College of All Saints, Maidstone
Encyclopedia
The College of All Saints was an ecclesiastical college
in Maidstone
, Kent
founded in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay
. It was part of the establishment of the nearby Archbishop's Palace
, but was closed in 1546. The College church was the neighbouring Church of All Saints
. A number of the College's buildings survive and all are listed buildings.
William Courtenay
in 1395. Courtenay died in 1396 and the College and church were completed by his successor, Thomas Arundel
. Richard II
endowed the College with land and income from the Hospital of St Peter and St Paul in Maidstone and from the parishes of Linton
, Farleigh
, Sutton
and Crundale
. The College was also granted the advowson
s for the parishes. To cover the cost of building the College, Courtenay obtained a bull
to levy a charge of fourpence in the pound on all ecclesiastical revenue raised in his archbishop
ric.
When the College was closed in 1546 following the passing of the Chantries Act, its annual income was valued at £208 6s 2d
(£ as of ). The church and the College were separated. The church became the parish church for the whole of Maidstone and the College's estate was granted to George Brooke, Baron Cobham
but was forfeited to the Crown in 1603 when his grandson, Henry Brooke, the 11th Baron Cobham
, was charged with high treason
for his part in the Main Plot
against James I
. In the reign of Charles I
the College became the property of Sir Edward Henden and later passed into the family of the Earls of Romney
.
The College buildings were used as a farm into the 19th century, until the expansion of Maidstone led to their demolition as the neighbouring area was developed. Part of the site was developed in the late 19th century for the Cutbush Almshouses, a collection of grade II listed buildings.
in the Perpendicular style. The main building, a two-storey structure with attic
, was mostly built in the 14th century and served originally as the Master's house. Some later 18th century alterations have been made and later windows added. The building contains a collar beam roof and a 16th century staircase, moulded ceiling and aumbry
cupboard.
The College Gateway to the north of the site is a three-storey rectangular tower with stone-ribbed vaulted
archway through it. The roof is hipped
, projecting above a crenellated parapet. A small turret is located in the south-west corner. Adjacent to the tower on the west side is a two-storey building that contained the College refectory
, kitchen and scullery
on the ground floor with a dormitory and infirmary on the first floor. On the north-west corner of this building is a small three-storey tower known as the River Tower or Muniment
Tower. The two-storey Master's Tower was the original access to the College from the river. a single storey structure is attached to the south side. The ruined gateway stands to the south separated from the other structures by the almshouses. It consists of a pointed arch for carriages in a roughly coursed rag-stone wall flanked by buttress walls on each side.
The Gateway and refectory are listed Grade I, the Master's house is listed Grade II* and the Master's Tower and the ruined gatehouse are listed Grade II. The College site is also a Scheduled monument with the protection covering the ruined gateway and buried remains of demolished buildings.
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
founded in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay
William Courtenay
William Courtenay , English prelate, was Archbishop of Canterbury, having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London.-Life:...
. It was part of the establishment of the nearby Archbishop's Palace
Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone
The Archbishop's Palace is an historic 14th-century and 16th-century building on the east bank of the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. Originally a home from home for travelling Archbishops from Canterbury, the building is today principally used as a venue for wedding services...
, but was closed in 1546. The College church was the neighbouring Church of All Saints
All Saints Church, Maidstone
All Saints is a parish church in Maidstone, Kent. It is a Grade I listed building, and is described as the grandest Perpendicular style church in Kent.-Establishment and dissolution:...
. A number of the College's buildings survive and all are listed buildings.
Establishment and dissolution
The College was founded by Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
William Courtenay
William Courtenay
William Courtenay , English prelate, was Archbishop of Canterbury, having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London.-Life:...
in 1395. Courtenay died in 1396 and the College and church were completed by his successor, Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.-Family background:...
. Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
endowed the College with land and income from the Hospital of St Peter and St Paul in Maidstone and from the parishes of Linton
Linton, Kent
Linton is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the southward slope of the Greensand ridge, south of Maidstone on the A229 Hastings road....
, Farleigh
West Farleigh
West Farleigh is a village and civil parish four miles southwest of Maidstone in the county of Kent. The parish has a population of approximately 450, and is bounded by the civil parishes of East Farleigh, Hunton, Yalding, and over the River Medway by Wateringbury, Teston and Barming. The village...
, Sutton
Sutton, Kent
Sutton is a village near Dover in Kent, England....
and Crundale
Crundale, Kent
Crundale is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent in southeast England. The village is located on the North Downs, about halfway between Ashford and Canterbury....
. The College was also granted the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
s for the parishes. To cover the cost of building the College, Courtenay obtained a bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
to levy a charge of fourpence in the pound on all ecclesiastical revenue raised in his archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
ric.
When the College was closed in 1546 following the passing of the Chantries Act, its annual income was valued at £208 6s 2d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
(£ as of ). The church and the College were separated. The church became the parish church for the whole of Maidstone and the College's estate was granted to George Brooke, Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham was an aristocrat during the early Tudor dynasty in England. A soldier and magnate, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of Henry VIII....
but was forfeited to the Crown in 1603 when his grandson, Henry Brooke, the 11th Baron Cobham
Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham
Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham was an English peer who was implicated in the Main Plot against the rule of James I of England.- Life :...
, was charged with high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
for his part in the Main Plot
Main Plot
The Main Plot was an alleged conspiracy of July 1603 by English courtiers, to remove King James I from the English throne, replacing him with his cousin Arabella Stuart. The plot was supposedly led by Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham, and funded by Spain...
against James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. In the reign of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
the College became the property of Sir Edward Henden and later passed into the family of the Earls of Romney
Earl of Romney
Earl of Romney is a title that has been created twice. It was first created in the Peerage of England in 1694 in favour of the soldier and politician Henry Sydney. He had been made Baron Milton and Viscount Sidney at the same time in 1689. Sydney was the younger son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of...
.
The College buildings were used as a farm into the 19th century, until the expansion of Maidstone led to their demolition as the neighbouring area was developed. Part of the site was developed in the late 19th century for the Cutbush Almshouses, a collection of grade II listed buildings.
Buildings
The College, like the Church of All Saints, is constructed of Kentish rag-stoneRag-stone
Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones which are quarried in thin pieces, such as the Horsham sandstone, Yorkshire stone, the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, near London, is meant an excellent material from the...
in the Perpendicular style. The main building, a two-storey structure with attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
, was mostly built in the 14th century and served originally as the Master's house. Some later 18th century alterations have been made and later windows added. The building contains a collar beam roof and a 16th century staircase, moulded ceiling and aumbry
Aumbry
In the Middle Ages an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the Eucharist. This latter use was infrequent in pre-Reformation churches,...
cupboard.
The College Gateway to the north of the site is a three-storey rectangular tower with stone-ribbed vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
archway through it. The roof is hipped
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
, projecting above a crenellated parapet. A small turret is located in the south-west corner. Adjacent to the tower on the west side is a two-storey building that contained the College refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, kitchen and scullery
Scullery (room)
A scullery is a room in a house traditionally used for washing up dishes and laundering clothes, or as an overflow kitchen when the main kitchen is overloaded. Tasks performed in the scullery include cleaning dishes and cooking utensils , occasional kitchen work, ironing, boiling water for cooking...
on the ground floor with a dormitory and infirmary on the first floor. On the north-west corner of this building is a small three-storey tower known as the River Tower or Muniment
Muniment
A Muniment or Muniment of Title is a legal term for a document, or other evidence, that indicates ownership of an asset. The word is derived from munimentum, the Latin word for a defensive fortification...
Tower. The two-storey Master's Tower was the original access to the College from the river. a single storey structure is attached to the south side. The ruined gateway stands to the south separated from the other structures by the almshouses. It consists of a pointed arch for carriages in a roughly coursed rag-stone wall flanked by buttress walls on each side.
The Gateway and refectory are listed Grade I, the Master's house is listed Grade II* and the Master's Tower and the ruined gatehouse are listed Grade II. The College site is also a Scheduled monument with the protection covering the ruined gateway and buried remains of demolished buildings.