whose son, Sir John Vanacker, bart. dying without issue, Erith came into the possession of his kinsman, Sir William Hedges, alderman of London, in right of his wife, sister of Sir John. From the family of Hedges it came to that of Wheatley; William Wheatley, Esq. is the present possessor; this gentleman was high sheriff of Kent in 1769, and built a new manor house on the edge of Northumberland Heath, near this village.

On the Thames, opposite the town of Erith, the East India ships, in their passage up the river, frequently come to an anchor, and lay some time there, in order to be lightened of part of their burden, that they may proceed with greater safety. This makes a great resort to Erith, not only of the friends and acquaintance of the officers and seamen belonging to the ships, but for some continuance afterwards, in the carrying on a traffic between the inhabitants and their country neighbours, for the several kinds of East India commodities which have been procured from on board. This, no unprofitable branch of trade, together with the conveyance and delivery of goods to and from London, and some few fishing vessels, employ the generality of the neighbours of this place. Large quantities of corn and wood are yearly shipped here, and it supplies the country for some miles round with coals. The large plantations of fruit-trees are also a lucrative article to the inhabitants of the parish, as the cherries are observed to ripen very early.

The church, dedicated to St. John Baptist, is anticnt, and consists of three aisles and three chancels.

The spire contains six bells, and is thus noticed by Mr. Bloomfield in his Wild Flowers:

O'er eastward uplands gay or rude,

Along to Erith's ivied spire;

I start with strength and hope renew'd,

And cherish life's rekindling fire.

Now

Now measure vales with straining eyes,"

Now trace the church-yard's humble names,
Or climb brown heaths abrupt that rise,

And overlook the winding Thames!

Sir

Within the church are some curious monuments, particularly to the memory of EMMA, wife of JOHN WODE, citizen of London, and merchant of the staple at Calais, she was daughter of John Walden, alderman of London, and sheriff in 1453, and died in 1471. ELIZABETH, Countess of SHREWSBURY, who died in 1568. Her only daughter ANNE, Countess of PEMBROKE, who died 1589. RICHARD WALDEN, and his lady, father and mother to the countess of Shrewsbury. Grave stones, with brasses, to the memory of the families of AILMER, HAWKE, and ROGER SENCLER, formerly servant to the abbey and conyent of Lesnes, who died on New Year's Day, 1421. There are also modern tombs for the families of VANACKER and WHEATLEY.

In this church, during the reign of king John, a treaty was held between several commissioners, appointed by his majesty, and Richard earl of Clare, and others, on behalf of the discontented barons, respecting a peace between the king and them; for which purpose, the latter had a fafe conduct, dated November the 9th in that year.

Erith is mentioned by Lambard to have been antiently a corporate town; but from what king it acquired this privilege, and when it ceased to enjoy it, cannot be traced, Bartholomew lord Badlesmere, a powerful baron, who was possessed of this manor, certainly obtained from Edward IL the grant of a weekly market to Erith; this has, however, been long discontinued......

To the south of Northumberland Heath is a tract of land denominated THE CRAYS, supposed to be the most beautiful spot in the county of Kent. It receives its denomination from the many parishes which bear the name of Cray, on account of being situated on that rivulet.

FOOT'S CRAY PLACE, is, twelve miles from London, and was built by Bourchier Cleve, Esq. originally a respectable pewterer

pewterer in Cheapside, after a design by Palladio. It became the property of Sir George Yonge, bart, who married Mr. Cleve's daughter, and was sold for less than a third part of the original expence, to Benjamin Harence, Esq. high sheriff of Kent in 1777. The hall is octagonal, with" a round gallery, leading to the bed chambers. It is en lightened from the top, and is very beautiful. The house is of stone, and stands on a rising ground, with a gradual descent to the water, which appears a small river gliding through the length of the ground; opposite to the house is a fine cascade; the water, which appears a natural stream, is an artificial branch of the river Cray. The church is supposed to be of high antiquity. It contains an antient altar tomb, imagined to the memory of Sir Simon de Vaughan, and his wife, who was lord of the manor in the reign of Edward III.

NORTH CRAY belonged originally to the noble family of Percy, but coming to the crown, by a surrender of Henry, earl of Northumberland, to Henry VIII. that monarch granted it to Sir Roger Cholmeley, recorder and member of Parliament for the city of London, afterwards baron of the Exchequer, and chief justice of the King's Bench. He alienated the whole of this estate to Sir Martin Bowes, lord mayor of London, 1545, from whose family, by female heirs, it descended to those of Buggin and Fowler; becoming the sole property of the former, John Buggin, Esq. who sold it in 1710 to Sir Thomas D'Acath, who jointly with his son Narborough, again sold it to Jeffry Hetherington, father of the benevolent, the reverend William Hetherington, who died in 1778, having presenter 6000l. to the college at Bromley, and established a fund of 20,000l. for the relief of the blind. MOUNT MASCAL, formerly belonged to Sir John Leman, lord mayor of London, 1616; it was afterwards sold to Sir Thomas Fitch, of Eltham, bart. who possessed it in 1688. From him it de scended to Sir Compost Fitch, whose daughter by marriage to Sir John Barker, in 1740, conveyed it to that family.. The three daughters of lady Barker, joined in the sale of:

it

it to John Maddocks, Esq. bencher of Lincoln's Inn, and the Middle Temple, and king's counsel, whose family still enjoy it. During the time that this estate was untenanted by the family, it was rented by Sir William Billers, Sir William Calvert, and Sir Robert Ladbroke, aldermen and lord mayors of London. VALE MASCAL, another small seat, was built by Thomas Tash, Esq. son of Sir John Tash, sheriff of London in 1720.

BEXLEY was a manor given by Cenulph, king of Mercia, to Canterbury; it is described in Domesday Book as having a church and three mills. Edward II. at the solicitation of archbishop Reynolds, granted a weekly market to be held here, long since discontinued. The manor was alienated by archbishop Cranmer to Henry VIII. and it continued in the crown till granted by James I. to Sir John Spelman; he shortly afterwards sold it to the eminent antiquary, WILLIAM CAMDEN, who generously bestowed it on the university of Oxford, to support an historical professorship which he had founded; and the professor is still denominated the Camden Professor of Ilistory.

Bexley was the residence of the learned antiquary, THOMAS THORPE, Esq. F. S. A. author of the Custumale Roffense.

The church, a peculiar of the archbishop of Canterbury, is dedicated to St. Mary, has a shingled tower, with six bells, and a small octangular spire, not unlike an extinguisher. On the south side of the chancel, is an antient confessionary, of three pointed arches, with a recess for holy water; antient stalls of oak, with carved heads, and other figures, are on the north. The principal monuments and gravestones are a small brass figure for THOMAS SPARROW, Owner of Lamienby, who died in 1513; an alabaster monument for Sir JOHN CHAMPNEIS, knt. lord mayor of London, 1534, who died in October, 1556, and whose figure, with that of his lady, are represented kneeling at a desk. A monument for Sir RICHARD AUSTEN, bart. of Hall Place. Memorials for JOHN STYLEMAN, Esq. an eminent East India merchant, and a director of the East India Company,

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