One of the privileges of being Rector of Horsted Keynes has been involvement
with St Giles rich history in partnership with Ann Govas, David & Sally
Lamb, Hylda Rawlings, Caroline Rich (St Giles Archivist) and the late Bob Sellens. Highlights over my 8
years have been Ann Govas’s publications, the Macmillan evening (2012),
Archbishop Robert Leighton commemoration (2015) and publication of my own History of St Giles Church, Horsted Keynes (2015).
On 1st December 2016 we packed the Giles Moore
Room in the Martindale to engage there appropriately with our 44th
Rector Giles Moore who served here 1655-1679. It was tremendous to have with us
98 year old Hylda Rawlings, founder and now President of Danehill Parish
Historical Society. Hylda spoke both about Giles Moore and her close friend
Ruth Bird (1899-1987) who edited his Journal for publication by Sussex Record
Society in 1971. Previously part of Moore’s Day Book featured in Rector Frank Eardley’s
parish history of 1939. It was Rector Mark Hill-Tout (1984-1989) who persuaded
Ruth to make ‘a complete, correct and scholarly transcription of the Day Book’.
To Ruth Bird’s sorrow and that of many other people a large chunk of the Day
Book dealing with Moore’s visits to local farms was omitted in the published
Journal. Though valuable as part of Horsted Keynes history it was deemed of
less interest to general readers. Perhaps that omission will be remedied some
time soon.
Of the Day Book former villager and Land of Hope and Glory author Arthur Benson writes: ‘There can be
few volumes in England which give so minute an account of the life of a country
parson in the seventeenth century…an interesting commentary on the conditions
of social life then prevailing. The Rev. Giles (or Aegidius) was obviously a
convinced Royalist, though, like the Vicar of Bray, he subordinated his
principles to his livelihood. He was certainly a man of peace as we see him in
his day-book, a considerable student, and interested in agricultural
operations’.
Moore first preached in St Giles on 1st February
1655 a few years after the execution of King Charles 1 (1649) and lived through
the Restoration of King Charles II (1660). His Royalist tendencies come out in
Latin quotes in his Journal which he thought Cromwell’s men wouldn’t be able to
read! He was married to Susan, formerly a widow. They had no children but took
into their home Giles’ infant niece Martha nicknamed ‘Matt’ who often rode
pillion behind him on his horse. It took three or four days to ride to London.
Goods ordered there were delivered by Pony Pack to ‘The Red Lion’, Danehill now
called ‘The White House’ on the east side of the A275 in the centre of Danehill
Village. Hylda, who lives just down the
road, pictured Rector Giles with Matt sitting behind him, riding down the steep
hill to Danehill from Horsted Keynes to collect goods delivered from London at
‘The Red Lion’.
In my History of St Giles I
provide this selection from the Day Book: ‘On 10th March 1658 Moore writes ‘dyed my servant John Dawes
whom I buryed… next to the Ewe tree’. The funeral cost £2. Several yew trees
remain in the churchyard today. On 7th February 1660, he records
just less than £2 for his arrest of William Field and ‘carrying him to the
Jayle’. On 3rd November 1660, following the Restoration of the
Church of England he ‘bought at London a Common Prayer Booke’. On 14th
May 1663, he paid about £2 at the Tiger in Lindfield ‘for a dinner for 12
persons’. On 21st April 1669,
he bought ‘a Levitical sillke girdle’ and later pays 3s (15p) ‘for making a
cassack’. On 24th July 1667, he bought a bible commentary, accounts
of the burning of London and coronation of Pope Clement costing just over £1.
‘Winter 1674 was the Hedge adjoining to the Churchyard newly cut’ for 7s 6d or
37p. On 25th July 1679, he pays 6d (2p) ‘To Ned Waters for shaving
my head’.
Moore’s Journal ends ‘would that I
had kept a strict account of my daily shortcomings even as I kept an account of
my expenses’. The parish register records, ‘Mr Giles Moore, minister of this
parish, was buryed the 3d of October, 1679’. May he rest in the peace of Christ
- with all my predecessors!
