Aspects of Kentish Local History

Home
News & Events
  Publications Archaeological
Fieldwork
Local & Family
History
Information
by Parish
 


Archaeologia Cantiana
 -  Vol. 26  1906  page 80

Little Mote, Eynsford, with a pedigree of the Sybill Family.
 By R. H. Ernest Hill, A.R.I.B.A.

family, a once flourishing Kentish house, who built the mansion of Little Mote, and eventually disappeared off the face of the earth in the time of James I.
   These carvings are all that remain of the heraldic decoration which in Philipot’s time was to be seen in the house; and I have considered them sufficiently interesting to be worthy of an illustration to a large scale, as well as being shewn in the elevation of the fire-place. Philipot says that these arms, viz., "a tyger viewing himself in a mirrour or spigel," were then existing, "both carved and embossed very anciently in wood, as likewise represented to the view in old coloured glass," and also that the arms of Cowdale (whose heiress married a Sybill), viz., "argent, a chevron gules between three bulls’ heads cabosed sable, both empailed and quartered with this family, are yet visible in many places of the house." These words are corroborated in a very interesting manner by some anonymous notes in Stowe MS. 620 in the British Museum which I have recently discovered. On folio 25 (pencil number) are eleven roughly-tricked shields of

arms shewing various quarterings and  impalements with the names of the respective alliances, described as being "In the glasse windowes of the p’lour of Mr. Bosviles house at Enysforde in Kent 7 Septemb’ 1593." The shields are arranged in the following order :—

That "Mr. Bosviles house" was Little Mote is clear from the fact that he inherited it by his marriage with the heiress Elizabeth Sybill, and used it as his residence. Owing to the (traditional) destruction of the house by fire some time in the eighteenth century it is impossible to say in what room

Previous page       Back to Page listings       Next page

Back the Contents page       Back to Archaeologia Cantiana listing

This website is constructed by enthusiastic amateurs. Any errors noticed by other researchers will be to gratefully received so
that we can amend our pages to give as accurate a record as possible. Please send details too localhistory@tedconnell.org.uk