St. Dunstan’s, Canterbury.

St. Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury is an Anglican Church that dates from the 11th Century. It is a Grade I listed building and was restored from 1878 to 1880 by Ewan Christian (1814-1895), the London born architect who designed the National Portrait Gallery. 

The church is dedicated to St. Dunstan (909-988) who was an English bishop, artist and silversmith. Said to be the favourite saint of the English before Thomas Becket he is said to have defeated the devil, in person, on more than one occasion. 

In 1174 Henry II is said to have stopped at St. Dunstan’s to change his clothing to sackcloth before starting his pilgrimage to Thomas Becket’s tomb at Canterbury Cathedral. 

St. Dunstan’s is also the final resting place of Thomas More’s decapitated head which his daughter Margaret Roper retrieved from a spike on London Bridge and then took to her husband’s family tomb. William Roper and his family lived nearby and what remains of their home is called Roper Gate. 

The Roper Family vault is located beneath the Nicholas Chapel to the right of the church’s main alter. 

ROPER MEMORIAL Translation

Stay, you who pass by, and read these few words that you may gain the power of learning to live better and to die better. You are unconcerned? behold, in a short time, perhaps while still unconcerned, you also will be an example of our mortal condition.

In pious dedication to his parents, Thomas Roper, esquire, grandson to Thomas More through his daughter Margaret (a cause of special honour to this family), inheritor also of his virtues, and following his father William of whom, in that function, he could be seen as a partner rather than a successor. In the court or on the King's Bench, the highest court in the whole realm, he acted as First Secretary for twenty-four years or more, as much by his own great deserts as by wit of his high standing among all men, in firm and public display of good faith, never accustomed to pronounce judgement deceitfully or to sell it at an inordinate price either to litigants or defendants. As his wife, unparalleled as such, he had Lucy, daughter of Anthony Browne, sprung from the illustrious family of Montagu, Knight Commander of the Horse to King Henry VIII and also one of this Councillors. By her he beget twelve children, six of each sex. 

On both sides was their wonderful and perfect love, great harmony and mutual esteem. Thus, (both publicly in the court and privately at home) everywhere passing his life in holiness and modesty, when he had come to a quiet old age, like one who falls asleep he rested in Christ in the 65th year of his life, on the 21st day of January in the year 1597. William Rooper (Roper) as a most dutiful son to a most loving parent. Willingly is this set to his merit.

Consider what profit the age of the present time brings; all that exists is as nothing, except for the loving God.

What do the flesh, the blood, the dust, and the shadow do for the proud?

What do you, wretched man, enjoy, being sown as food for worms? You pursue the unclean world, but you shall yourself be pursued, and you who desire everything are caught in a little urn. The world can bring few solaces to the living, and can bring no slight losses after death. Fleeing the things that bring damnation, raise up your soul while living so that it may live in heaven, a bride dressed for God; I, being dead, warn you, who are going to die, about these things: press on, and be mindful of my fate, and even more of your own.

 

St. Peter the Apostle, Canterbury, Kent

Standing in St. Peter’s Street on the corner of St. Peter’s Lane, there’s no prize for guessing the name of this church. 

As I was rushing I noticed St. Peter’s Church by chance, set back from the main walkway I was short of time as is often the case. The access to the churchyards (there are two rear areas containing gravestones) were padlocked so I stood on the pathway making a mental note to revisit. As I stood there, Rachel the churchwarden came out of the church and kindly offered me access. It was a bit of a rush (my fault not hers) but I’m grateful to her for disrupting her plans to close up. 

St. Peter’s comes under the St. Dunstan, St. Peter and St. Mildred Benefice which was created in 2017. The site is thought to have been used for worship since Roman times and was rebuilt by St. Augustine and his monks. The tower has early Roman tiles and Anglo-Saxon cornerstones. The tower dates from 1100 and has four ancient bells cast between 1325 & 1599. Parish registers date back to September 1590 and by the middle of the 1600s St. Peter’s was home to Huguenot and Walloon refugees who were fleeing religious persecution. In 1926 the church started to lose many of its furnishings and organ after services were suspended. Sunday services returned in 1953 leading to it being restored fully six years later. 

Some records show that the church was used by French refugees in the early 1900s. Unfortunately this church is known to have very little historical documentation prior to 1590. In the late 1800s and early 1900s it was used by the students and staff of St. Augustine’s Missionary College. 

The original organ was removed in 1946 and given to Holy Cross Church.

Below is the rest for the Mayoral Mace and sword which has been here since 1660. 

Beyond the wall we can see The Marlowe Theatre. 

The church is made of flint and had some tombs and tombstones removed in 1905 to allow for a memorial window to be built. 

Official website link.