included William Carter, vicar of Horton, and Robert Carter, a stipendiary at Southfleet.⁵
   The existence of a little local coterie of friends, bound, whether from true preference or discretion, in conformity, receives some confirmation from the fact that when, some years later, Richard Edmondson lay dying, he included in his last will gifts for Wyels, Nyrd and the two Carters. The law of wills was somewhat different in those days and Wyels was summoned to the deathbed as one of the witnesses. Edmondson also appointed him, together with William Potter, who had lately become rector of Hartley, a supervisor to see the will well and truly performed.’
   Both the Carters were to die in Henry VIII’s time, but Nyrd, who succeeded Edmondson at Fawkham, and Potter retained their cures through the reigns of Edward VI and Mary Tudor and into that of Elizabeth. Wyels might have been equally successful, had he lived so long.

   One of the problems that faced all parishes at the  time of the Reformation was the making and financing of the alterations to their churches required by the new order. Altars and roods were to be done away with and their destruction would leave walls and floors to be made good. New furnishings were needed, in particular communion tables to replace the altars. There were books to be provided, including ‘one book of the whole Bible of the largest volume, in English’. On the other hand, the churches found themselves with many ornaments and vestments of great beauty and value that were inappropriate to the reformed service. Some of these were sold to meet the expenditure on the fabric and furnishings. Others were misappropriated, more perhaps by militants than by professional thieves. These losses, from whatever cause, were sufficient to cause much concern to the King’s Council throughout the reign of Edward VI. On no less than three occasions during that brief period, the Council issued directions for the